《RE: Ankoku Kishi Monogatari》 Volume 1 - Prologue It was night. The stars twinkled merrily in the sky. Some falling stars shone brightly as they traveled through the night canopy. One person stood in the dark, fully wrapped in a jet-black plate mail. Black flames gushed out of his body. He was the Dark Knight. The black flames spread around creating a dark area. It looked as if there was a hole in the sky. The falling stars headed straight toward the darkness as if sucked by it. Truthfully, those weren¡¯t falling stars. They were angels with shining wings. Angels were beings created by Gods of Light. Their counterpart was the Dark Knight who served the Demon King. Clad in their shining white armor, the angels raised their swords and challenged the Dark Knight. The sky bore witness to a battle between Light and Darkness. ¡¸NO WAY! THERE¡¯S BUT A SINGLE ENEMY AND YET, OUR ENTIRE HOLY KNIGHT CAN¡¯T EVEN BRING HIM DOWN! ¡¹ An angel with a flaming sword shouted in outrage. Half of his comrades had been knocked down by a single Dark Knight. There were only a handful of angels left. Some time had passed since the angels discovered the Dark Knight. As soon as they heard the news of a Dark Knight desecrating a temple of the Goddess in the surface world, they rallied their forces as quickly as they could. However, they weren¡¯t fast enough. Once they arrived at the temple, they discovered the Dark Knight had already left. They gave chase and the situation eventually escalated into a fight. Truthfully, it would¡¯ve been strange if things hadn¡¯t escalated. The angel with the flaming sword recalled how the angel battalion lost so many soldiers. As they attacked the angels fell, one after another, under the might of the Dark Knight. The way he attacked was as if he was merely killing some annoying pests. It couldn¡¯t even be called a fight. No fighting spirit could be sensed from the Dark Knight. He probably didn¡¯t even regard the Holy Knights as enemies. The man in question shook his head at the angels, exasperated. ¡¸Didn¡¯t I tell you before to get the hell out of my way? ¡¹ His voice was so low that anyone would miss it if they didn¡¯t strain their ears to listen. ¡¸IN YOUR DREAMS! AS IF WE CAN FORGIVE AN EVIL BEING LIKE YOU, BASTARD WHO RAIDED THE TEMPLE OF THE GODDESS! EVERYONE! KIIIIILL!¡¹ The Dark Knight in front of them was the one who committed the great sin of raiding the Temple of The Beautiful Goddess of Light, Alrena. They had no intention to forgive the Dark Knight. ¡¸Evil being¡­ I see. It can¡¯t be helped then, come as you may.¡¹ As he said so, the Dark Knight raised his hand. A big sword appeared out of thin air and he grabbed it tightly. Carved on the black body of that sword were blood-red lines, the pattern resembling blood vessels. Those lines pulsed crimson, giving the sword an ominous feeling. It took only one swing of that fearsome black sword for the angels to be hit by a shockwave, rendering them completely immobile. ¡¸Such power¡­¡¹ The angels muttered in shock. Until a while ago, the Dark Knight hadn¡¯t even used a sword. After pulling it out, the difference in power was so great that they realized he hadn¡¯t been fighting seriously before. They couldn¡¯t hide their shock at that discovery. ¡¸DO NOT FALTER! EVERYONE, CHARGEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ¡¹ With their courage boosted by that command, the angels spread their wings and resumed attacking the Dark Knight. Their wings shone brightly against the night sky, just like falling stars. Even more powerful black flames gushed out of the Dark Knight¡¯s body, rushing to repel the angels. The black flames spread through the area, making it look like darkness was painting over a meteor shower. The angels approached the darkness and, as soon as they got close enough, the darkness swallowed them, shining wings and all¡­ ¡­ Only to violently spit them back out. Every single one of the angels fell to the earth. Their glow created a trail in the sky, resembling a proper meteor shower. The angel with the flaming sword stared at the skies as he fell with his brethren. ¡¸You¡­ Monster¡­¡¹ Hovering calmly under the starry night sky was the figure of the Dark Knight. Volume 1 - CH 1 Kuroki only saw the darkness of the night when he opened his eyes. He was in an unfamiliar place, and his memories were rather hazy. (Where am I? This is definitely not my room¡­£© He was lying on a stone-paved floor, which felt cold to his skin. ¡­ Skin? (Eh? I¡¯m naked?£© He was completely naked. Kuroki had no idea where his clothes were. He had never been an exhibitionist, but perhaps he had somehow suddenly awakened that fetish? (Just when did I take off my clothes?!£© As he wondered what had happened to him, he looked up. Above him was a gloomy-looking sky, no, a very high ceiling. Kuroki raised his upper body and sat up. The floor he lay on had a strange circle on it that emitted a pale light. He looked around the room and his surprise only grew. Despite the low light available, he could see several figures inside the room. Moreover, they weren¡¯t human. There were bird-like creatures, monsters with canine faces, people with tentacles growing from their bodies, even one that looked like a big eye. Although a few of them resembled humans, the majority had very strange appearances that didn¡¯t look human at all. (In movies and such, people usually scream when they¡¯re put in this kind of situation, right? Just what the hell happened to me?!) Kuroki was shocked at how ugly most of them looked. Most people would freeze in place, not knowing what to do in such a situation. His train of thoughts short-circuited as he stared at a monster. So far, the monsters only watched him from afar and didn¡¯t dare approach. Had they come closer, Kuroki would¡¯ve screamed his lungs off. But since they kept their distance, he was able to keep calm. (What should I do now? ¡­ Is this a dream?) The cold floor beneath him was a clear indicator that no, he wasn¡¯t dreaming. Kuroki¡¯s brain was processing information at full throttle. He started questioning himself if maybe he was in Hell. Was it possible that he died? Suddenly, a voice came from above him, startling Kuroki out of his gloomy thoughts. ¡¸Welcome to Our Palace! Our savior!¡¹ (Savior? Who, me?) Kuroki looked in the direction the voice came from. There was a noticeable gap in the monster enclosure that wasn¡¯t there before. It was incredibly dark, but somehow he could see through it. Upon a closer look, he could see a Giant Monster standing there. It looked like a bipedal boar with a huge horn on its head and very intimidating tusks growing upside down from its mouth. It also blew a black flame from its nostrils. The splendid black robe it wore wasn¡¯t enough to hide the violent aura it emitted from its entire body. The Giant Monster slowly walked past the other monsters and approached Kuroki, bowing its huge head to him. ¡¸This one¡¯s name is Modes, the one who¡¯s called the Demon King and the ruler of the land of Nargol. Savior-dono, may you tell this one your name?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ Yes¡­ It¡¯s Kuroki. Yukisaki¡­ Kuroki.¡¹ The Demon King got even closer to Kuroki, who couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and sputtered out his real name. ¡¸Ooh, so your name is Kuroki-dono! Then, Kuroki-dono! PLEASE SAVE THIS MODES!¡¹ The monster bowed to Kuroki even deeper even though he could kill the human quite easily. Kuroki couldn¡¯t even understand the situation anymore. ¡¸My apologies, but¡­ I¡¯m still in the dark here. Can you explain why you need me to save you?¡¹ Asked Kuroki in a timid voice. ¡¸Oops, come to think of it¡­ I forgot about the explanation and jumped straight into asking for your help right after summoning you.¡¹ Modes raised his head as he began explaining while slightly averting his face. ¡¸The truth is, right at this very moment, Nargol is being invaded by enemies.¡¹ ¡¸Invaded?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, invaded. We were invaded by the Goddess of Elios, Alrena, also known as Rena. She summoned a hero from the Spirit World¡­ As if banishing this Modes to Nargol wasn¡¯t enough, she went as far as trying to steal this Modes¡¯s treasure¡­¡¹ Modes had an extremely sad look on his face as he spoke. Suddenly, he looked at Kuroki and an eerie smile bloomed on his face. ¡¸My request to you, Kuroki-dono, is to defeat that hero.¡¹ Modes asked so without beating around the bush. Hero, he says? It¡¯s a word that I never heard before except in games and mangas. As if Kuroki was inside a game¡­ ¡¸A¡­ Hero?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, a hero. The Braves or Heroes of this world aren¡¯t strong enough to defeat this Modes. That¡¯s why Rena summoned a hero from the faraway land of the Spirit World.¡¹ Kuroki wanted to complain about the strange game-like development in the story. ¡°A Hero from another world¡± was a very common story template. Usually, it was a young Japanese man who got summoned by a Goddess from another world to defeat a Demon King. And yet, Kuroki¡¯s situation was the exact opposite of that template story. (It seems I was summoned to this world by the Demon King to defeat the Hero. Aren¡¯t I the villain, then?!£© Kuroki was completely at a loss. If everything that was happening was a dream, then he wanted to wake up. ¡¸Kuroki-dono, allow this one to show you the figure of that Hero. Mona! ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, dear.¡¹ A woman walked out from the crowd of monsters in response to the King¡¯s call. The moment she entered Kuroki¡¯s sight, he felt as if time had stopped. The owner of the voice was an otherworldly beauty. Kuroki couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her. From her beautiful and glossy black hair that flowed to the end of her back to her abundant, bulging breasts, her beautiful and well-ordered visage was made to capture the hearts of men. The silhouette of her figure was easily discernible from her thin white robe, showing Kuroki her hourglass figure. Such a beautiful woman! Her beauty was even more prominent as she stood amidst the crowd of monsters. Kuroki tried to hide his manhood as best as he could. He couldn¡¯t show such an unsightly scene to that beauty. ¡¸What do you think of her, Kuroki-dono? Isn¡¯t she beautiful? Her name is Mona, and she¡¯s my beloved wife. Mona, please give your greetings to Kuroki-dono.¡¹ Without batting an eyelash at Kuroki¡¯s unclothed situation, Modes introduced Mona as if bragging about his wife¡¯s beauty. It was the biggest shock Kuroki had suffered so far. This world-toppling beauty is Modes¡¯s wife?! It¡¯s like seeing Beauty and the Beast! Honestly, I¡¯m jealous! Modes, who had an atrocious appearance, showed a lovestruck expression on his face when he looked at Mona. It made Kuroki consider that contrary to how he looked, Modes might not be a bad person. Kuroki felt his fear toward the monsters abate a little. ¡¸It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Kuroki-sama. ¡¹ Mona greeted Kuroki with a smile on her face. A smile so charming it It was as if cherry blossom flowers were blooming behind her. Kuroki ended up charmed by her smile. [TL : MILF smile?] ¡¸Mona, show the Hero¡¯s appearance to Kuroki-dono with your magic.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, dear.¡¹ Mona muttered an incantation as she spread her hands. The area slightly above their heads shone brightly and some sort of mirage appeared above them. It was the scene of a battle where swarms of monsters rushed toward humans. And yet, those humans were not having trouble defending themselves, despite the overwhelming number of monsters against them. Kuroki took a good look at them. They were youths around his age, probably not older than twenty if judging by their appearances. The party of humans consisted of one man and five women. The man swung his sword as he fought against wave after wave of monsters. His attire resembled the ones worn by Heroes in fantasy novels. The women in the party also had fantasy-esque attires. One was dressed like a swordswoman, one looked like a ninja and the other three were dressed like sorcerers. Led by the man, they fought vigorously against the army of monsters. ¡¸Kuroki-dono, those humans are the Hero Reiji and his harem party.¡¹ Modes was pointing at the sole man amongst the group of humans. Then, the image of the man enlarged. Kuroki received another shock. The Hero¡¯s face and name were extremely familiar to him. ¡¸What the¡­? Is it really him? ¡­ Did you say that his name was¡­ Reiji?¡¹ Midou Reiji, known as Reiji. It was a very unpleasant name to Kuroki. Upon a closer look, he could identify the women behind Reiji too, although they looked a bit different from how he remembered them. One of the sorcerers was Mizuoji Chiyuki, the one with the beautiful black hair. The flaxen-haired woman behind her in white robes was Yoshino Sahoko, while the girl with hair in pigtails shooting fire from her hands was Sasaki Rino. The tomboyish and petite girl swinging around her short sword happily was Todoroki Naomi. And lastly, the swordswoman with the ponytail was Kuroki¡¯s childhood friend, Akamine Shirone. All of them were famous beauties who attended the same school as Kuroki. And those famous figures were currently fighting in the image before him. Volume 1 - CH 2 Chapter 2 : Childhood Friend and The Hero of Light Kuroki couldn¡¯t comprehend what his eyes were seeing. (What in the world are they doing here? And why are they heroes?) As far as he knew, Shirone and the other girls were on a trip to Reiji¡¯s vacation villa. They left as soon as the summer holiday began. He had also departed at the beginning of the holiday, but not with them. He had been traveling alone. That was as far as he could remember. ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this? Why are Shirone and Reiji in this world too? ¡¹ Knowing that Shirone was right beside Reiji hurt him deeply. The Akamine Family had taken him in due to his parents¡¯ circumstances. Kuroki didn¡¯t know what the circumstances were, he only knew that his parents and Shirone¡¯s were acquainted. Truthfully, Kuroki didn¡¯t want to know why he was adopted. It was enough that he received so much kindness from the Akamine Family and that he met Shirone. They grew up together, being raised as siblings. During their childhood, they often ran around the mountain together. They learned swordplay together in the Akamine Dojo. That Shirone, his childhood friend, was in that image, fighting. And it wasn¡¯t that long ago, according to Modes. Reiji and the group of ladies were chatting happily, perhaps because they had just exterminated an entire army. Kuroki almost cried tears of blood when he saw the most prominent beauties of his high school surrounding Reiji. And they seemed to enjoy being with him. Kuroki was jealous of Reiji¡¯s popularity. ¡¸Uhm¡­¡¹ A voice right beside him startled him from his thoughts. He turned and saw that Modes was right beside him, staring intently at his face. ¡¸Fumufumu¡­ I see now¡­¡¹ Kuroki wondered what Modes saw in his expression. Despite his efforts, he couldn¡¯t get any information from Modes¡¯ expression. Nevertheless, Modes nodded at him as if he saw something and continued with his explanation. ¡¸Let me continue our story, Kuroki-dono. That Hero appeared suddenly around one year ago.¡¹ (One year ago? But that¡¯s impossible! The last time I met Shirone was one week ago¡­ Right?) Kuroki doubted what he had just heard. ¡¸The armies of the Goddess were nowhere close to defeating the armies of Nargol, up until the moment when they started raiding Nargol territories. Naturally, I¡¯m not going to wait for them to come and kill me, so I sent my demons and demonic underlings. Unfortunately, they were no match for that Hero. In the end, he nearly annihilated our most elite group, the Order of the Dark Knight. That was five days ago. By my estimation, they¡¯ll arrive in this palace by tomorrow.¡¹ Modes explained the situation to Kuroki with an extremely vexed tone. ¡¸I have no doubts that the Hero and his companions are strong enough to rival even the Gods. It seems that eight of them were summoned, including the Hero, but only six of them raided Nargol. Well, numbers aside, my problem lies in how to stop them. Thus, this Modes came to a realization. (I just needed to summon someone who could defeat the Hero. Someone from the spirit world.) Having said so, Modes stared at Kuroki. ¡¸And you¡¯re that very existence, Kuroki-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, w-wait a minute¡­¡¹ Kuroki shook his head and then pinched the area between his eyebrows. Inside his head, he screamed in frustration at Modes¡¯s stories. (What in the world is this mess about?!) ¡¸Please Kuroki-dono. Please save me from that Hero. ¡¹ Modes was so desperate he lowered himself into a bow towards Kuroki. ¡¸Even if you ask me to do that¡­¡¹ Kuroki was astonished at how the situation was progressing. Back in school, Reiji had been somewhat like a celebrity. 180cm tall, with a well-ordered face. His light brown hair seemed blonde under the sunlight, a trait that probably came from his mother. He excelled in both martial and literary arts, on top of being rich. Not to mention, he was very popular with the ladies. Reiji was the textbook definition of a manga protagonist. Despite his fame amongst the girls, he was hated by the boys. Not because of his fame, but because of his attitude toward anyone who wasn¡¯t female. He was kind only toward women. Also, he had the strange ability to encounter cute girls while they were in trouble. Many were saved by Reiji thanks to that strange ability. No wonder so many of them fell in love with him. On the other hand, he never saved boys. In spite of his kindness toward women, he was especially strict toward males. That was the reason for his low popularity amongst his gender. The number of youths who got NTR-ed by Reiji was simply too many to count. However, since Reiji did not force anyone to like him, no one could raise a complaint. But that did not mean the boys would just accept the situation with their heads lowered. All the girls that those boys liked¡­ They all claimed to only love Reiji. His childhood friend, Akamine Shirone, was amongst those girls. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Reiji seduced her because she was cute. Or maybe Shirone herself was the one to go after Reiji? Either way, he had no means of knowing the truth. Kuroki didn¡¯t want them to be together, and he had told Shirone about it, only to instigate a huge quarrel between them. It was fairly recent and marked the end of Kuroki¡¯s first love. He was just an average teenage youth. He was completely at a disadvantage against Reiji and his foreign genes. Without any other choice, he gave up on his first love. And yet here he was, summoned by this monster to repel his rival in love. The task was so impossible that Kuroki felt like crying. He knew how powerful Reiji was in a brawl. He didn¡¯t want to fight him and be beaten into a pulp. It had happened before with the captain of the Karate Club. The boy had tried to enact revenge on Reiji for stealing the girl he liked. As a result, the captain was admitted into a hospital with a broken jaw bone that required three months to fully recover. Meanwhile, Reiji came out of the fight completely unscathed. He didn¡¯t know what happened afterward. He suspected Reiji¡¯s parents had pulled some strings behind the scenes to prevent any after effects from the incident. The matter was never revealed to the public, but it was a kind of open secret among the students in their high school. There was also that time when martial artists came to challenge Reiji, some with even bigger bodies than his among the adults. But none of them could beat Reiji. Kuroki had been one of those martial artists. Reiji might have forgotten about him, but Kuroki had been defeated by him once. He didn¡¯t want to remember that miserable moment. He was already on the verge of crying. (What the heck is he doing here? We¡¯re the same age, but we¡¯re complete opposites.) The ordinary Kuroki was being pitted against the genius Reiji. It was a mismatch, and he already foresaw the result. He must not fight Reiji. Moreover, Kuroki was a pacifist. Fighting was the last thing he ever wanted to do. He truly felt troubled by the situation. ¡¸Please wait a minute, Your Majesty! ¡¹ Kuroki turned toward the voice of the person forcing their way through the crowd of monsters. It turned out to be the man wearing full jet-black plate armor. The man had dark skin and a nice face, looking more like a Yankee displayed as a knight. A pair of goat-like horns grew from the sides of his head, indicating he wasn¡¯t human. ¡¸Oh, Lord Runfeld! How¡¯s your injury from fighting the Hero? ¡¹ The man called Runfeld bowed respectfully to Modes. ¡¸Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. However, I believe we should not borrow this man¡¯s power. We suffered an embarrassing defeat, yes, but our Chivalric Order of Dark Knights is still able to fight. Please, give us an order to dispatch our soldiers.¡¹ Runfeld requested Modes. After his request, Runfeld glared at Kuroki. ¡¸Moreover¡­ He doesn¡¯t seem capable of defeating that Hero.¡¹ (You¡¯re so damn right, bro.) Kuroki unintentionally agreed with Runfeld. He didn¡¯t expect that Runfeld would draw out his sword and slash at him in a challenge. ¡¸Let me test your power! ¡¹ ¡¸WOAH! WAIT A MINUTE! ¡¹ Kuroki quickly sidestepped to dodge that attack. Unfortunately, Runfeld was relentless in his pursuit and charged again. The attack was avoided once more thanks to Kuroki¡¯s brilliant footwork. ¡¸HA! ¡¹ And then, when Kuroki bent his knees slightly, his body moved as if sliding along the ground as he dodged every single one of Runfeld¡¯s attacks. (How is this possible? I¡¯m¡­ Moving faster than usual.) His body felt lighter than usual. Kuroki reached out and grabbed Runfeld¡¯s wrist after dodging dozens of attacks. With one move, he disarmed Runfeld and flung him away. Runfeld was too slow to react and ended up kissing the cold floor. ¡¸GUHA! ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry! ¡¹ The moment he realized what he had done to his opponent, Kuroki reflexively apologized. But that did nothing to dissuade Runfeld. He refused to give up. Stretching his left arm, Runfeld aimed his palm at Kuroki and unleashed a flickering black flame. ¡¸F^CK! ¡¹ Modes noticed what he was doing and tried to stop Runfeld, only to be ignored. The black flame traveled toward Kuroki. ¡¸Wait a minute, Runfeld-dono! THAT MAGIC IS¡­!¡¹ ¡¸EAT MY BLACK FLAME!!!!! ¡¹ As the black flame rushed towards Kuroki, it grew larger. If Kuroki wanted to dodge the flame, he¡¯d have to run toward the crowd of monsters. With how close the flame already was, he couldn¡¯t dodge. (Crap, I won¡¯t be able to dodge this one!) Kuroki stretched out his arms in a reflex to protect himself from the black flame as it collided with his body. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the flame stopped at Kuroki¡¯s palm. More accurately¡­ ¡­ He caught the black flame with his bare hands. (It¡¯s¡­ Not hot at all. How strange. How did I stop it?) Kuroki gawked at the surreal scene before him. Technically, since fire wasn¡¯t solid it couldn¡¯t be caught by hand. However, the black flame that was supposed to consume him was gently flickering on top of his palms. When he clenched his fist, the flame vanished. A bit away from him stood Runfeld, who couldn¡¯t believe what he had just witnessed either. The back flame was his strongest attack and Kuroki stopped it like it was nothing. ¡¸No way, my black flame was¡­.¡¹ Naturally, Kuroki had no idea the attack was so powerful. His bewilderment was solely for the ability to stop a flame. (What a strange sensation.) His palms weren¡¯t scalded. No matter how much he checked, he couldn¡¯t find the slightest trace of a burn on his hands. He tried recalling the sensation he felt only moments ago and Kuroki was able to reproduce the same black flame from the palm of his hands. ¡¸!?¡¹ Kuroki was so surprised that he closed his fist and crushed his black flame in panic. (What the?! How did I do that?! Can I truly create that flame?) There was a brief moment of silence around the room. Then, from Kuroki¡¯s side came the sound of someone enthusiastically clapping. Modes approached him while laughing merrily. ¡¸As expected of you, Kuroki-dono. Runfeld-dono is the strongest knight in Nargol and yet, he wasn¡¯t even able to land a hit on you. On top of that, you even mastered the black flame. Let¡¯s go with this flow and defeat the Hero.¡¹ (What is this black flame, anyway? Is he talking about the black flame that I created just now?) He suddenly recalled the image of Reiji and the others that Modes showed him. They had fired light and flame from their hands. Kuroki wondered if he somehow had awakened a mysterious power after being summoned by the Demon King. (Urgh, my head can¡¯t catch up with this rapid development. Am I really going to have to fight against Reiji?) Modes nodded to himself. He seemed satisfied that he had summoned Kuroki. (He¡¯s actually serious about me fighting Reiji! But why would I do that? Just refusing him on the spot seems so¡­) ¡¸Uhm, Excuse m-¡­¡¹ Kuroki was about to refuse Modes¡¯s request when his brain silenced him and alerted him of something he had yet to consider. Could he refuse? What would happen to him if he said he didn¡¯t want to fight Reiji? More importantly¡­ If he refused, would Modes prevent him from going back to his world? That was the most probable outcome, since fighting the Hero was the reason he had been summoned. Kuroki glanced at Modes and pondered about it for a while. In the end, he decided to test the waters. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Does that mean you won¡¯t send me back to my world if I fail to defeat them? ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ EH? ¡¹ Unexpectedly, Modes showed a surprised expression. It was the complete opposite of what Kuroki had been expecting. ¡¸¡­ The method to send Kuroki-dono back, you mean?¡¹ Modes took out a crumpled piece of paper from his breast pocket and stared at it silently for a moment. Kuroki suddenly felt an ominous premonition about the situation. The Demon King opened his mouth and quietly read what was written on the paper. It appeared he was trying to reassure himself that he didn¡¯t read it wrong. The bad premonition that Kuroki felt made him risk asking Modes a question. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that you¡­ don¡¯t have a way to send me back? ¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s question created an awkward silence around the room. Even the Demon King was conspicuously silent. He was right. It was the worst development. ¡¸It seems that¡­ There¡¯s no way to send you back.¡¹ ¡¸W-WAIT A MINUTE¨D¨D¨D! What do you mean by that?! ¡¹ Kuroki unintentionally raised his voice. The bitter truth that he was unable to go home was suddenly and forcefully shoved at him. Modes bowed to Kuroki as he apologized. ¡¸My apologies, but there¡¯s really no way to send you back.¡¹ Kuroki felt that contrary to his scary appearance, Modes was unexpectedly a timid person. Right then, he heard another person talking to him. ¡¸Please wait a minute, Kuroki-dono.¡¹ Mona, Modes¡¯s wife, was already standing in front of her husband. She stared at Kuroki with such a pitiful expression that she looked like she could cry at any moment. That kind of expression was a lethal weapon against Kuroki, who had no resistance to a woman¡¯s wiles. He froze and remained silent. ¡¸Please. Kuroki-sama. At least listen to Modes-sama¡¯s story.¡¹ Kuroki then looked at Modes. ¡¸Well, Kuroki-dono. Let me tell you the reason why I ask you to protect me.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 3 Chapter 3 : The Reason to Fight Numerous Gods lived in this world. They were scattered around, watching over it from their place. Most of them lived in the Heavenly City, Elios, located on the peak of the highest mountain. Both the beautiful Light Gods and the ugly Darkness Gods lived together in harmony. And yet, they were always at each other¡¯s throats. The Light Gods hated the sight of the ugly Darkness Gods, who in turn couldn¡¯t stand the haughtiness of their beautiful counterparts. Naturally, some of them got along, but that was an extreme minority. One of the pillars of the Gods of Darkness was Modes. When he was still single, he tried to propose to the beautiful Light Goddesses but, one by one, they all rejected him. Modes¡¯s ugliness was one of the greatest even among the Gods of Darkness. But he wasn¡¯t discouraged by that. Modes changed his methods and tried to get into the Goddesses¡¯ good graces with gifts. That tactic backfired tremendously, only managing to make the Light Goddesses hate him even more. The Goddesses of Light hated the mere thought of Modes daring to propose to them, even though he wasn¡¯t forcing them to marry him. Until one day a certain incident occurred in Elios. Some of the Gods of Light, who had received complaints about Modes, decided to expel him from Elios. They sent an inspection team to his abode, and they found a large stash of underwear in Modes¡¯s home. Of course, the underwear belonged to the Light Goddesses. A trial was immediately held to judge Modes. Despite his claims that he was innocent, the foundation for his exile had already been prepared by the one who orchestrated everything. Modes was judged as guilty by a majority vote. Some of those votes were from other Gods of Darkness who had been persuaded by Light Goddesses. Some Gods suspected that the events were too coincidental and asked for a retrial. That made the ones who conspired against Modes panic. If there was a retrial and the evidence was re-evaluated, then they¡¯d discover it was faked. The Gods discussed which punishment would fit Modes¡¯s sentence. Although Modes was able to negotiate his sentence to an extent, he didn¡¯t accept it. All he requested in exchange for peacefully accepting his punishment was some locks of Goddess Rena¡¯s hair. At first, she was unwilling. But Rena eventually surrendered her hair for the sake of kicking Modes out of Elios. Thus, Modes left Elios along with his subordinates. He returned to his birthplace, Nargol, where he decided to create a Goddess to become his wife. After numerous trials and errors, Mona was born. Created with the Goddess Rena¡¯s hair acting as the catalyst, Mona was a new pillar Goddess. She married Modes, and they lived happily in Nargol. Unfortunately, those days couldn¡¯t last. Somehow, Rena discovered about Mona¡¯s existence. She demanded that Modes hand his wife over. Naturally, Modes refused. He even told her she¡¯d have to climb over his dead body if she wanted to take his wife from him. Thus, Rena asked the male Gods that vied for her hand to defeat Modes. Many of them went to fight Modes, but they failed to defeat him. Modes was very unwilling to part with his wife, and he made sure to let them know who was the boss. Despite his ugly appearance, Modes was very powerful. His strength was why he was hailed as the Demon King. Since Rena couldn¡¯t devise a way to defeat Modes she asked Casa, who had the power of precognition, for help. She was told that the solution to her problems was summoning a Hero from another world. And that¡¯s exactly what she did. She brought over Reiji, the Hero of Light, and his party. Meanwhile, Modes was unaware a prophecy existed. When the Hero, Reiji, broke through his defenses, one after another, with terrifying power, Modes ordered an investigation of his background, which unearthed Casa¡¯s prophecy. He was shocked by the discovery. If he fought the Hero he¡¯d die! Using his spy network, he gathered more information. Then, he learned from Casa that the one who could save him and stop the Hero would be summoned from another world too. Modes asked the few friends he still had among the Gods of Light for the summoning methods so he could bring over the one who would save his life. And that person was Kuroki. ¡ô That was the most Kuroki could summarize the story he heard from the Demon King Modes. He walked the courtyards of the Demon King¡¯s Palace, racking his brain to try and understand his situation. He felt a headache building up. (It feels like I was summoned for a rather stupid reason.£© Modes had lived in a palace in Elios, so he built himself another one in Nargol. The gardens which Kuroki strolled around weren¡¯t gaudy. They were pleasantly balanced to calm anyone who visited them. It was a special place for Modes and Mona. Not many people could enter those gardens. Kuroki sat on a round chair, clad in comfortable black wool clothing as he listened to Modes¡¯s explanations. In front of him were sweets made of raspberries and tea brewed by Mona. A peculiar fragrance drifted from the tea. The flavor was just right, with a hint of bitterness that matched very well with the raspberry sweets. Kuroki endured the urge to ask for seconds. As he stared at Mona, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she was the main reason for the dispute between Modes and Rena. It really couldn¡¯t be helped that Modes married Mona. No other woman was willing to marry him because of his appearance. He was rather puzzled by it. The standard of beauty in that world didn¡¯t seem to differ compared to Japan¡¯s. Appearance-wise, Modes was extremely ugly. It was simply impossible for a Goddess to love him. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t understand why the Goddesses wanted to banish him from Elios. No one would want to be proposed many times by someone they hated. (He should just give up if he knew that the other party hated him. And prayed for their happiness from the shadows.) Kuroki was reminded of the matter with Shirone, and he felt like crying inside. He could understand Modes¡¯s pain. (Nevertheless, what are Shirone and the others fighting for?£© Since the entire conflict was completely unrelated to Kuroki and the other summoned people, he felt that participating in it would be utterly foolish. (Must be another of Reiji¡¯s Save The Beauty antics. Shirone and the others were probably dragged along with him¡­) Kuroki got a headache due to Reiji¡¯s idiocy. While he thought about all that, Modes cried in front of him again. ¡¸If I lose this battle, they¡¯ll kill Mona! She¡¯s everything to me, Kuroki-dono! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve prepared a reward for your efforts! That includes the method to safely send you back! ¡¹ It seemed that the method to send him back wasn¡¯t included in the stolen summoning arts Modes had written in his note. Kuroki wondered if there really was no method to send him back to his world. Or perhaps the method simply hadn¡¯t been discovered yet. Reiji¡¯s side was in the same situation as him. Modes might as well have threatened Kuroki that he wouldn¡¯t send him back if Kuroki refused his request. But, Kuroki¡¯s head couldn¡¯t catch up with that extremely unrealistic development thus failing to realize that possibilities. In regards to his reward, Modes promised to create a Goddess solely for Kuroki. Creating a Goddess wasn¡¯t a simple task, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem if it was only one. To Kuroki that was an extremely tempting reward. After all, he had never had a girlfriend. Or rather, girls avoided him with a look of disgust on their faces. He vividly remembered how girls interacted normally with him but started to take some distance after a while. He didn¡¯t realize he looked at cute girls like he was ogling their bodies until Shirone pointed it out. It wasn¡¯t something he could prevent. The way he stared at girls was almost instinctual. Was he doomed to be alone forever? Thinking about his future made Kuroki sad, so he forced himself to stop thinking about it. Instead, he recalled the extremely beautiful Goddess Rena, whose image he saw in the images from before. Although there were differences, he could see how Rena served as the inspiration for Mona¡¯s creation. It convinced him that the next Goddess Modes created would be equally as beautiful. There was no way Kuroki wouldn¡¯t be interested in Modes¡¯s offer. He¡¯d have a Goddess all to himself and best of all, she would love him unconditionally. She would love him, despite his appearance. (I want to flirt with a beautiful girl too¡­£© Kuroki felt a rising tide of emotions trampling through his heart. He didn¡¯t need to be surrounded by women like Reiji. He was satisfied with having only one. If a cute girl loved him¡­ then the world would become beautiful too. (The problem is having to defeat Reiji to get her¡­) Honestly, Kuroki didn¡¯t think he would be able to win against Reiji. They had fought before, back when Shirone brought Reiji to her family¡¯s dojo. Reiji had been interested in swordsmanship then. During the visit, Reiji and Kuroki had a mock battle. The result of the mock battle was Kuroki¡¯s crushing defeat. Even though it was Reiji¡¯s first time wielding a sword, he managed to completely overwhelm Kuroki. At first, Kuroki couldn¡¯t believe it. (We were of the same age and yet, how in the hell could he pull off that kind of movement? ) He still remembered what Shirone said to him back then. ¡¸Are you alright, Kuroki? It really can¡¯t be helped that you lost. Reiji is special, after all.¡¹ Shirone¡¯s attempt at comforting him only made him feel even more miserable. He even considered abandoning the way of the sword altogether. But, for some reason, he continued his training. "" He trained, failed, learned what caused him to fail, then trained again. As a result, he could feel he had become much stronger than before. But Reiji had probably gotten stronger during that time, too. Either way, he couldn¡¯t refuse Modes¡¯s request. If they fought for real with actual swords, he might even die. The reward was fascinating but it would be meaningless if he died. He didn¡¯t have a reason to fight for Modes in the first place. He might as well abandon the Demon King to his fate. But a little something stopped Kuroki from refusing to help. A very trivial matter. (I know I¡¯m no match for Reiji, but¡­) Kuroki stared at Modes and Mona. He sympathized with Modes¡¯s tragic past, where he walked a long and arduous road before creating a wife for himself. Modes held Kukoki¡¯s hand while looking at him with teary eyes. ¡¸Please, Kuroki-dono! You¡¯re the only one who can protect me!¡¹ ¡¸Uhhmm¡­¡¹ Kuroki unintentionally flinched back when Modes brought his face closer to him. Then, he turned his gaze toward the jet black armor in front of him. It was a magic armor given by Modes to Kuroki that belonged to the Dark Knights. Modes told him to wear it to fight. The red eyes in the helmet stared back at Kuroki. (Do I have to fight Reiji again? All of this feels like a dream to me¡­ But I can¡¯t abandon Modes to his fate.) Kuroki felt that he couldn¡¯t refuse Modes¡¯s request. Unbeknownst to him, helping others was his raison d¡¯etre. He stretched his hands toward the armor. The dragon inside the timid young man was about to awaken from its slumber. Volume 1 - CH 4 Chapter 4 : The Mysterious Dark Knight Appears The Hero of Light Reiji and his party advanced toward Nargol. Their aim was the Demon King¡¯s castle. The light of the stars shone upon the plain. They didn¡¯t see sunlight at all after they had passed Akeron Mountain, the boundary between Nargol and human territories. Since there was no sun shining overhead, Nargol was considered the world of eternal darkness. Seeing the completely different sky reminded Chiyuki, one of the Hero¡¯s party members, about how they were not on Earth anymore. In place of the sun, there was the white moon of Orgis shining under the Nargol sky. The Moon God Orgis and the Sun Goddess Mina were the parents of the gods of light. And the Demon King Modes who ruled over this region was the God of Darkness who had no blood relationship with the Sun Goddess. That might be the reason for Nargol¡¯s eternal night. ¡¸Just a bit more, Chiyuki-senpai.¡¹ Rino seemed to be enjoying herself. As she danced around the party, her twin tails moved along with her. As far as she knew, Rino had been a model back in Japan. She had aimed to become an idol who both sang and danced, hence why she was so skilled at dancing. (Haven¡¯t the people of this world started to call her the Goddess of Dancing nowadays?£© Wherever she went, Rino always became the center of attention. That was because she always strolled everywhere while dancing. The only problem was her affinity for miniskirts. Because of it, many men stared at her with indecent looks on their faces. Chiyuki tried talking to her about it but Rino just shrugged it off. She told Chiyuki she was used to it, so she didn¡¯t mind. After all, a model would have to get used to that kind of gaze if they wanted to work. The ever serious Chiyuki would never be able to get used to such gazes. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s just a bit more, Rino-san.¡¹ Just a bit more and they should arrive at the Demon King¡¯s Palace. As long as they defeated the Demon King Modes, then their journey would end. They¡¯d be able to return to their world. ¡¸Yeah, this hard journey will end. Sorry girls, I¡¯ve been dragging you along for so long.¡¹ Reiji had been walking on the frontmost formation when he suddenly turned around and then apologized to the girls. The only one who was supposed to be summoned to this world as a Hero was Reiji. Chiyuki and the other girls just happened to be around him. ¡¸Yeah, but it¡¯s a memorable adventure.¡¹ Reiji laughed at Chiyuki¡¯s remark. ¡¸That¡¯s right. This adventure was truly memorable.¡¹ Chiyuki was enjoying their experience in this world. It was all thanks to Reiji being summoned as the Hero of Light¡­ To be exact, everyone who was summoned along with Reiji was enjoying their adventure in this world. Chiyuki and the others were summoned around a year ago by the woman called Goddess Arlena. The very same goddess who requested Chiyuki and the others to defeat the Demon King. It was such a manga-like development and Chiyuki was dissatisfied with that. Rena had practically kidnapped them. And she couldn¡¯t forgive her for that. Their disappearance probably caused an uproar in Japan. On top of it all, Rena told them that she couldn¡¯t send them back to their original world. But, since the one who made the request was a beauty, Reiji readily accepted Rena¡¯s request to subjugate the Demon King. As a result, the other girls were involved in Rena¡¯s request, too. But the one who was most disgruntled about the entire situation was Chiyuki. Reiji, Nao, and Rino rejoiced knowing they had been summoned into a game-like world. Sahoko and Shirone were bewildered at first but they also eventually accepted the situation. Chiyuki only reluctantly accepted the situation after Rena said that it was possible to send them back to the same day they had been summoned to this world. Thus, she didn¡¯t worry anymore about staying in this world for a while. That was how their adventures began. At first, she had been anxious. After all, there was a Demon King. His existence implied to her that they were in a dangerous world. But her anxiety turned out to be for nothing. She discovered that after coming to this world, they all became extremely powerful. The first thing she noticed was how their physical strength raised to an alarming degree. It was as if they had turned into Superman. The increase of their physical strength in this world was relative to their physical strength back in their world. She knew that because Reiji¡¯s and Nao¡¯s physical strengths were the highest amongst them, and they became even higher after they came to this world. Even Sahoko, the weakest amongst them, could easily send several adult males of this world flying. Another thing bestowed upon them in this world was magic. Chiyuki and co were unaware of magic because there was no magic back on Earth. Even if it did exist, they simply weren¡¯t aware of its existence. There were different specializations in magic. For example, Chiyuki. Her spirit magic wasn¡¯t as powerful as Rino¡¯s and her healing magic was less effective than Sahoko¡¯s. But both Sahoko and Rino couldn¡¯t use teleportation magic like Chiyuki. The reason for that was a mystery even for Chiyuki. According to Nao, who was well versed in games, Rino was a Spirit type magician while Sahoko was a Healing type magician. And Chiyuki was a magician of the Magic Power type. She couldn¡¯t understand the reason why they had such power after being summoned. There was one thing she was sure about: they became one of the strongest people in the world. Especially Reiji. His combat ability was simply too terrifying. Even if the girls ganged up on him, they still wouldn¡¯t win. According to Rena, Reiji¡¯s combat prowess could rival that of Oudis, the King of the Gods of Light. They reached this far without a hitch mainly because of Reiji¡¯s combat prowess. It saved the girls from many dire situations. In the end, they enjoyed their adventure to the fullest. Before they noticed, it had already been one year since they were summoned to this world. And their adventure was about to end. Recalling the memories up until that moment made Chiyuki feel they should have been a bit greedier. She wondered if they should as for some sort of compensation before they were sent back to their world. There was no reward waiting for them upon completing the Goddess¡¯s request since Reiji agreed to it by himself. But they might be able to ask for some reparations for kidnapping them. Chiyuki sighed, resigned. She already knew Reiji would veto that suggestion. In her opinion, Reiji should divert some of his kindness toward the male population. But the person in question wasn¡¯t very keen on doing that. According to him, men should solve their problems by themselves. But in Chiyuki¡¯s eyes, the ones saved by Reiji were only cute girls. Though it might be just her imagination. ¡¸Lo~ok, that¡¯s the Demon King¡¯s castle.¡¹ Nao returned from scouting. She had been the ace of the Track and Field club back in their high school. Her physical abilities were on par with Reiji. Although she was famous as a feral child at the school, after getting along with her for a while Chiyuki knew she was, in fact, an adorable girl. In a game, Nao¡¯s job would have been either thief or ranger, since her best ability was scouting. ¡¸How was the situation there, Nao-san?¡¹ ¡¸U~hn¡­ No traps or soldiers are waiting for us there. I think it¡¯s safe to enter the castle.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s strange. Isn¡¯t that castle supposedly the Demon King¡¯s last stronghold? ¡¹ ¡¸Are they staying inside since they¡¯re too scared to fight us? ¡¹ Rino had an optimistic tone. Shirone, unlike her, wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡¸Or maybe there¡¯s no one left to protect the Demon King anymore? I mean, we just defeated the ones who called themselves the Chivalric Order of Dark Knights the other day. Maybe they were the last ones¡­¡¹ Shirone¡¯s family ran a dojo, and she was a swordswoman. She was already one of the strongest swordswomen in this world and if the combat didn¡¯t involve magic, she was the most powerful member after Reiji. Chiyuki had seen Shirone fight before and she felt like Shirone¡¯s ponytail danced along with its owner¡¯s every movement. As a swordswoman, Shirone wore light armor for ease of movement. Reiji had recommended her to wear bikini armor, but that idea was rejected by Shirone. The Order of Dark Knights that Shirone mentioned was the opponent they fought four days ago. Since Reiji wasn¡¯t with them at that time, Chiyuki and co had been on the verge of being defeated by the Order. The one called Runfeld, who announced himself as the leader of the Order of Dark Knights, had swordsmanship on par with Shirone and magic prowess on par with Chiyuki. But Reiji noticed Chiyuki and co¡¯s crisis and came running to save the day. He managed to turn the tables and Runfeld barely escaped with his life. That was the event that killed almost all the members of the Order of Dark Knights. Only a few of them survived Reiji¡¯s onslaught. ¡¸I think it would be great if there was no one there but¡­¡¹ Sahoko was the one who hated disputes the most out of everyone in the party. She excelled in healing magic and went around healing sick or injured people during her free time. Chiyuki even knew that people began to refer to her as a Saint nowadays. ¡¸I agree. It¡¯ll be for the best if no one is there since taking care of the small fries was rather tiresome.¡¹ "" Chiyuki had the same opinion as Sahoko. ¡¸Well, we¡¯ll know when we arrive. Let¡¯s get going.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸OOH!¡¹¡¹ Rino and Nao yelled in unison. Thus, Chiyuki and co went toward the Demon King¡¯s palace. It took them a few minutes to arrive, but they finally reached the giant palace. ¡¸The heck? It¡¯s huge.¡¹ Rino stared at the giant structure in front of them. Even Chiyuki had to agree that she was right. It was far bigger than any human city that Chiyuki had known so far. The giant black palace floated in the middle of a giant lake that reflected the starry skies. It made the palace look like the embodiment of the night itself. They advanced along the bridge towards a giant gate. The bridge was massive enough to support even the weight of Giants. No one was stationed along the bridge. Chiyuki was puzzled by the situation. ¡¸There¡¯s no one else¡­ Maybe they¡¯re hiding inside the palace? It¡¯s simply too quiet. No one¡¯s stationed here, not even on the lookout on top of the rampart. What¡¯s the meaning of this? ¡¹ ¡¸No¡­ Wait a minute, Chiyuki-san! I saw a person! ¡¹ Nao had the best eyesight among the group. She pointed straight ahead, where a man stood. He wore completely black armor with a black mantle. ¡¸Is he¡­ A Dark Knight? ¡¹ Chiyuki muttered to herself. The armor the strange man wore was similar to the armor the Dark Knights they defeated had worn. Reiji stared intently at the man¡¯s helmet. ¡¸I can¡¯t see his face because of the helmet but I¡¯m sure he isn¡¯t Runfeld.¡¹ Chiyuki agreed with Reiji. The armor of the Dark Knight in front of them looked similar but was completely different from the armor the Dark Knights they fought before wore. Thus, they concluded the Dark Knight in front of them wasn¡¯t Runfeld. Also, the armor of the Dark Knight in front of them was more sinister than the other Dark Knights, including Runfeld¡¯s. ¡¸Even so¡­ He seems to be stronger than Runfeld. And terrifying, for some reason. My skin is tingling just by looking at him.¡¹ Shirone glared at the Dark Knight, but he just stood there in silence. Chiyuki and co couldn¡¯t see his expression because of his helmet. His eyes shone an ominous crimson color due to the gems that covered the eye parts of the helmet. It prevented the other party from uncovering his identity. That crimson light was locked on Chiyuki and co. ¡¸No need to fear, Shirone. We¡¯re strong. Moreover, he¡¯s alone.¡¹ Chiyuki felt more at ease with Reiji¡¯s words. As he said, the Dark Knight was by himself. No matter how powerful he was, he shouldn¡¯t be a match for Reiji, the Hero of Light. ¡¸That¡¯s right. But then, why did he wait for us by himself? ¡¹ Everyone including Chiyuki pondered about that. (What in the world is that Demon King thinking?£© While Chiyuki thought about it, the Dark Knight raised his sword and pointed it at their group. ¡¸Hero Reiji! I wish to have a one-on-one duel with you! ¡¹ ¡ô ¡¸Hero Reiji! I wish to have a one-on-one duel with you! ¡¹ Kuroki, wearing the Dark Knight armor, declared a duel in front of Reiji and co with his sword pointing straight at Reiji. It was a Demon Sword, with sinister crimson lines along the surface of the blade. The crimson-blood red patterns on the surface of its blade pulsed as if it was alive. Modes gave it to Kuroki along with the armor he was wearing. It was a greatsword meant to be used with both hands. When it was given to Kuroki, its length was close to two meters. But, in Kuroki¡¯s hands, its size shrunk until its length became just a bit longer than a meter. (Truly a mysterious sword. It changes its size according to its owner¡­ It¡¯s worlds apart from the bamboo sword I used to wield.£© He had wielded a katana before, but the sword in his hand was in a completely different league. Reiji let out a ferocious smile after receiving that challenge. Kuroki felt cold sweat going down his spine just from seeing that smile. (F-FUCK! WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW? I might lose in the most uncool possible way again.£© He didn¡¯t even need to look in the mirror to see his unsightly expression. Kuroki was truly grateful he wore his helmet to hide his face. The helmet was part of the Dark Knight armor set and it hid his entire face, preventing Shirone from recognizing Kuroki. It was even equipped with voice changer magic, preventing Shirone from recognizing Kuroki from his voice too. Even though those functions seemed trivial, it wouldn¡¯t be funny if Shirone recognized him. Kuroki stared at the Hero and his party from under his helmet. Reiji was surrounded by many beauties. Even Shirone stood by his side. If he had to be honest, he didn¡¯t want to see her with Reiji. Kuroki then focused his gaze on Reiji. He wore a pure white armor inlaid with golden patterns and an expensive-looking mantle on his back. An appearance befitting of his title as the Goddess¡¯s Hero of Light. Even Kuroki was in awe seeing Reiji¡¯s appearance. Against that shining Hero was Kuroki, a Demon King¡¯s subordinate. He didn¡¯t even have comrades around him. He was alone against the entire hero¡¯s party. (What the heck is this difference between our situations¡­ Honestly, I want to cry now.£© In his heart, Kuroki cried a loser dog¡¯s cry even before the duel began. ¡¸Everyone get back. I alone am enough to handle this guy.¡¹ Kuroki was relieved that Reiji told his party to fall back. He didn¡¯t want to fight women, after all. Reiji then drew his sword from its scabbard. It was a long sword with a long hilt made to be held with both hands. The sword¡¯s blade released a pale golden light. Kuroki could felt that Reiji¡¯s sword was also a magic sword. He felt some sort of pressure as they faced each other. (Why the hell did I not refuse Modes when I had the chance? If I lose, I¡¯m going to die! What am I doing, asking for a duel but unwilling to die in it? The hell?! If only I could punch my stupid self from a few hours ago! Wait, maybe it¡¯s not too late to surrender¡­ NO, NO NO, ESCAPING MIGHT BE MY BEST CHOICE!!!) Although Kuroki¡¯s mind was being consumed by his fear, his body got into a stance by itself. Even Kuroki himself didn¡¯t understand the reason. ¡¸I¡¯m gonna end this in one blow.¡¹ Said Reiji with a refreshing smile on his face. It was the same confident smile that he showed when he never doubted his victory. It would be the second time they fought. Kuroki recalled that during the first time, Reiji had laughed in the same way. They faced each other for a few seconds, but none of them made the first move. It was just a few seconds and yet, Kuroki felt like an eternity had passed. ¡¸Too scared to move? Then here I come! ¡¹ Reiji moved first, kicking the ground and closing in on Kuroki at once. His speed was even faster than Runfeld¡¯s. To Kuroki, Reiji moved in the same way as their first duel. Reiji suddenly vanished right in front of Kuroki. (Right side, is it?£© Kuroki twisted his body and swung his sword to the right immediately. The shock from the two clashing swords was transmitted from the blade to his arms. KIIN! Without a moment¡¯s delay, Kuroki parried Reiji¡¯s strike by diverting its power with a combination of a circling motion and sliding footwork. His parry would have managed to throw Reiji off balance¡­ ¡­ if Reiji was a normal person. ¡¸Oops! ¡¹ But Reiji wasn¡¯t a Hero just for show. He didn¡¯t go against the momentum. He just followed it with a flip to regain his balance. (It¡¯s as if he¡¯s a monkey! Just what kind of motor nerves does he have to be able to pull such a stunt?£© Kuroki was surprised by Reiji¡¯s reflex. After regaining his balance, Reiji charged again toward Kuroki from the front. Kuroki didn¡¯t commit the same mistake as before. He didn¡¯t let their swords clash. Instead, he parried Reiji¡¯s sword with a combination of sweeping motions and sliding footwork, throwing the strike to the side. That sliding footwork was a technique he mastered a while before he was summoned to another world. It took long years of training. Although Reiji¡¯s balance crumbled again, he just flipped to the side to readjust his balance immediately. And once again set his sword in Kuroki¡¯s direction. ¡¸GODDAMMIT! NOT BAD! HOW ABOUT THIS?!¡¹ Reiji¡¯s body was enveloped by light as he accelerated even faster than before. When Reiji swung his sword at that speed, several swords of light appeared and attacked Kuroki at once. (EH? WOAH? WOOPSIE?£© Kuroki swung his sword and circled until he parried all the swords of light. ¡¸You just keep running away from the very beginning! Is defense all you can do?!¡¹ Reiji was starting to get irritated. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. Kuroki didn¡¯t see an opening for a counterattack. Reiji attacked relentlessly and Kuroki couldn¡¯t do anything but defend himself from those attacks. But Kuroki noticed that, as time passed, Reiji¡¯s attack lost its sharpness. Every time Kuroki parried Reiji¡¯s strike, the sound of his sword striking on Reiji¡¯s sword caused the air to tremble. Light and darkness intersected under the dark and starry skies of Nargol. It seemed that Reiji was losing patience with the pacing of the battle. He let out a big attack, wanting to end the fight as quickly as possible. ¡¸TAKE THIS! ¡¹ That attack was simply too sloppy against Kuroki, who had suffered through long years of training. Kuroki didn¡¯t parry the attack. He dodged it by a paper-thin margin, turned in a circle and used that momentum to do a diagonal slash from the lower left to the upper right. The feeling of his sword tearing through something was transmitted to his hands. It felt like time had stopped. Kuroki¡¯s diagonal slash tore open Reiji¡¯s abdomen from the right side of his waist to his left shoulder. Although that slash failed to completely sever Reiji¡¯s body in two, he still mortally wounded Reiji. Blood kept spurting from that wound. ¡¸EH¡­?¡¹ Reiji was looking at his chest with an expression as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he just saw. And then, he fell face up. ¡¸No! Reiji-kun lost! ¡¹ ¡¸Rei-kun! ¡¹ ¡¸Reiji-senpai! ¡¹ ¡¸Reiji-san! ¡¹ ¡¸Reiji-kun! ¡¹ Five girls screamed at the same time and all of them moved at once. Kuroki retreated as soon as he felt their killing intent. In the next moment, a flicker of flame exploded on the place where Kuroki stood a moment ago. In a blink of the eyes, a fire Giant already stood right in front of Kuroki. A girl stood right next to that flame Giant. ¡¸O Ferocious Flame Giant Living in the Fire Kingdom! Cross The Rainbow Bridge and Help Rino! GO! Flame Emperor! ¡¹ As soon as the girl ordered it to attack, the flame Giant charged at Kuroki. The moment he recognized the danger, Kuroki stretched out his left hand which wasn¡¯t holding his sword at the moment. ¡¸O Black Flame! ¡¹ The black flame that spewed from Kuroki¡¯s left hand protected him from the Flame Giant¡¯s attack. It was the only magic he learned before the duel. ¡¸Rei-kun! O Healing Wind! Close His Wound! ¡¹ Yoshino Sahoko rushed over toward the fallen Reiji¡¯s side. ¡¸Everyone! Gather around Reiji-kun! ¡¹ The other girls gathered by Reiji¡¯s side as soon as they heard Mizuouji Chiyuki¡¯s flustered words. ¡¸Teleport! ¡¹ Dazzling light surged forth along with her yell and then, when the light and the Flame Giant vanished, the Hero party had also vanished from that place. ¡¸Did I just¡­ Win?¡¹ As he muttered so, his body trembled due to excitement. He then fell on his knees and heaved a long sigh. Volume 1 - CH 5 Act 1 ¨C 5 : Goddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena and God of Craftmanship, Heibos The Heavenly Palace, home to the Gods of Light, was located on top of the highest mountain in the world. Elios. At the bottom layer of that palace was Heibos¡¯s abode. Only Heibos felt he was the most suited to live in the lowest layer of the Heavenly Palace. The Gods of Light rarely visited that dim place. But something had changed recently. ¡¸Smithing God Heibos!! ¡¹ An angry voice reverberated through his house. Heibos was hailed as the God of Treasures and Smithing by humans. He was also known as the progenitor of all dwarfs. His abode was also his workshop. Heibos went out to welcome the rarely seen visitor. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Arlena? How rare of you to come on your own instead of using a messenger.¡¹ When Heibos turned around, Rena stood behind him. The Goddess of Wisdom and Victory, Arlena, otherwise known as Rena, was also a member of the God of Light faction. Rena sent an extremely resentful gaze towards Heibos. Being hailed as one of the three most beautiful goddesses, she was still beautiful even when angry. It had been a long time since Heibos last met Rena face to face. She had always used her messenger whenever she needed something from him before. That included the time when she asked Heibos to create those auxiliary tools for summoning arts so she could summon a Hero from the Spirit World. After he had completed it, she didn¡¯t even come to see him. And yet, today she came by herself. Even Heibos was wondering what matter could be so important that it forced her to visit Heibos by herself. ¡¸Don¡¯t give me that ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡±! ¡¹ Rena was enraged. ¡¸Heibos! You taught Demon King Modes the Hero summoning arts! ¡¹ Rena pressured Heibos. Despite belonging to the God of Darkness faction, Modes was the one and only friend Heibos had. There was no reason for Heibos not to tell Modes about the danger that was aiming for his life. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s as you say, Rena. He asked me about that matter, after all.¡¹ Heibos knew all he needed to know about the summoning arts. He learned during the creation of summoning art¡¯s auxiliary tools. When Modes was cornered by the Hero, he sent a messenger to Heibos requesting help. Heibos then told Modes everything about the summoning arts and the Hero. ¡¸Modes is a God of Darkness! And you¡¯re a God of Light! Why, why did you become my stumbling block?! Those Gods of Darkness should just follow us! If they refuse to obey us, then they¡¯re our enemy! ¡¹ Rena glared fiercely at Heibos. The Gods of Light were the lineage of those who inherited the blood of the Sun Goddess, Mina. By bloodline, Heibos was also one of the Gods of Light. ¡¸The Gods of Darkness who refuse to obey us are enemies¡­ I see. I wonder since when things turned this way.¡¹ Heibos had a lonely look as he thought about how things had changed. The skies were under the total control of the Gods of Light. It all began when the God of Light faction successfully expelled Modes from Elios. Then, they began expelling one God of Darkness after another with newfound vigor. Rena belonged to the group who actively expelled the Gods of Darkness. Compared to the Gods of Light, the Gods of Darkness were lacking in terms of unity. Regardless of their different opinions, the Gods of Lights were united under one banner. The Gods of Darkness, on the other hand, were distant from one another. Some were even downright hostile to those of their faction. Their lack of unity was why they were unable to resist when the Gods of Light started expelling them from Elios. Heibos didn¡¯t stop any of that from happening. He felt they deserved it. Those Gods of Darkness betrayed Modes by colluding with the Gods of Light and then they were stabbed in the back. In Heibos¡¯s eyes, they were reaping what they had sown. The Gods of Darkness that were allowed to remain in Elios were all under the Gods of Light¡¯s control. ¡¸My bad, Rena. But no matter what you say, it won¡¯t change the fact that Modes is my friend. I have no intention of severing my precious friendship with him.¡¹ Rena became even more enraged after hearing Heibos¡¯s declaration. ¡¸If yes, what will you do, Rena? Are you going to kill me? ¡¹ Rena was speechless with Heibos¡¯s words. She could easily kill Heibos with her power, but Heibos didn¡¯t fear her strength at all. ¡¸I¡­ Cannot kill you. You¡¯re far too important to Elios.¡¹ Rena sounded quite put out that she couldn¡¯t kill him. Heibos¡¯s craftmanship skill was far superior to the skill of the other Gods. Losing Heibos would deal a critical blow to Elios¡¯s power. Rena couldn¡¯t kill him. ¡¸But Rena¡­ I keep wondering¡­ Why are you so hostile to Modes?¡¹ Heibos knew all along that the reason was Mona. But he wanted to hear from Rena herself. (How did she even know about Mona? Modes never announced her existence. And how did she know I told Modes about the summoning? Did she plant a spy among Modes¡¯s subordinates?) Heibos knew about what happened in Nargol because he maintained a private communication line with Modes. But he had no idea how Rena acquired her information. ¡¸What are you talking about, Heibos? Can you please be more specific about it?¡¹ Rena feigned ignorance and turned around. ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t mind it even if you pretend you don¡¯t know. Is that all you want to tell me, Rena?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s all I wanted to say. I guess it¡¯s time for me to go back, Heibos. But let me give you a warning: I¡¯ll always know whenever you try to help Modes.¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it¡­ Can I ask you a question, Rena?¡¹ Heibos¡¯s question stopped Rena before she left his abode. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just curious about what you plan on doing after that Hero defeats Modes.¡¹ Heibos had never met Rena¡¯s Hero but he heard rumors about him. Especially the rumors about how his strength was comparable to Oudis. It meant the Hero was an extremely dangerous variable. Should he be welcomed as one of Elios¡¯s gods? That wasn¡¯t easy to achieve since it required the approval of the other gods. ¡¸Since he came from the Spirit World, isn¡¯t it just natural to send him back to where he came from?¡¹ Heibos was even more puzzled after hearing that. As far as he knew, the summoning arts enabled the summoner to bring someone to their world. It could even send the summoned back from the world they were from. But sending them back to their original world was close to impossible. They could accidentally arrive in another world, one different from their original world. Or, worse case scenario, they could be trapped in the dimensional rift forever. In Heibos¡¯s opinion, you couldn¡¯t call that ¡°returning them to their world¡±. ¡¸Since they came from another world, I just need to send them back to ¡°another world¡± after they serve their purpose.¡¹ ¡¸Did you tell the Hero and his companions about this?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I told them that it was ¡°possible¡± to send them back to their world almost at the same time that they were summoned to this world.¡¹ Heibos smiled wryly once he heard those words. Sure enough, it was ¡°possible¡± to send them back to their original world at the same time as when they were summoned to this world. But it¡¯s only a possibility, it shouldn¡¯t be tested since it was too dangerous. Even if it could be tested, how would she test it? Since there was no way to prove it, it shouldn¡¯t be tested. Heibos decided not to ask Rena about it. ¡¸If you don¡¯t have any other questions, I¡¯ll be taking my leave, Heibos.¡¹ Rena turned around to leave. ¡¸Humph, so that Hero is just a disposable pawn. Despite his ugly appearance, Modes isn¡¯t as despicable as you, Elios¡¯s gods.¡¹ He muttered as soon as Rena¡¯s figure vanished from his line of sight. Heibos knew all along that Rena played a major role in the plan to banish Modes. Modes might be a pervert, but he was a kind hearted guy. There was no need to compare his kindness with the other gods. Heibos¡¯s attention then focused on the letter placed on top of his work desk. It was a thank-you letter from Modes. What was written in there were Modes¡¯s words of gratitude for his help in repelling the Hero. ¡¸What a kind and honest fella.¡¹ Heibos spontaneously smiles as he read the letter. Although Heibos crafted numerous items during his life, Modes was the only one to send a thank-you letter for Heibos¡¯s work. ¡¸The Hero and his party should thank Modes too. I wonder what will happen to them if they managed to kill Modes?¡¹ Heibos recalled how Rena hinted about disposing of the Hero and his party after they were done with their job. But that plan had already failed since Modes was still alive and kicking. As long as the Hero and his comrades still had a job to do, Rena wouldn¡¯t be able to dispose of them. And Heibos knew very well she couldn¡¯t summon another Hero from the Spirit World. First, because the other Gods of Light decided to ban that summoning art after they witnessed the Hero¡¯s power. They were afraid of that power being used against them someday. Second, using that summoning art required various rare materials as catalysts for the summoning. Heibos knew very well how hard it was for Modes and Rena to gather those materials. Thus, both Rena and Modes shouldn¡¯t be able to use that art anymore. Therefore, a third summoning was unlikely to happen. Heibos recalled the name of the man summoned by Modes. Kuroki. ¡¸Hm¡­ I wonder what he will do after this.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 6 Act 1 ¨C 6 : Queen of Darkness, Mona and Prime Minister of Nargol, Loughas The Queen of Darkness Mona was visiting a certain place in the Demon King Palace. ¡¸Why, if it isn¡¯t Mona-sama! Welcome to my humble office.¡¹ As soon as she entered the room, an old man welcomed her, the owner of that room. That old man bowed respectfully to Mona. He looked like a normal human with a horn similar to Runfeld¡¯s growing from his head. That old man was Loughas, who was once a big shot amongst the Gods of Darkness similar to Modes, Mona¡¯s husband. He, the God of Knowledge, went along with Modes to Nargol when the latter was banished from Elios. Now he worked as Modes¡¯s prime minister. Despite his vast knowledge, his combat prowess was extremely weak, thus he didn¡¯t participate in the fight against the Hero of Light. ¡¸Raise your head, Loughas.¡¹ Loughas straightened from his bow as soon as Mona dismissed him. He led Mona to sit in the guest chair prepared in the center of the room. ¡¸May I ask about your business with me today, Mona-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Loughas, what do you think about Kuroki-dono?¡¹ ¡¸My impression about Kuroki-dono?¡¹ Everyone in the Demon King¡¯s palace, Loughas included, saw the fight in which Kuroki managed to mortally wound the Hero of Light. ¡¸He¡¯s an extremely powerful person since he defeated the Hero of Light. I think it¡¯s reassuring to have him as an ally.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Kuroki-dono is extremely powerful. He single-handedly defeated that stupidly powerful Hero of Light. But, doesn¡¯t that make you want to reconsider your opinion about Kuroki-dono?¡¹ Loughas tilted his head in response to Mona¡¯s question. ¡¸Reconsider my opinion?¡¹ ¡¸You should be aware of Casa¡¯s prophecy, right, Loughas? She said that the Hero who can defeat Modes-sama was a man who came from the Spirit World. That prophecy isn¡¯t just limited to the Hero since it said ¡°Man¡±. And, as you¡¯re already aware, Kuroki-dono is also a man from the Spirit World.¡¹ ¡¸?!¡¹ Loughas was perplexed. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Mona-sama is¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Kuroki-dono is probably a Hero, too. We must prepare just in case he tries to kill Modes-sama.¡¹ Loughas became even more bewildered. ¡¸But, Mona-sama! You of all people should know it¡¯s pretty much impossible for our side to fight Kuroki-dono, especially with the Demon King¡¯s army in tatters after the invasion of that Hero!¡¹ Rebuilding their army should be pretty easy if it was a Goblin army, with their high fertility rate, or a Zombie army, who only needed more corpses. But it took quite a while for other, less fertile races. The damage was devastating, especially in Runfeld and the Daemon race. Mona remembered that the Dark Knights, whose members were handpicked from the elite of the Daemon race, were nearly destroyed by the Hero just a few days ago. ¡¸Mona-sama, despite their long life spans, the Daemon race has a low fertility rate. It¡¯ll take a long time for them to regain the former glory of the previous army.¡¹ Loughas explained. ¡¸Yes¡­ Runfeld also got a headache because of that.¡¹ ¡¸Also, even if our army regained its former glory, I can¡¯t see it winning against Kuroki-dono.¡¹ The Hero of Light destroyed the Demon King¡¯s army. To Loughas, it was pretty much impossible for them to defeat the man who bested that same Hero of Light, even if their army still had its former strength. ¡¸Rather, Kuroki-dono is the Demon King¡¯s army¡¯s strongest weapon at the moment. He already became the Hero of the Demon race. If possible, I don¡¯t want to consider him as an enemy.¡¹ Loughas had a troubled expression. He didn¡¯t wish to pour cold water on the rising morale of the Demon race, the main race in Nargol. ¡¸I also have the same opinion of not wanting to make an enemy of Kuroki-dono. I just want us to prepare for the worst-case scenario.¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, Mona-sama, have you told His Majesty about¨C¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ve yet to tell Modes-sama about Kuroki-dono¡¯s potential danger. Moreover, he took a liking to Kuroki-dono, saying that they have the same kind of ¡°smell¡±.¡¹ Modes, Mona¡¯s beloved husband, gave Kuroki a warm welcome. He didn¡¯t even consider the possibilities of Kuroki betraying him. ¡¸Most of all, Modes-sama is someone who can¡¯t lie. His worry might appear in his attitude if I tell him of this potential danger. That¡¯s why you must not tell him about this matter, Loughas. I¡¯m telling you, the wisest person in Nargol, to think of a solution if my worries come true. Let¡¯s start with gathering information about him so that we know his weakness.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ We need more information about him, indeed¡­ I understand, Mona-sama. Let¡¯s appoint someone to be Kuroki-dono¡¯s attendant. That person will have to discover whether Kuroki-dono intends to betray us or not.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll leave this matter to you then, Loughas.¡¹ After saying another one or two lines, Mona left Loughas¡¯s office. She pondered about Loughas¡¯s attitude. He didn¡¯t even consider Kuroki a danger to Modes¡¯s life. ¡¸Not even Loughas, the wisest person in Nargol, realized that potential danger.¡¹ Mona ended up getting more irritated than before. She considered the people who came from the Spirit World as dangerous tools. Thus, she swore to protect her beloved husband. ¡¸Let this Mona protect your back, my beloved Modes-sama.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 7 Act 1 ¨C 7 : Setting Off, A Long Long Journey The next day after the battle against the hero. Currently, Loughas was teaching Kuroki in one of the rooms of the Demon King¡¯s Palace. After he realized that there was no method that would let him go back to his own world, Kuroki had no choice but to depend on the Demon King. Since he bested Reiji in a battle, Kuroki became the recipient of gratitude from the Demon King himself. Now, his status in Nargol was second only to Modes. Although he was fine with the Demon King expressing his gratitude, he did not want to be pulled into bear hugs by Modes as sweetly referred to him as ¡¸My Buddy¡«¡¹. Also, it seemed as if Kuroki¡¯s reward couldn¡¯t be prepared at such a short notice. Thus, he had no choice but to wait for that as well. With regards to the matter of him returning to his original world, Modes explained how Summoning and Returning were two distinct concepts, so even if this world could manage to summon a being from the spirit world, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that they could send the summoned being back to their world as well. If they tried to force themselves to do it, there were chances of the summoned person being sent back to a different world, or worse, getting stranded in a dimension rift. This is why they needed a type of magic called Repatriation Arts, something that was entirely different from the kind of magic used to summon him to this world. Unfortunately, when Modes had summoned Kuroki, he had only informed him of the Summoning Arts. Kuroki had a feeling that he shouldn¡¯t just blindly trust Modes¡¯ words, however, his instincts told him that Modes wasn¡¯t lying to him. Well, even if it was one, the way he spewed them was too roundabout for someone whose goal was to just defeat the hero. For some reason, Kuroki felt that Modes wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could lie. He reached this conclusion after witnessing Modes¡¯ lovestruck expression while talking to Mona. Since Mona responded to him in a similar manner, the two of them seemed like a stupid lovesick couple which almost made Kuroki scream ¡°STUPID RIAJUU, JUST EXPLODE!¡± in front of them. In the afternoon, Modes informed Kuroki that Reiji was still alive. And despite Modes¡¯ vexation, Kuroki felt strangely relieved. Probably due to the fact that he got extremely close to killing Reiji despite not having any intention to do so. Most of all, he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill Shirone¡¯s beloved person. Feeling as if a burden was lifted off of his chest, Kuroki decided to learn more about magic and the world he was in. Kuroki once again recalled the fact that he came to another world in hearing those fantasyesque race. Most of the inhabitants living in the northern part of the central continent were demi-humans, like goblins, orcs, etc. However, there was also a race which resembles humans called Yav. Though, it seems as if none of their members reside in Nargol. There was another race called Fantasyesque, which consisted of elves and dwarves. Upon hearing of the Fantasyesque race, Kuroki abruptly realized that he really was in another world. It seemed as if Kuroki belonged to the Divine Race of this world. Well, at least that¡¯s what Modes told him after witnessing his prowess. Apparently, he went under some sort of transformation after he was summoned to this world. Now, his physical abilities were increased by god knows how many times, being able to cover several kilometres in a split second or being able to hold a lump of heavy steel in just one hand. Kuroki¡¯s strength in this world was equivalent to that of Superman, unmatched by any mere mortal. There was one more thing. He could now use magic. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t able to do it in his original world but it seems that after being summoned here, the power inside him was unleashed. Not to mention, his magic power was equivalent to that of a powerful divine being. And that¡¯s exactly why Modes judged him as a person belonging to the Divine race. Divine race was a special one. After all, they were the strongest in the entire world, especially if they belong to the bloodline of the God of Darkness. Usually, members of the same race would have a similar appearance. All the gods belonging to the Light looked similar to a human. However, the gods belonging to Darkness, including Modes, looked almost as if they belonged a separate race. Kuroki kept pondering over this matter during his study time but couldn¡¯t reach to any conclusion. ¡¸Kuroki-sama, that is floating magic.¡¹ Said Loughas to Kuroki, who was currently floating in the middle of the room. The old man with pointy hair and a pair of horns sprouting from his head was one of the wisest and also was the prime minister of Nargol. Although he should have been governing Nargol right now, he still left his post to teach Kuroki. ¡¸It looks like you can use floating magic without any problem. However, please be careful while using any other spell while maintaining the floating magic. It¡¯s an extremely difficult task. You should be very ca-¡¹ Before Lougas could even to finish his sentence, Kuroki suddenly conjured a small black flame while managing to float in the air at the same time. ¡¸..-reful, is what I wanted to say but, it seems like I was worrying needlessly.¡¹ Loughas uttered in admiration. ¡¸The people of spirit world and the hero are truly a mystery. Normally, one needs to undergo long, arduous training before they can even use magic but¡­ it seems like Kuroki-dono is similar to the hero and his companions in your ability to master top tier magic so easily.¡¹ Judging by Loughas¡¯ words, it looked like even Reiji and his companions could use top tier magic with ease as soon as they were summoned and could do so without any kind of training. Their power was on the same level as a divine being as well, just like Kuroki. However, Kuroki had no idea how he could wield the magic with such ease. It was like asking a sprinter who was born to run a question like ¡¸How can you run so fast£¿¡¹. Kuroki annulled the floating magic and descended to the ground. ¡¸And about that dark flame. Up until now, only Lord Runfeld and His Majesty could wield it.But, Kuroki-dono is a wielder as well. Yourcase is extremely interesting, you can use the black flame but¡­ are unable to use normal fire magic. It¡¯s usually the opposite though.¡¹ Loughas shook his head, unable to understand the reason. ¡¸But, it¡¯ll be inconvenient for you if you can¡¯t use normal fire magic. Let¡¯s try to use the power of fire spirit to invoke a similar kind of magic.¡¹ As soon as Loughas spoke, a book materialized in his hand. ¡¸Please be careful, spirit magic is volatile unlike normal magic.¡¹ Kuroki recalled what Loughas had said before their lesson began. Magic was split into two types: The first type is when one uses their own mana and the second type is when one borrows the power from another. The latter one was called Spirit magic and was invoked by borrowing the power of invisible spirits via communication. However, just being able to converse with a spirit didn¡¯t mean one could use spirit magic. One cannot master spirit magic unless they are able to reach a mutual understanding with the spirit, which is somewhat akin to telepathy using an entirely different language. The reason Kuroki could understand Modes¡¯ words when he was summoned was because they had unconsciously reached a mutual understanding through magic. Since both parties couldn¡¯t understand each other¡¯s native language, the mutual understanding made it so that they could. And although a mutual understanding can be easily achieved when it comes to beings with linguistic abilities, one needs to be at a high level to do the same with spirits and demon beasts who lack the linguistic ability. ¡¸O spirit of fire in the air, hear my words!¡¹ Loughas opened his book and started to chant an aria. Thus, a small flame appeared on Loughas¡¯s fingertip. The flame then started floating away from Loughas fingertip and stayed still in mid-air. After floating around for ten seconds, the flame vanished after Loughas muttered something. ¡¸Now it¡¯s your turn, please do it like I did.¡¹ Kuroki then muttered the same aria as Loughas with his finger pointing up. ¡¸Let see¡­ O spirit of fire in the air, hear my words!¡¹ A similar sized flame materialized at his fingertip as well, but it slipped away from his finger and tried to zip out of the room just as suddenly as it appeared. ¡¸UWAAA!¡¹ Kuroki screamed loudly. The poor flame vanished after its attempt to escape the room failed after it crashed into a wall. ¡¸Sorry, Loughas-dono!¡¹ Kuroki bowed to Loughas. ¡¸Dear me, it would have been a disaster were it not for the defense mechanism I set up in this room. It looks like spirit magic isn¡¯t suitable for you either.¡¹ Loughas spoke with a pondering look on his face. Since his attempt to use the spirit of fire went in vain, he then tried to use other spirits, since according to Loughas, he could simply have a greater affinity with other kinds of spirits. However, his attempt at using the spirit of water and wind resulted in a mess of paper around the room and half of the room getting submerged in water respectively. The spirit of light didn¡¯t even bother to answer his call. Kuroki ended up learning a bit more about the spirit of water since it seemed to be useful. However, he was exhausted just by summoning the low rank spirit, Undine, so he would probably die if he tried summoning a high ranking spirit. Turns out, his highest affinity was with the spirit of darkness, which heeded his call as soon as he tried summoning it. However, he didn¡¯t dare call himself a spirit user, since even the weakest of spirit users could use at least two kinds of spirits. It seems as if Kuroki didn¡¯t have the ability to communicate with any kind of spirit other than the spirit of darkness. Kuroki also heard from Loughas that Sasaki Rino, Reiji¡¯s comrade, could use several spirits. This made her the user of high ranking mutual understanding by magic. ¡¸I guess that¡¯s all for today¡¯s lesson.¡¹ The book in Loughas¡¯s hand vanished when he closed it. ¡¸Loughas-dono¡­ Can I ask a question?¡¹ The book appeared again in Loughas¡¯s hand. ¡¸Kuroki-dono¡­ To be honest, I¡¯m actually incapable of using spirit magic.¡¹ ¡¸?¡¹ Kuroki tilted his head to the side. ¡¸But¡­ You just showed me how to use spirit magic a while ago.¡¹ Kuroki was wondering why Loughas was telling him he couldn¡¯t use spirit magic when he clearly used it just a while ago. ¡¸I can use spirit magic because of the power of this grimoire. I was able to use fire spirit magic a while ago because I opened the entry page about fire spirit in this book. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to use it.¡¹ Loughas explained so as he made the same book re-appear in his hand. The God of Knowledge Loughas was the creator of books. His creation included the grimoire in his hand. Loughas used the fire spirit¡¯s power by using that grimoire as the bridge. ¡¸Eh? Does that mean I can do the same if I use this book?¡¹ Kuroki wished that Loughas had told him from the very beginning if he had such a convenient tool. ¡¸Do you want to try?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Seriously?¡¹ Loughas nodded as he handed the grimoire to Kuroki. Kuroki opened the book and tried to use spirit magic immediately, but there was no reaction at all. ¡¸¡­ It seemed to shine a pale light when Loughas-dono used the spirit magic before.¡¹ ¡¸Ohohoho! This grimoire is a specially made book! No one but me, its owner, can use it.¡¹ Loughas said in a cheerful tone. ¡¸Is that so¡­ That¡¯s a little regrettable.¡¹ Kuroki sounded slightly disappointed. According to Loughas, he had all kinds of similar books which allowed him to use spirit magic or healing magic. Magics that, in a normal situation, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use. Loughas seemed to have surpassed Modes in the number of magics he could use. Loughas didn¡¯t participate in the battle against the Hero because it took more time for him to use magic with the grimoire. He had to switch between grimoires to change from one type of magic to another. Not to mention, the mana consumption when using a grimoire almost doubled compared to normal magic. Those two factors made him ill-suited for combat. ¡¸In my case, I really envy Kuroki-dono for being able to use the black flame. I can¡¯t use that black flame even with the help of my grimoire.¡¹ This time, it was Loughas¡¯s turn to sound slightly disappointed. And then, Loughas muttered a spell to make the grimoire disappear again. ¡¸That power is also useful. Is that some sort of magic to call and return a certain object to a certain location?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, the magic to move an object is surprisingly easy to use, as long as that object is enchanted beforehand. The easiest example would be your sword, Kuroki-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Is that so?¡¹ Kuroki then recalled the demon sword given to him by Modes, the sword that nearly killed Reiji. ¡¸Let¡¯s do a test. Please try to call that sword by strongly wishing for it in your mind.¡¹ "" Kuroki then imagined his demon sword appearing in his hand. £¨Come!£© With that command, a sword appeared in his hand. The Demon Sword of Venomous Blood. It crossed over space and time to answer Kuroki¡¯s wish. ¡¸It seems that it has acknowledged you as its owner. This kind of weapon or armor is enchanted with special mana and it¡¯s always by their owner¡¯s side, ready to be called out anytime. That demon sword¡¯s effect is to inject a curse into its victim¡¯s mana and slowly ruin their life force from inside. And I¡¯m sure that the Hero who received a fatal wound from your demon sword is currently in his deathbed.¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s heart stirred when he heard those words. ¡¸Uhm¡­ I heard the Hero is still alive, but¡­¡¹ £¨I was glad when I heard that Reiji was still alive before, but¡­ What should I do now¡­£© Kuroki was worried about Reiji. ¡¸He barely survived the crisis, and that was due to the Saint¡¯s power. But we¡¯ve yet to receive further information.¡¹ Loughas cheerfully commented. Reiji was Nargol¡¯s enemy, so it was natural for Loughas to be happy with his death. But Kuroki didn¡¯t feel the same way as Loughas. £¨Should I go to confirm the situation myself?£© Kuroki opened his mouth after pondering for a while. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Loughas-dono. There¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡¹ ¡¸What could it be, Kuroki-dono?¡¹ ¡¸The truth is¡­ I¡¯ve been bothered about the situation on the Hero¡¯s side and¡­ I want to take a look at the scene with my own eyes, but¡­¡¹ Loughas tilted his head, puzzled by Kuroki¡¯s remark. Suddenly, he nodded at Kuroki. ¡¸I see¡­ It¡¯s definitely going to be troublesome if the Hero heals back to full power. So you want to make sure to end his life for sure this time.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ EH? I think you mis-¡­¡¹ Kuroki stopped right before he finished his sentence. £¨I guess it¡¯s better if I didn¡¯t fix his misunderstanding.£© Kuroki then nodded at Loughas. ¡¸But, let¡¯s ask for His Majesty¡¯s permission to leave the palace first. Since it¡¯s already too late for today, shall we meet His Majesty tomorrow?¡¹ ¡ô The next day, Kuroki made a request to investigate the Hero¡¯s condition during the audience in the Demon King¡¯s palace. ¡¸I see¡­ You¡¯re worried about the Hero¡¯s condition. I understand. Let¡¯s prepare everything that you¡¯ll need for traveling.¡¹ Modes agreed to Kuroki¡¯s request. Kuroki was relieved that Modes easily agreed to his request. He thought the Demon King would reject it. Anyhow, since Kuroki knew nothing about this world, he was also granted a guide. ¡¸Loughas, prepare everything Kuroki-dono will need in his journey.¡¹ Loughas came out to the front when Modes called out his name. ¡¸Yes! I completed the preparation yesterday when Kuroki-dono discussed this matter with me. Let me appoint a guide for Kuroki-dono, who knows next to nothing about this world. Nut, come out.¡¹ After he said so, something suddenly appeared in the room. Its figure resembled a small squirrel or a rat with beautiful red fur. That small animal stopped before Kuroki¡¯s feet. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Kuroki-sama. My name is Nut.¡¹ The rat called Nut gave his greeting to me as he nodded lightly. ¡¸Nut is a fire rat. He has an excellent sense of direction and is extremely suitable for gathering information. Please take him to accompany you on your journey.¡¹ Loughas introduced Nut to Kuroki. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Nut. My name is Kuroki.¡¹ Kuroki returned Nut¡¯s greeting with a huge smile on his face. Nut made a face as if he was surprised by something. ¡¸¡­ I guess you really can¡¯t trust that rumor. I heard that Kuroki-sama was an extremely terrifying person.¡¹ Nut shook his head as he raised both of his hands while saying those words. Kuroki smiled wryly when he heard the bloated story about him. Apparently, he was feared by Modes¡¯s subordinates. Save for the Daemon race, whose appearance closely resembled that of a human, the appearance of the rest of Modes¡¯s subordinates were of monsters. Kuroki felt it was strange that they were the ones afraid of him instead of the other way around. Nevertheless, since he had to stay in this world for quite a while, he thought he shouldn¡¯t let this situation continue for a long term. Kuroki remembered how, back in his original world, he had grown his forelocks to cover the scary look in his eyes. Thanks to that, his outward appearance softened a little bit. But, it seemed that he had to prepare a different countermeasure this time, since the look in his eyes wasn¡¯t the only scary thing about him in this world. £¨What should I do?£© Kuroki¡¯s brain was desperately looking for an answer. £¨Should I dance while saying ¡°I¡¯m not sca~ry¡±?£© Modes and the others had curious looks on their faces while Kuroki was in the middle of thinking about such a foolish idea. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Kuroki-dono?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Thank you very much for giving me a guide.¡¹ ¡¸Please check the other necessities that I prepared for you.¡¹ Loughas¡¯s subordinate explained the function of the tools given to Kuroki for his journey. The world map. An enchanted gem with teleport magic sealed inside. Precious metals to trade with the currency of the human world. ¡¸Anything you want to add? If there is, I¡¯ll prepare it for you.¡¹ ¡¸No, I think this much is enough for the whole journey. Thank you for preparing this for me.¡¹ Kuroki expressed his gratitude to Loughas. But he only said so because he had yet to understand the common sense of this world. ¡¸Kuroki-dono, the moment you step out of Nargol¡¯s boundaries, you¡¯re not under my protection anymore. So please use your teleport stone as soon as you meet a dangerous situation.¡¹ Modes explained. The teleport magic would teleport him to an assigned place. Teleportation gems were disposable magic tools which allowed anyone to use a teleport spell once. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ Kuroki thanked Modes. Modes was worried about Kuroki¡¯s safety. Therefore, it was natural for Kuroki to show his courtesy to the one who was worrying about him. It was a universal common sense. And then, Kuroki left the audience room. ¡ô ¡¸This place is?¡¹ Kuroki was surveying his surroundings. The place he had teleported to was a desolate and dark place. He was inside a small stone structure. There were magic circles carved on the floor, still faintly glowing because of the previous teleportation magic. ¡¸This place is one of the lines of defense of Akeron Mountain. To be honest, many of the knights who were permanently stationed in this place were killed in the conflict against the Hero. At the moment we¡¯re severely lacking in manpower, so¡­ We have no leeway to send reinforcements to this place.¡¹ Riding on Kuroki¡¯s shoulder, Nut then explained the situation. The Akeron Mountain Range was located southwest of the Demon King¡¯s palace. It was a place that separated Nargol from the other regions. The Dark Knights who rode wyverns were the ones responsible for protecting this place from the air. Kuroki¡¯s current location was one of the defensive bases. After he completed all preparations, he had traveled from the Demon King¡¯s palace to this place by using teleport magic. He should be able to encounter a human settlement as long as he went down the mountain. ¡¸That¡¯s strange¡­ Our wyverns should be standing by close to this place.¡¹ Nut was also puzzled by this situation. Although it would be faster if he descended from the mountain with flying magic, Kuroki was interested in the experience of riding a wyvern. There was something waiting for us outside of the demon base. The first thing I saw after leaving the structure was a lizard-like animal, with a giant pair of wings growing from its back. It was a demon beast called Wyvern. There was a Dark Knight riding on the back of that wyvern. That Dark Knight descended from the wyvern¡¯s back after landing close to the structure. ¡¸It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency! My name is Gned!¡¹ The Dark Knight took off his helmet and then greeted Kuroki. He was a youth of the Daemon race. Compared to a human, his appearance resembled a man in his early twenties. Kuroki recalled the knowledge about Demons taught to him by Loughas. Demon was the general term of the Demon King¡¯s dependents. They were more widely known as Demon Races. And the one who stood at the pinnacle of the Demons was the Daemon race. Despite having the appearance that closely resembled a dark indigo skinned human, the Daemon race¡¯s most notable traits were the two horns that grew from both sides of their heads. They were far superior than humans in all aspects, save for fertility. Their sole weakness was their extremely low numbers, which were shockingly even less than a twentieth of the Orc race, the race with the highest numbers in Nargol. But even with their extremely low numbers, the Order of Dark Knights, composed of only those from the Daemon Race, was the strongest force in Nargol. Kuroki wondered what made the Dark Knight called Gned so nervous. ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you too, Lord Gned. Please don¡¯t be so formal.¡¹ Kuroki showed his gentlest smile to Gned. £¨Honestly, being called ¡°Your Excellency¡± like that made my back itchy¡­ Even though our ages don¡¯t seem to be that far apart, I hope he can speak to me with a more easygoing tone.£© But Kuroki soon noticed that Gned¡¯s body was trembling. £¨Is he scared of me for the same reason as Nut?£© Kuroki once again felt depressed when he pondered about that matter. ¡¸N-No! Your Excellency¡¯s status is just below His Majesty after all!¡¹ Kuroki had no idea whether Gned expressed his honest opinion due to fear or his own nervousness. But he knew that asking for him to speak to him in informal speech was impossible. ¡¸F-From here on! M-My duty is to escort Y-Your Excellency until the foot of the mountain!¡¹ After saying so, Gned climbed back on the wyvern and then signaled to Kuroki to sit behind him. ¡¸Best regards then, Lord Gned¡­¡¹ ¡¸R-Ryoger!¡¹ After Kuroki sat, Gned ordered his wyvern to take off. Kuroki could feel the wind turbulence when the wyvern flapped its wings. ¡¸OOOH!¡¹ Kuroki exclaimed, surprised. He enjoyed the sensation when his body soared in the sky. The wyvern soared high in the sky, turning the defensive point small in an instant. Kuroki made a mental note to look for his own wyvern later. But after they reached a certain altitude, the wyvern suddenly lowered its altitude. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Lord Gned?¡¹ The sudden change of altitude ruined the atmosphere of their air travel. ¡¸D-Due to the strict inspection beyond this point, we¡¯re going to fly in lower altitude from now on!¡¹ ¡¸Inspection? What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸Kuroki-sama, we¡¯re about to enter the observation area of the Holy Knights. We risk being discovered by them if we fly at a high altitude.¡¹ Nut explained instead of Gned. Holy Knights were the elite force whose members were handpicked from the Angel race and the Braves of the Human race. They swore their loyalty to Oudith. After Reiji and co almost destroyed the Order of the Dark Knights, the members of the Holy Knights became bolder. They harassed the survivors of the Order of Dark Knights by repeatedly violating the Order of Dark Knights¡¯ airspace territory. This was why they couldn¡¯t fly at high altitudes. They didn¡¯t want to get caught by those Holy Knights. Gned controlled his wyvern awkwardly. Even Kuroki felt insecure about Gned¡¯s mastery in controlling the wyvern. ¡¸It seems that it hasn¡¯t been long time since Lord Gned started to ride your own wyvern¡­¡¹ Nut explained that The Order of Dark Knights was currently short on manpower. Their situation was so grave that even a beginner like Gned was allowed to fly with his Wyvern. ¡¸But, at this rate, we might be targeted by the goblins who live around this area¡­¡¹ ¡¸Say what? Goblins?¡¹ Loughas taught Kuroki about a Demon¡¯s common sense between their magic lessons. Goblins were an ugly green colored Demon whose height was just around 120 cm on the average. Loughas also told him that a Goblin¡¯s head was tougher than iron and they were weak against music. He heard that Goblins were Modes¡¯s subordinates. So why did they attack them, their allies? ¡¸The Goblins around this area aren¡¯t under His Majesty¡¯s jurisdiction.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously?! And you only tell me this now?!¡¹ Nut¡¯s words made Kuroki recall his learning session with Loughas again. Goblins were created by a God of darkness. But it didn¡¯t mean they were referring to Modes since there were numerous Gods of darkness. Or rather, almost all Demons who deferred to Modes were in Nargol. Modes basically had little to no influence over the Demons outside Nargol. In short, even a Demon under Modes¡¯s rule would have to wipe their own butts if they created a problem outside of Nargol. Thus, both Goblins and Orcs were attacking us. The first time Kuroki learnt that fact, he realized that he was deceived by the Demon King¡¯s label on Modes. But the humans in this world still believed that those Goblins and Orcs that attacked them were Modes¡¯s subordinates. If someone asked why, it was simply because Modes was the first on the list of Gods of Darkness. However, Modes was in fact the most powerful God of Darkness. Although Kuroki only learned that fact much, much later. But being the strongest didn¡¯t automatically make him the king of the Gods of Darkness. In fact, there was only a small fraction of Gods of Darkness who chose to follow Modes. Some of them didn¡¯t follow him and the rest were hostile toward him. Kuroki felt anxiety for his future when he learned about that. Gned¡¯s rough handling of his wyvern made their air travel become more dangerous. To make the matter worse, they were flying at a low-altitude and had left Nargol a while ago. ¡¸AAAH! THEY FOUND US!!¡¹ When Kuroki turned his attention toward the direction Gned pointed at, he saw several winged human-like forms approaching them. Those golden armored, winged human-like forms aimed at Kuroki and co with their bows. ¡¸IT¡¯S THE ANGEL¡¯S HOLY FUCKING KNIGHTS!!! LORD GNED, RUUUUUN!¡¹ Nut screamed in a flustered voice. The Angels were a race created by the Light God. Their outer appearance resembled a winged human. As a winged race, Angels had no need to use floating magic. They could use both sword and magic while flying in the air. The other races were no match for those Angels. Since they couldn¡¯t fight while using floating magic, they rode wyverns for air combat against Angels. Compared to those masters of air combat, Gned was still an amateur. Having just received permission to ride his wyvern, he might be knocked out of his own mount if he fought those Angels by himself. As soon as he heard Nut¡¯s warning, Gned clumsily tried to make his wyvern turn. Since the situation called for it, Kuroki felt he had no choice but to recite the spell for flight magic. Kuroki¡¯s flight magic allowed him to fly even faster in the sky since it was a higher tier version of floating magic. He thought that this magic should be enough to shake off the pursuit of those Angels. ¡¸Your excellency?!¡¹ ¡¸Lord Gned, focus on controlling your wyvern and leave the rest to me. Hold tight Nut, things are going to be dangerous after this.¡¹ After he said so, Kuroki turned around toward the incoming Angels. They fired their arrows toward Kuroki. For Kuroki, it was like those arrows were moving in slow motion. ¡¸HA!¡¹ Kuroki took out his Demon sword and knocked down every single one of those arrows. ¡¸HOLY MOSES!¡¹ The Angels were left agape by that surreal scene. Kuroki then made a giant black flame appear in the sky. ¡¸O Black Flame!¡¹ When he fired the mass of black flame, the angels scattered around, trying to save their lives. That black flame was a warning shot since he had no intention to fight them to begin with. But he realized soon enough that it was an extremely effective tactic to scare those Angels. ¡¸It¡¯s Runfeld, RUUUN!¡¹ The angels escaped, mistaking Kuroki for Runfeld. Kuroki then went back to Gned¡¯s wyvern. ¡¸Amazing¡­¡¹ He could hear Nut muttering. ¡¸Lord Gned, I drove away those Angels. Let¡¯s continue our flight.¡¹ Kuroki smiled toward Gned. ¡¸R-ROGER THAT!¡¹ Gned replied so while chewing his lips. His wyvern then flew at a high altitude. £¨Wonderful.£© Thought Kuroki as they continued their flight under the blue sky. After they repelled the angels, the wyvern they rode cut through the cloud in front of them. Kuroki had to concentrate a bit to use his flight magic to fly in the sky, so he couldn¡¯t enjoy the scenery to the fullest. Then he wondered if flying on the back of something might be a good idea. £¨I¡¯ll ask for a wyvern for me when I¡¯m back from my journey.£© They soon arrived at the end of the Akeron Mountain Range and dismounted. ¡¸Thank you very much, Lord Gned.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s me who should say that!¡¹ Gned had been on a nervous state from the beginning to the end of their flight. But Kuroki felt that Gned¡¯s attitude had softened a little compared to when they first met. ¡¸Though I can only accompany you up to this place, allow me to pray for your safe journey!¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, Lord Gned.¡¹ "" Gned bid his farewell and flew back to Nargol after unloading Kuroki¡¯s luggage. Kuroki had to walk by foot from this point on. £¨If I¡¯m not wrong, Reiji and co¡¯s base is somewhere in the south, a place called Holy Republic Lenaria.£© Kuroki looked toward the southern direction with his back to Nargol. Although it would save a lot of time if he used teleportation magic, unfortunately the gate had to be set beforehand. Naturally, there was no transfer gate outside of Nargol since Nargol citizens didn¡¯t even need one to begin with. Thus, his only choice was traveling by foot. He was still far away from Holy Republic Lenaria, but Kuroki could move thousands of times faster than a normal human of this world. It should take him one or two months to arrive if he followed the road. ¡¸Let¡¯s get going, Nut.¡¹ In this way, Kuroki took the first step toward the human¡¯s world. Volume 1 - CH 8 Act 1-8 : Hero¡¯s Girls Chiyuki met Reiji when she was but a ten-year-old. Because both of their parents were acquaintances, they met during a certain party. Reiji had been an extremely talented child from his childhood. Chiyuki¡¯s father even went as far as calling Reiji a ¡°Child Sent by Heaven¡±. She was told that the day Reiji was born was special. The young Chiyuki at that time couldn¡¯t comprehend what that meant. But she knew that her parents wanted her to get along with Reiji. As expected of a good child, Chiyuki started to get along with Reiji. But, because there were so many girls who got along with Reiji, Chiyuki recalled the times when she received threats from the girls who loved Reiji. £¨Those were almost like killing intent¡­ Only now did I remember that.£© Chiyuki was reminiscing about the old days. The group had teleported back to Holy Republic Lenaria after Reiji was defeated by the Dark Knight. Eight people were summoned to this country in Goddess Rena¡¯s temple. It had been one year since they were summoned to this world. For Chiyuki, this was a long year. Reiji was asleep in one of the rooms in the temple, being nursed by Sahoko. Chiyuki was waiting for him to awaken in the next room. The atmosphere of their party worsened after Reiji experienced a defeat against that Dark Knight. Despite being on the verge of dying from his fatal wound, Reiji¡¯s defeat dealt an even greater shock to the girls. They had believed that Reiji could defeat any opponent with ease. "" Chiyuki received a huge shock seeing THAT Reiji getting owned so easily. Dark Knight. Chiyuki recalled the figure of the one who defeated Reiji. The battle between Reiji and that Dark Knight was so fast that not even Chiyuki could follow their movements. By the time she noticed, Reiji had been defeated and a huge amount of blood sprayed from his chest. Chiyuki had goosebumps seeing the sudden appearance of such a terrifying enemy. ¡¸Onii-sama has yet to wake up. What in the world is Sahoko doing!¡¹ Sitting beside Chiyuki who was lost in her own thoughts, Midou Kyouka¡¯s sharp tongue was criticizing Sahoko. Kyouka was Reiji¡¯s little sister. It was natural for her to worry about her big brother. £¨Haa, she¡¯s the same as ever.£© Chiyuki sighed. It had been quite a long time since Chiyuki first met Kyouka. She felt that her personality had hardly changed since the old days. ¡¸Kyouka-san. It¡¯s not like Reiji-kun will wake up if you say that out loud.¡¹ Chiyuki had said that for who knew how many times today. Reiji was sleeping in the room next door, so she thought they should be quiet. ¡¸Are you not worrying about onii-sama, Chiyuki-san?! Come to think of it, onii-sama turned out like that cause you people didn¡¯t even try to stop him! Tell me, how are you going to take responsibilityfor this incident?!¡¹ Honestly speaking, what she said was almost spot on, but Chiyuki didn¡¯t want to talk back since it was troublesome. Kyouka didn¡¯t participate in the Demon King subjugation mission. She and her maid Takayama Kaya, or Kaya for short, were house-sitting in Holy Republic Lenaria. Reason being: Kyouka¡¯s weakness. Because of her inability to control her magic, Kyouka¡¯s magic was more likely to hit her allies rather than her enemies. To make matters worse, her vast amount of mana enabled her to activate her magic just by a momentary emotional fluctuation. That was also the reason she was being called ¡°Exploding Princess¡± by the citizens of Holy Republic Lenaria. She was nothing more than a burden even if she came along. So Chiyuki made her house-sit. But, contrary to Kyouka, Kaya herself was an extremely capable maid who can use kenpo*. [TL: Chinese traditional bare-handed martial arts] Chiyuki wanted to take Kaya along with them, but they couldn¡¯t leave Kyouka by herself, so Kaya was house-sitting along with Kyouka. Different from Chiyuki and co, Kaya and Kyouka went to a school exclusive to young ladies that was slightly far away. Back on Earth, the reason Kaya was always there on Kyouka¡¯s side was because of her job as Kyouka¡¯s maid. It had been three days since Reiji¡¯s miserable defeat. His body was alright after being healed with magic, but he had yet to wake up due to the vast amount of life force he lost in that deadly duel. ¡¸I feel the same way you do, Kyouka-san. But we can¡¯t do anything but entrust this matter to Sahoko-san.¡¹ Chiyuki said as she looked at the room where Reiji slept. No matter how worried Kyouka was, it really couldn¡¯t be helped. Chiyuki could only pray for Reiji¡¯s safety. She could only rely on Sahoko¡¯s power right now. Sahoko, who also took care of Reiji back in Japan, had been using her healing magic on him for three days without pause. Thanks to her chanting magic continuously, Reiji¡¯s life was somehow saved. Even today, she kept using her healing magic on him and Chiyuki wondered how Sahoko could withstand that. Sahoko was Reiji¡¯s childhood friend. Due to complicated reasons in his family, Reiji was raised in Sahoko¡¯s family while using another family name. The two of them were raised as siblings. Chiyuki was aware that there was a deep bond between them. When Sahoko took a break, she was replaced by Chiyuki, Kaya and Shirone who cast healing magic on Reiji in turns. Kaya and Shirone were currently using the palace guard¡¯s training ground for their own training. Since Reiji had yet to wake up, it was their job to take the vanguard position in an emergency situation. For that reason Shirone asked Kaya to spar with her. Meanwhile, Rino was staying in her room in this temple while Nao strolled outside. ¡¸REI-KUN!¡¹ Suddenly, she heard Sahoko¡¯s voice calling out Reiji¡¯s name from the room next door. Both Chiyuki and Kyouka went into that room in a rush. When they entered the room, they saw Reiji had woken up and Sahoko was hugging Reiji¡¯s body. Volume 1 - CH 9 Act 1-9 : Hero Party¡¯s Meeting All the member¡¯s of the hero¡¯s company were convened. Although it had been five days since Reiji had awoken, his condition had yet to return to normal. However, it was only a matter of time until he was fully healed. Today, everyone was gathering to have a meeting in one of the spacious and airy temple rooms. ¡¸We have to stop our subjugation against the demon king.¡¹ Chiyuki began the discussion. ¡¸Why do we have to do this, Chiyuki?¡¹ Reiji asked incredulously. ¡¸Did you really ask why Reiji? Look at your condition! You almost died!¡¹ Tone high with frustration, Chiyuki scolded Reiji scaldingly. Since the beginning, she had decided to put a stop to the subjugation of the Demon King if it developed into a more dangerous situation than she had initially anticipated. Until now, they had remained undefeated, glorious warriors who reaped their enemies¡¯ lives.The tables had turned with the recent events that had transpired, now they were the ones being hunted. Although, if she had to be honest, she should¡¯ve stopped Reiji before it came to this situation. Chiyuki shook her head while contemplating the situation. ¡¸Forgive me Chiyuki,however I can¡¯t renege on my promise to Rena.¡¹ Chiyuki let out a sigh of disappointment although Reiji¡¯s refusal wasn¡¯t unexpected. ¡¸You little¡ª Sahoko and the rest couldn¡¯t stop worrying about you when you were unconscious! The Dark Knight is very powerful. There¡¯s a definite chance that you might actually die if you fight him again!¡¹ Chiyuki glared at Reiji while continuing her tirade, before abruptly stopping, clenching her jaw in ire, ¡¸The Dark Knight just landed a lucky strike this time. I won¡¯t give up, Chiyuki. In the next battle, I¡¯m going to win.¡¹ I was just unlucky this time, Reiji thought, I will definitely win next time- after all, I¡¯m the savior, an undefeatable force. ¡¸Look around you, look at this world Chiyuki-san¡­ so many people are suffering because of the demons. Can you really abandon these people in their time of need?¡¹ Rino clearly conveyed her convictions, Shirone and Nao nodded in unison from their place beside her. ¡¸Rino is completely right. How can we ignore the people¡¯s pain? This is precisely the reason Rena summoned me to this world to begin with! It¡¯s my destiny to defeat the Demon King.¡¹ Reiji grasped the momentum, continuing his spiel. In this world, Demon King Modes was the supreme authority of all demons. In his attempt to become the sole sovereign of this world, the Demon King endeavored to destroy the deity of light, On his orders,demons began their assault on defenseless humans. Though their knowledge is merely gossip obtained from the people, not facts confirmed by Rena They claimed it was their responsibility to protect the innocent people of this world and defeat the despicable Demon King, ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity. In actuality, the band of heroes were the human embodiment of leisure, enjoying rest and relaxation. They seemed more like tourists than beings summoned to help defeat a tyrant. ¡¸It¡¯s not exactly our responsibility in the first place, is it? It¡¯s theirs.¡¹ Chiyuki tried to communicate that they had no reason to interfere in another world¡¯s affairs. ¡¸It¡¯s true that it¡¯s their problem. While I can understand that they¡¯re no match for an enemy as powerful as the Demon King, it was bizarre that they didn¡¯t offer their assistance whatsoever.¡¹ One of the girls scrunched her brow in disbelief. A raised brow and the downturned curve of her mouth clearly broadcasted her thoughts to everyone in the room ¨C ¡°How hypocritical.¡± ¡¸I agree with Kyouka-san. Let¡¯s discuss this matter again with Rena in the future. If it comes down to it, we¡¯ll have to protest against this unfair treatment.¡¹ Chikyuki chuckled. ¡¸May I ask you something, Chiyuki-sama?¡¹¡¹ Kaya stepped forward and spoke up. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kaya-san?¡¹ Chiyuki slightly trembled, when she looked at Kaya, unnerved. Chiyuki always felt perturbed in Kaya¡¯s presence. Her expressionless face reminded Chiyuki of a traditional noh mask, her true thoughts and emotions were indiscernible. ¡¸Let¡¯s start with the facts. Rena never said she would only send us back if we killed the Demon King. Did she ?¡¹ Whispered echoed across the group upon Kaya¡¯s words, coalescing into a wave of nods, heads bobbing in silent agreement as Kaya paused before continuing. The implication of her words sunk into their minds- even if they didn¡¯t subjugate the Demon King, they could still return to their world. ¡¸I believe we have no choice aside from negotiating with the goddess. However, I don¡¯t think that she would go as far as threatening us. Hopefully, she won¡¯t tell us that our return is dependent on the death of the Demon King . I mean, they do say that Rena¡¯s heart is as beautiful as her appearance.¡¹ In spite of her benevolent words, Chiyuki was skeptical. Rena¡¯s involvement in their abrupt and unconsentual arrival in this world , akin to a kidnapping, was a source of her wariness.She couldn¡¯t completely trust a person which demonstrated little thought to others¡¯ lives. ¡¸Excuse me, Chiyuki-san. May I speak?¡¹ ¡¸Go ahead, Shirone-san. What¡¯s the issue?¡¹ ¡¸What do you think would happen if Rena actually acquiesces to send us back? We can¡¯t ignore the possibility that she might summon a different individual. In such a situation, the other person may find themselves in danger.¡¹ ¡¸Definitely. We have to avoid putting another person in danger.¡¹ Nao promptly agreed with Shirone. ¡¸They¡¯re correct, Chiyuki. In my opinion, it¡¯s better if we use our time devising a strategy that will allow us to win next time. Also, staying here and trying to help won¡¯t cause any problems, since the time we¡¯ll be sent back to Earth at nearly the exact time we were summoned. Isn¡¯t that the case?¡¹ Exasperated, Chiyuki shook her head slowly. After Reiji spoke, she heaved an exhausted sigh. Hear me out, everyone. The next time we face the Demon King in battle, there¡¯s a very real possibility that one of us might actually die.Let that sink in. It¡¯s been more than a year since we came to this world. I don¡¯t know about you but, I miss my family and my friends. The thought of dying without seeing them¡­ Don¡¯t you miss your family, Shirone-san? Of course you have, you must have also missed that childhood friend of yours, right? Chiyuki abruptly interrogated Shirone. ¡¸Huh? Shirone-san also has a childhood friend?¡¹ Sahoko latched onto that detail immediately. ¡¸Aha! So you didn¡¯t know about Shirone-san¡¯s childhood friend.¡¹ ¡¸W-what are you talking about, Rino-chan ? It isn¡¯t like that with Kuroki.¡¹¡¹ Shirone unconvincingly protested against Rino¡¯s teasing. ¡¸Since I was rather curious about this elusive childhood friend, I visited Shirone-san¡¯s local dojo. He¡¯s rather ordinary, his looks aren¡¯t bad but, they aren;t remarkable either.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is that so? I guess I¡¯ll have to see for myself.¡¹ Nao snickered. ¡¸Now that I think about it, I really miss Kuroki¡­¡¹ When Shirone hesitantly admitted her feelings, As the focus of the intense and unrelenting gazes, Shirone squirmed, bothered by their undivided attention. Observing Shirone¡¯s evident discomfort, Chiyuki quickly diverted the conversation. ¡¸Clearly,Shirone-san wants to return. How do the both of you feel?¡¹ Chiyuki questioned Rino and Nao, interrupting their banter. ¡¸Let¡¯s think things over, Chiyuki. We shouldn¡¯t rush through important decisions like that. We need to talk with Rena first. After all, we can¡¯t go back if she refuses our request.¡¹ Reiji cut in before Chiyuki could quickly conclude the meeting. ¡¸You¡¯re right. This time, we have to ask Rena. We need an answer to if she¡¯ll allow us to return to return to our homes.¡¹ Chiyuki said so as she concluded the meeting. Volume 1 - CH 10 Act 1-10 : Elf¡¯s Dwelling, Forest ¡¸Damn it, to think that I, Raus-sama would experience this kind of event¡­even though I had almost arrived at Pteah kingdom.¡¹ Raus raised such complaints as he made his way through the dense foliage of the forest, dragging his heels. Raus was a traveling merchant who was attacked by goblins during his voyage to the Kingdom of Phteah The goblins were a perpetual scourge on the realm. Many travellers were plagued by goblin attacks despite the golden sunlight. Sunshine was a goblin¡¯s weakness, they absolutely abhorred its golden glow and the burning sensation it brought upon their scaly, wizened skin. Resourceful as ever, the goblins took advantage of the expanse of shade afforded by the thick branches of the trees along the highway, which made it possible for them to appear in the day. Raus continued his seemingly never-ending barrage of comments. ¡¸Are those knights of Phteah even doing their job properly?¡¹ The knights were supposed to protect the areas outside the safety of the fortress wall that surrounded the city and castle. Upon the king¡¯s orders, they were intended to be stationed along the length of the highway as protecting trade routes would ensure that a blanket of prosperity would envelop the kingdom. Carelessness in their duty would have allowed such demons to appear along the stretches of highway. A sizable portion of their fortune and livelihood being transported, merchants were wary travelling such unpredictable routes,which were brimming with danger. A sudden loss could thrust them into pauperism and pennilessness. Raus shuddered at the very thought. ¡¸And where in the hell I am right now? I suppose that I¡¯m not that far from the highway but¡­¡¹ Dark and damp, forests were the territory of demons. They thrived amongst nature and the shadows. Looking around nervously, Raus unconsciously picked up his pace. The woods were teeming with such unsavory creatures, the goblins were the least of his worries now. There was a high possibility that he could get attacked by more demons. He had to retrace his path to the highway before night fell- not only would he have to contend with the onslaught of demons but also his chances of being found would drastically decrease.It was imperative that he enter the city¡¯s wall as soon as possible. He grew increasingly confused and panicked as he spun around quickly, surveying his surroundings. No matter how much he walked the terrain seemed identical- any indication of the highway was obscured by the dense vegetation. Raus had strayed in the forest. ¡¸I¡¯m thirsty¡­.¡¹ His throat was parched after he ran from those goblins with all the energy he could muster. Every swallow grated like sandpaper. ¡¸Nevertheless, I wonder why they stopped chasing after me?¡¹ . Fortunately for Raus, goblins¡¯ short stature affected their speed. It was a miracle that a plump, middle-aged man such as him was able to waddle out of their greedy grasps. Raus thanked the gods for his luck and resolved to leave the forest as soon as possible, after all, he wasn¡¯t out of the woods just yet. ¡¸A¡­.song?¡¹ Raus paused in his tracks when a gentle and melodious, the likes of which he had never heard before, drifted over to him. Like a sailor following a siren¡¯s call, he followed the source of the voice unbidden. Soon enough, he could hear the water gurgling and splashing as a harmonious accompaniment to the song. Built with flawless white marble, the water was crystal clear and blue as the sky reflected upon it. It sparkled in the sunlight beckoningly. Raus was a weary traveller who had stumbled upon a hidden oasis. ¡¸Thanks goodness, wat-AAH!?¡¹ An earth shattering scream erupted from Raus¡¯s being. The sound seemed to shake the trees and drive away the birds, shattering the tranquility of the forest. From the water, a woman emerged. Half submerged in the glittering water, her torso bare and luscious locks dripping droplets of water into her eyes, she looked like a mermaid. Her sun-kissed skin glowed as she continued singing, lost in her own world. She was completely oblivious to Raus¡¯s presence. Raus felt torn between approaching her and disturbing this picturesque sight. Before he could overthink the situation, his instincts set in. Raus slowly approached her, charmed by her song and ephemeral beauty. ¡¸Who¡¯s there?¡¹ The woman¡¯s head snapped in Raus¡¯s direction, her long wet hair swaying in an arc behind her. The movement sent a sea of small droplets splashing through the air. Finally noticing Raus¡¯s arrival, she stared at him wide-eyed. ¡¸M-My apologies! I swear I had no intention of being a peeping tom! I was just so charmed by your beautiful voice¡­¡¹ Raus rambled on anxiously. He stumbled over his words quite a few times in his haste to clarify any misunderstandings before they could properly take root.. ¡¸Not at all. Infact, it¡¯s actually my fault for bathing in this kind of an open space.. How about you join me? The water is very refreshing after all, and you look so weary. Hasn¡¯t it been a tough journey for you?¡¹ The beauty smiled at him invitingly, making no move to cover her exposed skin. She leaned on the edge of the fountain, leaving her ample chest on display. Upon seeing that charming smile, Raus felt dazed. It was as if a fog came over his mind, clouding his judgement. Had he ever seen something so beautiful? ¡¸My apologies but, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m qualified to take a bath with such a fair lady like you! My only wish is to drink the water from that fountain to quench my thirst¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Well this fountain isn¡¯t mine to begin with. It¡¯s open to all. Feel free to drink as much as you want.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Well then, I shall partake.¡¹ Since she had given her permission, Raus approached the fountain without even an ounce of hesitation. Mesmerized by her almost otherworldly beauty, he didn¡¯t spare even a moment to ponder the situation he had found himself in. (How stunning. Lady Luck has surely smiled upon me today. Getting lost in his wretched forest turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I want to glimpse every inch of that flawless skin up close. Anyway, as I go to drink the water, I¡¯ll have no choice but to draw closer. I¡¯ll drink my fill of the water and this beauty.) A small smile had unconsciously bloomed on his face while such thoughts whirled around in his mind. The beauty was smiling brightly at Raus. He bent over slightly until his face was a short distance from the water before scooping it up. He couldn¡¯t help but sneak looks at the gorgeous maiden as he ran a wet hand across his face. Small streams trickled out from the gaps between his fingers as he brought the cool liquid up to his chapped lips. The mouthful of cold water quenched the burn that tortured his throat. As he greedily gulped another mouthful, he couldn¡¯t help but muse to himself- ¡°Could it be that the water was so refreshing because a beauty has bathed in it?¡±. But then, he felt that something was wrong with his body. A slight pinprick sensation spread throughout his body before it was replaced by a numbness that crept in so slowly that it was barely discernible. The paralysis set in stealthily like a predator stalking its prey. ¡¸My body is¡­.¡¹ Raus groaned. Raus groaned pathetically, he couldn¡¯t lift a finger. Still crouched over the rim of the fountain, he could only gaze at his reflection detachedly as he watched his expression morph into one of absolute horror as the muzzle of a huge beast emerged from the fountain¡¯s watery depths. As soon as the entirety of the beast¡¯s face arose from the water, the fuzziness in his mind cleared up in a flash. The utter wave of terror that washed over him shocked him to sense, like a chilling bucket of ice cold water. . ¡¸WHA!?¡¹ £¨Come to think of it, how could there be a gorgeous woman in this monster infested hellhole? Why didn¡¯t I notice this fact sooner?!£© Raus forced his paralyzed body to turn around and looked at the beauty. Ignoring the overwhelming sense of lethargy enveloping his body, Raus used the last dregs of his energy to glance back over at the beauty. The epitome of schadenfreude, the beauty smiled widely. The beast opened its gigantic jaws, displaying rows of razor sharp teeth which glinted menacingly. ¡¸AAAAH¡­¡­¡¹ Raus looked around him desperately, searching for any chance of survival. There was no way out, Raus concluded as he froze in fear. He had no chance of resistance. At this point, he could only close his eyes and pray for the salvation of his soul. He had resigned himself to his fate. The rancid stench of the monster¡¯s maw was his last memory before the beast began to eat him alive. ¡ô Kuroki cursed under his breath. ¡¸Damn, today is another failure¡­.¡¹ It had been a month since he had departed from the region of Nargol to journey towards the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Reiji and his company had adopted the Holy Republic as their headquarters. Despite Nargol and the Holy Republicof Lenaria being practically situated on different sides of the continent, it hadn¡¯t registered as a concern in Kuroki¡¯s mind. Since his arrival into this world, his speed and strength were unparalleled- he could easily run faster than the swiftest wild stallion. He had already traversed two-thirds of the distance towards his destination. Although he had no method to precisely measure his speed, he estimated that it easily crossed the 200km/hrs threshold. In fact, Reiji and his company all experienced the same effect. Thus he hypothesized that any human from earth would gain superhuman powers upon being summoned to this world. [TL : His kryptonite is aphrodisiac] Along the journey to his destination, Kuroki became more familiar with the ways of human society in this world. Compared to the democracies of modern-day Earth, human countries here instead resembled medieval city-states such as those like Sparta. There were simply too many to count. If you looked at a map of this world, it would instead seem like an extremely detailed mosaic. The humans constructed ramparts to protect their cities from the monsters lurking in the woods and beyond. The city lay inside the rampart, protectively nestled within its walls. It was as if they were enclosed in a protective bubble. These pockets of peace were isolated from the outside road with the exception of the spider web-like network of highways that spanned the entire continent, connecting one city with others. Each city-state was vastly different both in political ideology and size. They ranged from cities big and small- there were ones that were small and village-like but also existed cities so large in which each locality could be considered its own city. Additionally, each of them had their own government system : democracies, republics and monarchies. In short, the mayor of each city-state was chosen through different methods and eligibility varied its requirements. Thus, there were city-states which had their own royal family and nobility- in which inheritance, caste and position were handed down from one head of the family to the next. The mayor and vice-mayor positions also functioned in the same manner. Naturally, there were also those which followed a radically different system in which officials were elected. The majority of the city-states followed the Elios pantheon and revered its twelve gods. Following the explanation that he had heard from Nut, Kuroki became aware that the group of humans who did not follow the Elios pantheon were scorned and regarded as outcasts from society. They were condescendingly called ¡®backwater¡¯ and referred to as the tribe of ¡®savages¡¯. On that note, Kuroki had recently visited a city-state called the Phteah Kingdom which was home to about three thousand citizens. To be accurate, it was home to three thousand people who retained citizenship, the number rose exponentially if those without citizenship were also included in that calculation. Those with citizenship were regarded as lawful residents of the city state while individuals without it were treated as foreigners. To put it simply, someone without citizenship couldn¡¯t pass through the rampart to enter the city. Then what about the currency circulation? That particular problem was solved by the formation of a treaty which brought a specific policy into effect in both the kingdoms- the passage of foreigners of one city-state to enter the other city-states allied to that government. Naturally, there exists a completely isolated city-state which is completely self-sufficient and independent. Thus, Kuroki, who could not lay claim to the citizenship of any city-state was not to be allowed to pass through the fortress of any of the city-states. At least legally. Kuroki had no qualms resorting to such unsavory means if it meant that his work was done. Naturally then arose the problem regarding Kuroki¡¯s sustenance. The forest was a veritable treasure of food, filled with all the doos he could eat- fruit and nuts galore. It was so abundant that there was more than enough to feed a village, if there weren¡¯t any demons prowling around. Eventually though, when the temptation to eat proper, cooked food was too great, Kuroki would have no choice but to sneak through the fortress gates. Kuroki fondly recalled the time when he secretly entered the rampart with flight magic and ate the skewered-grilled meat while apologizing to the shopkeeper. Popular cuisine in this world primarily featured pork and mutton. Surprisingly, the humans rarely used beef while cooking. Kuroki hesitantly took a tiny bite of the mutton. He had only pecked at his food, eating a small mouthful. The overwhelmingly gamey scent emitted by the mutton did not translate to its taste, Kuroki discovered. Thanks to the generous use of herbs and spices, the gamey taste that he had been bracing himself for never arrived. In fact, it had disappeared altogether, Ravenous, Kuroki dug into his meal with great enthusiasm. ¡¸Well, what should we do about today, Nut?¡¹ Kuroki questioned his travelling companion around a mouthful of meat. ¡¸How about sneaking in using invisibility magic again?¡¹ . Invisibility magic was a form of sorcery that masked the user¡¯s presence, allowing them to go unnoticed and undetected by keen eyed observers.It was a branch of magic best suited for espionage, reconnaissance and getting out of sticky situations. Kuroki had fearlessly sneaked into human cities time and time again, the magic surrounding him like a protective cloak. He easily blended into the dark shadows of the night. However, it had one drawback- it wouldn¡¯t work against users of detection magic or those who had detection abilities. They would be able to peel back the illusion piece by piece until nothing was left but stark reality. Additionally, once the magic spell was discovered, it would lose its effect entirely. It was perfect for Kuroki¡¯s goal of gathering information on Reiji and his associates¡¯s recent activities. That was why he had decided to pay the Holy Republic of Lenaria a visit after all, it was Reiji and his party¡¯s base of operations. The place where they spent the most time would obviously be the best source to glean such information. ¡¸Nah, let¡¯s refrain to do that this time, Reiji and co¡¯s information are about the same in every single place.¡¹ All of the rumours about Reiji and the company told the same story. Demons plagued this world, wreaking havoc and destruction. Moreover, the humans of this world were pathetically weak. Alone, they didn¡¯t stand a chance against such foes. As the prey of the demons, the people turned to Reiji as their messiah. He had gained considerable power since he was summoned to this world. That¡¯s how he got the moniker ¡®Hero of Light¡¯- Reiji became the hope of humanity. The word spread as he continued to subjugate many demons and saved numerous people since his arrival in this world. Thus, many people felt grateful toward him. Although many people felt grateful for his contribution, that didn¡¯t mean that bad blood was non-existent. Reiji had managed to sleep with a shocking number of beauties throughout his journey. He turned a blind eye to anything other than their appearance- some of these women were married, engaged or single. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter to him. This reputation as a casanova sowed a lot of resentment from the male populace. He was the bane of every man¡¯s existence. And so, men usually ended up loathing Reiji but, they were forced to swallow their bitterness. Many women praised Reiji, the Hero of Light. In fact, the majority of his popularity stemmed from his favor among females. Even if you crossed borders from one country into the next, laws, architecture and culture would change but, the topic of gossip among the ladies would remain the same- Reiji-sama. Kuroki swore his ears would bleed if he heard about Reiji¡¯s romantic escapes yet again. On second thought, he was so tired of hearing about it, he¡¯d rather go deaf. The Phteah Kingdom would likely have no new information about Reiji or his company, so there was no need to sneak in and go to collect intel. Thus, Kuroki¡¯s intent was to simply pass by the city. A while later, he heard a mysterious song from deep within the heart of the forest. It was particularly strange to hear a song here of all places. ¡¸A¡­.song?¡¹ Kuroki tilted his head quizzically. Why in their right mind would anyone be singing a song in the middle of a demon infested forest? ¡¸What a beautiful voice¡­.¡¹ Kuroki looked over at Nut, searching for his opinion only to find him charmed by the beautiful cadence of the song. It didn¡¯t seem like he thought that there was something wrong with this situation. There was a nagging feeling in Kuroki¡¯s mind that just wouldn¡¯t leave though. ¡¸Shall we take a look, Kuroki-sama?¡¹ Nut was already moving towards the direction of the song before the sentence was even fully out of his mouth. Well, that¡¯s that, Kuroki guessed. Although Nut had made the decision on behalf of the both of them, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but conclude that the situation was undeniably strange. His certainty in the feeling that something was fishy only skyrocketed after he saw Nut¡¯s reaction. Upon hearing the song, Nut had really lowered his guard, losing the vigilance he usually used as a shield constantly. From Kuroki¡¯s observations, this was really very peculiar and didn¡¯t fit in with Nut¡¯s personality at all. ¡¸Understood, let¡¯s take a look.¡¹ Kuroki himself was curious about the singer of this song and her motivations so he willingly tagged along behind Nut. After walking for a while, they saw a huge clearing in the middle of the forest with a enormous and luxurious fountain situated in the center of the expansive field. In the fountain was a woman. She was bathing herself in the pool of the fountain, her naked torso exposed for everyone to see. Out in the open, her chest was blatantly visible, water droplets running down the valley of her breasts as she splashed water on her face. Her eyes were closed as she continued singing the mysterious melody, oblivious to Nut and Kuroki¡¯s presence. Nut unconsciously drew closer towards her, steeping on a twig in the process. The loud snapping noise disturbed her singing and the calm atmosphere that had seemed to settle over the area. She gasped, and then looked at Kuroki and Nut with eyes as wide as saucers. ¡¸Who¡¯s there?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, No¡­sorry for disturbing you. We were only curious, we came after hearing your singing voice.Once again, we apologize, we did not mean to invade your privacy¡¹ Kuroki apologized. But inside, he was glad that he came to this place since he got to see somethign unusual. ¡¸An, don¡¯t mind it. How about you come to take a dip in this fountain too?¡¹ ¡¸Thanks but no. We¡¯re going to continue our journey and you can continue singing to your heart content.¡¹ Kuroki tried to leave as it is. ¡¸The water is beautiful, Kuroki-sama. How about spending a night in this place?¡¹ ¡¸Nut, stop! Don¡¯t drink the water, it¡¯s been poisoned already I¡¯m sure that this is all a trap..¡¹ ¡¸Eh, poisoned!!¡¹ Nut seemed to be shocked when he heard that ¡¸How could there be such poison in the water? Why don¡¯t you try it and see for yourself? Take a sip, go on.¡¹ The woman said innocently. Her doe eyes were wide and her brows were arched in incredulity at such an accusation. Her act would have been sufficient enough to fool others but it would not work against Kuroki. Her modest and guileless facade was beginning to really get on Kuroki¡¯s nerves. The more he looked at her, the more he felt his blood boil. This reason for his growing anger was because that manipulative monster of a woman was trying to eat Kuroki. Kuroki had become sensitive to killing intent after he was summoned to this word. It was a handy ability that had served him faithfully after he had landed into this world. His abrupt summoning into this foreign and unknown world had left him confused in the beginning- this ability was his compass in navigating this world, guiding him through the maze that was the political landscape when he didn¡¯t know who to trust and who to not. For example, it was a simple matter for him to detect any killing intent directed towards him from several dozen meters. According to Lugas, perception was like a passive ability that he possessed. No matter what the logic, being seen like potential prey still caused unpleasant feelings to bubble up within Kuroki¡¯s chest. Moreover, Kuroki realized that the woman had been trying to use charm magic upon himi from a while ago. Observing this woman¡¯s malicious tactics in order to manipulate them caused a shadow to creep up on Kuroki¡¯s mind, his thoughts becoming dark with anger and violence. Kuroki¡¯s face was as frozen as a glacier, not a single expressive movement occured as it was the only way to retain his facade of composure. Moreover, the origin of his unpleasant feeling was none other than her singing voice, he judged that singing voice was what confused Nut¡¯s judgement abilities.Although her singing voice was indeed beautiful, he could sense an artificiality behind it, it was cloying sweet and saccharine, sending a shiver of uneasiness down his spine. Overall, he could compare the experience to swallowing a mouthful of sickly sweet cough syrup, it left a bad taste in his mouth. He was absolutely positive that the origin of the unpleasant feelings taking root in his mind were caused by none other than her singing voice. That must have been what was clouding Nut¡¯s generally reasonable judgement. £¨This woman might be a monster, I couldn¡¯t see anything aside from a beautiful woman though.£© Her upper half was bared for all to see. The usual Kuroki might have taken this chance to commit that scene into his memory. But he didn¡¯t. There were more pressing matters on his mind. Clearly, the demon ate its prey after they got charmed by its beauty and song, lured in like clueless sailors by the tempting sirens in the myths. He concluded that this was the case. Rather, he would opt to leave this place immediately. £¨I wanted to avoid a fight as much as possible. It is definitely my last resort.£© Kuroki actually just wanted to end the matter as soon as possible. Hopefully, his explicit killing intent would be enough to scare her away. Despite facing repeated attacks from the demon along his journey, Kuroki managed to avoid combat as much as possible by using killing intent to scare the majority of those demons that had attacked him. However, that woman betrayed Kuroki¡¯s expectations by intensifying her murderous aura even more, her killing intent became even more obvious. ¡¸YOU BASTARD!!!¡¹ The woman¡¯s face morphed into a grimace, distorted by her utter rage. A giant demon beast emerged from inside the fountain, its ugly maw visible as it stretched its neck. £¨Oh crap! It seems I pissed it off instead! Moreover, it is so fast!£© The demon beast had arrived right in front of Kuroki in the blink of an eye. ¡¸HA!¡¹ Kuroki immediately jumped into action, quickly drawing his sword from its sheath which released an ominous ringing sound that echoed throughout the expanse of the clearing. He agiley dodged the beast¡¯s attacks, zigzagging in an unpredictable pattern before he finally drew close enough to the demon. Sword glinting in the bright sunlight with a sense of anticipation, he slashed his blade in a magnificent, powerful arc bringing it down towards themonster, decapitating it. ¡¸GUUUUH! YOU PUNY LITTLE HUMAN!!!¡¹ The woman¡¯s face contorted into an expression of pure agony, there was no semblance of innocence left in her face. Finally she was revealing her true colors, not even attempting to act like a damsel in distress. ¡¸TAKE THIS!!!¡¹ The water in the fountain quickly rose through the air in translucent streams, reflecting the sunlight above. The rivulets of water quickly converged into a giant ball of water which hung in the sky menacingly. ¡¸BUBBLE SHOT!¡¹ The lump of water acted as a source from which small portions of water were taken an made into a storm of bullets which was released down upon Kuroki in sync with the demon beast¡¯s bellowing cry. ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ Kuroki quickly recited the mantra for evoking the defensive magic under his breath. Subsequently, a magic circle appeared in front of Kuroki¡¯s palm, protecting him from the barrage of water bullets. When the shower of the deadly bullets finally ceased, the monstrous beast had finally emerged from the depths of the clear pool of the fountain and risen onto the land. The lower half of the snarling beast which was hidden by the sapphire waters of the marble fountain was finally exposed. Under the moonlight, the beast¡¯s entire figure was exposed to Kuroki. It was fearsome indeed- a six headed giant that towered over them and the woman¡¯s bare chest was actually something akin to tentacles. Dropping its facade of beauty, the demon¡¯s true form was an ugliness that seemed too extreme to belong to this world. The beast then approached Kuroki, taking long and agitated strides in his direction. It seemed like a variant of an aquatic demon beast, that¡¯s why it was so slow when moving on land. ¡¸Nut, are you alright?¡¹ ¡¸Yeshh¡­my headis still spinning around chaotically though.¡¹ While attentively watching the skirmish from where he had been standing on the sidelines, Kuroki¡¯s godly speed was enough to give him a headache. It was too much for his human eyes to handle. ¡¸Nut, get down now!¡¹ Kuroki ordered Nut to get down for the time being. Nut followed Kuroki¡¯s commands faithfully and retreated from the battlefield as soon as Kuroki once again touched ground. He shifted into a battle ready stance, prepared to face the demon¡¯s next attack. The fight wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡¸YOU ONE HEAD BASTARD, HOW DARE YOU!!¡¹ The demon was looking at Kuroki with furious look on its faces. Black colored blood spilling on the ground from the wound caused by Kuroki¡¯s slash. The black blood gave a raise to white steam as it flowing on the ground. The weeds around the spilling area were withered. It seems that demon beast¡¯s blood was also poisonous. Kuroki could avoid battle if he focused solely on getting away from it. But, he got the feeling that this demon beast would chase him to the end of the world. Thus, he rather exterminate it right away than constantly bothered by such small fry. ¡¸HUMAN BASTAAAAAARD!¡¹ Along with that shout, the tentacles on the demon beast head went toward Kuroki. Kuroki jumped up, spun in midair as he slashed at the incoming tentacles and the deamon beast¡¯s head. ¡¸HOLY MOSE!!!¡¹ The demon beast was truly surprised by Kuroki¡¯s power. Thus Kuroki landed right on the torso of the demon beast and then, swung his sword; tearing apart the torso of the demon beast. He leaped again and landed right behind the demon beast. ¡¸I¡ª¨C IMPOSSIBLE!!!¡¹ The demon beast fell back as it is. This time, it was flinched away when it saw Kuroki. ¡¸I¡ª I see¡ª You bastard is a divine being¡­. How careless¡­ I¡­ Mistook you¡­. for a human.¡¹ The demon beast¡¯s body then crumbled like sand castle. ¡¸I¡¯m not a divine being though¡­.¡¹ Kuroki muttered so. Kuroki didn¡¯t consider himself as a divine being. But there was nothing he could do to correct that demon beast¡¯s mistake. The demon beast¡¯s body kept shrinking as more and more of its body turned into white smoke. ¡¸Kuroki-sama~. Are you okay?¡¹ Nut was running toward Kuroki while circling around the demon beast¡¯s corpse. ¡¸It¡¯s a demon that we never met till now, and quite powerful on top of it.¡¹ It was the first time Kuroki met this kind of demon since the one who normally go after him were either goblins or orc. ¡¸Hey¡­ This is the first time for me seeing this kind of demon too.¡¹ ¡¸So even you never saw this one before huh. Must be a rare kind. We might have to ask more information about this demon to the one who observed us.¡¹ Kuroki turned around to see the gap between tree behind him. Someone was observing Kuroki and co. He couldn¡¯t feel hostility from the other party¡¯s eyes. That person neither goblin nor orc. Thus Kuroki pondering about the identity of the other party. ¡¸May I ask the person who hide over there to show yourself?¡¹ A girl appeared from the shadow of the tree when Kuroki threw that question to the other party. It was a blue-haired girl with skin as white as pristine snow, her age was around Kuroki and she was about the same or a head shorter than Kuroki. £¨Eh, why? What is this girl doing in this place? Is she a demon like that demon beast too?£© Though he pondered such probability, he couldn¡¯t feel hostility from that girl¡¯s eyes, the way she looked at him didn¡¯t cause any unpleasant feeling like when that demon beast looked at Kuroki. ¡¸Kuroki-sama. That girl might be an elf¡­ Or dryad.¡¹ ¡¸SHE IS AN ELF.¡¹ Kuroki knew about elf from Lugas lesson. When he looked at the girl¡¯s ears, he found out that they¡¯re longer just like the elf¡¯s features that Lugas had told to him before. Elf race was a woman only race whose age far surpassing a normal human age. In addition, all member of elven race were gifted with strength that surpassed any normal human, they also a natural born spirit magic user, for that reason they could live in demon invested forest without having to rely on rampart like human does. Some of elf who were known as dryad were living in the forest were also known as wood elf. It seems that those dryad were often falling in love with young human, and in most case kidnapped them to become their husband. Kuroki observed the girl. She was a genuine beautiful girl unlike the fake beauty trap of the demon beast from before. £¨I don¡¯t think kidnapped by this kind of beauty was a bad thing for those young men. Well it got nothing to do with me but, let¡¯s try to as what business she has. £© Kuroki was smiling swetly toward the girl in order to not scaring her. ¡¸Uhm¡­. Are you people, divine being?¡¹ The elf girl asked timidly. ¡¸Nay, I¡¯m a human, maybe?¡¹ Kuroki replied back in question form. Kuroki was a bit skeptical about his race. He wondered whether he could group the human in this world into the same category as the human in his world. Reason being similar to Reiji and co, Kuroki was blessed with superhuman power far above any normal human in this world. He only looked like a normal human, but the inside seems to be a completely different being. ¡¸You¡¯re lying, as if any normal human can kill that Scylla who can¡¯t be defeated by us. You¡¯re definitely a divine being, right?¡¹ ¡¸No.. I really am not a divine being.¡¹ Kuroki knew that he wasn¡¯t so exalted to be referred as a divine being. Thus he insisted that elf girl was misunderstood. ¡¸Thanks goodness.¡¹ The elf girl then approached Kuroki. And then, he take a good look at Kuroki fromtop to bottom as soon as she arrived before him. "" ¡¸And then, who are you? and what are you doing in this kind of place?¡¹ The girl asked so while bringing her face closer to him. Kuroki¡¯sfigure was clearly reflected in her eyes, thus he ended up averting his gaze from her. Save for Shirone, Kuroki never got so close with any woman back in his world, for this reason Kuroki was completely flustered right now. ¡¸I¡­ I¡¯m just a traveler looking for a place to spend this night.¡¹ Kuroki replied so with flustered voice. ¡¸Eh, you¡¯re not entering human dwelling?¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­ I¡¯ve some situation¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see, then if you don¡¯t mind it. How about you spend the night in my house?¡¹ ¡¸¡­ EH!?¡¹ Kuroki was surprised. Though he was aware that the elves loves to kidnap pretty boy, he also know that they¡¯re infamously unfriendly toward anyone aside form their sweetheart. Kuroki take a good look at the girl. He couldn¡¯t feel any hostility from her. And though the look in her eyes made him uneasy, it wasn¡¯t the kind of unpleasant feeling. ¡¸In that case, may I intrude you for the night?¡¹ Weak willed Kuroki lost to his curiousity in regard to the elf¡¯s live. ¡¸Yeah, of course.¡¹ The elf girl then led him into the forest with bright, sunny smile on her face. ¡¸It seems she take a liking to you.¡¹ Nut said so as if to tease Kuroki. ¡¸Please don¡¯t tease me, Nut. Maybe she just want to repay us for defeating that demon beast called Scylla.¡¹ Surely, Kuroki could feel the girl¡¯s goodwill. He thought that it might be because he killed Scylla. It seems that demon beast was also attacking the elves. The keep walking in front of Kuroki and co. After walking for a while, he noticed an unusual phenomenon in the area around them. ¡¸Uhm, What is this?¡¹ The forst in front of his looked just like a normal forest but, something has changed. ¡¸Wow, so it¡¯s a barrier huh.¡¹ ¡¸Barrier?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, a magic that confuse everyone who entered the barrier. That¡¯s why make sure to follow me.¡¹ The keep walking in front of Kuroki and co. And then, they arrived in front of a huge tree. The tree was so big that one branch could hold several houses. Kuroki went ¡°Ooh¡± when he saw those house. It was similar to the tree houses he saw in TV. In fact, Kuroki secretly want this kind of house since it gave the feeling of a secret base. ¡¸Here is my house. Please come in.¡¹ The girl said so with ear to ear smile on her face. ¡¸Tess!¡¹ A voice then called out from above. When I looked up to see the owner of that voice, I saw a woman came out from one of the tree house. The elf woman gave a more mature feeling compared to the elf girl. That woman descended from the tree. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m home, mother!!!¡¹ Kuroki was rather surprised knowing that woman was the efl girl¡¯s mother, she¡¯s so young to be mistaken as her older sister. £¨The elves really is never growing old huh.£© Kuroki then recalled his lesson with Lugas. ¡¸I¡¯t not ¡°I¡¯m home¡±, Tess! Just where are you going this time around! Moreover¡­.¡¹ The girl¡¯s mother then looked at kuroki. ¡¸Who is this person?¡¹ The elf girl¡¯s mother was staring dagger at Kuroki. TO make the matter worse, the girl¡¯s mother was also a great beauty, and Kuroki couldn¡¯t calm himself when such beauty was staring at him. ¡¸Mother! He¡¯s such an amazing person! I mean he singlehandedly defeated that Scylla!!¡¹ The girl introduced Kuroki while clinging on his arm. The girl¡¯s soft body were wrapping around Kuroki¡¯s arm. Though her volume is just so so, the softness was proven to be too much for Kuroki. ¡¸Scylla¡­. Do you mean that fountain¡¯s Scylla¡­.¡¹ The mother¡¯s eyes then scanning at Kuroki from head to toe. ¡¸He¡­ Doesn¡¯t seems to be that powerful.¡¹ Kuroki almost fell over when he heard the mother¡¯s words. ¡¸Mother!! You¡¯re being rude toward him!!!¡¹ The girl was scolding her mother. ¡¸You¡¯re right, my apologies for the discourtesy, O human¡¯s child. My name is Davia of hardy¡¯s forest. I¡¯m the mother of Tess, the girl who invite you to come to our house.¡¹ The woman called Davia then introduced herself toward Kuroki. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, my name is¡­. Kuro. I¡¯m a traveler in the middle of journey.¡¹ Kuroki hestitated for a while before he decided to use an alias. Though he didn¡¯t consider it was a problem to taught them his real name, there was a possibilities that his name might reach Shirone¡¯s ears sometimes later. Thus, he rather save than sorry. ¡¸Mother. Kuroki is in the middle of journey, let¡¯s invite him to spend a night in our house.¡¹ Tess tried to take him into the house before even her mother gave the permission. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Tess-san.¡¹ Kuroki was tried to confirm whether it was okay to take him into the house without her mother permission. ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped them. Welcome to our home, Kuro-dono.¡¹ But she allowed it surprisingly easily. £¨Honestly, are they seriously allowed an unknown man to enter their house that easily? Otherwise, is this their custom?£© According to Lugas, Elven race aren¡¯t a race that was friendly toward human, safe for their loved one. There should be no mistaking in Lucas¡¯s knowledge. Tess¡¯s house was located in a certain place on top of a tree¡¯s branch. There was nothing resembling staircase or ladder to climbing up to there. How did she climb it then? was quickly answered when he saw Tess lightly leaped till reached that certain branch. It seems this kind of height was nothing for the elves who could use spirit magic. ¡¸Come here, Kuro! You should be able to jump over this height with ease right!¡¹ Tess said so with worry less smile. Surely, this height were nothing for Kuroki. He decided to accept their offer since he was rather interested in the tree house, and got the permission from its owner too. Kuroki was getting excited, he couldn¡¯t wait to see the real tree house. And then, he take a better look at the tree house. The tree house were apparently aren¡¯t built on top of the tree. It was made by using the tree itself by expanding the branch till reached the size of a house. It was truly a marvelous tree house. The interior of the house itself was quite splendid too. The lighting they used was light spirit instead of fire. If the lighting that used by human was something primitive like torch or oil lamp, then elves civilization was entirely coming from their familiarity with magic. The furniture inside the house was also magnificence, elegant yet simple, a complete opposite from the human. Though the elves residence seems to be primitive from the outside, Kuroki felt that it was far more comfortable than the residence of the human. And thanks to the existence of magic, this world was more developed in some aspect than his world. If magic can be used in his world too, it might¡¯ve developed similar civilization. ¡¸Please take your seat, Kuro-dono. I¡¯ll leave for a while to prepare tea. Tess, come and give me a hand.¡¹ ¡¸Ye~s.¡¹ Davia and Tess went toward the kitchen. £¨Is there only the two of them in this house?£© From they way they talk, Kuroki judged that there¡¯s only the two of them living in this house. He couldn¡¯t feel the sign of another elf inside this house either. The two then came back from the kitchen, bringing a wooden tray loaded with tea and food. The two of them lined up the tea and the food on the table in front of Kuroki. The tea has transparent red color and nice fragrance. The food was consisted of one flat and round bread and vegetable soup that used cabbage and carrot-like vegetable, the last food was a cake with dried fruit. Kuroki reflexively leaning forward seeing those food. It¡¯s been a while since he had a proper meal after he left Nargol for a journey. ¡¸Please dig in, Kuro-dono.¡¹ Kuroki started with tasting the tea. It was the first time he tasted that flavor, but it was extremely delicious. He then moved on to the soup. If he had to be honest, the flavor was in the thin side but, it was the most delicious dish for him who never had any proper meal during his journey. ¡¸Is the food can¡¯t satisfy your palate?¡¹ Davia asked so to Kuroki. ¡¸No, to be honest, it¡¯s really delicious since I¡¯ve never had any decent meal during my journey.¡¹ Kuroki feels that the elves were more welcoming than the human. Because even the immigration officer, the gatekeeper of Phteah kingdom drove him away as if he was a suspicious person. Kuroki felt complicated feeling when he recalled the difference between the two treatment. It was to the point that he was almost crying due to the hospitality shown by Tess and her mother. ¡¸Is that so? Please enjoy the meal to your heart desire then.¡¹ Davia smiling happily as she said so. It was the first time Kuroki ate a proper meal ever since the beginning of his journey. Tess was smiling happily as she looked at Kuroki eating his food heartily. ¡ô ¡¸Oooh, how I miss sleeping in the nice bed.¡¹ As the night come, Kuroki was led toward the bedroom. ¡¸This is rather fishy¡­.¡¹ Nut voiced his suspicion. ¡¸Though I¡¯m not that well versed in the knowledge about the elves, are they the kind of race that will give such warm welcome to a stranger?¡¹ Kuroki felt the same way as Nut. He wondered why did the elves gave him, a stranger such warm welcome when the few city that he visited along his journey always treated him coldly. Moreover, though the elves falling in love with young human from time to time, they were generally known as unfriendly race toward outsider. ¡¸Nevertheless. I can¡¯t feel any hostility from Tess.¡¹ Kuroki didn¡¯t feel any hostility from the girl called Tess. On the contrary, she seems to like him. ¡¸Any sign of them using spirit magic to hid their hostility?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think so¡­¡¹ Kuroki denied that possibility. The reason was because he saw no abnormality in Nut condition. Because if they really used somesort of magic, Nut should¡¯ve displayed reaction similar to when they¡¯re in the fountain ara. Though it¡¯ll be another matter if the magic was only used on Kuroki, he saw that Tess was talking to Nut. She should¡¯ve noticed that Nut aren¡¯t just a common rat. ¡¸But, they might be planning something. Maybe something like a personal request¡­.¡¹ That was something that Kuroki had not considered. Because he thought that they just paid their gratitude with one night of a good sleep and a hearty meal. ¡¸A request?¡¹ ¡¸She saw me killing Scylla with her own eyes. So she might want to ask me to exterminate another demon out there.¡¹ ¡¸I see now, that¡¯s reasonable indeed¡­.¡¹ Nut agreed with Kuroki¡¯s view in the situation. He then slipped into the bed. As Kuroki laid on the bed, he was surprised by its softness. ¡¸Amazing, not even the bed in my world can be this comfortable.¡¹ Though Kuroki was never sleep in high quality futon, he felt that this bed might be even better than that. Kuroki once again thanked Tess for her hospitality. She even went as far as preparing the bed for Nut too. ¡¸G¡¯nite, Nut¡­¡¹ ¡¸G¡¯nit¡ª-¡¹ It¡¯s been a while since they sleep in the proper bed. The bed they¡¯re using right now was not only extremely comfortable, it has a really nice smell too. They never had any proper sleep during the journey, that¡¯s why their fatigue was slowly accumulating by the days. Kuroki felt that his consciousness was slowly descending into the darkness. ¡ô Tess was looking at her father face in her parent¡¯s bedroom. ¡¸Tess, It seems Kuro-dono has fell asleep.¡¹ Tess¡¯s mother, Davia just returned from seeing Kuro¡¯s situation. ¡¸Have you told your father?¡¹ "" ¡¸Yes, mother.¡¹ Tess just finished reporting the matter about Kuro to her father a moment ago. Tess was sitting on the edge of her parent¡¯s bed, the bed where her father was currently sleeping at. Her father was always sleeping even before Tess¡¯s mother gave birth to Tess. Tess feels that her handsome father was a match made in heaven with her mother. £¨Naturally, Kuro isn¡¯t falling behind either in term of look.£© Tess smiling delightfully when she recall the matter about Kuro. Her father was always sleeping, she new see her father awake even once ever since she gained awareness. Tess¡¯s father is a human. Elves race was the race of female, any female baby who was born from an elf was also an elf like their mother, in case the male baby was born, their race would be the same as their father race. Since they hate the likes of goblins or orcs, majority of them choose to copulate with human. That¡¯s why despite having an older brother and little brother, they¡¯re immediately sent toward the closest human settlement in accordance to the elves¡¯s custom. Tess¡¯s two brothers might still living in human settlement right now. And then, there¡¯s never ending case of an elf who falling in love with a human boy quarreling with the human woman since they basically wanted to kidnap the man they love. Tess¡¯s mother, Davia was also involved in such case, quarreled with another woman when she tried to kidnap her husband to be. Naturally, the human woman who was far weaker than Davia couldn¡¯t win against Davia, and got her man snatched away. But, due to him beaing a human, Tess¡¯s father have far shorter life span compared to elf, making them died far too fast compared to elf, in normal situation. Though it¡¯s possible for human to gain similar life span to that of an elf as long as the queen of elf used her special magic on them, the queen wouldn¡¯t bestow such magic to someone unless they have the qualification to become a fairy knight. That¡¯s why majority of the elves husband¡¯s lifespan was prolonged by using the combination of stagnation magic and sleeping magic. Thus, Tess father was always sleeping due to the combination of the two magic. Her father was always sleeping but alive, there¡¯s no problem with his bodily function, he could made children even when asleep. In case Tess want to talk with her father, she has to enter his dream with mind dive magic. Just like now, Tess reported the matter about meeting with Kuroki to her father via mind dive. ¡¸He¡¯s sleeping peacefully, so I can¡¯t help but take a peek at his sleeping face. Mother is glad that you can find such a nice person. It seems you inherited my superior instinct.¡¹ Tess nodded to her mother. ¡¸Of course he is, Kuro is the man I choose after all. I just need a glance to know that he is my fated one.¡¹ Tess felt a jolt in her heart when she saw Kuro for the first time at that Fountain. Thus, she wished to turn Kuro as her companion. Tess was taught by her mother about the imprtance of trusting her instinct. It seems Tess¡¯s mother felt the same way when she met her father. She heard from her mother that she kidnapped her father with magic. According to Davia, it wasn¡¯t a big deal since it¡¯s better for him to stay by her mother side, an elf who was by nature more beautiful than an ugly human girl. Her mother telling the same thing to Tess in regard to Kuro. That¡¯s why Kuro will be happier if he stay by Tess¡¯s side, forever. And she knew from Kuro raction that Kuro didn¡¯t dislike Tess. £¨It¡¯ll be much better for Kuro to stay with me rather than a human girl.£© Tess was smiling with complacent smile as she dreaming the live with Kuro. ¡¸Well, I shall go to visit Kuro¡¯s room then, dear mother.¡¹ After she said so, Tess proceeded to leave her parent¡¯s room. Tess was thinking about what to say in Kuro¡¯s dream. £¨He¡¯s basically defenseless in the dream. That way i can ask various things to Kuro.£© Tess was humming hapily as she headed toward Kuro¡¯s room. ¡ô ¡¸Thank you very much for your favor.¡¹ Kuroki thanked Davia and Tess. Tess was looking at him with sad look in her eyes. Kuroki couldn¡¯t bear to see Tess¡¯s sad face. £¨Uuh, why did I dreamed such embarassing dream?£© In his dream last night, Kuroki dreamed that he became a couple with Tess. £¨That dream was strangely real though.£© Kuroki did something really embarassing in his dream last night. ¡¸Well then, I shall take my leave then.¡¹ Davia made the same sad face as her daughter. ¡¸My apologise, there¡¯s a place that I¡¯ve to visit no matter what¡­¡¹ He couldn¡¯t impose on Tess and Davia¡¯s kindness more than this. In fact, there was something that worrying him since this morning. As soon as he awake, he met Tess who has awoke earlier than him and then, he felt that her air was slightly different compared to yesterday. Kuroki was worying about her condition. ¡¸Thank yu very much. I¡¯ll definitely pay this debt of gratitude.¡¹ After he said so, when Kuroki turned around to leave the tree house. ¡¸KUROKI!!!¡¹ Tess came and called out his name. ¡¸Tess?¡¹ ¡¸Kuroki¡­. We¡­ Can still meet again later¡­ Right?¡¹ Tess was crying on his chest. ¡¸Yes, we¡¯ll meet again in the future, Tess.¡¹ Kuroki then gently brushing on Tess¡¯s cheeks. Though Kuroki was really embarassed for doing this, this action was less embarassing than what he did in his dream last night. Kuroki then leaving, turning around so many times to wave his hands toward Tess. And then, he only noticed ¡°THAT¡± a while later. ¡¸Come to think of it, how did Tess come to know my real name?¡¹ ¡ô ¡¸Are you sure about this, Tess?¡¹ Tess shook her head in response to her mother question. ¡¸I mean, it really can¡¯t be helped¡­ I never expected him to be an otherworlder¡­. Kuroki has his own role in this world, that¡¯s why it¡¯s wrong to keeping him in this place.¡¹ The night she spend in the dream along with Kuroki became Tess¡¯s most cherished memories. Tess also came to know Kuroki¡¯s identity inside of that dream. £¨Kuroki¡¯s power was even more powerful than an average divine being¡­ My magic didn¡¯t work on him at all.£© That¡¯s why Tess couldn¡¯t make Kuroki hers. Tess keep looking at Kuroki¡¯s back. The sight of Kuroki waving his hand to her even at this distance convinced Tess that Kuroki didn¡¯t hate her. Tess feels reassured since she knew that they¡¯re definitely going to meet again later. ¡¸See you again later, My Gentle Dark Knight.¡¹ Tess said so as she looked at Kuroki¡¯s silhouette. Volume 1 - CH 11 Act 1-11 : Freedom Fighter ¡¸Just a bit more and we¡¯ll reach the Holy Republic of Lenaria, headquarters to the Hero and his companions, isn¡¯t that right Nut?¡¹ Kuroki asked Nut, who sat on his shoulder. ¡¸Yes, it won¡¯t be long til we reach our destination, Kuroki-sama.¡¹ It seemed that prior to this journey, Nut had once gone on a mission to investigate the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s neighboring countries. It was probably the reason why they hadn¡¯t lost their way throughout this journey. It had been two months since they left Nargol and set towards the Holy Republic of Lenaria, Reiji and his companions¡¯ base. Their journey was no less adventurous than any other journey. Along the way, they had experienced various dangerous and exhilarating events such as the Scylla¡¯s murderous attack and the Elf girl¡¯s loving hospitality. As he thought back on these occurrences, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but muse to himself- ¡°It was indeed a long and arduous journey.¡±. However, his thoughts were quickly disrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. Kuroki looked ahead as several running figures appeared within his line of sight, approaching his and Nut¡¯s position in a chaotic manner. This scene did not escape Nut¡¯s orbs either as he amusedly watched them and asked Kuroki inquisitively. ¡¸Eh? Kuroki-sama. Is it just me or did those humans scream ¡°Goblin¡±, or something along those lines?¡¹ ¡¸They did. Let¡¯s take a look at them.¡¹ Kuroki then sped towards them; however, the running men immediately ran past him as if they had seen a ghost. Kuroki stood there stupefied as he watched their figures disappear. Right after, the sound of a commotion came within his earshot and, curious, he ran down the road towards it. As he and Nut arrived at the scene, they were met with an encirclement consistent of four goblins, and in the middle, stood a lone male human. The man¡¯s expression showed his unwillingness to die by the hands of these monsters as he unskillfully swung his sword, trying to escape the barricade. ¡¸Uwa~, that human is quite weak, Kuroki-sama. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he becomes goblin¡¯s fodder.¡¹ Nut¡¯s laughter could not be contained as he witnessed the one-sided brawl. Perching on Kuroki¡¯s shoulder, the two companions peeked at the scene from the shadows, hiding behind the trees beside the main road. The show was indeed quite laughable; the besieged man was wildly flailing his sword, missing his targets each time. He was quite obviously weak, it was an undisputed fact that he would be killed by the goblins any minute now. £¨What should I do?£© Kuroki had no obligation to save that man, but still pondered whether to save him or not. There really wouldn¡¯t be any issues for him if he decided to kill those goblins due to the fact that they were both outside of Nargol and therefore, Modes¡¯s jurisdiction. Survival of the fittest was this world¡¯s law and it applied to both demons and humans; plain and simple. This was the reason why Kuroki had no intention to help both parties. £¨But, what is this feeling¡­ Even if my appearance is that of a human of this world, I feel like a completely different being inside.£© He knew all along that the humans of this world were a different race, only their appearance bore a resemblance to Kuroki and the otherworlders. Along his journey, Kuroki had met quite a few humans and had gotten acquainted with them, which had made him notice the discrepancies and realize the insignificance of human lives within this world. That was the reason why he stopped regarding the humans of this world as his own kind. £¨Is it possible that my regard to them as a different race is due to me being summoned by Modes, a demon?£© While Kuroki was pondering about those matters, the man before him was on the verge of dying. £¨But, what if he¡¯s a citizen of our destination? It¡¯ll save me a lot of trouble if I rescue him and make him my guide.£© In the end, Kuroki decided to save the man. ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s save him.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Are you sure about this, Kuroki-sama?¡¹ Nut asked, puzzlement written all over his face. ¡¸Yeah. Please get off of me for a moment, Nut.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that, Kuroki-sama. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to save him though.¡¹ After finishing his ramblings, Nut left Kuroki¡¯s shoulder and descended to the ground. Once Nut reached his feet, Kuroki leaped out of hiding and entered the encirclement, his back facing the helpless man who was now lying on the ground. ¡¸Ah? Who are you?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m here to save you.¡¹ Kuroki had no intention of divulging his identity. He drew his sword from its sheath, prepared to attack. The sword in his hand was not his usual demon blade, rather, it was an ordinary weapon he had bought from a random shop at a discounted price. The sole purpose of this low quality sword was for it to be wielded by Kuroki during his journey to the Holy Republic of Lenaria, hiding both his real battle prowess and the existence of his demon blade ¨C which was too powerful and immensely conspicuous. The front most goblin started approaching, a stone axe in hand. Kuroki knew from his previous lessons with Lugas that goblins-save for a few exceptions- weren¡¯t blessed with the power to wield the fire element. It was for this reason that the goblins in front of him-as well as the majority of their race-wielded stone weapons instead of the more generic metal ones £¨Too slow.£© Kuroki effortlessly parried the goblin¡¯s stone axe. ¡¸GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.¡¹ From the side, a second goblin carried an attack, but Kuroki easily dodged it as he performed a counterkick on his first attacker, sending the monster a few steps back. £¨What a bother. I guess I¡¯ll use magic to solve this situation as fast as possible.£© Already bored of this meaningless sword dance, Kuroki decided to use fear magic. Fear magic was a type of psychological magic which targeted the opponent¡¯s psyche, rendering them weak. It makes them feel an insurmountable terror towards the spell caster, as if they were facing the strongest being in this world. However, the truth of the matter is that it¡¯s all an imaginary feeling. Once attacked by Kuroki¡¯s psychological warfare, the goblins¡¯ faces were immediately drained of blood; they were dyed a white as pale as a blank sheet from their horror. £¨It seems they can¡¯t resist it. They¡¯re far weaker than I expected.£© Kuroki arrived at that conclusion after seeing their indescribable fright. It was quite peculiar for him to witness this scene as, in fact, psychological spells were not really his forte. If he had been facing an opponent with the same level of magical prowess as him, then his magic wouldn¡¯t have been effective at all. Therefore, since his magic worked so wondrously on these four goblins, then it was a given that their magic was weaker than his. ¡¸GYAAAAAAA!¡¹ A sudden loud cry escaped the goblins and, as if they were chased by a monster, they ran away trying to escape the hellish area. After making sure that they had all left the premises, Kuroki turned around to face the previously distressed man. ¡¸D-Did they leave? Thank you so much Hero.¡¹ The man was looking at Kuroki with a look of disbelief. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m okay. My name is Dozumi and as you probably guessed, I¡¯m a Freedom Fighter. And you are?¡¹ The man stood up as he introduced his name while Kuroki observed him. Dozumi was an average looking human. He had an oblong shaped face with wide cheekbones, sunken cheeks, and an unshaven beard. His long, unkempt inky hair was loosely hanging down, a piece of cloth coiling around his forehead like some sort of protector. He had a stick-thin figure, as if there was no meat left in his body. It was obvious that this man had experienced the vicissitudes of life. His attire was crudely composed of a low quality hide armor and, for his sword, a sheath hanging messily on his waist. His attire was definitely that of a Freedom Fighter. Under the demons¡¯ constant threat, this world was always in need of many male humans to become fighters. However, there was a glaringly apparent distinction between public and private fighters the difference being that public fighters had an obligation towards their country and could only act under their nation¡¯s command while private fighters could move under commissioned orders. Thus, to easily differentiate between these two separate and different entities, this world¡¯s populace had dubbed public fighters as Knights and Soldiers, while private fighters were dubbed as Freedom Fighters. The peculiarity of Freedom Fighters is that they, as their name implies, have the freedom to choose and accept whichever commission they are offered. However, once one is accepted, these fighters have to be completely obedient towards their employer. This is where the origin of their name appears. These mercenaries are immensely popular in this world and can be found anywhere. No prerequisites are required for someone to join and their origins and knighthood qualifications are also unnecessary. As long as a country or a private entity is willing to hire them, their faction will not disappear anytime soon. As such, this was not the first time Kuroki had met a Freedom Fighter. ¡¸My name is Kuro, also a Freedom Fighter.¡¹ Just to be safe, Kuroki used his alias. As one of the demon king¡¯s subordinates it was normal for him to constantly investigate Reiji, humanity¡¯s hope. However, this did not mean that he wanted to attract people¡¯s unwanted attention, Kuroki wanted to be as stealthy as possible when gathering information so as to not alert the wrong people. As such, along with using an alias wherever he went, he also didn¡¯t clad his Dark Knight¡¯s attire. For his journey, he only brought along a sack to carry important commodities and a hooded cape to lie low. He also didn¡¯t wear any of his armor as his attire consisted of normal clothes: a common long sleeved tunic, traveling leather shoes, and a leather belt. Though he could be considered as poorly equipped for a Freedom Fighter, Kuroki was not worried. He was aware that due to the large number of Freedom Fighters funds were scarce and difficult to find, leading to some of them being even poorer than him since they lacked the funds to buy defensive gear. That¡¯s why his attire could be considered as normal. ¡¸I see¡­. Since you¡¯re a freedom fighter too, could it be that you¡¯re going to the Holy Republic of Lenaria?¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, but is there a problem with that?¡¹ ¡¸No, well, I in fact live in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. If it¡¯s okay with you, I can become your guide. I can then repay you for saving me.¡¹ As soon as he heard those words, Kuroki felt like he hit the jackpot. He had intended to stay in the Holy Republic of Lenaria for a short while and thought that it would be better for him if he found a local guide. It was a good thing that he decided to save that man, saving him a lot of time and troublesome effort. ¡¸I¡¯ll take that offer then. By the way, what are you doing in this place?¡¹ Dozumi let out a wry smile upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s question. ¡¸Nothing, I guess was just left to die in this place¡­¡¹ Dozumi then started explaining his situation. Dozumi was hired to escort a cargo from the Holy Republic of Lenaria. But, a short while after leaving the country, his cargo was ambushed by a group of goblins. Dozumi had unsheathed his sword, ready to fight, and had thought that the other hired Freedom Fighters would do the same. Goblins were stronger than him, but with other people helping him he had the confidence that they could at least escape with the cargo safely. However, reality proved otherwise. His companions were cowardly and chose the easy way out, they used him as bait and escaped the confrontation, taking the cargo with them and leaving Dozumi behind to fend for himself. ¡¸So that¡¯s what happened. huh.