《Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)》


 Volume 1 - Prologue

    There exists a race of humans, elves, and dwarves who have the divine protection of the light gods.


    Though outnumbered, the demons¡¯ individual powers were far stronger than the average human, for the demons had the blessing of darkness.


    The two races divided the massive continent into east and west, and each side has been fighting with the other for thousands of years. However, the past 300 years have been unusually calm.


    Part of this can be attributed to the rise of a more peaceful Demon King who replaced the previous ruler.


    Intermittent conflicts existed, but they were negligible and the human race had become accustomed to the relative peace.


    But that peace was broken by a new Demon King who ascended to the throne.


    In the fifth month of the year 2826 on the Genesis Calendar, the demons began their assault on the humans in what would later be called the Great Invasion.


    Showing no mercy, the demons were able to annihilate many countries controlled by the humans, who, at the time, were engaged in a civil conflict of their own..


    The demons slaughtered anyone that resisted while those who surrendered were forced to enter the demons¡¯ territory as prisoners. It goes without saying that none of them were able to return.


    Of course, the human race didn¡¯t just sit back and watch; they settled their differences and assembled an army of allied forces.


    Under normal circumstances, they would have enough power to retaliate. Unfortunately, there was a struggle for power within the army and, being unable to cooperate,  were crushed.


    In the fourth month of the following year, the Empire of Garugan was destroyed. Losing the largest source of their armed forces, the humans had no choice but to engage in an assault that was considered by most to be nothing short of suicidal.


    The plan was as follows: the survivors will be gathered charge recklessly into the main battalion of the demon forces, and draw their attention.


    While the demons are distracted, the elite soldiers selected from the battalion will sneak into the demon castle, their stronghold, and eliminate the root of the ongoing chaos: the Demon King.


    Though the odds of the human race winning were very low, they had no other option.


    The gamble paid off. Though it was a costly victory, they were nonetheless able to triumph through the war.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    The deepest floor of the castle is the king¡¯s floor. For a floor located indoors, it was extraordinarily spacious and empty.


    In fact, an entire town would fit in this empty floor.


    If there was anything that stood out in all of this emptiness, it would be the altar in the center.


    The intense battle that was being fought in front of the altar¡ªthe one in which the fate of the world depended on¡ªhad just finished.


    There was only one person standing and that was Kyle, the magic swordsman of the human race.


    Strapped up in silver armor, he had wounds scattered across his entire body.


    His left arm was almost torn off and was of little use.


    But Kyle stood there, cautiously watching the Demon King slump forward.


    After he confirmed the incapacitation of the Demon King, he sat down on the ground, as if all of his energy had been drained.


    ¡°This is it¡­it¡¯s over¡­¡±


    The drawback of the demons being stronger individually was that they have a tendency to be self-centered.


    Loosely banded together by a charismatic boss, they were nothing without their leader.


    Many lives were lost in the battle, but the  humans outnumbered the demons to begin with. Demon casualties were also great, so it was highly unlikely that they would invade again.


    Even with a victory, Kyle was not happy. The sacrifices and losses were just too great.


    He looked at his sword, or whatever part remained of it.


    To Kyle, the sword was of significant sentimental value, but now, only the handle was left.


    He stared at the tightly closed door that led outside.


    His comrades who withheld the pursuing attackers and promised to catch up later never made it.


    He looked at the Cane of the Tree of Life, laying on the floor in the distance.


    It belonged to a shaman elf who had fought with him up to this point. She gave up her life to protect Kyle, and perished.


    Remembering the last time she smiled, a tear rolled down his face.


    All of the things he wanted to protect no longer existed: his hometown, his family, his friends, his comrades, and his love¡­were all lost.


    There was neither joy nor satisfaction. There was only sadness, accompanied by a sense of solitude. Even his yearning for revenge, the only emotion that allowed Kyle to push this far, was gone.


    The lacerations across his body, if left untreated, would be fatal, but even that didn¡¯t bother him at this point.


    Thinking that all he had to do was lie down and patiently wait for death, he did just that and gently closed his eyes.


    If he proceeded to lose consciousness, everything would end there.


    Was it coincidence? Or was it fate? The black feathers that were growing on the wings of the Demon King floated down and landed gently onto Kyle¡¯s face.


    As Kyle¡¯s consciousness was on the verge of being devoured by the darkness, he woke up, and opened his eyes slightly. His eyes focused on one of the only noticeable things in the room: the altar.


    There was a red light.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Using what felt like every bit of his remaining energy, he sat up and dragged his limp body towards the altar.