¡¹ In short, Dozumi had been abandoned by his comrades. Kuroki guessed so after he heard Dozumi¡¯s story. ¡¸Well it doesn¡¯t matter now. Rather, you said that you¡¯re going to the Holy Republic of Lenaria, right? Then please allow me to become your local guide.¡¹ Kuroki tilted his head when he heard those words. ¡¸Huh? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go after your comrades?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I do want to, but it¡¯s okay now. I mean, my duty was to deliver the cargo safely to its destination. The cargo should arrive safely since they used me as bait to distract the goblins. Even if I chase after them, I won¡¯t be able to catch up and it¡¯ll be dangerous as it¡¯s almost nighttime. That¡¯s why it¡¯s better for me to just go back to the Holy Republic of Lenaria.¡¹ Dozumi explained as he began to walk. The area outside of the rampart would become a field full of danger at night due to the presence of nocturnal demons. Countless people had lost their lives due to their carelessness. Even if a group of people only had the thought of camping on the outskirts of the nearby country at night, they¡¯d still have to be wary and take turns to keep watch. That¡¯s why journeying alone in the night was basically equivalent to comitting suicide. Dozumi was right, so Kuroki just followed silently behind him. They only had to travel a little bit further to reach the gates of the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Volume 1 - CH 12.1 Act 1-12.1 : Goddess¡¯ Country The majority of Vandohl¡¯s land consisted of vast plains as its topography. With no shade available as protection from the blazing sun, it was a rarely frequented place by goblins. A goblin appearing in these plains was a near impossible occurrence. However, despite the fact that Vandohl¡¯s location was a natural goblin repellent, humans had no intention whatsoever to live in it either¡ªthe land was not a suitable living place even with the construction of human structures and the creation of artificial shade. Vandohl¡¯s land was surrounded by threats all around: in the marshland adjacent to Azmid inlet, Lizardmen and Frogmen¡¯s abodes could be found, and relatively close by, kinsman of fanged and hoofed creatures such as Werewolves, Satyrs and Centaurs resided in settlements. These were all races hostile towards the weaker human race, and it was for this reason that the humans who lived in the Vandohl plains had never encountered a peaceful day and were met with an uncertain life loomed by death. Yet, despite the vast fields¡¯ uninhabitable state, towards its southeast, one would encounter a certain thriving country that has existed for generations¡ªthe Holy Republic of Lenaria. The Holy Republic of Lenaria was the Goddess of Wisdom and Victory¡¯s headquarters where Rena¡¯s religion resided. It was considered one of the largest countries in this world even amongst its counterparts. Other than being a religious nation, it was also a military state, reflecting the importance of the Goddess of War to the country¡¯s leaders. As such, over thousands of powerful temple knights as well as heavily armored citizen formed units could be found, which made the country all the more powerful and amongst the mightiest in this world. The country also hosted hundreds of thousands of citizens, all scattered amongst the several satellite city-states; however, the central capital Lenaria still boasted the most numbers as it remained the most populated city-state with around a hundred thousand civilians dwelling in it. These extraordinary numbers of course did not include the unofficial citizens that roamed the country without any proof of citizenship as, if one counted these civilians as well, the number of citizens would exponentially rise once more. In accordance to its name, the Holy Republic of Lenaria wasn¡¯t a monarchy, rather a republic ruled by a consul elected once every four years. However, unlike other republics, the consul was not directly chosen by the citizens through the common practice of a voting system; rather, citizens would submit a list of candidates to Arlena¡¯s religious organization and the organization would subsequently choose only one from amongst the myriad of candidates, most probably, the one aligning with their beliefs. Moreover, not only did they have the final say in the choosing of a consul, but they also had the power to veto against any of the policies created and presented by the congress of citizens and consul. From this obvious power structure, one could then conclude that this country¡¯s government could not ignore the organisation¡¯s will and thus leading to the fact that the true ruler was none other than Arlena¡¯s religious organization. The temple in the Holy Republic of Lenaria served as the holy ground to Arlena¡¯s faith and as such was a pilgrimage destination frequented by the Goddess Arlena¡¯s believers. Moreover, the temple¡¯s popularity along with the country¡¯s status as a wealthy nation served as a catalyst to turning it into a tourist destination thus boosting the number of visitors with each passing day. As such, Kuroki entered the country disguised as an ordinary visitor. ¡ô ¡¸This is the Holy Republic of Lenaria, Kuro. We can¡¯t enter the rampart, but the outer town is quite lively too.¡¹ Kuroki was currently strolling through the area outside of the rampart with his guide Dozumi. £¨As I thought, he really doesn¡¯t have the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s citizenship, huh¡­ Well it¡¯s still within my prediction.£© Upon finding out Dozumi¡¯s lack of an official citizenship, disappointment filled Kuroki¡¯s heart. He had wished for his guide to hold an official citizenship as it would simplify the matter of lodgings and would allow him to enter the inner city and rent a place at a proper inn. The reason why Kuroki preferred to rent a lodging inside the rampart was none other than due to the fact that he had already experienced living in a hostel situated in the outer city and had witnessed several cases where the inn¡¯s owner would rob their own guests. Thus, Kuroki wanted to avoid this bothersome situation as much as possible. Moreover, areas outside the country¡¯s rampart were always neglected by the nation. Unlike the inner city, in outer cities one would stumble upon rundown buildings, dirty alleyways, and unpaved roads; and this country was no exception. As he continued to stroll around, Kuroki could spot many small puddles along the unpaved streets due to yesterday¡¯s rain. However, these issues could not hide the fact that this state was well off. As he observed his surroundings and mused about the upscaleness of this particular outer city, Kuroki did not forget to mention this fact to Nut, who was idly sitting on his shoulder. ¡¸It¡¯s far more beautiful than the other outer city we saw before, right Nut?¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I never really noticed since it widely differs from what I consider to be a beautiful nest.¡¹ Nut tilted his head quizzically and then restlessly looked around, trying to spot the grandeur Kuroki mentioned. It was not their first time coming to an outer city. An outer city was a city constructed right outside of a country¡¯s rampart. Ramparts are indispensable elements for any country in this world. In the wilderness, numerous demons run rampant, which poses a threat to the weaker humans. Thus, countries build these ramparts as shields of protection towards any danger humans may face. However, this does not remove the reality that ramparts also limit the humans that live within it. It was for this reason that relatively safe countries decided to build cities outside of their ramparts, also known as outer cities, where the more daring individuals dwelled. Outer cities are normally only seen in large countries such as the Holy Republic of Lenaria, and since they are situated outside the rampart, people don¡¯t need any sort of proof of citizenship to enter. That¡¯s why even a citizenless person like Kuroki could go in and out of the city as much as he wanted without facing any obstacles. Even so, this freedom still came with its drawbacks in the form of demon raids. Outer cities were more prone to pillagings and massacres performed by the demon race. Nevertheless, it was not like stateless people had any other choice but to live in outer cities, as the majority of them were either citizens of a fallen nation, or far worse¡ªwanted criminals. But, this state of things did not apply to all stateless individuals. In every country, one would always find proper law abiding citizens who would choose to live in harmony while fulfilling their duties. Therefore, naturally, when those honest citizens are met with a calamity such as the ruin of their country, allied nations have the duty to protect and accept them as their own official citizens. This procedure however only applies to civilians who once owned a citizenship And as things proceed as such, many unluckier unofficial citizens find themselves thrown into the countries¡¯ slums in the form of outer cities. With no form of stability, and the mingling of both once upright and wanted criminals, a lawless land was thus created rendering public order in a considerably bad state in these neglected towns. (But then, unlike the other outer city I encountered so far, it seems that the Holy Republic of Lenaria also cares about the public order of its outer city.) Kuroki was rather intrigued with the reason for them to do so and started pondering about the matter, failing to notice Dozumi¡¯s stare for a while. It was only after feeling a prolonged gaze did he notice Dozumi¡¯s hesitant look. ¡¸Is something the matter, Dozumi?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s just¡­ I think I saw a rat getting on top of your shoulder. Well, my eyes might be tricking me.¡¹ Dozumi smiled as he responded to Kuroki. In fact, Dozumi could only hear Nut¡¯s squeaking sound. Nut, like others in his race, didn¡¯t speak the human tongue, but rather the Fire Rat¡¯s language. Although humans could only hear a squeaking sound when Fire Rats spoke, their language was in fact an advanced one, developed through generations. Only someone with the ability to wield passive communication magic could understand their words. The prime example of such a phenomenon was Kuroki and his conversations with Nut. However, since Dozumi did not wield such magic, when Kuroki and Nut¡¯s conversations were accidently spotted by him, all Dozumi could see was his savior talking to himself. ¡¸Ahahaha. Well, I tend to talk to myself since I¡¯m traveling all alone. It¡¯s a strange habit I picked up to relieve my boredom.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, I see, that¡¯s a strange habit indeed.¡¹ Dozumi laughed at Kuroki again. £¨Oh crap! Now he sees me as a strange person!£© Nut, along with his race, would rarely show themselves in this corner of the world as they, like demons and goblins, were hated by humans and Rena¡¯s followers. As such, Nut had minimised his presence as much as possible once they had approached the Holy Republic of Lenaria for fear of standing out as he was both a Fire Rat hated by humans and spoke the human tongue fluently. It would be really troublesome for Kuroki¡ªwho came to investigate Reiji and his companions¡¯ situation¡ªif he stood out and was spotted by his enemies due to Nut¡¯s presence; Kuroki couldn¡¯t afford such trouble. Both Kuroki and Nut briefly glanced at each other, their eyes showing tacit agreement in treading more carefully when conversing. ¡¸Come to think of it, where are we heading for, Dozumi-san?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, over there. We¡¯re heading towards the Freedom Fighter Association, Kuro-san. You¡¯ve come here to become a Freedom Fighter in the Holy Republic of Lenaria, right?¡¹ Kuroki then recalled that he did say something like that to Dozumi. ¡¸You¡¯re right but¡­ Why the Freedom Fighter Association? It¡¯s not like I have a citizenship.¡¹ Except for the Magician Association, normally, only official citizens could become members of associations or unions. Therefore, for Kuroki who was but a stateless visitor to the Holy Republic of Lenaria, joining an association was impossible, which was why his belief of not being able to become a member of the Freedom Fighter Association was not without reason. Completing the commission aside, he shouldn¡¯t be able to become a Freedom Fighter for this country unless he had an official citizenship. After hearing Kuroki¡¯s statement, Dozumi showed a surprised look. ¡¸The heck you¡¯re talking about, Kuro. It¡¯s not just official citizens, anyone can join the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s Freedom Fighter Association. Isn¡¯t that your main reason for coming to this country?¡¹ Dozumi then started explaining the matter to Kuroki. Arlena, The Goddess of Wisdom and Victory was considered the warriors¡¯ Guardian Deity. It was for this specific reason that Arlena¡¯s faith, which ruled this country, allowed everyone to join the Freedom Fighter Association, for as long as they were warriors who fought and dedicated their lives for the cause, protecting humans from demons, they were welcomed within the faction. Furthermore, following Arlena¡¯s cause came with various benefits. Warriors who joined the association would gain the benefit of being protected by the law, regardless of them having the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s citizenship or not. It was a give and take transaction: stateless Freedom Fighters protecting common citizens and in turn, gaining the government¡¯s protection of their properties and human rights. Those two points were greatly appreciated by anyone without citizenship. It was only now that Kuroki understood why this outer city¡¯s public order was so good. It was natural for an otherwise lawless place to be this upright if even the non-citizens were protected by the law. In comparison, outer cities in other countries were filled to the brim with crime. What was even more outstanding for these warriors was the fact that once they joined the association, they could fight and live anywhere. The Holy Republic of Lenaria would allow them to fight for the holy land, but would also dispatch them to other smaller countries as well. Though these small countries had limited living space, they were more than willing to accept the warriors dispatched by the Holy Republic of Lenaria. This situation was perfect for the more adventurous warriors who dreamed of roaming the mountains and plains. Furthermore, living in smaller countries would entail reduced living expenses, which was an incredible attraction for the more poorer fighters. It was due to all of these reasons that Dozumi confidently stated the impossibility of a Freedom Fighter refusing to join the Freedom Fighter Association in the Holy Republic of Lenaria, including the ¡°Freedom Fighter¡± Kuroki. ¡¸Ahahaha, of course I know about that, but I thought it was too good to be true.¡¹ "" Kuroki tried to smooth things over and eliminate any unwanted suspicions with a hearty laugh. Even though he had received geographical knowledge about this region from Nut, he was severely lacking in this world¡¯s common sense and human relations customs. This was the main reason why he himself was lacking in this area and would sometimes say the wrong things and fall into cultural traps. ¡¸Is that so? This matter should be well known in the neighbouring countries. Are you by any chance coming from a really far place?¡¹ Dozumi tilted his head as he asked. ¡¸Yeah! I came from a faraway country, north of this place!¡¹ Kuroki mixed some truth with lies, trying to make himself as believable as possible. ¡¸Wow. Could it be that you have some sort of special cir¡ª Ah, please forget about it.¡¹ Dozumi didn¡¯t try to dig any further. This understanding gesture alone elevated Kuroki¡¯s impression of him. They continued their conversation while walking toward the Freedom Fighter Association and soon enough, they arrived in front of the most splendid building in the outer city. Though the majority of buildings in the outer city looked more like crudely made wooden-huts, this building was the only one made of stone. ¡¸Dozumi-san, is this the Freedom Fighter Association?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, not the headquarters though. The headquarters are located inside the rampart. The one here is a branch office. Anyway, let¡¯s get going.¡¹ Kuroki followed after Dozumi as he entered the building first. However, as they stepped into the building, a bulky man as big as a bear stopped them from walking in any further. Both Dozumi and Kuroki had to raise their heads in order to see his scarred face. As the man opened his mouth, a grating gruff voice sounded within their ears. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? Did you guys come to register yourselves as Freedom Fighters?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. This man behind me, Kuro, wants to register himself as a Freedom Fighter, master.¡¹ ¡¸Hou, I see. You may pass, but mark my words, I won¡¯t show any mercy if you make a ruckus inside.¡¹ The big man let them in after he gave them a stern warning. ¡¸Quite a scary person, isn¡¯t he?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, apparently he is a powerful warrior who was hired to protect this branch office, so we better not go against him.¡¹ As they whispered to each other, they went straight in and headed towards the reception area. There, a receptionist was sitting on his desk, working diligently as he sported a cold facade. Once he heard footsteps approaching him, the man raised his head and looked towards Kuroki and his companion, disappointment glaringly rising on his face. Kuroki was also observing the receptionist as he reached closer to the reception¡¯s desk. He noticed that the receptionist¡¯s frame was far smaller and thinner than the big warrior acting as a guard at the entrance. He didn¡¯t seem like a warrior at all. However, this did not diminish the arrogant and disdainful aura he was directing at them. ¡¸You want to register?¡¹ The man asked with a pompous voice. He was clearly looking down on them. This situation made Kuroki suddenly recall having experienced this pattern of conversation before. As he mused over the matter, he recalled his dealings with several other people he encountered. £¨His tone¡­ is just like the gatekeepers I tried to talk to in several other countries.£© It was the same kind of pattern government officials used when talking to stateless people. Visitors without citizenships would always face looks of disdain and arrogant, hurtful words from these officials, and it seemed that this male receptionist wasn¡¯t any better. After observing him for a while, Kuroki instantly deduced the receptionist¡¯s thoughts¡ªthat him and Dozumi were here to take advantage of the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s benefits, making use of their grace. Thus, the receptionist felt there was no need to respect or get along with them who were clearly stateless people. ¡¸Yes, master. This is Kuro, he wishes to join the association.¡¹ Dozumi showed a humble attitude despite the male receptionist¡¯s arrogance. It seemed he understood the distribution of power within the faction and knew that he had a lower position than the male receptionist. ¡¸Then read this document and sign it at the end.¡¹ The official took out a piece of paper. Kuroki carefully observed the contract being handed to him and realised that there was no way for him to understand what was written on it¡ªit was all written in an unknown language, looking like gibberish to him. £¨What should I do now, I can¡¯t read it at all¡­£© Cold sweat started trickling down Kuroki¡¯s back. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he was summoned to this world, so it was natural for him to not yet master their alphabet. Although he knew how to converse with the people of this world, reading and writing in their language was a different matter. Moreover, though deciphering magic existed for that reason, it was unfortunately not that useful on this very occasion. Deciphering magic only enabled him to read the letters, but it did not allow him to know the words¡¯ meaning, thus the written words on the paper were nothing but alien language to him. He was thus left with no other choice but to return the contract and leave the building. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? You can¡¯t read it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I can¡¯t read it at all.¡¹ Kuroki bowed his head apologetically. ¡¸Then you can forget about joining the association. Go join another warrior¡¯s party.¡¹ The male receptionist then snatched back the paper and shooed Kuroki as if he was driving away a dog. Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but mumble to himself how rude the receptionist was. But, he had long gotten used to this kind of treatment as it was not a novel experience; he had experienced this as well when he was still in his original world. Yes, he was used to it even if he actually couldn¡¯t stomach such rudeness. But, if he lashes out his anger for such a trivial matter, trouble would just keep on following him in this country, which would go against his prior plans of not attracting any attention. Kuroki eventually sighed in frustration and looked at Dozumi, signaling with his head that they should leave. Since both of them couldn¡¯t do anything about the matter, Dozumi nodded in agreement and then, they both headed towards the exit. Once they were outside, Dozumi immediately started apologising to Kuroki. ¡¸Sorry Kuro, even though I also can¡¯t read like you¡­ It seems that receptionist got the wrong impression due to your well groomed appearance.¡¹ £¨So, he thought I was a high born, huh¡­£© Though it was normal for him¡ªwho was born in Japan which was famous for its high literacy rate¡ªto be able to read and write, the literacy rate in this world was apparently quite low. The ones who could read and write were usually individuals with quite a high status. Thus, Dozumi had mistaken Kuroki to be one of those people due to his well groomed appearance. Volume 1 - CH 12.2 Act 1-12.2 : Goddess¡¯ Country ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯m more than grateful for your offer to become my guide.¡¹ Though Kuroki couldn¡¯t join the Freedom Fighter Association, he didn¡¯t really mind as he never cared in the first place. He had never had the intention to join this association nor to become a Freedom Fighter as a matter of fact. Thus, he really wasn¡¯t angry and didn¡¯t need Dozumi¡¯s apology. However, once Kuroki reached that conclusion, he couldn¡¯t help but notice something else. ¡¸Come to think of it, you said that you can¡¯t read too, right? Then how come they allowed you to become a Freedom Fighter?¡¹ ¡¸Aah, I followed that male receptionist¡¯s advice and joined a warrior¡¯s party. After all, you can¡¯t join the association unless you can read or write.¡¹ Kuroki nodded when he heard Dozumi¡¯s answer as understanding dawned on him. In short, all men could join the Freedom Fighter Association; however, the illiterate amongst them had to go through a longer procedure to become members. Through joining a warrior¡¯s party, they would join hands with other warriors and become a group. They could then indirectly join the Freedom Fighter Association and become a Freedom Fighter in their own right. However, this did not mean that by joining a warrior¡¯s party they¡¯d immediately be allowed into the association; the rule of having the ability to read and write would still be put to action. However, as a middle ground, it was not necessary for all warriors to be literate; rather, the party only needed one person with these skills, preferably the leader. Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but ponder about why the association would use such a roundabout way. He could only come to the conclusion that there might be some sort of business practice behind it. But, he was still left with many unanswered questions. ¡¸Ah, I see now. Then, what if none of the party¡¯s warriors can read or write?¡¹ ¡¸That would make everything impossible. If none of the members are literate, then the party won¡¯t be able to join the association. Most often, the appointed leader would be the one with these skills. But, in the rare chance where the leader is illiterate, the party would need to find someone with the ability to read and write and have them join the party.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then, is there a chance you can introduce me to your warrior¡¯s party?¡¹ Dozumi¡¯s face instantly turned gloomy at Kuroki¡¯s question and then shook his head. ¡¸Sorry, I don¡¯t think I can help you with that. I mean, I¡¯m just a lowly underling. They¡¯ll only toss my recommendation to the bin.¡¹ Kuroki had guessed that being left behind by his comrades was a specially unpleasant memory to Dozumi, so he didn¡¯t try to pursue the matter anymore. ¡¸I see, well since I have no place to sleep today, what should I do about my sleeping arrangements?¡¹ Kuroki decided to ask the most pressing question. He would be staying in this country for a while until he finished his investigation, so he needed to find a lodging house that would provide him with something stable. ¡¸Leave it to me, I know of a good inn. But, do you have money to pay the lodging service fee?¡¹ ¡¸Yup, at least for the time being. But, I don¡¯t have this country¡¯s currency. Can I use foreign currency in this country? If I can¡¯t, then can you tell me of a place where I can exchange currencies?¡¹ Amongst the many things Kuroki learned during his journey was the matter of currencies in this world. In these lands, there was no one mighty country monopolizing the right to issue currencies. Instead, each country had the right to issue their own currency as there was no law forbidding the private production and distribution of money in a new and different currency. It was for this reason that this world had various different currencies. However, with this freedom came inconveniences as travelers and foreigners often found themselves unable to use their riches when visiting another country. And it was because of this drawback that a new business venture was created and was dubbed ¡°Money Exchanger¡±. The money exchanging business instantly boomed in popularity and spread across all countries as it offered travelers the ability to use the local currency wherever they went. The business procedures went as follows: foreigners could go to any money exchanging office and could exchange their foreign currency to the local currency. The amount of local money they got, or more specifically the exchange rate, depended on the amount of minerals, such as gold and silver, found in the foreigner¡¯s medium of currency. These procedures might seem fair and useful to travelers at the beginning, but it also means that there is no fixed exchange rate in this world, making it easier for unscrupulous people to scam these foreigners. Moreover, money exchangers do not solely focus on exchanging currencies, but they also offer different services such as lending the gold in their custody to merchants and businessmen or allowing people to deposit metal in their safes. Many schemes and contracts can be offered to their clients, which essentially makes them the banks of this world. Kuroki was not sure whether, other than loan schemes and documented deposits, there were other earthly concepts such as inflation and interest rates, but he was rather surprised in finding that this world¡¯s civilization was actually more advanced than his estimation and that it had many similarities to his original world. ¡¸Sorry, I have no idea where to find such a place. I think it might only exist inside of the rampart. But, I can take you to an inn that accepts foreign money if you¡¯re okay with it.¡¹ Dozumi responded as he began to walk. £¨Thank God, it seems I can use foreign currency too.£© Even back when he was still in Japan, some places accepted payments with foreign currencies. Since the Holy Republic of Lenaria was one of the most powerful and diverse countries, he expected it to have such places that accept foreign currencies without the need to exchange. Luckily, he was right. Kuroki was delighted with such a finding, and after walking for a while, he and Dozumi finally arrived in front of a small diner. ¡¸The inn is using the 2nd floor. I can only guide you this far as I wouldn¡¯t be able to go into this inn.¡¹ Dozumi said so as he pointed at the diner. ¡¸I see, thank you very much, Dozumi-san. May I ask, why are you willing to help me this much?¡¹ Kuroki was pondering about that matter. He never expected Dozumi to go this far for him. ¡¸Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, you saved my life anyway. And to be honest, I do have ulterior motives.¡¹ Dozumi smiled as he answered him, the end of his sentence followed right after by the sound of his rumbling stomach. ¡¸Sorry, can you treat me to something to eat? Also, can you lend me some money too? To be honest, I¡¯m broke.¡¹ ¡ô Dozumi entered the diner followed by Kuroki, excitement oozing out of his eyes. He eagerly looked for an unoccupied table then led his benefactor to it. Once sat down, the two men ordered two servings of bean and barley porridge. £¨Finally, the Goddess of Fortune is casting a smile upon me.£© Dozumi¡¯s happiness right now could outshine the brightest of stars. It had been days since he had eaten a proper meal. While enjoying his porridge, he glanced at Kuroki, contemplating about this mysterious man¡¯s identity. £¨This fellow is definitely not your average Joe.£© Dozumi couldn¡¯t help but reach into his pocket, pulling out several gold coins and grasping them tightly. These were the gold coins that Kuroki had lent him just a while ago. It had been a long time since Dozumi had last seen a gold coin. Compared to the ones he had seen before, these coins shined even brighter than any other money he ever held in the past. He was convinced that these were the real deal, that they were made with real gold. Normally, if someone wanted to scam you, they would never take out gold coins, but would give you silver coins instead as gold coins aren¡¯t normally used in daily transactions. Moreover, it was easier to cheat someone with silver coins as it was easier to mix in various other lesser minerals in a coin; therefore, making them less valuable in reality. £¨This guy is definitely my lucky star.£© Dozumi suddenly recalled his life up until now. £¨I was a good-for-nothing person, trash amongst trash.£© Dozumi came to the Holy Republic of Lenaria when he was 18 years old. He had always strived for one dream, the dream of becoming a hero. And leaving his country to come to the Holy Republic of Lenari was his first step towards that ambition. Unfortunately, Dozumi had one fatal flaw¡ªhe had no fighting talent whatsoever and so couldn¡¯t become a hero. Luckily though, he had managed to join a warrior¡¯s party and the association, becoming a Freedom Fighter in the process. Yet, he was still a weak, amateurish fighter who could barely win against a goblin. Amongst his warrior group, he was the weakest link, practically an eternal gofer to the party that accepted him. It was already clear to him that he was only something to use in this party, evident by the fact that they had used him as bait for the goblins in his recent task, leaving him to fend for himself and most probably, eventually die. And though Dozumi had no idea about the contents of the cargo they transported, judging from his scummy group and their eagerness to flee with the shipment as fast as possible, he could guess that it wasn¡¯t something decent; maybe illegal drugs or other dangerous items. To be fair, he could¡¯ve followed his group since he had managed to escape those goblins, but since he originally didn¡¯t want to do this job, he chose to return to the Holy Republic of Lenaria with his savior, Kuroki. Thinking about these matters, Dozumi started considering his option of leaving this party. £¨This would be a good time to say goodbye to those horrible bunch.£© Dozumi was a member of the Black Fang group, a warrior¡¯s party completely composed of shady people. They would do all kinds of unlawful things despite preaching the Freedom Fighter¡¯s banner. In spite of knowing the fact that a warrior¡¯s job was to protect the people, the Black Fang still did the exact opposite, plundering or even massacring civilians, especially targeting the weakest of them¡ªpeople without a citizenship. It was easy for those criminal warriors to act on their lawless impulses as government officials wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye if stateless people died a dog¡¯s death right in front of them. It wouldn¡¯t even help those poor victims if they were Freedom Fighters belonging to the association. Though members of the Freedom Fighter Association had their rights protected by law to some degree, the notion was still rather vague as there was no way to measure how far this ¡°protection¡± can apply. Victims in this country always face various obstacles while seeking justice as they can only get this so-called protection if they gather enough evidence. Moreover, as if it was not bad enough that government officials wouldn¡¯t even budge unless they had evidence, but the act of gathering evidence itself took quite a long time, which gives assailants ample time to tamper or remove any loose ends completely. That¡¯s why many assailants roam freely without being subjected by the law; there¡¯s never evidence or eye-witnesses to go against them. The Black Fang group is smart in this aspect as they always work thoroughly, leaving no evidence behind. Therefore, they have never been caught til this day. £¨They were the only warrior group that allowed me to join them, but it turned out that they were no different from a gang of thugs. Once they figured that I wasn¡¯t of any use anymore, they abandoned me and left me to die. If I ever have the chance, I would rather go back to my home country than to continue staying with them¡­£© Dozumi started recalling his past; it had been 10 years since he had left his home country. His life there was never good, that¡¯s why he left at the end; he wanted to change his life for the better and have a promising future. Little did he know that his life would take a turn to the worse and that what he thought would be paradise turned to be hell itself. His life back at home was much better than in this country. Right now, what he wanted the most was to turn in a new leaf, but he understood that this was an impossible task. He knew better than anyone else that he had already become a villain; turning into a hero was nothing but a pipe dream. But, he didn¡¯t want it to end like this; he wants to rewrite his ending. It was for this reason that, right now, he didn¡¯t mind going through unscrupulous means to change his destiny, even if he had to make a contract with the devil. £¨I don¡¯t know what kind of person Kuro is, but what I do know is that getting on his good graces is what will benefit me the most. I have nothing to lose either way, so might as well place my bets on him¡­£© Dozumi kept on pondering about the different gains and losses concerning his future relationship with Kuroki, forgetting that he had been staring at him for a long time. Noticing Dozumi¡¯s prolonged gaze, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled about this act. ¡¸Is something the matter, Dozumi?¡¹ Dozumi was startled out of his daze as he embarrassingly responded. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Ahahahaha.¡¹ It was during his awkward laughter that a black-bearded big man entered the diner, followed by several of his flunkey men. Dozumi instantly stiffened once he caught a glimpse of that all too familiar person, cold sweat trickling down his back. ¡¸Dozumi, what are you doing here? Didn¡¯t I order you to take that escort mission?¡¹ ¡¸Leader¡­ What are you doing here?¡¹ Dozumi was well acquainted with this scary man who had just made a grand entrance to the diner. Gendor, leader of the Black Fang group, a vicious man widely known by his alias: ¡°Man-Eater¡±. He was the person Dozumi didn¡¯t want to see the most. £¨Why in the world is Leader here? He never comes to this diner and usually eats in other places.£© Confusion was evident all over Dozumi¡¯s face, he had no clue why the leader of his warrior group would come to this place. ¡¸I was told that a man resembling you was seen entering this diner, so I came to confirm it.¡¹ Dozumi was prepared for this and so immediately divulged the truth. ¡¸Our group got ambushed by goblins along the way. The cargo should be safe since I was ordered by the others to bait the goblins¡­ And, since I didn¡¯t think I could catch up to them before night-time, I decided to go back.¡¹ Despite him telling the truth, Gendor still looked at him with suspicion. ¡¸Are you telling the truth? It¡¯ll be your responsibility if something happens to the cargo.¡¹ Gendor squinted his eyes as he looked at Dozumi. Being the receiver of such a gaze, Dozumi was terrified, his whole body plagued with goosebumps. Gendor was well known for showing no mercy to those who made mistakes; no one could ever escape him. ¡¸Which reminds me, who¡¯s this, Dozumi? He has such a nice face. Is he a male prostitute who just entered this country? Hey, you, what¡¯s your name? And where did you come from?¡¹ Gendor was looking at Kuroki¡¯s face with a disgustingly lecherous smile plastered on him. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Kuro. I¡¯m here to become a Freedom Fighter.¡¹ Maybe because he was being ogled at in such a creepy way, but Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but lightly tremble. ¡¸I see, Kuro, is it? Well, you seem to have brought something interesting with you. Give me your pet. I should be able to sell it for quite a high price.¡¹ Gendor¡¯s gaze had now shifted to Kuroki¡¯s shoulder and was analyzing Nut like merchandise. ¡¸Eh, no way. Nut is my comrade. I can¡¯t comply to your request.¡¹ Kuroki stood up from his seat as if he was escaping Gendor¡¯s clutches. He was really creeped out by that guy. ¡¸Oi, you bastard! How dare yo¡ª¡¹ ¡¸Enough!¡¹ Gendor stopped his subordinates from approaching Kuroki. ¡¸You¡¯ve got some nerve, huh, Kuro. I¡¯ll step aside for now, but just so you know, we¡¯re going to meet again soon.¡¹ As he finished his sentence, Gendor turned around and headed towards the exit, leaving the diner along with his lackeys. The diner instantly returned to its quiet atmosphere, as if the previous commotion made by the boorish man was nothing but an illusion. However, unlike the calm atmosphere, Dozumi was having a headache from this situation as he now knew that his leader had come here with ulterior motives. £¨It usually never ends well when Leader shows this kind of attitude.£© Dozumi had a sickening prediction¡ªhis leader might assault Kuroki during the hours of darkness. He, therefore, immediately started advising Kuroki, afraid that his savior might meet such a shameful end. ¡¸Kuro, let me give you a piece of advice. Leave this country!¡¹ ¡¸Leave this country?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! As soon as possible!¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 13.1 Act 1-13.1 : Manticore Kuroki slept in the lodging introduced to him by Dozumi. Though he was advised to leave the country, Kuroki couldn¡¯t do so as he had matters to attend to. That¡¯s why leaving the country wasn¡¯t an option for him. The night was eerily quiet that even a pin-drop could be easily heard; everyone within the inn was sleeping. However, in the middle of the night, Kuroki¡¯s tightly closed eyes suddenly opened¡ªhe was awakened by the killing intent directed to his room When Kuroki was summoned to this world, along with his diabolical increase in power, all of his senses had sharpened, including his sense of perception. That¡¯s why he could feel people¡¯s intentions towards him, including tonight¡¯s killing intent. ¡¸Kuroki-sama, our room is surrounded.¡¹ Nut, who had fallen asleep beside Kuroki, was awakened too. At the same time, Kuroki had started pondering about the assailants¡¯ identities. He couldn¡¯t figure out who he had offended in this country until he suddenly recalled the events during his dinner with Dozumi and the man he had been warned against, Gendor. ¡¸You noticed them too? Maybe they¡¯re that Gendor person¡¯s lackeys.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that man, huh? What kind of business would they have with us at this time of the night?¡¹ Nut muttered while tilting his head to the side. From Nut perspective, those humans were nothing but trash. They were weak cowards who couldn¡¯t even dream to defeat a mere goblin. How could they even compare to his Kuroki-sama or his people back in Nargol. That¡¯s why he wondered why those dregs were surrounding their room and why that so-called leader had even dared to order them to do so. They were simply looking for death. Nut sneered at their stupidity then looked over at Kuroki, who was now peeping at the perpetrators through the window. It was pitch-black outside, but that did not hinder Kuroki, who had night vision that could enable him to see in the darkest of places. This was also another power he had gained when summoned to this world. Kuroki scanned the area and concluded that the whole inn was surrounded by several thugs. At first, he thought that they were aiming for Nut, but then, he realized that their killing intent was aimed at him. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in annoyance at this bothersome situation. ¡¸Annoying trouble came faster than I expected, huh.¡¹ ¡¸How dare they point their killing intent towards you, Kuroki-sama. Let¡¯s tear them limb from limb.¡¹ Contrary to his adorable appearance, Nut¡ªas well as his race¡ªwas a heartless creature, evident from the gory words he had just uttered. The only thing he wanted for his enemies was a torturous demise. ¡¸No, killing them is going too far, but¡­ let¡¯s make them taste their own medicine. We¡¯re heading out, Nut.¡¹ Right after those words, Kuroki put on his overcoat, then quickly opened the windows and leaped out, heading towards the people surrounding the inn. His first target was the man stealthily hiding behind the building, waiting for his comrades¡¯ signale to attack. With his speed, Kuroki instantly appeared in front of the man, who was surprisingly big and armed. The man couldn¡¯t hide his shock from the sudden shadow looming over him. The man was dazed for a few seconds and then snapped out of it, quickly reaching for his weapon, but he didn¡¯t know that it was all for naught. In this world, humans were no match for Kuroki. He could easily disarm them and even use their own weapon against them if he wanted to further humiliate them¡ªit was like taking candy from a baby. £¨My bad buddy, but you need to suffer the consequences of your own actions!£© After taking care of his first target, Kuroki went to hunt the others. On by one they fell, all knocked out by Kuroki in an instant, shock the last thing they could express before falling into darkness. Kuroki recognised several of them as they were among the lackeys that had followed Gendor to the diner. After knocking down the men who surrounded the inn, Kuroki stood in front of one of them whose face was all too familiar to him. He was the man that had wanted to lead the attack after Kuroki had offended Gendor at the diner. ¡¸Impossible! W-Who the hell are you?¡¹ The man was dumbfounded by the series of events that happened right in front of him, it seemed that he really couldn¡¯t understand the situation he was in, and Kuroki had no intention to clarify either. The man¡¯s bold question annoyed Kuroki, but he wasn¡¯t going to do anything about it. He deliberately didn¡¯t touch that man so that he could inquire about Gendor¡¯s whereabouts. ¡¸Let¡¯s see, I want information, so you better spill everything you know, okay?¡¹ Though the man might refuse to say anything, he had nothing to lose by asking. ¡¸Hehehe. You think I¡¯m gonna answer your question? Look at this.¡¹ The man snickered and suddenly pulled out something from his pocket¡ªa fist-sized crystal stone. ¡¸A DEMONIC CRYSTAL STONE?!¡¹ As soon as Kuroki saw the crystal he couldn¡¯t help himself but exclaim and then be left speechless. It was rare to see that kind of stone. A Demonic Crystal Stone was a stone loaded with mana. It was a medium used by powerful magicians to replenish their mana reserves during times of need, and for weaker magicians, to increase their power. These stones could be acquired through the Magician¡¯s Association and could be replenished with the right price. Magicians could then absorb that power and use it as their own. It seems that this man was a magician. ¡¸I¡¯m a magician, or so I was until the Magician¡¯s Association kicked me out due to my crime. I might have no talent, but this thing will make me invincible. Now then, LEADONUS!¡¹ When the man shouted the last part of his sentence, the air surrounding them got altered. ¡¸Uh! Ugh?¡¹ Nut suddenly screamed in pain and fell from Kuroki¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸NUT!?¡¹ Kuroki caught Nut in a hurry. ¡¸Nut, Are you alright?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m alright but, my body is¡­ heavy.¡¹ Nut replied to Kuroki while lying face down in his hands. It turns out that the spell that had been casted on them had the power to make people as heavy as lead and unable to move whatsoever, which would make it easier for the spell caster to escape, or worse, kill them. ¡¸That can¡¯t be good¡­ Wait a second, I¡¯ll try to do something about this situation.¡¹ Kuroki turned around and looked at the man, intending to pressure him into cancelling the magic, only to be confronted with the man¡¯s shocked expression and incredulous wide eyes. ¡¸Im-Impossible. H-How can you still move? You¡¯re supposed to be under the effects of my magic!¡¹ The man screamed aloud in bafflement. £¨Well, even if you say that¡­ I can still move just fine.£© Though Kuroki was supposed to be put under the effects of the spell, it seems that magic didn¡¯t affect Kuroki at all. To be fair, the outcome was quite normal since the user himself was originally a trash rate magician. There was no way his magic could affect someone whose power rivaled that of a Divine Being, even with the mana boost from the Demonic Crystal Stone. Unfortunately, the confused man did not know Kuroki¡¯s origins and thus failed to see the danger he was trapped in; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have accepted coming here at all. ¡¸Now then, can you release the magic that¡¯s binding Nut?¡¹ Kuroki slightly approached the man and pressured him into erasing the magic. Nut was his closest comrade, he had no intention of sparing anyone who dared to hurt him or any of his future comrades for that matter. Seeing Kuroki approach him, the man started executing his escape plan. ¡¸DAMN IT ALL!¡¹ ¡¸You think you can escape from me?!¡¹ When the man realised that Kuroki had seen through his escape plan, he quivered with fear and started stepping back. His widened eyes filled with horror only focused on the mighty person approaching him, failing to avoid the uneven crevice on the unpaved road. The man stumbled and fell on his rear, dropping the Demonic Crystal Stone in the process. As his horror reached its peak he couldn¡¯t help but scream. ¡¸HIIIIIIII!!¡¹ ¡¸Fuu~. That was one hell of a scary experience.¡¹ After the man¡¯s tomfoolery, the magic was immediately cancelled. It was now obvious that the way to cancel the magic was to separate the crystal from the caster, evident from the fact that the effects of the magic had ceased after the Demonic Crystal Stone had fallen out of the man¡¯s hand. Nut stretched himself a bit then climbed up to Kuroki¡¯s shoulder again. ¡¸Well then, can you guide me to your base?¡¹ He wouldn¡¯t have gotten himself involved with them if they had just stayed away from him. But since they intended to harm him, Kuroki decided to fight back and make them swallow their own medicine. Even though the man was afraid right now, it wasn¡¯t to the point that he would betray his comrades and his leader. Annoyed by the lack of answer, Kuroki decided to use fear magic. As soon as Kuroki¡¯s spell hit the man, all color drained from his face and he felt terror he had never felt before. ¡¸Y-Yes, right away! Please follow me this way!¡¹ The man shakily stood up and led Kuroki toward the Black Fang¡¯s base. In this way, he had abandoned his so-called loyalty to his comrades. ¡ô The Black Fang¡¯s base was located on the outskirts of the Outer City. Their base could immediately be seen by any passerby due to its sheer size; it was big enough to house more than a hundred members. Though Dozumi usually lived somewhere inside that building, today he was forcefully taken to a different room. The room was situated on the first floor of the building and, weirdly, was the only room on the entire floor. Dozumi was not familiar with this part of the building as he was never allowed to come to that room, or even the floor for that matter. £¨Shit, what a blunder.£© Because Dozumi was a member of the Black Fang, he was brought into a different room than the one appointed to Kuroki once he was kidnapped and brought to this place. Dozumi was really irritated by the way things were handled. It¡¯s not like he could resist, after all, he was far weaker than the others. If they had ordered him to go to this room, he would¡¯ve gone without any resistance. However, it seemed that Dozumi had too much of a high expectation towards his so-called comrades; the Black Fang members treated him worse than trash and couldn¡¯t even give him his dignity. Before being brought here, Dozumi was beaten black and blue while he was roaming the streets, he was then brought to the base barely alive. All the joints of his body were screaming in pain due to his kidnapper¡¯s rough handling. ¡¸Dozumi, it seems like you didn¡¯t understand when I said that you¡¯ll be held responsible if something happens to the cargo. Now, I¡¯ll make you, and everyone here, understand what it means to cross me with your own body. Oi, untie him!¡¹ A man then untied the ropes that were binding Dozumi¡¯s limbs. And just like that, Dozumi was guided to walk to the center of the stage. After he was released from his restraints, Dozumi looked up, and saw Gendor, the leader of the Black Fang, on top of the tall wooden wall. ¡¸What are you going to do to me¡­ Leader?¡¹ ¡¸You already know, right? IT¡¯S AN EXECUTION SHOW. But don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die alone.¡¹ Gendor signaled to his subordinates down in the arena, and with this, two other people were brought into the arena. It was a plump man and a beautiful woman. As he saw the approaching figures¡¯ faces, Dozumi remembered who they were. The plump man was the cargo¡¯s driver, the one he was supposed to escort in his recent task to the neighboring country. As for the woman, she was Gendor¡¯s lover. £¨Why are the two of them here in this place?£© Dozumi was really confused about the situation. ¡¸Leader, please forgive me! I just acted on a sudden impulse!¡¹ The plump man cried and pleadingly looked at Gendor. ¡¸That won¡¯t do, Elnen. You pilfered the group¡¯s money. Now you have to pay for your sin.¡¹ ¡¸HIIIIIIIIII¡¹ The plump man, Elnen, cried even louder than before. It was only now that Dozumi understood why he and Elnen were here. From the bits and pieces of information he could gather, he figured that the caravan had been destroyed and that the driver, Elnen, had decided to steal the money and merchandise and flee with his loot. Unfortunately he was caught in the act, and so, was here to be punished. As for himself, well, as Gendor had emphasized various times, he was here to take responsibility for the fallen cargo. ¡¸Please forgive me! You¡¯re the only one for me, dear!¡¹ ¡¸I refuse to forgive you, Rinea. You dare to ogle another man while you have me. The most befitting punishment for a slut like you is DEATH.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s really a misunderstanding! You¡¯re the only one for me!¡¹ The beautiful woman began to cry, her tearful face so charmingly frail that any other man would¡¯ve already relented and doted on her. But, Gendor was different from other men, he had no intention of sparing Rinea¡¯s life. Furthermore, his expression wasn¡¯t grim like one would normally be when cheated; rather, a creepy grin adorned his face as he looked at the scene in front of him¡ªit looked like he really enjoyed watching the sinners quiver with fear. Gendor wasn¡¯t the only one smiling from ear to ear, other upper-echelons of the Black Fang were also grinning on top of the wooden wall. It was truly an eerie sight. ¡¸Oi, are the folks who were tasked to capture that man with the rare rat back yet?¡¹ "" Gendor asked with a slightly irritated voice. ¡¸No, but they should be arriving soon. According to the last report, that chap called Kuro used the inn¡¯s service instead of escaping the country.¡¹ Dozumi was surprised when he heard the report. It seemed that Kuro had not taken his advice seriously. £¨What the hell are you doing, Kuro? I even told you to escape from this country!£© But Dozumi couldn¡¯t do anything about it anymore. No matter what he said, nobody would listen to him and nothing would change; he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince the thugs to leave Kuro alone. His savior was definitely going to be captured now ¡¸I see. Well, let¡¯s set him aside for now and start with the show here. Oi, give them what they need!¡¹ With Gendor¡¯s orders, the subordinates who led Dozumi and the other two threw something towards them. ¡¸This is for?¡¹ Dozumi picked up the thing thrown to him; it was a sword. He was really confused about why he would need a weapon. Elnen and Rinea were no different as they picked up the swords at their feet with puzzled expressions. ¡¸Now, the three of you below, listen closely! Even someone like me still cares about his comrades, so I won¡¯t immediately punish you for your sins. I¡¯ll give you another chance. If you can defeat the opponent that¡¯s about to come out, then I¡¯ll cancel your punishment.¡¹ Suddenly, a part of the wooden wall opened and something leaped out from inside. The three offenders stood there stunned as they looked at the creature before them with widened eyes. It was a huge, red beast. Despite standing on its four limbs, the position of its big face was about as tall as Dozumi¡¯s entire body. The red beast had bat-like wings and a human face. And that horrifically spine-chilling, tall face was currently looking at Dozumi with a sinister grin. ¡¸Oi GeNDor! CaN I EAt ThEsE HuMAnS? ¡¹ The beast spoke with its eerie voice, countless fangs glaringly apparent as he opened and closed his beastly mouth to speak those ominous words. "" ¡¸I-IT SPOOOOOOOOKE!¡¹ ¡¸L-Leader! What the hell is this monster!¡¹ The three sinners were all currently sharing the same disposition. Overwhelmed with fear, Elnen fell on his rear. Rinea¡¯s body trembled while holding onto her sword. And Dozumi, who had just screamed at Gendor, was desperately holding back his tears. It was a disturbing scene right out of an eldritch play. Volume 1 - CH 13.2 Act 1 ¨C 13.2 : Manticore ¡¸It¡¯s a manticore, truly a legendary beast. I happened to save this guy when it was heavily injured and about to be hunted down by the temple knights. It became my most trusted comrade ever since then. If you exclude its slightly gluttonous nature, it¡¯s actually rather cute.¡¹ Gendor responded with an eerie smile on his face. At that moment, realization dawned on Dozumi. The rumor about Gendor was true. Granted he had many rumors surrounding him, but this one was one of the worst. All this time, Dozumi had wondered about what his leader did with those kidnapped people and why the majority of them weren¡¯t sold; rather, had just suddenly disappeared. Now he had a despicable guess. ¡¸Leader, can I¡­ Ask one last thing? Could it be that the people you kidnapped all this time were¡­¡¹ ¡¸Nice guess, Dozumi. Though, not all of them. I would say around ninety percent of them ended up in Negul¡¯s stomach.¡¹ Dozumi¡¯s guess was confirmed with Gendor¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t that Gendor was lecherous towards the kidnapped people or that he himself was a ¡°Man-Eater¡±; rather, he was more of a pet sitter who would throw away human lives and treat them as fresh meat for the beast¡¯s dinner. ¡¸THaT PerSon GiVe Me MeaT In ExChanGe For Me To WorK For HIm. It¡¯S MuTUaL BeNEfiT For US.¡¹ Negul roared with laughter after his statement, his jubilance the result of his imminent hunt and feeding time. He relished the thought of hunting the prey in front of him. Dozumi, on the other hand, was grinding his teeth in vexation upon hearing that. He had long accepted the fact that he was a villain, but his level was nothing compared to Gendor, who was basically beyond saving. He couldn¡¯t believe that this was the leader he had served for years; it all made him nauseous. ¡¸YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU SOLD YOUR SOUL TO THE DEVIL! DIE AND FALL INTO NARGOL, YOU FUCKING DICK HEAD SON OF ABITCH!¡¹ Dozumi swore at Gendor with the foulest of obscenities he could muster. As a child, he was taught of a legend stating that when evil people died, their soul would be sent to Nargol, a land ruled by the Demon King, and that they would be tortured even after death; their afterlife would not be peaceful. That¡¯s why he desperately wished for Gendor to fall into Nargol¡ªhe had to suffer the consequences of his heinous crimes. [TL: Basically equivalent to Hell in Human knowledge.] ¡¸Heh! Do you think that Devil From Nargol is gonna come if you wish for it? Oh right, maybe that Dark Knight who defeated the Hero of Light might come save you! RIGHT GUYS?!¡¹ After Gendor¡¯s sarcastic remark, a wave of cackles echoed within the showroom. Above the wooden wall, countless disdainful eyes belonging to the upper-echelons of the party were looking below at Dozumi, sneering at his idiocy. Dozumi knew that he was just making a fool out of himself and that he was grasping at straws, but when he heard Gendor mention the Dark Knight, he changed his tune. Of course, like the rest of this world, Dozumi also knew about the Hero of Light, Reiji, who was favored by the Goddess. That¡¯s why he also knew about the hero¡¯s latest expedition to the north where he tried to subjugate the Demon King, but failed miserably due to his defeat by the hands of the Dark Knight, the Demon King¡¯s subordinate. Knowing all of this, Dozumi made one last attempt as he wished desperately for a miracle to happen. £¨DAMN IT! DARK KNIGHT, IF YOU REALLY DO EXIST, PLEASE TAKE THIS SINNER¡¯S SOUL TO NARGOL!£© ¡¸Now then, take your time to kill them, Negul! Teach everyone here the fate of anyone who dares to defy me!¡¹ Gendor¡¯s order woke Dozumi from his stupor. He realized yet another thing after hearing the end of that sentence: the main reason for the sudden disappearance of the warrior group who was hostile to Gendor in the past was this beast. All of Gendor¡¯s secrets were unravelling at this very moment, too bad they would all be buried along with their corpses. ¡¸KuHAhahA, It¡¯S MEal Time!!¡¹ Negul roared happily seeing his new prey. ¡¸HIIIIIIIIII!¡¹ Elnen screamed in fear as Nergul slowly approached him, smacking his tongue with gluttony. Elnen was completely paralized with fright, which made him unable to run away, and gave Negul an easy route to his dinner. ¡¸GAAAAAAAAA!¡¹ Negul arrived right in front of the screeching Elnen and opened his mouth wide, then, slowly enveloped, bit, and tore the entire upper half of Elnen¡¯s body. Blood spurted out of the corpse¡¯s lower half as it fell to the ground lifelessly. ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!¡¹ Seeing the gory image in front of her, Rinea couldn¡¯t help but scream in fear as well. The beast in front of her had given Elnen a quick death, but was endlessly torturing his remains. He was taking his time, chewing slowly on Elnen¡¯s upper half, and then, proceeding to eat the lower half. It was like he was sitting in an elegant restaurant and savouring a luxurious and fancy meal. The whole thing was ghastly. On Negul¡¯s side, however, taking his time to enjoy the meal was a given since he knew that his prey couldn¡¯t escape anyway. As the monster ate, Dozumi racked his brains for a way to escape. He turned around only to see that the path used to lead him here was now blocked. He didn¡¯t know when it had happened. He looked up and found Gendor¡¯s subordinates waiting on top of the tall wooden wall with swords in their hands. They were guarding against anyone who tried to climb the wall to escape. But, it was impossible from the very beginning since manticores could fly. It was all a despairing dead end. Meanwhile, Negul had finally finished his first meal consisting of Elnen¡¯s corpse and was now eyeing his remaining hunt. He was trying to choose his next target. His eyes first looked at Dozumi, then swept over to Rinea, which made her quiver with fear. ¡¸NOOOOOOO! PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEEEE!¡¹ Rinea immediately threw away her sword and ran towards Gendor¡¯s spot. She looked up pleadingly while trying her hardest to climb the wall, puncturing her once beautiful hands with splinters, and bloodying her nails. Yet, it was all for naught as her meger strength didn¡¯t allow her to reach her haven. ¡¸Humph, I refuse to forgive you. Look Rinea, Negul is coming for you right now.¡¹ When Rinea turned around, she saw that Negul was right behind her. ¡¸Oi! RUN!¡¹ Dozumi rushed at her and pulled her away from that place, trying to protect her from the oncoming slaughter. Negul watched them frailily holding on to their dear life. The beast¡¯s favorite part during its hunts was always this segment; toying with its prey that it could kill at any given moment made it shudder with ecstasy. It loved seeing their terror-stricken eyes and running around with flailing arms, its sadistic nature savored the torture. That was why it had chosen the woman as its next target, it was simply because she started running away first and that she showed more fear in her eyes than its other meal. ¡¸WhAt¡¯s MaTTer? Not RuNNing AwAY?¡¹ Now that Dozumi was the one in front of it, the monster leaped at him with an eerie grin on its face, enjoying Dozumi¡¯s fear. Dozumi quickly raised his sword and blocked Negul¡¯s approaching fangs. ¡¸FUCK!¡¹ Using all of his strength, Dozumi tried to push back Negul only to notice that fumes were coming from his sword¡¯s blade, particularly the part that was bitten by Negul. When he looked closely, he noticed that his sword was starting to melt. £¨No way! Its saliva can even melt metal!£© It was only a matter of time before his sword completely melted and the beast¡¯s fangs reached him. Dozumi quickly backed away. He was starting to get impatient and was slowly and reluctantly accepting his imminent doom. He really hated the fact that Negul kept grinning. The beast was completely enjoying his fearful expression. £¨Damn it! What should I do now?!£© Dozumi desperately wanted to shed tears, but the current conditions didn¡¯t allow him to do so. He closed his eyes and urgently wished for someone to come and save him from this perilous situation, even if that said person was the Devil himself. His chaotic thoughts only repeated one sentence- ¡°I don¡¯t care, whoever it is, I¡¯ll pledge my allegiance to anyone who saves me from this situation.¡± Suddenly, a thunderous shout echoed from above. Everyone watched as a shadow leapt out of nowhere and crossed the tall wooden wall, landing below. The person that suddenly appeared performed a roundhouse kick and sent Negul, who was just about to bite off Dozumi, flying away. Everyone in the room was speechless and couldn¡¯t tear their eyes away from the arena. Sensing the unusual quietness of the room, Dozumi slowly opened his eyes and looked in front of him¡ªsomeone had stood between him and the monster. ¡¸What? Who are you?¡¹ ¡¸Are you okay, Dozumi-san?¡¹ When that mysterious person turned around, Dozumi saw a familiar face. ¡¸Is that you, Kuro?¡¹ The one who came to save him was none other than Kuro, now gently smiling at him. Facing all of these near death experiences, Dozumi felt completely drained and felt his legs soften. Yet, that didn¡¯t stop him from incredulously looking at Kuroki with a dumbfounded expression. ¡ô Once they arrived at the Black Fang¡¯s base, Kuroki was guided to the execution room by Gendor¡¯s lackey, who he had captured before. However, as soon as he entered the room, he was faced with the scene of a monster rushing towards Dozumi. Without even thinking, he leapt to the execution ground and kicked the strange beast that was about to eat Dozumi away. ¡¸Kuroki-sama, the thing you kicked just now is a manticore. Its habitat should be in the western part of the continent. I wonder how it ended up in this kind of place? In addition, its smell is simply too horrid.¡¹ Nut, who was perched on Kuroki¡¯s shoulder, made a disgusted face as he gave Kuroki the necessary information. Kuroki also frowned due to the overwhelming stench attacking his nasal cavities. It was just as Nut said, the manticore¡¯s stench was truly foul. ¡¸Yeah, that manticore¡¯s stench is¡­ Horrible indeed. Nut, leave me for a minute, I¡¯m going to settle this.¡¹ "" ¡¸Yes, please be careful Kuroki-sama, a manticore can also use poison.¡¹ After he gave his advice, Nut got off of Kuroki¡¯s shoulder. This was the first time Kuroki had ever met this kind of demon beast with a human face, bat wings, and a scorpion tail, but he wasn¡¯t surprised after seeing such a bizarre appearance. Beasts in this land took all sorts of weird shapes and sizes; it was far from rare. ¡¸YoU BAsTARd! HOw DaRe YoU LowLife To KicK ME!¡¹ The manticore roared. ¡¸Well my bad. I don¡¯t know how you got separated from your habitat and found yourself in a far away place, but I promise that I won¡¯t chase you if you decide to leave right now.¡¹ Kuroki raised both his hands to show the manticore his peaceful bearing and that he won¡¯t become its enemy. Kuroki didn¡¯t want any more problems or troublesome fights, after all, the only reason he came to this place was to settle the matter with the person who attacked him. ¡¸HumpH, WhAt Are You YaPPiNG AbOUt! ThE OnE WHo WoN¡¯T Let YoU EsCapE Is Me! YOU JusT AnoTHEr One Of My DiNNer!¡¹ The Manticore shouted in anger. How can a weak human dare to face it. Granted it was kicked by him, but it was just because it wasn¡¯t prepared. £¨Woops, it seems I angered this guy. If possible, I want to end this peacefully, but¡­£© Kuroki heaved a sigh, and drew the normal sword from the scabbard on his waist. ¡¸Fool! You might be more talented than your average human, but normal humans can¡¯t win against Negul!¡¹ Kuroki looked up at the owner of that voice, he turned out to be the one Dozumi referred to as ¡°Leader¡± and his main enemy, Gendor. But, what really occupied Kuroki¡¯s mind was not the condescending words directed towards him; rather, the absurdity of the situation he was in. £¨How in the world did that man manage to tame this manticore? This manticore is clearly stronger than him.£© As he pondered about that ludicrous matter, Kuroki felt a surge of killing intent. ¡¸Kuro! FRONT! LOOK IN FRONT OF YOU!¡¹ Dozumi shouted at Kuroki in panic. Kuroki looked at the panic-stricken man then leisurely turned around to look to the front, only to find that the manticore was charging towards him, ready to attack. £¨Too slow.£© But, like in all of his previous fights, the beast¡¯s movements felt like they were in slow motion to the overpowered Kuroki. He effortlessly dodged the manticore¡¯s attack. ¡¸Don¡¯T ThiNK YoU CAn EsCApE! YOu WeAk HUmAN ShOUld UndErStAND ThaT YoUr FATe is To Be EaTen By The StRonG!¡¹ The Manticore was now really irritated. Its hunt was taking too long and all the fun had vanished due to the lack of fear from its opponent. ¡¸Even if you tell me that¡­ I refuse to be eaten. But let me confirm for the last time, are you really not going to step back from this?¡¹ Even at this moment, Kuroki still wished for the manticore to step back. He really wanted to avoid exerting any effort. But, the manticore was completely ignoring Kuroki¡¯s last bit of mercy. ¡¸HumPh! I¡¯Ve Told YoU BEFOre ThaT I WOn¡¯T RuN! O CoME yE FLame!¡¹ After the demon beast uttered its chant, several fireballs appeared around it. They amassed energy for a few seconds and gradually grew bigger, then rushed towards the manticore¡¯s enemy, Kuroki. As the events unfolded in front of him, Kuroki concluded that the manticore wielded Fireball magic. He then started conjuring an appropriate magic wall to protect himself. ¡¸Magic Shield!¡¹ A shining magic circle appeared in front of Kuroki and faced the oncoming firepower, protecting Kuroki in the process. ¡¸GOtCHa!¡¹ The manticore¡¯s tail suddenly came from behind. £¨Wow, that tail is really long, huh!£© Kuroki was not worried about this so-called sneak attack, he was more curious about the manticore¡¯s unusual physique. He swung his sword, parrying the tip of the manticore¡¯s scorpion-like tail. Though the manticore was planning that sneak attack from the very beginning, it was painfully way too easy for Kuroki to see through that plan with his far superior dynamic vision. ¡¸¡­ EH!?¡¹ Kuroki was flabbergasted when he retracted his arm wielding the weapon. The sword he used to parry that tail attack had now completely dissolved. ¡¸AAH, MY HARD EARNED SWOORD!¡¹ Kuroki was initially stunned by the events happening in front of him, but now he was really aggrieved at the loss of his sword. Even though he had bought that sword not long ago, he had grown fond of it, but now, it was completely tattered. ¡¸HoW DARe YOu To RePEl My ATTack!¡¹ [TL : That¡¯s like the fucking most natural thing to do right!!] The manticore seemed indignant about its sure kill strike being parried so easily. ¡¸ThEn, It¡¯S TImE TO USE THIs!!¡¹ The beast decided to use its ultimate trump card. Its body gradually swelled up and its eyes shone a crimson red color. It now looked like a beast ready for rampage ¡¸Is that some kind of power up?¡¹ Kuroki examined the manticore¡¯s expression. He knew after seeing its crimson red eyes that the beast had lost its sense of reason. It was now no different than a normal monster devoid of any intelligence. ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹ The manticore roared and then rushed toward Kuroki. ¡¸Get away from me, Dozumi-san!¡¹ Kuroki didn¡¯t move from his place since Dozumi was still standing right behind him. He readied himself in a fighting pose and, as the fast approaching monster reached him, stopped its attack with his bare hands. "" ¡¸HIIIII!¡¹ Dozumi quickly took the screeching woman¡¯s hand and ran away from the fighting premises. He didn¡¯t want to slow down Kuroki when he was facing a life and death situation. ¡¸Good job, Negul! KILL THEM ALL!¡¹ Gendor bellowed in glee at the exhibit in front of him. All those who had crossed him would die today, eaten by his pet. The other people above all started vehemently cheering for the manticore. Kuroki, on the other hand, was still holding the beast¡¯s maw, stopping it from biting him. The manticore¡¯s scattered saliva dissolved Kuroki¡¯s clothes, which made him really start to get irritated. This was truly such a bothersome experience. Volume 1 - CH 13.3 Act 1 ¨C 13.3 : Manticore £¨SHIIIIIIT!! NOW MY OPTIONS ARE TO EITHER CALL MY ARMOR OR BECOME A FLASHER!!!£© Without much thought, Kuroki threw his tattered clothes and summoned his armor. The moment his armor appeared, he could hear a wave of astonished gasps from his surroundings. ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹ Now, with the help of his demon armor, Kuroki put a bit more strength into his arms and flung the manticore. Seeing a huge beast being flung towards them, the people on top of the tall wooden wall scrambled around, trying to assess where the safest place lies and trying to get out of the danger zone. After fluttering in mid-air for a few moments, the huge mass that was several times Kuroki¡¯s size dropped on top of the wall. ¡¸GURUAAAAAAAA!¡¹ Being flung like that and thrown like a pile of trash, the manticore roared in anger. It spread its bat-like wings and flew to the air, its scorpion tail shooting a strange substance all around haphazardly. ¡¸UWAAAAAA.¡¹ Several spectators screamed in agony once touched by that eerie substance. Upon closer look, one could see that their skin had started to melt as if acid was thrown at them. £¨Oh crap, it¡¯s like Mega Crab! What should I do now? Should I just kill it?£© Kuroki really would¡¯ve spareed that manticore¡¯s life if he had chosen to back off and leave. But, he now realized that his kindness was taken for granted, only resulting in other people being killed by the cocky beast. He was now at a crossroads, he had to choose between sparing the beast or killing it to save the humans in this room. ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!¡¹ He then heard a more conspicuous voice amongst the other agonizing screams in the room. Kuroki turned to look at the direction of that somewhat familiar voice and immediately recognised the people involved. There was a figure of a woman and Dozumi was standing by her side. Like Kuroki, the manticore also reacted to that scream, and headed towards the woman. £¨OH SHIT!£© Kuroki¡¯s body immediately moved as if it had a mind of its own. He had no time to hesitate since both Dozumi and the woman¡¯s life were at stake. Kuroki summoned his demon sword which, once in his hand, lit up with a sinister crimson pattern. Kuroki followed by enveloping his blade with his black flames; a deathly aura quickly spread from his weapon. The manticore was now fast approaching his two initial preys, Kuroki acted fast and leapt to Dozumi¡¯s position. He quickly stood in front of Dozumi and intercepted the beast¡¯s attack, raising his powerful sword and ready to counterattack. ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹[TL : BLACK CALIBUUUUR!!!] The demon blade diagonally slashed down from the upper right to the lower left, bisecting the beast¡¯s body into two equal size sections. The manticore¡¯s mamied body parts fell to the ground, thudding as if sacks of potatoes were being thrown. However, even in death the manticore brought destruction. Because of its poisonous nature, the ground where the beast¡¯s body lay and where its blood was oozing started to be enveloped by rising white smoke, a sizzling sound accompanying it, melting the ground in the process. Silence dominated the entire place. £¨Oh shit, my body moved on its own¡­. Maybe I overdid it.£© Kuroki heaved a sigh as he looked at the manticore¡¯s corpse. £¨Haah¡­ Well, I still have unfinished business here.£© Reminded of his initial goal, Kuroki looked up and scanned his vicinity, only to be faced with several widened and fearful eyes. Due to his show of immense power and strength, all the spectators within the arena gazed at him in horror and were rendered speechless. ¡ô ¡¸Impossible, oi¡­¡¹ Gendor couldn¡¯t believe the scene unfolding right in front of his eyes. His pet, Negul was cleaved right in half. Yes, it was split RIGHT-IN-HALF by that weak looking man named Kuro. That man was just suddenly engulfed in black flames, and before anyone knew it, he was already clad in jet-black armor and holding a sinister crimson sword. Everything happened in a flash. Gendor recalled his first meeting with the man called Kuro. When he first saw him, his first impression was that he was a scrawny and weak looking man. The only thing that had caught his eye was the rare animal he was carrying. That¡¯s why he ordered his subordinates to kidnap him¡ªhe only wanted to snatch that rare creature. It should¡¯ve been an easy job, probably among the easiest he ever assigned to his lackeys; but his regret came too late. The man was the Devil himself. The Devil standing below in jet-black armor slowly started to rise. He approached Gendor as if he was the Grim Reaper coming to take his next soul. Granted Kuroki never had the intention to kill him, but his aura still terrified Gendor, who felt death looming over him. The armored man finally arrived in front of Gendor, his black armor darker than the darkest of nights, and engulfed in black flames. This scene alone was enough to make anyone quiver with fear. ¡¸N-Nargol¡¯s D-Dark Knight!¡¹ Gendor¡¯s subordinates shouted loudly and ran toward the exit. But right at that moment, the exit was blocked by a wall of black flames. ¡¸My bad¡­ But can you refrain from leaving this place? I just want to scare you after all.¡¹ [TL : ¡­.] After he uttered those words, The Dark Knight¡¯s body soared a bit higher and headed toward the center of the arena. A moment later, Gendor suddenly felt that his body was as stiff as lead. ¡¸What the¡­ hell¡­.¡¹ Gendor shivered like a baby. ¡¸No¡­ NOOOO. SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEE!¡¹ His teeth incessantly chattered, preventing him from speaking properly and asking for help again; all he could do in the end was scream. He turned around to signal his subordinates to help him, only to find them also trembling in fear. Then, the Dark Knight slowly approached Gendor. It felt like time ran slowly. What was supposed to be mere seconds felt like hours to Gendor¡ªthe Dark Knight finally appeared before him. His body clad in black flames, shining crimson eyes seeping through his helmet, the Dark Knight was the perfect depiction of Hell¡¯s envoy itself. And this terrifying man was now locking his gaze onto Gendor¡¯s shivering figure. ¡¸No¡­. I-I don¡¯t want to go to Nargol¡­ Hic¡­ Hic¡­¡¹ Gendor was muttering something in between his sobs. His body refused to move no matter how much he wanted to escape from this place. ¡¸Since you were trying to kidnap Nut, I¡¯ll make sure that you experience more terror than the other guys.¡¹ The Dark Knight touched Gendor¡¯s cheeks. ¡¸No! Please, stop it! Save me, Goddess-sama!¡¹ In the midst of his cries, Gender, for the very first time, begged for the Goddess to save him. Up until this point, never once had Gendor prayed or even believed in the Goddess¡¯s teachings. He was aware that his actions were going against her, but he did not care in the slightest at the time. Yet now, when he was faced with utter despair, he decided to pray for her to save him. Alas, it was useless¡ªit was time for him to pay for his sins. ¡¸SUFFER FROM ETERNAL NIGHTMARES!¡¹ When the Dark Knight said those words, Gendor suddenly felt that he lost all hope in the world. ¡¸W-What is happening¡­¡¹ Gendor found himself in complete and utter darkness; it was like he was thrown into the abyss. He frantically started surveying his surroundings, trying to find a way out of this endless void. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a white gleaming light, floating in the middle of the endless darkness. Having a bit of hope, he quickly looked over. But what he saw made all the blood drain from his face. That white floating mirage was none other than a human face, a face all too familiar to him. Gendor screeched with horror. ¡¸Calius¡­.¡¹ It was the name of a man he killed in the past. ¡¸W-What the heck is this, Calius? It¡¯s your fault¡­ It¡¯s your fault for not giving me your wife.¡¹ No matter how much he spoke, Calius just looked at Gendor with piercing cold eyes. Upon a closer look, Gendor saw another face beside Calius; it was the face of the man¡¯s wife. The poor woman who was fed to Negul since she dared to reject Gendor. ¡¸Hiii, you foolish woman¡­ it¡¯s your fault for rejecting me.¡¹ Gendor quickly turned away from these ghostly illusions. But right behind him, his gaze fell upon other human faces. They were all his victims, faces all too familiar to him: the people he robbed, the warriors he had conflicts with, the subordinates who had made a blunder¡ªthey were all mercilessly killed by him at the end, whether friend or foe. What was even more haunting was that many childish faces could be seen; Gendor couldn¡¯t even spare young and innocent children. Though he had long since forgotten their names, he still remembered their faces deep in his heart. After all, he loved seeing those fearful faces when on the verge of death, relished them even. Too bad they had now become his worst nightmare, all were now glaring at him with the same piercing cold, accusatory eyes. ¡¸Why¡­ Why are you people glaring at me¡­.¡¹ Gendor, wanting to avoid the countless eyes, closed his eyes shut, but even then, those faces still appeared in his blinded state. ¡¸HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ Gendor raised an indescribable shriek and collapsed right there, froth coming out of his mouth. ¡ô £¨Oh shit! I overdid it again!£© Kuroki was looking at the unconscious man in front of him, the man who Dozumi referred to as ¡°Leader¡±. The man¡¯s eyes had lost their focus. ¡¸Ehiya-Ehiya~¡¹ Moreover, he kept mumbling those nonsensical words. Upon a closer look, Kuroki saw that some sort of liquid was leaking out from the man¡¯s pants. In a hurry, Kuroki distanced himself from that man due to the liquid¡¯s unpleasant ammonia stench. £¨I never expected this magic to be this effectives.£© Eternal Nightmare magic was a black magic spell similar to Fear magic as it used people¡¯s worst fears to incapacitate them. However, unlike the mild Fear magic or the usual Nightmare magic, the Eternal Nightmare spell was like a curse¡ªit would never leave the affected people, they would see their worst nightmare whether they were asleep or awake. It would haunt them until the caster removed the spell. Kuroki had never used this magic before because it wasn¡¯t the kind of magic that can be used on just anyone. And this was the result once he tried to use that magic on someone. £¨Shall I undo the spell?£© Though he had also used Fear magic to inflict fear on Gendor prior to the Eternal Nightmare spell and on the people in this room a while ago, he found out that the effects of his Fear magic were stronger than the normal Fear magic, resulting in the people here to tremble non-stop like newborn foals. It was probably due to his immense power, he thought. Kuroki turned around to look at Dozumi, who was still looking dumbfoundedly at him from the arena below. His magic hadn¡¯t targeted Dozumi or the woman beside him. But, after seeing their expression, Kuroki was well aware of the fact that they feared him. Kuroki went down toward their place. ¡¸A-Are you, Kuro?¡¹ Dozumi was currently sitting on the ground, looking up at Kuroki. He was obviously scared of him. £¨Even though he wasn¡¯t supposed to be amongst the targets of my Fear magic¡­£© Which means that Dozumi¡¯s fear was real, not because of the effects of his magic. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s Kuro, Dozumi-san.¡¹ Kuroki replied to Dozumi, with his softest voice. ¡¸A-Are you a Devil?¡¹ Kuroki was puzzled when Dozumi suddenly asked him that question. £¨Could it be that I look like a Devil in this armor? Though it¡¯s correct if he referred the Devil as the subordinates of the Demon King, Modes.£© It seems that regardless of the Dark Knights¡¯ personalities or ranks, they would always look like atrocious devils in this armor, even if it was a rookie Dark Knight like Gned. Kuroki then recalled the fact that Gned called him ¡°Your Excellency¡± instead of using ¡°-Sama¡±. To tell the truth, even Kuroki had no answer to this question. But, he had to answer that question; the fact that he wasn¡¯t a ¡°Human¡± of this world. Kuroki was way too strong to be put under this world¡¯s Human category, and this world¡¯s humans were way too weak. ¡¸You¡¯re right. I might be what you call a¡­ Devil.¡¹ ¡¸I-I see now, come to think of it, could it be that the Dark Knight who defeated the Hero-sama is¡­¡¹ ¡¸Erhm¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡¹ Kuroki told Dozumi the truth since there was no meaning in hiding it anyway. Dozumi was clearly shaken by that revelation, his body couldn¡¯t stop trembling. Kuroki felt rather sad seeing that reaction. The rumor about the atrociousness of the Dark Knight had spread far and wide, reason being him the one who defeated the Hero of Light, humanity¡¯s hope. Goes to show how much hope was placed on Reiji¡¯s shoulder. That was why defeating Reiji had turned Kuroki into humanity¡¯s number one enemy. ¡¸Are you going to take me to Nargol too?¡¹ Kuroki was baffled, he couldn¡¯t answer that question. He didn¡¯t understand why Dozumi thought so because had no intention to take Dozumi, nor did he want to hurt him. But, he knew that Dozumi was looking at him as if looking at the Grim Reaper. Dozumi¡¯s reaction was the normal reaction of any ordinary human when they stood in front of the Dark Knight. ¡¸No, I¡¯ve no intention to do so¡­ Or should I say that doing so is rather troublesome.¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s reply ended up being rather messed up. ¡¸T-¡­ Troublesome?¡¹ Kuroki nodded as a response to Dozumi¡¯s question. Thereupon, Dozumi suddenly prostrated in front of Kuroki. ¡¸Let me to pledge my allegiance to you, Master!¡¹ Seeing that, the woman beside Dozumi did the same, prostrating in front of Kuroki. It was a peculiar sight to behold, Kuroki then heard some rustling from up above. He looked up and was faced with numerous individuals, all kowtowing to him one by one. Every single one of them was trembling in fear. In the once quiet room, all pledged their allegiance to Kuroki in unison. £¨Eh, How did things turn out this way?£© And troubled Kuroki in return. Volume 1 - CH 14.1 Act 1-14.1 : Cygnus¡¯s Knight The sun had set when Kuroki returned to the Black Fang base. The Black Fang was one of the larger warrior groups within the Holy Republic of Lenaria with over two hundred members. That was the main reason behind their large base; it was befitting of their large organisation. When Kuroki stepped foot inside the building, the first thing to enter his line of sight was a gathering of a few members. Upon a closer look, Kuroki realized that they were gambling as they were using dice, made from animal bones similar to the ones Kuroki was familiar with, and were also constantly cheering and jeering loudly along with their gains and losses. However, once they noticed the incoming Kuroki, they all fell silent and, after glancing at him for a mere second, their focus returned to their gambling as if he was of no interest to them at all. Kuroki didn¡¯t mind, it was normal for them to ignore him since these gambling members had yet to know his identity; rather, he was glad that they didn¡¯t treat him any differently, reason being that he had specifically ordered the executives who managed to survive to keep his identity a secret. Their knowledge was limited, they only knew that Kuroki was the Black Fang executives¡¯ most favored newcomer and thanks to this status, no one dared to quarrel with him, they just looked at him from afar without doing anything. This was perfect for the trouble-avoiding Kuroki. Since no interactions were needed, Kuroki passed by the group of gamblers and headed towards the inner part of the building. ¡¸Welcome back, Your Excellency.¡¹ Dozumi and the other executives bowed their heads as soon as Kuroki entered the room. On the third day after Kuroki came to this country, the famous warrior group, the Black Fang, had completely converted itself into a splendid demon cult, using their reputation as a warrior group as a cover. This had, of course, only happened after they had seen Kuroki¡¯s showdown with their previous leader and his pet. Though the cult¡¯s building lacked an altar dedicated to the worshipping of the Demon King, they were still true and loyal believers in every sense of the way. Note though that the only believers were the upper-echelons; the rest were still oblivious normal warriors. However, even if their internal beliefs had changed, the Black Fang was not much different than before. They still used their reputation as a righteous warrior group as a front and followed and performed their ¡°wicked¡± mantle in the shadows. The only difference was that, originally, the Black Fang was a criminal organisation and now they were the Demon King¡¯s believers. For the upper-echelons, it was all the same, that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t have any scruples about becoming a demon cult or having Kuroki as their leader, whom they had unilaterally chosen. It was only natural for them to elect him, the Demon Priest and the Dark God¡¯s apostle, as their leader. However, Kuroki had no intention whatsoever in accepting this role since he wasn¡¯t a Demon Priest to begin with. ¡¸I¡¯m back. I see nothing has changed.¡¹ Kuroki scanned the expressions of the people who bowed to him. He noticed that, as usual, all of them, save for Dozumi, wore the expression of fear on their face. Some of them were even noticeably shaking from fear. Dozumi, on the other hand, seemed to be delighted. Well, it was rather normal for him to be this elated. Not only was he saved from the clutches of death and had found a leader he believed in to follow in the process, but he had also won the heart of a beauty to boot. £¨What a lucky guy.£© He wanted to congratulate Dozumi, but, at the same time, Kuroki who had never had a girlfriend even at his age, wished to tear the couple apart; he really couldn¡¯t handle being tormented like that. ¡¸Reporting to Your Excellency. Yes, nothing has changed aside from a few who were curious about the disappearance of the former leader, but it¡¯s not that big of an issue.¡¹ Dozumi was reporting to Kuroki with reverence. The former leader he was referring to was Gendor. It seemed that common members still thought that Gendor was as healthy as ever; however, a few had started asking about his whereabouts. Gendor was still under the effects of Kuroki¡¯s spell, a fact the upper-echelons were trying to keep under wraps, but it didn¡¯t mean that they¡¯d be able to keep the news hidden forever. Gendor was an extremely evil and cruel person. When Kuroki started investigating the base, he first looked into the basement, the manticore¡¯s den, and what he found was gruesome¡ªheaps of human remains could be found in every nook and cranny of the den. It was then he realized that Gendor had been feeding the manticore with humans. He used the people who were hostile to him, the subordinates who made a blunder, and the people who displeased him as fodder. Moreover, it seemed that the upper-echelons were just being his yes-men because they feared Gendor and his manticore pet; they never wanted to do these things in the first place. Nevertheless, that didn¡¯t equal to erasing the sins they accumulated until now. They were lucky that Kuroki wasn¡¯t in the mood to punish them because in accordance with the human anecdote, followers of the Demon King were the biggest sinners; therefore, making Kuroki an even greater sinner. Kuroki, who felt it strange for a sinner to judge another sinner, was aware that he had no right to judge them for their sins. The same went for the people in this place towards him. ¡¸I see. Well then, I shall go back to my room. And¡­ Please bring me a meal too, honestly I¡¯m starving.¡¹ Kuroki then headed towards the former leader¡¯s room after saying those words to Dozumi. The room was located on the top floor of the building and was really wide. It was ornate with lavish furniture, befitting its previous owner¡¯s greedy personality. It was also decorated with flowers that could be seen with every few steps. The size and the decorations of the room gave off an arabian atmosphere to the place. Since the flowers¡¯ purpose was to erase the manticore¡¯s smell, Kuroki was comfortable with their presences, but Nut seemed to hate their smell. However, Kuroki thought otherwise, he really felt that this room was perfect for his comrade. £¨This room matches quite nicely with a mascot-like character like Nut, huh.£© Kuroki was sitting on a one seater chair while pondering over such trivial matters. It was then that he recalled the pieces of information he had gathered from the bar during today¡¯s investigation. ¡¸It seems the matter about the Dark Knight has become a rumor, huh.¡¹ The event of him defeating the seemingly unbeaten hero was circulating like wildfire in this country; it was quite a hot topic in the bar. Moreover, there seemed to be a continuation to that rumor¡ªapparently, the very same Dark Knight was leading an army of monsters and attacking every country he could find. £¨The rumor went as far as making such an exagerrated story¡­ It¡¯s really quite absurd.£© Kuroki heaved a sigh. The rumor was such a blatant lie that anyone could figure it out if they had functioning brain cells or if they personally knew Modes. Firstly, Kuroki was obviously here, in this room, resting, so it was impossible for him to be currently leading an army of monsters and massacring humans¡ªhe didn¡¯t even have the slightest intention in doing such a bothersome thing. Not even his master, Modes the Demon King, had any interest in doing so since he was a pacifist, or so he had heard before. ¡¸Kuroki-sama~¡¹ Hearing someone call him from below, Kuroki looked down and found Nut hiding himself in the chair¡¯s shadow. Nut had gone to Arlena Temple, which is located in the middle of the inner city of the Holy Republic of Lenaria, to gather information. It seems that he had just gotten back. ¡¸Kuroki-sama, I¡¯ve gathered the information you wanted about the temple.¡¹ Nut then continued on elaborating the things he had found. The Arlena Temple was an ancient structure famous in the Holy Republic of Lenaria and had been constructed by dwarves, evident by the solid materials it used and the flawless construction. The temple was quite a sight to behold with elegant architecture and exorbitant decorations. Even though no one was allowed to enter it, many people would come to this country to see it. It was still one of the most popular sights in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Due to its importance, the temple also had an iron-tight defense, with Temple Knights taking turns to patrol. These Temple Knights directly took orders from the temple itself and were handpicked elites. However, what made the temple¡¯s defense ironclad was not its elite knights; rather, it was the magical warning equipment installed in several places. These posed a real threat to any intruder. The dwarves had made these to act as alarms that could see through any kind of half-hearted disguise with astonishing precision. £¨And yet, if the information I got is correct, Reiji and his company are supposed to be inside this temple.£© Sneaking into the heavily guarded Alrena Temple was proven to be an almost impossible task, Kuroki only managed to know the inside of the temple thanks to Nut. "" ¡¸Thanks for the information, Nut¡­¡¹ Kuroki expressed his gratitude to Nut. Nut had extremely high spying and infiltration abilities. Not even Elios¡¯s line of defense could stop him from sending Modes¡¯s letters to his old friend in Elios. Kuroki now realized that his journey toward the Holy Republic of Lenaria might have taken more time and had a whole lot of additional problems if Nut hadn¡¯t guided him. He thanked Modes in his heart for appointing Nut as his guide. ¡¸So, infiltration is almost impossible I take?¡¹ ¡¸U~hm. Kuroki-sama. Is the information I gathered from eavesdropping not enough for you?¡¹ Nut asked in worry after seeing Kuroki sigh. ¡¸The information you brought back is really useful, Nut, but still¡­¡¹ He hadn¡¯t come to this country and faced such an arduous journey to gather information about the temple; rather, he was hoping to gather information about the hero and his company, not as their enemy though. Of course, if he was really gathering information to defeat the hero and his company¡ªas was the mission assigned to him¡ªthen it was only right for Nut to assume that he needed information about the temple¡¯s defense mechanisms and its military forces. That¡¯s why he had investigated the temple¡¯s defense structure and battle formations. However, unlike what Nut thought, that wasn¡¯t the kind of information Kuroki was seeking. Instead, what he wanted to know was Reiji and the others¡¯ conditions in this world. That¡¯s why he wanted to infiltrate the temple himself. ¡¸Sorry. It¡¯s just that I want to see their condition with my own eyes.¡¹ After pondering over this matter for a while, Kuroki apologized to Nut and told his wish. ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Nut seemed to be disheartened seeing that Kuroki didn¡¯t want to rely on him. Noticing his dispirited look, Kuroki chose to explain to him his meaning. ¡¸The information you gathered saves me a lot, Nut. Infiltrating the temple is just my own selfishness.¡¹ Kuroki gently patted Nut¡¯s head to pacify him. ¡¸Ehehehehe.¡¹ Nut looked so happy when Kuroki gently brushed his head. At that exact moment, someone knocked on the door of his room. ¡¸Who it it?¡¹ ¡¸I brought you your meal.¡¹ Rinea¡¯s voice came from the other side of the door. She entered the room after Kuroki gave his permission. In the beginning, she was also scared of him like the others, no wonder, he was none other than the infamous Dark Knight of Nargol. But nowadays, she seemed to be getting used to Kuroki¡¯s presence. Rinea wore tightly fitting clothes that emphasized all her voluptuous curves, especially her big breasts. Her clothes were the same as the ones she wore on the day Kuroki saved her and Dozumi from the beast. £¨Ugh, I¡¯m so jealous of Dozumi. Even though I can use my authority as the shadow leader of the Black Fang to touch her breasts, it¡¯ll only reduce my status as a trash human. No, even lower than trash¡­£© Volume 1 - CH 14.2 Act 1-14.2 : Cygnus¡¯s Knight Right now, Kuroki was seriously considering looking for a brothel and becoming its patron. ¡¸Is something the matter, O great one?¡¹ Rinea asked with a curious face. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡¹ Rinea¡¯s question pulled Kuroki out of his stupor. Looking at her innocent gaze towards him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly guilty and decided to set aside the wild scenarios he was imagining. He evaded her eyes and, remembering his hunger, decided ro eye the cart pushed by Rinea¡ªhis meal was placed on top of it. The menu for today consisted of a jug filled with some sort of beverage, right next to it, the main course was presented. The plate was overflowing with food and consisted of a white loaf of bread, a serving of pork sausages, goat cheese, and a variety of nuts. Next to it was a bowl of bean, onion, and chicken soup, and finally, there was a dessert plate filled with sweet syrup pickled fruit. It was quite a luxurious meal, and this was not even a one time thing. Yesterday¡¯s menu had river barracuda as its main course and other times, Kuroki had been able to eat delicacies such as herring and trout. And the former leader, Gendor, was eating such luxurious meals everyday. To be fair, Kuroki had already thought that Gendor lived such an extravagant life, but he never thought it was to that extent. Not that he was complaining, after all, this status quo definitely made his stay in this country more comfortable. ¡¸OOOH! Syrup pickled fruit like yesterday!¡¹ Nut seemed to have taken a liking to the syrup pickled fruit. He had especially ordered for the kitchen to prepare this dessert today since he knew that Nut quite enjoyed it as he was extremely delighted when he tried it yesterday. And, just as he expected, Nut was ecstatic and liked the surprise; Kuroki was glad he followed his instincts. £¨But then, now everyone must have heard from Dozumi and the others that the Dark Knight loves sweets and flowers, they probably have a weird image of me¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter since the flowers are useful and the sweets are loved by Nut¡­£© Nut was running around delightfully on the ground. ¡¸Which beverage would you like for today? How about ale?¡¹ Rinea picked up the jug filled with ale, waiting for Kuroki¡¯s order to serve. Ale was a type of liquor made by fermenting wheat, it was quite similar to beer back in Japan. The only difference was that it used herbs instead of hops to keep its freshness, longevity, and foaminess. It wasn¡¯t cooled either since there were no refrigerators in this world. Kuroki was one hundred percent sure that every beer lover in Japan would be screaming in dissatisfaction by that fact and would roll to their graves. They would probably even come to this world just to start developing refrigerators on their own. ¡¸No, please give me the same as yesterday, juice mixed with goat milk.¡¹ ¡¸Acknowledged, O Great One.¡¹ "" In this world, the commonly consumed milk wasn¡¯t the usual cow milk of earth, but was instead goat milk. However, its peculiar pungent aroma and flavor didn¡¯t allow people to drink it raw, so people in this world would usually mix it with juice or herbs. After unloading the meal and beverage from the cart and serving them on the table, Rinea left the room. ¡¸Let¡¯s eat, Nut.¡¹ ¡¸Yes~, Kuroki-sama~.¡¹ Kuroki reached out his hand and picked up the white bread. Even though this world had spoons and knives people could use for eating, scooping and cutting, they had yet to invent other miscellaneous cutlery such as forks and chopsticks, which was normal since eating with your hands was the norm here; such cutlery commonly used in Japan were not needed. Kuroki noticed that the bread today was quite voluminous compared to the previous days. The bread in this world was commonly made without the use of yeast, so there was never a need for fermentation. But, it seemed like today the kitchen had used yeast in the bread recipe, which made the bread quite fluffy. Kuroki tore a small piece from the loaf, dipped it in the soup, then placed it in his mouth, making sure to savor the taste. To his side, Nut was enjoying his pickled fruit with the same relish. ¡¸Well, the problem is, what should I do from now on?¡¹ Kuroki was pondering about such matters as he enjoyed his meal. ¡ô The Alreana Temple was built on top of the hill located in the middle of the Holy Republic of Lenaria. When the Holy Republic of Lenaria was founded, its foundation and infrastructure was first built around the hill¡¯s base. The country only reached its current state after several hundred years of expansion, which now made it one of the largest countries and made it occupy both the summit and base of the hill. Kyouka¡¯s maid opened the door and a knight entered the room, he bowed to Chiyuki and the others. From his attire and demeanor, one could conclude that he was a temple knight. In this world, countries were always preoccupied with monster invasions and would send off their knights to fend off their attacks. It was no wonder that waging wars against other countries was impossible¡ªthey were all too busy fighting their common enemy: monsters. The knights of each country had a specific common job. The job mainly consisted of eradicating the monsters around the main roads leading to their country on a regular basis and also protecting anyone passing through these roads. As for the citizens in the country and the inner city¡¯s public order, that job was reserved for soldiers. The reason behind the clear separation of responsibilities between soldiers and knights was because the scope of the job greatly differed. The knights¡¯ responsibilities covered much more than the protection of the city-state itself. They had to combat the more powerful monsters, who often popped out around the country and its highway roads unless the area was sweeped regularly, which greatly affects the usage of the main roads. In a way, the knights¡¯ combat with the monsters not only saved the passersby of the highways, but also saved the popularity and economic livelihood of the country as the highways would not be used by merchants and tourists if they were constantly haunted by the appearance of monsters. Of course, with such a pressuring responsibility came more power and better ressources, for example, knights are always given horses for easier travel. However, with such power and freedom came conditions. One couldn¡¯t become a knight unless they were extremely proficient in combat. Moreover, knights are demanded to swear absolute loyalty towards the country and its ruler since it¡¯ll be troublesome if such powerful humans were to rebel against the nation. However, it was different for the knights of the Holy Republic of Lenaria, especially the temple knights. Their loyalty was sworn towards the Goddess herself, Arlena. The official name of the Arlena Temple knights was the Cygnus Knights. Their name was inspired by the swan, the Goddess Arlena¡¯s totem and holy bird. In the first place, the founding father of the Holy Republic of Lenaria was a Cygnus Knight named Rowen. He pledged his allegiance to the Goddess, and built a country dedicated to her. His successors did the same, they pledged their allegiance to the Goddess and followed her mantle, fighting day and night to protect the people from monsters and protecting the temple. And the man standing before Chiyuki was one of the Cygnus Knights. ¡¸Thank you very much for sparing some of your time to come here despite being busy with the countermeasures against the Perdas, Lord Boven. Please take a seat.¡¹ Boven sat in the available seat after receiving Chiyuki¡¯s permission. Boven was the leader of the Temple Knights. He was 56 years old this year. His every movement exuded elegance, befitting of his position as a noble of this country. Despite being busy with the countermeasures against the Perdas, he had still come in a hurry to meet Chiyuki and the others. The Holy Republic of Lenaria was located in the middle of wetlands in Vandohl¡¯s plain, and demon beasts, called Perda, were living close to those wetlands. ¡¸It¡¯s not true, the one who executed the countermeasures is Shirone-sama and her companions. All we do is chase these beasts away to their homes. But then, it doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re in a hurry to do so.¡¹ Boven told Chiyuki with a hearty smile on his face. Perdas were brutal demon beasts, their strength too much for normal humans to handle. Even the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s Temple Knights, the Cygnus Knights, who were hailed as the strongest knight group in the center of the eastern continent were struggling against them. Thus, the temple requested for Reiji, a hero, to help them in this regard. But since Reiji was still under medical care, the trio consisting of Shirone, Rino, and Nao took up the responsibility and were the ones who helped the knights. Though they weren¡¯t as powerful as Reiji, they were still far more powerful than the knights. They could do what the Temple knights couldn¡¯t do. ¡¸I see, that¡¯s good then.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, so, is something the matter today, Chiyuki-sama?¡¹ Boven didn¡¯t beat around the bush, he asked Chiyuki about the reason for him being summoned. Thus, Chiyuki frankly responded. ¡¸Let¡¯s get to the point then, Lord Boven. What do you think about the content of this package?¡¹ Chiyuki asked Boven, pointing at the package that was placed on top of the desk. Boven tilted his head, puzzled by the sudden question. ¡¸My apologies, Chiyuki-sama. I can¡¯t answer your question since I don¡¯t have the required magic to see through the package. May I ask for permission to open it and see what¡¯s inside?¡¹ Boven¡¯s words were quite blunt, but still overflowed with elegance. He was merely stating the truth since he couldn¡¯t use clairvoyant magic and couldn¡¯t guess what was inside the package. ¡¸I apologize, but I can¡¯t let you see the insides of the package because this room will be filled by its stinky smell once you open it.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Then, may I ask what¡¯s inside?¡¹ Boven tilted his head again. ¡¸Poison extracted from a manticore¡¯s body. It¡¯s an extremely deadly poison. Lord Boven you should be rather familiar with this.¡¹ Chiyuki had heard of a piece of old information that dated three years back. It was about the sudden appearance of a manticore around this area, a demon beast who should¡¯ve lived in the western region of the continent. She heard that numerous people fell victim to that manticore. Naturally, Boven who was already the knights¡¯ leader at that time should have been the spearhead of the manticore¡¯s subjugation; it was impossible for him not to know about it. ¡¸Manticore¡¯s poison? But, what does this matter have to do with me, Chiyuki-sama?¡¹ Boven¡¯s question was natural. Chiyuki continued her explanation. ¡¸This particular item arrived into my hands by sheer coincidence. But, I hear that this type of poison has been appearing frequently in the market during the last three years. Do you know anything about this, Lord Boven?¡¹ ¡¸The poison of a demon beast that lives in the western side of the continent appearing frequently in this market? How can it be?¡¹ The poison sealed inside this package was the poison that came through a manticore¡¯s excretion. Since it wasn¡¯t strong enough to melt steel like the poison discharged from a manticore¡¯s tail, it could be carried around inside a container. The problem was its smell, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal either as long as it was kept inside an airtight container. Since that poison had numerous uses, it was sold for a high price. But, the problem here was that this monster originally lived in the western part of the continent¡ªit was strange for its poison to be found in this country. Volume 1 - CH 14.3 Act 1-14.3 : Cygnus¡¯s Knight ¡¸Exactly. Normally, we can¡¯t get our hands on this kind of item. But, it¡¯s a different story if there¡¯s one living so close to us. For example, the one that attacked people from three years ago.¡¹ ¡¸£¡¡¹ Upon hearing Chiyuki¡¯s words, Boven sprang up in surprise. His reaction to this kind of revelation was several times more turbulent than his surprise at the presence of the manticore¡¯s poison; the severity of these two issues couldn¡¯t even compare. ¡¸No way, Chiyuki-sama! Do you mean the manticore of that time has survived? Even with such severe wounds? I mean, we thought we killed it since we never saw it again later¡­¡¹ Boven shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe such reality. ¡¸Sure enough, there¡¯s no information about a manticore appearing again in this area later. And yet, you can find manticore¡¯s poison appearing frequently in the market, don¡¯t you think that this is strange?¡¹ The situation was rather peculiar. The frequency of the appearance of such poison was impossible in normal circumstances. The reason being that gathering the poison from a wild manticore¡¯s excrement was only achievable under specific circumstances, which was that the beast itself and its poison were in their natural habitat. In other environments, such as in this country, the poison¡¯s efficacy would not last as it would be purified as soon as rain falls. The only way the poison could retain its efficacy in such an environment would be if they were still in the area, raised as a pet. But, manticores are extremely dangerous demon beasts. Furthermore, they prefer human meat over other kinds of meat. They¡¯re cunning and can use magic. Normally, it should be impossible for humans to tame them. ¡¸So that means, someone hid the severely wounded manticore of that time.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I also arrived to that conclusion.¡¹ Chiyuki and Boven were in agreement with each other¡¯s reasonings. Normally, it should be impossible for a human to tame a manticore. But, the manticore was a cunning demon beast. It would gladly cooperate with humans as long as their interests matched. It most likely cooperated with a good-for-nothing fellow to satiate to its man eating habit. It was a great way to feast on human flesh without attracting any unwanted attention, especially when it currently dwelled in a foreign country. ¡¸Such a thing is¡­ Oh well, about this matter, Chiyuki-sama¡­¡¹ Chiyuki looked at Kyouka and Kaya upon hearing Boven¡¯s words. ¡¸Our discussion is unintentionally getting longer than what I originally intended. Lord Boven, Kyouka-san over here has an offer for you. You two should know each other already.¡¹ When Chiyuki and the others had set on their journey to subjugate the Demon King, Kyouka Founded Midou company in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. The company was built in accordance to Kaya¡¯s business plans, Kyouka had started the company for Kaya since she was preoccupied at the time. It was a joint effort between Kyouka and Kaya with Kaya being the major stakeholder of the company. However, what was initially intended as a small company grew bigger and bigger as the days went by, until it became the country¡¯s largest and most successful company. Kaya henceforth became the wealthiest person in the country, Kyouka being not far behind as her aid. The company dealt with various services, one of them being providing escorts for travelling cargos. The business was running very smoothly until a recent accident occured: a caravan escorted by Midou company was attacked by goblins on its way back to the Holy Republic of Lenaria. This was not to say that caravans and Midou escorts had never suffered any attacks; however, this one was particularly serious as the cargo¡¯s couriers suffered fatal wounds, resulting in their death. Naturally, the cargo¡¯s escorts did their best to protect the cargo and managed to repel the goblins, but still, lives were lost. Since the couriers had now passed away, the rest of the team were puzzled as to where they had to send the cargo now. Thus, they decided to take it back to the country and leave it to the higher ups to find the original owner. The cargo, therefore, was sent to Kyouka and Kaya. Kyouka and Kaya tried to find the source of the cargo. However, despite their attempt to find the original owner of the cargo, they failed to do so. Not having any other choice, they decided to deal with the issue by looking at the contents of the cargo and figuring out how to dispose of them. What they didn¡¯t expect was for them to find a highly dangerous and rancid substance¡ªthe manticore¡¯s poison. These events happened five days ago. Chiyuki finished her explanation to Boven. ¡¸Thanks to our stinky luck, the entire mansion was filled with its foul smell!¡¹ "" Kyouka¡¯s anger ignited whenever she recalled that time. The poison that was excreted from a manticore¡¯s abdomen smelled extremely putrid. Just opening the package was enough to fill the entire place with its smell. Nevertheless, she had heard of the serious issue that occurred with that cargo, so they had no other option but to open the package since they didn¡¯t know what was inside, and the result was a disaster. £¨It was the same for me.£© After they had opened the package and were assaulted by its smell, Kyouka and Kaya had no idea what it was. So, they decided to get Chiyuki¡¯s help and leave the investigation to her. Chiyuki had a well established network, so, using her connection with the Magician¡¯s Association, she managed to find out that the substance was the manticore¡¯s poison. Chiyuki recalled the horror she experienced during the examination process. She had stayed in the examination room for a long time and had to endure the reeking stench of the manticore¡¯s poison; she truly felt like dying. ¡¸I see now¡­ But then, what about the cargo¡¯s couriers, who were they? If even the Merchant¡¯s Association didn¡¯t know about them, then they might not be citizens of this country, but¡­¡¹ Chiyuki stated as she glanced at Kaya. ¡¸As Chiyuki said earlier, we had concluded that the original owner of that cargo might not be a citizen of this country. Thus we expanded our search range to the outer city, and this is something that we found out after the investigation. But, along with that, we found numerous cases of people mysteriously disappearing one after the other.¡¹ Kaya reported the result of her investigation. Truthfully speaking, doing this kind of search mission was Nao¡¯s forte, but she was currently dispatched to deal with the Perdas. Thus, this matter was handled by Kaya and her subordinates, which led them to find those many disappearing cases. ¡¸Missing and disappearance cases? Impossible! I mean, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a thing?¡¹ Chiyuki heaved a sigh seeing Boven¡¯s reaction. The public order inside of the rampart was left for the vigilantes and guard soldiers, while the outside of the rampart was left for the knights. This meant that knights were also in charge of protecting the outer city, which was located outside of the rampart. But, since in general, countries had no cities outside of the rampart, the knights¡¯ jobs were to only fight monsters. This, however, also included protecting the farmers who cultivated their lands outside of the rampart and anyone who passed the highway and main roads. However, in the Holy Republic of Lenaria, things were different¡ªan outer city existed. Yet, the Temple Knights stuck to the status quo of other countries and tended to overly focus on the monsters, completely neglecting the outer city and its people. This was the reason why the manticore could remain hidden from the Temple Knights¡¯ eyes. Chiyuki was well aware that Boven didn¡¯t cut corners when he did his job. But, his eyes were basically dead set on the monsters, completely overlooking the disputes amongst humans. Thus, he didn¡¯t even know about the crimes committed by the outer city¡¯s people¡ªthere would always exist individuals who were as dangerous as monsters. ¡¸Lord Boven. I know that it¡¯s your duty to protect the people from monsters, but I think you have to spare some of your time and attention to the situation in the outer city too.¡¹ After hearing Chiyuki¡¯s words, Boven couldn¡¯t speak for a while. ¡¸Huhm¡­ But, Chiyuki-sama, I hear that the Freedom Fighter association has been working together with the warrior groups to maintain the outer city¡¯s public order. What were those people doing all this time?¡¹ Chiyuki sent a glance to Kaya upon hearing Boven¡¯s question. ¡¸Boven-sama, this system is exactly the problem. During our investigation into the disappearance cases, a warrior group¡¯s name always came out in every single case. Their group is called the Black Fang. The leader is a man called Gendor, his nickname is ¡°Man-Eater¡±. This is the biggest warrior group in the outer city and they were nominated by the association to maintain the public order.¡¹ ¡¸Gendor? I¡¯ve heard about him before. He should be one of the Freedom Fighters who participated in the manticore subjugation three years ago.¡¹ Boven nodded as soon as he heard Gendor¡¯s name from Kaya. They sometimes employed the Freedom Fighters when they felt that their manpower was lacking personnel. As Chiyuki had guessed, the knights had employed Freedom Fighters for the manticore¡¯s subjugation three years ago. ¡¸Yes. The one you¡¯re referring to might be that Gendor. During the investigation, we found many fishy and dangerous rumors about him. Moreover, it seems that this warrior group is accumulating a lot of money and riches without any clear source, which is a real problem. I mean, where on earth are they getting that much money? In addition, many of the missing people have a connection with Gendor. They were either hostile towards him, or were his targets for some reason or another.¡¹ Boven was frowning upon hearing Kaya¡¯s explanation. ¡¸Do you mean that Gendor is the one who hid the manticore all along¡­¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. We found from our investigation that manticores are quite gluttonous. Moreover, they prefer human meat over other kinds of meat. Then you have the disappearance cases happening frequently. I honestly don¡¯t want to imagine what happened to those people after their disappearance, but¡­¡¹ Chiyuki shook her head. ¡¸I see, now I know why Chiyuki-sama summoned me here. You want me to search for the one called Gendor, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Also, please note that we¡¯re only requesting you to look into it and deal with the issue; we¡¯re not thinking of getting ourselves involved in this. Truthfully speaking, the public order in the outer city should be kept by the knights. We just wanted to get Lord Boven¡¯s attention into this case, that¡¯s why I called you here.¡¹ ¡¸No, we¡¯ll deal with it even without your request. We¡¯re the ones responsible for our failure in subjugating the manticore. I never expected that such a dangerous demon beast was lurking right in front of us, trampling the Holy Land of our Goddess¡­¡¹ Chiyuki nodded upon hearing Boven¡¯s words. They had to make their move as soon as possible. Initially, Chiyuki and the others could¡¯ve dealt with it right away, but after properly considering it, she felt that the problems of the humans of this world should be dealt with by the original inhabitants of this world. That¡¯s why she had no intention to get herself or the others involved more than necessary. ¡¸Lord Boven, though I think that the manticore isn¡¯t as powerful as the Perdas, it¡¯s still a dangerous demon beast. Please be very careful when you deal with it.¡¹ ¡¸I understand, Chiyuki-sama. We fought it once before. Seeing that we¡¯re going to fight in the outer city, I guess we have to dispatch our Heavy Warrior unit.¡¹ ¡¸The Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s Heavy Warriors, huh? I guess our worries are unnecessary.¡¹ All citizens in this country were believers of the Goddess of War. That¡¯s why they¡¯re trained as warriors from childhood. Since all the citizens are warriors, for them the people who join the Heavy Warrior unit are the toughest. They are the strongest warriors in the country and they protect this country along with the Temple Knights. When deemed as necessary, the Temple Knights¡¯ Commander had the right to dispatch them. ¡¸Please wait a minute!¡¹ Suddenly, Kyouka interrupted. ¡¸Is something the matter, Kyouka-san?¡¹ ¡¸Let me join too. I¡¯ll make sure they pay for filling my room with that stinky smell.¡¹ Chiyuki pressed her throbbing temple upon hearing those words. Kyouka isn¡¯t that skilled in using magic, that¡¯s why she would be nothing but a hindrance. ¡¸In that case, let me join too, Chiyuki-sama, I¡¯ll accompany her. Let¡¯s also add escorts from our company.¡¹ Chiyuki heaved a relieved sigh after hearing Kaya¡¯s proposal. Defeating that manticore might be a piece of cake for Kaya because she was the second strongest after Reiji in close quarter combat. ¡¸Yup, I guess there¡¯s nothing to worry about since Kaya-san will accompany you. But, please be careful, Kyouka-san.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, leave it to me.¡¹ Kyouka flashed a smile as she said those words. Chiyuki couldn¡¯t help but feel worried seeing that smile. Volume 1 - CH 15.1 Act 1-15.1 : Encounter With Hero¡¯s Little Sister Since the outer city¡¯s buildings were all built haphazardlly and the roads weren¡¯t paved, the soldiers found it difficult to find what they were looking for. Moreover, the outer city housed a huge number of people that it proved to be impossible for the operation to run as smoothly as they expected. Nevertheless, the soldier had somehow managed to encircle their targeted building. Lucullus, the leader of the Temple Knights¡¯ 3rd unit was entrusted as the leader of this operation by Boven. He stood tall in front of the large shabby building, behind him and his army, curious onlookers gazed at them, waiting to see how this situation would develop. ¡¸Why must we do this, captain? I mean, it doesn¡¯t matter what happens to the citizens of the outer city anyway. Well, it¡¯s a different story when it comes to cute girls though.¡¹ Lucullus kneaded his furrowed brows after hearing his subordinate¡¯s arrogant statement. ¡¸So Hyullus, does that mean you¡¯ll just ignore a manticore running rampant, leaving it to eat people left and right?¡¹ Hyullus was a Temple Knight who had turned 19 years old this year, he was younger than Lucullus by 8 years and had only been knighted last year. He was also a noble born and Boven¡¯s nephew. Others might say that he only managed to join the Temple Knights¡¯ unit due to his relation with the Temple Knights¡¯ leader and his status as a highborn, but the truth of the matter was that he had immense talent in both swordsmanship and magic¡ªhe was the real deal. However, it was a pity that Hyullus had such an arrogant and unruly personality as well as extremely bad habits; he would always ditch his duties and go play around. If not for his talent and high status as Boven¡¯s nephew, he would have already been expelled from the knight order. As for Lucullus, he could only become a knight thanks to Boven¡¯s help, that¡¯s why he was looking after Hyullus¡ªhe wanted to pay his debt of gratitude to Boven. ¡¸But still, there are so many people in there. Are you sure there¡¯s a manticore inside of this building? How could it house so many people and a beast at the same time?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m sure. This building is the Black Fang¡¯s base and our prior investigations have revealed that there¡¯s a manticore inside.¡¹ ¡¸I see now, but don¡¯t you think we¡¯re going overboard with this formation?¡¹ Hyullus questioned him as he looked at his surroundings. In addition to the Temple Knights¡¯ unit, the troops also consisted of the Heavy Warrior unit, the Archery unit, and the Mage unit. Yet, Lucullus still felt that it was not enough. If he could he would have increased the army¡¯s manpower for this operation, because he knew just how dangerous that manticore was¡ªhe had lost many of his teammates during the manticore¡¯s subjugation three years ago. ¡¸Hyullus, you might have no idea since you never fought a manticore before, but this is still far from enough. Don¡¯t underestimate our enemy.¡¹ Lucullus glared at the building as he warned Hyullus. ¡¸Okay, okay. By the way, captain, who are those girls over there? Are they going to fight the manticore too?¡¹ Hyullus was pointing at the group of armed girls in front of them. They were the only group who seemed to be out of place in this kind of situation. Amongst them were a girl wearing a maid uniform and a girl who brought a parasol and held it up to shield herself from the sun. It was as if they had come here for sightseeing. "" ¡¸That¡¯s the hero Reiji-sama¡¯s little sister¡¯s private unit. YOU-ABSOLUTELY-MUST-NOT-MESS-AROUND-WITH-THEM.¡¹ Lucullus was well aware of Hyullus¡¯s womanizing habits. But, even though Hyullus had a high status and looks that can be considered as handsome, he knew that those girls were simply out of his league. The Hero of Light, Reiji, was a man loved and blessed by the Goddess. He was famous for exterminating many monsters and saving people. Due to his heroic deeds, he was surrounded by many beautiful women, all waiting upon him. These women were forbidden fruits for everyone except the hero. A horrible execution would occur to anyone who dared to put their hands on those women. The same went for his little sister. In fact, Lucullus knew that the hero¡¯s little sister had her own problems as well. She was a ticking time bomb in every sense of the word. ¡¸Hee, so that beauty is the famous hero¡¯s lil¡¯ sis, I guess I have to do my best to woo her, huh.¡¹ Lucullus face palmed in agony upon hearing what Hyullus just said. ¡¸You, do you want to turn this place into a vacant plot of land due to explosion magic?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What do you mean?¡¹ Hyullus seemed to be puzzled about Lucullus¡¯s random question. ¡¸An idiot tried to make a pass at her before¡­ And that idiot got that angry princess¡¯s explosion magic right on the face. That incident also damaged the main street and caused some casualties. That¡¯s why, do not try to woo her, this is an order! Now go back to your rank and prepare for combat!¡¹ Lucullus gave his order as he looked at the building. There was almost no movement from the Black Fang¡¯s members, who should have been inside this building. ¡¸Captain, don¡¯t you think that they¡¯re too quiet even after seeing this encirclement? It¡¯s as if there¡¯s no one inside of the base.¡¹ Hyllus was right. ¡¸You¡¯re right, it¡¯s too quiet. Did they notice us beforehand? What about the lookouts, any new reports from them?¡¹ Lucullus had prepared lookouts around the building before the operation¡¯s commencement. It was a safety procedure in case anyone was tipped off and tried to flee before they arrived. According to them, none of the upper echelons or the Black Fang¡¯s leader left the base since yesterday. ¡¸This is bad, captain. They might have outwitted us this time.¡¹ ¡¸It seems so. Someone, come and take a look inside their base!¡¹ Ten soldiers followed Lucullus¡¯s command and broke into the Black Fang¡¯s base. A few minutes hadn¡¯t even passed before they came back out with worried expressions. ¡¸Reporting! We can¡¯t find any trace of people inside at all!¡¹ As he listened to every word of this report, Lucullus became more and more flustered. ¡¸Damn it! They got us! ALL MEMBERs CHARGE!!¡¹ ¡ô There were so many soldiers surrounding the Black Fang¡¯s base. Kuroki had been observing the situation since the beginning, posing as a curious onlooker. Before he even realized it, it was already noon. In this world, armies would never march or attack after sunset. This status quo was set as such due to the nature of the majority of monsters¡ªthey were all nocturnal beings and could perfectly see and fight in the darkness of the night. It was the opposite for humans though as they had limited vision in the darkness, the night¡¯s darkness was not the best condition for them to fight. The Black Fang members were all human, so they also couldn¡¯t escape during the night prior to the operation. However, it was unfortunate that the knights who led the battalion didn¡¯t seem to be capable of thinking outside of the box. ¡¸Did Dozumi and his companion manage to safely leave this country?¡¹ Kuroki felt worried for Dozumi. Even though he had only known Dozumi for a short time, they had chatted quite a lot during these few days and had bonded over many things. He also knew that Dozumi was really happy to be able to get a lover after so many years of singlehood. That¡¯s why Kuroki wished for his and his lover¡¯s safety. Around this time, Dozumi and his lover should have already left the Holy Republic of Lenaria and started heading back to his homeland. ¡¸Uhn? I don¡¯t really understand humans, but they probably took the chance to escape when it was presented to them.¡¹ Kuroki nodded as he agreed with Nut. £¨Yeah, I gave Dozumi this chance. I hope he safely managed to get away.£© "" Kuroki recalled the moment he parted with Dozumi, the latter cried his eyes out as if asking why they had to leave him behind. Dozumi shouldn¡¯t meet any particular problem on his journey since Kuroki had given him quite a lot of gems as a congratulatory gift for his marriage with Rinea. The other members also shouldn¡¯t face any problems since he had divided Gendor¡¯s long amassed wealth between them all. He just hoped that they would use this newfound wealth to live a proper and honest life from now on. Nevertheless, Nut had played a huge role in their escape. Thanks to his daily investigations he had allowed Kuroki and the others to outwit the soldiers dispatched by the temple. It was also thanks to him that Kuroki could pinpoint the lookouts¡¯ exact locations, which made him decide to use his magic to cheat their eyes, creating an illusion that nobody left the base and giving the Black Fang members the chance to flee without being noticed. The whole building was empty, only one person was left in there¡ªthe party¡¯s former leader, Gendor. The reason why they left Gendor behind was because carrying him along would only slow them down, but they didn¡¯t plan to leave him behind for long as there was a possibility for him to be treated by the temple. He had yet to wake up from the nightmare magic Kuroki had casted upon him and there was a high possibility that he¡¯s receive medical treatment that could dispel the curse if left in the base to be found, which could pose as a great threat to Kuroki who didn¡¯t want his involvement be known. It would completely destroy his goal of coming here incognito to investigate the hero¡¯s party. That¡¯s why he was just waiting for the right time to retrieve him. Kuroki observed the soldiers surrounding the building as they investigated it. The Temple Knights were by far the most eye-catching in the whole formation, mostly due to their superior armament, which was considered one of the best. The Temple Knights¡¯¡ªalso known as Cygnus Knights¡ªarmament consisted of a dwarven made white full plate armor that was light yet extremely durable. The weapon was a longsword with a long handle, perfectly designed so that their attacks could reach their enemies even when they were mounted on a horse. The shield was kite shaped and was long enough to protect the knights¡¯ feet when riding a horse, the surface painted with a swan crest, the Goddess¡¯s holy bird. As for the helmet, as if to imitate a swan, elegant wing shaped ornaments adorned it on either side, near the position where the ears would be. It was truly a superb ensemble. Kuroki had heard before that all the equipment was provisioned for the knights. It was truly extravagant as normally, knights should be the ones responsible for their own equipment and its procurement. Moreover, the equipment was provided by the country since most knights were its young nobles. In front of those knights were soldiers who held spears and giant shields; they were the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s prided Heavy Warrior unit. £¨What an impressive line up and yet¡­ Aren¡¯t they a bit overboard here?£© Kuroki was walking while looking at the people encircling the base. ¡¸Uhm? What¡¯s that?¡¹ He couldn¡¯t help but mutter those words as he noticed some people who stood out from the rest. They were a group of girls with extremely striking appearances. He knew just by looking at their dresses that those girls weren¡¯t citizens of the outer city¡ªtheir clothes were made of high quality fabric. Some of those girls were dressed like warriors and others were dressed as maids. That group of girls was really conspicuous amongst the troops who encircled the building. Kuroki was looking at the center of that group. £¨What is that beautiful chick doing in this kind of place?£© The girl who stood in the center of that group was an extremely beautiful girl. Furthermore, Kuroki felt that he had seen her face somewhere before. That girl was definitely a well-bred woman or a princess, her hair was silky smooth, with a beautiful sheen to it, and her eyes were filled with strong determination. Both her clothes and her accessories were made of higher quality materials than the girls around her. That princess stood in the center of the group, it looked like everything and everyone should revolve around her. £¨Who is she, I wonder?£© Kuroki was pondering about that matter while looking at the girl. ¡¸Kuroki-sama. That¡¯s the Exploding Princess you know.¡¹ Nut stated as he glanced at the princess-like girl. ¡¸Exploding princess?! What the heck is with that name?!¡¹ Kuroki was baffled and wondered about the cause behind her getting such an ominous nickname. £¨I mean, something must have happened for her to get such a weird nickname.£© Upon seeing Kuroki¡¯s confused face, Nut started explaining the origin of the name. ¡¸I heard that she got that nickname after she demolished various things with her explosion magic.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­¡¹ Kuroki was dumbfounded hearing such a simple reason. ¡¸In addition, she¡¯s also the hero¡¯s little sister.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Kuroki was even more surprised by the second revelation. £¨The hero¡¯s¡­ little sister?! So that means she¡¯s Reiji¡¯s little sister.£© Kuroki was really surprised after finding out she was Reiji¡¯s sister. He was also shocked after recognizing the fact that there were other people who were summoned to this world other than the ones who raided the Demon King¡¯s castle. He felt some sort of irritation when he thought of the fact that he was the only one left out and summoned to the other side of the conflict. £¨But still, this is also my chance.£© Kuroki started devising a plan to approach Reiji¡¯s little sister. This was his biggest chance since his original goal was to know the situation on the hero¡¯s side. He strained his ears to listen, trying to pick up any useful information from the little sister. £¨Eh? Why can¡¯t I hear anything at all?£© Kuroki who had gained superhuman hearing after being summoned to this world should have been able to eavesdrop from afar as long as he strained his ears a bit. Yet, he couldn¡¯t hear the conversation amongst the girls¡¯ group. £¨Let¡¯s try to get closer to them.£© Was what he thought, only to realize that he couldn¡¯t get closer since she was surrounded by so many people. ¡¸Ah! They¡¯re breaking into the base!¡¹ Nut, who stood on Kuroki¡¯s shoulder, exclaimed as he looked at the Temple Knights. It seemed they had decided to enter at once after they sent a few people to enter first and scout the building. ¡¸CHARGEEE!¡¹ When the person who looked like the commander of this operation gave his order, the Heavy Warriors went into the building, followed by the Temple Knights. Volume 1 - CH 15.2 Act 1-15.2 : Encounter With Hero¡¯s Little Sister Some of the girls around Reiji¡¯s little sister also entered the building, thus, thinning out the escorts around her. £¨This might be my only chance.£© Kuroki decided to approach her. But, remembering his initial mission, he started worrying about Gendor being found out before he was able to fetch him. He hesitated for a moment, then steeled his resolve. ¡¸Nut, can you help me monitor the situation inside the building?¡¹ ¡¸Roger that.¡¹ Nut descended from Kuroki¡¯s shoulder and went to spy on the knights¡¯ activities inside the building. £¨Well then, it¡¯s my turn.£© Kuroki put on his hood, focusing for a moment to activate his invisibility magic. After succeeding, he slowly approached Reiji¡¯s little sister. She was currently leisurely chatting with the maid beside her. The girl dressed as a maid was of a rather petite stature. Her ink-black hair was sleekly tied up in a dumpling shaped bun with braids around it*. Her bangs loosely hung down on her cold and expressionless face; it was as if a Noh mask was plastered on it. [TL: Saber from fate/Stay Night¡¯s hairstyle.] Contrary to the lively little sister, the maid never spoke more than necessary, only responding with a few perfunctory words from time to time. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, it was as if the hero¡¯s little sister was talking to a doll. Once he got closer, to some extent, Kuroki could hear their voice. "" ¡¸It seems they¡¯re finally breaking in, Milady.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s quite good. I was getting tired of waiting.¡¹ The little sister replied with a bored look on her face. ¡¸But this is indeed strange. I can¡¯t seem to hear any fighting sound. Maybe there really is no one inside the building.¡¹ The woman called Kaya tilted her head. ¡¸Oh my, could it be that they outmanoeuvred us?¡¹ ¡¸That might be so, Milady. It seems they sniffed our movements first and fled as fast as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? How disappointing. Could it be that, that demon beast called man-whatever it is, is also no longer in there?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s called a manticore, Milady. I have no idea whether that demon beast is in there or not. But in case that demon beast is in there, make sure that you don¡¯t move from your current position. The area around here is protected by a barrier. But, just now, a simple magic¡­¡¹ The maid called Kaya didn¡¯t finish her sentence. ¡¸Is something the matter, Kaya?¡¹ Reiji¡¯s little sister was looking at her maid in puzzlement. "" ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. How about we move around for a while, Milady?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t mind. Are you sure that there really is no problem, Kaya?¡¹ ¡¸It seems a stray rat has sneaked in. You lot, protect Milady.¡¹ The maid called Kaya ordered the other escort girls. At that exact same moment. Kuroki bent over as low as possible. Something really fast flashed by the place where Kuroki¡¯s head, or chin to be exact, was a moment ago. £¨Roundhouse kick?!£© The maid, Kaya, after speaking her orders, had suddenly jumped and sent an extremely accurate roundhouse kick aimed at Kuroki¡¯s chin. Had Kuroki reacted just a tiny bit slower, he would have been knocked out for sure. After seeing her frighteningly accurate kick aiming for his chin, Kuroki had no doubt at all about his current situation. £¨I was found out!£© Kuroki was always confident about his invisibility magic. In fact, nobody other than the maid called Kaya had noticed his presence. It seems she could see through Kuroki¡¯s invisibility spell. He was really surprised as this was the first time his magic had not been exceedingly effective. However, Kuroki had no time to dwell on these thoughts as another attack was aiming for him. Kaya, using her roundhouse kick¡¯s momentum, spun in the air and sent a heel crush towards Kuroki, who was still bent over from the previous attack. £¨BLACK LACE!!!£© Kuroki¡¯s superhuman dynamic vision captured the content underneath Kaya¡¯s skirt. Normally, he would¡¯ve spent his time enjoying such a scene, but the current situation didn¡¯t grant him such happiness. Kuroki quickly rolled away to the side to dodge the descending heel attack. The ground where that heel crush fell was obliterated to smithereens, scattering away bits of soil in the air. ¡¸For you to be able to dodge my attack! Speak of your identity?!¡¹ Kaya screamed. But, Kuroki didn¡¯t have the leeway to answer her since he was occupied with dodging her relentless attacks. As soon as he dodged the heel crush, Kaya launched another chain of attacks. ¡¸Leyline Wave!¡¹ Kaya struck the ground with her fist, sending a shockwave through the ground, and attacking Kuroki in the process. ¡¸Tch! WAIT!!¡¹ Kuroki, who spotted the innocent bystanders behind him, saw the imminent danger they would face due to Kaya¡¯s attack. Trying to stop the oncoming chaos and casualties, he struck the ground with his fist, imitating Kaya¡¯s attack and stopping its momentum. ¡¸GOTCHA!¡¹ Kuroki had no time to feel relieved. Kaya instantly closed in the distance between them. Her movements were fast and sharp, with no wasted effort or strength at all. Even Kuroki thought that her motions were beautiful. ¡¸STEEL PIERCING DEMOLITION FIST!¡¹ Kaya sent out a punch. £¨What the?!£© Kuroki bent his body a little to the back. Kaya slid into that momentary opening, destroying Kuroki¡¯s stance even further. £¨NOW!£© Kuroki grabbed Kaya¡¯s outstretched hand, and flung her away. £¨OH CR4P! I ENDED UP FLINGING HER BY INSTINCT!£© The throwing skill Kuroki used was an overhead throw, a counter-attack that allowed the user to drop their opponent head first on the ground. At this rate, Kaya¡¯s head would smash hard on the ground; it¡¯ll be extremely painful and might even cause severe damage. Thinking like this, the flustered Kuroki propped Kaya¡¯s back with his other hand and forcefully dropped her on her bottom. At least it was less dangerous. ¡¸Ugh!¡¹ Kaya moaned in pain. It was still painful even when she was dropped bottom first. ¡¸S-Sorry!¡¹ Kuroki ended up apologizing too. ¡¸You ruffian, what are you doing to Kaya?!¡¹ When Kuroki raised his head, he saw Reiji¡¯s little sister already heading towards his direction. Different from Kaya, her movements were that of a complete amateur with zero history in martial arts. She also had a hard time running due to her long skirt. Just as he was thinking that this skirt was really inconvenient, the little princess got tangled in it and stumbled on her own feet. At this rate she would fall head first, Kuroki nervously mused. ¡¸WATCH OUT!¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s body moved on its own to catch the falling Princess. Funyu~ Instead of the waist he was aiming for, Kuroki¡¯s hand grabbed and rested on something soft and elastic. ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!¡¹ What his hand grabbed on to was the little sister¡¯s b00bs. ¡¸YOU HENTAI!¡¹ "" A powerful wave of mana was released from the little sister¡¯s body as soon as she screamed. £¨OH CR4P! SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY SHE GOT THAT DANGEROUS NAME! CR4P! AT THIS RATE, THIS AREA WILL BE¡­!£© Kuroki hurriedly gathered his mana in both hands. He seized the sister¡¯s invoked magic, and flung it away to the sky. Unluckily, his hood was flipped up for a few seconds in the process. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ The little sister¡¯s eyes widened. Her and Kuroki¡¯s gaze interlocked for a moment. From the air above them, the sound of thundering explosions reverberated. Kuroki turned around and was faced with rising fumes coming from the vanished top floor of the Black Fang¡¯s base. ¡¸CR4P!!¡¹ Kuroki unintentionally shouted loudly. In a hurry, he had tossed away the magic randomly, forgetting to throw it as far away as he could. Yet, no other building was destroyed, save for the Black Fang¡¯s base. Kuroki didn¡¯t know if this made him lucky or not. £¨Please be safe, Nut!£© Kuroki fixed his hood and ran towards the building in haste. The soldiers and escorts who had gone into the building were now scrambling out, trying to quickly leave the building. Kuroki dodged them, running towards the building to find Nut. "" ¡¸Kuroki-sama~!¡¹ It was Nut¡¯s voice. Kuroki quickly scanned the area and finally spotted Nut¡¯s figure. He was running amongst the people hurriedly escaping the building. £¨Nut, thank God you¡¯re safe! Let¡¯s escape from this place!£© Thanks to the Fire Rat species¡¯ innate ability, Nut had immediately sensed the oncoming danger and escaped beforehand. Hearing Kuroki¡¯s telepathic thoughts, Nut ran as fast as possible as they both fled the area. Kuroki could hear the sound of a crumbling building behind him. £¨We must leave this place immediately!£© When he looked over his shoulder, Kuroki found out that no one was chasing after him. They must have been too preoccupied with saving the people inside the building that they failed to notice him and Nut fleeing. After arriving in a back alley, Kuroki turned around to make sure that there really was no one following him. When he was positive that nobody was around, he heaved a sigh and looked closely at Nut, checking for any injuries. Fortunately, the fire rat didn¡¯t seem to be injured by the previous incident. ¡¸Are you okay, Nut?¡¹ "" ¡¸Somehow. What about you, Kuroki-sama? Did something happen on your side?¡¹ When that br*ast groping incident happened, Nut was inside the building, thus, he had no idea about what happened outside. ¡¸Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m okay. Just made a slip.¡¹ Kuroki was smiling wryly while recalling his slip when he tried to approach Reiji¡¯s little sister. With this event, his existence would most likely be leaked to Reiji and co, and with him uncovered, it would become more risky and difficult for him to personally gather information from this point on. He then recalled the maid called Kaya¡¯s swift attacks. £¨She¡¯s more troublesome than a manticore, her movements were sharp and accurate. That¡¯s clearly the actions of a trained martial artist.£© Kuroki¡¯s experience in martial arts allowed him to see through Kaya¡¯s martial arts skill. £¨This kind of strength isn¡¯t the strength of a human of this world. She might have been summoned to this world too.£© On top of that, he recalled that Kaya¡¯s face resembled that of a Japanese. The reason he had not previously considered the possibility of her being a summoned person was because there were many black haired, Japanese resembling humans from this world too. However, now, considering her skills and strength, it was most probable that she was another summoned person. ¡¸Seriously, what should I do from now on?¡¹ Kuroki was at his wit¡¯s end. He started pondering about his future plans in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. £¨As I thought, approaching Reiji and his companions with normal means is really difficult¡­ I guess I can only ask Nut for help with this matter. Shall I just tell him the truth?£© With his skills, Nut could easily gather inside information for Kuroki. Kuroki had the skill to do it as well, but the only problem was that he was once regarded as Reiji and the other¡¯s enemy, and with him being exposed, it would just be impossible. £¨I wonder what Nut will think about this matter?£© Kuroki felt like he was placed between a rock and a hard place. He then looked at his left hand. ¡¸It was soft¡­¡¹ Kuroki recalled the softness of Reiji¡¯s little sister¡¯s br*ast. Volume 1 - CH 16 Act 1-16 : Temple¡¯s Training Ground Shrill voices were resounding in the Alrena Temple¡¯s knight training ground. A crowd of girls, their numbers surpassing thirty, were swarming around Reiji, all aiming for him and trying to get his attention. ¡¸Thank you for coming to cheer for me, everyone.¡¹ The horde of girls raised joyful screams when Reiji spoke to them with a refreshing smile on his face. These girls were all citizens of the Holy Republic of Lenaria. They all hailed from noble households and had come in a hurry to the Alrena Temple once they heard about Reiji¡¯s recovery. ¡¸My apologies, ladies. Can I ask you to leave for the time being so as to not disturb Reiji-kun¡¯s training?¡¹ Chiyuki shooed the girls, who were surrounding Reiji, away with a wave of her hand. They had suddenly come unannounced, interrupting Reiji¡¯s sword training session. The reason why Reiji was currently training was to prepare himself for a rematch with the Dark Knight. In fact, he had scheduled sparring sessions with Shirone as soon as he had gotten better. But, that plan went awry when Shirone was dispatched to exterminate the Perdas. Thus, Reiji ended up training by himself til Shirone returned from her mission. Chiyuki was extremely surprised when Reiji asked Shirone to help him train in swordsmanship because, prior to his loss in the Nargol battle, Reiji had never even considered learning martial arts. He had deemed it unnecessary when in fact, he was a complete amateur when it came to martial arts and proper battling techniques. It seems that when he was young, his parents had tried to make him learn martial arts. However, their several attempts utterly failed due to Reiji¡¯s languid and arrogant personality, which was no different from his attitude prior to his loss against the Dark Knight. Nevertheless, Reiji¡¯s motor skills and power were extremely outstanding, even without any martial arts skills. That was the reason behind Reiji¡¯s lack of seriousness and interest in taking martial arts lessons. When Chiyuki found out about Reiji¡¯s circumstances, she was immensely surprised by the fact that Reiji was this strong without any sort of training. She was even more surprised that that same naturally strong Reiji suddenly said that he wanted to learn swordcraft. His loss against the Dark Knight had really affected him, making him reach this decision. Chiyuki felt that this loss was a good thing. Although it had taken a toll on them, it was a necessary failure that would improve their overall strength. She was certain that the extremely powerful Reiji would become even more powerful after proper training. His childhood aside, it seems that Reiji had never lost in anything against someone of his generation and was practically undefeated after he entered his teens, which boosted his arrogance and confidence and made him think that he didn¡¯t need to work for anything. Chiyuki had once read in a book that a defeat might become the necessary trigger for a human¡¯s true growth. Thus, she thought that the Dark Knight wouldn¡¯t win the next fight as easily as before against Reiji, who would become more powerful with martial arts training. It¡¯s just that the current Reiji was still in the middle of recovering, thus he was told to only do some light training. Chiyuki heard the girls¡¯ dissatisfied voices when she shooed them away. £¨Good grief, these girls really are¡­£© Chiyuki was enraged inside seeing the girls¡¯ attitude towards her. ¡¸Sorry, everyone. Please bear with only looking at me training for the time being.¡¹ The girls¡¯ dissatisfied voices vanished as soon as Reiji told them so. £¨These girls really are¡­£© Chiyuki pressed her throbbing forehead. Reiji was a handsome man, thus making him really popular amongst women, even in this world. The apprentice knights, who were also training, were looking at Reiji¡¯s direction with vexed looks on their faces. This was an everyday scenery both in this world and back in Japan¡ªother men would always feel jealous and annoyed of Reiji¡¯s popularity. ¡¸He really is popular everywhere, huh¡­¡¹ Chiyuki then glanced at Sahoko on her side. ¡¸Hahaha. Rei-kun is special after all¡­¡¹ Sahoko replied with a wry smile on her face. £¨Special, huh¡­? Can¡¯t retort to that after seeing his superhuman specs.£© Chiyuki then recalled the fact that she was only one amongst many candidates to become Reiji¡¯s fianc¨¦e. ¡ªSince Rino is also a candidate, I was wondering just how many women he was planning to keep by his side? ¨CIt might be the same for both Shirone and Nao. ¨C Could it be that the same thing happened during Reiji¡¯s father and grandfather¡¯s era? ¨C Is it even possible for him to have so many cousins and second cousins? Chiyuki couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter because, all this time, Chiyuki had never heard anyone talk about Reiji¡¯s family matters. So far, she only knew little information about Reiji. The man in question was currently wielding a sword. The one who taught him the proper way to hold his sword was Shirone. ¡®Only put more power into your grip the moment you swing your sword towards your opponent or vice versa, otherwise hold it loosely.¡¯ Chiyuki recalled Reiji¡¯s face was unusually serious when Shirone told him so. The girls who moved to the spectator seats ended up getting charmed and raised shrill shrieks after seeing Reiji¡¯s serious look when he swung his sword. But, that wasn¡¯t the case for Chiyuki, she could see that Reiji¡¯s movements were rather clumsy. That was only natural considering the fact that there was a deep gash running along from Reiji¡¯s right hip all the way to his left shoulder. His life was barely saved due to Sahoko¡¯s magic. Thus, Chiyuki judged that this training session was enough for now. ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡­¡¹ Sahoko looked at Chiyuki with an anxious look on her face. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Sahoko-san. I¡¯ll stop his training as soon as things get dangerous.¡¹ Right after Chiyuki spoke those words, the peanut gallery, or rather the spectating girls, suddenly became extremely noisy. When Chiyuki looked over there, she caught sight of people advancing while pushing those girls aside. It was Kyouka and her maid, Kaya. The spectating girls were grumbling about Kyouka and Kaya¡¯s unreasonable behavior. However, both girls paid them no heed and flatly ignored them as they continued their advance. Chiyuki knew something was off when she saw how the two girls acted while coming towards her because, in spite of her haughtiness, Kyouka was by no means a high handed person. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kyouka-san?¡¹ ¡¸Something really bad happened, Sahoko-san!¡¹ Kyouka replied to Sahoko with a rather loud voice. ¡¸Eh? What do you mean, Kyouka-san?¡¹ Sahoko tilted her head, clearly confused by Kyouka¡¯s remark. Right at that moment, Chiyuki noticed that Kaya¡¯s maid uniform had been sullied. Her appearance was as proper as usual, but her clothes were dirty, covered in dust and mud. Therefore, Chiyuki guessed that Kaya had fixed her appearance before they came to report what had happened to them. ¡¸What happened, Kyouka? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be observing that frenzied manticore¡¯s subjugation right now?¡¹ Reiji stopped his training, joining the conversation. ¡¸Brother! The manticore was already dead before we had the opportunity to subjugate it!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Eh?¡¹¡¹ Chiyuki and Reiji¡¯s voices overlapped. ¡¸Someone exterminated that manticore before us, Chiyuki-sama. When we searched the Black Fang¡¯s base, we found the manticore¡¯s corpse in the basement.¡¹ Kaya explained the situation without even batting an eye. ¡¸What does that mean? The manticore had already been exterminated? Then, what about the Black Fang¡¯s leader?¡¹ ¡¸The leader, Gendor, is currently being transported to the medical ward to undergo treatment. Except for him, there was no one else in the base. All the members had long left when we arrived.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Eh?¡¹¡¹ Chiyuki and Reiji¡¯s voices overlapped once more. ¡¸Everyone but their leader had left the base. How can that be?¡¹ Both Reiji and Chiyuki were confused by this situation. ¡¸Is that leader person suffering from some sort of grievous illness, Kaya-san? Should I take a look at his condition?¡¹ Sahoko, who was closely related to the medical ward, asked Kaya. Her specialty lay in healing magic, so she was often found in the healing ward, treating many patients in her spare time. ¡¸He¡¯s fine Sahoko-sama, by that I mean physically. Maybe Rino-sama¡¯s treatment is more suited for him.¡¹ Kaya shook her head as she replied to Sahoko. ¡¸Rino-san over Sahoko-san? So, that means his injury is related to his psyche?¡¹ ¡¸Correct, Chiyuki-sama. Someone broke Gendor¡¯s mind. When we found him, he was in a crazy state and kept muttering and screaming unusual words. The biggest problem is that we don¡¯t know what kind of method that person used to do it.¡¹ Upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark, Chiyuki¡¯s mind was put into disarray. ¡¸That¡¯s not the only thing we need to report, Kaya!¡¹ Kyouka suddenly interrupted the conversation. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kyouka? Did something else happen aside from that?¡¹ "" Both Kyouka and Kaya nodded in response to Reiji¡¯s question. ¡¸Reiji-sama. This matter might be more serious than the manticore¡¯s issue. A suspicious person approached us when we were encircling the Black Fang¡¯s base.¡¹ Kaya proceeded to tell them about the events that occurred during the encirclement. ¡¸What do you mean by a ¡°suspicious person¡±?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s exactly as I said, Chiyuki-sama. That person erased his presence with magic then approached us. Even I wouldn¡¯t have been able to sense his presence if not for my presence sensing powers.¡¹ Though not as powerful as Nao, when she was summoned to this world, Kaya was bestowed with the ability to sense killing intent, hostility, and anyone or anything approaching her vicinity. It was a skill that enabled her to sense someone¡¯s hidden presence. ¡¸I see, he tried to approach you by erasing his presence, huh. That¡¯s suspicious indeed. So, is something wrong with that suspicious person? You must have captured him when you noticed his presence, right?¡¹ Kaya shook her head. ¡¸No, unfortunately, we failed to capture him.¡¹ Those words surprised Chiyuki more than anything else today. ¡¸That¡¯s unusual indeed. For Kaya-san to let go off a suspicious person right in front of you is unfathomable. What happened back then?¡¹ Chiyuki knew that Kaya would never deliberately let go off such a suspicious person, thus she thought that something might have happened. ¡¸You¡¯re wrong Chiyuki-sama. It¡¯s not that I let go of that person, it¡¯s that I couldn¡¯t apprehend him. That person was far more powerful than me. In fact, he flung me away.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹ Chiyuki couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard. £¨He flung Kaya-san away? You must be kidding me right?£© Kaya was Kyouka¡¯s attendant and bodyguard, it was for that reason that she had been learning Kempo* and Karate since her role instatement. Despite not being a master, she was powerful enough to defeat an amateur adult by herself back in Japan. Much less one human of this world, Kaya could defeat hundreds of this world¡¯s adult men by herself. [TL* : Chinese martial arts] That just showed how serious the matter of Kaya being flung away in this world was. ¡¸Stronger than Kaya? What kind of a person is he?¡¹ Reiji was tilting his head in confusion. ¡¸I guess we have to gather everyone to discuss this matter.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 17 Act 1-17 : The Pervert¡¯s Identity Located right in front of the Temple, standing in the center of the plaza, was a giant statue of Alrena. That statue, depicting the Goddess, was situated right at the center of the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Several ostentatious buildings surrounded this famous plaza. These buildings housed several key establishments and figures such as the consul, which dealt with several country issues except for government affairs, and the homes of the upper echelon of this country. Through one of the windows belonging to the Temple, overlooking the plaza, stood a room with a heavy atmosphere permeating it¨CChiyuki and co. were currently in the middle of their emergency meeting. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe such a thing happened while we were chasing after the Perdas.¡¹ Hearing her companions talk about the manticore¡¯s subjugation, Shirone was rather surprised by such events. Shirone and co. had all been participating in the Perdas¡¯ extermination mission. However, regrettably, they had to return before completing it after being summoned by Chiyuki. Once they returned, Chiyuki explained all the events that happened in the outer city to Shirone. ¡¸That¡¯s really surprising. I mean, we were confused as to why you asked us to come back with Rino-chan as well.¡¹ Nao spoke as she looked at Rino. Following Chiyuki¡¯s request, they had returned with Rino in tow, whose speciality lay in mental magic, in order to treat Gendor¡¯s illness. ¡¸Sorry for asking you to return in haste, Rino-san. Do you by any chance know what happened to Gendor?¡¹ Rino shook her head in response to Chiyuki¡¯s question. ¡¸U~hm. All I know is that the old man kept having nightmarish illusions. I¡¯ve cancelled the effect of the magic on him, but it seems his mind is already broken.¡¹ Chiyuki sighed upon hearing Rino¡¯s reply¨Cit was regrettable that they couldn¡¯t extract any information from Gendor. ¡¸Did you manage to see the nightmares he was experiencing? It¡¯s not like I sympathize with this villain or anything, but his nightmares might enlighten us about this situation.¡¹ It was as Reiji had said, Gendor was a villain. Through their later investigations, they had discovered that he was the man responsible for all of those disappearances. He had hunted down those innocent people and fed them to his pet, the manticore. ¡¸According to witnesses, he was as healthy as ever until just a week ago. In short, something happened during this one week.¡¹ ¡¸So the problem is this ¡°something¡±, huh¡­ Chiyuki, you visited the Black Fang¡¯s base a while ago, right? Did you find something during your investigation?¡¹ ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t be this troubled if I had found some clues in there. Their base was already half destroyed when I arrived there, even retrieving the manticore¡¯s corpse alone was already close to impossible.¡¹ Chiyuki had gone to visit the Black Fang¡¯s base after she was briefed about the failed operation by Kyouka and Kaya. By the time she had arrived there, the base had already become a mountain of debris due to Kyouka¡¯s explosion magic. £¨The zero casualties on the knights¡¯ side is the only silver lining of this situation.£© Of course, upon hearing that the knights were safe and had only suffered some minor injuries, Chiyuki¡¯s entire being was engulfed with relief. However, the evidence had still been lost amid the destruction of the base, which made her rather annoyed. It was troublesome as it meant that further investigations were rendered impossible and they were stuck at yet another dead end. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I unintentionally released my magic when he suddenly groped my ch*st.¡¹ Kyouka apologized to Chiyuki. It was rather unfortunate, but Kyouka couldn¡¯t control her formidable magic power properly. She would accidentally release it whenever she got too excited, which was what happened in the prior incidents. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped then. Don¡¯t mind it, Kyouka.¡¹ Naturally, Reiji covered for Kyouka. However, this made Chiyuki slightly dissatisfied. She wished that Kyouka would master her strong magic power properly. £¨She is too spoiled in spite of having such powerful magic.£© Chiyuki felt extremely regretful about Kyouka¡¯s case since, if she trained properly, she could potentially become their main firepower. ¡¸By the way, what about the suspicious person who defeated Kaya? The fact that he can throw Kyouka¡¯s magic to another direction alone makes him quite abnormal.¡¹ Everyone in the room agreed with Nao. Kyouka¡¯s magic was very powerful, the only problem was that she couldn¡¯t control it. Grabbing and then throwing such a volatile spell was a feat that not even Chiyuki, the party¡¯s strongest mage, could perform. ¡¸Yeah, he¡¯s definitely not a normal person. He could¡¯ve easily killed me if he felt like it after all.¡¹ Everyone was at a loss for words upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. ¡¸But still, that person didn¡¯t want to kill you, right? That means that he might not actually be a bad person, seeing as he didn¡¯t hurt Kyouka-san at all as well.¡¹ Sahoko asked with a cheerful voice. ¡¸I agree.¡¹ Chiyuki felt the same as Sahoko after hearing that the suspicious person apologized to Kaya after flinging her. At least this action showed that he didn¡¯t want to hurt them. ¡¸Hmm¡­ So what then is the reason behind him approaching Kyouka while hiding his face?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I really don¡¯t understand. His actions are still definitely suspicious, Shirone-san. However, he might have his own circumstances.¡¹ Everyone pondered for a while upon hearing Chiyuki¡¯s remark. ¡¸Well, the simplest reason is because he wanted to grope Kyouka-san¡¯s br*asts.¡¹ Rino placidly stated. ¡¸No, that¡¯s rather¡­¡¹ Chiyuki waved her hand to dismiss the theory that seemed too good to be true. ¡¸Only a pervert would do something like that, Rino-chan.¡¹ Even Sahoko was surprised by Rino¡¯s theory. ¡¸He was¡­ aiming to grope my br*asts!¡¹ As she exclaimed, Kyouka kept trying to hide her br*asts with her arms. In their group, Kyouka¡¯s br*asts were the second biggest after Sahoko. Even Chiyuki didn¡¯t feel like something was off if a pervert, an extremely skilled one on top of that, was only aiming at groping Kyouka¡¯s br*asts by approaching them. ¡¸The girls with small br*asts are so lucky.¡¹ Kyouka muttered as she looked at Rino and Nao¡¯s br*asts. ¡¸S-SIZE ISN¡¯T EVERYTHING!¡¹ ¡¸NAO IS STILL IN HER GROWING PERIOD!¡¹ Both Rino and Nao sulked after hearing Kyouka¡¯s comment. As the owners of the smallest br*asts in their group, they were both always overly worrying about this matter. ¡¸But, what will we do if that guy turns out to be a real pervert? He might try to approach Kyouka again. Can you try to use Past Vision to see his face?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s useless. I¡¯ve tried to see the incident with Past Vision and yet, I can only see dark mist surrounding that person. It might be the after effects of Kyouka-san¡¯s explosion magic. Past Vision is an extremely delicate magic you know, we can¡¯t always see the past we want to see.¡¹ Chiyuki explained to Reiji. Past Vision was indeed a magic spell that allowed the caster to see past encounters, activities, events, and incidents, but, sometimes, the past couldn¡¯t be clearly seen due to the strange flow of mana during the event in question. That¡¯s why Chiyuki couldn¡¯t see anything but darkness when she tried to use Past Vision on this particular incident¨Cthe mana flow had been extremely chaotic due to the battle between the suspicious person and Kyouka and Kaya. ¡¸Oh my, I actually saw his face you know.¡¹ Kyouka spoke with a composed face. As soon as she made her remark, everyone turned their attention to her, staring at her with heated gazes. ¡¸Wait a second there, Kyouka-san! This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of this!¡¹ ¡¸Well it should be, Chiyuki-san. This is my first time telling you this after all.¡¹ Again, Kyouka replied with a composed voice. Everyone was completely at loss for words and bewildered with her nonchalant statement. £¨YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!!£© Chiyuki couldn¡¯t help but internally grumble. It seemed that Kyouka really hadn¡¯t told anyone about this matter before, which explained Kaya¡¯s surprised expression. Chiyuki really couldn¡¯t fathom Kyouka¡¯s thought process¨Cthey had wasted so much time using spells and thinking of theories when she was keeping such a vital piece of information. ¡¸You saw his face? Tell me, what did he look like, Kyouka?¡¹ Kyouka pondered for a while upon hearing Reiji¡¯s question. ¡¸Let¡¯s see, his look is rather plain, without any noticeable traits. But, I feel like he¡¯s rather familiar, dear brother.¡¹ ¡¸Rather familiar? Is he a citizen of this country we know?¡¹ Kyouka shook her head upon hearing Reiji¡¯s question. ¡¸No, it¡¯s like seeing a Japanese person. His face does look Japanese after all.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸£¡¡¹¡¹¡¹ Everyone was speechless upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s unintentional bombshell-like reveal. ¡¸Hey¡­ Does that mean there¡¯s another summoned person from Japan aside from us?¡¹ Everyone was dumbstruck once they realized that fact. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s also one possibility. Come to think of it, it didn¡¯t seem like he was using translation magic when he apologized to me. In addition, his martial arts style bore some resemblance with Shirone-sama¡¯s.¡¹ Kaya agreed with Sahoko¡¯s statement as she explained her observations. ¡¸It bears some resemblance with my martial arts style¡­?¡¹ Shirone couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡¸But still, your style should only exist in Japan, right?¡¹ Upon hearing Nao¡¯s remark, Shirone nodded with a still unconvinced look on her face. ¡¸In short, there¡¯s another summoned person aside from us.¡¹ Kaya nodded to Reiji¡¯s conclusion. ¡¸That¡¯s the most reasonable explanation for this.¡¹ ¡¸Sure enough, it makes sense for someone from our original world to be able to defeat Kaya-san. I don¡¯t know why I can¡¯t see his figure, but¡­¡¹ Chiyuki agreed with Kaya since it was more logical for someone who also came from their original world to be able to dodge Kaya¡¯s attack and fling her; it wouldn¡¯t make sense if it was someone from this world. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t strange if he could use magic as powerful as theirs. ¡¸But still, what should we do now? What¡¯s this person¡¯s identity? Does that mean that Rena has abandoned us and summoned a new person?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a little bit too hard to believe.¡¹ Nao responded to Rino¡¯s question with furrowed brows. ¡¸Wait a minute, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re too quick to jump to such a conclusion? There might be another person who¡¯s summoning otherworlders you know.¡¹ As expected, Reiji started defending Rena. [TL : D*ickhead] ¡¸It¡¯s just as he said, that possibility does exist. Although, we now do have tons of questions for Rena too.¡¹ Chiyuki felt an urgency to confirm a few things with Rena as soon as possible. Volume 1 - CH 18 Act 1-18 : Meeting With Rena In the center of the Alrena Temple; Goddess¡¯s room. A massive round pillar stood tall in this large room, a solemn atmosphere enveloping it. This wasn¡¯t the first time Chiyuki and the others had visited this room, because this was the place they had arrived in when they were summoned to this world; the very first view they set their eyes upon. Once they entered the room, Rena had immediately descended from heaven; the scene Chiyuki and her companions witnessed was astonishing as always. The Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s temple was Rena¡¯s residence in the mortal world. Rena would descend every now and then to this place to guide humanity. Chiyuki who had heard about this fact a long time ago once again realized that Rena really was a Goddess, whose existence influenced many people. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, everyone.¡¹ Rena greeted them with a bright smile on her face, it was bright enough to charm Chiyuki and co. [TL : That smile is a TRAP!!!] Gazing at her, Chiyuki once again realized that the Goddess before her was truly a transcendent beauty. A beautiful face, snow white skin, br*asts bigger than Sahoko¡¯s, who had the biggest size among Chiyuki and her companions, and lastly, a constricted and extremely thin waist. Chiyuki and the others had never seen such a beauty, even back in their original world. Though Chiyuki had confidence in her figure and appearance, she was no match for Rena. Reiji aside, Chiyuki thought that Rena¡¯s beauty alone was enough to topple countries and convince any man to do her bidding. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Rena. I missed you so much you know.¡¹ It had been a long time since Reiji last saw her, his sparkling eyes could not leave her figure. He had really missed seeing the beautiful Goddess before him. His fervent gaze was understandable as the last time Rena had descended was right after his fall into a comatose state, after his battle against the Dark Knight. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Reiji. Is the wound you got from the Dark Knight fully healed now?¡¹ Reiji¡¯s expression darkened as soon as he heard Rena mention the Dark Knight. It was really the biggest shame of his life. ¡¸I definitely won¡¯t lose next time. Don¡¯t worry, Rena, I will defeat the Demon King for you!¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting for that day, Reiji.¡¹ Rena was extremely delighted with Reiji¡¯s declaration. However, no one shared her sentiment, especially Chiyuki who had mixed feelings about the whole ordeal. Reiji had almost died in his duel with the Dark Knight, that¡¯s why she was against him going into another battle. £¨In the first place, it¡¯s already strange that only us are fighting against the Demon King and his army. What in the world are those Elios Gods doing up there? Watching a soap opera?£© Chiyuki decided to ask Rena about that matter. ¡¸Goddess Rena. Can you please answer my questions?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki?¡¹ Rena tilted her head with a confused look on her face, even such a simple action was extremely graceful. ¡¸First, why did the Gods of Elios just leave the Demon King on his own devices til now?¡¹ Chiyuki asked her first question. ¡¸It¡¯s not like we wanted to leave him unhindered¡­ It¡¯s just that we have our own circumstances.¡¹ Rena replied with an apologetic look on her face. £¨Circumstances? What kind of circumstances do the Gods have I wonder?£© After hearing Rena¡¯s vague answer, Chiyuki wanted now more than ever to visit the Heavenly Realm, Elios, to confirm everything firsthand. She was curious about what circumstances could make everything so baffling to them. But, seeing Reiji frown as he gazed at Rena¡¯s troubled expression, Chiyuki decided against asking any further questions about this particular topic. ¡¸What are these circumstances you¡¯re talking about, Rena?¡¹ However, unlike Chiyuki¡¯s composed self, the innocent and simple-minded Rino bluntly asked the question, ignoring the state of her surroundings altogether. Though not as much as Rena, Rino was a one of a kind cutie. She could make any man do her bidding if she wished for it as well. Yet, her charm did not work on the ravishing Rena since she was still seen as a normal woman in her eyes. ¡¸Sorry, Rino. I¡¯m not allowed to say¡­¡¹ ¡¸Humph.¡¹ Rino puffed her cheeks with displeasure. That particular action raised her cuteness by 200%, though unfortunately, it still didn¡¯t work on Rena. ¡¸Are those all of the questions you wanted to ask me?¡¹ ¡¸No, there¡¯s still an extremely important inquiry I want to make.¡¹ ¡¸Important inquiry? What might it be, Chiyuki?¡¹ ¡¸Goddess Rena, is there another summoned person in this world aside from us?¡¹ Rena¡¯s face turned grim as soon as she heard this particular query. Chiyuki and the others were really surprised to see this kind of expression on Rena¡¯s face. This was the very first time she had shown them such a face that was neither her usual smile or her cute and pitiful expression. It really made them on edge. ¡¸So you noticed it too, Chiyuki. Your foresight never fails to surprise me¡­ Even I never expected for another person to perform a summoning ritual like me¡­¡¹ Rena shook her head as she revealed the fact with a sad look on her face. After her response, Chiyuki concluded that the one who summoned that mysterious pervert wasn¡¯t Rena. She was even more convinced of that fact since Rino, who possessed Lie Detection magic, didn¡¯t react in any way. ¡¸I¡¯ve told ya, there¡¯s no way Rena will keep those things from us.¡¹ [TL : SHE DID, D*CKHEAD] ¡¸Yeah, Reiji-kun¡¯s right. Ahahaha.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, Rei-kun¡¯s right.¡¹ "" Both Shirone and Sahoko affirmed in tune with Reiji. Rena looked at Chiyuki and the others¡¯ state with a curious look on her face. Chiyuki dismissed that as a natural reaction since Rena had no way of knowing the topic of their discussion during the emergency meeting before they came to meet her. £¨Sorry for doubting you, Rena.£© Chiyuki apologized to Rena in silence. ¡¸So, this means that there¡¯s another summoned person aside from us. Do you know what kind of person he is?¡¹ ¡¸I have no information about him, Chiyuki. The only thing I know about him is that he¡¯s extremely powerful. As for his powers and the world he comes from, it¡¯s a complete mystery, even to me. This matter is currently under investigation, I¡¯ll let you guys know once we have some results. Do you have any other questions?¡¹ Rena heaved a deep sigh as she touched her forehead. £¨We already know about him being summoned and the fact that he¡¯s extremely powerful. In addition, Rena doesn¡¯t seem to know that he came from the same world as us. I guess there¡¯s no need to ask her more questions since she has less information than us.£© Chiyuki decided to change the topic since there was no need to ask Rena more questions about the mysterious summoned person. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s all we need to ask about that mysterious summoned person. But, we still have a request.¡¹ ¡¸What kind of request, Chiyuki?¡¹ "" ¡¸Please send Shirone and I back to our original world.¡¹ Rena showed a troubled look on her face upon hearing that request. Chiyuki actually wished for everyone to go back with her and Shirone. But, Reiji had declared that he won¡¯t go back until he completed Rena¡¯s request. However, more than a year had passed since they were summoned. They had to to go back no matter what. After further discussion, they had come to a consensus that only Shirone and Chiyuki would go back. ¡¸ Does that mean you don¡¯t wish to continue the Demon King¡¯s subjugation? ¡¹ Rena asked, her eyes moist as if tears would flow at any given moment. ¡¸It¡¯s already been over a year now, we can¡¯t stay in this world any longer.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t you change your mind?¡¹ The pleading look on Rena¡¯s face plucked everyone¡¯s heartstrings, including the members of the same sex. ¡¸It¡¯s not like we have to return right away, right Chiyuki? Look, even Rena is troubled by your request.¡¹ Reiji stopped the discussion as he looked at Rena. Chiyuki heaved a sigh as realization dawned on her. ¡¸I understand.¡¹ ¡¸What do you understand, Chiyuki?¡¹ ¡¸After our discussion here and careful deliberation, I can conclude that there¡¯s another person who can use summoning magic.¡¹ Yes, Chiyuki realized that they only needed to search for that person. This would solve all of their problems. They wouldn¡¯t need to subjugate the Demon King to be able to leave. £¨The most worrying thing is that pervert, but¡­ that¡¯s also the only thing we have to worry about, unlike if we wait for Rena.£© Rena¡¯s expression became even more severe than before in hearing Chiyuki¡¯s words. ¡¸What do you mean, Chiyuki?¡¹ ¡¸If you can¡¯t grant my wish, I just need to go to that person¡¯s place.¡¹ Rena showed a frightening look that she had never shown before, more chilling than the one prior, upon hearing Chiyuki¡¯s declaration. That look alone sent chills down Chiyuki¡¯s spine. Even Reiji was visibly surprised seeing that expression. ¡¸Do all of you have the same thought?¡¹ Everyone in the room knew that Rena was upset. £¨It seems I stepped on a land mine. Well it does seem like we¡¯re abandoning her.£© Chiyuki felt slightly bad for Rena, but since she felt that she was only forced to get herself involved in this matter, she definitely wouldn¡¯t back down on her request. ¡¸Rest assured, Rena. I won¡¯t abandon you.¡¹ Reiji was confused about Rena¡¯s anger, but still uttered this statement to appease her. ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s considering that option¡­¡¹ That was the truth, Chiyuki was the only one who wanted to return, along with Shirone. Rena¡¯s expression returned to normal as soon as she heard Chiyuki¡¯s confirmation and everyone heaved a sigh of relief as soon as it did. ¡¸I understand, Chiyuki. I¡¯ll make the preparation to send you back then.¡¹ Rena adorned a sickly sweet smile as she spoke. ¡ô Two days had passed since Kuroki¡¯s encounter with Reiji¡¯s little sister. Kuroki, who was currently living in a certain dilapidated house in the outer city, noticed that there was a large scale search for him. The house he was using right now was Dozumi¡¯s hiding place. Dozumi had prepared this hiding place in case of an emergency and had entrusted it to Kuroki before he left. £¨In the end¡­ I can only rely on Nut to gather informartion.