    The altar was decorated with a blood-red gem, the size of an infant¡¯s clenched fist. The gem emitted a red light and seemed to pulse as it did so.


    As a magician himself, Kyle knew the tremendous power stored within the gem.


    ¡°Could this be¡­a magic item?¡±


    Magic items are what you¡¯d expect them to be; a tool with a specific magic spell contained inside.


    In retrospect, during the fight, there were numerous times when the Demon KIng deliberately received attacks that he could¡¯ve easily evaded, as if he were protecting something.


    This proved to be decisive in winning the battle.


    ¡°Is this what he was protecting the entire time?¡±


    He suddenly recalled the Demon King looking at the altar in his final moments, instead of at Kyle, who dealt the fatal blow.


    The light emitted from the gem was growing stronger. It was as if power of an unprecedented magnitude was trying to find its way out.


    ¡°Now that the Demon King is dead, has the magic in the stone become uncontrollable?¡±


    It turns out the magic was still in the process of forming itself. Sooner or later it will explode, and cause mass destruction.


    In hindsight, it is hard to justify Kyle¡¯s actions.


    Was he drawn by the beauty of the suspicious stone?


    Or did he just want to die and be at peace quickly?


    Either way, he simply grabbed the stone.


    It was at that moment. There was a massive explosion of red light that instantly engulfed Kyle and his surroundings.


    And then¡­Kyle knew nothing anymore.

 Volume 1 - CH 1

    Kyle was woken up by a gentle ray of warm light shining upon his face.


    ¡°¡­ Where am I?¡±


    His voice cracked. He looked around as he got up.


    It wasn¡¯t a completely new environment; rather, for him, it was one of his most familiar places.


    On the wall hung a model sword given to him by his father, and on the shelf were books recommended to him by his mother. The desk and chair were just as he had left them, and the bed he was currently lying on was surely one that he had used before.


    There was no mistake; this was the place he had spent most of his life. He was in his hometown, which was supposed to have been destroyed a year ago by the demon invasion.


    ¡°What is going on¡­?¡±


    Perhaps it was because he had just regained consciousness; he was still trying to understand the situation. As he struggled, Kyle heard thumping on his door and a bright voice screeching.


    ¡°How long are you going to sleep? Wake up already!¡±


    A young girl in her mid-teens entered the room. Her hair was long, red, and wavy; her movements, full of life. Just watching her supplied plenty of energy.


    ¡°Lize¡­¡±


    He muttered the name of an old, childhood playmate. The two spent the majority of their lives together, and after the invasion they were never supposed to have been able to see each other again.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake. Geez¡­You turn 16 today. Act like it.¡±


    She arrogantly placed her hands on her hips.


    She had been like this since she was young. The two were around the same age, but because she was born a few months earlier, Lize treated Kyle like a little brother.


    Kyle sat there for a few moments, still overcome with surprise at what was unfolding in front of him.


    ¡°Oh¡­it¡¯s just a dream.¡±


    He snapped back into reality and let out a weak laugh.


    It was a very happy, yet cruel dream.


    If this dream was a final reward for saving the world, it was too brutal.


    The bygone days of peace¡­ The irreplaceable days that had been taken for granted.


    It didn¡¯t matter even if it was just an illusion¡­ if only time could be reversed¡­


    ¡°Kyle?¡±


    Lize called out to him after noticing his strange behavior, but Kyle ignored her, got up from the bed, and approached her.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    A baffled Lize asked again, except this time, Kyle was so close that he could feel her breath.


    Ignoring her for the second time, Kyle embraced Lize in his arms before she could say anything more.


    ¡°K-K-K-Kyle?!¡±


    ¡°Lize! Lize! Lize!¡±


    He repeatedly called her name, wishing that this moment would last indefinitely, and strengthened his grip on her.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, hold up! What¡¯s going on here?!¡±


    Lize fumbled her arms as he locked his arms around her, but the confusion made her efforts futile.


    ¡°Oh¡­ umm¡­¡±


    Lize¡¯s resistance dwindled, and her face flashed a bright red color.


    Kyle noticed the awkwardness only after a while.


    Her warm body, the scent of her perfume radiating from her hair, and her whispers all awakened his senses.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    For a dream, this was quite realistic.


    To confirm something, Kyle slid his left hand downwards.


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    Lize¡¯s body jolted in response.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Kyle unintentionally rubbed that soft, warm, thing.


    ¡°Eh!? Ah? N..no¡­h..hey!¡±


    Lize, clearly confused, let out a cry.


    Kyle distinctly remembered Lize having an inferiority complex due to having a bigger ass than other girls in the same age group.


    During this entire time, Kyle was forgetting about something.


    He had just woken; physiologically, a certain part of his body was ¡°filled with energy.¡±


    Rubbing a girl¡¯s ass didn¡¯t help the situation; that part of his body was gaining even more ¡°energy.¡±


    The worst part was probably the fact that he was hugging her tight. Lize had undoubtedly noticed his ¡°energized¡± body part. It would have been hard to miss, considering that he was pressing it against her body.


    Lize¡¯s red face turned pale in an instant.


    ¡°N¡­ NOOOOOOO!!!¡±


    Kyle¡¯s grip was forcefully shaken off.  Lowering her body, Lize was able to use her wrist like a whip. Gathering power from her toes, she twisted her waist, smacked Kyle at an incredible angle using her entire body, sending him flying towards a bookshelf.


    Kyle was flung in the air, spinning like a top and finally smashing into the shelf with incredible force.


    ¡°What are you trying to do first thing in the morning!! You idiot!¡±


    Lize screamed at him with teary eyes before walking out, slamming the door violently behind her.


    Kyle was buried under the books, now fully away due to the pain that stretched from his face to his neck. He was finally able to sense what was going on.


    ¡°Eh¡­ This isn¡¯t a dream?¡±


    At that moment, Kyle¡¯s right fist, which was clenched tightly since the moment he woke up, slowly opened.


    The blood-red gem that Kyle found on the altar fell to the floor, making a sound.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream¡­¡±


    He leaned backwards towards the bed while massaging his neck that was now in excruciating pain.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way a dream could be this painful¡­but if that¡¯s the case¡­then what is going on here?¡±


    Though he was fully conscious, he was still unable to comprehend the situation.


    For sure, he had been in the demon¡¯s lair, battled with the demon and barely managed to emerge victorious. He had suffered a near-fatal blow¡­ If this wasn¡¯t a dream, then what could possibly explain the situation?


    ¡°I¡¯m not hypnotized or hallucinating. That kind of stuff doesn¡¯t work on me anyways¡­ Even if I was under a spell, this shouldn¡¯t be happening.¡±


    After thinking this through, he checked his left arm. If he remembered correctly, his left arm had suffered a massive blow, and it should be almost falling off.


    ¡°It¡¯s healed¡­ no¡­ it can¡¯t be.¡±


    With that much damage, even the highest level of healing magic would render it useless for a while and scars would definitely remain. From his experience, he was sure of this.


    But his left arm was clean. No discomfort or disability at all. It was as if his arm had never even wounded.


    The other wounds across his body were also gone. He moved his body slightly, and noticed it was in extremely good condition. The pain and dullness from earlier had also vanished.


    After spending some time thinking, Kyle stepped out of his room.


    The arrangement of the rooms was just as he remembered. The more he looked around, the more he became sure that it was his own house. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror inside the reception room.


    ¡°I knew it¡­ I look younger.¡±


    During the ongoing battles with the demons, he had completely forgotten about his birthday. But he was sure he was at least twenty years old. But the reflection in the mirror only showed a young boy in his mid-teens. No cuts or scrapes anywhere.


    There could be only explanation for this.


    ¡°¡­ Is this the past? Have I gone back in time?¡±


    He took out the red stone from his pocket. It looked the same as when he first picked it up near the altar. It was beautiful, shiny and unlike anything else in this world. But, unlike when he had first picked it up, he could no longer feel its magical powers.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ There¡¯s no magic spell to turn back time¡­ but is there another explanation¡­?¡±


    Kyle held his head for a while, but snapped back when his stomach made a sound. He let out a dry laugh.


    ¡°I suppose hunger affects everyone, regardless of their situation¡­ On the bright side, it proves that I¡¯m normal.¡±


    Hoping to find some food, he walked towards the kitchen and found just that.


    On the table were some meat, fresh bread, vegetable soup, scrambled eggs, salad, and fruits. For a breakfast service, this was quite a luxurious meal.


    ¡°Lize must have prepared this.¡±


    Kyle and his family hated chores, so Lize often cooked for them. They couldn¡¯t complain to her because she did all of the cooking.


    He grabbed some food and shoved it in his mouth. The taste was nostalgic. Though he hadn¡¯t been able to eat this kind of food for the past year, he had never forgotten the taste.


    ¡°I must eat it¡­ before it gets cold¡­¡±


    He began to violently stuff food in his mouth, trying to fight back tears.