£© Kuroki sighed. He felt that he lost his original goal for coming to this place. He hadn¡¯t stayed low-key as planned and had instead alerted his enemies. Now, he could only rely on Nut for intelligence gathering. Nut was currently sneaking into the temple. Following the rumors floating around amongst the priests, Kuroki was now aware that the Goddess, Rena, had descended and was currently in the temple. £¨The one who summoned Reiji and the others descended, which means that something happened.£© Nut returned right when Kuroki was pondering about that matter. ¡¸I¡¯m back, Kuroki-sama~¡¹ ¡¸Welcome back, Nut. Do you know the reason behind Goddess Rena¡¯s descent?¡¹ Nut shook his head. ¡¸It seems she has something to talk about with the hero and his companions, but I have no idea what they¡¯re discussing since the security around that room is too strict~.¡¹ Kuroki wasn¡¯t irked by that fact, it was within his expectations that the security around the Goddess would be too strict for Nut to pass by. ¡¸I see, it can¡¯t be helped then¡­ Thanks a lot, Nut.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­ there¡¯s a certain thing that I¡¯m worried about.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it seems they¡¯re making preparations for another summoning ritual.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ Pardon?¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. ¡¸Preparations for a summoning? She¡¯s going to summon another person?¡¹ Nut shook his head. ¡¸This is just my guess, but I think they¡¯re trying to send someone back and bring another person in their stead.¡¹ Hearing that piece of news had convinced Kuroki that not even Nut knew what was happening. ¡¸But still, I hear that the one they¡¯re going to send back are the ones called Chiyuki and Shirone¡­¡¹ Sure enough, that piece of information was worrying. ¡¸Eh, wait a minute¡­ There should be no way to send us back to our original world, right?¡¹ ¡¸Indeed.¡¹ ¡¸Then, is there actually¡­ a way to send us back that we don¡¯t know of?¡¹ ¨CCould it be that Modes was the only one who thought that there¡¯s no way back while in fact, Elios had already developed a magic to send us back? Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but muse to himself. ¡¸Kuroki-sama! Heibos-sama won¡¯t do something like deceiving Modes-sama!¡¹ Nut declared a moment later. Kuroki had been told that the Blacksmith God, Heibos, was Modes¡¯ BFF. Just as Nut had said, Heibos wouldn¡¯t be so stingy with the information he shared with Modes. It really was as Heibos had said, there was no way to send summoned people back to their original world. Doing so might cause the person involved to be trapped in a rift within dimensions forever. ¨CAnd yet, Shirone wants to go back to our original world. Even though there was no way for them to go back to their original world for now. £¨What¡¯s the meaning of this contradicting information?£© ¨CThere¡¯s also the possibility that Rena might have already known that there was no way to send a summoned person back to their original world. ¨CAnd yet, she¡¯s still trying to send Shirone back despite knowing that? ¨CShirone might be in danger right now. Worry dominated Kuroki¡¯s mind as he thought of the danger his childhood friend would face. ¡¸Rena is the one who will perform the ritual, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸And she¡¯s currently staying in the temple, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right.¡¹ ¨CThen the only way to confirm this matter is to ask Rena herself. Kuroki decided to make his move. ¡¸Nut, it¡¯s time to raid the temple. Let¡¯s disturb the ritual to make it impossible for her to summon another person.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 19.1 Act 1-19.1 : Raid In front of a desolate part of the rampart, Kuroki stood alone under the guise of the night. The moonlight shone over Kuroki¡¯s head, casting his intimidating shadow on the ground. Kuroki had changed his attire to his Dark Knight armor. £¨Hmm, including this time, how many times have I worn this Dark Knight armor now?£© The defense around the temple was strict, many Temple Knights patrolled the area and its vicinity. Moreover, Reiji and co. were also there and could serve as backup at any time. The battle could turn fierce at any given time. That¡¯s why Kuroki had perfectly armed himself before starting his temple raid. £¨Well, it¡¯s about time to start.£© Kuroki decided to start the operation. His goal was to get the answers he wanted straight out of Rena¡¯s mouth. But, he knew that he had to make haste of this operation¡ªhis time was limited. He was literally entering the enemy¡¯s stronghold, so he might need to escape at any given moment. £¨That¡¯s why I¡¯ll distract them with this.£© Currently, Kuroki was holding a bag containing thirty white stones. These stones were magic items forged with the fangs of a Dragon. Modes had given this bag of white stones to Kuroki right before leaving Nargol. It was in case he needed backup for a grand operation or against a strong foe, fitting for Kuroki¡¯s current situation. Modes had told Kuroki that these stones could not be used by just anyone. However, with his strength, Modes was positive that he wouldn¡¯t have any problem with using them; they would be very useful to him. Taking them out of the bag, Kuroki planted the thirty stones on the ground beneath him, making sure to separate them at fixed intervals. He then straightened up and began chanting a spell. ¡¸O Soldiers, With The Power Of Dragons, Come Forth!¡¹ As his chant subsided, the thirty rocks started shifting, then, thirty eerie looking soldiers started crawling out of them. These soldiers, heading towards Kuroki, were well armed for battle, donning yellow armor, a helmet, a shield in the left hand, and a sword in the right. These Dragon Fang soldiers, born through magic, were called Spartois. If anyone shortly glanced at them, they would think that they were normal soldiers. However, their red eyes, illuminating through the helmet¡¯s visor, gave them away as they looked terrifyingly inorganic. Once they arrived in front of Kuroki, the Spartois performed a warrior¡¯s salute. Kuroki¡¯s gaze wandered over the Spartois. £¨Magic sure is amazing, to think that soldiers of this size came out from such small stones.£© At first, Kuroki was rather skeptical when he heard the explanation about this magic item from Modes. However, after he performed the ritual himself, he felt that his magic powers had somehow formed a link with the Spartois when they appeared. £¨It seems I can freely order them.£© He then looked at Nut. ¡¸Nut, make sure to stay away of the temple since you might accidentally be trampled and injured by the battle.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, can you reconsider, Kuroki-sama? It¡¯s alright, I can join, I¡¯ll make sure to stay out of your way during the battle. ¡¹ Naturally, Kuroki would have considered that option if they were going in normally. But, that wasn¡¯t the case this time. ¡¸Sorry, Nut. Things might be getting really dangerous this time. Rena alone is already dangerous, not to mention that there¡¯s also the possibility that she brought along her guardian angels. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll infiltrate this temple by myself.¡¹ Kuroki had been told before that Rena was protected by female angels called Valkyrie. There was a high possibility that they had descended with Rena. Those battle maidens were very powerful and had extraordinary presence detection; not even Nut could escape their detection. ¡¸Uh¡­ Sure enough¡­¡¹ Nut showed a dejected face upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s explanation. Humans aside, their opponent this time was a member of the divine race. After confirming that Nut wouldn¡¯t object anymore, Kuroki took out a gem from his pocket. It was a teleportation gem, a magic item that could only be used once. It would allow the user to use teleportation magic despite not having the ability to originally do so. ¡¸Eh? Isn¡¯t that?¡¹ ¡¸A teleportation gem. You¡¯ll be going back to Nargol first.¡¹ Kuroki handed over the gem to Nut as he spoke. ¡¸No way, Kuroki-sama!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I have no intention to die in this place, Nut. I¡¯ll retreat before the situation becomes too dangerous for me.¡¹ Kuroki reassured Nut with a serious tone. ¡¸U~h, I understand. Please be careful, Kuroki-sama.¡¹ Nut agreed reluctantly. ¡¸Take care, Nut. Wait for my return in Nargol.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly, Kuroki-sama¡­¡¹ After confirming that Nut had left his side, Kuroki¡¯s gaze moved towards the Spartois. ¡¸SPARTOIS!¡¹ Kuroki called out their name as he moved forward, the Spartois followed along, obeying his implicit command. Their movements were agile, as if they weren¡¯t wearing a full plate armor at all. As if weightless, they easily jumped over the roof, and following Kuroki¡¯s example, jumped from one roof to the next. Their destination was the Alrena Temple. On the way, Kuroki ordered the Spartois to spread out and come from eight different directions to confuse the guards. Kuroki would then arrive later and raid the temple unnoticed and without any big interruptions. According to Nut, Rena was staying in the central room of the temple to prepare for the reverse summoning ritual, thus he concluded that the summoning altar was also placed in that very room. £¨Since they¡¯ll most likely start the ritual tomorrow, I have no choice but to destroy the altar right now.£© Kuroki¡¯s raid had now officially started. ¡ô Inside the temple, late at night, the hero and his companions were gathered in a certain room. ¡¸Wait a second Reiji-kun, this is liquor!¡¹ Chiyuki refused the beverage offered to her. ¡¸Take it easy, Chiyuki. Tonight might be the last night for you and Shirone in this world.¡¹ Reiji teased Chiyuki. ¡¸That¡¯s right Chiyuki-san, let¡¯s forget that stiff rule just for tonight and enjoy your last night in this world.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah Chiyuki-senpai, let¡¯s forget this rule just for tonight.¡¹ Rino and Nao spoke happily in unison. Chiyuki and Shirone would be returning to their original world tomorrow. It was for this reason that the hero¡¯s party decided to host a simple farewell party to send them off in good spirits.. Several types of snacks and beverages were prepared for them by the temple¡¯s staff. Naturally, liquor was included amongst those beverages. The beverage in Chiyuki¡¯s hands was a drink made by mixing honey, ocean water, and wine-like liquor made from a grape-like fruit. This liquor had low alcohol content, which was just the right amount for a beverage intended for the hero¡¯s party¡ªit would not severely incapacitate them. However, Kyouka was an exception to this fact. She was a super lightweight drinker who could even be knocked out just by drinking cola. Unsurprisingly, Kyouka was currently lying on the sofa, being nursed by Kaya. But still, no matter how low the alcohol content was, the hero and his companions were still considered underage in their original world, thus they were not supposed to drink liquor. This was why Chiyuki was against drinking that beverage. She might have failed to notice the fact that this alcoholic beverage was mixed amongst their drinks if it weren¡¯t for Kyouka collapsing due to her low alcohol tolerance. ¡¸But still, this night might be the last you spend in this world and we might not be able to see each other for a while. Let¡¯s just take it easy and enjoy the ¡°beverage¡± in this place.¡¹ Everyone, except for Chiyuki, were of the same opinion as Reiji. ¡¸I won¡¯t be able to see everyone for a while, huh.¡¹ Shirone spoke with a lonely voice. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected upon hearing Shirone¡¯s words. ¡¸You see, Chiyuki, Shirone. Everyone is feeling sad to be separated from you two, that¡¯s why let¡¯s just have a blast for tonight.¡¹ Chiyuki, loosening up, agreed to allow everyone to drink the liquor. Despite her previous insistence, Chiyuki wasn¡¯t someone who couldn¡¯t read the mood. ¡¸It seems I always end up getting myself swept up by Reiji-kun¡¯s pace.¡¹ As they all drank, they started reminiscing about the time when they had all just arrived in this world. Fighting against dragons, traveling to peculiar caves, seas, and mountains, meeting with the elves; every single one of those experiences was fantastic. It was as if their childhood dream of entering a fantasy world on their own had become a reality. Naturally, some of those experiences were dangerous and painful, but they still enjoyed those experiences together. It might have been extremely difficult if they had been summoned to this world alone. ¡¸Now that I¡¯m about to return, I¡¯m really starting to miss those days. ¡¹ Chiyuki spoke as she took another gulp of liquor, enjoying its slightly sweet aftertaste. ¡¸Then you just need to stay in this world with the rest of us, right Chiyuki?¡¹ ¡¸Not a chance. This is a serious matter, someone has to go back.¡¹ Chiyuki shook her head. Tomorrow was the end of this adventure for both Chiyuki and Shirone. In fact, the two of them were really reluctant to return to their mundane daily life earlier than everyone. ¡¸Sorry, Reiji-kun. Your training will have to stop midway too.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped. We didn¡¯t see this coming after all.¡¹ Shirone apologized to Reiji. His training for his rematch against the Dark Knight had to come to an end since Shirone decided to go back. ¡¸Please take care of Reiji-kun everyone, especially when it comes to that Dark Knight. Don¡¯t let him fight that monster until you¡¯re sure that he can win against him!¡¹ Everyone in the room agreed with Chiyuki. The Dark Knight¡¯s strength was unfathomable. They didn¡¯t need to put their life on the line just to beat him. Chiyuki had also left the matter of searching for the strange pervert to Kaya. Depending on the situation, they might have to look for the other summoner who summoned that strong pervert to this world. £¨We have no choice but to look for that summoner. He¡¯ll be our only way out if we can¡¯t defeat the Dark Knight and subjugate the Demon King.£© After they concluded their serious matters, they started enjoying the liquor and snacks once again. However, when it was about time for them to go to bed. BONG BONG BONG. They heard the toll of a bell ringing a few times. ¡¸Eh, what¡¯s happening?!¡¹ Chiyuki and co. exchanged glances with each other. ¡¸INTRUDERS!!¡¹ ¡¸THEY¡¯RE COMING FROM THE WEST GATE!¡¹ ¡¸THEY¡¯RE COMING FROM THE EAST GATE!¡¹ The knights¡¯ voices were flustered. ¡¸Intruders?!¡¹ It seems that the bell that rang just now was an alarm setup in case intruders appeared. ¡¸Intruders? Shall we take a look at those so called intruders?¡¹ Reiji sarcastically spoke. He was itching to go and fight, but if those intruders were weaklings, then there was a big chance that he wouldn¡¯t get the opportunity to do so. ¡¸Who is it I wonder? Can you try to sense their presence, Nao-san?¡¹ ¡¸Understood, Chiyuki-san.¡¹ Nao closed her eyes, sharpening her five senses. Upon coming to this world, Nao had learned a few skills, sensing presences was one of those skills. It was the kind of skill that allowed the user to see objects and people without the need to see them directly with their own eyes. It was similar to clairvoyance. Reiji, Shirone, and Kaya could use this skill too. However, the range of the latter two was only around 8-9 metres, while Nao¡¯s range could reach up to 2 kilometres. In addition, using it normally would only let her know that ¡°something¡± was there. Yet, if she closed her eyes and sharpened her five senses, she could go as far as know the identity of that ¡°something¡±. Naturally, such a skill had its own limitations. Those limitations included the lack of information about that something¡¯s power and mana capacity, the lack of color inside the vision, and its inability to see anything inside an isolated space or one protected by a barrier. Though this temple was protected by a barrier, it wasn¡¯t a problem as long as the intruders had entered the barrier. ¡¸The number of intruders is thirty, but they¡¯re scattered all over the place as if surrounding this temple.¡¹ Chiyuki was really confused upon hearing Nao¡¯s report. The guards in the temple had become stricter than normal since Goddess Rena¡¯s descent. There should be more than three hundred people stationed as guards tonight. Subduing those thirty intruders should be a piece of cake. ¡¸¡­ I¡¯ve seen these guys before. If I¡¯m not wrong, they¡¯re called Spartois.¡¹ Chiyuki¡¯s confusion transformed into that of surprise in hearing Nao¡¯s explanation. They had encountered Spartois during their battle in Nargol. They were the kind of monsters whose strength varied depending on the magical power of their summoner. ¡¸Is it the Demon King?¡¹ Rino asked with a worried look on her face. Volume 1 - CH 19.2 Act 1-19.2 : Raid ¡¸Nao-san, the Spartois¡¯ summoner should be around the vicinity. Try to look for a magician-like presence amongst the intruders.¡¹ Chiyuki immediately asked Nao to search for the main culprit. If Spartois were present, then it meant that a summoner was close by. They could aim for the summoner as their main target and the Spartois would vanish once he was defeated. ¡¸Roger that!¡¹ Nao sharpened her five senses even more, expanding her search capacity. ¡¸I¡¯ve found someone with a different aura from the others¡­¡¹ Nao had found another intruder she had previously missed, he was different from the Spartois in both power and attire. ¡¸That one is most probably the summoner. We can put an end to this commotion as long as we beat that person.¡¹ Reiji let out an evil smile. ¡¸This figure is the Da¡ª- No way, is that the Dark Knight from before?¡¹ Everyone was equally surprised upon hearing Nao¡¯s voice. ¡¸From before? Could it be that you¡¯re referring to the one who injured Reiji. That Da¨C¡¹ ¡¸Most probably¡­ Rino-chan.¡¹ Before finishing her exclamation, Nao had cut off Rino with a distressed reply. ¡¸Could it be that he¡¯s¡­ aiming for Rei-kun?¡¹ Color drained from Sahoko¡¯s face. ¡¸No, he might be aiming for someone else.¡¹ Reiji reached out for his weapon as he solemnly stated. ¡¸Wait a minute, where are you going?!¡¹ ¡¸Rena¡¯s life might be in danger!¡¹ Reiji tried to rush out of the room as he left those words behind. The timing of the Dark Knight¡¯s raid was too coincidental with Rena¡¯s descent, so his target was most probably Rena rather than Reiji. Rena was currently in the middle of her preparations for tomorrow morning¡¯s ritual to send back Chiyuki and Shirone to their original world. She was probably unaware of the danger approaching her. ¡¸No, you can¡¯t win against him!¡¹ Sahoko desperately clung to Reiji, trying to stop him. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s too reckless! You might die if you go now!¡¹ Even Chiyuki felt that Reiji shouldn¡¯t go as far as risking his own life for Rena. But, Reiji shook his head in response. ¡¸I cannot ignore Rena when she might be in danger. I have to go save her. I would do the same if it was anyone of you in her place.¡¹ Reiji will always be the same Reiji, a knight in shining armor for any damsel in distress. It was a charm that had made them all attracted to him, which is why they had decided to stay beside him. However, it was exactly this charming personality of his that was making Chiyuki and the others extremely worried right now. ¡¸No, you absolutely must not go there!¡¹ Sahoko put even more strength into her arms, fiercely clinging to Reiji. Yet, he still ignored her pleas. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, but he was troubled by the current situation as he couldn¡¯t seem to tear Sahoko away from him. ¡¸Sorry, but can you let go of me, Sahoko? After all, we won¡¯t be able to go back to our world without Rena¡¯s help.¡¹ ¡¸Wouldn¡¯t be able to return¡­ you say? That¡¯s definitely troubling but, what will you do if you die?! Can you return then?!¡¹ Chiyuki screamed at the man before her. She couldn¡¯t understand his logic. He was clearly struggling with Sahoko who, in terms of strength, was the weakest in their group. He couldn¡¯t even shake her off, let alone fight against the Dark Knight. His body had just recovered from the deadly wound inflicted by the Dark Knight in their previous battle, he was in no condition to fight. That¡¯s why Chiyuki felt that they had to stop Reiji at all cost. ¡¸I¡¯ll go!¡¹ Suddenly, Shirone offered herself to go. ¡¸I¡¯ll protect Rena! That¡¯s why please, wait for me in this place with everyone, D*ick Head-kun!¡¹ ¡¸SHIRONE-SAN!¡¹ By the time Shirone said those words, she had already left the room. ¡ô Shirone felt that she couldn¡¯t allow Reiji to fight. When she saw how desperately Sahoko tried to stop him, she felt that she had to do something to stop him as well. That¡¯s why she had quickly departed to fight the Dark Knight before he could do anything about it. Shirone had joined Chiyuki¡¯s group at the start of her first year of high school. At the beginning, it was not her intention to be close friends with them; rather, the only reason she joined was to fulfil her aunt¡¯s request. Her aunt¡¯s family had been the Midou family¡¯s escorts for generations. It had nothing to do with Shirone¡¯s family to begin with as it was her aunt¡¯s family¡¯s duty to uphold. Yet, her aunt had requested her little sister, Shirone¡¯s mother, to send Shirone as the Midou Family¡¯s son¡¯s escort. Her aunt had not been blessed with children, therefore the family had no heir to carry on their mantle. It was why she asked Shirone¡ªwho happened to be the same age as the Midou family¡¯s son¡ªto be his escort. The Midou family was a famous conglomerate, her aunt worried that devious girls would approach him to latch onto both him and his family¡¯s glory. Thus, Shirone¡¯s job was to prevent those kinds of women from approaching him According to her aunt, the son of the Midou family was a special child, that¡¯s why he had to be protected at all costs, and her job was to approach him, form a close relationship with him, and then secretly escort him. Though she had no idea what her aunt meant by ¡°form a close relationship¡± and how far she wanted her to go, she still felt that it was the best method. After hearing her aunt¡¯s request, Shirone felt troubled for a while, that was until she heard more about the Midou family¡¯s son¡ªapparently, he was very handsome, dangerously handsome at that. Naturally, Shirone¡¯s interest was piqued. She was at the age where she couldn¡¯t help but have an interest in good-looking men. She had henceforth decided to accept her aunt¡¯s mission and get closer to Reiji. She had immediately revelled in such a situation. Reiji was kind to girls and never forced himself upon them. He had a natural charm that attracted many girls and, peculiarly enough, made them all get along with each other well. You could see no blatant rivalry or hate among the many suitors that surrounded him. However, it was for that very reason that Shirone had started to doubt her mission as her escort. Many of the girls who surrounded him were ones he had previously saved, Shirone being one of them. He was far more powerful than her to the point where she felt that her assignment was useless. It felt like she was the one being protected instead. Reiji was the type of guy who could get fired up and rush into battle when he encountered a damsel in distress. He was, however, by no means considered reckless as he had the ability to uphold the justice he pursued. Watching him for such a long time, Shirone felt that he was just like a hero. ¨CNo, he was a real hero. On a certain day, an incident had occurred. Shirone was having a day like any other until she was asked by her junior to save the latter¡¯s friends from thugs. It was not the first time for her to encounter such a request from her juniors as many knew how powerful she was due to her training at her home dojo. Shirone was confident with her combat skills as well, that¡¯s why she always acquiesced, and this time was no different. She had rushed to save her junior¡¯s friends, wooden sword in hand. When she arrived, her eyes had encountered the scene of five men surrounding three girls. The five men were most likely high school thugs. Until that very moment, Shirone had never lost to a man her age even once. She always came out victorious as long as she had a wooden sword in her hand. But, her luck had run out that day. Upon seeing Shirone arrogantly pointing a wooden sword at them, the men were enraged and quickly attacked her with iron pipes. Upon receiving their swings with her wooden sword, Shirone immediately blanched¡ªthe impact from their attacks was far too terrifying. She had instantly lost her wooden sword from her enemies¡¯ momentum. As she watched her sword drop far away from her, she became visibly flustered. Those men sneered at her current shivering figure, who could do nothing without her weapon. It was at this time that Reiji had appeared to save the day. Upon witnessing Shirone fail to subdue the thugs, her junior had rushed to Reiji and quickly implored him to go and save Shirone and her friends. Reiji¡¯s action at that time had made a positive impression on Shirone and had elevated his status in her heart¡ªhe was now a very important existence in her life. Even though his opponents were five thugs armed with an iron pipe each, all with burly physiques, Reiji easily defeated them with his bare hands and gloriously came out victorious. His figure as he stood before her bore an exact resemblance to the heroes one hears of in fairy tales. The hero had flashed Shirone, who still quivered with fear, a refreshing smile. But, even though his smile was dazzling, Shirone did not fail to notice the injury on his right hand. Even a hero couldn¡¯t escape from injury. From that moment, Shirone took her escort job more seriously and with devotion. That¡¯s why she always hung out with Reiji and the others almost all the time. However, one thing that Shirone couldn¡¯t stand were the voices of criticism in their surroundings, all aimed at Reiji. Though she was fine if people criticised her, she couldn¡¯t forgive anyone who badmouthed Reiji. This was also the main reason behind her big quarrel with Kuroki. Though Kuroki had always done it in a roundabout way, he had clearly complained about Reiji many times, which enraged Shirone. No, it was probably the way she defended Reiji that had triggered Kuroki¡¯s fury. £¨Even though I only wanted Kuroki to understand that Reiji is a hero.£© Shirone recalled her childhood friend, Kuroki. Her childhood friend, Kuroki, was an introverted child, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to talk properly to other girls aside from her. He was a boy who was always by himself, a loner. It was precisely this shy and introverted Kuroki who had a huge quarrel with Shirone because of Reiji. It was probably because he was jealous of Reiji, or so Shirone thought. £¨Could it be that he lost his confidence? But, of course, it can¡¯t be helped if he felt that way. Reiji-kun is special after all.£© It was just as her aunt had said, Reiji was special. He was tall, lean, and handsome; he had both brains and beauty. There¡¯s no way Kuroki could compare to Reiji. But still, Shirone felt that Kuroki¡¯s face was quite handsome, so he should¡¯ve been more confident in himself. Reiji was a hero, a fact that didn¡¯t change even in this world. He was hailed as the hero of light by so many people. The hero who will defeat the Demon King and bring back humanity¡¯s golden era. Shirone was really proud to have such a comrade. Or rather, it was what she used to feel¡­ until the appearance of the Dark Knight. The sudden appearance of the Dark Knight who confronted them in front of the Demon King¡¯s castle had changed everything. It was at that time that she was strongly reminded of her original duty as she witnessed the Dark Knight almost kill Reiji. It was also then that she realized about the shallowness of her insight. Shirone remembered Shako¡¯s face back then. £¨Sahoko-san was desperate. She desperately used her healing magic to save Reiji-kun¡¯s life.£© For Sahoko, Reiji was the same kind of special existence as hers. £¨Since Reiji can¡¯t fight. It¡¯s my turn to be the vanguard.£© This was the reason why Shirone thought that it was time for her to accomplish her original duty, why she leapt out of the room before anyone could stop her. £¨But still, my burden is too heavy¡­£© It was why she had decided to resign from her post as Reiji¡¯s escort and go back to earth. £¨I¡¯ll report this matter to my aunt when I return.£© There was a rule in her line of work: if anything major happened during her duty, she had to immediately report it to her aunt. £¨Moreover, I miss Kuroki too.£© Shirone rarely hung out with Kuroki ever since she took her escort duty. Moreover, she always regretted the huge quarrel she had with Kuroki right before they were all summoned to this world. Shirone wanted to patch things up with Kuroki since she really missed him. All her musings were cut short as two Spartois came out of nowhere and blocked her path. ¡¸Out of my way!¡¹ Shirone drew her sword and charged towards the Spartois. Volume 1 - CH 20.1 Act 1-20.1 : Showdown Against Childhood Friend The Temple Knight, Lucullus, had lost his cool. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with this ba*tard!¡¹ Beside him, despite swinging his sword in desperation towards the opponent in front of him, none of Hyllus¡¯s attacks could pass through the round shield held in his opponent¡¯s arm. The intruder before him was pushing through them with his shield. The shield made contact with Hyullus and he was pushed back. The push¡¯s force made him completely lose his balance, making him fall on the man behind him. ¡¸GUHA!¡¹ ¡¸GUHE!¡¹ The two¡¯s dumbfounded voices overlapped as they grunted in pain. ¡¸Such power!¡¹ Lucullus stared at the invader before him, who wore ochre colored armor, eerie crimson red light peeping through the helmet¡¯s visor. ¡¸It¡¯s not human¡­¡¹ "" Lucullus and his battalion had been assigned on guard duty since the Goddess¡¯s descent. They were stationed in front of her altar room, an important position worthy of honor. As such, they had all felt elated and had started cracking jokes about whether or not they¡¯d be able to see the Goddess in person. It was in the middle of their banter that the sound of an alarm rang inside the temple, alerting them of incoming intruders. The alarm bells chimed across the temple¡¯s entirety, which meant that the intruders were trespassing from all four corners of the temple. Lucullus and his team had just started rushing towards the raiders¡¯ location when one of the assailants abruptly appeared before them, attacking their post. Lucullus looked around him, his disposition frantic¡ªsix of his subordinates had been defeated by the intruder. Some of them had lost their limbs, while others had been knocked down by the assailant¡¯s shield. Yet, strangely enough, none had died. The enemy was so strong to the point that it didn¡¯t even need to kill them. Even now, it could¡¯ve easily killed Hyullus, who fell on his rear, and yet, it did nothing. ¡¸O beautiful Nier, Valkyrie of Victory! Turn my faith into power! Sharp Edge!¡¹ After Lucullus finished chanting his spell, his long sword glowed with brilliant light. Lucullus had zero talent when it came to magic. But, luckily, he had received Valkyrie Nier¡¯s divine protection, granting him the ability to use magic. Moreover, since he was granted divine protection from one of Goddess Rena¡¯s aides, he was able to climb through the ranks, becoming a commander with ease. Lucullus swung his sword towards the intruder, the latter receiving his attack with its shield. £¨Not even my enhanced sword can scratch it!£© He thought that his sword, enhanced with a sharper edge through magic, could slice through the rough shield that otherwise looked normal. But, even that couldn¡¯t put a scratch on it. The intruder then swung its sword at him, forcing him to retreat as he received the attack with his knight shield. £¨And yet, only one of its f*cking attacks can easily destroy our shields!£© Lucullus observed his opponent¡¯s attack pattern. Strangely enough, it wasn¡¯t aiming for his body or head, as if it didn¡¯t want to kill him. ¡¸Is it just¡­ toying with us?¡¹ Lucullus muttered. Though there was only one assailant fighting against him and his subordinates, they were still completely overwhelmed by that single opponent. In this 9 vs 1 battle, six of Lucullus¡¯s subordinates had been rendered immobile with ease. As for Lucullus, defending against his opponent¡¯s attacks was all he could do. ¡¸Uhm?¡¹ Behind him, one of his subordinates suddenly muttered something. Noticing the terror on his face, Lucullus followed his line of sight and was met with another shadow appearing behind the intruder. When he was just starting to wonder whether the new invader was reinforcement for their enemy or not, he discovered that the new invader wore a jet-black full plate armor. Upon seeing the new intruder, Lucullus felt a chill running down his spine . The pressure released by the new intruder was leagues above the ochre colored one. ¡¸D-D-Dark¡­ Knight.¡¹ Another one of his subordinates barely squeezed those two words out of his mouth. ¡¸Dark Knight? Don¡¯t tell me the one from the rumor! So that rumor is real after all!¡¹ Lucullus shrieked at the top of his lungs. The real intruder and mastermind of this raid was the Dark Knight, who had once almost killed Reiji, the Hero of Light. By now, his name had spread far and wide across the lands as the man who broke the Hero of Light¡¯s undefeated record. Nowadays, there was a rumor circulating saying that this very same Dark Knight was leading monsters around the world to destroy humans. £¨No way, is he aiming for Goddess-sama?£© The worst possible scenario suddenly crossed Lucullus¡¯s mind. ¡¸B-Be careful, Goddess-sama¡­¡¹ Lucullus had been trembling non-stop. Just by standing in front of the infamous Dark Knight he was overwhelmed by the fear of his impending death. He watched as the Dark Knight approached him, resembling the Grim Reaper. Once the Dark Knight arrived in front of Lucullus, he raised his hand. ¡¸Sleep¡­¡¹ As soon as those words were uttered, Lucullus was suddenly overwhelmed by extreme drowsiness. The last scene his eyes viewed was his other unconscious subordinates. ¡¸Sleep¡­ magic.¡¹ It was already too late by the time he understood the origin of his sleepiness. ¡¸So the altar is right on the other side of this door¡­¡¹ Lucullus¡¯s consciousness sank deep into darkness right after he heard the Dark Knight¡¯s voice. ¡ô ¡¸Well, that was easier than expected.¡¹ Kuroki arrived at his destination as he muttered those words. No one who blocked his path could escape his sleeping magic. In addition, for some reason, no angels were stationed near the Goddess¡¯s room. His raid felt like a breeze. Had he known that the raid would be so easy, he would have just brought Nut along with him. He had told Nut to return to Nargol due to the potential danger after all. Seems he had wrongly analyzed the situation. However, as Kuroki mused so, he shook his head in dismissal. Negligence was taboo, it was always better to be safe rather than sorry. £¨Rena should be preparing the reverse summoning ceremony in the altar room right now.£© He sent a telepathic order to all the Spartois, commanding them to head to his position and stand guard in front of the altar¡¯s door. He didn¡¯t want anyone to intrude after going inside. Once all of them were gathered, Kuroki walked towards the room. Upon opening the door and entering, he arrived in a spacious chamber illuminated by several mana lamps hanging on the walls. As he looked around, he understood why it was called an altar room. It really resembled a shrine built for worship, with tall pillars standing upright across the room, and grandiose decorations adorning the floor, ceiling, windows, and walls. As he swept his gaze around, he noticed a huge magic square engraved in the center of the room. At the four corners of the magic square, four devices stood erect, resembling the street lamps that existed in his original world. Those four poles resembling street lamps were also similar to the devices Kuroki saw at the Demon King¡¯s castle when he was just summoned to this world. It was definitely the summoning assistance device created by the God of Craftsmanship, Heibos. Added to this setting was the figure of a woman. She stood in front of the magic square, her back facing Kuroki. Kuroki realized the woman¡¯s identity at a glance since he had seen her portrait before¡ªit was Rena. ¡¸Have you captured the intruder?¡¹ Rena asked without even bothering to turn around and look at Kuroki. ¡¸My apologies, I¡¯m not someone from this temple.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Rena turned around at once upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s voice. The moment Rena turned around, her transcendent beauty had made Kuroki at a loss for words. £¨Eh?! What the¡­?! What¡¯s the meaning of this? She¡¯s far more beautiful than her image in the portrait!£© Mona was a beauty, but Rena¡¯s beauty surpassed hers by leaps and bounds. Meeting her face to face had blatantly proved this fact. He simply couldn¡¯t believe that such beauty could exist. Rena, on her part, was also showing a surprised look on her face upon seeing Kuroki¡¯s figure. ¡¸Who are you? Could it be¡­ the Dark Knight?!¡¹ Rena recited a magic spell right away. ¡¸Transfer!¡¹ However, her magic failed to activate. ¡¸My apologies again. I placed a seal on the temple once I started my raid to prevent any kind of teleportation magic. In short, you can¡¯t use this spell within this temple.¡¹ Rena¡¯s expression changed to that of shock. £¨It seems my teleportation prevention was a success¡­£© Kuroki heaved a sigh as he confirmed the effect of his teleportation seal. He was worried that Rena¡¯s power would override his spell since she was a Goddess. Ending all of his whirlwind thoughts, Kuroki took a step forward towards Rena. As if responding to his actions, she took a step back while looking around the room with a desperate look on her face. £¨Is she looking for a weapon?£© Unfortunately for her, nothing in this altar room remotely resembled a weapon. Moreover, Kuroki had no intention to let her summon her weapon. ¡¸Were you aiming for me all along? I was almost certain that your aim was Reiji¡­ Had I known the situation would turn this way, I would¡¯ve brought my Valkyrie troop along with me. What a blunder I¡¯ve put myself into.¡¹ Kuroki helplessly shook his head and then took off his helmet. He heard the sound of Rena¡¯s gasp as she saw his bare face appearing. ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Goddess Rena. I apologize for the sudden intrusion in your temple this late at night.¡¹ Kuroki gave his greeting and bowed as he put his helmet under his arm. £¨Did I greet her politely enough?£© Kuroki was a bit anxious about whether his greeting was polite enough or not. Along with other lessons, Modes had arranged an etiquette lesson for him to learn the proper protocol towards this world¡¯s Gods. He happily attended the lesson since he considered it as necessary during his travels in this world. Surprisingly, the etiquette of this world wasn¡¯t that different from the one in his original world. Even though there was no connection between his home world and this world, some countries had similar cultures, or rather, the same exact traditions as Kuroki¡¯s world. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t find any difficulties in learning this world¡¯s etiquette. Though his normal greeting wasn¡¯t that bad, he definitely couldn¡¯t show a boorish attitude in front of a God. Therefore, he made sure that he was extra courteous to the Goddess before him. When he raised his face to peek at Rena¡¯s, he was faced with her beautiful visage that far eclipsed the one in her portrait. Rena was also staring intently at Kuroki¡¯s face. Kuroki had been waiting for Rena to return his greeting all this time. But, Rena¡¯s eyes were dead set on Kuroki¡¯s face. ¡¸Goddess¡­ Rena?¡¹ Kuroki had no choice but to try to call out to her. ¡¸HAH¡­ EH?!!!¡¹ Though she finally came to her senses, Rena was clearly flustered. Volume 1 - CH 20.2 Act 1-20.2 : Showdown Against Childhood Friend ¡¸I-It seems that you¡¯re not aiming for my life. Isn¡¯t that right, Dark Knight?¡¹ When he saw Rena¡¯s light smile as she spoke to him, Kuroki dazedly got fascinated by its beauty. However, he knew that it was only a smile of relief since she now knew that he wouldn¡¯t kill her. ¡¸I came because there¡¯s something I want to ask you, Goddess Rena.¡¹ ¡¸Something to¡­ ask me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. First, are you going to summon another person from the spirit world like me?¡¹ That was one thing he wanted to know. The matter of her trying to return Shirone and Chiyuki back to their original world aside, he couldn¡¯t help but be curious about the possibility of her trying to summon yet another person, a new hero. ¡¸Ah, I see now¡­ you¡¯re mistaken about something, Dark Knight.¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­ eh, what?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m preparing to return the hero¡¯s comrades. That will be more convenient to you, right?¡¹ Rena thought that there was bad blood between Kuroki and Reiji. That¡¯s why she thought that sending the hero¡¯s comrades back would be more convenient to Kuroki. She didn¡¯t understand why he came here and disrupted the ritual since his deep hatred towards the hero and his companions should have made him happy with this outcome. ¡¸Our military forces will lose a great deal of power after we send the hero¡¯s comrades back. Of course when they requested this, I had intended to summon other people to take their place. However, the Elios council forbade me from summoning other people from the spirit world. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to worry, I absolutely won¡¯t summon anyone else.¡¹ ¡¸Is that true? Then there¡¯s something off here. As far as I know, it should be impossible to return summoned people to their original world, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you must¡¯ve heard about this matter from Modes¡­ But, you have no choice but to believe him. However, I¡¯m not lying about the fact that I¡¯m not going to summon someone else.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. But then, it means that the hero¡¯s comrades are in big trouble, right?¡¹ ¡¸Sure they are. But, so what? It has nothing to do with you anyway.¡¹ Upon hearing her cold-blooded answers, Kuroki grimaced then put on his helmet again. ¡¸Dark¡­ Knight?¡¹ Feeling the situation change yet again, Rena implicitly questioned his motives with a troubled face. £¨I¡¯ve confirmed what I need to know. Any further dialogue is unnecessary.£© Kuroki drew his sword as he leaped towards the first summoning assistant device. He swung his sword and sliced it from above. ¡¸W-What the¡­¡¹ Rena was speechless. The top part of the assistant device slanted down as if to follow Kuroki¡¯s slashing line, and fell on the floor. Not giving Rena the chance to even utter a word, Kuroki headed straight towards the 2nd, then 3rd assistant device, slicing both off in the same manner as the first one. Once he reached the last of the four pillars and cut it down, Kuroki pointed his sword towards Rena, a murderous aura permeating his entire being. ¡¸What are the hero and his comrades to you?¡¹ Kuroki asked while holding back his anger. He couldn¡¯t believe how appalling she was being. She was merely treating them as puppets; chess pieces that could be discarded at any time. Rena on the other hand was utterly shocked by his question. She could feel the hidden rage within his tone, her expression changing to that of fear. ¡¸¡­ I see¡­ that¡¯s only natural since you¡¯re a summoned person too.¡¹ As if coming to a sudden realization as to why his reactions were different from what she expected, Rena uttered a statement with slight misunderstanding. ¡¸Why¡­ did you lie to them?¡¹ ¡¸Because the performing summoning art was already¡­ difficult¡­ and now it¡¯s all going to waste.¡¹ Rena replied with a bitter smile. Seeing her aggrieved smile, Kuroki thought that maybe she had no other choice; maybe she had to make up the existence of the reverse summoning ritual. ¡¸Nevertheless¡­¡¹ However, all of his conclusions were harshly demolished by her next words. ¡¸I can¡¯t help it! Seeing that repulsive thing¡ªthat ugly Modes¡­ he went too far when he made a clone of me¡­ Just imagining what he does with that clone makes me¡­ ¡¹ Rena exclaimed while averting her gaze filled with disgust. ¡¸Even though we finally expelled him from Elios¡­ he ended up doing THAT. How dare he?!¡¹ Kuroki was at a loss for words. He realized that the origin of Rena¡¯s conflict with Modes was a sort of psychological disgust. It was an utterly foolish reason and, unfortunately for him and the others, they were all summoned and thrown into battle for that silly conflict. £¨Honestly, finding out the reason made me lose the will to fight. Her disgust must be so great to the point that she decided to start this needless and idiotic conflict.£© Kuroki felt his head pounding. He was certain that if Modes was a handsome and dashing man, a prince on a white horse liked by women, this kind of conflict would never have happened. But, unfortunately, Kuroki had to agree with Rena in regards to Modes¡¯s outer appearance¡ªit was really too ugly to bear. £¨There are many stories in which the Demon King kidnapps the princess and then, a hero or knight in shining armor comes to save the damsel in distress. But reality can be cruel sometimes, huh?£© In the first place, there was no need to come to save the princess if the Demon King was a dashing and handsome man, adored and worshipped by many girls, nor would there be any conflict. After all, why would there be a need for a conflict if the princess was more than willing to become the Demon King¡¯s s*x s*ave¡­ Though it was never mentioned in the stories, Kuroki had always thought that the Demon King who kidnapped the princess was most probably an ugly and annoying existence, who made the princess¡¯s already difficult life even more sorrowful. However, in these same stories, it was also never mentioned that the Demon King¡¯s life was spared by the supposed kind and benevolent princess after she was rescued. It was as if these stories were trying to implicitly show how much the princess abhorred and was disgusted by the mere existence of the Demon King. £¨But, it¡¯s still not a good enough reason for her to lie to Shirone and the others.£© Rena never told Shirone and the others the truth, that was the biggest reason why they chose to cooperate with her. However, if they knew the true reason behind the conflict, Kuroki was sure that they would never agree to participate in this battle any longer. ¡¸Goddess Rena, I ask you simply tell the hero and his companions the truth.¡¹ "" Kuroki got closer to Rena, a tense atmosphere enveloping the both of them. ¡¸How about¡­ you become my knight?¡¹ But, Rena¡¯s next words were beyond his every single expectation. ¡¸¡­Eh?!¡¹ Kuroki let out a startled exclamation. ¡¸Don¡¯t you think that serving under a beauty like me is¡­ far better than serving under an ugly man like Modes? That¡¯s why you should become my knight.¡¹ Kuroki was really confused when he heard Rena¡¯s offer. ¡¸Uhm¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, you might look like a dull man at first glance, but upon a closer look, you¡¯re actually quite handsome.¡¹ Rena continued on blabbering, ignoring the completely bewildered Kuroki. Normally, he would be really delighted after hearing such an invitation from a transcending beauty like Rena. However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to agree now, not after knowing of her horrific personality. ¡¸If it¡¯s you, it¡¯ll be no problem since you¡­ are stronger than Reiji. So, what¡¯s your choice?¡¹ ¡¸In short, you¡¯re telling me that I¡¯m your next tool, right?!¡¹ Kuroki didn¡¯t miss the implication behind Rena¡¯s words. £¨Could it be that this enchanting Goddess really has such an extremely nasty personality inside?£© As Kuroki was pondering over that matter, a shadow of a person leaped up from the opened door. ¡¸DEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¹ That shadow barged into the room and slashed their weapon at Kuroki. Sensing danger, Kuroki retreated backwards to dodge the oncoming attack. ¡¸I¡¯ve come to save you, Rena!¡¹ That shadow was Shirone. ¡¸Sorry for not coming faster, those Spartois were blocking my way¡­¡¹ Shirone pointed her sword at Kuroki while standing in front of Rena as if to protect her. ¡¸You coward. How dare you point your sword towards a harmless and weaponless woman!¡¹ Shirone shouted with an enraged look on her face. "" If he was being honest, Kuroki didn¡¯t want Shirone to look at him with that kind of look on her face. He felt a twinge in his chest. ¡¸Get away from this place, Rena! Leave the rest to me!¡¹ ¡¸A-y-yes¡­ I understand, Shirone. I leave the rest to you¡­¡¹ Rena, who was overwhelmed with Shirone¡¯s spirit, quickly headed towards the door. ¡¸W-Wai¡ª!¡¹ Just when Kuroki was about to chase after her, Shirone stood in between them yet again. ¡¸I won¡¯t let you leave this place! Your opponent is me!¡¹ Shirone swung her sword filled with killing intent at Kuroki as she spoke. Kuroki used his sword to parry Shirone¡¯s attack. Kuroki was really glad that Shirone¡¯s swordcraft was as easy to read as ever. Parrying against her attacks was far easier for him, who was already familiar with her skills. £¨How did things turn out this way? I have to take off my helmet and tell Shirone the truth.£© Kuroki parried Shirone¡¯s sword again and retreated to gain some distance. Just as he was about to take off his helmet to explain the situation to his beloved childhood friend, he heard Shirone¡¯s bellows. ¡¸How dare you hurt Reiji-kun! I absolutely won¡¯t forgive you!!¡¹ ¡¸!!¡¹ Those words had shattered all of his expectations, he stopped his action of removing his helmet. £¨D*mn it¡­ Now I really can¡¯t show my face to her. I had no intention to hurt Reiji but, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I wanted to fight him¡­£© Kuroki had fought Reiji to fulfill his duty of protecting Modes, but some part of him was actually jealous of Reiji and wanted to challenge him. He wanted to beat the cr*p out of that sh*tty hunk who was always surrounded and worshipped by beauties like Shirone. As a result, he had ended up hurting the most important person to Shirone. That matter had always tormented him. He never wanted to hurt Reiji, which is why he was now hesitating to reveal his face. He didn¡¯t want Shirone to hate him. He was now wondering for what reason he was still fighting. He had always lost against Reiji and quarrelled with Shirone because of him. All of this had made him miserable. It was why he had done his best to change from his miserable pathetic past self. He had increased the portion of his training and studying, and had put more effort to fix his previously gloomy appearance. However, even after all of this he had still lost¡ª he couldn¡¯t forgive his weak self; being weak was a sin. Just as he had mustered the courage to challenge Reiji once more, he and his female followers had suddenly disappeared. Kuroki had felt dejected and lost at that time until he was summoned to this world as well. He had finally gotten the chance to have a rematch with Reji. Of course, as always, Reiji simply couldn¡¯t refuse the challenge. To the world, Kuroki¡¯s always uttered reason was a rematch. But inside, he himself knew that what he always wanted was to gain some kind of proof of him being stronger than Reiji. He wanted to gain confidence in himself by fighting the one who had defeated him many times before. He no longer wanted to be consumed by raging jealousy. That was the main reason behind Kuroki accepting Modes¡¯s request and becoming one of his faction¡¯s three great councilors. ¡¸Not bad, Dark Knight! How about this!¡¹ Shirone retreated as she spoke. Suddenly, a pair of angelic wings appeared behind her, growing from her slender back. Unbeknownst to Kuroki, Shirone had also manifested her ability upon coming to this world. Shirone¡¯s combat prowess rose to another level when her light wings unfolded. ¡¸TAKE THIS! LIGHT WINGS¡¯ ARROW!¡¹ ¡¸WOAH?! O BLACK FLAME!¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 20.3 Act 1-20.3 : Showdown Against Childhood Friend Kuroki erected a wall of black flames to defend himself as Light Wings¡¯ arrows rained down on him. ¡¸GOTCHA!¡¹ Shirone flapped her wings and quickly flew around the room, distracting Kuroki with her shadow. Once she found an opening, she immediately attacked Kuroki¡¯s back. ¡¸Lightning Blade!¡¹ Electric discharges enveloped Shirone¡¯s blue sword. As it swung, raging thunderbolts raced towards Kuroki. ¡¸Kuh!¡¹ Kuroki twisted his body, taking the blow with his sword. His demon sword was made of a special material with high resistivity, which opposed conductivity. The thunderbolts were absorbed by his sword, their power immediately dying down. ¡¸Not bad!¡¹ Shirone¡¯s next attack came down towards Kuroki like a raging storm as she accelerated her movements. With the current strength she was showing, it was obvious that she was now as fast as Reiji. Yet, her attacks were all made in vain as Kuroki either dodged them or parried them with his sword. It had been a while since the last time Kuroki had fought with Shirone. Ever since she had joined Reiji¡¯s party, Kuroki had rarely had the chance to spar with her. It felt great to do it once again. £¨She became stronger than before.£© Kuroki mused about her achievements while receiving her sword. He was aware that her swordplay had become even faster, which he was proud of. Yet, he knew that her blatant weakness still remained. £¨I see that her swordcraft is still as lousy as ever.£© Seeing the shadow of her past through her fighting skills, Kuroki started reminiscing about his happier days. Shirone¡¯s swordcraft had always been straightforward. That¡¯s why Kuroki could always easily see through her attacks. The situation was still the same now. He wished that he could make her happy and let her win, but with the current situation, he couldn¡¯t imagine himself losing to Shirone nor allow himself to do so. Firstly, she wouldn¡¯t be happy if he intentionally allowed her to win, secondly, and most importantly¡ªtime was now of the essence. £¨There¡¯s no time left! I have to end this as soon as possible.£© Kuroki was running out of time. He predicted that Rena would call for reinforcements and that they would come soon. £¨I guess play time is over. But, I have to make Shirone listen to me. The problem is how? Will she even hear me if I keep my identity hidden like this? Anyway, I have to defeat Shirone first. Let¡¯s think about the persuasion later.£© Kuroki mused as he resolutely started to fight back. ¡ô £¨Strong. None of my attacks can reach him.£© Was what Shirone felt as she fought against the Dark Knight before her. £¨My attacks are all easily seen through by him, and he either parries my sword or dodges my attacks completely.£© While contemplating her current standing in the battle, Shirone sent another attack, which the Dark Knight effortlessly dodged with a paper thin margin yet again. Shirone was really surprised seeing those gliding movements. She would¡¯ve gladly praised him for his skill, if he wasn¡¯t their enemy. As far as she knew, there was only one person who could perform such a feat, and that person was none other than her uncle, who married into her family. Her aunt, the one who had requested her to become Reiji¡¯s escort, had fallen in love with a mundane man. However, taking into consideration her family¡¯s standing, Shirone¡¯s aunt could never marry into a man¡¯s family, thus the man had to give up that right and join his wife¡¯s family instead. The man, now Shirone¡¯s uncle, had readily agreed as he was as in love with Shirone¡¯s aunt as she was in love with him. Marrying into his wife¡¯s family, her uncle was literally a henpecked husband, that¡¯s why Shirone never had a good impression of him. However, this had all changed when she saw him in battle¡ªthat same henpecked husband would turn into a completely different person when he held a sword in his hand. He had taken his wife¡¯s mantle and had improved its martial arts, one of them the skill she had just seen. ¡ªThe Dark Knight¡¯s gliding movements greatly resembled her uncle¡¯s. That¡¯s why Shirone could now judge that the Dark Knight¡¯s strength was equal to that of her uncle. £¨Come to think of it, the one who adopted Kuroki into our family was my uncle.£© Shirone ended up recalling that matter in the middle of battle. However, she had to cut her nostalgic thoughts short as her fight with the Dark Knight had yet to end. £¨He¡¯s basically toying with me!£© As their duel continued on, Shirone grew more and more impatient. The Dark Knight was clearly more powerful than her. The only reason why their battle had not ended until now was merely because the Dark Knight had never even considered attacking her. Shirone was mortified since the other party was a coward who pointed his sword at an unarmed woman. Yet, she couldn¡¯t even defeat that supposed coward. Even so, she kept swinging her sword. Then, after swinging her sword for the upteenth time, she suddenly felt her hand getting lighter, a clear metallic sound accompanying this emptiness across the entire room. Perplexed, she looked down, only to realize that her sword was no longer in her hand. Instead, it was rolling on the floor beside her. Shirone¡¯s shock increased to a whole new level as she realized what her opponent had just done. £¨No way? He attacked right before I put more strength into my grip?£© As a rule of thumb, the basics of swordsmanship always asserted that a swordsman should never grip their sword strongly at all times. Instead, the truest way of swordsmanship was for one to grip their weapon softly, only increasing their grip¡¯s strength when the sword was being swung towards the opponent. The moment when the sword would softly be gripped was called a ¡± Hollow State¡±, while the moment when the sword was strongly gripped was called a ¡°Truth State¡±. It was exactly when Shirone was in the middle of transitioning from the ¡°Hollow State¡± to the ¡°Truth State¡± to attack the Dark Knight that he had disarmed her. The sword that was loosely clasped was struck by the Dark Knight¡¯s sword and fell from Shirone¡¯s hand. Shirone almost couldn¡¯t believe what she just experienced, to think that someone in this world could have such divine skills. ¡°Monster¡± was Shirone¡¯s impression of the Dark Knight now. £¨The Dark Knight never took me seriously. He never considered me as his opponent!£© Before she knew it, tears were welling up along the rims of her eyes. ¡¸You must think that I really have no chance to win against you, huh!¡¹ Shirone glared at the Dark Knight as she cried. ¡ô ¡®It was easier than I expected¡¯¡ª mused Kuroki as he disarmed Shirone. £¨Ya~ay, I seized her ¡°Hollow State¡± perfectly. Good job ME!£© Kuroki praised himself for his achievement. This skill wasn¡¯t one that could be used by amateurs, who always gripped their sword strongly. One had to be able to analyze their opponent¡¯s attack pattern and perfectly time the counterattack to disarm them. This was no easy feat if your opponent was as skilled as you. However, the reason why he was able to use this skill on Shirone was because he had sparred with her numerous times in the past, making him familiar with all of her patterns. Moreover, she was weaker than him. £¨Now that she lost her sword, Shirone won¡¯t fight back anymore. The next thing I need to do is make her to listen to me.£© Kuroki racked his brain, he needed to find a way to tell her about their situation while still maintaining his identity as the Dark Knight. Not finding any solution to this conundrum, Kuroki looked up at Shirone, who was still glaring at him with tears flowing down from her eyes. £¨Uwaah, she¡¯s really mad now. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll listen to me no matter what I tell her.£© Kuroki approached Shirone, opening his mouth to explain, but he could not utter a word as Shirone immediately cut him with her bellows. ¡¸You must think that I really have no chance to win against you, huh!¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s gait halted as soon as he heard her words. He was really speechless now since Shirone was earnestly crying ¡¸Soon, Reiji-kun will come and defeat you!¡¹ Her mournful shouts continued as she caught up her breath. ¡¸BECAUSE REIJI-KUN IS WAY MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU!!!!¡¹ Those words deeply stabbed Kuroki¡¯s heart. £¨The truth is really painful afterall!£© Kuroki remembered the moment when Shirone had said the same thing to him in their original world. She was now uttering the same words she spoke after they had had a huge quarrel about Reiji. These memories sharply wounded him. The painful, barbed thorns of that time had been sticking in his heart since then, and now, they were gravely piercing his heart yet again, puncturing it a million times¡ªhe felt his entire soul bleeding. £¨So I really can¡¯t win against Reiji even if I defeat him in a fight, huh¡­£© Kuroki¡¯s miserable complaints could only be lodged in his throat as he looked at the crying Shirone. £¨I made her cry. It¡¯s as if I really am the bad one here.£© Kuroki was really depressed inside. He only wanted to tell her the truth of the matter, and yet, he was now unable to do so. £¨I¡¯ve already destroyed the summonig assistant devices, it should be enough to keep her away from danger. That¡¯s assuming that Rena wouldn¡¯t try to harm them later on.£© Right when he was pondering over that matter, a commotion was heard outside, a group of people then barged into the altar room. ¡¸Shirone, are you okay?!¡¹ ¡¸SHIRONE-SAN!¡¹ Reiji and his companions all screamed Shirone¡¯s name as they made their way in. ¡¸R-Reiji¡­ kun?¡¹ Shirone¡¯s cries ceased a little bit, a smile replacing her previous wails as she looked at Reiji. However, she didn¡¯t know that her loving smile had dealt Kuroki a critical hit. He shut his eyes in anguish as he felt his body turn cold. ¡¸YOU BA*TARD! GET AWAY FROM HER!!¡¹ Reiji barked at Kuroki as he readied his sword. Seeing that figure, Kuroki thought that Reiji greatly resembled a knight in shining armor, riding a white horse to save the princess. £¨I guess the only choice for me, the evil one, is to leave this place, huh.£© Kuroki lowered his sword, losing the will to fight. He then walked away from Shirone. As he turned his back on them, he could hear Reiji and his party¡¯s bewildered voices from behind, but he honestly didn¡¯t care anymore. It was hopeless for him anyway. He invoked a black flame in his hand as he walked away from them. Looking at his black flame, darker than the night sky¡¯s abyss, Kuroki felt that it was a perfect personification of the gloomy emotions in his heart. He flicked the inky flame towards the ceiling, burning it to a crisp and melting it like a piece of butter, leaving no rubble behind. Kuroki leaped out from the altar room, and then immediately invoked his flight magic. £¨Let¡¯s go back to Nargol. That murky land might be the most suitable place for me.£© He knew that the Gods of Light¡¯s subordinates might discover his presence if he used flight magic so blatantly, but he really didn¡¯t care anymore. It was in this manner that Kuroki¡¯s lonely figure flew under the moonlight. Volume 1 - CH 21.1 Act 1-21.1 : Every Side¡¯s Consideration(Epilogue) Rena had now returned to Elios¡¯ Heavenly Palace and was on her way back to her own palace. ¡¸That was close huh, Rena.¡¹ Just as she arrived at the palace¡¯s gate, a voice called out to her. Rena paused and looked back at the direction of the voice. There stood a male God. Once she saw who had spoken, Rena immediately frowned. The man who stood before her was the God of Song and Arts, Alphos. Rena was always quite reluctant to admit it, but no matter how much she wanted to deny it, this God was still her older twin brother. ¡¸Do you have any business with me, Alphos?¡¹ Rena asked for Alphos¡¯s reason behind his visit with a pout on her face; she really didn¡¯t want to converse with him. She simply hated that elder brother of hers. Despite bearing a striking resemblance to each other, Rena knew that their personalities were different by leaps and bounds, almost clashing like mortal enemies. ¡¸I heard the Dark Knight is aiming for your life, Rena.¡¹ ¡¸And from where did you hear that?¡¹ Rena asked, displeased, her irritability increasing yet again. ¡¸Well, the thing is, the Dark Knight just caused a little bit of a problem.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I might have an idea of what you¡¯re talking about.¡¹ Alphos shook his head as if to tell her that things weren¡¯t as simple as she presumed. ¡¸Just a moment ago, he nearly annihilated the entire Holy Knight Order.¡¹ ¡¸Pardon?¡¹ Rena couldn¡¯t hide her surprise upon hearing the news. The Holy Knight Order was a group of hand picked elites comprised of angels and heroes of the human race. They were the strongest Knight Order in this world, the cream of the crop who served directly under Oudith, the God of Light. The only one who could rival them was the Dark Knight Order, its soldiers all serving under Modes. That¡¯s why Rena couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon hearing that the very same Holy Knight Order was almost annihilated by a single person. ¡¸Since the air space around Elios is under their jurisdiction, it¡¯s only natural for them to patrol around the sky of the Holy Republic of Lenaria. However this time they encountered the Dark Knight, passing by that area using flight magic.¡¹ It was understandable that they stopped him, those Holy Knights wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to fly in Elios¡¯s air space without a permit, which is why they would always patrol this space 24/7. It was therefore normal for them to try arresting him, who was clearly flying there without a permit. ¡¸As a result, the Holy Knights were brought close to annihilation in their attempt to arrest the Dark Knight. Well, I expected that he could do this much since he was the one who defeated the hero, who also almost brought the Dark Knight Order to the brink of annihilation as well.¡¹ Alphos uttered those piercing words nonchalantly. Listening to her brother¡¯s summary of the events, Rena started to recall the short conversation she shared with the Dark Knight. She couldn¡¯t help but remember his striking appearance: his fearless demeanor with a hint of gloom in it, his night colored hair, and his impressive almond shaped eyes tinted with a bit of immaturity. Though his features were more subdued compared to flashy men like Alphos and Reiji, upon a closer look, she could clearly see that he was no less handsome than them. ¡¸Woopsie, you seem to be glad, Rena.¡¹ Alphos called out to his sister, who was standing there in a daze, a slight smile almost threatening to show. ¡¸Eh?! What?¡¹ Noticing her blunder, Rena quickly pressed her fingers on top of her lips, covering the crack in her demeanor. ¡¸So, what will Oudith-sama do now?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing. He doesn¡¯t want to antagonize Modes.¡¹ Rena instantly frowned at his response. The king of the Gods of Light, Oudith, had always wished for peace with the Gods of Darkness. If it weren¡¯t for Rena¡¯s enmity with Modes, he would¡¯ve never even started a battle with them. Of course this matter had always annoyed Rena, so the current situation was not the least bit amusing to her. In the first place, the Gods of Light were split into two factions: one that wanted to live in peace with the Gods of Darkness, and another that wanted to antagonize them. Sadly for Odith, the majority of the Gods of Light lay in the antagonizing faction, Rena being among those members. It could be said that she was one of its main supporters. ¡¸The Gods of Darkness¡­ are really dangerous, especially right now; and Modes is the most dangerous one of all. He¡¯s the God of Destruction¡¯s inheritor, the one who had once tried to destroy the world.¡¹ ¡¸I agree with you Rena, but don¡¯t you think the same could be said about those people from the Spirit World? They¡¯re as dangerous as the God of Destruction and your hated Modes, they could even be considered to be more threatening. It¡¯s for this reason that Oudith-sama decided to make a pact with Modes.¡¹ ¡¸What kind of pact is it?¡¹ ¡¸Both sides mustn¡¯t summon another person from the Spirit World ever again. That should be enough to tell you that the Dark Knight and Hero are a more dangerous threat to Oudith-sama compared to Modes. They single handedly annihilated both Gods¡¯ greatest Knight Orders after all.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ The Gods of Light¡¯s council had decided to ban the summoning of other people from the Spirit World after witnessing their immense power that rivaled their strongest soldiers. However, this decision had definitely made the Gods of Light¡¯s side the one in a disadvantage since there was no law stopping Modes from summoning others from the Spirit World on the Gods of Darkness¡¯s side. ¡¸Also, Oudith-sama wants you to restrain those warriors from the Spirit World who are already here, you¡¯re the one who summoned them after all, Rena.¡¹ That order poked at Rena¡¯s sore spot. At first, it had seemed like a simple matter. She would¡¯ve sent those chess pieces back to the Spirit World after they had defeated Modes. But, her plan was foiled at the very last step by the sudden appearance of the Dark Knight¡ªhe had destroyed the summoning assistant devices needed for that imaginary process. Both the prohibition of the summoning ritual and the creation of summoning assistant devices were decided just the other day. The hero and his companions would be monitored from now on. ¡¸Wait a minute, I¡¯m not the one who summoned the Dark Knight!¡¹ Rena couldn¡¯t do anything to the Dark Knight who was summoned by Modes. ¡¸That¡¯s true, but Modes said that the Dark Knight¡¯s actions will heavily depend on the hero and his party¡¯s movements. In short, they are your responsibility, Rena.¡¹ The demand was only natural since the hero was the biggest threat to Modes as opposed to Oudith. ¡¸I only came here today to tell you about the council¡¯s decision, Rena. You must be careful to prevent the hero¡¯s actions from negatively affecting us.¡¹ Hearing his retorts, Rena was at a complete loss for words. She had to both control the hero and his party¡¯s popularity from rising and prevent them from subjugating Modes? The demands were too outrageous. However, she knew that she had no other choice since letting them do as they please would make her lose her standing as one of the Gods of Light. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll do something about it. You may leave now, you¡¯ve said all that was needed to be said after all.¡¹ Rena¡¯s voice was now extremely irritated as she spoke to her brother. ¡¸Sorry, I want to confirm another matter before leaving.¡¹ ¡¸What is it now?!¡¹ Rena asked with a glare. However, her enraged glare did not affect her elder brother in the slightest, her threat could not even make him flinch. ¡¸When will you marry, Rena?¡¹ ¡¸Haah? What are you talking about? Is that another message from Oudith too?¡¹ ¡¸Nope, just an older brother worrying about his single little sister.¡¹ Rena grumbled as she thought to herself- ¡°It¡¯s none of your business¡±. ¡¸I¡¯ll think about this matter if I ever find a suitable man. I¡¯m different from you, Alphos.¡¹ Rena flatly replied as she threw a disgusted gaze at her elder brother. As the most handsome man in the world, Alphos was a natural playboy, the number of his wives now reaching over two thousand¡ªRena never wanted to act as frivolously as her older brother. ¡¸Does that apply to your Hero-kun too?¡¹ ¡¸Haah? You mean, Reiji? Why did you suddenly mention him?¡¹ Rena wondered why he would suddenly mention Reiji, it was so unlike him. ¡¸Well, that hero of yours has become the latest hot topic amongst the goddesses of Elios you see. He¡¯s handsome, and extremely powerful too. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help but worry about it.¡¹ Alphos glanced at his sister after uttering those words, trying to gauge her reaction. She was now even more surprised upon hearing his remark. £¨I never expected Reiji to become such a hot topic in the place.£© True enough, Reiji was handsome and powerful. He was so powerful that there was barely anyone in Elios who could beat him. It was for that very reason that he became so popular amongst the Light Goddesses. This situation gave Rena a dull headache, making her massage her temple ¡¸Reiji isn¡¯t suited for me. I did tell you before that I¡¯ll send him back to the Spirit World once he accomplishes his duty, right?¡¹ Reiji was nothing more than a tool for Rena. Moreover, Rena pretty much hated Reiji due to his similar personality with Alphos. He had made a move on many women after coming to this world. At this point, he was literally the second Alphos. She had also noticed that there were a number of Valkyrie warriors among those women, which was why she stopped bringing Valkyrie warriors with her to the Holy Republic of Lenaria. £¨As if I¡¯m going to let him woo my precious subordinates.£© Reiji was in fact a pain in the a*s for Rena. ¡¸I see, so it¡¯s not him too, huh. As expected of you, the aloof heavenly maiden who can never be touched by anyone¡­¡¹ Alphos happily laughed at the results of his inquiries. ¡¸Eh¡­¡¹ Rena didn¡¯t understand why her brother was smiling. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s all this hated older brother of yours wants to ask. Now I¡¯ll excuse myself, see you again, Rena.¡¹ Rena glared at his retreating figure. £¨Good grief, it¡¯s not like a man who¡¯s befitting of me doesn¡¯t exist.£© Rena was well aware of her supreme beauty. There were an infinite number of men who had tried to court her; however, none of them were suitable, they couldn¡¯t possibly measure up to her. Even if all the men in the world professed their love to her, she wouldn¡¯t even spare one of them a glance. For her, all men were just tools. Rena then tried to recall the men who had tried to court her up until now. However, she couldn¡¯t remember any of them. Since there were too many to count, she had simply scrapped them from her memories. Yet when she thought about those men, for some inexplicable reason, the face of a certain man appeared. Rena was bewildered. £¨Why did his face suddenly appear in my mind?£© ¡ô The hero and his companions were currently gathered together in the conference room. ¡¸Sorry, Chiyuki-san.¡¹ Shirone apologized to Chiyuki for her previous recklessness. ¡¸We were really worried, Shirone-san. I mean, you almost lost your life after all.¡¹ Chiyuki scolded Shirone. In the first place, to her, Shirone¡¯s life was far more important than Rena¡¯s. She was really angry when recalling the fact that Shirone had almost died just to save Rena. After witnessing Shirone dashing out of the room alone, Chiyuki had hurriedly chased after her. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they were blocked by the Spartois along the way, they would¡¯ve arrived earlier and helped her. It had taken them quite a while to annihilate those Spartois since Reiji wasn¡¯t in any condition to fight. Moreover, Kaya couldn¡¯t go with them since she was protecting the inebriated Kyouka. The loss of their main vanguard prolonged the time needed for Chiyuki and the others to defeat the Spartois. In addition, Chiyuki and Rino couldn¡¯t use any large scale magic since they were inside a building. "" The scene that they witnessed upon arriving at their destination was disturbing: they had found a crying Shirone, the Dark Knight standing in front of her. Of course, this scene had made them quite anxious, they were afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to save Shirone. However, unexpectedly, the Dark knight had simply sheathed his sword and left, turning his back to them. It was a fact that Shirone had been completely overwhelmed by the Dark Knight¡¯s swordsmanship. If the Dark Knight had felt like it, killing Shirone would have been as easy as flicking a finger. Just thinking of such a possibility was enough to send chills down Chiyuki¡¯s spine. ¡¸I think you¡¯re scolding her hard enough already, Chiyuki. In this case, I¡¯m the one in the wrong. My incompetence ended up endangering both Shirone¡¯s and Rena¡¯s lives. Sorry, Shirone.¡¹ Reiji apologized to Shirone. He couldn¡¯t forgive his impotence which had almost killed Rena and Shirone¡­ especially Rena. The first time he saw Rena, Reiji felt like his whole body was jolted awake by a thunderbolt. He had never seen a woman as beautiful as her. None of the women he had met before could rival Rena¡¯s beauty. Di*ckhead was convinced that the reason he came to this world was to meet Rena. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t help but feel vexed by the fact that his impotence had almost caused her to lose her life. ¡¸It¡¯s okay Reiji-kun, don¡¯t blame yourself. You¡¯re making Sahoko worry.¡¹ Shirone looked at Sahoko as she spoke. Sahoko was looking at Reiji with distressed eyes. It was only natural since Reiji had yet to fully recover. ¡¸Sorry Sahoko. I made you worry.¡¹ ¡¸Uhm¡­ It¡¯s okay, as long as you¡¯re safe, Rei-kun.¡¹ Sahoko looked like she wanted to say something else in the beginning, but she ended up keeping the words to herself. She was Reiji¡¯s childhood friend, making her well aware of his obstinate personality. ¡¸Well, everyone is okay in the end.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s as Nao-chan said. The Dark Knight didn¡¯t feel like killing anyone tonight.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, but still¡­¡¹ === Note : In case You haven¡¯t heard this, I caught fever and have to take a rest next week, I¡¯ve got enough of my wife mixing sleeping drug in my tea. Volume 1 - CH 21.2 Act 1-21.2 : Every Side¡¯s Consideration(Epilogue) Rino¡¯s words struck a cord, enveloping Chiyuki in a gloomy shadow. It seems the Dark Knight had misunderstood Rena¡¯s intentions. He probably thought that she was trying to summon another person rather than send them back to the Spiritual World, which was why he came to prevent Rena from performing the summoning ritual. However, strangely enough, no one had died during last night¡¯s raid. The Dark Knight didn¡¯t commit wanton slaughter and only purely came to destroy the summoning tools. ¡¸He only came to accomplish his goal and didn¡¯t kill anyone along the way. Even though he¡¯s our enemy, I tip my hat to him.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, Kaya. For some reason, he doesn¡¯t give the image of a Heinous Demon King¡¯s evil subordinate.¡¹ Kyouka, who finally recovered from her drunken state, agreed with Kaya. ¡¸Sure enough, his act is completely unlike a Demon King¡¯s subordinate. It¡¯s even more baffling since his previous image was of a cold-blooded killer.¡¹ Chiyuki recalled the countries that were destroyed by monsters. Those monsters killed anyone standing in their path, even going as far as killing women and children. That¡¯s why Chiyuki couldn¡¯t forgive the Demon King, who had released those monsters in the world. ¡¸But, what shall we do now, Chiyuki-san? We can¡¯t go back to our world anymore.¡¹ Everyone looked down depressedly as they heard Shirone¡¯s dejected remark. Coming to another world was interesting since they could see and experience new things, but this only applied if they could go back to their world anytime they wanted. It was like a Theme park, a fun experience til you couldn¡¯t get out of it¡ªwithout the freedom to choose whether to stay or leave, it would only become scary. Now, they were facing such an issue, their only exit had already been destroyed by the Dark Knight. According to Rena, on top of the summoning tools being destroyed, there was no longer any materials to create new ones either. ¡¸But, everyone is safe and sound. We can still go back to our world. There should be another person who can summon warriors aside from Rena. Let¡¯s find that person.¡¹ Chiyuki spoke to everyone while recalling the suspicious person who groped Kyouka¡¯s chest. That suspicious person wasn¡¯t summoned by Rena, which meant that there was another person who had summoning tools. ¡¸Yes, that possibility does exist.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly, let¡¯s find that person.¡¹ Rino and Nao spoke with a bright tone. ¡¸The one who summoned that suspicious person? Sorry, but don¡¯t involve me in this.¡¹ Kyouka frowned as she realized who they were referring to, both hands subconsciously covering her abundant ch*st. ¡¸Please endure it Kyouka-san, we can¡¯t go back to our world unless we find that person after all.¡¹ Chiyuki thought that they should postpone their mission to subjugate the Demon King for the time being. Their current goal was finding the suspicious person who groped Kyouka¡¯s ch*st. ¡¸Sure enough, seeing that Rena¡¯s summoning tools have been destroyed, we have no choice but to find that guy.¡¹ Reiji nodded in agreement. ¡¸It¡¯s decided then, let¡¯s postpone the Demon King¡¯s subjugation and prioritize our goal to find that suspicious person. I wonder where that person is right now?¡¹ Everyone agreed with Chiyuki. ¡ô ¡¸I see, Kuroki-dono prevented another hero summoning, huh¡­ splendid. I will thank him for that deed later.¡¹ ¡¸Yesh.¡¹ Nut replied to Modes. Until just a while ago, Modes was receiving Nut¡¯s report, who was perched on Loughas¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸So, how¡¯s Kuroki-dono¡¯s current situation?¡¹ ¡¸Mmm, he seems to be fine on the surface, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸But?¡¹ ¡¸In my opinion, his current situation is similar to Your Majesty¡¯s when you had just been exiled from Elios to this land a long time ago.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ At Nut¡¯s words, Modes started recalling the time when he had just been exiled from Elios. At the time, he had cried til there were no tears left to cry. He had wondered why those Gods of Light hated him so much. All because of his appearance? The only reason he could regain his footing was because he finally came up with the idea of creating Mona. To create Mona, aside from using Rena¡¯s hair as a medium, he also used the secret art of Life Creation, his own magical power. He had combined these components in a tool Heibos had created; his only friend in Elios. He could persevere in this life only because he had managed to create a Goddess whose beauty could rival Elios¡¯s Goddesses¡ªhe had her all exclusively to himself. The final result of his dream was Mona. Thinking about his beauty, Modes couldn¡¯t help but start musing about their¡­ activities. ¡¸DEFUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUFU.¡¹ ¡¸Uhm¡­ Your Majesty?¡¹ Loughas ended up calling out to Modes with a worried look on his face. Seeing Loughas¡¯s expression, Modes quickly woke up from his daydreams. Before he realized it, he had ended up imagining his nightlife with Mona. "" ¡¸Whoops, sorry, so about Kuroki-dono, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Then I¡¯ve no choice but to give the best Goddess to Kuroki-dono. That¡¯ll be the best present from this Modes.¡¹ ¡¸A Goddess? Like Mona-sama?¡¹ Modes nodded to Loughas. If possible, Modes wanted Kuroki to stay in Nargol. If Kuroki stayed, he¡¯d always protect him and Mona. However¡­ he had no idea he could make Kuroki stay in Nargol. That was, of course, until he thought of his honeytrap scheme¡ªgiving Kuroki a woman was definitely the best choice. Nevertheless, the Gods of Elios had banned the creation of fake Goddesses. If it was known to the public that Kuroki had created a fake Goddess, he would become the enemy of the Gods of Elios too, which would result in Kuroki not having any other option but to stay in Nargol. Moreover, since the news of Kuroki bringing the Holy Knight Order almost to the brink of annihilation on his way back to Nargol spread far and wide, no one would dare to look down on him anymore. Modes couldn¡¯t help but rub his palms and smile, he had just figured out a way to hit three birds with one stone. ¡¸GUFUFUFUFU¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, Your Majesty?¡¹ Though Loughas was trying to voice his anxiety, it was set aside upon seeing Modes laughing non-stop. ¡ô Kuroki was currently relaxing in his home. His room in the Demon King¡¯s Castle, personally given to him by Modes, was really spacious. However, respecting Kuroki¡¯s preferences, the room was still left pretty much empty, containing nothing but a desk, bed, and a carpet spread across the floor. Modes had also appointed an exclusive servant to him, a demon with a bear-shaped face, who would always ask him whether he needed something else in his room or not. But, unfortunately for the servant, who couldn¡¯t fully perform his duties, Kuroki didn¡¯t even know what he needed since Modes had covered all of his basic necessities. It was safe to say that Kuroki always received lavish treatment in Nargol. Even though Nargol¡¯s soil wasn¡¯t in a poor state and could pretty much provide many treasures, it was still by no means a beautiful land. The scenery he saw from the windows was dry, you could literally see a gloomy atmosphere drifting all over the place. In addition, it was hard to get living necessities in Nargol, trade ceasing due to the merchants¡¯ fear of the Demon King. Even the bedding¡¯s quality fell short compared to the bedding prepared by the kind Wood Elf family, who had allowed him to spend a night in their home. Yet, it seemed that the desk and bedding they had prepared for Kuroki were first class articles in Nargol. Even so, Kuroki¡¯s life in Nargol was still far better compared to his life back in Japan. (What should I do from now on?) Kuroki was lying down on his bed. He had understood Shirone and the others¡¯ situation. To put it simply, they had no idea about the fact that they couldn¡¯t return to their own world. They were simply deceived by Goddess Rena, which was why he was slightly worried of Rena causing them more harm. £¨Should I save them? No, they don¡¯t look like people who need my help. I heard that a few days ago Elios banned the use and creation of summoning tools, so I¡¯m sure that at very least they won¡¯t be sent back to the Spirit World for now.£© Kuroki continued to muse about their situation. It was quite a roundabout way to achieve it, but at least, for the time being, the hero and his companions would not be in any imminent danger. In addition, he was also not worried about Rena as she probably wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey the law. It was for this exact reason that he was confident of leaving Shirone and the others on their own. Kuroki suddenly shook his head, trying to deny the thought. He really didn¡¯t wish to get involved with them, that was the truth, and yet, he ended up saving their as*es. They wouldn¡¯t come to Nargol anymore, that should be the end of their relationship. Contrary to Kuroki, who always acted by himself, the other party had many comrades by their side. £¨It¡¯s definitely not because I¡¯m jealous or anything¡­ Oh no, let¡¯s stop this dangerous thought. Let¡¯s go back to thinking about my future plan.£© However, no matter how much he tried to stop his thoughts from breaching that topic, Kuroki still kept going round and round in self-denial. The first thing the hero and his party would do was look for a method to go back to their original world. Though Modes had told Kuroki that he would look for a way to safely send him back to his original world, the former told the latter that finding it wasn¡¯t a simple matter. That¡¯s why he had to live in this world for the time being. Then, he noticed. He might have to live in this world for a very long time. Kuroki didn¡¯t find that to be amusing at all¡ªhe had no comrades in this world after all. He really needed to find a partner if he wanted to live for a long time in this world in contentment. Though Modes and his subordinates could be considered as his comrades, what Kuroki wished for wasn¡¯t that kind of partner. £¨As I thought, I really am jealous of Reiji. He has many comrades around him, and all of them are cute girls.£© Kuroki recalled Modes¡¯s promise. A Fake Goddess. That was Modes¡¯s promised reward. Moreover, he felt that he could get over so many things if he had a cute girl by his side. £¨Yosh, let¡¯s ask for my reward from Modes. I¡¯ll definitely make a cute girl.£© Kuroki lifted his fist in determination. Volume 2 - CH 1.1 Act 2 ¨C Horn of Holy Dragon King Soaring under the dark sky, Runfeld was riding his beloved thunder wyvern, behind him followed his subordinates of the Dark Knight Order, also riding on their own wyverns. ¡¸Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s become so quiet lately, Runfeld-sama.¡¹ A dark knight flying right behind Runfeld suddenly cut the quiet atmosphere with his carefree statement. ¡¸Don¡¯t let your guard down. The news about the Holy Knight Order¡¯s destruction came directly from them. They might be spreading these fake rumors with the intention to catch us off guard while they¡¯re still patrolling around.¡¹ Runfeld responded to his subordinate as his wyvern passed by the mountainous boundary of Nargol. He then looked back to check on his subordinates only to find them falling behind. Such a scene made him grumble in heartache. ¡¸As I thought, rebuilding our forces is a tough task, huh¡­¡¹ Half of the dark knights had perished during their battle against the Hero, Reiji, and his comrades, and the ones who had survived this ordeal had still been severely injured in some way or another. In the first place, it was quite rare to find people with a fitting aptitude to become a dark knight, even amongst the demon race, suitable candidates were scarce. It was also even rarer to find someone with the aptitude to ride the wyvern. To make matters worse, almost all of the skilled dark knights perished during the battle against the Hero, making their forces dwindle to almost nothingness. Currently, the number of dark knights who could be dispatched only amounted to 20 warriors. It was thus imperative to rebuild the Dark Knight Order, and the burden of restoring their previous glory had entirely fallen on Runfeld, the Order¡¯s leader. This was no easy feat, Runfeld had to recruit and train many new knights. Moreover, what exacerbated him even more was the fact that the Holy Knights of Lenaria were intruding on their airspace quite often these days; the pressure on him was immense. Runfeld felt that his head might someday split open from all the anger he was holding in, he really wanted to bash those arrogant Holy Knights. Despite being fully aware that they were violating the law by trespassing on their territory, they still were adamant on insisting that all skies in this world belonged to the Gods of Elios, which was of course complete nonsense in his opinion. Naturally, he had no intention to approve their claim. Although in the past, before the Hero¡¯s arrival, they had come close to Nargol¡¯s airspace, they had still never gone as far as trespassing Nargol¡¯s airspace boundary. However, with the Hero¡¯s triumph against their Order, now there wasn¡¯t a single day where their airspace wasn¡¯t intruded upon. It was clear they only did such a thing to trample on Nargol¡¯s dignity. Despite Runfeld remonstrating with them to leave Nargol¡¯s airspace immediately, they never paid him any heed, and Runfeld himself couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He could only watch them in frustration due to their lack of war potential. However, fortunately enough, their airspace violations had finally come to a sudden halt 2 days ago. Runfeld was aware of the reason behind their inability to trespass anymore. He couldn¡¯t count the amount of times he thought in glee ¡°Serves you right!¡±. Yet, although he was happy with the current situation, he couldn¡¯t help but fear the one who had caused their destruction. That individual is just too powerful, more powerful than the Hero, they should never cross him and make him their enemy. He should never be trifled with. ¡¸Yosh, let¡¯s go back to the fortress!!! ¡¹ They were now flying over the summit of the Akeron mountain range, the boundary of Nargol. After some time and distance, the fortress situated on the mountain peak finally appeared. This fortress was built for the sake of protecting Nargol from any attack from Elios. It¡¯s walls were almost sky high and impregnable, built with the sturdiest of materials. The fortress was manned by many soldiers and was armed with many deadly weapons, it could be said that this citadel was Elios¡¯s enemy; it was far too difficult to invade it. Arriving at the fortress, Runfeld and his subordinates slowly landed on the plaza. The fortress¡¯s plaza was carefully built to handle any sort of flying monster, so the wyverns had ample space to stand. ¡¸Welcome back, Runfeld-sama.¡¹ Runfeld entrusted his wyvern to his subordinates who were coming out from the fortress. He left his new subordinates to deal with their own wyverns and went towards his own residence. ¡¸DADDY! ¡¹ ¡¸PAPA! ¡¹ Not longer after he took a few steps, two children suddenly rushed out of the fortress and charged straight towards him. They jumped in his embrace affectionately. "" ¡¸Reyfaldo, Reyli! What are you doing here? ¡¹ Runfeld tilted his head in confusion while hugging his children. He had a boy, Reyfaldo, who was about to turn 120 years old this year, and a girl, Reyli, who would turn 90. He couldn¡¯t understand why they were here, they were supposed to be home with their mother. Their demon race settlement, which was near the Demon King¡¯s Castle, was far away from this fortress¡­ ¡¸Mama told us to come and help you, Papa.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Mama said that we have to help Papa if we want to become knights in the future.¡¹ Reyli and Reyfaldo proudly replied to their father, raising their fists to show him their determination. ¡¸I see¡­ ¡¹ Looking at their pleased expressions, Runfeld could only heave a sigh. He understood his wife¡¯s intentions, they were currently experiencing a shortage of personnel in the fort, in fact even the people they had recruited in the previous battle were non-combatants. In their present situation, they would even go as far as asking a passing cat for help. However, Runfeld was still worried about his children, he couldn¡¯t decide whether it was really okay to let them stay in this dangerous fortress or not. ¡¸Please, Papa! Please let me[boku], no, I mean, please let me[watashi] stay in this fortress.¡¹ ¡¸Please allow Reyli too.¡¹ Runfeld was extremely troubled by his children¡¯s request. It was of course possible to let them stay as even if he was to exclude combat, there was practically heaps of work waiting to be completed in the fortress. He might be able to let them do some odd jobs even children could do. He also mused that it might be better for them to start their knight training right away, it would definitely come in handy if they were ever to be in danger. As Runfeld was pondering about this matter, he was suddenly startled by the sudden noise. The wyverns in the dragon house had at some point started roaring. He immediately went over to his subordinates and started questioning them. ¡¸What now?! What just happened?! ¡¹ ¡¸We don¡¯t know! The wyverns suddenly became restless!! ¡¹ His subordinates could only tensely respond as they were trying their best to appease the wyverns. ¡¸Runfeld-sama! IT¡¯S AN EMERGENCY! ! ¡¹ A shout echoed from the fortress¡¯s watch tower, a knight on scouting duty confusingly bellowing to Runfeld as he pointed his finger to the sky in fear. ¡¸What¡¯s happening?! ¡¹ ¡¸A DRAGON HAS APPEARED! IT¡¯S HEADING TOWARDS OUR DIRECTION! ¡¹ Runfeld then looked at the direction that his subordinate pointed to. A bird-like thing was slowly approaching them. Though that figure was still far away, he knew that it wasn¡¯t a wyvern, it was a dragon. ¡¸What shall we do, Runfeld-sama?! ¡¹ While Runfeld was dazedly looking at the approaching figure, the knights of the fortress had started preparing their crossbows to fight the dragon. Waking up from his stupor, Runfeld roared at them, which made them all stop their actions. ¡¸DO NOT HOLD YOUR WEAPONS! AND DO NOT POINT IT AT THE DRAGON! ¡¹ ¡¸WHY, RUNFELD-SAMA?! ¡¹ ¡¸JUST DO AS I SAY! EVERYONE, ASSEMBLE! ¡¹ They shouldn¡¯t fire their arrows at that dragon. Runfeld was visibly flustered as cold sweat started trickling down his back. He couldn¡¯t imagine the consequences if they had attacked the dragon. £¨If my hunch is correct, that dragon shouldn¡¯t be hostile towards us.£© Following Runfeld¡¯s order, everyone in the fortress assembled together. The dragon that was still far away a moment ago has reached the fortress at breakneck speed. It raised a howl as soon as it came close to the fortress. ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAA!! ¡¹ ¡¸PAPA!!!! ¡¹ ¡¸DADDY!! ¡¹ Several of his subordinates stumbled to their back, and Reyli and Reyfaldo clung on to his leg. The howling of a True Dragon had a mix of sound and fear magic. The people who had no resistance against it would end up paralyzed and trembling in fear. It was precisely because of this fact that everyone in the plaza had suddenly become paralyzed. The figure that approached the fortress was a ¡°Greater Dragon¡±, a dragon who had transformed into a True Dragon. It was a far more superior type of dragon, more so than the wyverns the dark knights of the fortress mounted. When it landed, the True Dragon, whose body was many times bigger than a wyvern¡¯s, ended up occupying almost the entire central plaza. This Greater Dragon who was once called ¡°Demon Dragon¡±, was living in the Akeron mountain range. Due to it¡¯s violent disposition, anyone who carelessly got close to it would fall victim to it¡¯s dragon breath. The death toll on this monster far surpassed the ones belonging to other monsters. It was not surprising to hear of someone¡¯s death everyday, at least that was until yesterday. Runfeld looked at the back of the dragon, there he found the figure of a dark knight¡ª it was the Dark Knight, Kuroki. Runfeld held a sense of respect and awe towards him, the one who was summoned from the Spirit World by Demon King Modes, and also the one behind the destruction of the Holy Knight Order a few days ago. His position was higher than Runfeld¡¯s, who was once the holder of the Dark Knight title. However, Runfeld could never object to his change of status, he knew that he didn¡¯t deserve it anymore. Kuroki jumped down from the back of his dragon. ¡¸SALUTE! ¡¹ Runfeld gave the order as he performed his salutation. Yet, even after his command, some people still couldn¡¯t get up due to their fear from the dragon¡¯s previous roar. They tried to school their expressions as much as possible to not offend the Dark Knight, but it was all for naught Kuroki found this scene to be quite amusing, they acted as if they didn¡¯t fear him, yet it was quite obvious from their unhindered shaking. ¡¸Lord Runfeld. There¡¯s no need to give a salute¡­¡¹ Absolving them from such a heavy duty, Kuroki then proceeded to unfasten his helmet. Fair skin, a slender face, and black colored hair was what appeared before them. If one had to say, he looked more like a kind gentleman rather than an extremely powerful person. No matter how you looked at him, he was a hornless, frail human. But, one shouldn¡¯t be deceived by his seemingly harmless appearance because wrapped inside this harmless looking appearance was a terrifyingly powerful monster. Runfeld knew first hand as he had experienced that power once before. Moreover, he had defeated that terrifyingly powerful Hero and decimated the Holy Knight Order effortlessly. Runfeld then looked at Kuroki¡¯s armor. The armor he wore was the Black Devil Armor, an armor more powerful than all the ones worn by the dark knights combined. Theirs was a much weaker version than Kuroki¡¯s one. No one had ever dared to wear the Black Devil Armor as its power could overwhelm anyone who had even dared to touch it. Yet, Kuroki could easily wear it while donning a composed face. This was yet another testament of the terrifying amount of magical power he possessed. A harmless looking person did something that none of the demon race could achieve. Runfeld was extremely frustrated about that matter. This Kuroki was someone whose position was second only to the Demon King. ¡¸That¡¯s not true, Your Excellency is our hero!! ¡¹ Kuroki was troubled by Runfeld¡¯s words, he wasn¡¯t used to being treated as a superior. But, for Runfeld and the others, they couldn¡¯t just carelessly be rude to a monster who could decimate the Holy Knight Order with just a flick of a finger. ¡¸May I ask the reason for your visit today, Your Excellency? ¡¹ Since, if he had to be honest, Kuroki¡¯s arrival was unwelcomed, Runfeld¡¯s tone was slightly stronger when he asked that question. ¡¸My apologies for coming without notice during such a busy day, Lord Runfeld. I just happened to see you from afar when I was training for a new air maneuver with Glorious¡­Thus, I came to give you my gratitude for introducing me to Glorious, and while I¡¯m at it, I decided to take a look since I¡¯m interested in the fortress protecting Nargol¡¯s boundary.¡¹ Kuroki thanked Runfeld after slightly hesitating, he could feel the slight irritation in his tone. He then looked at the dragon. Glorious meant glory in his original world¡¯s language. £¨Truly an appropriate name for a dragon mount of Your Excellency.£© Runfeld thought. The dragon called Glorious was exactly the same Demon Dragon who was feared by many, that is until yesterday. And the man before him was exactly the man who made that terrifying dragon into his mount through his own power. Runfeld then recalled yesterday¡¯s events. Runfeld was the one who introduced the Demon Dragon, who lived in Akeron mountain range, to Kuroki, who had mentioned his desire to find a dragon to become his personal mount. However, he didn¡¯t do so out of good will. It was highly difficult, even for a demon, to ride a flying dragon, much less to say about one that became a True Dragon¡ªthe degree of difficulty rose to another level altogether. Naturally, he had expected that not even Kuroki would be able to tame it. He had sarcastically said to him:¡¸Your Excellency should be able to ride on the back of the Demon Dragon of Akeron, right?¡¹ In the end, Kuroki easily got his dragon. Runfeld felt ashamed for saying those cynical words. As if to rub salt on his wound, the man before him even came to give him his gratitude. Runfeld almost cried due to how ashamed he felt right now. ¡¸No problem¡­¡¹ Having said that, Runfeld looked at Kuroki¡¯s face. For some reason, he was looking down. "" Kuroki¡¯s line of sight was focusing on Reyfaldo, who was clinging to Runfeld¡¯s leg. ¡¸Children? ¡¹ Asked Kuroki. ¡¸Yes, these children were in this fortress to help us¡­¡¹ But, before he could even finish his sentence, he felt an overwhelming pressure come from Kuroki. ¡¸Did you make those children go to the battlefield? ¡¹ This opressing voice was far different from his previous timid voice. His tone was extremely cold. Runfeld could feel chills run through his spine. ¡¸My apologies, your Excellency! We were extremely short handed after the battle against the Hero and his comrades¡­ My deepest apologies!! ¡¹ Runfeld bowed his head while explaining the situation. £¨Crap, I¡¯m gonna die.£© Runfeld always had pride in his ability to fight and his position as the leader of the Dark Knight Order¡ªhe was unafraid of death. However, contrary to his normal disposition, when facing Kuroki¡¯s overwhelming pressure, all he could feel was fear; he was afraid to die at this very second. But, contrary to his expectation, Kuroki calmed down instead. ¡¸No, I am the one who should be apologizing since I¡¯m still too clueless about your side¡¯s situation.¡¹ Kuroki expressed his apologies instead. Runfeld felt relieved when he saw Kuroki calm down. £¨This man is far more terrifying than the Demon Dragon behind him.£© Runfeld felt deep in his heart. ¡¸By the way, Lord Runfeld, the children behind you are? ¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re my children. Reyfaldo, Reyli, come and greet His Excellency.¡¹ ¡¸R-Reyfaldo greets Your Excellency!! ¡¹ ¡¸R-Reyli greets Your Excellency!! ¡¹ Reyfaldo and Reyli fumbled with their words as they gave him their greeting. ¡¸¡­They¡¯re such fine kids.¡¹ Kuroki smiled as he saw them fumbling with their words. It was a really kind smile. But, in Runfeld¡¯s eyes, it was nothing more than a predator¡¯s smile in front of its prey, which is why he was relieved when Kuroki¡¯s sight left the children¡¯s figures. Volume 2 - CH 1.2 Act 2-1.2 : Under The Sky of Nargol ¡¸And everyone, since you¡¯re so busy, please don¡¯t mind me and return to your posts.¡¹ Kuroki headed towards the fortress as he made his statement to appease Runfeld¡¯s anxiety. ¡¸Let me guide you inside, Your Excellency.¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m going back after a short inspection anyway¡­¡¹ Kuroki turned down Runfeld¡¯s offer and went to see the fortress by himself. ¡ô After inspecting the fortress, Kuroki quickly mounted Glorious and left. ¡¸It seems I was a bother to them¡­¡¹ Kuroki unintentionally muttered. ¡¸Unforgivable! Kuroki-sama is the one who saved their life after all!! ¡¹ Nut¡¯s voice suddenly echoed from inside his armor. The demon race stationed in that fortress were clearly disturbed by Kuroki¡¯s presence. Nut was angered by their reaction¡ªKuroki was summoned to save them, and he did so by defeating the hero. Yet, despite knowing full well that they were the ones who summoned him for their own convenience, they still treated him as a nuisance. This was definitely not a nice experience. What¡¯s even worse is that Kuroki treated the demon race in the fortress with etiquette and utmost respect. But, let alone being welcomed, he was treated as a nuisance instead. Honestly speaking, the only two who really welcomed Kuroki in this world were Modes and Nut, which was satisfactory enough. Even Kuroki would lose his temper if, for example, the ringleader treated him cruelly. However, what Kuroki didn¡¯t know was that there was another person who welcomed his arrival in this world. Someone he would never expect. ¡¸Thanks for worrying about me, Nut.¡¹ Kuroki expressed his gratitude to Nut¡¯s anger and care for him. ¡¸That aside, I wonder where shall we fly to today, Glorious.¡¹ Kuroki brushed Glorious¡¯s neck. There was nothing better than doing something else to erase a bad mood. For Kuroki, it was swinging his sword before he came to this world and, after he came to this world, it was flying with his dragon. He was really glad to have found such a magnificent dragon for himself. When he first laid eyes on this dragon, he immediately decided that if he were to succeed in taming it, he would name it ¡®Glorious¡¯. £¨Though it¡¯s an illsuited name for me, it¡¯s just the right name for Glorious.£© Kuroki smiled wryly as he pondered about this matter. He had heard that it was extremely difficult to subdue a dragon, but as he pondered about his experience, he felt that it was surprisingly easy for him. Taming this dragon took no real effort on his part, he just threw a few attacks and jumped around a few times until, shortly after, the dragon acquiesced to being his mount. It was all rather child¡¯s play. £¨Well, let¡¯s see how far I¡¯m going to fly this time.£© "" Kuroki told Glorious to fly atop Akeron mountain. After receiving his command, Glorious sped up and flew towards the sky high mountains. As the wind brushed his figure, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but exclaim to himself how wonderful this experience was¡ªriding a dragon by himself was far better than tagging along behind someone else. At least now he had a say in the destination and, more importantly, he didn¡¯t have to awkwardly embrace someone else¡¯s back. Kuroki shuddered at the thought. He then looked at the scenery that whooshed past him and started admiring it. Though the skies of Nargol weren¡¯t beautiful due to the presence of everlasting clouds containing a high density of mana, which made the sky look dark and gloomy, it still had its own charm in a way. £¨But, let¡¯s try a different sky this time.£© Kuroki was curious about the Akeron mountain range, this time he didn¡¯t just want to fly over it, but wanted to get closer to the ground and glide over people¡¯s dwelling places; he wanted to see this special mountain top in detail. According to Nut, Akeron mountain was the boundary that separated Nargol from the rest of the world. However, its specific border limits had still remained a mystery to this day. This technicality was the reason behind the Holy Knights¡¯ constant unwanted appearances, it gave them the leverage to pull pranks on Nargol all the time. Moreover, Akeron mountain was the biggest goblin residential area in this world, many goblins resided in this mountain. He often saw many of their figures when he would fly past these mountains. Though it seems that the majority of the goblin kingdom followed Modes, the ones who lived on the side of the mountains that did not belong to Nargol did not follow the Demon King, they would even sometimes show hostility to the demon race and himself. Though he knew those goblins won¡¯t go as far as trying to attack a dragon, Kuroki still decided to fly a little bit higher just to be sure. Just as he was about to raise his altitude, he came across an impossible scene in the middle of Akeron mountain range. ¡¸Nut! Those are humans, right? ¡¹ In fron of him were the figures of humans, something rarely seen on these mountains, and those people were being chased around by goblins. ¡¸Glorious!! ¡¹ Without giving it a thought, Kuroki guided Glorious down towards that place. The dragon roared as he approached the perpetrators. Hearing such a fearsome sound, the goblins stopped their attacks and looked up, only to see a humongous and terrifying figure rushing towards them. Seeing their impending doom, the goblins screeched and fled as quickly as they could. Seeing that the situation resolved itself on its own, Kuroki directed Glorious towards an open space to land. Once settled, Kuroki lifted his face and looked at those people. There were around 20 of them. There were no adult male amongst them; they were composed mostly of women and children. And what they all had in common right now was a frightened face. Kuroki mused that their frightened faces were probably due the dragon¡¯s previous roar, but he didn¡¯t really care and certainly didn¡¯t think of coaxing them. All he wanted to know was why they were in such a place ¡¸Who are you people?! ¡¹ Still sitting on Glorious, Kuroki asked for their identity. But, none of them gave him an answer, they were still quivering in fear by the sudden appearance of the dragon. The lack of response and their reaction was starting to get on his nerves. £¨Just what in the hell is wrong with these people? Do they even understand that they¡¯re bound to be attacked by goblins as long as they enter this mountain range? What the hell is with this carelessness? Or maybe, they did so while being fully aware of the risk.£© Though he ended up saving their lives, Kuroki understood that he might have done an unnecessary thing, just like what he did in the fortress a while ago. However, he had already saved their lives, so he decided to hear their reason for the time being. Kuroki jumped down from Glorious¡¯s back and took off his helmet. Once his slender face was shown, a commotion immediately stirred amongst the once quiet group of humans. ¡¸A¡­ human? ¡¹ ¡¸The Dark Knight is¡­ a human? ¡¹ Seeing that the face behind the helmet was that of a human, they all relaxed and sighed in relief. ¡¸Anyone want to tell me what this is about?! ¡¹ The group became noisy after hearing Kuroki¡¯s question. A while later, a woman came out from amongst them. The woman looked quite young, her age showing to be around the latter half of her teens. Upon a closer look, her dress was the best amongst the group. Though it was now tattered and dirtied, it was clear that in its original state it was an exquisite dress fit for nobles. ¡¸Uhm¡­ M-My name is¡­ Regena, princess of Algore kingdom. The people here are my blood relatives.¡¹ The woman called Regena introduced herself with great difficulty. ¡¸¡­ A princess? What is a princess doing in this kind of place? ¡¹ Kuroki was further confused after knowing her identity. Members of royalty, especially princesses, were individuals who were supposed to stay in their country¡¯s castle, only going to the safest of places with many escorts in tow. Her presence in such a dangerous place was baffling. Doubting the authenticity of her introduction, Kuroki tried to ask Nut about this country in a small voice. However, what he got in return made him more confused¡ªNut didn¡¯t seem to know much about Algore kingdom. It was quite surprising because, as far as he knew, Nut knew of all the major kingdoms in the human world, so the fact that he didn¡¯t know about Algore kingdom convinced Kuroki that it wasn¡¯t a major kingdom. ¡¸We¡­ were exiled from Algore. We didn¡¯t have any other choice but to come to this place.¡¹ Regena explained their situation in a timid voice. After hearing her explanation, Kuroki finally got more information about Algore. Algore was a kingdom located near Nargol. In this kingdom, rulers were chosen from several influential clans, the king belonging to a different clan every few years. However, it seems that Regena¡¯s clan had monopolized the king¡¯s throne for many decades, which greatly displeased the other clans. Not enduring it anymore, the other clans decided to join forces and rebelled against the current monarchs. Being attacked from many powerful parties, Regena¡¯s clan was quickly rendered powerless and were defeated. They were then banished from the kingdom. ¡¸Exiled, huh¡­¡¹ The clans who rebelled feared that Regena¡¯s clan would come for revenge after restoring their power in another country. That¡¯s why they drove them away towards Nargol¡ªnaturally, they would become goblin fodder. Kuroki felt that it was quite a cruel execution. Regena told him their story while sobbing. At first there were 100 of them, but their numbers quickly dwindled after the goblins¡¯ attack. The men all fell victim to these battles first for the sake of protecting their women and children, Regena¡¯s older brother and father being amongst those fallen men. Which is why, now, there were only women and children amongst them. ¡¸Please. Please save us¡­¡¹ Regena pleaded to Kuroki. According to Regena¡¯s story, Algore is on bad terms with their neighbouring kingdoms, thus no kingdom will welcome herself and her clan, royalty from an enemy kingdom. That¡¯s why Regena¡¯s clan had nowhere else to go¡ªthey were merely refugees now. Kuroki heaved a sigh and looked up to the skies irritably. Had he known of their complicated story, he wouldn¡¯t have saved them. It was useless to pull them out of a hopeless situation only to throw them in another one. Currently, even if he helps them leave this goblin infested place, they still won¡¯t be able to enter Nargol as refugees. They¡¯ll only be able to stay outside of the rampart, which will surely make them fall victim to other demons. They¡¯ll be treated even more cruelly by the powerful demons than the weak goblins. Though they might be able to survive if he brings them to a powerful kingdom, he couldn¡¯t possibly take everyone from Regena¡¯s group with him. Not to mention that with his identity he would probably be unwelcomed as well. ¡¸Please¡­ We will do anything!! ¡¹ Regena pleaded again. They had suffered too much on their journey to this place. She was desperate. The others followed her actions and started pleading to Kuroki. Kuroki was troubled by this situation. £¨What should I do? It might be an easier choice for me to just abandon them here, but¡­£© Leaving them here meant leaving them at the goblins¡¯ mercy. Though it would not cause him any future trouble, he would probably be prickled with guilt knowing he had caused the death of so many humans. Suddenly, an unconventional thought crossed Kuroki ¨C (What would Reiji do in this kind of situation?). He glanced at Regena. Sure enough, she was a stunning beauty. Reiji would definitely save her. Then, he would push the job of looking after her and her people to someone else in some random place. No one would dare to go against him as long as he used his hero privilege. He would put no effort in this situation but would then take all the credit and receive all the good affections. Typical. He looked at Regena again. He ended up being troubled by this situation, Reiji probably wouldn¡¯t ever worry like him. Thus, he finally made his decision. ¡ô ¡¸YOUR EXCELLENCY!! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!! ¡¹ Runfeld immediately raised his voice and protested when he saw Kuroki coming back to the fortress with Regena and the others. ¡¸I brought my own slaves to assist you since I recall you saying that the fortress is experiencing a shortage of manpower, Lord Runfeld.¡¹ Kuroki nonchalantly stated as he pointed at Regena and the others. In the end, he decided to take Regena and the others to the nearest defense camp, which was the fortress. Naturally, his aim was to make them work in this fortress since when he visited the fortress, all the soldiers had irritably stated that they were short on people. Of course, he never had any intention to make Regena and her people his slaves, he had only made up this lie to deceive the demons. He didn¡¯t want them to treat Regena and her clan badly, thus he clearly made his claim that they were his property. No one would dare act against them in this case. ¡¸There are even children among them!!! ¡¹ Runfeld¡¯s protests were meaningless. ¡¸Oops, did I mishear you when you said that you were terribly lacking in manpower in this fortress that you even went as far as bringing children to work? ¡¹ Kuroki sarcastically implied the presence of Runfeld¡¯s children earlier. Discontented voices roused from the demons living in the fortress. The demon race looked down on humans, beings that were inferior to them in every aspect except for¡­ looks¡­ So, it was only natural for them to feel that way since inferior humans were forcefully shoved to them in order to help them. But Kuroki ignored their protest. ¡¸No need to give me your gratitude, Lord Runfeld. Please make full use of my slaves, be it dish-washing or cleaning. But, I want you to at least give them meals and a place to sleep.¡¹ Then languidly made this vexing remark. It sounded like he was worrying about the lack of labor force in the fortress but, in reality, he was just shoving his responsibility of taking care of those people to Runfeld. He could hear the other demons angered whispers as they all echoed ¨C ¡°Stop doing things at your own convenience.¡± They were muttering this, but he knew that they wouldn¡¯t dare to go against his words for now. Kuroki felt that there won¡¯t be any other problems for him now. He then looked at Regena and the others. Though he more or less explained this matter to them, they still seemed to be anxious. But, he couldn¡¯t help them more than this. £¨It¡¯s possible for me to look after them til the end, but I simply can¡¯t. I already have so many things to worry about. I need to make them feel that staying here is better than becoming goblin fodder.£© Kuroki apologized to them in his heart. ¡¸YOUR EXCELLENCY!! ¡¹ Runfeld was still protesting. ¡¸Lord Runfeld, my apologies, but I have to return to the Demon King¡¯s castle immediately. Let¡¯s talk about this matter again later in the future. Thus, please take care of my slaves till then, Lord Runfeld!! ¡¹ Kuroki retorted using a stronger and more menacing tone, he was clearly stating that he didn¡¯t want to hear any other complaints. Kuroki¡¯s attitude made Runfeld at a loss for words. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s time for me to go back to the Demon King¡¯s castle.¡¹ Kuroki left them with a last remark as he climbed on Glorious¡¯s back, completely ignoring Runfeld¡¯s further protests. Glorious roared as it took off to the sky, making the people in the fortress scream in fear. Soon, Glorious became a tiny dot in front of their eyes as he flew towards the Demon King¡¯s castle. Kuroki kept deeply pondering about what he had just done as they flew in the sky. £¨In the end, I¡¯m just like Reiji, doing whatever I please.£© His action might bring more discontent from the demon race. He didn¡¯t know what would become of Regena and her clan after this event. But, he was sure that he would have regretted it more if he had chosen not to save them from the goblins. £¨Reiji wouldn¡¯t be troubled at all after doing this. I guess I shouldn¡¯t think about this matter too deeply. Come to think of it, the creation of the Goddess clone will start tomorrow. I¡¯m looking forward to the result.£© Kuroki was riding Glorious yet, this time, he felt depressed, just like the eternal gloomy sky of Nargol. Volume 2 - CH 2.1 Act 2-2.1 : Lord Rember¡¯s Melancholy Rember, a knight, was walking on the main street with a heavy gait. ¡¸I shall leave this matter to you, Lord Rember.¡¹ The words said by the King a while ago resounded in his mind. Rember was a knight of Rox Kingdom, as such, he had to follow the King¡¯s command regardless of its content. Despite the bustling night street, filled with laughter and joyful bellows, he felt extremely depressed when he thought about the predicament he was put in. The festive atmosphere was already all around him as people busily scurried back and forth, preparing for tomorrow¡¯s festival. Yet, Rember had no option but to ignore the hustle and bustle, he could not even think about enjoying the festival. Rember kept gloomily walking until he finally reached his destination. It was a pub he frequented a lot for its good beer, food, and company. It was called¡¸White Scale Restaurant¡¹, and it was where he could find the person he was looking for. He entered the store. The diner was bustling with people since it was just the right time for dinner. The White Scale Restaurant was a special place in Rox Kingdom. The reason was mainly due to the guests frequenting the restaurant¡ªthey were all armed men. The presence of demons outside of the city rampart had not reduced at all until this very day. Many people carried sharp weapons with them to ensure their safety when coming to this country and they would pull them out when demons appeared before them. However, the guests in this diner were different, unlike the common travelers who kept low-quality weapons, they carried along shields and wore armors, it was the bare minimum attire for their line of work. Their bodies were not ordinary either, immense strength was apparent through their toned muscles. It was obvious that they were not your run-of-the-mill mobsters, but real veteran warriors, experienced in true combat. Their auras could vouch for that. Freedom Fighters was their universal name. If a knight was a kingdom¡¯s official, then they were what you would call a private army, open for rent to whoever seeks them. The defense in the highway, which connected one city to another, was a matter of life and death to any country, and it heavily depended on the knights¡ªtheir job was to exterminate any demon that appeared before them on that crucial highway. However, no matter their strength and prestige, reality was alway cruel. It was a bitter fact that the highway¡¯s peace, which was akin to the lifeblood of the kingdom, couldn¡¯t be achieved by the knights alone. Economic issues were bound to arise once the relationship between countries deteriorated. And yet, the demand for passing by the cross-nation highway never stopped, more and more people required the use of this important road, it was impossible for the knights to fulfill all of those demands on their own. In came the need for Freedom Fighters. They were soldiers who could act with more flexibility compared to the knights. The knights didn¡¯t have any power to take action without an order from the King, unlike the Freedom Fighters who could act on their own whims. They didn¡¯t even need to wait for someone distinguished to hire them for the job. As long as they got a request, even from normal citizens, they could act as fast as possible if they deemed it necessary. Moreover, knights could only act when their own country was involved while Freedom Fighters could fight for any country if they desired and saw the need for it. The White Scale Restaurant was exactly the place where people could seek Freedom Fighters and commission them for a task in Rox Kingdom; it was common knowledge that this was their gathering place. Currently, almost all of the Freedom Fighters gathered in the diner were ones commissioned by Rox Kingdom. Three days ago, for the sake of the upcoming festival, Rox Kingdom had started performing a major clean up operation, exterminating all the demons within the city¡¯s vicinity. The clean up ended today. Thanks to their tireless effort, no one would have to worry about demons attacking them along the highway till they arrived at Rox Kingdom. Thus, the Freedom Fighters were gathered together in this shop after finishing their job. When Rember went into the store, he easily found the person he was looking for. The man he was meeting was a conspicuous individual. Despite sitting in a corner in the inner part of the restaurant, he could easily be spotted by anyone, this was mainly due to his huge, bear-like stature. Even when sitting he was taller than most people around him. The man had his back towards the entrance, and seeing those broad and terrifying shoulders, Rember instantly identified and approached him. Sensing someone coming towards him, the sitting bear-man turned around, revealing his appearance. He looked to be just a bit under 30 years old and had tanned skin. Numerous scars were carved on his body, a couple appearing on his face while the majority adorning his muscular arms, some could also be seen on his chest peeking out of his shirt. It could clearly be seen that he was not your average man. ¡¸Ooo, if it isn¡¯t Rember. As gloomy as always I see.¡¹ ¡¸My bad Gallios-senpai, how¡¯s your wound¡¯s condition? ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s better somehow. I can already freely move around. I felt a lot better after Nimri-sensei cast his healing magic on me.¡¹ Gallios responded while grinning ear to ear. It seems that he simply couldn¡¯t stop himself from doing this kind of dangerous job. £¨Is every Freedom Fighter unafraid of death?£© Rember asked himself as he smiled wryly. Gallios was a Freedom Fighter who worked and resided in Rox Kingdom. He was previously a knight, Rember¡¯s senior. However, he had grown fed up with his lack of freedom as a knight and so chose to change his career. Now, he roamed free, chasing danger and fighting the battles he always longed for. But, of course, with such liberty came risks. Gallios had been severely injured several times during his time as a Freedom Fighter, and this time was no different. During his recent commission to exterminate the demons for the kingdom¡¯s festival, he was on the brink of death after suffering a severe wound. Rember couldn¡¯t help but be filled with worry as he arrived at his senior¡¯s table. Once there, he suddenly noticed that someone else was sitting in front of Gallios. He had failed to notice the other man¡¯s presence before as he was a rather thin man, he had completely been overshadowed by Gallios¡¯s overwhelmingly big stature. ¡¸So you came along with Kuro-dono. Good day, Kuro-dono.¡¹ Rember nodded to greet Kuro. Kuro was an enigmatic young man Rember had never before encountered in this area. He had an extremely well-proportioned face and jet-black hair, which seemingly melted in the darkness. He was so beautiful that if he¡¯d doll himself up a bit more, he surely would be mistaken for a girl. Nevertheless, Rember could feel that Kuro wasn¡¯t the kind of person who liked to make a fuss, he preferred to be extremely low-key. £¨I wanted to ask for Kuro-dono¡¯s assistance for this matter. Thank God he came along with Gallios-senpai.£© Rember discreetly chuckled. ¡¸Good day, Rember-dono.¡¹ Kuro greeted Rember with a nod. Unlike the frequenters, despite sitting in this diner, Kuro wasn¡¯t a Freedom Fighter. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even a regular person from this area; Rember had only just met him yesterday. Yesterday night, Rember ended up learning from his sister, Gallios¡¯s wife, that Gallios had yet to come back from the demon extermination mission. This had made him troubled as it was known that nighttime was the perfect setting for demons as they could perfectly see in the darkness. On the other hand, humans didn¡¯t have such an ability. They couldn¡¯t see at night, which made them as good as dead if they ever found themselves outside of the rampart at such a time. It didn¡¯t make a difference whether the person was a normal citizen or a skilled soldier, as long as it was night out, they were in danger. Rember had immediately ran to the rampart gate after finding out about the situation from his sister. Just as he was wondering whether to go outside and search for Gallios, which would put him in danger as well, or stay and wait in case he came back, Kuro appeared, carrying Gallios on his back. It seems that Gallios was ambushed when he fought against goblins and orcs, which resulted in him falling from a small cliff and injuring his legs. Though he tried to climb back up, he couldn¡¯t move his legs and the day soon turned dark. He was saved by Kuro who happened to be passing by that place. Rember¡¯s sister was extremely delighted about Kuro saving her husband. Given Gallios¡¯s stature, everyone was sure that they wouldn¡¯t be able to carry him and take him to a place where he could receive treatment, and just like that, Kuro had ended up carrying Gallios all the way toward the healing magic user, Nimri. Kuro¡¯s body was the slender type. Definitely not the type of body which could seemingly carry Gallios, who has gigantic build that might even be the biggest in the kingdom, on his shoulder while traversing the uneven forest path. According to Gallios¡¯s story, when Kuro took the lead, they did not meet with any accident nor did they lose their way while walking inside of the dark forest in the evening. Hearing his story, Nimri speculated that Kuro might be able to use night vision magic. In short, the youth called Kuro might be a magician. Adding up all of these facts, Rember was convinced that the reason Kuro was able to navigate around the dark forest was his ability to use night vision. Moreover, he surmised that it was only possible for Kuro to carry Gallios through the use of some sort of magic. The existence of magicians was precious. Though the female doctor, who had settled in this city two weeks ago, seemed to be able to use a bit of magic, it seemed that her ability wasn¡¯t strong enough for her to be considered a magician. Since Kuro never demanded any luxury or special treatment, it was pretty easy to take care of him. No, from what Rember could see, Kuro preferred simplicity. Even now, he ate common food just like them and, in contrast to Gallios who was drinking ale, he chose herbal tea. When the Gallios couple tried to give him liquor to show their gratitude for saving Gallios¡¯s life, he said that he couldn¡¯t drink since he was a miseinen. [TL : I¡¯ll leave ¡°Miseinen¡± untranslated for the later chapter.] £¨Though I don¡¯t know what a Miseinen is, it might be some sort of discipline.£© Rember mused that Kuro¡¯s creed resembled that of a monk. £¨Come to think of it, the way Kuro-dono walks¡­ he doesn¡¯t show any kind of gap in his defense at all. He might be following some sort of martial arts path.£© Rember then recalled what happened at noon. Today, in the afternoon, Kuro had gone along with the other Freedom Fighters to exterminate the demons. Rember, who had also participated in it as a knight of the kingdom, saw that Kuro¡¯s battle style was splendid. He never expected that he could fight like that with only a small sword as a weapon. Even if he used magic as assumed, he didn¡¯t think that he could make that kind of motion. Thus, he was convinced that Kuro was following some sort of martial arts style. Not greedy, could fight, and could use magic, Rember felt that Kuro was the most suitable candidate for the current assignment. ¡¸By the way, what brings you here today, Rember? You¡¯re not off duty today after all.¡¹ Asked Gallios while taking another chug of his drink. Though the public order inside the rampart was maintained by the palace soldiers, if necessary, some knights had to leave their posts and guard the palace instead. Properly speaking, he should be in the palace right now. ¡¸The truth is, I would like to ask for your help, Gallios-senpai¡­¡¹ Rember told Gallios his reason for coming. ¡¸Fine then, let me hear it. It doesn¡¯t seems like a trivial matter, huh.¡¹ Hearing their conversation, Kuro stood from his seat. ¡¸Since it seems to be a complicated matter, shall I take my leave for the time being? ¡¹ ¡¸No, In fact, I want to ask for your help in this matter too, Kuro-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Me too? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you too, Kuro-dono.¡¹ After Rember told him so, Kuro sat back down. Kuro seemed to be surprised by the current situation, but Rember didn¡¯t give it much thought, he just wanted to finish the task he was given. ¡¸I want to request help from the both of you. I need you to help me escort certain public figures.¡¹ ¡¸Escort? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, these important people suddenly decided to come to this kingdom. I received an order from His Majesty to become their bodyguard, but I feel anxious when thinking of doing this alone. That¡¯s why I want to borrow your power, senpai.¡¹ ¡¸Public figures? Are they foreign members of royalty? ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 2.2 Act 2-2.2 : Lord Rember¡¯s Melancholy Rember shook his head. It would have been better if the ones coming were foreign royals, thought Rember. ¡¸Not, they¡¯re not royals, but they are equal in status.¡¹ ¡¸Fu~hn. So, who are they then? ¡¹ Asked Gallios with a curious look on his face. ¡¸The truth is, the people coming tomorrow are the Hero and his wive-¡­ Eh, what¡¯s the matter, Kuro-dono?! ¡¹ Hearing that shocking revelation, Kuro suddenly spurted the tea in his mouth, spraying it all over Gallios¡¯s face. ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ Gallios-dono¡­¡¹ Kuro kept apologizing to Gallios. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, but¡­ Is there anything wrong, Kuro-dono?¡¹ Both Rember and Gallios were perplexed by Kuro¡¯s reaction, it wasn¡¯t normal at all. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, my apologies¡­ My throat is just, you see¡­ Please forget about it and continue on about the escorting matter.¡¹ Kuro apologized to them and cleared his throat, trying to convince them that it was only a minor incident. ¡¸Well¡­ okay. Then let¡¯s get back to business. Why is the Hero coming here again? Is it just to visit tomorrow¡¯s festival? ¡¹ Asked Gallios as he wiped his face with a piece of cloth. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ possible, but¡­ Gallios-senpai, are you aware of the Hero Reiji-sama¡¯s defeat and subsequent injuries? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, of course I am. He was beaten black and blue by an extremely powerful dark knight. I thought that no one but God could wound the Hero, but the world is vast, huh. There¡¯s always someone stronger.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I used to feel the same way. However, this is the main reason why Reiji-sama is coming to Rox. He¡¯s coming here to use our hot springs to heal the wounds he received from that dark knight.¡¹ Rox Kingdom was famous for its hot springs. The water was known for its healing properties and its ability to relieve stress and tension in muscles. It was a popular spot for people from all corners of this world, especially warriors who always suffered from body aches or injuries. Thus, the hot springs had become the main source of income for this country; people would come visit the Kingdom solely for this prime location. ¡¸So, I want to ask the two of you to become the Hero¡¯s bodyguards.¡¹ Rember looked at the two¡¯s expressions as he finished his request. It was obvious that they were reluctant to accept such a mission. ¡¸Uhm, Rember-dono, why do we need to protect them£¿Rei¡­ I mean, I heard that Hero-sama and his comrades are extremely powerful.¡¹ Hearing his question, Rember could guess that Kuro had heard about Hero-sama and his immense power before. In the first place, it was impossible for anyone in this world to not know about the Hero and his companions. One would have to be living under a rock to not know about such famous and prominent individuals. Their feats were stuff of legends. ¡¸Yes, I can understand where your concern comes from, Kuro-dono¡­ There might be no one else who can defeat Hero-sama and his comrades except for the Gods and the infamous Dark Knight.¡¹ ¡¸Then why does such a task even exist? ¡¹ ¡¸We are just acting as their bodyguards in name. Our real job is to stop anyone who tries to do something¡­ to Hero-sama¡¯s wives.¡¹ The women who came with hero Reiji, everyone of them were country toppling beauty. For that reason, there might be some fool who tried to do something to them. Rember recalled the event that happened during the previous visit of the hero when someone tried to do something to the hero¡¯s wives. Reiji¡¯s women were all country toppling beauties as such they had garnered both envious and, even worse, ¡°loving¡± or lustful eyes. There were many fools who would try to do something to them. Rember recalled what had happened during the Hero¡¯s previous visit. Some foolish man had tried to do something to one of the Hero¡¯s wives. The result had ended with a catastrophe. ¡¸We really cannot afford to offend Hero-sama and his comrades yet again or we¡¯ll lose their trust. Moreover¡­ we really cannot afford to get our rampart destroyed even further¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡¸Well, somehow I can understand your concerns¡­¡¹ Seeing Gallios and Kuro nod their heads in understanding, Rember was convinced that they knew about the past event. Even Kuro, who was not a resident of this kingdom could guess what had happened due to the obvious destruction of the west side of the rampart. Half of it was just a pile of rubble that anyone could clearly see when passing through Rox Kingdom¡¯s western territory, and the root cause of this wreck was none other than a woman¡¯s powerful magic. This was the Hero¡¯s party¡¯s second visit to the kingdom, but their return was not due to a pleasant previous experience; rather, it could be said that if it weren¡¯t for the existence of healing hot springs in Rox Kingdom, the Hero¡¯s part would never step foot in this place again. In their previous visit, a certain fool had tried to get involved with one of the Hero¡¯s women. His sleazy approaches had angered the woman and, in a fit of rage, she had destroyed half of the west side of the rampart. Rember had heard that this was not a one time occurrence, he had come to know that the Hero¡¯s party had caused similar incidents in the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s capital. As such, the Alrena Temple would always assign a knight troupe to accompany the Hero and his companions whenever they strolled in the city. Learning from their comrades in plight, Rox Kingdom had decided to follow suit and assign escorts to the Hero and his companions while they visited. They wanted to prevent the previous incident from happening a second time, and the person in charge of arranging and managing such a difficult task was none other than Rember. Unlike a massive country like the Holy Republic of Lenaria, which had thousands of knights and could give up a few for escorting duties, Rox Kingdom had a lot less resources to offer, in fact, they had no more than twenty knights available for assignments. Taking into consideration the upcoming festival, the knights were definitely needed for such an event. They needed to maintain the festival¡¯s public order and safety. Moreover, along with this task, they had to maintain the highway¡¯s usual defense. It could be seen that these twenty mere knights were already spread too thin; it was impossible to add another assignment on their shoulders. Although it would have been a great achievement for these knights if they had taken on this duty, aside from not having enough time to do it they were also not skilled enough to carry such a heavy burden. It would just add unnecessary pressure on them. Thus, Rember had decided that it would be better to hire more skilled and level headed personnels, which lead him to the idea of hiring Freedom Fighters for this escorting duty. The criteria for his selection was quite simple, he only required two things: for them to not have any intention of trying to molest the Hero¡¯s women even after seeing them, and for them to not have any hostility towards the Hero. Gallios was someone he could trust due to their long years of association. As for Kuro, even if he only knew him for a short while, he was aware of his amazing skills. Moreover, he had a calm character and didn¡¯t seem like someone who would be hostile towards the Hero at all. Also, with his harmless appearance, Rember couldn¡¯t see him as someone who would try to molest the Hero¡¯s women, of any women in this world. [TL: He basically did all of those.] That was why he wanted to employ them for this mission no matter what. Rember bowed his head to them as he explained the situation that led to the present. ¡¸That¡¯s why, please, will you lend me a hand in this matter? ¡¹ Gallios frowned in hearing that request. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind lending you a hand, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the right person to escort nobles.¡¹ Gallios had the same attitude regardless of who was in front of him. He would speak to them with the same tone regardless of their status, be it Rember or royals of another country. Though Rox Kingdom¡¯s King didn¡¯t mind his attitude, it was still quite rude to act like that with envoys from another country¡ªone wrong move and he might be charged for lese majeste against the Hero and his women. ¡¸No need to worry since the princess herself will be the one to attend to the Hero and his wives. We¡¯ll be only escorting them from a distance and looking out for any suspicious people trying to approach them.¡¹ Rember further explained their plan to ease Gallios¡¯s worries. ¡¸Princess? Do you mean Almina? ¡¹ Rember nodded in response. Almina, who will turn 17 years old this year, is the youngest princess of Rox Kingdom. After hearing rumors about the Hero¡¯s sweetness towards girls, and since his wives would not be harassed if a woman accompanied them, the King had decided to assign the perfectly mannered princess for this job. ¡¸I see. So the future married couple will accompany the hero together, huh.¡¹ Said Gallios with a meaningful smile. ¡¸You jest, senpai.¡¹ It was well known that Princess Almina was Rember¡¯s childhood friend and fianc¨¦e. Rember¡¯s face flushed red when Gallios teased him. ¡¸That¡¯s nice, it¡¯s for you and Almina¡¯s sake after all. You¡¯re still indirectly helping the Hero in this way.¡¹ Said Gallios with a wry smile on his face. He then looked at Kuro. ¡¸Kuro, what about you? ¡¹ They could both see from his expression that he was reluctant to take this job. But, it was a fact that Kuro, with his magic, was needed for this job. ¡¸Please, Kuro-dono!! ¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­ I guess it¡¯s okay as long as I¡¯m not helping the Hero directly.¡¹ Kuro reluctantly agreed to take the job when Rember bowed to him. ¡¸Thank you very much! Kuro-dono! ¡¹ After securing their cooperation, Rember could finally relax. He sighed in relief. £¨With this the escorting matter has been resolved.£© Since knowing about it, Rember could only feel an unpleasant premonition with the Hero¡¯s sudden visit. Volume 2 - CH 3.1 Act 2-3.1 : In The Hot Spring Country With Rember summing up the whole situation, Kuroki felt something was amiss. Kuro, who had been conversing with Rember a while ago, was Kuroki in disguise. £¨I never thought there would be a day where I, a human summoned from another world solely to defeat the hero, would become his bodyguard.£© Nevertheless, Kuroki decided to help Rember since it was a rare chance for him to be acquainted with someone outside of Nargol. Moreover, he thought it would be fine since he won¡¯t meet Reiji and the others directly and would only act as their bodyguard from afar. They would probably not even notice him. The reason for him coming to the area surrounding Rox Kingdom was to gather the ingredients needed for creating a Goddess. He recalled his last conversation with Modes once he went to his palace and demanded his reward. ¡¸We need a dragon¡¯s horn. The horn of dragon king nonetheless, otherwise we will fail.¡¹ Just from this required ingredient alone Kuroki could surmise that creating a Goddess wasn¡¯t something that could be prepared in a hurry. Moreover, that ingredient was not the only unusual one. According to Modes, they needed special and rare materials to create a Goddess and couldn¡¯t cut down or replace these materials with anything else, otherwise it¡¯ll end in complete and utter failure. He was told that a dragon, hailed as the Holy Dragon King of Silver, was within the vicinity of Rox Kingdom, and that its dragon horn could be used as material for the Goddess¡¯s creation. When Modes was providing him with the necessary information, he had started gushing about his beloved Mona. Apparently she was made using the Demon Dragon King of Lustrous Black¡¯s horn. This ingredient was the reason why Mona¡¯s hair color was different from Rena¡¯s. However, for many reasons, Kuroki felt it was difficult for him to do such a task. Cutting a dragon¡¯s horn was no easy feat. Firstly, according to hearsay, it was said that Dragon Kings were powerful beasts, hard to tame or win against in a fight, so he felt that winning against that kind of beast wasn¡¯t going to be easy, even for him. Secondly, he felt uncomfortable with going through with it. Modes¡¯s seemed harmless as it came out sweetly from his mouth, but it was actually quite brutal. He had asked Kuroki to bring the dragon¡¯s horn, but made it seem like he was not going to harm it by doing so, as if it was as simple as plucking one teeny tiny feather from a ginormous bird, they wouldn¡¯t feel it missing. But Kuroki felt otherwise. Since coming to this world, he had personally witnessed the danger of his power. Taking the horn from the dragon would probably render it dead¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to harm a dragon just for the sake of his selfishness and lustfulness, especially since he now knew how it felt like to have a dragon as a companion. He recalled how good it felt when he rode Glorious through the sky until they arrived near Rox Kingdom. Though an unauthorized person was bound to be in trouble if they were found flying in Elios¡¯s airspace by the Holy Knights, Kuroki had no such problem as those very same Holy Knights had already been annihilated by none other than himself. £¨Honestly, I overdid it last time¡­. I really lost my temper that night and just crushed everyone who blocked my way without thinking too much about it. Every time I hear that they were annihilated I wonder how much damage I caused to them for people to say so. On the bright side, thanks to that I can fly on Glorious in the sky free from worries. I guess I¡¯m quite fortunate in that aspect.£© Along his way towards Rox Kingdom¡¯s areas, Kuroki has pondered about this matter. Compared to the Nargol¡¯s sky, the majority of this world¡¯s sky was a clear blue, just like his original world¡¯s sky. He really enjoyed the experience of riding on the back of a dragon as it flew under the blue sky. Though he could very well use magic to fly, he felt that nothing could beat the sensation of riding on the back of a dragon. That¡¯s why Kuroki couldn¡¯t forgive any egotistical person who would try to take Glorious¡¯s horn, who he experienced the joy of flying with. That might be part of the reason why Kuroki wasn¡¯t that eager to do this job of cutting another dragon¡¯s horn. Nevertheless, he had nothing to do after he came to this place. Kuroki who felt that it might be better to do something rather than do nothing ended up coming all the way til this place on Glorious¡¯s back. On another note, Nut wasn¡¯t with him at the moment. Thus he hid Glorious in a tower in the middle of the forest since he couldn¡¯t just parade him Glorious through the city. He had already confirmed that the tower was abandoned a long time ago and that no one would come near its vicinity. He decided to hide Glorious in the tower¡¯s hollowed top head. He made sure to come visit his companion every now and then to make sure that he was alright, but he always found his dragon lively in there. According to Lugus, a dragon would eat only when it was the time for it to eat, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t eat anything. At the moment, Glorious didn¡¯t seem to need to eat anything. When his train of thought reached that point, Kuroki submerged himself in the hot spring all the way til his shoulder. He was currently using the public hot spring in Rox Kingdom. Gallios had invited him to go to this place after they parted ways with Rember. It was obvious that this location was quite popular as many others were enjoying the hot spring around them. Though he had come here for nothing at the end as he was rather reluctant to cut the Dragon King¡¯s horn, the hot spring was fantastic. He felt that he didn¡¯t waste his time after coming so far to this place. Rox¡¯s hot spring establishment wasn¡¯t that well made, it was only a simple rock bath. However, it was still well equipped. They had soothing liquid foam, made from a certain rare plant¡¯s oil, that they offered guests and even had a sauna-like room, perfectly furbished. Kuroki ended up nostalgically recalling his time in Japan when he soaked himself in a hot spring. £¨I wonder how everyone¡¯s doing now. Are they worried about us? Can we go back in one piece?£© When thinking about Japan, he had lost himself in his own thoughts. After waking up from his daze, he felt that he had soaked himself in the hot spring for a little bit too long. It was high time he left. ¡¸Oioi, leaving already, Kuro?¡¹ Asked Gallios. Kuroki looked at Gallios. He was undoubtedly a very hairy man. His body was filled with scars, a testament to his way of life. Kuroki met Gallios just the other night. He had accidentally stumbled upon the injured Gallios when he was walking inside of the forest, foraging for his own food. He wanted to help him right away and heal him, but unfortunately, he could only use self-healing magic, which is why he couldn¡¯t heal Gallios then and there. Seeing that he was on the brink of death, Kuroki quickly decided to carry Gallios on his back all the way to Rox Kingdom. He had thought that it would be difficult for him to enter with Gallios since he had always been refused entry wherever he went. However, unexpectedly, Gallios was a famous figure in Rox Kingdom; the gatekeeper had noticed Gallios, who was carried on Kuroki¡¯s back, immediately. This was his first time in the area inside of the rampart, he couldn¡¯t believe that he made it in, and through the front gate no less. It seems that Rox Kingdom was rather lax in terms of entry as long as that person didn¡¯t commit a crime. It seems that entry rules were different in each country. There are countries that will only allow one to enter if they pay the appropriate amount of entry fee, and then there are other countries that won¡¯t allow anyone to enter unless they are their own citizens or their allied country¡¯s citizens. Speaking of money, unlike in his previous journey, Kuroki made sure he brought human currency this time. In fact, his previous money conundrum in the Holy Republic of Lenaria could¡¯ve been easily solved if he had known the ¡°rules¡±. He had only had a hard time last time because he didn¡¯t know how to exchange gems with money. Thankfully, it was solved easily by creating his own money, or as others call it, through his ¡°Private coinage¡±. The Holy Republic of Lenaria is not the only country that has the right to issue money, every country has the right to make their own money, which is why it was not hard for him to make money in private. The problem was whether the one that he made could pass the inspection. There¡¯s metal that resembles copper, silver, and gold even in this world. The diameter of a coin has to be around 2~3 cm whether they are a copper coin, silver coin, or gold coin. So, as long as he makes a gold coin with the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s gold coin as the base, it might be able to pass as a normal gold coin. In short he just needed to acquire metal such as gold or silver to create the money if he ever needed money. Naturally, there were also people who made poor quality money such as the Yen coin, which is made by mixing other metals with the main three. Nargol was a country that never collected gold or silver and just mined a bit of copper. From there, he had mass produced copper coins using a sample he got in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Kuroki¡¯s coins were very well made, so even if they were privately made, he could use them in many places. He had asked Gallios if he could use his coins in Rox Kingdom and had gotten his approval. So he was no longer worried about money. £¨Nevertheless, I think I shouldn¡¯t use thess hand made copper coins recklessly during my stay in Rox Kingdom¡­£© Gallios was letting Kuroki stay in his home during his stay in the kingdom as a show of gratitude after he had saved Gallios¡¯s life last night. And today, he even brought Kuroki along with him to enjoy the hot spring. Naturally, free of charge. Though Kuroki felt grateful for Gallios¡¯s hearty reception, he felt that Gallios didn¡¯t need to go that far. He smiled wryly as he responded to his earlier question. ¡¸Yeah, I think we¡¯ve been soaking long enough.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 3.2 Act 2-3.2 : In The Hot Spring Country Kuroki urged Gallios to end his bath too. Gallios¡¯s line of sight then lowered toward a certain part of Kuroki¡¯s body. ¡¸You¡¯ve got such an atrocious monster down there, which completely betrays your small and innocent look. That kind of size when in a normal state, huh.¡¹ Said Gallios to Kuroki with a teasing tone. ¡¸Wait a minute, where are you looking?!!¡¹ Kuroki moved his hands down, trying to cover his crotch. This was not the first time for him to be teased about it, but there was no doubt that it always made him uncomfortable. Back in Japan, many would always tease him about his size, but in fact, what Kuroki wanted to tell them was that having such a fiendish little brother wasn¡¯t always a good thing; rather, it was an unpleasant sight instead. He didn¡¯t appreciate always having eyes on his privates. ¡¸Oioioi, don¡¯t be ashamed about that little thing of yours. You can satisfy all kinds of women with that king size of yours you know? Now tell me, how many girls have cried because of that thing?¡¹ Gallios heartily laughed as he asked. ¡¸I¡¯ve¡­ never been with a woman before¡­¡¹ Kuroki answered with a whisper. He was really ashamed to admit it, but his giant bat was a completely useless piece of junk in his life. It was really meaningless to have such a thing if you had no use for it. ¡¸It¡¯s just a useless, giant piece of junk if I have no one to use it on, you know¡­¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s inner thoughts unintentionally leaked out of his mouth, he felt like he was on the verge of tears. In fact, Kuroki would¡¯ve really wanted to lie to people once they asked him that question if he could, but it was an undeniable truth that he was a man who had never gotten along with girls. He had always had trouble with speaking to girls; his awkward personality and gloomy nature didn¡¯t help as well as women always preferred someone sunny like Reiji. He could not even count the number of female acquaintances he had since it was a big fat zero. The only woman he had ever gotten close to in his sad story of a life was Shirone. She was his best friend, but she had also left him for someone better¡ªshe had become one of Reiji¡¯s women. The matter of using his ¡°giant weapon¡± was nothing but a pipe dream at this point. Though his master would often teased him with:¡¸Missy will have it hard in the future, huh!¡¹, Kuroki felt that that kind of future would never exist for someone like him; his future was only bleak. ¡¸No¡­ I apologize for bringing something that bothers you up. Moreover, it seems that I made you recall some painful memories. That¡¯s right, to make it up to you, let me take you to that kind of shop next time.¡¹ [TL : Brothel] Gallios suggested a slightly mischievious proposal. ¡¸EH!! Are you sure?! What about Peneroa-san? ¡¹ Penroa was Gallios¡¯s wife. Kuroki wondered what would happen if she found out about her husband visiting such a place, which made him unintentionally blurt out such an invasive question. ¡¸Ooops, my bad. Please pretend like you didn¡¯t hear what I just said.¡¹ (Tch.) Gallios clicked his tongue in silent frustration. Kuroki had just stated his intentions out loud, now he couldn¡¯t take him anymore. With how this town worked, news of what he said would reach his wife in an instant, that is if he hadn¡¯t just saved himself right now. Gallios looked at Kuroki irritably, he just wanted to treat this healthy young man to a nice time as it was natural for him to be interested in that kind of thing. But now he had completely ruined it for himself. Gallios then sighed in regret, he shouldn¡¯t have spilled the beans, he should¡¯ve just asked Kuroki to hang out one evening then surprise him when they get there, that way he could finally experience the joys of life. Forget about it, it wasn¡¯t his place to meddle anyway. After that, they left the bathroom while throwing one joke after another. They wiped their wet bodies with clean towels before wearing their clothes and leaving the public bath. Kuroki had been staying in a detached annex of Gallios¡¯s house ever since yesterday. Ever since he came to this world, this was his first time coming into contact with human society. He had only been surrounded by demons and monsters until now, which is why he was now reluctant to finish his job of cutting the Dragon King¡¯s horn and wanted to prolong his stay a bit longer instead. When they arrived at Gallios¡¯s house, they were greeted by his wife. She was Rember¡¯s older sister. ¡¸We¡¯re home, Peneroa.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re back, Peneroa-san¡¹ Gallios¡¯s wife, Peneroa, was a humble and gentle woman. Though everyone said that she was extremely scary when she got pissed off, Kuroki just couldn¡¯t get the image of such a gentle woman being scary, or getting pissed off at that. [TL : ¡­¡­¡­¡­] ¡¸Welcome back honey. Rember¡¯s been waiting for you you know.¡¹ ¡¸WHA? Rember? How come?¡¹ Gallios tilted his head in puzzlement. Kuroki felt that it was strange too. They had just met him a while ago in the restaurant, yet he came looking for Gallios not long after. Had something happened in this short period they were apart? Both of them went into the house to meet Rember as they pondered about this odd situation. ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Senpai, Kuro-dono too.¡¹ "" Judging from his hurried tone, it seemed that Rember had been urgently waiting for them. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Rember. Did something happen? ¡¹ They both sat down and faced Rember, as Gallios questioned Rember on the matter. ¡¸To be honest, there¡¯s an emergency. That¡¯s why I want to borrow Kuro-dono¡¯s power.¡¹ Rember looked at Kuroki. ¡¸My power?¡¹ ¡¸I received an emergency report from the sentinels in the rampart. There¡¯s a swarm of demons right outside of the rampart.¡¹ ¡¸WHAT?! Demons you say? How can that be?! Are you sure they¡¯re not simply mistaking what they¡¯re seeing as demons? ¡¹ Gallios-tachi had swept the demons in this region by gathering Freedom Fighters three days ago. Kuroki had participated too, so it was near impossible for demons to appear yet again near Rox kingdom in such a short span of time. It was way too early for demons to swarm this place when they came from such a far away place. Even Kuroki thought that it might be the sentinels mistaking what they¡¯re seeing for something else. Gallios had precisely made such a confident statement because it was a fact that humans couldn¡¯t see well in the darkness of the night with their eyes, they didn¡¯t possess night vision or other types of magic that could aid them, unlike powerful people such as Kuroki. So, he expected the sighting of those demons to be some sort of mistake on their part. ¡¸Initially, I felt the same way as you, but¡­ The sentinels used the lighting magic tools found in the rampart to light its vicinities and they stated that they spotted both goblins and orcs.¡¹ The lighting equipment in the rampart could illuminate till far away by using a mirror. Rember explained that they could see to quite a distant place by using that. But, Kuroki had said that both the orc community and goblin dens around the area should be completely annihilated after such a sweeping operation. With the help of his power it was not impossible to achieve, that¡¯s why they doubted this piece of information. ¡¸So, some were injured during the sweep¡­ and survived, is it? Damn it, even though the festival begins tomorrow.¡¹ Gallios clicked his tongue. Three days ago, in the afternoon, he had accidentally heard about a mission Rox Kingdom had commissioned to ensure the safety of citizens and tourists during the festival: people were asked to go outside of the rampart and exterminate the demons near Rox Kingdom. He had of course immediately joined this mission along with other Freedom Fighters and Kuroki, but it seems that some of them slipped away without them noticing. ¡¸It seems that they¡¯re still lingering near the rampart. Nevertheless, we¡¯re lucky that they¡¯re not strong enough to climb the rampart. According to the sentinels, the way those goblins and orcs move is strange.¡¹ ¡¸The way they move? ¡¹ ¡¸Yes, so I¡¯m thinking of taking a closer look since I feel uneasy about it. That¡¯s why I want to ask for Kuro-dono¡¯s help, I need him to confirm this matter with his night vision.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Gallios nodded. ¡¸What will you do, Kuro? I¡¯ll come along if you decide to go.¡¹ Rember and Gallios looked at Kuroki. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m fine with that, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Kuroki agreed immediately. He had a debt of gratitude to repay to the Gallios couple. Kuroki wanted to return their kindness by helping Rember, Gallios¡¯s younger brother-in-law. Thus, they headed to the rampart. Volume 2 - CH 4 Act 2 ¨C 4 : Night Watchman Kuroki and the others entered the forest. The forest in the night was pitch black, completely covered in darkness, it was so dark that save for Kuroki who has night vision, the other members could barely see anything without light magic or a magic lantern. It was a well known fact that the outside of the rampart was extremely dangerous at night, but circumstances demanded them to venture there at this time. However, it had been decided that if anything strange happened, they would withdraw immediately. Other than Kuroki, Gallios, and Rember, the investigation team consisted of four other members. Gallios had called on them, requesting them to join the mission right away. ¡¸Yup, it¡¯s scary to venture out at night after all¡­¡¹ Said Steros, one of the investigation party¡¯s members. He wasn¡¯t a native of Rox Kingdom and was well known as an arrogant fellow. However, despite his attitude, he was still one of the most sought after warriors, courtesy of his immense skill. No one minded his arrogance as he could always back it up with his successful missions. ¡¸Good grief, this lantern¡¯s light is too small, I can barely see anything ahead.¡¹ Said Pox, another one of the investigation party members. Similar to Steros, he wasn¡¯t a native of Rox Kingdom. However, in contrast to Steros, who was still in the latter half of his twenties, Pox was a veteran warrior whose age was even older than Gallios. ¡¸My apologies, this is the limit of what I can do with my magic¡­¡¹ Nimri apologized to Pox. Nimri was the sorcerer who lived in Rox Kingdom and was also the one who healed Gallios¡¯s wound. Nimri was abandoned as a child right in front of Rox Kingdom¡¯s rampart gate, his case was widely known as the abandoned elven child. "" The elf race was composed of nothing but women and they would only be able to make a child by cross-breeding with another race. If a girl was born, she would be born as an elf and if a boy was born, he¡¯d be born of the same race as his father. In addition, due to various reasons and circumstances, they were a race that had difficulty in mingling with other races. Thus, the boys born as a different race would be abandoned by them in the nearest settlement of the same race as the father. Naturally, it didn¡¯t mean that their elven parents wanted to abandon them, it was just that circumstances turned this cycle into the status quo. It was a well known fact that children born from elves had high magical powers, to the point that even races who were normally known to be lacking in magical powers could use high level magic if they had elven blood in them. It was because of this reason that those elven born boys were considered as precious beings to humans. Those children would always be raised carefully for the benefit of the country, and the majority of them always became magicians later on. That was the reason why the majority of magicians were men. Nimri, who grew up in this Kingdom, learnt how to use magic from the royal magician of this Kingdom, who had passed away ten years ago. The current Nimri held a position similar to that royal magician. ¡¸Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to criticize you when I said those words¡­¡¹ Pox apologized to Nimri. Judging from his previous conversations with him, Kuroki had concluded that Pox was a good person who lacked awareness of his surroundings. His insensitivity would always cause him misunderstandings, but once someone got to know him, they would know that he meant to harm with his abrupt statements. Nimri laughed at him as he said that he didn¡¯t really mind about being criticized. When Kuroki met Nimri for the first time yesterday, he immediately had a favorable impression of him. The man was kind and friendly, he never acted pompous despite his position in the Kingdom. ¡¸Stor, did you manage to find anything?¡¹ Gallios asked Stor. ¡¸Unfortunately, no, not even I can handle the forest at night. How about you try to ask that lad over there?¡¹ Naturally he was referring to Kuroki. Kuroki was the only one who could use night vision amongst the team, even Nimri, a powerful magician, couldn¡¯t use it. With magic, it was all a matter of compatibility rather than the magician¡¯s ability. Even though Nimri was a powerful magician, he couldn¡¯t use night vision since it was not compatible with him. The same could be said about Kuroki. Though he could use night vision, he couldn¡¯t use lighting magic like the one used by Nimri. Thus, since the beginning of the investigation, Kuroki was placed as the vanguard. ¡¸How¡¯s the situation, Kuro-dono?¡¹ Asked Rember. ¡¸We¡¯re surrounded.¡¹ ¡¸HAAAH?!!¡¹ The party was extremely surprised with Kuroki¡¯s unexpected statement. As if on queue, several shadowy figures suddenly appeared in the midst of the darkness and approached them in a tactical manner to surround them. ¡¸WHAT?! Are they really just goblins and orcs?¡¹ Gallios asked with a flustered voice. Everyone immediately took a fighting stance and pulled out their weapons. ¡¸Yes they are, but¡­¡¹ Everyone tilted their head in confusion when they heard Kuroki¡¯s vague reply. ¡¸Are the two demons we heard about among them, and telling them what to do?¡¹ Gallios was intrigued. There was no way that goblins and orcs could move in such a manner on their own. They were not a race who relied on battle stratagems, rather relied on rampaging with brute force. Thus, the only thing that Gallios could think of at the moment was that they were led by demons. ¡¸No, they¡¯re indeed only goblins and orcs, but¡­ they¡¯re zombies.¡¹ Kuroki could distinguish what the others couldn¡¯t with utmost perfection in this dark night, and the reason he termed them as zombies was because he couldn¡¯t feel any vital signs from the orcs and goblins around them. Moreover, their bodies were riddled with numerous wounds, some even had spears or arrows stuck in their body. Yet, they could all still move. Reminded of Loughas¡¯s teachings, Kuroki surmised that these were indeed zombies, or to be more specific, animated corpses. Undead corpses were known for their animosity toward living beings, they would charge towards any place that showed signs of life, which was what was happening now in their situation. The members of the exploration party, save for Kuroki, were flustered when they heard what he said. They started consulting each other on what they should do. ¡¸There¡¯s so many of them. Moreover, I think they¡¯re the ones we encountered this afternoon.¡¹ The reason why Kuroki was sure of his remark was because he saw the orc he slayed this afternoon. He was invited to participate in the demon extermination this afternoon by Gallios and had noticed this particular orc. The orc in question wore the same tattered armor and sword that it used when it was alive. The armor and sword might have been used by humans before. A realization struck upon Kuroki today, he realized that these orcs were different from Nargol¡¯s orcs. Despite their similar appearance, Nargol¡¯s orcs had more splendid weapons, they also gave great importance to unity and were polite on top of that. Compared to that, the orcs he met this afternoon were just like savages. They were violent and rough, definitely not beings you wanted to have a conversation with. Honestly speaking, Kuroki, who was summoned by the Demon King, should have sided with the demon race this afternoon, with him being the Dark Knight and all but, for once, he wanted to be on the human side due to his appearance and inclination. Moreover, the orcs he met this afternoon were clearly hostile towards him. It was unpleasant to be regarded as an ally to beings who only saw him as their delicious food. Thus, he had judged that killing demons outside of Nargol didn¡¯t count as betraying Modes since they weren¡¯t even under Modes¡¯s government to begin with. While Kuroki mused about all of these loopholes, the shadows in front of him and the others started approaching at a high speed. However, what was considered a high speed for those zombies was simply a slow motion for the investigation party. The zombies took a while to reach them. The trees in the forest, which should have been a trifling matter to them, became huge obstacles when they had turned into zombies, so they struggled quite a bit to reach the party¡¯s position. Finally, one of those shadows somehow managed to reach the party. ¡¸HA! ¡¹ Kuroki unsheathed his short sword and cleaved the approached shadow in one slash. He didn¡¯t use his demon sword since it was too conspicious. The short sword was something he got from Nargol. Unlike his demon sword, this sword was a common one that could be found anywhere. He had brought another sword since it was extremely troublesome to deal with every single trifling matter with his demon sword. The shadow struggled, and then fell backward. Everyone in the party gathered around the collapsed shadow. They saw a headless and legless orc. Nevertheless, its limbs kept moving despite losing its head. ¡¸Yup, definitely a zombie¡­¡¹ Gallios confirmed that fact as he checked their surroundings. ¡¸No way¡­ Why in the world are there zomb¡ª¨C Don¡¯t tell me, those Striges are¡­¡¹ Muttered Rember with a dumbfounded face. ¡¸If there are zombies, then there¡¯s definitely a creator around.¡¹ All of them agreed with Nimri. According to Loughas¡¯s lesson, zombies or animated corpses weren¡¯t things that appeared naturally. It was common knowledge that they were corpses that were reanimated with ¡°Necromancy¡±. In short, these zombies were created by someone. ¡¸What do you think we should do now? The other zombies are coming closer you know?¡¹ Everyone was exasperated when Kuroki told them so. Zombies were slow moving creatures. Nevertheless, being surrounded by them was bad news too. They could still escape if they used this chance. ¡¸What shall we do, Rember? ¡¹ Asked Gallios. Rember was the leader of their investigation party. They were waiting for his order. ¡¸Let¡¯s retreat¡­ Let¡¯s retreat to the rampart and fight them in the morning, that¡¯s our safest option.¡¹ Everyone agreed with Rember. The zombies walked at an extremely slow pace. Nevertheless, neither sword or spear could affect them since they were already dead. Fighting them with their party¡¯s current equipment was just a waste of their own stamina. Naturally, Kuroki was more than capable of annihilating them, but he didn¡¯t wish to expose his identity to them by showing his true power. Moreover, the undead were extremely weak to light, their body should melt under the sunlight. That¡¯s why waiting till morning was faster than fighting against them now. Some high ranking priests were capable of using sunlight magic, but such esteemed people weren¡¯t in Rox Kingdom. That¡¯s why Rember judged that holing up behind the rampart¡¯s protection and waiting for the morning was a far better choice than fighting an impossible battle. Everyone retreated at once with Rember¡¯s order. ¡¸Why in hell did these undead creatures suddenly appear out of nowhere, aren¡¯t they just the same as the ones that appeared when the Hero and his party came here one month ago?!!¡¹ Rember, Nimri, and Stor couldn¡¯t agree more with Gallios. They were citizens of Rox Kingdom and had witnessed the same events unfold during the Hero and his party¡¯s previous visit. (What happened when they visited this place last time?) Kuroki was intrigued. ¡¸Yes. Maybe they¡¯re related to Hero-sama and the others¡¯ visit.¡¹ Nimri continued. ¡¸I see, the surviving Striges, huh.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not clear yet whether the culprits are the Striges or not¡­ But it¡¯s a fact that someone created these zombies. Just in case, let¡¯s raise the alert level.¡¹ They chatted amongst themself on the necessary precautions and steps they needed to take on their way back. Kuroki who had only just arrived at Rox Kingdom yesterday knew nothing about the matter. He was completely left out of this topic. But from the bits and pieces he heard in their conversation, he guessed that it had something to do with the Hero and his companions. £¨Reiji and the others are coming at such a bad timing.£© Kuroki had a premonition that something would happen this time. Volume 2 - CH 5.1 Act 2-5.1 : Hero¡¯s Visit 1 Rox Kingdom was the name of a certain inland country presiding nearby a forest, the one on the outskirts of Vandohl plains. It was located right at the center of the main highway of the continent¡¯s Eastern area; a highway used by many. Its ruler was King Roxros the Eighth, and its population numbered 8000 people, a fitting number for a small country like Rox Kingdom and a similar one to most kingdoms in this world. If you only accounted for those facts, then Rox Kingdom had nothing special about it and was but a mere common country among many. However, what made Rox Kingdom truly stand out from the rest were its rare and unique two traits. Firstly, Rox Kingdom possessed a world renowned hot spring, known for its miracle curative effects, which made it popular in this world and a prime destination for travellers. Many people would come to this kingdom only to patronize this hot spring. Secondly was that it was close to the abode of a Holy Dragon, the Dragon King of Silver, who presided in Holy Dragon Mountain, a mountain just a short trip away from the kingdom. According to this country¡¯s history, the founder of Rox Kingdom was only allowed to create a kingdom in this area because he had made a pledge with the Holy Dragon King. It was precisely on this founding day, the pride of many citizens of Rox Kingdom, when the country and all of its people would hold a week long festival, which, this year, started today. During the festival, the kingdom¡¯s inns and its famous hot spring would lower their charges, giving a fifty percent discount to its patrons. Moreover, the kingdom would change their entry policies and make them unrestricted during the celebration, which was why at this time of the year, Rox Kingdom would be faced with hundreds upon thousands of visitors. This time, during the celebration, among those tourists and visitors were the Hero, Reiji, and his women. £¨There are far more people this time than when we came before.£© One of Reiji¡¯s women, Chiyuki, thought so while she surveyed the main street. This was their second time visiting Rox Kingdom. They had come here before since they had heard that this particular country had a hot spring. Owing to their Japanese blood, the word ¡°hot spring¡± was just like a mystifying melody that charmed them and lured them to this place. A month ago, they had come here for a short break during the Demon King¡¯s subjugation. However, their short break was very short lived as they had met with many mishaps. They were confronted by Striges, who had attacked them for no reason whatsoever, and had defeated them. Then they had faced a peeping tom, who had tried to develop his role up a notch and had tried to assault one of the Hero¡¯s women, which subsequently led the woman in question to seeth in terrifying rage, resulting in the demolishing of a part of the rampart. During their last visit, they had not known that a Holy Dragon presided near this kingdom. It might have been due to some kind of barrier since even Nao¡¯s superior perception ability failed to notice that dragon. Had they known of this fact, they would¡¯ve immediately gone to meet this Dragon King, at least that was what Chiyuki would have done; she really wanted to visit this dragon. £¨If I¡¯m not wrong, the Holy Dragon King of Silver is said to be a white dragon who invites fortune. It¡¯s just like the dragon that appeared in Ende¡¯s novel. But then, why is the Dark Knight aiming for this Holy Dragon¡¯s horn?£© In truth, their real goal this time was to secure the Holy Dragon King¡¯s horn. According to Goddess Rena, who was the one who requested them to go on this mission, the Dark Knight was aiming for this horn, and they wanted to prevent him from getting it. Naturally, when Goddess Rena had asked Reiji for such a favor a few days ago, Chiyuki and the others had opposed it. Reiji had just recovered from his previous injury, all thanks to Sahoko¡¯s constant treatment and the secret medicine they received from the Goddess of medicinal plants, Fanacea. The Dark Knight was an extremely powerful foe, so despite Reiji¡¯s full recovery and replenishment of strength, Chiyuki and her fellow sisters wanted to avoid fighting with the Dark Knight as much as possible. Yet, despite their counselling, Reiji, who couldn¡¯t just abandon a troubled girl, said that he couldn¡¯t refuse Rena¡¯s request. Thus they had all parted together. If Reiji went alone, he could be beaten till he was on the verge of death for all they knew, just like the last time he fought the Dark Knight. Chiyuki had wanted to consider the situation more before making a choice, but, at the end, she had to forgo her musings and had accepted accompanying Reiji and the others due to Reji¡¯s haste. However, she and the other women had still made an effort to slow down their travels as much as possible so they could avoid meeting the Dark Knight, which was successful since they had slowed down their pace by a lot. However, rather than their efforts, it was probably safe to say that their travels slowing down was mostly mostly due to Sahoko and Shirone crying along the journey. But, their good intentions were all for naught, Chiyuki¡¯s wish to avoid the Dark Knight didn¡¯t come true as the Dark Knight had not taken the Holy Dragon¡¯s horn yet, which meant that it was inevitable for them to cross paths with him. Chiyuki looked at the bell in her hand that Rena had given her. It seemed that Rena and her subordinate angels had set an alarm similar to the one equipped in Alrena Temple. It would ring when an unauthorized person entered the Holy Dragon Mountain. That said, the bell had yet to ring ever since she got it from Rena. Chiyuki had many doubts about the current situation. ¨C¡°In the first place, how did Rena know about the Dark Knight¡¯s movements?¡± ¨C¡°Did she plant a spy in Nargol?¡± ¨C¡°And, why is the Dark Knight aiming for the Holy Dragon King¡¯s horn?¡± Naturally, it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t for a good reason since he was going to snatch the horn of Holy Dragon, who hailed as the Holy White Dragon Of Good Fortune. But, Chiyuki couldn¡¯t help but ponder about the Dark Knight¡¯s actions. While Chiyuki was deep in her musings, she and the others had already left the rampart gate and were now walking along Rox Kingdom¡¯s main road. They had entrusted their coach to the sentinel who guarded the rampart gate. After that, they went all the way till the Royal castle on foot. She could feel a few gazes toward their direction as they walked. Upon closer look, most people were looking at the Hero¡¯s party. Chiyuki felt many unpleasant gazes amongst them. It was for this very reason that many Temple Knights were sent with them from the Holy Republic of Lenaria as their escort, and now were driving away the mob. Unlike before, she thought that bringing them along this time was the correct choice. ¡¸Uhm, as expected¡­ This is too embarrassing, Chiyuki-san¡­¡¹ Shirone, who felt the same unpleasant gazes, whispered to her while on the verge of crying. ¡¸Please don¡¯t mention it¡­ I feels the same way as you.