    ¡°As expected, I ate too much¡­¡±


    Looking at the empty plate, he let out a laugh. It was clear that he was in pain from overeating.


    ¡°I probably should¡¯ve noticed before eating, but¡­ this amount of food¡­ there¡¯s no way this was made for one person.¡±


    Just then, he heard a noise from the entrance, and noticed someone coming in.


    He was alarmed for second, but recognized who it was instantly.


    The sound of the footsteps sounded familiar to him as they headed straight for the kitchen.


    ¡°What¡¯s up~¡±


    The guy who entered had short blonde hair and was well-groomed. He looked like a neighborhood delinquent who had just grown up.


    He was wearing comfortable clothes and had a cheap sword holstered on his waist.


    ¡°Seran¡­¡±


    Seran, like Lize, was an inseparable childhood friend of Kyle, except he was a delinquent.


    This relationship lasted until their final moments.


    ¡°W¡­ What a surprise. You¡¯re usually terrible with mornings, but you¡¯re up early today.¡±


    ¡°Y-y-yeah¡­ Umm¡­ How are you feeling these days?¡±


    ¡°Are you outta your mind? I saw you yesterday.¡±


    Seran seemed perplexed.


    Kyle took a deep breath and looked closely at Seran¡¯s face¡­ Something was definitely not right.


    ¡°The dumb look on your face is the same¡­ but the Seran I know of had an exceptionally stupid look. The one standing in front of me now looks exactly like the blockhead I knew when I was a kid. Just bigger¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having trouble understanding, but I know you¡¯re making fun of me.¡±


    Plus¡­ he looked younger.


    He was probably the same age as Kyle.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but Lize had also looked younger than he remembered.


    ¡°Anyways, I don¡¯t have time to deal with you right now. Time to eat breakfast...wait¡­where¡¯s the food!?¡±


    Seran was shocked to see the empty bowl.


    ¡°You ate everything again!?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was good¡­¡±


    Kyle remembered Seran coming over just to get food.


    ¡°Damn. I knew Lize had been preparing something since yesterday, so I was gonna come over to get a share¡­ That girl is savage, but so are her cooking skills, so I was pretty excited.¡±


    Seran couldn¡¯t bear it. He started scraping out the leftovers from inside the bowl.


    ¡°Hey, I hope you don¡¯t mind me asking a weird question¡­ but¡­ what year and day is it today?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What a strange question. It¡¯s the 24th of May, 2823.¡±


    As Kyle had expected¡­ Four years ago. It seemed that he really had gone back in time.


    ¡°Are you sure? Really?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask? I¡¯m quite sure I know the date¡­¡±


    Seran then clapped his hands once, as if he had an epiphany.


    ¡°Right! Today is your birthday. I completely forgot about your birthday. You wanted me to celebrate or something?¡±


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in you celebrating my birthday.¡±


    After Seran finished whatever remained in the bowl, he looked towards Kyle and said:


    ¡°Fine. I suppose I¡¯ll let you take all the food in the bowl for breakfast today since it¡¯s your birthday.¡±


    ¡°Cheap bastard. You weren¡¯t even the one who made it!¡±


    Seran turned to leave, completely ignoring Kyle¡¯s remarks.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s no food, I have no reason to be here. I¡¯m going over to Lize¡¯s to see if I can get something.¡±


    As he left, he muttered something along the lines of Lize¡¯s food always being bomb: ¡°If I get on my knees and beg, then I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll cook something up for me! I know she¡¯s got a sweet spot somewhere.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t shy at all.


    ¡°Ever since you were a kid, if you wanted something, you¡¯d forget about pride, and would do anything it took to get it.¡±


    ¡°Quit complimenting me. You¡¯re making me blush.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Get over yourself.¡±


    ¡°Just a reminder, my birthday is on the 2nd of August. If you wanna know what I want for a present, I request either some gold or a pretty girl.¡±


    Kyle let out a dry laugh as he watched him walk out the door.


    It had been a while since he had a conversation like this.


    It used to be a dull part of his daily routine, but with everything that happened, he realized that he had taken it for granted.


    ¡°Well¡­ What should I do know¡­?¡±


    It seemed certain that he was in the past, but he had yet to figure out exactly how he had got here.


    He wanted to seek advice, but he also didn¡¯t want to tell some random person about what had been happening.


    ¡°I know there¡¯s only one person whose advice I can seek¡­ if she¡¯s awake.¡±


    Scratching his head, he walked out and headed towards her house.


    The Lenard House that Kyle belongs to was located near the Rimaze area of the Zilgs Kingdom, and was known to be quite a large estate. It was three floors high and boasted an enormous lawn as well. Kyle headed towards a shack located to the side of the lawn.


    The shack was made of sturdy stone with a flat roof and didn¡¯t have a single window. The moment someone stepped inside, they were forced to walk down a steep flight of stairs.


    A nostalgic scent reached Kyle¡¯s nose as he opened the door to the basement.


    The narrow room contained bookshelves packed full with literature.


    On the wall with no windows, there was a magic tool with semi-permanent ¡°Light¡± magic stored inside.


    This was a custom-made tool designed to keep the lighting adjusted, ensuring that the books were not damaged.


    This archive utilized unimaginable magic to keep the lighting and humidity in ideal conditions, though it came with an unimaginable price tag.


    The archives were home to everything from children¡¯s books to forbidden literature from the ancient periods when demons ruled.


    In the center of the room was a table with stacks of books piled on it.


    The woman who was half-buried in what seemed like a mountain of books noticed Kyle entering, looked up, and gave a grin.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you Kyle. What brings you here at this hour?¡±


    She¡¯s here.


    He had a feeling she would be here, but for some reason, actually seeing her was emotional for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s already morning. Were you reading all night again, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Oh¡­ It¡¯s already morning? ¡­ I knew I¡¯d lose track of time here.¡±


    The woman who let out a yawn while saying that was Kyle¡¯s mother, Seraiya.


    With a childish face, short hair, small body, she looked much younger than she really was.


    She was well into her thirties, but if she stood next to Kyle one would have guessed they were siblings.


    ¡°I got a question. Do you have time?¡±


    Seraiya looked at her son with a confused face.


    ¡°You wanting to ask about something is quite rare¡­ If you want to know about how I met your father, I can talk all day long. It was twenty years ago when¡­¡±


    ¡°We can talk about that next time.¡±


    Kyle stopped his mother, who was eager to talk about it.


    Whenever Kyle¡¯s mother would talk about how she met Kyle¡¯s father, the conversation would last hours. Kyle had been traumatized by it ever since he was young.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you about magic.¡±


    ¡°About magic? Would I know enough to answer your question?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know of anyone who knows about it as much as you do, mom.¡±


    There were three main types of magic.


    Sacred magic that borrows the power of gods and causes miracles.


    Spiritual magic that uses Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire.


    And finally, ancient magic which uses knowledge to a great extent in its formation.


    The human race mostly used sacred magic and ancient magic, but Seraiya was a user of ancient magic.


    Magic was further divided into six categories: lowest-level magic, low-level magic, intermediate-level magic, advanced-level magic, highest-level magic, and special-class magic.


    A title was given to each magician depending on the type of magic they could use.


    The lowest-level magicians were called Magicians. Low-level magicians were called Sorcerers. Intermediate-level magicians were called Wizards. Advanced-level magicians were called Mages. The highest-level magicians were referred to as Archmages.


    There are only a handful of people who had the ability to use special-class magic, so they were often given individual titles.


    A famous example would be the Sakira, Queen of the Sula Kingdom, who had the title Glorious.


    Saraiya was also an Archmage.


    Though the truth can be disputed, Seraiya was the youngest magician to ever be recommended as the Court Mage of the Garugan Empire.


    Now, she was using the money she earned and the resources she had inherited from Kyle¡¯s grandfather, who had died before Kyle was born, to invest in her hobby of collecting books.


    Kyle didn¡¯t know why she lived in such a remote area, and she kept changing the subject whenever he brought it up.


    But there was no better person to ask about magic than her.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Is there such thing as a magic spell to go back in time?¡±


    ¡°There is.¡±


    Seraiya answered his question with ease.


    ¡°R-really?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, although it¡¯s not widely known, there are spells that interfere with time.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t even know they exist. Seems like such a convenient¡­ I mean¡­ unfair magic¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s because not everyone has the ability to use that kind of magic. If I were to go into details, it¡¯d take days, so I¡¯ll just stick to saying that theories of time-meddling magic has already been proved. The reason many people can¡¯t use that magic is simply because of the amount of magic power involved.¡±


    Magic power was the source of energy that every magician possessed, allowing them to cast spells.


    ¡°If we were to rank the spell that turns back time based on the 6 categories in existence, it would probably belong ten ranks above the special-level magic. Forget humans; not even dragons or gods can use that kind of magic. If time were a large river, then a human would be the size of an ant. Do you think an ant could do anything about a large, flowing river?  Even if the greatest magician in history were to sacrifice a part of his lifespan in order to cast that spell, he would only be able to change a few moments.¡±


    This was why Seraiya had said there are only a handful of people who even knew this spell.