¡¹ Chiyuki looked at Shirone and felt that she really did have an alluring body and look. It was as if she was only wearing her underwear. She wore the so-called bikini armor. That attire fitted nicely on Shirone who had such nice proportions. But then, it seemed that the person herself didn¡¯t wish to wear that. But, this didn¡¯t mean that Chiyuki couldn¡¯t say the same thing in regards to her appearance. Currently, her figure was wrapped in a gothic lolita top and ultra-mini skirt combo. She had to be extra careful with the way she moved since she could expose her underwear if she just slouched a little. If one were to ask why Chiyuki and the others wore such embarrassing clothes, then the answer was that it was all for the sake of luring out the pervert who had groped Kyouka¡¯s breast in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Chiyuki and the others couldn¡¯t return to their world since the summoning devices were destroyed by the Dark Knight. Thus, they were dejected when they knew that they lost their way back. No matter how amusing an amusement park was, there was no way they would enjoy it if they couldn¡¯t leave it at all. That was their current situation. Volume 2 - CH 5.2 Act 2-5.2 : Hero¡¯s Visit 1 But, they still had hope in finding a way to go back to their own world. They had discovered that Rena wasn¡¯t the sole owner of a summoning device. So, naturally, Chiyuki and the others had put together a plan to search for that person. However, it was still quite unfortunate that the person they were looking for was related to a pervert who had groped Kyouka. It was for this reason that their first goal was to catch that pervert, probably teach him a lesson, and then let him lead them to the summoner behind him. Thus, now, everyone in the party¡ªexcept for Reiji¡ªwore extremely embarrassing clothes to lure that pervert out of hiding. Though they were originally only going to use Kyouka as bait, that plan was immediately rejected by her, thus Reiji suggested for all girls to wear the same sort of clothes to lure that pervert out since he might be interested in others breasts other than Kyouka¡¯s kind. That was the reason why Chiyuki and the girls were now stuck in those extremely humiliating outfits. Chiyuki, who couldn¡¯t think of any better way to lure that pervert out and had no idea of what that person looked like, ended up in her current outfit after deciding to follow Reiji¡¯s plan. Their plan had definitely succeeded since they still managed to lure a great number of perverts. In fact, she noticed that the number of men approaching them increased three fold when they stepped inside the rampart. However, the pervert they were looking for had yet to appear. Chiyuki wished from the depth of her heart for that pervert to appear ASAP. £¨Just how long do I have to wear this embarassing outfit? I really can¡¯t believe that in the end, we decided to come to Rox Kingdom in this kind of getup¡­£© Chiyuki looked at the other girls. The other girls were no different than her and Shirone. Nao¡¯s attire consisted of a cat ears headband and a mini cheongsam. The slit of the cheongsam matched well with Nao¡¯s slender limbs. She looked exactly like a slender cat, trying hard not to bare her fangs. As for Rino, she wore a cheerleader outfit. Chiyuki thought that this outfit matched her well since she had a cute personality. Moreover, in Rino¡¯s case, wearing such an outfit wasn¡¯t much of a problem since she was used to wearing such revealing clothes. In their original world, Rino worked as a model and was used to wearing all kinds of outfits for her photoshoots; therefore, it was natural that she wouldn¡¯t hesitate in wearing these embarrassing outfits, no matter how humiliating they were. In Kyouka¡¯s case, she was wearing a dancer outfit. She was wearing the most revealing outfit out of all of them to increase the success rate of their ¡°lure the pervert¡± mission. It was only natural for her to do so since, in the first place, the pervert was drawn to her. Kyouka, who had the most alluring body amongst the girls, wore clothes that emphasized her constricted waist and voluptuous chest, which wouldn¡¯t stop drawing every man¡¯s attention. Leaving her personality aside, even Chiyuki envied her good looks. Though Kyouka was reluctant to wear such an ensemble at first, she had finally agreed after Reiji¡¯s vehement persuasion. Despite being Reiji¡¯s sibling, she was the exact opposite of her big brother. Her way of thinking was quite old-fashioned, which contradicted her young age. She didn¡¯t wish to wear revealing clothes. But, her tastes were quite peculiar as she had once worn a very gaudy swimsuit, obscuring her standards and making them rather vague. Kaya¡¯s attire, on the other hand, was a smaller and more revealing maid outfit, which was really no different from her previous attire. She would always wear a maid uniform on a daily basis since she was Kyouka¡¯s maid, so she was already captivating as it is. The white knee-high socks under her miniskirt emphasized her beautiful long and slender pair of legs. (And yet, why does Kaya obey Kyouka?) Chiyuki pondered about that matter. The relationship between Kyouka and Kaya didn¡¯t change at all even after coming to this world. It was rather strange since Kaya was more skilled than Kyouka in almost everything. Seeing as their relationship hadn¡¯t changed at all, she couldn¡¯t imagine it to be a mere master and servant one. She guessed that there might be something only they knew of. She was curious, but didn¡¯t have the courage to ask them since it was their business. The last one was Sahoko, she wore white bunny attire. This attire worn by her emphasized her large breasts, which was extremely destructive considering that she had the biggest breasts amongst all the women involved with Reiji. Though Sahoko¡¯s slightly plump figure couldn¡¯t compare to Kyouka, who had the best proportions among them, it was still destructive enough to attract the men¡¯s gazes. According to the humans of this world, some men prefered Sahoko¡¯s figure. It was obvious that she was quite embarrassed with her outfit, especially with her high-leg leotard, which emphasized her plump hips. She had almost cried several times from shame. The fabric wasn¡¯t a see-through kind, but had patches of mesh, transparent fabric¡ªit was an outfit that shouldn¡¯t be worn in public and shouldn¡¯t be seen by just anyone. Chiyuki thought that, If it were her, she would absolutely refuse to wear such an outfit. But, since Sahoko had never been able to refuse Reiji¡¯s requests, in the end she wore those clothes, albeit unwillingly. Chiyuki heaved a sigh as she looked at their party members, who were all walking stiffly, except for Reiji. £¨Why? Why in the hell does this world have these kinds of clothes? I¡¯ll make sure to punch the fellow who made these outfits.£© The gazes from their surroundings felt painful to bear. Chiyuki held back from casting explosion magic towards the guys who were looking at them lecherously. She then looked at Reiji. He was staring at them with great interest. She had long been aware that Reiji was a pervert, not that he tried to hide it. But, he never forced himself on any of his women. He would not have even forced them to wear those humiliating outfits if Chiyuki and the others didn¡¯t wish to wear them. Moreover, he was the first to save them when Chiyuki and the others were in a dangerous situation¡ªthat was their Reiji. However, regardless of the male gazes they were receiving, not one of these lechers was brave enough to approach and harass them since they were guarded by escorts. Furthermore, Chiyuki and the others were far more powerful than the ordinary humans of this world. Here, Reiji¡¯s turn would never come. Soon, they arrived at Rox Kingdom¡¯s royal palace. The royal palace was far smaller than the temple of the Holy Republic of Lenaria. The people who lived in it could not even exceed a hundred people. But this size was normal for a country with around 8000 citizens. The reason they came to the royal palace was to meet the King. Though such an important figure wouldn¡¯t have normally met with travelers, the Hero chosen by the Goddess and his comrades were VIPs. It was normal for the King to welcome them with fanfare. ¡¸Welcome to our place Hero Reiji-sama, and your honored wives.¡¹ Rox¡¯s King personally greeted them when they entered the royal palace. ¡¸Yes, we¡¯ll be in your care again.¡¹ Reiji replied as if it was natural to be in Rox Kingdom¡¯s care. The Hero, who was chosen by Goddess Rena, had powerful influence in this region. That was the reason why Reiji and the others took such an attitude with this kingdom¡¯s ruler. Even if Chiyuki and the others felt awkward at first, they were gradually getting used to such treatment. Chiyuki, of course, had her own worries regarding this matter. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Reiji-sama.¡¹ The girl beside the King greeted Reiji. She was the King¡¯s daughter, Almina. This was her second meeting with Reiji. The first time was when the Striges brought forth a disaster in this country and had kidnapped her in the process. But then, Reiji had defeated those Striges and saved Almina. Ever since then, she always had a yearning gaze when she looked at Reiji. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Almina. How do you do? ¡¹ Almina was clearly delighted when Reiji asked about her condition. ¡¸Yes, Reiji-sama. Almina is extremely spirited today.¡¹ The way Almina looked at Reiji was that of a maiden in love. Chiyuki heaved a sigh in seeing that. "" Many girls were charmed by Reiji¡¯s good looks, and though he didn¡¯t force himself on the ones who didn¡¯t like it, it didn¡¯t mean that he would refuse the ready to serve hot meal right before his eyes. While Reiji and Almina exchanged passionate gazes, Chiyuki looked at the others and found Sahoko and Rino pouting. Nao on the other hand, only heaved a sigh as her face showed that she had given up. Moreover, Shirone, Kyouka, and Kaya looked at the situation with nonchalant faces. This was the difference between their respective relationships with Reiji. Another man came out while Reiji and Almina were in their own world. Chiyuki had met this person before, he was the Prime Minister of this kingdom. ¡¸Uhm, regarding Reiji-sama¡¯s lodgings¡­ Since the visit was too sudden¡­¡¹ Since they had suddenly received such a request from Rena, Chiyuki and the others hadn¡¯t given Rox Kingdom enough time to prepare everything. They had contacted the kingdom at such short notice that it made them all stressed out. The Prime Minister¡¯s face was pale since the preparation to welcome the Hero and his party didn¡¯t make it in time. And then, the Prime Minister looked behind. There were lines of Temple Knights who came along as Chiyuki and the others¡¯ escorts. The group had now become quite big when those Temple Knights were included. The kingdom simply couldn¡¯t accommodate everyone. ¡¸That¡¯s not the only problem.¡¹ Maybe because she guessed something from the Prime Minister¡¯s gesture, Kaya came forward. ¡¸AH?! You are, Kaya-sama!!¡¹ He had failed to notice Kaya, who was hidden behind. The Prime Minister was clearly shocked when he saw Kaya. ¡¸It¡¯s been two weeks since the last time we met, Prime Minister-dono¡¹ Everyone was extremely surprised when they heard her greet him. ¡¸Eh? Kaya-san? Did you visit this kingdom two weeks ago?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Chiyuki-sama. I had arranged a business meeting with Prime Minister-dono.¡¹ Kaya smiled meaningfully. ¡¸Business meeting? Come to think of it, you did start some sort of business while we weren¡¯t around. Don¡¯t tell me that your business has already reached as far as Rox Kingdom¡­¡¹ Kaya had started all kinds of businesses while Chiyuki and the others were busy with the Demon King subjugation. Chiyuki recalled that matter just now. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s why don¡¯t worry about this situation. I¡¯ve made prior arrangements in regard to our lodging and the rest of our necessities. Isn¡¯t that right, Prime Minister-dono?¡¹ The Prime Minister nodded to kaya. He was clearly frightened. "" £¨£¨£¨JUST WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT TIME!?£©£©£© Everyone was wondering what had happened during their negotiations. ¡¸Yes. The matter of Kyouka-sama¡¯s villa has been arranged.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so, you have my gratitude then, Prime Minister-dono. Let¡¯s take a look at our villa then.¡¹ Kaya urged everyone to move towards the villa. ¡¸See you later, Almina.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Reiji-sama.¡¹ Thus, Chiyuki and the others went towards the mansion located near Rox Kingdom¡¯s royal castle. === TN : Okay, the usual stupid hero and his idiotic harem. Feel free to vent your anger in the comment below¡­ As polite as possible. Volume 2 - CH 6 Act 2-6 : Hero¡¯s Visit 2 ==== Chiyuki and the rest were led by Kaya towards the outskirts of Rox Kingdom. What they came across was a mansion with a small hill protruding out of its side. ¡¸This is?¡¹ The puzzled Chiyuki asked Kaya. ¡¸This is our mansion, Chiyuki-sama. I built this new mansion right next to one of this kingdom¡¯s hot springs for Milady and everyone.¡¹ Kaya explained. Apparently, Kaya had built a firm during her and Kyouka¡¯s house-sitting days while Chiyuki and the others had gone on their adventure. Right now, the firm was quite large and successful. Naturally, given her extreme loyalty, the reason she had extended her hand into business and trading was only to gather a large amount of money for Kyouka. Thus, rather than saying that Kaya had become an extremely rich female tycoon, it was safer to say that it was Kyouka who had become so. Though Chiyuki and the others were extremely surprised by how easily Kaya had become rich in such a short period of time, according to Kaya, the only reason she was able to achieve such a feat was because she had used the Hero¡¯s name to earn money in a way that couldn¡¯t be used in their original world. It was then that they were all told that Kaya didn¡¯t pay ANY kind of tax for any trade she had made or would make in the future. In the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s case, the government couldn¡¯t simply ask Hero¡¯s younger sister to pay taxes since they were the ones responsible for summoning them and since they were also in the Hero¡¯s debt. It would be quite boorish of them to disrespect their savior¡¯s family. As for the other countries, they didn¡¯t dare to tax her once she flaunted the Hero¡¯s name. In short, her profit was as much as her income, she didn¡¯t lose anything in the process. It was due to Kaya¡¯s cunning skills that Kyouka had become a female tycoon. Furthermore, Kaya hadn¡¯t used her cunningness only to earn Kyouka money, rather she had used her skills to acquire other assets to her Lady. By now, many huge mansions were built in every country of this world under Kyouka¡¯s name, the most notable ones being the one in the Holy Republic of Lenaria and the one she had just bought in Rox Kingdom near a hot spring. It was when she had bought this mansion that she had met Rox Kingdom¡¯s Prime Minister. Honestly speaking, the hot springs in this country were under the royal family¡¯s monopoly. It was a known fact that no one else could own a hot spring other than the royal family. So the fact that Kaya had managed to acquire one showed just how much brute force she used to render this tradition null, all by flaunting the Hero¡¯s name. Imagining all of this happening, Chiyuki couldn¡¯t help but pity the poor Prime Minister. £¨Nevertheless, I guess it¡¯s a good thing since we managed to secure a mansion with our very own hot spring.£© Despite her worries, Chiyuki decided to go with the flow, it was already water under the bridge. Kaya continued her explanation. This mansion was originally one of the hot spring establishments of this Kingdom and was remodeled two weeks before she purchased it. The mansion was still in the middle of renovations, but it was extremely spacious and could house everyone, including their escorts. Chiyuki and the others felt relieved that they could finally be released from such embarrassing clothes. ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting, Milady.¡¹ When they entered the mansion, three women in maid uniforms came out and greeted Chiyuki and the others. Chiyuki remembered them. They were Kaya¡¯s subordinates. However, unlike them, they weren¡¯t from another world, rather they were girls she had found and employed in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Noticing the fact that many women wanted to get closer to Reiji, Kaya leveraged their weakness and announced that she was currently in need to hire a few maids. Of course, an endless stream of applications were submitted, and all Kaya had to do was to pick and choose the best amongst them to become her subordinates. Her standards were for them to have skills and a face that was a cut above the rest. The girl who was guiding them right now was one of them. It seemed that the chosen girls, including the maid before them, had all received training by a senior maid and Kaya in things such as manners and etiquette. After Chiyuki and the others changed their clothes in their own room, they gathered in an especially prepared meeting room. Though Reiji seemed rather disappointed with this change, Chiyuki chose to ignore him. ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s time to talk about our future plans.¡¹ Neither their escorts or maids were in the room, only Chiyuki and the others, who had come from another world, remained. They were clearing out outsiders since this was an important meeting. ¡¸First of all, have any of you spotted a suspicious person? ¡¹ Many of the girls nodded as a response to Chiyuki¡¯s question. ¡¸They¡¯re basically as suspicious as usual.¡¹ Rino retorted. ¡¸Those kinds of trivial people aside¡­. Since we have no way to look through them one by one, what about you, Nao-san? ¡¹ Chiyuki asked Nao. Nao had the highest perception amongst them. There were many types of perception abilities: there was object perception, poison detection, magic power perception, and hostility detection. Reiji, Shirone, and Kaya could use object perception, Kyouka and Chiyuki could use magic power perception, and Shirone and Kaya could use hostility detection. As for Nao, she could use them all. Chiyuki has the highest magic power perception, but Nao was superior to others when it came to the rest of the perception abilities. If even Nao couldn¡¯t find a suspicious person amongst them, then no one could find him. ¡¸We were basically surrounded by suspicious men from all sides, but the one Chiyuki¡¯s looking for wasn¡¯t among them.¡¹ Nao explained. Though she felt all kinds of hostile intent, like the envying gazes of the men or the ones from Reiji¡¯s fangirls, they were not worth mentioning. ¡¸Well then¡­ next is about the Dark Knight.¡¹ Everyone¡¯s expression changed when Chiyuki uttered that name. That was only natural. He was the one who single-handedly beat Reiji to a pulp, who was regarded as an undefeated hero by Chiyuki and others, and overpower Shirone in sword fight. He was the most dangerous existence for Chiyuki and her comrades. Their real goal for coming to Rox Kingdom was to prevent the Dark Knight from achieving his goal, and his goal was to precisely take the Holy Dragon King¡¯s horn. Though Chiyuki was not clear on what he was trying to do, she still considered his plan to be extremely dangerous. However, even though she was sure that the Dark Knight was up to no good, Chiyuki was still unwilling to cooperate in this mission because she didn¡¯t wish to see her comrades fight such a dangerous person. ¡¸Do you think the Dark Knight has arrived in this kingdom. ¡¹ ¡¸Dunno~, Chiyuki-san. I did my best focusing my sense on our surroundings, but I couldn¡¯t find that Dark Knight fella.¡¹ Responded Nao. Though she tried to look for the whereabouts of the Dark Knight when they had just arrived, her range only spanned for 2 kilometres. Though she had considered the possibility of the Dark Knight concealing his strength and presence, it would still be difficult for someone as powerful as him, so she concluded that Dark Knight had yet to arrive. ¡¸I can detect him if he releases his killing intent, but¡­.¡¹ Said Shirone. Shirone, Kaya, and Nao could use hostility detection, but it wouldn¡¯t be helpful if the other party concealed his killing intent. However, Chiyuki had heard that Shirone¡¯s hostility detection didn¡¯t react at all when she fought against the Dark Knight. £¨Maybe because Shirone was too weak to even be regarded as the Dark Knight¡¯s enemy. Which reminds me, Reiji is the only one who got hurt by the Dark Knight. Maybe, Reiji is the only one strong enough to be considered as his enemy.£© That was Chiyuki¡¯s conclusion for the reason why hostility detection couldn¡¯t work against the Dark Knight. ¡¸Shall we try looking for him again in this kingdom? ¡¹ Proposed Nao. ¡¸No, I think it¡¯s not a good idea. We shouldn¡¯t awaken a sleeping dragon. Moreover, this bell should give us a warning when the Dark Knight comes to trim the Holy Dragon King¡¯s horn.¡¹ Chiyuki took out the bell Rena had given her as she expressed her unwillingness to cooperate in the Goddess¡¯s request. ¡¸That¡¯s right, it¡¯s been a while since we came to this kingdom with hot springs after all. Let¡¯s just spend our time in leisure.¡¹ Said Reiji with a refreshing smile on his face. ¡¸I agree with you. Let¡¯s enjoy our long awaited hot spring.¡¹ It had been a long time since Chiyuki agreed with Reiji on anything. They had gone through a series of unpleasant events such as Reiji almost getting himself killed, losing the way to go back to their own world, and many other unpleasant things lately. She wanted a bit of change of pace. The other girls gleefully laughed when they heard Chiyuki agree with Reiji. ¡¸That¡¯s right, we should enjoy our time and relax in this hot spring kingdom.¡¹ After everyone agreed to Kyouka¡¯s words, they ended the meeting and decided to enjoy the hot spring. === TN : Please rant as polite as possible in the comment below! Volume 2 - CH 7.1 Act 2-7.1 : Reunion With A Certain Goddess Once the Hero and his party had arrived in the kingdom and settled themselves in their mansion, Kuroki, along with Rember and the others, had gathered in front of the mansion to perform their escort duty. As he gazed at the mansion, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but recall Shirone and the other women¡¯s figures. £¨Those were all¡­ quite risque outfits¡­£© Their figures, tightly wrapped in those revealing clothes, were saved in an important folder in his memory for him to enjoy later. All the men along the main street couldn¡¯t keep their eyes away from Shirone and the other women¡¯s bodies, and Kuroki was no exception. When he saw those familiar yet unfamiliar figures that he hadn¡¯t seen in a while, he had gotten extremely excited, so much so that he had felt himself unconsciously draw closer to them¡ªhe was a moth attracted to a scorching flame. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was wearing a cloak, Kuroki would have definitely looked like a pervert, given the look on his face. In the first place, there was very little stimulation in Nargol. He was surrounded by non-human beings, who pretty much looked like beasts, it was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t be attracted to them. As for the dark elves and female demon race, whose figures greatly resembled that of humans, they were all Mona¡¯s subordinates, thus he couldn¡¯t get close to them since Mona didn¡¯t seem to like him. He then recalled Regena, the human princess he saved a few days ago. He realized that he could have actually done those R-18 things with her since her status was that of his slave. However, when he registered how his thoughts had gone astray, Kuroki shook his head in dismissal of such an idea¡ªhe couldn¡¯t destroy her future just because of a fleeting moment of carnal desire. He wanted to properly look after her and her people till the end. When he had saved them, he had decided that he would send them back to human society later on in the future. Since he was planning to let her live amongst humans in the future, he wanted her to have a good life, keeping her in perfect shape would allow her to find a husband and build a family; it would allow her to be happy again. If she was tarnished in any way, life would become much more difficult for her. £¨Nevertheless, it¡¯s really hard for me to walk properly now.£© Kuroki was now seriously considering the option of visiting THAT kind of store that provided THAT kind of service, even though he had said that it wasn¡¯t a good thing to buy women with money and had treated Galios¡¯s remark as a passing joke yesterday. £¨All of them were wearing such suggestive clothes. These attires are too deadly. Shirone¡¯s butt was practically exposed.£© Though they used to enter the bathtub together in their childhood, he had never even seen her in a swimsuit after she grew up. Kuroki was extremely impressed by the growth of his childhood friend. Shirone¡¯s chest had become bigger and her waist had constricted; the extent of her growth almost made him go wild. Kuroki pondered ¡ª (Does that mean that Shirone always shows that kind of splendid figure to Reiji while I, her childhood friend, remain unaware of it?) He then recalled Reiji¡¯s face as he was walking along the main street a while ago; there was smugness written all over it. He was clearly showing off while his pleased face implicitly said ¡ª ¡°See, you guys can¡¯t even walk along the street with such fine girls in tow, right?¡± Kuroki was certain that just like himself, the other men who saw Reiji wanted to tear that smug look off of his face. £¨I¡¯m really envious of that Reiji. Shirone would never even show me her figure in a swimsuit, even if I asked her. On the contrary, she most probably would punch me if I make such a request.£© The more he thought about it, the more dejected he became. But, at least, thanks to that, his little buddy finally settled down. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter Kuro? ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, nothing. No need to worry Gallios.¡¹ Though Gallios, who stood beside him, was worried about his condition, Kuroki couldn¡¯t really give him an honest answer; it would be too embarrassing if he did so. ¡¸I see. Well, that Rember is quite late, huh. What happened to him¡­¡¹ Currently, Rember was inside the mansion with the kingdom¡¯s assigned escorts to have a meeting with the Hero. Kuroki and the others were waiting for him outside. ¡¸Hmm, maybe they¡¯re discussing the matter about those zombies from last night, or maybe the matter about the survivors of those Striges.¡¹ ¡¸Striges? Are they the demons you talked about last night, Gallios-dono? ¡¹ ¡¸Yeah Kuro. The zombies from the last night might have been controlled by surviving Striges.¡¹ Kuroki recalled what Gallios had said about the Striges last night. There was a demon race called Striges, their appearance was a crossbreed between a woman and a bird. They were a race similar to the Siren race, who appeared frequently in the southern sea, and the Harpy race, who lived in the central mountains. Different from the Harpies¡¯ eagle-like wings and the Sirens¡¯ seagull-like wings, Striges had a pair of wings that resembled an owl¡¯s. They were dangerous nocturnal demons with a hybrid of a human woman and an owl as their appearance. However, what made them truly dangerous wasn¡¯t their terrifying appearance, rather it was the fact that they drank human blood and that their race specialized in necromancy. Many Striges families had taken residence in the tower near Rox Kingdom since who knows when. So, many people in the region had fallen victim to those Striges, including citizens of Rox Kingdom. As for the rampart, it was a meaningless defensive measure against airborne opponents like them. Moreover, since they were nocturnal creatures, the only time people could defeat them was in the morning. However, Striges were intelligent beings as they would hole themselves up in their tower during the day, summon the undead, and place various clever traps to prevent the subjugation from going smoothly. Though it was unclear whether this matter was a fortune or not, those Striges never went as far as ruining the kingdoms around them since they didn¡¯t wish for humans, their food, to perish. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t mean that there were no victims. However, on a certain day, those Striges had tried to kidnap Almina, Rox Kingdom¡¯s princess, to offer her as sacrifice to the God they revered. Naturally, both Rember and Gallios resisted them, but they were powerless before those Striges. It was at such a time that a savior appeared in front of Almina: the Hero, Reiji, and his comrades. None of the undead in the tower were a match against Reiji, all of them were annihilated at once with the pseudo-sun he created with his magic. And the Striges who lived in that tower were completely annihilated. Thus, there were no more Striges in this area, or so everyone thought until hordes of zombies appeared in Rox Kingdom right before the start of the festival. Gallios told Kuroki that the culprit might be a survivor of the Striges race. That Strige definitely hated Rox Kingdom, who had invited the Hero who annihilated them. But, no one in Rox Kingdom could defeat the Striges, that¡¯s why they wanted the Hero to save them again. Rember was probably going to make such a request during his meeting with the Hero. ¡¸I see now, so that might be the reason why he is late. Oh, Gallios-dono. It seems he has returned.¡¹ Rember came back from the meeting with the Hero¡¯s assigned escorts. He returned with a somewhat depressed look on his face. Kuroki guessed that something might have happened during the meeting. ¡¸Sorry everyone, even though I implored you guys to gather today, the escort duty ended up as an unnecessary matter.¡¹ Rember explained the situation. It seems that the Temple Knights, who came along with the Hero, rejected the escorts Rox Kingdom had assigned. They just told them to look around for someone who was hostile towards the Hero. The Temple Knights were clearly belittling Rember and the others. Some of the Freedom Fighters were cursing at those Temple Knights due to their rude behavior. Kuroki felt that Rember¡¯s attempt to gather reliable people during the little time he had before the Hero and his party¡¯s visit ended up as a fool¡¯s errand. ¡¸Sorry. Even though you gathered on such short notice¡­¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped then, leave the escorting to those Temple Knights while we work behind the scenes to support them.¡¹ Said Gallios to ease everyone¡¯s anger after Rember told them such news. === TN : Nothing really happen this week! Volume 2 - CH 7.2 Act 2-7.1 : Reunion With A Certain Goddess ¡¸Well it really can¡¯t be helped, Renber-dono. There are some things that we just can¡¯t do, even with great effort alone.¡¹ Kuroki didn¡¯t mind that rejection at all, and though some of the Freedom Fighters were angry, Gallios managed to pacify them. According to what Kuroki heard from their conversation, the Temple Knights of the Holy Republic of Lenaria were the strongest in the eastern continent, and since there were twenty of them escorting the Hero and his party, Kuroki felt that there was no need to get in the way of their job. The only choice they had now was to patrol the area and look for anyone who showed hostility towards the Hero and his companions. Though he felt sorry that Renber was in a slightly miserable position, Kuroki truly felt glad of this outcome since it meant that he didn¡¯t need to get close to his former acquaintances. However, despite pacifying them, none of the Freedom Fighters were willing to go around the city just for a mere patrolling job. Thus, they were dispersed and only Kuroki and Gallios were left to do the job. ¡¸I¡¯ll go with Renber to patrol the city, what about you, Kuro? ¡¹ Asked Gallios. ¡¸Hmm, well I¡¯ll go by myself then and patrol another area. I¡¯ll just go explore the festival and enjoy it if I don¡¯t find any notable problem.¡¹ Hearing Kuroki¡¯s words, Renber immediately expressed his gratitude to him. ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, Renber-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Oh yeah, Kuro, how about we hook up with some women after we finish our job? There are so many foreign beauties who came for the festival.¡¹ Gallios suddenly mentioned the topic of women before Kuroki was about to leave. Kuroki felt embarrassed that the topic shifted to this one yet again. Since talking about it, Gallios had brought up this topic many times. This time he kept on emphasizing how there were many harlots visiting as tourists around this period of time and kept telling Kuroki that he should take this chance to hook up with some of them. £¨No matter what you say, I basically have zero experience with women. Moreover, do I look that desperate to you?£© Kuroki was vexed by Gallios¡¯s insistence, he decided that he was going to take care of this problem later and so ignored his advice. In the first place, the store which provided THAT kind of service would not be a good option right now. Because of the fact that the Hero¡¯s women walked around town in those revealing clothes, these kinds of businesses were probably filled to the brim with lustful men. After gazing at beautiful women, they were probably all pent up and these stores were their only option. Kuroki had no intention whatsoever to go there at such a time. ¡¸Well, I guess what I really want now is to preserve myself¡­¡¹ Answered Kuroki with a wry smile on his face. In the first place, he had thought that Gallios¡¯s offer to take him to THAT kind of store was a joke. Now he just wanted it to be over. Thus, Kuroki turned to leave. Having said he would, he was going to start a round of patrol at his own pace. ¡¸Make sure you tell Peneroa if you manage to woo some girls.¡¹ Said Gallios just when Kuroki was about to leave. Kuroki had no choice but to wave his hand with his back facing Gallios and Renber. £¨Reiji and co¡¯s escorts are quite an absurd bunch. Well, still, though now I need to patrol the city, a promise is a promise. I have to do my job properly.£© After he went all the way to the top of the rampart, the highest building in this kingdom, Kuroki took a good look at Rox Kingdom¡¯s landscape. He could see far and wide. Kuroki¡¯s eyesight had become remarkably better after he was summoned to this world. Thus, he could see what everyone was doing, down to the smallest of details, even from the top of the rampart. He narrowed his eyes in focus, looking for any suspicious person. When his gaze landed on the center of the city, he finally found something of note. There, he saw a suspicious group of people yelling something dangerous. They were all holding on to a flag with Rino¡¯s picture on it. They were most probably some of her die-hard fans, some amongst the many who could be found all across the Holy Republic of Lenaria. £¨I can¡¯t believe they chased her all the way to this place¡­ They do look to be cooking something dangerous indeed, but I guess those Temple Knights can deal with them. Let¡¯s just let them be¡­£© Kuroki noticed another unusual event when he looked around them. £¨Come to think of it, what¡¯s with the crowd around those fans?£© Kuroki was intrigued by the crowd of people and their activities. Upon closer look, they were selling portraits of Reiji¡¯s women, particularly portraits of them with today¡¯s attire. These portraits looked to be mass produced through some sort of fast printing art as each stall had many of them; their stocks seemed to be never ending. Many of those sellers were huddled together, each supporting a different woman. It looked like they were showing what camp they belonged to. Seeing such a scene, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth, blaming himself for almost overlooking this kind of wonderful event. £¨I can¡¯t believe I almost missed such an event. Let¡¯s buy some souvenirs after I¡¯m done with this job.£© He then gravitated his attention to the right of the city. There wasn¡¯t any suspicious person or notable event, he only found five Temple Knights instead. They were not the ones he met a while ago. It was his second time seeing Temple Knights up-close. They wore uniformed armors just like the ones he saw back when he raided Rena¡¯s Temple during his visit to the Holy Republic of Lenaria. £¨What the hell are they doing in this place? I can give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they¡¯re taking turns in doing their job and are currently on break, but¡­ I smell something fishy here.£© When he looked at them again, he saw them arguing with some men. Kuroki strained his ears to eavesdrop on their conversation. Once he heard their conversation, he found out that they were competing for harlots. £¨The Temple Knights are men who should love no one but Rena, but is it in fact different in reality? Well it really can¡¯t be helped that they are trying to do something like that now. They probably want to get rid of their excitement, seeing that they¡¯re always by Shirone and the others¡¯ side, who also wore those risque outfits today. Rather, any normal man would react in the same way.£© Kuroki decided to overlook the truant actions of those Temple Knights and moved on the left. It seems nothing was special there either. But then, his eyes suddenly caught the figure of a woman. That woman was hiding her face under the hood of her robe. At a glance, she looked like any other tourist. But for some reason, Kuroki couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from that woman. He strained his eyes to look at her. After looking for a while he discovered the woman¡¯s identity. £¨I definitely wouldn¡¯t have noticed her if I hadn¡¯t strained my eyes! Why? For what reason is she here?! I never expected that the being that can harm the Hero and the others would come to this kind of place!£© Kuroki descended from the rampart and headed towards that woman as fast as he could. It only took him a moment to stand right in front of her, blocking her path. The woman in question had also noticed his presence. ¡¸D-Dark Knight?! ¡¹ The woman looked at him with a shocked face. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Goddess Rena.¡¹ Kuroki bowed in front of her. Though she had changed her identity and pretended to be a normal human, she couldn¡¯t deceive Kuroki¡¯s eyes. The woman in front of Kuroki was none other than Goddess Rena herself. === TL : Boy meet Yandere Girl¡­ Volume 2 - CH 8 Chapter 8 : Goddess¡¯ Holiday Elios Goddess, Rena, was currently strolling through the main streets of Rox Kingdom. As she walked through the festive streets, filled with decorations, stalls, music, and food, and seeing people¡¯s happy and cheerful faces, she couldn¡¯t help but ponder about the bane of her suffering¡ªthe existence of her clone. Mona. This was the name of the fake Goddess Modes had created by using a strand of Rena¡¯s hair as the main catalyst. In short, she was Rena¡¯s clone. So how did Rena know about the existence of Mona when no one in Elios knew about her? While Modes¡¯s special measures, which prevented the leakage of any news regarding Mona¡¯s existence, was a huge success, the reason Rena knew about Mona¡¯s existence was Mona herself. For some unknown reason, Mona would occasionally appear in Rena¡¯s dreams, enabling the latter to know Nargol¡¯s more privy information. At first, Rena was confused. However, as those dreams appeared more frequently, Rena surmised the answer to her confusion. After pondering about it for many sleepless nights, she concluded that Mona was most probably her clone. Moreover, even though Rena could receive information from Mona, the opposite never happened. Mona probably had no idea that she was providing information about Modes and Nargol to Rena. Thus, Rena became the most well informed amongst the Elios Gods about Nargol¡¯s situation. ¡ª However, she also ended up with information that she didn¡¯t wish to know. ¡ª Because, what¡¯s more sorrowful and hellish than her being forced to see Modes and Mona¡¯s night activities EVERY-SINGLE-DAY? ¡ª Worst of all, the other party was that ugly Modes! It was nothing but a nightmare to Rena. That was the situation. That¡¯s why Rena had summoned Reiji and his party to defeat Modes. But, everything went wrong when Modes summoned the Dark Knight. Rena¡¯s strategies to defeat Modes and get rid of that clone were all completely thwarted with the appearance of the Dark Knight. She had tried to ask Casa several times about a method that could get rid of the Dark Knight. But, even the Goddess who could see the infinite future and all of its possibilities, couldn¡¯t find a way to defeat the Dark Knight¡ªhe was simply too powerful. Casa had also mentioned to her several times that she could only see the future with the highest chance of occurence, she couldn¡¯t pick and choose a specific future to see. In short, she couldn¡¯t see a future with a low possibility of happening nor any future that never existed. Moreover, Casa¡¯s power to foresee the future wasn¡¯t without risk. Thus Rena couldn¡¯t ask for Casa¡¯s help again either. She had no choice but to act on her own. But, the information she knew about Nargol was limited to the information that was known by Mona. It seems Modes didn¡¯t plan to tell Mona everything, that¡¯s why Mona¡¯s information didn¡¯t have a complete picture of the whole situation. Even Mona had no idea about the summoning of the Dark Knight until the last moment. However, this wasn¡¯t because Modes didn¡¯t trust Mona; rather, it was only because he didn¡¯t wish to burden Mona with Nargol¡¯s problems. He only wished for them to seek comfort from each other. But, there was a time when he told Mona vital information. The latest and most vital information was the fact that the Dark Knight was heading for the Silver Holy Dragon King¡¯s place to retrieve its horn. He was planning to use it as the main material for the creation of another clone of herself. Naturally, Rena wouldn¡¯t allow another creation of her clone. She planned to intercept the Dark Knight as he was heading to his destination. But, the Dark Knight was too powerful. Rena and her Valkyries were powerless against him. In the first place, her Valkyries were already weaker than the Holy Knight Order, the very same Knight Order that was brought to the verge of complete annihilation when it fought against that single Dark Knight. Thus, Rena changed her plans and used Reiji and his party to intercept the Dark Knight. That was her original plan. She installed a barrier at the Silver Holy Dragon King¡¯s dwelling entrance that would notify the Hero and his companions about the Dark Knight¡¯s arrival. She could already imagine the whole scenario: they would allow the Dark Knight to retrieve the Holy Dragon King¡¯s horn, then, when he would start to happily leave, Reiji and the others would intercept him and hold him back at the entrance of the cave. Then, her Valkyries would appear and steal the horn from him while he¡¯s distracted by his fight with the Hero and his companions. She had entrusted Reiji and the others with a bell that would send a warning signal when the Dark Knight entered the dragon¡¯s dwelling and that would immediately teleport Reiji and co. right in front of that place. It was all too perfect. Rena and her Valkyries had boarded her flying ship and headed toward Rox Kingdom as fast as possible as soon as they received news about the Dark Knight¡¯s arrival in Rox Kingdom from Rena¡¯s scout. But then, she also received the news that Reiji and the others had just arrived today despite departing far earlier than her and her guards. She was truly vexed and livid upon hearing that news. Considering Reiji and his party¡¯s strength, they should have arrived far earlier than her. Moreover, even though the others were less powerful than Reiji, everyone who came from the spirit world had the same power as a divine being in this world. Yet, for the time being, Rena and the other Elios Gods had decided to treat Reiji and his companions as humans. They simply could not treat them as divine beings. Such a thing needed God Oudith and the other Gods¡¯ acknowledgement. They hadn¡¯t even treated the Elven and Angel races, races far more superior than humans, as divine beings just because they didn¡¯t have the special traits needed. They weren¡¯t going to give such privilege to people who didn¡¯t even belong to this world. It was for this reason that they had decided to treat the other-worlders as part of the human race, a much lower grade race in spite of their power that could rival even the Gods and other divine beings. Such treatment had of course caused a lot of trouble from time to time. As Rena pondered about the reason behind Reiji and his party¡¯s late arrival, she finally concluded that the matter was related to Chiyuki. She was certain that it was Chiyuki who deliberately delayed their arrival to Rox Kingdom since she was the one who wanted to stop Reiji from ever confronting the Dark Knight. £¨It¡¯ll be troubling if they don¡¯t fight. I mean, what¡¯s their use aside from fighting Modes? I guess I have no choice but to use THIS if she keeps trying to hinder my plans.£© Rena touched a certain small bottle in her pocket. Love potion. Anyone who drank that potion would madly fall in love with the first person they see after drinking it. Its effect was greatly boosted after the addition of a powerful charm spell of Rena¡¯s doing. Rena planned to make Chiyuki drink this potion. It was an extremely dangerous potion that literally turned anyone who drank it into the slave of the first person they saw. Originally, that potion was supposed to be drunk by Reiji the moment he was summoned by Rena in this world. She had prepared that potion since there was a high chance that the summoned person would be unwilling to do her bidding. That¡¯s why Rena had this potion prepared for that situation. But, it ended up as needless anxiety since Reiji readily agreed to Rena¡¯s request. However, Rena couldn¡¯t help but think that she should¡¯ve used this potion on Chiyuki from the very moment she summoned them. It would¡¯ve probably saved her a lot of trouble. But, the potion had its own limitations. Firstly, it would only work if the one the target saw was someone that he/she considered as a target of love. The potion would lose its effect if there were too many discrepancies between the races involved. For example, the target won¡¯t fall in love with a dog even if they saw the dog right after drinking the potion because they would never consider them as a target of their love. Naturally, it was another matter if the said target had a ¡°special¡± preference. In addition, even if both parties were of the same race, it wouldn¡¯t turn into love if the one that the target saw first was too far apart from the target¡¯s preference, at most, they would become a good friend. But for Rena, that was enough for Chiyuki¡¯s case because that way, there would be no one else left to stop Reiji from following her orders. As a matter of fact, the potion also didn¡¯t work on targets that already served someone else, like a familiar for example. Moreover, the effects of the potion greatly varied depending on the target¡¯s magic resistance and the amount he/she drank¡ªit won¡¯t show its effect if someone with powerful magic resistance drank only a small bit of the potion. £¨I wonder just how much of the potion I should make Chiyuki drink before she becomes my slave?£© Rena kept pondering about that matter. The potion in her hand was an especially powerful one. So powerful that one drop of it was enough to turn a normal human into an eternal slave. (Should I assume that she has the magic resistance of a divine being as an average?) That potion might be the last one since no other similar potion had been made. That was just how dangerous it was. It was so dangerous to the point that Elios had banned it. Anyhow, the effect of the potion couldn¡¯t be dispelled with magic, they had no choice but to eliminate the effect with their own resistance. Rena knew that it wouldn¡¯t simply end with banishment from Elios if it was known that she used such a dangerous potion. However, she had no other choice. But, she had no idea how powerful its effect was on someone with resistance that was on par with the average divine being since it was never used on a divine being before. She needed to figure it out as soon as possible to make it successful, otherwise it might only become a temporary solution. Yet, if she thought about it more, it didn¡¯t matter even if the effect was temporary since the target would be full of openings during that moment. Meaning that she could enslave the target with something like domination magic during that moment of vulnerability. Thus, Rena now firmly decided to use that potion. £¨I definitely have to make them fight the Dark Knight! Otherwise, it will be impossible to prevent the Dark Knight from cutting the Dragon King¡¯s horn!£© Rena became a bit impatient. But, luckily for her, the Dark Knight had yet to make his move. He had yet to cut the Dragon King¡¯s horn despite having already arrived close to its resting place. That¡¯s why, considering the result, Reiji and his companions had actually arrived on time. It¡¯s just that she had no idea where the Dark Knight was currently at in this country. "" Since none of her Valkyries specialized in detection magic, they couldn¡¯t find the Dark Knight¡¯s precise location. Her Valkyrie team was currently on stand-by, quite far away from Rox Kingdom in order to prevent their presence from being detected by the Dark Knight. Thus, Rena had decided to go alone to Rox Kingdom to make Chiyuki drink the potion, and oversee the situation from the vicinity. Though her Valkyries had tried to convince her to come along, none of them were adept in covert operations. They were bound to get detected as they would stand out from the crowd if they all came together. Thus, Rena came by herself. At the very least, it was less conspicuous than coming with a horde of Valkyries. In fact, Rena herself wasn¡¯t adept in covert operations. But, Rena thought it was fine since humans, with their weak presence detection powers, wouldn¡¯t be able to blow her cover. Her main concern was the Dark Knight himself, reason being she had no idea about how powerful that man¡¯s presence detection was. He might be able to blow her cover if his presence detection was as powerful as Nao, one of Reiji¡¯s comrades. And, even if it wasn¡¯t as powerful as Nao¡¯s detection powers, he would still blow her cover if his powers reached Shirone or Kaya¡¯s level. Rena¡¯s invisibility was that weak. Thus, Rena entered Rox Kingdom with only that much preparation. Rena was moving towards the direction where she felt the bell¡¯s magical power, the one she had entrusted to Reiji and the others. But, someone had suddenly stood in front of her and blocked her way. £¨Eh? Who?£© Rena was extremely surprised upon seeing that person¡¯s face. It was the face of the man she saw once before, at night, when he had raided her temple by himself. There was no way she could ever forget that man, with his jet-black hair, his not so conspicuous yet actually well-ordered face, his pale skin, and his pair of black quartz eyes that were now locked on her for the second time. ¡¸D-¡­ Dark Knight?!¡¹ The man who stood in her way was none other than the Dark Knight himself. £¨No way, to think that he can find me so easily!£© Rena heaved a sigh, lamenting her poor luck. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Goddess Rena.¡¹ He, the Dark Knight greeted Rena. For some reason, Rena didn¡¯t feel like escaping from him. === TN : Girl meet Boi!! Volume 2 - CH 9 Chapter 9 : The Goddess And The Dark Knight~Date Chapter~ TN : It¡¯s a safe and healthy chapter!!! === The Hero¡¯s comrades, Chiyuki and co, were currently enjoying the mansion¡¯s hot spring, which was spacious, and comfortable. Though it was considered quite small compared to other hot spring establishments, it was still spacious enough for all the girls to enter together and still have enough space to swim around. ¡¸Is something the matter, Nao?¡¹ Nao¡¯s body was immersed in the hot spring, with only her head popping out and her gaze locked on Chiyuki. ¡¸Your hair is so beautiful, Chiyuki-san.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, thank you.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t the first time someone praised Chiyuki¡¯s hair. Naturally, It wasn¡¯t a bad thing to hear such praise every now and then. ¡¸As expected of the one crowned as the Black Haired Sage.¡¹ Black Haired Sage was Chiyuki¡¯s nickname, that was how the people in this world often called her. She wasn¡¯t the only one with a nickname though. Shirone was the Sword Maiden and Rino was the Fairy Dancer. Thinking about that fact, Chiyuki looked at the two, only to see them coming towards her and Nao. ¡¸Eeh, what are you girls talking about?¡¹ Rino asked the two. ¡¸I¡¯m praising Chiyuki-san¡¯s beautiful hair.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, her hair is really beautiful. I¡¯m so jealous of her hair.¡¹ ¡¸I think Shirone-san¡¯s hair is also beautiful though.¡¹ ¡¸Yup. Especially when her ponytail dances beautifully as she moves around in battle. As expected of the Sword Maiden.¡¹ Shirone was visibly embarrassed upon hearing Nao¡¯s praise. ¡¸Sword Maiden, huh¡­ that¡¯s really fitting of her.¡¹ "" Rino spoke with an envious look on her face. ¡¸But of course, I think the name Fairy Dancer suits you too.¡¹ ¡¸Yesh! I mean, I¡¯m so jealous of Shirone-san and Rinocchi for having such cool nicknames. I want one too¡­¡¹ That was the truth, Nao didn¡¯t have a nickname, though she was called ¡°Feral Child¡± back in their original world, but Chiyuki wouldn¡¯t tell her that. ¡¸It¡¯s better than having a weird nickname.¡¹ Saying that, Rino looked at the two people who were resting in a slightly secluded area. It was Kyouka and Kaya. Kyouka¡¯s nickname was ¡°Exploding Princess¡±, a dishonorable nickname that she got after using explosion magic in the middle of the city. It was a nickname that was disliked by most of them and loathed by the person herself. ¡¸Indeed¡­¡¹ Nao readily agreed. ¡¸Speaking of nicknames, where is our ¡°Hero of Light¡± and ¡°White Saint¡± right now?¡¹ Rino was wondering about the whereabouts of those two. ¡¸Our White Saint is preparing dinner.¡¹ The nickname ¡°White Saint¡± referred to Sahoko. Sahoko made dinner for the group since there was only a small number of maids in the mansion. In addition, it seemed that the royal palace¡¯s chef was also coming to assist her. Sahoko and Kaya were the only ones who could cook amongst their group. The others didn¡¯t dare to compete with them. Sahoko had taken the role of their cook when they were out on their journey. In that regard, Sahoko specialized in home cooking, different from Kaya who specialized in cooking extravagant and gorgeous meals meant for a party. Chiyuki had some expertise in that area; however, her cooking skills were nothing compared to those two. Rino, Nao, and Kyouka, on the other hand, didn¡¯t like to cook at all; they didn¡¯t even want to touch ingredients if that was possible. Though Shirone was interested in learning how to cook, she was a murderous chef. She could blow up a kitchen with the things she created. Anything she made would taste completely different from what it was supposed to taste like. None of them would ever dare to eat any of her meals. Naturally, none of them dared to say that in front of her though. Chiyuki recalled the past. There was a time when Shirone baked unbearably salty cookies. She had made them for Reiji, but after taking just one bite, Reiji didn¡¯t dare to continue on eating them. Even swallowing that bite he had taken was the most difficult thing he had ever gone through. It was only normal for him to have that kind of reaction when he was already used to eating Sahoko¡¯s great cooking. Since it couldn¡¯t be helped, Shirone ended up giving those cookies to her childhood friend but, it seems that her childhood friend was actually extremely happy when he received those cookies. Chiyuki secretly worried about Shirone¡¯s childhood friend¡¯s stomach. Though Chiyuki had never seen Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, according to Rino, he seemed to be quite the looker. Nevertheless, he lost by a mile compared to Reiji. ¡ª I wonder where Reiji is right now? Chiyuki suddenly wondered about Reiji¡¯s whereabouts. ¡¸I wonder what the Hero of Light is doing right now?¡¹ In fact, Chiyuki had set up a barrier around the hot spring as a preventative measure against peepers. Though the barrier also prevented her from knowing what was happening outside. That¡¯s why everyone had no idea what Reiji was doing right now. £¨Reiji¡¯s matter aside, the same goes for the Dark Knight and Rena¡¯s movements. I wonder what they¡¯re doing right now?£© Chiyuki pondered over these matters as she dipped her body in the hot spring. ¡ô Meanwhile, around the time Chiyuki was wondering what the Dark Knight and Rena were doing. Kuroki, the Dark Knight himself, and Rena, were currently standing in Rox Kingdom¡¯s mainstreet. Even though it was still early in the morning, food stalls had already been set up on both sides of the crowded main street. Seeing this familiar setup of streets filled with stalls, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but recall his hometown back in Japan. Though he didn¡¯t go to festivals nowadays, he had often gone to ones with Shirone during his childhood days. The reason he never went to festivals again was because he was now alone. As for the other reason, it was simply because it was a man¡¯s romantic dream to go to a festival with a cute girl in hand. That¡¯s why his current situation could be said to be the best he could hope for. Kuroki looked at the woman who stood by his side. Most of her face was covered by a hood. But, Kuroki knew that the face hidden beneath that hood was a world toppling beauty. Goddess Rena. That was how Shirone and the others called her. This was the second time Kuroki had met her. He wondered what in the world she was doing in this kind of place. ¡ª Is she trying to do something to Shirone and the others again? Kuroki kept pondering about Rena¡¯s aim. Initially, he had no intention of getting himself involved with Shirone and the others again, yet he ended up receiving a request to escort the Hero and search for his enemies; it was truthfully quite ironic. If he were to be honest, he was cutting corners as he did those two jobs, reason being he knew that Reiji and his companions were powerful enough to defend themselves¡ªthere was almost no one who could hurt them. He was going to give a half-hearted report and leave the rest to the Temple Knights who came as their escorts. That¡¯s why he was really surprised with what he found as he stood on top of the rampart¡ªhe knew in one glance that the one who wore the hood was Rena. Since he found her, there was no way he was going to let her off scot free. He understood more than anyone else that Rena was the most dangerous existence for the Hero and his comrades. Thus, he appeared before her. And yet, he was at a loss of what to do after he greeted her. So, for now, Kuroki was only trying to guess what her plan was. Naturally, he had no intention to stay in this kingdom if she called Reiji and the others here and asked them to fight him. ¡¸Contrary to your appearance, you¡¯re unexpectedly quite an overbearing man.¡¹ Rena snickered at Kuroki as they walked side-by-side. Kuroki recalled their banter a while ago. When he inquired what she was doing in this place, Rena said that she wanted to enjoy the festival. Naturally, it was a big fat lie. Thus, Kuroki told her that he would tag along and enjoy the festival with her. £¨Guess I have no choice but to tag along with her, I really need to choose better words next time¡­£© Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter. But, reality was truly harsh. He knew that the Goddess before him was an extremely dangerous being, he absolutely couldn¡¯t let his guard down in front of her. ¡¸My apologies but, I simply can¡¯t let such a dangerous woman like yourself freely roam around¡­¡¹ He never intended to lie as he stated matter of factly. ¡¸Humph, I see.¡¹ Rena then took a look at Kuroki, as if appraising him. His figure was reflected in her beautiful eyes. That alone was enough to make Kuroki¡¯s heart skip a beat. Rena¡¯s charm was extremely powerful. Sensing danger, Kuroki raised his vigilance even further in order to not lose sight of her by accident. ¡¸Fine then, I shall allow you to go with me.¡¹ Rena then walked ahead of him. And Kuroki followed by her side. Sightseeing the festival with a beautiful girl. Otherwise known as¡­ a date. Volume 2 - CH 10.1 Act 2 ¨C 10.1 : Date With Goddess Kuroki and Rena walked side by side along the main street of Rox Kingdom. ¡¸There¡¯s a lot of people around, it¡¯s making it hard for us to walk.¡¹ Rena spoke as she dodged a few people. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a festival after all¡­ Just bear with it, everyone is having the same experience anyway; it¡¯s only natural.¡¹ Kuroki rebuked Rena before she uttered any dangerous words. ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Rena replied with a slightly displeased look on her face. £¨Well, she is a goddess after all, patience might not be her forte. It might not even be a word in her dictionary¡­£© Kuroki thought as he acted as a shield to prevent everyone else from bumping into her. ¡¸¡­ Whoopsie!¡¹ Kuroki drew Rena closer to him, saving her from the person who almost bumped into her. Though he tried his best to become Rena¡¯s shield as they strolled around the festival, their speed had dwindled in the process, making them advance in turtle speed. It was all due to the roads ahead of them, which were jam packed with so many people. So jam packed to the point that Kuroki and Rena were literally glued together. £¨HER SCENT IS SO D*MN GOOD!£© He noticed that Rena carried something with a really good smell on her person. This was the first time his body was glued so close to a woman, other than Shirone of course. Kuroki felt his heart beat crazily like a drum, almost as if it would fly out of his chest. ¡¸HEY!!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry, Rena.¡¹ ¡¸No man has ever been that close to me before.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, Rena. But¡­ It¡¯s not like I can shove these people away by force.¡¹ He had to consider the other pedestrians as well. There were so many people around, it wasn¡¯t like he could just ignore their rights and push them around, he and Rena weren¡¯t more important than others. But, Rena, a goddess, probably didn¡¯t have that kind of consideration toward humans. ¡¸Okay then, just get away from me.¡¹ Since it couldn¡¯t be helped, Kuroki reluctantly separated himself from Rena. ¡¸Come to think of it, can I just get rid of those hindrances over there?¡¹ Rena asked as she pointed at the street stalls. ¡¸Please don¡¯t, they¡¯re absolutely necessary for a festival.¡¹ Kuroki struck down Rena¡¯s request at once. Those street stalls were essential for any kind of festival to be considered a proper festival. Without them, the event would just turn to a normal mundane day. In fact, what would people do during a festival if they didn¡¯t have things to buy, see, or play? Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about his childhood days. There was a time when he couldn¡¯t buy the street stalls¡¯ goods because they were too expensive for him. He always longed to try some of those street food delicacies, play some games and win a few prizes, even see a play if it was available. That¡¯s why Kuroki rejected Rena¡¯s request at once. He couldn¡¯t allow her to ruin people¡¯s fun, especially his since he could now afford it! Well, if he had the luxury to actually enjoy this festival¡­ ¡¸Humph.¡¹ Rena puffed her cheeks in displeasure in response to Kuroki¡¯s rejection. Kuroki felt down since he was walking right beside a woman with a horrible personality. His heart would have burst for sure if this was a real date, but he sadly ended up in this kind of situation. In the first place, it was common sense that a festival = street stalls. Though Rena said that she came to enjoy the festival, it felt like she didn¡¯t care about it at all. Thus, he concluded that she was lying about coming to enjoy it. ¡¸Oh my? What are they selling over there?¡¹ Rena asked Kuroki while pointing her finger at a certain street stall she had noticed. There were so many men gathered around that particular street stall. Kuroki peeked at the stall Rena was pointing at. There, the merchandise being sold were pictures of Shirone and the others To be exact, the pictures being sold were ones of them wearing today¡¯s cosplay costumes. They were extremely suggestive pictures, ones that would incite every normal man¡¯s passion. Kuroki could only look at those splendid masterpieces with a bitter look on his face, unable to buy them since he was currently escorting Rena. He didn¡¯t want her, or anyone else, to think he was a pervert ¡¸Dark Knight, are they Rino and co¡¯s believers?¡¹ Rena asked as she looked at Rino¡¯s picture. ¡¸They¡¯re not believers, but¡­ you can think of them as something close to that.¡¹ In fact, even Kuroki had no idea what the correct term for them was. Their behaviour kind of resembled the idol fans of his world. But, they were much more¡­ peculiar than those idol fans. ¡¸To think that an otherworlder like her is revered the same way as Us¡­¡¹ Rena¡¯s attitude over this matter had completely betrayed Kuroki¡¯s expectations. But, as he pondered over it a bit, he found that, as a Goddess, it was normal for Rena to find it strange for a human to be revered like a god. ¡¸Are you not going to buy that picture?¡¹ Rena¡¯s finger pointed at one particular picture. And, worst of all, it was Shirone¡¯s picture, the one that Kuroki wanted to buy. In addition, her voice was oozing with malicious intent. He felt a sudden chill at how accurate her coincidental guess was. £¨OF COURSE I WANT TO BUY ONE DAMM*IT!) But, Kuroki could only scream this in his heart since he knew it was rude to think about another woman while accompanying this Goddess, or any other woman at that. Kuroki steeled himself and turned away from those pictures, looking at Rena. Oh how he wished she had never asked him about such a thing. His brain worked at full throttle to look for an answer to her annoying question. In the end, he found something he could use. He was going to tell her that he was in the middle of his escort duty, which made it impossible for him to even think of such trivial matters. It was perfect for deceiving her. ¡¸No, I¡¯m with you after all.¡¹ Kuroki replied as he stared into Rena¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Eh?!¡¹ "" Rena let out a surprised voice upon hearing such an unexpected reply. Kuroki couldn¡¯t have imagined that his words would be understood with a different meaning She then raised her hood a little bit, her gaze meeting with Kuroki¡¯s. Kuroki¡¯s face was reflected in her eyes. £¨W-Wait a minute, those eyes are cheating?!£© Blood rushed up to Kuroki¡¯s face, he came upon the realization that Rena was extremely beautiful, more beautiful than he had originally thought. Rena looked like she was wondering about something for a while, then nodded as if she figured it out. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s only natural. I¡¯m far more beautiful after all.¡¹ Rena smiled delightfully. ¡¸Yeah, they¡¯re just fake goods.¡¹ She spoke such mysterious words which Kuroki had no understanding of. ¡¸Let¡¯s continue, Dark Knight.¡¹ As they walked again, Kuroki felt that she was a little bit happier than before. He wondered what happened to her for her mood to take such a drastic turn. ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s continue.¡¹ Suddenly, Rena stopped on her track and turned around. ¡¸Now, shall I do do similar gestures to what they did in those pictures for you?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¨CW-What?!¡¹ ¨CSeriously? Kuroki unintentionally screamed inside. It was the biggest and greatest heartfelt scream he had made in his entire life. £¨I mean, Rena in those gestures¡­!£© He knew that Rena had a pair of delicious watermelons even just by looking at her clothes. Thus, Kuroki¡¯s imagination ran wild. £¨If that¡¯s the case, which of these girls¡¯ poses and costumes is most suited for her? Is it Shirone¡¯s? No, maybe it¡¯s that girl, Reiji¡¯s little sister¡­ WRONG!!! I think that Yoshino Sahoko with her white bunny outfi¡ª£© Kuroki¡¯s train of thought suddenly came to a complete halt as he felt a heated gaze. "" He looked at Rena who seemed to be glaring at him. ¡¸Just kidding¡­ say, you¡¯re actually quite easy to read¡­ like an open book.¡¹ Rena spoke to him with a tired look on her face. ¡¸Uuh¡­¡¹ Kuroki, whose dream got shattered just now, couldn¡¯t help but want to cry. He should be careful since Rena had been leading him by nose since a while ago. Though he wanted to show his cool side when he was with a woman, the person himself had no experience. After she told him that, she kept speedily walking in front of him, as if pretending that she didn¡¯t see anything just now. Kuroki could only miserably run after her. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­?¡¹ The moment he was about to reach her, her gait suddenly came to a complete stop. ¡¸Is something the matter, Rena?¡¹ When Kuroki looked at the place Rena was looking at, he discovered a couple walking away in front of them. "" The reason that particular couple was eye-catching was because, just like Rena, they were also hiding their face with a deep hood. But, there was no mistaking that this was a couple of a man and a woman. They had yet to notice Rena and Kuroki¡¯s presence since that couple was quite a distance away from them and were walking with their backs facing Kuroki and Rena. But, Kuroki instantly knew the identity of the man. Despite trying to hide his face with a hood, the air around him and his height had already exposed his identity to Kuroki. £¨Isn¡¯t that Reiji? What is he doing here? Moreover, who¡¯s that woman? It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s Shirone or one of the other girls.£© Kuroki looked closer at the woman walking beside Reiji. From her temperament , she seemed like a woman of status. She was probably quite a beautiful one too. Seeing this romantic scene, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but envy Reiji¡¯s luck when it came to women. The air around them was quite harmonious. £¨Such a nice atmosphere. Completely different from us.£© Different from Reiji and that woman, Kuroki and Rena were literally probing each other, their atmosphere filled with snickers and sneers. Or hostility to be exact. Even though both of them were walking along with beauties, the difference between the two was just like heaven and earth. ¡¸Is that, Reiji? Good grief, I wonder where he¡¯s going?¡¹ Rena had also uncovered Reiji¡¯s identity, thus, the two of them decided to tail the pair. As the couple walked further and further, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but feel that something wasn¡¯t right. As he started thinking so, the couple seemed to prove him right as they entered a rather desolate road. Moreover, afterwards, they took a turn toward what one would call a deserted alley. £¨Eh? Isn¡¯t this¡­ the red-light district?£© When he realized where they were, they had already entered the red-light district. Though he was rather curious about Reiji and the woman, he decided to give up going after them as it was inappropriate of him to bring Rena further into this kind of place. ¡¸Let¡¯s go back, Rena. I think it¡¯s better not to follow them any further than this¡­¡¹ === TN : Nice move!!! Volume 2 - CH 10.2 Act 2 ¨C 10.2 : Date With Goddess Kuroki had already noticed the appearance of many girls with extremely suggestive attires as he dove deeper down the alleyway. Their movements were alluring as they waved their hands at potential customers passing in front of their brothel. Though Rena might reject his suggestion to leave, he had to at least ask for her consent before he took her away. ¡¸Yeah, if you think so, then we should take a detour.¡¹ But contrary to his expectations, Rena readily agreed. £¨Is she not worried about Reiji?£© Kuroki held such doubts in his mind but, since the person herself agreed to leave, there was nothing else for him to ask. Letting the matter go, he looked around to find a road that would lead them to an exit, only to find right ahead the figure of knights. Sewn on their uniform was a swan crest. It was a crest he encountered many times back when he was staying in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. The swan was Goddess Rena¡¯s Holy Bird. It was for this very reason that the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s Temple Knights were also called the Swan Knights. £¨What are they doing in this kind of place? Are they perhaps Reiji¡¯s bodyguards?£© There were five Temple Knights blocking their way. ¡¸They¡¯re your knights, right?¡¹ Kuroki halted his step as he asked Rena. ¡¸They¡¯re not my knights, they¡¯re Temple Knights. The likes of them aren¡¯t worthy of becoming my knights.¡¹ Rena replied with piercing cold words. Even though the Temple Knights swore to only love Rena, their love was apparently one-sided. Kuroki took pity on those pitifully loyal knights. Though, from the looks of it, it seemed that not all of them were always loyal to their ¡°love¡±. ¡¸But I think you¡¯re worthy of that title, far more worthy than Reiji. How about it? Want to become my knight?¡¹ Rena asked as she gazed at Kuroki. Hearing her offer, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but turn and look at Rena. In fact, he was excited upon hearing such an offer from her. He felt immensely happy from receiving such an acknowledgment from a peerless beauty. It felt like a painful thorn that was always lodged in his heart was finally taken out by such words; his constant pain and shame subsiding for the first time. To be acknowledged as someone more worthy than Reiji, Kuroki had almost fallen for this offer and accepted it on the spot. £¨Really now, what a sore loser I am. This might also be the reason why I became so desperate in my training after that day, even paying attention to my appearance so that I can at least catch up to Reiji. But then, no matter how much I polished myself, I still didn¡¯t have enough self-confidence, it was like putting the cart before the horse¡­£© That¡¯s why, Kuroki was greatly shaken by Rena¡¯s words of acknowledgement. It was quite ironic that the first acknowledgement he received was not from Shirone or Modes, but from none other than this Goddess before him, who was supposed to be his mortal enemy. "" £¨But¡­£© Kuroki shook his head, disregarding such euphoria. He realized that he had almost fallen into his enemy¡¯s trap. He forgot the fact that he couldn¡¯t trust Rena, the black bellied Goddess. No matter how beautiful this Goddess was, he mustn¡¯t allow himself to be blinded by such empty words of praise. Thus, Kuroki shook his head, rejecting Rena¡¯s request. ¡¸I¡¯m really happy to hear such a nice offer, but I can¡¯t become your knight. I¡¯ve already pledged my allegiance to Modes-sama. You wouldn¡¯t want someone who easily betrays others to become your knight, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ That¡¯s right, someone who easily betrays others isn¡¯t suitable to become my knight.¡¹ Rena was able to easily accept Kuroki¡¯s rejection, which made him relieved. Rena didn¡¯t seem to be pouting either. Loyalty was one thing, but what really hindered Kuroki from accepting Rena¡¯s offer was that he didn¡¯t think he had the qualification to become a knight. Yes he was strong and all, but he didn¡¯t have the confidence to be someone¡¯s shield, protecting them from all harm¡ªit was too big of a burden for him. If something ever happened to the one he was protecting, he would never be able to live with himself and would most probably self-destruct in self-pity and shame. So, even if he had trusted Rena, he would¡¯ve still refused her offer with one reason or another. ¡¸What are you looking at?!¡¹ Someone called out to them. The person who called out to them was one of the Temple Knights who stood across from them, and he was now walking toward them. As he saw him getting closer, Kuroki got the feeling that these knights were the ones he saw when he was above the rampart, the ones who were fighting each other to get the first turn with the harlot woman. But, since he couldn¡¯t see that woman nearby, he wondered whether that woman had managed to escape? The Temple Knight who called out to them, on the other hand, was taking a closer look at Kuroki. He then turned his line of sight toward the figure beside Kuroki. As if he finally noticed Rena¡¯s figure. Kuroki was really surprised upon finding out about this matter. That was because Rena was using an invisibility spell on herself, so it was impossible for anyone to see her. Being able to see through that meant that this knight had a high aptitude for magic. ¡¸Taking a woman with you, huh. Is she your lover?¡¹ The Temple Knight who approached them asked such a question. Kuroki was rather irritated upon hearing the knight question him, it felt like he was cross-examining him for a crime. ¡¸No, she is not, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ho~, so does that mean you brought a woman who isn¡¯t your lover to this kind of place?¡¹ Kuroki wanted to retort: I didn¡¯t bring her into this kind of place because I wanted to either. In the first place, all he wanted to ask them about was their escort target, which they were clearly neglecting. He was desperately holding back what he wanted to say. ¡¸Is something the matter with that?¡¹ ¡¸Humph, you might have been able to lie to her to bring her to this place but, your luck ends here now that I found you.¡¹ The Temple Knight was trying to pick a quarrel with Kuroki. Kuroki couldn¡¯t see Rena¡¯s face since she was wearing her hood right now, but he guessed that she might use that Temple Knight as a lesson for the other Temple Knights. Rena wanted to hide her identity when she came here, which was why she was using an invisibility spell on herself. It was also the reason why she hadn¡¯t said anything since a while ago. However, once she was seen by the Temple Knight, her aura had completely changed. All she did now was watch the drama that was about to unfold from the side, as if ready to pounce at any moment. ¡¸We are currently in the middle of duty, searching for Hero-sama¡¯s enemies! Could it be that you¡¯re one of them?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m not.¡¹ ¡¸How suspicious, they said that one of the Hero¡¯s enemies is a perverted looking man like you!!¡¹ The Temple Knight was trying to drive Kuroki away with a wave of his hand, as if driving away a dog. ¡¸This is a dangerous place, lady.¡¹ The same Temple Knight was now also trying to touch Rena. £¨Oh sh*t!!£© Kuroki grabbed the Temple Knight¡¯s hand, that was about to touch Rena, and flung him away, making him land on his rear. ¡¸YOU BAS*TARD, HOW DARE YOU?!¡¹ The Temple Knight drew his sword as soon as he got back on his feet. £¨I¡¯m just trying to protect you, as*hole!£© Just a while ago, he felt Rena¡¯s killing intent when the Temple Knight was about to touch her. She didn¡¯t seem to have any hesitation in killing her own believer. That Temple Knight most likely would have turned into cinder as soon as he touched Rena. The other knights approached as soon as they heard the Temple Knight¡¯s enraged roar. They were also drawing their swords. £¨Oh cr*ap, they¡¯re clearly enraged right now¡­£© Though the normal Kuroki would flee from the scene to avoid unnecessary trouble, the current him couldn¡¯t do that due to the fact that the one beside him was a woman who was literally Nargol¡¯s mortal enemy. What if she decided to retaliate because he left her to deal with it on her own? Moreover, he knew for a fact that if he left this problem in Rena¡¯s hands, then she would most likely end up killing all of those Temple Knights. ¡¸Rena, the likes of them aren¡¯t even worthy to be killed by you, please step back for the time being.¡¹ Kuroki stepped forward as he told Rena to fall back. ¡¸I see.¡¹ Though she only replied with two short words, Kuroki felt that there was a hint of happiness within her voice. ¡¸Humph, what now? Are you going to bow down to us?¡¹ The Temple Knights were pointing their swords at Kuroki. Kuroki stepped forward as if protecting Rena, who stepped back behind him. £¨Were they expecting me to get scared by pointing their swords at me? In addition, though this situation makes me look like Rena¡¯s knight¡­ the ones I¡¯m facing are her ¡°Official¡± knights.£© No matter how much she denied it, the other party was unmistakably her ¡°Official Knights¡±. In addition, Kuroki, who was now protecting her, was in fact the Dark Knight himself, the one who was supposed to be her mortal enemy. Their roles were completely reversed at this very moment. But, seeing the situation had already escalated this far, he had no choice but to defeat them. Kuroki observed the Temple Knights around him. Despite their proper appearance, their inside was similar to that of thugs. But, he couldn¡¯t kill them since he didn¡¯t wish to defile this festival with blood. At most, if they insisted on fighting him, he would stop after breaking one or two of their bones. Making his decision, Kuroki approached the Temple Knights. But, contrary to his expectations, the scenario didn¡¯t go as planned, which chilled his heart. ¡¸Y-You bast*rd! You¡¯re going to oppose us?!!¡¹ The Temple Knights were visibly surprised upon seeing Kuroki walking toward them with leisure. Though Kuroki had yet to fully understand the international relations between countries in this world, normally speaking, outsiders¡ªin this case the Temple Knights¡ªweren¡¯t supposed to cause problems in a foreign country. He thought that the reason they drew their swords was just to intimidate him. ¡¸Uhm¡­ can you just let it be water under the bridge?¡¹ He thought that it was best for both sides to let this matter pass. But, contrary to his expectations, Kuroki¡¯s offer only added fuel to the fire. The knight¡¯s face flushed red in anger. ¡¸DON¡¯T JOKE WITH ME!¡¹ The enraged knight swung his sword toward Kuroki, thinking that Kuroki was looking down on them. But from Kuroki¡¯s perspective, his movement was in slow motion. He quite naturally extended his hand and pinched the tip of the knight¡¯s sword with his thumb and index fingers. The knights couldn¡¯t hide their surprise upon seeing such a superhuman feat. ¡¸No way¡­¡¹ "" ¡¸Im-¡­-possible¡¹ Their faces, once flushed red with anger, slowly drained from color, turning pale as if all the blood had leaked out of their body. £¨Oh whatever, let¡¯s end this quickly.£© Kuroki heaved a sigh. The Temple Knights might be considered powerful amongst humans but, despite being judged as part of the human race, Kuroki¡¯s power was on a whole different level compared to those knights. It was literally impossible for them to win against him. ¡¸Here I come¡­¡¹ After he muttered those words, he sneaked right past them, positioning himself right in the middle of their formation. ¡¸GAHA!¡¹ ¡¸GUH!¡¹ ¡¸GEFUH?!¡¹ And easily sent them flying, effectively immobilizing the entire team. The knights, who were thrown to the ground, writhed in pain. Kuroki had made sure to control his punches when he threw them to the ground so as to not kill them by mistake. ¡¸You¡¯re not killing them, huh.¡¹ Only to hear the Goddess behind him, who was supposed to be their ally, speak such cruel words. ¡¸Even if they¡¯re like that, they¡¯re still your Temple Knights¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m sparing their life.¡¹ ¡¸I see, should I say thank you for your consideration?¡¹ Rena asked without a shred of gratitude in her tone. From her tone, Kuroki felt that the lives of the knights and humans alike were equivalent to ants to Rena, completely worthless. But, the current Kuroki could somehow understand her view. The humans of this world were just so pitifully weak. The fact that he only hurt them and controlled his strength so as to not kill them was purely an act of mercy. Crushing them at once in a single attack was much better than having all of them killed for annoying a Goddess. If he had gone any easier on them, they would have been killed by Rena. And he guessed that the same could be said for the other Gods. £¨Well, just like how a worm is to a human, I guess the same could be said about the humans of this world to the Gods. I wonder what her evaluation of me is? Am I placed higher than the humans in this world? I mean, I¡¯m human yet different from humans in this world, then what¡¯s my actual race?£© There was a time when all that Kuroki felt was loneliness after he came to this world. Unlike Reiji, he was all alone when he was summoned to this world. That was the reason behind him coming to this country. He wanted to get the main ingredient for the creation of his partner. In the end, Kuroki kept his question to himself. ¡¸Nope. Let¡¯s go, Rena.¡¹ Together, they left the red-light district. Volume 2 - CH 11.1 Act 2-11.1: Love Potion Gallios¡¯s wife, Peneroa, was waiting for her husband at home. She had married Gallios around five years ago. By that time, the 22 year old Peneroa had already been married three times in total. She had learned her lesson from her previous two marriages, in which her husbands were killed by monsters during their hunt, and had decided to choose a strong man as her next marriage partner. Fortunately, cupid¡¯s arrow had followed her decision and had led her to meet and fall in love with Gallios. Despite the fact that Gallios was more than ten years older than her, their relationship as a married couple was smooth sailing and filled with love. However, Gallios was helping Rember this time, thus he might return late, which was why she was house sitting alone for the rest of the day. She waited patiently until day turned to night. It was then that she noticed someone approaching the house entrance. She looked eagerly, hoping it was her beloved husband. ¡¸I¡¯m home, Peneroa-san.¡¹ The one who came was Kuro. However, this did not subside her happiness as the young man before her was their benefactor. During the latest subjugation mission, Peneroa was overcome with worry as she waited for her husband, who had not returned despite it being very late at night. Her worry was not unfounded as she had discovered later on that her husband had been injured. As she recalled that damned night, she couldn¡¯t help but remember her astonishment as she saw Kuro, a young and small looking man, carry her tall and muscular husband, who was twice his size, on his back at night. She was very grateful towards that youthful man. That¡¯s why the couple welcomed Kuro to stay in their home as their guest. According to Rember, Peneroa¡¯s little brother, Kuro might probably be a magician. Though Nimri was the only magician she knew, to her Kuro felt even more mysterious than Nimri who was older than him. But that was all she felt he was, mysterious, because there wasn¡¯t any bad aura that surrounded him, he was definitely a good person. To be exact, his presence was somewhat soothing and made her feel relieved. ¡¸Uhm, can I invite an acquaintance, whom I met in the festival, in?¡¹ Kuro asked for Peneroa¡¯s permission as he looked at the person who stood behind him when Peneroa came to greet him. Though Peneroa almost failed to notice the presence of the other person, upon a closer look, she noticed that the other presence was a woman who covered her face with a hood. She was really surprised upon seeing a woman come with Kuro. ¡¸But well, my husband did say that Kuro-sama might bring back a woman today¡­ I see now¡­¡¹ But of course, she knew from Kuro¡¯s reaction that he wasn¡¯t used to doing this sort of thing. She was really surprised upon finding that Kuro really DID bring back a woman. ¡¸W-Wait a minute, you¡¯re mistaken Peneroa-san! We really are just acquaintances!! ¡¹ Kuro¡¯s face flushed red, he couldn¡¯t hide his embarrassment. Peneroa then looked at the woman behind Kuro again. Though her face was hidden with a hood, just by the shape of the women¡¯s lips that slightly peaked out, Peneroa knew that she was a dazzling beauty. The woman was quite composed, the exact opposite of the flustered Kuro. Thus, she guessed that it might be a one-sided love from Kuro¡¯s side. That¡¯s why Peneroa decided to help Kuro in his quest to gain the love of the woman behind him. ¡¸Just kidding, Kuro. Welcome to Rox Kingdom, Kuro¡¯s acquaintance.¡¹ After she welcomed them, the pair started to head toward the detached room. This detached and empty room found in the Gallios couple¡¯s house was the one Kuro was using during his stay in Rox Kingdom. As Peneroa saw the receding backs of the pair, she suddenly tugged Kuro¡¯s arm. ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll bring beverages for you and your acquaintance later, do you want the usual?¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much, Peneroa-san. Yes, give me the usual.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, that Misenen-thing again, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Yup, coz I¡¯m still a misenen (underage).¡¹ ¡¸What about your acquaintance? Is she a Misenen too?¡¹ Kuroki pondered for a while upon hearing Peneroa¡¯s question. ¡¸I¡¯ll leave the choice to you¡­ I mean, she might not be a misenen (underage).¡¹ ¡¸Leave it to me then, I have just the right drink for her.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks, Peneroa-san.¡¹ Kuro bowed his head as he thanked Peneroa. His polite attitude made Peneroa want to help him even more than before. Kuro and his companion then went to his detached room. £¨Yosh! Let¡¯s share some of the top quality mead I got from our neighbour with Kuro¡¯s companion.£© Mead was a kind of liquor used for newly-wedded couples. Peneroa offered a silent prayer before heading to the kitchen¡ªshe prayed for the success of Kuro¡¯s romance. ¡ô ¡ª I can¡¯t become your knight. Rena was rather shocked upon hearing the man by her side say those words. However, she quickly regained her composure upon hearing his argument. The Dark Knight had said that someone who easily betrays others on a whim wasn¡¯t suited to become a knight, which she readily agreed with. But, it was this argument that made Rena want the man before her even more. Yes, she wanted him regardless of his will. £¨Fufufu, you¡¯ll be mine even if you don¡¯t want to, Dark Knight.£© Rena touched a certain small bottle in her pocket as she revised her plan about using the potion on Chiyuki. Rena was really surprised upon meeting the Dark Knight in this country. She never thought that such a coincidence would happen. But, when facing him again, she immediately felt relieved since she didn¡¯t feel any killing intent from him. It was the same when they faced each other before in her temple in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. £¨He doesn¡¯t seem to be hostile toward me. Well that¡¯s only natural since killing a beauty like me would be the greatest loss to this world.£© Rena slightly smiled at the thought. If he was only dazzled by her beauty, then the Dark Knight wasn¡¯t that much different from the other men who always tried to woo her. The only difference was that the Dark Knight was probably the most powerful knight in this world, even with the Gods taken into the equation. She thought that there was nothing better than turning that kind of man into her slave. In addition, appearance wise, she preferred the Dark Knight over Reiji. That¡¯s why, Rena became even more determined to turn the Dark Knight into her slave, wrapping a choker around his neck. £¨Just imagining his figure groveling in front of me is enough to excite me. If it¡¯s him, I¡¯ll even allow him to kiss my feet.£© Rena had uttered a random lie on the spot when the Dark Knight asked her the reason she came to this country. But of course she knew that the Dark Knight wouldn¡¯t believe her so easily. £¨I¡¯ve won the war as long as I tame the Dark Knight right here, right now! With him as my subordinate, killing Modes is easy peasy, even without Reiji and co¡¯s help.£© Thus, Rena allowed the Dark Knight to accompany her as she looked for a chance to make him drink the potion. At last, they came to a certain human residence, the Dark Knight¡¯s base. It was a shabby residence, but Rena endured it for the sake of victory. The room the Dark Knight stayed in was really small, there was only one bed and one table in it. As she quickly looked around, the Dark Knight brought a chair for her to sit. £¨Such a dirty chair. But I have to endure this for now. I have to do this quickly!£© After glancing at the chair, Rena decided to leave the room to achieve her goal of feeding the potion to the Dark Knight. ¡¸Where are you going, Rena?¡¹ The Dark Knight asked her as she started leaving. ¡¸I¡¯ll be back in a while. Moreover, it¡¯s rude to ask that kind of question to a woman.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 11.2 Act 2-11.2: Love Potion She instantly silenced the Dark Knight by using such an excuse. £¨What an easy man. He¡¯s far easier to handle than Reiji.£© Rena left Kuroki¡¯s room and looked for the woman she met at the entrance, she found her standing in the kitchen. Locking her target, Rena subsequently erased her presence and approached the woman. The woman was preparing two beverages for them. After secretly approaching her, Rena looked into the content of the beverage. One seemed to be liquor and the other one was tea. £¨Why did she prepare different beverages? Normally speaking, the liquor should be for the man, right?£©[EN: I¡¯m grinning so much for what¡¯s about to come, she deserves it so much! Hahahaha, become his slave, HAHAHAHA!!!!!] Rena then recalled a certain Elios God like her, the God of Battle and Power Thors. Thors was a hearty drinker, he could drink numerous barrels of liquor without feeling drunk. His little sisters, Goddess of Healing and Herb, Fanacea, and the Goddess of Book and Knowledge, Totona, on the other hand weren¡¯t avid drinkers. They weren¡¯t the only example, it was basically the same for all women in this world. That¡¯s why, Rena tossed the entire bottle of love potion into the liquor. Though one drop was enough for a normal human, the same standard couldn¡¯t be said for the extremely powerful Dark Knight. £¨No matter how powerful that Dark Knight is, this amount of love potion will definitely turn him into my loyal slave. Prepare yourself, Dark Knight, I¡¯m gonna work you to the bone.£©[EN: ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) ] Rena went back to the Dark Knight¡¯s room after she poured the love potion into the beverage. Though the Dark Knight seemed to be suspicious of her independent action just now, she judged that it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Rena looked at him for a while as she touched her necklace.It was a necklace she planned to use on Chiyuki to deceive her eyes. It was an enchanted item that could inhibit and weaken all kinds of senses within a certain range. The reason she had decided to use this necklace was because the mana in the love potion was very powerful. There was a possibility that the other party might feel that there was something wrong in the beverage due to this mana. Rena prepared this necklace beforehand since she knew that Chiyuki had an extremely powerful mana sense. Rena was very proud of having this necklace. Its only downside was that it affected the wearer as well, but this wasn¡¯t a problem to her. A while later, the woman had finally arrived in their room to deliver their beverage. ¡¸Thanks, Peneroa-san.¡¹ The Dark Knight then thanked the woman. The woman placed the beverages in front of the duo. ¡¸Well, I shall excuse myself then.¡¹ The woman then went out of the room after she spoke those words with an ambiguous tone, it was obvious she was having fun. But, Rena wasn¡¯t worried about the woman¡¯s attitude. She removed her hood and used that chance to naturally touch her necklace to invoke its effect. She then picked up her cup as she gazed at the Dark Knight. ¡¸Dark Knight, despite many negative things happening between us, I personally want to get along with you. You should be familiar with ¡°Kanpai¡±, right? I was told that it¡¯s some sort of ritual to deepen relationships, but¡­¡¹ Rena¡¯s knowledge about this matter came from Reiji and the others. She herself had no idea what ¡°Kanpai¡± meant. But, she knew that it was some sort of ritual to deepen relationships. And all they needed to do was to toast each other while clicking their mugs, then drinking the liquor in their own mug. Something like that was far too easy for her. ¡¸Kanpai? Yes, I know about that. It¡¯s something you do when you¡¯re drinking with someone.¡¹ Rena was rather curious about the different definition of ¡°Kanpai¡± known by the Dark Knight. But, she took it as the vaguer version of Reiji and co¡¯s theory. ¡¸Hee, then I guess there¡¯s no problem since you know about it. Let¡¯s do a ¡°Kanpai¡± for a better relationship between us.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ oh whatever.¡¹ The Dark Knigth presented his own mug as he said so. Rena did the same. ¡¸Kanpai¡¹ They drank the beverage in their mugs after they toasted each other. Rena drank a mouthful of her beverage and then took a glance at the Dark Knight. The gulping sound from the Dark Knight¡¯s throat was all she needed to know that the Dark Knight had already drunk his beverage. £¨I WON! NOW GOOD BYE, LOOK INTO MY EYES!£© Rena then drank another mouthful of her beverage, elated of her victory. Even if the liquor was low quality compared to the liquor she occasionally tasted in Elios, it tasted much better now since she was elated from her victory. The Dark Knight was looking at Rena. £¨Fufu, with this, you are mine. How enjoyable.£© Though Rena felt something was wrong, she ignored it as she looked at the Dark Knight. £¨Dark Knight¡­ or should I call him Kuroki? Kuroki, what a nice name.£© Rena¡¯s chest became warmer as she thought about Kuroki¡¯s name. ¡¸Fufufufu.¡¹ She unintentionally let out a smile as she looked into Kuroki¡¯s eyes with a passionate gaze. ¡¸KUROKI!!¡¹ Rena suddenly went to kiss Kuroki while calling his name. ¡ô £¨Oh cr*p. I have no idea what Rena¡¯s thinking about.£© Kuroki was racking his brain, trying to uncover Rena¡¯s plan. He knew that she had already taken the reign of their conversation. By the time he realized that she wouldn¡¯t crack that easily, the day had already turned into night. But, he couldn¡¯t let her go since he knew that Rena was up to no good. In the first place, Kuroki had no idea why Rena came to this country without telling Shirone and the others. That¡¯s why, Kuroki knew that she was up to no good. But Kuroki, who had almost zero experience in talking to women, was no match for Rena. £¨So troublesome.£© When Kuroki tried to invite Rena for a tour around the country since he knew that he couldn¡¯t let her go, she unexpectedly agreed to his request. But only after he found out that all the restaurants they visited were jam packed and that he had nowhere to take Rena did he realize that he just made a grave mistake. Thus, he reluctantly invited her to Galios and Peneroa¡¯s house. ¡¸Kanpai.¡¹ Kuroki and Rena made a toast with the beverages that were brought by Peneroa for them. After their toast, they chugged their drinks. Kuroki raised his face after he heard the sound of Rena drinking her beverage. Thus, his eyes met Rena¡¯s, whose face had already been revealed after taking off her hood. £¨Such a beauty, she might be the most beautiful woman I have met so far. I mean, I don¡¯t think there will be another woman as beautiful as her.£© The more he looked at her face, the more uncomfortable Kuroki became. £¨Reiji, who has more experience in this regard, might be able to do better than me in this kind of situation.£© Kuroki¡¯s head was filled with such thoughts. On the other hand, Rena was looking back at Kuroki with an alluring smile on her face. £¨GEH! THAT KIND OF SMILE IS CHEATING!£© Despite the existence of charm magic, Kuroki was fully aware that Rena¡¯s enchanting smile right now was enough to bring any kind of sane man to their knees, falling in love with her. Rena was looking at Kuroki with moist eyes. ¡¸KUROKI!!¡¹ And suddenly called out Kuroki¡¯s name. £¨Eh?! How did she know my name?!£© But, as soon as he started pondering about that matter, Rena¡¯s face had already arrived right in front of him. Yes, the very same face that one might call a transcendent beauty. £¨What is this, my head feels¡­ dizzy.£© And then, his lips overlapped with Rena¡¯s red and enchanting lips. Kuroki could feel the scent of liquor invading his nasal cavity. £¨Oh no. I¡­£© He felt something in his head snapping as he succumbed to his instincts. Volume 2 - CH 12.1 Chapter 12.1 : Meanwhile Meanwhile, in a certain mansion in Rox Kingdom, Lucullus was pacing back and forth in worry. Lucullus was the captain of the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s 3rd Temple Knight division. His division¡¯s main tasks all lay back in their home country; however, he and his division had to leave the Holy Republic of Lenaria to escort the Goddess¡¯s beloved Hero to Rox Kingdom. Even now, he was staying in the Hero¡¯s holiday villa. ¡¸What in the hell are you doing, Hyllus?!¡¹ Lucullus shouted. Then he quickly shut his mouth as soon as he realized what he did just now. He was currently in the Hero¡¯s holiday villa, it was unbecoming of him to raise his voice. ¡¸Is something the matter, Lucullus-dono?¡¹ A girl came in because of Lucullus¡¯ scream. ¡¸Ah, Chiyuki-sama.¡¹ Lucullus respectfully bowed to the girl then raised his face. The girl was beautiful. The Black Haired Sage, Chiyuki That was what the people called her. She looked like any normal girl at first glance. But, the girl was immensely powerful, to the point that not even the combined forces of the entire magic battalion of the Holy Republic of Lenaria could beat her. Lucullus felt that maybe not even the chairman of the magic academy, Saria, could rival her. As for the reason why she was called ¡°Black Haired Sage¡±, it was because the sight of her wet, long black hair after she took a bath was enough to even shake the heart of a faithful husband. ¡¸The soldiers sent out to investigate in the city have yet to return.¡¹ ¡¸Investigation¡­ ah, certainly, our side is the one who asked for your help. My apologies for pushing such a troublesome job on you, Lucullus-dono.¡¹ Lucullus looked troubled upon seeing someone whose status was higher than him apologize to him. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s our job as Temple Knights to assist you.¡¹ He straightened his back as he replied to her. The Hero and his companions were currently looking for someone, thus it was only natural for Lucullus and his subordinates to help them. The person they were looking for could use invisibility magic, that¡¯s why Lucullus assigned Hyllus, one of his subordinates who excelled in magic, to lead the investigation. Hyllus was gifted with an ability called ¡°Phantom Breaker¡±, it was an ability that allowed its user to see through any kind of magic or illusion except for the Fairies¡¯ Dancer Illusion. However, even with this setback, he was still considered amongst the top class in this field. That was why Lucullus chose Hyllus to lead the investigation. But then, he realized that he made a mistake. Though Hyllus¡¯ ability amongst the Temple Knights placed him as the first or second strongest, his conduct was a mess and often caused problems. Hyllus¡¯ problematic behaviour was often overlooked due to his rare ability and the fact that he was Lucullus¡¯ benefactor¡¯s nephew, who also happened to be the leader of the Temple Knights, Boven. Thus, there was a high possibility that even the other knights who went to investigate with Hyllus would be affected by the latter¡¯s problematic behaviour as, on top of being noble born like Hyllus, they were originally Hyllus¡¯ comrades. £¨Why am I assigned with such problematic subordinates?! Please don¡¯t push such trouble on me alone, commander Boven!£© Lucullus mentally complained to his benefactor, who was currently in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. The time of Hyllus and co¡¯s return had long since passed. Lucullus knew deep down inside that their tardiness was probably because they were fooling around with women during their duty. Though something might have happened to them during the investigation, they were already given a flute to blow when facing danger or in case of an emergency. Since they couldn¡¯t even do that, they were already considered incompetent Temple Knights. To make matters worse, he couldn¡¯t dispatch other members of his troops since it would decrease the number of escorts, which was already kept to a minimum. That¡¯s why Lucullus was in a really bad mood right now. "" ¡¸I will punish them once they come back from their duty.¡¹ ¡¸Then, please give them a lenient punishment, we¡¯re originally the ones who imposed this request on your group after all.¡¹ Black Haired Sage Chiyuki was covering for Hyllus and co since it was a fact that they asked for the Temple Knights¡¯ help. Though many feared the Black Haired Sage due to her ability to use powerful magic despite her young age, after travelling together with the Hero and his companions, Lucullus realized that the girl they feared was in fact a kind and gentle person. ¡¸Come to think of it, Lucullus-dono, do you know Reiji¡¯s whereabouts right now?¡¹ ¡¸Hero-sama¡¯s whereabouts? If I remember correctly, he should be in his own room, but I¡¯m not sure right now since no one has entered his room for a while. Have you checked his room? ¡¹ If they were to state facts, the hero was his escort target, so he should have known where his target was. But Lucullus and his subordinates often lost sight of the one they were protecting due to the huge disparity between Reiji¡¯s power and their own. Thus, Chiyuki didn¡¯t blame Lucullus in regard to this matter, she understood how difficult this job was. ¡¸Good grief, just where in the world is he right now.¡¹ Thus, the girl called Black Haired Sage could only heave a sigh. ¡ô The Hero, Reiji, was currently sleeping with a woman on a bed in a certain dodgy location in Rox Kingdom. That woman was the very princess of Rox Kingdom, Almina. Reiji had had many relationships with many women in this world. But, just like in Japan, the relationships were mainly requested by the women themselves. Though he would take the initiative every once in a while, he never forced a woman to have sex with him. If he was refused, he would immediately back down. That was why he had never had sex with Chiyuki or Shirone. The fastidious Chiyuki had blatantly rejected him, while Shirone never gave him the chance to seduce her; she was unbreakable. But, despite suffering a loss every now and then, the number of women who got hooked by him far outstripped these losses, thus he never lacked any women in his life and never knew what it felt like, unlike a certain black haired youth. And Almina just happened to be one of those convenient women. This country was raided by Striges sometime ago. At the time, Almina had been kidnapped by them and was about to become their sacrifice. It was at her last moments that Reiji came in to save the day. That¡¯s why Almina fell in love with Reiji. ¡¸Reiji-sama.¡¹ On top of the bed, Almina brought her face closer to her beloved man¡¯s chest. Unlike the last time she saw his body, there was now a long and ugly scar that ran from her man¡¯s right shoulder all the way until his left hip. Almina softly grazed the scar with her fingers as she thought of the culprit. Her hatred towards the Dark Knight, who had left that ugly scar on Reiji, hailed as the Hero of Light, bubbled. She heard that the scar left by the Dark Knight was infused with an extremely powerful curse, one that prevented even Saint Sahoko¡¯s healing magic from erasing the scar. ¡¸How dare that Dark Knight leave this ugly scar on Goddess-sama¡¯s lover. Goddess Rena will surely punish him for doing this.¡¹ [TL : Yup, she¡¯ll punish him, ON THE BED] Reiji smiled wryly upon hearing Almina¡¯s words. ¡¸That guy is dangerous. The one who will defeat him is me. It¡¯s my duty as Rena¡¯s hero. Though I let my guard down before, which resulted in my defeat, I won¡¯t lose to him in our next encounter.¡¹ Reiji replied with a refreshing smile. ¡¸As expected of Reiji-sama. Goddess-sama would surely have been delighted if she had hear your words just now.¡¹ [TL : She wouldn¡¯t!!] Almina felt exactly as she said. £¨Does he embrace Goddess-sama the same way he does with me?£© Volume 2 - CH 12.2 Chapter 12.2 : Meanwhile Though Almina had never met the Goddess personally, she heard that Goddess Rena had descended in her own Holy Ground, the Holy Republic of Lenaria, when the Hero and his companions had arrived. Thus, Almina¡¯s imagination went wild as she played several scenarios of the Goddess¡¯s meeting with Reiji. Her heart beat furiously with excitement at the thought that the man who was sleeping with her right now was the Hero, the beloved man of the beautiful Goddess, Rena. It might be just her arrogance but, Almina felt that she became the Goddess herself when she slept with the Hero. When Reiji left the bed, his naked body was completely exposed to Almina. His body was tall and lean, without any excess fat; it was muscular yet not overwhelming. Almina heaved a sigh upon seeing that figure. £¨I can¡¯t get enough of seeing such a beautiful, well proportioned body¡­£© But, that was the end of her delusion. Goddess Rena aside, Reiji was surrounded by many women, whose beauty far surpassed hers. Her time with him was extremely limited. Almina felt a pang in her chest upon recalling that matter. When she touched her abdomen, she could still feel the remnants of Reiji¡¯s manh*od in her w*mb. Though she wanted him to love her more, she knew that was impossible. ¡¸Shall we get going?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s about the time for us to go back.¡¹ Upon hearing Reiji¡¯s remark, Almina recalled the matter about the Black Haired Sage, Chiyuki. Despite Chiyuki¡¯s beauty, Almina heard that the former was really terrifying. £¨I might be a goner if she finds out about the relationship between Reiji-sama and me. I hear that she can easily demolish a rampart with her magic.£© Almina¡¯s heart was dominated by unfounded fear toward Chiyuki. And yet, she still wished to be together with Reiji. ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹ Almina replied with a melancholic look on her face. She wished that her existence would remain in Reiji¡¯s memory, even if it was only a little. But, she felt that her wish was too much. ¡¸Ah right, Almina. Leave the matter you talked about to me.¡¹ Reiji flashed a refreshing smile as he looked at Almina. He was referring to the zombie outbreak that happened the night before the festival. Almina had told him that it might be the Striges¡¯s deeds, the ones who survived the purge. The Striges were really powerful, that¡¯s why she decided to borrow Reiji¡¯s power. This was the request of her childhood friend, Rember, too. ¡¸Surviving Striges huh¡­ Don¡¯t worry Almina, I swear I¡¯ll eradicate them for sure this time around.¡¹ Almina felt that Reiji¡¯s words were extremely reliable. ¡ô Temple Knight Hyllus was brought to a plain house on the outkirts of the red-light district. That house was brimming with the smell of medicine. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll leave them to you, Orua-san. As for us, we¡¯ll go to Hero-sama¡¯s mansion to report this matter.¡¹ ¡¸Yah, leave it to me.¡¹ When Hyllus heard such an exchange, he realized that he was currently sleeping on a hard board. He couldn¡¯t move his body. When he looked around, he saw his comrades, his fellow Temple Knights, also sleeping on a hard board. The men who carried Hyllus and his comrades until this place then left to continue their duty. £¨How did things turn out this way?£© Hyllus wanted to cry so much. He regretted his ineptitude, he should¡¯ve blown the warning flute immediately. £¨But still, just who the hell was the man who defeated us in that back alley?£© Though he wasn¡¯t the strongest, Hyllus¡¯ strength was still amongst the most powerful in the Temple Knight squad. He wouldn¡¯t lose in a 1-on-1 fight against Lucullus for example. And yet, that man knocked him out in just a second. Even though that man looked like a skinny, weak man at a glance, his movement clearly indicated that he wasn¡¯t just a normal person. Hyllus and co were defeated without even being able to fight back, a complete defeat. The problem was what happened after that. He had no idea what kind of skill was used on them by that man but, for some reason, his body and lips were numb, and refused to move. A dull pain assailed his entire body. The incapacitated Hyllus and his companions were found by people who had passed that place by chance. They also brought them to Orua¡¯s house, the doctor who happened to live right outside of the red-light district. £¨All of this happened because of Hero-sama! It¡¯s his fault for showing off Sahoko-sama in such a risky get up!£© Hyllus recalled the figure of one of the girls in the hero¡¯s party, the girl he fell in love with. £¨Sahoko-sama looked really beautiful today. That costume raised her innocent look to a whole new level.£© Even now, Hyllus still couldn¡¯t forget that figure, he remembered it every time he closed his eyes. In addition, he envied the Hero, who was loved by the Saint. Hyllus felt healed just by standing close to his beloved Saint. £¨It¡¯s not Sahoko-sama who¡¯ll treat us, but the female doctor, huh.£© The White Saint¡¯s healing magic could heal all kinds of injury. As he started imagining what it would feel like to be treated by Sahoko, his imagination went wild when he thought of her small white hand touching him. £¨But back to the root of this matter, just who in the world is that man? Is he the one Sahoko-sama and that others are looking for? I have to repo¨C£© His thoughts were cut short as the female doctor approached him. ¡¸Kukuku, how do you feel right now?¡¹ Hyllus looked at the woman asking him a question. He could barely see her from this position, so he had to crane his neck towards her to properly see her. When his eyes reached her, all he could see was a black figure. The woman wore black garments from head to toes, her eyes were also covered with a thin black cloth. Though Hyllus couldn¡¯t see her appearance since her face was covered too, from the way she spoke, he guessed that the woman was an elderly. He heard from the people who carried them to this place that the woman had bad eyesight and was weak to sunlight. That¡¯s why the only source of light in the dark house was the evening sun¡¯s rays, it pierced through the gap between the house¡¯s wooden walls. ¡¸Kukuku, you guys are the knights who protect that hero, right¡­ to think that my preys jumped into the trap themselves.¡¹ Hyllus became even more confused upon hearing the woman¡¯s remark. £¨Prey? What the hell is this woman talking about?£© Hyllus could feel that there was something wrong with the woman before him. He scrutinized her and found himself at a loss for words upon seeing the woman¡¯s eyes, which were covered by the thin black cloth. Her eyes weren¡¯t human. The eyes behind the thin black cloth were round, black pupils surrounded by yellow instead of white. Those glaring eyes were definitely not human eyes. They looked more like an owl¡¯s eyes. It was at that moment that Hyllus came to a realization. The woman before him was a monster. ¡¸Uuh.¡¹ Including Hyllus, the other Temple Knights who saw those eyes groaned too. ¡¸You guys will become my pawns.¡¹ The woman cackled, and as she did, the Temple Knights could see long canines protruding out of her mouth. ¡¸You guys will help me destroy this damned country and that damned hero and his party, who all dared to kill my adorable daughters.¡¹ The woman wickedly laughed. But, Hyllus and the others couldn¡¯t do anything, they were simply powerless in their current condition. Volume 2 - CH 13.1 Chapter 13.1: Night of The Festival The sun had set by the time Reiji returned to the mansion. Dinner had already been set, but Chiyuki and the others still decided to wait for Reiji¡¯s arrival. ¡¸Surviving Striges huh¡­¡¹ Chiyuki looked over with a cold piercing gaze towards the person sitting across the dinner table. Reiji simply ignored her gaze as he nonchalantly ate his dinner, he didn¡¯t care about others¡¯ ill intent, and certainly not Chiyuki¡¯s. Naturally Chiyuki knew about that too, she understood that Reiji was someone who didn¡¯t truly care that much about these matters, but she at least wanted him to worry about the situation. ¡¸Yeah, it seems that flocks of zombie goblins and orcs suddenly appeared last night, right outside the rampart. Doesn¡¯t that mean there are surviving Striges who created them?¡¹ Striges were a type of monster that looked like the combination of a female human and an owl. They were also the monsters that should¡¯ve been exterminated by Chiyuki and the others around one month ago. At the time, when they had checked the Striges¡¯ stronghold after the extermination with Nao¡¯s ability, they had found no survivors from that group. Right now, the only things in their stronghold should be the undead interceptors created by those Striges. £¨Did those undead go out of the Striges¡¯ tower on their own?£© Chiyuki considered this possibility. However, she quickly dismissed the idea, the undead shouldn¡¯t be able to move without a master¡¯s order, and the ones who had the power to give them orders were the Striges, but they were no more. Unless, some had managed to fool Nao¡¯s perception and survived the extermination. All the current evidence pointed towards the Striges, they definitely are the culprits. But, Reiji pointed out to Chiyuki and the others that the Striges were only one of the many candidates for the culprit. ¡¸What are we going to do then?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s defeat those Striges for the sake of this kingdom.¡¹ Reiji flashed his usual smile as he spoke. ¡¸Hump, for this kingdom¡­ so this is princess Almina¡¯s request, huh.¡¹ Reiji nodded obediently. £¨It seems Reiji went sightseeing with princess Almina when we were enjoying the hot spring. What did they do during that time?£© Chiyuki assumed that Almina requested for the zombie elimination during that time. But, she also knew that Reiji was lying to them about what he did during that time, because there was no need for them to put on a disguise just to enjoy the festival. In short, if it was just a normal stroll, then it should¡¯ve been known by others. Owing to his secrecy, Chiyuki could already guess what those two did. That was another reason she had sent Reiji many glares. Though Reiji was already popular back in their world, he became even more popular after coming to this world. Anyhow, the humans in this world were constantly under the threat of monster attacks. That¡¯s why Reiji, who always exterminated those monsters, was a hero for this world¡¯s humans. He saved many of them from monsters. But, Chiyuki knew that the ones Reiji intended to save were only women. And in the end, he would always get along with those saved women. As a result, Reiji had made so many men cry after their stolen lovers. But, CHiyuki set that matter aside for the time being since that wasn¡¯t their main issue. ¡¸So, where are the Striges right now?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows.¡¹ Reiji raised his hands, telling them that he also had no idea. ¡¸Good grief¡­¡¹ Chiyuki massaged her temples upon hearing such an unreliable reply. In the previous incident, the Striges really were the culprit and it was easy to locate the Striges¡¯ nest. But now, they didn¡¯t even know whether the culprit was really the surviving Striges or not. ¡¸Geez¡­ who are we supposed to defeat when we don¡¯t even know the culprit.¡¹ Chiyuki muttered in frustration. £¨I¡¯m shocked that he can so easily make that kind of promise just because the other party is a princess. Well, maybe it can¡¯t be helped since he¡¯s the hero but, shouldn¡¯t he at least start looking for the culprit? I hope he didn¡¯t make any promises when we still have to deal with the Dark Knight¡¯s matter.£© They would literally be screwed if the Dark Knight came while they were still looking for the surviving Striges. Thus, Chiyuki was racking her brain, looking for the best way to resolve this situation. ¡¸Well, we¡¯ll manage it somehow.¡¹ Reiji let out an optimistic smile. Chiyuki glared again at Reiji. ¡¸In that case, take this matter more seriously since this is your responsibility.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m always serious.¡¹ Reiji replied with a languid voice. But, Chiyuki couldn¡¯t see him taking this matter seriously. ¡¸But, I don¡¯t feel like looking for the culprit behind the undead outbreak.¡¹ But then, Reiji added an unexpected remark. ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ Chiyuki asked with a surprised look on her face. ¡¸There¡¯s no need for us to look for them, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ Reiji nodded obediently. ¡¸Why do you think so?¡¹ ¡¸Because they¡¯re going to come to us. That will be the best timing to resolve this situation in one swoop, including those undead.¡¹ Chiyuki couldn¡¯t help but agree since Reiji was right. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s the easiest way indeed¡­¡¹ This was one of the rare occasions in which Chiyuki agreed with Reiji. Though they had no idea who had created the horde of undead, it was correct to assume that they were up to something big. This method was definitely faster than trying to look for the culprit who hid in god knows where. £¨It seems Reiji is trying to imply something.£© Reiji hated mundane work such as gathering information or searching. He would rather the problem come to him rather than him going to look for it. As such, he never tried to stop an incident from happening, he moved only after it happened. But once he made his move, the tables would turn fast. The only issue with his method was the collateral damage that occurred since he only moved after the incident happened. Not trying to prevent an incident, but resolving the incident as soon as it happened. That might be what made him be praised as a hero who saves the day. [ED: What is this bullsh*t?!?!?!] ¡¸Let¡¯s slowly take our time.¡¹ Chiyuki thought that Reiji¡¯s suggestion was right. ¡¸Hey, Chiyuki-san. If it turns out that there are still Striges in that tower, then¡­¡¹ Shirone suddenly interrupted Chiyuki¡¯s train of thought. Shirone implied that there were still living Striges in that tower. ¡¸Well, you might be right but¡­¡¹ ¡¸In that case, we just need to check that place.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, just to be safe, let¡¯s check that place again.¡¹ Chiyuki replied as if she was only half-interested in doing that. ¡¸Such trouble¡­ it¡¯s a different story if we¡¯re allowed to destroy that tower though.¡¹ Though Reiji said such a remark, these extreme measures were possible with his power, but the aftermath would be extremely troublesome. ¡¸If you do that, we¡¯re going to lose the only clue that would help us find out whether there are really surviving Striges or not. Searching it properly by entering the tower is the only way.¡¹ Chiyuki opposed Reiji¡¯s idea since destroying the tower would only hinder their progress to search for the culprit behind the zombie outbreak. That¡¯s why she suggested using proper means this time, searching in the tower. But, searching inside that tower itself was really troublesome since its interior architecture was almost like a maze. If one didn¡¯t live in the tower, they could stay lost within it for a very long time. In addition, there were numerous zombies stationed inside the tower. As a matter of fact, the above reason was the main reason why Chiyuki didn¡¯t insist on searching the tower. In addition, the result for that search might be unrelated to the zombie outbreak. That¡¯s why it was an extremely troublesome job. It wasn¡¯t only Reiji, even Chiyuki started to regret the fact that they didn¡¯t just demolish the tower during their previous visit in Rox Kingdom and be done with it. ¡¸Should I go check the tower tomorrow?¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure, Shirone-san? I mean you should leave this matter to Nao-san with her superior perception senses.¡¹ Shirone¡¯s perception senses weren¡¯t that powerful, thus Chiyuki thought that such a job was more suited to Nao with her superior senses. Chiyuki gazed at Nao as she spoke. But, Nao shook her head as if to say that she didn¡¯t wish to do that job. ¡¸C¡¯mon, I¡¯m just strolling for a bit since I¡¯m itching to swing my sword too¡­¡¹ ¡¸Aaah, I see¡­¡¹ === TN: I¡¯ll Take vacation next week 16th-22nd August. More details in foxaholic discord server. Volume 2 - CH 13.2 Chapter 13.2: Night of The Festival Chiyuki then remembered Shirone¡¯s frustation which stemmed from the fact that she couldn¡¯t go back to their world, and her total defeat against the Dark Knight. She guessed that Shirone might simply want to vent her stress. ¡¸I see, it¡¯s better if you do that then.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s better to leave it to you then, cheer up Shirone.¡¹ Reiji and everyone else had the same opinion. ¡¸I will leave the matter of the investigation to you then, Shirone-san. It¡¯s probably not as dangerous as we think, but just to be safe, you must run as soon as you feel the situation is getting out of control.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, just call me when the situation gets dangerous, Shirone. I¡¯ll come save you immediately!¡¹ Reiji struck his chest as he exclaimed. Though Reiji couldn¡¯t use teleportation magic like Chiyuki, he could use a certain transition type magic. It was magic that allowed its user to move towards a marked person. The difference from normal teleportation magic was the fact that it could only send the user to that marked person¡¯s location and that the transition wouldn¡¯t happen if the target resisted. Reiji often used this magic to save his comrades when they were in serious danger. The only exception was when the Dark Knight raided Rena¡¯s temple. Because the Dark Knight used dimension freezing magic, which prevented any type of transition type magic from functioning in the temple, Reiji had arrived when the battle was over. But, without dimension freezing magic, Reiji would be able to save Shirone wherever she was. ¡¸Uhm, I understand.¡¹ Shirone replied to Chiyuki and Reiji with a smile on her face. ¡¸Is that a~ll?¡¹ After the trio snapped back, they saw Rino was sulking. ¡¸The dinner is going to get cold you kno~w!¡¹ The dishes had already been prepared on the table. It was cooked by Sahoko with the help of Rox Kingdom¡¯s chefs. ¡¸Yeah, the dishes Sahoko made are going to get cold. Let¡¯s eat first.¡¹ Rino and Nao¡¯s faces brightened once they heard Chiyuki give an ok. £¨In the end, we just ended up acting like usual, moving without planning and knowing what to do.£© Chiyuki and the others toasted each other. That toast was the signal of their small banquet¡¯s start. ¡ô Rember and Almina were strolling together through the main street of Rox Kingdom. ¡¸Is something the matter, Almina?¡¹ He felt that Almina¡¯s complexion was rather odd since a while ago. ¡¸No, I¡¯m just¡­ a bit tired.¡¹ ¡¸I see, it seems you¡¯ve a hard time while accompanying hero-sama.¡¹ According to the report he received, Rember knew that Almina had inspected the festival with the Hero Reiji. In addition, the inspection just ended a while ago. Thus, he felt that it was natural for Almina to be exhausted. [ED: Oh you poor unfortunate soul ?_?] £¨Hero-sama might be holding a small party with his wives right now.£© Naturally, Almina didn¡¯t participate in that party. But of course, her reason was simply because she couldn¡¯t fit in with so many beautiful girls, which seemed like a reasonable excuse. Rember believed that the hero wouldn¡¯t sink his claws into Almina with so many beautiful girls around him. Thus Rember felt relieved. ¡¸Ooh, if it isn¡¯t Rember!¡¹ After walking for a while, they met the Gallios couple. ¡¸Senior, big sis, are you two strolling around the festival?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­ you see¡­ staying at home right now is a little bit too¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s a little bit too¡­¡¹ Gallios and Peneroa replied with an awkward smile on their faces. (What¡¯s happening in their house right now?) ¡¸Come to think of it, Rember, how¡¯s that matter we were talking about before?¡¹ That matter referred to the incident that involved the Temple Knights. In the evening today, they found five collapsed Temple Knights in the back alley of West street. The first person they found had a wound on his shin, thus the one who found them went to report to Gallios first, just to be safe. Thus, Gallios and the people who found the Temple Knights rushed to the scene right away and brought those knights to doctor Orua, who lived not far from West street. Afterwards, they split up to report to the Hero¡¯s mansion and the soldiers¡¯ station. Gallios wanted to hear the follow up of that incident from Rember. ¡¸Well they didn¡¯t say anything about this matter. This incident ended with them being carried back to Hero-sama¡¯s mansion.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But, aren¡¯t they curious about the criminal of this incident.¡¹ Gallios pondered about this matter while rubbing his chin. Rember was worrying about that matter too. The Temple Knights of the Holy Republic of Lenaria were famous for being powerful. Every single one of them was a martial art¡¯s master. In addition, many of them were also wielders of magic. They were so powerful that even if Rember and Gallios teamed up, they would still not be a match against a single Temple Knight. And there was someone who could beat those Temple Knights in this country. It was only natural for them to worry about this matter. ¡¸Well they might be, but¡­ it¡¯s not like we can do anything about this matter either.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡¹ Gallios replied with a hearty smile on his face. Because, what could they do against someone who could overpower Temple Knights? In addition, the person who attacked the Temple Knights didn¡¯t seem to be a dangerous person. Reason being that all the Temple Knights who got beaten by that person only ended up with minor injuries; no one died in that incident. The culprit didn¡¯t do any other harm, nor did he steal the Temple Knights¡¯ belongings. That person just knocked them out. In the situation they were facing, the rampant goblins were more dangerous than the culprit. Despite his worries, Rember had no choice but to do what he could do. Thus, Rember parted ways with the Gallios couple after their discussion. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, princess.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, Rember.¡¹ They continued their stroll. £¨But still, I wonder what kind of person could beat those Temple Knights?£© Rember worried about the maid¡¯s reaction, the one he had met in the Hero¡¯s mansion when he sent the Temple Knights back. The name of that maid was Kaya. Despite having an extremely beautiful face, she was always expressionless, as if her face was just a mask. The expression of that maid had flinched for a second when she saw the wounds inflicted on the Temple Knights. Thus, Rember felt that she might know who the culprit was. £¨Though that matter keeps weighing on my mind, now isn¡¯t the time to think about it. Let¡¯s just enjoy the festival with the princess.£© Rember and Almina continued walking along the main street. Volume 2 - CH 14 Act 2 ¨C 14 : Night Banquet TN: WARNING!!! ==== ¡¸You¡¯re still drinking liquor, Reiji-kun?!!¡¹ Chiyuki had repeated the same question for who knows how many times. Reiji was drinking another cup of liquor, distilled one on top of that. ¡¸Don¡¯t be so strict, Chiyuki. Ooh!! Is this their new product?¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, it seems to be in line with your liking, Rei-kun.¡¹ Sahoko and Reiji were having such a conversation. They didn¡¯t pay attention to Chiyuki¡¯s rebuke at all. There was no doubt that Sahoko¡¯s dishes were delicious, she had after all made Japanese delicacies, which was in line with all of their likings and cravings. They knew how special it was since creating Japanese style dishes in this world was quite difficult. It was only possible because of the existence of a kind of fish sauce that was made with a certain fish that resembled sardines. Sahoko had made Reiji¡¯s favourite dishes by using that fish sauce. ¡¸Now now, Chiyuki-san. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem for Reiji-kun to drink that much liquor.¡¹ Shirone tried to console Chiyuki, yet her remark didn¡¯t succeed as Chiyuki could smell the dense scent of liquor wafting from Shirone¡¯s breath. ¡ª You¡¯re just drunk right?¨C was Chiyuki¡¯s retort. But, Shirone was right, Reiji never got drunk no matter how much liquor he drank. It was the same even back in Japan. Reiji¡¯s physical ability was simply abnormal. And yet, his physical ability became even more abnormal after they came to this world. It wasn¡¯t the level of heavy drinker anymore, it was above that. In fact, Chiyuki and the others also had the feeling that their body became weird after they came to this world. They were unable to get drunk no matter how much liquor they drank, they had become just like Reiji. This wasn¡¯t just limited to liquor as well, they realized that they would never get fat no matter how much they ate in this world too. Their wounds healed immediately. Their skin¡¯s complexion became better, and they became healthier than back in Japan. Chiyuki and the others became more beautiful after they came to this world. According to Rena, Chiyuki and her companions held power comparable to that of the divine race, that might be why they had rejuvenated and possibly gained unaging bodies. After recalling their traits, Chiyuki couldn¡¯t help but agree that she might be too controlling, overly worrying about breaking Japanese customs in this world. The reason why the underage weren¡¯t allowed to drink liquor was because alcohol could hinder the growth of their developing bodies. Naturally, there were countries in their original world that allowed teenagers to drink, but Japan was different and had a deeply rooted belief that underage drinking was prohibited. Chiyuki firmly believed in that concept and abided by it, going as far as trying to make the others follow it too. But thinking about it now, it seemed to be okay to heartily drink in this world since there weren¡¯t any negative side effects. Naturally, there was an exception amongst them. Kyouka was still the same light drinker as she was in Japan. She was literally the exact opposite of her big brother. Thus, Chiyuki reached the conclusion that the change might vary from one person to another. It seems there were minor differences when their bodies transformed, and those differences were what caused them to manifest completely different abilities. Kyouka, on the other hand, was rather an unusual case. A moment later, Chiyuki noticed that Kaya¡¯s figure wasn¡¯t by Kyouka¡¯s side. If it was still dinner time, then it would¡¯ve been normal as Kaya never ate her meal with them. She¡¯d eat her meal alone after all of them finished their own. Aside from those times, she was always staying by Kyouka¡¯s side, one could say that she was always glued to Kyouka. And yet, her figure wasn¡¯t by Kyouka¡¯s side right now, which raised a question in Chiyuki¡¯s mind. (Where is she right now?) Chiyuki looked rather puzzled as she diverted her attention to the girl sitting in front of her. ¡¸Kyouka-san, do you know where is Kaya-san right now?¡¹ Chiyuki tried to ask Kyouka for the time being. ¡¸Kaya is currently with the injured Temple Knights, she¡¯s taking them somewhere safe to inspect them.¡¹ ¡¸Aaah, no wonder.¡¹ She heard that the Temple Knights, previously the source of Lucullus¡¯ worry, had been found unconscious this evening. It seems they were knocked out by someone. They were carried back to the mansion just a while ago, rendered immobile and unable to speak. According to Kyouka¡¯s words, Kaya had hurriedly went to see them as soon as she heard news of their arrival. And just as Chiyuki was wondering about that matter, Kaya returned to the dining room. ¡¸How¡¯s the result of your investigation, Kaya-san? Did you find something?¡¹ Kaya looked at Chiyuki as soon as she heard the latter question. Kaya¡¯s face was as expressionless as ever. ¡¸Yes, that person we¡¯re looking for is coming to this country too.¡¹ Everyone in that room started paying attention to Kaya as soon as they heard her statement. ¡¸Why are you so sure of that, Kaya?¡¹ ¡¸The injuries left on the Temple Knights infer that their opponent was an extremely skilled martial artist. He is an extremely skillful fighter that not even I can match in terms of martial arts prowess.¡¹ Kaya subsequently told them about the event during the encirclement. None of the Temple Knights who got defeated were dead, at most they were suffering a lot of pain from their joints being severely twisted by their opponent. A godly feat like that required precise control of power which even Kaya was unable to achieve after she was summoned to this world. In short, the Temple Knights were only incapacitated and knocked out, they could move again just fine with a simple healing spell. ¡¸And a certain person comes to mind when I think of an extremely skilled martial artist.¡¹ Upon hearing Kaya¡¯s words, Chiyuki and co. exchanged glances. ¡¸U~hm, the person you¡¯re talking about¡­ could it be that you¡¯re referring to the pervert who gropped Kyouka-san¡¯s chest?¡¹ Kaya nodded to answer Rino¡¯s question. ¡¸Most probably yes.¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, he might be following us.¡¹ Both Shirone and Chiyuki were massaging their temple, clearly at their wit¡¯s end. ¡¸It seems we¡¯ve succeeded in luring him out with our cosplay strategy¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­ even I never expected for that stupid tactic to really work out.¡¹ Chiyuki was completely perplexed upon finding how easy it was for them to bait the pervert out of his hiding place. It seems the one who was summoned after them was a pervert. Nevertheless, that person¡¯s skill was at least on par with Kaya. ¡¸What will we do next then?¡¹ Kaya asked everyone. ¡¸Naturally¡­ we¡¯ll look for him¡­ tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸E~h¡¹ Rino let out a dissatisfied voice upon hearing Chiyuki¡¯s remark. ¡¸It¡¯s not like I want to meet that pervert either. But, we have to do that to find a way back to our world.¡¹ "" ¡¸Uhm¡­ I think I¡¯ll abstain since I have to investigate the tower tomorrow.¡¹ Shirone mumbled timidly. Though it sounds like she was trying to escape from this situation, it was acceptable since they had agreed on this matter a while ago, and the matter of the pervert was of lower priority since they judged that he wasn¡¯t a dangerous person. Moreover, Chiyuki thought that there was nothing to lose even if they did the search without Shirone since her presence detection abilities were quite low. ¡¸Well¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ ¡¸AAH, SO SLY!!!¡¹ ¡¸SHIRONE-SAN IS SO SLY!! IF THAT¡¯S THE CASE TAKE ME TO THE TOWER TOO!!¡¹ Rino and Nao voiced their dissatisfaction. ¡¸Rejected. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to find that pervert tomorrow. I mean, Shirone¡¯s addition in our searching team won¡¯t change anything too due to her skill composition.¡¹ They decided to utilize a war of attrition since they failed to find the pervert even back in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Only by wearing him down could they get to him. Their biggest advantage right now was the fact that they knew that the pervert they¡¯re looking for was close by. They needed to act as soon as possible ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Rino, Nao. I¡¯ll beat the crap off of that pervert if he tries to do something to you two.¡¹ Reiji let out a daring smile. "" ¡¸Reiji-san¡­¡¹ ¡¸Reiji-senpai¡­¡¹ Rino and Nao were deeply moved upon hearing Reiji¡¯s words. ¡ªDo they even remember that our purpose is not to beat that pervert? Chiyuki looked rather troubled upon seeing the two lolis¡¯ reaction. ¡¸Come to think of it, Kaya-san, did those Temple Knights see the pervert¡¯s face?¡¹ Upon hearing Chiyuki¡¯s question, even Kaya¡¯s perpetually expressionless face showed a slightly troubled expression. ¡¸It seems someone has been manipulating their memories.¡¹ Everyone was rather surprised upon hearing that news. When it comes to mind related magic, there were many variations. There was domination magic, memory manipulation magic, and memory erasing magic for example, In terms of difficulty, the memory erasing magic was the easiest to master while domination magic was the hardest. ¡¸Do you mean that someone has erased their memories?¡¹ Kaya nodded. Which raised another question, did that mean that the pervert had erased any memory related to him after he knocked out the Temple Knights? ¡¸It¡¯s something along those lines, Chiyuki-sama. Though those Temple Knights can already move just fine, it seems they have no recollection of what happened today.¡¹ Kaya replied with an unsettled voice. ¡¸U~hm, maybe it¡¯s memory erasing magic but¡­ I can¡¯t say for sure since the victims of domination magic and memory erasing magic have similar symptoms.¡¹ Differentiating between a victim of memory manipulation magic and domination magic was fairly easy. On the other hand, it was really difficult to differentiate between the victim of memory erasing magic and the victim of domination magic since they both made the caster absent in the victim¡¯s memory. Furthermore, both had the same extremely dangerous side effect of inflicting chaos if the caster¡¯s mana wasn¡¯t that much higher than the victim¡¯s. But if the one used on the Temple Knights was memory manipulation magic, there was a chance that a memory of the pervert¡¯s face still existed in their mind. Chiyuki was wondering whether it was possible for them to draw that information. ¡¸I guess we have to rely on Rino for this matter¡­¡¹ Chiyuki spoke as she looked at Rino. Rino, who could use mind dive magic, could see the memories of the target. By doing so, she could see even the long forgotten memories of the victims. ¡¸Ee~h, yuck¡­ I don¡¯t want to do that though.¡¹ But, Rino was reluctant to do so. That¡¯s why Chiyuki scrapped the plan to make Rino read the Temple Knights¡¯ memories. She was by no means implying that the Temple Knights were a bunch of disgusting men with unfathomable memories, even if they might truly be. But, the reason she scrapped that plan was because mind dive magic made its user exposed to foreign influence. It seems the user couldn¡¯t dive too deeply into the mind of someone they hate. The stronger the user of this power, the stronger this trait affected their magic, and Rino was the strongest user of this magic. Since she had to dive deep into the Temple Knights¡¯ memories to see their memories about the pervert, it was impossible for her to do so since she clearly disliked the Temple Knights. ¡¸Well it can¡¯t be helped if Rino-san doesn¡¯t want to do that. Which leaves us with the last method, baiting the pervert again.¡¹ Chiyuki thought that it really couldn¡¯t be helped if Rino didn¡¯t want to read those Temple Knights¡¯ memories. £¨Nevertheless, just who in the world is that pervert? Why is he hiding from us? In addition, where is he and what is he is doing right now?£© The night passed by as Chiyuki and co. made their plans. Volume 2 - CH 15 Act 2-15 : After Party The next day, in the early hours of the morning. Rena¡¯s eyes snapped open, she had slept quite well last night, but when she started waking up, she felt that someone was sleeping on top of her. She bewilderedly looked at the person on top of her, only to find a black haired man soundly sleeping. It was the Dark Knight, Kuroki. What was even more baffling was that both of them were completely naked. ¡¸Fuee, Kuroki¡­ eh, why?¡¹ Rena was really surprised as she tried to recall what happened last night, she felt as if her memories of last night were fuzzy. However, they gradually came back to her. Once one fragment appeared in her mind, the others followed suit, and Renas wide open eyes got even wider in shock. £¨EH?! LIES?! NO WAY?!£© Even though she wanted to believe and convince herself that what happened last night was but a dream, the tingling pain around her waist brought her back to reality. £¨I, the Goddess who was unsullied ever since my birth, turning into a bitch in heat?!£© Pulling her hair and silently screaming in frustration, Rena looked again at the sleeping Kuroki, who still dared to soundly sleep on her. When her gaze locked onto his peaceful face, she couldn¡¯t help but feel affection along with irritation towards him. £¨Is the love potion still affecting me? No¡­ I guess it isn¡¯t affecting me anymore. Then, are these my¡­ true feelings for him? Oh no¡­ I have to wake him up ASAP.£© Rena shook Kuroki¡¯s shoulders and slapped his face to wake him up. ¡¸WAKE UP, KUROKI!!¡¹ ¡¸FUEEH?¡¹ Kuroki woke up as he let out an idiotic voice. It seems his mind was still muddled from just waking up. Realising his state, Rena suddenly pulled Kuroki¡¯s face towards her own. ¡¸K-KUROKI, L-LOOK INTO MY EYES!!¡¹ ¡¸A-WUAAAAAAAAH?!!!!!¡¹ Kuroki, who had yet to reorganize his thoughts, just obediently followed Rena¡¯s order to look into her eyes. As his eyes matched with her beautiful ones, he could see them shining like the resplendent sun. That shine in her eyes then entered his body through his sleepy eyes, and coursed through his entire body. £¨Memory erasing¡­ magic?£© Though Kuroki knew what kind of magic she was trying to use on him, he couldn¡¯t react in time. ¡¸P-P-P-PPPPPPPPPLEASE FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFORGET ALL THAT HAPPENED LAST NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!¡¹ Rena was completely flustered right now. Kuroki, who was completely caught off guard, couldn¡¯t put up any resistance either. ¡¸FUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹ Though he heard Rena¡¯s cries as his consciousness slowly drifted off, Kuroki couldn¡¯t do anything about that either. His urge to comfort her was washed away by complete darkness. ¡ôBlack Haired Sage; Chiyuki Chiyuki was welcoming a rare visitor who came in the morning. The one who came to visit had a pair of wings on her back. They were what the humans of this world called angels. The angel race rarely came down to the human realm. That¡¯s why having an angel as a guest was a rare occasion indeed. To be exact, this angel woke Chiyuki up when she was still in her dreamland. ¡¸Sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning, Chiyuki.¡¹ And yet, the tone she used was as if she didn¡¯t feel sorry at all. The angel race was a race of beautiful people with wings on their back, but Chiyuki couldn¡¯t bring herself to like them due to their haughty manner and the way they looked down on humans. ¡¸Oh, whatever¡­ so is something the matter, Nier?¡¹ Though she was still sleepy, she had no choice but to play along since this matter seemed to be extremely important. Nier was the female angel who served as the captain of Rena¡¯s Valkyrie. They met once before in the past. This was only her second time meeting Nier, and it was still an extremely annoying experience. £¨I wonder what happened now?£© When she heard the commotion around the mansion, she realized that the angel¡¯s descent had caused quite a commotion. Chiyuki really wished that that arrogant angel could at least hide herself properly when she descended into the human world because, the result of her not covering her trace properly was the commotion outside the mansion. Chiyuki sighed in frustration as she pressed her throbbing temples. ¡¸Is Rena-sama visiting this place?¡¹ Nier asked with an interrogating tone. ¡¸Eh, Rena? Why?¡¹ ¡¸The truth is, Rena-sama hasn¡¯t contacted us since yesterday. I thought she came to see you guys, but¡­¡¹ Nier replied with a troubled voice. ¡¸Rena isn¡¯t going to come to this place you know. She didn¡¯t mention it to us at all. ¡¹ Nier¡¯s face paled upon hearing Chiyuki¡¯s reply. ¡¸No way, then where is Rena-sama? And what happened to her?¡¹ Nier¡¯s voice was trembling. £¨It seems a lot of things are going around in her head right now. I mean, what¡¯s the big deal about this? Rena isn¡¯t a child anymore.£© Chiyuki was rather irritated since Nier disturbed her sleep for such a trivial matter. ¡¸IF WE DON¡¯T LOOK FOR HER I¨C!!!¡¹ ¡¸Uhm¡­ Nier?¡¹ Just as Chiyuki tried to appease the flustered Nier, they suddenly felt powerful magic appearing outside. They both hurriedly looked through the window towards the direction of that powerful magic and saw a pale shining body floating in the air. ¡¸RENA-SAMA!!!¡¹ When Nier shouted her master¡¯s name, that glimmering body had already flown toward Elios¡¯ direction. ¡¸W-WE¡¯RE GOING TO CHASE AFTER RENA-SAMA! CHIYUKI, I¡¯LL LEAVE THE AFTERMATH TO YOU!!!¡¹ After leaving those words behind, Nier leaped out from the window to chase after her Goddess.. ¡¸What the hell is happening here?¡¹ The one who was left in the room, Chiyuki, was left dumbfounded by herself. ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki The morning of the next day. Kuroki woke up from his deep sleep by himself. £¨Eh? Why does my left cheek hurt?£© Touching his throbbing cheek, Kuroki hadn¡¯t realized yet that there was a red colored, maple leaf-like handprint on his left cheek. Too bad there wasn¡¯t a mirror in his room to see it. £¨Nevertheless, why am I sleeping here? Do I actually toss around in my sleep?£© Kuroki found himself sleeping on the floor throughout the whole night. He tried to recall what happened last night to figure out how he ended up on the floor. ¡¸EH!! WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?!!¡¹ He recalled nothing, NOTHING AT ALL. ¡¸The last thing I remember is¡­ Rena suddenly kissing me. And then¡­ I have no memories of what happened after that¡­¡¹ Kuroki recalled the scene when Rena¡¯s beautiful face approached him to kiss him. He writhed in agony upon recalling that memory. He couldn¡¯t believe that he let himself do nothing after such a golden opportunity £¨Did she force feed me sleeping drugs when she kissed me? Rather, what did she do to me when I was sleeping?£© Though Kuroki did his best to recall what happened after the kiss, he recalled absolutely nothing. £¨I have no idea what she did to me, but for some reason, the memory of her beautiful face just won¡¯t leave my mind. Seriously, just what in the hell happened last night?£© Then he noticed that Rena¡¯s figure had long since left his room. ¡¸DAMMI~~~T!!! WHY CAN¡¯T I REMEMBER ANYTHI~~NG!!!¡¹ Kuroki rolled on the floor with deep frustration. Then, as he was rolling, his body suddenly bumped into something. ¡¸Uhm?¡¹ When he took a look at it, it turned out to be a small bottle. ¡¸What is this?¡¹ It was only a small, empty bottle. He guessed that the entire content had already been spilled on the floor. £¨Did Rena drop this bottle?£© Though he could feel that the content of the bottle was some sort of magic drug, Kuroki had no idea what kind of drug it was since the entire content had already been spilled. £¨Just what in the hell is that Rena trying to do to me.£© In the end, he couldn¡¯t find anything else even after he scoured the entire room. When he looked around, he found out that his room was a mess. ¡¸Oh crap¡­ I have idea what happened last night but¡­ she didn¡¯t seem to even remember to tidy up the room before she left.¡¹ When he was in the middle of cleaning his bed sheets with magic, his hand touched two objects. The first object was crumpled. When he tried to spread it out, he found out that the surface area of the first object was quite small. Upon seeing the unfolded first object, Kuroki realized that the first object¡¯s form resembled a certain thing. ¡¸¡­ Let¡¯s keep this object with me for the time being.¡¹ For some reason, Kuroki instinctively felt that he had to keep that object. The other one was a metallic object. Kuroki took a closer look at it. It was an ornament with a black gem embedded in its center. ¡¸Is this some sort of necklace?¡¹ Kuroki kept that necklace too since he thought that necklace might be related to the thing that happened last night. Volume 2 - CH 16 Act 2-16: Striges¡¯ Tower £± ¡¸You seemed to have had a lot of fun yesterday, huh.¡¹ Was the first thing Kuroki heard after he left his room and entered the Galios couple¡¯s house. £¨Eh? What the hell is he talking about?£© In all honesty, Kuroki couldn¡¯t refute him since he had no memory of what happened last night at all. £¨In the first place, what really happened last night?£© Kuroki really couldn¡¯t figure out Rena¡¯s aim. If he thought about it, now would be the best situation for him to escape, so he can flee before having to deal with whatever it is she was planning. ¡­ Or so it should be. And yet¡­ he thought that it was okay to stay. In the first place, Reiji and the others¡¯ movements weren¡¯t conflicting with his. He didn¡¯t find it necessary to leave since they probably wouldn¡¯t bother him. Kuroki, who woke up really early in the morning, was confused for a really long time. His current situation was definitely one that warranted for him to leave immediately and yet, he took his time to tidy his messy room. Only much later did he realize that he should¡¯ve escaped from Rox Kingdom. That idea came to his mind as he looked at his now sparkling clean room. £¨It seems I overdid it, my room is squeaky clean right now. I mean, even that cheap bed sheet made from cheap material feels so fluffy. Really now¡­ just what happened here.£© Even after so much time had passed, he didn¡¯t find anything at all, not even a trace of an attack in his room. £¨Could it be that Rena really had no other plan and was just strolling around with me? Also, did she simply not tell Reiji about me at all? Or, could it be that she did tell Reiji but he ignored me since I¡¯m such an insignificant existence to him?£© Despite pondering about so many scenarios, he ended up with nothing. Thus, he concluded that the last possibility was the very reason why Reiji and the others didn¡¯t ambush him yet. Though he was furious at the thought that this was the reason why they didn¡¯t bother him, he still convinced himself this conjecture had yet to be proven. ¡¸Where is she, Kuro?¡¹ Kuroki guessed that Galios might be asking about Rena after seeing a wide grin on his face. ¡¸Sorry, I¡­ was still asleep when she left.¡¹ Kuroki replied honestly to Galios. £¨I¡¯m the one who wants to know her whereabout the most though.£© Galios was really surprised upon hearing his reply. ¡¸That¡¯s strange¡­ I should¡¯ve spotted her if she passed by.¡¹ Hearing Galios¡¯s remark, Kuroki wondered if she might have left with flight magic. ¨CDid she go to Reiji and co¡¯s place? Even Galios ended up confused but Kuroki couldn¡¯t explain since he didn¡¯t understand the situation either. ¡¸So, Kuro. I think you should take a look in the mirror. Your face is amazing you know.¡¹ Galios said that while laughing. ¡¸£¿¡¹ Kuroki ran off to the bathroom immediately, the only place where he could find a mirror. The mirrors of this world were only polished mirrors. Though the reflected image wasn¡¯t as clear as the one from a glass mirror, it was enough to see the reflection of his own face. He saw a handprint on his cheek. In addition, he saw so many red marks. ¡¸What kind of mark is this?¡¹ But, he thought it would disappear once he washed his face. He drew water from the water well to wash his face. "" ¡¸It won¡¯t come off at all¡­¡¹ The red marks were clinging to his skin like a curse, it was so hard to remove. He thought that washing his face was enough to erase the red marks but, after trying so many times, he knew that it might be better to hide his face today. ¡¸Galios-senpai, is Kuro-dono available?!¡¹ A loud voice suddenly resounded. £¨That¡¯s Lord Rember¡¯s voice, did he have some sort of business with me?£© Kuroki went to the living room where Rember was waiting for him. ¡¸Senpai, Kuro-dono! Please assist us!¡¹ Rember bowed to them as he said so. ¡ô Shirone was looking up to the sky, the weather was cloudy today. Definitely not suitable weather for strolling outside of the rampart. £¨But well, much better than having to wear those embarassing clothes.£© The Hero¡¯s party, except for Shirone, should¡¯ve already started their search for the pervert. £¨It¡¯ll be better if we find the way to go back to our world but¡­ to be honest, no one seems to want to return except for Chiyuki.£© Shirone couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter. £¨But then, what about me?£© Shirone didn¡¯t understand her own feelings. She was happy and enjoying her time with everyone. That¡¯s why she was rather reluctant to return to Japan. However, it didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t want to return. She wanted to return too, there were people who she wanted to meet in Japan. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t forgive the Dark Knight, the main reason why she couldn¡¯t go back to Japan. Shirone felt really annoyed upon recalling the fact that she lost to that guy. And now, there was a chance that she might have a match against that Dark Knight. Thus, she wanted to blow off some steam before that supposed rematch. That was the reason why Shirone wanted to visit the tower, she wanted to vent her frustration. She stretched her body and readjusted her breath. Then, someone approached her from the side. The one who came to her was a knight of this kingdom, Rember. Today, he was supposed to accompany Shirone, escorting her toward the Striges tower. ¡¸It seems everyone has assembled, Shirone-sama.¡¹ Shirone turned around upon hearing Rember¡¯s report. There, she saw a group of armed men standing outside the rampart. They were the helpers that were provided by Rox Kingdom to help her investigate the tower. Since Shirone¡¯s presence detection wasn¡¯t that great, Chiyuki asked Rox Kingdom to provide reinforcement to help Shirone investigate. Naturally, the kingdom agreed to assist Shirone because they had suffered from the Striges attacks for a long time. They wanted to get rid of them once and for all. Thus, they had dispatched twelve of their strongest fighters. Since Nao wasn¡¯t coming with Shirone, they had to rely on numbers to increase the effectiveness of the investigation. Shirone bowed her head toward the investigation party. ¡¸Best regard for today, everyone.¡¹ The members of the investigation team bowed back to Shirone. "" Shirone then started inspecting the members of the investigation team. The first one was their leader, Rember. He was a knight, born in a family of knights who served Rox Kingdom for generations. He had quite an important position in Rox Kingdom. Next was the de-facto leader, Galios. Galios was a former knight turned Freedom Fighter. Shirone heard that he was the one who gathered this group on short notice. And then, there was the ranger, Stohl. He seemed to be the best ranger in this kingdom, often forming parties with Galios to exterminate monsters. As for Nimri, the person who participated in the investigation as Rox Kingdom¡¯s magician, his attire alone was enough to tell anyone that he was a magician. And then, another eight freedom fighters whose names she had already forgotten. Shirone thought that it was enough as long as she remembered the names of the four big shots. Those twelve plus Shirone, totaling thirteen, were the members of the tower¡¯s investigation squad. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going, everyone.¡¹ Shirone¡¯s words created a small disturbance amongst the team. ¡¸Uhm¡­ may I ask a question, Shirone-sama?¡¹ One person came out. That person was Stor, the ranger. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹ ¡¸The distance to the tower is more than a half-day journey from here. Should we make a campsite near the tower? If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ve yet to make the necessary preparations for camping.¡¹ Stor asked with a worried look on his face. ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. I can use movement magic after all.¡¹ Upon saying that, Shirone scanned the investigation team members. Though not as much as Rino, Shirone could use the spirit magic of the wind. And, amongst the spirit magic of the wind, there was a movement magic which allowed the people who were pulled by the user to run at the same speed as the user. Shirone predicted that it would take less than thirty minutes for them to arrive at the tower if she used this magic to pull everyone. All the members of the investigation team looked at each other with confusion upon hearing Shirone¡¯s explanation. They were puzzled, and anxious. But, Shirone thought that there was no need to explain further. That¡¯s why she decided to let them experience that magic first hand. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go!!¡¹ Thus, Shirone invoked the spirit magic of the wind. Volume 2 - CH 17 Act 2 ¨C 17 : Striges¡¯ Tower 2 Shirone and the others, who all ran with the help of the spirit magic of the wind, finally arrived at the Striges tower. ¡¸Eh? What happened to everyone?¡¹ When Shirone turned around, she saw that everyone was already on their knees. Some even collapsed right on the spot. ¡¸I¡­ It seems¡­ everyone¡­ c¡­ can¡¯t run¡­ that¡­ fast.¡¹ Rember spoke while readjusting his breath. Gallios who barely kept up stood behind him. ¡¸Aaaah. I¡¯m sorry. It seems I forgot to adjust my pace.¡¹ Shirone apologized to them. £¨Even though Chiyuki-san had already told me to pay more attention to the pace of everyone around me.£© Shirone recalled Chiyuki¡¯s advice. ¡¸You should pay more attention to the people around us. Remember, they¡¯re weaker than us in all aspect.¡¹ That was Chiyuki¡¯s reminder to Shirone. Shirone and her companions were all far more powerful than the people of this world, their strength alike to the Gods. The humans of this world couldn¡¯t even compare to them even if they trained all of their life. That¡¯s why none of the investigation members could keep up with Shirone¡¯s pace. Thus, she reflected on the fact that she failed to notice that. ( Eh?) Then, Shirone noticed one figure standing just fine. That person was one of the Freedom Fighters whose name Shirone had already forgotten. That person, whose head was covered by a cloth, didn¡¯t seem to be exhausted at all, even going as far as nursing Nimri, who barely made it to the tower. £¨Hee, not bad. Let¡¯s ask for his name again, but later, I have to investigate the tower first. For not, let¡¯s leave the nursing to him while I take the lead.£© Shirone judged so. ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped then. All of you take a rest for now, I¡¯ll go into the tower first.¡¹ Shirone left that one person to nurse the others as she headed toward the tower¡¯s gate. The gate was still the same as before. ¡¸Eh? Is this a¡­ barrier?¡¹ Different from when she came before, she felt some sort of magical power swirling around the tower for some reason. It seems to be a certain kind of barrier that blocked detection. Unlike Chiyuki, who was always able to have a more in depth analysis of every situation, Shirone wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could do that. However, even with this weakness, with the current situation in front of her, Shirone knew that something was amiss and that the barrier before her was created with extremely powerful darkness magic. ¡¸No way, are they really in this place?¡¹ Although the answer to her question was way too obvious, Shirone couldn¡¯t help but voice her doubts out loud. The Striges she had met before didn¡¯t have this kind of strength, so how had they become this powerful? ¡¸What are you going to do, Shirone-sama?¡¹ Rember approached Shirone with unsteady gaits. He knew that he couldn¡¯t let Shirone go alone, he had to follow her even if he had to force his tired body. ¡¸I¡¯ll go inside. We infiltrated the top of the tower right away last time, but I¡¯ll go from the bottom of the tower today since I know that the rest of you can¡¯t fly.¡¹ In fact, Shirone and the rest of the Hero¡¯s party had only raided the Striges¡¯ residential area last time, which was located on the top floor. They didn¡¯t stay for long at the time and returned immediately to Rox Kindgom since Nao¡¯s perception magic caught nothing but undead presence after they annihilated every single Striges who resided in the top floor. That¡¯s why the traps that repelled intruders and the undead were still roaming freely inside the rest of the tower. £¨But, seeing that I came to investigate, I guess it¡¯s better start from the lower part of the tower first.£© Because she might find something surprising by doing so, and a glance upon entering was enough to convince her. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll go ahead by myself and make sure you guys escape as soon as things become dangerous.¡¹ Shirone didn¡¯t forget to notify Rember and co beforehand, she didn¡¯t wish for them to accidentally get killed by forcing themselves to do the impossible and follow her. Thus, Shirone entered the tower on her own. ¡ô £¨CRAP! OH HOLY CRAP!!£© Kuroki had already forgotten how many times he cursed ever since they arrived at the tower, which was understandable given the situation. Glorious was staying in this tower. It all began in the morning, when Rember suddenly came to the Gallios couple¡¯s house. Kuroki thought that Rember was coming to arrest him after Rena told Reiji and the others about his identity. But, his guess was wrong. "" Rember had only come to ask for his help, and of course, he complied without hesitation; Rember¡¯s requests had never been too difficult anyway. However, later on he regretted his hastiness as he soon found out that Shirone would be going with them. He never expected that Shirone would be leading this expedition; he secretly felt relieved that he decided to cover his face today to hide the red mark on his cheek. Otherwise chaos would have ensued. Moreover, judging from Shirone¡¯s attitude, Rena didn¡¯t seem to have said anything about him to Reiji and the others. Just when he was about to sigh in relief, he found himself facing an even bigger problem, one that would really ensue complete chaos. At this rate, Shirone would end up meeting Glorious. If he doesn¡¯t do anything immediately, Glorious will definitely be killed by Shirone. Unfortunately, Kuroki couldn¡¯t find a concrete solution even after they arrived in front of the tower¡¯s entrance. ¡¸My apologies¡­ Kuro-dono.¡¹ Nimri apologized to Kuroki. The one who pulled Nimri when he almost fell midway the journey towards the tower was Kuroki. Kuroki looked around. Everyone except him was out of breath. £¨The humans of this world are really far weaker when compared to us, I wonder if they can still continue in this situation?£© Kuroki was starting to worry about them. But, having no other choice, he went into the tower immediately, leaving behind the one who was still out of breath. He wished that Shirone would care a bit more about them but it was impossible considering Shirone¡¯s personality. There were many cases in which Shirone had failed to be more attentive to others. Kuroki recalled his past. Ever since they were children, Shirone always failed to notice her surroundings once she moved around. As a result, Kuroki who accompanied her during those times was forced to experience hellish experiences numerous times. £¨But thinking about it now¡­ they¡¯re actually good memories of my childhood.£© He guessed that Shirone¡¯s head was filled with the matter of the Striges¡¯ extermination right now. He was also convinced that Shirone would set out to exterminate Glorious once she saw the dragon. Moreover, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she was later on hailed as ¡°The Dragon Slayer¡± and a ¡°Hero¡± if she manages to defeat Glorious. Upon seeing Kuroki enter, the other people who could still move after that short rest, such as Rember and Gallios, also walked into the tower. Naturally, they made sure to follow Kuroki. £¨Well then, is there something I can do to amend this situation?£© Kuroki¡¯s brain was working at full throttle as he gripped on the necklace he found this morning. Volume 2 - CH 18.1 Act 2 ¨C 18.1 : Striges¡¯ Tower 3 Since the Striges were members of the winged demon tribe, they didn¡¯t actually need the entrance at the base of the tower. The only reason they created an entrance at the base of the tower was to allow their prey, the humans, to enter the tower. According to the story Kuroki heard from Rember, several countries around the tower¡ª including Rox Kingdom¡ªhad once formed a coalition force to challenge the tower, but no one had ever returned. Some had died after their blood had been sucked dry by the Striges while others had died in battle and turned into undead. The inside of the tower itself was extremely dangerous due to the existence of numerous monsters and traps to kill any intruder. £¨Even though everyone should be safe as long as Shirone and I are still around, I can¡¯t let my guard down.£© Kuroki looked at Gallios and the others. Though Kuroki could literally speedrun the tower with ease, such a thing was impossible for Gallios and the other Freedom Fighters, natives of this world. They had to be very careful in order to avoid any fatal injury. ¡¸Which reminds me, why are you hiding your face, Kuro-dono?¡¹ Suddenly, Rember asked an extremely important question. Although there were various reasons for that, Kuroki¡¯s top priority right now was to hide his identity from Shirone. But of course, he couldn¡¯t use that as an answer. So, Kuroki racked his brain to find the most suitable answer to deceive Rember. ¡¸Well you see, Rember, actually¡­¡¹ Gallios then came closer to Rember and whispered something to the latter with a wide grin on his face. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s the reason, huh. That¡¯s quite a surprise, Kuro-dono.¡¹ Rember spoke to Kuroki, smiling lightly, after hearing the truth from Gallios. ¡¸W-WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM JUST NOW?!¡¹ Kuroki loudly exclaimed after seeing Gallios¡¯ teasing smile. However, despite his protests, Kuroki still felt a bit relieved as, thanks to Gallios, he had managed to deceive Rember. Well, it didn¡¯t matter, he couldn¡¯t remember what happened last night for some reason anyway. ¡¸My bad Kuro. Well, let¡¯s get going.¡¹ ¡¸My apologies too, Kuro-dono. We¡¯re falling behind Shirone-sama.¡¹ The two apologized while grinning at Kuroki. Kuroki had no choice but to accept Gallios¡¯ story to hide his real intention. The inside of the tower was spacious and dark. Such a thing wasn¡¯t a big deal for Kuroki who had night vision to aid him. However, unlike him, Gallios and the others couldn¡¯t see anything without a source of light. Though their only magician, Nimri, could illuminate the path with his magic, it wasn¡¯t bright enough to illuminate a wide area. As such, Gallios, Rember, and the men following them couldn¡¯t help but fall behind, squinting as much as they can to search for the traps and monsters ahead of them. On the other hand, Shirone kept advancing forward at full speed without even caring about the others¡¯ pace. ¡¸Rember. This tower is still a scary place even without the Striges living in it. Are you sure we can let that young lady go ahead on her own?¡¹ Gallios looked at Shirone who was walking ahead of the party. ¡¸There¡¯s no need to worry. Shirone-sama is far more powerful than all of us.¡¹ Shirone¡¯s appearance was that of a cute girl, the exact opposite of the image of ¡°strong¡± Gallios had in mind. He couldn¡¯t help but worry about her. ¡¸Shirone-sama is a magic swordsman who is both skilled in the sword and magic. In addition, while weaker than her peers, she can use sunlight magic, healing magic, and spirit magic. Even if all of us worked together to beat her, she would still emerge victorious with ease. That¡¯s why there is no need to worry about her, Shirone-sama won¡¯t fall into any predicament.¡¹ Rember explained to the others. ¡¸Nimri-sensei, please focus on illuminating our surroundings, Stor, make sure that there¡¯s nothing dangerous around us. The people behind, protect those two from the side.¡¹ The vanguard was the same person as the day before yesterday, Steros, while Kuroki acted as the rear guard. At first, someone else was assigned the vanguard; however, later on Steros requested this position. While others seemed to praise him for his bravery, Kuroki knew better of the reason he chose this position. It was probably his impure desire to see Shirone¡¯s exposed back as she fought in front of him. Her attire today was normal, but Kuroki understood Steros¡¯ desire very well. In fact, all men would understand after seeing the suggestive attire that Reiji¡¯s party members wore yesterday. Naturally, Kuroki would do everything to stop Steros if he tried to do something funny to Shirone. Steros hadn¡¯t realized yet that death would await him if he made a wrong move. Shirone suddenly halted in her place. ¡¸There¡¯s something in there.¡¹ Steros, who walked behind Shirone, told everyone to stop after noticing that there was something in front of Shirone. Though Gallios and co¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t see that ¡°something¡±, Kuroki, who could see in the darkness, noticed figures approaching them. They were zombies, moreover, they seemed to be former humans since they were armed. Most probably, they belonged to the failed subjugation¡¯s team. There were five of them approaching. ¡¸SUNLIGHT!¡¹ Shirone¡¯s palm emitted a dazzling light as she shouted the name of the spell. It was sunlight magic. The light of that magic had the same properties as the sun, it could annihilate the undead. Touched by the beams of light, the zombies started to dissolve, their bodies releasing smoke as soon as they were exposed to the sunlight, and vanished a few seconds later, leaving only their clothes and weapons behind. ¡¸Wow, instant kill.¡¹ Nimri praised Shirone. The undead were rather troublesome opponents to defeat as they couldn¡¯t feel any pain and, of course, never died, which rendered most weapons useless against them. The only thing that could affect them was sunlight. Moreover, some zombies retained the abilities they learnt when they were still alive, which made them even more troublesome and harder to deal with. For example, the zombies that just got annihilated a few seconds ago showed signs of being able to wield swords and shields. If Gallios or the others fought those zombies, it would become a close call to victory That¡¯s just how big the difference is when fighting the undead without a magician. ¡¸Defeating them with magic isn¡¯t interesting at all.¡¹ But, Shirone was dissatisfied. ¡¸Another batch is coming!!¡¹ Stor shouted to warn his comrades. This time, more than ten zombies came towards them. The zombies came en masse as soon as they entered the tower. But, Gallios and the others weren¡¯t worried at all since sunlight magic could annihilate those zombies in an instant. And yet, Shirone pulled out her sword as she headed towards the crowd of zombies. ¡¸EH, NOT SUNLIGHT MAGIC?!?!¡¹ Kuroki exclaimed in surprise. ¡¸Fire Blade!!¡¹ After Shirone¡¯s shout, flames coiled around her sword. Fire blade was a spell that enchanted a weapon with the fire element. It was really effective against opponents who were weak against fire. That was Shirone¡¯s, the magic-swordswoman, prided technique. ¡¸FLAME CUT!!¡¹ Shirone raised her sword as she charged toward the zombies, and sliced them apart with her flame sword. ¡¸W-¡­-WOOW.¡¹ Gallios let out a dumbfounded voice. ¡¸Fire should be less effective against the undead compared to sunlight and yet¡­¡¹ Even Nimri couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded by it. The reason why zombies were regarded as difficult opponents was because once you burnt off their flesh, they would become skeleton zombies, and once you smashed their skeletons, they would turn into ghosts¡ª zombies with ethereal bodies. Normal weapons couldn¡¯t do anything against an ethereal body, the only way to defeat an enemy with an ethereal body was using an enchanted weapon. Shirone¡¯s sword that released blue light was one of those enchanted weapons. On top of its normal damage power, her fire elemental spell made it so her sword could slice through a zombie¡¯s flesh, bone, and ghost forms in one fell swoop. Shirone¡¯s terrifying might annihilated the zombies in a matter of seconds. Gallios and co were left in awe upon seeing her combat prowess from close by. Amongst them, Kuroki was the only one who was desperately holding himself back from retorting with a ¡°WHY AIN¡¯T CHA USING SUNLIGHT?!¡±. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going!¡¹ Shirone turned around with a refreshed look on her face. Seeing that face, Kuroki and the others could only look at her with an indescribable feeling in their heart. But, Shirone just walked ahead, ignoring the look on their faces. After that, their investigation squad advanced quickly until the middle of the tower thanks to Shirone¡¯s active role as their vanguard. Naturally, whether it was a giant spider or a swarm of bats, or even a vampire, none of those undead could match Shirone¡¯s strength. All monsters that were blocking their way got annihilated by Shirone. Naturally, they ran into traps too, but Shirone destroyed all of those traps with brute force. The flying arrows trap was sliced apart even before it arrived in front of her. She simply used her flight magic to escape the pitfall trap. She stopped the falling ceiling trap with one hand. ¡¸This miss is way too amazing Rember¡­ seriously, the Hero¡¯s wives are seriously strong.¡¹ Gallios muttered in amazement. ¡¸Yeah, I feel the same. I saw how amazing Hero-sama¡¯s power was before, but I never expected his wives to be this powerful too.¡¹ Just like Gallios, Nimri gave his praise too. Even though Shirone¡¯s show of power didn¡¯t seem to be that special in Kuroki¡¯s eyes, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the others. £¨Moreover, like hell I can overlook the fact that they¡¯re calling Shirone ¡°Reiji¡¯s wife¡±.£© Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter. She was treated as one of Reiji¡¯s women back in Japan, and that fact didn¡¯t seem to change even in this world. Upon realizing that, Kuroki¡¯s motivation to protect Gallios and the others took a nosedive. £¨As I thought, should I go trim the dragon king¡¯s horn immediately? That way, I¡¯ll get a beautiful woman like Rena even faster.£© Kuroki¡¯s heart beat faster for some reason when he recalled Rena¡¯s face. £¨Rena¡¯s actions have been in my mind. Good grief, just what in the world is she thinking about?£© Shirone suddenly stopped her gait while Kuroki was wondering about Rena¡¯s plan. ¡¸Is something the matter, Shirone-sama?¡¹ Seeing Shirone suddenly stop for no reason, Rember couldn¡¯t help but ask her. Shirone was looking at the door in front of her. It was a door with a rather bizarre ornament. The air around that door was different from the one they saw so far. Volume 2 - CH 18.2 Act 2 ¨C 18.2 : Striges¡¯ Tower 3 ¡¸It seems there¡¯s something in there.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I also feel an unpleasant presence behind this door.¡¹ Gallios agreed with Stor. ¡¸Here I come.¡¹ Shirone opened the door and went into the room. ¡¸It¡¯s¡­ bright?¡¹ Someone suddenly uttered. Different from the tower and its other rooms, the room they were in now was brightly illuminated, its illumination level far surpassing Nimri¡¯s magic that had guided them through the tower. But, that wasn¡¯t the only difference. Someone had arrived in this room before them. Standing in the middle of the room was not another zombie as they had expected, but was a living, breathing man. The man was thin, with bluish pale skin. He wore tattered clothes that seemed to be a worn out mantle. His thin appearance as if there was only skin and bones left in his body was really ugly and sent shivers down everyone¡¯s spine. ¡¸Who are you people? And here I thought that the black flames comrade is back, but apparently I¡¯m wrong¡­¡¹ The skinny man looked at Shirone and the others. ¡¸LOOK AT HIS EYES! THAT MAN ISN¡¯T HUMAN!!¡¹ Stor shouted to warn his comrades. That man¡¯s eyes were a deep blood red, a pair of fangs peeking out from the edges of his mouth. ¡¸Vampire?¡¹ Shirone tilted her head. Unlike the undead they met so far, vampires were of a superior rank; they were undead who retained their will and could use magic, they were not mere puppets. ¡¸No way, the Striges are using¡­ vampires.¡¹ ¡¸No, it might be different in this case, Rember-dono. He might be a Strigoi.¡¹ Nimri explained to Rember. The Striges race was only composed of females, as such, when they needed to create more descendants, they had to mate with males from another race. If the mixed-race child was female, they would become part of the Striges like their mother, and if the child was male, they would belong to the same race as their father. Only a tragic fate awaited those who were born male. They would become their sisters¡¯ prey since they are not regarded as the same race, even if they are siblings sharing the same blood. Normally, most of these male children would die after being sucked dry of their blood by their sisters. However, a small minority of these male children sometimes manage to survive. Therefore, before long, these children who had dug their way out of death¡¯s door would transform into extremely powerful members of the undead. Their name was Strigoi. The Strigoi also drank blood and could use necromancy like their sisters. The only reason they were sometimes confused as vampires was because, similar to vampires, they always chose the neck of their victims as the point of access to blood. They would bite their necks to drink every drop of the red liquid. However, they were far weaker than vampires as they were still zombies after their blood was sucked dry by their sisters. Being members of the undead, they had lost a lot of basic characteristics belonging to those who were still alive. In fact, the skinny Strigoi before them looked like he would crumble at any moment. But maybe, because he was a descendant of the Striges, he had the ability to use magic rivaling that of a vampire. ¡¸Spot on, o magician. In addition, I¡¯m not ordered by anyo¨C nay, after this, I shall become the ruler of this area, and your blood shall become the foundation for it.¡¹ The Strigoi eyed Shirone while licking his lips. It seems that man was really thirsty right now. ¡¸My bad though, I have no intention to let you suck my blood. SUNLIGHT!¡¹ "" ¡¸Night Robe!¡¹ Shirone¡¯s magic and the Strigoi¡¯s magic clashed, the dazzling light emitting from her palm striking against the dark mist covering the Strigoi¡¯s body. ¡¸It¡¯s great magic but, not strong enough to pierce my defense.¡¹ The Strigoi laughed at Shirone. ¡¸Hee, not bad.¡¹ Shirone smiled too, it seems that she was enjoying this battle. ¡¸Kukuku, evenly matched huh. At first, I thought that you were some sort of spoiled noble¡¯s daughter, but it turned out that you were a powerful priest. But, you¡¯re still too naive, human.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ve stolen the words right out of my mouth. I don¡¯t know what a Strigoi is, but I assure you, I won¡¯t lose to a fake-vampire like you.¡¹ Shirone lunged forward towards the Strigoi with her sword in hand. ¡¸Haha, you¡¯ll only pay with your life for your arrogance!¡¹ As he finished uttering these words with a sneer, the Strigoi spread his arms, expanding the black mist even further. The real battle had just begun. ¡¸W-Wait, Shirone-sama!!!¡¹ Nimri suddenly interrupted the battle between the two. ¡¸Uhm? Is something the matter?¡¹ Shirone looked at Nimri with a vexed look on her face, she was annoyed that someone interrupted her battle. ¡¸I¡­ I want to confirm one thing first.¡¹ Nimri then gazed timidly at the Strigoi. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Spellcaster?¡¹ ¡¸Mmm¡­ Are you the one who turned the monsters¡¯s corpses, who died recently around this tower, into zombies?¡¹ Before anything happened to the Strigoi, Nimri needed to confirm that fact. It made sense since their goal for coming to this tower was to confirm the existence of the Striges, who most likely were the culprits behind the zombie outbreak. Even if the culprits weren¡¯t the Striges, the Strigoi were equally suspicious since they could also use necromancy. Thus, the Strigoi who stood before them could most likely be the culprit. That was Nimri¡¯s goal. ¡¸AH! COME TO THINK OF IT, I FORGOT THAT WE CAME TO INVESTIGATE THAT INCIDENT TOO!¡¹ Shirone looked at Nimri with a grateful look on her face. £¨Why did you come to this place then?£© Everyone retorted in their mind as they bafflingly looked at Shirone. ¡¸No way, she came just to exterminate some monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Well, seeing the way she acted so far, that¡¯s most likely the case.¡¹ Gallios and Stor whispered to each other in secret. Kuroki, who was looking at the scene before him, could only facepalm as he stood behind the soldiers. ¡¸N¡­ No, I wouldn¡¯t take it that far¡­¡¹ Nimri spoke with a troubled and faint voice. £¨As I thought, since only Shirone came to this tower, it was probably to vent her frustration through a rampage. But, I hope she doesn¡¯t forget the fact that Rember and the others are with her.£© Kuroki felt that, if the situation allowed it and other people weren¡¯t involved in the investigation, Shirone would have ended up rampaging through the tower from beginning to end. Nevertheless, it still wasn¡¯t clear whether the Strigoi was the culprit behind this incident. ¡¸Humph, though I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, I¡¯m not the one who made those zombies since I just woke up three days ago.¡¹ The Strigoi replied with an annoyed tone. The Strigoi had been sleeping for a long time, sealed by a powerful magic. He was supposed to be some sort of ace in the hole for the Striges. But, unfortunately, they ended up being exterminated without having the chance to use him. Thus he continued to sleep in his sealed state, but then, his seal was unraveled three days ago. Kuroki looked at the Strigoi. From the way he talked, Kuroki knew that the Strigoi wasn¡¯t lying. £¨Is he not the culprit then? Come to think of it, three days ago is right when I just came to this tower!£© For some reason, Kuroki had a really bad premonition. ¡¸Three days ago? So that means no one came to this tower before that. Could it be that you were sleeping all this time in this tower until you woke up three days ago?¡¹ ¡¸Indeed. I never expected that those women were all gone while I was asleep in this tower.¡¹ The Strigoi replied with a cheerful smile. ¡¸Huhm, why did you wake up from your sleep then?¡¹ ¡¸It just happened so suddenly three days ago. I don¡¯t know about that noble personage¡¯s identity but, that noble personage used dark magic in this tower. It was his dark magic¡¯s waves that awakened me from my sleep. Fufufu, with that kind of overwhelming power, that noble personage might be an extremely famous person.¡¹ The Strigoi spoke as if he was referring to a God. Hearing that, Kuroki recalled the event that happened three days ago. Kuroki had erected a barrier around this tower and the power he used was immense since he made a barrier that covered the entire tower. Though only after he entered this tower did he realize that he used way too much power, far beyond the norm in fact. And since he was the one who erected the barrier, he knew that no one entered this barrier in the last three days except for today¡¯s expedition team. Naturally, it was a different story if the one who awakened the Strigoi was a weak person. ¡¸Noble personage¡­ huh? Well, is that ¡°noble personage¡± you speak of in this tower right now?¡¹ ¡¸Unfortunately, that dignitary has left the tower and went to who knows where. He left his familiar behind though.¡¹ ¡¸Humph. That¡¯s unfortunate then. Well, since his familiar is in this tower, do you happen to know what kind of familiar it is?¡¹ ¡¸A dragon. Moreover, an extremely powerful Jet-Black Demon Dragon. That¡¯s the identity of that personage¡¯s familiar.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸WHAT?!!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹ Everyone exclaimed in unison. "" ¡¸A¡­ Dragon. That¡¯s¡­¡¹ ¡¸Moreover, that dragon is JUST a familiar.¡¹ ¡¸Can we even win against that kind of person?¡¹ Gallios and the others were really shocked upon hearing that a dragon was residing in this tower. Kuroki was surprised too¡­ for a different reason though. £¨Could it be that the one who awakened this fella is¡­ me?£© He was shocked after he came to know the truth. ¡¸A dragon, huh¡­ there are many dragons out there but, I guess this makes it a bit more challenging.¡¹ Shirone spoke as if enjoying the situation. ¡¸Unfortunately, you have to defeat me before you can get to meet that personage¡¯s familiar.¡¹ The Strigoi prepared himself for battle. Both Shirone and Gallios, along with the others, also readied their weapons. "" ¡¸The small fries behind. PARALYZE!¡¹ The Strigoi¡¯s eyes shone a bright red luster. ¡¸GUH!!¡¹ ¡¸GEFUH!?¡¹ ¡¸UGH!!!¡¹ Everyone who got exposed to the red light fell down except for Kuroki and Shirone. Kuroki knew what the Strigoi did just now. Paralysis curse. Though its effect was weaker compared to instant death or petrification, normal humans without powerful resistance wouldn¡¯t be able to resist its effect. In fact, Gallios and the other Freedom Fighters had already fallen on the floor, groaning helplessly. ¡¸So you can resist it, huh woman? As expected.¡¹ ¡¸What are you doing to them?!¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu, they¡¯re still alive, I just robbed them of their freedom of movement. The taste of their blood is richer when they¡¯re still alive. I shall enjoy their blood after I kill you, the only one who can resi¨C¡¹ "" At that moment, the Strigoi¡¯s eyes caught Kuroki¡¯s figure. Since Kuroki could withstand the curse like Shirone, he was also still standing on his feet. ¡¸Uhm? Another one can withstand my evil eyes?¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s line of sight clashed with the Strigoi¡¯s. £¨Crap!£© Even Shirone ended up looking at Kuroki with a puzzled look on her face. Since Kuroki hid his identity from Shirone and the others, he absolutely couldn¡¯t let them figure out his identity. ¡¸GUH!!¡¹ Kuroki let out a strange groan, then proceeded to fall on the floor. The way he acted was way too unnatural no matter how you looked at it. ¡¸W-Well, it seems to be just my imagination. Anyway, game on!¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah, just when I¡¯m getting tired of waiting.¡¹ Shirone and the Strigoi¡¯s gaze met after they confirmed that Kuroki had fallen. £¨Fyuuh. That was so close¡­£© Kuroki heaved a sigh of relief. Shirone and the Strigoi, immersed in their battle, stopped paying attention to their surroundings. £¨I have to use this chance to hide Glorious.£© Kuroki crawled sneakily out of the room. His movements similar to a certain black insect hated by many housewives. Volume 2 - CH 19 Act 2-19 : Striges¡¯ Tower £´ Shirone¡¯s eyes were locked on the Strigoi before her. She knew that her opponent was stronger than the undead she fought before. £¨I won¡¯t lose! I¡¯ll use this chance to vent my ongoing frustration after my crushing defeat against the Dark Knight!£© Shirone raised her sword, its transparent blade emitting a faint light. This was the Azure Sky Wings Sword, a weapon adorned with wings on its hilt and Shirone¡¯s beloved sword. ¡¸Here I come! O MIASMA WIND! SCRAPE MINE OPPONENT¡¯S BODY!¡¹ The Strigoi recited his magic¡¯s aria, the Flesh Maiming Wind. It was a miasma wind that would peeled off the flesh and bones of anyone who came into contact with it. If the user of this spell had extremely powerful magic powers, it would only take a second for that person to tear off their target¡¯s flesh and bones till nothing but their ashes remained behind. Naturally, Shirone wouldn¡¯t kick the bucket with just this level of magic. ¡¸WIND WALL!!!¡¹ Shirone invoked her defense magic without much difficulty. The shockwave from the Strigoi¡¯s spell, which was corroding even the stone floor, was kept at bay by the wind wall. ¡¸Ho, not bad.¡¹ Seeing his magic stopping midway, the Strigoi couldn¡¯t help but praise Shirone. ¡¸I wonder how long you can keep that composed face of yours! TAKE THIS!!!¡¹ Shirone slashed towards the Strigoi with her flame clad blade. ¡¸Shadow Beast!!¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ As soon as the Strigoi shouted, Shirone saw something come out from the shadows beneath the Strigoi¡¯s feet. She immediately pulled back her sword and retreated, trying to avoid its attack. Once at a distance, Shirone could clearly see what came out of the Strigoi¡¯s silhouette, it was a shadow wolf. However, unlike normal wolves, the shadow wolf¡¯s size was as big as a cattle and its fangs were as sharp as the sharpest knife. Just like its owner, ruby like eyes penetrated its dark silhouette, and although no growl or snarl could be seen from this shadow animal, Shirone could still feel the thick killing intent. ¡¸Hoo, so you can dodge that one too, huh. Kukuku, do you really think that I didn¡¯t prepare any extra countermeasures against swordsmen? It¡¯s too soon for you to feel at ease! COME FORTH, UPYRS!!¡¹ Something came out from the gap on the ceiling with the Strigoi¡¯s call. At a glance, it looked like a giant bat. But, what was different was that it had a human face. ¡¸W-WHAT THE HECK IS THAT??!¡¹ Shirone looked at those human faced giant bats with a dumbfounded look on her face. There were twelve of them in total, their size humongous, almost twice the size of even the biggest and tallest of humans. Unlike the Strigoi, their eyes were a very dim grey and lifeless, it felt as if they didn¡¯t feel anything. ¡¸THEY¡¯RE UPYRS! THE PEOPLE WHO REINCARNATED AS GODS OF DEATH AND WHO ONLY REVERED MY SISTERS AND MOTHER! AND, JUST LIKE ME, THEY WERE ALSO PUT TO SLEEP BY THOSE WOMEN! NOW THEN, UPYRS, SING!¡¹ The Upyrs opened their mouths as soon as Strigoi commanded them. And then cried. Their barrage of ultrasonic songs assailed Shirone and the others¡¯ hearing. ¡¸GUAAAAAAAA!¡¹ ¡¸AAAH!¡¹ Rember and the rest of the soldiers, who were immobilized by the paralysis curse, couldn¡¯t escape from the excruciating attack. ¡¸Now then, go mad and die by these soundwaves!¡¹ Shirone, unlike the others, kept dashing forward since she wasn¡¯t affected by the soundwaves. Upon seeing that she wasn¡¯t affected and was still approaching him, the Strigoi started to get flustered. ¡¸Is that all? It¡¯s my turn then.¡¹ After Shirone indifferently uttered these words, a pair of shining wings spread out from her back. Her wings resembled that of an angel¡¯s. Shirone and the others had all awakened special powers when they came to this world. Chiyuki had powerful magic powers, Rino had the power to communicate with spirits. As for Shirone, those glimmering wings on her back were the special power she gained. Once she used her wings, she could move even faster than Nao. But, her wings were rather cumbersome to use in enclosed spaces, such as this room. It was also for that same reason that Shirone didn¡¯t use her wings during her fight against the Dark Knight. But, such a hindrance wasn¡¯t enough to stop Shirone from taking care of the Strigoi and Upyrs in front of her. Shirone flapped her wings, firing several feathers like arrows, shooting down all the Upyrs. ¡¸Impossible, how can you kill all these Upyrs so easily?! Moreover, what are these wings?! Are you an angel?!¡¹ The Strigoi was visibly alarmed now. ¡¸Uhm. I¡¯m not an angel, I¡­ well, it¡¯s too bothersome to explain anyway.¡¹ After replying to her opponent, Shirone sent a glance to the back. Rember and the others had stopped screaming in pain right after she annihilated the Upyrs. But, some of them were frothing from their mouths. £¨Maybe we should go back as soon as possible.£© "" Shirone touched the transfer crystal in her pocket. She had gotten it from Chiyuki. Using it would allow her to go back to Rox Kingdom in an instant. ¡¸Well then, playtime is over. Prepare yourself.¡¹ Shirone spread her wings as she approached the Strigoi. ¡¸DAMMIT! SHADOW BEAST!!¡¹ In his desperation, the Strigoi sent forth the shadow beast towards Shirone. ¡¸I¡¯ve said playtime is over right!¡¹ Shirone dodged the shadow beast¡¯s attack and bisected its body with a simple slash. As soon as he saw her kill the Shadow Beast in a flash, without putting much effort, the Strigoi turned around and started fleeing for his life. ¡¸I won¡¯t let you to escape!!!¡¹ Shirone dashed at a high speed, overtaking the Strigoi. The Strigoi¡¯s face warped in fear upon seeing the ominous figure overtake him. The carefree look had long since been gone from his face. ¡¸If sunlight can¡¯t reach your body due to your night cloth, then I just need to drive it right into your body! Now prepare yourself!¡¹ Her sword shone after she enchanted it with sunlight magic. ¡¸W-WAIT!!¡¹ The Strigoi screamed with a panicked voice. Naturally, Shirone just flat out ignored his pleas. ¡¸ITTOURYOUDAN!!!¡¹[TL : Bisection Strike] ¡¸GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Shirone raised her sword, and slashed the Strigoi¡¯s body. The Strigoi raised an agonizing screech as the sunlight burned his body from the inside. ¡¸GAAAH¡­ Why is there an angel¡­ in such a pla-¡­¡¹ Black smoke rose from the cut Shirone¡¯s sword made as his body vanished little by little. Shirone failed to catch the Strigoi¡¯s dying words. ¡¸Not even that strong¡­ is the so called familiar more powerful than him?¡¹ Shirone heaved a sigh. £¨I thought he could do better than that but, I guess he was just talking big. This can¡¯t even serve as a comparison to the Dark Knight.) When Shirone, who had yet to feel refreshed, looked at Rember and the others, she saw that some people had already stood up. It seems they had regained their freedom again after she annihilated the Strigoi. ¡¸Wings¡­¡¹ ¡¸A-¡­ Angel.¡¹ ¡¸Such beauty.¡¹ The Freedom Fighters let out awed voices upon seeing the wings on Shirone¡¯s back, many of them falling to their charm. Though she was happy with her wings being praised like that, Shirone still chose to retract her wings. She didn¡¯t wish for her wings to become some sort of exhibition. ¡¸Are you all okay?¡¹ When Shirone looked at the Freedom Fighters, she noticed that a person was missing. The one who was missing was the person who hid his face with a hood. That person should¡¯ve fallen along with his comrades when the Strigoi attacked. ¡¸Eh? It seems we¡¯re missing someone.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, really?¡¹ Upon hearing Shirone¡¯s statement, Rember and co started looking around amongst themselves. ¡¸No, it seems we have everyone with us.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Really?¡¹ Shirone looked at Rember and the rest again. This time, no one was missing. She now also saw the man who hid his face with a hood in the middle of nursing the others. £¨Eh¡­ He was missing just a second ago, right? Is it really just my imagination?£© Seeing the other Freedom Fighters¡¯ puzzled looks, even Shirone couldn¡¯t help but think that it might just be her imagination. ¡¸Well, all¡¯s good then. You over there, I¡¯ll leave the ones who can¡¯t stand up in your care. The others who are already strong enough to stand on their own follow me. We¡¯re heading to this tower¡¯s top floor.¡¹ After Shirone entrusted the other Freedom Fighters to the hooded man, she continued the inspection along with Rember, Gallios and co. A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the top floor, the former den of the Striges. This was their living area, and it looked like an open air cave as it didn¡¯t have a ceiling. It was made that way in order to allow the Striges to have an easier time flying in and out. ¡¸It seems there¡¯s nothing inside, huh¡­¡¹ Their ranger, Stor reported his finding. Shirone also felt the same thing. ¡¸Shirone-sama. Do you think that Strigoi was lying to us?¡¹ Rember asked Shirone. ¡¸Uhm¡­ he didn¡¯t seem to be lying though.¡¹ Shirone didn¡¯t think that the Strigoi lied to them, she felt he was too dimwitted for any trickeries. But, she still couldn¡¯t confirm if he was lying or not since he was already dead and the living quarter was empty. ¡¸Though there¡¯s traces of something living here all over this place, it isn¡¯t here right now.¡¹ Some people nodded upon hearing Stor¡¯s words. ¡¸Did it just hide itself? Ugh, just when I got an extremely important clue, too bad Nao-chan didn¡¯t come with me¡­¡¹ But, there was no use crying over spilled milk. ¡¸It really can¡¯t be helped, Shirone-sama. Let¡¯s go back to Rox Kingdom.¡¹ Sure enough, Shirone also agreed with Rember, there really was nothing to search for in this place anymore. ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped¡­ even though it was a rare chance to fight a dragon¡­¡¹ Shirone muttered with a disappointed look on her face as she decided to go back to Rox Kingdom. ¡ô Kuroki was thinking about Glorious while nursing his fallen comrades. £¨Sorry for inconveniencing you, Glorious¡­£© Glorious was hiding in the forest near the tower. He decided to move Glorious out of the top floor to prevent the latter being killed by Shirone. £¨Glorious should be able to remain unnoticed with that necklace.£© When he examined the item left by Rena, he discovered that the necklace she left behind could block perception magic. Thus, Kuroki tied that necklace to Glorious¡¯ right horn. The trees of the forest were far from enough to hide Glorious¡¯ huge frame, so this necklace was definitely necessary. It was enough to make Glorious remain unnoticed till the end. £¨It can become an amazing weapon if used properly.£© The necklace¡¯s only fault was the fact that it inhibited its user¡¯s perception abilities too. One mistake might turn into a disaster for its user. £¨Why did Rena leave such a precious item?£© Kuroki pondered over that matter, unable to understand that Goddess¡¯ train of thought. Volume 2 - CH 20 Act 2 ¨C 20 : One Who Lurks In The Shadow Time had long since passed noon and evening was around the corner. As the shadow of the rampart spread along with the setting sun, the city was slowly being illuminated by the bright lights of the lamps or magic tools that scattered like specs of gold along the roads. Night time wasn¡¯t the best for humans as many monsters hated sunlight and became more active at this particular time. Slowly, the people who worked outside of the rampart started streaming back in, waiting for the night to pass. Chiyuki and her companions did the same, they returned to the village after searching for the pervert the whole day. Since they had split their search in two directions this time, the only ones who remained after dinner were Chiyuki and Shirone, discussing their findings with each other. Chiyuki intently listened to Shirone¡¯s experience during her investigation of the tower. ¡¸To think such things happened.¡¹ ¡¸Right, Chiyuki-san. In the end, we didn¡¯t find anything in that tower.¡¹ Shirone replied with a disappointed look on her face. Chiyuki listened to Shirone¡¯s story with interest. ¡¸The mysterious master who awakened that Strigoi is suspicious for sure. He went out somewhere and left his familiar behind in that tower and yet, his familiar, who was supposed to be in that tower, vanished as well.¡¹ ¡¸Yup. So what¡¯s your conclusion now, Chiyuki-san?¡¹ ¡¸Uhm¡­ I think it¡¯s still too early to draw a conclusion just with your story, Shirone-san. That mysterious master might be the Dark Knight but¡­ the fact that he didn¡¯t do anything in these three days is suspicious. Moreover, the Dark Knight didn¡¯t have a dragon the last time we saw him¡­ This makes me even more curious about that mysterious master. I wonder what kind of person is he? According to the Strigoi¡¯s story, that mysterious master isn¡¯t part of the Striges.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ not even you, Chiyuki-san, can understand the situation, huh.¡¹ Shirone mumbled regretfully as she started picking the sweets that were just served to them by the maid and shoving them into her mouth. The sweets were made with honey and sesame seeds. After enjoying the sweetness of honey and the fragrance of the sesame seeds, Shirone washed it down with refreshing tea. The tea served was Chiyuki¡¯s favourite. It was made using the flowers of this world, which were more fragrant and refreshing than any flowers they had ever encountered back in their world. Chiyuki also drank the tea, and then heaved a sigh. ¡¸Come to think of it, did you find the pervert?¡¹ Chiyuki shook her head in answer to Shirone¡¯s question. ¡¸We can¡¯t find that pervert despite examining all the people in Rox Kingdom, even after using Kyouka-san to bait him out we couldn¡¯t find him. Maybe he has unbelievably high hiding skills which enable him to escape even from this. The only other option for us not finding him is that he already left this kingdom. He might¡¯ve escaped in fear of being found by us.¡¹ ¡¸A~h. No harvest on your side too huh¡­¡¹ Shirone leaned on her chair as she spoke, looking at the ceiling. ¡¸That¡¯s not true, Shirone-san. In fact, we found a Striges-like person.¡¹ ¡¸REALLY??!!¡¹ Shirone¡¯s voice resounded in the room. ¡¸Yes, Nao found a monster who transformed into a human during our search. That person might be the one who created the zombies.¡¹ Chiyuki explained to Shirone. The matter of them finding a monster who transformed into a human was purely by sheer coincidence. ¡¸At first, we thought that that monster was the pervert, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case now since that woman has been in this country even before we arrived. But now that we found out about her, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to leave her alone.¡¹ ¡¸Sure enough. What are you going to do then? You¡¯re going to exterminate that woman, right?¡¹ ¡¸Naturally, we¡¯re going to exterminate her. But, we¡¯re going to observe the situation for the time being. Reiji-kun said that it¡¯s better to exterminate her right away, but I want to interrogate her about what she plans to do with those zombies she¡¯s been creating.¡¹ Chiyuki wanted to know what that Strige was trying to do. Striges were monsters whose powers far surpassed that of normal humans. Thus, there was no need for her to hide from the humans. That¡¯s why Chiyuki felt that there might be more behind that monster¡¯s attacks than what appears before them. ¡¸Lucullus-dono and co. are on the lookout for now but, maybe it¡¯s better to tell lord Rember about this when he returns.¡¹ Since Chiyuki and the others were outsiders in this kingdom, they had to at least let Rember know that there was a Strige hiding in this kingdom. At Shirone¡¯s words, Chiyuki thought about Rember¡¯s involvement. £¨Maybe we should leave this matter to Rember and his subordinates rather than entrust it to the Temple Knights who are currently on stand by. The matters of this kingdom aside, guarding us is Lucullus-dono and co¡¯s original duty after all¡­ Would they have already found something by now though?£© Chiyuki started thinking about Lucullus and his subordinates who were currently in the middle of guard duty. ¡ô ¡¸Hyllus¡­ You¡­ are being manipulated¡­¡¹ Lucullus who fell on his knees was looking at the Temple Knight in front of him. His eyes were out of focus as if he was sleepwalking, it was clear that he was under a charm. Just a while ago, Lucullus had suddenly got ambushed by his own subordinate when he was in the middle of investigating a monster who had turned into a human. Since that ambush came from the one he considered as his own comrade, it was already too late for him to react, he had already inhaled paralysis smoke. Moreover, the effect of the paralysis poison was quite powerful since Lucullus couldn¡¯t move his body properly right after he inhaled the smoke. ¡¸Captain Lucullus¡­¡¹ Lucullus¡¯ other subordinates, who got affected by the paralysis poison too, were calling out to him. ¡¸So they noticed my existence after all HAH¡ªtoo naive. To think that they sent in these weaklings along with the one who was just brought under my control.¡¹ The woman who became the target of their observation then closed in on Lucullus. Lucullus hadn¡¯t heard anything about Hyllus and the other forming a contact with this woman when they had found them. They could never imagine that something like this would happen, thus they had failed to notice that Hyllus and his companions had already fallen under the woman¡¯s control. "" ¡¸Well, what shall we do then, my Liege?¡¹ The woman gave her back to Lucullus as she turned around in deference to the silhouette behind her. When Lucullus raised his face to look in that direction, there stood a man whose face was covered with a mask, draped in white vestment. ¡¸No doubt about it, Orua, the Hero and his party have already discovered you. Let¡¯s start our plan right away.¡¹ The person in the white vestment spoke to the woman. Hearing the voice of that man alone was enough to send a chill down Lucullus¡¯ spine despite his body being paralyzed by poison. £¨According to Chiyuki-sama, there should be only one person, right?! Nobody said anything about meeting this kind of man!£© The man in the white vestment and the woman continued their conversation, completely ignoring Lucullus. ¡¸Yes, Zarxis-sama. They¡¯ve probably let their guard down right now. This is the best time to attack them.¡¹ The woman bowed respectfully to the man. ¡¸I see, they made their move huh. Then, let¡¯s not hide ourselves anymore. Now it¡¯s time to avenge your daughters.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Zarxis-sama.¡¹ "" The man called Zarxis then left that place. After that man left, Orua then looked at Lucullus again. ¡¸You guys will become my tools in exchange for me sparing your pitiful lives.¡¹ Lucullus couldn¡¯t escape no matter how hard he tried. ¡¸This kingdom will end today, kekekeke.¡¹ The woman was laughing. Her cackles were quite sinister. ¡¸Chiyuki¡­ sama.¡¹ Lucullus called the name of the black haired woman who had won his respect before his consciousness slipped away. ¡ô Though the day had yet to become night, the sky above Rox Kingdom was covered with a dark cloud. When Morban looked at the dark sky, he knew that night had come. Morban was the gatekeeper who protected the rampart¡¯s gate. Since knight Rember, his superior, had returned from the expedition a while ago, he could finally close the gate. Morban had been a gatekeeper for ten years. Being a gatekeeper of the rampart was an extremely important job that regulated the people coming in and out of the kingdom. It was for this reason that gatekeepers were paid more handsomely than regular soldiers. Naturally, those high salaries came with high responsibilities. Different from the soldiers who had to focus on monsters, a gatekeeper¡¯s duty was associated with people. If all people from various backgrounds entered freely, it would affect the country¡¯s public order. For that reason, only selected people may enter the country. The country¡¯s citizens aside, there were also people who were referred, or citizens of allied nations. Fundamentally, refugees weren¡¯t allowed to enter the country. Thus, some of those refugees would try to win the heart of the gatekeeper or threaten them to enter, that¡¯s why the gatekeeper chosen had to have a stone cold heart. Basically, the gatekeeper must be able to stand tall overbearingly, not showing any gaps to be used by the refugees. But, there was an exception. It¡¯s possible for refugees to enter Rox Kingdom during the festival. Naturally it doesn¡¯t mean that they could stay indefinitely, the gatekeeper would keep the record of their name, age, and the place they¡¯re going to stay in before they entered the rampart. That¡¯s why the gatekeeper¡¯s job increased by threefolds during the festival. Currently, Morban was already exhausted from all those interactions with the people who wanted to enter the country. £¨The personnel change should happen any minute now since the sun has set. Let¡¯s drink a lot once I go ba¡ª uhm?£© It was then that Morban noticed panicked voices from the top of the rampart. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ And then, Morban noticed the reason behind the soldiers¡¯ panic. Many silhouettes were fast approaching the gate. Their numbers far surpassing a hundred. ¡¸Those are¡­ monsters.¡¹ The ones approaching the gate weren¡¯t humans, they were goblins and orcs, and not just mere goblins and orcs. ¡¸Zom¡­ bies?¡¹ Some of the approaching monsters lacked heads or had gaping holes on their body. Morban quickly recalled the zombie outbreak two days ago. ¡¸C-CLOSE THE GATE! AND SEND SOMEONE TO CONTACT THE ROYAL CASTLE!¡¹ Normally, there was always three gatekeepers on duty. Morban turned around and quickly gave instructions to his co-worker. But, there was no reply from any of them. All he could see was one collapsed on the floor and the other one standing upright beside the first one. His co-worker who just fell looked like the life was just sucked out of him. ¡¸O-Oi, what happened?!¡¹ The co-worker who just fell looked at Morban. His eyes lost their focus. And then, he gripped something like a stick in his hand. ¡¸You¡­¡¹ Morban really had no idea what was happening right now. And that moment of stupor had sealed his fate. His co-worker swung the stick towards him. Morban¡¯s consciousness faded away along with the powerful impact on his head. Volume 2 - CH 21 Act 2-21 : Sign of Twilight After returning from the Stirges¡¯ tower, Kuroki, Gallios, and their companions decided to unwind by hanging out in the White Scale Pavillion. The evening was around the corner, the surroundings embracing the coming darkness. Many people who worked outside the rampart returned inside, waiting for morning to come. The people who had gathered in the bar like Kuroki and co. were the ones who had too much time to spare until the morning. Gallios and the Freedom Fighters had decided to celebrate their safe return as they had managed to finish their investigation without anyone dying. This was an extremely rare case in this world where humans were flirting with death on a daily basis, especially when you worked outside. It was strange that no one had died in this investigation. Seeing them all merry, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but smile lightly. He recalled his time back at Akamine¡¯s dojo in his world; the older students acted the same as his current companions after coming back victorious from their martial arts competitions. Currently, only Shirone and Rember were absent from this gathering. Shirone had returned to her comrades, and Rember had gone to report the result of the investigation to the king. Gallios raised his cup filled with ale, toasting his comrades. Since Kuroki was still a minor, he decided not to drink with them. ¡¸This is delicious Gallios.¡¹ Kuroki praised the dumplings he had bought from one of the street carts at Gallios¡¯ recommendation as he stuffed his mouth with one. The filling was a mix of pork and vegetables. Rox Kingdom was located near the forest, that¡¯s why they mostly used pork rather than sheep. The forest was infested with pigs as they lived there to feed on the special fruit and nuts of that particular forest. The humans would go hunt them and then process their meat by either smoking them or pickling them with salt; they would stock up on their meat before the coming winter. The meat used in the dumplings Kuroki was eating was made with some of the leftovers of those smoked and pickled pigs. Though he had no idea which part of the meat was used for the filling, seeing that he bought it in the outer town, which had loose laws, the only reason why Kuroki could eat the dumplings with ease was thanks to Gallios¡¯ guarantee of the stall. ¡¸Right, I knew you¡¯d like it, Kuro.¡¹ Gallios was already on his second barrel, drinking with gusto. Although this celebration was on him, he wasn¡¯t worried as they had all just gotten paid. He had already arranged the payment to be made with salt. Salt was extremely valuable in Rox Kingdom since it was located in the inlands and had scarce resources to acquire it regularly. That¡¯s why salt was often used as a substitute for money. ¡¸Uhm?¡¹ While Kuroki was enjoying his dumplings, he suddenly felt strange, making him abruptly stand up. ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuro? Why did you suddenly stand up like that?¡¹ ¡¸Gallios¡­ something just now sent a chill down my spine. I think we should take our weapons and head to the gate as soon as possible.¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s eyes looked straight into Gallios¡¯ eyes as he said so. But, Gallios tilted his head, puzzled upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s strange statement just now. £¨As expected, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to believe such a strange statement which came so suddenly and without anything backing it¡­£© The reason Kuroki made such a statement was because he felt something extremely ominous coming their way. When he spread his aura around to find its source, he found that the gate had already been breached. However, he knew that that was nothing more than a decoy sent by the mastermind. Because what felt even more ominous was coming from right beneath Rox Kingdom. He sensed that something really bad was going to happen if he didn¡¯t deal with that problem as soon as possible. ¡¸Though I can¡¯t tell you the details, something happened at the gate¡­ Please believe me.¡¹ Kuroki told Gallios with a slightly impatient voice. ¡¸Aah, I understand. I believe you. Though I¡¯ve only known you for few days, I know that you¡¯re not the type of person who would tell such a joke.¡¹ The fact that Gallios readily trusted him erased the last worries Kuroki had. £¨Eh? Why did he readily accept?£© Though Kuroki was wondering why Gallios fully trusted him like that, inside, he felt relieved that the latter chose to trust him. ¡¸Thanks, Gallios.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it!!¡¹ Thus, Gallios gathered the Freedom Fighters. ¡ô Gallios saw off Kuroki who left the bar in a hurry. ¡¸What¡¯s going on? Why did you gather us, Gallios?¡¹ Nimri, who also participated in the celebration, asked Galios. The other Freedom Fighters were also gathering together as they wondered what happened. ¡¸My bad for disturbing your party, everyone. Quickly grab your weapons and go with me to the gate. It seems something bad happened over there.¡¹ Everyone gaped with confused faces upon hearing Gallios¡¯ statement. £¨That¡¯s natural. Even I wouldn¡¯¡¯t believe it if I hadn¡¯t known Kuro¡¯s character.£© Gallios recalled the first time he met Kuro. It was when he was on his way back from another country. Unfortunately, he ran into a group of goblins along the way. As he tried to escape them, he found himself lost inside the forest. And then, while searching for a way out, he ended up tripping on a tree root and injured his feet in the process. He couldn¡¯t walk, but he still tried to return to his country, so he could arrive on time for his wife, even if it meant that he must crawl on the ground. "" ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ Someone suddenly addressed Gallios. When he turned around, he saw a youth standing behind him. That was the first meeting between him and Kuro. Though Gallios didn¡¯t notice the youth¡¯s presence until the latter spoke, Gallios couldn¡¯t turn his sight away from the youth for some reason. He knew very well that the youth was abnormal since he was strolling inside the dangerous forest by himself for no reason. And his hunch proved to be right a while later. Despite having a smaller frame than himself, the youth, Kuro, could easily carry him all the way to Rox kingdom without breaking a sweat. Gallios felt that Kuro might not be human. But, no matter how much he thought about it, he simply couldn¡¯t see Kuro as a bad person. In fact, the more he interacted with Kuro, the more he realized that Kuro was a really kind person. It was for that reason that he invited Kuro to his house. Thus, Gallios persuaded the Freedom Fighters. ¡¸Guess, we ¡®have no choice but to go there if master Gallios said so.¡¹ ¡¸ Yeah.¡¹ Stor and the other people agreed with Gallios. ¡¸Gallios. Kuro, must be the one who told you that¡­ right? If that¡¯s the case, then something must¡¯ve really happen over there.¡¹ Nimri also agreed with Gallios. Gallios wondered whether Nimri¡¯s trust towards Kuro was the fact that he was also a magician. He felt that Nimri had the same opinion as him about Kuro not being a human. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. Sorry, but I need your help in this matter everyone!¡¹ All the Freedom Fighters raised their swords upon hearing Gallios¡¯ yell. ¡ô ¡¸Is something the matter, Nao-san?¡¹ Chiyuki was called by Nao just as she was about to leave the mansion to go to the royal palace. She was curious since Nao, who would normally sleep right after exerting some effort, was now awake even after today¡¯s arduous investigation. Moreover, usually she would not wake up for hours once she slept, yet here she was in front of her. Chiyuki was rather curious, but for some reason, had a really bad premonition. ¡¸Uhm, Chiyuki-san¡­ it looks like¡­ something ominous is approaching.¡¹ Nao spoke with a troubled look on her face. £¨I don¡¯t know what¡¯s coming, but it must be true since Nao-san is the one who said so.£© Thinking that it was an emergency situation, Chiyuki decided to make her move. ¡¸Let¡¯s analyze the situation first, Nao-san, please call everyone.¡¹ Chiyuki left the mansion and used flying magic to fly in the sky. The surrounding was already in darkness since the sun had set. However, she could still see the situation in the Kingdom with her farsight and night vision. Thus, she confirmed that there was indeed some sort of commotion around the gate. ¡¸EH, THE GATE HAS BEEN BREACHED!!¡¹ And realized the severity of the situation. She saw so many zombies invading the south gate. ¡¸THIS IS BAD NEWS!! I HAVE TO GATHER EVERYONE ASAP!!!¡¹ Chiyuki returned to the mansion in a hurry. Volume 2 - CH 22.1 Act 2-22.1 : Black Mist 1 ¡¸ZOMBIEEEES!!!¡¹ ¡¸H-HOW CAN THE GATE BE BREACHED THIS EASILY?!¡¹ ¡¸SAVE MEEEEE!¡¹ By the time Gallios and the Freedom Fighters arrived, the gate had already been breached, causing a major panic around the area. ¡¸OI! THE GATE HAS BEEN BREACHED!! WHAT THE HELL IS THE GATEKEEPER DOING?!¡¹ Stor asked angrily to one of the sentries. His anger was only natural since it was the gatekeeper¡¯s job to close the gate upon seeing the monsters approaching from outside, but it turns out they had neglected their duty. ¡¸Kuro was right, something bad really did happen here. Everyone, we must prevent more zombies from entering the gate.¡¹ The zombies¡¯ movements were really slow, as of now, they were still around the gate area. But, their huge number alone would become a problem if they were left to their own devices. After Nimri voiced his thoughts, he conjured fire blade magic by using flint as a catalyst. Though such a spell was easy for Shirone and the others, it was in fact a high level spell for the human natives of this world; they couldn¡¯t conjure this spell without a catalyst due to their low magic powers. In addition, though sunlight magic was more effective against the undead, Nimri couldn¡¯t use that kind of magic. Nevertheless, the fire blade spell was still better than nothing. Gallios¡¯ sword shone red as soon as Nimri finished his chant. ¡¸Thanks a lot Nimri-sensei! EVERYONE, CHARGEEEE!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Ooosss!¡¹¡¹ The Freedom Fighter roared as they charged towards the zombies at Gallios¡¯ signal. Zombies were by no means powerful foes, but they were proven to be extremely troublesome enemies due to their sheer numbers. Moreover, beating zombies wasn¡¯t a simple matter for Freedom Fighters who could not use magic. ¡¸We¡¯re in deep shit, huh. At this rate, it¡¯s only matter of time until we-¡­ but, why hasn¡¯t the royal palace sent their reinforcements yet?¡¹ Nimri had some doubts in his mind. And with Gallios¡¯ expression, he guessed that he might be pondering the same thing. At this rate, their side would be annihilated first. And yet, the knights and soldiers of the royal castle had yet to send reinforcements. Suddenly, at that moment, a squall blew above their head. ¡¸What the¡­¡¹ After the squall receded, when Gallios opened his eyes, he found that the zombies around him had already been blown away. In their place stood a girl with shimmering wings protruding from her back. The one who came to help them was Shirone, who had fought alongside them back in the tower. ¡¸I-IT¡¯S AN ANGEL!!!¡¹ ¡¸ANGEL-SAMA HAS COME TO SAVE US!!!¡¹ The people around shouted such words. ¡¸All civilians, please quickly evacuate this place while we hold them back!!¡¹ Shirone turned around and smiled as she said that. ¡ô Chiyuki floated in the air, looking over the situation at the gate with levitation magic. The Freedom Fighters and Shirone were working together to suppress the zombie outbreak. ¡¸It seems she arrived just in time, huh.¡¹ Then, Chiyuki¡¯s eyes moved toward the northern direction. Aside from the main, southern gate, Rox Kingdom had another gate, the northern back gate. Since there might be another emergency situation over there too, she asked Kyouka and Kaya to go there. Rino and Sahoko were currently running around the city to heal all the injured. As for Chiyuki, she and Nao went to arrest the Striges who caused this incident. They would leave the aftermath to Reiji to kill all the undead with sunlight magic. That was Chiyuki¡¯s plan to deal with the sudden zombie outbreak. ¡¸If things go according to my prediction, our plan should be enough to deal with this situation but¡­¡¹ Chiyuki muttered to herself. £¨Why did such a thing happen unnoticed? The guard should¡¯ve noticed this earlier, right? Is Lucullus alright?£© Chiyuki was starting to regret the fact that she didn¡¯t get rid of the root of the problem as soon as possible. ¡¸Sorry to keep you waiting Chiyuki.¡¹ ¡¸Doesn¡¯t matter, I simply arrived faster than you.¡¹ Chiyuki turned around as she replied to Reiji. Since Reiji always acted at his own pace, one would keep wondering when he would arrive; there were even times when he arrived rather late. Despite the hint of sarcasm in Chiyuki¡¯s words, Reiji acted like it wasn¡¯t his fault at all. ¡¸Well then, I guess it¡¯s time for me to do my job.¡¹ Reiji¡¯s hand started shining as soon as he spoke. Chiyuki, who stood by his side, squinted her eyes due to the blinding light. Reiji then threw that light to the sky, right above Rox Kingdom. That light illuminated the sky, it looked as if a second sun had risen right after the first one had set. It was the pinnacle of sunlight magic. This was Reiji¡¯s unique skill, who specialized in light magic. That sunlight magic, which shined over Rox Kingdom, should have been enough to annihilate the zombies in one go. That was what Chiyuki thought¡­ until she looked at the situation down below. ¡¸Eh¡­ no way!¡¹ The entire kingdom was covered in black mist. Chiyuki only noticed the black mist after the intense solar light had hit the kingdom. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ Night Robe.¡¹ Even Reiji was looking at the mist with an astonished look on his face. Night Robe was a type of dark magic that protected its user from light magic. Most races who lived in the darkness were adept users of this kind of magic. The mist covered the entirety of Rox Kingdom, preventing the sunlight from entering, thus creating a pseudo-night. ¡¸Surely, it¡¯s without a doubt the Night Robe spell, but is it even possible to cast Night Robe on the entire kingdom? Is the culprit behind this incident really just a Strige?¡¹ Chiyuki was sure that no Strige was capable of casting magic of this scale when they went to exterminate them before. That¡¯s why she speculated that there might be someone else in the shadows, someone with great power cooperating with the Striges. ¡¸Someone who can use magic of this scale. Reiji-kun, I will go investigate this matter with Na¡ª¡¹ Chiyuki spoke as she looked at Reiji. However, she immediately noticed that he wasn¡¯t paying any attention to her, rather he was looking in the direction of the royal palace. His state was strange. ¡¸Reiji-kun?¡¹ ¡¸Chiyuki!!¡¹ Reiji suddenly called Chiyuki¡¯s name. ¡¸Is something the matter, Reiji-kun?¡¹ ¡¸Almina is in danger! I¡¯ll leave this place to you!¡¹ ¡¸WAIT, REIJI-KUN!!!¡¹ Chiyuki tried to stop Reiji, but she was a step too late; Reiji¡¯s figure had already vanished. He was already gone due to the effects of his quick movement magic. ¡¸Geez¡­ always doing things your way¡­ what should I do about the situation in this place?¡¹ Chiyuki complained to Reiji who had already left. Though she wanted to go to the royal palace to give Reiji a piece of her mind, she had no choice but to stay due to the current situation. Chiyuki went over to Nao in a hurry. Nao had low offensive ability in exchange for her high maximum agility. That¡¯s why she often found herself in situations she couldn¡¯t get out of due to her lack of offensive power. £¨The likes of Striges won¡¯t pose a problem to her, but if by any chance there¡¯s a more powerful monster behind them. I guess it¡¯s better to go to her immediately.£© Chiyuki searched for Nao¡¯s position with magic. She really had no leeway at all. ¡ô The sound of clanging metal resounded as two swords clashed. ¡¸No way¡­ what are you doing¡­ Lucullus-dono?¡¹ Rember called the name of the man who blocked his path. It was none other than the Temple Knight who should have been protecting the Hero and his companions, Lucullus. In fact, Rember had heard of it more than once, the fact that Lucullus was the great commander of the Temple Knights, who came to Rox Kingdom to escort the Hero and his party. Volume 2 - CH 22.2 Act 2-22.2 : Black Mist 1 Different from the other Temple Knights who came with him, he didn¡¯t look down on Rember and his colleagues, that alone was testimony to Lucullus¡¯ character. £¨Why?! Why is Lucullus-dono attacking the royal castle?£© Rember wondered in bafflement as he parried Lucullus¡¯ sword. Right after he had made his report about the tower to the king, Rember had decided to escort Almina to her room. However, just as they were leaving the royal room, in the middle of their peaceful conversation, a scream broke out and eerily echoed. Feeling the situation to be unusual, Rember quickly ordered his subordinates to escort the king to safety as he grabbed Almina¡¯s hand and ran towards her room. He rushed through the halls, but his momentum immediately stopped as soon as he was faced with the scene of Lucullus defeating one of his co-workers. The marble floors around Lucullus were littered with several unconscious knights and palace guards. Rember was shocked beyond words and couldn¡¯t fathom what was happening. He stared at Lucullus with wide eyes as he saw the figure before him raise his eyes towards him and close in on them as he swung his sword. Rember managed to somehow block the first blow. ¡¸Why?! Why are you attacking the royal castle, Lucullus-dono?¡¹ However, Lucullus didn¡¯t respond to Rember¡¯s question, it was as if he didn¡¯t register Rember¡¯s voice at all. Thereupon, Rember finally noticed that Lucullus wasn¡¯t in a normal condition. His eyes were empty as if he had lost all of his emotion. However, that revelation was currently useless as he couldn¡¯t worry about it in this sort of situation. He was forced to fight Lucullus. Lucullus¡¯ sword was fast, Rember could barely protect himself from the knight¡¯s fast strike. £¨Strong! As expected of the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s Temple Knight!£© The people who became normal knights were usually from families with high pedigree. The same went for Rember, he was also part of a noble family of Rox Kingdom. Temple Knights, on the other hand, put more importance in real skill rather than lineage. Anyone could become a Temple Knight as long as they had real power. Regardless of how high of a noble someone was, they couldn¡¯t become a Temple Knight unless they were extremely powerful. Rember had to admit that the man in front of him had power that was befitting that of a Temple Knight commander. ¡¸Rember¡­¡¹ Almina, who stood behind Rember, called the latter¡¯s name with an anxious voice. Since she was right behind him, Rember knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to back down. Lucullus slashed his sword at Rember again. That slash was swift and heavy, Rember could barely cope with that attack. After clashing for who knows how many times, Lucullus suddenly withdrew his sword. ¡¸What the¡­¡¹ Renber was confused by that sudden change. If things had kept going at the same pace, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he lost. He was pondering about the reason behind Lucullus¡¯ halt when suddenly, a shadow appeared behind the Temple Knight. ¡¸You¡¯re that pharmacist, Orua¡­¡¹ Rember knew the newcomer¡¯s identity. Pharmacist Orua was a woman who came to Rox Kingdom around two weeks ago. He had met her in person back then, but couldn¡¯t clearly see her complete visage as she was always covering her eyes. However, in this instant, her eyes that were always covered by black cloth coiling around her head, were now bare for everyone to see. At the eyes that shone before him, Rember finally realized what he was facing ¡¸You were a Strige all along¡­¡¹ He muttered as he glared at Orua. Orua¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t that of a human. They were big and round, the place where the eyes should have been white were instead a gleaming yellow, they resembled the eyes of an owl; the eyes of a Strige. It was at this moment that Rember recalled that the fallen Temple Knights had been carried to Orua¡¯s place first to receive treatment before they were sent back to the royal castle. ¡¸I see, since that time, huh¡­¡¹ But, it was too late. ¡¸You¡¯re different from the other knights, it seems you¡¯re quite skilled.¡¹ Orua¡¯s lips broke into a wide grin. £¨I never expected that there would be a Strige disguising herself as a human and mingling among us¡­£© Generally, not just anyone could enter the country, they needed a referral from the citizens of the country they were visiting, or they had to be a citizen of an allied country. Naturally, there was an exception to this rule. That was when the person applying to enter the country had special skills such as being proficient in magic¡ªaccepting someone with such skills would benefit the kingdom. Orua had gotten permission to enter the country due to her skills as a pharmacist. But, now Rember thought that this country might need some sort of restriction to enter, even if the other person was a specialist. However, that would only happen if he could survive from this battle. ¡¸Well then, how about you hand over that princess over there. She¡¯ll become my tool for beating the hero.¡¹ ¡¸OVER MY DEAD BODY!!¡¹ Rember raised his sword, charging towards Orua. £¨All I need to do is kill this woman to end this ordeal. Orua has probably let her guard down since she¡¯s standing behind Lucullus-dono. I have to use this chance!!£© But of course, Rember was too naive, thinking that Orua was being careless. Orua suddenly threw things towards Renber. ¡¸What the?!!!¡¹ Renber tried to protect himself in a hurry but he was a bit too late, the next moment, his body got assailed by acute pain. The things that Orua threw towards him were bird feathers. The sharp, arrow-like feathers stabbed Rember¡¯s body in various places. ¡¸As if a lowly human like you can beat me. My feather arrows alone are enough to take care of you.¡¹ Orua looked down at Rember, sneering as she spoke to him. ¡¸Dammit¡­.¡¹ Rember fell on his knees. His numbed body couldn¡¯t move as he wanted. ¡¸Rember!!!¡¹ Almina screamed in desperation. ¡¸Almina¡­ Run.¡¹ Despite saying so, Rember knew deep inside that it was impossible. Even if she escaped from here, the passage beyond this place was a dead end. Almina was literally checkmated at this very moment. £¨Why am I so weak? So weak that I can¡¯t even protect the woman I love¡­£© Rember started shedding tears, regretting his powerless self. Orua approached them, kicking the fallen Rember to the side. Rember, who got kicked away by Orua, rolled over to the edge of the passage. Orua was slowly approaching Almina, like a death God playing around with her prey. ¡¸Well now, come here!¡¹ ¡¸NOOO!! SAVE ME¨D¨D¨D REIJI-SAMA!!!¡¹ ¡¸Fufufu, calling for the Hero, huh. That¡¯s¡­¡¹ The space in front of Almina shone before Orua could finish her sentence. ¡¸WHAT THE!!¡¹ Orua quickly retreated behind. ¡¸REIJI-SAMA!!¡¹ Almina screamed in delight upon seeing the figure that appeared from the light before her. After the light receded, Reiji¡¯s figure valiantly became clearer in front of her. ¡¸I¡¯M HERE TO SAVE YOU, ALMINA!!¡¹ Reiji flashed his usual refreshing smile. Almina¡¯s expression upon seeing the Hero was a face she had never shown in front of Rember. Rember, who was left on the side, watched the two with an indescribable look on his face. Volume 2 - CH 23.1 Act 2 ¨C 23.1 : Black Mist 2 ¡¸SUNLIGHT BLADE!!!¡¹ Shirone kept swinging her sword, defeating one zombie after another. ¡¸GEEZ, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS MIST-LIKE THING! IT EVEN BLOCKED REIJI-KUN¡¯S LIGHT!¡¹ Shirone looked up to the sky. It was already as dark as night but she could still see the sun above the city. However, the sun¡¯s light was blocked by the black mist, which covered the entire kingdom. Since the mist had also blocked the effects of Shirone¡¯s sunlight magic, she had no choice but to apply the magic to her sword. ¡¸Huff.. huff¡­¡¹ Shirone was breathing heavily even after not exerting too much effort. She felt that her exhaustion was abnormal. When she looked around, she saw that Gallios and the other Freedom Fighters were fighting the zombies too. Without them, the zombies might¡¯ve already entered the main street. £¨Even though it was an emergency situation, it was thanks to the Freedom Fighters¡¯ early appearance that the damage was insignificant. And yet, the soldiers and the knights of this kingdom have yet to arrive. Did something happen in the royal castle?£© Shirone wanted to confirm the situation in the royal castle but she had to do something about the swarms of zombies before her. Her sword tore apart every zombie who dared to get close to her, and with Gallios and his subordinates¡¯ help, they managed to somehow stop the zombies from advancing any further. However, the zombies kept coming one after another, their numbers infinitely increasing, it was only a matter of time before they reached their limit. In fact, zombies were but small fry and Shirone alone should have been enough to deal with all of them. But, she felt abnormally powerless right now, and that caused impatience to grow in Shirone¡¯s heart. ¡¸Is this the effect of this black mist¡­? Could it be that we¡¯re in an extremely dangerous situation right now?¡¹ ¡ô Reiji, who had arrived in the royal castle, quickly defeated the Temple Knights. However, he held back from killing them because he realized from their movements that they were brainwashed by the mastermind. Reiji might be strict towards men, but it didn¡¯t mean that he would go as far as killing the innocent amongst them, even more so when his opponents were Rena¡¯s knights. Thus he held back even when the other party attacked him with killing intent. ¡¸Reiji-sama.¡¹ Almina called his name with a delighted look on her face upon seeing Reiji¡¯s appearance, he was the same man who had once saved her when she was offered as a sacrifice for the Striges. Moreover, the same exact thing was happening now, yet he was still the one who came to save her again from the Strige¡¯s clutches of death. Just like before, he would protect her with everything he had. ¡¸Amazing¡­ to be able to beat Lucullus-dono and co that easily. It¡¯s vexing but¡­ I¡¯m no match for him.¡¹ Someone groaned in frustration upon seeing the scene of Reiji beating Lucullus and the other Temple Knights so easily. According to Reiji¡¯s memory, it was the knight called Rember. Despite his injury, he was still praising Reiji¡¯s strength. Rember understood that he had failed as a knight when he failed to protect Almina. ¡¸Well then, there¡¯s only you left.¡¹ Reiji pointed his sword toward the Strige. He knew from Nao that this Strige was none other than pharmacist Orua. Since he had already defeated the Temple Knights, she was the only one left along with a soldier in full plate armor, who stood next to her. ¡¸As expected of the Hero. Normal humans can¡¯t win against you. I¡¯ll leave him to you then, Zagbar-sama.¡¹ At Orua¡¯s command, the warrior beside her stepped forward. He wore a helmet that hid his face, but Reiji knew from the miasma released from his body that the warrior before him was not human. ¡¸Well then, you play with Zagbar.¡¹ The warrior called Zagbar then unsheathed the great sword on his back, which was clad in ominous-red aura. Several human skull images floated on its polished, mirror-like sword blade, and then vanished a moment later. ¡¸I see, it¡¯s not just you, you¡¯re colluding with someone else too, huh. But, I won¡¯t lose against the likes of you.¡¹ Reiji readied his sword. ¡¸I know your strength, Hero. But, you should¡¯ve already felt¡­ ITS effect. Now here¡¯s a question, how long can you survive under the effects of the Great Death God¡¯s barrier?¡¹ Reiji tilted his head upon hearing Zagbar¡¯s words. ¡¸Effects? What are you talking about?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m referring to this black mist! This black mist will make any living being inside it lose their power. The only exception is the bearer of black flames and the one blessed by the Death God himself. As for you, you should¡¯ve realized that you¡¯re starting to lose your power.¡¹ ¡¸!¡¹ Reiji was really surprised upon hearing that remark. Looking back at it, he finally realized that his movements and power indeed seemed to be duller than usual. ¡¸Reiji-sama¡­¡¹ Almina called his name in worry since she also realized his strange state. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Almina! I¡¯ll be able to bring him to his knees easily!¡¹ Reiji spoke to Almina with a strong tone to make her feel at ease. But, that didn¡¯t change the fact that Zagbar was far more powerful than Lucullus. £¨But, I won¡¯t lose. I¡¯m the Hero of Light after all.£© Reiji flashed a daring smile as he made such a resolve. ¡ôBlack Haired Sage; Chiyuki ¡¸To think that there¡¯s an underground passage hidden beneath this kingdom.¡¹ Chiyuki muttered as she walked along the passage. When investigating the black mist with Nao¡¯s ability, Chiyuki discovered this underground passage right beside the royal palace. Though the entrance gate was usually shut off, it was wide open right now, so Chiyuki guessed that Nao might¡¯ve entered the passage too. Upon entering the passage, the dark invading it limited her viewing distance. ¡¸Nevertheless, it seems I consumed more mana than I expected.¡¹ Chiyuki felt that her mana was draining at a fast rate just by using illumination magic to light up the dark passage she walked along. £¨This might be the effects of the black mist that is covering this kingdom. I have to hurry and find Nao-san¡­£© Chiyuki judged that her current situation was caused by none other than the black mist that covered the kingdom. From there, she could guess the vast amount of mana the caster of the black mist had. After walking for a while, she discovered a door in the middle of the passage. She guessed that Nao might be on the other side of that door. After she opened the door, she arrived in a big room. Though not much, the room, unlike the passage, was still dimly lit with the help of a couple of small lamps. Chiyuki scanned through the room, her eyes catching the figure of Nao, who had collapsed in the middle of the room. ¡¸NAO-SAN!!¡¹ Chiyuki rushed over to Nao. ¡¸HANG IN THERE, NAO-SAN!!!¡¹ ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡­¡¹ Nao replied to her with a frail voice, which was rather unusual for a lively girl like her. Though she was still alive, her face was pale and her usual liveliness was gone. ¡¸Who did this to you Nao-san?¡¹ Chiyuki couldn¡¯t hide her shock. Nao was the most agile member in their party. No one from this world could beat her agility. But now, the one who was always hard to pursue, catch, and beat down, was lying on the floor almost lifeless. ¡¸No, Chiyuki-san¡­ you mustn¡¯t touch Nao¡­¡¹ Nao warned Chiyuki. Upon a closer look, Chiyuki saw black briar coiling around Nao¡¯s body. She guessed that the briar might be created with magic and was the reason why Nao couldn¡¯t move. Volume 2 - CH 23.2 Act 2 ¨C 23.2 : Black Mist 2 Though Nao had warned her, there was no way Chiyuki wouldn¡¯t do anything after seeing her comrade in this kind of situation. As such, she grabbed the briar, trying to tear it away from Nao. ¡¸Ugh¡­¡¹ But, the moment the tip of her finger touched the briar, she felt that her power was sapped away. ¡¸W-What in the world is this?!!¡¹ She then tried to cut the briar with a knife she was carrying around without touching the briar directly. ¡¸No Chiyuki-san¡­ you have to run before that man comes back¡­¡¹ Nao shook her head, desperately telling Chiyuki to run. ¡¸Who¡¯s that guy?! Who¡¯s the bas*ard who did this to you?!¡¹ Though Chiyuki tried to ask Nao, the latter couldn¡¯t answer her question. ¡¸Too late¡­¡¹ ¡¸HANG IN THERE, NAO-SAN!!!¡¹ Though she called Nao¡¯s name, the latter didn¡¯t answer her question. Nao had already passed out. ¡¸Hou¡­ it seems another butterfly has come to visit this place.¡¹ Suddenly, the sound of someone approaching came from the innermost part of the room. ¡¸Who¡¯s there?¡¹ Chiyuki stood up, putting her guard up as a masked person closed in on her from the inner part of the room. The man¡¯s mask had an ominous spider-like pattern. ¡¸Are you the one who did this to Nao-san? Who are you?¡¹ ¡¸Your enemy. Black Haired Sage.¡¹ He calmly stated the fact that he was their enemy. £¨We didn¡¯t discover his existence during our search today. Is he in cahoots with that Strige? But, he doesn¡¯t seems to be a normal monster.£© Chiyuki could feel a vast amount of mana from the man in front of her. This was the first time she felt this kind of power outside of Nargol. Sensing she was on to something, Chiyuki opened her mouth. ¡¸That power¡­ are you a Nargolian?¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, you¡¯re right.¡¹ The masked man affirmed Chiyuki¡¯s question. £¨So he¡¯s Modes¡¯ subordinate. We didn¡¯t meet someone this strong when we went to Nargol. Does he have some sort of grudge toward the Demon King to not follow him?£© A chill ran down Chiyuki¡¯s spine upon knowing that there was another terrifying enemy in Nargol aside from the Dark Knight who defeated Reiji. ¡¸Well then, you people, Rena¡¯s annoying lackeys, will become my sacrificial lambs!!¡¹ After vehemently exclaiming, the masked man started chanting an aria. ¡¸NOT SO FAST! GRAVITY DESTRUCTION!¡¹ Chiyuki completed her magic faster than that man. Her spell was one that squashed her enemies by using gravity. The usual Chiyuki would have chosen to get more information from her opponent before attacking, but she knew that this option was non-existent against the dangerous man in front of her. The heavy gravitational field headed towards the masked man, but her magic vanished right before it reached him. ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE! HOW CAN YOU ERASE MAGIC WITHOUT A PROTECTIVE FIELD?!¡¹ Chiyuki couldn¡¯t believe the phenomenon she witnessed for the first time. £¨Impossible¡­ To be able to erase my magic so easily. Moreover, for this simple spell to drain such an enormous amount of mana from me¡­£© Chiyuki slumped on her knees. ¡¸This entire country has already become my domain. Any living being in this country will lose their power as time goes on. You people seem to be as strong as the Elios Gods, but not even that power will help you guys come out of this situation alive.¡¹ The masked man then inched closer to Chiyuki. £¨Not good, I can¡¯t win against him with my own power. I have to call for reinforcements¡­£© Chiyuki weakly pushed herself up and stumbled to Nao. She carried her and tried to get out of the dark basement. ¡¸RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!! BLACK BRIAR!!¡¹ The masked man who guessed Chiyuki¡¯s intention used his magic on her. Black briar crawled up from the ground and then tangled around Chiyuki¡¯s body. ¡¸Kukuku, that will put an end to your futile resistance. Now then, it¡¯s time to turn you into an offering for me. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die yet since I¡¯ll take my time sucking your life bit by bit.¡¹ The masked man¡¯s hand slowly reached out towards Chiyuki. ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOO! SAVE ME REIJI-KUN!!¡¹ Chiyuki finally snapped, she cried out Reiji¡¯s name as loud as possible. "" ¡¸That hero won¡¯t come to save you. This room is surrounded by a barrier that cuts off all forms of communication. Moreover, that hero of yours is still busy fighting to protect the princess of this country. He won¡¯t come to save you. In addition, not even that hero was spared from the effects of my domain. He¡¯ll die by my hands even if he comes to save you.¡¹ The masked man eerily uttered with a cold voice. £¨Am I going to die? NO, I DON¡¯T WANT TO DIE!£© A sense of dread assailed Chiyuki as the masked man¡¯s hand started caressing her face. The man¡¯s hand was really cold, so cold that it felt like it was slowly freezing her heart. She shut her eyes tight as if trying to convince herself that this was all just a nightmarish dream. At that dreaded moment, the sound of the gate behind her being opened echoed in the room. ¡¸What?!!¡¹ The masked man clearly couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. ¡¸Eh? What?¡¹ Chiyuki let out a shocked voice. Suddenly, she regained her freedom and felt herself being separated from the masked man. ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ Her saviour asked with a gentle voice. She opened her eyes, to peek at that angel, only to find her saviour hiding his face with a hood. £¨Eh? Who? From his voice he seems like a man though.£© Chiyuki was embraced in that man¡¯s right arm. The warmth she felt from that hooded man erased the dread she felt from the masked man. ¡¸And this one is¡­¡¹ She also found out that the hooded man¡¯s left arm was carrying the unconscious Nao. The black briar that coiled around Nao¡¯s limbs had also vanished, just like the one on her. The hooded man then passed Nao to Chiyuki after he let her stand on her own. ¡¸Uuh¡­¡¹ Nao raised a moan. £¨Thank God, she just passed out from exhaustion.£© Chiyuki hung Nao¡¯s right arm around her neck, supporting the latter with her shoulder. ¡¸Who are you? The fact that you came down all the way to this place and freed me and Nao from that briar only means that¡­ you¡¯re not an ordinary human, right?¡¹ But, the hooded man just pointed towards the gate behind him in silence, seemingly refusing to answer Chiyuki¡¯s question. ¡¸Bring that girl out of this place right away. I¡¯ll do something about that masked man.¡¹ ¡¸But, that means you¡¯ll face him on yo-¡­¡¹ Chiyuki paused in the middle of her sentence. She realized that her priority right now should be to bring Nao to safety. Moreover, for some reason, Chiyuki felt that she could trust the hooded man. £¨He might be able to buy us some time¡­£© Chiyuki genuinely believed so. ¡¸Understood¡­ Thank you for your help. But make sure not to force yourself too much, I¡¯ll call reinforcements for you.¡¹ Chiyuki left the room after she said those words. £¨He¡¯ll be in danger unless I call Reiji-kun to help him.£© Chiyuki walked along the passage while supporting Nao. Her strength had become comparable to that of superman after she came to this world. In her normal state, she could run easily while carrying one person. But, the current her barely had the power to walk on her own. Though she was in a hurry, her walking speed was by no means fast. ¡¸Maybe I should¡¯ve at least asked for his name¡­¡¹ Chiyuki regretted the fact that she forgot to ask the hooded man¡¯s name. She promised herself to thank him once they got out of this dangerous situation. Chiyuki kept walking towards the exit as she thought about that. Volume 2 - CH 24 Act 2 ¨C 24 : He Who Drove The Darkness, He Who Cast Light 1 After confirming that Chiyuki and Nao safely managed to escape from the underground passage, Kuroki shifted his focus toward the masked man. The masked man hadn¡¯t done anything during Kuroki and the others¡¯ prelude to escape, all he could do was just stare at Kuroki, who had managed to undo so many of his spells, with a bewildered look on his face. ¡¸WHO THE HELL ARE YOU??!!¡¹ ¡¸Cough¡­ that should be my question.¡¹ Kuroki also couldn¡¯t hide his bewilderment. £¨Who the hell is that masked weirdo? He must be a divine being since he can easily defeat Reiji¡¯s comrades. But, he doesn¡¯t seems like an Elios God nor does he seem to be Modes¡¯ friend. £© Because if the masked man really was Modes¡¯ friend, then he should¡¯ve already heard of him during his talks with Modes. ¡¸How can you still move in this domain when you should¡¯ve lost your power?!¡¹ ¡¸Even if you ask me that question¡­¡¹ Not even Kuroki could answer the masked man¡¯s question. All he did was come to the source of the dark mist and just happened to stumble upon the masked man and Reiji¡¯s comrades. He also ended up saving Reiji¡¯s comrades to boot. £¨This masked weirdo might be the one who created this dark mist.£© Kuroki mused, overlooking the fact that he also hid his face with a mask and was literally in the same position as the strange man before him. However, it was true that the masked weirdo before him did look more sinister. ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t be the Hero¡¯s comrade! Answer me! Who¡¯s your master?!¡¹ Hearing the masked man¡¯s inquiry, Kuroki was now sure that the masked man and his actions were unrelated to Modes. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m not the Hero¡¯s comrade nor do I have the intention to become one.¡¹ Rather, Kuroki¡¯s mood had plummeted upon finding out that the strange man had mistook him as one of Reiji¡¯s comrades. £¨Well, it can¡¯t be helped since I did save Reiji¡¯s girls. Well, doesn¡¯t matter, I still need to stop him from bringing disaster to this land.£© Kuroki chanted a spell, summoning his armaments. His clothes and robe then vanished and were replaced with his jet-black armor and cursed sword. ¡¸A DARK KNIGHT!!¡¹ ¡¸W-WHAT IS THE TRAITOR¡¯S LACKEY DOING IN THIS KIND OF PLACE?!¡¹ The strange man couldn¡¯t mask his shock upon seeing Kuroki transforming into his Dark Knight form. ¡¸Traitor? What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸HUMPH, DON¡¯T TELL ME THAT YOU DON¡¯T KNOW WHO I AM TALKING ABOUT! IT¡¯S THE MOST BELOVED SON OF OUR GREAT MOTHER, THE TRAITOR CALLED MODES!!¡¹ He bellowed with an indignant voice. Kuroki couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment upon hearing the man¡¯s remark. £¨Wait so he is related to Modes and¡­ Modes is¡­ a traitor? This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of this.£© Kuroki felt the urge to confirm this matter with Modes once he returned to Nargol. ¡¸Moreover, why did you go as far as saving the Hero¡¯s women when you people should be hostile to each other?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not like I wanted to save them either, it was just a coincidence. Anyway, since you¡¯re Modes¡¯ enemy, that makes you my enemy as well. Do I still need to elaborate why I decided to disturb your plans?¡¹ Kuroki just wanted to save this kingdom and yet, he ended up saving the Hero¡¯s comrades too in the process. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s more like it. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve managed to discover me, but just know you¡¯ll die for hindering my plans!!¡¹ The masked man then readied himself to fight Kuroki. Kuroki, on the other hand, found the situation to be funny. Everything that happened up to this point was all a bunch of coincidences that piled up onto each other, resulting in the ¡°miracle¡± he was in right now. ¡¸HOW DARE A MERE DARK KNIGHT TRY TO STOP THIS ZARXIS, THE RIGHT HAND OF NARGOL, GOD OF DESTRUCTION!!¡¹ That phrase stopped Kuroki¡¯s train of thought for a moment. He was unfamiliar with the name Zarxis and was sure that he had never heard of it before. ¡¸O DEAD SOULS IMPRISONED IN THE FREEZING ABYSS, HEED MY CALL!!¡¹ The temperature inside the room immediately plummeted as soon as Zarxis chanted those words. Kuroki was familiar with the magic Zarxis was trying to use. In this world there was an abyss feared by even the Gods, a prison for the souls of the dead who couldn¡¯t pass on. It was known as the world after death. The souls of the dead inside this abyss were all trapped inside a frozen prison. And, what Zarxis was trying to do right now is summon that frozen prison and make it appear in this world. According to Loughas, this was the highest level of freezing magic. £¨But, it¡¯s far from enough to beat me.£© Kuroki ignited the black flame in his body. ¡¸O Black Flame, Be My Shield and Burn Everything to Ashes!!¡¹ When Kuroki shouted, a black flame appeared and surrounded him, forming a barrier. It was just in time for it to face Zarxis¡¯ frozen prison, which was already on the verge of fully appearing, cancelling it out in the process before vanishing as well. ¡¸A black flame. Runfeld¡­ no, you don¡¯t seem to be him. I see now, you¡¯re that rumored Dark Knight, huh.¡¹ Kuroki was really surprised upon knowing that Zarxis had heard of him. "" £¨Eh? Is there another rumor about me?!? Why do I feel like it wouldn¡¯t be a nice rumor though?!£© Kuroki scratched his cheek in embarrassment. The rumors about him as the fierce Dark Knight had spread far and wide amongst the citizens of this world. Many of those rumors, if not most, slandered him. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t see the ¡°rumor¡± Zarxis mentioned in a positive light. Moreover, Kuroki was a rather introverted person by nature. He hated the fact that the rumors about him were running rampant. ¡¸If you whose power rivals that of the Hero is in this country too¡­ I guess Orua is really just unlucky.¡¹ Zarxis heaved a sigh. Kuroki summoned his demon sword and pointed it towards Zarxis. ¡¸Is this the end then, Zarxis-san? If that¡¯s the case, may I ask you to remove that dark mist? And since there are a lot of things I wanted to ask you, can you stay for a while to answer my questions?¡¹ Kuroki questioned him relentlessly in one breath. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t so naive as to expect the other party to answer his questions. ¡¸The end? What are you talking about? When did I say that?! Come Forth, My Strongest Undead!!!¡¹ When Zarxis stepped back, a gigantic figure appeared. ¡¸Is that¡­ a dragon?¡¹ The thing that appeared before him was a dragon. Size wise, it was as big as Glorious. But, it was by no means a normal dragon. Its skeleton was completely exposed. ¡¸This is the guardian of this room, the dragon zombie made out of the ancient Firedrake. It¡¯s not something that will fall so easily to you, even if you have flame resistance. In the meantime, I¡¯ll kill the Hero and destroy this country.¡¹ Kuroki looked at the majestic dragon that had become a zombie. ¡¸You¡¯re originally the same dragon species as Glorious, huh¡­¡¹ Kuroki recalled his important partner, Glorious. Zarxis hadn¡¯t even let the dragon sleep in peace even after its death. Kuroki felt sympathetic toward the dragon in front of him. ¡¸Go, Dragon Zombie! Stop that Dark Knight!!¡¹ The dragon zombie rushed towards Kuroki at Zarxis¡¯ command. Kuroki stopped that charging bulldozer head on. Though he wasn¡¯t blown away by its attack, it didn¡¯t mean he could stop the impact of the attack that ran through his body. ¡¸GUH!!¡¹ Kuroki unintentionally let out a groan due to the impact of that attack. ¡¸Great! Now keep him pinned down just like that and don¡¯t let him go!!¡¹ Zarxis¡¯ voice resounded in the room. Kuroki¡¯s mind had already ignored Zarxis¡¯ voice as he closed his eyes, focusing his consciousness toward the head of the dragon in his embrace. After searching for a few seconds, he finally found something like a black thread endlessly weaving inside the dragon¡¯s consciousness, then used his mana to cut that thread. ¡¸O proud dragon. I already cut the thread that binds you even in your death. Now you may rest in peace¡­¡¹ Upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s words, the dragon who turned into a zombie became obedient. ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE! I TAMED THAT DRAGON ZOMBIE!!¡¹ Zarxis who was about to leave the room while keeping Kuroki pinned down by the dragon suddenly let out a surprised voice. At the same time, the dead dragon suddenly raised a warcry. Thereupon, the soul of the dead dragon entered Kuroki¡¯s body. ¡¸I see¡­ you want to be with me, huh.¡¹ Naturally Kuroki had no reason to refuse the dragon¡¯s wish of staying with him. In doing so, the dragon¡¯s skeleton turned into ashes. ¡¸W-What the hell did you just do?! How can you do something like that despite not being an Elios God!!¡¹ Zarxis¡¯ angry shout resounded in the room. ¡¸Woopsie! I almost lost my cool here! I guess I¡¯ll back down for now!!¡¹ Zarxis¡¯ body became transparent as soon as he spoke those words. ¡¸As if I¡¯ll let you off! Fire bind!¡¹ Kuroki used the power of the fire dragon in him, forming a flame rope to catch Zarxis. But, he was a step too late as Zarxis¡¯ figure had already vanished by then. ¡¸Tch¡­ I should¡¯ve used the transfer magic seal.¡¹ Kuroki felt a sense of regret in failing to catch Zarxis. £¨There are so many things I want to ask him, but I guess I have no choice but¡­ to ask Modes about this after I return to Nargol. Welp, I almost forgot that I have to find a way to disperse the dark mist.£© Kuroki started searching for anything that Zarxis might have left behind and that might help. After looking for a while, he finally found a spot in the room with powerful magical waves. When he arrived at the location of that magical power, he found that the source came from a gigantic magic circle, shining in an ominous red color. The magic circle was interconnected in a radial pattern, it looked just like spiderwebs connecting to each other. And then, he noticed something like black mist coming out of that magic circle. ¡¸This might be the source of the dark mist¡­¡¹ Kuroki readied his demon sword, and cut apart the magic circle. Thereupon, the red light vanished along with the magical power. ¡¸The dark mist should¡¯ve dispersed with this.¡¹ Kuroki muttered as he pondered about the events happening overground Volume 2 - CH 25.1 Act 2 ¨C 25.1 : He Who Drove The Darkness, He Who Cast Light 2 ¨CNow, with this one, how many does that make? Shirone had already stopped counting after she had killed her twentieth zombie. It was a useless thing to do since no matter how many she got rid of, even more would come and replace them with even bigger numbers. It was a vicious cycle that just kept on repeating endlessly. No matter what method she used, be it hacking them, dissecting them, or burning them til only their skeletons were left, they just kept on coming. Right now, Shirone was facing a giant¡¯s skeleton. ¡¸This is already too much¡­ things will get more dangerous later on, so please get away from here¡­¡¹ Gallios told Shirone as he fought with his back facing hers, trying to find a way for them to escape. He had already lost count of the many houses that had been destroyed while they were barricading the hordes of zombies and fighting them; however, their stamina was about to reach its limit. ¡¸He¡¯s right, Shirone-sama. It¡¯s impossible for us to leave with our remaining stamina, but you still have a chance, that¡¯s why you have to leave.¡¹ Nimri agreed with Gallios. ¡¸Thank you for your concern but¡­ I will fight by your side til the bitter end.¡¹ Shirone rejected their proposal. She wouldn¡¯t tarnish her reputation as the Hero¡¯s comrade by doing such a cowardly act. Moreover, she felt that there was a gigantic barrier enveloping this kingdom; she knew that escaping was literally impossible. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry everyone, Reiji-kun will do something about this situation!!¡¹ Shirone tried her best to cheer Gallios and his fellow fighters, trying to raise their fighting spirit. £¨I have no choice but to trust Reiji-kun, he¡¯s a hero after all. He¡¯ll definitely drive off this calamity.£© Shirone and her companions had already lost count of how many times they fell into such a crisis. Yet, every time, they had managed to overcome the crisis thanks to Reiji¡¯s power; he was a true hero. ¡¸He¡¯ll do something about this situation. Like hell my relationship with Kuroki would just end with a quarrel.¡¹ She believed in Reiji, yet, it was the face of her childhood friend that appeared during such a time. Her childhood friend, Kuroki, was the exact opposite of Reiji. He was a boring person who couldn¡¯t make her heart tremble with excitement. However, he somehow always made her feel relieved and safe. Shirone wanted to see him once again. That was her greatest wish at this exact moment. £¨I WON¡¯T LOSE!!£© Shirone strengthened her grip on her sword. The only reason she was weak right now was because of this peculiar dark mist. Nevertheless, no matter how drained she felt, she would still fight to the bitter end. ¡¸Everyone, just a bit more!!¡¹ Shirone exclaimed to everyone fighting alongside her. Some people regained their fighting spirit upon hearing her war cry. £¨My body feels languid. I had barely been able to lift my sword for a while now. But, I cannot fall in this place.£© "" She recalled her friend once again. She also knew that her comrades were doing their best too. ¡¸LOOK, IT¡¯S LIGHT!!¡¹ Suddenly, someone shouted. And then, Shirone felt warmth on her head. ¡¸The dark mist has vanished.¡¹ As she looked around, she realized that the dark mist had vanished, Reiji¡¯s pseudo-sun now shining brightly above Rox Kingdom. Basking in the pseudo sunlight, Shirone felt that her power was returning at a rapid pace.The dark mist had vanished, replaced with the sunlight that was shining over the kingdom. Those who were out of breath just a second ago, were now standing up on their own two feet upon feeling the warmth of the environment. Moreover, what was even better was that the pseudo sun had also exterminated the zombies. They were saved at the very last moment. ¡¸In the end, we were saved by Reiji-kun¡¹ Shirone laughed delightfully. ¡ô ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯m¡­ out of power.¡¹ Sahoko was apologizing to Chiyuki. ¡¸Spirit-san won¡¯t come either¡­¡¹ Rino added with a sad face. ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Chiyuki shook her head in disappointment. Lying by her side was the unconscious Nao. After returning from the underground passage, Chiyuki reunited with Sahoko and the others at their original post. She had immediately asked them to heal Nao, but unfortunately Sahoko had already run out of mana. £¨It seems we are in this hopeless situation due to this dark mist. Things will only get worse if we don¡¯t exterminate this dark mist. Since the underground passage is guarded by that eerie masked man, could it be that it¡¯s where the source lies?£© With such a thought in mind, Chiyuki decided to go back to the underground passage. ¡¸Please take care of Nao.¡¹ ¡¸Where are you going, Chiyuki-san?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll go back to the underground passage and try to do something about this dark mist.¡¹ Different from the two, Chiyuki still had enough mana to use her magic, which was why she thought she might be able to do something to resolve the situation. ¡¸No, it¡¯s too dangerous to go there by yourself, Chiyuki-san! The person who did this to Nao-san is in there too right!?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry Sahoko-san, but we were only able to get out of there because someone came to save us, and that person is currently fighting the culprit all alone. I can¡¯t turn my back on him.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Eh?¡¹¡¹ Sahoko and Rino let out a dumbfounded voice. ¡¸There¡¯s someone¡­ who can still fight? Even though everyone else should be suffering from the same conditions as us¡­¡¹ ¡¸Even Rino and her companions were having a hard time maintaining their power.¡¹ Sahoko and Rino were really surprised. ¡¸He¡­ might be the pervert we¡¯re looking for.¡¹ Chiyuki had a wild guess. Currently, they knew that there was only one other otherworldly person like them in this country, which was the pervert they were looking for. If the one who saved her in the underground passage was really the pervert they were looking for, then that would explain the origin of his strength. £¨But, why did he hide his face? Does he have some sort of circumstance? But, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he was fighting that dangerous masked man by himself in the underground passage. If I don¡¯t go save him soon, he might¡­£© Chiyuki was just about to pass through the underground passage¡¯s entrance when¡­ ¡¸Ah, the light¡­¡¹ Rino¡¯s voice came from behind Chiyuki. Upon hearing her gleeful voice, Chiyuki looked up to the sky. Reiji¡¯s pseudo sun, which was blocked by the mist up until now, had finally appeared across the kingdom, illuminating it with its light. She then noticed that the dark mist had vanished. £¨Did he manage to do something in there?£© That was the only possibility that came to her mind. ¡¸Not bad, pervert-san¡­¡¹ ¡ô ¡¸Reiji-sama¡­¡¹ Almina¡¯s anxious voice resounded in the passage. But, Reiji had no leeway to answer her at all, he was cornered. The warrior Zagbar, Reiji¡¯s opponent, turned out to be an extremely formidable foe. Naturally, he was far weaker than the Dark Knight who had completely obliterated Reiji. However, the normal Reiji, who would¡¯ve been able to easily defeat Zagbar, was no longer there. For some reason, Reiji couldn¡¯t amass his power and use it at all, which was why Zagbar was able to fight on equal footing with him. ¡¸Hou, not bad, or should I say, as expected of the famous hero? For you to still have this much power left¡­ Orua, assist me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Zagbar-sama.¡¹ The Strige Orua started singing her magic aria. As she kept repeating her spell, a dark shadow started to wrap around Zagbar¡¯s body, overlapping his night robe. Zagbar now had stronger resistance towards light magic. Seeing this scene unravelling in front of him, Reiji felt frustrated to the core. He only specialized in light elements and couldn¡¯t use any other elemental magic. His opponent was now completely resistant towards his current meagre power. ¡¸Not bad. But, this is far from enough to beat me.¡¹ However, Reiji didn¡¯t lose his will to fight, rather, he was more eager now to defeat his opponent. He loaded more mana into his sword, making it shine even brighter than before. Reiji then set his sword and leapt towards his enemy. Seeing the hero approaching him, Zagbar used his great sword to parry Reiji¡¯s blow. ¡¸Ha!¡¹ However, unlike what he expected, the hero ended up avoiding the clash with his great sword and rather slashed at his torso with his sword of light. Zagbar sneered at his opponent¡¯s futile efforts and easily avoided the slash. Then, as if nothing had happened, he launched a counterattack towards Reiji with his great sword. Reiji retreated, dodging the counterattack. ¡¸Resistance is futile, hero. This dark mist is sucking the life force out of everyone in this kingdom, while restoring our body and life force at the same time. As long as the people of this country don¡¯t die, you won¡¯t be able to kill me.¡¹ Zagbar mocked Reiji with frevor. The gash left on Zagbar¡¯s armor by Reiji¡¯s slash had already vanished, the armor restored as if brand new. This scene repeated itself many times during this battle. No matter how many times Reiji cut Zagbar, the latter¡¯s armor would always repair itself in no time, it was an endless loop. ¡¸I see, so it¡¯s not healing but restoration huh¡­ Does that mean your armor is your real body?¡¹ "" In this world, there were living armors, commonly known as Living Mail. They were arbors infused with a special type of magic that made them come to life. After seeing them, no one would be able to guess if the opponent they were facing was a human being or just an enchanted object. Reiji had finally guessed his opponent¡¯s identity. ¡¸Correct, hero. In addition, this armor has eaten numerous human warriors¡¯ souls. Your soul will definitely become part of my collection! Well then, it¡¯s time to end this, Orua!! ¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 25.2 Act 2 ¨C 25.2 : He Who Drove The Darkness, He Who Cast Light 2 After his sudden shout, Zagbar turned around and stabbed Orua¡¯s chest with his sword. Things happened so quickly that Orua couldn¡¯t react in time. ¡¸W-why¡­ Zagbar-sama.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll take your power. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to avenge your descendants.¡¹ Pulsating aura coiled around Zagbar¡¯s great sword as he finished his eerie sentence. The sword kept on sucking Orua¡¯s mana at a rapid pace, making her body mummify bit by bit, losing its life force. By the time Zagbar plucked his sword, all that was left were some scattered bones, which slowly turned to ashes. ¡¸It seems you¡¯ve been saving up a lot of mana in preparation to fight the Hero you hated so much. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll use it properly to avenge your descendants.¡¹ After his mutterings, Zagbar¡¯s armor transformed and grew in size. The ornament placed on its chest transformed into a laughing face and the helmet vanished, showing that it was truly empty all along¡ªthis was Zagbar¡¯s true form. ¡¸Here I come, Hero!¡¹ After sucking Orua¡¯s power dry, Zagbar made a beeline toward Reiji. ¡¸Guh! He¡¯s faster than before!¡¹ Reiji somehow managed to parry a few blows from the great sword. Though it would¡¯ve been easier in his normal condition, the current Reiji felt as if his body was as heavy as lead. He could barely defend himself against Zagbar¡¯s attack. ¡¸What¡¯s happened to you, Hero? Is that all you¡¯ve got? Uhn¡­?¡¹ Just as he was about to gloat, Zagbar finally noticed a strange phenomenon. His own power had suddenly considerably fallen, while Reiji¡¯s aura was clearly becoming stronger than before. The dark mist was starting to dissipate. ¡¸Impossible! How can this be?!¡¹ Zagbar couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. ¡¸That¡¯s only natural right! It¡¯s because Chiyuki and my other companions did something about this situation! My women aren¡¯t your average women after all!¡¹ Reiji¡¯s body felt lighter as the seconds passed, power had started gushing out of his every pore. £¨As expected of Chiyuki! I ¡ª¡ª(censored)£© Reiji thought that it was Chiyuki who drove away the dark mist. The reason he could fight this long was because he trusted that his comrades would do something. (TL : You and your comrades would¡¯ve died by now.) ¡¸HERE I GO!¡¹ Reiji readied his sword of light and charged towards Zagbar. Zagbar tried to catch the blow with his great sword, but Reiji, who had regained his original power, was way too fast for him. Reiji¡¯s sword once again tore Zagbar¡¯s torso. ¡¸GUUUUUUUUUUUUH!¡¹ Zagbar raised an agonizing scream. He had already lost the dark mist¡¯s protection. Even with his night robe magic still active and protecting him, without the dark mist it was simply far from enough to protect his body from Reiji¡¯s sword. Zagbar retreated. ¡¸Reiji-senpai¡­¡¹ ¡¸Rei-kun!¡¹ Two overlapping voices called out Reiji¡¯s name. It was Rino and Sahoko. Naturally, they had come to assist Reiji. ¡¸Oh, how the tables have turned.¡¹ Reiji grinned towards his opponent. It was a grin filled with the gloating of a winner, similar to the one Zagbar¡¯s armor had shown a while ago. Seeing the situation turn and realising his impending defeats, Zagbar turned around, trying to escape from the place that would become his grave. ¡¸EAT THIS!¡¹ Zagbar kicked the unconscious Lucullus towards Reiji. However, his real aim was Almina, who had stayed behind Reiji all along. ¡¸Whoopsie!¡¹ Naturally, Reiji didn¡¯t neglect his duty to protect Almina, which, of course, created a momentary gap in his attack. Seeing his opponent turn his attention away, Zagbar invoked levitation¡¯s magic and flew toward the ceiling. ¡¸Are you okay, Almina?¡¹ Reiji asked while smiling at her. Almina, on the other hand, had already recovered her strength to the point that she could stand on her own. ¡¸Reiji-sama¡­ the monster is¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Princess Almina. That guy is far weaker than me. That¡¯s why please wait for me in this place.¡¹ ¡¸Understood, Reiji-sama. Godspeed.¡¹ After their small talk, Reiji and Almina proceeded to stare at each other. ¡¸Rei-kun!!!¡¹ ¡¸Reiji-senpai¡­¡¹ Sahoko and Rino had already closed in on Reiji and Almina¡¯s location before they had noticed. The two were looking at Reiji and Almina with displeasure. ¡¸Sahoko, Rino, I¡¯ll go after that monster. Take care of Almina!!¡¹ After saying that, Reiji separated himself from Almina and flew towards the hole in the ceiling Zagbar had created. ¡¸Wait a minute, Reiji-senpai!!¡¹ ¡¸Geez, Rei-kun¡­¡¹ Despite hearing their vexed voices, Reiji ignored them as he needed to catch up to his fleeing opponent. He immediately conjured his flying magic to catch up with Zagbar. Rino and Sahoko, who were left behind, couldn¡¯t do anything but look at Reiji¡¯s departing figure. ¡¸Uuh¡­¡¹ It was at this moment that Rember finally raised a groan, making the two girls finally notice his existence. ¡¸Eh, Sahoko-san, is this person injured by any chance?¡¹[EN: You don¡¯t say!] ¡¸This person is¡­ Rember-dono, right? Are you okay?¡¹ Rember finally calmed down after they noticed his existence. Frankly speaking, he wasn¡¯t alright. It happened just like before, when the Hero and Almina had forgotten all about his existence and drowned in their own world¡ªit was truly vexing how all of them had just completely ignored him. He was on the verge of dying both physically and psychologically. After Sahoko casted healing magic on him, the pain that assaulted Rember¡¯s body vanished. Tears streamed down his face as he realised that at least he had gotten another chance at life. ¡ô ¡¸Are you okay, Nao-san?¡¹ Nao nodded at Chiyuki¡¯s question. She had woken up after the dark mist had cleared up from Rox Kingdom. She was then treated by Chiyuki who, though didn¡¯t have healing magic as effective as Sahoko¡¯s, still could use a bit of it. It was enough to salvage Nao¡¯s situation. Sahoko and Rino had gone to the royal castle since the fight there hadn¡¯t seemed to be over yet. Chiyuki and Nao, on the other hand, had headed towards the underground passage again. Their goal was to reunite with the man who had saved them. £¨He might be the one who drove out that masked man, in short, he is our savior.£© Chiyuki and Nao were waiting at the entrance since they wanted to thank him. Though she wanted to enter the underground passage, she couldn¡¯t take Nao, who had just recovered, nor could she go in by herself. That¡¯s why they had decided to wait at the entrance. Naturally, she would enter the underground passage if he didn¡¯t come out soon. She had to make sure he was safe. ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡­¡¹ Nao called at Chiyuki. As Chiyuki turned to face her, she noticed that Nao wasn¡¯t paying attention to her, but was rather looking towards the sky. At Nao¡¯s bewildered face, she followed her line of sight, only to see a black shadow flying above them. ¡¸What is that? An armor?¡¹ Something clad in black mist was flying under Reiji¡¯s sun. The armor stood out since it was a pitch black dot in the middle of the brightest of lights ¡¸Ah, Reiji-senpai!!¡¹ Nao suddenly pointed at a figure chasing the armor. It was a man clad in shimmering light, who had come out from the same location as the black armor. Of course the glowing man was none other than Reiji. Though the armor seemed to be running away from Reiji, its escapade ended in a matter of seconds since its flying speed was much slower than Reiji¡¯s. As he caught up to the armor that was almost moving in slow motion, Reiji started facing the black armor. ¡¸Hero, don¡¯t think that you already won! I¡¯ll crush the humans in this country!¡¹ After he shouted, the armor¡¯s size expanded, becoming many times bigger. The swirling dark emotions in the armor¡¯s voice caused mass panic all over Rox Kingdom. Chiyuki noticed that right now, every single citizen in Rox Kingdom was looking up at the sky. ¡¸NOT AS LONG AS I¡¯M STILL ALIVEEEEEEEE¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹ Now, it was Reiji who shouted at the armor, his voice resounding in the entire kingdom. Chiyuki listened to the pleasant voice as she recalled her first memory of hearing it; at the time, they were both still in Japan and Reiji was singing a beautiful song. She couldn¡¯t help but miss those simpler times. ¡¸TAKE THIS!¡¹ The armor fired several lumps of darkness towards Reiji. ¡¸TOO WEAK¨D¨D¨D! Thousand Light Bullets!¡¹ Countless light bullets formed around Reiji as he chanted his magic. Those light bullets easily extinguished the lumps of darknesses coming his way. It was his best spell to swat away any dark magic, his own foolproof armor. "" ¡¸NOW IT¡¯S MY TURN!!¡¹ At his roar, a gigantic magic circle appeared in front of Reiji. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡¹ Chiyuki unintentionally muttered in astonishment. The magic that was about to be used by Reiji was a magic that could only be used by the God, Oudith, before Reiji¡¯s arrival; it was called Light Cannon of Heavenly Might. Chiyuki still remembered Rena¡¯s shocked face as she explained to them this magic and its mightiness after seeing Reiji use it with ease. ¡¸TAKE THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!!!¡¹ The torrent of light from Reiji¡¯s magic circle swallowed the giant armor in an instant. ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ The armor was slowly vanishing in the torrent of violent light as it raised an agonized screech, and the light that slowly extinguished it, illuminated the dark night till the ends of the kingdom. After the armor vanished, only Reiji and the pseudo-sun remained in the sky above Rox Kingdom. The whole kingdom was wrapped in silence. This, however, didn¡¯t last long, as tempestuous joyful cries erupted one after the other. Though no one was beside Nao and Chiyuki, the joyful cries of Rox Kingdom¡¯s citizens could be heard from their position. The cheers that praised Reiji resounded in every part of Rox Kingdom. Volume 2 - CH 26 Act 2 ¨C 26: Leaving Rox Kingdom £± As Shirone and her comrades in arms started regaining their power, the zombie army quickly dwindled in numbers and was successfully pushed back. Kuroki, on the other hand, was currently walking through the main street by himself. All he could hear were the citizens¡¯ jubilant cries as they all cheered and praised Reiji all around him. Kuroki didn¡¯t really feel bothered about it as he thought that their praise was justified since Reiji and co had done their very best to save this kingdom. Reiji¡¯s magic that he saw in the last moment of the battle was terrific. It happened right after he had destroyed Zarxis¡¯ magic circle and returned to the surface. He was really surprised to see Mizuouji Chiyuki and Todoroki Naomi waiting for him in front of the entrance of the underground passage. But, since their attention was focused on the scenery above them, Kuroki could easily slip past them unnoticed. After he managed to get away from them, the night sky suddenly turned bright, just as if it was truly a bright day. When he looked up, he saw a light beam being fired from Reiji¡¯s front. The light beam had travelled in a straight path, infinitely illuminating the boundless night sky. Normal magic couldn¡¯t stop that light beam, he thought. Reiji hadn¡¯t used that spell in their previous battle back in Nargol. Seeing its power right before his eyes, he concluded that he might have to prepare a countermeasure against that magic for when they fought again. Honestly speaking, Kuroki never wanted to fight Reiji again. But, he understood that he might have no choice but to fight them if Reiji and his companions invaded Nargol again. The real problem; however, was Rena. Things would be settled peacefully as long as she gave up her attempt to attack Nargol. ¡ª I wonder what it¡¯ll take for me to convince her to give up on trying to kill Modes? Kuroki racked his brain, trying to find a solution to that particular problem. It wasn¡¯t helping that he had now become even more confused of that Goddess¡¯ intention after he failed to know what she was doing in Rox Kingdom. He couldn¡¯t really remember much, but after their night of drinking, when he woke up the next morning, Rena had already left Rox Kingdom. Though he had no idea what she was planning to do, he still felt that he must remain vigilant. Moreover, after today¡¯s incident, there was also another matter that had been occupying his mind. It was Zarxis¡¯ matter. £¨Just who in the world is that man?£© Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but worry about Zarxis¡¯ parting words. He had called Modes a traitor and had also proudly proclaimed himself as the God of Destruction, Nargol¡¯s, right hand. The first thing that had come to mind when he heard ¡°Nargol¡± was the fact that it was the name of the land governed by Modes. But, Kuroki felt that the ¡°Nargol¡± Zarxis mentioned had another meaning. £¨Let¡¯s try to ask Modes about this matter once I return to Nargol. But, I have to achieve my primary goal of coming to this place before that.£© Kuroki planned to leave Rox Kingdom tomorrow morning. Before that, he was thinking of saying goodbye to all the people who had taken care of him during his stay in this kingdom, he wanted to tell them he was leaving. After finalising his plans, Kuroki raised his head to look ahead, only to see a familiar figure walking towards him. ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Rember-dono¡­ something the matter?¡¹ The one who walked toward him was Rember, but the expression on his face was rather unnatural. It was the expression of someone worrying about something. Moreover, Rember shouldn¡¯t have been here in front of him as there was currently a banquet in the Royal Palace dedicated to Reiji and his companions for their efforts during the battle. Even the Freedom Fighters, Gallios and his subordinates, were invited to attend the banquet. It was a special invite to reward their efforts in suppressing the zombie riot, preventing the spread of the damage. Their actions had also saved many citizens and tourists¡¯ lives. On the contrary, rather than Rember, the ones who should¡¯ve been the most miserable in this whole ordeal were the Temple Knights. Even though they were all brainwashed under Orua¡¯s spell, it still did not change the fact that they had attacked Reiji, whom they were supposed to protect. It seems that now, they were charged with doing the jobs of Rox Kingdom¡¯s soldiers while this kingdom¡¯s soldiers were appointed as Reiji and his companions¡¯ guards until their return to the Holy Republic of Lenaria. That kind of job was a humiliation for elites like them. Kuroki recalled how his fellow Freedom Fighters laughed at the Temple Knights when they received an invitation to the banquet at the Royal Palace. Though Gallios seemed to be reluctant to attend this party, in the end, he had no choice but to attend as the leader of the Freedom Fighters. Kuroki, on the other hand, though invited, refused to attend since he didn¡¯t want to meet Reiji and the others. That¡¯s why he was walking by himself right now. As a knight of this kingdom, Kuroki thought that it might not be a good idea for Rember to ditch such an event. ¡¸Eh¡­ Ah¡­ It¡¯s Kuro-dono, huh.¡¹ Rember looked at Kuroki with gloom surrounding him. It seems that his condition was really unusual to the point that he didn¡¯t recognize Kuroki despite him standing right in front of him. ¡¸Is something the matter? Why aren¡¯t you in the Royal Palace?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I just didn¡¯t feel like it¡­ Kuro-dono. The Royal Palace will be alright even without me there.¡¹ Rember muttered as he averted his gaze away from Kuroki. "" £¨Rember-dono seems to have a lot of things weighing on his mind¡­ Is there something I can do for him?£© Kuroki was indebted to Rember; he had helped him a lot during his stay in Rox Kingdom. His problem might not be any of Kuroki¡¯s business, but he couldn¡¯t just leave him alone without doing something for him. ¡¸How about we go for a drink, Rember-dono? My treat.¡¹ Though Kuroki had yet to reach the legal age for drinking liquor, he thought it would be better to invite Rember for a drink rather than leaving him on his own with his depressing mood. ¡ô ¡¸There was someone like that?¡¹ Reiji showed a frustrated look when he heard about the masked man in the underground passage. ¡¸Sorry Chiyuki. If only I had come with you¡­¡¹ Reiji apologized to Chiyuki. £¨How dare you say that when you were too busy saving princess Almina, d*ckhead!!£© Though she was grumbling inside, in the end, she didn¡¯t say anything, because she realized that this was Reiji¡¯s limit and flaw. He had no choice but to choose when two women were in danger right at the same time. His choice to save Almina at that time was correct since unlike Chiyuki, Almina was a normal human. But as a result, Chiyuki ended up in such a predicament. Chiyuki knew that such a situation didn¡¯t mean that Reiji didn¡¯t care about her, he just knew that she could do something on her own with her powers, the situation just happened to be beyond both of their expectations. Chiyuki didn¡¯t feel that angry since Reiji used to do the same back in their world too. Moreover, she herself was confident that she didn¡¯t need a man to save her. Yet, the situation she experienced in the underground passage was simply too terrifying. Just thinking about what would have happened to her if that mysterious pervert hadn¡¯t saved her back then was enough to send chills down her spine. It was the second time she was saved by a man, Reiji being the first one. Chiyuki wanted to thank that man, but he ended up never coming out of the underground passage. She had then gone back in to check up on him, only to find the underground passage completely empty. Neither her savior nor the masked man were there, only traces of their battle. From those traces, she could imagine the kind of violent magic battle that happened in that room. Parts of the floor had turned to ice, while the rest had melted into lava. She concluded that both sides used extremely advanced magic. She also now clearly understood that the man who saved her was not only a martial artist, whose prowess far surpassed that of Kaya, but he was also extremely well versed in magic. Chiyuki couldn¡¯t help but keep on wondering who her savior was. ¡¸Hey, Chiyuki-san, the person who saved you, is he a dashing man?¡¹ Shirone, who loved heroic stories, asked Chiyuki with sparkling eyes. Chiyuki, on the other hand, wryly smiled at her question. ¡¸I don¡¯t know. He hid his face after all. But, from the things I¡¯ve seen and the brief talk I had with him, I feel that he is a gentle person.¡¹ ¡¸A MYSTERIOUS SAVIOR WHO HIDES HIS FACE. NOW THAT¡¯S BIG NEWS!!¡¹ Nao joined Shirone in her excitement. ¡¸RIGHT!!!¡¹ Shirone and Nao smiled at each other. Nao had been unconscious when she and Chiyuki were saved by the mysterious pervert. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t get a chance to form an opinion on her savior. ¡¸You were also in there¡­ in the same situation as me, Nao-san.¡¹ Chiyuki rebuked Nao. In fact, Nao was in an even more dangerous situation than Chiyuki. That¡¯s why Chiyuki felt the need to remind her about how dangerous the situation was back then. ¡¸Well that¡¯s right, but I felt reassured when I found out that someone had saved us from the shadows; we absolutely must find that person.¡¹ Nao spoke with a curious tone. ¡¸Yeah, I have to thank him for saving you guys¡­¡¹ Reiji agreed with Nao. Though there were many misunderstandings about d*ckhead because of the bad rumors surrounding him, it didn¡¯t mean that he never offered his gratitude to those who helped him. The source of those bad rumors were mainly from the unpopular guys who were jealous of d*ckhead¡¯s luck with women. [EN: Translator-san, your hate is showing.][TL: I Know, can¡¯t be helped, this guy is just so annoying xp] Though some of those rumors were true, the majority of them were exaggerations while others were fake. However, the reason they spread so much was because d*ckhead himself hadn¡¯t even bothered to clarify them. In addition, some of those bad rumors were obvious slander as they claimed that Reiji had ¡°friends¡± of the same sex, but in reality, most of the men who approached him were actually just aiming for the girls around him, thus they were driven away by Reiji. If Chiyuki had to use animals for example, Reiji was a male lion surrounded by his harem. He wouldn¡¯t allow any male outside of the pack to approach his pack. Any outsider who dared approach would be bitten to death by him. ¡¸By the way, what happened to that dangerous masked man?¡¹ Sahoko asked anxiously. Chiyuki herself was curious about that part too. Though her savior seemed to have won the battle since the dark mist had dispersed, she had no idea what had happened to the masked man. ¡¸I honestly have no idea what happened to him.¡¹ Chiyuki shook her head. ¡¸Hey, Chiyuki-san, is that masked man actually the Demon King¡¯s underling?¡¹ Chiyuki nodded to Rino¡¯s question. ¡¸When I asked whether he was a Nargolian, he said yes.¡¹ ¡¸Then, he must be the Dark Knight¡¯s ally, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Why are you asking, Rino-san?¡¹ ¡ª What¡¯s Rino trying to say by asking those questions? ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ we came here to stop Dark Knight¡¯s plan, yet, strangely enough, we never even saw his figure this entire time.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right. That¡¯s strange indeed. Seriously, just what in the world is that guy trying to do?¡¹ Chiyuki tilted her head in confusion. ¡¸No need to think too deeply about that. We¡¯re going to kick his ass once he shows himself for making Chiyuki-san and Nao-chan go through such a dangerous experience!!¡¹ Shirone spoke with an enraged voice. ¡¸That¡¯s right, Shirone. Everyone, we¡¯ll beat him for sure this time!!¡¹ Reiji spoke with a strong timber in his voice. ¡¸Wait, Reiji-kun. I know it¡¯s dangerous to leave them to their own devices, but let¡¯s be more careful this time. Our lives were really on the line this time after all.¡¹ Just in case, Chiyuki made sure that they wouldn¡¯t make another blunder like this one. This time, they were going to fight together. It also seemed that finally, Chiyuki¡¯s opinion coincided with Reiji¡¯s this time. ¡¸Uhm, everyone. Dinner is ready.¡¹ As they were finishing their discussions, the door suddenly opened and Almina entered the room. Chiyuki and the others¡¯ attention headed towards Almina right away. Her dress was the first thing they noticed as it glaringly screamed ¡°I¡¯m going to seduce you, Reiji-sama!¡±. Her line of sight was also locked on Reiji. Her favorable impression towards Reiji, who had saved her yet again like a knight in shining armor, had literally shot through the roof. She couldn¡¯t help but send a feverish gaze towards Reiji. Chiyuki had seen this gaze many times before. ¡¸Let¡¯s go enjoy the banquet then.¡¹ Reiji finally broke the silence as he spoke. The Royal Palace had decided to hold a banquet to praise Reiji, who had saved this kingdom, and that banquet was held in a separate room. According to Almina, it seems that they had also prepared an even more wonderful thing to show their gratitude for their efforts in investigating the Striges¡¯ tower. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just a party involving them and the Royal Palace, but apparently, some citizens, who had cooperated with the Hero¡¯s party during the incident, were invited too. Chiyuki thought that this might be the best thing this kingdom could offer as their gratitude. Thus, she decided to just enjoy the banquet. ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Thus, they all followed Almina. Volume 2 - CH 27 Act 2 ¨C 27 : Leaving Rox Kingdom 2 White Scale restaurant was more deserted than usual, when they sat there it felt as if they had booked the entire restaurant for themselves. The Freedom Fighters, who often hung out in this place, were currently in the Royal Palace as they had been invited to the banquet. The banquet held by the royals was a very large scale one, so large that even the female employees, who usually helped out in the store, were invited to the Royal Palace to work there and receive some extra wage. This had left the restaurant owner to tend the restaurant by himself. In such a deserted place, one could easily find the figures of Kuroki and Renber. In front of them was served a small variety of snacks and liquor, different from the usual as only the simplest of snacks were available, no cooked or intricate ones in sight. It made sense to them though since all the food from various places was sent to the Royal Palace for the grand banquet. The ostentatious banquet that was arranged to praise the Hero who saved the kingdom was only getting started. The restaurant owner apologized profusely to Kuroki and Renber for the lack of the variety in his menu today. Kuroki was fine with that since, from the very beginning, he wasn¡¯t looking for a luxurious meal, just simple snacks and liquor was enough for them. ¡¸I¡­ can¡¯t do anything.¡¹ Rember, who sat right in front of Kuroki, spoke with a pained voice. He couldn¡¯t protect the woman he loved and had ended up losing her to Reiji. The worst thing was that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate Reiji since he knew for a fact that if it weren¡¯t for him, he and Almina would¡¯ve been killed by Orua; he had saved their lives. £¨Wow, I¡¯m speechless. How am I supposed to comfort him? I guess all I can do now is just listen to him.£© Kuroki looked up to the ceiling, at a loss for words. The current Renber couldn¡¯t do anything but curse his own weakness, but there was nothing Kuroki could do about it. He understood Rember¡¯s feeling though¡ªdeeply so¡ªhe had gone through the same thing back home. ¡¸So, what are you going to do after this, Renber-dono?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll quit my position as a knight.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹ Kuroki would choose the same option if he was in Renber¡¯s position right now. Reiji had stolen princess Almina¡¯s heart. The only way left for him to mend his broken heart was to leave his position and this kingdom since he knew that someone better than him had already occupied his fiancee¡¯s heart. ¡¸Traveling with Kuro-dono after I quit sounds like a good option to me¡­¡¹ Renber spoke as he looked at Kuroki. Despite only knowing him for a while, Renber knew that Kuroki was a great man, that¡¯s why he wanted to join him. Kuroki felt the same towards Renber, the knight before him was a great man. Though he couldn¡¯t take him on his journey, he knew that Renber would be fine even if he quit his stable job as a knight and became a Freedom Fighter. Though he was still inexperienced, it would only be a matter of time until he got the hang of it. Kuroki was not worried about him in the least, rather he was more worried about Rox Kingdom and what would happen to it after they lose someone as talented as Renber. A man like Renber was needed to maintain peace. Though he was less conspicuous, the everyday life of the whole of Rox Kingdom was protected by none other than Renber and his diligent work. Though it sounded like a boring and uninteresting life, one would only realize its true value once they lost it. Such a thing wasn¡¯t something that Reiji was capable of. Though Reiji shone brightly during emergencies, his brilliance was only limited to big catastrophes, without it, and during times of peace, his brilliance would only rot from the inside out¡ªthere would be no use for it whatsoever. In a way, Reiji was befitting to be hailed as a ¡°Hero¡±, heroes wouldn¡¯t shine unless there was an enemy, in this case a demon king, involved. ¡¸Journey, huh¡­ Well, I¡¯m going to leave this kingdom tomorrow morning, but we might meet each other again someday as long as we both keep on traveling.¡¹ ¡¸Once that happens, let¡¯s have a drink together again, Kuro-dono.¡¹ Renber started laughing, his gloom slowly vanishing. Kuroki felt relieved upon seeing him smile since it showed that he had regained his spirit a little bit. Seeing his comrade still guffawing and merrily drinking, Kuroki realized that Renber would strive to become an even better man now, rather than waste his time in lament. That was what Kuroki wished for him too. ¡¸Definitely, let¡¯s have a drink once we meet again.¡¹ Kuroki happily toasted Renber. He had no idea where he would meet him in the future, but he wished that fortune would allow them to meet again later. ¡ôRox Kingdom¡¯s Freedom Fighter, Gallios ¡¸Good grief, what the hell is that¡­ even though we did our best too.¡¹ Steros voiced his complaints as he stared at a particular spot. At the end of his line of sight was the figure of the Hero, surrounded by so many women. Due to their efforts during the incident, Gallios and the other Freedom Fighters had also been invited by the Royal Palace. As a way to reward the fighter, the Royal Palace had also invited young women from the kingdom to the banquet so they could give their gratitude to those who fought during the incident. Young Freedom Fighters, such as Steros, had come to enjoy such an event, but since they had gotten here those young women had only been interested in the Hero, not even sparing them a glance. So the men ended up huddling up in a corner near the food and liquor, trying to entertain themselves¡­ and trying really hard not to be jealous. ¡¸Well, Reiji-sama is a special case after all.¡¹ ¡¸But still¡­ Gallios-san¡­¡¹ Steros voiced his complaints to Gallios once more. He still felt the situation to be unfair, it felt like they were being discriminated against for not having Godly powers. "" It was at that moment that a girl approached their group. ¡¸Shirone-sama!!¡¹ Steros¡¯ gloomy face turned bright the moment he saw Shirone¡¯s figure, it was none other than the Hero¡¯s comrade who came to them, it felt like an honor. ¡¸Thank you for today, everyone.¡¹ The young Freedom Fighters¡¯ dissatisfaction vanished upon seeing Shirone¡¯s smile. They raised a cheer upon seeing the coming of a flower in the midst of a hellish sausage party. [EN: I know I should make this sound more ¡°posh¡± as an editor, but I love translator-san¡¯s phrasing (? ??) ] ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t you stay by Hero-sama¡¯s side, Shirone-sama?¡¹ Gallios approached Shirone while asking in bewilderment. The Hero was currently surrounded by many beautiful young women. Gallios looked worrily at Shirone as his eyes clearly tried to transmit ¨C (Aren¡¯t you worried that he might cheat on you?) ¡¸It¡¯s okay since there are other beautiful girls by Reiji-kun¡¯s side.¡¹ Shirone spoke as if she didn¡¯t care at all. ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹ Gallios felt that something was off about what she said. If the women around the Hero decided to scatter themselves, their next target would definitely be Steros and the other young Freedom Fighters since, notwithstanding Reiji, they were very desirable men. The woman before them, on the other hand, was a special case. She was different from normal girls, she was a flower on a cliff, unattainable no matter how much Steros and co tried to reach her. They absolutely couldn¡¯t get Shirone, that¡¯s why Gallios would be happy if they ended up with one of those other girls. £¨This girl doesn¡¯t seem to care even if there are many women clammerig at the Hero. Maybe that just shows her caliber as the one hailed as the Hero¡¯s wife. If it was me, if I ever acted as a hero, I¡¯m afraid that Peneroa would chase me down with a kitchen knife in hand.£© Imagining how his wife would act if he was in a similar situation, Gallios couldn¡¯t help but tremble in fear. ¡¸Uhm, Shirone-sama¡­ may I have a bit of your time?¡¹ Someone suddenly interrupted Gallios and Shirone¡¯s conversation. ¡¸You¡¯re¡­ Nimri-san right, sure what is it?¡¹ Nimri nodded to Shirone. ¡¸It¡¯s regarding what the Black Haired Sage said before¡­ It¡¯s been on my mind¡¹ ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡¯s words? Uhm, could you elaborate?¡¹ ¡¸About the man who saved the Black Haired Sage, I¡­ I feel that it might be Kuro-dono who saved her.¡¹ Gallios finally noticed that Nimri was talking about Kuro. Before the start of this banquet, the Black Haired Sage had mentioned someone. She had said that he contributed the most in this battle, even more than the Hero himself. Gallios couldn¡¯t help but recall the matter with Kuro upon hearing Nimri¡¯s speculation. £¨At that time, Kuro parted ways with us, saying that he would stop the source of the dark mist. Since the dark mist did stop, Kuro definitely succeded.£© Gallios felt deep gratitude towards Kuro despite him not participating in the fight. ¡¸Kuro?¡¹ Shirone tilted her head. It seems she had already forgotten Kuro¡¯s existence despite his participation in the tower¡¯s inspection. Gallios and Nimri then told her more about Kuro. ¡¸U~hn. I can¡¯t say for sure since I¡¯ve never met the person who actually saved us after this incident. I¡¯ll try to ask Chiyuki-san later.¡¹ ¡¸Please do so, Shirone-sama. We honestly believe that we were saved by Kuro-dono. And it feels wrong for the person with the biggest contribution to not praised.¡¹ ¡¸I also sincerely wish for the same, Shirone-sama. Though Kuro seems like the kind of person who hates standing out amongst the crowd, personally, I think that he deserves such praise.¡¹ Both Nimri and Gallios bowed their heads as they made such a request to Shirone. ¡ô Chiyuki was in a really bad mood right now. She couldn¡¯t take a break since the nobles of this kingdom kept coming to her one after the other. It was a duty that always got relegated to Chiyuki. Properly speaking, it should be Reiji¡¯s duty, but since the person himself was always surrounded by many women, no men could get close to him. Chiyuki felt more and more irritated as she saw Reiji¡¯s situation. She wanted nothing more than to get away from the long and winding talks with the old men. ¡¸Uhm, Chiyuki-san, can I have a bit of your time¡­¡¹ Shirone, who should¡¯ve been with the Freedom Fighters, was calling out to her. £¨THANK YOU, SHIRONE-SAN!!£© Chiyuki praised Shirone in her heart. ¡¸My apologies. I shall excuse myself for a moment¡­¡¹ Chiyuki used Shirone as an excuse to get away from the old men. ¡¸Thanks Shirone-san. So, what¡¯s the matter?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s something I¡¯m worrying about¡­¡¹ Shirone then retold everything to Chiyuki, that, according to Gallios, the one who saved Chiyuki in the underground passage might be one of the Freedom Fighters, Kuro. ¡¸This is just a hunch, but you see¡­ he couldn¡¯t even withstand the Strigoi¡¯s magic.¡¹ ¡¸Sure enough, the masked man is definitely far more powerful than a Strigoi. Saying that the man called Kuro defeated the masked man when he can¡¯t even resist a strigoi¡¯s magic is definitely a strange story indeed. Fine then, did Gallios tell you where that man Kuro is staying? We¡¯ll go visit him tomorrow morning.¡¹ Chiyuki couldn¡¯t tell whether her savior was really the man called Kuro or not. But, she got the feeling that she would understand once she met him. £¨I can¡¯t even imagine what would have happened to this kingdom and us if not for him. The one who deserves the most praise right now isn¡¯t Reiji-kun, but him. If he really is the man called Kuro, then this kingdom must thank him again. The same goes for us. I wonder what he¡¯s doing right now?£© Chiyuki thought her savior who hid his face. ¡ô ¡¸Dwi~nk with me~ Kuro-donyo~~¡¹ Renber was already dead drunk. Kuroki wondered how things had turned out this way. ¡¸Renber-dono¡­ I think it¡¯s about the time you stop drinking¡­¡¹ ¡¸NAY! I¡¯VE YET TO HAVE MY FILL! DRINK WITH ME TOO, KURO-DONO!¡¹ Though he was already dead drunk, Renber was still insisting on drinking more liquor. Kuroki, on the other hand, hadn¡¯t drunk even a single drop of liquor no matter what Renber said. It didn¡¯t mean that Kuroki had no drinking experience, his seniors in Akamine¡¯s dojo would always bring him to their drinking parties. He had tried beer and liquor before, but he ended up never getting drunk and only experiencing the hangovers. Since then, he had decided to never drink liquor again. The already drunk Renber was trying to get Kuroki drunk with him too. ¡¸He¡¯s definitely smashed. What should I do now¡­¡¹ Kuroki really wanted to cry right now. Thus, Renber kept drinking until late at night. ¡ô The next morning, Kuroki, dressed in traveling clothes, told the Gallios¡¯ couple that he would go and continue his journey. ¡¸I see, you¡¯re going to leave, huh¡­¡¹ Gallios spoke with a reluctant look on his face. Yesterday, both Kuroki and Gallios returned late at night. Thus, Kuroki had only managed to tell Gallios that he was leaving very late. Though the Gallios¡¯ couple had managed to hold him back from leaving last night since they were worried about his safety, he still ended up departing the next morning. ¡¸My apologies, but I¡¯ve to depart now due to an urgent business¡­¡¹ Kuroki looked at the mountain as he spoke, it was the residence of the Holy Dragon which could be seen from Rox Kingdom. ¡¸Thank you for looking after Renber last night¡­¡¹ Peneroa thanked Kuroki. Renber was dead drunk last night, and Kuroki ended up bringing him back to Gallios¡¯ house since he didn¡¯t know where Renber lived. The person in question was still sleeping in the guest house right now. Kuroki wished that Renber would meet an even better woman. ¡¸Come again, Kuro!!¡¹ Kuroki nodded to Gallios.. £¨Let¡¯s come back again in the future.£© Kuroki departed from Rox Kingdom thinking so. ¡ô ¡¸He left first thing in the morning?!¡¹ Chiyuki was told when she visited Gallios¡¯ house. It seems she was a step too late. She couldn¡¯t blame Gallios either since she never told him that she would visit his house in the morning to meet Kuro. Worst of all, the man called Kuro hadn¡¯t told Gallios about his next destination. "" ¡¸What should we do, Chiyuki-sama?¡¹ Kaya, who had accompanied Chiyuki, asked. The reason she had asked Kaya to accompany her was because she wanted her to confirm Kuro¡¯s identity as the pervert who groped Kyouka¡¯s br*ast back in theHoly Republic of Lenaria, and came out unscathed. ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s go back. We¡¯ll go meet him once he returns to this kingdom, we have to give up right now.¡¹ It happened the moment Chiyuki finished her sentence. The bag strapped on her waist began to ring. Upon opening the bag, she found out that the sound was coming from the bell entrusted by Rena to her. ¡¸No way¡­ the Dark Knight.¡¹ Chiyuki then looked at the mountain, residence of the Holy Dragon. That bell was the signal for the Dark Knight¡¯s arrival. Volume 2 - CH 28 Chapter 28 : The Holy Dragon King of Silver Kuroki descended from Glorious, entering the cave on the side of the mountain, the nest of the Holy Dragon King of Silver. The nest was enormous, so big that even Glorious, with his huge frame, could go inside and the cave would still feel spacious. Currently, Kuroki was donned in his Dark Knight attire, armed to a T. It was his anticipation for the battle that might unfold. To be fair, if he had to battle the dragon, he would make his escape immediately. He already was against forcibly snatching the horn from this great dragon. All he wanted was to peacefully negotiate with the Dragon King and then peacefully take the horn. Taking a deep breath, Kuroki advanced in the huge, deep, and dark cave, Glorious in tow. After walking for a while, he found himself in an expansive space that was as bright as the outside he had just left, even though it was devoid of any access to natural sunlight. Numerous crystals were scattered along the walls of the cave, surrounding the space with hundreds and thousands of glittering lights. They all shone brightly towards the middle of the space where lay a figure of a dragon. When Kuroki¡¯s eyes rested on the slumbering dragon, he knew right away that this was the Holy Dragon King; no other dragon he had seen could compare to his massive and intimidating size as well as his splendour and beauty, not even Glorious. Different from other dragons, the Holy Dragon King¡¯s scales were covered by silvery smooth locks of hair, every single strand shining brightly. It was no wonder people called the dragon the Holy Dragon King of Silver, it was really as if someone had plated the beast¡¯s whole body with real ores of silver. Kuroki found himself rooted on the spot, the scene in front of him was the most mesmerizing thing he¡¯d ever seen, it didn¡¯t help that the glorious beast¡¯s silver body reflected every spec of light the crystals emitted¡ªit was simply too fantastic. Noticing his ardent gaze, the Holy Dragon King turned his head towards Kuroki, laying his sapphire blue eyes on his black clad figure. Kuroki didn¡¯t feel hostile intent from the Dragon King, rather the dragon gave him an appreciating and gentle look. ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting, Dark Knight. I was told you¡¯d arrive some time ago.¡¹ The Holy Dragon King greeted Kuroki as if he already knew about his arrival for a while. £¨Was he expecting my arrival? How? Does he have some sort of precognitive power.£© Kuroki tilted his head, puzzled by the situation. ¡¸Modes had already told me you¡¯d come.¡¹ An unexpected remark came out of the Holy Dragon King. ¡¸You¡¯re in contact with Modes?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we¡¯ve known each other for a while now. Anyway, this horn has grown too long and is rather troublesome. Since it¡¯s you, I can expect that you¡¯ll trim it beautifully, no?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yesh¡­¡¹ Kuroki heaved a sigh upon hearing the Holy Dragon King¡¯s remark. Even though he came armed for a battle, the reality was rather anticlimactic. However, he was still really glad since this situation was the best outcome for him. £¨Come to think of it, Modes did tell me to come and cut the horn, he never said to cut the dragon.£© It was simply a misunderstanding on Kuroki¡¯s part. In short, it was just another simple mission. After apologizing to Modes in his heart for expecting the worst from him, Kuroki looked at the Holy Dragon King¡¯s head. His horn was a splendid and beautiful one, transparent like the crystals in the cave. However, due to his giant frame, the breathtaking horn ended up colliding against the ceiling. Seeing that, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but agree with the Holy Dragon King¡ªthat horn was really troublesome right now. ¡¸If possible, please cut it with a single stroke from the inner side to the outer side. And, since it¡¯ll reach the same length around 5,000 years later, I¡¯ll be asking for your help when the time comes.¡¹ Though Kuroki had no idea whether it was possible for him to do that 5,000 years later, he still agreed to help the Holy Dragon King again. ¡¸I understand. Leave it to me.¡¹ A few minutes later. After Kuroki trimmed the Holy Dragon King¡¯s horn, he strapped the horn on Glorious¡¯ back with a rope. Glorious¡¯ body lightly trembled at the sheer weight it was now carrying. ¡¸Sorry, Glorious. Please bear with it for a while.¡¹ Kuroki felt sorry for placing such a heavy burden on Glorious¡¯ back. The horn was so huge that it couldn¡¯t be sent to Nargol with a transfer magic circle. But, it wasn¡¯t too oversized to the point that Glorious couldn¡¯t have it on his back along with Kuroki. That¡¯s why Kuroki had no choice but to bring it back to Nargol on his dragon. ¡¸Yup, That feels better.¡¹ The Holy Dragon King thanked Kuroki. ¡¸It¡¯s me who should say thank you. Thank you very much, Holy Dragon King of Silver.¡¹ Kuroki bowed his head again to the Holy Dragon King. ¡¸Uuhm¡­¡¹ The Holy Dragon King stared silently at the bowing Kuroki. ¡¸Is there¡­ something on my face?¡¹ ¡¸As I thought, I can feel the power of a dragon in you. I can smell a really nice scent from you.¡¹ The Holy Dragon King brought his nose closer to Kuroki. Kuroki got slightly bewildered, yet happy, when the Dragon King¡¯s nose caressed him. Seeing that, Glorious also came closer to him to do the same. The Holy Dragon King smiled upon witnessing that. ¡¸I¡¯ve always been keeping an eye on you ever since you came to this land you know.¡¹ Kuroki was really surprised upon hearing the Holy Dragon King¡¯s remark because it would be really conspicuous if such a giant dragon appeared in the vicinity of Rox Kingdom. ¡¸I have a clairvoyant eye, you see. I can see far away places with that power. Naturally, you won¡¯t be able to notice my surveillance on you since I¡¯m not hostile to you.¡¹ The Holy Dragon King, who saw through Kuroki¡¯s thoughts, stated. ¡¸Aside from you, I¡¯ve also been observing the Hero and his companions. As expected, the short-haired girl noticed my eyes right away.¡¹ ¡¸I-Is that so?¡¹ Kuroki was really surprised since he never expected the Holy Dragon King to go this far. He then realized that the short-haired girl the Dragon King mentioned was none other than Todoroki Naomi. It seems her perception power was far higher than Kuroki. ¡¸That¡¯s why I saw what happened to that kingdom too. Zarxis¡¯s thread can even bind Gods. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help the kingdom back then.¡¹ ¡¸Do you know Zarxis?¡¹ ¡¸Naturally. Well, I guess it¡¯s better for you to ask Modes if you want to know more about him. They¡¯re former comrades after all.¡¹ ¡¸Former¡­ comrades?!¡¹ Upon hearing the Holy Dragon King¡¯s remark, Kuroki recalled the moment when Zarxis called Modes a traitor. ¡¸In addition, I also want to express my gratitude to you in regards to that event in Rox Kingdom. You¡¯re the one who repelled Zarxis and foiled his plan, right? Sorry, I couldn¡¯t see the situation over there due to Zarxis¡¯ barrier. That kingdom has a history with me you see. Thank you very much for protecting it, Dark Knight.¡¹ ¡¸No, I was just protecting¡­ someone important to me.¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but blush upon receiving such praise and words of gratitude from the Holy Dragon King. ¡¸I never expected you to help the Hero when facing a common enemy, are you going to do the same in the future too?¡¹ ¡¸No, working together with him is a bit¡­¡¹ Kuroki denied the Holy Dragon King. The matter of him resolving Rox Kingdom¡¯s crisis was only a coincidence, he had no intention of working with Reiji and co. ¡¸Well the choice is yours I guess, it won¡¯t change the relationship between Modes and Rena anyway. Good job on keeping your neutral standing.¡¹ Kuroki heard about this matter before from Modes. The dragon race apparently kept their neutrality in the conflict between Modes and Rena. ¡¸Moreover, I can feel the existence of a dragon¡¯s soul in you. Maybe you also released the dragon soul Zarxis had caught.¡¹ ¡¸Amazing. You actually recognized the dragon¡¯s soul¡­¡¹ ¡¸Dark Knight, you should know that although my horn had already grown too long, at first, I had hesitated to give you my horn. But after observing you for the last few days, my hesitation vanished, I now know that you are the right person to receive my horn.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ ¡¸That horn will make a fine Goddess. It seems you¡¯re similar to Modes in terms of not being blessed with a female companion.¡¹ Kuroki almost retorted that it was none of his concern, but held back in the last second along with his tears. £¨But with this, I can make a Goddess for myself. I guess I should thank the Holy Dragon King in that regard.£© Kuroki caressed the horn. The horn¡¯s shine was far more beautiful than the crystals in this room. ¡¸Thank you very much, Holy Dragon King. I¡¯ll come again for a visit with my Goddess once she¡¯s born.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll be waiting for you, O young man with dragon power.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Let¡¯s go, Glorious.¡¹ After bowing to the Holy Dragon King, Kuroki and Glorious walked back towards the entrance of the cave. Things were going to get really busy once he returned to Nargol. Kuroki walked while pondering about what to do. Suddenly, upon arriving at the entrance, he felt a tremendous magical power along with several hostile eyes. ¡¸This is¡­. FU*CK!!!¡¹ Kuroki signalled Glorious to stop as he invoked his magic. Black Hole magic. It was a spell that created a hole in the space around him, swallowing the enemies attacks. Kuroki loaded a tremendous amount of mana into this magic, creating a giant black hole in the space in front of him. The moment his magic was complete, a torrent of light made a beeline towards him. He was only faster by a hairbreadth. The torrent of light got swallowed by the black hole and vanished. Kuroki remembered this peculiar magic. It was the light magic Reiji had used last night. He would¡¯ve been annihilated in an instant had he chosen to use normal defence magic. Kuroki only managed to deal with it since he saw that magic before. ¡¸Glorious. Wait right there.¡¹ Kuroki ordered Glorious to wait for him near the entrance and left the cave by himself. And as he expected, the one waiting for him a little bit away from the cave entrance was none other than Reiji and the others. There were seven of them. All of them had come to face him except for Reiji¡¯s little sister Kyouka. Naturally, Shirone was also there amongst them. Kuroki had no idea why they were in this place. That¡¯s why he was completely taken by surprise. ¡¸Dark Knight!¡¹ The black-haired girl, Mizuouji Chiyuki shouted his name. ¡¸I have to say that you¡¯re strong. None of us should be able to beat you in a one on one fight. But, I wonder what would happen if all of us attacked together?¡¹ After Mizuouji Chiyuki said so, Reiji and co readied their weapons. £¨WHAT THE HELL¨D¨D¨D!!£© Kuroki screamed inside, his head couldn¡¯t catch up with the situation. Volume 2 - CH 29 Chapter 29 : Battle to Death in Holy Dragon Mountain 1 Leaving behind Kyouka, who couldn¡¯t fight, the rest of them were now heading towards the Holy Dragon King¡¯s mountain. Since the Dark Knight was about to leave, he should¡¯ve already met with the Holy Dragon King; they needed to catch him before he left. ¡¸Hey, D*ckhead-kun! Don¡¯t just suddenly use your Light Cannon spell!¡¹ Chiyuki scolded Reiji. He had suddenly used his Light Cannon of Heavenly Might magic as soon as they had arrived at the entrance of the Holy Dragon king¡¯s nest, subsequently alerting the enemy of their arrival. ¡¸It¡¯s okay Chiyuki, he¡¯s not the kind of guy who would go down with just this¡­ He most definitely defended himself from that attack. He¡¯s not the kind of opponent I can afford to take it easy with.¡¹ Reiji¡¯s eyes were looking straight at the entrance of the cave. There, the Dark Knight¡¯s figure stood behind the billowing smoke, which was swirling at the cave¡¯s entrance, completely unscathed. Yes, completely unscathed. ¡¸N-No way¡­ defending against Rei-kun¡¯s magic shouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡¹ Sahoko covered her mouth in surprise upon seeing the seemingly impossible scene. The same went for Chiyuki and the other girls. They knew how powerful Reiji¡¯s magic was, so the fact that the Dark Knight could defend against it was a reminder of how powerful the Dark Knight was. £¨Since the Dark Knight has already come out of the Holy Dragon King¡¯s nest, he must¡¯ve already snatched the horn. Just what in the world is Rena doing right now.£© Rena, who was the initiator of this plan and was trying to trap the Dark Knight, ended up never contacting Chiyuki and the others about the details they needed to defeat him. Because she hadn¡¯t contacted them until now, they all assumed the worst and thought that she had met with an accident; that would be the only reasonable explanation for her absent communication. They finally realized that they were on their own. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry everyone! We can beat him as long as we work together! That monster tried to kill the citizens of Rox Kingdom! We will never win the battle against Nargol unless we beat him right here!¡¹ Reiji roared a short inspiring speech, encouraging his comrades. They on the other hand vehemently nodded to his words. £¨It¡¯s just as Reiji-kun just said. At first, I was hesitant about fighting the Dark Knight, but everything is different now. His faction tried to kill everyone in Rox Kingdom. He¡¯s an extremely dangerous person that we need to get rid of.£© Though she had made sure that they proceeded with caution up until now, this time wasn¡¯t a time to hesitate. Chiyuki was determined to defeat the Dark Knight with everything she had. ¡¸Dark Knight, I have to say that you¡¯re definitely very strong, the strongest we¡¯ve faced if I may add. None of us should be able to beat you in a one-on-one fight. But, I wonder what would happen if all of us attacked you together?¡¹ Chiyuki threw the gauntlet of challenge towards the Dark Knight, her speech becoming the trigger for their inevitable upcoming battle. ¡¸O Wind Spirit, Lighten Everyone.¡¹ Chiyuki and co¡¯s bodies became lighter the moment Rino finished her aria. They could move even faster than usual with this spell. ¡¸O Holy Power, Bless Everyone.¡¹ Sahoko followed right after with her aria, making Chiyuki and the other¡¯s bodies get enveloped in white light. It was a light spell that would keep everyone in their top condition and keep healing them during a battle. The two of them had buffed their comrades before the battle. Chiyuki then added another buff to everyone. She enchanted everyone¡¯s weapon with magic, raising their firepower. The formation they had decided to use for this battle was their victory formation, Reiji being in the middle, Shirone and Kaya acting as vanguard, Nao acting as Reiji¡¯s support from the sides, and Chiyuki and Rino in the back as spellcaster along with Sahoko as the healer. Without the presence of the dark mist, they could all now release their true power. Nao was the first to attack with her ranged weapon, an oversized boomerang. Once she threw it, the boomerang split itself, creating air blades that flew in a rush towards the Dark Knight. However, the Dark Knight rendered these air blades useless with one swing of his sword, erasing them from existence, and struck down all of the boomerangs that came after. £¨As expected, he¡¯s strong! But, this isn¡¯t the end!£© Though the Dark Knight had struck down all the boomerangs, he had still shown an opening, an opportunity Reiji immediately used as he attacked the Dark Knight with his sword. Chiyuki knew that Nao and Reiji¡¯s attacks were synchronized. The Dark Knight who just swung his sword shouldn¡¯t be able to dodge that invincible combo. ¡¸¡­ EH!!¡¹ In the next second, Chiyuki couldn¡¯t fathom what had happened, all she saw was Reiji¡¯s attack slipping through the Dark Knight¡¯s body as if it was cutting his shadow instead of the person itself. Even Reiji was dumbfounded upon seeing that. ¡¸NO WAY!? HOW CAN HE DODGE THAT? ACCORDING TO SHIRONE-SAN AND KAYA-SAN, REIJI-KUN¡¯S ATTACKS SHOULD BE REALLY HARD TO READ AND DODGE!¡¹ Chiyuki couldn¡¯t believe the scene unfolding before her. The next one to attack was Shirone, who had already unfolded her wings, attacking from above. Her true strength couldn¡¯t be exhibited in her previous fight against the Dark Knight because they had been in an enclosed room. But now, since they were out in the open, she could completely showcase her strength, which should be even greater than before after endless training. Her sword that swept down from above approached the Dark Knight at an incredible pace. But, the Dark Knight simply shifted his body to dodge her attack. At that exact same moment, Kaya closed in from below with her gauntlets ready. As long as she manages to land a hit even if it didn¡¯t scratch the Dark Knight¡¯s armor, the impact of her attack would pass through the armor and damage the Dark Knight¡¯s body. But just as it happened with Reiji, the same ending repeated itself, Kaya¡¯s attack only hit the Dark Knight¡¯s shadow. ¡¸EVERYONE¨D¨D¨D! MOVE OUT¨D¨D¨D¨D!£¡¡¹ At Rino¡¯s call, the four close combat fighters moved away from the Dark Knight. Chiyuki turned towards Rino only to see a tall girl wearing a pale blue dress standing in front of her as another figure, a thunderbird cald in purple lightning, rose from next to her into the air¡ªthey were the superior spirits Snow Queen and Thunderbird. £¨As expected of Rino-san. Even if none of our physical attacks can touch him, what about the attacks from two high ranking spirits?£© Chiyuki looked at the two figures of the superior spirits. The number of people who could summon superior spirits was little, so little that even amongst the elves, who had high affinity with spirits, couldn¡¯t summon them as often. much less to say calling two of them at the same time. Not even the queen of the elves could achieve such a feat. But, Rino had proven that she could do that. ¡¸Please Superior Spirits! Please defeat that guy!!¡¹ As if abiding by Rino¡¯s request, the Snow Queen conjured an ice blizzard, while the Thunderbird released a thunderstorm. The next moment, Chiyuki and the others¡¯ field of vision got covered by a cloud of snow as thunderous blares resounded in the vicinity. A few seconds later, the cloud of snow cleared up, opening up the scene in front of them¡ªthe Dark Knight was still standing up. ¡¸What the hell is he?! Does that mean we can¡¯t hurt him even with such a powerful attack?!!¡¹ Chiyuki couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. ¡¸He dodged all of our attacks, huh. There¡¯s an anecdote I seem to recall of Miyamoto Musashi, he had received a request to slash a grain of rice placed on someone¡¯s forehead, the rule being that he couldn¡¯t slash anything but the grain of rice. The Dark Knight might be able to do that.¡¹ Kaya and the others regrouped with Chiyuki as Kaya explained her analysis. ¡¸What the heck is that?! Are you telling me that he can do that?! What can we do against him then?!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry Chiyuki-sama. Please take a look, he doesn¡¯t seem to be able to fend off Thunderbird¡¯s attacks.¡¹ ¡¸E¨C¡¹ Chiyuki then took a closer look at the Dark Knight. She detected that his body was slightly trembling. ¡¸ If I remember correctly, he¡¯s been passive since the start.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. We can defeat him as long as our attacks connect. If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s take our time and give him enough small wounds to defeat him. Then at the very end, you can cast a high level spell to finish him off.¡¹ Chiyuki laughed upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. £¨I was really scared back then in the underground passage. Even though it wasn¡¯t the Dark Knight specifically who did that to us, it¡¯s still the same since it was his comrade. I¡¯ll definitely pay him back for the fear he caused me yesterday!£© Chiyuki made such a resolution as she prepared her high level magic. ¡ô The superior spirits¡¯ magic were attacking Kuroki. His defensive magic hadn¡¯t made it in time to protect him from the cold wave and lightning damage. ¡¸Oh crap¡­ in many ways.¡¹ Kuroki looked at his opponents. Dodging Shirone¡¯s attack was easy. He used to see her doing the same thing so many times in the past back in the dojo. It was still the same pattern even when she could fly. Or rather, attacking from the air made it even easier for Kuroki to dodge her attack. The attack of the maid girl was sharp. But, for Kuroki who used to face his extremely terrifying master, the maid girl¡¯s attack looked like child¡¯s play. The problem was Reiji¡¯s attack. Reiji¡¯s attack was sharp enough to kill a person even back when they were still in Japan, and such an attack only got amplified upon coming to this world¡ªevery single one of his attacks were aiming for Kuroki¡¯s life. However, his attack pattern was predictable, one could even say that Kuroki manipulated Reiji to attack only the places he wanted him to attack. The basic pattern of Reiji¡¯s attacks was not attacking from the front, rather it was always an attack from his opponent¡¯s blindspot. It was an attack that greatly resembled that of a wild animal¡¯s. Such an attack shouldn¡¯t be possible with an ordinary human¡¯s prowess, but it was possible for Reiji, the blessed child. Thus, all Kuroki needed to manipulate Reiji¡¯s attacks was to move his line of sight, creating an obvious blindspot for Reiji to use. ¡¸GUH!¡¹ While Kuroki mused, another spirit spell swept down on him. £¨Crap, I have no way to protect myself from spirits¡¯ attacks. I might be able to prevent those spirits from reaching me by creating an enclosed wall, but doing that would expose me to Shirone and the others¡¯ attacks. What should I do now?£© Kuroki realized that he was slowly being cornered by his opponents. Creating an opening and then escaping from this place was the best choice for him right now. But, he couldn¡¯t escape with transfer magic since doing so would mean that he had to leave Glorious behind. It was then that Reiji and co commenced another set of attacks on Kuroki. Reiji aside, the fact that the girls around him were aiming for his life too dealt an even greater mental blow to Kuroki. He had truly never wanted to fight those girls. £¨Why have things turned out this way? No¡­ I think the reason was clear from the very beginning¡­£© Kuroki wanted to laugh at himself. Making an enemy of Reiji meant that you were making an enemy of the girls around him. This fact had never changed, whether he was back in Japan or in this world. This was the only natural result the moment Kuroki decided to fight Reiji. That was why no one had dared to make an enemy of Reiji back in Japan. In a certain way, Reiji was being protected by the girls. And those girls were currently standing by Reiji¡¯s side. It was an extremely disadvantageous situation for Kuroki. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t reveal his identity either since revealing it would make Shirone hate him. This had forced him to be on the defensive since the very start. £¨This mess happened thanks to my useless sense of rivalry. I¡¯m such a fool.£© Kuroki regretted his impulse back then when he had just been summoned to this world.His situation worsened the longer the fight went on. Defense aside, he should¡¯ve counterattacked like in any normal situation, but doing that meant that he had to hurt the girls, including Shirone, which made him keep hesitating during the fight. He realized that, slowly but surely, he was being cornered. Reiji and co¡¯s rear guard kept bombarding him with magic from their formation. Those magic attacks kept on chipping down Kuroki¡¯s stamina and strength while Reiji and his companions maintained their peak state thanks to their healer, Yoshino Sahoko. It was only a matter of time before they defeated Kuroki. And yet, Kuroki still hesitated to attack the girls. He felt like he was the biggest idiot in the world. The result of him worrying about hurting the girls was them killing him instead. ¡¸GUH!!¡¹ After getting hit by the superior spirits¡¯ magic so many times, Kuroki finally fell on his knees. ¡¸EVERYONE MOVE OUT!¡¹ When Reiji shouted, all the girls who attacked Kuroki retreated. ¡¸What the¡­¡¹ Kuroki had no idea why Reiji and the others suddenly retreated. However, he didn¡¯t have any time to think about it as a second later he was met with a giant, scorching red ball coming towards him, which Mizuoji Chiyuki had created. He wondered when she had the time to create such a thing as he felt a tremendous amount of mana oozing out of it. ¡¸THIS IS MAGIC CREATED BY COMPRESSING DOZENS OF FLAME AND EXPLOSION SPELLS INTO ONE SINGLE FORM! THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR EVIL DEEDS, DARK KNIGHT! THIS IS MY MAXIMUM, SUPER-POWERFUL, ROARING FLAME EXPLOSION MAGIC!!¡¹ Chiyuki shouted to Kuroki as her magic flew towards him. £¨OH SHI*T! THAT MAGIC IS DEFINITELY BAD NEWS! NORMAL DEFENSE MAGIC WON¡¯T BE ABLE TO STOP IT!£© Kuroki felt the danger of Chiyuki¡¯s magic by instinct. But, he couldn¡¯t dodge that since Glorious was right behind him. Left with no other choice, Kuroki released as much mana as possible to form a defensive barrier. £¨I have to protect Glorious first!£© The moment Kuroki made a snap decision and formed a defensive barrier to protect Glorious, Chiyuki¡¯s magic had already crashed down on him. And then, a giant energy storm formed right in front of the cave. Volume 2 - CH 30 Act 2 ¨C 30 : Battle to the Death in Holy Dragon Mountain 1 The entrance to the Holy Dragon King¡¯s cave was enveloped by thick smoke because of Chiyuki¡¯s magic. ¡¸Did we kill him¡­? I really want to believe that.¡¹ The magic Chiyuki had released a second ago was her most destructive magic. The only problem was that there was a risk of destroying the Holy Dragon King¡¯s cave. However, Chiyuki had put her bet on the Dark Knight¡¯s defense magic and hoped that it would leave the dragon¡¯s cave unscathed. All her hope was on the Dark Knight receiving the full brunt of her explosion magic. Luckily, she was spot on. Even though her magic was strong enough to annihilate the entire mountain, after the smoke had vanished, she could see that the mountain was unharmed. She could now confirm that the spell had hit the Dark Knight. ¡¸Well you can say that at the end of his life, the villain ended up doing a good deed. Such a praiseworthy villain.¡¹ ¡¸As expected of Chiyuki-san.¡¹ Chiyuki laughed in glee as Nao rushed up to her. ¡¸Thanks, but it wasn¡¯t just because of my power. This result is thanks to all of us working together.¡¹ The spell Chiyuki decided to cast was one that required a really long time to prepare, she was in constant risk of becoming the enemy¡¯s target during the preparation. Therefore, it was Reiji and the others¡¯ job to distract the Dark Knight enough, preventing him from interrupting her aria. ¡¸Thanks, Spirit-san.¡¹ Rino unsummoned the spirits once she confirmed that they had won the battle. The Snow Queen and the Thunderbird then vanished. ¡¸And that¡¯s the end of him. I wanted to beat him with my own hands though.¡¹ Shirone spoke with a rather disappointed tone. ¡¸I understand, Shirone. He dealt me a deadly wound after all.¡¹ Reiji spoke while looking at the cave¡¯s entrance, where the Dark Knight had met his end. They couldn¡¯t see his figure due to the smoke and dust caused by the explosion. But, Reiji judged that there was no way the Dark Knight could come out of this attack alive. The dust and smoke gradually diminished and they could finally see the entrance of the cave. ¡¸NO WAY!!¡¹ Nao shouted with a look of disbelief on her face, she was the first one to witness such an unbelievable scene. The Dark Knight was standing right there, unaffected by Chiyuki¡¯s magic. ¡¸I-IMPOSSIBLE!! I DEPLETED MY ENTIRE MANA INTO THAT SINGLE ATTACK! THERE¡¯S NO WAY HE CAN WITHSTAND IT AND COME OUT UNSCATHED!¡¹ ¡¸He survived after being on the receiving end of such terrifying magic¡­¡¹ Both Chiyuki and Sahoko couldn¡¯t hide their shock. ¡¸No, look closely, it seems to survive that explosion took everything he had.¡¹ Kaya, the calmest amongst them, stated as she pointed at the Dark Knight. Following her words, Chiyuki used magic to take a closer look at the Dark Knight. She found that his armour was completely ruined while his helmet had a crack. It was then that she noticed that the Dark Knight was propping himself up with his sword¡ªhe had barely survived her attack. ¡¸Huhm! It seems he isn¡¯t completely unharmed! This is definitely the end!!¡¹ Reiji pointed his sword towards the Dark Knight and opened his mouth. ¡¸DARK KNIGHT! YOU¡¯RE STRONG! FAR STRONGER THAN ME!! BUT, YOU DON¡¯T HAVE WHAT I HAVE!! YES, YOU DON¡¯T HAVE THE GODDESS OF VICTORY ON YOUR SIDE!!!¡¹ Reiji then looked at Chiyuki and the other girls with pride written all over his face. ¡¸Rei-kun¡­¡¹ ¡¸Reiji-san¡­¡¹ Sahoko and Rino looked at di*khead with moist eyes, deeply moved by his remark, while Nao and Shirone smiled shyly and Kaya, as usual, was expressionless. Chiyuki, on the other hand, sent di*khead an icy glare that could send a chill down anyone¡¯s spine. She couldn¡¯t belive how he had spouted such idiotic nonsense without batting an eye. £¨Well, should I feel grateful that he¡¯s at least keeping his promise and not acting rashly? We won since he kept his promise after all.£© After confirming their victory, Chiyuki heaved a deep sigh as she looked at Reiji. ¡¸HERE, I HAVE GODDESSES WHO WILL SAVE ME NO MATTER WHAT! THAT¡¯S WHY I HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL THE FOE I FIGHT! IN THE END, I AM THE LAST WINNER!¡¹ After his exclamation, Reiji¡¯s sword shone brightly. He was now intending to kill the Dark Knight. ¡¸NOW, THIS IS THE END, DARK KNIGHT! BEGONE WITH MY SWORD OF LIGHT!!¡¹ ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE, REIJI-KUN!!¡¹ Chiyuki stopped Reiji when he was about to walk and finish off the Dark Knight. ¡¸What¡¯s up, Chiyuki?¡¹ Reiji turned his face, seemingly dissatisfied. That was natural since she stopped him from doing what he always wanted to do. ¡¸Yeah, what¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki-san. Are you planning on saving him?¡¹ ¡¸Rino-chan is right! He¡¯s dangerous! Why do you want to save him after we painstakingly managed to beat him?!¡¹ ¡¸I have no intention to save him, Shirone-san. There¡¯s something that I want to ask him.¡¹ ¡¸Something to ask?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, about that masked guy. That¡¯s why we cannot kill him yet.¡¹ Chiyuki recalled the masked man she met in the underground passage; she wanted to ask the Dark Knight of her savior¡¯s identity and whether he was still alive. ¡¸Well if you say so, I guess it really can¡¯t be helped¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right.¡¹ Shirone and Rino finally agreed with Chiyuki. ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, we don¡¯t need to heal him for the interrogation.¡¹ Reiji was laughing since he intended to torture the Dark Knight if he didn¡¯t speak. ¡¸Do it moderately¡­ you¡¯re in front of girls after all.¡¹ Even though, after a year, Chiyuki had been more or less getting used to the way of this world, she still couldn¡¯t bear to see torture, even if the target was a monster. It would end up differently if he confessed willingly. Thus, Chiyuki and co walked towards the Dark Knight while laughing with each other. ¡ô Kuroki, who was just barely staying conscious, heard Reiji¡¯s remark. £¨He¡¯s right. There¡¯s no Goddess by my side to save me. This might be the biggest difference between Reiji and me.£© Kuroki saw an unsurpassable wall between him and Reiji. In the first place, he was fighting along against seven of them, truthfully, it was an unfair fight. But, there was no use thinking about it even if he just realized that now. £¨The last spell was really dangerous. It¡¯s a miracle that I survived the full brunt of it.£© Kuroki placed his hand on his chest. In there, he felt the breath of the fire dragon. ¡¸Thank you¡­ you saved my life¡­ But¡­ I can¡¯t fight¡­ anymore.¡¹ Kuroki muttered to his savior. It was thanks to the Fire Dragon¡¯s flame resistance that Kuroki could withstood the terrifying heat of the explosion. It was the only reason he survived. However, this didn¡¯t mean that he was spared from the shockwave of the explosion; it had heavily damaged his armor. In the end, he barely managed to prop himself with his sword. When he raised his face, he saw Reiji and the girls approaching him, all laughing together. £¨They seems to be really happy after defeating me¡­£© Kuroki knew he couldn¡¯t stay like this, but he couldn¡¯t even move his body right now. £¨Oh whatever. They might even forgive me if I reveal my identity and apologize to them properly. Yet¡­ my pride won¡¯t allow it. I¡¯m really such an idiot.£© "" Kuroki knew that behind him Glorious was ready to leap up anytime to protect him. ¡¸Glorious, stop¡­ don¡¯t reveal yourself in front of them.¡¹ He knew that Glorious would be safe as long as he stayed hidden like that. Kuroki staggered back and shook his head to get a grip on himself. ¡¸Ah¡­¡¹ By the time he realized his mistake, it was already too late. Because the moment he shook his head, his already tattered helmet broke, and fell on the ground. ¡ô The helmet of the Dark Knight broke and fell on the ground right in front of Chiyuki. It was at that moment that the face hidden behind the helmet finally got exposed. ¡¸A¡­ human.¡¹ Chiyuki received a great shock upon discovering the Dark Knight¡¯s identity. Because she was under the impression that the face beneath that helmet was that of a monster. And yet, reality showed that the Dark Knight¡¯s face was neither that of a monster or demon, it was the face of a normal human. The young man before her had a slender face and black hair, there was a tinge of red on his pale face. ¡¸AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!¡¹ Suddenly, Rino screamed while pointing at the Dark Knight. ¡¸Is something the matter Rino-san?!!¡¹ ¡¸CHIYUKI-SAN! I-I¡¯VE MET THAT MAN BEFORE!!¡¹ Rino was referring to the Dark Knight. ¡¸K-¡­ Kuroki¡­?!¡¹ Shirone muttered his name in disbelief. Hearing her identify him, everyone turned and looked at her, surprised. ¡¸W-WHY ARE YOU IN THIS WORLD TOO¨D¨D¨D?!!£¡¡¹ Shirone shouted at Kuroki. ¡¸T-THAT¡¯S IT!! HE¡¯S SHIRONE-SAN¡¯S CHILDHOOD FRIEND!!!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!£¡¡¹¡¹ Chiyuki and Nao couldn¡¯t hide their shock upon hearing Rino¡¯s remark. £¨Come to think of it, Rino did say that she saw Shirone¡¯s childhood friend before. And Shirone herself already confirmed that the Dark Knight¡¯s identity is truly her childhood friend, So that¡¯s him huh? I wonder what he¡¯s doing in this world?£© Chiyuki was really confused right now. ¡¸Why is Shirone¡¯s childhood friend in this place?¡¹ Reiji suddenly raised the question in everyone¡¯s mind. At that, Chiyuki took a closer look at Shirone¡¯s childhood friend. His pale face was already as white as paper, as if he was about to collapse any moment now.. ¡¸HE FELL!!¡¹ Rino screamed. At that exact moment, Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, the Dark Knight¡¯s body, shook, and then collapsed in front of them. ¡¸WHA, KUROKI!!!¡¹ Shirone was about to rush towards the Dark Knight when a giant shadow leaped from the cave and got to him faster than Shirone. ¡¸EH, A DRAGON?!!¡¹ Chiyuki screamed upon seeing the shadow¡¯s figure. The thing that leapt out of the cave was a jet-black dragon. In just a moment, the dragon picked up the Dark Knight, placed him on its back, and flew away at an unbelievable speed. Chiyuki and co were frozen on the spot upon seeing such a baffling scene. ¡¸EH, WHA¡­ WHAT JUST HAPPENED¨D¨D¨D¨D?!!¡¹ Shirone roared in bafflement. Her companions were no less shocked at the revelation and scenes they had just witnessed. By the time they snapped out of their confusion, the dragon had already become a speck in the sky. Chiyuki couldn¡¯t do anything but to look as the shadow of the dragon vanished in the horizon. Later on, they descended from the mountain, completely forgetting about checking the safety of the Holy Dragon King. ¡ô Kuroki was lying powerless on Glorious¡¯ back. ¡¸Thanks a lot, Glorious.¡¹ Glorious had leaped out of the cave the moment Kuroki fell. It was thanks to his action that Kuroki¡¯s life was spared. £¨I have no Goddess of victory, but at least I have a dragon to watch my back. That¡¯s why even if I lost, I at least survived this battle.£© He was rather confused since Reiji and the others didn¡¯t go after him. But once he placed his hand on his face, he remembered the fact that his helmet had fallen right before them. ¡¸My identity got exposed, huh¡­¡¹ With this, he would be hated not as the Dark Knight, but as a man called Kuroki. They now knew that he was the one who almost killed Reiji. They wouldn¡¯t treat him in a friendly manner anymore. He couldn¡¯t help but feel sad about it. ¡¸Yup, I can¡¯t win after all. The hell, just what is wrong with me for taking on a losing battle in the spur of the moment¡­¡¹ Kuroki laughed at his foolish self, he then touched the horn strapped on Glorious¡¯ back. ¡¸I wonder what kind of Goddess will I get with this¡­¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s consciousness dimmed as he wondered about that. ¡¸I¡¯m so tired. Sorry, Glorious¡­ I¡¯m gonna sleep for a while.¡¹ Glorious flew high above the clouds as the unobstructed sunlight shone over his jet-black scales. Kuroki slept peacefully while basking under the warm sunlight. Volume 2 - CH 31 ¡¸To think that Death God Zarxis is still alive ¡­¡¹ I heard about Zarxis after Lord Diehart returned to Nargol. Zarxis was the subordinate of my dear mother, Nargol. My mother tried to destroy this world and is dubbed with the name of ¡®Demon King of Destruction¡¯ or ¡®God of Destruction¡¯. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to destroy this world, so I betrayed her along with my subordinates, and working alongside with Oudith, the opposition leader. Mother was defeated in this land by my own hands and Oudith¡¯s. Ever since then, this land is cursed by eternal night, and thus this cursed land came to be called by the name Nargol. Moreover, Zarxis was supposed to have died by my own hands. I never thought that he had actually survived. ¡¸What the hell is he trying to do ¡­¡¹ Zarxis was the loyal subordinate of my mother. He might be trying to bring a calamity upon this world. ¡¸But then, Your Highness, the power of Zarxis is immaterial before yours. He¡¯s not worthy of your attention¡¹ I nodded in response to those words from Ruugas. Zarxis usually created his own domain and snatched away the power of the people who walked into that domain. It¡¯s the same even for gods since many gods have become the prey of Zarxis. The only exception of that power are the people who have the power of my mother, Nargol, or someone recognized by Zarxis. That power won¡¯t work against my mother. Thus, it also didn¡¯t work on me who has the same power as my mother. Even though there¡¯s a slight remnant of my mother that survived, it isn¡¯t a threat to me. ¡¸Come to think of it, Zarxis¡¯ power also didn¡¯t work on Lord Diehart, what does that mean?¡¹ Ruugas¡¯ question made me curious about the same thing. It seems Lord Diehart can move just fine within Zarxis¡¯ domain. I can think of several reasons. For example, the demon sword in Lord Diehart possession is something made by my mother. Maybe that demon sword protected him. But, that¡¯s nothing more than a guess. ¡¸I don¡¯t know. What is he doing right now?¡¹ He was on the verge of dying when he arrived at the Demon Lord castle. I¡¯m told that he seems to have been ambushed by the hero party after trimming the horn. I don¡¯t know why the hero party was there, though. It turned into a fierce fight after he encountered the hero party, and then he lost. As expected, the full hero party is too much for Lord Diehart to handle all by himself. That was a problem. I need to think about some kind of measures. If he is defeated, we lose completely. Maybe Lord Diehart needs a comrade by his side. But, the one who possesses power rivaling that of hero¡¯s comrades in Nargol is just Lord Runfeld. But, I feel uneasy if it¡¯s just Lord Runfeld. Maybe I need to strengthen the entire troops of Nargol. ¡¸Currently, Lord Diehart is preparing for the goddess creation ceremony¡¹ ¡¸Humph!¡¹ It¡¯s only one day since he returned, is his body capable of moving around already? ¡¸Yes. He says that he wants to perform the ceremony right away¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see¡¹ I have nothing to say if the person himself says so. At least the number of persons who can match the women of the hero would increase by one with this. Thinking about the rarity of the material, the user of that secret ceremonial arts won¡¯t be successful as long as he doesn¡¯t possess high enough magical power. But, it¡¯ll be okay if it¡¯s Lord Diehart. ¡¸At least we can feel at ease for now¡¹ I muttered to myself. ¡¸Hey, Chiyuki-san. What should I do?¡¹ Shirone is pacing around restlessly inside the room. ¡¸Calm down, Shirone-san. Walking around restlessly like that won¡¯t solve our problem¡¹ Shirone became restless like this after we returned to our room in the Rox Kingdom. Please stop pacing back and forth restlessly in my room. I have a hard time calming myself. ¡¸But then, why is Kuroki in this world, too ¡­ Geez, this is too confusing¡¹ Shirone is at her wits end. I¡¯m also in similar situation. To be honest, I don¡¯t know why is this happening. I¡¯m racking my own brains here, you know. The identity of Diehart was that of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend. We almost killed him in that fight. At that time, save for Reiji, the rest of us were in a chaotic state. Shirone, who should be able to overtake that dragon, couldn¡¯t move due to the chaotic situation and desperately stopped Reiji who was about to use his Light Cannon of Heavenly Might. I even think why did we have to mercilessly attack the childhood friend of Shirone. Reiji said that it¡¯s just a shapeshifter who took the form of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend. But, since Rino, who possessed the mystic eyes of truth which can rip apart any kind of illusion, affirmed that he really was the childhood friend of Shirone, he must be the real one. In the first place, how did our enemies gain the information about the appearance of the childhood friend of Shirone. Beside, speaking of disguise, they should just turn him into a beauty instead. Since it definitely would stop Reiji. That¡¯s why I concluded that he is the real childhood friend of Shirone. I think the possibility of him being a shapeshifting demon was really low. Or rather, Reiji is more suspicious whether he is a fake or a real one. Could it be that he wasn¡¯t attacking us since he was the real one? I can¡¯t help but think so since the real person himself might be playing dumb. And then, if he¡¯s really the real childhood friend of Shirone, why is he in this world? ¡¸There¡¯s someone who should have performed the summon in demon king¡¯s side¡­¡¹ I muttered my hypothesis. That¡¯s the only conclusion. ¡¸And that guy is the one who summoned Kuroki¡¹ I nodded upon hearing Shirone¡¯s words. ¡¸And then, naturally they did some kind of mind control on him after summoning him, right?¡¹ Thus, I can understand the reason for him to willingly become the dark knight. ¡¸That ¡­¡¹ Shirone¡¯s face paled. I¡¯m surprised at her expression. From her story, I got the feeling that he¡¯s not someone special to her, just her acquaintance who she knows ever since their childhood. But, her attitude when she knew Diehart¡¯s identity is abnormal. She should be calmer than this. ¡¸Get a grip already, Shirone-san. There¡¯s nothing we can do even if you fuss over that matter in this kind of place. You should calm yourself and think about a way to get him back¡¹ I says so while tapping Shirone¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Yeah ¡­¡¹ Though Shirone is nodding to my words, I know that she¡¯s yet to calm herself. This is something that we have to think about after this. He is a hostage in a certain meaning. Now, we cannot afford to recklessly attack Nargol. Moreover, the nature of the man can¡¯t be applied to Reiji. If we invade Nargol, it might turn into battle to death against him who¡¯s protecting Nargol. We can¡¯t do that, too. There¡¯s still another problem. And that was when he came to attack us. At that time, I have no idea of what we should do. The childhood friend of Shirone was extremely powerful. Far more powerful than Reiji. He isn¡¯t the kind of opponent against whom we can go easy. My former impression of him according Shirone story is just an extremely weak guy. But, he is ,in fact, anything but weak. A monster in certain meaning who can take on all of us together. I think that he might be strengthened with some kind of magic. The matter of regaining him back might prove to be far more difficult. I should consider some sort of measures. Nevertheless, I wonder how many people were summoned to this world aside from us. I¡¯m thinking about the event in that basement. We might be able to settle this if we have that man¡¯s cooperation. But then, that man always hid his face and never showed it. Is there some sort of reason for him to do so? Some kind of secret that¡¯s unknown to us. That¡¯s also unknown to me. ¡¸It seems there¡¯s so many things I need to think about ¡­¡¹ Since I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯m too lazy to think about the things that even Shirone don¡¯t know about. And Shirone has yet to cool her head. I heaved a sigh upon watching her. ¡¸Rena-sama. The horn was successfully stolen by the dark knight¡¹ Nier reported to me. ¡¸So the horn was still stolen, huh ¡­¡¹ I¡¯m heaving a sigh. I, who was shocked by what happened in that night, returned to my own house in Elios. Since I can¡¯t negate the effect of that magic potion from the outside, I have no other way but to negate the effect from the inside. Thanks to my tremendous magic resistance, I can negate the effect in just one night. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t really want to think about Kuroki again. I never want to think about something like sleeping together with him, or have a meal together, or even think about strolling around with him, while he¡¯s wearing a collar on his neck in all these instances. I definitely do not want to think about such things. No, and by that I mean, absolutely NOT. But, it¡¯s true that I want him. At that time, let¡¯s give him a collar with a beautiful gem. It would definitely be a perfect match with him. [TL: ¡­ ] [ED: Women are creatures that could not be understood, after all.] But, the matter of him taking the horn was a failure on my side. Because I headed back to Elios, those girls who felt that there¡¯s something strange with my action followed me all the way back to Elios, too. As a result, the horn was taken away. He¡¯s going to use that horn to make a fake goddess with my hair. I can¡¯t let him to do that. Why do you want to make a fake goddess, Kuroki? Even though you have the real one here! ¡¸YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR A FAKE GODDESS, JUST TAKE ME AWAY WITH YOU!¡¹ I unintentionally shouted out what I thought. Nier is showing a puzzled face. ¡¸Uhm ¡­ Rena-sama ¡­¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Thanks for the report. You may go back to your duty, Nier¡¹ Nier leaves my room in heed of my order. Leaving me alone in this room. I can¡¯t calm myself. My heart is in turmoil. This side of mine is something that I never show to my subordinates, the war maidens. And I know the cause for all of this. I recall the origin of all of this. ¡¸As if I¡¯m going to let things end in this way. Prepare yourself, KUROKI!¡¹ I made such a declaration while looking toward Nargol¡¯s direction. A girl is standing before me. A girl with silvery white hair. She is the new goddess that I created right after I returned with the horn of the holy dragon king, the last ingredient. With the combination of the hair of the beautiful Rena and the horn of the Holy Dragon King as ingredients, she was born as an extremely beautiful girl. She is shorter than Mona or Rena in terms of height, but her breast size is around the same. ¡¸YEAH!¡¹ I unintentionally made a guts pose. Thereupon, my wounded body starts screaming in pain. ¡¸Ouch ¡­¡¹ I should restrain myself from making excessive movements. Though my wounds have recovered to some extent with healing magic, I can¡¯t overexert my body yet. Nevertheless, I wanted to perform the secret ceremony as soon as possible. I recall the scenery on that mountain. They seem to be really enjoying themselves. Reiji, who is surrounded by Shirone and the others, seems to be really happy. That was such a dazzling scene. I, who couldn¡¯t move any longer due to the wounds that covered my body, couldn¡¯t do anything but look at that spectacle. The spectacle of Reiji and those goddesses. I was jealous of them. Really, really jealous of them. I¡¯m fine with just one goddess. But, the goddess that I wanted was none of them. The goddess that I actually want is the one in front of me right now. This small goddess is looking at me with a curious expression. ¡¸Since you were born from my magical power and Rena¡¯s hair, your name is Kuna¡¹ [TL : Kuroki + Rena = Kuna] I slowly brush Kuna¡¯s hair. ¡¸Kuna?¡¹ Kuna is tilting her head. ¡¸It¡¯s your name, Kuna. My name is Kuroki. Please take care of me after this, Kuna¡¹ Kuna is staring at me. ¡¸Kuroki¡¹ Kuna calls my name with her cute voice. All the thorns that were binding my heart disappeared when I heard her voice. With her by my side, I won¡¯t fear anything. I stared at Kuna. Her beautiful pupils are staring back at me. Volume 3 - CH 1 Act 3 : The Silver Witch Act 3 ¨C 1 : The Dwarfs¡¯ Capital The country where the Gods lived, Elios. Elios was the name of a certain country built on top of the clouds above the peak of Elios mountain, the tallest mountain in the world; a country befitting to be inhabited by the most powerful existences. Since this was the most important nation in this world, only three methods could be used to enter it, each more difficult than the other, all filled with deadly obstacles to hinder any intruder. The first method was airborne, which could only be achieved by using flight magic, a power only few possessed. Moreover, even if someone did possess it, they could only enter Elios with this method if they had a permit from the Holy Knights¡¯ Order, who all served the king of the Gods, Oudith. Without this important permit, they were likely to be seen as an intruder and then killed on the spot by the Holy Knights patrolling the area. The second method was by climbing the mountain. The steepness of the mountain aside, there was the Great Forest, which spread out throughout the foot of the mountain and was known as the Elven Kingdom. Any visitor needed a permit from the Elves to enter this forest or their end would be the same as the intruders of the first method, which was quite common as elves were not creatures that were prone to mingling with outsiders. Finally, the third method was by entering an underground passage. Similar to the other routes, this channel was protected by the Dwarves, and a permit was also needed from this race to use the passage. Regarding these three routes, Kuroki chose to go with the third option, the underground tunnel. After the scenery before him warped for a moment, he realized that he was already inside another room, different from the one he was in a moment ago. The magic circle beneath his feet was still letting out a pale light. ¡¸Where are we, Dario-dono?¡¹ ¡¸This is a small temple on the outskirts of the Great Forest, Dark Knight-dono. We¡¯ll go to the dwarven capital through the underground passage hidden here. It¡¯s just a little bit away from our current position.¡¹ Though the man who replied to Kuroki was only as tall as his shoulder, his width was twice as big as his. A Dwarf. That was the name of his race. Dwarves had longer lifespans compared to humans, and were known for excelling in craftsmanship. The best tools in this world were all made by them. Many of those dwarves were coming in and out of Nargol since their God, Heibos, had a good relationship with the Demon King, Modes. And, since Nargol was a land rich in minerals and ore, the dwarves were also profiting from this trade. Dario was one of the dwarves who came in and out of Nargol, and he was currently acting as Kuroki¡¯s guide. The reason for Kuroki¡¯s visit this time was to meet Heibos, who resided at the very bottom of Elios, the nearest place to the peak of the mountain. He needed to request a new set of armor from the God as his previous one had been completely destroyed during his battle with Reiji and co. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go¡­¡¹ Dario spoke as he began to walk. There was an underground tunnel in the inner part of the temple where Kuroki and Dario teleported to, and that underground tunnel went straight towards the dwarf capital. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Kuna.¡¹ Kuroki looked to the woman by his side, Kuna, and urged her to start walking. She quickly replied with a nod and hugged his arm as they started to head out. As she took the first step, her porcelain white face and some of her silver locks peeked out of the hood meant to hide her. Kuroki was once again bedazzled by her beauty, he walked side-by-side with her, matching her pace as she couldn¡¯t walk as fast as him. £¨I finally got the beautiful girl I always yearned for. Walking slower than before? Not a big deal at all! In the first place, have I ever been liked by a girl as adorable as her in my entire life?£© Though it was only natural for Kuroki to receive Kuna¡¯s unconditioned love since she was created to become his partner, the first time Kuroki saw Kuna¡¯s appearance after her creation, all those reasons became trivial to him. All he knew was that he would overflow with various kinds of emotions every time he saw her. He had been through a lot after all. ¡¸Kuroki, are you¡­ crying?¡¹ Kuna looked up at Kuroki¡¯s face with an upturned gaze as she asked him. That gesture was simply too adorable. ¡¸No¡­ it¡¯s just that sweat is trickling into my eyes. Anyway, let¡¯s go, Kuna.¡¹ After walking for a while, they arrived at a place where a strange looking, small vehicle was parked, it looked similar to a ship. ¡¸We¡¯ll ride this vehicle from this point onwards, Dark Knight-dono.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s the name of this vehicle, Dario-dono?¡¹ It wasn¡¯t floating on a water surface, nor was there water in the tunnel. It was just left right there on the ground; Kuroki found it odd. ¡¸Fufufu, you¡¯ll understand once you ride it.¡¹ Dario boarded the ship with a humorous grin on his face. Kuroki tilted his head, wondering what kind of vehicle it was, he then boarded the ship with Kuna. Once they were both safely on it, the ship suddenly floated in the air. ¡¸Oooh!!¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t hide his amazement. It was only natural since this was his first time boarding a flying ship. After the ship floated in the air, it moved forward on its own. ¡¸Hohoho, even the mighty Dark Knight is surprised by this flying ship.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m really surprised.¡¹ Kuroki agreed with Dario. Kuroki was really surprised by the technology of this world. In a sense, it was far more developed than the technology back on earth. The ship advanced even faster than before. The dwarves¡¯ sacred ground was right at the end of the tunnel. In a sense, except for the races acknowledged by the Elios Gods, which were the Angel race, Elven race, and Dwarf race, no one could enter this place. Much less to say Kuroki, the embodiment of Elios¡¯ enemy, a Nargolian. The ship kept advancing along the tunnel. Due to the passage¡¯s sheer size, the sacred ground, located far underground, had yet to be seen even though they had been travelling for a long time. Truthfully speaking, transfer magic was way faster, but since transfer magic was sealed in the entire sacred ground, including the air, this ship was the only means to reach it. They could finally see the entrance an hour later. After the ship stopped at the pier, Kuroki and the others descended from the ship, then continued walking along the passage beyond the pier. The place they arrived at after coming out of that passage was an extremely spacious place. Various kinds of light sources were shining above their heads. Though the passage they came from was also illuminated, this place was on a completely different level. The colour of the streets varied in accordance to the light illuminating them, so if the light being used was red, then the street would be coloured red, if it was green, yellow or another colour, then the street would also match it. Each light brightly reflected itself on the same coloured surface during the day. The city itself was decorated with various kinds of ornaments, and every single one of those ornaments shone in a different colour, creating a fantastical scene. ¡¸OOOH This is¡­¡¹ ¡¸Welcome to our capital, Volundr, Dark Knight-dono.¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice in admiration upon seeing the fantastical cityscape. Seeing his astonished expressions, Dario revealed a satisfied grin. The capital of the dwarves, which was located beneath Elios mountain, was named Volundr and was a city that was built with the most sophisticated magecraft. The city was made of many levels, one couldn¡¯t see the end of it. It was impossible for outsiders to even imagine the number of floors just by looking up, it was even harder to determine where the center of the capital lay. One could only see an elevator-like vehicle without a rope upon entering the city, that and moving floors, every single one connecting to a different district in the city. A city like this didn¡¯t exist in Human territory, and never will. That was only natural since the magecraft that the dwarves could handle was already thousands of years ahead to that of the Human race. From the streets to the buildings, the city was shining in prismatic colour due to the magecraft¡¯s glittering gems. Moreover, despite being located underground, because of the carefully made infrastructure, the city didn¡¯t feel cramped at all. There were approximately ten thousand dwarfs living in Volundr. That number was far less compared to human cities of the same scale; humans would consider this capital as a slightly desolate place. However, they couldn¡¯t be more wrong with this assumption, to all dwarves, Volundr had a special meaning to them¡ªit was the city in which their God, Heibos, lived. Kuroki passed by so many dwarfs as he walked along the main street. It was only natural since this city was their capital. Yet, this didn¡¯t mean that they were its only inhabitants. Kuroki would pass by other races once in a while as he walked along the street. A few moments later, however, after taking a closer look, Kuroki realized that this other ¡°race¡± he saw every once in a while wasn¡¯t actually a living being. Rather than having lively bodies and faces, these creatures had cylindrical bodies and disk-like face. They were dwarf-made golems. Golems were moving dolls made from materials such as iron, timber, or rock. In a sense, they were similar to robots in Kuroki¡¯s world. Those golems were either the attendants of the dwarves or simply just the cleaning crew of the city. Kuroki had heard about golems from Loughas before coming to Volundr. These creatures were multifunctional tools, they could do everything from housework to combat. The golems sweeping the streets right now we¡¯re cleaning golems. ¡¸A surprising sight, right Dark Knight-dono?¡¹ Dario watched Kuroki as he kept looking around restlessly. ¡¸Yeah, Dario-dono. I¡¯m truly surprised knowing that the dwarves can create such an astonishing city underground.¡¹ Dario looked even more delighted upon seeing Kuroki¡¯s honest reply. ¡¸Fufufufufu. But, if this scene alone is enough to surprise you, be prepared for more surprises once you enter further on in the city, Dark Knight-dono.¡¹ Dario spoke with a slightly serious face. Kuroki was even more surprised upon hearing that. ¡¸Kuna, hide your face.¡¹ Kuroki urged Kuna, who had been walking in silence all this time while hugging his arm, to better hide her beautiful face. ¡¸I understand, Kuroki.¡¹ Kuna nodded to Kuroki as she adjusted her hood. Kuroki and his travelling companions then got on one of the floating stones, bringing them to a higher location in the city. From there on, they had to move carefully because the way ahead was the most important place in Volundr, the dwarves¡¯ workshop. Moreover, Heibos¡¯ workshop was also located above this workshop. Kuroki and co entered the workshop area. That area was the exact opposite of the city, the building was simple, and the lighting was dreary as if to say that having the simplest of things was enough for a place meant for working. The majority of the dwarves living in this workshop area were also moody, not the chatty type they had witnessed at the entrance of the city. In addition, some of the dwarves who lived in this workshop area disliked the presence of women in this space. Not bringing Kuna along with him would have been the best choice, but Kuroki ended up bringing her along since she had refused to leave his side. Her anxiety was related to the former princess of Algore, Regena. After picking up Regena from Akeron mountain as he had promised, she had ended up becoming his maid in the Demon King¡¯s Castle. From then on, Kuna seemed to hate Regena¡¯s mere existence. Kuna¡¯s hatred for Regena was one-sided though as Regena herself didn¡¯t hate Kuna, that¡¯s why Kuroki felt anxious about leaving them alone in the Demon King¡¯s Castle¡ªhe had no idea what Kuna would do to Regena during his absence. Thus, he took Kuna along with him. After walking for a while, Kuroki and his companions were now close to the other end of the workshop area. Though Kuroki was curious about what the dwarves in the workshop were working on, he kept his curiosity at bay since he knew that some people hated having trespassers in their working space. After a moment of musing, they finally arrived at the stairway leading upward at the end of the workshop area. At the end of the stairway was a strange room. Once in the room, they were met with various kinds of papers, tools, and ores, all crammed together into that room. Any person who saw the room¡¯s arrangement wouldn¡¯t be able to tell whether the room was originally small or wide due to all those messy obstacles. This was Heibos¡¯ workshop. Meaning that this place was the boundary between Elios and Volundr. According to the stories he heard before coming, Heibos lived in the lowest location of Elios, which was also the highest place in Volundr. Kuroki and co kept advancing even deeper into the room. Finally, they arrived in a slightly spacious space inside the room, and found Heibos working on something. ¡¸Heibos-sama. I brought the Dark Knight.¡¹ The man then turned around towards Kuroki. Normally, after seeing him one would mistake the man for having a weak constitution due to his crooked body and tuffy beard. But, the eyes of the man in front of Kuroki contained a sharp glint in them. Kuroki felt like he was a new recruit facing a veteran general with a long military history. ¡¸Welcome, Dark Knight. I¡¯m Heibos. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡¹ Heibos started introducing himself with a stern look on his face. Volume 3 - CH 2.1 Act 3-2.1: God of Treasure and Blacksmith The father of dwarves, Heibos, was hailed by humans as the God of Treasure and Blacksmith. Heibos was actually just the God of Blacksmith, but thanks to the dwarves¡¯ reputation of excavating precious metals such as gold and silver, with a high frequency at that, he had also become known as the God of Treasure. Adding on to the dwarves, Heibos was also revered by human merchants. These merchants often possessed a lot of precious metals and were often in need of someone to purchase them or create wondrous objects with them. Cooperating with dwarves, who have the best technology and could create anything from those precious metals, was the ideal outcome for them. So it was no wonder that they chose to follow the same God as the dwarves, it made all their dealings with this race several times easier. It was for this reason that Heibos was also known as the God of Business amongst humans. He had inadvertently created an atmosphere where human merchants and dwarves could work with each other. This also benefited the Dwarven race as they weren¡¯t blessed with a sense of business, only a few of them succeeding in becoming merchants¡ªhaving a chain of commerce with humans had allowed them to create more things. From Kuroki¡¯s perspective, the Heibos who stood before him looked 120% like a craftsman and minus 120% like a merchant. Just like Kuroki was looking at Heibos, the God¡¯s eyes were also sizing the man before him, judging him. ¡¸It¡¯s nice to mee¨C¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s skip the greetings, Dark Knight.¡¹ Heibos interrupted before Kuroki could even finish his greeting. ¡¸You were probably warned beforehand by Dario, so no need to show such a surprised look. Now, let me see that sword.¡¹ Heibos presented his palm toward Kuroki. Not daring to hesitate any longer, Kuroki took out the short sword he kept in his breast pocket and handed it to Heibos. This short sword was one he had made himself after taking a few smithing lessons from Dario. Heibos unsheathed the short sword, exposing its jet-black blade. ¡¸This short sword alone is enough of an introduction. Looking at someone¡¯s craft can tell you more about them than hundreds of words.¡¹ Heibos spoke to Kuroki as he examined the short sword. The sword was tempered with Kuroki¡¯s black flame, it was his first finished product after numerous failures. It had been difficult to find materials that could withstand his black flame, and once he did find such materials, he ended up wasting a lot of them while trying to understand the craft, until finally he managed to create the jet-black short sword. He hadn¡¯t intended to create it as such, but maybe because it was tempered with black flame, the blade had come out in a pitch black color and donned an extremely sharp edge. Though initially Kuroki felt that it was a good sword, he honestly lacked the confidence now that he was showing his creation to the God of craftsmanship. ¡¸Huhm, I see¡­ Well done. But please wait for a moment, I¡¯m going to add something.¡¹ Heibos left his seat as he said so. When he came back a while later, the thing held in his hand wasn¡¯t the same short sword Kuroki had given him, rather it looked like a completely different sword. ¡¸Here, take it.¡¹ Heibos returned the short sword to Kuroki. Kuroki was baffled as he took it and started examining the weapon. He couldn¡¯t understand why Heibos had given him a new sword instead of the one he had created. ¡¸It¡¯s better now.¡¹ At the God¡¯s words, Kuroki unsheathed the short sword, exposing its jet-black blade. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­!¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. ¡¸Yes, this is the same sword you made.¡¹ The short sword given to Kuroki was the very same one he had forged. Initially, the sword¡¯s handle had been unadorned. Kuroki had made the handle simple for practicality and ease of use. However, after falling into Heibos¡¯ hands for a few short minutes, the sword had transformed into a beautiful work of art, without altering its original function. The handle was now encrusted with lustrous but simple jewels, which were all surrounded by intricate engravings. There was no question that Kuroki would have thought it was another sword, one different from the one he had created after numerous failures, had he not unsheathed it. Kuroki received it with gratitude. ¡¸The most worrying thing about this sword is the fact that it was geared for functionality and practicality to the extreme¡­ That¡¯s why I decided to add some simple decorations to give it a sort of elegance. To be honest, I couldn¡¯t detect any willingness from the creator to polish its appearance after I had touched it. Tell me one thing, you¡¯ve never dressed up stylishly before, right? You always wear black clothes in your everyday life to not stand out, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ Heibos¡¯ words hit the bull¡¯s eye. In fact, Kuroki was really surprised since Heibos realized it without him ever mentioning it. Shirone had often told him off about this, saying something along the lines of ¡¸Kuroki, do you have any other clothes aside from ones in grey or black?¡¹. ¡¸I¡¯m right aren¡¯t I?¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t even retort. It was only natural since Heibos¡¯ guess was spot on. Heibos then continued on as he looked at the sword. ¡¸I can feel the determination of its creator to create a good sword, but¡­¡¹ He paused for a moment as he looked at Kuroki. ¡¸In a sense, you¡¯re rather clumsy as a man¡­ You don¡¯t take initiative when you find a woman you like, and prefer to back down when you know that you¡¯re competing with another man for the same woman.¡¹ ¡¸GUH!¡¹ Heibos¡¯ words pierced deep into Kuroki¡¯s sore spot. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s not even limited to women, you have the tendency to back down in any kind of competition, right? Then you end up doing something that can¡¯t be undone.¡¹ Heibos continued on with a distant look on his face. ¡¸Just like Modes¡­ even though he should have put up some resistance, he ended up not doing anything and just quietly retreated to Nargol. Resulting in those bastards who exiled him to get ahead of themselves, creating even more conflict.¡¹ Heibos then cracked a kind smile. ¡¸But I have no right to criticize him¡­ I¡¯ve always secluded myself in my own small workshop, refusing to concern myself with the outside world unless someone I was close to was concerned.¡¹ Heibos muttered self-deprecatingly. Kuroki had heard from Nut before that Heibos spent most of his time inside his own workshop, refusing to go out even for the Gods¡¯ assembly. It was the reason why he had heard about Modes¡¯ exilement much later. Heibos felt slightly regretful about this, which was why he always assisted Modes. And today, he had also observed the short sword made by Kuroki at Modes¡¯ request. ¡¸We¡¯ve slightly veered off topic¡­ Though it looks just like your everyday sword, I have to say that it¡¯s made to be used as a powerful weapon. Its quality isn¡¯t below the ones made by dwarves.¡¹ When such words came from the God of Blacksmith himself, it was definitely the best compliment for any craftsman. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ Kuroki bowed his head, feeling delighted hearing such praise. ¡¸Will you let me see the sword you got from Modes?¡¹ Kuroki passed the Demon Sword he received from Modes. The reason it was called the Demon Sword of Venous Blood was the fact that its blade was weaved in shining crimson threads that resembled blood vessels. ¡¸It¡¯s a wonderful sword no matter how many times I see it. Not even I can make a sword like this one.¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t hide his shock upon hearing that remark. ¡¸Not even you, Heibos-dono can make this kind of sword?¡¹ Heibos shook his head as if to affirm Kuroki¡¯s question. ¡¸This sword was made by Modes¡¯ mother, Nargol. Since it¡¯s created by a being hailed as the God of Destruction herself, it has the power of destruction contained within. Not even I can match her in that area. In fact, limited to weapons, Modes¡¯ skill is equal to mine. The person himself isn¡¯t that keen on creating weapons though. You might have the same talent as Modes.¡¹ Heibos told Kuroki as he looked at the Demon Sword and the short sword made by Kuroki. Kuroki never came in contact with blacksmithing prior to coming to this world. In short, Kuroki¡¯s swordsmith power was gained after he came to this world. The world of swords was so profound to the point that there was a saying that one would need their entire life to sharpen their swordcraft. But still, the reason Kuroki could make a dwarven class weapon might be because he could move easier and more precisely after coming to this world. He might not be able to create the same kind of weapon once he got back to Japan. ¡¸Well, though your outer appearance is different from each other, your personality kind of resembles Modes. Here, feel free to give the short sword to anyone. All I did is just add a few decorations to make it more beautiful.¡¹ Heibos spoke to Kuroki while returning the Demon Sword of Venous Blood to the latter. Upon hearing that remark, Kuroki started to ponder about the candidates to receive the short sword made by him. Kuna, who was waiting by his side, showed an eager look on her face, but Kuroki wanted to give her an even better weapon than the one he had made. ¡¸Please be patient Kuna, I¡¯ll prepare an even better gift for you in the future.¡¹ Kuroki told her so while patting her head, he then put back the short sword in his breast pocket. Kuna pouted a little upon hearing that, but her mood rose again when Kuroki patted her head. ¡¸Moving on to the next topic, the armour for you is inside. Come, follow me.¡¹ Upon hearing that, Kuroki and Dario followed Heibos. The place they were guided to model a set of armour and helmet, which had been prepared for Kuroki. Though the colour of the armour was the same jet-black as the previous one, the magical power loaded in the new armour far surpassed the one that was destroyed in the battle of the Holy Dragon King¡¯s mountain. ¡¸This set of armour is different from the one you used before, this one is made to match your combat style. I¡¯ve made it based on the destroyed dark knight armour that was sent before, but I guess it¡¯ll be easier for you to understand once you try it.¡¹ Kuroki nodded to Heibos and tried the armour on. The armour was a perfect fit for him, without any wrong measurements. When he tried to move, the armour didn¡¯t hinder his movement despite the solid feeling it gave. ¡¸Awesome. I can move freely despite how the armour looks¡­¡¹ Kuroki thought that not even the peak of the current technology on earth could create an armour like this one. ¡¸And this one is for that lass.¡¹ Heibos gave something like a pole to Kuna. That pole turned out to be a scythe. Volume 3 - CH 2.2 Act 3-2.2: God of Treasure and Blacksmith ¡¸This is¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Modes told me about you. He asked me to make you a weapon. That¡¯s why I made this one for you.¡¹ Heibos handed the scythe to Kuna as he spoke. Kuna held the scythe shaft. The shaft was neither too long nor too short, its size perfectly fitting her hand. She looked at Kuroki, checking if he was fine with her accepting it, and he nodded in response. Though Kuroki didn¡¯t want Kuna to fight, he didn¡¯t wish to see her completely vulnerable either. That¡¯s why he always took some time to train her; he wanted her to become strong enough to protect herself, but made sure to always keep her far away from danger. ¡¸Thank you very much, Heibos-dono.¡¹ Kuroki bowed to Heibos again to express his gratitude. ¡¸Even you have something that you won¡¯t yield to others¡­ make sure you always protect it.¡¹ Heibos turned around after he said that. That¡¯s all he wanted to say to Kuroki. Kuroki bowed for the third time to Heibos¡¯ retreating figure as he decided to go back to Nargol. ¡ô Kuna returned to the Demon King castle with Kuroki by using transfer magic. She stared intently at the scythe she received from Heibos. She felt excited since, with this weapon in her hand, she could finally help Kuroki in battle. She swung the scythe repeatedly, trying to accustom herself to it, and soon enough, she had already gotten used to it. £¨But, this isn¡¯t enough. If I want to become strong enough to help Kuroki, I need to train like him.£© Kuroki would swing his sword every morning and would never cut down on his training. Though her weapon wasn¡¯t a sword, Kuna believed that she had to do the same swinging practice with her scythe to become just like him. Naturally, she would train with Kuroki! ¡¸Ah, welcome home¡­ Kuna-sama.¡¹ As she was lost in thought, walking through the corridor, she suddenly found a certain woman in front of her. That woman was now bowing her head to her; she would always do that when she saw her. The name of that loathsome woman was Regena. Kuna couldn¡¯t bring herself to like her. She always felt irritated every time she was near that woman¡ªshe knew that she was trying to seduce her beloved Kuroki. She could never fool her with her innocent demeanor. Kuna wanted to monopolize Kuroki. She wanted him to only look at her. Regena¡¯s existence was a lump she couldn¡¯t swallow, especially since Kuroki always treated her kindly. ¡¸Regena.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes! Is something the matter, Kuna-sama?!¡¹ Regena replied with a frightened look on her face. Kuna never liked to address that hateful woman, the only reason she had called on her was due to the things she was holding in her hands. ¡¸What¡¯s that?¡¹ ¡¸L¡­ Laundry!!¡¹ Regena replied with a quiver. ¡¸Who¡¯s laundry does this belong to?¡¹ ¡¸M¡­ master.¡¹ Regena replied with an almost inaudible voice. Kuna had already known that the one who Regena referred to as ¡°Master¡± was Kuroki. Whenever she heard her calling her beloved like that, Kuna felt as if a seething black flame was about to explode in her heart. She wanted to rip everything in front of her into shreds, starting with this woman. ¡¸Are you going to wash it?¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes.¡¹ ¡¸A princess isn¡¯t supposed to do that, right?¡¹ Kuna was now knowledgeable of the fact that Regena was the princess of a kingdom called Algore. From what she knew, or rather, from what Kuroki had taught her, princesses weren¡¯t supposed to do these chores. "" Kuroki had read various books to Kuna, teaching her the letters and words of this world at a fast pace; many of these books recounted stories about the human race. To Kuna, the experience felt as if Kuroki was reading her a bedtime story every night¡ªfalling asleep while hearing Kuroki¡¯s deep and gentle voice was the most blissful moment for her. Among the books Kuroki read to Kuna as her bedtime story was one about princesses. None of the princesses in those stories ever did what Regena was doing right now. It was supposed to be their attendant¡¯s job. That¡¯s why Kuna was really surprised upon learning that Regena would volunteer to do someone¡¯s laundry. ¡¸N-No, I just want to show my gratitude to MASTER¡­ and washing laundry is something that I learned from my wet nurse¡­ that¡­¡¹ Regena replied in a fluster. ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Upon a closer look, Kuna discovered that Kuroki¡¯s underwear was mixed amongst the laundry. It was undoubtedly the one Kuroki wore yesterday. ¡¸¡­ DiD yOU SUcK iT?¡¹ ¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹ Confused, Regena then followed Kuna¡¯s line of sight, only to find out that her gaze was locked on Kuroki¡¯s underwear. ¡¸IIIIIIII-I WOULD NEVER DO SUCH AN EMBARRASSING THING!!!¡¹ Regena vehemently denied Kuna¡¯s statement the moment she realized what she meant. ¡¸PUttINg IT oN YoUr FAce¡­ LiCkinG It¡­¡¹ ¡¸NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! NEVER!¡¹ Regena strongly shook her head in denial. ¡¸I NEVER SUCK IT! NOR DO I LICK IT! I JUST SNIFF IT SOMETIMES!¡¹ Trying so hard to prove her innocence and absolve herself from Kuna¡¯s claims, Regena didn¡¯t notice that she had accidentally confessed about a different perverted action she had done. Kuna, of course, didn¡¯t overlook it. ¡¸You sniffed it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡¹ An awkward silence enveloped the place. £¨This is bad¡­ if I don¡¯t do anything soon¡­£© Kuna shook her head, warning signals ringing non-stop in her head. ¡¸Regena!¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹ ¡¸Teach Kuna how to wash laundry!¡¹ Kuroki had forbidden Kuna from killing Regena, so she couldn¡¯t do anything about that ugly woman¡ªKuna would never dare to disobey her beloved Kuroki. Hence, to protect his underwear, she had to learn how to do laundry. ¡¸Eh? Are you serious, Kuna-sama?¡¹ Regena showed a baffled expression, she couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard. ¡¸And not just laundry, tell me everything I need to know so I can look after Kuroki, I shall become a dutiful wife.¡¹ ¡¸Making Your Majesty, The Demon King¡¯s Daughter, do that is¡­¡¹ Rena replied with an apologetic look on her face, trying to politely refuse. Rumors about Kuna being the Demon King¡¯s daughter had spread like wildfire in the Demon King¡¯s castle. The main reason was because Kuna¡¯s appearance strongly resembled that of Mona. Since it was too troublesome for her to take care of those rumors one by one, adding on to the fact that it would take away her time with Kuroki, Kuna ended up letting those rumors spread without clarifying them. ¡¸I just want to learn how to become a dutiful wife.¡¹ A plan had already formed in her head¡ªas long as she could do anything, there was no need for Regena to become Kuroki¡¯s attendant. And when that beautiful time finally came, Kuna could send Regena anywhere she wanted to. £¨I have to plan where to send her off to, I can¡¯t just send her to a place in the middle of nowhere since Kuroki is a gentle and kind person¡­ Let¡¯s think of the most suitable place for her.£© As Kuna pondered about this matter, a name suddenly popped in her head. Algore Kingdom. That was the name of Regena¡¯s country. £¨Should I just return their princess back to them?£© That way, neither Kuroki, Regena, nor Algore Kingdom would have any reason to refuse. It was a win-win situation in Kuna¡¯s mind. Volume 3 - CH 3.1 Act 3-3.1 : Saria Academy As Chiyuki flew over the Kisonia plains, she couldn¡¯t help but gaze at the creatures running below. The creatures who lived in these plains were centaurs, a unique tribe known for their half-horse half-human traits. Chiuki never could¡¯ve imagined that she would one day see these creatures that had the lower part of a horse and an upper part of a human. Her gaze lingered on the centaurs down below, who were all running in panic, and she knew full well that she was the source of their panic, her and the Griffin she was currently riding¡ªeveryone knew that centaurs were deathly afraid of Griffins. However, Chiyuki couldn¡¯t muster any sympathy or regret towards this particular race. The great Kisonia plains hosted many different races, one of those races being the one currently fleeing down below her. But, there were many other races that chose these plains as their home, there was even a race that greatly resembled the centaurs in terms of traits, only sporting it in a completely opposite manner. This particular race had the lower body of a human and the head of a goat; they were called Satyrs. Though Chiyuki was deeply moved when she saw these races that were only mentioned in legends for the first time, that illusion was brutally crushed when she met the real thing. They were not what she had imagined at all. The Centaur tribe, for example, was a lustful tribe who would rush up to any woman the moment they laid eyes on them. Chiyuki was a victim of such a situation, though, naturally, she crushed them all in a mere second. However, other women weren¡¯t so lucky, centaurs would always attack human women to impregnate them since their tribe only consisted of men. When she found out about such events, Chiyuki¡¯s image of these fantastical creatures was immediately crushed. However, upon giving it more thought, she remembered that they did have such personalities in the stories she read back in Japan. This fact didn¡¯t change when it was applied to other races as well. Dragons were always said to be dangerous creatures in the legends, creatures that could instantly crush the lives of millions of humans in a second¡ªthey weren¡¯t any different in this world either. Chiyuki had gotten used to the different sides of these creatures fairly easily, she didn¡¯t feel disappointed any longer. However, although Chiyuki and her companions could now brush off these creatures with a laugh since they were powerful, there was still no doubt that this world was harsh for humans; she would never forget that fact. Gryphons were also included in the list of atrocious monsters. ¡¸Even so, they look rather cute up close¡­¡¹ Chiyuki gently brushed Griffin¡¯s head. Gryphons were creatures that combined the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. They lived in the centre of the mountain range, their range of activity starting from the west side of the Minon plains until the east side of the Kisonia plains. Among all the flying creatures that lived in the centre of the mountain range, Griffins were no doubt the strongest. And that apex predator of the Kisonia plains was the one now ridden by Chiyuki. Using Rino and Nao¡¯s abilities, Chiyuki and the others had managed to turn four Hippogriffs and a Griffin as their mounts while once visiting the Kisonia plains. They had then asked the dwarfs to create a magic tool that would help them summon their mounts anytime. Moreover, with Rena¡¯s mediation, they had managed to gain a special permit to fly freely anywhere they wanted as long as it didn¡¯t include Elios¡¯ air territory. Thus, this Griffin could now fly outside of its habitat. The addition of this creature into their fold had expanded Chiyuki and co¡¯s field of activity, which was now helping Chiyuki reach her intended destination. Soon enough, a towering mountain came into sight. It was the central mountain range that separated the continent¡¯s eastern and western territories. Upon approaching the central mountain range, many Harpies living in the vicinity started approaching her. Harpies were another fantastic creature that had the upper body of a female human, eagle wings as arms, and the lower body of an eagle. They were extremely hostile toward humans and, similar to centaurs, their race only consisted of females as such they would assault male humans to breed. In regard to marriage between races in this world, the race of the child was decided by their gender, they would become their father¡¯s race if they were male, and would become the mother¡¯s race if they were female. The races composed of only the same sex couldn¡¯t propagate unless they mated with another race, which was why they always attacked humans, the weakest among the races. The first time Chiyuki heard of this appalling mating ritual, all she could think of was¡ª(If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t we just pair the Harpies with the centaurs?). But, both Harpies and Centaurs seemed to prefer humans as their mating partners. Chiyuki hadn¡¯t put much thought into it initially, however, she had once decided to briefly investigate and had found out that humans were the preferred race among all these same sex creatures. Although initially she couldn¡¯t believe such findings, at the end she had no choice but to accept the results of her investigation when she couldn¡¯t find anything to disapprove it. Just like the Centaurs, the Harpies scattered themselves everywhere the moment Chiyuki approached them. They were terrified of Griffins as well Chiyuki could finally cross the central mountain range. On the other side of this mountain range, Saria Academy was located somewhere in the western continent. Chiyuki was currently heading toward that place to investigate. The Dark Knight¡¯s identity turned out to be Shirone¡¯s childhood friend. Chiyuki couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon facing that fact. Why was he in this world when he was supposed to be back on Earth? After thinking carefully, they concluded that he might have been summoned by the Demon King. But, no matter how much they pondered, there was a certain matter that they couldn¡¯t understand. Why did he work for the Demon King? While it was true that he was summoned by the Demon King, he still had no reason to obey the latter. According to Shirone, he was a kind and gentle boy, definitely not the kind of person who would cooperate with the heinous Demon King. If that was the case, then it only meant that he was controlled by some sort of magic. Thus, Chiyuki had ridden the Griffin and headed toward Saria Academy to investigate the cause. Saria Academy was the gathering place of mages from all over the world, it resembled a college, a place where you research and study magic. She came to this academy since it was known that there was a precious book that detailed the various spells of this world. She hoped to find information about the spell that could control people. She had initially wanted to take Shirone with her, but Shirone was currently nothing but a hindrance due to her constant worry and regret after the battle in Holy Dragon King¡¯s mountain. It was decided in the end that Chiyuki would go on her own After crossing Ariad bay and the Shijuka mountain range, she finally arrived at the city of magic, Saria. Saria was located in a basin that was surrounded by mountains, it was a one-of-a-kind city in this world. In this monster-infested world, cities and states were normally part of a country or a kingdom, yet Saria was a city governed by no country or kingdom. It was one of the reasons why there were no actual Sarian citizens, ones who were born and raised in the city. Saria was governed by the Magician Association, which had branches all over the world. All magicians who belonged to the Magician Association were regarded as the citizens of Saria. The Magician Association had built Saria Academy to train new magicians and research magic. After arriving at Saria, Chiyuki released the Griffin on the outskirts of the city. As expected, the city didn¡¯t allow Griffins to enter. Though she would have arrived in Saria in moments if she had used teleportation magic, however, she had never received permission from the association, thus she could only fly there. Chiyuki walked toward the gate of the rampart. She was allowed to go through the gate after she showed a silver card, the proof of membership of the Magician Association, to the gatekeeper. A magician who belonged to the Magician Association could freely enter Saria. Chiyuki belonged to the branch situated in the Holy Republic of Lenaria, where her silver card was also issued. She headed straight toward a certain place the moment she entered Saria. This was her second visit here, therefore, she was already familiar with this city and pretty much knew where to find the thing she needed. She was heading toward the library in Saria Academy. She passed countless magicians on her way to the library. She also encountered many normal people who lived in the city. It was pretty easy to differentiate between normal people and magicians since most magicians wore robes. Saria¡¯s alias as the city of magicians wasn¡¯t just for show, there were a few hundred magicians who lived in Saria. But, just because it was called the city of magicians, it didn¡¯t mean that only magicians lived here. Soldiers also lived here to protect the city and were considered the normal people of this city, they were people who couldn¡¯t use magic. Some of them were hired Freedom Fighters from other countries. There were also merchants who lived here for their dealings of daily necessities and other goods; magician needed to buy their daily necessities from somewhere obviously The rough estimate of the number of normal people living in Saria was around 60%. Upon arriving in the library, Chiyuki went straight toward the receptionist. Unlike the gatekeeper, the male receptionist was a magician. Using a magician as the library receptionist showed just how important this library was for Saria. Just like the gate, any member of the Magician Association could enter the library. Chiyuki thus showed her silver card to the receptionist. After receiving the card, the male receptionist looked at her curiously. Seeing his expression, Chiyuki started pondering whether there was something wrong with her card. ¡¸Uhm¡­ are you by any chance¡­ the one called the Black Haired Sage?¡¹ The male receptionist timidly asked. Volume 3 - CH 3.2 Act 3-3.2 : Saria Academy ¡¸Yeah, some people do call me that.¡¹ As she replied, Chiyuki finally realized why the male receptionist looked at her in a peculiar way. She had never asked for such an alias and didn¡¯t quite like being identified by it, however, since the alias was given to her by the people of this world and it would be problematic to deny it, she just let it be. ¡¸It was just a guess when I saw a black haired beauty with a silver card issued by the Holy Republic of Lenaria, but to think I got it right! You really are the Black Haired Sage, Chiyuki-dono! It¡¯s an hono¨C¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, excuse me but¡­ can I enter the library¡­¡¹ When it seemed like things were going to be dragged for too long, Chiyuki interrupted before the male receptionist finished his sentence. ¡¸Ah, I deeply apologize. You may enter, Chiyuki-dono.¡¹ Though the male receptionist appeared to keenly want to talk to her, Chiyuki decided to ignore his silent plea and focus on her task. Once in the library, Chiyuki first headed towards the catalog near the entrance and searched for the location of the book she was looking for. The book she wanted was a record book about the different types of magic that meddled with someone¡¯s soul or mind. Among those spells, there was magic that could induce sleep or bring disorder to the mind, and so she concluded that there must be magic that could manipulate someone¡¯s mind too. She walked between the bookshelves and soon found the one she was looking for. The record book lay amongst a thousand others on the shelf that caught her gaze. Though the book was written in this world¡¯s language, Chiyuki had no problem reading it. She had mastered the human language of this world to a certain extent and found its letters to be truthfully quite simple. In this world¡¯s language, there were a total of 63 letters, which were divided into big, middle, and small letters, each composed of 21 letters. In addition, there were several notations to each letter. This along with the sentence structures of this language were quite similar to the Japanese language rather than English, so Chiyuki had learned it fairly quickly. Naturally, no matter how much she learnt the language, reading the books of this world, written in foreign letters, was still a long and arduous job for her. With the exception of Rino who was pretty much indifferent about learning to read the letters, even now Shirone and Sahoko were still having a hard time reading the letters of this world. And though Kyouka said that she could read the letters just fine, Chiyuki was rather doubtful about it. Contrary to the master though, Kyouka¡¯s maid, Kaya, seemed to be able to read just fine. But, the most unexpected ones in this case that had managed to shock Chiyuki were Reiji and Nao. The two of them had learnt how to read the letters of this world at breakneck speed. Especially Reiji, who had an extremely high learning ability. His mastery was almost comparable to Chiyuki¡¯s despite never seeming to put any effort in that regard. And that had made Chiyuki quite vexed. She had put so much effort into learning the letters, staying up late at night everyday until she was able to read the letters properly. However, in the end, she had gotten the same result as the genius who had never even put any effort in it. The same went for Nao, though her prowess lied in her physical abilities, she was in fact an extremely fast learner too, a wild genius so to speak. And so, she had put even more strenuous effort until finally she was capable of reading and writing the letters of this world. Naturally, she still met some difficulties from time to time. In her case, it felt just like trying to read Japanese that was written entirely in Romaji instead of a mix of Kanji and Hiragana. Chiyuki ended up taking several books with her, using the magic hand spell to grab the books located in unreachable heights. Magic hand was a spell that created a transparent hand with mana, it could be used to take objects from distant places. Though the maximum number of hands one could conjure was around two or three, Chiyuki could use a hundred at the same time, all stretching as long as a hundred meters. The weight limit that a magic hand could carry usually relied on the magical power of the user, so even if a person with weak magical power used a magic hand, they couldn¡¯t lift heavy objects that exceeded the limit of their magical power. In Chiyuki¡¯s case, since she had fairly powerful magical abilities, carrying heavy objects with her magic hand was no big deal. As for how powerful it was, she could very well smash a human hand with that hand After taking around twenty books with her, Chiyuki then proceeded to go looking for a chair and desk to read the books. As the rules stated, the books in this library weren¡¯t for lending. It was for this reason that all the books in this library were read in the same location, hence the desks and chairs prepared for use. Since they couldn¡¯t rent the books, some would transcribe the information they needed on their personal parchments, allowing them to take it with them anywhere. Chiyuki started reading after finding an empty seat. The first one she read was one describing the rules of this type of magic. It recounted the experiments some magicians made to figure out how long the effects of this magic would last for each type of monster. Chiyuki kept reading that book, thinking that it might be useful. ¡¸Black Haired Sage, Chiyuki-dono.¡¹ A few minutes later, someone called out to her. When Chiyuki turned around to the direction of the voice, she found that the one who called her was the male receptionist from before. ¡¸Uhm, is something the matter?¡¹ Since speaking with a loud voice wasn¡¯t allowed in the library, she replied with a whisper. ¡¸Uhm, my apologies for disturbing you, Chiyuki-dono. I was just told that vice president Tarabos wants to meet you¡­ may I ask if you can spare some of your time to meet him?¡¹ The male receptionist spoke in an apologizing manner. ¡¸Vice president?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, the vice president of the Magician Association.¡¹ The male receptionist nodded along with his response. Chiyuki had never met the vice president of the Magician Association, Tarabos, before. Even though she didn¡¯t really care much about meeting him and wanted very much to keep reading, she couldn¡¯t refuse given his status and influence in the association. It couldn¡¯t be helped, but she had to go meet him to show him some respect. Chiyuki was then guided by the male receptionist into a room in the library. There, a plump middle-aged man was waiting for her. Chiyuki guessed that the man was around fifty years old, his smiling face gave the impression of a merchant rather than a magician¡ªhe absolutely didn¡¯t look like a magician at all. ¡¸Chiyuki-dono, this is vice president Tarabos.¡¹ The male receptionist introduced the plump man. ¡¸Oooh, I never expected the Black Haired Sage to be a beauty to such an extent. It¡¯s an honor to meet a beauty like you, Chiyuki-dono.¡¹ The plump man placed his right hand on his chest and then bowed to her. ¡¸Thank you. May I ask what business you have with me, vice president Tarabos?¡¹ Chiyuki returned Tarabos¡¯ greeting in the same way. But, she didn¡¯t beat around the bush since she wanted to go back to reading the books again. ¡¸My apologies for troubling you Chiyuki-dono. The truth is, I have an investigation request for Hero-dono.¡¹ Tarabos spoke with a fawning and apologizing tone. ¡¸A request?¡¹ Chiyuki tilted her head in confusion. She had no idea what the other party¡¯s request was. But, since it came from the vice president of the Magician Association, Chiyuki decided to lend an ear for the time being. Volume 3 - CH 4.1 Act 3-4.1: The Hero¡¯s Party¡¯s 2nd Assembly Meeting ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll start with a report of my findings.¡¹ After finishing her investigation in Saria academy, Chiyuki went back to the Holy Republic of Lenaria. The way back was easier since she was allowed to use transfer magic, saving her a lot of time and effort. As soon as she had returned, Chiyuki had gathered her comrades. ¡¸According to my investigation, there are three kinds of magic that can be used to manipulate people: charm magic, memory manipulation magic, and rule magic. Let me first start with rule magic. To put it simply, it¡¯s a type of magic that allows someone to rule over someone else, creating a master-slave relationship. The demerit of this magic is that it lowers the target¡¯s intelligence.¡¹ ¡¸So basically it will turn the target into an idiot? Controlling an idiot would make it harder for the caster, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸Correct, Rino-san, which is why I think we can cross this one out.¡¹ Chiyuki readily agreed with Rino. Rule magic was a spell that would turn a person into a robot. Though it didn¡¯t affect the target¡¯s knowledge and other basic abilities, it made them lose the ability to adapt in any kind of situation. This hindered the target as they wouldn¡¯t move unless they were given a precise order, making the magic completely useless in most situations. The experiment of this magic, which was conducted on a goblin, concluded that this spell was completely devoid of any degree of freedom since the target wouldn¡¯t move unless they were given orders. ¡¸That means it must be one of the other two spells.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, Nao-chan. Next is memory manipulation magic, it¡¯s a magic that allows its user to rewrite the memory of their target as much as they like. The user can even tamper with the target¡¯s memory to the point that the target will completely obey the user¡¯s orders.¡¹ ¡¸Then, Kuroki¡¯s memories must have been¡­¡¹ Shirone¡¯s face paled upon hearing Chiyuki¡¯s explanation. ¡¸That¡¯s only one of the possibilities, Shirone-san. Manipulating someone¡¯s memories with this magic isn¡¯t as easy as it sounds. Rewriting an unlikely memory with a true memory is pretty much impossible, and trying to forcefully plant contradicting memories might even bring about the mental collapse of the target.¡¹ Chiyuki shook her head. ¡¸Yeah. Since he¡¯s just a normal Japanese according to Shirone-san, it¡¯s pretty much impossible to make him think that he¡¯s a citizen of this world.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, Nao-san. Rather than trying to plant false memories, it¡¯ll be easier to just erase his entire memory and raise him up like a baby. But, doing that will take a LOT OF TIME.¡¹ Everyone had a complex look on their face upon hearing Chiyuki¡¯s explanation. They all crossed out this type of magic right away. The target¡¯s memories wouldn¡¯t come back if they got completely erased. It was like mentally killing someone, and if Kuroki¡¯s memories were wiped clean, he wouldn¡¯t be able to go back to his previous self even after they return to Japan. Shirone held back her tears, desperately praying that it wasn¡¯t this magic that was used on Kuroki. Chiyuki continued on. ¡¸And the last one on the list is charm magic. Rino-san, you should be familiar with this magic, right?¡¹ Chiyuki spoke as she looked at Rino. Rino excelled in using mental manipulation magic that would cause mental disorders. The targets of this magic could end up being charmed, confused, or sleepy. She had tried to use this magic on monsters before. ¡¸Yeah, if it¡¯s to manipulate people, this is the best type of magic. It can even make Goblin-san and Orc-san listen to my every word!¡¹ Rino happily exclaimed, charm magic was her favorite as it forced the target to love the user. The target could move independently to protect the user even without detailed orders like in rule magic. However, since the target¡¯s actions would become quite spontaneous, sometimes it would make the user¡¯s life difficult. Not many wanted to deal with that. ¡¸But, isn¡¯t this magic useless on most monsters?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s true Sahoko-san. I¡¯m really happy when I can talk with Centaur-san, but it¡¯s useless on Harpie-san.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s because of the difference in their genders. But that could be just one of the many weak points of this spell.¡¹ Charm magic was a spell that would make the user look more attractive in the eyes of the target. If it was used on a target who originally hated the user, the most it could do was make the target more friendly towards the user. That¡¯s why it was a rather unreliable spell with many uncertain factors. ¡¸But, what do you think would happen if it was the Demon King who manipulated him with charm magic?¡¹ Everyone couldn¡¯t help but ponder upon hearing Nao¡¯s remark. ¡¸If he really is being manipulated with charm magic¡­ then Shirone¡¯s childhood friend might be charmed by the Demon King¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sure enough, that might be true, Reiji-kun.¡¹ Chiyuki nodded in response to Reiji¡¯s remark. ¡¸I-If that¡¯s the case, are you saying that he¡¯s¡­ in love with the Demon King.¡¹ Kaya suddenly cut into their conversation, her voice was a pitch higher than her usual flat tone. ¡¸Seriously?! THAT Demon King?!¡¹ Everyone flinched a bit when Nao spoke. They had seen the Demon King¡¯s appearance before; his figure could only be described as ugly and atrocious. They all looked a bit unwell as they imagined all the X-rated scenes that could happen between Kuroki and the Demon King; Chiyuki included. ¡¸That¡¯s horrible¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yup, it¡¯s horrible indeed¡­¡¹ Rino and Kyouka looked at each other with weary expressions. ¡¸But, that¡¯s strange. Charm magic shouldn¡¯t work between people of the same sex, right?¡¹ Kyouka voiced her doubt. The biggest weakness of charm magic was the fact that it didn¡¯t work on same sex targets. ¡¸Could it be that he is actually¡­ THAT?¡¹ Kyouka got flustered upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. But, under the assumption that Kuroki was really THAT way, they thought that it was possible for him to get charmed by the Demon King. ¡¸There are many forms of love, Chiyuki. If he really loves the Demon King, then that might be his kind of happiness.¡¹ D*ckhead spoke with a serious look on his face, not even realizing that the one they suspected as gay had actually enjoyed a hot and passionate night with the one who summoned them. Reiji couldn¡¯t care less about Kuroki though as he had zero interest in men. He would never go out of his way to save them. ¡¸Reiji-sama!!¡¹ Kaya suddenly spoke with a loud voice, breaking her usual cool beauty. ¡¸W-¡­What¡¯s the matter, Kaya?¡¹ Even Reiji flinched a bit hearing Kaya¡¯s unusual tone. ¡¸AS EXPECTED OF REIJI-SAMA! TO THINK THAT YOU HAVE SUCH A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THAT PHILOSOPHY!! COULD IT BE THAT YOU¡¯RE ACTUALLY THE SAME AS HIM?! THE SCENE OF REIJI-SAMA AND )(@&@^^#&*$((#))@(*&#^%@$$!!!¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 4.2 Act 3-4.2: The Hero¡¯s Party¡¯s 2nd Assembly Meeting ¡¸EH?!¡¹ Reiji let out a dumbfounded voice. No matter how you looked at it, he didn¡¯t swing that way. Though she was as expressionless as usual, everyone could see that Kaya was slightly more excited than usual. They were really surprised upon seeing the cool beauty act this way. ¡¸But, that would definitely look nice~¡¹ Rino spoke happily. ¡¸Agre~ed.¡¹ Nao agreed with Rino. ¡¸Not you too Nao-san¡­¡¹ Chiyuki massaged her temple seeing the reaction of her comrades. £¨But, I have to agree that the X-rated scenes between him and Reiji would look much better than with the Demon King.£© Even Chiyuki got infected by the fujoshi virus. Reiji had a nice and handsome face and, remembering their battle at the dragon¡¯s mountain, she also found that Shirone¡¯s childhood friend had a rather good looking face too. Chiyuki ended up imagining various things and almost went straight to becoming a kifujin, the superior form of a fujoshi. ¡¸W-WAIT A MINUTE! HOLD YOUR HORSES EVERYONE! I¡¯M A STRAIGHT MAN!¡¹ ¡¸E~h, that¡¯s bori~ng.¡¹ Rino replied to Reiji¡¯s flustered denial with a rather dejected tone. And though she didn¡¯t show it on her face, Kaya looked equally dejected. ¡¸Look, we¡¯re in front of Shirone.¡¹ Unable to accept the fact that he had just become the victim of his own joke, the d*ckhead tried to change the topic in a hurry. ¡¸U~hm. I¡¯m sorry to say this to everyone but, I¡¯m sure that Kuroki is also a straight man who loves women. His eyes would literally lock onto my chest when we would wear our summer uniforms¡­¡¹ Rino, Kaya, and unexpectedly, Reiji too, made dejected faces upon hearing Shirone¡¯s remark. ¡¸He would also always insist that he¡¯d never done that even though it was way too obvious. That¡¯s why I can reassure you that he is a straight man!!¡¹ ¡¸Shirone-san. That¡¯s not reassuring at all. Moreover, knowing that such a person approached you is a bit¡­¡¹ Sahoko spoke with a slightly disgusted expression on her face upon hearing Shirone¡¯s attempt to protect her childhood friend, not realizing that she herself had already become the victim of a pervert called d*ckhead. ¡¸Sahoko is right. That¡¯s unpleasant indeed.¡¹ Chiyuki agreed with Sahoko, forgetting the fact that she just showcased her body in front of literally the entire male population in Rox Kingdom. She would never want a lecher to become her comrade; again forgetting the fact that a lecher already existed in her party. [EN: They¡¯re honestly all so dumb.] ¡¸By the way, Chiyuki-san, Kuroki-san should have extremely powerful resistance against all magic, right? I mean, I felt it back when we fought him.¡¹ ¡¸Nao-san¡¯s right. Both domination magic and charm magic doesn¡¯t work on someone with powerful magic resistance. And since he¡¯s still alive even after receiving my most powerful magic head on, he surely has extremely powerful resistance against magic.¡¹ ¡¸Then, how do you think the Demon King is controlling him?¡¹ Upon hearing Rino¡¯s remark, Chiyuki thought for a bit before responding. ¡¸It shouldn¡¯t be by normal means then. For example, they might have used a magic potion, a love potion to be exact.¡¹ ¡¸A love potion? What¡¯s that?¡¹ Reiji asked in a hurry. ¡¸Well just as its name entails, it¡¯s a love potion. Anyone who drinks that potion would fall in love with the first person they see. I happened to come across its description in one of the books I read, and it seems that it¡¯s strong enough to make even a God succumb to its effects.¡¹ ¡¸Then, could it be that Kuroki is being manipulated because of a love potion?¡¹ ¡¸That may be so, Shirone-san. But there¡¯s still the possibility that he¡¯s being controlled by any of the spells I explained a few minutes ago. Honestly, we need more information before we can conclude anything.¡¹ In the end, their investigation hit a wall. Chiyuki had researched all sorts of other ways of manipulation aside from using magic, but she didn¡¯t end up with anything substantial. ¡¸Since the way to free him is also different depending on the magic used on him. We need more research in this regard.¡¹ Chiyuki ended their meeting with that conclusion. They couldn¡¯t do anything about it until they knew more about his own situation. ¡¸But, I guess we should ask Rena for help in this matter. She might be able to find something¡­¡¹ Since Rena knew that the Dark Knight was intending to cut the Holy Dragon King¡¯s horn, she must¡¯ve known about the Dark Knight being Shirone¡¯s childhood friend too. Chiyuki made such a deduction since the Goddess seemed to know a lot about Nargol, especially what was happening inside. However, she also guessed that something might have happened to Rena back in Rox Kingdom since she hadn¡¯t appeared lately. She was now a completely useless Goddess to them. ¡¸Rena, huh¡­ could it be that something happened to her back in Rox Kingdom?¡¹ Reiji sounded worried about Rena. The faces of a few people in the room turned grim upon hearing his remark. They had no idea what happened to Rena back then, still being kept in the dark about the reason for her sudden withdrawal from Rox Kingdom. Everyone, except for Reiji, was really angry at Rena. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s force Rena to spill the beans¡­ cough¡­ I mean to tell us of what happened back then.¡¹ Chiyuki wanted to ask a lot of things once Rena contacted them. Such as what happened in Rox Kingdom that forced her to leave without telling them? Or the identity of the man with the eerie mask? Or even, how many people were summoned by the Demon King? She also had no idea about what would happen if someone other than the Demon King and Rena summoned another person. She especially wanted to know more about the summoning art used by the Demon King, Chiyuki thought that Rena definitely knew about that. They were in for trouble if the Demon King could summon as many people as he wanted. Thus, Chiyuki and co decided to talk to Rena about the fact that the Demon King had also used summoning magic. Yet, they couldn¡¯t meet the Goddess in the end. Nier was the one who came instead after their request to meet Rena. Later on, they were told that Rena had already known that the Demon King had used summoning magic too. They were also told that the Demon King wouldn¡¯t be able to use summoning magic anymore because the King of the Gods, Oudith, had used his powers to make it forbidden. Chiyuki wondered why they weren¡¯t told such important information. She subsequently asked Nier, who told her that she wasn¡¯t privy of such details. Thus, Chiyuki was really eager to meet Rena in person to get more detailed information. ¡¸It seems that Rena doesn¡¯t want to meet anyone right now. Guess we have no choice but to wait.¡¹ Reiji tried to cover for Rena, earning some disgruntled looks from some people in the room. Reiji was always lenient towards Rena, a world topelling beauty. Chiyuki was rather irritated with that fact. ¡¸Since Rena can¡¯t help us right now, we should just infiltrate Nargol by ourselves!!¡¹ Shirone suddenly suggested. But, that was even more impossible. ¡¸Shirone-san¡­ that¡¯s impossible. First, we have to infiltrate Nargol as you said. But then, we¡¯ll have to fight Kuroki, can you really fight against him?¡¹ Nao might be the only one amongst them who could infiltrate Nargol unnoticed but that was far too dangerous for her. That¡¯s why Chiyuki dismissed Shirone¡¯s proposal right away. ¡¸That¡¯s troubling indeed¡­ But still, we can visit the closest place to Nargol¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, as long as we don¡¯t enter Nargol¡­ but, I doubt that any information we get from those places will be accurate.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s enough for me, I¡¯ll go even if I have to go by myself. If I can get even a bit more information about Kuroki then it¡¯ll be worth it.¡¹ Chiyuki understood then that Shirone would not be able to stay calm without doing something about the situation. Volume 3 - CH 4.3 Act 3-4.3: The Hero¡¯s Party¡¯s 2nd Assembly Meeting She simply wanted to get closer to him, even if just a little bit. ¡¸Speaking of the country closest to Nargol, it¡¯s Velos Kingdom if I remember correctly. Shall we go there?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s indeed the biggest country closest to Nargol.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t there one even closer than Velos?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, if I¡¯m not wrong it¡¯s Algore. But, we ended up messing up big time when we were there last time. I even heard there was a coup d¡¯¨¦tat in that country after we left. Honestly, I have no idea what¡¯s happening to that country right now.¡¹ Chiyuki replied to Rino¡¯s question. A huge incident had happened back when Chiyuki and the others visited Algore. The king for some reason had challenged Reiji. Of course, he was utterly defeated. Chiyuki and her companions had no idea what happened to that country later on as they had immediately entered Nargol afterwards. All she knew from some rumors she heard much later was that a coup d¡¯¨¦tat had occurred. ¡¸That¡¯s worrying indeed. Shall we go there? I¡¯ve been worrying about Algore ever since that incident.¡¹ Reiji sounded like he couldn¡¯t wait to visit Algore again. Seeing his eagerness, Chiyuki started to suspect his intentions. ¡¸Come to think of it, there was a beautiful princess in that country.¡¹ Nao spoke with a wide grin on her face. ¡¸Rei-kun¡­¡¹ ¡¸Reiji-san¡­¡¹ Rino and Sahoko pouted upon hearing Nao¡¯s remark. ¡¸Wait a minute! I didn¡¯t do anything?!¡¹ Reiji vehemently denied their implicit claim. In the first place, this country wasn¡¯t that memorable for him since he didn¡¯t get to enjoy himself. That was probably why he was so eager to go back there so he could amend the situation. However, for the others, this was definitely the most memorable place for them since it was the first time Reiji had not gotten his way with a woman. The woman was even quite annoyed with him since his relationship with women was beyond control. ¡¸Good grief, hold back a bit will ya, Reiji-kun¡­¡¹ Chiyuki spoke with a tired look on her face. £¨If I¡¯m not wrong, the princess¡¯ name was Regena? She¡¯s a beauty indeed, but I wonder what she¡¯s doing right now?£© Chiyuki might have forgotten about Regena if not for Nao¡¯s reminder. Now she didn¡¯t wish for Reiji to visit Algore. ¡¸Come to think of it, Chiyuki-sama. Did something happen while you were visiting Saria?¡¹ Upon hearing Kaya¡¯s question, Chiyuki recalled what had happened before she had gathered them for this assembly. Thus, she proceeded to tell everyone about it. ¡¸Yeah, I met the Vice President of the Magician Association.¡¹ Chiyuki then gave them more details about her meeting Tarabos. There were three vice presidents and one president in the Magician Association. Tarabos was one of those three vice presidents, which gave him a lot of authority, sometimes even surpassing the authority of the kings of the different kingdoms due to how many branches the association had in the entire continent. And that very person had personally sent a request to Reiji. From what she knew, Tarabos was also working as a counselor in many other countries, amongst those consultations, there was a troublesome request which needed the Hero¡¯s power to resolve. Chiyuki passed his request directly to Reiji. ¡¸He wants to meet you one of these days if possible. But, in my opinion, we should accept this request, what do you think?¡¹ Though Tarabos didn¡¯t give a deadline to confirm whether they would accept his request or not, Chiyuki thought that they should give their answer as soon as possible. They should meet Tarabos right away to give him a better impression of them. Moreover, by forming a good relationship with him, they¡¯d be able to form a better relationship with the Magician Association as well, which would help them expand their field of activity. Chiyuki and her companions, who were summoned by Rena, had received a favorable reception upon their arrival due to their association with the Goddess and could enter most countries in the eastern part of the continent, where the influence of Rena¡¯s faith was stronger. But, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the western part of the continent, Rena¡¯s influence wasn¡¯t widespread there, so they had a hard time entering the countries there. Since the Magician Association had influence throughout the entire continent, Chiyuki thought that having a good relationship with them was very beneficial. ¡¸Eh, but Algore is¡­¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s Algore, I¡¯ll go there by myself. I won¡¯t impose my selfishness on you guys. That¡¯s why everyone else should go to Saria.¡¹ Shirone cut in before Reiji could finish his sentence. ¡¸It¡¯s decided then, Reiji-kun. Sorry, Shirone-sana.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s not a big deal, don¡¯t worry.¡¹ Shirone replied with a cheerful voice. However, her expression was anything but cheerful. Chiyuki could see that Shirone was really worried about her childhood friend. £¨Well, no wonder she¡¯s so worried about him when there¡¯s a good chance that he¡¯s being manipulated by the Demon King with drugs after being summoned. We¡¯re really lucky that Rena is the one who summoned us.£© Chiyuki thought that there was no way Rena, the one known as the Goddess of Justice, would use such underhanded means like the Demon King. And then, she became even angrier toward the Demon King who used such foul means. ¡ô Rena was currently recuperating in her own room in Elios. Before she returned, she felt that there were people talking about her in a certain human country named after her, more widely known as Lenaria. She guessed that these people might be Reiji and his party. They were definitely talking about how pure she was. She heard from Nier that Chiyuki wanted to meet her when she was still locking herself in her own room, but it seems that she has already taken care of that matter. Rena had yet to adjust her mental state at that time. She had already calmed down now, but that didn¡¯t mean that she wanted to meet Chiyuki. She could meet her at a much later time. She was a bit afraid of the aftermath of that meeting, thus she kept on making up reasons to delay their meeting. Before, she had wanted Reiji and his party to go to Nargol as soon as possible, but the situation now had changed. Now, she was afraid that Reiji and his companions might hurt ¡°Him¡± when they went to Nargol. Rena was looking dearly at the small portrait in her hand. There was a picture of a handsome youth. ¡¸Kuroki¡­¡¹ She heaved a deep sigh upon looking at the figure in the portrait. Nowadays, all she saw in her dreams was him. Yes, she was connected with Kuna. After Kuroki had created a new Goddess called Kuna, she had never entered Mona¡¯s dreams again. She had no idea how that had happened, but she knew that it might have something to do with their origins, which was her. It was a wonderful coincidence for her, now she didn¡¯t see the ugly Modes in her dreams anymore. All she saw now was Kuroki. If it was Kuroki, then she would never get tired of those dreams. That¡¯s why the quality of her sleep had been increasing as of late. She didn¡¯t care about Modes anymore since he never appeared in her dreams again. Thus, effectively turning Reiji and his party into mere disposable pawns, she didn¡¯t care about them to begin with. ¡¸Fufufufufufu.¡¹ She unintentionally let out a muffled laugh. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Rena-sama.¡¹ She hurriedly hid the portrait upon hearing someone calling her from behind. ¡¸N-Nier! W-when did you get here?!¡¹ The one who stood behind Rena was none other than Rena¡¯s Valkyrie, Nier. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Since you never replied to me no matter how much I called your name¡­ I decided to enter your room to check¡­¡¹ Nier replied with an uncomfortable look on her face. ¡¸O-Oh m-my, is that so! Sorry Nier! So, what¡¯s the matter?¡¹ Rena was flustered. She kept wondering whether Nier saw ¡°His¡± portrait or not. ¡¸Yes, I called you since Faeria-sama¡¯s invitation has just come but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Faeria-sama¡¯s invitation? For me? I wonder what she wants to talk about? I understand, tell her that I¡¯ll be there immediately.¡¹ Faeria, Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth was the wife of the King of the Gods, Oudith, she stood as the summit of all the Elios¡¯ Goddesses. She was also the one who raised Rena, her surrogate mother, that¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t oppose her summons. ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll tell Faeria-sama¡¯s messenger.¡¹ Nier left the room after she said those words. Rena had no choice but to leave right after her too. Thus, after she wore her underwear and changed her clothes, she left to meet Faeria. Volume 3 - CH 5 Act 3-5: The Kingdom of Goblin Kuroki was riding on Glorious¡¯ back, flying over the Akeron mountain range. He was heading towards a huge cave located in a slightly steep mountain, a cave known to be the Goblins¡¯ den. Though Goblins weren¡¯t nocturnal creatures, they still preferred to live in darkness. That¡¯s why the majority of them chose to live in places devoid of sunlight such as caves and dense forests. Once near the cave, Glorious descended in front of its entrance. He settled himself to allow Kuroki to slip off of his back, who was in turn followed by Kuna, who had sat behind him throughout the journey. ¡¸Kuroki, is this place they call Karon Kingdom?¡¹ Kuna asked while looking into the cave. Kuroki nodded in answer as he added. ¡¸Yeah, it should be this one¡­ but well, this is also my first time visiting this place.¡¹ Karon Kingdom was located in the north side of the Akeron mountain range, in short, it was included in Nargol¡¯s territory. And since it was in Nargol¡¯s territory, the Goblins in this kingdom were naturally under Modes¡¯ rule. The name ¡°Goblins¡¯ nest¡± was just another name for Karon Kingdom. Though Kuroki had no idea how many Goblins lived there, it was said to be the biggest Goblin kingdom in Nargol. They stood in the entrance and soon enough, five Goblins came to greet them. Kuroki¡¯s eyes immediately focused on the Goblin standing in the middle. Goblins never grew tall even when they reached adulthood, they would only become around the same height as 10~12 year old kids. But, the Goblin who stood in the middle was at least a size bigger than the other Goblins. ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting for your arrival, Your Excellency gob. My name is Keneo gob.¡¹ The oversized Goblin in the middle introduced himself while bowing his head to Kuroki. ¡¸Gob?¡¹ Kuroki tilted his head in confusion hearing the strange way Keneo ended his sentences. Though generally it was difficult to understand a Goblin¡¯s words, he still managed to understand what Keneo had just said. But still, the strange way he ended his sentences left Kuroki in bewilderment. After bowing to Kuroki, the oversized Keneo then sent a glance to his side. Naturally, the one who stood beside Kuroki was none other than Kuna. ¡¸And this one must be Your Excellency¡¯s wife gob.¡¹ He then bowed to Kuna too. It was at that moment that Kuroki finally realized that the ¡°gob¡± at the end of Keneo¡¯s sentences wasn¡¯t just his imagination. ¡¸Wife¡­ you have discerning eyes.¡¹ Kuna muttered happily, obviously elated when Keneo called her Kuroki¡¯s wife. ¡¸Please follow me, our queen has been waiting for you gob.¡¹ Thus, Keneo led Kuroki and co deeper into the Goblins¡¯ nest. The inside of the nest was dark, the only source of light being the lantern with a light bug inside held by Keneo, who led the way. Kuroki had no problem with this situation as he could see in the darkness thanks to his night vision, however, the same couldn¡¯t be said about Kuna. They passed many Goblins along the way. Though Goblins were only as tall as 10~12 year olds when compared to the human race, even after reaching adulthood, their strength was comparable to that of adult humans. Their head was as hard as rock, so much so that the blade of a normal weapon wouldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on it. Which was why it had become a rule of thumb to aim for any other place other than head when fighting Goblins with a bladed weapon. However, if someone only wanted to avoid fighting with them, all they had to do was sing a song to drive them away¡ªGoblins were weak against beautiful singing voices. In the past when he had seen the Goblins¡¯ living arrangements in other caves and dense forests, Kuroki had figured that the level of their civilization was around the same level as cavemen back in his world. He recalled the Goblin ecology Loughas had taught him; the Goblins he met so far were all textbook examples of what Loughas had told him. However, the Goblins of Karon Kingdom were completely different from the average Goblins he had encountered. The level of their civilization wasn¡¯t behind that of the humans, they even wore clothes. Moreover, they weren¡¯t just willy nilly occupying a cave, in fact, they had dug it quite well and flattened its surface and walls. Even as he looked at Keneo, he could see that he held equipment not inferior to that of humans. Finally, they arrived in a spacious room. The room was bright since many light bug lanterns illuminated it from all sides. Sitting in the innermost part of the room was the biggest Goblin Kuroki had ever met. It was even taller than himself, not to even mention its sheer girth. This ultra-sized Goblin had long hair instead of the usual bald head. In addition, Kuroki felt a huge amount of magical power emitting from its body. The Goblin¡¯s magical power even rivaled that of the demon race. ¡¸Huuge¡­¡¹ Kuna muttered. £¨Kuna¡¯s right, I don¡¯t even know whether we can call this one a Goblin anymore. Is this the one they call Queen of Karon Kingdom?£© Kuroki further observed the ultra-sized goblin. There was a horn growing from its head, which was different from a normal goblin as they couldn¡¯t grow horns. However, Kuroki had heard that once in a while, a horned Goblin would be born among their race, and that horned Goblin would end up more powerful than any other Goblin, and would be made as Lord. Thus, Kuroki guessed that the ultra-sized Goblin in front of them was most likely a Goblin Lord. ¡¸Your Excellency, this is our Queen, Datie-sama gob.¡¹ Keneo introduced the giant Goblin. Just as Kuroki had guessed, that giant, fat Goblin was indeed the queen. Though it was only a wild guess since he really couldn¡¯t differentiate the Goblins genders. ¡¸Welcome to Karon Kingdom, Your Excellency.¡¹ Datie bowed to Kuroki. Kuroki removed his helmet and held it under his armpit. Though his status was higher than Datie¡¯s, he thought that it would be rude to the other party if he spoke to them with his helmet on. ¡¸I¡¯m Kuroki. I came since I heard that there¡¯s a problem in this place, may I hear the details?¡¹ And yet, Datie just stared at Kuroki without saying anything. For some reason, Datie¡¯s gaze sent a chill down his spine. ¡¸KUROKI ASKED YOU A QUESTION, WHERE¡¯S YOUR ANSWER! DON¡¯T THINK THAT KUNA WILL FORGIVE YOU IF IT TURNS OUT TO BE AN INSIGNIFICANT PROBLEM!!¡¹ Kuna¡¯s magical power exploded, locking on Datie, ready to kill her at any moment. ¡¸WHA! KUNA!¡¹ Kuroki called Kuna with a flustered voice. The Goblins in the room, along with Datie and Keneo, trembled in fear once they were exposed to Kuna¡¯s killing intent. For some reason, Kuroki felt that Kuna was hostile towards Datie in particular. ¡¸My deepest apologies, Your Excellency.¡¹ In the end, Datie apologized to Kuroki. ¡¸W-Well, don¡¯t worry about it. Calm down Kuna. So, what kind of issue is your kingdom facing?¡¹ Kuroki asked Datie again while trying to pacify the angry Kuna. ¡¸Yes. The truth is, we found out that sometime ago some people had started invading Karon Kingdom¡¯s territory.¡¹ ¡¸E¨C¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but be surprised upon hearing Keneo¡¯s remark. That was a big problem. ¡¸C-Could it be that it¡¯s¡­ Reiji and co?¡¹ Just to be safe, he had given Nut a mission to tail Reiji and his party. And according to Nut¡¯s most recent information, Reiji and the others were currently in the western side of the continent. £¨Since that was the case, when did they come to this palce?£© The prospect of fighting Reiji again sent chills running down Kuroki¡¯s spine. ¡¸Fortunately it¡¯s not them, Your Excellency. In fact, this shouldn¡¯t be a big deal but¡­ just in case.¡¹ In short, Datie called Kuroki since she had no idea what she should do to those people. If the one who invaded the territory was Reiji and his party, then Karon Kingdom would be the first to get targeted by them. Last time, when Reiji and his party had succeeded in invading Nargol for the first time, they had just passed by without doing anything to Karon Kingdom. At that time, the communication network between Karon Kingdom and Nargol wasn¡¯t maintained properly, thus Reiji and the others could slip in without being noticed by the Goblins. Learning a harsh lesson from the battle that ensued, this time, Karon Kingdom decided to use magic tools from now on; they had installed one to inform Nargol of any suspicious events and another to use for major emergencies. This was of course emphasized by Nargol as they reminded the kingdom to report any abnormal activity regardless of how trivial it was. Since this incident wasn¡¯t reported with the emergency magic tool, Kuroki judged that it wasn¡¯t a dire situation. ¡¸At first, they had only attacked a few Goblin tribes in the south, but then, they crossed the peak and came inside Karon Kingdom¡¯s territory. We had thought that it was simply a quarrel between tribes to prove their supremacy but¡­ our messenger then told us that it wasn¡¯t a conflict between Goblin tribes.¡¹ ¡¸Is that how you realized that the ones who raided your territory were humans?¡¹ Datie nodded to Kuroki. ¡¸It seems they couldn¡¯t go farther than across the peak, but the problem is that they keep on coming back again and again. I don¡¯t know what their goal is¡­ I¡¯m really scared, Your Excellency.¡¹ Kuroki thought that the scene of Datie wrapping her thick, fat arms around her body might be scary enough to send those intruders running back to their home. Seeing how his thoughts were becoming a bit rude, Kuroki then started pondering about the reason behind this invasion instead. Was it for a mere Goblin subjugation? ¡¸Though you said that Reiji wasn¡¯t among them, do you have any more information about those people?¡¹ Though he knew that Goblins couldn¡¯t differentiate the humans¡¯ appearances aside from their gender, he tried to ask, just in case. ¡¸I would know right away if a handsome man like the Hero of Light is amongst them, Your Excellency. If he comes again, I shall make a plea to him to not attack Nargol by myself¡­¡¹ For some reason, Kuroki felt sorry for Reiji the moment he heard Datie¡¯s remark. Sometimes, he forgot that the aesthetic beauty for the different races of this world was pretty much the same as humans, thus, many monsters favored beautiful men or women from the human race. Thus, Kuroki wondered if Reiji might have caught Datie¡¯s interest. ¡¸According to our information, the one who raided our territory is called the Hero Parsish of Algore. I had a skilled painter make his portrait. After seeing it, I¡¯m convinced that the man called Parsish isn¡¯t the Hero of Light. Though the man called Parsish is no doubt a handsome man, he is leagues behind the Hero of Light.¡¹ Datie spoke as she shook her¡ªas eerie as ever¡ªbody, in fear. Kuroki decided to ask further since he heard a familiar name in Datie¡¯s remark. ¡¸Algore¡­ Regena¡¯s birthplace?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s it, Regena¡¯s birthplace.¡¹ Kuroki fully remembered after hearing Kuna¡¯s remark. Algore Kingdom was the country Regena¡¯s father had governed before her exile. Kuroki had almost forgotten about that fact since Regena rarely spoke about her life before she came to Nargol. £¨Why in the world would that Hero of Algore come to exterminate the Goblins in the southern side of Algore¡¯s mountain range?£© Though he might understand the situation a little bit better if he asked Regena, Kuroki couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask her about it. Regena¡¯s family was murdered by the person who currently governs Algore. Asking her about her previous kingdom might open an old wound in her heart. Moreover, he felt that this particular hero might have played a pivotal role in her family¡¯s exilement. All the more reason no to ask her anything. £¨Does Regena want to avenge her family? Since Regena never says anything about it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever know the reason unless I ask her.£© Though Kuroki realized that there was no way she didn¡¯t resent the current Algore, he had no intention to help Regena even if she wanted revenge. Kuroki would close his eyes and let her do whatever she wanted to do. He didn¡¯t think it was good to keep her, a human, in Nargol for a long time, a country ruled by monsters. Sooner or later, he knew that he had to go looking for a suitable place for her; somewhere in a far away country. As he was musing, Kuroki suddenly felt someone¡¯s heated gaze on him. When he raised his head, his eyes met with Datie¡¯s. ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹ ¡¸No, I just think that Your Excellency turned out to be a handsome man that could rival the Hero of Light. GUFUFUFUFU.¡¹ Datie was smiling while licking her lips. Her gaze felt as if she was sizing him up. Kuroki yet again felt a chill run down his spine. ¡¸HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT HIM WITH SUCH EYES, GOBLIN QUEEN! KUROKI IS KUNA¡¯S!!¡¹ Kuna was enraged upon finding that Datie was eyeing Kuroki. ¡¸S-Shuush Kuna! Okay, we understand the situation! Leave the matter about that Algore Hero to us!! Let¡¯s go Kuna!!¡¹ Kuroki left the place in a hurry while pacifying Kuna. Though Datie seemed to want to stop them, he blatantly ignored her attempts. His gut kept on telling him that this place was dangerous and that he shouldn¡¯t stay here any longer. Thus, Kuroki left Karon Kingdom in a hurry. Volume 3 - CH 6.1 Act 3-6.1: Algore¡¯s Prince Algore¡¯s prince, Omiros, and his party kept advancing into the Goblins¡¯ nest. Just as they had encountered before, a group of Goblins suddenly appeared, battling them and trying to stop them from going in their territory any further. Their numbers were a lot, as they had learned from many prior battles. However, even though Omiros¡¯ party had only seven people while the group of Goblins before them bore over twenty stout figures, the prince didn¡¯t fall into panic, not even wincing in fear at their loathsome appearances. ¨C ¨CThey had Parsish among them. ¡¸FLASH!!¡¹ ¡¸GUGYAAA!!¡¹ ¡¸GUAAAA.¡¹ Parsish¡¯s flash magic exploded during the battle. The Goblins writhed in agony at the blinding flash of light that entered their vision, shielding their sore eyes from further destructive brightness. They were creatures that thrived in darkness, weak to strong light, and that flash of light magic was their own worst nightmare, their undoing in the battle as it blinded them for a few seconds. ¡¸NOW! KILL THEM ALL BEFORE THEY REGAIN THEIR SIGHT!!¡¹ They would lose their battles against the Goblins, whose numbers amounted to more than twice their own, without robbing them of their sight. Ominous drew his sword and charged towards the crowd of Goblins after issuing his order. ¡¸DON¡¯T AIM FOR THEIR HARD SKULL! AIM FOR THEIR BODY, STAB THEIR HEART!!¡¹ ¡¸ROGER THAT!!¡¹ Omiros¡¯ comrades replied as they crossed swords with the Goblins. The Goblins in turn desperately dodged their oncoming slaughter. Since a Goblin¡¯s head was as hard as a rock, a normal sword couldn¡¯t split it open. That¡¯s why aiming for their limbs was the rule of thumb when fighting them. Since humans were taller than Goblins, a skilled warrior wouldn¡¯t have any trouble in disposing of them, and the people who came with Omiros were all the skilled warriors of Algore; seasoned warriors who could easily eat Goblins for breakfast. Strength triumphed over everything in Algore, a human country that lay closest to Nargol, and which was always under the threat of monster attacks. The men of Algore were all fated to the life of warriors since their birth and had thus become veterans of the trade¡ªOmiros¡¯ group had not much problem in disposing of the blinded Goblins. However, as one would expect, due to their larger numbers, many goblins were still rampaging in their blind state, the warriors not being able to reach them all at once. ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹ Finally, the Goblins¡¯ eyesights were restored. They raised a warcry along with their club in retaliation, wanting to get back at the humans who harmed their kind. After defending against a Goblin¡¯s club strike with his shield, Omiros launched a counter, his sword cutting into the Goblin¡¯s body. He then kicked the Goblin he had just slashed towards another one, making them crash on the rough ground, subsequently stabbing his sword into another Goblin who had tried to attack his flank. ¡¸Not bad, Prince Omiros.¡¹ Parsish praised Omiros with a smile on his face. Omiros, however, felt that it was an empty praise as he saw the number of Goblins Parsish had killed, which far surpassed his own. Parsish wasn¡¯t a native of Algore. He was a foreigner who had suddenly appeared in their country and started freeloading in his father¡¯s house and had become their clan¡¯s strongest fighter. The mantle had fallen on him after the people had discovered how skilled in combat he was as no one could beat him in a one-on-one fight. Nowadays, his name had even resounded in other countries, gaining him fame as Algore¡¯s hero. But, for some reason, Omiros couldn¡¯t bring himself to like this man. He knew that this foreigner was always fooling around with not just the women of his country, but women of other countries too. He was a bit disgusted by this man¡¯s ways. Unlike the previous king, the current king, Omiros¡¯ father, had sent him to the surrounding countries to try and build friendly relationships with them. During that time, Omiros noticed that Parsish, who always came along as his companion, would always make a move on the noble daughters of the different countries. Of course, because of his handsomeness and beautiful face, no woman had ever refused his advances. Ominous though, still found the whole ordeal to be rather disturbing. ¡¸Well this Parsish feels that he cannot lose to Prince-sama¡¯s spirit. Bring it on, you ugly Goblins!!¡¹ Parsish rushed towards the group of surviving Goblins after his exclamation, massacring the whole hord. He moved like a gale, sweeping his enemies in an instant. ¡¸Amazing¡­¡¹ ¡¸As expected of Parsish-sama!!¡¹ Witnessing his amazing feat, everyone started singing him praise. Parsish¡¯s strength was truly befitting a hero. It was rumored that he could even defeat a weak, young ogre on his own. Omiros was left in awe seeing Parsish¡¯s display of strength. This foreigner¡¯s beautiful face and powerful strength somehow reminded him of the Hero of Light. [ED: You call someone who can only defeat a ¡°weak, young ogre¡± powerful?] Soon enough, the rest of the Goblins were finished off by Parsish. ¡¸Well that ended rather quickly¡­ do you still want to keep going on, Prince Omiros?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s keep going on a bit more.¡¹ The others let out a dissatisfied groan upon hearing Omiros¡¯ remark. ¡¸Young master¡­ I think we should just go back. We¡¯re really going to die if we keep on going further recklessly like this.¡¹ Balzasa, one of the members of their group, proposed that they withdraw before things got too dangerous. Balzasa was the king¡¯s subordinate and had always been Omiros¡¯ escort. He was really troubled right now as all he could think about was Omiros¡¯ safety. ¡¸Sorry Balzasa. Please, just a bit more.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t this enough already, Omiros. Just face the reality, that Qupis princess has already long been killed by Goblins.¡¹ ¡¸Maxis!!¡¹ Omiros then grabbed Maxis by the nape of his neck. Maxis was Omiros¡¯ cousin. Though he had come along since he couldn¡¯t stop worrying about Omiros, Omiros¡¯ last remark had left him with no choice but to voice his concerns. ¡¸ Goblins aren¡¯t always killing humans!! She must be alive!!¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that¡­ an even more tragic fate than death. She¡¯ll be just a breeding seedbed for Goblin children¡­¡¹ That was the only reason why a goblin would choose not to kill a female human. Omiros almost broke into tears upon hearing Maxis¡¯ brutal retort. ¡¸But still¡­ Regena is¡­¡¹ Omiros couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t bully our prince, Maxis-dono.¡¹ Maxis heaved a sigh upon hearing Parsish¡¯s remark. ¡¸Sorry Omiros. It seems I talk too much.¡¹ In the end, Maxis apologized to Omiros. ¡¸I spotted another cave on the way, let¡¯s take a rest in it, prince-sama. Everyone is tired after all.¡¹ Everyone agreed to Parsish¡¯s proposal. Not even Omiros could fight against such unity. ¡¸I understand, Parsish-dono. Everyone, let¡¯s take a rest in the next cave, you¡¯re all just following my selfishness after all.¡¹ Omiros and his companions could finally take a rest from their march. The sky was cloudy when they arrived at the small cave, which was pretty similar to a simple hole. They set up camp and started a fire, sitting around it to rest and warm up. Volume 3 - CH 6.2 Act 3-6.2: Algore¡¯s Prince ¡¸Prince Omiros. Would you really not have stopped advancing if Maxis hadn¡¯t stopped you back then?¡¹ Omiros became rattled upon hearing Parsish¡¯ question. ¡¸Sorry, Parsish-dono¡­ I just want to know Regena¡¯s current status as soon as possible¡­¡¹ Everyone in the cave fell into silence when they heard Omiros¡¯ answer. They knew that his mind was already filled with all the worst situations that could befall a woman who was captured by Goblins. ¡¸But still, we¡¯ve already killed most Goblins in this area.¡¹ Omiros nodded to Maxis, he knew that fact too. ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s why, just a bit more.¡¹ The other warriors vehemently opposed the moment those words left Omiros¡¯ mouth. ¡¸NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! WE HAVE TO STOP BEFORE WE ENTER TOO DEEP INTO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAIN!!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be so unreasonable, Omiros-sama, the Goblins in the northern territory are more powerful than the ones here in the southern side. That¡¯s way too dangerous!!¡¹ The warriors¡¯ objections were reasonable. Goblins in the northern territory were powerful and intelligent, using their own iron weapons and armors when battling, unlike the ones in the southern territory, who only equipped themselves with clubs. Omiros also knew that fact. Everyone in their party, except for Parsish, would surely get killed if they fight against fully armed goblins. Though Balzasa and Maxis weren¡¯t saying anything about it, they were actually also complaining inside. Parsish was the only one who didn¡¯t raise a complaint upon hearing Omiros¡¯ remark. ¡¸Please don¡¯t blame him, everyone. I understand our prince¡¯s worry about Regena. I mean, I can¡¯t blame him for his persistence since the princess is beautiful.¡¹ Parsish rebuked everyone. But, for some reason, Omiros felt his blood boil upon hearing his remark. ¡¸Parsish-dono! If that¡¯s really how you feel, why didn¡¯t you go save Regena back then?! She might be now tre¨C¡¹ ¡¸The one who decides these things is your father, the king. I really can¡¯t do anything about that.¡¹ Omiros fell silent at his reply. Parsish was correct. The one who had exiled Regena into the Goblins¡¯ nest was none other than his father. From the very beginning, there was internal rivalry in Algore. The origin of that strife could be traced back to the founding of Algore. Algore was originally a fort built four hundred years ago as the gathering place for warriors or chivalric orders of the Eastern Continent to subjugate the Demon King. Though its original function was to serve as a temporary fortress until humanity captured Nargol, it turned into a country with the passage of time. With the commander as the king, each knight order of every country and each mercenary group formed their own clan. Though in the beginning, people thought to choose the king from the Holy Republic of Lenaria¡¯s clan, it was utterly rejected by the other clans. Thus they reached an agreement that the new king will be chosen every ten years by the patriarch of each clan, using a rotation system. But, as time passed, that tradition held no meaning since the influential clans started to covet the throne for themselves and, Regena was a member of one of those influential clans Though some of the other clans were dissatisfied with her clan, none of them said anything since hers was an extremely powerful one. But, an incident suddenly occurred. During his visit in Velos Kingdom, the biggest kingdom of the region, Qupis, the previous king of Algore, fell in love with the Velos king¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Things had quickly escalated as Qupis finally eloped with the woman, bringing her back to Algore. Naturally, Velos Kingdom was enraged by Qupis¡¯ action and demanded he return the King¡¯s fianc¨¦e. However, Quips ignored their demands. The other clans of Algore were of course dissatisfied with his decision. They tried to persuade him to return the woman to Velos, but he ignored their advice. Thus, their dissatisfaction, which had been piling up for a while due to Qupis and his clab monopolizing the throne with their power, only grew. As a result of his stubbornness, Algore Kingdom had officially become the enemy Velos Kingdom, the most powerful kingdom in the region, which in turn made the other neighboring countries cut their relationship with Algore, worrying that any links to them might make them Velos¡¯ enemy as well. After that, no merchant ever visited Algore and the citizens were forced to live in poverty. As a result, Qupis¡¯ clan became the number one enemy of all the clans in Algore. They all then decided to gather behind Montas, leader of the second strongest clan and Omiros¡¯ father, and requested for Qupis to abdicate the throne for their new king. Naturally, Qupis ignored their request too. Qupis¡¯ clan was really powerful, their power unrivaled in Algore. Of course, they couldn¡¯t go against all the other clans unharmed, however, Quips knew that the others would stray away from war as an all out civil war would completely destroy Algore. Thus, only a cold war occured. Yet, the accumulated dissatisfaction gathered under the cold surface like boiling magma, ready to explode with the slightest trigger. Years later, the woman who eloped with Qupis gave birth to a princess. Her name was Regena. Omiros had met Regena for the first time when they were still five years old. It had happened when his father had brought him to the Patriarch gathering in the Royal Palace. At that time, Omiros was really excited about his first visit to the Royal Palace, and had thus ended up running around on his own inside. It was during that time that he happened to meet Regena who was strolling along the palace grounds. They easily got along with each other thanks to their similar age. Despite the conflict between their parents, such a thing had nothing to do with them as they were still children at the time. Sometimes, they would play together behind their parents¡¯ back. Thus, they grew up together as childhood friends. Regena then grew into an extremely beautiful woman. Though he had never said it in front of Regena, Omiros wanted to become stronger to protect her. That¡¯s why he had left Algore a year ago along with Belzaza and Maxis to hone his skills as a warrior. But, that decision was a mistake. Upon his return from his training journey, he was completely taken aback by the changes that occurred in Algore. Because, when he returned, his father had already become Algore¡¯s king, banishing Regena and her clan from Algore. He heard later that the previous king, Qupis, apparently wanted to kill everyone in Omiros¡¯ clan. But then, his father beat Qupis in his own game, and was crowned as the new king of Algore. Omiros almost couldn¡¯t believe it all once he heard the news. Surely, there was rivalry between the clans but king Qupis wasn¡¯t supposed to be such a reckless person. And yet, his action this time said otherwise. And though king Qupis was just paying for his failure, Omiros wondered whether there was really a need to exile Regena who had nothing to do with her father¡¯s deeds. Omiros resented his father for what he did to Regena, but he really couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He needed to know what happened to Regena first. Thus, he borrowed the hero Parsish from his father and went deep into Akeron mountain to confirm Regena¡¯s condition. He wanted to make sure she survived with his own eyes and do everything in his power to save her from this hellish place if she was still alive. If was dead, then he wanted to at least bring her body back to Algore. He didn¡¯t wish her to be buried inside the dark Goblins¡¯ nest. Thus, Omiros braced himself and raided every goblin nest he found along the way. But, he was the only one who wanted to do that in his group. The others were really troubled by his recklessness. ¡¸Prince. I understand the pain in your heart, but we have to go back before the night comes. Let¡¯s stop our search today.¡¹ Omiros had no choice but to agree with his comrades since they were right. He knew that he couldn¡¯t endanger everyone¡¯s life with his selfishness. Soon, everyone had recovered after their brief rest and stood up, preparing to go back. ¡¸Have you rested enough?¡¹ Suddenly, they heard a woman¡¯s voice calling out to them. Everyone turned around at the same time towards the place the voice came from. ¡¸¡¸¡¸£¿!¡¹¡¹¡¹ Everyone was at loss for words, unable to speak at all. Standing in front of them was an extremely beautiful girl. She was a supreme silver-haired beauty, with transparent white skin. Her body was wrapped in a black dress, and in her hand was a giant scythe. It was the first time Omiros saw such beauty. It was as if the place where the girl stood was another world, a God¡¯s world. The same could also be said of his comrades, all of them were charmed by the girl. ¡¸Did you guys come from Algore?¡¹ The girl asked Omiros and his companion as she pointed her scythe toward them. Volume 3 - CH 7 Act 3 ¨C 7 : The Silver Witch When Omiros and the others turned around, what met their sight was an extremely beautiful girl who had appeared behind them unnoticed. They couldn¡¯t help but stare at her shiny silver hair, transparent white skin, and lush body wrapped in a black dress. It was the first time they had ever witnessed such beauty, it was as if she was a Goddess who descended upon this earth. Her looks charmed them so much that they didn¡¯t take notice of the giant scythe in her hand. ¡¸Are you guys from Algore?¡¹ The girl slowly opened her enchanting mouth and asked as she pointed her giant scythe toward them. ¡¸Yeah, we did come from Algore. May I ask, what business do you have with us, Young Miss? You don¡¯t seem to be an ordinary person.¡¹ While everyone was speechless and unable to move, Parsish came out of his minor stupor and answered in their stead. ¡¸I see, so you guys really did come from Algore huh. Let¡¯s cut the chase then, do you know about Herpes?¡¹ Omiros and his comrades looked at each other, baffled by her unusual question. They had never heard of anyone called Herpes before. ¡¸None of you know of him? I heard he was hailed as the brave hero of Algore¡­¡¹ Omiros finally understood after hearing the girl¡¯s last remark. ¡¸If it¡¯s the brave hero of Algore that you¡¯re looking for, we only have Parsish; we don¡¯t know anyone called Herpes.¡¹ Maxis corrected the girl. ¡¸I see¡­ then which one of you is Parpesh?¡¹ Despite Maxis¡¯ correction, the silver-haired girl didn¡¯t seem to deem it worthy to memorize Parsish¡¯s name. ¡¸I¡¯m the one called Parsish, Young Lady.¡¹ Parsish introduced himself while flicking his long hair. ¡¸Goblin face¡­ so you¡¯re the one called Herpes, huh?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Parsish¡­ whatever, yeah, it¡¯s me.¡¹ Since he knew that it was useless trying to correct her, Parsish gave up and simply played along with the girl, trying to ignore the beginning of her last sentence. On the other hand, Omiros and the others remained confused at the girl¡¯s passing ¡°Goblin face¡± remark. Parsish was even extremely handsome from their perspective as men¡ªhe was the exact opposite of an ugly Goblin. ¡¸I see, you¡¯re definitely that Pa-¡­ whatever it is. Then the rest is simple, fight Kuna right now. Kuna wants to test the results of her training.¡¹ The girl declared as she positioned herself in a fighting stance with her giant scythe. Omiros and the others couldn¡¯t hide their shock at her unexpected exclamation. ¡¸Why though? I have no reason to fight you?¡¹ ¡¸Kuna just wants to see the results of Kuna¡¯s training.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you mean but¡­ are you by any chance a¡­ Nargolian?¡¹ The silver haired girl nodded upon hearing Parsish¡¯s question. ¡¸Yes, Kuna lives in Nargol.¡¹ Her remark brought another wave of shock to Omiros and co. "" ¡¸You live in Nargol? That place is filled with monsters, how can you live there? Are you not human?¡¹ ¡¸Is she that legendary daemon¡­. the one they call a witch?¡¹ ¡¸I heard that the female daemon has an extremely terrifying figure. But¡­ she¡¯s way too beautiful.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, too beautiful to the point that she doesn¡¯t look human either.¡¹ Omiros and his comrades, ignoring the fact that the girl was right in front of them because of their shock, couldn¡¯t help but start discussing their impressions of her. If she was Nargolian, then the girl was supposed to be their enemy. They wondered whether that was the reason she tried to attack them? Omiros then tilted his head. ¡¸That¡¯s strange, a female daemon should be more¡­ are you really a daemon?¡¹ Omiros finally gave rise to such a possibility after hearing Parsish¡¯s reply. He thought that Parsish might¡¯ve met a daemon before. ¡¸Kuna isn¡¯t a daemon. Kuna is Kuna.¡¹ Though the girl looked calm on the surface, everyone could see that she was quite irritated after hearing their speculations. ¡¸Enough with the chit-chat and draw your sword. If you¡¯re not going to attack, I¡¯ll be the one who comes first.¡¹ The girl seemed to be ready to attack at any given moment. ¡¸Given a choice, I would never choose to fight a girl but¡­ I guess there¡¯s no other option. I apologize if me saying this is rude, but you see, I¡¯m quite strong.¡¹ Parsish drew his sword and raised his shield. ¡¸HERE I COME!!¡¹ The girl rushed in, swinging her scythe. "" ¡¸Fufufu, that kind of attack¡­¡¹ Parsish received the gir¡¯s scythe with his shield. ¡¸¡­ GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOB!!¡¹ And was sent flying the next moment. He was blown back while raising a strange scream, crashing against the rock behind him. Omiros and the others were simply dumbfounded upon seeing such an impossible situation unfold. ¡¸PARSISH-SAMA!¡¹ ¡¸PARSISH-DONO!!¡¹ They snapped out of their daze in the next second and hurriedly rushed toward Parsish. ¡¸How powerful¡­ gob¡­¡¹ Parsish managed to somehow stand on his feet again after his body struck the rock. But, his staggering gait was enough to tell Omiros and co that he had received a considerable amount of damage. It looked like he was about to fall any moment now. ¡¸No way¡­ that Parsish-sama was¡­¡¹ Omiros and his comrades were at a complete loss for words upon seeing Parsish, the most powerful warrior of Algore, easily being blown away by a girl whose frame was smaller than him. ¡¸What are you surprised about? Kuna just poked him lightly you know.¡¹ Those words filled Omiros and the others with even more dread than before¡ªit seemed like the girl¡¯s first attack was only for testing the water. If she put her full power into her attacks, then they were done for. ¡¸It seems I really can¡¯t underestimate you¡­ but, I¡¯m also just getting started.¡¹ Despite his staggering gait, Parsish readied his sword and shield again. ¡¸Your strength might be above me but, how about this! Fireball!!!¡¹ Parsish fired a fireball from his hand, aiming it at the ground right in front of the girl and raising a cloud of dust. It was done intentionally to limit the girl¡¯s field of view. ¡¸HAAA!!!¡¹ Parsish activated his speed magic along with his warcry. As the cloud of dust rose high enough to cover the girl¡¯s field of view, Parsish moved like a gust of wind and, by the next moment, had circled around her and now stood behind her with a sword aimed at her back. ¡¸I won. I will spare your life if you surrender right now.¡¹ Parsish spoke to the girl with a smirk on his face. ¡¸What the hell are you talking about? Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡¹ After saying so, the girl¡¯s figure suddenly vanished. ¡¸Eh?!¡¹ Parsish was left dumbfounded upon witnessing that scene. The girl who was seconds ago right before him had suddenly vanished and was now standing behind him. ¡¸W-WHEN DID SHE?!!¡¹ Parsish turned around in shock. ¡¸Now it¡¯s my turn.¡¹ The girl then swung her scythe. ¡¸WUT!!¡¹ Parsish stared in disbelief as the scythe falling towards him split into many and began attacking him. ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ Parsish couldn¡¯t do anything but scream like a madman. The scythes were raining upon his body. But then vanished a few seconds later. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Parsish let out a dumbfounded voice once he saw the scythes had vanished. He then realized in the next moment that despite the multiple scythes that had attacked him, he was unscathed. He was baffled and couldn¡¯t figure out what had just occurred. ¡¸Rest assured, I won¡¯t take your life. I just cut off your armor.¡¹ After the girl uttered those words, Parsish¡¯s armor started to fall, the pieces dropping on the ground one by one. The girl¡¯s scythe truly didn¡¯t cut Parsish¡¯s body, it just cut his armor, and so thoroughly at that. But then, it became clear that the armor wasn¡¯t the only thing she cut. Parsish¡¯s shirt under the armor got sliced too and fell on the ground. ¡¸Oops¡­ it seems I still need to train to control my strength.¡¹ The moment the girl said so, Parsish¡¯s trousers fell to the ground. And it wasn¡¯t just his trouser. His underwear fell too. ¡¸How small¡­ you¡¯re quite tiny¡­ aren¡¯t you?¡¹ The girl muttered as she looked down at Parsish¡¯s crotch. Omiros and co looked at Parsish with compassion upon hearing the girl¡¯s remark. Those words were a critical blow to any normal man. ¡¸Uuuh¡­ RETREAT! EVERYONE, RETREAT NOW!!¡¹ Parsish escaped first with his tail between his leg, while covering his tiny sized p*nis. His retreating figure was simply too uncool. ¡¸MONSTER!!¡¹ ¡¸WITCH! IT¡¯S A SILVER WITCH!!¡¹ ¡¸RUUUUUUN!!¡¹ Omiros¡¯ subordinates followed Parsish, retreating in haste. ¡¸OMIROS! LET¡¯S GO!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!!¡¹ ¡¸I KNOW!!¡¹ Thus, they retreated back to Algore. A few seconds later, Omiros took one last look at the witch, noticing that she didn¡¯t intend to go after them. But, he noticed that another figure had already stood beside the girl. ¡ô ¡¸Too weak. At this rate, I don¡¯t even know whether I¡¯ll become stronger or not.¡¹ Kuna was grumbling as she saw the retreating figure of Omiros and the other. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. You¡¯re way too strong for them¡­¡¹ Kuroki patted Kuna¡¯s head. Thus, Kuna¡¯s vexed face softened a bit. ¡¸Those people have already escaped. What shall we do, Kuroki?¡¹ ¡¸Really now¡­ let¡¯s see¡­¡¹ Kuroki folded his arms while pondering about what to do next. It just so happens that they found some humans coming out of a Goblin¡¯s nest while flying on Glorious¡¯ back. Thus, Kuroki had decided to see whether the hero, Parsish, was among the group. But, since he pretty much realized that they would escape as soon as they saw Glorious, he decided to descend a bit away from them and had then erased his and Kuna¡¯s presence to prevent them from noticing them, allowing them to observe their situation in secret. Kuroki couldn¡¯t guess their reason for coming so far in this dangerous land. But, if they were Algorian, there was a high chance that they were some of the people who were exiled with Regena to the Goblins¡¯ nest. He felt that he might need to reconsider his plan to send Regena back to Algore. But, he still needed to ask directly to know the situation over there. That¡¯s why he first needed to teach them a little painful lesson to fulfill his promise to Datie to repel them from Karon kingdom. It was during that moment that Kuna spoke to him. She told him that she wanted to see the results of her scythe training. Despite its appearance, the scythe was an extremely tricky weapon and, sure enough, live combat was the best way to see the results of one¡¯s training. But, Kuroki didn¡¯t really want to see Kuna fight, he felt that it might endanger her life. However, in the end, he could never say no to her. Though it was rather inaccurate, Kuroki had the ability to measure his opponent¡¯s abilities to some extent. Thus, he already knew that the group they discovered was too weak to become her opponent. After making sure that there won¡¯t be any unexpected factors during the battle, they decided to let Kuna appear before them while also using that chance to test her power. Naturally, Kuroki was hiding his presence nearby, just in case he needed to prevent any danger that came her way. But, it turned out to be needless worry as the other party turned out to be far weaker than his expectation and easily got scared by Kuna. As a result, Kuna couldn¡¯t ask them for the reason why they came to this place. Though Kuroki hesitated for a moment whether to go after them, he ended up giving up his plan. ¡¸Come to think of it, they seemed to be talking about something, do you know what they were talking about?¡¹ Kuroki¡¯s hearing had reached superhuman level after he was summoned to this world. But since he was focused on their surroundings, he had failed to hear the men¡¯s conversation. ¡¸If I¡¯m not wrong, it¡¯s¡­ Re¡­¡¹ ¡¸Re£¿¡¹ Kuna paused for a moment and then pondered for a while. ¡¸Uhm, that¡¯s all I heard. Sorry Kuroki.¡¹ Kuna apologized to Kuroki. ¡¸Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped if Kuna also didn¡¯t hear what they were talking about.¡¹ "" Kuroki shook his head as if he also had no intention to pursue the matter anymore. In the first place, he didn¡¯t place that much importance in their conversation. If he wanted to know, he could easily catch them and ask them directly. Yet, it¡¯s not like they were going to answer him obediently even if he caught them. Though he could ask Kuna to use charm magic, domination magic, or lie detection magic to force them to answer, he gave up on that option since doing that might break their spirit. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go back to the Demon King¡¯s Castle.¡¹ ¡¸Okay Kuroki.¡¹ Thus, Kuroki rode on Glorious¡¯ back along with Kuna and they went back to Nargol. ¡¸Kuroki¡­¡¹ Kuna then called Kuroki¡¯s name from behind. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuna?¡¹ ¡¸Yours is huge¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡¹ Kuroki tilted his head in confusion upon hearing Kuna¡¯s ambigous remark. £¨Huge? What¡¯s huge? Is she referring to my back which looks so big from behind?£© Thus, Kuroki and Kuna returned while having such an ¡°innocent¡± conversation. Volume 3 - CH 8.1 Act 3-8.1 : Land Dominated By Ogre 1 Shirone unleashed the wings on her back as she flew to the northern direction. Following behind her were Kaya and Kyouka, who were riding on the Hippogriff¡¯s back. Shirone had almost gone to the north by herself, she didn¡¯t want to trouble everyone with Kuroki¡¯s matter. She felt that she had to save Kuroki, who was captured by the Demon King, even if she had to do it by herself. Shirone was really happy when she and her friends were summoned to this world. She had so much fun traveling and having adventures with them around the world. It was truly enjoyable since Reiji, Chiyuki, and the others were here with her. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t all rainbows and sunshine, there were also times when they faced difficult crises, but she had managed to come out victorious from these crises by working together with her comrades. She then started pondering about Kuroki¡¯s situation. In her eyes, Kuroki was a normal person. A person who had nothing to do with adventures or exploration. He was fundamentally different from Reiji, he was a normal and boring person who preferred having a peaceful life. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t forgive the culprit who brought Kuroki forcefully to this world and forced him to fight. These thoughts filling her mind, she flew at her highest speed to arrive faster, even if just by a second. But, the speed of the Hippogriff behind her was way too slow. She wanted to go even faster than now,but she couldn¡¯t complain to the two who volunteered to come along with her. Shirone glanced at the Hippogriff from over her shoulder. The Hippogriff was a demon beast similar to a Griffin, it was a cross-breed between an eagle and a horse. Though weaker than a Griffin, it was more obedient and suitable for a flying mount. The luggage loaded on the Hippogriff¡¯s back were clearly overloaded, most of them belonging to Kyouka. Though having such a demon beast as a mount was already luxurious enough, their party had actually tamed a few more of these flying mounts. Since the other mounts were used by Reiji and the others, Shirone, Kaya, and Kyouka had no choice but to use the Hippogriff. And yet, even the Hippogriff was having a hard time following Shirone¡¯s flying speed with all the luggage on its back. ¡¸Shirone-sama! It¡¯s about time we take a break.¡¹ Shirone nodded and then lowered her flying altitude upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. They landed the Hippogriff in an open space in the forest. ¡¸I think we have to rest for the remainder of the day. Let¡¯s look for a suitable place to spend the night.¡¹ ¡¸EH?! We haven¡¯t advance that far though, according to Chiyuki-san the limit is¡­¡¹ In fact, they had long since passed the time limit imposed on them. The reason Chiyuki had given them such a time limit was to prevent Shirone from looking for her childhood friend for longer than necessary. The limit was one week, more than that and Chiyuki would summon them back. Shirone had agreed with Chiyuki¡¯s condition, that¡¯s why she was currently in a hurry. ¡¸Any more than this is impossible. The sun has set, traveling during the night is too dangerous. The Hippogriff can¡¯t fly during the night too.¡¹ ¡¸I know that, but still¡­¡¹ Hippogriffs couldn¡¯t fly during the night since they would turn blind during that time. But Shirone was different, she could fly even during the night. If she had kept flying at her maximum speed, she might have already arrived at Algore or Velos around this time. ¡¸I¡¯ll repeat this again, Shirone-sama¡­ Please stop charging recklessly by yourself.¡¹ Kaya who saw through Shirone¡¯s plan gave her a strict warning. In the first place, the one who had asked the two to go with Shirone was Chiyuki as she couldn¡¯t help but worry about Shirone going by herself. She had even asked Kaya to bring Shirone back by force if the latter started being unreasonable. Her comrades were worrying about her, thus Shirone couldn¡¯t reject their kindness. ¡¸I know that, Kaya-san. But still¡­¡¹ Shirone looked at the luggage as she spoke. ¡¸Shall we decrease our luggage a bit¡­¡¹ She knew that the reason behind the Hippogriff¡¯s slow flying speed was the overloaded luggage on its back. She had seen how fast the Hippogriff could fly when it was free of any burden on its back. ¡¸Oh my, I think this amount of luggage is just normal though. Moreover, Shirone-san¡¯s luggage is also amongst them.¡¹ Shirone was at a loss for words upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s remark. The matter of going to Algore or Velos in the northern land was Shirone¡¯s selfishness. She was betting on the chance of gaining the information she needed about Kuroki by going to the northernmost countries located right before Nargol. She had gone to such a dangerous place just on these slim possibilities. That¡¯s why she actually felt grateful to the duo who accompanied her to the north. Moreover, though most of the luggage belonged to Kyouka, the rest was indeed Shirone¡¯s and Kaya¡¯s. Thus, she really couldn¡¯t complain about the situation. ¡¸Uuh. I understand¡­¡¹ Shirone finally gave in. ¡¸Since you understand then let¡¯s go back to the country we found a while ago and rest there for the night.¡¹ ¡ô ¡¸ECHIGOS-SAMA! PWEASE-PWEASE SPWARE MY DAUGHTEEEEEEEEEEER!!!¡¹ A man was groveling in front of another man. ¡¸Sorry, but I have no say in the matter. The one who¡¯s going to be offered to Zengu-sama is your daughter.¡¹ ¡¸Please do something about it! At least pick another family¡¯s daughter!!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the same for everyone. They also always ask me to pick another family¡¯s daughter.¡¹ Echigos smiled lightly as he spoke. The sorrow of others was the best entertainment for him; he really loved his job. ¡¸DAD!!¡¹ Someone suddenly entered the room. Echigos knew the identity of the intruder. It was the daughter of the man who was groveling in front of him. ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, MATINEE!!!¡¹ ¡¸ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, DAD! LET ME GO, I¡¯M PREPARED TO BECOME THAT OGRE¡¯S FOOD! MY SACRIFICE WILL ALLOW THE OTHER GIRLS TO SURVIVE!!¡¹ The father and daughter embraced each other. Though normal humans would cry upon seeing such a touching scene, Echigos on the other hand sneered at it instead. There was no trace of compassion or pity whatsoever on his face. ¡¸Girl, I really appreciate your bravery. Well it¡¯s good to know that you¡¯re fully prepared.¡¹ Echigos spoke to the girl with a meek look on his face, desperately enduring the urge to laugh at her. ¡¸Yes, Echigos-sama¡­¡¹ The girl spoke as she hung her head down. She was truly a brave girl. If not for the fact that she was going to be offered to Zengu, the ogre who ruled this land, Echigos would¡¯ve loved to see her desperate cries as he had his way with her. This country was built on a land ruled by ogres, the humans living in it being nothing but livestock for those monsters, and this girl just so happened to be the next sacrifice. A while ago, Echigos had received an order from Zengu to choose a girl as a gift for his mother, thus, Echigos chose the best one in terms of weight and appearance. Honestly speaking, he had wanted to choose another girl who was less beautiful than the brave one before him, but his life would also be in jeopardy if he angered Zengu. That¡¯s why even though it felt like a waste to sacrifice such a cute girl, he had no other choice but to sacrifice her. ¡¸ECHIGOS-SAMA!!!¡¹ ¡¸Noisy, what now?¡¹ The one who entered was Echigos¡¯ subordinate. ¡¸TRAVELERS! WE HAVE THREE FEMALE TRAVELERS! ALL OF THEM ARE DROP DEAD GORGEOUS!!¡¹ Beautiful women. He didn¡¯t hear it wrong. ¡¸Travelers huh¡­ let them in.¡¹ ¡ô Shirone, Kaya, and Kyouka went back to the last country they had seen during their flight. However, they noticed once they arrived that this country was way too small to be called one. No matter how one looked at it, this country¡¯s population was less than a thousand people. The structure was also poorly built, the houses looking just like the cabins with thatch roofs they had seen in the picture book about primitive humans. They couldn¡¯t believe that this village was actually considered a legitimate country, regardless how old it looked Granted, this wasn¡¯t the first time Shirone had visited a country as small as this one, stopping by a few of them in the middle of their first journey to Nargol with Reiji, but this was indeed the first time they were given consent to enter such a small country. They had never been allowed before. Of course, such threats had never worked on Reiji, they would always manage to enter those insular countries by force to stay for the night. That¡¯s why there was never a need for them to camp in the wild during their journey. Shirone looked around the country before her and felt intrigued. Despite its small size and poor architecture, the rampart was built very well. That was natural since the rampart was the thing that would protect people from the monsters outside, it was a must for it to be built as solid as possible. But, different from other ramparts, this one was built with a small roof on its inner ring. It was as if it was built to prevent anyone in the country from escaping by climbing up the rampart. After Shirone was done with her rough observation of the country, Kaya went forward to negotiate with the person who looked like the leader of the country. Shirone felt really anxious, wondering whether they were going to be refused. If that happened, she got the feeling that Kaya would enter by force. Since they took their Hippogriff with them to the leader¡¯s house, the citizens of the country were frightened by them. The name of the leader of this country who negotiated with Kaya was Echigos. ¡¸We¡¯re travelers. May we ask for your permission to stay for one night in this country? Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll also pay for the cost of spending a night here with our money.¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 8.2 Act 3-8.2: Land Dominated By Ogre 1 ¡¸No, not at all, there¡¯s no need to bother with payment. If it¡¯s fine with you, please stay at my house for the night.¡¹ Unexpectedly, the country¡¯s leader readily accepted Shirone and the other girls as his guests, smiling at them like a kind uncle. Yet, she somehow felt that his smile was rather unpleasant. ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll show you to your room. As for your demon beast, let¡¯s keep it in my barn.¡¹ But, Kaya shook her head. ¡¸No, we¡¯re truly grateful with your offer, but may I request you let us all spend the night together in the barn along with our demon beast?¡¹ Both Shirone and Kyouka were surprised by Kaya¡¯s remark, however they didn¡¯t voice it in front of the stranger before them; she must have her reason. ¡¸¡­ Y-Yes, it¡¯s over here.¡¹ The country¡¯s leader was just as surprised as Shirone and Kyouka, he even seemed to be a bit flustered as he guided them to the barn. ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this, Kaya?¡¹ Kyouka whispered to Kaya, she couldn¡¯t understand why she would let them sleep in a barn instead of comfortable beds, and though Shirone didn¡¯t question Kaya, she was just as puzzled as Kyouka regarding the matter. She felt reluctant to sleep in the barn even though it was safer to stay with the Hippogriff to prevent anyone from trying to take it. ¡¸Milady, may I ask Shirone-sama a question first before answering yours?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, why me though?!¡¹ Shirone was surprised that Kaya wanted to speak with her first. ¡¸Did you by any chance feel something unpleasant radiating from that man called Echigos a while ago?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. The way that uncle was looking at us felt rather similar to how monsters usually look at us.¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, in fact, I felt the same way as you.¡¹ Echigos¡¯s intention had triggered Shirone¡¯s enemy detection. His eyes had the same aura as monsters, aiming for their life. Though Shirone dismissed it at first as just a misunderstanding since it only happened for a second, that wasn¡¯t the case anymore since Kaya detected the same thing as her. ¡¸It seems this country¡¯s leader is trying to mess with us.¡¹ Kaya sneered as she muttered. Shirone felt a chill running down her spine upon seeing that smile. ¡¸What shall we do then? Should we leave this country?¡¹ She thought that it was better to leave the country that was trying to mess with them as fast as possible. But, Kaya shook her head. ¡¸As much as I want to agree with you¡­ the sun has set. Looking for a camping ground at this time is rather troublesome too.¡¹ Hippogriffs couldn¡¯t fly at night and none of them could use illumination magic or night vision. They could move to some extent at night by using object detection, but there was a limit even if they were to rely on that ability. That¡¯s why Kaya¡¯s opinion was reasonable; it was too troublesome. ¡¸What should we do then, Kaya?¡¹ Kyouka asked with a slightly irritated voice. ¡¸Naturally, we have to rest as much as possible to recover our strength. I have no idea what this country¡¯s citizens are trying to do to us, but we can easily turn the tables on them.¡¹ Kaya bumped her fists together, crushing the citizens in her imagination. Shirone could only heave a sigh, wondering what kind of hell the citizens of this country were going to experience in Kaya¡¯s hand. But, she had no choice but to agree with Kaya. Naturally she wouldn¡¯t go as far as Kaya, she was simply planning to knock out her enemy. However, it would be another story if they tried to raid them. At that exact moment, Shirone and her companions detected the presence of people approaching the barn. They peeked outside only to see several armed citizens slowly surrounding them. The country¡¯s leader was amongst them as well and, from the looks of it, he had gathered many of the citizens and armed them just to catch Shirone and the two others. ¡¸It seems they can¡¯t wait any longer. Shall we teach them a lesson about who they¡¯re trying to mess with, Milady?¡¹ Kaya bumped her fists together in front of her chest as she spoke. ¡ô Echigos recalled the three women who just came to this country, they were far more beautiful than any women he had ever met before. He didn¡¯t know who they were, but they looked like nobles. He even guessed that the haughty looking woman in the center was the master of the other two as her clothes were of the best quality, she might even be a certain country¡¯s princess. One of the other women looked like an attendant, while the last one looked like her bodyguard since she carried a sword with her. He was now sure that they were the haughty woman¡¯s servants just from the way they dressed. Echigos wanted those women to stay in this country no matter what. He also knew that the demon beast that followed those women was a Hippogriff. Though Echigos knew that it was possible to tame types of demon beasts, he never expected that it was possible to tame a Hippogriff, they were among the strongest. He guessed that this Hippogriff was bred from a young age rather than being tamed as a wild one. And if that was the case, then it was supposed to be docile. Echigos couldn¡¯t stop laughing since he wasn¡¯t just getting his hands on beauties, he was also gaining a tamed Hippogriff. They surrounded the barn when he felt that those girls had already gone to sleep. He had brought along fifty other people just for the sole reason of capturing these girls. Though Echigos felt that fifty people were a bit too much for capturing three girls, he still wanted to instil a sense of fear in them by letting them see his overwhelming advantage and numbers, which would make it easier to capture them. The problem was their Hippogriff. Though it wasn¡¯t as ferocious as a Griffin, it was still a demon beast. Normal humans were no match for it. However, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal either for them since he had brought along someone whose power rivalled that of a demon beast. ¡¸Seems like it¡¯s already safe to enter, Echigos.¡¹ Someone suddenly spoke to Echigos from behind. When Echigos turned around, he saw a huge man carrying a great sword on his back. He had a huge build and extremely muscular arms, a pair of canines peeking out from his mouth. No matter how you looked at it, he looked like someone who could become a bodyguard and gain a lot of money in the process. In fact, that big man was one of the reasons why there were no monsters around this country. ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Daigan-sama. I think you¡¯re correct¡­ they really are fine gems aren¡¯t they?¡¹ ¡¸You lied to them in order to ambush them during their sleep, isn¡¯t that right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s exactly as you say. Gufufufufu¡¹ ¡¸Kukuku, what an evil man you are, Echigos.¡¹ ¡¸Nononono, I¡¯m still no match for you in that regard, Daigan-sama. Gufufufu.¡¹ Daigan cackled¡ªhe was the man who could stand against an Hippogriff. Echigos was only a poor peddler when he was caught by Zengu the Ogre, in fact, he was in the middle of peddling when he was caught. But, with his honed bootlicking that he had trained for years, he managed to become the manager of this human breeding ground. He met Daigan during that time. Daigan was originally a human warrior who worshipped evil Gods and gained their divine protection. Now, he acted as Echigos¡¯ bodyguard. Echigos had seen Daigan battle before, he honestly couldn¡¯t believe that he was only a mere human. That¡¯s why he was sure that Daigan could do something about the Hippogriff. £¨The citizens of this country only obey me because they fear Daigan. Though I was only a lowly peddler before, the current me is something akin to a king of this country. I can do anything I want with Daigan¡¯s power.£© Echigos smiled again and then peeked into the barn. They had nothing to fear, they were only facing three weak girls. His only fear was injuring them as they tried to catch them. Moreover, Echigos wanted to have some fun before he gave one of them to Zengu. And then, as he pondered about how to barge in. The door of the barn suddenly flung open even before he had the chance to step into it, then the three girls appeared before them, still in their previous attire. In short, they were still armed. ¡¸Shall we ask them first just in case?¡¹ The haughty looking woman asked while glaring at Echigos and co. In her eyes, it was as if she was looking at trash. Volume 3 - CH 9 Act 3 ¨C 9 : Land Dominated By Ogres 2 ¡¸Shall we ask them first just in case?¡¹ After she uttered her question haughtily, Kyouka glared at Echigos and his lackeys and looked at them as if they were trash. It seemed as if she already knew the reason why he and the citizens visited them late at night. £¨Tch! They realized it, huh.£© Echigos clicked his tongue. Now there was an even bigger chance for them to injure these women while they were fighting back, which was the only thing he worried about. Echigos knew that it was pretty much impossible to deceive these women at this point. ¡¸Y-You girls will be sacrificed instead of my daughter! Sorry, but you women just happened to be here at the right time. Of all places you came to this country, it must be fate!!¡¹ When Echigos was about to say something, another person came out first and spoke to them. It was the prostrating man from before. He was really desperate since the women before them could become his daughter¡¯s replacements. The three women exchanged a look between themselves upon hearing the man¡¯s remark, and started a discussion of their own. ¡¸It seems you have your own circumstances. Do tell us, we¡¯ll hear your story.¡¹ Maybe because of the man¡¯s remark from before, the haughty-looking woman spoke again with a softer expression this time. But Echigos had no intention to waste his time with useless talk. ¡¸Unfortunately we can¡¯t do that, Young Lady. Now throw away your weapons if you don¡¯t want to get hurt.¡¹ Echigos smiled as he warned them. In the first place, nothing would change even if he told them about the situation. He knew that there was no way those three women could beat all of them. He was even thinking of treating them nicely until he gifted them to Zengu if they stayed obedient. ¡¸It seems we have no choice but to let you people taste a bit of pain. Kaya! Shirone-san! Let¡¯s teach them a rather gruesome lesson.¡¹ After the haughty-looking woman spoke, the women by her side nodded at the same time. ¡¸Please step back for the time being, Milady.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, please step back for now, Kyouka-san.¡¹ Just as Echigos had expected, the two other women were attendants. The haughty-looking woman in the middle then stepped back while the woman on her left readied her fist as the woman on the right unsheathe her sword. ¡¸Y-You¡¯re only going to hurt yourselves if you keep resisting you know!!¡¹ Despite his warning, the women didn¡¯t seem to be scared at all. He wondered what made them so brave even when they were being surrounded by so many people. ¡¸What are you talking about? The one who are going to be in pain are you people!¡¹ The sword wielder called Shirone spoke as she glared at them. Echigos faltered a little bit upon receiving that glare. ¡¸Don¡¯t blame me for not warning you then!! Capture them!!¡¹ Echigos gave his order with a loud voice as if to suppress his fear, following that, his subordinates moved closer to the women. Five of them surrounded the sword wielding woman. ¡¸Catch them with as little injury as po¡ª EH?¡¹ Echigos suddenly halted, doubting the scene before his very eyes. The five men had already collapsed even before he finished his sentence. Those men were rolling on the ground, moaning in pain. ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Suddenly, there was a scream from his right side. When he turned to the right, he saw that the men who tried to capture the woman on the right had already fallen on their rear. They were looking at her with dread. Their weapons and ropes had already been shredded to pieces and, upon closer look, it seemed that their hair had also been trimmed so smoothly until there was not a single strand left. Since Echigos knew that there were no baldies among his subordinates, he knew that she had trimmed the men¡¯s hair within a single moment. His other subordinates got scared sh*tless upon seeing such a superhuman feat. ¡¸HEY!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!! THERE¡¯S ONLY THREE OF THEM! DO YOU WANT TO BECOME OGRE FOOD?! CATCH THEM QUICKLY!!¡¹ Echigos shouted at his subordinates. However, nothing could be done as anyone who approached Kaya ended up the same, falling on their rear with bald heads. Even he was terrified by the end of these events. ¡¸Step back, Echigos. Let me do this.¡¹ ¡¸D-Daigan-sama! Everyone step back immediately! Daigan-sama¡¯s going to fight them!¡¹ After Echigos and his subordinates stepped back, Daigan stepped forward with large strides. ¡¸You look quite strong. Anyway, I shall be your next opponent.¡¹ Daigan¡¯s body swelled up after he spoke. His tall and muscular figure became even bigger as bristles started growing from his body and his mouth grew longer, forming a wolf snout. His canines had also become more intimidating. ¡¸A human wolf? No, a Werewolf!!¡¹ ¡¸Yes. This is the power I got from the great God of War, Felion! Your blood shall become the offering for our God!¡¹ Daigan spoke with a malicious smirk on his face. ¡¸The God of War Felion? Eh, shouldn¡¯t the the Gods of War be the Goddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena, and the God of Battle and Power, Thors?¡¹ ¡¸Shirone-sama. Thors and Rena are worshiped by humans, Felion on the other hand might be an evil God. I think that man used to be human, but became a Werewolf due to the evil God¡¯s power.¡¹ Kaya explained while knocking her fists together, ready for some action. ¡¸Humph, former human huh¡­ Should we kill him or not? That¡¯s really troublesome since he was a former human. Well, whatever. I¡¯ll be your opponent.¡¹ Shirone readied her sword, she was really calm as if she was just going to take a walk. Even when facing a Werewolf, she looked like she was enjoying the situation instead of being afraid of her opponent. Echigos felt something was amiss upon seeing the elated look on Shirone¡¯s face. ¡¸Hou, quite confident, aren¡¯t you? Well let¡¯s enjoy this battle.¡¹ Daigan unsheathed his sword and readied it. Originally, Daigan was a human warrior. He, seeking more power, started to worship the Evil God Felion, and gained his blessing. Shirone and Daigan closed in on each other. ¡¸HERE I COME!!¡¹ Daigan swung his sword. It was a sharp attack which made full use of the skill that he honed in his entire life. Yet, Shirone acted as if that splendid attack was not coming to reap her life. ¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹ Daigan couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. "" Even Echigos doubted the scene that unfolded before him. The sword in Daigan¡¯s hand¡­ was gone. A few seconds later, something fell right beside Daigan, digging into the ground. It was his sword. ¡¸I-Impossible!¡¹ Daigan was really confused. ¡¸Fufun. It¡¯s a disarming skill. Still want to continue?¡¹ Shirone pointed her sword at Daigan as she asked that question. ¡¸Humph! I¡¯m not done yet! I¡¯ve yet to be defeated!¡¹ Daigan clenched his fists, this time challenging Shirone with his own fists. He threw his first punch, but his fist ended up only hitting air. ¡¸My bad. Your swordsmanship isn¡¯t bad, but it¡¯s still no match for me.¡¹ Before they realized, Shirone had already moved behind Daigan as she spoke, Daigan then fell forward after Shirone finished speaking. She didn¡¯t kill him, just knocked him out. ¡¸I-Impossible¡­ for Daigan-sama to be toyed with so easily¡­ You, who the hell are you people¡­¡¹ Echigos muttered. The scene unfolding before him was simply too unrealistic. Normal humans shouldn¡¯t be able to defeat a Werewolf. Only now did he realize that the women before them weren¡¯t ordinary humans. ¡¸Now, all of you, throw your weapons and surrender!¡¹ Suddenly, Kaya shouted at them. ¡¸Do you know the identity of this personage? She¡¯s Reiji-sama¡¯s, who is hailed as the Hero of Light, little sister Kyouka-sama! You¡¯re in the presence of Milady! Surrender now!!¡¹ Echigos couldn¡¯t hide his shock upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. Even though they were a closed state, it didn¡¯t mean that there was no information about the outside world coming into their country. Naturally, they knew about Reiji, the Hero of Light too. He was the one who rushed into Nargol, a place infested with monsters far more terrifying than ogres. It was also a well-known fact that the Hero was a man whose arrogance knew no bounds and was unforgiving toward his enemy. ¡¸ha-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Echigos prostrated himself toward the woman called Kyouka. His subordinates then followed suit. The weak should worship the strong, that was Echigos¡¯ raison d¡¯¨ºtre. ¡¸M-My apologiiiiiiiiiiiiiesss! I-I didn¡¯t know that you were the Hero¡¯s little sister! Please forgive meeeeeeeeeeee!¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 10.1 Act 3 ¨C 10.1: Land Dominated By Ogre 3 Shirone and the others walked under the moonlight, they had decided to head towards Zengu¡¯s living place. Ogres usually built their palace or castle in the mountains, which was why they immediately knew where to go. When they came across the castle, they felt like it was not as grandiose as it should be. Granted it looked like a huge castle from a human¡¯s perspective, but taking into account the ogres¡¯ giant figures, it was nothing more than a small mansion. Yet, it was still skillfully built as ogres were known for their talent of construction. This, of course, was not the only talent they had, ogres were also physically strong and had a high affinity with magic¡ªthey were even more powerful than the elven race. But, as if in exchange to these high physical and magical capabilities, their intelligence was far lower than any other race, even lower than the human race, which in this world, were considered to be among the most idiotic. Shirone had once heard that an ogre tribe had been tricked by a cat spirit and ended up having their castle hijacked. She could imagine how dumb they were. It was not common to find humans under the control of ogres as the ogre population was far less than that of the humans. It was rather fortunate since their physical and magical strength could make them rule humanity easily, even with their lower intelligence. Nevertheless, the country they chose to visit this time just happened to be one of the countries ruled by ogres. ¡¸Kyouka-sama, that¡¯s Zengu¡¯s mansion.¡¹ Echigos, who had become their guide, pointed at the mansion on top of the mountain. The mansion was as expected quite splendid and was located an hour walking distance from Koki. The sun had set, Shirone and her companions had wanted to take a good rest after their arduous day filled with fatigue; however, the current situation wouldn¡¯t allow them. Shirone knew that other than being skillful architects who could build their mansion on top of mountains and even clouds for the more talented ones, ogres were also known to keep many treasures in their abode. As they approached the mansion, they knew that their first impression of it was indeed correct. The mansion was far more splendid than any one they had ever seen before, but it was still smaller than the other ogre mansion they had encountered. ¡¸Well then, I shall¡­¡¹ ¡¸Stop right there.¡¹ Shirone grabbed Echigos by his collar as he tried to leave. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Is something the matter, Shirone-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Were you thinking of returning, Echigos-san? I wouldn¡¯t have said anything if it was another person, but did you really think we would let you or that werewolf-san go scot free?¡¹ Echigos let out a despaired groan upon hearing her remark, followed by a muffle from Daigan. Daigan, who had already reverted to his human form, was tied on top of the Hippogriff with his mouth chained. And since his mouth was gagged by chains and padlocks, no one knew what he was talking about. After a little bit of interrogation, they had found out that, different from the other citizens, Echigos had managed to become the ruler of Koki after currying favor with the ogre who lived in the mansion in front of them. That¡¯s why Shirone and the other two girls had no intention of letting him go just like that. Koki was a country ruled by Zengu the Ogre. It was not rare to find countries like Koki, which were ruled by monsters. Many countries would opt for this deal as by accepting a monster as their ruler, their country could be safe from other monsters attacking. There was definitely merit in this deal; however, upon closer look, their relationship was rather like a shepherd and his livestock, not a ruler and his citizens. The citizens of these countries would live under constant fear of becoming their ruler¡¯s food. After hearing their situation, Shirone and co declared they could defeat Zengu the Ogre, the citizens felt so joyous that they happily guided them to the ogre¡¯s mansion. Thus, aside from Echigos and Daigan, the citizens of Koki were also following them. After arriving in front of the mansion gate, Shirone forced Echigos to call Zengu. ¡¸ZENGU-SAMA¨D¨D¨D¨D£¡ZENGU-SAMA¨D¨D¨D¨D£¡PLEASE OPEN THE DOO¨D¨D¨D¨DR!!¡¹ After Echigos shouted loudly, the gate of the mansion opened. The one who came out was a giant being around 2.5 meters tall. It was none other than Zengu the Ogre himself. Zengu the Ogre was the youngest among his eight siblings. He had ordered Echigos to get him a human woman this time for the feast he was preparing for his mother¡¯s birthday. It was his gift for his beloved mother. Unfortunately for him, it was also at this time that Shirone and her companions decided to visit Koki. Zengu¡¯s appearance, if compared to a human, was similar to an obese man in his early thirties. Shirone couldn¡¯t help but immediately conclude he was an idiot after seeing him come out while scratching his crotch, not being aware of the situation before him. ¡¸Oh, it you Echigos, is something the matter?¡¹ After questioning Echigos, Zengu¡¯s line of sight fell on Shirone and the others, who were standing behind Echigos. ¡¸Ou, so you brought the human woman I requested for my mother, huh. You even brought two more¡­ I must¡¯ve put you in a lot of trouble.¡¹ Zengu spoke with a sneer, making him look uglier and scarier. The ogre race¡¯s main trait were the tusks that grew from their lower jaw, which was why they had a squared jaw and big mouth. When they laughed they looked frightening. Zengu¡¯s sneer had made the Koki citizens shrink in fear. ¡¸Let see how much meat they have on their body.¡¹ Zengu stretched his hand to grab Kyouka, but that hand was flipped away. ¡¸Sorry, but I won¡¯t allow your dirty hand touch Milady.¡¹ Naturally, the one who did that was Kaya, Kyouka¡¯s maid. ¡¸What are yo¡­?¡¹ Kaya had already made her move before Zengu had managed to finish his sentence. ¡¸HEART BREAK!!¡¹ Kaya lightly punched Zengu¡¯s chest. ¡¸GUH!!¡¹ Zengu, who received that seemingly feeble punch, suddenly raised a groan, and fell on his knees. Heart Break was a skill that would allow the fighter¡¯s fists to send shockwaves in their opponent¡¯s body, stopping their heart without causing any external injuries. Zengu, whose heart had stopped beating altogether, died on the spot. ¡¸Well then, he¡¯s just the right size for our Hippogriff¡¯s meal.¡¹ Koki¡¯s citizens trembled in fear upon seeing Kaya¡¯s figure when she uttered those remarks with a gaze that sent a chill running down their spine. ¡¸No way¡­ that ogre¡­ in one strike¡­¡¹ ¡¸Even though she has such a slender frame.¡¹ ¡¸Moreover, to think that she¡¯s going to feed the ogre¡¯s corpse to the Hippogriff¡­ what a scary woman, she¡¯s far scarier than the ogre.¡¹ Koki¡¯s citizens muttered amongst each other. In that regard, even Shirone was sometimes scared of that side of Kaya. Kaya then threw Zengu¡¯s corpse in front of their Hippogriff. ¡¸I¡¯m tired Kaya. I hope there¡¯ll be a comfortable bed inside this mansion.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Milady. I shall go inspect the mansion right away. And for the people who came along with us, please wait here for our return.¡¹ Koki¡¯s citizens nodded in agreement upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. Her initial plan was to inspect the mansion with Shirone and then call in Koki¡¯s citizens and Kyouka once they confirmed its safety. But, looking at Kyouka¡¯s mood, Kaya decided to take her along.Thus, the three of them entered the ogre¡¯s mansion. After they entered the mansion, they discovered that the inside was as splendid as the outside. Witnessing the beautiful interior design, the three women decided to sleep in the ogre¡¯s mansion tonight. After inspecting the guest room and the kitchen, there was only one room left, the ogre¡¯s bedroom. Upon entering it, they found that it was quite a mess. The room was full of naked ogre pictures pasted on all the walls, and the floor was littered with underwear. ¡¸This place looks like a garbage dump. There are also a lot of rounded tissues that smell fishy¡­¡¹ Kyouka muttered with a disgusted look on her face. Volume 3 - CH 10.2 Act 3 ¨C 10.2: Land Dominated By Ogre 3 Upon seeing those rounded tissues, Shirone pretty much guessed what they were. She had found similar things in Kuroki¡¯s room when she would inspect it¡­ without his permission. She knew better than to touch those tissues. ¡¸I hear that normally, this is what a single man¡¯s room looks like¡­¡¹ Kaya muttered. ¡¸Kuroki never left his room this messy though. Uhm, there¡¯s something there.¡¹ Shirone found a box in the corner of the room, which looked like it contained something important. Curious, they approached the box. ¡¸Watch out, Shirone-sama!¡¹ Kaya suddenly shouted at Shirone. The box had suddenly moved as if it had its own will. The lid of the box had opened on its own as if forming some sort of a creature¡¯s mouth. There were also tusks growing from the lid of the box¡ªit was about to bite into Shirone. ¡¸The heck is this?! HEYAAA!!!¡¹ Shirone reacted quickly, kicking away the box before it could bite her. The box was sent flying and crashed into the wall, and then stopped moving. ¡¸It seems to be a Trap Beast. A quasi-life form created to protect important treasures.¡¹ "" Kaya spoke while looking down at the box that had already stopped moving. A Trap Beast was a quasi-life form similar to golem. It was created with magic and abided its owner¡¯s command. It was usually used to protect something really important. Though it was in the form of a box this time, some Trap Beast took the form of houses or gates. Its special trait was the fact that it would attack anyone who got close to it aside from its owner. ¡¸Good grief, it seems we¡¯ve underestimated that ogre. To think he prepared something like this.¡¹ ¡¸Yup, indeed, Kyouka-san. But, since it¡¯s protected by a Trap Beast, the content must be an extremely precious treasure.¡¹ Shirone approached the box as she spoke cheerfully. Ogres were famous for keeping treasure in their mansion. There was a famous story Shirone had heard a long time ago about a youth who stole a singing harp from an ogre who lived in a castle above the clouds. ¡¸Eh, this is¡­¡¹ Upon opening the box that had already stopped moving, the thing that Shirone found inside was a stack of books. And, the front cover of all those books held the pictures of naked female ogres. ¡¸What is this?¡¹ Kyouka, who peeked at the books from behind Shirone, tilted her head in puzzlement upon seeing those books. ¡¸I think these books are¡­ porn books. Kuroki also used to hide these kinds of books under his bed¡­¡¹ Shirone told Kyouka while flipping the books in flash. Just like the front cover, the inside of the books were filled with pictures of naked ogres. Kyouka and Shirone kept scanning the contents of the books. Though the naked female ogres pose in a sensual manner, Shirone felt that their tusks and square jaw wouldn¡¯t be to the liking of human men. The reason Shirone enjoyed skimming through those porn books was because of her habit of secretly reading Kuroki¡¯s secret stash of porn books, which he would hide under his bed. ¡¸Please don¡¯t open anymore of them, Shirone-sama.¡¹ Kaya finally raised her voice with a dumbfounded look on her face, she couldn¡¯t let Shirone keep doing that. ¡¸Ah, my bad. Let¡¯s dispose of these books immediately. I feel it¡¯s a bit too wasteful though.¡¹ ¡¸Eeh, I¡¯m curious about the men¡¯s hobbies though.¡¹ Despite her flushed red face, Kyouka couldn¡¯t help but keep peeking at the books. ¡¸Not you too Milady¡­ Haa, it pains me to think that you¡¯ve learned some sort of strange knowledge¡­ Let¡¯s burn these filthy things.¡¹ Kaya, fed up, spoke while gathering the books. ¡¸But still, any normal, healthy young man always has these kinds of books. Even Kuroki had his own collection.¡¹ Shirone spoke while nodding. ¡¸Is that true, Shirone-sama? It seems I should ask you more about him.¡¹ ¡¸I-Is something the matter, Kaya-san? What¡¯s with that sudden change of attitude?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s because even though you often talk about your childhood friend, he doesn¡¯t give a strong impression in your stories. And yet, as you already know, he defeated Reiji-sama and a monster who could fight on par with all of us, and that¡¯s with him not going on the offensive. Which makes me wonder whether he¡¯s really your childhood friend that you always speak off, Shirone-sama?¡¹ ¡¸He is¡­ definitely Kuroki. Yeah, no doubt about it. There¡¯s no way I can mistake Kuroki for someone else.¡¹ Shirone replied to Kaya with a confident look on her face. But, she couldn¡¯t help but think about some of the questions she had been asked. Kuroki should have been spending his normal, boring days in Japan, so how did he come to this world? The Kuroki in her memories was an extremely normal, mundane man. The Kuroki she knew wasn¡¯t supposed to be this powerful. ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, he must have been hiding his strength. The way he moves is that of a trained martial artist after all. Though I¡¯m also trained in martial arts, I think he¡¯s far more powerful than me. He¡¯s so powerful to the point that I don¡¯t think someone has ever achieved such height in martial arts before.¡¹ Shirone received an even bigger shock upon hearing Kaya¡¯s evaluation of Kuroki. She used to think that there was nothing she didn¡¯t know about Kuroki. But now, the reality of the situation hit her hard. £¨Come to think of it, the number of times I met Kuroki sharply decreased after I started hanging out with Reiji-kun and the others. Does that mean that something had happened during those times?£© Shirone felt frustrated since she had no idea what could¡¯ve happened to change him. [TL : Zamaaa miroooo!] ¡¸Honestly, I don¡¯t know about that part of him. There are way too many things¡­¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ well, I guess we should stop talking about this topic.¡¹ Kaya decided to stop her inquiry upon seeing Shirone¡¯s face. ¡¸Yes, Kaya. I¡¯m pretty tired and want to go to bed already.¡¹ Shirone and Kaya smiled upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s declaration. ¡¸Sure enough, we should go to sleep as soon as possible¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well then, I shall quickly prepare some light supper. I don¡¯t think we can eat the meat in the kitchen, but the vegetables should be pretty safe. Things like the bed sheets and other things look like they¡¯re better quality than the ones made by humans too.¡¹ Shirone and Kyouka nodded, agreeing with Kaya¡¯s opinion. Thus, they called the people who came along with them and had supper after tidying up the room. Shirone felt really grateful for deciding to bring Koki¡¯s citizens with them to this mansion. They were all hard workers, especially the pair of father-daughter who had almost been separated. Naturally, some of them worked out of fear. Shirone and co had no idea what would happen to Koki after they left. Some other monsters might come due to the disappearance of the ogre. But, the citizens must learn to deal with that on their own. After making them help with the cleaning and cooking, Shirone and the others sent Koki¡¯s citizens back. They then had a light supper and hot bath and went to sleep. Since it had been cleaned thoroughly and changed with new bed-sheets, the bed didn¡¯t stink anymore. Though there was only one bed, since it was one made for an ogre, it was big enough for the three of them. £¨Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do even if I keep mulling over this matter now. Thing will clear up as soon as I meet Kuroki again.£© Thus, Shirone fell asleep while thinking such things. ¡ô £¨Uuh, save me!!£© Echigos, who was tied up and gagged, couldn¡¯t speak properly. Koki¡¯s citizens had returned to their country without doing anything, only looking at his pitiful state with indifference. He and Daigan had been knocked out as soon as Zengu had appeared, and were now tied up with lots of chains and padlocks, which twined around their bodies. Though they hadn¡¯t killed them, Kaya had still locked them with chains and padlocks and hung them up in mid-air from the roof of the mansion. £¨That woman is a demon.£© Echigos recalled the way they looked at him, he was not shivering just because of the night¡¯s cold wind. £¨Uuh¡­ why do I have to go through this torture, someone please save me.£© Yet, no one answered Echigos¡¯ sorrowful wails. Volume 3 - CH 11.1 Act 3-11.1: Prince and Goblin Omiros dreamt of his past when he was walking with Regena in the forest at night. Overhead, through the branch crevices, the moonlight was beautifully yet eerily shining. The forest was a scary place to venture at night. It was filled with dangerous monsters who all preferred the darkness over the light that instilled fear in them. It was well known that as a rule of thumb, anyone who visited the forest at night should avoid the dark areas of the forest. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Omiros. If only I hadn¡¯t said that I wanted to get that flower¡­ We¡­ we¡­¡¹ Regena was relentlessly sobbing. Deep in Akeron Mountain, there existed a flower which could cure any illness. After knowing of its existence, Regina had decided to go and get it to save her mother, and had invited Omiros to join her. They had left in the morning since it was safer, however, had inadvertently traveled too deep within the forest until they lost their way. The sun had set and they were currently in the dangerous forest at night. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Regena. You can rely on me at such times. This isn¡¯t big deal.¡¹ Omiros said so to reassure Regena. However, only he knew that he was in fact scared of the darkness as well; he just didn¡¯t want to show his uncool side to Regena. ¡¸It¡¯s okay. They¡¯ll definitely send people to come and rescue us. We¡¯re definitely going back!!¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, if you say so¡­¡¹ Thus, they started walking again. A few minutes into their walk, they noticed that something was following them. ¡¸Omiros¡­ it seems¡­ we¡¯re being followed¡­¡¹ Regena whispered anxiously. ¡¸Yeah, I can feel their presence too¡­¡¹ "" Both of them should have explored the other side of Akeron Mountain. Algore Kingdom, their birthplace, was the closest country to Nargol. Crossing the boundary in the middle of the Akeron Mountain Range meant they were now in an extremely dangerous location not fit for humans. The creature following them now was most likely not human; it might be a Goblin. Omiros grew up hearing stories about Goblins, he knew quite a lot because of his mother. Goblins were extremely terrifying creatures with green skin and tendency to hunt children. Who knew what would happen to them if they were ever captured. ¡¸It might be¡­ a Goblin¡­¡¹ Omiros had the same thought as Regena. ¡¸R-Regena! Sing a song! Goblins are afraid of songs!¡¹ Omiros then remembered one of the things his mother had said. Goblins were afraid of songs, they would run away every time they heard a beautiful singing voice. The reason was a mystery, but it seems like beautiful human voices were their weakness. ¡¸Sing¡­ ?¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Sing a song! I¡¯m sure the Goblin won¡¯t come closer since you have such a beautiful voice!!¡¹ Omiros had heard Regena sing before. He remembered how angelic her voice sounded; it was extremely beautiful. He was sure that the Goblin would runaway ince he heard her sing. ¡¸Okay, I understand Omiros. Which song should I sing?¡¹ ¡¸The song you sang me before. It¡¯s a really nice song.¡¹ Regena nodded at his suggestion. ¡¸Understood, I¡¯ll sing it then¡­¡¹ ~In a corner in the depth of the forest. A black bird is looking for love. Crossing the mountains to search for his love. Flying under the blue sky. On top of the emerald green forest. He met a white bird. The black bird sang and yet, The white bird didn¡¯t sing. The black bird cried, As he flew towards the sunset.~ Regena kept on singing as they walked in the dark forest, her beautiful voice resounding all across. Omiros fell into a trance while listening to her, and his hands stopped trembling from fear. Regena¡¯s fear had also lessened as she started to sing. The presence that was approaching from behind had vanished too. Yet, just when Omiros thought that all the Goblins had left¡­ ¡¸Such a nice voice you got there¡­¡¹ Suddenly, someone spoke from the darkness. Omiros and Regena turned around towards the darkness, Regena halting her singing. Someone was unexpectedly right there. ¡¸W-Who¡¯s there?!¡¹ Omiros stepped forward to protect Regena as the creature before them came out of the darkness. ¡¸Goblin¡­¡¹ The creature that came out from the darkness and was now illuminated by the moonlight was a Goblin. Omiros felt that something was wrong with this situation since Regena¡¯s singing voice should¡¯ve chased away all the Goblins. He wondered if some Goblins had the power to resist songs? ¡¸Ain¡¯t a Goblin, I¡¯m a human.¡¹ The Goblin spoke with a vexed tone. ¡¸LIES! I¡¯VE SEEN A REAL GOBLIN BEFORE. YOUR FACE IS THAT OF A GOBLIN!!!¡¹ Omiros shouted at the Goblin. Though he had to agree that the Goblin in front of him did look similar to a human¡­ but only a little bit. It didn¡¯t change the fact that he looked mostly like a Goblin. He believed that the Goblin before them was a human-goblin hybrid. ¡¸TCH!!! Ain¡¯t gonna believe me huh. Well, whatever.¡¹ The human-goblin spoke without a care as he looked at Regena. ¡¸My subordinates escaped after that woman sang. That¡¯s why I¡¯m the only one left.¡¹ ¡¸They escaped because of her singing voice? So you really are a goblin huh!!¡¹ The human-goblin shook his head upon hearing Omiros¡¯ remark. ¡¸My followers are Goblins but, I¡¯m a human.¡¹ Omiros couldn¡¯t hide his surprise upon hearing his remark. Goblins were supposed to be monsters who attacked humans. At least, that was what his teacher taught him. Omiros wondered, if what this human-goblin said is true, then what was the reason they followed him as his subordinates? ¡¸If you¡¯re human then you have to help us get out of this place!!¡¹ The human-goblin couldn¡¯t hide his surprise when he heard Omiros¡¯ exclamation. ¡¸Why should I save you? Ain¡¯t need a man.¡¹ The human-goblin looked at Regena. At that moment, Omiros felt something dangerous lurking in those eyes. ¡¸REGENA, RUN!!¡¹ ¡¸YES!!¡¹ Omiros, who instinctively felt that the human-goblin was up-to no good, took Regena¡¯s arm and tried to escape immediately. ¡¸NOT SO FAST! PARALYZE!!¡¹ Omiros¡¯ body was paralyzed right after the human-goblin shouted those words. The same went for Regena, who fell on her knees. ¡¸Regena!!!¡¹ ¡¸Sorry¡­ Omiros¡­¡¹ The next moment, Regena apologized to Omiros. Omiros could somewhat still move his body due to his daily training but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Regena. ¡¸Humph, so you can resist my magic huh.¡¹ The human-goblin approached as he spoke. ¡¸GET AWAY FROM REGENA!!¡¹ Omiros stood in front of the human-goblin. ¡¸Humph!!¡¹ Yet, he was suddenly pushed aside as his feet tripped on the human-goblin¡¯s foot, which couldn¡¯t be seen at all. ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ ¡¸OMIROS!!¡¹ Regena tried to stand in hurry upon hearing Omiros¡¯ scream. But, she failed since her body was still paralyzed. ¡¸Whoopsie!!!¡¹ The human-goblin caught Regena with his arm since she fell right in front of him. Volume 3 - CH 11.2 Act 3-11.2: Prince and Goblin ¡¸No¡­ get away¡­ get away from me¡­¡¹ Regena started crying again. ¡¸LET GO OF REGENA!!¡¹ Omiros tried to stand up again, but he fell again after the human-goblin kicked his flank. ¡¸GUH!!¡¹ The human-goblin then stepped on his back as he caught Regena¡¯s arm. ¡¸SHUT UP!!¡¹ The human-goblin put more strength into the foot that stepped on Omiros¡¯ back. ¡¸Uuuh¡­¡¹ Omiros groaned in pain due to the increased pressure on his back. ¡¸LET¡¯S JUST TRAMPLE HIM TO DEATH!!¡¹ The human-goblin put more power into his foot to the point that Omiros couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. ¡¸Stop, stop what you¡¯re doing to Omiros¡­¡¹ Regena cried as she pleaded. ¡¸Is that so? Well, let¡¯s do as you say.¡¹ The human-goblin eased the power he put into his leg a little bit. As a result, Omiros¡¯ pain was lessened. Yet, he still couldn¡¯t move as he was still under the human-goblin¡¯s foot. ¡¸Hyi¡­¡¹ Regena let out a frightened gasp. Omiros, who could barely raise his face, then saw the human-goblin embrace Regena. ¡¸You¡¯re a female human, huh.¡¹ The human-goblin touched Regena¡¯s face and sniffed her smell as he said so. ¡¸You¡¯re softer than female goblins, and smell so nice.¡¹ The human-goblin spoke with an excited voice. The memory of Regena¡¯s face at that moment had etched itself so deeply into Omiros¡¯ brain, who couldn¡¯t do anything in that situation. ¡¸L-et¡­. Regena¡­¡¹ Omiros, who couldn¡¯t talk properly since his back was trampled underfoot, ended up crying too, truly vexed with how powerless he was. ¡¸IT¡¯S DECIDED! YOU¡¯LL BE MY WOMAN!!¡¹ The human-goblin bellowed as he licked Regena¡¯s face. ¡¸H¡­ HYIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAA¡­¡¹ Regena finally couldn¡¯t hold back her disgust and screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡¸You¡¯ve been marked by my saliva, you¡¯re already mine! My name is Goz, my woman!!¡¹ The human-goblin called Goz laughed as he introduced himself. ¡¸I¡¯m gonna pick you up once you¡¯ve become an adult so, wait for me!!¡¹ Goz left after he made such a declaration. Leaving Regena sobbing, and Omiros paralyzed. ¡ô Omiros shook his head as the first morning light fell on his face. £¨I dreamed of that situation again huh, and it¡¯s become more and more frequent as of late.£© It was a bitter memory in which he failed to protect Regena. After the human-goblin left, Omiros and Regena were found by the adults who were looking for them. Ever since then, Omiros had put even more effort in his training in order to become stronger. He wanted to become strong enough to protect Regena from any danger that might come for her in the future. It was for this very reason he had left Algore for a year, training through experiencing real life combat. Ironically, Regena had already gone by the time he returned. Omiros, who lost his goal, had no idea why he put more effort in his training anymore. He got out of bed, changed his clothes, and left the room. ¡¸Good morning, prince Omiros.¡¹ He was greeted upon leaving his room. When he turned to face the one who spoke, he saw the figure of a girl. ¡¸Please stop with that ¡°prince¡± alreadyRiette¡­¡¹ Omiros couldn¡¯t bring himself to get used to being called prince. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want to be called with a title he had gained by sending Regena into the Goblins¡¯ nest. ¡¸Why though?¡¹ ¡¸Just call me like before¡­¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Morning, big bro Omiros.¡¹ Rilletes was Maxis¡¯ little sister. Since his father was always busy, Omiros was raised by Maxis and Rilletes¡¯ parents. The three of them were raised like real siblings. That¡¯s why she always called him big bro Omiros. ¡¸Will you venture into the mountain again?¡¹ A cold light ran in Rilletes¡¯ eyes as she asked. Maxis and Rilletes¡¯ parents were killed by Qupis¡ªshe was against the idea of him looking for Regena. ¡¸Not today. I have to make some preparations as I¡¯ll be attending the banquet in Velos kingdom¡­¡¹ Omiros and Parsish were going as Algore¡¯s representatives in the Velos banquet, which will be held five days later. Omiros was quite busy with the preparations. ¡¸So that means you were planning to go into the mountain if you weren¡¯t busy with preparations?¡¹ ¡¸¡­.¡¹ Omiros was at a loss for words upon hearing Rilletes¡¯ remark. ¡¸She¡¯s already dead¡­¡¹ ¡¸RILLETES!¡¹ ¡¸Big bro Omiros is the only one who insists that she¡¯s still alive. Why¡­ do you insist? No human, not even a skilled warrior, has ever returned alive after entering the Goblins¡¯ nest¡­¡¹ Rilletes was right. Omiros knew that Rilletes was right, but he then recalled Goz¡¯s matter. That human-goblin might have taken Regena after discovering her in the Goblins¡¯ nest. He started to think that the increase in frequency of him seeing that dream about his past was probably due to that¡ªhe wanted to believe that Regena was captured by Goz because that meant she was at least still alive. Since there was such a possibility, it was only natural for him to search for her whereabouts in the Goblins¡¯ nest. Omiros had never told anyone about that story. No one had believed him when he mentioned the existence of the human-goblin named Goz. Though they might have believed him if Regena had spoken up, she didn¡¯t want to talk about the nightmarish incident. Naturally, Omiros couldn¡¯t bring himself to force Regena to give her testimony since he understood just how terrifying this experience was for her. It was probably the most traumatic experience for her. The only one who had trusted them was Regena¡¯s mother. Regena¡¯s mother was a kind woman who treated Omiros kindly despite knowing that he came from the rival family of her husband¡¯s family. She had given her daughter an enchanted talisman, her family¡¯s heirloom, to Regena in order to protect her from Goz. Regena¡¯s mother had already passed away two years ago. With her passing, Omiros was the only one left who believed in the existence of the human-goblin called Goz. Everyone else¡ªincluding Regena¡ªdidn¡¯t believe him whenever he talked about Goz. In Regena¡¯s case, it was obvious why she had forgotten. The things that Omiros was doing probably looked like a fool¡¯s errand in Rilletes¡¯ perspective. ¡¸That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to please stop endangering your life by going into the Goblins¡¯ nest every day looking for a dead person¡­ It¡¯s already too late.¡¹ Rilletes spoke with a gloomy look on her face. ¡¸SorryRiette¡­¡¹ Omiros, who knew that Rilletes was only being logical, patted her head as he apologized to her. She was worried about his safety. Nevertheless, Omiros, who knew the truth, couldn¡¯t bring himself to stop his search. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, hero Parsish is with us you know. I¡¯ll definitely returned safe and sound¡­¡¹ Rilletes made a strange look on her face when Omiros said so. ¡¸Is something the matter Rilletes?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about Parsish-sama¡­ I know that it¡¯s rude to badmouth our benefactor behind his back like this but¡­ I often feel something is amiss about him.¡¹ ¡¸Something is amiss?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­ I can¡¯t explain it in a better way aside from saying that there¡¯s something unusual about him¡­¡¹ Omiros knew that Rilletes was an extremely perceptive girl. She definitely meant it since she voiced her concerns. ¡¸Come to think of it, where is that guy right now?¡¹ ¡¸Dunno. I¡¯ve yet to see him today.¡¹ Rilletes replied by shaking her head. Omiros knew that Parsish often went missing for days. ¡¸Just where the hell did that fella go when he knows that we have to prepare for our journey to Velos?¡¹ Unfortunately, no one could provide Omiros with an answer. Volume 3 - CH 12.1 Act 3-12.1 : Parsish¡¯s True Identity After passing the dirty looking southern goblin community, Parsish had finally arrived at the northern side of Akeron Mountain; it had been a long time since he had returned to Karon Kingdom. His impression of this place was the same, that it was as dirty as ever. Although, it was still much better than other goblin nests. ¡¸STOP RIGHT THERE HUMAN! WHO ARE YOU GOB?¡¹ goblin guards surrounded Parsish immediately. However, Parsish didn¡¯t seem to be perturbed at all, he had already predicted this outcome when he had decided to come to this area. A few seconds later a very muscular goblin came out to face him¡ªParsish knew of his identity. ¡¸I know your face from the magic image, gob. You¡¯re the one called Parsish, gob. What are you doing here, gob?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, General Keneo.¡¹ Keneo couldn¡¯t hide his surprise when Parsish called his name without even answering his question. ¡¸Why do you know my name, gob?¡¹ ¡¸As expected, even General Keneo can¡¯t see through it.¡¹ Keneo was one of the strongest goblins in Keron Kingdom, yet even he couldn¡¯t see through Parsish¡¯s identity. Seeing as none of them could recognise him, Parish canceled his magic and showed them his real identity. He was reluctant to do it since he didn¡¯t like to show his real face, but the current situation needed him to take this action. ¡¸Ah! You¡¯re prince Goz go~~~b!!¡¹ The other goblins and Keneo were equally surprised upon seeing Parsish¡¯s real face. Their surprise was only natural since the humans¡¯ hero Parsish, turned out to be the Goblin Queen¡¯s son. ¡¸Indeed, it¡¯s me, Goz. Long time no see, General Keneo. I wish to visit my mother, can you let me go through?¡¹ Goz voiced his request and bowed to Keneo as he transformed into Parsish again. He had to be extremely respectful to Keneo as this goblin was not only a general, but his sister¡¯s husband. Moreover, his sister was far more powerful than him, if he was rude to Keneo, then that would spell his end. Goz¡¯s sister was an extremely dangerous existence among the goblins. After pondering for a while, Keneo opened his mouth. ¡¸Please wait for a while, Goz! I¡¯ll confirm with the queen first, gob.¡¹ After answering, General Keneo sent one of his subordinates to report the situation to the queen, and then, a while later his subordinate came back and whispered to him the queen¡¯s answer. ¡¸Please follow me this way, Goz.¡¹ After listening to his subordinate¡¯s report, Keneo requested Goz to follow him. They entered Karon Kingdom¡¯s cave and walked through the corridors towards the Queen¡¯s room. Once they arrived, Keneo knocked twice on the giant door and entered the room with Goz. Once he entered the room, Goz immediately knelt on one knee and bowed his head to his mother. He was already familiar with his mother¡¯s personality and knew far too well that this woman never forgave insolent people, even if they were her son. That¡¯s why he had to show her his utmost courtesy to salvage himself. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, mother.¡¹ ¡¸Raise your head, Goz.¡¹ Goz raised his head after having his mother¡¯s permission. Upon doing that, he could finally see the Goblin Queen, Datie¡¯s, figure. Her figure was ugly as usual, he thought. Goz was a child born between the Goblin Queen and a male human. When cross-breeding between species, if the child born was male, they would be born as their father¡¯s race, and if the child was female, they would inherit their mother¡¯s race. That¡¯s why in terms of race, Goz was considered a human. Female goblins almost never left their nest. The ones who would leave the nest were the male goblin. There were also extremely rare cases in which a male goblin would bring back a male human for the female goblin. Female goblins were too ugly to be accepted by male humans that¡¯s why in normal situations, a male human would never be born from a goblin. However, some female goblins would force themselves on the captured male humans. And this is how an exception to the rule was born, Goz. By using her influence as the Queen, Datie had ordered her subordinates to bring back a male human alive. The male human that was brought back then became Datie¡¯s plaything in bed. This was how Goz was born. Goz¡¯s father had already died long before Goz was aware of his surroundings, so he never knew anything about his father. But, he could pretty much guess that his father was a good looking man due to his mother¡¯s taste. As long as he drank the powerful aphrodisiac made by his mother, any man would have an erection even if they had the ugliest woman in front of them. Thus, she wrung him dry until he died from exhaustion. Goz touched his own face. Though there was no mirror, he knew that his face was as ugly as his mother¡¯s face. Regardless of their gender, children born from cross-breeding usually inherited some of their parents traits, for example, a male born from an elf could have powerful magic. Goz wasn¡¯t a goblin, yet because one of his parents was a goblin, he inherited some goblin traits. Unfortunately, he had inherited his mother¡¯s ugly face, it was even worse since his face was a weird combination between a human and goblin face. Even his little brother, who died as soon as he was born, had the same face as Goz. Nevertheless, even though their mother was a goblin, a goblin¡¯s nest wasn¡¯t a suitable living place for them as humans. Weak human babies would easily die in such a dirty environment. Goz barely survived thanks to the powerful magic he inherited from his mother, unlike his older and younger brother from the same father. They hadn¡¯t inherited a spec of magical power and hence their lives were lost as soon as they were born. Goz was the only male born to his mother who had managed to grow into adulthood. All the other males had died. Goz looked at his mother, she might be the strongest goblin he ever met. Her magic powers rivalled those of daemons after all. It was why the amount of magical power he inherited from her was cut above the rest when compared to other humans; it was the only thing that made him grateful towards his mother. ¡¸And just when I thought I hadn¡¯t seen you nowadays¡­ to think that you¡¯re masquerading as Parsish. It seems the magical power of the goblin in charge of the image recordings isn¡¯t enough to see through your facade.¡¹ Datie spoke humorously. Goz wanted to sever his relationship with his mother, that¡¯s why he changed his appearance and infiltrated the human country. Thus, no one in Karon Kingdom knew that he was masquerading as Parsish. ¡¸Dear mother¡­ I was attacked by a silver haired witch when I was masquerading as Parsish. Do you have any information about her?¡¹ Datie pondered for a while upon hearing Goz¡¯s question. ¡¸Silver haired witch¡­ Ah, I remember now. She¡¯s the female who came with His Excellency¡­truly awe-inspiring¡­ I did tell them that some humans were ransacking the southern goblin settlements as of late. I want to meet you again, Your Excellency¡­¡¹ Datie spoke with an entranced look on her face. Upon hearing his mother¡¯s remark, Goz finally realized what had happened. He also knew who his mother was referring to as ¡°Your Excellency¡±. He was the Dark Knight who defeated that terrifying hero. He couldn¡¯t believe that the beautiful silver haired witch was his subordinate, and he had crossed her¡­ ¡¸Dear mother. I have no intention to betray you or His majesty, the Demon King. Can you at least tell His Excellency that I have nothing to do with that incident?¡¹ Though she overlooked Goz last time, he might not be so lucky if he met her again¡ªshe would kill him for sure. ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll report this matter to His Excellency. Is that the only reason you came all the way here?¡¹ With this, one of Goz¡¯s reasons for coming to this place had been achieved. But, he had another reason. ¡¸There¡¯s another reason. May I ask you to share your aphrodisiac with me, dear mother?¡¹ ¡¸That drug? What are you going to do with it?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s this festival called a ball that¡¯s going to be held in a human country called Velos three days later. I want to use it on a female human who¡¯s going to attend that ball.¡¹ Goz smiled as he spoke. He guessed that the drug created by his mother should work on female humans too. ¡¸Fufu, that drug huh. Fine, take some with you.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, dear mother.