    ¡°I see¡­ So what would need to happen for time to turn back several years?¡±


    ¡°Years? That would require the use of tremendous magic power. No matter how you consider it, gathering that much power seems impossible.¡±


    She shook her head, as if to say it would be useless to even think about turning back time several years.


    ¡°What if¡­ a magic item was used?¡±


    Seraiya reacted to Kyle¡¯s question with an ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s interesting. Magic items can store magic power¡­ It¡¯ll take time and effort, but if you were to use a spell like that, the use of magic items would be a good option.¡±


    Seraiya thought about it for a while, but shook her head once again.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it, but there are too many problems. First, you would need to acquire the magic power before storing it. It¡¯d take some effort, but you¡¯d be able to gather some over time. But to turn back time by several years, it¡¯d take over a thousand years to gather the magic power, even for an Archmage.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What if a forbidden ritual was performed?¡±


    Seraiya¡¯s face went dim.


    ¡°I suppose employing such methods would allow one to gather tremendous power¡­ Where did you learn about that?¡±


    The forbidden ritual was basically a sacrifice. It involved sacrificing portions of one¡¯s life in exchange for magic power. Doing so allowed one to gather an immense amount of magic power. Performing the forbidden ritual did not cost any magic power to the user, so that wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    There had once been a magician who joined the dark side and sacrificed an entire village, just to test some magic.


    Thus, the existence of the forbidden ritual wasn¡¯t widely known.


    ¡°I was just reading a book. I don¡¯t know too much about it.¡±


    In the horrifying battles that Kyle had experienced, the humans who were being decimated by the demons had no choice but to resort to this forbidden practice as a tactic to ward off the enemy.


    In fact, they were so overwhelmed that they didn¡¯t have time to use this spell. This was the reason the humans had resorted to reckless charges in the end.


    ¡°I see¡­ but even if you used the forbidden ritual, it wouldn¡¯t be possible. If you were to turn back time for several years, you would need a tremendous amount of magic power; at least half of the people on this continent would have to sacrifice themselves.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Right¡­ There¡¯s no way to have half the human population to create such a magic tool.¡±


    In other words, with half the human population, casting such a spell wouldn¡¯t be impossible.


    Kyle remembered the piles of bodies that had surrounded the demon king¡¯s castle.


    They were what was left of the enslaved humans. The lives of these people had been drained out of them to create magic power.


    ¡°Another problem would be a catalyst. With an ordinary spell, you¡¯d be able to use just about any magic stone or jewel lying around. But with spells of such large magnitude, you¡¯d need something that would be able to withstand the tremendous energy. I don¡¯t know if such a catalyst exists.¡±


    There were objects called magic stones, which were usually special gems that absorbed magic power.


    Each magic stone had a limit on how much magic power it could absorb. If the limit was exceeded, the gemstone would break and the magic would become wild and explode.


    ¡°The only thing coming anywhere near being capable of storing such power would be the Heart of Shinryu.¡±


    As Seraiya mentioned the Heart of Shinryu, she began to dig through the mountain of books piled onto her desk, and picked out one old book. In her mind, each book was placed in a specific location, and she knew where everything belonged.


    ¡°Ah, this is the one. This is the Heart of Shinryu.¡±


    In the book she was holding, there was a legend on the Heart of Shinryu, along with a picture of it.


    Once upon a time, there was a powerful dragon whose powers were much stronger than any of the gods.


    The remains of the dragon contained a residue that was more powerful than any god that had ever lived. The person who got his hands on this was Zares.


    Zares succeeded in extracting the Heart of Shinryu from the remains.


    With a seemingly endless supply of magic power at his disposal, Zares was able to prosper for a thousand years.


    However, after a thousand years, the magic power of the Heart of Shinryu went dry.


    That was how Zares was destroyed.


    ¡°Anyways, the stone is now dry, but it could be filled with magic power again. It would be an amazing tool. When Zares was destroyed, it went missing. It¡¯s been about a thousand years since it happened. I wonder if it''s still around. It¡¯s possible that the Heart of Shinryu belongs to the demons.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡±


    Kyle was subconsciously gripping the stone in his pocket.


    The stone that resembled the picture right in front of him.