¡¹ Goz left the Queen¡¯s room after he showed his gratitude. He walked along the corridors toward his own room. Kicking the female goblins who dared to leer on him along the way. After having s*x with a female human, Goz couldn¡¯t bring himself to ever have s*x with female goblins. He arrived in his room in Karon kingdom, the room was left as it was before. In this room, he had lived as the sole human in Karon Kingdom. His room wasn¡¯t dark, damp, and humid like your normal goblin¡¯s nest. The boy who was born from Datie, the Goblin Queen was raised in this room. Goz was raised as a goblin prince while being a human. But, since the Goblin Queen had so many children, his status was a mere title. Nevertheless, being a prince allowed Goz to have a more comfortable life in Karon kingdom. For humans, his face might be as ugly as a goblin¡¯s, but among the goblins, he was a princeling. His handsome face allowed him to sleep with any female goblin he wanted. However, after going too far one time, he had received a severe scolding from Datie. Though his life was spared, his mother warned him to not overdo it again while he was still in Karon Kingdom. Instead, she allowed it as long as he didn¡¯t do it in Karon Kingdom. Thus, Goz left Karon Kingdom and did whatever he pleased in the southern part of the Akeron Mountain Range. Though the southern goblins weren¡¯t under Datie¡¯s rule, they didn¡¯t dare to act as they pleased since they feared her wrath. But, that place was simply not up to Goz¡¯s standards, it was filthier than Karon Kingdom and their female goblins were simply unsightly. Thereupon, Goz decided to leave the Akeron Mountain Range along with his subordinates, who were several idiotic goblins from the south, and went until the borders of the human territory. By some sort of coincidence, they happened to pass by a human settlement. It was in that place that Goz met Regena. Goz felt that it was a fateful encounter. By now, he had already seen several female humans from afar. But, Regena was the first female human he wanted so much. Thus, he licked her when he had her in his arms. And then, he thought about how to make Regena his own. He wanted to kidnap her back then, but human children were prone to die easily in filthy environments such as goblin nests, thus he decided it was better to wait for her to grow up a bit more. Meanwhile, he would train to become stronger in order to kidnap her, Thus, he trained his magic diligently. And a few years later, though it was far from his mother¡¯s level, he could use fairly powerful magic. He then departed to Algore in order to kidnap Regena. Volume 3 - CH 12.2 Act 3-12.2: Parsish¡¯s True Identity Nevertheless, he realized that no matter how strong he had become, facing all of the Algore citizens was way too reckless. He realized that the first thing he had to do was infiltrate Algore. According to his investigation, entering Algore was easy since it was a warrior¡¯s country, a country of strong people. Yet, he had gotten ushered away by the gatekeeper when he came to Algore for the first time. The reason being, that he was too ugly. Thus, he changed his appearance with magic and managed to infiltrate Algore. Though his magic wasn¡¯t that effective against people with strong magical power, it worked like a charm against those with magical aptitude lower than him. He also changed his name to Parsish, not using his extremely goblin-like name. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t any magicians in Algor, thus no one ever knew about his disguise. But, even if no one could see through his disguise, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down against those extremely perceptive people who could feel that there was something wrong with his appearance. Goz, who managed to infiltrate Algore as a Freedom Fighter, started making advances toward Regena once he met her again. But, since Regena was amongst the perceptive people, Goz had a hard time approaching her. He had no idea what to do with Regena and before long, the annoying hero came to Algore. And, most irritating of all, the annoying hero even tried to woo his Regena. Thus, Goz made his move to chase the hero out of Algore. Though he couldn¡¯t use charm magic, he could still use a type of magic that could make someone¡¯s personality become more aggressive. He used this magic ability on the young warriors of Algore who held some animosity toward the hero, fanning them to attack the hero. The angered hero of course fought back. As a result, the hero gave a one-sided beating to those young warriors, they were beaten till they were on the verge of being crippled. Angered by his actions, the Kingdom was displeased with the hero and his comrades and forced them to leave Algore after that incident. However, this brought on another problem. Originally, there was already an intense internal conflict in Algore, it just never developed into a war. But, it broke into a riot thanks to Goz¡¯s magic. Though the riot was beyond his expectation, Goz made full use of that civil war. He fanned the riot, developing it into a civil war between the united clans and Regena¡¯s clan. In this civil war, Regena¡¯s clan was put into a disadvantageous situation. As a result, thanks to Goz¡¯s assistance, the united clans won the civil war. And then, after the former king, Regena¡¯s father, was executed, he made a suggestion to exile Regena and the surviving members of her clan to goblin¡¯s nest. His plan was to save her right there, and then kidnap her, thus he could have Regena for his entire life. Yet, another problem occured. Regena had gotten kidnapped by someone else before he had the chance to save her from the Goblins¡¯ nest. As for the identity of the kidnapper, it was a complete mystery. According to the subordinates he stationed around Regena¡¯s group, she and her people were kidnapped by a dragon. Anyhow, it was clear that Regena was saved from Goz¡¯s plot. Though he should just use any method to gain Regena, it was already too late. He was extremely annoyed, yet couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He had no choice but to forget about Regena. Instead, he decided to follow his nature and wantonly embrace the human women. The reason he asked for the aphrodisiac was simply because all kinds of fine women would come to this ball¡ªhe was looking forward to it. ¡ô ¡¸Zengu¡­ poor thing¡­¡¹ Kujig the ogre was looking at her son, who had already become nothing but a pile of bones. Zengu was Kujig¡¯s youngest son. She had sent one of her eight sons, Zaig, to call her youngest son Zengu since he hadn¡¯t come to celebrate her birthday, but her world felt like it was turned upside-down when she heard the news from Zaig. Kujig ran as fast as possible with her magic as soon as she heard the news. ¡¸No way¡­ how did you die? WHO DARED TO KILL YOU?!!¡¹ Ringu, her eldest son, spoke with an extremely indignant voice. ¡¸OH NO, MAMA! BIG BROTHER!! COME HERE!!¡¹ Her second son, Pyog, called them as he discovered something. When Kujig and her sons turned around, they saw the letters written on the wall. ¡¸It seems Zengu¡¯s killer is coming to the north, huh.¡¹ Pyog muttered after he read the words on the wall. It was even written that Zengu¡¯s killer was the hero¡¯s little sister. And that hero¡¯s little sister was currently heading toward the north. In short, the one who wrote the message invited them to the north if they had a problem with Zengu¡¯s murder. Though it sounded like a big fat lie, seeing that the writer went as far as using the name of the hero¡¯s little sister, it might just be real. Kujig couldn¡¯t forgive her youngest son¡¯s killer. So she swore on the name of the Ancient King of Giants to kill the culprit. ¡¸Oh no, BIG BROTHER RINGU, COME OVER HERE!!¡¹ Now it was Kujig¡¯s fifth son, Kaigu, who found something. ¡¸WHAT IS IT NOW!!¡¹ Ringu and Pyog headed toward Kaigu immediately. Kujig stayed where she was. She deemed that there was nothing left to find since they already knew the identity of the culprit. ¡¸THIS IS¨D¨D¨D! ISN¡¯T THIS THE TREASURED BOOK WE LENT TO ZENGU! EVERYTHING IS BURNED TO ASHES¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹ ¡¸THE PICTURE OF MY BELOVED IWALIA-SAN¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹ ¡¸DAMMIT! WHO DARES TO DO THIS! IS THIS THE ONLY THING LEFT?!¡¹ ¡¸So cruel¡­ I HADN¡¯T ENJOYED IT YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET¨D¨D¨D¨D£¡£¡£¡¡¹ The sons cried together in unison. Kujig thought that they might¡¯ve found another trace when they went over there, but she felt it wasn¡¯t a big deal since they¡¯d already identified the culprit. Now they only needed to go after the culprit. Fortunately for Kujig, the direction they were heading to was the northern direction in which the blue forest, Kujig¡¯s stronghold, was located. Kujig then went toward the hearth where all her sons were crying together in unison. ¡¸YOU LOT, IT¡¯S TIME TO GO! WE HAVE TO COLLECT OUR DEBTS FROM THE HERO¡¯S LITTLE SISTER WHO KILLED ZENGU!!¡¹ Upon hearing that, her sons nodded in unison. ¡¸Understood, Mama!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! Let¡¯s collect our debts for burning our most important treasure!!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah! Let¡¯s burn her like what she did to our treasure!!¡¹ ¡¸Otherwise, to whom will I vent this sadness of being unable to see it again!!¡¹ ¡¸Ashes¡­ to ashes¡­¡¹ ¡¸This pain¡­ of being unable to see ¡°THOSE¡± again¡­¡¹ ¡¸MY IWALIA-SAAAAAAAAAAAA¨D¨D¨D¨DN!!!¡¹ ¡¸I CAN¡¯T GET THAT AGAIIIIIII¨D¨D¨DN!!!¡¹ ¡¸KILLKILLKILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!¡¹ Each of Kujig¡¯s sons expressed their wrath. From Kujig¡¯s perspective, it looked like they were really angry upon seeing their youngest brother killed. It was only natural for Kujig to believe that since they were siblings. ¡¸LET¡¯S GO MY SONS! THOUGH I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT HERO¡¯S LITTLE SISTER IS, WE, KUJIG¡¯S FAMILY, ARE GOING TO KILL HER FOR SURE!! WATCH YOUR NECK, B*TCH!!¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 13 Act 3-13: Northern Capital 1 In the region closest to Nargol lay Velos Kingdom, a country with the biggest human population in this world. Velos Kingdom was located right at the center of the River of Estuary, which flowed out of the blue forest that spread across the southern part of the Akeron Mountain Range. The Kingdom¡¯s population was around forty thousand people, and since it was a dangerous area with monsters roaming in broad daylight, there wasn¡¯t an outer city. Though there were so many poor countries in the region, Velos kingdom was different from the rest, which all resulted from their fruit supply. Velos Kingdom was the biggest supplier of a sweet and crisp fruit, one similar to an apple, which could only be found in this region. The fruit¡¯s flavor was very popular in the region as it was used for seasoning and liquor production. Thus many other countries, even the Holy Republic of Lenaria which was located in the far south of the continent, had a huge demand for it and imported large quantities of that fruit from Velos Kingdom. After bringing the Hippogriff to this Kingdom¡¯s stables, Shirone and the others went to the Royal Palace. ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Shirone-sama! Welcome to Velos Kingdom.¡¹ A plump, middle aged man in his fifties welcomed Shirone and her companions. His name was Eclas and he was the king of this Kingdom. This was his second time meeting Shirone yet, just as before, he was courteous and a gentleman to Shirone and her companions. He spoke to them in a respectful manner without any displeasure even though they were younger than his children. As for his appearance, he did hold a resemblance to Echigos, but Shirone felt that only their appearance and names were similar, their personalities on the other hand were the exact opposite of each other. ¡¸Shirone-sama. Is this personage, by chance, Hero-sama¡¯s little sister?¡¹ Eclas asked while looking at Kyouka who sat proudly beside Shirone. If one were to go by custom, they should¡¯ve stood up too when greeting the king since he had done so. However their position granted them privileges that no other human could imagine ¡¸Indeed, this is the Hero Reiji-sama¡¯s little sister, Milady Kyouka. Milady is going to stay for a while in this kingdom. Please make preparations for it.¡¹ Kaya introduced Kyouka with a haughty voice. It was the attitude of someone who held a higher status. It was common sense in this world that the one chosen by God had a higher status than even the king. However, Shirone, who was already a small-time civilian in Japan, couldn¡¯t bring herself to get used to her newly gained status and still bowed in respect to the king. ¡¸Hahaha. That¡¯s only natural. Please stay as long as you want in this kingdom.¡¹ Eclas smiled kindly as he replied, there wasn¡¯t a trace of anger towards Kaya who spoke to him with haughtiness. His attitude was a great contrast when compared to their meeting with Echigos, who was clearly eyeing them from the start Shirone¡¯s first impression when she met him months ago was that he was a nice man, yet she couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief after seeing that his attitude hadn¡¯t changed. She was relieved that this was his true character. Shirone and her two companions had chosen Velos Kingdom as their base for gathering information about Kuroki. And though when it came to distance, Algore Kingdom was closer to Nargol, it was still an unsuitable place to stay in since Reiji had caused an incident the last time they visited that kingdom. Thus, they decided to use the wealthier Velos Kingdom as their base. ¡¸Come to think of it, Milady, we¡¯re holding a ball the day after tomorrow, would you care to participate in it?¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸A BALL?!!¡¹¡¹¡¹ Shirone and co looked at each other upon hearing Eclas¡¯ remark. Whether it was their home world or this world, elites always liked to gather in luxurious parties. This was especially prevalent in this monster infested world as these balls were also a necessity¡ªhumans needed to unite in order to survive. This cooperation between humans didn¡¯t just apply to the inside of the rampart in each country, it went beyond the rampart, between nations, where it was necessary. That¡¯s why this kind of gathering where nobles and royals gathered was an important event for them. Calling this kind of event as a conference for communication between nations was more correct. These gatherings could take various forms such as simple meetings, tea parties, or balls like the one they were about to attend. Shirone had participated in several balls and dinner parties during her journey with her comrades. She knew from experience that there were types of balls that weren¡¯t like ones you would read about in fairytales or cinderella stories. These specific political gatherings disguised as balls were more like the dance parties one saw in american movies back on earth, they were also quite similar to Japan¡¯s Bon dance festival. ¡¸What do you think, Kyouka-san, Kaya-san? I think there¡¯ll be so many guys willing to become our dance partners.¡¹ Shirone decided to ask Kyouka and Kaya. Though there were many types of balls, the type that was the most popular was still the one which required a man and a woman to form a pair to dance. It was most likely the type of ball Velos Kingdom would use, which deeply troubled Shirone. Truthfully speaking, she was required to attend the ball. Though Eclas also couldn¡¯t force them to participate, they couldn¡¯t just flatly refuse his invitation for them to attend the party either, they were already indebted to him for allowing them to stay in Velos after all. Yet, although Shirone felt bad for Eclas, she had zero interest in attending the ball because attending a ball without a partner indicated that they were looking for a marriage partner. Shirone and her female comrades, who had come to this world with Reiji, had received several marriage proposals from the men before. Some of them came from princes and others came from nobles. If they were normal citizens, receiving such marriage proposals would¡¯ve been such an honor; however, Shirone didn¡¯t feel an ounce of happiness from these proposals¡ªall those men were far weaker than her. With her superhuman strength, she only needed to put a little bit of her strength into her grip to break a normal man¡¯s bone. That¡¯s why she had to be very careful in controlling her power if her dance partner was a normal human of this world. She had zero interest in receiving a marriage proposal from a man who couldn¡¯t even dance properly with her. In the first place, with her strength alone, she could easily topple any monarchy and usurp any kingdom without having to marry into royalty. A prince¡¯s status wasn¡¯t that interesting to her. It was really troublesome when many people suddenly proposed to her and her comrades. It was for this reason that Rino had stopped coming out altogether. Nao had no interest in these things from the very beginning and Sahoko couldn¡¯t handle crowds (unless in work mode), so they also never attended these balls. Naturally, the same thing applied to Shirone, she didn¡¯t wish to attend this ball. The only people who attended these balls were Reiji and Chiyuki. Since it was bad if none of them made an appearance, the responsibility had fallen on them. They would attend these gatherings in their comrades¡¯ place. Shirone then looked at Kyouka. She was also frowning, seemingly having zero interest in attending the party. Kyouka was an extremely beautiful girl, as long as she stood silently. Shirone had known for a long time that she was popular among men, even back on Earth. In fact, the number of people who tried to woo her far surpassed Shirone¡¯s. As a result, she ended up being fed up with all those attempts of courting her. That¡¯s why Shirone had already expected that Kyouka would refuse the offer to attend the ball, and Kaya who always put Kyouka as her top priority would support her master¡¯s decision too. ¡¸Understood. We¡¯ll attend this ball. You also agree with this, right Milady?¡¹ And yet, Kaya¡¯s remark betrayed Shirone¡¯s expectation. ¡¸Kaya! Why are you replying as you please?!!¡¹ Thus, now it was Kyouka¡¯s turn to get flustered. ¡¸Oh my, Milady, aren¡¯t you actually rather interested in this?¡¹ Kaya spoke with a tinge of sadism in her tone. Shirone smiled wryly upon hearing her. Kaya had spoken with the same tone back in the ogre¡¯s mansion. It was true that the one who said she was interested in the ball was Kyouka. ¡¸T-That¡¯s¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, at least dance with a man. You have to learn at least that much before we return to our home world. This is a good opportunity.¡¹ Kyouka was completely at a loss for words upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. She was always a prideful girl, but she was never able to oppose Kaya. The nature of their master-servant relationship was something that Shirone could never understand. £¨I feel bad for doing this to Kyouka-san, but she¡¯s in the most suitable position for this kind of occassion as Reiji-kun¡¯s little sister¡­£© And then, Shirone recalled Kyouka¡¯s dress. ¡¸Haa¡­ I understand, Kaya¡­¡¹ Kyouka agreed with reluctance. ¡¸Hahaha, the ball will become more lively with your participation.¡¹ Eclas laughed merrily at their response. It was in this manner that Shirone and her comrades participated in tomorrow¡¯s ball. ¡ô After a long horseback journey, Omiros and Parsish had finally arrived at Velos Kingdom. They had left Algore early in the morning but had only arrived at Velos in the evening. Velos was a big kingdom, it did not just consist of an urban area, but even enclosed a part of the forest inside the rampart. The trees of the forest were the ones that produced Velos¡¯ best commodity, an extremely sweet fruit called the Velos¡¯ fruit. Omiros looked up at the rampart. He could see that every part of it was adorned with ornaments. Maybe because Algore was originally a fortress made to fight monsters, it had a bulky and boorish design. Velos¡¯ rampart was completely different from Algore¡¯s one. In fact, its design clearly showed their wealth, which abided by their reputation as the wealthiest kingdom in the region. Velos had already developed into a central hub for industry and trade in this region. Its population was also more than double that of Algore, and it was at least ten times wealthier than Algore. It was this Velos Kingdom¡¯s royal family that had gathered the royals and nobles of their surrounding countries in this ball. Naturally, Omiros was one of those invitees. The ball would be held the day after tomorrow but they had a reason to come earlier. Omiros and Parsish were both really bad at dancing. It made sense since dance wasn¡¯t a necessary skill to survive in this world. Though Omiros received proper warrior training, he never got the chance to receive dance training. The one who would learn such a troublesome skill was the prince, and he wasn¡¯t a prince back then. In this regard, Omiros really wanted to file a complaint against his father, Montes. It was his father who should have been here to attend this event, but he had pushed that responsibility to Omiros since he hated dancing. £¨Algore¡¯s future depends on this ball. This is an important mission¡­£© Omiros heaved a sigh. Because of the previous king, Quips¡¯, stupid deeds, Algore ended up getting isolated by the surrounding countries. To cancel that isolation, they had to fix their relationship with Velos Kingdom, the biggest country in the entire region. And since the royalties and nobilities of the other countries gathered in this ball, there was no better stage than this. If things went properly, he could give a nice impression to the other nations. That¡¯s why, even if he hated the idea of attending the ball, he couldn¡¯t avoid it. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll enjoy the ball, prince Omiros.¡¹ Parsish, who stood by Omiros¡¯ side, said with excitement. Unlike Omiros, Parsish seemed to be looking forward to the ball. Omiros wondered why he wasn¡¯t as nervous as him since he couldn¡¯t dance as well. In these balls, being unable to dance means that you were useless. That¡¯s why Omiros intended to ask king Eclas to introduce them to someone who could teach them how to dance. No one in Algore knew how to dance, so they had to master this skill as fast as possible here in Velos. It was already evening, but it should still be possible to request an audience with the king. Thus, Omiros headed towards the Royal Palace with that kind of thought. After arriving, he let the gatekeeper know that Algore¡¯s prince had come. Yet, once again, he couldn¡¯t help but feel some slight resistance in him at being called a prince. The palace guard of the Royal Palace then came to guide him. ¡¸Ooh, welcome Prince Omiros and Parsish-kun.¡¹ King Eclas welcomed them the moment they entered the audience chamber. He was none other than the prince whose fiance was stolen by Algore¡¯s previous king, Qupis. It was for that very reason that Velos and Algore could never get along during Qupis¡¯ reign. Omiros wanted to seize the chance of Qupis being dethroned to improve Velos¡¯ relationship with Algore. ¡¸Thank you very much for inviting us to this ball.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, it¡¯s the natural thing to do. I also want to take this chance to get along with Algore.¡¹ Eclas spoke merrily to them. From the very beginning, Eclas had already forgiven the fact that his fiance eloped with Qupis, but the same couldn¡¯t be said to the surrounding countries; they were so enraged that they had cut all diplomatic relations with Algore. That¡¯s why Omiros wanted to use this chance to fix the broken relationship. ¡¸Nevertheless, I¡¯ve never expected for you to arrive this early. The ball is still the day after tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸The truth is, we have a request for you related to the ball.¡¹ ¡¸And what is it?¡¹ ¡¸The truth is, both Parsish and I can¡¯t dance. That¡¯s why, will you introduce us to someone who can teach us how to dance?¡¹ King Eclas was laughing merrily upon hearing Omiros¡¯ honest answer. ¡¸Wahaha, you¡¯re really honest. I like it. Okay then, I¡¯ll introduce a dance teacher to both of you.¡¹ ¡¸May we ask for a beautiful teacher?¡¹ Parsish spoke shamelessly. ¡¸Parsish!!¡¹ Omiros was flustered. He didn¡¯t wish to incur king Eclas¡¯ wrath. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯ve got a lot of them here. Let me introduce a transcendent beauty to you two.¡¹ Contrary to his expectation, Eclas still replied with a smile one his face. Omiros felt relieved upon seeing that. ¡¸Beauties huh. I¡¯m looking forward to meeting them.¡¹ Parsish laughed merrily. Omiros could only heave a sigh upon seeing Parsish¡¯s antics. He could only pray that nothing bad would happen this time. Volume 3 - CH 14 Act 3-14: Northern Capital 2 ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Milady. My name is Parsish. It¡¯s an honor to get the chance to dance with a beauty like you, Milady.¡¹ Parsish bowed to Kyouka as he gave his greeting. Upon seeing his face, Kyouka¡¯s face twitched. She glanced at Kaya only to see her place her hand on her forehead. Shirone¡¯s expression was no different. Though she didn¡¯t like deprecating someone¡¯s face, she felt that this case was an exception; that man¡¯s face resembled a goblin¡¯s and was¡­ really ugly. Though Shirone wouldn¡¯t have made it a big deal out of it if it was just his appearance that was the problem. The real problem was that this man was clearly looking at Kyouka¡¯s body without even trying to mask his perverted gaze. She felt like there was not even one woman in this place who would offer to become his dance partner. £¨Uuh, let¡¯s stop with these negative thoughts, it¡¯s not like he asked to be born with an ugly face.£© Shirone silently gave her condolences to Kyouka. She didn¡¯t know how the young girl would deal with him since they needed to be on their best behaviour. There was another thing about this man that lingered in her mind though, she had noticed that this man called Parsish was using magic to change his appearance to that of a beautiful man. This kind of magic couldn¡¯t fool her nor Kyouka and her attendant since there was an overwhelming disparity between their mana and Parsish¡¯s. It was clear as day to the three of them that, undisguised, Parsish had an ugly, disgusting, and lustful face. Even if he did have a considerable amount of magical power when among humans, it was still a far cry from Shirone and co¡¯s magical power, which was comparable to that of divine beings. Shirone could use magic as soon as she came to this world, without any prior training. Yet, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the humans of this world. Even if they had a considerable amount of magical power, they couldn¡¯t use magic without proper training. That¡¯s why Shirone knew that Parsish must have been trained in magic. She theorized that the reason he learned how to change his appearance with magic was probably because he had previously had a hard time because of it. Parsish expressed his gratitude toward Kyouka with an elegant gesture. In contrast to his delighted figure, Kyouka¡¯s face twitched several times as she tried so hard to hide her disgust. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was literally introduced to a man whose appearance she hated the most. Eclas had previously declared that he would introduce Shirone and the others to fine men who didn¡¯t have dance partners, and these men were none other than Omiros and Parsish. Eclas had paired Kyouka with Parsish, and Shirone with Omiros. They couldn¡¯t blame Eclas for this matter since in Eclas¡¯ eyes, Parsish definitely looked like a beautiful man. And, since Kyouka was the de facto leader of Shirone¡¯s group, Eclas chose the ¡°handsomest man¡± in his eyes for her. But, if he could see Parsish¡¯s real appearance, everyone would agree that Omiros was far better looking than Parsish. ¡¸It¡¯s truly the birth of a beautiful-handsome pair. I can¡¯t wait for tomorrow evening¡¯s ball.¡¹ Eclas spoke with a gentle smile on his face, thus confirming that Parsish really did look like a handsome man in his eyes. Shirone wondered whether she should tell Eclas about Parsish¡¯s true appearance. However, she decided to give up on that notion since Parsish might simply have a problem with his appearance. Yet, she knew that she had to do something to prevent Kyouka from ending up with Parsish. ¡¸My apologies, Milady.¡¹ Kaya apologized to Kyouka. She wouldn¡¯t be dancing in the ball so she couldn¡¯t help her and take her partner instead. Shirone thought it was really unfair since she didn¡¯t want to join the ball either, but she couldn¡¯t say anything since Kaya would be working behind the scenes during the event. Though they all talked about participating, Kaya had explained that one of them shouldn¡¯t appear in the ball. Shirone and Kyouka had no idea what she was up to. ¡¸Pssh! Hey!!! I¡¯m willing to switch with Shirone-san¡¯s partner.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, Kyouka-san¡­ That¡¯s a little bit¡­¡¹ Shirone bowed to Kyouka, apologizing while refusing her to exchange partners. Shirone was also reluctant to be partnered with Parsish. She averted her gaze from Kyouka, pretending to ignore her reproachful gaze. ¡¸Uuh¡­¡¹ Kyouka could only groan in frustation. ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing¡­ I¡¯ll be looking forward to the ball tomorrow¡­ Lord Parsish.¡¹ Finally, Kyouka resigned to her fate and muttered those words while hanging her head down. She couldn¡¯t even complain since, in his eyes, Eclas had introduced the handsomest man to her. Parsish smiled delightfully upon seeing that. His fake handsome face might have revealed a refreshing smile, but for Shirone and co who could see through his facade, it was an obscene laugh. ¡¸Well then, I shall leave you young¡¯uns to get along.¡¹ Eclas left the room with a smile on his face, leaving behind the five of them in the room. Parsish offered Kyouka many interesting topics to start a conversation with her. £¨Is he really that happy to be able to dance with Kyouka-san? Well it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand, Kyouka-san is really beautiful after all. She¡¯s easily the most beautiful amongst us; even back in Japan. But, did her beauty become even more refined after we came to this world?£© Shirone pondered about it as she looked at Kyouka. Kyouka¡¯s bright-coloured hair had transformed into a shining golden colour after they came to this world, and her already white skin became even more beautiful and glossy. In short, even without Parsish, there was still mountains worth of guys who wanted to dance with Kyouka. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that Kyouka¡¯s mood was really gloomy right now, there was a shadow cast on her beautiful visage. Shirone decided to play the fool and then headed toward her dancing partner, all while offering a silent prayer for Kyouka. ¡¸Greetings¡­ Uhm, can I just call you Omiros-san?¡¹ ¡¸Greetings, Shirone-sama. Yes, that¡¯s fine. Let me properly introduce myself, I¡¯m Omiros from Algore.¡¹ Omiros bowed to Shirone as he introduced himself, his introduction catching Shirone¡¯s attention. ¡¸Algore? Princess Regena¡¯s country?¡¹ ¡¸YOU KNOW REGENA!!¡¹ Omiros suddenly raised his voice the moment Shirone spoke Regena¡¯s name. ¡¸Yeah¡­ I saw her when we visited Algore before.¡¹ ¡¸I see, it¡¯s only natural for you two to meet since you always travelled with Hero-sama. I just happen to be away from Algore during that time¡­¡¹ Omiros spoke while hanging his head down. His expression was really gloomy, Shirone felt that an extremely complicated matter had happened after they left Algore back then. ¡¸Hey, Omiros-san. Did something happen to princess Regena?¡¹ So Shirone decided to ask since Reiji seemed to be worried about Regena as well. ¡¸Yes, the truth is¡­¡¹ Omiros started to tell Shirone what happened in Algore. ¡¸To think such things happened¡­¡¹ Shirone was completely dumbfounded upon hearing Omiros¡¯ story. She never expected that Regena would meet such a tragic end. ¡¸That¡¯s truly a sad story.¡¹ Kyouka, who had at some point come closer to them, heard the story and was moved to tears. ¡¸Two people got separated due to the conflict between their families. It just like a story I read in the past.¡¹ Kaya also joined them, listening to Omiros¡¯ story. ¡¸Yeah, I read that story too¡­ It¡¯s an extremely tragic story.¡¹ ¡¸I also read that story. It¡¯s the story of ninjas clashing against each other in the 10 representatives¡¯ meeting, right¡­? It¡¯s such a sad story.¡¹ Kyouka and Kaya looked at Shirone with puzzled look on their faces after they heard her remark. ¡¸I think we¡¯re talking about a completely different story¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I also don¡¯t recall it being such a gory story.¡¹ ¡¸EH?! Why are you looking at me with eyes filled with pity?!¡¹ Shirone got flustered upon receiving the look of pity from Kaya and Kyouka. That was only natural since she had no idea why they were looking at her with such a gaze. ¡¸I also feel really sad about what happened to Princess Regena, my prince. That¡¯s why we should enjoy this ball to the fullest in order to forget about such a sad event! Don¡¯t you agree with me, Princess Kyouka.¡¹ Parsish spoke as he took Kyouka¡¯s hand. Colour drained from Kyouka¡¯s face when she felt his touch. ¡¸Y-Yeah, indeed.¡¹ Kyouka responded while pulling her hand away from Parsish. Shirone felt uncomfortable with the way Parsish dealt with Kyouka. She felt that he deserved what had just happened to him, though of course, she didn¡¯t remark it loudly. If put in the same situation, she would¡¯ve reacted the same way. A bit away from them, Omiros was looking at the sky with a melancholic look on his face. £¨Is he thinking about Princess Regena again?£© Unlike Parsish, Shirone really wished for Omiros to cheer up a little bit with this ball. ¡ô The silver-haired beauty, Kuna, was meeting Karon¡¯s queen again. She had come by herself without telling Kuroki because, other than coming at the Goblin¡¯s request, she had a personal request to make from Queen Datie. She had come as Kuroki¡¯s representative as she didn¡¯t want Datie to act the same way she did previously; she had found it rather distasteful. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Your Excellency?¡¹ The Goblin Queen, Datie, was looking for Kuroki¡¯s figure. ¡¸Kuroki isn¡¯t coming. Now tell your business to Kuna.¡¹ The Goblin Queen made a disappointed face upon hearing Kuna¡¯s remark. £¨That¡¯s natural. Like hell I¡¯m going to bring my beloved Kuroki to meet an ugly goblin-like you. In the first place, all of this can be done through messengers, yet you expect him to come himself, foolish goblin!£© Kuna directed her cold-piercing gaze toward Datie. The goblin, on the other hand, looked so disappointed since Kuna wrecked her plan. ¡¸So what¡¯s the matter this time, Goblin Queen?¡¹ Queen Datie heaved a sigh and then started telling her about the situation. ¡¸It¡¯s the matter about Algore¡¯s hero, Parsish, who I mentioned in my previous report¡­ The truth is, Parsish turned out to be my son who disguised himself as a human with magic. He came and said that he had no intention to turn Nargol into his enemy.¡¹ Upon hearing the Goblin Queen¡¯s remark, Kuna recalled the meeting she had with Parsish a few days ago. No matter how much he changed his appearance with magic, he couldn¡¯t deceive Kuna¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Sure enough, that ugly face was that of a goblin¡¯s. So, what¡¯s the matter?¡¹ ¡¸I feel bad for previously forcing His Excellency to make a move, but¡­I want to end this matter now.¡¹ The Goblin Queen spoke as she bowed her head to Kuna. At her remark, Kuna started pondering for a while. £¨Sorry, but I have no intention to let go of this matter. Those people were speaking of Regena back then after all. How do they know her?£© Kuna had no idea why Parsish and the others knew of Regena. That¡¯s why she wanted to question them about it. She wanted to remove Regena from Kuroki¡¯s side as soon as possible. ¡¸Understood, I¡¯ll relay your message to Kuroki. So, what is that son of yours doing right now?¡¹ Kuna asked Parsish¡¯s whereabouts in a roundabout way to hide her intention. She wanted to know what he was up to now. ¡¸I didn¡¯t ask him about what he¡¯s going to do after this, but¡­ wait, he did say that he¡¯s going to attend a ball in the human country called Velos.¡¹ Kuna became even more curious upon hearing the Goblin Queen¡¯s remark. £¨A Ball?£© Kuna remembers that this ¡°ball¡± event was mentioned several times in the stories Kuroki would read to her. For some reason, Kuna was always extremely attracted to these stories. The scene of her dancing with Kuroki resurfaced in her mind yet again¡ªit looked absolutely wonderful. ¡¸A ball, huh¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, a ball. He also asked for some aphrodisiac before he left.¡¹ ¡¸Aphrodisiac?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s a drug that invigorates humans. It¡¯s made from the honey of a charm bee that lives in the Forest of Darkness, west of the Demon King¡¯s castle. Any man who drinks it will swing his hips like a prime centaur, and any woman who drinks it will shimmy her butt like an elf in heat.¡¹ Kuna¡¯s interest piqued upon hearing Datie¡¯s explanation. ¡¸If you want, I can give you a bottle of aphrodisiac?¡¹ ¡¸Really!!¡¹ ¡¸But, there¡¯s a condition.¡¹ ¡¸Uhm¡­ what¡¯s the condition¡­?¡¹ Kuna raised her vigilance upon hearing that it wasn¡¯t free. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, no need to raise your vigilance. All I want is a strand of your hair.¡¹ Kuna felt something was amiss upon hearing the goblin Queen¡¯s remark. But, she felt a strand of her hair for that aphrodisiac was a cheap price to pay. ¡¸I understand. Just a strand of my hair?¡¹ In the end, Kuna agreed and pulled a strand of her hair and gave it to the Goblin Queen. ¡¸Thank you. Please wait for a moment while I get you the drug. You should mix this drug into His Excellency¡¯s tea. Gufufufu.¡¹ The Goblin Queen confirmed the transaction and added some tips while letting out a creepy smile on her face. £¨She might be thinking about Kuroki right now. But you must endure that disgusting sight for now, Kuna.£© Kuna desperately contained her killing intent. Soon enough, a goblin came bringing the drug with him.The drug was contained within a transparent small bottle. ¡¸Thank you for this drug, Goblin Queen.¡¹ Kuna left Karon kingdom after she received the drug. Volume 3 - CH 15 Shirone looked at her figure reflected in the mirror. She was wrapped in a light blue dress that fluttered every time she turned around. ¡¸Uhm, even I have to say that I look charming. But, I still lose when standing beside you.¡¹ Shirone muttered while looking at the one beside her. Kyouka was standing right next to her and was wrapped in a rose-coloured dress that emphasized her prominent figure. Her waist was constricted, and her big br*asts could be seen from the opened cleavage of the dress. Even Shirone, who was of the same sex, couldn¡¯t help but get captivated by Kyouka¡¯s beauty. ¡¸It matches you very well, Princess Kyouka.¡¹ Corfyna, Eclas¡¯ wife, praised Shirone and her companions¡¯ appearances in their dresses. She praised them honestly without any pretence. Despite being a queen, Corfyna didn¡¯t give off the air of a queen at all, as if she could get along with everyone without any trouble. Just like Eclas, this was the second time Shirone had met Corfyna. Corfyna was originally a merchant¡¯s daughter. She met Eclas for the first time when she came to Velos for trading with her father; and just like that she became Queen. It was what people would call ¡°gaining power by marrying a rich and influential man¡±. However, Shirone had heard that many people opposed making Corfyna Queen of Velos due to her low status. Yet, after seeing what had happened to their king after his fiancee eloped with Algore¡¯s king, Eclas¡¯ subordinates couldn¡¯t deny him for a long time. They had seen how devastated he was back then, even though he had given her and the King of Algore his blessing. Thus they relented and accepted his marriage to Corfyna. Corfyna herself was a graceful woman, and Eclas became cheerful again after marrying her. Moreover, due to her extensive knowledge of accounting through her days as a merchant¡¯s daughter, she had helped her husband with the country¡¯s finances and had brought Velos to a whole new level of prosperity. By now, no one doubted her capabilities as a queen. They had now been married for years and had a son who was about to turn five years old. Shirone remembered Chiyuki praising Corfyna as a prime example of a good wife and queen. Just one night after their arrival and she was already offering them her dresses to wear to the ball. From what they understood, it seemed that Eclas would give Corfyna many precious gems, metals, and dresses all the time. As such, Corfyna had many unused dresses and accessories, which she let the women borrow. The craftsmanship of this world would vary from one country to another. There were countries that had the best quality goods, ones that were even better than the ones back on Earth, and there were countries with low-quality goods. A wealthy country like Velos of course had the best quality craftsmanship, it was regarded as one of the best in the world. The ball gowns Shirone and Kyouka wore were really elegant and were not below the quality of dresses back on Earth. ¡¸The ch*st opening is too much¡­¡¹ Kyouka muttered in complaint. Corfyna was a tall and slender woman, that¡¯s why even though her ch*st size wasn¡¯t that small, it was definitely a lot smaller than Kyouka¡¯s, whose size boasted as the second biggest in Shirone and co¡¯s group. In Shirone¡¯s case, she just felt it was a bit too constricting around the ch*st area. In Kyouka¡¯s case however, the original size of the dress almost choked her to death. It was for that reason that there was a need to modify Kyouka¡¯s dress by creating an opening in the ch*st area of the dress, which resulted in a design that would take away any man¡¯s line of sight. ¡¸Surely, the opening is big. But, I think it¡¯s really charming. Parsish-dono will surely be delighted.¡¹ Kyouka¡¯s face frowned slightly upon hearing Corfyna talking about Parsish. From the very beginning, Kyouka didn¡¯t wish to dance with Parsish. Though Shirone felt bad for Omiros, she bet that Reiji was a better dancer than him even though she had danced with him only once. Several women wanted to dance with Reiji and would literally line up, waiting for their turn since there were too many of them, even though the dance time was short. Thus, she hoped to get another chance to dance again, slowly this time. £¨I want to dance with Kuroki too. But, he might refuse since he hates gaudy events like balls. Well, he might change his mind once he sees my current appearance though.£© Shirone was looking at her own reflection in the mirror while recalling her childhood friend. Her childhood friend, Kuroki, was definitely handsome. That¡¯s why Shirone felt that he had to come to a brighter place. He shouldn¡¯t be holed up in a dark place like Nargol. Thus, Shirone swore to herself that she would definitely bring back her childhood friend. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Milady. Just crush him on the spot if he dares to overstep.¡¹ Shirone and Corfyna smiled wryly upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. Naturally, there was no need to ask which part should be ¡°crushed¡±. This conversation was kept to themselves since Parsish and Omiros were currently attending a dance lesson in another room. £¨But, since it¡¯s someone as beautiful as Kyouka-san. That kind of resolution is only natural.£© Shirone smiled lightly while imagining what would happen ¡°IF¡± Parsish really tried to play with his luck. At any rate, the ball would be held tomorrow. Shirone wanted to finish it quickly so that she could start gathering information about her childhood friend as fast as possible. ¡ôFormer Governor; Echigos ¡¸Dammit¡­ what should I do after this¡­¡¹ Echigos pondered about his future while walking along Velos Kingdom¡¯s main street. After that incident, Echigos and Daigan had been tied up with chains and locks, mounted on the Hippogriff by those three demon-like women, and brought to this country. The Hippogriff had taken many breaks along the way due to the increased weight on its back. Echigos thought at the time that those women should just release them. They were thrown in jail once they arrived, Daigan was currently still resting in the jail since they couldn¡¯t leave a werewolf to his own devices. Echigos, on the other hand, was released after only one night since he was a normal human. The jailer had set him free because the cost of keeping him in jail was expensive. Though he was elated with his release before, his excitement had been snuffed after he remembered how penniless he was. £¨What should I do now¡­?£© All Echigos¡¯ money was hidden in a secret room in his house in Koki Country. He had no choice but to go back to Koki Country if he wanted to take back his money. But, he still needed money to go back. That¡¯s why his current priority was to gather some money in this country. £¨What should I do to get money?£© Echigos pondered what job he could do. Velos kingdom was a merchant-friendly country because the queen of this kingdom was a merchant¡¯s daughter. The queen was the incarnation of virtue, she had many nicknames such as Lady of the Mirror. But, Echigos and his fellow merchants called her another nickname: Black Bellied Woman. Originally, as a merchant¡¯s daughter, the queen had a low status by noble standards. Nowadays though, she received the King of Velos¡¯ love, and governed the kingdom from the shadows. Once upon a time, Echigos used to work as the sales clerk of one of the wealthy merchants of this kingdom, but then, that wealthy merchant fell from grace and lost all of his customers due to the plot of the queen. Echigos had also lost his job and turned into a wandering merchant. At glance, the queen seemed like a gentle person but she was in fact a capable woman. Thanks to her shrewd plans, things would just suddenly look like they fell into place, in her favor no less. The business laws she created had no flaw nor loopholes that could be used. In short, there was no way to gain money with underhanded means. Such law was ill-suited for corrupt merchants like Echigos. ¡¸Stop right there!¡¹ While Echigos was still wondering about what to do to earn more income, someone shouted at him. He turned around only to see two men with large builds, and an old woman standing between them, looking at him. It seems the one who called him was one of those two men. Echigos tilted his head in puzzlement as he had never met these three people before. ¡¸Uhm, do you have some sort of business with me?¡¹ Echigos tried to ask them with a courteous voice. He instinctively realized that the two big men were ready to use violence when they saw fit. Their thick, log-like arms looked like they could easily pulverize Echigos¡¯ body. That¡¯s why he acted servile in front of them. ¡¸You, I remember that you were the human in Zengu¡¯s place back then. Your name should be Echigos, right?¡¹ Cold sweat ran down Echigos¡¯ back the moment he heard Zengu¡¯s name. ¡¸It seems I¡¯m right.¡¹ The big man laughed as he confirmed that fact. Echigos felt that he caught a glimpse of fangs in that man¡¯s mouth, and since they mentioned Zengu¡¯s name, he concluded that the two tall men before him were ogres. Echigos knew that ogres could use powerful magic, transforming into humans wasn¡¯t a big deal for them. He then looked at the old woman in the middle and concluded that her identity was probably Zengu¡¯s mother. (I gotta escape as soon as possible!) Echigos¡¯ brain was churning at its maximum speed, pondering about a way to escape from the current situation. ¡¸A-Are you sure that you¡¯re not mistaking me for someone else?¡¹ After he asked while stepping back, Echigos turned around to escape. ¡¸GUHE?!¡¹ And then fell flat on the ground after he tripped on something on the ground. He felt like the soles of his feet were glued to the ground. ¡¸I¡¯ve caught your shadow. Do you really think that you can escape from this great Kujig?¡¹ When Echigos raised his upper body and looked at his feet, he saw that the old woman¡¯s cane was pressed on his shadow. He realized that the other party prevented his escape with magic. Echigos recalled something the moment he heard Kujig¡¯s name. It was the name of the Great Ogre Mage and the Queen of Blue Forest¡ªand she was Zengu¡¯s mother. His previous guess was spot on. Kujig the Witch was infamous in the northern part of the continent. She lived in the Sweets Castle deep in the Blue Forest. The aroma of the Sweets Castle was said to be able to reach human countries located far from the centre of the forest, and the humans who got lured by the aroma would become Kujig¡¯s meal. The old woman was now walking toward Echigos. One could see terrifying fangs peeking out of her mouth. Echigos¡¯ body trembled in fear at the sight. ¡¸Now then, spit out all the information you have.¡¹ Kujig spoke with an eerie smile on her face. A chill ran down Echigos¡¯ spine the moment he saw that smile. Volume 3 - CH 16.1 Today was the day for Velos Kingdom¡¯s ball; two beauties stood before Omiros. ¡¸Please take care of me for today, Milady.¡¹ Parsish took Kyouka¡¯s hand with gratitude. Kyouka was a sight to behold today. The rose-colored dress matched very well with her dignified face, even Omiros was charmed by her appearance. When such a beautiful Kyouka was paired with the handsome Parsish, it made a picturesque scene unfold. Parsish¡¯ eyes, on the other hand, were now completely focused on Kyouka¡¯s ch*st. Omiros wondered if he should scold Parsish for his lese majeste, but understood that his efforts might become futile since the same thing could happen again during their dance. It was obvious that Parsish would receive the jealousy of many men today for his chance to dance with a timeless beauty. However, Omiros also knew that Parsish wouldn¡¯t be the only one to receive stares of jealousy. He looked at the woman before him as he thought so. ¡¸My best regards for today, Princess Shirone.¡¹ Omiros took Shirone¡¯s hand after greeting her, she was as charming as Kyouka. But, different from Kyouka, who had an air of a dignified and cold noble-born princess, like a flower on top of a cliff that was beyond anyone¡¯s reach, the woman before him had a friendlier air. Omiros had heard that the woman before him was one of the Hero¡¯s wives. He knew that taking the hand of this woman could bring about trouble in the future, however the current situation had left him with no other choice. ¡¸Well¡­ My regards¡­ Parsish-dono.¡¹ Kyouka answered Parsish. In contrast to him, she didn¡¯t seem to be delighted at all. Omiros guessed that the reason she made such a face was because she was used to seeing an incredibly handsome man like the Hero of Light, thus making someone of Parsish¡¯s level look normal to her. ¡¸Best regards, Lord Omiros.¡¹ Shirone also returned his greeting. But, different from Kyouka, Shirone¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem to be displeased at all. £¨Thank God, it seems she doesn¡¯t dislike the idea of dancing with me. Is their different reactions simply because of their difference in personality?£© Omiros heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Shirone¡¯s expression. ¡¸Well then everyone, please start heading to the venue.¡¹ A maid working in the Royal Palace came in to call Omiros and the others. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, everyone.¡¹ Omiros and the women went to the venue at Parsish¡¯s words. The ball wasn¡¯t just using the hall as the venue, the king had also opened the Royal Castle¡¯s courtyard for this occasion. The courtyard was decorated with flowers of all kinds, all accompanied by illumination magic around them, which brightened them. The scene was breathtaking. The attendees of the ball were Royals and Nobles from several other countries, which made the venue be filled with various kinds of dresses with different styles and from different countries, which enlivened the ball to another level. However, upon a closer look, Omiros realized that Royals and Nobles were not the only attendees of this ball. He could see that many influential citizens and merchants were also invited to this party. He had no clue how many they were, but guessing from the situation in front of him, their number didn¡¯t seem to be that small either. £¨As expected of a big country like Velos. Algore can¡¯t afford to hold such a ball.£© Omiros could only heave a sigh upon comparing Velos Kingdom with his home country, Algore. In the first place, the reason he attended this ball was to fix Algore¡¯s diplomatic relations with the other countries of this region. His goal aligned with the reason behind this ball. Many countries wanted to strengthen their relationships in order to better face the monsters in this region. Of course, other than bettering diplomatic relations, this ball was also an event made for looking for potential marriage partners. Women especially used this kind of event to find their potential spouse, which was why they would go all out with their appearance. The most popular choices for them were the young nobles and single princes. Their beautiful appearances today were for the sole reason of catching the attention of those young nobles and princes. Omiros thought that it was fortunate that, even when someone caught another¡¯s attention during a dance performance, dancing with the same partner was considered as having ill-manners, thus one had to change partners for the next dance. And then, if both parties found that their dance partner was to their liking, they could choose to leave the venue as soon as the dance ended, or make an appointment to meet later. The most pitiful amongst those singles were those who couldn¡¯t get a dance partner. Whether it was the women who didn¡¯t get dance invitations despite dressing up, or the men whose invitations got rejected because of the women¡¯s shyness, these were the most pitiful participants of this ball. Nevertheless, Omiros still decided to become a wall decoration after the first dance round with Shirone. He didn¡¯t come to this ball with the intention of looking for a partner, and since it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to receive dance invitations from women in this ball, he chose to seclude himself right away. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have to worry about Shirone since someone as beautiful as her wouldn¡¯t have any difficulties in finding another dance partner. After a short greeting from King Eclas, the ball began with the first song. Suddenly, Shirone, who was walking beside him, stood still in her place. ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹ When Omiros turned around to look at her, he noticed her strange reaction, he then realized that she was looking in the direction of the blue forest. ¡¸Lord Omiros.¡¹ ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹ ¡¸My apologies, it seems I have to interrupt our dance, I just recalled that I have some business left to do.¡¹ Shirone suddenly apologized to Omiros. Omiros could only tilt his head in puzzlement, wondering what kind of business she had to attend to now. ¡¸Is something the matter, Shirone-san?¡¹ Kyouka, who was beside Shirone, asked. ¡¸Uhm, it¡¯s not a big deal. You can continue with the dance, Kyouka-san.¡¹ After answering, Shirone ran out from the venue in secret. ¡ô Shirone moved out of the venue as fast as she could while holding the cuff of her dress. She had already summoned her sword with magic. The reason Shirone left the venue was because she felt powerful killing intent pointed towards Velos¡¯ Royal Palace. Just like her comrade, Nao, Shirone could also feel the presence of her enemy. She was now running towards the origin of that killing intent. ¡¸Shirone-sama!!¡¹ Suddenly, someone called out to her, when she turned around, she found Kaya running toward the same direction as her. ¡¸Did you feel that killing intent too, Kaya-san?¡¹ Kaya nodded to Shirone upon hearing her question. ¡¸It¡¯s a powerful killing intent. It seems you feel it too, Shirone-sama.¡¹ Shirone nodded too. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s an extremely strong killing intent! The owner of that killing intent is up to no good! Let¡¯s hurry up, Kaya-san!¡¹ Shirone unleashed her wings, and flew across the rampart. Kaya on the other hand ran on the wall as if it was flat land. In an instant, the sun had set. But, with her superior physical abilities, Shirone could detect anything within a ten meter radius, thus she knew that there was something. There was a vast forest called the Blue Forest, which spread across several countries in this region, including Velos Kingdom. The killing intent¡¯s origin was in the depth of this forest. A few minutes after she ran out from the venue, Shirone had finally arrived at the source of the killing intent. She descended from the sky and waited til Kaya caught up to her a few minutes later. Since the trees in the forest were so dense and huge, there was almost no starlight piercing through the forest¡¯s fauna. Though they couldn¡¯t see the face of the figure before them, Shirone and Kaya knew that there was someone there, waiting for them. And it was that figure who had aimed that strong killing intent toward the Velos Royal Palace. ¡¸You¡¯ve finally come, huh.¡¹ The person before them finally spoke. ¡¸WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHY DID YOU UNLEASH YOUR KILLING INTENT TOWARDS VELOS?!!¡¹ Kaya shouted at that person. ¡¸Humph, you¡¯re mistaken. That killing intent is directed towards you people. THE BASTARDS WHO KILLED MY ADORABLE ZENGU!!¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 16.2 Act 3-16.2: The Velos Ball 1 Shirone and Kaya finally realized the identity of the person who released the killing intent. There was no doubt about it, they were convinced that the one who spoke to them was a comrade of the ogre they had killed. ¡¸I see, revenge huh. That makes you an ogre, right? And yet, you¡¯re too short for an ogre.¡¹ Kaya was right, the person who stood before them was shorter than an ogre. £¨Is this one altering their appearance with magic?£© An Ogre¡¯s physique was far bigger than a human¡¯s. Yet, the physique of the one before them seemed to be no different from that of a normal human. ¡¸Indeed! I¡¯m Kujig the Ogre! Zengu was such a good son of mine! And now you¡¯re going to be punished for murdering my adorable Zengu!¡¹ The self-proclaimed Kujig spoke with anger. Shirone was pissed off upon hearing that. ¡¸How can you say that an Ogre who ate humans is a good child!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, Shirone-sama! Punishment for what?! You guys ate humans, why are you now throwing a tantrum when humans killed your son?!¡¹ Kaya sprung toward Kujig as she spoke. ¡¸HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!¡¹ And then, just before she unleashed her attack, Kujig¡¯s voice suddenly changed into someone else¡¯s, and that person fell on his rear. It was a male voice, completely different from the old woman¡¯s voice they heard just a while ago. Kaya stopped her punch as soon as she heard that voice. Then, she felt the strong killing intent vanishing into thin air. It was as if the person before them had become a completely different person altogether. ¡¸You are¡­?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s me, Kaya-sama! Echigos!!¡¹ Though they couldn¡¯t recognize him at first since his entire body was covered with a black robe, they did feel familiar with that voice. It turned out to be the Ogre¡¯s subordinate, Echigos. ¡¸What are you doing here?¡¹ Kaya drew closer as she asked Echigos. ¡¸M-My body got hijacked¡­ by Kujig the Ogre¡­¡¹ Echigos replied with a flustered voice. ¡¸Could it be possession magic?¡¹ Shirone recalled the magic Chiyuki had spoken of before. It was a spell used to hijack another living being¡¯s body. Rino could do the same with her mind magic. During this kind of take over, the mind of the body¡¯s owner was put to sleep, it was deemed as ill-suited for combat since the user could only exert half of their original strength. In short, it wasn¡¯t a user-friendly spell. ¡¸Most probably. I can¡¯t feel the strength we felt in his current condition after all.¡¹ Kaya answering Shirone¡¯s question. ¡¸But still, why¡­¡¹ Using possession magic to fight against Shirone and her companions was a bad idea since Kujig could only use half of her power in that state. ¡¸It seems she wanted to lure us out of the Royal Palace. Let¡¯s go back. Milady must be worrying about us by now.¡¹ Kaya, who rarely showed her expression in normal situations, spoke with a rather flustered voice right now. ¡¸The ogre already knows about us. So Kujig¡¯s aim might be Kyouka-san.¡¹ Kaya nodded, she agreed in no time with Shirone. Shirone knew about Kujig from the information that was provided by Koki¡¯s citizens. "" Kujig was an ogre witch with nine sons. If Kujig came, it was only natural to assume that her sons also came with her. Kyouka, who couldn¡¯t control her magic properly, might not be able to deal with them. ¡¸Uhm, I¡­ I can¡¯t see anything since it¡¯s too dark. Are you going to leave me in this place¡ª¡¹ Echigos suddenly spoke to Shirone and Kaya as they were about to go back. Echigos who was released from Kujig¡¯s possession was just a weak human. But, Shirone and Kaya didn¡¯t have any time to worry about hime. ¡¸I¡¯ll go first, Kaya-san.¡¹ Shirone flapped her wings and flew to the sky. And then, Kaya started to run after Shirone. ¡¸WAIIII~~~~~~~T!¡¹ Echigos was chasing after them while screaming at the top of his lungs. But, he couldn¡¯t see very well since it was dark and ended up tripping on a tree¡¯s roots. Naturally, Shirone and Kaya ignored him since they were in a hurry. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ It happened a few seconds after Shirone took a flight. She landed on the ground since she felt something was amiss. "" ¡¸Shirone-sama!!¡¹ Kaya rushed towards her from below. ¡¸There¡¯s a invisible wall¡­ we¡¯ve been trapped in this place¡­¡¹ Shirone pushed her hand forward, and felt something like an invisible wall blocking her way. It was a magic barrier that seemed to be made to trap them in this place. ¡¸Tch! She got us!!¡¹ Kaya let out an impatient voice again. Her impatience was only natural since Kyouka, her master, might be in danger right now. Shirone also agreed with her. It was just ogres, so Kyouka had no problem beating them when she went all out. However, the main issue was that Kyouka couldn¡¯t control her magic properly¡ªVelos Kingdom might get destroyed by her uncontrollable magic tonight. Even worse, she might turn Velos Kingdom into a sea of fire. Shirone wished that Chiyuki or Nao were with them. In Chiyuki¡¯s case, this kind of barrier was no big deal, while Nao could detect this kind of trap beforehand. Until now, Shirone had felt it would be alright as long as she swung her sword with all her might. Thus, she was completely unprepared when they faced such an unexpected trap like this. The same could be said about Kaya, they were now in the palm of their enemy¡¯s hands. ¡¸Can you destroy this, Shirone-sama?¡¹ Shirone showed a troubled look on her face upon hearing Kaya¡¯s question. Though it was possible to destroy the barrier with brute force, it was actually much faster to do that with magic. Shirone¡¯s magical power was much higher than Kaya, thus she was much more suited to destroy this barrier, but it would still take time. ¡¸If Chiyuki-san was here, she would¡¯ve easily destroyed this barrier, but it¡¯ll take a bit longer for me.¡¹ Shirone touched the barrier again as she said so. The barrier wasn¡¯t that powerful. But, it would take a while for Shirone to destroy it since dispelling magic wasn¡¯t her forte. Nevertheless, they were running out of time. Shirone injected her mana into the sword, and swung it towards the barrier. Volume 3 - CH 17 Act 3-17: The Velos Ball 2 Beautiful music echoed across the venue. If goblins were present in this ball and had heard this kind of music, they would run away as fast as possible to escape this torture. However, that didn¡¯t apply to Goz. Even though his mother was a goblin, he was still of the same race as his father, a human. Music had no effect on him whatsoever. Various women danced to the tune, all dressed in the most colorful of dresses. They were all beautiful, but none were as beautiful as the woman before him. Indeed, the female human called Kyouka was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, all other women paled in comparison to her. Goz, who had the honor to dance with her, was elated. He could feel all the male humans around him looking at them with envy. £¨I never expected that I¡¯d be introduced to the Hero¡¯s little sister, gufufufu.£© Goz happily laughed inside. The Hero was a strong and handsome man. No man could hide his envy when looking at the Hero. It was no wonder that all the men of this world hated him. And, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, along with his extreme handsomeness, the Hero was always surrounded by many beauties, all waiting upon him. That alone had already annoyed Goz, but then the Hero had the audacity to aim for his Regena. That¡¯s why Goz couldn¡¯t forgive him. However, the Hero was really strong. Though he couldn¡¯t forgive him, he was far too weak to act upon his anger; he knew he couldn¡¯t beat the Hero. The person in front of him now, however, was a woman, and she donned a similar face to the one he hated so much. He felt glee fill him as he imagined all the ways he can torture this woman into submission in bed. He imagined that it must feel the same as him beating the Hero. Though he understood that doing that would turn the Hero into his mortal enemy, he didn¡¯t care. Goz remembered that Kyouka hadn¡¯t come with the Hero and his party when they last visited Algore. Thus, this was his first time meeting Kyouka. But, Goz had seen Shirone before. She was one of the women who came to Algore with the Hero. He had seen how strong she was so he was worried she would notice his intentions and ruin him. However, she wasn¡¯t here anymore as she seemed to have run out for some sort of business. Moreover, her sudden disappearance had left Omiros with no other choice but to disappear somewhere as well, since he had lost his partner. Though Goz was curious about the matter that forced Shirone to leave the venue, the dance with Kyouka was far more important to him. He shifted his focus to her again. Kyouka¡¯s dress had a large opening at the ch*st area, from which her bountiful valley could be seen. Though Goz really wanted to fondle Kyouka¡¯s bodacious br*asts, he kept his patience for now. £¨This woman doesn¡¯t seem to like me. She seems to only be dancing with me because she has no other choice, However, her attendant hasn¡¯t been around for a while now¡­£© Goz silently clicked his tongue. The woman who had practiced dancing with him yesterday had always looked at him with a feverish gaze. Goz recalled how it was easy to invite her back to his room and give her plenty of love all night long. Currently, he was using the appearance of the beautiful Parsish, which could entice any woman. Yet, Kyouka kept looking at him with a gaze that sent chills down his spine. £¨Could it be that she is able to see through my real appearance? Dammit! If that¡¯s really the case, I have no choice but to use the drug in my pocket!£© Goz touched the drug in his pocket. Even if she could see his true face, As long as he used the drug on her, Kyouka wouldn¡¯t have any other choice but to submit to him. Goz planned to invite her for a drink in a separate room. He wanted to create an opening for himself and let her drink a lot of the drug. Goz had tried this drug a long time ago. After ingesting it, he couldn¡¯t live without a woman for two days straight, and it took five days for the effect of the drug to completely dissipate. He had impregnated dozens of female goblins during that time. £¨This drug will definitely work on this woman.£© The dance came to an end while Goz planned his sinister plot. Once the last music note was played, the other men in the venue all came flocking towards them, their sole aim to dance with Kyouka. Goz came forward to stop them, as if to protect Kyouka. ¡¸My apologies, but Princess Kyouka is planning to have a light meal with me after this. May I ask you to show some restraint?¡¹ Goz acted like a knight trying to protect Kyouka from other men. Of course, that wasn¡¯t his real intention. However, Kyouka didn¡¯t seem to want to dance with anyone else, so there was a high chance she would follow Goz¡¯s suggestion to avoid the other men. Goz looked at Kyouka, sure of his success. Yet, Kyouka didn¡¯t even spare him or the flock of men a glance, instead, she was looking at a completely different place. The location her gaze followed also had a gathering of men. Goz could barely see what was happening through the gaps. But, as he focused, he could see that at the center of this gathering stood a man and a woman, who very much looked like a couple. A chill ran down his spine the moment he saw the woman¡¯s face. ¡¸Silver¡­ Witch.¡¹ Goz muttered the woman¡¯s name. Though she wore a different attire than the one she donned the first time he saw her, there was no way he could mistake her beautiful visage and silver hair, which was her trademark. The woman was definitely the Silver Witch who he met back in the Goblins¡¯ nest. The next tune hadn¡¯t even started, yet there were already so many men surrounding the couple. Goz would¡¯ve normally noticed if such beauty was nearby, and yet he had failed to notice her presence. £¨What is she doing here? Is she coming after me?£© Goz¡¯s back was now drenched in a cold sweat as he recalled the terror he felt when he fought the Silver Witch. Even though he told his mother that he had no intention to be the Silver Witch¡¯s enemy, he suspected that his mother had yet to convey his message. Goz judged that he should leave this place as soon as possible. ¡¸That person. I get the feeling that I saw him somewhere before¡­¡¹ Kyouka muttered to herself. She was looking at the man who was dancing with the Silver Witch. Goz didn¡¯t have any recollection of that man. £¨Just who is that man? For him to be able to dance with that terrifying Silver Witch?£© Goz wondered what kind of identity the man had, but he noticed that it wasn¡¯t the time for that. He had to leave this place immediately. ¡¸Follow me to greet them.¡¹ But then, just as he was about to leave, Kyouka¡¯s iron grip had already seized his arm, and pulled him to come along with her to greet the Silver Witch. Naturally, Goz tried to resist, but Kyouka¡¯s strength was far above him, he would only tear his arm if he resisted more. The men around the pair opened a path for Kyouka to pass. Kyouka was walking straight toward the Silver Witch. £¨HEEELP!!£© Goz could only scream in his heart for someone to come save him. But his hope was slowly dashed as they inched closer to the witch. Volume 3 - CH 18.1 Act 3-18.1: The Velos Ball 3 Kuroki felt really lucky to be able to see Kuna¡¯s figure in a dress. The dark indigo dress she wore shone with the purest of blue gems and was adorned with blue frills. In Kuroki¡¯s eyes, she looked absolutely stunning. When Kuna was born, he had asked the dwarven craftsmen to create dresses for her. The dress she wore right now was one of those dresses, but she hadn¡¯t found the right moment to wear them until now. In contrast to her petite height, Kuna was really well endowed. The dress made by the dwarves perfectly emphasized her beauty. There was a small opening at the ch*st area of her dress, which allowed him to get a glimpse of her bountiful valley. Yet, it was by no means vulgar since the area was still covered with a pale blue flower adorned with gems of the same color. Her dress was brilliantly accentuated with a side spread that looked like waves on the palace tiles. £¨Kuuh, they really did a goob job with this dress.£© Kuroki clenched his fist as he expressed his gratitude towards the dwarves. It all started two days ago when Kuna said that she wanted to attend this ball. Kuroki had guessed that the reason for her interest was because of the descriptions she had heard from the children¡¯s books he read for her in the past. Seeing her interest in balls, it finally dawned on Kuroki that Kuna was like any other ordinary girl. When he had heard of the existence of balls in this world, he didn¡¯t hold any interest towards these sorts of events. He knew that he was ill-suited for these showy events. But, seeing the eager look on Kuna¡¯s face, coupled with his wish to see her delighted face again, Kuroki took her and departed to Velos Kingdom. Before leaving, Kuroki decided to take dance lessons with Regena. Regena had received dance lessons from her mother, who had thought that the skill would someday prove to be useful for a princess. And, turns out it was useful, though in a slightly strange way. Though it had been three years since her mother passed away, Regena kept the lessons from her mother close to heart. There wasn¡¯t enough time, but Kuroki and Kuna decided to take her lessons. However, since Kuna¡¯s mood worsened every time Kuroki danced with Regena, Kuroki decided to just pair with Kuna from the start. Although this wouldn¡¯t allow them to progress properly, at least it would still be enough for them to dance a bit during the ball. On the day of the ball, Kuroki was left speechless upon seeing Kuna. Kuna was already extremely beautiful, yet her beauty was boosted to an even further height with the dress she wore. Although he was still a bit reluctant to go at first, seeing her made him completely adamant to go. No one would be able to refuse when they are invited to attend a ball and dance with such a beautiful girl. On the appointed day, Kuroki and Kuna headed towards Velos Kingdom with Regena as their attendant. Participating in the Velos ball was a really simple matter for them as anyone could participate as long as they paid a certain amount of money. The idea to allow any non-invited participant to participate by paying a certain amount of money was the Velos Queen¡¯s idea, and it was greatly welcomed by merchants since they could use their money to expand their connections. Since this party also served as a way to boost the national economy, there were many Velos local specialties served as food in the ball. In addition, there was also a trading place for ingredients or materials. Kuroki thought that queen Corfyna was truly a brilliant queen. Through prior investigation, Kuroki found out that the queen was extremely loved by the citizens of Velos. No wonder since she was the central figure in driving out the evil merchants who ruled the kingdom from the shadows. Thanks to her actions, there were no merchants with a monopoly on any kind of trade in the kingdom, which resulted in the drop of prices for commodities. Prices had become just a fifth of the previous price, and the citizens were happy about that. In addition, people had more freedom to roam around the country compared to before, which in turn boosted Velos Kingdom¡¯s economy. However, even though the economy was good, the same couldn¡¯t be said about the public order. With absolute freedom to enter and leave the country, many tried to abuse that fact for their own gains. Even people like Kuroki and Kuna, who should be considered as Nargolian enemies, freely entered Velos. Of course, Kuroki found this rule to be to his advantage since it meant he could enter Velos Kingdom without having to deal with troublesome things. After sneaking in, Kuroki and Kuna entered the venue of the ball. They arrived right at the start of the first song so they started to dance along with the music. Kuroki took Kuna¡¯s porcelain white hand, wrapped his other arm around her slender waist, and started to dance. Though there were many other women donned in dresses of various colors, Kuroki didn¡¯t even bother to spare them a glance. His eyes were completely locked on Kuna. ¡¸Kuroki! Kuna is really happy to be able to dance with you like this!!¡¹ Seeing Kuna¡¯s brilliant smile, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but smile too. He understood that back in his home world, no one would¡¯ve been willing to dance with him. Maybe Shirone would be the only one who would be willing to dance with him, but it would¡¯ve been out of pity only. But, he had Kuna in this world. That¡¯s why Kuroki was really happy that he came to this world. He was really happy since he could dance with a girl as beautiful as Kuna. Kuroki looked into Kuna¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuroki?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re really beautiful tonight, Kuna.¡¹ Kuna smiled delightfully upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s praise. She looked like a flower fully blooming. And thus, the first song ended. Kuroki and Kuna ended their dance as they smiled at each other. Thereupon, their surroundings became really noisy. Kuroki snapped out of his daydreaming, and when he looked around, he realized that they were being surrounded by men. £¨W-Why in the world are they surrounding us?!£© Kuroki couldn¡¯t hide his shock upon realizing that they were being surrounded. He almost thought that those men knew their identity. But then, that ended up as needless worries. ¡¸Uhm, milady¡­ won¡¯t you dance for a tune with me?¡¹ ¡¸No, me first¡­¡¹ ¡¸Please, please dance with me.¡¹ The men turned out to be quarreling for a chance to dance with Kuna. They only saw Kuna. Kuroki finally managed to grasp the situation. The line of sight of most of the men in the venue was gathered on Kuna. When Kuroki tried to listen carefully, all he could hear was the following: ¡¸Which country is this princess from?¡¹, ¡¸What a¡­ beauty.¡¹, ¡¸How¡­ beautiful¡¹, ¡¸Such a short, yet stacked figure¡­ how envious.¡¹ It was a mix of praise and envy towards Kuna. ¡¸Kuroki, who in the world are those monkeys?¡¹ When Kuroki looked at Kuna again, he realized that she was looking at those men with a puzzled look on her face. As if she had no idea what the current situation was about. ¡¸It seems they want to dance with you, Kuna.¡¹ ¡¸Why do they want to dance with me? Kuna doesn¡¯t want to dance with anyone besides you, Kuroki.¡¹ Kuna looked around with a displeased look on her face. Naturally, Kuroki had no intention to allow anyone else to dance with Kuna too. But, he knew that dancing with the same partner over and over again was considered a breach of manners in a party. That¡¯s why he decided to rest during one song every time. If they took a rest after every song, it was possible to dance with the same partner. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ As he pondered about the plan in his head, he heard some noise coming from outside the circle of men who surrounded them. Thereupon, a path suddenly opened for a pair of man and woman to pass through. Kuroki was really surprised when he saw the face of the woman. "" Midou Kyouka. She was Reiji¡¯s little sister, who he had met before back when he infiltrated the Holy Republic of Lenaria. £¨What is she doing here?! Aren¡¯t Reiji and the others supposed to be in the Western Continent?!£© That was the information he got from Nut, who was tailing Reiji and his companions. According to the information he received, Reiji and the others are supposed to be in the Western Continent right now. Kuroki scanned his surroundings in a hurry and confirmed that Reiji and his women were indeed not around. Volume 3 - CH 18.2 Act 3-18.2: The Velos Ball 3 £¨Why is she here by herself?£© In addition, he also knew the man by her side. He was Datie¡¯s son, Goz. Kuroki was really surprised when Kuna informed him about this matter. He would never have expected that the one masquerading as Parsish was none other than the Goblin Queen¡¯s son himself. £¨What is he doing in Algore? And why is he with Midou Kyouka?£© Kuroki kept thinking of those two. He knew that Goz was going to attend the ball but he had no idea why Kyouka was coming with him. ¡¸Kuroki, I¡¯m rather curious about what he wants to do. Can I have a chat with him for a while?¡¹ Kuna spoke while pointing at Goz. Kuroki was also curious about what Goz wanted to do and also the reason for Reiji¡¯s little sister to attend the ball. ¡¸Okay, ask him in the separate room.¡¹ Kuna went to approach Goz the moment she gained Kuroki¡¯s approval. Kuna should be able to easily pull all the information she wanted to know from Goz with her magic. ¡¸I want to speak alone with you. Come with me.¡¹ Kuroki knew that Kuna used her ruling magic to force Goz to follow her. The light in Goz¡¯s eyes vanished, he became like a puppet under the effects of Kuna¡¯s ruling magic. Thus, they went into a separate room. After that, the men who surrounded Kuroki and Kyouka dispersed as if they were snapping out from a stupor. Midou Kyouka, on the other hand, was staring intently at Kuroki. ¡¸You, have we meet somewhere before?¡¹ Kyouka asked Kuroki. Naturally, the answer was ¡°Yes¡±, they had met before. They met back when Kuroki infiltrated the Holy Republic of Lenaria. She should¡¯ve managed to take a glimpse of his face back then. But, seeing the way she spoke and her conduct, Kuroki concluded that Kyouka had no idea who he was. £¨Come to think of it, she was the only one who didn¡¯t come to the Holy Dragon¡¯s Mountain back then¡­£© Kuroki heaved a sigh of relief upon realizing that the other party had yet to realize his identity. "" ¡¸No, this is our first meeting, Milady Kyouka.¡¹ Kuroki bowed as he lied to her. ¡¸Oh my¡­ I guess you know of me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Hero-sama¡¯s little sister is a pretty famous figure after all¡­¡¹ Kyouka pondered for a moment upon hearing Kuroki beating around the bush to dodge the topic. ¡¸Something doesn¡¯t feel quite right here¡­ but well, will you dance for a tune with me?¡¹ Kyouka spoke as she presented her hand. Kuroki was really troubled when the other party invited him for a dance. He didn¡¯t want to dance with anyone but Kuna after all. On the other hand, he also needed to know the reason why Kyouka was in Velos Kingdom. Thus, Kuroki decided to accept her dance invitation. ¡¸Y-Yes, with pleasure! Milady!¡¹ Kuroki accepted Kyouka¡¯s hand despite holding back his frustation. £¨She¡¯s so beautiful. This would¡¯ve turned really bad if I wasn¡¯t used to Kuna¡¯s beauty.£© Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly excited upon touching Kyouka¡¯s hand. Kyouka was an extremely beautiful girl. Thus, having a chance to dance with such a beauty was the biggest honor he could hope for. Naturally, such a chance wouldn¡¯t come if he was still in his home world. The music then began. It was the second tune. Kuroki and Kyouka danced along with the music. ¡¸U-Uhm. Did you by chance come here alone?¡¹ Kuroki asked as they danced. He had to know the reason for her to be in this place. ¡¸Nope, I came along with Kaya and Shirone. The two of them left for some reason a while ago though¡­¡¹ Kuroki was really surprised when he heard that piece of information. £¨Shirone is here too?!£© He couldn¡¯t even hide his shock from appearing on his face. Though he had been observing Reiji¡¯s movements, he had neglected to observe the girls around him too. £¨It seems Nut was only ordered to observe Reiji¡¯s movements.£© As he wondered what he should do now, he was completely taken aback when he saw Kyouka¡¯s face. She kept staring at his face. And just as expected of Reiji¡¯s little sister, she was a top notch beauty. Kuroki¡¯s heart beat increased a lot when she stared at him. ¡¸How strange¡­ You seem to know a lot about us.¡¹ Her eyes were locked onto Kuroki. ¡¸Haha, is that so¡­¡¹ Kuroki could only reply ambiguously since he felt that he would blow his cover if he lied to her. £¨She might start to get suspicious of me if I ask too many questions. Let¡¯s stop for now¡­£© Though he was completely focused on Kuna a while ago, now that he knew that Shirone was in Velos too, Kuroki felt that he had to raise his vigilance toward his surroundings. When he was looking around, Kuroki realized that the men in the venue were sending him piercing glares. They were completely hostile toward him. Now that Kuna had left the venue, one could say that Kyouka was the current flower of the venue. Thus, it was only natural for those men to direct their hostility toward Kuroki who danced with such women. But, the current Kuroki had no leeway to soak in the feeling of superiority due to Shirone¡¯s presence in Velos. She was a literal ticking time bomb who would definitely reveal his identity. For now, Kyouka had yet to doubt his identity. Kuroki danced while looking at Kyouka. Though the music played was graceful, Kyouka¡¯s br*asts, which kept swaying right and left as they moved, kept distracting him. £¨Uuh, the opening on her ch*st area is too big¡­ I¡¯m really troubled about where to look now.£© Kuroki ended up looking at Kyouka¡¯s br*asts. Though he didn¡¯t wish to look at a woman with such a perverted gaze, turning his face away from a woman was considered a breach of manners. Thus, he had to raise his face so that he wouldn¡¯t look at Kyouka¡¯s ch*st. Kuroki was desperately fighting against his worldly desires. But then, his eyes always ended up back at those bountiful twin hills since they kept shaking vigorously as they danced. On the other hand, Kyouka was looking at Kuroki¡¯s state with an extremely curious look on her face. Kuroki couldn¡¯t calm himself since Kyouka kept looking at him with such a look in her eyes. ¡¸Uhm¡­ is something the matter?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you passed, I guess. You¡¯ll come with me after this song ends.¡¹ Kyouka suddenly invited Kuroki while flashing a charming smile at him. Kuroki was a little troubled upon hearing that because, if not for his urgency to escape as far away as possible from this place, he would feel honored to receive such an invitation from a beauty like Kyouka. ¡¸I¡¯m honored, but allow me to turn down your invitation, Milady. I-I feel that I¡¯m going to be cursed by the other men if they see me monopolizing someone as beautiful as you.¡¹ Kuroki grit his teeth and lied to Kyouka. He already had Kuna after all. Moreover, the longer he stayed in this place, the more likely he would encounter Shirone. £¨I feel bad for Kuna, but we have to return to Nargol immediately.£© Kuroki was completely driven by the urge to escape from Velos as soon as possible. ¡¸What a gentlemanly way to refuse my invitation. But still, I have to force you to accompany me.¡¹ Kyouka smiled as she said so. Naturally, Kuroki had no intention to do as she said. In the first place, he felt that they were ill-suited for each other. £¨I also think that it would be much better for her to dance with a prince from a kingdom rather than someone like me.£© Kuroki had no idea why she had chosen to dance with him out of all the men in this venue. ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ Suddenly, a loud scream broke the serene atmosphere in the venue. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Kuroki and Kyouka looked at the direction where the screams came from. ¡¸OGRE!!¡¹ ¡¸WHY IS THERE AN OGRE IN THIS KIND OF PLACE?!!¡¹ ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ Other screams resounded from various places in the venue. Kuroki looked around. There were eight giant shadows surrounding the venue. Once before, Kuroki had seen a similar tribe surrounding a venue back in Nargol. They were giant demi-humans who were over two meters tall, with tusks jutting out from their mouths¡ªthey were the Ogre tribe. And those very ogres were raiding the venue. Volume 3 - CH 19 Act 3-19: Omiros And Regena 1 ¡¸I see¡­ So the one called Omiros is looking for Regena, huh. Since that¡¯s the case, I guess it¡¯ll be easier for me to go looking for Omiros rather than you.¡¹ After the Silver Witch before him uttered so, Goz¡¯s body regained its freedom. Goz¡¯s body was bound by Kuna, the Silver Witch, as soon as they had arrived in the separate room. With her magic, she had forced him to reveal everything he knew about Regena. £¨I¡¯ve told this witch everything I know about Regena¡­ But still, why does she want information about her?£© Goz was puzzled about why the Silver Witch was inquiring about Regena. £¨Could it be that Regena was kidnapped by this Silver Witch?£© In the first place, it was already strange enough that someone as powerful as the Silver Witch knew about Regena. But, it wouldn¡¯t be that strange for her to know Regena if she was the one who kidnapped her. This was the most logical conclusion Goz could come up with. ¡¸Well that¡¯s all, do as you like after this. Kuna will leave.¡¹ Kuna left after leaving him with those words. ¡¸Please wait a minute, Kuna-sama!!¡¹ But, Goz called to her before she could leave, he still had many questions to ask her. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Goz? Make it quick, I¡¯m in a hurry.¡¹ Kuna asked with a displeased look on her face. Yet, even her displeased look was enough to mesmerize any man. ¡¸Kuna-sama, could it be that¡­ Regena is with you?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s none of your business.¡¹ Kuna replied with a cold tone. ¡¸Is that all? Kuna will leave then.¡¹ Kuna turned around again to leave. Goz ran right in front of Kuna, trying desperately to stop her. ¡¸P-Please wait a minute, Kuna-sama! R-Right! T-This kingdom is actually known for a very special wine! H-How about you try one glass before you leave? I think this will be a nice memory for Your Excellency when you return. ¡¹ Goz said in a hurry while placing his hand on his chest. It was the place where he kept the aphrodisiac. £¨Let¡¯s make this witch drink it. No matter how powerful she is, she¡¯ll be nothing more than a b*tch in heat once she drinks this drug.£© Goz intended to ask her about Regena in bed. She wouldn¡¯t be in her right mind then and would tell him everything he wanted to know. However, the light in Kuna¡¯s eyes became increasingly colder the moment she heard Goz¡¯s suggestion. ¡¸So¡­ you want me to drink just some wine, huh?¡¹ ¡¸W-What do you mean, gob?!?!¡¹ Maybe because his plan was seen through by Kuna, Goz was starting to lose his nerve. ¡¸How stupid¡­ really, really stupid, beyond help. Neither your charm nor intelligence are a match for Kuroki¡¯s. I was actually going to let you off, but it seems I have to let you to know your place, goblin.¡¹ A chill ran down Goz¡¯s spine the moment he heard Kuna¡¯s remark. £¨D-Did she notice the drug?!£© Goz panicked at the possibility of her realizing that the wine was spiked. ¡¸Uhm¡­ I just want to enjoy the wine together¡­¡¹ ¡¸Liar. You think a weak and lowly goblin like you can use such a lie on Kuna? With your pathetic level of magical power? You spiked this wine with the aphrodisiac you got from the Goblin Queen, which you¡¯ve been keeping in your pocket, right?¡¹ Goz¡¯s eyes opened wide like a pair of saucers the moment he heard Kuna¡¯s remark. £¨Oh no! She knows about the aphrodisiac!£© Goz turned around, trying to escape the moment his plan was exposed. ¡¸Look into Kuna¡¯s eyes.¡¹ However, the light from Kuna¡¯s eyes was faster that Goz¡¯s running speed. At her command and spell, Goz¡¯s body stiffened and stopped in place. ¡¸Drink the aphrodisiac in your pocket.¡¹ Upon hearing Kuna¡¯s order, Goz¡¯s hands moved on their own, taking out the bottle containing the aphrodisiac from his pocket. £¨N-NO~! This isn¡¯t something you can drink directly~!£© Goz screamed in his heart. One or two drops of the aphrodisiac were enough for it to take effect. If one drank too much of it, they would definitely lose their sanity. Goz tried as hard as possible to resist the spell cast on him; however, his hands did not falter for a second as he started pouring the entire contents of the bottle in his mouth. The pungent sweetness of the aphrodisiac spread in his mouth. Halfway through the bottle, his lower body was already trembling. ¡¸Obh.. ubh¡­¡¹ And he started muttering inconceiveable words. £¨M-My cr*tch is about to explode.£© After entering a horny state, all Goz could see was Kuna¡ª a big breasted, silver haired beauty. Moreover her body smelled so nice. Goz had never seen such a beautiful woman before. Thus, it was only natural for Goz to rush toward her. ¡¸Ah¡­ Abhu¡­¡¹ But, when he tried to move his body, he realized that his lower-half was rooted to the spot, as if he was bound by something. ¡¸Your ugly face has become even uglier now¡­ Honestly, your normal face alone is ugly enough to make me almost puke in disgust.¡¹ Kuna looked down on Goz with undisguised disgust. Goz felt a jolt in his lower body the moment he saw the look on her face. He moved his hands, trying to cover his cr*tch. ¡¸Ahe¡­¡¹ A pitiful sound leaked out from his mouth as the floor beneath his feet started getting wet with the liquid discharge from his cr*tch. ¡¸You¡¯ll be in that agonizing state until the end of the ball.¡¹ Kuna¡¯s final glare sent a chill down his spine. ¡¸Wait¡­ Kuna-sama¡­ Ahe¡­ Ahe¡­¡¹ His pleas were ignore as Kuna left him alone, unable to do anything as he stood in an extremely excited state with drool overflowing from his mouth. ¡ô Omiros, who had lost his dancing partner, was looking for a place to be alone. He couldn¡¯t dance due to Shirone¡¯s urgent situation. He surmised that it shouldn¡¯t be regarded as a rude act by Eclas, this kingdom¡¯s king. In the first place, his real reason for coming to this country was to establish a diplomatic relationship with Velos Kingdom. Thus, he judged that there was no need to force himself to dance and embarrass himself. Omiros decided to take a stroll in the royal palace. After walking for a while, he started to feel hungry. He then remembered that he hadn¡¯t eaten anything since lunch and decided to head to the room where food was served for the guests. There were various dishes prepared in that extremely spacious room. Every single dish was prepared meticulously since it was for people of royalty and nobility from other nations. Omiros heaved a sigh of admiration upon seeing the sumptuous feast. He had never seen such a feast before. There was lamb meat sandwiches, grilled eel with plenty of fish sauce, a whole roast goose smeared with herbs and a lot of garlic, and onion soup with carrot and turnip. Every single one of these dishes was emitting an extremely appetizing aroma. ¡¸As one would expect from the wealthy Velos kingdom. Such an abundant variety of food doesn¡¯t exist in Algore.¡¹ Omiros recalled his childhood, all he ate was bean soup. Not that it was any different now. At that moment, Omiros recalled someone. ¡¸Let¡¯s bring back some food for Riette.¡¹ It was the name of his cousin who was a year younger than him. She couldn¡¯t come along since they were not here to have fun. Thus, he knew that she would be envious when she hears him talking about the food in this party. ¡¸This is a breach of manners, but Algore doesn¡¯t have that much of a variety of food to begin with. I think bringing some of the dishes back with me won¡¯t change anything anyway.¡¹ Omiros took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket. It was a clean and clear handkerchief since he had yet to use it. Omiros then looked for the place where they prepared the sweets since he was going to bring some baked goods back with him to Algore. Soon enough, he found the place he was looking for and proceeded to take the baked goods there. Many of the baked goods were made using the sweet Velos fruit, which were thinly sliced, wrapped in a delicious crust, and baked in the oven. Omiros picked up a few of those and wrapped them in his handkerchief. ¡¸This should be enough.¡¹ Omiros wanted to take other dishes along with him too, but he had no container for food, the only thing he had was this handkerchief. Suddenly, Omiros¡¯ eyes caught the figure of a woman coming towards his direction. The woman was storing the food she took in some sort of container she carried in her hands. It was obvious what the woman was doing. She intended to bring back the food just like Omiros. ¡¸I guess that means there¡¯s still someone poorer than me¡­ seeing her situation, she must be from the same poor country as me.¡¹ Omiros did his best to only bring the baked sweets back with him, but the woman took all kinds of dishes. Omiros then looked at the woman¡¯s face. The woman¡¯s face was rather hard to see due to the thin cloth she used as her hair ornament and her forelock. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ But, Omiros couldn¡¯t hide his surprise upon seeing the features of the woman. When she moved a bit, he finally could get a clearer view of her profile. He was no stranger to this profile as it belonged to the person he wanted to see the most in the world. He rushed towards her. ¡¸Regena.¡¹ The woman turned around the moment she heard Omiros calling out her name. Her mouth and eyes opened wide, visibly surprised by the other party too. ¡¸Omi¡­ ros.¡¹ The woman muttered his name. The woman who should¡¯ve been left to die in the goblins¡¯ nest had appeared in Velos Kingdom¡¯s party, right in front of Omiros. Volume 3 - CH 20 Act 3-20: Omiros And Regena 2 £¨Of all places, I never expected to meet him in Velos Kingdom.£© This was her first time in Velos Kingdom. She knew that this was her mother¡¯s birthplace as her mother had recounted several of her childhood stories to her. Later on, Regena had found out from her wet nurse that her mother had once been considered the most beautiful woman in Velos Kingdom. She was the daughter of a noble of Velos Kingdom and was hailed as the kingdom¡¯s gem. Her mother was always the center of attention whenever she danced in the Velos balls. It was Regena¡¯s childhood dream to dance at one of those balls like her mother. That was why her mother had taught her how to dance. However, she knew that this was nothing more than a pipe dream. Her mother was previously the fiancee of Velos Kingdom¡¯s king, but had eloped with her father, the king of Algore. Since she was their child, she knew that she would never get the chance to be invited to a Velos ball and dance. It didn¡¯t help that she looked exactly like her mother. She couldn¡¯t dance at these parties since that would bring too much attention to her, which could lead to the nobles who still held a grudge against her mother to attack her, but she could still at least attend the ball and watch. That¡¯s why she had asked Kuna to take her with them when she heard they were attending the ball. ¡¸Kuna-sama is so beautiful¡­¡¹ Regena had watched Kuroki and Kuna¡¯s dance. She longed to dance with Kuroki too, her ch*st hurting everytime she thought of him. The first time she met Kuroki, Regena couldn¡¯t hide her shock. Kuroki¡¯s appearance resembled that of a human despite being Nargolian. But then, she realized that there was no way that a Dark Knight was human. Thus, she concluded that Kuroki only looked like one. She understood later on that Kuroki was an existence that made a normal human like her feel like an ant as even the fearsome demons bowed down to him. From what she heard, it seems that Kuroki was even more powerful than that Hero. The Hero was her mortal enemy as he was the reason why her tribe was destroyed. As such, Kuroki was in some ways her savior in every sense of the word as he had also avenged her tribe by defeating the Hero. She was thus willing to give her everything to him, even if it was her body. However, that was easier said than done. Whenever she would try seducing Kuroki, Kuna would always appear and show extreme hostility towards her. Regena wasn¡¯t clear about Kuna¡¯s identity, and she never asked about it either. However, there was a rumor in Kuroki¡¯s mansion that Kuna was in fact the daughter of the Demon King. Kuna was extremely devoted to Kuroki and would bare her fangs everytime Regena, who she considered as a mere lowly human, would get close to Kuroki. Kuna¡¯s beautiful yet piercingly cold stare suddenly came to mind and sent a chill down her spine. Regena knew that Kuna should be dancing with Kuroki around this time. She heaved a sigh upon recalling Kuna¡¯s appearance in the dress she wore for tonight¡¯s party. The fully adorned Kuna was extremely beautiful, her beauty rivalling that of the Goddesses themselves. Not just any man could dance with such a beauty. Though Regena also wore a lovely dress to attend the party, the difference between her and Kuna was like heaven and earth. She couldn¡¯t even compare to a third of Kuna¡¯s beauty. In fact, she knew that any woman would be overshadowed by Kuna. Regena shook her head at her thoughts. She always tried not to compare herself to Kuna since she knew that it would make her more miserable. She pushed her current thoughts out of her mind. She should just forget about such longings and just settle with the brief dances she had with him during their training. Regena then decided to head towards the delicious food for a change of pace. She was currently in a separate room from the venue, one reserved for all the food. Many types of dishes she had never seen before were displayed on a grand buffet. She pulled out the container she had brought with her and started stuffing it with food. The container she had with her was some sort of magic tool made by the dwarven craftsmen for Kuroki. It had endless space and great heat insulation. She had borrowed it from Kuroki before leaving Nargol. ¡¸Everyone will be delighted.¡¹ Regena recalled her tribe back in Nargol. Ingredients suitable for humans were really rare in Nargol, thus Regena and her tribe were always troubled when it came to finding food they could eat. Kuroki had tried several times to give them some of his food, but doing that ended up making the demon race have more animosity towards Regena and her tribe. Thus, even if Kuroki was their patron, Regena and her tribe had no choice but to refuse his offer since they simply couldn¡¯t afford to offend the demon race, the natives of Nargol. Thus, Regena was thinking of bringing back food with her to share with everyone. Regena moved her hands. "" Suddenly, she noticed someone coming from the corner of her eye. £¨Could it be someone from Velos noticed my actions, which are a breach of manner?£© Regena felt guilty. She wasn¡¯t an official guest of this party after all. Thus, things would get troublesome if she got involved in some sort of quarrel. Regena clasped her skirt. Hidden beneath her skirt was a short sword. This short sword was made personally by Kuroki, and was given to her so she could defend herself during an emergency. Thus, even though the short sword made it hard for her to move, she still brought it with her to Velos. But, she also knew that using this sword was to be her last option. She judged that she should just leave the place immediately without even looking at the other party¡¯s face. ¡¸Regena.¡¹ Suddenly, the person who came to her side called out her name. £¨Eh, why does he know my name?£© Regena stiffened in place when she turned around and saw the other party¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. It was a familiar face. ¡¸Omi¡­ ros.¡¹ The face of her childhood friend, who had left for a training journey one year ago, was right before her. £¨When did he return I wonder?£© Regena looked at the face of her childhood friend, Omiros. His face had become more refined compared to the last time she saw him. ¡¸Regena¡­ how are you¡­ here¡­¡¹ Omiros was looking at her, unable to hide his shock. His eyes kept scanning her from head to toe and then stopped at her hand that was holding onto something. His eyes were now locked on the food container in her hands. Regena, who realized what he was looking at, tried to hide the food container from Omiros. ¡¸Y-You¡¯re mistaken¡­ You¡¯re definitely mistaken¡­¡¹ Regena tried to explain herself in a hurry. For some reason, she didn¡¯t wish for her childhood friend to see her in this embarrassing state. ¡¸Sorry, Omiros!!!¡¹ Regena turned around and was about to escape from Omiros. ¡¸REGENA WAIT!!¡¹ But, Omiros ran after her. Regena herself had no idea why she wanted to escape from Omiros. But, she automatically went toward Kuroki. When she arrived at the venue¡¯s gate, she suddenly bumped into something and fell on her rear. £¨Eh? Was there something huge blocking the gate before?£© Regena looked up at the huge thing blocking the gate. ¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹ Regena couldn¡¯t hide her shock. A creature with a height far surpassing hers was standing right in front of her. Though its appearance resembled that of a human, its height towered far above anyone of the human race. Moreover, a pair of tusks protruded out of its mouth. The creature¡¯s eyes slowly looked down at her. ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ Suddenly, screams resounded from every corner of the venue. ¡¸OGRE!!¡¹ ¡¸WHY IS THERE AN OGRE IN THIS KIND OF PLACE?!!¡¹ ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ Upon hearing the word ¡°Ogre¡±, Regena finally realized the identity of the giant in front of her. Though this was the first time she saw an ogre, she knew that the creature in front of her was in fact the belligerent, human-eating monster. ¡¸I n-need to escape!¡¹ Regena tried to escape but she fell on her rear and was unable to move. ¡¸You look quite delicious.¡¹ The ogre stretched his hand to Regena while saying such a terrifying remark. ¡¸LET GO OF REGENA!!!¡¹ Omiros rushed over to save Regena. But, his attempt was futile. It was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat an ogre in his lifetime, even if he had a weapon with him. ¡¸Noisy¡ª¡¹ The ogre swung his hands and easily brushed Omiros away. Its eyes were now focused on Omiros. £¨Oh no, he¡¯s going to kill Omiros!£© The moment Regena realized that, her body moved on its own. Regena stood up and unsheathed the short sword hidden in her skirt. The black sword¡¯s blade, clad in black flame, appeared from within the sheath. ¡¸GET AWAY FROM OMIROS!!¡¹ Regena swung her sword at the ogre¡¯s feet. ¡¸GUGYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ The ogre, who let his guard down, paid for his negligence and writhed in pain. ¡¸OMIROS!!¡¹ Regena pulled Omiros back on his feet. ¡¸Regena¡­.¡¹ Omiros stared at Regena with a dumbfounded look on his face. ¡¸Omiros, we have to get away from this place!!!¡¹ Regena pulled Omiros¡¯ hand as she started running away from the ogre. ¡¸WAIT! WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!¡¹ The ogre bellowed upon realizing that both of them had managed to get away from him. Naturally, Regena and Omiros weren¡¯t stupid enough to wait for the ogre. Volume 3 - CH 21.1 Act 3-21.1: Attack of The Giant The venue echoed with screams of terror as every corner got filled by giant ogres, running rampant in raiding. Kuroki was bewildered by the scene he was witnessing. ¡¸Things look really bad¡­ Let¡¯s go see the king. Don¡¯t worry, just walk behind me!!¡¹ Kyouka said as she dragged Kuroki. ¡¸Eh¡­ why thake me though¡­¡¹ Kyouka ignored Kuroki¡¯s mutters and kept dragging him. Kuroki couldn¡¯t fathom why she had to take him with her since in the first place this wasn¡¯t his initial plan. Before coming here, he had discussed with Kuna that if anything should happen, they should secretly leave the place. At this moment, all he wanted was to find Kuna and leave. Yet, right now he was being forcibly led to the last place he wanted to go to. Kyouka easily found the king as he and the queen were surrounded by many guards. They found him sitting on the floor and talking to the soldiers in front of him. ¡¸I¡¯m okay, go protect the invitees instead.¡¹ ¡¸But, Your Majesty¡­¡¹ This was the exchange they came across. Once they were close enough, the king finally noticed them and started apologizing right away in his same sitting position. ¡¸I deeply apologize for making you experience such a disaster¡­ Kyouka-dono.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll do something about this situation so please leave the venue.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, I can never run away and leave my guests behind, it would be such a disgrace to myself. Moreover¡­ my waist feels weak¡­ Hahaha, I¡¯m such a miserable king. Can you take Corfyna to safety instead of me?¡¹ ¡¸Dear, no¡­¡¹ The queen was already on the verge of crying. The king was asking his queen to escape first and ordering his soldiers to protect the guests, wanting to leave himself vulnerable in the dangerous venue. Kuroki felt like this wouldn¡¯t be the wisest decision. The soldiers must¡¯ve thought the same as they ignored their king¡¯s orders and tried to make him flee to safety first. The soldiers were making the correct judgment considering the kingdom¡¯s current situation. The kingdom would fall into chaos if the king suddenly died during this incident. However, they were still too late as ogres had already spotted them. That was only natural, anyone was bound to notice that the one surrounded by the most soldiers was definitely the most important personage in the venue. Three ogres came to surround Kuroki and the others. ¡¸Are you the king of this kingdom?¡¹ The female ogre who stood in the middle asked as she looked at Eclas, her voice eerily echoing in the venue. ¡¸P-PROTECT OUR KING!!!¡¹ The soldiers stood in front of the ogres to protect their king. ¡¸F*ck off you small fries!!¡¹ The two ogres on the sides brushed the soldiers aside, their light pat strong enough to send the soldiers flying across the venue. ¡¸HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!¡¹ Eclas raised a scream. ¡¸DEAR!!!¡¹ And finally, the queen stood in front of her husband. ¡¸N-NO, CORFYNA! PLEASE ESCAPE FROM THIS PLACE!!¡¹ Despite what Eclas said to her, Corfyna didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of following her husband¡¯s plea. ¡¸O-Ogre, w-¡­ what do you want?!¡¹ Eclas asked with a trembling voice. ¡¸My name is Kujig. I hear that the hero¡¯s little sister is staying in this kingdom! Tell that girl to come out now!!¡¹ The ogres were obviously here for Kyouka. £¨Why are they targeting her?£© Kuroki tilted his head in confusion upon hearing that remark. Naturally, no one would answer his question. ¡¸Your target is me, right? I won¡¯t run or hide. So let go of the others, they¡¯re innocent!!¡¹ Kyouka stepped forward. ¡¸Quite a gutsy one ain¡¯t ya. Now you have to pay for the sin of killing our little brother with your life!!¡¹ The ogre on the left spoke with an extremely terrifying voice. ¡¸My attendant won¡¯t stay quiet if you try to hurt me you know.¡¹ Kyouka tried to threaten the ogres. However, the ogres laughed at her words instead. ¡¸Too bad, your comrade won¡¯t make it here in time.¡¹ The female ogre in the middle cackled as she replied to Kyouka. ¡¸Your two female companions are trapped inside the magic cage I made. Not even a God can easily escape from it. So it¡¯s pretty much impossible for mere humans to escape from there.¡¹ The female ogre looked really delighted as she spoke. ¡¸WHAT! YOU TRAPPED KAYA AND SHIRONE-SAN!!¡¹ Kyouka spoke with a flustered voice. ¡¸Yeah, mama¡¯s magic is the strongest. They might be the hero¡¯s comrades but they¡¯re just puny humans. They ain¡¯t a match for me!!!¡¹ The ogres by her side started laughing, initiating a wave of laughter from the other ogres in the venue. ¡¸I see¡­ So you guys are the reason behind their early disappearance. But still, I feel like you¡¯re looking down on us a little bit too much. Even if I look like this, I¡¯m still my dear brother¡¯s little sister. I alone am enough to beat you all.¡¹ Kyouka¡¯s hands released a brilliant light along with an extremely powerful mana wave, unimaginable from someone of her frame. ¡¸Is that so? You seem to be unable to control your magical power properly though. Are you going to kill the other people in this place too?¡¹ The female ogre looked really delighted as she spoke. ¡¸How did you know that?!!¡¹ ¡¸Since you know that resistance is futile, be a good child.¡¹ The female ogre spoke triumphantly as she approached Kyouka. Kyouka in turn retreated. Of course, since Kyouka stepped back, Kuroki who was at first behind her, became the one closest to the ogres. ¡¸What is the meaning of this?¡¹ The ogres asked as they saw him unflinching. ¡¸Ah¡­ well, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡¹ Kuroki had lost the chance to escape. Moreover, before he realized it, Eclas and the other humans had retreated a distance from the ogres. As such, it seemed as if he was trying to protect the others when he stood unmoving. ¡¸What are you doing?! There¡¯s nothing you can do even if you act brave right now! Please step back, things are going to get really dangerous soon!!!¡¹ Kyouka told Kuroki with an angry tone. He was told to retreat yet refused to do so as he was lost in his own world. ¡¸Hah! Trying to act like a knight in shining armor and protecting the princess¡­ is that your aim? Well, since that¡¯s the case, then DIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹ The ogre on the right extended his arm trying to grab Kuroki¡¯s collar. In the next second, Kuroki¡¯s eagle grip caught his hand, turned around, and smashed the poor ogre to the floor ¡¸¡¸¡¸Eh?!¡¹¡¹¡¹ The people around couldn¡¯t believe what they saw. That was only natural?¡ªogres were much more powerful than humans, especially when it came to brute strength. They could easily fling around a normal human with one hand. Yet, that ogre was smashed to the ground by a seemingly ordinary man. However, even if it was unbelievable, what happened in front of them was real. ¡¸W-What happened just now¡­¡¹ ¡¸Flinging that giant ogre¡­¡¹ The people around seemed to be confused. ¡¸R-Ringu!!¡¹ The female ogre called the name of the ogre who was just slammed to the floor. ¡¸H-How can you¡­¡¹ Eclas, who was sitting limply behind Kuroki and Kyouka. muttered. ¡¸This move¡­ I get the feeling that I¡¯ve seen it somewhere before¡­¡¹ Kyouka, who stood behind Kuroki, mumbled. £¨Oh crap, I ended up using the technique I had used on her maid before¡­£© Kuroki was starting to sweat. Honestly speaking, Kuroki had thought that Kyouka would be able to do something about this situation. Thus, he didn¡¯t do anything unnecessary. And yet, Kyouka turned out to be unable to control her own mana. Kuroki was then reminded about a certain piece of information, namely Kyouka¡¯s nickname: the exploding princess. ¡¸WHO THE HE*LL ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU DISTURBING THIS KUJIG¡¯S PLAN?!!¡¹ The female ogre called Kujig asked with a furious look on her face. Kuroki got the feeling that something similar had happened before. If he didn¡¯t do anything, he felt that Kyouka might get killed by the ogres. ¡¸I¡¯m not trying to disturb your plan but¡­ Uhm¡­ can you leave this place for now? I¡¯ll overlook this matter just this one time.¡¹ Kuroki replied as he bowed to the ogres. Kujig was extremely bewildered upon seeing Kuroki bow to her. She then looked at her sons and found that they were just as bewildered as her. ¡¸Haah¡­ what are you talking about? As if we¡¯re going to retreat after coming this far!¡¹ But, Kujig turned down Kuroki¡¯s offer. £¨Yeah, as if they¡¯d back down that easily.£© Even though today was supposed to be an enjoyable day with Kuna. Everything went to sh*t due to the ogres¡¯ raid. Kuroki was really pissed off right now. ¡¸Uhm, leave them to me. You may retreat for now.¡¹ Kuroki spoke to Kyouka as he stepped forward. ¡¸Just¡­ who in the world are you?¡¹ Naturally, Kuroki had no intention of revealing his identity to Kyouka. Volume 3 - CH 21.2 Act 3-21.2: Attack of The Giant £¨I guess I have no choice but to clean up this mess and then return as soon as possible.£© After pondering for a while, Kuroki directed his gaze towards the ogres. ¡¸Well, since you refuse to leave, I guess I have to use¡­ slightly forceful means.¡¹ Kuroki unleashed his black flame as he spoke. ¡¸B-Black flame?!¡¹ The ogres were visibly surprised upon seeing Kuroki¡¯s black flame. They weren¡¯t the only ones as even the humans in the venue were shocked beyond belief. The man who had looked like a mundane human being, one you could find anywhere, turned out to be someone completely different and exceptional, someone who shouldn¡¯t be here. Kuroki ignored all the surprised voices around him and walked towards the ogre. ¡¸D-DAMMIT! THEN I¡¯LL START BY KILLING YOU!!¡¹ Kujig started reciting a spell; a thunder snake appeared on her arm along with a crackling sound. ¡¸O THUNDER SNAKE, STRANGLE MINE ENEMY!!¡¹ The thunder snake took off from Kujig¡¯s arm and flew towards Kuroki. However, Kuroki was not phased as this kind of magic was not enough to affect him. The power of the Thunder Dragon now resided in him, so any thunder attacks could not affect him in the slightest. Kuroki had learnt his lesson after receiving numerous paralyzing thunder strikes from Thunderbird during his fight with Reiji and the others. Thus, when he recovered, he devised a strategy against such attacks for the future. Southeast of Nargol, there was an island always surrounded by an eternal thundercloud. On that particular cloud above the island resided the Thunder Dragon. Kuroki and Kuna rode on Glorious and decided to go visit that island and face the dragon. At first, Kuroki thought that he had to fight the Thunder Dragon in order to gain his powers, but much to his surprise, the Thunder Dragon readily agreed to submit to him and reside within him. Thus, Kuroki, who gained the power of the Thunder Dragon was now impervious to any kind of thunder element attacks. The thunder snake that took off from Kujig¡¯s hand was coiling around Kuroki¡¯s body. ¡¸This isn¡¯t even enough to tickle me you know.¡¹ Kuroki unleashed his black flame again and erased the thunder snake. ¡¸TCH! HOW ABOUT THIS!!¡¹ A fiery red ball appeared from Kujig¡¯s hand. Kuroki instantly noticed what kind of magic Kujig was trying to use. £¨Seriously, explosion magic in this kind of place?!£© A lot of people would die if this kind of magic was unleashed in this closed space. Kuroki quickly invoked a counter-spell to avoid such destruction. ¡¸EXPLOSION!!¡¹ ¡¸MAGIC ERASER!!¡¹ "" Kuroki¡¯s magic erased Kujig¡¯s spell. ¡¸Kuh, even my strongest spell¡­ SONS! DON¡¯T JUST STARE IN SILENCE! GRAB THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU AS HOSTAGES!!¡¹ Kujig screamed to her sons. Hearing her command, the ogres in the venue finally started moving to capture some hostages. (Oh no!) Kuroki¡¯s magic was highly destructive, it was not the kind that could be used with precision on specific targets. Even if it could, his magic might end up pulverizing the hostages along with the ogres due to its extremely high firepower. Using his sword to beat them all in less than a second was also practically impossible. Kuroki was in a dilemma about what to do, suddenly though, something shiny flew around the venue. ¡¸GUAAAH?!¡¹ ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ The ogres suddenly raised painful wails. Something had cut their limbs. The cuts weren¡¯t fatal wounds, but their sinew and tendons were cut, making them unable to do anything as they writhed in pain. ¡¸Ogres, how dare you make a mess of this long awaited ball.¡¹ An emotionless voice resounded next to Kuroki. When Kuroki looked to his side, he saw that Kuna was already standing right next to him with her scythe. Kuna had used the power of her scythe to attack all the ogres at the same time. The scythe enabled her to fire many magic blades all at once to cut many enemies at a certain range. Kuna had controlled all of the magic blades and directed them to cut the ogres¡¯ limbs. ¡¸Don¡¯t think that you¡¯ll get an easy, painless death.¡¹ Kuna unleashed a powerful wave of magical power as she spoke. The people in the venue who felt that powerful wave of magical power shrieked right away. ¡¸KUNA, STOP! YOU¡¯RE GOING TO KILL THE PEOPLE IN THIS VENUE TOO!!¡¹ Kuna¡¯s powerful wave of magic vanished as soon as Kuroki warned her. ¡¸Who the hell¡­ are you?¡¹ The female ogre fell on her rear. ¡¸These two¡­ seem to be bad news¡­¡¹ The other ogres crawled and gathered around Kujig. ¡¸DAMMIT! SONS, LET¡¯S LEAVE THIS PLACE AT ONCE!!¡¹ At that, the ogres vanished. Kuroki decided to overlook them since they were basically on the same side. After making sure that all the ogres had left, Kuna came to Kuroki¡¯s side. ¡¸Thanks for your help, Kuna.¡¹ ¡¸Kuroki, our long awaited ball is¡­¡¹ Kuna spoke with a sad look on her face. ¡¸Well it really can¡¯t be helped¡­ we can only wait for another chance.¡¹ Kuroki patted Kuna¡¯s head as he spoke, fixing her mood. ¡¸It¡¯s time to go back, Kuna.¡¹ Honestly speaking, Kuroki wanted to go back to Nargol as soon as possible. Even without the ogres¡¯ raid, the fact that Shirone, Kyouka, and Kaya were also in this very country was enough reason for him to return to Nargol. ¡¸I understand, Kuroki.¡¹ Kuna then started to activate the teleportation magic. At that very moment. ¡¸Please wait a minute!¡¹ Kyouka suddenly called out to them. ¡¸I remember it now. YOU¡¯RE THE GUY WHO GROPED MY CH*ST BACK IN THE HOLY REPUBLIC OF LENARIA!!¡¹ Kyouka spoke while pointing at Kuroki. ¡¸Groped¡­ this woman¡¯s ch*st? Kuroki, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡¹ Kuna stopped activating the teleportation magic to ask Kuroki. She started pouting upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s remark. Maybe pouting was an understatement. ¡¸In addition, your name seems to be familiar. I DEFINITELY WON¡¯T LET YOU GO!!¡¹ Kyouka went towards Kuroki¡¯s direction. ¡¸WHO! ARE! YOU?! WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH KUROKI?!!¡¹ But, Kuna stood in her way, ready to kill Kyouka with the scythe in her hands. Kuroki hugged Kuna to prevent her from going too far. ¡¸Stop, Kuna¡­ The ogres have left. We have to leave this place immediately.¡¹ ¡¸MILADYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!¡¹ The moment Kuroki uttered those words, someone landed in the venue while shouting. ¡¸¡­Shirone!!¡¹ Kuroki unintentionally spilled the name the moment he saw the person who descended into the venue. £¨Dammit, I ended up wasting too much time! We have to escape from this place quickly!£© Yes, the one who arrived in the venue was none other than Kuroki¡¯s childhood friend, Shirone. He had still ended up encountering her. And then, a woman in maid clothing fell from above right after Shirone. It seems that Shirone had pulled the maid along with her. ¡¸MILADY!!¡¹ The maid rushed over the moment she found her master. ¡¸KAYA!!¡¹ The two hugged each other. ¡¸EVERYONE OKAY?!¡¹ Shirone asked while looking around the venue. It was then that her gaze caught Kuroki¡¯s figure, her eyes opened wide in surprise. ¡¸Eh, Kuroki? Why are you¡­?¡¹ Shirone approached Kuroki while muttering his name. But, she suddenly stiffened at the sight of Kuroki hugging Kuna. Shirone¡¯s line of sight then moved to Kuna. ¡¸Kuroki¡­ Who IS tHaT GiRl?¡¹ Though she was asking with a smile on her face, Shirone¡¯s eyes were dead serious. It was the look of an enraged yandere. ¡¸AND WHO THE H*LL ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ¡°MY¡± KUROKI WITH THESE KIND OF EYES?!¡¹ In return, Kuna asked back while pointing her scythe towards Shirone. ¡¸My¡­ kUROkI? WhO¡­ ArE YoU To KUroKI? CoUld It Be ThaT It¡¯S BeCaUSe of¡­ YoU?¡¹ Shirone readied her sword upon seeing Kuna pointing her scythe towards her. ¡¸Kuna stop. We have to go back to Nargol.¡¹ Kuroki hugged Kuna to stop her from charging at Shirone. ¡¸Okay¡­ as you wish, Kuroki¡¹ Kuna readily agreed since she felt from his voice that Kuroki was somehow¡­ at his wits end. She invoked the teleportation magic as fast as possible. ¡¸WAIT, KUROKI!!¡¹ Seeing that, Shirone ran in a hurry towards Kuroki and Kuna. However, Kuroki wasn;t going to allow her to get close to him. ¡¸O Black Flame!!¡¹ Kuroki fired his black flame towards the fast approaching Shirone. ¡¸WAIT, KUROKIIIIIIIIII!!¡¹ The teleportation magic started working right at that moment. £¨¡­Sorry, Shirone.£© Kuroki apologized to Shirone in his mind right before teleporting back to Nargol. Volume 3 - CH 22.1 Act 3-22.1: Captive Regena === The ogres had left and Velos had regained its peace once again. Fortunately, no one died in that raid. Shirone believed that this was all thanks to Kuroki. Things would have descended into utter chaos if Kuroki hadn¡¯t stopped the ogres. And though Kyouka was present, her powers might have ended up destroying this kingdom since she couldn¡¯t control them. That said, however, Kuroki was still now gone. He had left with that silver haired girl. Shirone was really curious about her identity since she had vanished with Kuroki last night. £¨Come to think of it, she was an extremely beautiful girl. Just who in the world is she? She doesn¡¯t seem to be a normal human girl either. Could it be that she is the one who made Kuroki act like a complete villain?£© Shirone recalled what Chiyuki had said before she had traveled north with Kaya and Kyouka. She had said that there was a magic drug that could be used to manipulate people. Anyone who ingested that drug would become an automatic yes man. Shirone pondered on the matter as she walked along the corridor of the Velos Royal Palace. Eclas was now leading them towards the medical wards. Though no one had died during the incident, a few people had still been injured. These injured had been offered medical treatment in the royal palace. Many priests roamed around the ward, using their healing magic and their expertise with medical herbs to take care of the victims. However, the number of priests present was not enough for the amount of injured. They were currently shorthanded and thus, Shirone, Kyouka, and Kaya, who felt responsible for the incident, offered to help out with the healing process. Though it wasn¡¯t as powerful as Sahoko, Shirone could use simple healing magic, and Kaya had a spell that raised a victim¡¯s natural healing mechanism. Eclas readily agreed upon hearing their offer. He also wanted to help them ease their guilt for being the reason behind last night¡¯s incident. That was why he was currently their guide. However, since he also had yet to recover from his slipped disk, he ended up walking while being propped up by his wife, Corfyna. "" ¡¸Well then, this is the place Young Ladies. My apologies, but I¡¯ve to go back first since there are a lot of documents waiting for me¡­¡¹ Eclas bowed to Shirone and the others as they arrived in front of the medical ward. ¡¸Rest assured that we¡¯ll do our utmost to help those people. Please leave it to us and continue with your duties as king.¡¹ Kyouka said to Eclas with a haughty tone. £¨Kyouka-san, the one who¡¯s going to do all the work is Kaya-san and me though¡­£© Shirone entered the medical ward with a wry smile on her face upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s remark. The medical ward was truly spacious with many beds arranged neatly, and currently, all those beds were occupied. The ones with minor injuries had to lay down on cloths spread on the floor since there weren¡¯t enough beds. Upon a closer look, they realized that most of the patients were soldiers of Velos Kingdom. Almost no invited guests were injured during last night¡¯s incident. But since Eclas said he wanted them to heal the invited guests first, Shirone and co. headed towards the place where the invited guests were gathered. It was fairly easy to find them since all of them wore luxurious clothing. In addition, most of them were only suffering from minor injuries. Shirone assumed that most of the injuries they got were from slipping while running from the ogres. Shirone looked around, trying to find anyone with a serious injury and in need of her help. As she scanned the premises, her eyes noticed a familiar figure. ¡¸Eh, Omiros-kun?!¡¹ That person was none other than Algore¡¯s prince, Omiros. Shirone ran towards him. ¡¸Hello, Shirone-sama.¡¹ Omiros bowed to Shirone when she arrived in front of him. ¡¸What happened? Are you injured?¡¹ Shirone felt guilty since she had left him right after the party had started. A second later, she noticed that someone else was sitting right beside Omiros. She finally realized that he wasn¡¯t alone. A girl sat by his side on a chair, her ankle raised on his thigh and covered with a wet cloth. Seeing the situation, Shirone assumed that Omiros was treating her injury. ¡¸She twisted her ankle as we were escaping from the ogre¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hee, I see.¡¹ Omiros was obviously putting great care when tending to the girl¡¯s injury. Shirone¡¯s impression of Omiros rose a lot. £¨Omiros-kun is quite a natural. Did he already give up on Regena-san?£© Shirone was looking at the girl¡¯s face as she pondered about such a question. The girl was quite a beauty. ¡¸Uhm?!¡¹ Shirone suddenly noticed. ¡¸P-Princess Regena?!¡¹ Shirone couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon seeing the woman¡¯s face. ¡¸AH! HERO¡¯S WIFE!!¡¹ The woman who was being treated by Omiros, Regena, muttered upon seeing Shirone. Shirone and Regena had only exchanged greetings when they had first met, then Shirone had left the country. However, they still remembered each other ¡®s faces. Especially Regena, she remembered Shirone was one of the hero¡¯s wives. ¡¸What is the hero¡¯s wife doing in such a place¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I wanted to know, Regena. Weren¡¯t you supposed to be exiled to the goblin¡¯s nest? Why are you here in Velos kingdom?¡¹ Omiros cut in and asked Regena before she could finish her question. ¡¸About that¡­¡¹ Regena seemed like she was hesitating about something. ¡¸AH! A REALLY KIND PERSON WHO HAPPENED TO PASS BY SAVED US! I have to return to his side as soon as possible¡­¡¹ Regena tried to move on her own, and fell down due to her injury. Omiros quickly caught Regena and propped her on a bed. "" ¡¸Don¡¯t force yourself when you can¡¯t even walk properly, Regena.¡¹ Omiros said with a worried look on his face. ¡¸Are you alright?¡¹ Shirone applied healing magic on Regena as she asked that question. ¡¸Eh? My ankle is healed?¡¹ Regena let go of Omiros¡¯ shoulder as she tried to stand by herself. Her injury was light one, thus even Shirone¡¯s healing magic could heal her. ¡¸T¡­ Thank you very much. Well, I shall excuse myself the¡ª¡¹ And just when Regena was about to leave. ¡¸REGENA WAIT!!¡¹ ¡¸Sorry Omiros! I can¡¯t go back to Algore anymore!!¡¹ But, Omiros didn¡¯t let go of Regena¡¯s hand. That moment, something fell off from Regena¡¯s waist. ¡¸You dropped this, Regena-san.¡¹ Kaya who was looking at the side until now went and picked up the thing that was dropped from Regena¡¯s waist. It was a short sword in a beautiful sheath. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Regena thanked Kaya and stretched her arm to take the short sword from the latter. Yet, Kaya suddenly pulled her hand back right when Regena was about to touch the short sword. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Regena couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon seeing that. ¡¸Kaya¡­ what are you doing?¡¹ Even Kyouka and Shirone were equally surprised upon seeing Kaya¡¯s unusual reaction. Kaya was not the kind of person who would do something like this for no reason. Thus, they thought that there must be something that made her do this. Kaya unsheathed the short sword under everyone¡¯s watch. All of them watched as the black blade got revealed, encased in black flame. ¡¸This black flame¡­ what is the meaning of this!!!¡¹ Kyouka was the first one to speak. "" ¡¸I felt something was amiss the moment I held this short sword but¡­ it turn out that¡¯s the case¡­¡¹ Shirone stared at the black flame upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. ¡¸Kuroki¡¯s flame.¡¹ And muttered those words. Regena couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon hearing Shirone¡¯s remark. ¡¸Why do you know my dear master¡¯s name¡­¡¹ ¡¸Eh?!¡¹ Shirone was really shocked upon hearing that. Regena reflexively closed her mouth with her hand upon realizing that she had inadvertently revealed something she shouldn¡¯t have. Volume 3 - CH 22.2 Act 3-22.2: Captive Regena ¡¸I think I know the identity of the kind person who saved you.¡¹ Shirone nodded upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. £¨The one who saved her and her clan, who were banished to the Goblins¡¯ nest, is Kuroki.£© There was no other explanation for the fact that Regena knew Kuroki¡¯s name. ¡¸It seems we really can¡¯t let you go.¡¹ Kaya looked at Regena as she spoke. ¡ô ¡¸I REFUSE TO TELL YOU PEOPLE!!¡¹ Regena glared at Shirone and the other women as she yelled. She would rather die than give them information about Kuroki. From her perspective, Shirone and co. were Kuroki¡¯s enemies, and for her who owed a debt of gratitude to Kuroki, his enemies were also her enemies. After the incident in the infirmary, Shirone and the others captured Regena, who they now knew to be an important piece in Kuroki¡¯s puzzle. They placed her in the king¡¯s office for interrogation. Currently, Regena truly regretted choosing to talk to Omiros instead of returning to Nargol when he had identified her. But, she knew that she would¡¯ve done the same thing if placed in the situation again as she had truly missed her childhood friend. She cursed herself for being soft hearted as now, along with being captured in this country, her precious short sword given by Kuroki and the teleportation gem that could take her back to Nargol, were both taken from her. £¨I don¡¯t even care about the gem, but at least return the short sword to me! It¡¯s a gift from my dear Master!£© Regena kept glaring at Shirone and her companions. ¡¸Uhm, this is troubling indeed. All I want is just to know Kuroki¡¯s situation though.¡¹ Shirone spoke with a troubled look on her face. ¡¸Shall I use a rather forceful mean?¡¹ Regena¡¯s body shook upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. ¡¸Please¡­ at least spare Filiona¡¯s daughter from torture¡­¡¹ Unexpectedly, the one who spoke for Regena was none other than Eclas. Filiona was Regena¡¯s mother. Though Regena had heard about Eclas before, her mother had never told her the reason why she betrayed Eclas and went to Algore. But, she pretty much guessed the reason after seeing the king¡ªit was simply his appearance. Even if she were to flatter, the king who spoke for her was by no means a good looking man. Compared to him, Regena¡¯s father was truly a handsome man. £¨But, personality wise, this king is definitely much better than my own father. I mean, even I¡¯m pretty much aware that my father has the kind of personality that can easily provoke others¡¯ enmity.£© Regena recalled her father. Though he was a powerful warrior, Eclas, who had full support of his citizens, was far superior than him. Even though this was her first time speaking to Eclas, she was pretty much aware that he was a truly kind person. He didn¡¯t even get angry when he found out that she was his former fiancee¡¯s daughter, who betrayed him years ago, he even sympathized with Regena who got chased out from her own country. But on the other hand, his kind personality made him extremely vulnerable to lies. ¡¸Kaya-dono! She¡¯s only deceived by that evil dark knight! Please spare her from any rough treatment!!!¡¹ Omiros had also spoken for her but¡­ ¡¸MY DEAR MASTER ISN¡¯T A BAD PERSON!!!¡¹ ¡¸KUROKI ISN¡¯T A BAD PERSON!!!¡¹ Regena and Shirone shouted at the same time towards Omiros. Regena snapped back and then looked at Shirone with a dumbfounded look on her face. £¨Why is she angry too? Why does she know my dear Master¡¯s name¡­? What kind of relationship does she have with him?£© Regena tilted her head in confusion. ¡¸M-My apologies.¡¹ Omiros shrank upon having both Shirone and Regena shout at him. Seeing that, Regena felt bad for Omiros. But still, she absolutely couldn¡¯t forgive anyone who spoke ill of Kuroki. ¡¸Kaya, I also have the same opinion as them.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I won¡¯t torture her.¡¹ Kaya had no choice but to back down since her master, Kyouka, also protected Regena. £¨It seems this Kaya person can¡¯t go against Kyouka. That¡¯s a relief¡­£© Regena heaved a sigh of relief since she at least avoided torture. ¡¸Let me change the question then. Who¡¯s the silver haired woman who came with Kuroki-san last night?¡¹ ¡¸Silver hair¡­ You mean Kuna-sama?¡¹ Regena unintentionally replied to Kaya even though she didn¡¯t want to tell them anything. ¡¸Hou, her name is Kuna, huh. Just what kind of person is she?¡¹ ¡¸¡­.¡¹ Regena didn¡¯t say anything. ¡¸Not answering, eh? Well, she might be a high-ranking demon.¡¹ Regena had no choice but to nod at Kaya¡¯s remark. £¨To be exact, Kuna-sama is the daughter of His Majesty, the Demon King.£© Regena thought about Kuna¡¯s matter. Nobody knew who Kuna really was. But, seeing her haughty attitude, Regena and the others guessed that Kuna might be the demon king¡¯s daughter. ¡¸I¡¯m also curious about that girl. Regena-san, who in the world is she?¡¹ Shirone asked Regena instead of Kaya. Regena really had no answer for this question. ¡¸Is she the one who¡¯s manipulating Kuroki?¡¹ ¡¸Manipulated? My dear Master?¡¹ Regena ended up replying with her own questions. ¡¸Have you never wondered why your kind master was serving under that Wicked Demon King?¡¹ Regena tilted her head in puzzlement upon hearing Kaya¡¯s cold remark. £¨Come to think of it, why is my kind Master living in Nargol?£© In Regena¡¯s knowledge, Nargol was a country inhabited by wicked people; all of them were scumbags. In fact, except for Kuroki, all the other people in Nargol considered Regena a hindrance. Without Kuroki, Regena might¡¯ve already become food for the monsters. Thus, Regena had been wondering why a kind and gentle person like Kuroki was in Nargol. ¡¸Come to think of it, Kuna-sama always told me that my dear Master is hers¡­¡¹ Kyouka and co exchanged glances upon hearing Regena¡¯s muttering. ¡¸As I thought¡­ It¡¯s that girl fault.¡¹ ¡¸Most probably¡­¡¹ ¡¸It seems he¡¯s already in her grip.¡¹ Shirone and the others discussed the situation in front of Regena. £¨It seems these women think that my dear Master is being manipulated by Kuna-sama.£© Contrary to Shirone and co¡¯s expectation, Regena didn¡¯t even think that Kuroki was being manipulated by Kuna. There was no way Kuroki would have saved her if he really was being manipulated by Kuna. In addition, though Kuna regarded her as a hindrance, Kuroki had never allowed Kuna to kill her. If Kuroki was really being manipulated by Kuna, she was sure that he wouldn¡¯t have done anything to stop her. And yet, Shirone and co continued their own discussion without even looking at Regena¡¯s puzzled look. ¡¸What shall we do now? Shall we return first to regroup with Reiji-sama and the others? Rino-sama might be able to get more information from Regena¡­ At the very least, we should notify Chiyuki-sama about this matter.¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s contact them first¡­ But, I¡¯ll stay in this place for a while¡­ so that I can meet that girl again. Ufufufu¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shirone-san¡­ Your smile is so scary¡­¡¹ Shirone and co¡¯s discussion continued on. Suddenly, they looked at Regena. There was another person in that room and yet, that person didn¡¯t even mutter a single word since the very beginning. Regena had met that person once before. £¨If I¡¯m not wrong, he is the one called Parsish, right? He should be Omiros¡¯ father¡¯s guest. I rarely talked to him but¡­£© Regena met Parsish for the first time around half a year ago. Though he was a member of their opposing clan, many girls in Regena¡¯s clan were interested in him due to his handsome face. And, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was also a mighty warrior who could use a sword and magic. £¨Nevertheless, that Parsish is far weaker compared to my dear Master.£© It was at that moment that Regena noticed the abnormal look on Parsish¡¯s face. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were bloodshot. £¨I heard that he ended up like this due to Kuna-sama¡¯s magic, but why did she attack him?£© Regena had no idea why Kuna had attacked Parsish. But, the look in Parsish¡¯s eyes made Regena really anxious. He had been looking at her ever since he entered the room. For some reason, the look in his eyes sent a chill running down her spine. "" £¨Come to think of it, he always looked at me weirdly even when I was in Algore. I always avoided him since the look in his eyes disgusted me.£© Regena remembered how she felt about Parsish when she was still in Algore. For some reason, Regena never wanted to approach him despite his handsome face. Her line of sight suddenly clashed with his. Parsish was smiling the moment his eyes met Regena. Regena couldn¡¯t help but feel really anxious the moment she saw that smile. Volume 3 - CH 23 Act 3-23: Guidance of Fate Time passed by really quickly and the night had come again. The moonlight shone over Velos¡¯ Royal Palace. Shirone was looking at the moon from the other side of her window. The glass looked completely transparent as if it didn¡¯t even exist, proof that this was glass made by dwarves. Shirone and Kyouka had gone back to their room after interrogating Regena. They had taken her with them to let her rest in the room right next to them. Regena had started acting violently as soon as they put their hands on her, so Kaya had put her to sleep. Regena wanted to go back to Kuroki, but Shirone and co. couldn¡¯t let go of such a precious source of information. Keeping her next to them was the only way to ensure she was safe and wouldn¡¯t do anything without them noticing. Shirone pitied her a little bit. All she needed to do was use the teleportation magic that was sealed into that gem and she would be back to Kuroki¡¯s side. Truly, that gem was a precious object. Even Shirone had considered using it to reach Kuroki faster, but Kaya had immediately confiscated it. She couldn¡¯t allow Shirone to take such a risk without them first understanding the situation in Nargol. Shirone then turned around as she felt someone¡¯s presence coming into their room. It was Kaya who entered. ¡¸Are you done, Kaya-san?¡¹ Shirone asked. Kaya had just finished contacting Chiyuki with communication magic. The bracelet she wore in her hand was enchanted with communication magic. Communication magic was a slightly complicated spell which only allowed those who wielded it to communicate with each other over a great distance. In Shirone¡¯s group, Chiyuki was the only one who could use communication magic properly. But, the bracelet was a magic tool that enabled them to use communication magic without any problem. The bracelet, which was given to them by Rena, enabled anyone to use communication magic. Chiyuki had given them the bracelet before they had left. She had told them to contact her if anything arose. ¡¸It seems we have to regroup and rethink our plan for now.¡¹ Kaya summarized her conversation with Chiyuki as she tapped the bracelet on her left arm. ¡¸Regroup? Did something happen to them, Kaya?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Milady. It seems they¡¯re in trouble. We should return as soon as possible.¡¹ Kaya replied as she bowed to Kyouka. ¡¸Eeh, even though we¡¯ve finally found clues about Kuroki¡¯s situation¡­¡¹ Naturally, Shirone opposed the idea of regrouping. She was unwilling to return! She had finally found something that could allow her to help Kuroki. ¡¸Shirone-sama, hearing Chiyuki-sama¡¯s voice, I feel like they might be in really big trouble this time. In my opinion, we should go back. Aren¡¯t you worried about them, Shirone-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Uuuh¡­¡¹ Shirone was truly at her wit¡¯s end after being asked such a question by Kaya, because just like Kuroki, Reiji and the others were her important friends. And since her friends were in trouble, it was only natural for Shirone to want to help them. It was a difficult choice for Shirone. ¡¸Kaya, the way you say it is unfair. They might be in trouble right now but they should be able to protect themselves with their power, but the clues we have now might become obsolete anytime soon. I also oppose the option of regrouping.¡¹ When Kyouka showed her refusal, Kaya could only agree reluctantly. ¡¸¡­ I understand, Milady. Let¡¯s delay our return for now.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry. Kyouka-san, Kaya-san.¡¹ Shirone apologized to the two of them for causing trouble. It was only natural for them to want to go back to help Reiji and the others, yet they had still agreed to stay with her a little longer. She profusely thanked them. ¡¸Well then, what are you going to do next, Shirone-sama?¡¹ ¡¸I think I¡¯ll visit Algore for now. It¡¯s closer to Nargol, and there¡¯s the matter with Regena too.¡¹ Shirone cast a glance at Regena¡¯s room. Since Algore was Regena¡¯s birthplace, Shirone thought that she might miss it. Moreover, since Omiros finally found Regena, Shirone knew that there must be a lot of stories they wanted to share with each other. ¡¸Understood. But, since I¡¯m also worried about the situation at Reiji-sama and co¡¯s side, we have to set a deadline.¡¹ ¡¸Understood, Kaya-san.¡¹ Shirone agreed with Kaya¡¯s proposal to set a deadline. (I shouldn¡¯t drag both of them into my personal problem for too long. But, this must be fate since I met Kuroki as soon as we arrived.) Shirone kept believing that the previous coincidence was a work of fate. ¡ô The first thing that Goz saw when he opened his eyes was the skin of a naked female human. He looked at her face and couldn¡¯t help but think that she looked quite normal when compared to other female humans. £¨Even if she¡¯s considered beautiful, she¡¯s far below the Hero¡¯s younger sister and her group and Regena. But well, I guess she¡¯s enough for now.£© Goz started recalling Regena¡¯s matter. After the interrogation, Regena was taken away by the Hero¡¯s younger sister and her companions. Omiros, who had gained Regena¡¯s ire, was ignored by her and returned to his inn with a dejected look on his face. Goz, on the other hand, to appease his lower-half that went wild due to the effect of the drug shoved into his throat, invited several of the women that had come on to him during the ball, and ended up sleeping with them. £¨These women should feel really satisfied now that they¡¯ve been with this charming Parsish.£© Goz cackled. He imagined how enraged these women would be once they found out the ¡°real¡± face of Parsish. However, Goz didn¡¯t really care that much. His lower-half had been satisfied a little bit, but it hadn¡¯t been fully satisfied yet. The effects of the aphrodisiac that was shoved into his throat by the Silver Witch had yet to disappear. His raging boner couldn¡¯t be appeased with mere normal females. £¨This boner won¡¯t be appeased as long as I¡¯m not having Regena¡­£© Goz said so inwardly as he looked at the moon from the window. He had found his woman that he thought to be gone. Regena had been caught by the Silver Witch. Goz didn¡¯t really know the identity of that witch since he was never interested in the situation in Nargol. He always knew that Nargol was filled with monsters much stronger than him, so he never wanted to come near the country. Yet, his avoidance had made him ignorant about the existence of Kuna, the beautiful witch £¨According to Regena, she¡¯s supposed to be the Demon King¡¯s daughter. Though it¡¯s hard to believe that the ugly Demon King can give birth to such a beautiful girl, she does look like his queen.£© Goz thought that Kuna was lucky to not have taken after her father. Although, just his luck, and for some unknown reason, the witch he feared had brought Regena with her to Velos Kingdom. Though he couldn¡¯t move for the majority of the ball due to Kuna¡¯s magic, once he was released from her spell and could move, he was summoned to the king¡¯s office for Algore¡¯s matter, where he was finally reunited with his woman. Goz had no idea how the Hero¡¯s little sister managed to catch Regena, but fortunately, she had no intention to execute her. Thus, he gained another chance to kidnap Regena. £¨I really am connected with Regena by fate. Let¡¯s offer some prayers to the Goddess of Fate, Casa. I absolutely won¡¯t let her go this time. I won¡¯t let both the Hero and Silver Witch take her from me. She is mine!£© Goz started pondering about it. He had to get Regena at all costs. Volume 3 - CH 24 Act 3-24: Saving Regena ¡¸Regena got arrested?¡¹ Back in Nargol, in Kuroki¡¯s mansion, it was only in the morning that Kuroki finally received a report about Regena¡¯s arrest. Her attendant, who had gone to Velos too, reported that she had seen Regena being taken away in a carriage. Thus, she returned to Nargol in a hurry and gathered the rest of the clan. They all then headed to Kuroki¡¯s quarters to plead for him to save Regena. It was also then that Kuroki found out other pieces of dire information. It turns out that Regena¡¯s mother was a former noble of Velos Kingdom and, what was worse was the fact that she was the Velos¡¯ King¡¯s former fiancee, the one who had eloped with Algore¡¯s previous king. Her clan also told him that Regena bore a great resemblance to her mother. Bringing her to Velos might have just caused her more harm than good. Moreover, it seemed like Regena¡¯s childhood friend, Omiros, had been there as well. It was literally as if he was asking them to arrest Regena. Kuroki cursed his own carelessness. If only he knew about this earlier, things wouldn¡¯t have turned as complicated as now. One of the reasons why he had never inquired about her past was because he didn¡¯t want any trouble. His second reason was because he had found Regena and her clan in the Goblins¡¯ nest and had found out at the time that they were sent there by the new king of Algore. Regena and her entire clan was almost wiped out by goblins because of that and only a few people, including Regena, had survived the ordeal. Kuroki felt that Regena hated the people who drove her and her clan out of Algore and was afraid that she would want revenge. Naturally, Kuroki would never support that. That¡¯s why he had never asked nor investigated her circumstances. That was his blunder. ¡¸Please, please save Milady¡­¡¹ "" An elderly woman bowed to Kuroki, asking him to save Regena. The elderly woman was Regena¡¯s wet nurse and was the one who went to Velos with her. However, she hadn¡¯t infiltrated the Royal Palace with them, rather she had sayed in the city and waited for them to return. ¡¸Milady might be executed once they arrive in Algore¡­ Or worse¡­ Please Master, please save Milady.¡¹ Regena¡¯s wet nurse pleaded with tears in her eyes. The other clan members followed suit and wailed with her. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, at least her safety is guaranteed.¡¹ Regena¡¯s clan members were surprised by Kuroki¡¯s remark. ¡¸How can you be so sure¡­¡¹ ¡¸The one who caught her is the Hero¡¯s comrade after all¡­ That¡¯s why she should be alright. At the very least, Shirone will protect Regena. Anyone who tries to hurt her has to face Shirone first. So you can rest assured about her safety for the time being.¡¹ The Shirone in Kuroki¡¯s memories was an ally of justice; a human who always sided with the weak. Thus, Kuroki believed that Regena would be protected by Shirone. ¡¸Kuroki, you speak as if you know that woman very well¡­¡¹ Kuna, who stood by his side, spoke while pouting. Her cheeks swelled up as she looked away from him. ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuna?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, Kuroki! HUMPH!¡¹ "" Kuna looked away again after replying to Kuroki and stomped out of the room. Kuroki tilted his head, bewildered. He didn¡¯t understand what was happening to her. ¡¸Will she really be alright?¡¹ Regena¡¯s wet nurse asked Kuroki again. ¡¸Of course. I¡¯ll also be the one going there to save her. That¡¯s why rest assured and wait for my return.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹ Regena¡¯s clan members bowed to Kuroki and left the room, leaving him by himself. ¡¸Well then, what should I do now¡­ According to Kuna, we should just entrust Regena to Omiros but¡­¡¹ Kuna had once mentioned to Kuroki that they should return Regena to Algore. She had told him that Algore¡¯s Prince, Omiros, would be able to take care of her better than them as he held affection towards her. Omiros had yet to return to Algore when they had banished Regena, thus he was unable to do anything to save her. He was against the punishment they had enforced upon her and had thus gone to the Goblins¡¯ Nest many times to look for her. If that really was the case, returning Regena to Algore was a better choice indeed. In the first place, he wanted Regena to return to the human realm too. However, Kuroki first had to make sure that Omiros was truly a person he could trust. ¡¸The problem is Goz. He is masquerading as Parsish, Algore¡¯s brave warrior. Whatever it is, I don¡¯t think he has any good intentions behind this deception¡­ Should I do something to eliminate him? But, my options are limited since Shirone and the others are there¡­ What should I do now¡­?¡¹ Kuroki was truly at his wit¡¯s end right now. It was a state he never showed to anyone. He might have been able to pull some strings if only Velos Kingdom and Goz were involved. But, now even Shirone and her companions were involved, which was bound to make things messy. Shirone would definitely keep watch and wait for Kuroki to come. Kuroki knew that he couldn¡¯t make his move carelessly. He felt that Shirone might now hate him since he was the one who hurt her boyfriend Reiji. Kuroki had always been hostile to Reiji, but he knew better than anyone that hurting him would make him the girls¡¯ enemy. He understood deep down that they would make him suffer with their hatred. Unfortunately for him, Shirone was one of those girls. Kuroki had once imagined Shirone looking at him with a gaze filled with hatred. He had felt awful and uncomfortable. Thus, when he came to this world and had gotten the opportunity to fight Reiji, he had done so while hiding his face with a helmet. It was the only way he could do whatever he wanted to the man he hated most while diverting the women¡¯s hatred to someone else¡ªthe Dark Knight. Yet, his identity had still gotten revealed. Thus, he felt that they were better off never meeting again rather than having to see Shirone looking at him with hatred. ¡¸I¡¯m such a miserable coward¡­ hiding my identity in order to avoid their hatred while picking a fight. I really am such a miserable coward. Maybe this is the reason why Shirone chose Reiji. Maybe it would¡¯ve been better if Regena was saved by Reiji.¡¹ Kuroki knew that Reiji would have definitely come in a flash to save Regena, unafraid of the hate that might come to him. Regena was only a normal girl who was sent along with her clan to die in the Goblins¡¯ Nest, she had seen many of her clan members die for her along the way. It was such a cruel unimaginable fate that Kuroki, who had lived in peaceful Japan, could never imagine. Yet, he was the one who ended up saving her. ¡¸Seeing that I¡¯ve already saved her life, I should at least be responsible for her happiness. I guess I have to pull some strings even if my methods are less efficient than Reiji¡¯s¡­¡¹ Kuroki looked at Algore¡¯s direction as he muttered. Volume 3 - CH 25.1 Act 3-25.1: Myulmidon Shirone and her companions departed from Velos Kingdom using a carriage arranged by King Eclas. To speed up their journey, they decided to have their Hippogriff pull the carriage. It would have been faster if they could use the Hippogriff¡¯s power to fly and use the speedier air routes, but, owing to their growing number, they were forced to use land routes to head to their destination. The carriage arranged by Eclas was a luxurious one. Nevermind the jewels that adorned every corner of it, what was special was the fact that the carriage had windows on all sides that could allow passengers to see everything outside, the seats were also extremely soft and comfortable. Shirone, Kyouka, Kaya, and Regena were sitting on these special seats. Their group was now composed of seven people, including the four women, Omiros, Echigos, and Daigan had joined the trip too. Parsish, on the other hand, had decided to return first as he had urgent business to attend to in Algore. Kyouka¡¯s mood had turned better once she heard that the warrior wouldn¡¯t be joining them. £¨Are you really that happy without Parsish?£© Shirone then recalled Parsish¡¯s actions before parting ways. She felt that he had been turning more and more repulsive after the end of the party. The way he looked at women, especially Regena, felt like he couldn¡¯t wait to pounce on them. His breath was also always disordered as if he was a dog in heat. Though, at first, she had felt bad for him, now she had the same opinion as Kyouka towards him¡ªutter disgust. According to Parsish, The Silver Witch, who had come with Kuroki, had used some sort of magic on him. Shirone didn¡¯t know the reason why the Silver Witch would do that to Parsish, nor did she want to know. Well, anyways, instead of having Parsish come along, now it was Echigos and Daigan who had joined them; not that they were any better. The reason why they had to take these two along was because of their special circumstances. Echigos had been ambushed by the ogres just like Shirone and Kaya. Like them, he had been lured into Kujig¡¯s trap deep in the blue forest surrounding Velos. Kujig had controlled his body and had done unspeakable things to him. After all was over, he had come to them on his own and prostrated in front of them, begging them to take him away from Velos. Well, at least now they knew that Kujig was the ruler of the blue forest and that she lived in a confectionary castle deep within. It was valuable information since they now always had to be on guard just in case they were ambushed by ogres again As for Daigan the werewolf, since it was difficult to put a dangerous werewolf in jail without tying him up, Shirone and co had no choice but to take him with them since Velos kingdom wouldn¡¯t be able to handle him. Currently, numerous locks and chains were coiling around Daigan¡¯s body, sealing him. Shirone and her companions had put him along with their luggage in the rear carriage. While Echigos, on the other hand, was now acting as their coach driver. Shirone, Kaya, and Kyouka had also decided to tie up Regena. Given the choice, they wouldn¡¯t have chosen to tie her up in the first place, but since she was an important source of information, and given how she had been trying to flee, they had no other option but to detain her. Fortunately though, Regena wasn¡¯t tight lipped, she had happily recited Kuroki¡¯s life in Nargol. It was her loose lips that had made them decide to keep her detained for a while longer. As it turns out, Kaya was right, the one who had saved Regena was Kuroki. Who knows what would have happened to her if Kuroki hadn¡¯t saved her back then. Shirone glanced at Regena. Regena respected Kuroki more than she had expected. She suspected that it was probably a savior complex she harbored as the stories she recounted about Kuroki were quite exaggerated. The Kuroki in Regena¡¯s story was a much kinder and stronger man than anyone in this world. When she recounted her stories with Kuroki, Regena looked completely like a girl madly in love. That was especially so in the part where Kuroki had touched Regena¡¯s hand as he asked her:¡¸Is the job too hard for you?¡¹ Regena¡¯s expression when she recited that part had almost made Shirone and the others, who were looking from the side, vomit sugar. £¨Just how much embellishment did she use when she told us these stories? The real Kuroki isn¡¯t that amazing, and he is a pervert on top of that¡­ Poor Omiros¡­.£© Shirone looked at Omiros, who was riding his horse beside the carriage. Regena had ended up being hostile towards him since he had come with Shirone and the other ladies. Shirone secretly gave her condolences to Omiros for being hated by the one he liked. What was even worse was that she was boasting about the man she fell in love with right in front of him. Shirone knew that Omiros wanted to bring Regena back to Algore and Kuroki was definitely a hindrance to his plan. But, when he had tried to refute Regena¡¯s claims, Regena would always respond with ¡¸My Dear Master is far more amazing than you Omiros!¡¹. That alone was enough to shut him up. To Shirone, Omiros was a really pitiful man. He always kept on worrying about Regena, so Shirone had thought that Regena would be a bit kinder to him, but it seems like she has no intention to do so. Moreover, for some reason, Shirone felt that Omiros¡¯ figure overlapped with Kuroki¡¯s figure in the past. The dejected Omiros kept following after the carriage. £¨Can I make these two reconciliate with each other?£© Shirone started thinking of ways to help them. The best method was to make Regena¡¯s image of Kuroki crumble. £¨Okay then, let¡¯s tell Regena about the real Kuroki. Once she feels disgusted by him she¡¯ll run back to Omiros.£© Just as that thought passed her mind, she suddenly felt an incoming presence. ¡¸Please stop the carriage.¡¹ Both Kaya and Shirone, who felt something was amiss, told Echigos to stop the carriage. ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹ Echigos turned around and asked the girls why they ordered him to stop the carriage. ¡¸Is something the matter, Kaya?¡¹ Kyouka asked the same question as Echigos too. Since Kyouka didn¡¯t have presence detection like Kaya and Shirone, she also had no idea what caused both of them to stop the carriage. ¡¸Something is coming from ahead of us, Milady.¡¹ Kaya replied while looking at the distance ahead of the carriage. There was a horse coming from ahead of them. Seeing that, Omiros stood in front of the carriage, ready to defend it. ¡¸OMIROOOOOOOOS!!!¡¹ It was then that the rider of the horse in front of the carriage called Omiros¡¯ name. ¡¸MAXIS! RIETTE!¡¹ Omiros shouted back at the two newcomers. Yes, there were two people riding the horse that was running towards the carriage. A man around the same age as Shirone and co, and a little girl behind him. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry Kaya-dono. The ones coming over are my relatives.¡¹ After saying that, Omiros steered his horse to run towards the newcomers. ¡¸PLEASE WAIT! THEY¡¯RE NOT THE ONLY ONES COMING OUR WAY!!¡¹ After saying so, Kaya jumped out of the carriage and ran towards Maxis and Riette, her running speed surpassing Omiros¡¯ horse. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ She had already closed in towards the horse that was running towards Omiros in mere seconds. The little girl, Riette exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Kaya¡¯s unbelieveable running speed. A huge shadow suddenly leapt out from the thicket beside the horse. That shadow looked like an Antman. Moreover, there wasn¡¯t just one of them, a few others had leapt from the thickets almost at the same time. ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ The two people riding the horse couldn¡¯t help but scream upon seeing the Antmen¡¯s sudden appearance. The Antmen began to attack the two. Fortunately, Kaya was faster. Blue lightning ran along the surface of Kaya¡¯s gloves. These were the Blue Thunder Stone gloves, also known as the Tourmaline Gloves. Thunder spirits resided within the tourmaline stone placed at the head of the glove, it would discharge lightning upon touching any object. It was Kaya¡¯s latest enchanted weapon, it was versatile and more powerful than the weapons she had used until now. Kaya jumped over the heads of the two approaching Antmen, punched their heads as she passed over them, turned her body in mid-air, and then kicked the two Antmen who came from the other side. In just a few seconds she had managed to incapacitate all the Antmen. ¡¸Woow¡­¡¹ The man and the little girl riding the horse muttered their astonishment with a dumbfounded look on their face. ¡¸RIETTE! MAXIS!!!¡¹ Omiros was finally able to approach them. ¡¸What are you doing here?¡¹ Omiros couldn¡¯t help but ask the two. ¡¸Well, it wasn¡¯t my idea¡­ Riette was always worrying since you hadn¡¯t returned yet¡­¡¹ Maxis answered with a wry smile on his face, sending a sidelong glance toward the little girl riding behind him. £¨It seems they came to see Omiros¡¯ situation since he was late. Well, we¡¯re the reason for his late return after all. If he was traveling alone, he would¡¯ve already arrived in Algore.£© Shirone was looking at Riette and Maxis as she pondered. ¡¸Thanks, Riette. Sorry for making you worry¡­ ¡¹ Omiros spoke as he patted Riette¡¯s head. That action made Riette pout a bit. Thus, she turned her face to the side while puffing her cheeks. ¡¸¡­ It¡¯s not like I was worried about you. And stop treating me like a child.¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 25.2 Act 3-25.2: Myulmidon Shirone thought that Riette wasn¡¯t an honest child, but that made her even more adorable. ¡¸Ah, my bad Riette¡­ I did it out of habit¡­ Oh right, I brought some sweets back for you. Will you forgive me for the sake of these sweets?¡¹ Omiros took out something from his pocket as he said so. ¡¸REALLY?! SWEETS?!¡¹ Riette exclaimed with sparkling eyes as if her bad mood just now was a lie. ¡¸Cough.¡¹ Standing right next to them and seeing their interaction, Kaya coughed as if to remind them of the current situation they¡¯re in. ¡¸Omiros-dono, they seems to have quite a close relationship with you, can you introduce them to us?¡¹ Kaya cut their chit-chat and asked Omiros for an introduction to not waste more time. Shirone wanted to know about the two newcomers too. ¡¸M-My apologies for the discourtesy, Kaya-dono.¡¹ Omiros bowed to Kaya. His voice was shaking as he spoke. Riette, who was sitting behind Maxis, was also clutching his back. It seems she was anxious too. Shirone guessed that they might be scared of Kaya, who could defeat the Antmen with such ease. Shirone had gotten used to this kind of feeling after coming to this world. Though their superhuman strength could be used to reduce the number of men who came to woo them, she couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected seeing an adorable girl like Riette end up getting scared of them too. Omiros led the two of them to the front of the carriage. ¡¸Kyouka-sama, these two are my cousins, Maxis and his little sister, Riette.¡¹ Omiros started introducing the two to Kyouka who was still inside the carriage. ¡¸I see, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­? So pretty¡­ Who is she?¡¹ Riette unintentionally praised Kyouka when she came out from the carriage. The same goes for Maxis, he was also mesmerized by Kyouka¡¯s beauty. ¡¸Maxis, Riette, this is Kyouka-sama, Hero-sama¡¯s little sister. And if I¡¯m not wrong, Shirone-sama over there visited Algore when I was still in my warrior journey.¡¹ After introducing Kyouka, Omiros looked at Shirone. ¡¸Ah, yeah¡­¡¹ Turns out, Riette remembered Shirone. But, since she had never met Shirone in person and only looked at her from afar, Shirone didn¡¯t know Riette at all. ¡¸Could it be that Hero-sama is also¡­¡¹ Riette spoke with a slightly frightened voice. ¡¸Nope, Hero-sama isn¡¯t coming with us. There¡¯s only his wife Shirone-sama, his sister Kyouka-sama, and her attendant Kaya-dono.¡¹ Riette heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. Shirone received a huge shock upon knowing that such an adorable girl was scared of them. ¡¸You two, don¡¯t forget to return Kyouka-sama¡¯s greeting.¡¹ The two of them quickly straightened their backs upon hearing Omiros¡¯ reminder. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Kyouka-sama. My name¡¯s Maxis.¡¹ "" ¡¸And I¡¯m his little sister, Rie¡ª Eh?¡¹ Riette paused her greeting the moment she saw the person sitting in a corner inside the carriage. Yes, her eyes had caught Regena¡¯s figure. ¡¸Why¡­¡¹ Riette¡¯s expression changed at that very moment. ¡¸WHY IS REGENA HERE???!!!¡¹ Riette shouted in rage. It was clear for all to see that she was hostile towards Regena. Maxis was also looking at Regena with a shocked look on his face. ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this, Omiros?! Why is princess Regena here?¡¹ Maxis also couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity. He was clearly bewildered. Though not as much as Riette, Shirone felt that Maxis didn¡¯t have a good impression of Regena either. ¡¸Long time no see, Riette, Maxis¡­ If possible, I also wished to never meet you two again.¡¹ "" Regena replied with a cool voice from inside the carriage. But then, she looked rather sad upon seeing the two¡¯s reaction. ¡¸HOW DARE YOU APPEAR BEFORE ME, REGENA! BECAUSE OF YOU, MY MOTHER IS¡­¡¹ Riette was on the verge of crying as she bellowed. ¡¸And almost my whole clan was slaughtered because of you¡­ We¡¯re even now, right?¡¹ ¡¸THE ONES WHO STARTED IT WERE YOU!!!¡¹ ¡¸How can you be so sure of such a thing?¡¹ ¡¸JUST TRY TO GO BACK TO ALGORE, YOU¡¯LL BE SENT BACK TO THE GOBLINS¡¯ NEST RIGHT AWAY!!!¡¹ Riette and Regena started quarreling. ¡¸RIETTE, THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!! YOU TOO REGENA, CALM DOWN!!¡¹ Omiros tried to soothe the both of them. ¡¸STOP PROTECTING THIS WOMAN, BROTHER OMIROS!!¡¹ Riette looked at Omiros with a wronged expression, it looked as if she was going to cry anytime now. ¡¸Riette¡­¡¹ Omiros was helpless in the face of that particular look of hers. An awkward silence dominated the place for a while. ¡¸You misunderstand something here, Riette.¡¹ And then, Regena broke the silence. ¡¸MISUNDERSTAND WHAT?!¡¹ Riette barked at Regena again. ¡¸Omiros isn¡¯t the one protecting me. Think carefully, Riette. Who do you think my current guardian is? You¡¯re gonna end up like those Myulmidon if you try to hurt me.¡¹ Color drained from Riette¡¯s face when Regena uttered those words. She then looked at the scattered corpses of the Antmen. ¡¸Worry not, Omiros isn¡¯t the one who¡¯s sheltering me.¡¹ Regena let out a dry laugh as she spoke. ¡¸Such a thing, Regena¡­ I¡­¡¹ Omiros tried to say something upon hearing Regena¡¯s remark. But, Regena flat out ignored him and looked at Kaya. ¡¸It¡¯s as she says. Currently, Regena is under our protection. Trying to hurt her will be regarded as a hostile act towards us.¡¹ Kaya spoke to Maxis and Riette. Maxis and Riette trembled in fear the moment they heard such a declaration. ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s enough. Everyone stop.¡¹ Shirone descended from the carriage to prevent the situation from escalating into a more dangerous scene. Everyone¡¯s line of sight then moved towards Shirone. ¡¸And these Antmen¡­ They were not there when we visited this area last time, right? Do you know what they are?¡¹ Shirone asked about the Antmen in order to change the topic of the conversation. ¡¸Antmen? You mean these Myulmidons? Come to think of it, why are they appearing in this kind of place?¡¹ Omiros replied back with an equally puzzled look. ¡¸So these Antmen are called Myulmidon. Come to think of it, these Myulmidons seemed to be chasing after you two? What¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, Like he¡ª I mean, I have no idea about this too, Kaya-sama. This is also the first time for me to see Myulmidons.¡¹ Riette replied while shaking her head. ¡¸I¡­ I mean, I saw them once a long time ago but¡­ even then, there was only one or two of them at the most, this is actually the first time for me to see so many of them at once.¡¹ Maxis replied. He was looking at the corpse of seven Myulmidons as he spoke. ¡¸ Does that mean they just happenned to appear in this place? What about their original living place?¡¹ Omiros shook his head to answer Kaya¡¯s question. ¡¸We also have no idea about it¡­ But, there¡¯s a legend in this region saying that when the castle of the queen of the blue forest appears, it¡¯ll be accompanied with a large number of Myulmidons.¡¹ ¡¸Queen of the blue forest? Does that mean that the female ogre is close by?¡¹ Shirone and Kyouka looked at each other upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. ¡¸As I thought, she¡¯s tailing us, right?¡¹ ¡¸Most likely. She hasn¡¯t given up on her quest for revenge.¡¹ Shirone and Kyouka heaved a sigh. ¡¸Moreover, since she can tail us. There should be a spy mixed among us.¡¹ After saying so, Kaya looked at Echigos. ¡¸I-I REALLY DON¡¯T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS!!¡¹ Echigos shook his head in desperation. Yet, Kaya kept walking toward Echigos while emitting silent pressure from her whole being. ¡¸HIIII¡¹ Echigos tried to get away from the driver seat. But Kaya moved faster than him and seized him by the cuff of his neck. ¡¸Worry not, I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡¹ Thus Kaya proceeded to touch Echigos¡¯ body to check if there were any abnormalities. ¡¸Uhm, what are¡­¡¹ Echigos spoke with a lewd look on his face. It was only natural since Kaya was a beauty despite her cold look. Any man¡¯s imagination would run wild if such beauty touched their body. But then, Kaya¡¯s hand stopped at Echigos¡¯ stomach and didn¡¯t move from there. ¡¸Humph!!¡¹ Suddenly, she pressed on Echigos¡¯ stomach. ¡¸FUGAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Echigos screamed in pain when Kaya suddenly pressed his stomach. ¡¸Agaga¡­¡¹ And then started blowing bubbles and froth from his mouth. ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Riette screamed upon seeing the scene unfolding in front of her. A huge bug came out from Echigos¡¯ mouth along with drool and froth. The bug moved for a while after it came out, then suddenly stopped moving as if it were dead. The poor Echigos was twitching on the ground, barely alive after receiving Kaya¡¯s palm strike. ¡¸What in the world is this?¡¹ Kyouka frowned upon seeing Echigos and the dead bug. ¡¸Maybe this is one of that ogre¡¯s tricks. She used this bug to monitor our movement.¡¹ Kaya explained to everyone. ¡¸Uhm, Kaya-dono¡­ that means¡­¡¹ Omiros asked with an anxious voice. ¡¸The ogre might come again. It seems we need to raise our vigilance even after we return to Algore.¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­¡¹ Omiros¡¯ face paled upon hearing that. ¡¸What do you think about this situation, Shirone-sama? Shall we exterminate those ogres before Kuroki-san comes?¡¹ ¡¸U~hm, I don¡¯t know when Kuroki will come though¡­ And I don¡¯t feel like fighting him too¡­¡¹ Shirone replied to Kaya. If she had to be honest, Kuroki¡¯s matter alone was already troublesome enough for her, she had no energy to take care of the ogres as well. But, she couldn¡¯t leave the ogres to their own devices either. ¡¸Haa¡­ Shirone-san, Kaya-san, how about we continue this topic later, after we arrive in Algore? I already want to be freed from this carriage too.¡¹ Kyouka voiced her opinion upon seeing the situation. It seems she was tired of the carriage. ¡¸Indeed. Let¡¯s continue this topic after we arrive in Algore, Shirone-sama.¡¹ Kaya supported Kyouka¡¯s opinion upon realizing her master¡¯s intention. Shirone nodded upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. £¨They¡¯re right, maybe I have to calm down first. That¡¯s why they suggested that option. But, what¡¯s Kuroki doing right now?£© Shirone couldn¡¯t help but think about Kuroki, who wasn¡¯t here with them. Volume 3 - CH 26.1 Act 3-26.1: The Goblin Queen¡¯s Treasure Just like any other Goblin nest, Karon Kingdom was located underground in a giant deep hole in the northern part of the Akeron mountain range. However, different from the other Goblin nests, Karon Kingdom was actually a well maintained village, with smooth walls decorated with many ornaments. Though those ornaments were peculiarly designed compared to ones made by humans, they were still quite luxurious for a Goblin nest. Goz was currently walking along the underground corridor of Karon Kingdom, heading towards its destination at the end of it. Upon arriving, what awaited him was a giant gate with two goblins stationed in front of it as guards. The thing that he was looking for was behind that gate. ¡¸If it isn¡¯t prince Goz. What¡¯s your business for visiting this place, gob?¡¹ One of the gatekeepers asked Goz. ¡¸Sorry for troubling you during your duty. There¡¯s something that I¡¯m looking for and it¡¯s inside this room. Let me in.¡¹ Hearing his pompous order, the gatekeepers exchanged glances. ¡¸Even if you¡¯re a prince, you¡¯re not allowed to go in without Her Majesty¡¯s permit, gob.¡¹ The gatekeepers stated to Goz. Goz clicked his tongue upon hearing their remark. ¡¸Permit eh¡­ HERE¡¯S THE PERMIT!!¡¹ Goz unsheathed his sword that was hidden under his overcoat and pushed it into one of the gatekeepers¡¯ neck. ¡¸GOOOOB!!!¡¹ Goz then stabbed his sword into the other goblin¡¯s chest before the other party could scream. ¡¸What are you doing¡­ gob¡­¡¹ The goblin that got stabbed in the chest muttered so as he stopped moving. ¡¸Humph, foolish goblins. Your life would have been spared if you had let me in without asking any questions.¡¹ Goz muttered as he kicked the gatekeeper¡¯s corpse. Nevertheless, they would still have been executed if they had let Goz in for going against the queen¡¯s order. Either choice they made would have still ended up with them being dead. Goz set the corpses on fire with his flame magic. He wouldn¡¯t be found out right away with the corpses missing. He then looked at the gate. The gatekeepers were protecting Karon Kingdom¡¯s treasury. All of the Goblin Queen¡¯s treasures were in that room, that¡¯s why even a prince of the kingdom needed a permit to enter it. Goz knew that once he was discovered they would hunt him down and kill him for sure. But, he didn¡¯t care as the thing hidden behind that gate could help him fight the Dark Knight. And, of course, once he gains the power to fight against the Dark Knight, his mother wouldn¡¯t be a creature he¡¯d have to worry about; she¡¯ll be easy to handle. The gate was locked with magic, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal for Goz. He had already investigated and found the spell he needed to open the door. He uttered them without wasting any time and was filled with mirth as he saw the doors opening at his command. As he walked inside, he could see various treasures lined up from either side of the vault. Gems, ornaments, cosmetics, and dresses. Everything one could ever imagine was thrown in the piles and every single item was beautiful beyond compare. Goz couldn¡¯t help but sneer upon seeing those treasures. ¡¸None of these would ever look good on that mother of mine. No matter how beautiful the gems, they would be degraded into low-grade trash once they¡¯re worn by her.¡¹ Goz walked further inside the treasure vault while muttering those remarks until he finally reached another gate. Behind this second gate the queen kept an extremely important item. It was Goz¡¯s first time ever stepping foot in that place, but he knew that what he was looking for was right behind that gate. ¡¸GEH!!¡¹ Goz unintentionally shrieked a little upon entering the room. The walls of this inner room were covered with portraits of naked handsome men, what was even worse was that it was the only type of portraits found in this room. Pictures of men from various races were hung up like sacred treasures, with the most dominant race among the collection being of humans. ¡¸Maybe this is one of my mother¡¯s hobbies. This kind of bad taste suits her ugly appearance¡­¡¹ Goz almost lost his cool and wanted to burn those pictures. He thought that these were the pictures of her prey, but after finding the portrait of a male angel and a male daemon, he dismissed that thought. Even the so-called Goblin Queen was nothing more than a slightly more powerful goblin, she could never overpower an angel or a daemon race. Thus, he concluded that the portraits of the naked men were drawn by someone for the Goblin Queen. Goz then looked at a certain picture. Looking at its condition, the picture seemed to be one of the latest additions. Goz could never forget the man in that picture. It was a portrait of the Hero of Light, Reiji. The hero in the picture was revealing a daring smile while naked. The picture was drawn so faithfully, without even missing the smallest details, that it felt as if it was about to come alive at any moment. ¡¸Uhm?¡¹ Goz then saw another portrait beside the one with the Hero. ¡¸Isn¡¯t this¡­ my portrait?¡¹ Yes, it was a picture of Goz. However, it wasn¡¯t drawn in his goblin form, rather it was drawn in his fake form as the handsome hero, Parsish ¡¸Why is my picture here¡­¡¹ Goz started worrying, finding a portrait of him, even if it was of his fake form, here meant that at some point he was his mother¡¯s object of desire. The thought of his mother being attracted to him sexually sent a chill down his spine. It was then that he noticed another thing. ¡¸How did they know about that¡­¡¹ Parsish was definitely a disguise, but for some reason, a certain part was drawn too accurately. Goz couldn¡¯t help but cover his own cr*tch. He then glanced at the Hero¡¯s portrait. The thing dangling between the Hero¡¯s legs was twice as big as his. ¡¸Dammit¡­ I lost¡­¡¹ Goz felt defeated inside. He then turned his head to the other portrait that was right next to his. Going by order, that picture was most probably the latest addition to the collection. It was a portrait of a black-haired man. Goz felt that man to be quite familiar, as if he had seen him before. The man had a well ordered face with a subdued kind of charm. It was the kind of handsomeness you wouldn¡¯t notice unless you took a closer look. And then, he looked down. ¡¸WHA?!!!!¡¹ Goz was at a loss for words. That was the most atrocious thing amongst the collection of males in this place. The black-haired man¡¯s thing was even bigger than the Hero¡¯s. ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE?! WHAT KIND OF MONSTROSITY IS THIS?!¡¹ Goz stopped looking since he realized that he would only feel utter despair if he kept looking at it. Other things in the room included a whip and strange looking items on a pedestal, but Goz ignored all of those things since knowing his mother¡¯s hobby was the last thing he wanted. After leaving that weird area filled with his mother¡¯s dirty hobbies, Goz arrived at a spacious location; it was the innermost part of the room. It was a room devoid of any of the previous devious looking devices used by perverts. Instead, there was a pedestal with a jar placed on it. That was the item Goz had been looking for. When he was still in this kingdom as a prince, Goz had found out many secrets including that this kingdom had several treasures. The jar was one of them. The Goddess of Destruction, Nargol, had many subordinates and one of them was sealed in that jar. The Demon King who had betrayed her had also fought her kin. In the end, the Demon King, who had won the battle, couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill his own brethren and resorted to sealing them. And one of his kins was sealed in the jar before Goz. Various sealed kins were entrusted to be guarded in various locations in Nargol and, since the Demon King judged that the one sealed in the jar before Goz was the least dangerous one, he entrusted the jar to Karon kingdom for them to safeguard it. But then, Goz didn¡¯t care about that. He would use anything and everything to beat the powerful Dark Knight. ¡¸The fella in this jar is going to beat the Dark Knight. He might be the least dangerous God, but he¡¯s still a God. He should be able to beat the Dark Knight and the Hero and his party. Kukuku¡­ With this, Regena will be mine¡­¡¹ Goz¡¯s face revealed a hideous smile as he took the jar. [TL: I get the feeling that the goblins¡¯ IQ is only 80 at the highest.] ¡ô ¡¸Tch, they found out about it eh!!