    ¡°So basically, if we were to turn back time a few years, we would have to use the Heart of Shinryu and sacrifice half the human population?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. See? Impossible right?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Yeah¡­ That would be¡­ impossible¡­¡±


    Kyle shifted his gaze away from Seraiya.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking very strange questions. It¡¯s as if you came from the future.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha what are you talking about; that¡¯s nonsense.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it is.¡±


    The two laughed (though Kyle¡¯s was more of a forced laugh).


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve spoken to you, Kyle-chan.¡±


    ¡°It has¡­?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. It''s obvious that you¡¯ve been avoiding me these days.¡±


    ¡°Ah~ I had no intention of avoiding you¡­.¡±


    In his mind, Kyle knew Seraiya was right.


    Starting from right around this time, Kyle had avoided his mother for no particular reason.


    Maybe it was puberty, but in hindsight, he still didn¡¯t know why he had avoided her.


    ¡°I was very lonely. I felt like I had failed as a mother, being hated by my own son.¡±


    ¡°Ah~ Well, Mom, you neither act nor look like a mother¡­ You¡¯re always at home and have no interests besides books. You¡¯re terrible with housekeeping chores and you don¡¯t take part in anything that a normal mother would. You probably don¡¯t meet the general standard of being a mother.¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling that that was the case. But it really pains me because I didn¡¯t expect my own son to be this straightforward about it to me.¡±


    ¡°Still, you¡¯re my one and only mother, and there¡¯s no other mother in the world that¡¯s better than you.¡±


    ¡°How charming of you.¡±


    Seraiya hugged Kyle with a large smile on her face.


    Kyle was much taller than Seraiya, so it was more like Seraiya hugging onto Kyle. Normally, Kyle would just break away, but today, he was trying hard to fight back the tears of nostalgia and happiness.


    ¡°All this talking made me hungry. If I remember, Lize-chan is supposed to make food today. She¡¯s really good at cooking you know.¡±


    As Kyle saw Seraiya happily head towards Kyle¡¯s house, excited to see what food will be served, his face cramped up.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Umm¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I ate everything.¡±


    Seraiya¡¯s face froze over.


    ¡°¡­ I see¡­ Well¡­ That¡¯s unfortunate¡­ I¡¯ll just stick to preserved food like usual then¡­ hehehe¡­¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ I mean¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine. I just remembered. It¡¯s Kyle-chan¡¯s birthday today. I¡¯ll just give you breakfast as a birthday present hehehe.¡±


    ¡°Why is everyone giving me that breakfast as a birthday present?¡±

 Volume 1 - CH 2.1

    To the east of Rimaze was a small hill. On top of it was a decayed remain of some sort.


    Though the remains were decayed, most of the stones were intact, so it was a popular play area for children.


    Kyle also used to play hide-and-seek here.


    Kyle climbed to the top of the remains and watched the sunset.


    From the top, one could get a panoramic view of the entire town, and Kyle came here often to watch the sunset.


    It¡¯s the first time since the town was decimated that Kyle was able to watch the sunset in peace.


    As the sun was setting, Kyle watched the entire town from the hilltop and said to himself, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be able to see the sunset like this. I¡¯ve lost count at how many times I¡¯ve almost cried today.¡±


    Kyle almost let a tear drop as he reached into his pocket and took out the Heart of Shinryu.


    ¡°I wonder what he was trying to do by going back in time¡­¡±


    He was thinking about the demon king.


    ¡°To¡­re¡­start¡­¡±


    Kyle muttered, as he stared at the red Heart of Shinryu.


    ¡°There you are! I was looking for you!¡±


    Startled by the sudden voice coming from behind, Kyle shoved the Heart of Shinryu back into his pocket.


    He knew without turning around that it was Lize.


    He would even know how she was feeling from the tone of her voice; he thought about what had happened this morning.


    (He had suddenly hugged her first thing in the morning, groped her, and shoved his crotch onto her body)


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He said this the moment he turned around and got on his knees and apologized.


    You could look at this morning¡¯s incident in any way, and he¡¯d still look like a sex offender who could have been put in jail.


    ¡°I saw a weird dream and was totally out of it. I regret what I did.¡±


    Kyle repeatedly apologized as his face was kept planted on the ground. Lize let out a big sigh.


    Kyle took this to be a sign of Lize forgiving him, and relaxed his body.


    ¡°You two should really just stop doing stupid stuff if you¡¯re gonna regret it later on.¡±


    ¡°Us two? ¡­Oh¡­ you mean me and Seran. I¡¯m guessing he went to your place?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he did. And he apologized just like you. Face on the ground. You two act just like each other.¡±


    Lize sat next to Kyle, obviously appalled.