¡¹ The Ogre witch Kujig clicked her tongue. The bug that she planted to observe the movement of the Hero¡¯s little sister and her companions was found and killed just a moment ago. Now, she completely had zero idea about the situation on the hero¡¯s little sister¡¯s side. ¡¸What a useless human¡­ His name was Echigos, right? I guess that¡¯s all he¡¯s capable of.¡¹ Kujig recalled the human to whom she planted the bug in. ¡¸What shall we do now, Mama? They¡¯re not your average Joes.¡¹ The seventh son, Retsug, remarked while munching on the deep fried young children roll. The rest of Kujig¡¯s sons nodded in agreement upon hearing Retsug¡¯s remark as they continued their meal. Volume 3 - CH 26.2 Act 3-26.2: The Goblin Queen¡¯s Treasure Volume 3 - CH 27.1 Act 3-27.1: Faraway Kingdom Algore Kingdom was ruled and inhabited by humans and was located in the farthest part of the north. Its name was inspired by an infamous giant who had hundreds of eyes, and since the giant had so many eyes, even if it fell asleep there were always eyes that were open. It was a giant that could stay vigilant forever. The giant, Algore, had created a meaning for its name because of his powers, which in this world¡¯s language translated to¡¸Surveillance¡¹. And, it was because they were the kingdom tasked with surveilling Nargol that they had adopted the name of the gian, thus becoming Algore Kingdom. Initially, Algore was a fortress that was built to oppose the Goblin Kingdom, which was located somewhere in the southern part of the Akeron Mountain Range. Since the fortress would have become Nargol¡¯s first target after initiating such a war, powerful warriors from all over the world had gathered in the fortress, increasing its scale. The warriors who made that fortress as their base went out to subjugate the Goblin Kingdom first before they could cross the Akeron Mountain Range and invade Nargol, which was their biggest goal. Yet, none of them had ever returned. The warriors who were left behind after such a defeat had then decided to establish a country, using the fortress as the base point. Thus, Algore was founded. Algore, however, had slightly different characteristics compared to the other countries. Originally, the human countries in this world had to have ramparts in order to allow the humans inside to live in peace. Algore, on the other hand, was built within a fortress, noting that the fortress was initially built on a wasteland just for warriors to inhabit during war. Thus, no land was safe enough for the people to live with ease. It was also for that reason that Algore was not a wealthy country and why the food was scarce. In addition, maybe due to the influence of their ancestors, Algore¡¯s folks had a rough disposition. It was very natural for internal quarrels to happen in this country. But, since it was only quarrels, brawls were usually the end of the case, it had never developed into the citizens killing each other. However, that was before Shirone and the others visited Algore for the first time. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe this! What is wrong with the citizens of this country!!¡¹ Kyouka started complaining after arriving in Algore Kingdom. Currently, she was resting in a guest room with Shirone and Kaya in Algore Kingdom¡¯s castle. They had had an audience with Algore¡¯s current king, also Omiros¡¯ father, when they arrived. On the surface, it looked like he was welcoming them, but it was clear from his attitude that they were not welcomed in this country anymore. And it wasn¡¯t just the king, all the people in the audience room didn¡¯t welcome them. Though Shirone could accept the fact that they were hated by the ogres, she couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected upon seeing that some people also hate them. Not to mention that they were now even coming with Regena. They hadn¡¯t even bothered hiding their hostility towards the previous princess. Algore had just experienced a civil war, and though the fight had ended, traces still remained. Shirone realized that there were fewer citizens compared to the first time she came to this country. She realized why once she heard that there was a civil war. The gashes on the stone walls told her just how gruesome the war that happened in this country was. She heard that there were numerous casualties. One of the main culprits for this civil war was Qupis, Regena¡¯s father. Algore¡¯s citizens still hated Qupis even though he had already died. Thus, Shirone and the two other women, who were protecting his daughter, Regena, were uninvited guests to them. ¡¸Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with them! Even though Regena-san has nothing to do with their dispute!!¡¹ Kyouka voiced her complaints again. She was angry with the attitudes of Algore¡¯s citizens. According to Regena, she hadn¡¯t participated at all in the dispute for Algore Kingdom¡¯s throne. Rather, she had tried to stop her father. Thus, Kyouka ended up being enraged upon seeing the Algore citizens¡¯ attitude toward Regena. Regena was currently listening quietly in the corner of the room. She didn¡¯t talk at all after they entered the room. ¡¸It seems you can¡¯t stay in this kingdom anymore, Regena-san¡­¡¹ Shirone nodded in agreement upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. Shirone had never expected that the internal dispute was even worse than she expected. It was so bad to the point that no one wished for Regena to come back. Everyone, except for Omiros. Omiros was the only one who was worried about Regena. But, he alone was far from enough to change the general consensus. If Regena stayed in this country, it was only a matter of time before she would be assasinated. ¡¸If you really are worried about me, then send me back to Nargol immediately! SEND ME BACK TO MY DEAR MASTER!!¡¹ Regena, who had kept silent until now, had finally raised her voice upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. She then glared at Shirone and the others. ¡¸What shall we do, Shirone-sama?¡¹ Kaya asked for Shirone¡¯s opinion. ¡¸Uhm. I wonder¡­ what shall we do now?¡¹ Shirone was troubled. They had already extracted enough information from Regena. Honestly speaking, Shirone didn¡¯t care even whether they sent Regena back to Nargol or not. The only reason she was hesitating was because of Omiros. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to send Regena back upon considering his feelings towards her and his constant worry. ¡¸U~hm, we also have Omiros-kun¡¯s feelings to consider¡­¡¹ Shirone muttered. ¡¸¡­ In short, it¡¯ll all depend on Omiros-san.¡¹ ¡¸If Shirone-san says so, then I have nothing to say.¡¹ Kyouka and Kaya nodded in unison. Regena at the side was slightly dissatisfied. ¡¸Shirone-sama, there¡¯s something that we have to consider too.¡¹ Kaya added. ¡¸What is it, Kaya-san?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s about the ogres. They seem to be spreading Myulmidons around Algore. I think it¡¯s about time for them to attack.¡¹ Shirone nodded upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. The ogres were just a puny hindrance to them, their main focus was Kuroki. ¡¸Kaya, can we do something about those ogres before they come to this place?¡¹ Kaya shook her head upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s question. ¡¸According to the people of this country, no one knows the exact location of the Sweet Castle, where Kujig, the Queen of the Blue Forest, resides. But, they told me that they always have to escape as fast as possible as soon as they encounter a place with a sweet smell. We might be able to locate the castle if we retrace where those ants come from, but¡­ It honestly will take a lot of time. I¡¯m worried that Kuroki-san might arrive in this country during our search.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right¡­¡¹ Kyouka seemed to be dejected. They might end up missing Kuroki if they look for Kujig¡¯s whereabouts. That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t go look for the ogres. Their original plan was to ask for more information from Echigos, but he, who was force fed with a bug by Kujig, was currently under the herbalist of this country¡¯s medical care. He wasn¡¯t in any state to hold a conversation. In addition, someone else in this country might also have the same bug buried in their stomach. But then, they couldn¡¯t afford to check every single person in this country. ¡¸What a really troublesome opponent.¡¹ Shirone ended up cursing the ogres for making this matter more complicated. ¡¸But still, we cannot just ignore them. That¡¯s why leave them to me when the time comes. You should focus on Kuroki-san, Shirone-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Sorry for the trouble, Kaya-san¡­¡¹ Shirone apologized to them. ¡¸Are you sure that you can handle all of them by yourself, Kaya?¡¹ ¡¸I alone am enough to crush them, Milady. I think Shirone-sama is in bigger trouble than me. That¡¯s why, please don¡¯t overexert yourself, Shirone-sama.¡¹ ¡¸Understood, Kaya-san.¡¹ ¡¸HUMPH, WEAKLINGS LIKE YOU WILL BE SENT FLYING BY MY DEAR MASTER!!¡¹ Regena, who was listening to the trio¡¯s conversation from the side, cursed at them. Shirone and co heaved a sigh upon hearing that. £¨She must be getting irritated after being restricted for so long. I think we might have to do something about her too¡­£© Shirone pondered. She by no means had any ill will towards Regena. It was purely by accident that things had developed this way. ¡¸By the way, there¡¯s something I want to ask you, Regena-san.¡¹ Kaya then turned towards Regena as she spoke. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Regena replied with an angry look on her face. ¡¸How long are you planning to stay in Nargol?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Regena was clearly bewildered upon hearing Kaya¡¯s question. ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸According to your story, Kuroki-san seems like he wants to send you and your tribe back to the human realm, right?¡¹ Shirone, who listened from the side, had the same opinion as Kaya. Nargol was the realm of monsters. It was by no means a realm suitable for humans to live in. Regena being able to live there was purely due to Kuroki¡¯s influence. That¡¯s why Shirone had also noticed that Kuroki wanted to send Regena and her tribe back to the human realm. ¡¸Is something the matter with that? My dear master did try to look for a safe place for us in the human realm. But, finding a country that is willing to accept us isn¡¯t that easy.¡¹ Regena replied to Kaya as if it was common sense. In this dangerous world, gaining a proper citizenship without parents being natives of the country was tough. The land where humans could live was limited. Volume 3 - CH 27.2 Act 3-27.2: Faraway Kingdom Since the problem was also directly related to the food shortage, the number of citizens couldn¡¯t be allowed to increase infinitely too. That¡¯s why it was literally impossible for foreigners to get citizenship. It was also really difficult to enter a country unless one was a citizen of an allied country or had a close relation with a native citizen. Then again, a honey-tongued individual could easily get citizenship by talking to the right people as long as no one found out about it. £¨Citizenships aside, Kuroki is trying to find a safe country for Regena and her clan as their new home. But that¡¯s rather difficult.£© Shirone knew that Kuroki was an extremely responsible person, he would make sure that nothing wrong would happen to the people he saved after he left. Even though it would¡¯ve been easier if he just left them to their own devices after he saved them, his personality prevented him from doing that. With such a personality, Kuroki would end up helping many other people too. That¡¯s why Regena and her clan had yet to leave Nargol until now. ¡¸Oh my. Since that¡¯s the case, how about having us help you solve this problem? We can do that, right Kaya?¡¹ Kaya nodded upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s question. ¡¸Yes, it should be possible for us, Milady. We¡¯re rich on top of being the Hero¡¯s companions, the Hero who received Goddess Rena¡¯s affection! Naturally almost every country will welcome us with open arms.¡¹ Regena couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon hearing that. ¡¸Uuh¡­ But, what I want is¡­ Dear Master¡­ side¡­¡¹ Regena¡¯s speech became fragmented. £¨Regena-san seems to want to stay by Kuroki¡¯s side in Nargol. But, Kuroki wants her to leave Nargol since that place is too dangerous for her. What should I do now?!£© From the way Regena spoke until now, Shirone pretty much guessed that she didn¡¯t wish to leave Nargol. Shirone started getting irritated at Kuroki who hadn¡¯t realized Regena¡¯s feelings. ¡¸Regena-san, are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life in Nargol along with the rest of your clan?¡¹ ¡¸Ugh!!¡¹ Regena groaned upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. Kaya¡¯s remark did hit Regena¡¯s sore spot. Even if she wanted to stay in Nargol, she really couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask her entire clan to live in Nargol with her too. ¡¸Well, you don¡¯t have to answer now. Just tell us when you make up your mind.¡¹ Regena didn¡¯t respond to Kyouka. She just chewed her nails, seemingly thinking about various possibilities. As they passed their time having such a conversation, voices could be heard from the outside. When Shirone opened the door, Riette¡¯s figure was already standing there. In front of Riette was a small cart filled with food. She had brought them a meal. As a matter of fact, they could¡¯ve eaten with the king if they wanted to, but they ended up deciding to have their meal in a separate location due to Regena¡¯s presence. They didn¡¯t want to cause any commotion. ¡¸I-I-I brought a meal for chyou!!¡¹ Maybe because she was too nervous, Riette ended up biting her tongue. She thenpushed the cart into the room. ¡¸Uhm¡­ That¡­¡¹ Riette fidgeted with her fingers, trying to muster up the courage to say something to Shirone and the others. In Shirone and her companions¡¯ world, Riette would be a girl in her last year of elementary school, and an extremely adorable one on top of that. £¨She¡¯s clearly scared of us. Ugh, for such an adorable child to be this scared of us makes me a bit sad.£© Shirone felt saddened upon seeing Riette¡¯s reaction to them. It seems Reiji¡¯s rampage in Algore during their last visit was still fresh in the memory of Algore¡¯s citizens. Thus, it was only natural for them to be afraid of Shirone and the others, who were Reiji¡¯s comrades. Riette served the dishes with trembling hands. The dishes were common popular dishes in this world. Turnip and beans soup, grilled chicken, and fruit. And lastly, in the corner of the cart was a small bottle, which seemingly contained fish sauce. The portions were enough for them, but quality wise, it was far below the standard of the meals they had in Velos Kingdom. The dishes were simple and didn¡¯t seem to be that delicious; it was by no means a luxurious meal. Shirone and co. didn¡¯t seem to be that surprised since they were pretty much aware that Algore was by no means a wealthy country. They might have not even visited Algore if not for Regena¡¯s matter. ¡¸W-Well¡­ I shall excuse¡­ myself.¡¹ After bidding them farewell, Riette dashed out of the room as if trying to escape from monsters. Even though Shirone wanted to talk to her more, the little girl had already left. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you going to eat with us, Regena-san? It¡¯s the dishes of your birthplace you know.¡¹ Shirone asked Regena. Since she hadn¡¯t eaten dinner last night and breakfast this morning, Shirone felt that Regena must be extremely famished right now. Just when she thought about that, an adorable sound resounded in the room. It came from Regena¡¯s stomach. It seems that her appetite had gotten stimulated after seeing the food. Hearing that, Shirone and the two other girls looked at each other and burst into laughter. ¡¸W-What¡¯s so funny! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m hungry or anything!!¡¹ Regena spoke bashfully as she pressed her stomach. ¡¸Fufu, Regena-san. I think Kuroki-san will be sad if he see you so lifeless when you reunite with him.¡¹ Kaya took out the Kuroki card. ¡¸Yeah¡­ I can¡¯t make my Dear Master sad¡­¡¹ And just as expected, Regena readily gave in when they mentioned Kuroki. £¨Really, what¡¯s so good about the hopeless Kuroki though?£© Shirone smiled wryly upon seeing Regena being so lovestruck. ¡¸What a luxurious meal¡­ As expected, uncle Montes would never dare to be rude to the Hero¡¯s little sister, even if he dislikes the whole party¡­¡¹ Regena spoke as she looked at the dishes. ¡¸Is this considered a sumptuous meal in this country?¡¹ Kyouka asked Regena. Though it might have sounded like sarcasm if it was said by another person, Regena knew that Kyouka was asking purely out of curiosity. ¡¸Yes, this is a luxurious meal for this country. We won¡¯t take out the fish sauce unless it¡¯s an extremely important occasion¡­¡¹ Regena replied while taking the small bottle of fish sauce. Generally, seasonings in this world were just salt, vinegar, and fruit oil. Fish sauce was a rare seasoning. But, in Shirone and co¡¯s knowledge, it was just rare, it didn¡¯t mean that the seasoning was hard to get. And yet, it turned out to be an extremely rare seasoning in Algore. ¡¸Honestly speaking, this is a poor country¡­ No fruit or crops could grow in this land. This place can even be considered poorer than Nargol.¡¹ ¡¸Nargol is poor?¡¹ ¡¸For humans, yes. Nevertheless, we can get amazing meals since they put some consideration for My Dear Master. The meal in this country is even poorer than the ones we get in Nargol.¡¹ Regena replied to Shirone¡¯s question. ¡¸Uhm, what does Kuroki normally eat everyday?¡¹ ¡¸My Dear Master is¡­¡¹ Regena then started a long winding talk about Kuroki. She unknowingly revealed more and more information about Kuroki that Shirone really wanted to know about. Thus, from Shirone¡¯s perspective, she got plenty of information from Regena. £¨From Regena¡¯s perspective, it seems that Kuroki is acting on his own free will. Though that Kuna girl wants to get rid of Regena, Kuroki doesn¡¯t seem to allow that. Yet, Kuroki seems to really care about that Kuna girl.£© Shirone concluded that Kuna was most likely the Demon King¡¯s child. It seems that she appeared out of nowhere someday. She also found out that Kuna always said ¡°Kuroki is mine¡±. £¨Yes, that girl must be the one who manipulated Kuroki into becoming the Dark Knight. But her control over him doesn¡¯t seem to be perfect¡­£© That was the conclusion that Shirone came up with after hearing Regena¡¯s story. £¨Things might get resolved much faster if I meet that girl rather than Kuroki. The problem is I don¡¯t know where she is right now. Might she already be in Algore?£© Shirone couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter. Just in case, Shirone and co. told the watchmen to watchout for anything that might appear in the sky. Since Kuroki had a dragon, they felt it a possibility for him to ride the dragon to Algore. Dragons were way too conspicuous, so it would be easy for them to spot it. ¡¸Now come here quickly, Kuroki¡­ I¡¯m waiting¡­¡¹ Shirone muttered so as she thought about Kuroki. Volume 3 - CH 28.1 ¡¸Those women really are like the plague. They even came with this thing.¡¹ Maxis voiced his discontent while looking at the chained werewolf in the push car. Omiros and Maxis were transporting the werewolf with a push car. The werewolf¡¯s entire body was bound by chains and couldn¡¯t move at all. At first, the werewolf was locked in the warehouse, the sturdiest building in Algore, but the manager of the warehouse came and asked them to move the werewolf to another place. Algore had no jail. There were only two kinds of punishment in Algore, either banishment, or the death penalty. The most they could provide was a temporary confinement room. But then, it was only fitting for humans, not for something with a bigger size than human, such as a demi-human. ¡¸Don¡¯t say that, Maxis. She¡¯s the little sister of the Goddess¡¯ beloved hero after all.¡¹ Omiros chided the complaining Maxis. The biggest religion in Algore was the faith of the Goddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena. Thus he felt that they had to respect the Hero¡¯s little sister as he had received the Goddess¡¯s favor. In addition, Qupis, who was hostile toward the Hero, ended up losing the Algore citizens respect, it was one of the triggers of the civil war. "" Thus, Omiros didn¡¯t want to repeat such a stupid mistake. ¡¸Why are you saying that too, Omiros? I mean look, it¡¯s because of those women that the Dark Knight and ogres are heading toward Algore. Our country might be razed to the ground by those monsters.¡¹ Omiros understood what Maxis was trying to say. Because he also knew that one of those two was enough to destroy Algore. ¡¸Maxis. We are Algore¡¯s warrior. How can you consider yourself one if you¡¯re that afraid ogres and the Dark Knight.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re overly worrying about this matter, Maxis. It¡¯s not like those girls will just sit and watch the battle unfold. Just one of them can easily defeat the Myrmidons¡­ Maxis, you were not in Velos with me so let me to tell you that those ogres are no match for those girls.¡¹ The Hero¡¯s little sister and her companions had met Omiros¡¯ father, Montes, just a while ago. Omiros remembered what the girl called Kaya told his father. ¡¸I see¡­ I guess I can¡¯t say anything in this regard, but Regena is a completely different matter.¡¹ Omiros¡¯ heart tightened upon hearing Maxis¡¯ remark. £¨As expected, that matter is already final, eh. Is there really nothing I can do for Regena?£© "" Omiros was pondering over that matter with a sad look on his face. It wasn¡¯t just limited to Maxis. Everyone shunned Regena. So many people had died by Qupis¡¯ hand. And though Regena had nothing to do with what her father did, everyone couldn¡¯t help but hate her just from the fact that she was Qupis¡¯ daughter. Thus, Omiros concluded that it might be much better for Regena to leave Algore. He was really glad upon seeing that Regena was safe and sound. Thus, he had thought it possible to take her back to Algore. All he had to do was dealing with their biggest problem, the Dark Knight. But now, seeing Algore¡¯s reaction, he knew he couldn¡¯t keep her here. Moreover, according to Regena¡¯s testimony, the Dark Knight who had saved her and her clan was an extremely kind person. Ironically enough, the ones who tried to kill her were humans just like her, while the one who saved her and brought her to Nargol was none other than the enemy of those humans, the Dark Knight. Yes, even Omiros felt that it was such an irony. Omiros who wanted Regena¡¯s happiness above all else didn¡¯t wish to affect her decision in this regard. £¨I wonder where that Dark Knight is right now. He might already be near Algore to take Regena back with him.£© Omiros and co arrived at their destination while he was pondering about such matters. The place they were heading to was an abandoned warehouse. It was originally located outside of the rampart, and repaired into a house. It was one of Qupis¡¯ clan houses. The house was the only one which was left untouched during the civil war, it was also the place where Regena was held captive. The window of the wooden house had already been smashed, of its two entrances, one had already been sealed with a plank. Humans aside, he doubted whether such a building could hold a werewolf captive, but Algore really had no other building. ¡¸Oh my, if it isn¡¯t Young Master? Another person to be sent here?¡¹ Someone who stood in front of the house greeted Omiros. He was the guard of the house. Omiros was confused as to the reason why there was a guard appointed to this house. And then, he recalled the guard¡¯s remark from before. ¡¸What do you mean by another?¡¹ Omiros asked the guard. ¡¸Ah, my bad. I forgot to tell you about this matter.¡¹ Maxis was the one who replied instead of the guard. ¡¸We captured a suspicious fella while you were guiding the Hero¡¯s little sister¡¯s group to meet uncle.¡¹ Omiros finally understood that another person was caught. ¡¸I heard that person was caught by the warriors who were sent out to see the situation of the myrmidons. According to that fella¡¯s testimony, he came from Rox Kingdom, which is located far south of this place.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously, Rox Kingdom? He came from such a faraway place? For what reason did he come this far?¡¹ Omiros knew about Rox Kingdom. In fact, it was one of the places he stopped by during his training journey. Thus, he knew that Rox Kingdom was really far from Algore. ¡¸This man insists that he¡¯s only an average traveler. That¡¯s why we restricted him just for formality due to the current situation in this place.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Omiros nodded upon hearing that. Maxis was right in this regard, they were currently in a state of emergency. Everyone was really scared of the Dark Knight and the ogres that might attack at any given moment. In addition, there was a possibility for the captive to be another spy with a bug planted in his body like Echigos. Thus, they had to restrict the traveler¡¯s movement. ¡¸Come to think of it¡­ what kind of a person is he? Is he by any chance a minstrel?¡¹ Minstrels were traveling singers who made their own songs and traveled to various places. Minstrels had always been welcomed in a place with lack of amusements such as Algore. Unfortunately, the person in question had to be restrained due to the current situation in the country. ¡¸Yeah, this man did proclaim to be a minstrel.¡¹ The one who replied was Maxis. ¡¸When we inspected his belongings, we found a musical instrument, albeit a broken one. Ah, come to think of it. He was also carrying something awesome with him.¡¹ After saying so, Maxis took the thing lying flat beside the guard. ¡¸Take a look.¡¹ Omiros took the thing given by Maxis. ¡¸A shield?¡¹ It was a round shield. The shield had a gem embedded in it, it was obviously a high quality shield. And then, he finally noticed something about that shield. ¡¸This shield¡­ is an enchanted shield!!!¡¹ Omiros couldn¡¯t hide his shock. The shield let out a faint light despite not reflecting the sunlight. It was certainly a splendid armament. Enchanted shields weren¡¯t something you could easily come by. Though the quality of the enchanted shield was obviously lower than the one owned by Shirone and co, it was still a splendid armament for Algore¡¯s standard. Humans couldn¡¯t make enchanted shields, thus it was obviously a dwarven made shield. But then, even the dwarves couldn¡¯t make gears without materials. That¡¯s why only a limited number of people had enchanted shields. ¡¸Take this, Omiros. You might need this shield for your fight against the Dark Knight or the ogres.¡¹ Omiros pondered for a while upon hearing Maxis¡¯ remark. He knew that Maxis was being realistic. He might face the greatest fight in his life today. That¡¯s why having a splendid enchanted weapon would raise his chance to survive the battle. But¡­ ¡¸No, we can¡¯t just take this, Maxis. We cannot tarnish our pride as warriors. This shield should be returned to its owner.¡¹ Omiros rejected Maxis¡¯ suggestion. £¨We shouldn¡¯t take someone else¡¯s possession no matter how difficult our situation is.£© Omiros had seen several countries that were destroyed by goblins or orcs along his journey. Upon witnessing such tragedies, he then understood that he shouldn¡¯t steal someone else¡¯s possessions as they might really need it at some point. And his feelings hadn¡¯t changed even now. ¡¸I see¡­ well it really can¡¯t be helped if you say so.¡¹ Maxis shrugged his shoulders, giving up in trying to convince Omiros. ¡¸Let¡¯s return this shield to its owner. Please open the door, I want to meet the owner of this shield.¡¹ ¡¸Understood, Prince.¡¹ The guard followed Omiros¡¯ order and opened the door. The inside of the house was empty, all furniture in the house had been taken out. Thereupon, Omiros could easily locate the minstrel, and possibly the owner of the shield, sitting in the corner of the room. The minstrel stood up upon noticing the figure of Omiros and co entering the house. ¡¸My deepest apologies for causing such troubles in your travel.¡¹ Omiros bowed his head to the minstrel as he expressed his apology for their treatment towards him. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, please raise your head, Your Highness. You¡¯re not the one to be blamed, I just came during such an unfortunate timing.¡¹ The minstrel surprisingly let go of the matter with ease. Volume 3 - CH 28.2 Act 3-28.2: Minstrel 1 Omiros wondered how the minstrel knew that he was the prince. ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹ When Omiros raised his head, his eyes met the minstrel¡¯s eyes. The other party was a young man around Omiros¡¯ age. He had black hair and a well-ordered face. Upon a closer look, he discovered that the minstrel might be even more handsome than Parsish. The minstrel¡¯s only flaw was that he was far less conspicuous than Parsish, and other handsome men at that. His clothes were very common, ones you could find anywhere. The minstrel would have been able to even impersonate a beautiful woman if he had put on a proper beautiful dress, that was how beautiful he was, but he instead chose to wear something so plain. Omiros couldn¡¯t really guess the identity of the other party. But, he decided to return his luggage first. ¡¸Return his luggage to him.¡¹ Hearing Omiros¡¯ urging, the guard then returned the luggage and musical instrument to the minstrel. The minstrel took his luggage and the musical instrument. ¡¸And this one too¡­¡¹ Omiros returned the shield in his hand back to its owner. But, the minstrel didn¡¯t take back his shield. ¡¸That shield is for you, Your Highness.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸Eh?!¡¹¡¹¡¹ Omiros and the others couldn¡¯t hide their shock upon hearing that. ¡¸Something bad is about to happen right? Since that¡¯s the case, that shield might be able to help you.¡¹ ¡¸Did you overhear our conversation?¡¹ Omiros instantly understood the reason why the minstrel knew that he was a prince. It¡¯s not like the wall of the house was made to be soundproof either. Thus, he concluded that the minstrel had overheard the conversation outside of the house. The minstrel just smiled wryly as he scratched the back of his head. ¡¸I appreciate your concern, but no, I cannot accept such a precious thing¡­¡¹ Omiros knew very well the value of an enchanted armament. It wasn¡¯t something that could be bought with a small sum. Moreover, the minstrel clearly stated that he was giving him the shield, not lending it to him, which made the situation become even more incomprehensible. ¡¸You should be the one to use that shield, Your Highness. Just consider it as one of your life-saving armaments. And please use that shield to protect those who you hold dear.¡¹ Yet, the minstrel kept refusing to take it back. £¨Just who in the world is this minstrel?£© Omiros wondered as he looked at the minstrel. But, he couldn¡¯t see through the minstrel¡¯s smiling face for some reason. ¡¸Just take it, Omiros! Never expected that you would be such a good guy! Come with us, we¡¯re going to treat you to some bean dishes!!¡¹ Maxis said so while patting the minstrel¡¯s shoulder. Omiros even wondered whether it was really okay to give bean dishes to the minstrel, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since bean dishes were the staple in Algore. ¡¸Oh right. We¡¯re going to put the werewolf in this house. That¡¯s why you should come with us. Allow us to show our gratitude for the shield.¡¹ Both Omiros and Maxis offered a meal to the minstrel. Yes, the minstrel was shrouded in too many mysteries. But as Maxis had said, he should at least show his gratitude to him. ¡¸No, I shall stay in this place. Something bad is about to happen after all.¡¹ And yet, the minstrel refused the two¡¯s invitation for a meal. ¡¸But, this place is going to be used to imprison a werewolf.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re restraining the werewolf after all¡­ In addition, I want to talk to the werewolf too.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹ Omiros thought that the minstrel was quite a peculiar person for trying to have a chat with the werewolf. But, Omiros knew that most minstrels were extremely curious people. Thus, he judged that the minstrel¡¯s curiosity was normal. ¡¸No need to worry.¡¹ The minstrel tried to convince Omiros. ¡¸Hee. You¡¯re quite a peculiar person for trying to have a chat with a werewolf. I¡¯ll tell my little sister to send you a meal later.¡¹ Maxis laughed heartily. He spoke instead of Omiros who didn¡¯t say anything. Omiros had decided to stay silent in fear of being rude towards the kind minstrel. ¡¸Come to think of it, what¡¯s your name?¡¹ Maxis asked. The minstrel pondered for a few seconds upon hearing that question. ¡¸My name is Kuro.¡¹ Omiros thought the minstrel¡¯s name was quite unusual. He had never heard the name Kuro before. Though the other party said that he came from Rox Kingdom, he might actually have been born from an even further country. ¡¸Kuro, that¡¯s quite an unusual name.¡¹ ¡¸Maxis!!¡¹ Omiros stopped Maxis from saying any further rude remarks. ¡¸Please forgive his rude remarks, Kuro-dono.¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ Kuro replied while waving his hand casually. ¡¸By the way, Your Highness. I heard some rumors that the hero Parsish is residing in this country¡­ is that true?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, do you want to meet Parsish?¡¹ It was common sense that minstrels liked hearing heroic stories. Parsish was an appropriate man to be hailed as a hero. His name even resounded in neighboring countries due to the might he displayed in the battle against the goblins. Thus, it was no wonder that this minstrel wanted to learn about him to sing songs about his heroic stories, at least that¡¯s what Omiros thought. ¡¸Yes, Parsish does in fact reside in this country. Unfortunately he¡¯s away right now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹ Kuro looked slightly dejected upon hearing that. ¡¸Hahaha, Kuro-dono actually wanted to give this shield to Parsish, right? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give this shield to Parsish once he returns. I mean, an enchanted armament such as this shield is more suited for a hero like him. Parsish, whose strength is above mine, might be able to use this shield much better than me.¡¹ ¡¸N-NO! YOU CAN¡¯T DO THAT, YOUR HIGHNESS! YOU MUST NOT GIVE THIS SHIELD TO PARSISH! THIS SHIELD IS FOR YOU!¡¹ Suddenly, Kuro got flustered and stopped Omiros from giving the shield to Parsish later. He was so flustered to the point that his composure from before looked like a lie. ¡¸Eh? O-Okay, I¡¯ll do as you say¡­¡¹ Omiros was forced to agree due to the pressure emanating from Kuro. "" ¡¸Ah, sorry, Your Highness. I ended up startling you.¡¹ Kuro suddenly snapped out of it and apologized to Omiros with a smile on his face. £¨Seriously, just who in the world is this minstrel?£© Even after his self-introduction, Omiros still couldn¡¯t help but ponder about the other party¡¯s identity. ¡¸Well Kuro-dono. We shall excuse ourselves then.¡¹ Omiros finally left, thinking that he had spent a bit too much time than he expected to talk with Kuro the minstrel. He couldn¡¯t waste any more time since he had to strengthen the country¡¯s defenses before the invasion of the Dark Knight or the ogres. ¡¸Ah, my apologies for wasting your precious time too, Your Highness.¡¹ Kuro, who realized that he made Omiros waste his precious time on him rather than arrange the defenses of Algore, apologized to Omiros. Thus, Omiros and co left the house. ¡¸Maxis, what¡¯s your impression about Kuro-dono?¡¹ Omiros tried to ask Maxis once they got out of the house. ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ My gut keeps telling me that he ain¡¯t an ordinary person.¡¹ ¡¸As expected, you felt it too, ¡¹ Omiros nodded upon hearing that. Maxis had noticed too that the minstrel called Kuro was by no means an ordinary person. ¡¸But, ain¡¯t he a good guy for giving that shield to you?¡¹ But then, he also praised Kuro. ¡¸Well, sure, he doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad guy, but¡­ He¡¯s way too suspicious.¡¹ ¡¸What shall we do then? Shall we bring him to those girls? They might be able to check whether he has a bug in his body.¡¹ ¡¸No, let¡¯s not do that. I don¡¯t think we should go that far.¡¹ Omiros refused Maxis¡¯ suggestion. Kuro was definitely a suspicious person. They should have of course reported him to Kyouka and the other girls. That was the measure they had agreed upon to deal with the spies sent by the ogres. Yet, Omiros still decided to not proceed with that measure. Kuro was way too suspicious to be a spy sent from the ogres. Rather it felt like he was even more powerful for some reason. Moreover, if the ogres really wanted to send a spy, using Algore¡¯s native was much more efficient. It would have definitely been a more reasonable solution. There was no reason for the ogres to use an outsider when Omiros and co had already found out about the bug, it would be too counterproductive. That¡¯s what Omiros said to Maxis to convince him that Kuro was not a spy sent by the ogres. ¡¸I see¡­ If you say so. I guess I have nothing to say about this. Let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Omiros and Maxis walked towards the palace. The night was about to come. Volume 3 - CH 29 Act 3-29: Minstrel 2 ¡¸I somehow managed to meet the person I wanted to meet¡­¡¹ Kuroki heaved a sigh of relief. He had disguised himself as a minstrel to infiltrate Algore in order to meet Omiros. He wanted to know what kind of person Omiros was. He was really relieved upon knowing that Omiros was truly a kind person. He now knew that he could entrust Regena to him. Thus, he gave him the enchanted shield made by Dario the dwarf. But of course, not all went according to his plan. He never expected that he would be captured the moment he arrived in Algore. If they had decided to send him over to Shirone and the other girls, he would have probably had to escape right away. Kuroki touched his broken musical instrument. It was a harp that he used for these sorts of occasions. ¡¸I heard that I could enter this country easily if I¡¯m a minstrel, and yet¡­¡¹ Kuroki heard from Regena¡¯s wet-nurse that he could enter the country much more easily as a minstrel. Thus he had decided to disguise himself as one when going to Algore. He could¡¯ve of course used his invisibility magic to simplify the process, but he wanted to meet Omiros and understand his personality through an interaction. Omiros¡¯ real personality would¡¯ve been hard to figure out if he had decided to sneak around. As a result, though he ended up being captured, he achieved his goal to gauge Omiros¡¯ personality. The only thing left was for him to get rid of Goz, who was masquerading as Parsish, and confirm Regena¡¯s will. But, this was easier said than done since Goz was now away, and Shirone and co were always staying by Regena¡¯s side. £¨Goz¡¯s aim is most probably to kidnap Regena when Shirone and co¡¯s attention focuses on me. I have to prepare another countermeasure¡­£© Kuroki was thinking about how to solve the Goz problem. He then started thinking about Kuna. "" Kuna had left after saying that she would do something about Shirone and the others. Kuroki had no idea where she went, but he somehow had a bad premonition about it. Yet, he felt that the matter between Kuna and Shirone wasn¡¯t something that he could interrupt. He could only prevent the two from going too far, but he was afraid that when that happens he wouldn¡¯t be able to act when Parsish made his move. If both these things happen at the same time, it would be a disaster, he needed to add an extra layer of protection for Regena, and Omiros was the most suited person to do the job. Kuroki wanted Regena to forget about the past, settle it, and move on. But, helping from the side was all he could do for her. Thus, he could only entrust the job to Omiros, which is why he gave him the shield. In the first place, that shield was something he had originally prepared for Regena for when she left. Thus, he didn¡¯t see any problem in entrusting it to Omiros. Moreover, Kuroki was adamant to make sure to remove as many obstacles as possible for the pair. After much thought, Kuroki started looking at the werewolf, who was chained by his side. £¨I heard about this werewolf from the guards¡¯ conversation, but he should be those ogres¡¯ comrade. And, for some unknown reason, the ogres are targeting Shirone and the other girls. I wonder what happened between them?£© The werewolf was bound with numerous chains. The ogres might become an unexpected obstacle for Regena and the others. Thus, Kuroki unfastened the chain around the werewolf¡¯s mouth to make him spit out all the information he knew about the ogres. ¡¸KUHA!! UNTIE ME, NOW!! IN DOING SO, I¡¯LL AT LEAST SPARE YOUR LIFE!!¡¹ The werewolf, who could speak again, was taking deep breaths while ordering Kuroki to free him. ¡¸Eeh, sorry¡­ I only want to know about the ogre called Kujig.¡¹ Kuroki apologized to the werewolf as he asked. ¡¸HAAH! DON¡¯T F*CKING SCREW WITH ME! RELEASE ME, NOW!!!¡¹ And yet, the werewolf ignored Kuroki¡¯s question and tried to force him to untie him. £¨I guess he won¡¯t speak if I ask him normally. He said that he would spare my life and yet, he keeps releasing his killing intent toward me. It seems he never had any intention to keep his promise.£© Kuroki heaved a sigh. Gentle methods wouldn¡¯t work on the werewolf. ¡¸I have no other choice I guess¡­¡¹ Kuroki placed his hand on the werewolf¡¯s head, and invoked a spell. He actually didn¡¯t wish to use such a forceful method. Fear magic. Just like charm magic, it was the type of magic that manipulated the other party¡¯s mind. Those who were exposed to fear magic would feel an indescribable sense of fear toward the caster. Thus, Kuroki left this magic as the last resort. Manipulating someone else¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t a good thing, even if the other party was his opponent. But depending on the situation, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use this hateful magic. ¡¸Y-Y¡­ You¡­ Are¡­¡¹ The magic was working, resulting in the werewolf to tremble in fear, his eyes and mouth wide open. ¡¸Now, can you first tell me your name?¡¹ ¡¸D-¡­ Daigan! O Dreadful One!¡¹ ¡¸So, Daigan. Will you pledge your allegiance to me?¡¹ ¡¸Y-YEEEEEEEEEEES!!¡¹ ¡¸Then, Daigan. You know what you have to te-¡­¡¹ Just when Kuroki was about to extract the information from Daigan, the door suddenly opened. ¡¸Meals are here.¡¹ A ten year old girl entered the house. The girl was pushing a cart with two plates on it. ¡¸Thank you, little miss.¡¹ Kuroki expressed his gratitude toward the little girl. Yet, he hadn¡¯t fished the information out of Daigan due to her appearance, so he really wished for her to leave as soon as she placed the meal for them. The meal brought by the girl was bean soup. Lacking the land to cultivate, beans were the only thing that could be grown within the sphere of the fortress, thus becoming a staple food in Algore and many other countries in the world. Kuroki had eaten such dishes many times before. The beans of this world had large grains and were easy to cultivate. He even heard that some breeds could grow so high till they reached the cloud. ¡¸Beans again. I actually prefer me¨C¡¹ Maybe because he had guessed it was bean soup from its smell, but Daigan muttered such a rude remark right in front of the one who brought them food. Thus, Kuroki glared at Daigan. ¡¸¨CBut forget it, beans are good. I LOVE BEAN DISHES!!¡¹ Daigan, who was scared sh*tless of Kuroki, changed his remark immediately. ¡¸Wolves are carnivores though¡­ how can you say that you love beans?¡¹ The girl said so with a dumbfounded look on her face. Then, she suddenly started sitting down in front of them. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Kuroki tilted his head in confusion upon seeing her action. The girl was staying inside instead of leaving the house. ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re a minstrel right? Can you sing something?! The song of the minstrel that came before you was interesting. Uncle must have something to sing too, right?!¡¹ The girl was looking at Kuroki with eyes full of expectation. £¨Come to think of it, I am masquerading as a minstrel. But, uncle huh¡­ Well, I might look like an uncle from the perspective of a girl as young as her.£© Kuroki was saddened a little bit by the fact that he was called uncle. A minstrel¡¯s song was a tale of some event that was matched with music. The songs were usually about tales of love, heroes, or the myths of this world. The only problem was that Kuroki had always gotten extremely low scores in music¡ªhe was most probably tone deaf. ¡¸My bad¡­ I can¡¯t sing a song for you right now since my musical instrument was damaged during my journey by monsters.¡¹ Kuroki said so while looking at his broken harp. Naturally, that was a lie. Even if it wasn¡¯t broken, he would use other lies to not sing. But, he specifically brought a broken harp in order to have a simple cover-up story. Kuroki just needed to show his broken harp if anyone asked him to sing a song. ¡¸E~h, bori~ng! Everyone is so busy and no one wants to play with me¡­ Hey, can you at least tell me a story?¡¹ Kuroki was bewildered by the words spoken by the girl. He actually wanted to put the girl to sleep with magic but he hesitated to use magic on such a young girl. ¡¸Uhm, you¡¯re right¡­ Then, how about I tell you about thunder dragon who lives in the sea of clouds¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sea of clouds? Dragon? What¡¯s that? Tell me please!!¡¹ The girl¡¯s eyes were gleaming. Before the fiasco in Velos, Kuroki had gone to visit the sea of clouds located in the southeast of Nargol with Kuna. There was land in the sea of clouds with numerous thunder dragons inhabiting it. Kuroki had received the power of a thunder dragon in that place. As such, he told her his story with a slightly dramatized twist. ¡¸Eh, no way. You received powers from a dragon. That¡¯s so cool!!!¡¹ Naturally, the girl thought that this story of him visiting that place was a lie. In the first place, it wasn¡¯t a place that a normal human could visit. So of course, she understood that this was a made-up story. But, she still decided to enjoy it. £¨YEAH!!£© Kuroki made a gut pose in his mind upon seeing the girl enjoying his story. He was proud of himself for managing to cheer her up since she looked so depressed a while ago. ¡¸Tell me more, uncle!¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­¡¹ Just when Kuroki was wondering what tale he should tell her next, Daigan suddenly started to look restless. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Werewolf-san?¡¹ The girl asked Daigan. ¡¸This smell! Those ogres are coming!!¡¹ Daigan shouted. ¡¸Come to think of it, there¡¯s a sweet smell¡­¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it¡­¡¹ She was right, he did smell a sweet scent since a while ago. Daigan, who had a sharper sense of smell, detected it before the other two. £¨Dammit, I got distracted since she looked like she was really enjoying the stories.£© Kuroki stood up. He decided to make his move. ¡ô ¡¸What the heck? There¡¯s a moving castle moving towards our direction.¡¹ Shirone approached the window and looked outside. Since the outside was bright thanks to the cloudless sky, it was possible to see far away. As such, she had spotted something huge approaching under the moonlight. ¡¸Is that the sweet castle?¡¹ Shirone nodded upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s question. Shirone and co had gotten extremely good eyesight after arriving in this world. The castle was still far away but they still knew it was a castle. ¡¸Maybe that¡¯s ogre Kujig¡¯s castle. Sure enough, according to the story, the wall is made from lebkuchen, the roof is made from all kinds of sweets, and the windows are made from transparent sugar. Though I have no idea about the type of sweets we can find in this world, but those sweets do resemble the ones we have in our world.¡¹ Kaya started to explain. Lebkuchen was a type of cake made with orange & lemon peels, spices, and honey. Shirone had once heard that Kujig would make the lebkuchen in her sweet castle. ¡¸What is that?! Are ants carrying the castle?!¡¹ It was just as Kyouka had said, there were a lot of myrmidons carrying the sweet castle, as if they were carrying a portable shrine. The sweet castle came until it was close to Algore, and then stopped. Shirone focused her eyes on it after it came close. The spire was made from cream, the windows made from various kinds of pastries, the walls made from sweets that resembled the lebkuchen, and various forms of lanterns were lighting the inside of the sweet castle under the moonlight. Another light appeared from one of the spires. The light distorted and formed some sort of screen. It was image magic, and that image magic was showing someone¡¯s figure. Shirone knew the person in that image. ¡¸KUNA-SAMA?!!¡¹ "" Regena, who saw the image just like Shirone and the others, shouted the name of the woman in that image. Yes, it was just as Regena had said. The person reflected in the image was the silver-haired girl that Shirone saw back in Velos. £¨How did she get into the ogres¡¯ castle? Could it be that she is working together with the ogres?!£© Upon a closer look, Shirone did find the figures of the ogres standing at the edge of the image, which confirmed her suspicion about the silver witch being in cahoot with the ogres. ¡¸GET THE HELL OUT HERE, SHIRONE! FIGHT KUNA! DON¡¯T BLAME KUNA FOR ORDERING THESE ANTS TO DESTROY THAT COUNTRY IF YOU CHICKEN OUT!!¡¹ Kuna challenged Shirone, and just as she said, the myrmidons around the castle were ready to invade the country. ¡¸It¡¯s a challenge for you, Shirone-san.¡¹ Kyouka said as she looked at Shirone. ¡¸Indeed¡­ Well I do want to talk with Kuroki, but I want to talk with that girl too!¡¹ Shirone drew her sword from its scabbard as she declared so. ¡¸It¡¯s way too dangerous to go by yourself, Shirone-sama.¡¹ ¡¸DON¡¯T WORRY, KAYA-SAN! I¡¯LL RUN IF THINGS GET TOO DANGEROUS! RATHER THAN THAT, PLEASE HELP ME STOP KUROKI WHEN HE ARRIVES!!¡¹ Kaya failed to stop Shirone who leapt from the window along with those words. She unleashed her wings and flew straight toward the sweet castle. Seeing that, the myrmidons also unleashed their wings, trying to stop Shirone. ¡¸OUT OF MY WAY!!¡¹ Shirone sent a single slash, bringing down the myrmidons. ¡¸BRING IT ON, SILVER WITCH!!!¡¹ Shirone raised a war cry as she headed straight toward the sweet castle. Volume 3 - CH 30.1 Act 3-30.1: Wacky Battle in The Sweet Castle 1 ¡¸W-WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING HERE?!! WHY IS THE ONE ATTACKING KUNA WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE OGRES?!!¡¹ Kuroki was speechless, he suddenly got a really bad premonition. When he came out upon hearing that the ogres were coming from Daigan, he ended up seeing the image of Kuna challenging Shirone, followed by the spectacle of Shirone flying toward the Sweet Castle a few seconds later. Kuroki was completely unprepared for this kind of development. ¡¸Crap, I¡¯m too late to stop them¡­ The two of them have probably already started fighting.¡¹ Kuroki jumped up, and transformed into his Dark Knight form to go after Shirone. ¡¸What the?!¡¹ Just when he was about to go over the rampart to chase Shirone. Kuroki twisted his body as he felt an incoming attack from his blindspot. A figure appeared in front of him, blocking his path. Kuroki quickly descended to the ground. Following that, the one who blocked his path also descended from the air. The identity of the other party was a girl of Kuroki¡¯s age. Kuroki had seen her before. £¨Her name is Kaya.£© Kaya glared with a cold, piercing gaze toward Kuroki. ¡¸I never expected you to have already infiltrated this place. You planned to use that Silver-Haired girl as a decoy to draw our attention while you go to save Regena, right? Unfortunately for you, I¡¯m here exactly to always keep an eye on you and block you.¡¹ Kaya spoke while pointing her fist toward Kuroki. £¨Uh, that¡¯s a huge misunderstanding though.£© Kuroki was flustered. He had to go as fast as possible to stop Kuna and Shirone. ¡¸Your actions are a bit strange. You seem to have some degree of freedom, so why are you serving under the Demon King?¡¹ Kaya asked Kuroki with a sharp voice. ¡¸Ehm, how should I say¡­¡¹ ¡¸THE DEMON KING IS THE SOURCE OF ALL HUMAN SUFFERING! HAVE YOU NOT THOUGHT OF THAT AT ALL?!!¡¹ Kaya spoke with an enraged voice. "" ¡¸Y-You¡¯re mistaken. The Demon King has no intention to make humans suffer. In the first place, how can he make humans suffer when he never even leaves Nargol?¡¹ Kuroki retorted since Modes got slandered. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s true that the Demon King never leaves Nargol. But, the monsters are still attacking humans. Isn¡¯t that the same as him directly tormenting human beings?¡¹ ¡¸The Demon King never gave such orders though¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ordering his subordinates should be a simple matter for him¡­ Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s way too irresponsible? Why isn¡¯t he controlling the monsters even though he can do that? He¡¯s only causing more suffering by doing nothing.¡¹ Kuroki couldn¡¯t say anything when Kaya asked that question. Not all monsters in this world were Modes¡¯ subordinates. He could give such a reply, but he really couldn¡¯t say anything back when Kaya said that monsters weren¡¯t regulated properly, because Modes did have the capability of ruling most monsters in the world. The only reason he didn¡¯t do that was because there was no reason to do so. Kuroki also felt that Modes had the power to control monsters. The same goes for Elios. Elios¡¯ Gods had the power to control humans. Yet, they didn¡¯t use that on humans. If he had to guess the reason, it would be because doing that was troublesome. For example, if a human committed a crime, the God who ruled over that human would be blamed. In the end, imposing control on humans would make humans no different from robots. Should Modes use his authority to prevent monsters from attacking humans? Why should he do that? He didn¡¯t exist for humans. The fact that he didn¡¯t feel like harming humans was already generous enough. Modes had only a simple wish. He wanted to protect the place where he lived with his wife. Though that reason sounds too egoistic for someone hailed as the Demon King of Nargol, someone who lived outside of Nargol didn¡¯t have the right to criticize him. But still, Kuroki knew why Kaya thought that way. £¨Maybe I would¡¯ve said the same thing as her if I had been summoned by Rena instead of Modes.£© Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter. But, there was no changing things, Kuroki was summoned by the monster side instead of the human side. Though he wouldn¡¯t go as far as declaring himself as humanity¡¯s enemy, he simply just couldn¡¯t see the humans of this world¡¯s perspective. ¡¸My bad about that, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing that he didn¡¯t regulate the monsters¡­ That¡¯s why I have no intention to listen to your claim.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ Then, let¡¯s go back to my first question. Why are you taking the Demon King¡¯s side? Is there any merit in you following him? Or else, is it because of that Silver-Haired Girl?¡¹ Kuroki nodded as if confirming Kaya¡¯s suspicion. Kuna was the reward Kuroki received for working under Modes. He decided to become Modes¡¯ ally because the latter promised him a beautiful girl. £¨The Silver-Haired girl, she must be referring to Kuna. Surely, I chose to side with the Demon King due to Kuna.£© Kuroki¡¯s wish was as simple as Modes¡¯ wish. Kuroki recalled the spectacle he saw back in the Holy Dragon King¡¯s mountain. Reiji and co seemed to really enjoy the fact that they beat him to pulp. £¨I¡¯m so envious of them dammit.£© Kuroki cried under his helmet. He did not have any allies when he had just arrived in this world. Modes and Nut were a different case. But, what Kuroki really wanted was to enjoy traveling with someone like Reiji and co. He wanted to have an important comrade who could support him and love him while he supported them and loved them back. And of course, it would be best if the comrade was a beautiful girl. His wish came true in the form of a beautiful Silver-Haired girl called Kuna. (I wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet Kuna if I hadn¡¯t come to this world. I would definitely be alone by myself if I had stayed in my original world. That¡¯s why I¡¯m truly cherishing my time with Kuna.£© Kuroki¡¯s face formed a wide grin under his helmet as he recalled his adventures with Kuna. Yes, nothing can beat the pleasure of traveling with a beautiful girl. ¡¸Indeed¡­¡¹ Kuroki replied to Kaya. ¡¸So that¡¯s your answer? So that girl is really the cause. Then, the only way to bring you back is to defeat that Silver-Haired girl called Kuna.¡¹ Kuroki felt dark emotions swell within him the moment he heard Kaya¡¯s remark. Volume 3 - CH 30.2 Act 3-30.2: Wacky Battle in The Sweet Castle 1 ¡¸Sorry, but¡­ I won¡¯t let you do that.¡¹ Kuroki stepped forward as he spoke. Seeing that, Kaya retreated as she readied her stance. Kuroki had no idea from where in the world they got the idea that they would be able to bring him back if they defeated Kuna. All he knew is that he wouldn¡¯t let anyone hurt her. Thus, he started fighting back. He would remain as the Demon King¡¯s ally as long as Kuna was with him. £¨I don¡¯t care if I have to work for the Demon King, as long as I can fulfill my wish. Yes, I don¡¯t care at all¡­£© Kuroki already had such a resolution. He didn¡¯t have the leisure to play along with Kaya¡¯s game right now. He had to go to the Sweet Castle as soon as possible, and to do that, he had to defeat the woman who stood in his way. ¡¸Enough with the chit-chat! I¡¯ll push my way through even if I have to beat you!¡¹ Kuroki declared so as he walked toward Kaya. ¡ô Shirone, who broke through the window panels, which were covered with glass-like transparent sugar, had finally entered the biggest spire in the Sweet Castle. "" The place she arrived in was a bedroom. In there was a king-sized bed complete with a canopy. When she tried to touch the futon, it felt soft like cotton candy; the whole bed felt like mochi. £¨Isn¡¯t this similar to Lokums, which I tasted back when Reiji invited us to his house?£© Shirone couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter. Lokum was a type of sweet made from starch and sugar, and seeing the scene before her, she realized that the same kind of sweet seemed to exist in this world too. Though she wanted to try the bed, she didn¡¯t have the leeway to do so; now wasn¡¯t the time to taste some sweets. £¨This is probably the room of this castle¡¯s Lord. Since that¡¯s the case, the room below this must be the throne room, the room in which that girl has been waiting.£© Shirone walked across the floor that was made from cookies. She encountered patrolling Myrmidons as she descended to the lower floor. Upon a closer look at the Myrmidons, she realized that they were a combination of human and ant. Shirone felt that they looked rather similar to the ant soldiers outside the castle. The Myrmidons readied the spears in their hands, and rushed toward Shirone. ¡¸OUT OF MY WAY!¡¹ Shirone engulfed her sword with blue flame, and advanced while mowing down each Myrmidon that came toward her. The inside of the castle was illuminated with lanterns made from candy modeled after animals. She kept moving forward along the marbled passage made from sugar. A short time later, she left from a gate decorated with cream and baked cake. She guessed that the person she was looking for might be on the other side of this gate. Shirone closed her eyes, focusing her senses, and felt the presence of several giants inside. It was definitely the presence of ogres. They planned to ambush Shirone. But, Shirone ignored them and boldly opened the gate. ¡¸KORYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ ¡¸DEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Two ogres hiding in the shadow of the door rushed at once toward Shirone. Naturally, Shirone had already predicted that. Shirone dodged the ambush easily, and swung her sword. The two ogres were immediately slashed, their bodies cleanly separated in two, as they died instantly. ¡¸ZAIG! RETSUG!!¡¹ ¡¸HOW DARE YOU KILL MY BROTHERS!!!¡¹ The remaining ogres glared at Shirone. But, Shirone ignored them since they were a trivial existence for her. Her eyes were looking straight. To the giant throne located in the inner part of the vast room. The beautiful throne was decorated with various sweets, and a short girl was sitting on that throne. Though the girl¡¯s stature was too small when compared to the sheer size of the throne, her attitude was really cocky. The Silver Witch, Kuna. There was no way that Shirone would forget that name. She was the one who manipulated Kuroki! £¨I¡¯ve met her once before in Velos, but upon a closer look, she really is a beautiful girl¡­£© Shirone looked at Kuna. She wore a dark blue-colored dress which was endowed with silver accessories. The purple-colored barrette she wore had further enhanced the charm of her silver hair. Kuna didn¡¯t say anything and just looked in silence at Shirone. ¡¸WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! SHE¡¯S LOOKING AT KUNA-SAMA! QUICKLY KILL THAT HUMAN!¡¹ The other ogres followed the female ogre¡¯s orders and charged at once toward Shirone. They were equipped with various weapons such as axes, swords, and spears. And all of them were enchanted weapons. Shirone twisted her body to dodge the incoming spear thrust from the ogre, and swung her sword, bisecting the ogre in an instant. She then charged toward the three other ogres who were coming toward her. She dodged the attack from the sword-wielding ogre with simple footwork and parried the attack from the axe-wielding ogre with her sword, then charged toward the third ogre. And then, in an instant, she jumped, spinning her body in mid-air, and slashing the three ogres to death. Finally, the only ones who were alive were Kuna and the female ogre. ¡¸HOW DARE YOU! TAKE THIS!!¡¹ The female ogre raised both her hands and fired something like black mist from her palm. ¡¸Take this, BLAST INSECT!!¡¹ Tiny insects came out of the ogre¡¯s hands, heading toward Shirone. ¡¸THESE THINGS CAN¡¯T STOP ME!!¡¹ Shirone spread her wings, and fired its feather like arrows to knock down the insects. The knocked down insects vanished along with the small explosions. ¡¸HOW ABOUT THIS!!¡¹ Electricity ran along the female ogre¡¯s hands. ¡¸O THUNDER SNAKE, STRANGLE MINE ENEMY!!¡¹ The electricity around her arms turned into a snake, and charged toward Shirone. ¡¸HEYA!!¡¹ Shirone raised a warcry, slashing at the electric snake with her sword. ¡¸HERE, MY RETURN GIFT! LIGHTNING BLADE!!¡¹ ¡¸WUT!!¡¹ The ogre raised a shocked exclamation. The lightning snake got absorbed by Shirone¡¯s sword. ¡¸HAAA!!!¡¹ Shirone swung her sword along with a yell. The lightning strike went straight and struck the ogre. ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE! THIS KUJIG~~~!¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, but¡­ I won¡¯t let you do that.¡¹ Kuroki stepped forward as he spoke. Seeing that, Kaya retreated as she readied her stance. Kuroki had no idea from where in the world they got the idea that they would be able to bring him back if they defeated Kuna. All he knew is that he wouldn¡¯t let anyone hurt her. Thus, he started fighting back. He would remain as the Demon King¡¯s ally as long as Kuna was with him. £¨I don¡¯t care if I have to work for the Demon King, as long as I can fulfill my wish. Yes, I don¡¯t care at all¡­£© Kuroki already had such a resolution. He didn¡¯t have the leisure to play along with Kaya¡¯s game right now. He had to go to the Sweet Castle as soon as possible, and to do that, he had to defeat the woman who stood in his way. ¡¸Enough with the chit-chat! I¡¯ll push my way through even if I have to beat you!¡¹ Kuroki declared so as he walked toward Kaya. ¡ô Shirone, who broke through the window panels, which were covered with glass-like transparent sugar, had finally entered the biggest spire in the Sweet Castle. "" The place she arrived in was a bedroom. In there was a king-sized bed complete with a canopy. When she tried to touch the futon, it felt soft like cotton candy; the whole bed felt like mochi. £¨Isn¡¯t this similar to Lokums, which I tasted back when Reiji invited us to his house?£© Shirone couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter. Lokum was a type of sweet made from starch and sugar, and seeing the scene before her, she realized that the same kind of sweet seemed to exist in this world too. Though she wanted to try the bed, she didn¡¯t have the leeway to do so; now wasn¡¯t the time to taste some sweets. £¨This is probably the room of this castle¡¯s Lord. Since that¡¯s the case, the room below this must be the throne room, the room in which that girl has been waiting.£© Shirone walked across the floor that was made from cookies. She encountered patrolling Myrmidons as she descended to the lower floor. Upon a closer look at the Myrmidons, she realized that they were a combination of human and ant. Shirone felt that they looked rather similar to the ant soldiers outside the castle. The Myrmidons readied the spears in their hands, and rushed toward Shirone. ¡¸OUT OF MY WAY!¡¹ Shirone engulfed her sword with blue flame, and advanced while mowing down each Myrmidon that came toward her. The inside of the castle was illuminated with lanterns made from candy modeled after animals. She kept moving forward along the marbled passage made from sugar. A short time later, she left from a gate decorated with cream and baked cake. She guessed that the person she was looking for might be on the other side of this gate. Shirone closed her eyes, focusing her senses, and felt the presence of several giants inside. It was definitely the presence of ogres. They planned to ambush Shirone. But, Shirone ignored them and boldly opened the gate. ¡¸KORYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ ¡¸DEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Two ogres hiding in the shadow of the door rushed at once toward Shirone. Naturally, Shirone had already predicted that. Shirone dodged the ambush easily, and swung her sword. The two ogres were immediately slashed, their bodies cleanly separated in two, as they died instantly. ¡¸ZAIG! RETSUG!!¡¹ ¡¸HOW DARE YOU KILL MY BROTHERS!!!¡¹ The remaining ogres glared at Shirone. But, Shirone ignored them since they were a trivial existence for her. Her eyes were looking straight. To the giant throne located in the inner part of the vast room. The beautiful throne was decorated with various sweets, and a short girl was sitting on that throne. Though the girl¡¯s stature was too small when compared to the sheer size of the throne, her attitude was really cocky. The Silver Witch, Kuna. There was no way that Shirone would forget that name. She was the one who manipulated Kuroki! £¨I¡¯ve met her once before in Velos, but upon a closer look, she really is a beautiful girl¡­£© Shirone looked at Kuna. She wore a dark blue-colored dress which was endowed with silver accessories. The purple-colored barrette she wore had further enhanced the charm of her silver hair. Kuna didn¡¯t say anything and just looked in silence at Shirone. ¡¸WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! SHE¡¯S LOOKING AT KUNA-SAMA! QUICKLY KILL THAT HUMAN!¡¹ The other ogres followed the female ogre¡¯s orders and charged at once toward Shirone. They were equipped with various weapons such as axes, swords, and spears. And all of them were enchanted weapons. Shirone twisted her body to dodge the incoming spear thrust from the ogre, and swung her sword, bisecting the ogre in an instant. She then charged toward the three other ogres who were coming toward her. She dodged the attack from the sword-wielding ogre with simple footwork and parried the attack from the axe-wielding ogre with her sword, then charged toward the third ogre. And then, in an instant, she jumped, spinning her body in mid-air, and slashing the three ogres to death. Finally, the only ones who were alive were Kuna and the female ogre. ¡¸HOW DARE YOU! TAKE THIS!!¡¹ The female ogre raised both her hands and fired something like black mist from her palm. ¡¸Take this, BLAST INSECT!!¡¹ Tiny insects came out of the ogre¡¯s hands, heading toward Shirone. ¡¸THESE THINGS CAN¡¯T STOP ME!!¡¹ Shirone spread her wings, and fired its feather like arrows to knock down the insects. The knocked down insects vanished along with the small explosions. ¡¸HOW ABOUT THIS!!¡¹ Electricity ran along the female ogre¡¯s hands. ¡¸O THUNDER SNAKE, STRANGLE MINE ENEMY!!¡¹ The electricity around her arms turned into a snake, and charged toward Shirone. ¡¸HEYA!!¡¹ Shirone raised a warcry, slashing at the electric snake with her sword. ¡¸HERE, MY RETURN GIFT! LIGHTNING BLADE!!¡¹ ¡¸WUT!!¡¹ The ogre raised a shocked exclamation. The lightning snake got absorbed by Shirone¡¯s sword. ¡¸HAAA!!!¡¹ Shirone swung her sword along with a yell. The lightning strike went straight and struck the ogre. ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE! THIS KUJIG~~~!¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 30.3 Act 3-30.3: Wacky Battle in The Sweet Castle 1 The female ogre raised her death throes as the thundering slash ran through her, burning her to cinder. It then continued on toward the Silver Witch. But, the thunder got repelled, and then dissipated one step before it reached Kuna. Naturally, Kuna was also uninjured. ¡¸NOW YOU¡¯RE THE ONLY ONE LEFT!!¡¹ Shirone pointed her sword at Kuna. ¡¸Weak¡­¡¹ That was the first word Kuna uttered as she stood up from the throne. ¡¸NATURALLY! THOSE WEAK OGRES CAN¡¯T STOP ME!!¡¹ Shirone spoke while pointing at the ogres¡¯ corpses. However, Kuna shook her head upon hearing Shirone¡¯s remark. ¡¸Far weaker than Kuroki¡­¡¹ Kuna muttered as she looked at Shirone with cold, piercing eyes. ¡¸I heard that both of you learned your swordsmanship from the same place, but¡­ Kuroki¡¯s sword is sharper and his skills are far more powerful than yours. My original plan was to retreat if you turned out to be strong¡­ But, that¡¯s not necessary. Those ogres might be useless, but they¡¯re enough for me to gauge your strength.¡¹ Kuna readied her scythe as she spoke. ¡¸Come, Shirone. Your existence shall be erased by Kuna.¡¹ ¡¸DON¡¯T LOOK DOWN ON ME!!¡¹ Shirone kicked the ground as she spoke with an angered voice, closing in the distance in an instant. ¡¸HAAA!!!¡¹ She arrived right in front of Kuna, and swung down her sword from the upper position. Kuna shifted her body a bit as she readied her scythe, and parried Shirone¡¯s blow. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Shirone whose blow easily got parried by Kuna leaked a shocked voice as her stance crumbled. (Oh crap?!) Shirone shifted her body as she felt danger coming toward her. Right at the next moment, Kuna swung her scythe. Shirone, who realized that she couldn¡¯t dodge the blow, unleashed her wings and changed the trajectory of the scythe. Feathers of light fluttered down from her wings, they had gotten grazed by the scythe. ¡¸WHAT?!!¡¹ Shirone readjusted her stance, and attacked Kuna with her sword. ¡¸Fuuuu¡­¡¹ Seeing that, Kuna smirked a little and spun her scythe to parry the blow. ¡¸GUH!!¡¹ And she didn¡¯t just parry the blow, she also unleashed a counterattack toward Shirone¡¯s abdomen with the shaft of her scythe. Shirone was caught off guard since she was focused on the blade. ¡¸Don¡¯t focus all your attention on the blade¡­ That¡¯s one of Kuroki¡¯s lessons.¡¹ Kuna said so to Shirone while looking down on the latter. Shirone retreated to open some distance from Kuna. £¨This girl is strong!£© Shirone glared angrily at Kuna. ¡¸My training with Kuroki turned out to be more useful than I expected¡­¡¹ Kuna spoke with a bright and lovely smile on her face. £¨Just what in the world is Kuroki doing when I¡¯m not around! It¡¯s so annoying!£©(TL: ¡­.) Shirone felt unjustified irritation toward Kuroki. Both Kuna and Kuroki¡¯s actions had somehow irritated her. ¡¸WHAT¡¯S WRONG WITH YOU!!¡¹ Shirone spread her wings, and fired its feathers like arrows. But, all of the feather arrows were repelled by Kuna¡¯s magic shield. That, however, was a feint. Shirone used that chance to jump upward, she kicked the ceiling and landed behind Kuna, her speed was boosted with reinforcement magic too. ¡¸TAKE THIS, THOUSAND SWALLOW WINGS BLADE!!!¡¹ Shirone unleashed a thousand slash in an instant. But, her sword still failed to breach Kuna¡¯s magic shield. ¡¸No way¡­ Several magic shields at the same time¡­ Even Chiyuki-san can¡¯t do that¡­¡¹ Shirone was utterly shocked. Normally, one could only conjure one magic shield at a time, regardless of its strength. And yet, Kuna had unleashed several magic shields at once. The only person she knew that could pull such a feat was Rena. Rena¡¯s combat power wasn¡¯t that high. However, her forte was defensive magic, Shirone applied for a match against her a long time ago, but none of her attacks managed to reach Rena. ¡¸This is a nine fold magic shield. Kuna can conjure as many as nine magic shields at the same time. According to Kuroki, Kuna specializes in defensive and healing magic. Nevertheless, that last attack is not bad¡­ Kuroki might be able to dodge it with ease, but the current Kuna can¡¯t dodge it.¡¹ It was just as Kuna said, Kuroki did manage to dodge the very same technique back then. And it wasn¡¯t just this technique, Kuroki had literally dodged all of Shirone¡¯s sword techniques back when they fought in the Holy Republic of Lenaria with ease. £¨Since when did he become so powerful?£© Shirone ended up thinking about her childhood friend, who suddenly became so powerful during the time she didn¡¯t see him. ¡¸But, even with that, Kuna is far more powerful than you. Or rather, it¡¯s not just being powerful¡­ Kuna¡¯s boobs are bigger, and her waist is slimmer than yours too. NOT TO MENTION THAT KUNA IS A LOT CUTER!¡¹ Kuna continued on as she looked at Shirone. ¡¸WWWW-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! YOURS IS JUST OVERSIZED!!!¡¹ Shirone spoke as she covered her bre*sts. Sure enough, despite her petite height, Kuna¡¯s three sizes were much better than Shirone¡¯s. Thus, despite her vexation, Shirone had no choice but to admit her defeat in terms of style. In fact, Shirone¡¯s bust size was bigger than average, thus Kuna¡¯s bust size was a literal oversize. ¡¸SHIRONE! YOUR EXISTENCE IS JUST AN EYESORE! THAT¡¯S WHY KUNA WILL ERASE YOUR EXISTENCE!!¡¹ Kuna unleashed her magical power as she spoke and readied her scythe as she rushed toward Shirone. ¡¸I¡¯M NOT GOING TO LOSE!!¡¹ Shirone readied her sword and charged forward too. For some unknown reason, she didn¡¯t feel like losing. Volume 3 - CH 31 Act 3-31: Wacky Battle in The Sweet Castle 2 ¡¸Ah, Master is coming¡­¡¹ Regena felt her heart warm upon seeing the scene outside her windows. She didn¡¯t want to stay in this place any longer. ¡¸Even though we used to play together during our childhood¡­¡¹ Regena unintentionally muttered so upon recalling Riette; her eyes were always filled with hatred now. Riette¡¯s mother was really kind toward Regena, she was like a second mother to her, and yet, it was her own father who had killed this kind woman. That¡¯s why Regena understood and accepted Riette¡¯s hatred. It was also the same with the people in this country, they had all been wronged by her father in some way or another, so their hatred was also understandable. Thus, Regena knew that she had lost her place in her own homeland. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of having to endure those stares filled with loathing and resentment. The only one who had a clear gaze towards her was Omiros. She was grateful towards him, but at the same time, she still wanted to stay by Kuroki¡¯s side. Even though she felt bad for Omiros, she was still adamant on going back with Kuroki as soon as possible. Currently, the only one in the room was the Hero¡¯s little sister, Kyouka. Even though she didn¡¯t seem as powerful as the others, Regena knew that Kyouka was more powerful than her. She couldn¡¯t win if she fought, so the only option she could consider was to stealthily sneak out. Suddenly, the door was knocked repeatedly. ¡¸Who is it? You may enter.¡¹ The door opened. There, Omiros¡¯ figure stood, and, maybe because of the turmoil outside, he was armed to the teeth. ¡¸Oh my, Omiros-san. Is something the matter?¡¹ ¡¸Kyouka-sama, will you please allow me to take Regena out of this room?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, me?¡¹ Regena tilted her head in confusion, wondering what Omiros was trying to do. ¡¸What are you going to do by taking her out?¡¹ ¡¸The Dark Knight has come to Algore. That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking about returning Regena back to the Dark Knight.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹ Regena couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon hearing that. ¡¸Well, if you say so, I guess I have nothing to say in this regard.¡¹ Kyouka responded as if she understood something. ¡¸Before that, I¡­ want to have a private conversation with Regena, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Uhm, what do you think, Regena-san?¡¹ Omiros and Kyouka looked at Regena. Regena was also looking at Omiros. She noticed that he was telling the truth. £¨Omiros has no reason to lie to me. He really is going to send me back to My Dear Master.£© Thus, Regena nodded in agreement, this might be her last chance to bid farewell to her childhood friend. ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Regena stood and walked toward Omiros. ¡¸Regena-san, you forgot to take this.¡¹ But, Kyouka stopped her midway, and handed her something. ¡¸This is¡­ my sword.¡¹ The thing that she received from Kyouka was the short sword Kuroki had made for her. ¡¸This is an important item for you, right? I¡¯ll return this to you. In addition, I¡¯ll be waiting for your answer about working for me. Don¡¯t worry about time, I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡¹ Kyouka spoke with a smile on her face. £¨Could it be that this Young Lady is in fact a really nice person?£© Regena looked at Kyouka, there was no doubt that she was haughty and had a rather mischievous side to her. But, one could only catch a glimpse of her virtue when they spoke directly with her. ¡¸I have to get permission from My Dear Master for that. But, I appreciate your kind intention.¡¹ Regena bowed her head in gratitude toward Kyouka. She had to get permission from Kuroki if she wanted to leave Nargol. Thus, she couldn¡¯t accept Kyouka¡¯s offer for now. ¡¸Well then¡­¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Regena.¡¹ Regena and Omiros left the room. ¡¸Where are we heading to, Omiros?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s visit the graveyard first.¡¹ Omiros replied without looking back. ¡¸Graveyard¡­ Why?¡¹ ¡¸Your mother¡¯s grave. Once you return to Nargol, you might not be able to visit her grave anymore.¡¹ Regena finally understood why Omiros took her to the graveyard. Omiros wanted her to pay a visit to her mother. ¡¸No, I can¡¯t go!¡¹ But, Regena refused that kindness. ¡¸Why? Don¡¯t you want to visit your mother¡¯s grave?¡¹ ¡¸I mean, everyone I left in Nargol can¡¯t visit their family graves too, it¡¯ll be unfair if I was the only one who got this chance¡­¡¹ She wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself if she was the only one who got the chance to visit her mother¡¯s grave while everyone else couldn¡¯t. Thus, Regena refused Omiros¡¯ offer. ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ ¡¸Sorry Omiros¡­ I mean, you¡¯re doing this for me¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m glad I was able to meet you again, Regena.¡¹ Omiros smiled back at Regena. Regena felt a pang of guilt upon seeing his smile. Regena knew how Omiros felt about her. But, her heart had already been set. Even if she chose to stay in Algore, she wouldn¡¯t be able to reciprocate Omiros¡¯ feelings. Regena recalled that day¡ªthe day she and her clan had been exiled to the Goblins¡¯ Nest. She was so scared that day as goblins chased after her and her people. They had to run non-stop everyday to survive. Even worse, when one of them fell, they had to continue moving forward and were forced to abandon their fallen comrades. Regena¡¯s heart at the time was slowly and painfully shattering every time she breathed. It was then that a miracle happened in front of the despaired Regena and her clan. The miracle descended from the sky in the form of a giant dragon that represented calamity in this world. The appearance of the dragon was the last straw that broke Regena¡¯s heart. She cried due to the extreme terror. But, that was the moment when she realized the true form of the miracle. The Dark Knight who was riding the dragon took off his helmet and smiled gently at Regena and her clan. He who had come down with a dragon, and sent the goblins running in fear, was supposed to be a far more terrifying existence than what she was seeing. Regena¡¯s heart had been captured the moment she saw his gentle smile, and the terror she felt until a moment ago vanished just like that. Thus began Regena¡¯s life in Nargol. "" Even though she was surrounded by monsters, strangely enough, she wasn¡¯t scared at all. And the reason for that was Kuroki. She could forget the fear of being chased around by monsters and goblins when she was near Kuroki¡ªthe smile of one of the most terrifying beings in this world was far more powerful. £¨I can¡¯t live without My Dear Master anymore. I can¡¯t feel reassured unless I¡¯m by My Dear Master¡¯s side. I keep seeing the dream of being chased around by goblins whenever I¡¯m away from My Dear Master, and that nightmare is gone when My Dear Master is by my side. That¡¯s why I have to go back to him. I¡¯m fine even if he has no plans to make me his wife or concubine. I just want to stay by his side. I want to go back to his side as soon as possible.£© Regena apologized to Omiros in her heart, the one that had already been set on her master. ¡¸Then let¡¯s go to the watchtower. I¡¯ve asked Maxis to clear out the place. The Dark Knight should be able to find you more easily in that place.¡¹ Omiros started walking ahead of Regena as he spoke. The watchtower was the highest place in Algore, which was built to always surveille Nargol. £¨Sure enough, My Dear Master could easily find me in that place.£© Thus, Regena nodded as she followed Omiros from behind. After walking for a while, they had finally arrived at the watchtower. The top of the tower that could only be reached through a ladder was surprisingly spacious, enough to keep 20 to 30 people inside. ¡¸He should be able to find you from this place.¡¹ Omitos smiled at Regena as he spoke. ¡¸Thank you, Omiros.¡¹ Regena expressed her gratitude to Omiros and then looked around, searching for Kuroki. ¡¸Wait, Regena! Someone is coming!!¡¹ Regena hid her face in a hurry upon hearing Omiros¡¯ remark. Regena was currently the most hated person in Algore due to her lineage. Thus, it would be a disaster if someone saw her in this kind of place. They heard the sound of someone climbing the ladder. ¡¸WHO¡¯S THERE?! I FORBADE EVERYONE FROM COMING TO THIS PLACE!!¡¹ Omiros spoke to the person who climbed the ladder. ¡¸It¡¯s me, Prince.¡¹ ¡¸PARSISH-DONO?!¡¹ The one who came up was Parsish. He climbed the ladder and stepped into the watchtower. ¡¸So it¡¯s Parsish-dono huh. Where have you been until now!? And what are you doing here!?¡¹ Omiros drew closer as he asked Parsish. ¡¸Well, I happened to see you climbing the watchtower¡­ Incidentally, that¡¯s also what I wanted to ask you.Why are you bringing princess Regena to this place?¡¹ Since she was found out despite hiding her face, Regena finally revealed herself. ¡¸That matter has nothing to do with you. Leave this place immediately!!¡¹ Omiros ordered Parsish to leave but, Parsish just shook his head as he revealed a creepy smile on his face. ¡¸This matter isn¡¯t unrelated to me, Prince¡­¡¹ ¡¸What are you talking about?¡¹ ¡¸Rather, tell me why did you bring the princess to this place?¡¹ Omiros felt something was wrong, why did Parsish repeatedly ask him for the reason he brought Regena to this place. ¡¸Fine, I¡¯ll tell you¡­ To return Regena to the Dark Knight. There¡¯s the answer you want. Now leave this instant.¡¹ Beaten by Parsish¡¯s persistance, Omiros had no choice but to answer him. ¡¸You can¡¯t do that you know¡­ Prince¡­¡¹ Parsish shook his head as he muttered. At that moment, Regena felt something was amiss. £¨What is this feeling? The sword that I got from Master is ringing non stop.£© The short sword hidden in Regena¡¯s bosom kept ringing since Parsish appeared. And then, when Regena was looking at Omiros, she felt as if his shield was shining. ¡¸What¡¯s up with you, Pa¨C Uhm, why is my shield?¡¹ Omiroros was also looking at his own shield and noticed that his shield was shining. ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Suddenly, Parsish unsheathed his sword and brandished it toward Omiros. His movement was swift and Regena knew that her warning wouldn¡¯t make it in time. But, Omiros¡¯ shield moved even faster and caught the blow in time. It was as if the shield had its own will. ¡¸What the¡­?¡¹ Omiros retreated immediately, and came to Regena¡¯s side. ¡¸Are you okay, Omiros?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, the shield is moving on its own¡­ it¡¯s like it¡¯s trying to protect¡­¡¹ Omiros spoke as he looked at the shield. The shield exuded a faint light. ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this, Parsish-dono?!¡¹ Omiros glared angrily at Parsish. ¡¸Tch¡­ Missed huh. You¡¯re supposed to die in one blow though¡­¡¹ Parsish¡¯s tone was different from before. The polite tone from before vanished like smoke. ¡¸Wha¡­ Parsish-dono?¡¹ Parsish¡¯s face blurred. And once the blur had vanished, the face that Omiros saw was a completely different face. Regena screamed in fear upon seeing that face. ¡¸Ah¡­ You are¡­¡¹ Regena remembered that face. It was the face that appeared in her most unpleasant memories, one that had been sealed deep in her consciousness. ¡¸You are¡­ Goz?!¡¹ Omiros called his name. ¡¸Yes¡­ It¡¯s Goz, Omiros. Never expected that you would still remember me.¡¹ Omiros shook his head upon hearing Goz¡¯s remarks. ¡¸There¡¯s no way I can forget it even if I want to, Goz¡­ Never once did I forget about you ever since that day. To think that you¡¯re masquerading as Parsish¡­¡¹ Omiros unsheathed his sword. ¡¸I feel honored to be remembered by you, Prince. Kukuku.¡¹ Goz laughed eerily. ¡¸Get back, Regena.¡¹ Regena retreated a bit upon hearing Omiros¡¯ words. But, there was no other place to run atop the watchtower. Goz¡¯s eyes were locked on Regena. Goosebumps appeared all over her body as his gaze locked on her. ¡¸Come here, Regena. I came to pick you up.¡¹ Goz released a sinister cackle as he spoke. Volume 3 - CH 32 Act 3-32: Wacky Battle in The Sweet Castle 3 ¡¸GUH!¡¹ Omiros used his shield to block Goz¡¯s sword. ¡¸Take this, fireball!!¡¹ When Goz¡¯s sword got hindered, he stepped back and hurled fire magic from his palm. But, the magic was also blocked by Omiros¡¯ shield. Since his shield was a magic shield, it wouldn¡¯t burn like the shields made from wood or pelt. ¡¸ACCELERATION!!¡¹ Goz recited the aria of another magic in no time. Goz¡¯s moving speed accelerated and arrived right beside Omiros in a flash. Omiros felt that his shield was moving on its own. With a loud metallic sound, his shield clashed against Goz¡¯s sword. But, Omiros¡¯ posture crumbled to receive that strike and he fell on his rear. And due to the constant use of magic, Goz had to retreat instead of sending another attack to Omiros. Omiros stood in hurry and readied his shield again. ¡¸WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT SHIELD!!¡¹ Goz shouted with an annoyed voice. Even Omiros couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerized by the power of the shield. It was a shield that would move on its own to protect him if his reaction wasn¡¯t fast enough. Omiros recalled the words of the minstrel when he gave him the shield. ¡¸You mustn¡¯t give this shield to Parsish.¡¹ That was the minstrel¡¯s words to Omiros. As if he had already known about Parsish beforehand. Thus, Omiros was curious about the identity of the minstrel. But, now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about that since Goz was coming again. ¡¸DAMMIT, YOU WOULD¡¯VE ALREADY BEEN DEAD WITHOUT THAT F*CKING SHIELD¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹ Goz was right, Omiros wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge his attacks without the shield. £¨It¡¯s vexing, but Goz is much stronger indeed.£© Omiros could only focus on protecting himself from Goz¡¯s sword. Since he first met Goz a long time ago, he had always been vexed, he felt that he was too weak at that time. He couldn¡¯t do anything but cry as he called Regena¡¯s name. That¡¯s why Omiros had always been training since then. He wanted to become stronger so that he could protect Regena. And yet, Goz became much more powerful too. Omiros was no match for Goz if not for his shield. Omiros felt extremely incensed as he recalled that dark memory. At this rate, he would fail to protect Regena again. That was something that he could never accept. Goz slashed with his sword again and again, Omiros somehow managed to parry the slashes with the shield¡¯s assistance. But, he was almost at his limit. Omiros barely managed to fight up till now due to the power of the shield, but his defeat was imminent. And yet, despite knowing that, Omiros decided to fight till the bitter end. He absolutely couldn¡¯t let Goz take Regena. ¡¸Goz, I won¡¯t let you have Regena!!¡¹ Omiros mustered his willpower as he pushed Goz back with his shield. Omiros recalled Regena¡¯s past. Regena had always been too scared to go outside of the rampart after that day, the day when both of them met Goz. He always felt sad whenever he saw Regena like that. Thus, one of the reasons for him wanting to become stronger was so that Regena would feel safe with him protecting her. But, Omiros realized that he wasn¡¯t good enough. He was far too weak to protect Regena. Omiros went to Regena¡¯s side, protecting her from Goz. ¡¸Listen, Regena. I¡¯ll stop Goz in this place, you have to call for help during that time.¡¹ ¡¸Uhm¡­ I understand¡­ Omiros. Be careful, I¡¯ll get help as fast as possible.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, leave it to me.¡¹ Omiros let out a worryless smile as he said so to Regena. Goz had blocked the way to the ladder to prevent Omiros and Regena from escaping. ¡¸Stopping me? With your measly skill?¡¹ Goz who heard Omiros and Regena¡¯s conversation let out a fearless laugh. ¡¸Goz, I¡¯m indeed weaker than you! But, I¡¯m at least strong enough to keep you at bay!¡¹ When Omiros pointed his sword toward Goz, Regena ran from his side. ¡¸Kukuku, that¡¯s a nice plan, but¡­ I suggest that you cease such foolish ideas.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean, Goz?!¡¹ ¡¸Because no one will come save you two! Listen carefully!¡¹ Omiros strained his ears upon hearing that. And somehow managed to hear a shout. ¡¸OH NO, OMIROS! THERE¡¯S AN ARMY OF GOBLINS APPEARING BELOW! THE GOBLINS ARE TRYING TO INVADE ALGORE!!¡¹ The moment he heard Regena¡¯s scream, Omiros looked down to confirm it. Though the sun had set, tonight was a cloudless night, so it was actually quite bright thanks to the moonlight. That¡¯s why even if he couldn¡¯t see in the dark, the moonlight enabled him to see the situation below. He could see several short shadows inside Algore. There was no mistaking it, it was the shadow of goblins. As if to confirm that, the sound of screams followed right after that. ¡¸GOZ!! YOU BAST*RD!!¡¹ Omiros glared at Goz. ¡¸Indeed your highness, I¡¯m the one who let them come inside Algore! By now, they must have already killed a few Algore citizens who are too distracted by the Dark Knight!!¡¹ Goz¡¯s laugh resounded in the watch tower. ¡¸THIS IS THE END OF ALGORE! ENJOY YOUR DESPAIR, PRINCE¨D¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹ ¡ô Meanwhile, Kuroki and Kaya were facing each other in the suburbs of Algore. ¡¸Hundred Fists, Hundred Steps, God Fist¡¹ Kaya unleashed a shockwave from a distance with her punch. Kuroki spun his body as he received the shockwave to redirect its power as he closed in toward Kaya. He was in a hurry to go as fast as possible toward Kuna and yet, he had to defeat Kaya first. Thus, Kuroki was detained in this place for quite some time now. ¡¸Finally willing to stop, eh. Nevertheless, how strange¡­ Regena-san¡¯s location should be the other way.¡¹ ¡¸My bad, I¡¯m just a diversion¡­ I already sent someone else to retrieve Regena.¡¹ Kuroki told her a lie without any hesitation. That ¡°someone else¡± was a total BS. Even though Kuroki¡¯s status in Nargol was second only to Modes, he had no one to call a subordinate. ¡¸I see¡­ Unfortunately, the reason we came to this country is you, Kuroki-san. Even if you manage to retrieve Regena-san, our goal is achieved as long as we can stop you in this place.¡¹ Kaya had no intention to trust in Kuroki¡¯s lies, she didn¡¯t let her guard down. ¡¸You think you can stop me?¡¹ Kaya nodded upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s question. ¡¸I know that you¡¯re unwilling to attack me. You might be far more powerful than me, but you won¡¯t be able to defeat me if you stay passive.¡¹ Kaya punched at him as she spoke. Though Kaya was also unwilling to kill Kuroki, she resolved to break one or two of his ribs, or some of his bones since it could be healed. In addition, even if Kaya¡¯s remark was a bull¡¯s-eye and he managed to speak with a calm voice, Kuroki in fact already wanted to cry. He wanted to save Kuna as soon as possible, and yet, Kaya was standing in his way. Kuroki was getting impatient. And that impatience created a gap in his defense. An adept martial artist like Kaya wouldn¡¯t miss such an opening. ¡¸HEAVENLY WAVES PALM!!¡¹ Kaya closed in the distance between them at that moment, and unleashed a palm strike toward Kuroki¡¯s armor. The next moment, the shockwave struck Kuroki. Kuroki barely managed to ward off the power of the blow that penetrated his armor. He didn¡¯t miss the chance to seize Kaya¡¯s wrist, pulled her to the right, and then flung her to the left. ¡¸WHAT THE!!!¡¹ But, Kaya managed to land a kick just before he flung her off. Kuroki twisted his body and barely managed to dodge the kick as he praised inwardly Kaya¡¯s splendid counter. Incidentally, he also confirmed that Kaya wore black laced panties with a garter belt beneath her skirt when the latter unleashed the last kick. That was another splendid thing that he saw by accident. "" Kaya who got flung away managed to turn her body in the air and landed on the ground with her feet. She stood up, holding her left arm. Kuroki¡¯s last technique managed to incapacitate her left arm. He was apologizing inside for hurting her like that. ¡¸Not bad¡­ But, don¡¯t you think that technique is a bit too kind? Are you worried about my safety? Turns out you really are a kind person.¡¹ Kuroki wanted to retort that she misunderstood upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark. But Kaya was right, his technique just now was too kind. It was supposed to be a technique that incapacitated the other party by hurling them to the right and left, but he failed to do so. And the reason for that was because he saw the black, lacy underwear. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t say that even if she tore his mouth. He heaved a sigh upon seeing her misunderstanding his actions. ¡¸It seems normal attacks won¡¯t work on you¡­ But, how about this!!¡¹ Kaya suddenly stopped unleashing her punches, and then, she spread her arms while diving into Kuroki¡¯s range. ¡¸WHA?!!!!¡¹ Kuroki was also really surprised by the sudden turn of events. The current Kaya was full of openings. Kuroki¡¯s attack might accidentally kill her if he attacks her in her current state. But, it was precisely because she was full of openings that she managed to circle her arms around Kuroki¡¯s waist without him being able to do anything. The flowery smell peculiar to a woman assailed Kuroki¡¯s nostrils at once. ¡¸TAKE THIS! TOURMALINE GLOVE!!¡¹ A powerful electric current flowed into Kuroki¡¯s body as Kaya shouted. A few seconds later, Kaya stopped hugging him. ¡¸I unleashed the entire thunder spirit¡¯s power stored in this glove. You might be powerful, but we already know your weakness.¡¹ Kaya released her hands as she spoke. ¡¸Your body must be paralyzed right? I¡¯ll ask Sahoko-sama to heal you later. Though there¡¯s no need for you to hear this again but, someone who can¡¯t attack won¡¯t be able to win the fight.¡¹ Kaya spoke with a triumphant look on her face. But, Kuroki noticed the gap in her defense the moment she did so. He didn¡¯t let go of that chance and rushed at once, grabbing Kaya¡¯s head. ¡¸Eh?!¡¹ Kaya couldn¡¯t hide her shock when her head was suddenly grabbed by Kuroki, who should be paralyzed right now. ¡¸Sleep!!¡¹ Kuroki didn¡¯t waste any time and applied sleep magic on Kaya. ¡¸Ah¡­¡¹ Kaya¡¯s body jerked, and then she fell on her knees. She didn¡¯t sleep immediately, she was glaring at Kuroki instead. ¡¸Good job on resisting the magic, but this should be enough to hinder your movements.¡¹ Kuroki heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing the magic did its job. This magic wasn¡¯t supposed to work on an opponent like Kaya unless the other party let down her guard. ¡¸How¡­ did you resist such a powerful electric shock¡­?¡¹ Kaya asked while massaging her temple. Electric attacks had worked on him in their previous clash in the Holy Dragon King¡¯s mountain, she thought that the same attack would work again this time. ¡¸My bad¡­ Electric attacks won¡¯t work on me ever again.¡¹ Kuroki replied while apologizing to Kaya. He had already prepared countermeasures against electric attacks. Though he might really be in deep sh*t if he hadn¡¯t prepared this counter measure. He shuddered upon realizing that Kaya had used such a dangerous attack without hesitation. Kaya was struggling to stand on her feet. She had already been incapacitated. ¡¸Sorry, but I¡¯m racing against time right now.¡¹ ¡¸W¡­ Wait¡­¡¹ Kaya tried to stop Kuroki, but Kuroki was already far away, paying no mind to her call. ¡¸Please, let me make it in time.¡¹ Kuroki was speeding toward the sweet castle as he made such a wish. Volume 3 - CH 33.1 Act 3-33.1: Wacky Battle in the Sweet Castle 4 ¡¸HAAA!!!¡¹ A few magic blades were unleashed from the Silver Witch¡¯s scythe and were fast approaching Shirone. Shirone erased those magic blades with her sword. ¡¸Not bad, Shirone!! How about this!!¡¹ Now, she transferred the magic blade. But, it was a technique that was easy to read and dodge due to the time lag that was created when Kuna swung her scythe. Shirone figured it out in no time. Thus, the seesaw game between the two was a stalemate in that way. Kuna had limited combat experience and offensive skill despite her overwhelming defense, she had no way to defeat Shirone. And since Shirone¡¯s attack couldn¡¯t penetrate Kuna¡¯s defense, the result was a stalemate. ¡¸FLAME BLADE!!¡¹ Shirone swung her sword. But it was stopped by one of Kuna¡¯s magic shields. The strength of a magic shield varied depending on the ability of its user. Though still inferior compared to Rena, Kuna¡¯s magic shield was already quite powerful. ¡¸It¡¯s tough¡­ Reiji-kun might be able to break the shield but, I guess it¡¯s impossible for me.¡¹ Shirone recalled her mock combat with Reiji in the past. Reiji¡¯s sword was fast and heavy. He could easily tear through one or two of Rena¡¯s overlapping magic shields. But, different from Reiji, Shirone who lacked the power to land a blow couldn¡¯t land a hit at all at Kuna. Shirone¡¯s sword swing was almost as fast as Reiji¡¯s but she lacked the strength that he had. Thus, she couldn¡¯t tear through the magic shield. ¡¸SO THAT¡¯S ALL YOU¡¯VE GOT, SHIRONE!!!¡¹ Kuna swung her scythe again as she spoke, unleashing another magic blade toward Shirone. The magic blade had an auto tracking function, thus Shirone couldn¡¯t dodge it. Her only choice was intercepting it with her own sword. Meanwhile, Kuna used that chance to transfer the magic blade. Shirone left her position in a hurry, letting the magic blade pass through her previous position. Now she was getting used to dealing with the magic blade and could somehow dodge it at the last moment. But, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Shirone was slowly, but surely, getting cornered by Kuna. ¡¸You¡¯re slowly and steadily being driven into a corner, Shirone. Kuroki is mine, that¡¯s why you¡¯re nothing more than an eyesore for Kuna. That¡¯s why you shall die in this place.¡¹ Kuna swung her scythe as she spoke. ¡¸KUROKI ISN¡¯T YOURS!¡¹ Shirone exclaimed while receiving the scythe¡¯s blade with her sword. She hated the fact that Kuna used something like a magic drug to control Kuroki and treated him like an object. ¡¸Then, is he yours?!¡¹ "" ¡¸HE¡¯S NOT MINE!¡¹ ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, you should just be gone forever, bitch!!¡¹ Shirone and Kuna were glaring at each other. ¡¸Humph!¡¹ Shirone smiled. ¡¸What are you laughing about?¡¹ ¡¸I see now¡­ You can¡¯t make Kuroki completely fall head over heels for you, right?¡¹ The moment Shirone said so, Kuna made a sulking, yet still equally adorable face. £¨Bull¡¯s eye, huh.£© But that sulking look was enough to convince Shirone. Kuroki had yet to be completely manipulated. Thus, she knew that she still had a chance. ¡¸Sure enough, Kuroki oggles at Regena¡¯s butt every once in a while¡­¡¹ Yet, Kuna said the most unexpected remark with a vexed look on her face. Even Shirone couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded upon hearing that remark. £¨What in the world is that lecher doing when I¡¯m not around? It¡¯s decided, he needs re-education!£© Shirone started to make a list of punishments for Kuroki for when she managed to take him back. ¡¸BUT! THE THINGS HE SEES THE MOST ARE KUNA¡¯S BOOBS AND BUTT!! THERE¡¯S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!¡¹ Kuna swung her scythe with renewed vigor as she spoke. Though her attack was much faster than before, it lost its edge. £¨Her attack has lost its sharpness, now it¡¯s time to turn the table!£© Shirone dodged the scythe by a paper thin margin, and unleashed a counter with her skill. ¡¸THOUSAND SWALLOW WINGS BLADE!¡¹ ¡¸Humph!!¡¹ But, all of her attacks got repelled by the barrier. As a result, because of the slight delay before she put up the barrier, Kuna was stunned for a moment. £¨NOW!£© Shirone rearranged her stance immediately. Though her body screamed in pain, she couldn¡¯t let go of that chance. She raised her sword as she loaded all her mana into it. She was going to unleash another thousand swallow wings blade. Properly speaking, she was overexerting herself. But, she couldn¡¯t beat Kuna unless she did so. ¡¸HAAA!!!¡¹ Shirone raised a scream, swung her sword from above as she spun forward. Her sword got blocked by the magic shield again. But Shirone ignored that and kept swinging her sword. ¡¸No way?!¡¹ Even Kuna was startled by Shirone. One of the shields broke, and then vanished like a mist. Unable to ward off the sword strikes, Kuna was forced to receive Shirone¡¯s attack with the shaft of her scythe, which resulted in her stance being destroyed. As a result, it looked as if both Shirone and Kuna were falling from above as their weapons clashed with each other. ¡¸Just as I thought, you can¡¯t use your magic shield and magic blade in this kind of situation!!¡¹ Shirone declared so to Kuna who was falling down. £¨Great, it worked. I might have failed if she had used a double layered magic shield though. Let¡¯s call this skill ¡°Heavenly Wings Decapitating Sword¡±. Cool, as expected of me.£© Shirone, who managed to push down Kuna, thought of a name for her new skill. ¡¸Kuh¡­¡¹ Kuna tried to push back the sword with her scythe with a vexed look on her face. Shirone on the other hand was also pushing her sword toward Kuna, both sides were still in a stalemate. ¡¸Fufufu, even if I lose in the other areas, it seems that I¡¯m still above you in terms of physical strength.¡¹ Shirone was smiling toward Kuna as she spoke. Though it wasn¡¯t something to be proud of as a girl, the current Shirone had no leeway to worry about that. She kept pushing Kuna. ¡¸Now then, release Kuroki!!¡¹ ¡¸Gugugu¡­ W-What are¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t play dumb with me! You¡¯re the one who brainwash Kuroki right?!¡¹ Shirone screamed angrily at Kuna. £¨Otherwise, Kuroki would never work under that heinous looking Demon King. Since she keeps feigning her ignorance, I should just kill her. I¡¯ve almost reached my limit after using two big skills in succession. It would be my loss if I fail to kill her here.£© Shirone kept pressing her sword but she had no strength left to break the deadlock. And just when Shirone and Kuna were in such a deadlock. ¡¸Eh?!¡¹ ¡¸AH!!!¡¹ After who knows how much time had passed. Suddenly, a powerful force pulled Shirone apart from Kuna. Shirone barely managed to stop in mid-air with her wings before she crashed against the wall, and landed right beside the entrance. Shirone looked forward. There, she saw the figure of the Dark Knight holding on to Kuna¡¯s hand. ¡¸KUROKI!!¡¹ Shirone¡¯s body stiffened upon seeing the figure of that Dark Knight. Kuna was shouting, the two people in front of Shirone then spoke about something. Shirone felt like she was zapped by lightning upon seeing the two of them speaking intimately like that. And then, Kuna stepped back while Kuroki walked toward Shirone. She had lost her sword and her fighting spirit. ¡¸Uhm, Shirone. Let¡¯s leave this place for now, there¡¯s something that I want to tell you¡­ Is that okay?¡¹ ¡ô When Kuroki arrived in the sweet castle, he saw Shirone pressing down on Kuna. Fortunately, none of them was injured. £¨I¡¯ve arrived just in time and managed to somehow prevent the worst situation.£© Kuroki didn¡¯t waste anymore time and pulled the two apart. And then, after he took care of Kuna¡¯s side, he looked at Shirone. £¨Oh crap¡­ she¡¯s really pissed off now.£© Shirone was glaring resolutely at Kuroki. That glare was enough to make Kuroki¡¯s back be drenched in cold sweat. He had pulled Shirone away from Kuna since he thought that she was going to kill her. And yet, he hadn¡¯t thought of what he would do after that. ¡¸Now then Shirone, it¡¯s 2 vs 1 now!!¡¹ Kuna spoke with a loud voice from afar as she readied her scythe. £¨Seriously¡­ I really mustn¡¯t let these two get at each others¡¯ throats.£© Kuroki lowered Kuna¡¯s scythe down. ¡¸Kuna, I¡¯ll take care of her myself. You have to retreat from Algore with this castle first.¡¹ ¡¸Mu~h. What are you talking about, Kuroki? Now that it¡¯s become 2 vs 1, we can kill her once and for all!!¡¹ Kuroki shook his head upon hearing Kuna¡¯s remark. £¨Well, the reason I want to fight her alone is¡­ because I want to prevent that¡­ £© But then, Kuna didn¡¯t agree that easily either. Thus, Kuroki was trying to persuade her. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m much more powerful than her. That¡¯s why, wait for my return in Nargol, Kuna.¡¹ ¡¸NO!!¡¹ Hearing that, Kuroki looked at Kuna with an extremely surprised look on his face. He never expected Kuna to refuse so vehemently. ¡¸Kuna¡­¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t leave Kuroki with that woman alone. That woman is dangerous¡­ She¡¯ll take Kuroki to somewhere far beyond Kuna¡¯s reach¡­¡¹ Kuna spoke with an extremely hostile look in her eyes toward Shirone. ¡¸I really won¡¯t go anywhere¡­ Kuna. Even if I go, it would be with you. It¡¯s a promise.¡¹ Even Kuroki knew the implication behind his promise with Kuna. But, there was something that he shouldn¡¯t say in this kind of situation. Kuna then looked at Kuroki as he looked back at her without averting his gaze. ¡¸Understood¡­ I¡¯ll be waiting for you in Nargol.¡¹ Kuna, who sensed the implication behind Kuroki¡¯s promise, finally let her scythe down. After confirming that, Kuroki went toward Shirone. Shirone stayed still, her sword pointing at Kuroki. ¡¸Uhm, Shirone. Let¡¯s leave this place for now, there¡¯s something that I want to tell you¡­ Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Show your face before you say that, Kuroki!!¡¹ Kuroki took off his Dark Knight¡¯s helmet before he spoke to Shirone. Shirone glared at his face. ¡¸Fine¡­ I understand. Don¡¯t escape, Kuroki.¡¹ Shirone unfurled her wings again as she spoke, breaking the wall of the sweet castle and flying outside. Kuroki used flight magic and went after her. After both of them left the castle, the sweet castle started moving away from Algore. Kuna ordered the Myrmidons to move the castle. £¨Kuna is such a good girl.£© Only after Kuna retreated did Kuroki truly feel relieved. Thus, he could finally confront Shirone, who stayed still in the air. ¡¸THIS IDIOOOOOOOOOOT!!¡¹ [TL: I¡¯m seriously wondering who¡¯s the idiot here] Shirone suddenly punched Kuroki. ¡¸BUH?!!¡¹ Kuroki who couldn¡¯t dodge the punch for some reason, received it in full power right from the front. ¡¸C-Calm down¡­¡¹ Kuroki pinched his nose that almost broke due to Shirone¡¯s punch. ¡¸This idiot! Kuroki is such an idiot¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹[TL: If he¡¯s an idiot, what are you then?] But, Shirone kept hitting him with her punches. ¡¸Shirone¡­ Wha¡­ Stop.¡¹ Volume 3 - CH 33.2 Act 3-33.2: Wacky Battle in the Sweet Castle 4 When Kuroki protested, Shirone finally stopped beating him. ¡¸JUST HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK I WORRIED ABOUT YOU!!!¡¹[TL : Karma] Shirone glared at me with anger. ¡¸Eh¡­ You were worried about me?¡¹ ¡¸OF COURSE I WAS!!¡¹ ¡¸Well, the one who usually worries is me after all¡­¡¹ Kuroki replied while massaging the bridge of his nose. Indeed, Kuroki used to be the one who was constantly worrying about Shirone. Back in Japan, Shirone had never shown him any concern. In fact, she was the troublesome one. She was a girl with a uselessly strong sense of justice and would often use her skills in brawls against people with a bigger build than her. Thus, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but constantly worry about her. ¡¸WHY SHOULD YOU BE WORRYING ABOUT ME?!!¡¹ Shirone replied with an enraged look on her face. ¡¸Well¡­ You¡¯re constantly meddling in other people¡¯s affairs without giving it a second thought after all¡­ It might be for the sake of saving others but, it DOESN¡¯T change the fact that YOU THOUGHTLESSLY CHARGE INTO DANGER¡­¡¹ Shirone was dumbfounded upon hearing that. ¡¸Eh? Is that so? So you¡¯ve been worrying about me all along?¡¹[TL: Oh god, just kill this girl already.] Kuroki nodded to Shirone. ¡¸I¡¯ve always told you to stop doing such dangerous things and yet¡­¡¹ Kuroki muttered. He would always tell her to be careful, yet it always went through one ear to another; she would always ignore his warnings. ¡¸Come to think of it, you did say that. But, it¡¯s okay. Reiji-kun will save me when I¡¯m in danger after all. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡¹ Shirone replied as if what she said was completely normal while placing her hand on her hip. ¡°WTF!?¡± Was Kuroki¡¯s reaction upon hearing that. Surely, Reiji was powerful and, for some reason, always happens to save damsels in distress. Shirone was a beauty thus, Reiji would definitely go save her when she¡¯s in danger. Upon thinking back, Kuroki realized that Reiji might have been able to do something to save Shirone back then in the Holy Republic of Lenaria, even if the assailant wasn¡¯t Kuroki. That¡¯s why Kuroki¡¯s worry was unnecessary. But, something about that didn¡¯t sit well with him. ¡¸Then you don¡¯t have to worry about me too¡­ I¡¯m safe and sound after all.¡¹ Not that Kuroki was in danger in the first place. Modes was a nice guy, and he gained a comrade called Kuna. With Kuna by his side, Shirone and co¡¯s worries were unnecessary. ¡¸THE HELL WITH THAT! AS IF YOU¡¯RE GOING TO BE SAFE AND SOUND BY THE DEMON KING¡¯S SIDE!!!¡¹ Shirone blew up upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s dismissal. £¨Come to think of it, it¡¯s normal for them, who have no idea about the real situation in this world, to think that way, but¡­ The real problem is how should I explain this to her in the simplest way.£© Kuroki ended up troubling himself. It¡¯s natural for them to think of the atrocious looking Demon King Modes as the big bad guy. But, the reality was completely different from what could be seen as logical. Kuroki, who was originally a poor talker, was having a hard time explaining the situation properly. ¡¸NOW THEN, LET¡¯S GO BACK TO REIJI-KUN, KUROKI!! YOU ABSOLUTELY MUSTN¡¯T GO BACK TO A PLACE LIKE NARGOL!!¡¹ Shirone presented her hand to Kuroki, but he shook his head, denying her offer. ¡¸Nope¡­ I¡¯ll go back to Nargol.¡¹ It was a clear, undeniable refusal. He promised Kuna that he would definitely come back to her. Thus, he had to go back at all costs. In the first place, he knew that even if he took that offer, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get along with Reiji due to the hero¡¯s personality issues. If one looked closely, they would notice that Reiji never had a man in his group, he only accepted women. Shirone failed to notice such a simple problem since she was a woman, and a simple one on top of that. Kuroki also didn¡¯t find that offer to be interesting. Thus, he was unwilling to go to Reiji¡¯s side. "" ¡¸THE HECK! IS IT BECAUSE OF THAT GIRL CALLED KUNA?!!¡¹ ¡¸Correct¡­¡¹ Shirone trembled upon hearing Kuroki¡¯s reply. ¡¸JUST AS EXPECTED! CHIYUKI-SAN WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG! KUROKI, YOU¡¯RE A BIT PERVY, BUT YOU WOULD NEVER HURT A WOMAN! IF YOU WERE IN YOUR RIGHT MIND, YOU DEFINITELY WOULDN¡¯T HAVE BECOME THE DEMON KING AND THE SILVER WITCH¡¯S ALLY, MONSTERS WHO MADE MANY PEOPLE SUFFER!!¡¹ Shirone became hysterical. ¡¸Modes isn¡¯t a bad guy though¡­¡¹ ¡¸LIKE HELL I¡¯M GOING TO BELIEVE THAT! KUROKI¡¯S CONDITION IS ABNORMAL AFTER ALL!!¡¹ Kuroki tried to resolve the misunderstanding and yet, it got rejected immediately. He had thought that she would at least listen to his explanation. Yet, Shirone just flat out denied his claim. For some reason, she refused to believe him. £¨It seems she can¡¯t trust me¡­ Someone might have told her to not trust me, but the main reason behind it is my lack of confidence. In the end, I¡¯m still at fault.£© Kuroki thought that he had to fix himself, but he had no idea what he was lacking so he could fix it. Thus, it always ended up with him feeling that it was his fault. ¡¸Draw your sword, Kuroki! I¡¯ll wake you up!¡¹ Shirone said so as she drew her sword. Kuroki could only heave a sigh upon seeing that it was an inevitable situation. ¡¸Sorry but¡­ I won¡¯t be defeated by Shirone anymore.¡¹ Kuroki wore his helmet again, and unsheathed his sword. £¨It seems that it had come to this again.£© Kuroki, who lacked self-confidence from the very beginning, had already expected this outcome. Since he was also worried about Goz¡¯s trump card, he had to go back in a hurry. ¡¸Here I go, Kuroki! Aerial combat is my forte! Even if you win, you¡¯ll pay one arm for that!¡¹ Shirone flew to the air at high speed, and then moved around Kuroki at a high speed to the point of leaving an after image. Kuroki readied his sword as Shirone stormed from behind, swinging her sword. Kuroki, however, easily parried the blow. Shirone retreated as soon as her blow got parried and rushed toward Kuroki again. Kuroki dodged the incoming strike by moving his body to the side at a paper thin margin. Those kinds of high speed attacks repeated many times, and Kuroki dodged every single one of them. £¨Shirone is strong when fighting in open air without obstacles. But victory is mine¡­£© Kuroki had seen through every single bit of Shirone¡¯s movements. She was powerful but her movements were too simple. Thus, Kuroki could dodge all of her attacks with no problem. He could set up black flame in the air to hinder Shirone¡¯s extremely monotonous movements. ¡¸O Black Flame!!¡¹ Kuroki invoked his magic and set up several lumps of black flame in the air. The black flames didn¡¯t vanish and kept burning in the air. ¡¸WHA?!!!!¡¹ Thus, Shirone was forced to change her course in the air to avoid collision with the black flames. Kuroki had narrowed Shirone¡¯s range of movement, and forced her to move as he wanted to. He then spun his body, and swung his sword. CLANK!! A dull metallic sound resounded in the air as Shirone and Kuroki¡¯s swords clashed. ¡¸Eh?!¡¹ Shirone dropped her sword. Kuroki hadn¡¯t just disarmed her, but he had also sent shockwaves into Shirone¡¯s body through her sword. Thus, Shirone, who got immobilized by Kuroki, fell down. ¡¸GLORIOUS!!¡¹ Kuroki called Glorious. Thereupon, a giant dragon flew up from the forest and caught the falling Shirone. The dragon who had caught Shirone then landed on the ground. Kuroki also descended beside Glorious. ¡¸Are you okay, Shirone?¡¹ Kuroki lowered Shirone to the ground. Shirone massaged her temple, maybe because the effect of Kuroki¡¯s shockwave still hurt her. And that pain was all that Kuroki needed to escape from her. ¡¸Why did you save me?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re not enemies.¡¹ ¡¸Then why did you choose Nargol?¡¹ ¡¸I have no intention to fight you guys as long as you don¡¯t invade Nargol.¡¹ ¡¸Are you protecting the Demon King?¡¹ Kuroki nodded as he opened his mouth. ¡¸Yes, yes, if the Hero comes to Nargol to defeat the Demon King, then I shall act as the Dark Knight and protect my liege.¡¹ And declared so without averting his gaze from Shirone. ¡¸Why¡­ are you choosing to do that¡­?¡¹ Shirone asked with tears flowing down her face. But, Kuroki had nothing left to say to Shirone. ¡¸That¡¯s all I have to say¡­ Regena is still waiting for my arrival after all.¡¹ Kuroki pulled his mantle, preparing to ride on Glorious again. But then, when he turned to the front as he rode on Glorious, he saw Shirone glaring angrily at him. ¡¸WHY! YOU ALWAYS HEARD ME OUT WHEN I CRIED BEFORE!¡¹ ¡¸EH?! YOU WERE FAKING YOUR CRIES?!¡¹ Kuroki recalled his childhood memories with Shirone. The Shirone at that time always burst into tears whenever she wanted something of Kuroki¡¯s. He who had zero resistance to Shirone¡¯s tears had no choice but to abide by her even if he knew that she was faking her cries. Thanks to that Kuroki¡¯s afternoon snacks had always been stolen by Shirone during their childhood. ¡¸That kind of method is for a child.¡¹ ¡¸NO, YOU CAN¡¯T GO BACK TO NARGOL! YOU SHOULD GO BACK WITH ME TO REIJI-KUN¡¯S PLACE!!¡¹ Shirone didn¡¯t let go of Kuroki¡¯ mantle. ¡¸Nope, I refuse to go to that place.¡¹ Kuroki tried to force Shirone to let go of his mantle. But, Shirone gripped his mantle so tightly, refusing to let it go. ¡¸BUUH! KUROKI IS SO MEA~N!¡¹ Shirone ended up sulking upon seeing Kuroki¡¯s attempt. Thus, it became a tug of war between Kuroki and Shirone. And then, when they were in the middle of that. ¡¸GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!¡¹ Suddenly, a loud warcry reverberated in the air, shaking the atmosphere. Both Kuroki and Shirone then looked at Algore, the place where that warcry came from. ¡¸What¡¯s that¡­¡¹ Shirone leaked out a shocked voice. Reason being, she saw a lump of giant arms. The lump of giant arms was even taller than the height of Algore¡¯s rampart, the reason they knew that was simply because they had already flown quite far from Algore. The lump of giant arms was attacking Algore. Volume 3 - CH 34.1 Act 3-34.1: It¡¯s Not Scary At All Goz and Omiros fought right in front of Regena. £¨Ah, what should I do¡­£© Regena couldn¡¯t do anything but watch the situation where Omiros was getting injured right in front of her. If they continued at this rate, it was only a matter of time before Goz killed Omiros. Moreover, no matter how desperately she cried for help, the people below were far too busy due to the goblins¡¯ attack. ¡¸My Dear Master¡­¡¹ Regena called Kuroki, her master. But, she knew that the Hero¡¯s little sister and her party must¡¯ve blocked his way, preventing him from arriving here. Regena wanted to cry at the thought. When Regena clasped the handle of her short sword, she suddenly recalled the day she received it from Kuroki. This weapon was one that Kuroki created for her so that she could use it for self-defense after leaving Nargol and returning to the human realm. She could feel his kindness strongly dwelling in the sword. Properly speaking, Nargol wasn¡¯t a suitable living place for humans. Except for Kuroki, the inhabitants of Nargol saw Regena and her clan as either a nuisance, or food. The only reason they didn¡¯t do anything to them was simply because they were under Kuroki¡¯s protection. That¡¯s why Kuroki didn¡¯t want them to spend the rest of their lives in such unfortunate circumstances. Thus, he was trying his best to find a place in the human world for them to relocate. The short sword was something like an amulet for Regena¡¯s self-protection when Kuroki couldn¡¯t come to protect her. £¨But, can I do that?£© All she wanted was to stay by his side. She had always seen in her dreams the nightmarish day in which people of Algore killed each other, the day when she and her family were running desperately from goblins. That experience made her realize that whether it was the human realm or Nargol, both are equally scary. She could feel at ease only when she was by Kuroki¡¯s side. £¨I really can¡¯t separate myself from My Dear Master.£© Regena was trembling in fear. Two people fought right before her. Even an amateur like her knew that Omiros was slowly being cornered. When Omiros attacked with his sword, Goz knocked the sword with his shield. The impact of the strike made Omiros drop the sword in his hand. Omiros¡¯ stance crumbled when he was trying to pick his sword in hurry. Naturally, Goz didn¡¯t let go of such an opening. ¡¸GUHA!¡¹ Omiros fell as Goz tripped the former¡¯s feet. Goz used that chance to trample Omiros¡¯ left hand that was equipped with an enchanted shield, preventing the shield from moving on its own. ¡¸GUH!¡¹ Omiros groaned in pain. ¡¸THIS IS THE END, PRINCE¨D¨D!!¡¹ Goz held his sword in a reverse grip, and prepared to stab Omiros to death with it. That moment¡­ ¡¸STOP¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹ Regena spoke with a stupefied voice. Both Omiros and Goz looked at Regena upon hearing her voice. Then, they noticed that Regena had already unsheathed her own short sword. She wanted to save Omiros. She didn¡¯t want Omiros to die. Thus, Regena moved with that kind of thought. £¨Omiros was scouring goblin nests just to find someone like me, he even supported my will to return to Nargol. Even when everyone in Algore hated me, Omiros was the only one who cares about me, I have to save him.£© Regena snapped out of her hesitation immediately. Goz¡¯s line of sight was locked on Regena. Her body trembled upon receiving Goz¡¯s gaze. ¡¸G-Get away from Omiros¡­ Y-Your o-opponent is m-me!!¡¹ Regena¡¯s trembling hands were holding on to the hilt of the short sword. ¡¸Oioi, you can¡¯t defeat me with such a little sword. Rather, you should throw it away since you might get yourself injured by that sword instead. Moreover, I prefer to be your opponent in bed.¡¹ Goz¡¯s eyes scanned Regena¡¯s body, as if licking it all over. ¡¸Stop, Regena¡­¡¹ Omiros tried to stop Regena with a feeble voice. ¡¸Shut up, small fry.¡¹ ¡¸GUHA!¡¹ Omiros let out a pained wail as Goz trampled on his chest. ¡¸Stop¡­ I¡¯ll do as you say¡­¡¹ Regena, who didn¡¯t want to see Omiros hurt himself for her, bowed to Goz. ¡¸Is that so? Everything I say eh.¡¹ Goz spoke delightfully upon hearing Regena¡¯s plea. ¡¸Then, throw that sword under the rampart! Otherwise, I¡¯m gonna kill this small fry!!¡¹ Hearing that, Regena looked at the short sword in her hand. £¨This is a gift from My Dear Master. As if I can throw it away.£© Regena shook her head, unwilling to do as Goz had told her. ¡¸Please¡­ Anything but that¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then I¡¯ll kill this guy.¡¹ Goz readied his sword to stab Omiros again. ¡¸WAIT!!¡­ I¡­ Understand¡­¡¹ Regena threw the sword out of the rampart. ¡¸Hehehe, good girl, Regena.¡¹ Finally, Goz removed his feet from Omiros¡¯ chest. Omiros tried to stand up again but he got kicked away by Goz. Omiros¡¯ body was blown away and crashed against the wall, he showed an anguished look on his face. ¡¸YOU JUST STAY RIGHT THERE AND ENJOY THE SHOW!!¡¹ ¡¸OMIROS!!¡¹ Regena tried to rush at Omiros. ¡¸Whoopsie!!!¡¹ But, Goz appeared before her, and pushed her down. He then mounted her right away. ¡¸Finally, I caught you, Regena¡­ Now let¡¯s show Omiros the moment I turn you into a woman!!!¡¹ Goz tried to take off his pants as he spoke. ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D! SAVE ME, MASTER¨D¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹ Regena shut her eyes, calling upon Kuroki¡¯s name. Swish! At that moment, Regena¡¯s ears caught the sound of something cutting the wind. ¡¸GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹ Suddenly, Goz jumped away from Regena while raising a bloodcurdling scream. ¡¸Eh¡­? W¡­ What happened¡­¡¹ Regena propped her body up as she looked at Goz. Thereupon, she saw the short sword that she threw away beneath the rampart stuck on Goz¡¯s naked ass. Goz was hopping repeatedly like a rabbit as he wailed loudly. Since he had taken off his pants, his lower-half was completely exposed. Adding to the fact that he was hopping like a rabbit, that spectacle was truly hilarious. Regena didn¡¯t waste more time and rushed toward Omiros immediately. ¡¸Are you okay, Omiros?¡¹ Regena propped Omiros while trying to wake him up. ¡¸Uhm¡­ Regena¡­ What¡­ happened?¡¹ Omiros stood with a grimace, clearly in pain. But, even Regena had no idea what just happened. The short sword that she threw away had actually returned and stabbed Goz¡¯s ass. ¡¸WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SWORD¨D¨D¨D!!!?¡¹ Goz finally calmed down and managed to pull the sword stuck in his ass. And then, that sword suddenly moved on its own, toward Goz¡¯s chest. ¡¸GNNNNNNNNNN!!!¡¹ But, Goz managed to just barely prevent the sword from killing him by holding its hilt with both hands. The sword moved on its own, as if it had its own will. Goz was struggling to prevent the sword from stabbing his chest. ¡¸What¡­ the hell is that guy doing?¡¹ Omiros was looking at Goz with a puzzled look on his face. The figure of Goz¡ªwith a naked lower half¡ªtrying his best to prevent the sword in his hand from stabbing him looked hilarious from the sideline. Even if it was replaced with another person, they would still be puzzled by Goz¡¯s strange actions. Regena and Omiros could only look at Goz¡¯s display of antics with dumbfounded looks on their faces. As they watched such a spectacle, they suddenly heard the sound of footsteps from the stairs. The reinforcements had finally come. But, Omiros didn¡¯t let down his guard since the one coming might be a goblin. ¡¸My bad for the tardiness.¡¹ The one who came up was the last person he expected. ¡¸You¡¯re¡­ That werewolf. What are you doing here?¡¹ Omiros asked as he saw the figure who came up. Regena was also familiar with him. It was the werewolf they brought to Algore. £¨What is this werewolf doing here? He should be restricted with chains and locks.£© When she thought so, upon a closer look, Regena saw another figure clinging onto the werewolf¡¯s back. ¡¸R¡­ Riette?¡¹ "" Omiros called the person who was clinging onto the werewolf¡¯s back. He was curious as to the reason why Riette was doing that. ¡¸Geez! You should run more slowly!!¡¹ Riette complained as she descended from the werewolf¡¯s back. ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped! That terrifying personage will kill me for sure if something bad ever happens to that female human!!¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? That minstrel looked like a really gentle person to me though?¡¹ ¡¸Coz it¡¯s you¡­¡¹ Riette and the werewolf bantered. ¡¸Riette¡­ What in the world is happening?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Omiros! Eh, you¡¯re injured? Are you okay?¡¹ Riette rushed toward Omiros. Volume 3 - CH 34.2 Act 3-34.2: It¡¯s Not Scary At All ¡¸Yeah, no problem, Riette¡­ But, really. Just what is happening here?¡¹ Omiros reassured Riette as he asked for an explanation of the current situation. But, a glance at Regena¡¯s expression gave him the answer that he wanted. ¡¸Werewolf-san is so mean to me! Look, Regena is fine. I, on the other hand, was being swung left and right on his back.¡¹ Riette said so while hiding herself behind Omiros. Regena and Omiros then looked at the werewolf. ¡¸Yeah, that terrifying personage specifically ordered me to protect you¡­ That¡¯s why I followed your smell all the way to this place.¡¹ The werewolf replied with a smile on his face. ¡¸ Protect me?¡¹ Regena tilted her head in confusion. ¡¸The reason for my late arrival is coz I had to drive away the goblins along the way. My bad¡­ But still, thank god yer safe and sound!!¡¹ ¡¸Goblins?¡¹ Regena asked back with a puzzled look on her face. She was then reminded of the goblin raid below. ¡¸Come to think of it, what happened to the goblin raid!?¡¹ Omiros voiced the same question in Regena¡¯s mind. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. All of them have already been expelled by the warrior summoned by that minstrel uncle.¡¹ Riette replied with a smile on her face. Thereupon, they saw something come toward the watch tower platform. The ones who came were three warriors armed with swords and shields. It looked like they jumped over from the rampart without stairs. ¡¸Eh, Spartoi?! I saw My Dear Master use them before! Why are they appearing in this place?¡¹ Regena spoke with a stupefied voice. ¡¸They¡¯re summoned by the minstrel? And this shield is also given by him. Just who in the world is that minstrel?¡¹ Omiros asked so while touching the shield on his left arm. First he gave an enchanted shield to Omiros, and then summoned Spartoi. All threads were interconnected with Regena as its center. ¡¸Ahahahahahahaha.¡¹ Regena suddenly laughed out loud. ¡¸Regena?¡¹ Omiros was looking at the laughing Regena with a baffled look on his face. But, Regena who realized everything didn¡¯t stop laughing. £¨Why should I be afraid of this guy? There¡¯s nothing to fear at all.£© Regena then looked at Goz who still did his best to prevent the black sword from killing him. ¡¸O Sword, Return to My Hand.¡¹ Regena raised her hand and called the sword. The sword that tried to stab Goz then returned to Regena¡¯s hand. Goz, who barely avoided death, was looking at Regena. ¡¸Humph, how small. Not even a tenth of My Dear Master¡¯s length.¡¹ Regena snickered as she saw Goz¡¯s lower-half. Once, Regena had barged into the bathroom when Kuroki was taking a bath since she wanted to rinse his back. Naturally, she received a severe scolding from Kuna after that. £¨My Dear Master¡¯s thing is at least a dozen times longer than Goz¡¯s. Goz¡¯s thing is just too pitifully small. Nevertheless, I almost lost in fear since I was too scared to face Goz. This battle should¡¯ve ended much earlier had I chose to fight alongside Omiros. The power in this sword is exactly for that situation after all.£© "" Regena shook her head lightly as she apologized to Omiros in her heart. Regena ended up losing her courage when she saw Goz, his figure reminded her of the terror in her childhood after all. £¨If only I had been this courageous early on. Omiros wouldn¡¯t be hurt so badly. But, everything will be alright, My Dear Master has already pushed strength in me to overcome my fear.£© Regena then pointed her short sword toward Goz. ¡¸Prepare yourself, Goz!! I¡¯m not scared of you anymore!!¡¹ ¡¸Uuuh¡­¡¹ Goz flinched back when Regena pointed her sword toward him. His face was filled with fear toward the sword. ¡¸What¡¯s with that look¡­ All of you¡­ Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu*k¡­¡¹ Goz kept swearing non-stop. ¡¸Hey, Omiros¡­ Who the hell is that?¡¹ Riette was pointing at Goz as she clung on Omiros. ¡¸That person is Parsish¡­ The figure we saw until now was him with a face changed with magic. That¡¯s his real face.¡¹ ¡¸No way, that¡¯s¡­ Parsish¡­¡¹ Riette shook her head, unable to believe the striking contrast between the two. ¡¸I see¡­ So that¡¯s the one who that terrifying personage ordered me to eliminate eh. Easy peasy.¡¹ The werewolf said so while looking at Goz. As if a werewolf wasn¡¯t tough enough, there were also spartois. Goz was already cornered. ¡¸Dammit¡­ Since she can¡¯t become mine¡­ EVERYTHING SHOULD JUST DISSAPEAAAAAAAAAAAAR¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹ Goz took out a small bottle from his pocket as he screamed like a madman. ¡¸I thought that I didn¡¯t have to use this¡­ But, since it has come to this, I¡¯ll use this guy! COME FORTH, GOD OF DESTRUCTION¡¯S KIN! COME FORTH AND DEVOUR ALL THE HUMANS IN THIS HUMAN COUNTRY!!!¡¹ Goz threw out the bottle outside of the watching platform. ¡¸GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!¡¹ Suddenly, a deafening roar that seemed like it could reach the heavens resounded in the entire region, gargantuan black mist rose up from below the watching platform. The creature that appeared from the mist was a giant creature with numerous hands. ¡¸What in the world is that¡­?¡¹ Regena spoke with a stupefied voice. And then, when she looked around, everyone in that place was trembling in fear. ¡¸GAHAHAHAHA! THIS GUY IS THE GOD OF DESTRUCTION¡¯S KIN, THE HUNDRED ARMS GIANT! NOT EVEN THE DARK KNIGHT CAN BEAT THIS GUY! NOW, RAMPAGE!¡¹ After saying so, Goz tried to escape by jumping down from the watching platform. He wanted to get away from that place when Regena and the others¡¯ attention was on the Hundred Arms Giant. The Hundred Arms Giant was looking down on Regena and co. ¡¸HYAAAAAAAAAAA! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAAAAAT!?¡¹ The werewolf screamed in fear. Amidst everyone¡¯s terror, the spartois were the only ones who moved, they charged toward the Hundred Arms Giant. Alas, all of them were too powerless before it. And then, one of its arms pointed toward Regena and co. ¡¸RIETTE, WATCH OUT!¡¹ Regena pushed Riette aside. As a result, the arm that was about to grab Riette caught Regena instead. ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ Regena screamed as she got caught by the giant. ¡¸Regena!!!¡¹ Omiros tried to save Regena but Regena was brought toward the Hundred Arms Giant¡¯s mouth. ¡¸MASTE¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªR!!!¡¹ Regena closed her eyes as she shouted the name of her savior. Suddenly, she felt that her body had regained its freedom. And the first thing that she saw when she opened her eyes was the face of her most beloved person in the world. An extremely kind person whose body was wrapped in jet-black armor. £¨I was embraced by My Dear Master who came riding atop a dragon.£© When Regena snapped out and looked around, she saw that the Hundred Arms Giant had already been knocked back. ¡¸Are you okay, Regena?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m safe, My Dear Master¡­ I¡¯m not scared anymore¡­¡¹ ¡°There is nothing to be scared of anymore.¡± Was what Regena thought as she embraced Kuroki. Volume 3 - CH 35 Act 3-35: The Hundred Armed Giant (I somehow managed to arrive in time.) Kuroki looked at Regena who was in his embrace. He had prepared all kinds of measures to prevent her from being in danger, and yet, the current situation had truly exceeded all of his expectations. £¨Good grief, I guess I was really bound to fail. Though I barely arrived in time to save her, one second later and Regena would¡¯ve been a goner.£© Kuroki apologized to Regena in his mind. Meanwhile, Regena was clinging on to Kuroki. She was unwilling to let him go, trying to show him just how scared she was. The giant who was rammed by Glorious was thrown back around dozens of meters from Algore. But, the giant stood up again and headed towards Algore again. ¡¸GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!¡¹ Glorious raised a roar as he fired a scorching, crimson breath. The breath attack collided with the incoming giant, blowing up a few of its arms. Seeing that, Kuroki thought that the enemy might not be as powerful as it looked. However, at that moment, the arms that got blown up by the breath attack started regenerating again. Though the giant stopped for a moment when it used its regeneration power, it started moving immediately. £¨What should I do about this guy? Well, let¡¯s save that for later and return Regena to Omiros first.£© Kuroki jumped down from Glorious¡¯ back with Regena in his arms, and descended toward Omiros. ¡¸You¡¯re safe now, Regena.¡¹ Kuroki separated himself from Regena as he spoke. Regena also separated herself from Kuroki, albeit with a slightly regretful look on her face. ¡¸You¡¯re¡­¡¹ Omiros was looking at Kuroki. ¡¸Was the shield useful to you, Prince?¡¹ Kuroki unfastened his helmet as he spoke. £¨Fufu, what a surprise. I mean, who would ever expect the minstrel to be the Dark Knight himself.£© When he looked around, the people in the watching platform seemed to be even more surprised by Kuroki. ¡¸Everything went according to your plan eh¡­ Haha, I really am no match for you.¡¹ Omiros shook his head with a dejected look on his face. His voice was dry. ¡¸MINSTREL UNCLE IS AMAZING!! YOU REALLY ARE RIDING A DRAGON!!¡¹ The little girl by Omiros¡¯ side spoke cheerfully. £¨She¡¯s Riette, is she? I wish she would stop calling me uncle¡­£© Kuroki was hurt inside for being called uncle by Riette. ¡¸What¡¯s happening, Omiros?¡¹ Another person climbed the stairs. Kuroki was familiar with the person who just climbed up the stairs. It was Maxis, Omiros¡¯ cousin. ¡¸T-The Minstre?l And, THAT ARMOR?!!¡¹ ¡¸Maxis, he¡­ is actually the Dark Knight.¡¹ ¡¸Ho¡­.!? HE WHA¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DT!!¡¹ Maxis¡¯ mouth opened wide due to shock. ¡¸Why is it so noisy here?¡¹ And now, even Reiji¡¯s little sister, Kyouka, was climbing up too. ¡¸Oh my, Kuroki-san. You¡¯re here eh. Have you spoken with Shirone-san?¡¹ Kyouka spoke with a calm voice. Kuroki heaved a sigh since she didn¡¯t seem hostile toward him. He expected her to resent him for almost killing Reiji by accident. ¡¸GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.¡¹ The giant raised a roar. And then, it seemed to be about to move again. ¡¸By the way, what¡¯s that? Can someone explain it to me.¡¹ Kyouka said while looking at the giant. ¡¸Kyouka-sama, That monster has been summoned by Pa¡ª Goz. It wants to destroy Algore¡­¡¹ The others who had no idea about the situation couldn¡¯t hide their shock upon hearing Omiros¡¯ answer. Omiros then explained the story that led to the current situation. ¡¸That¡¯s what happened¡­ If only I knew this before, I would¡¯ve ordered Kaya to strangle that man to death, alas¡­¡¹ Kyouka spoke with a vexed look on her face. Kuroki was equally shocked by that revelation. Goz¡¯s action surpassed his worst assumption and went as far as summoning such a thing. ¡¸There¡¯s a more pressing matter, what should we do now?! That thing is coming!¡¹ Maxis said so while looking at the Hundred Armed Giant. Algore¡¯s citizens who saw the giant were also gathering around the rampart, and soon raised a commotion upon seeing that the Hundred Armed Giant was about to crash into them. ¡¸Can you defeat an enemy of that scale?¡¹ Kyouka asked Kuroki. ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ It should be possible.¡¹ Kuroki gave his answer and then looked at Regena. ¡¸But, what do you want to do, Regena? Do you want to save this country? This country will fall into a dangerous situation if you leave it as it is. If you really wish for it, I would let this country disappear from the map.¡¹ Kuroki asked Regena. Everyone in that place looked at Regena. Regena shook her head as she opened her mouth. ¡¸No, my Dear Master. I still have connections with the people who live in Algore. I have a lot of memories with them, and I don¡¯t wish for the country Omiros lives in to be destroyed either. That¡¯s why, please save this country, my Dear Master.¡¹ Kuroki nodded the moment he heard Regena¡¯s answer. ¡¸Yes, since that¡¯s what you want, I shall save this country. GLORIOUS!!¡¹ Kuroki jumped as he stated and landed right on the back of Glorious, who flew in the air. Together, they faced the Hundred Armed Giant. £¨Just what in the world is this Hundred Armed Giant?£© Kuroki was looking at the giant. The giant was a literal lump of hostility, and that hostility wasn¡¯t aimed at something specific, it rather felt as if the giant hated the entire world. Though Kuroki had no idea how such a giant existed in this world, he had to save Algore for Regena. ¡¸O Black Flame!!¡¹ Kuroki raised his sword above his head, and loaded his black flame into it. ¡¸HAAA!!!¡¹ He jumped from Glorious¡¯ back, spun in the air and mowed down the giant with his sword. The sword¡¯s blade that was clad in black flame grew both in size and length, burning the Hundred Armed Giant¡¯s entire body, and exploding as it struck the ground. The figure of the Hundred Armed Giant vanished along with the black flame. £¨That¡¯s pretty nice for an impromptu finishing blow. Okay, let¡¯s call this move ¡°Decapitation of Darkness, Divine Blade¡±. Such a cool name is expected with my amazing naming sense.£© Kuroki was smiling happily as he thought of a name for his skill. "" £¨Well, let¡¯s stop trying to escape from reality. There¡¯s still a lot of things I have left to do in Algore.£© Kuroki landed on Glorious¡¯ back again and they returned to Algore. The first thing he had to do was confirm Regena¡¯s intentions. Then, he had to take care of Goz, the culprit behind this mess. £¨Goz wasn¡¯t there. I guess he¡¯s still up to no good. Let¡¯s search for him later¡­ Where in the world did he run off to?£© ¡ô In the forest near Algore, Goz witnessed as the Hundred Armed Giant was vanquished so easily by the Dark Knight. ¡¸Impossible¡­ Not even the Hundred Armed Giant can beat him¡­ Oh no, I won¡¯t be able to beat that guy no matter what kind of method I use.¡¹ Goz grinded his teeth in vexation. Though it belonged in the weakest class, the Hundred Armed Giant was still an opponent comparable to a divine being. It wasn¡¯t something that a mere mortal could challenge recklessly. Since Regena was under the protection of the Dark Knight, the very being who defeated that giant in one strike, he had no choice but to give up on Regena. ¡¸Humph! I can get as many females as I want!¡¹ Goz was thinking about the next country he should make as his destination as he cursed under his breath. The world was huge after all, there are many other countries aside from Algore. [TL: Literally an enlarged version of japan.] ¡¸Where do you think you¡¯re going, Goz?¡¹ The moment Goz was about to take his first step, a voice suddenly called out to him. It was the voice of the person he didn¡¯t want to see the most right now. "" When he turned around, the first thing he saw was a huge goblin. ¡¸M¡­ Mother. What are you doing here?¡¹ Goz wouldn¡¯t mistake her ugly face for anyone else. The owner of that voice was his own mother, Datie. And then, upon looking around, he found out that he was being surrounded by numerous goblins. Different from the goblins who live in the southern part of the Akeron Mountain Range, the ones who surrounded him were the goblins from the northern part¡ªcombat trained goblins from Nargol. ¡¸What I¡¯m doing here, eh? You should already know the reason right, Goz. Isn¡¯t it because you dared to actually steal something that was entrusted to me by His Majesty the Demon King, which I kept in my vault¡­¡¹ Datie¡¯s face was dyed with rage. £¨Crap, if I don¡¯t escape now¡­£© Goz tried to escape but he was surrounded from all sides. ¡¸Goz, you¡¯ll experience torture worse than death¡­ catch him!!¡¹ The moment Datie said so, a rope came down from all directions, catching Goz right in the middle. It was an enchanted rope, thus escaping from it was impossible for Goz. Goz, who didn¡¯t want to return to the gloomy Goblin Kingdom, tried desperately to break out from the rope. ¡¸NOOO! SAVE ME¨D¨D¨D!! I DON¡¯T WANT TO GO BACK TO SUCH A GLOOMY PLACE!!!¡¹ Despite his desperate pleas, no one came to save him. The rope mercilessly tightened around Goz¡¯s body. ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! REGENA¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! SAVE MEEEEEEEEEE¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹ A man¡¯s lust-filled scream resounded inside the dark forest. Volume 3 - CH 36 Act 3-36: Star of Nargol ¡¸What are you going to do, Regena? Are you going to go back to the human realm?¡¹ After he defeated the Hundred Armed Giant, Kuroki went back to Regena to ask her that question. He thought that staying by Omiros¡¯ side was much better than returning to Nargol. Nargol was an ill-suited living place for humans. Moreover, Nargolians would never regard Regena and her people as their peers. Thus, in Kuroki¡¯s opinion, the most ideal situation was for Regena to return to the human realm. ¡¸Regena-san, your preferences aside, don¡¯t you think that the other people should return to the human realm?¡¹ Kyouka had also tried to persuade Regena to go back to the human realm. ¡¸But, my Dear Master¡­¡¹ Regena looked at Kuroki, seemingly wanting to say something. £¨Could it be that she is reluctant to leave Nargol due to her sense of gratitude? I just saved her according to my whims. There¡¯s no need for her to feel grateful towards me¡­£© Thus, Kuroki tried to guide her and make her move forward. ¡¸Regena, just choose the path you want to choose the most. I¡¯ll help you with the rest.¡¹ After hearing Kuroki¡¯s encouragement, Regena nodded as she made up her mind. ¡¸Understood, my Dear Master. I want to return to the human realm.¡¹ Regena looked straight into Kuroki¡¯s eyes. £¨It seems Regena had made up her mind from the very beginning. I shall bless her happiness with Omiros, hahaha.£© Kuroki blessed Regena¡¯s choice in his mind. ¡¸Kyouka-sama, I accept your proposal.¡¹ Regena bowed to Kyouka. £¨Eh? Her choice seems to be different from what I expected.£© Kuroki tilted his head in confusion upon seeing her action. ¡¸I see, then you shall go back with us to the Holy Republic of Lenaria.¡¹ Kyouka smiled as she said so. £¨E~h? Regena chose to go to the Holy Republic of Lenaria instead of Algore? When was that offer made? Wait a minute, what about Omiros?£© When Kuroki turned around to check on Omiros, he found him nodding his head in agreement. ¡¸Thank you for your care until now, Omiros. My heart already belongs to someone else¡­ That¡¯s why I can¡¯t reciprocate your feelings. But, it won¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re my best friend. Come visit me in the Holy Republic of Lenaria every now and then.¡¹ Regena said to Omiros. Kuroki was really surprised when he heard that piece of information. £¨I had no idea that Regena¡¯s heart already belonged to someone else. And that person isn¡¯t Omiros on top of that. Who¡¯s that person I wonder?£© At the same moment, Kuroki noticed a certain fact. Come to think of it, why did Regena choose to go to the Holy Republic of Lenaria? There was only one reason for that. The Hero of Light, Reiji. When it comes to someone Regena loves in the Holy Republic of Lenaria, the only person that came to mind was Reiji. £¨Come to think of it, they did meet in the past. Again eh¡­ Doesn¡¯t this look like I was protecting Regena just to serve her on a silver platter to Reiji. But well, since it¡¯s her choice, I shall give her my blessing¡­£© Kuroki, who got overwhelmed by the reality, wanted to go on all four on the floor. ¡¸Yeah, I will.¡¹ Omiros replied with a smile on his face. From Kuroki¡¯s perspective, Omiros was clearly suppressing his broken heart. ¡¸My Dear Master, I have to return to Nargol for the last time to explain the situation to everyone, but¡­¡¹ This time, Regena spoke to Kuroki. ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡¹ Kuroki tried to bluff with as much of a composed voice as possible. Though Regena couldn¡¯t see his expression due to his helmet, his smile was twitching non-stop inside. ¡¸Shall we go then, Regena¡­¡¹ Kuroki called Glorious with a slightly sad feeling. Thereupon, Glorious, who was resting on the ground outside of the rampart, flew up again. ¡¸Wait a minute, Kuroki-san. I just remembered something, how did things go with Shirone-san?¡¹ Kyouka called out to him when Kuroki was about to leave. ¡¸Uhm, about Shirone¡­ Please tell her ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±¡­¡¹ In fact, Kuroki left Shirone in the forest. £¨That time, Shirone also understood the gravity of the situation, and that¡¯s the only reason why I can get away from her¡­ Well, she might be pissed off once she she knows that I duped her.£© Kuroki trembled in fear upon imagining the suffering he had to go through from Shirone¡¯s wrath in the future. Shirone¡¯s anger toward Kuroki was pretty much unjustified. Though it was the embodiment of her care, it was still scary. ¡¸Uhm, REGENA!!¡¹ Now, it was Riette who called out to Regena. ¡¸Thank you very much for saving me a while ago! And sorry for treating you coldly all this time!¡¹ Riette apologized to Regena. ¡¸I¡¯ve long since forgiven you, Riette! And I¡¯m really happy to see you as lively as usual!!¡¹ Regena replied with a bright smile on her face. Even Kuroki ended up getting charmed by that smile. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, my Dear Master!!¡¹ ¡¸Uhm. I understand.¡¹ Kuroki nodded and then rode on Glorious¡¯ back while carrying Regena. When Omiros waved his hand to send Regena off, Regena replied back in the same way. Despite not being tied up to each other, Kuroki felt the strong bond between the two that surpassed the concept of gender. Thus, he knew that these two would surely reunite sometime in the future. As Glorious increased his speed, Algore became a small dot faraway in just a few seconds. ¡¸Goodbye, my birthplace¡­¡¹ Regena muttered in a small voice. It was as if she was crying, and then laughing, looking like someone who just let go of a load on her shoulder. They crossed the Akeron Mountain Range in no time, and entered Nargol. ¡¸Regena, Nargol is surrounded by eternal night you know.¡¹ Kuroki said so with a wry smile on his face. ¡¸You¡¯re right, my Dear Master¡­ But, eternal night isn¡¯t the only thing in Nargol. I mean, you¡¯re in Nargol too.¡¹ Regena embraced Kuroki as they rode on Glorious¡¯ back. ¡¸Regena?¡¹ Kuroki was slightly caught off guard when Regena hugged him. ¡¸Surely, Nargol is a land of darkness due to its eternal night¡­ But, you¡¯re the bright flickering star that shines upon me in that eternal night, my Dear Master. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never felt that Nargol is a gloomy place with you in there¡­ my Dear Master.¡¹ Regena raised her face, looking at Kuroki with a charming smile on her face. £¨Uwaa, she actually said such an embarrassing line. Well, that might be just how much she feels grateful to me, but still, it¡¯s so damn embarrassing.£© Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly embarrassed. Glorious kept flying in the night sky. The sky in Nargol might be dark, but Kuroki¡¯s feelings were sunny. Volume 3 - CH 37 Act 3-37: Peaceful Everyday Life The morning after, peace finally returned to Algore. Both the Dark Knight and the Hero¡¯s little sister and her party had left. Yet, not all things had gone back to what they used to be. ¡¸It¡¯s still amazing no matter how much I look at it¡­¡¹ Maxis muttered as he stood at the top of the rampart and looked at the scenery outside. All his attention was on the location where the Dark Knight annihilated the Hundred Armed Giant in a single strike. This place used to be a hill, but with a single strike, the Dark Knight had managed to turn the area into a giant scorched hole. The size of that hole could fit the entirety of Algore Kingdom inside. ¡¸Yeah, the Dark Knight¡¯s power is truly something else¡­¡¹ Omiros muttered back as he also looked at the hole. He had thought that the Dark Knight was only considered powerful because of defeating the so-called Hero. But now, he realized that he didn¡¯t know the immensity of his true power. Despite both ogres and goblins joining the raid, Algore Kingdom was practically unscathed and no Algorian died during the incident. All of this was thanks to the measures the Dark Knight had prepared beforehand. The Spartois that he summoned to protect the kingdom had vanished before anyone realized it, as if they were never there to begin with. Thus, Omiros kept wondering just how much more powerful the Dark Knight would be if he went all out. ¡¸Yeah, like hell we can win against THAT. That¡¯s why cheer up already, Omiros.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean, Maxis?¡¹ ¡¸The other party is too strong in every possible way. That¡¯s why you should give up and try to find a much better woman, it should be much easier with your appearance.¡¹ Maxis laughed heartily. ¡¸That doesn¡¯t sound like words of comfort at all but¡­ Thanks for trying to cheer me up.¡¹ Omiros thanked Maxis while pondering about the Dark Knight. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to protect Regena if not for the Dark Knight secretly assisting him. Thus, he realized that he was no match for a man of the Dark Knight¡¯s caliber. And Omiros himself knew that the Dark Knight truly wanted to protect Regena till the end. Thus, he didn¡¯t have to worry about Regena¡¯s situation anymore. Regena had overcome her goblin trauma. As he touched the enchanted shield, Omiros¡¯ will to become stronger reignited anew, he wanted to someday be someone like the Dark Knight. ¡¸OMIROOOOOOOOS!!!¡¹ Riette was riding the werewolf¡¯s back as she came towards them. The werewolf had decided to stay in Algore. Omiros heard from the werewolf that the Dark Knight had ordered him to protect Algore. Thus, he couldn¡¯t eat the humans in Algore. And, the werewolf had somehow become attached to Riette. ¡¸What are you talking about?¡¹ Riette asked the two. ¡¸We¡¯re talking about the Dark Knight.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, the minstrel uncle, huh. Never expected that he would turn out to be the infamous Dark Knight.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, I can see that.¡¹ ¡¸Absolutely, to think that a captured minstrel turned out to be the Dark Knight in disguise. Oh yeah, should I claim myself as the man who captured the Dark Knight, who was able to defeat the Hero?¡¹ ¡¸Who do you think will believe your story, Maxis?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the truth though.¡¹ Maxis replied with a sulking tone. Omiros and Riette laughed upon seeing his reaction. ¡¸Omiros, will we be able¡­ to see them again? I hope I can meet the minstrel uncle¡­and Regena too someday again¡­¡¹ Riette was looking up to the sky as she asked that question. ¡¸Well¡­ We definitely will meet them again in the future.¡¹ Omiros also looked up as he replied. £¨We definitely will meet again later as long as we live under the same sky.£© Omiros thought about Regena while looking up to the sky. ¡ô Shirone had arrived back in the Holy Republic of Lenaria and went to regroup with Chiyuki and the others. ¡¸Sorry for the wait, Reiji-kun, Chiyuki-san.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a big deal, Shirone. Your problem is more urgent after all.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I heard about the situation from Kaya¡¯s communication, you¡¯ve managed to meet your childhood friend right? That¡¯s wonderful.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I managed to meet him, but¡­ In the end, I failed to bring him back¡­¡¹ Shirone heaved a sigh as she recalled that moment. Since it was an emergency situation, Shirone had no choice but to let go of Kuroki. Shirone returned to Algore Kingdom after the numbing in her body receded, only to hear that Kuroki and Regena had already gone back to Nargol. Shirone wanted to go to Nargol too but she was stopped by Kaya. ¡¸I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before we meet him again. That¡¯s why you should cheer up for now, Shirone-san.¡¹ ¡¸Uuh, thank you Kyouka-san.¡¹ Shirone expressed her gratitude toward Kyouka. She was currently staying in Kyouka¡¯s mansion in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Though she normally stayed in Rena¡¯s temple, they started to make the mansion their hangout spot once it was finished. ¡¸By the way, I heard there¡¯s an emergency situation, what kind of emergency is it, Chiyuki-san?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well, it seems some sort of incident happened in the Republic of Ariadya, located to the west of this place. I¡¯ve yet to receive the detailed information, but well¡­ By the way, what happened to Kaya-san? If possible, I wanted to ask for her opinion.¡¹ Chiyuki looked around. The ones who gathered in this place were Chiyuki, Reiji, Shirone and Kyouka, just the four of them. The other girls were in different places. ¡¸Eh, haven¡¯t you heard about this matter, Chiyuki? We recruited a lot of new employees. That¡¯s why Kaya is really busy right now.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see now. No wonder the mansion looks busier than usual.¡¹ Chiyuki said so as she looked at Kyouka. ¡¸Yeah, we took in Regena-san and her tribe from Algore. Kaya is making the necessary preparations to welcome them.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Regena from Algore¡­ She¡¯s the princess, right? What¡¯s the meaning of this, Shirone-san?¡¹ ¡¸Well, various things happened in Algore after we left it last time. Well, it will take a long time to tell the entire story though.¡¹ Shirone smiled. The employees who were employed by Kaya were moving around non-stop in the mansion, preparing to welcome Regena and her clan. "" £¨Maybe I can ask for more details about Kuroki once Regena arrives. That way, I¡¯ll be able to reunite with Kuroki again.£© Shirone couldn¡¯t help but ponder about that matter. ¡¸I¡¯ve prepared tea for everyone.¡¹ ¡¸Hehe~. We prepared sweets too.¡¹ The door of the room opened, Sahoko and Rino entered the room. Sahoko placed a jar of tea and sweets on top of the food cart. ¡¸Oh, is that a new recipe, Sahoko?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Rei-kun. I tried to use sweet fruit, which was brought back as a present from Velos. It turned out to be very versatile and can be used in various ways like apples.¡¹ Sahoko smiled happily. The sweet fruit that Shirone and co had brought back from Velos was made into a pie by Sahoko and Rino. She proceeded to cut the pie, which was encased by several layers of dough and filled to the brim with the Velos fruit. When the first piece was cut, a sweet and appetizing aroma filled the room. ¡¸Well then, please enjoy everyone.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, Rino-san. Nao-san isn¡¯t here. What happened to her?¡¹ Chiyuki stopped Rino who was about to eat the pie. Kaya had not joined in for a reason, but as for Nao, she had never missed tea time. Thus, Chiyuki felt something was amiss when that very same Nao was missing. ¡¸Come to think of it, she didn¡¯t come to sample what I made either.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, what happened to her I wonder?¡¹ Both Sahoko and Rino tilted their heads in confusion. ¡¸Strange. Where in the world is she right now?¡¹ Everyone in that place tilted their heads in confusion when Chiyuki said so. ¡ô £¨It seems they¡¯re going to go to that Ariadya¡¯s place.£© Above the ceiling of Kyouka¡¯s mansion, Nut the fire rat was eavesdropping on their conversation with a smile on his face. The Hero and his party, who had been chatting since a while ago, had yet to notice his presence. Now Nut knew their future plans. £¨I seem to have heard Regena¡¯s name before? Where did I hear it I wonder?£© Nut tilted his head, trying to recall when he had heard Regena¡¯s name. Honestly speaking, Nut didn¡¯t care about Regena. It was for that reason that he forgot her name despite knowing her. £¨Oh whatever. I should focus on observing the Hero¡¯s habits.£© Nut observed the Hero and his party from a small crevice in the ceiling. The hero of light, Reiji, was an extremely terrifying existence. He was the only one who might be able to kill the Demon King that Nut respected so much. Though his comrades were equally terrifying, the one that Nut was most vigilant toward was the Hero. That¡¯s why he observed the Hero¡¯s habits. ¡¸I¡¯ve prepared tea for everyone.¡¹ ¡¸Hehe~. We prepared sweets too.¡¹ During his observation duty, two of the Hero¡¯s comrades entered the room. They brought sweets and tea placed on top of a food cart with them. ¡¸T-That looks really delicious.¡¹ Nut unintentionally spoke out loud upon seeing the sweets. Their aroma was drifting in the attic. ¡¸Indeed. The sweets made by Sahoko-san are superb, Rat-san.¡¹ Suddenly, someone¡¯s voice came from behind him. The surprised Nut turned around slowly. He could see a pair of lights inside the darkness. Upon a closer look, they were a cat¡¯s eyes. £¨S-Since when did this cat appear behind me? And that voice, this cat is definitely one of the Hero¡¯s comrades¡­ Nao, right?£© The one behind Nut was Nao. The reason Nut failed to detect her presence was because Nao had completely sealed her presence. Nao was in her half-human half-beast state. She was currently in her cat form which allowed her to see in the darkness. Her eyes were locked on Nut. ¡¸Mefufufufu, what are you doing here I wonder Rat-san?¡¹ Nao laughed as she looked at Nut. £¨Oh crap! I have to escape now!£© Thus, Nut tried to escape immediately. But, Nao reacted faster and caught him before that. ¡¸You cannot escape~ Rat-sa~n. You¡¯ve been observing us for a while now, right? Now I¡¯ve finally caught you.¡¹ Nao pinched Nut, and brought him closer to her. £¨HAH, SHE ACTUALLY NOTICED IT?! I¡¯ve let my guard down.£© But, Nut¡¯s regret came way too late. ¡¸You seem to have quite a nice lineage and fur there. Oops, you seems to be a boy too.¡¹ Nao spread Nut¡¯s leg. £¨GYAAA! STOOOOOP! I HAVE A WIFE AND KID BACK HOME! PLEASE OVERLOOK ME JUST THIS ONCE!£© Nut tried to escape from Nao¡¯s hands, alas, he failed. ¡¸Since you have such beautiful red fur, I shall call you Ruby. Now Ruby, let¡¯s go down and enjoy the tea and sweets.¡¹ Nao caught Nut and brought him back with her to the room below. === TN: I¡¯ll take a break from 13-19 march 2023 for rehabilitation of my neck(due to wrong sleeping posture) Volume 3 - CH 38.1 Act 3-38.1: Turbulent Everyday Life At a certain place in the Demon King¡¯s Palace, which was located in the center of Nargol. Modes and Mona were chatting in one of the rooms. It was a private chat between the two. Modes was sitting on the carpet while Mona was sitting on his lap. ¡¸My bad, Mona.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not a big deal, dear. I¡¯ll try to fulfill your request as much as possible.¡¹ Modes heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Mona¡¯s reply. Around this time, Mona¡¯s former royal guard corps, composed of only female knights, were heading toward Kuroki¡¯s place. In this way, Kuroki had gained his first, proper subordinates. At first, Modes wanted to use his subordinates from the Chivalric Order of Dark Knights which was composed of men but he then remembered that the Chivalric Order of Dark Knights was still rebuilding their force after nearly being destroyed by the Hero. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask Runfeld to send a few of his already scarce subordinates to serve under Kuroki. He then considered the other lower ranking demons or orcs, but considering Kuroki¡¯s overwhelming strength, weak subordinates were nothing more than a hindrance for him. Thus, he resorted to the last option. He asked Mona how many female knights amongst her subordinates¡ªwho were practically uninjured since their main job was protecting Mona¡ªshe could assign to work under Kuroki. To begin with, Mona would never meet with any danger as long as she stayed in Nargol, and the number of female knights serving under her was huge. Thus, Modes knew that it was possible to let go of a few of them for Kuroki. But then, he had to get Mona¡¯s permission first. Modes had expected that Mona, who didn¡¯t seem to like Kuroki, would refuse such a request, but against his expectation, Mona readily agreed to his request. Thus, Modes could heave a sigh of relief. ¡¸Modes-sama has never made a request after all.¡¹ Modes laughed. It was a laugh from the bottom of his heart. ¡¸Nuhuhuhu.¡¹ Modes hugged Mona with a smile on his face. ¡¸You mustn¡¯t, Modes-sama¡­ Doing that in this kind of place is¡­¡¹ ¡¸Nufufufu, It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ Just when Modes was about to flirt with Mona. Another voice suddenly interrupted them. ¡¸Your Majesty, Your Majesty. May I disturb you for a moment.¡¹ The one who called Modes was Loughas. Loughas only entered the room after Modes allowed him. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Loughas?¡¹ ¡¸The truth is¡­ Communication from Nut, who was observing the Hero and his party¡¯s movements, has stopped. He might have been caught by them.¡¹ ¡¸WHAT?! Nut, who¡¯s always been doing a great job for this Modes¡­ Got captured.¡¹ Modes was looking up to the ceiling upon hearing that report. ¡¸And what¡¯s so important about that, old Loughas? It¡¯s just a rat. Is that rat so important to the point that you need to report it? Leave us now if you have nothing important to report!!¡¹ Mona spoke with a cold voice. ¡¸Surely, that¡¯s indeed the case but¡­¡¹ Loughas nodded again. Nut¡¯s status in Nargol wasn¡¯t that high. Thus Mona¡¯s train of thought to abandon Nut was correct, from her position as a ruler. But, Modes could never do that to the subordinates who always did their best for him. ¡¸Loughas. Is it possible for me to save Nut?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. The reason I reported this matter is because I know that Your Majesty will say that. But, the Hero and co are powerful. Your average personnel won¡¯t be able to save him.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡¹ Modes felt the same way. But then, there was an answer for this problem. ¡¸We have no choice but to ask that person, huh¡­¡¹ Modes muttered so as the figure of the strongest Dark Knight appeared in his mind. ¡ô ¡¸Fufufu~?¡¹ Kuna made tea right in front of Kuroki. She was humming happily and seemingly in a really good mood right now. £¨Maybe she¡¯s happy since Regena and her clan have finally left.£© Kuroki smiled wryly upon seeing Kuna¡¯s appearance. Regena and co had left for the Holy Republic of Lenaria yesterday. Thanks to that, the number of people living in his mansion, which was built right next to the Demon King¡¯s castle, had dwindled. Only the servants who were appointed to serve Kuroki and Kuna from the very beginning, such as the werebear maid, remained. The werebear¡¯s appearance was that of a small bear. Kuroki never saw her human form, thus he wanted to see her human figure someday. The werebear girl wasn¡¯t like Regena and was unfortunately different from Kuna. Kuroki remembered the werebear girl drooling non-stop upon seeing Regena and co, as if she saw a feast right in front of her. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t eat them. Considering that situation, Kuroki was really glad that Regena and her clan had decided to leave Nargol. Because if he had to be honest, Nargol was ill suited for humans. But then, Kuroki couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly lonely. ¡¸How is it, Kuroki? You don¡¯t need Regena since Kuna can make tea for you anytime you want.¡¹ After pouring the tea into Kuroki¡¯s cup, Kuna stood in front of Kuroki while puffing her chest, looking really proud. But doing so also emphasized her huge breast even further, enhancing her charm by 120%. Kuna¡¯s current attire was the maid attire that Regena used to wear. As for how he got his hands on this kind of attire, he had asked a certain dwarven craftsman to make the attire for Regena and the others, thus he got this attire. According to the dwarf, the employees of the Hero wore this kind of attire, thus he used the same style for Kuroki¡¯s order. By the way, the werebear girl was also wearing maid clothes. Naturally, Regena was also taking care of Kuroki in her maid attire. For that reason, Kuroki was really troubled about where to look. The destructive power of the maid attire was already through the roof when Regena wore it, and that ultimate attire was now worn by the even more charming Kuna. Kuna¡¯s breasts were far bigger than Regena¡¯s. That¡¯s why it looked like the chest part of her maid attire was about to explode. Kuroki was staring intently toward that particular part, waiting for a certain pair of bountiful breasts to explode from inside the attire.. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuroki? Are you not going to drink the tea I brewed?¡¹ Kuna said so while looking at Kuroki with an anxious look on her face. £¨Thanks God Kuna didn¡¯t notice the fact that I was staring at her chest.£© Kuroki raised the cup in front of him with a smile on his face to hide the fact that he was staring at Kuna¡¯s chest. ¡¸Well, thanks for the tea, Kuna.¡¹ Thus, Kuroki drank the tea after he said so. The tea was sweet, it was the first time Kuroki tasted that kind of sweetness. ¡¸How¡¯s the taste, Kuroki?¡¹ Kuna asked Kuroki while looking at him, as if she expected something. ¡¸Uhm, it¡¯s delicious. By the way, this is the first time I tasted this kind of sweetness, is it the tea?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I got it from Datie.¡¹ Kuroki almost spurted the tea in his mouth upon hearing Kuna¡¯s reply. £¨Datie¡­ She¡¯s that goblin queen right?£© Kuroki then looked at the cup in his hand. In fact, he had just returned from Karon Kingdom a while ago. The reason why he went to Karon kingdom was to find out Goz¡¯s whereabouts. Datie had told him that Goz was locked inside a jail filled with water as punishment for taking out something that was entrusted to her by Modes. In short, Goz wouldn¡¯t be able to chase after Regena again. Naturally, Kuroki welcomed the news. It¡¯s just that when he spoke with Datie, he got the feeling that she was looking at his crotch so many times. Kuroki felt really uncomfortable since she didn¡¯t even try to hide it. Volume 3 - CH 38.2 Act 3-38.2: Turbulent Everyday Life Kuroki almost fell from his chair upon hearing Kuna¡¯s remark. £¨She noticed it too¡­ Sorry for always staring at your breasts, Kuna.£© Kuroki apologized in his heart again. ¡¸Your Excellency! Are you there, Your Excellency?!!¡¹ This time, Kuroki heard the sound of several footsteps coming towards their room. The ones who came were female daemon knights, armed to a T. They came in and pushed Regena aside. ¡¸We¡¯ve been assigned to become Your Excellency¡¯s subordinates by His Majesty, The Demon King. We¡¯re looking forward to working with you.¡¹ The female daemons bowed their heads to Kuroki as they reported for duty. £¨Come to think of it, Modes did tell me that he would assign some subordinates to me later, is he referring to them? I just never expected him to send female daemons.£© Kuroki looked at the female daemons. The demon race was divided into two major races. A low-rank demon race whose appearance was worlds apart from humans, and an upper-rank daemon race whose appearance closely resembled that of humans, except for their skin color and horns that grew from their temple. In addition, the members of the upper-rank daemon race were all either handsome or beautiful without any exception, just like the angel race. Since Kuroki¡¯s subordinates were members of the daemon race, all of them were beautiful. ¡¸WHY~~~~~~~~!¡¹ Kuna looked like she was at her wits end. £¨As expected, she really hates it when the number of women around me increases. I mean, not even I expected that the ones who will be assigned to me are female daemons. Mona seemed to have given her permission on top of that.£© Kuroki then recalled the matter about Mona, Modes¡¯ wife. Properly speaking, all female daemon knights were Mona¡¯s subordinates. The only way for them to come was for Mona to give them her permission to become Kuroki¡¯s subordinates. That was the only reason Kuroki could come up with. But the situation seemed to be impossible to him since Mona seemed to hate him. Kuroki looked silently at the perplexed Kuna and felt ¡°What a lively day.¡±. Kuroki drank the tea in his cup again to calm his mind. The nice fragrance filled the room as the number of women increased. £¨Nevertheless, my body feels so warm.£© Kuroki felt that his body had been warming up since a while ago. And then, he suddenly felt his consciousness fading. Volume 4 - CH 1 Act 4: Labyrinth of the Evil God Act 4-1: Strategy of the Evil God In the central mountain range that separated the main continent to east and west, there was a vast plain, called Minon, that was located on the west side. Right at the center of the Minon plain was a certain labyrinth, and deep inside that Labyrinth, two evil Gods were quarreling. ¡¸WHAT?! WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, ZARXIS?!¡¹ ¡¸Let go of me¡­ Labrys¡­ Dammit¡­¡¹ Zarxis was caught from his head, and lifted just like that. And the one who did so was the evil God with a pair of giant horns growing from his temple, the Evil God Labrys. Labrys¡¯ current appearance was that of a normal human, except for the pair of horns growing from his temple. He had a muscular body and a big head with a thick jaw. He looked like the human embodiment of violence. But, that wasn¡¯t Labrys¡¯ real form. His real form was worlds apart from his human appearance. Labrys was a divine being who belonged to Elios, a man who was hailed as the Evil God by Elios¡¯ Gods. Zarxis who just returned from Rox Kingdom reported what happened back then to Labrys. At first, Labrys only listened with a bored expression, but he suddenly grabbed Zarxis¡¯ head the moment he heard him talking about the relationship between the Hero of Light and Goddess Rena. As one of the pillar Gods of Earth, Labrys¡¯ brute strength was amongst the top. Zarxis, who had just regained his physical body, was no match for Labrys. And the way Labrys lifted him up caused him so much pain. ¡¸Humph!!¡¹ Seeing Zarxis wailing in pain, Labrys let him go as if he had lost interest in him. It was definitely not out of pity. After all, the Evil God Labrys wasn¡¯t the kind of person to show mercy. ¡¸GUHA!¡¹ Zarxis moaned painfully as he fell on the ground. His pitiful figure was a far cry from when he was feared as the Death God. Even Zarxis himself hated his current weak self. ¡¸It¡¯s just¡­ As I said¡­ Rena has a lover. and that person is the one called the Hero of Light¡­¡¹ Labrys trembled in fury upon hearing that. ¡¸DAMMIT! RENA IS MINE! I¡¯M GOING TO KILL ANYONE WHO DARES TO TOUCH MY WOMAN!¡¹ Labrys shouted angrily. Hearing that, Zarxis thought of a question. £¨Since when did Rena became his woman?£© Zarxis knew that Rena was amongst one of the three most beautiful Goddesses in Elios. And though not as much as Modes, Labrys¡¯ real appearance was still ugly from a human perspective. Thus, Rena would definitely reject Labrys. Actually, Labrys wasn¡¯t the first one to make such a claim, many other male Gods claimed that Rena was their woman. Moreover, every single one of them was competing secretly, claiming that they¡¯re Rena¡¯s lover. That¡¯s why there was a huge uproar in Elios when there was news about Rena having a lover. And the name of her lover was Reiji. A male human called the Hero of Light. He was an enigmatic human who came out of nowhere, not even Zarxis knew where the Hero of Light came from. But, there was no doubt about his strength, he might be as strong as Oudith. Not to mention that he was handsome on top of that. And it wasn¡¯t just limited to Elios, he became the hot topic amongst the Goddesses in this world. Since Labrys had always been hiding inside his labyrinth, he didn¡¯t know about the Hero of Light and other outside news. That¡¯s why he only got angry now after he found out about all of this after hearing it from Zarxis, who had just returned from outside. ¡¸I ORDER YOU, ZARXIS! BRING THAT HERO OF LIGHT TO MY LABYRINTH!!¡¹ Labrys ordered so with a haughty tone. £¨Why do I have to follow his orders?£© Even Zarxis was annoyed by Labrys¡¯ attitude. In the first place, Zarxis wasn¡¯t Labrys¡¯ subordinate. But, as someone who didn¡¯t belong to Elios, and was hostile towards Modes, Labrys was someone he wanted to recruit as an ally. Moreover, Zarxis had been using the labyrinth as his hiding place, thus he couldn¡¯t refuse Labrys either. Not even the Gods of Elios dare to wander inside Labrys¡¯ labyrinth. Even though it was inside a labyrinth, the room in which Labrys resided was a gorgeous, spacious throne room. If he had to be honest, Zarxis felt that such a gorgeous room was wasted on a brute man like Labrys. But, the power of the labyrinth was boundless. It was built by dwarven craftsmen and increased Labrys¡¯ power to a whole other level. The labyrinth, which was created by the combination of dwarven magical skills and special materials, was really strong. Labrys was really powerful inside his labyrinth but he was also a coward who was afraid to go out. ¡¸It¡¯s easy for you to say that but, why do you think I can bring the Hero of Light to this place when I barely have any information about them?¡¹ Since Labrys couldn¡¯t go to the Hero of Light to kill him, the only solution was to order Zarxis to lure the Hero of Light into the Labyrinth. Zarxis felt that Labrys was way too timid for a divine being. ¡¸That¡¯s right! Can¡¯t you do it, Zarxis?! Here, I¡¯m invincible! I don¡¯t know what kind of guy that Hero of Light is, but my ax will definitely cut him to pieces in this place!!¡¹ Labrys took out his ax as he spoke. It was a huge enchanted ax called the Labrys¡¯ double-headed ax. Coincidentally, that very ax was also his holy crest. Labrys swung his ax to cut the empty air. When the ax hit the ground, the shock caused by it shook the entire labyrinth. Even though Zarxis wasn¡¯t the target of the ax, the tremor caused by the weapon alone was enough to make him lose his balance. Zarxis propped himself up and brushed the dirt on his cloth. He could only regain his body after he sucked a large amount of life force from humans. Previously, Zarxis¡¯ body was destroyed by Modes who betrayed them. Though he managed to survive, albeit barely, his body was in shambles. Thus, he had no choice but to absorb a vast amount of life force to repair his body. And though he managed to take such a life force out of humans, the efficiency was far too poor due to the difference between their rank of existence. Things would be easier for him if he could suck an angel¡¯s life force, but seeing that he was hostile to both Modes and the Elios Gods, he wanted to keep a low-profile for a while. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t afford to aim for a divine being. Thus, Zarxis had no choice but to use the inefficient lower being¡¯s life force. His prey was mainly humans. So far, Zarxis had sucked up the life force of humans in several kingdoms till they were ruined, and escaped from the watchful eye of the Elios Gods by sacrificing the other monsters. During the incident in Rox Kingdom, he had planned to dump all the blame on the Striges. But, he ended up meeting Modes¡¯ subordinate, the Dark Knight, right in there, which means that Modes had pretty much confirmed Zarxis¡¯ survival at this point. In addition, the Hero of Light¡¯s women had seen him too. In short, his survival had pretty much been reported to Elios too. Thus, Zarxis wouldn¡¯t be able to harvest life force as easily as before. And yet, he would die in his current condition unless he sucks the life force from others. He couldn¡¯t afford to suck small amounts of life force. He had no choice but to absorb a large amount of life force at once to complete his revival. Zarxis then remembered the Hero of Light. He had felt a tremendous amount of life force from him. £¨Should I just absorb his life force? Doing that will quicken my revival.£© Thus, Zarxis decided to obey Labrys since he could reap a benefit from that too. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll lure the Hero into this labyrinth. But don¡¯t forget that you still lost against Modes even inside your own labyri¡ª¡¹ ¡¸DON¡¯T UTTER MODES¡¯ NAME!!¡¹ Labrys shouted loudly. His body was trembling nonstop. £¨He might try to bluff with his act, but it¡¯s making it even clearer that he¡¯s still scared of Modes.£© Zarxis stifled a laugh, feeling slightly better after the previous fiasco. The man called the violent God was a pampered child at heart. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Labrys. That guy won¡¯t come for you. You should think of how to defeat the Hero right now. Rena will definitely come to her senses once you defeat the Hero. And she will realize who¡¯s the most appropriate man for her.¡¹ Zarxis said so just to fix Labrys¡¯ mood. Anyone would realize it was mere flattery, but a muscle brain like Labrys wouldn¡¯t notice that. ¡¸You¡¯re right, Zarxis! Indeed, the one most suited for that Goddess is none other than me, Labrys.¡¹ Labrys laughed heartily. It was hard to believe that he still trembled in fear just a moment ago. Zarxis heaved a sigh upon seeing that. £¨Now then, what kind of method should I use to lure that hero into this labyrinth?£© Zarxis started to make a plan. ===