    Kyle also fixed his posture and the two watched the sunset together.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not insulting me by putting me on the same level as him¡­But did you make him some food afterwards?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help not feeling sorry for the guy¡­Anyways, did you seriously eat everything? I prepared at least four servings.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I couldn''t help it. It¡¯s been at least one year since I ate food as good as that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite sure I made the same thing 10 days earlier¡­And it¡¯s not just Seran who came over but Seraiya also came over asking me to make something¡­I really felt bad¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry my mother caused so much trouble¡­I really am¡­¡±


    Kyle sincerely apologized.


    ¡°Until Uncle Loeil comes back, I have no choice but to go and make food for you guys. Be thankful.¡±


    ¡°Loe¡­?...Oh~ my father. Right, he¡¯s away right now. I forgot about that.¡±


    He had completely forgotten about his father.


    Loeil was an artisan; he crafted rings and necklaces. He¡¯s highly skilled, but takes forever to craft the items, so very few people know how skilled he truly is.


    He¡¯s always quiet and is silent even when he laughs.


    He takes over the household chores since Seraiya and Kyle don¡¯t do much. Loeil was the epitome of a stay-at-home husband.


    Sometimes he would take a few days to go to the capital to deliver his goods. That¡¯s probably what he¡¯s doing right now.


    ¡°Don''t tell me you just forgot about him.


    ¡°That¡¯s blasphemy. I just couldn¡¯t remember off the top of my head. That¡¯s all. Anyways¡­¡±


    Ending the conversation about his father with a simple ¡°anyways,¡± Kyle went back to talking about other things.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you knew I was here.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re thinking¡­Anyways, what was the weird dream you had this morning?¡±


    Lize¡¯s words wiped the smile off of Kyle¡¯s face.


    ¡°By any chance, did I die in your dream?¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose you could put it that way¡­¡±


    ¡°That explains why you seemed so disturbed¡­¡±


    She seemed uninterested, but at the same time, she also seemed a bit happy.


    Kyle thought about the part where Lize died in his dreams.


    One year ago, or three years later in terms of the present circumstances, this town was taken over instantly by demons, since it was very close to the border.


    Since it was the first invasion, the demons showed no mercy. Everything was destroyed and burned; the people were all slaughtered.


    The town in front of his eyes transformed into a living hell.


    He couldn¡¯t forget about what had happened, no matter how hard he tried.


    And Lize...


    By the time he got there, it was too late; nothing could be done to save her.


    In her final moments, she was still smiling, and he could feel her getting colder by the moment.


    He called out to her until his throat was sore, but she would never open her eyes again.


    Just thinking about it made him angry.


    And he made a promise to avenge her death.


    ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s wrong? You seem a bit pale.¡±


    Hearing Lize¡¯s voice, Kyle snapped back into reality.


    ¡°N¡­nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sweating¡­¡±


    ¡°I just felt a little sick. That¡¯s all. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­okay...that¡¯s fine then¡­¡±


    Though she says it¡¯s fine, Lize was worried about Kyle¡¯s sudden change of behavior.


    To be exact, Lize was afraid.


    She had never seen Kyle like this before. It wasn¡¯t exactly anger or sadness or hate. It was a feeling that couldn¡¯t be put to words. She sensed something dark in Kyle¡¯s expression.


    She thought she knew everything about Kyle. What she just saw overturned her confidence.


    Kyle thought about the miraculous nature of peace.


    (Actually, it¡¯s peaceful now¡­but this peace will end in three years. I¡¯m the only one who knows this, and if I do nothing, the tragedy will repeat itself¡­I¡¯ll be forced to go through hell all over again)


    ¡°¡­no way I¡¯m letting that happen¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­what¡¯s up with you?¡±


    Lize called out to Kyle, who suddenly stood up, but Kyle ignored it, and just gazed at the sunset.


    If nothing is changed, he would lose his family. His home. The world. And his childhood friend who is sitting right next to him.


    Kyle clenched his teeth hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to change it¡­.¡±


    He was filled with regret.


    When it was hopeless, he remembered someone say this: ¡°It¡¯s just fate. It¡¯s useless trying to fight it.¡±


    And just like that, he was persuaded into accepting fate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll change fate.¡±


    He can start now, and prevent the tragedy.


    He would never let go of this opportunity.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to change the fate of the entire world.¡±


    He swore to this, and held out his tightly clenched fist towards the west, where the sun was setting, and also where the demons lived.


    ¡°No matter what happens!¡±


    It¡¯s the second time Kyle was so determined. The last time was when he lost Lize a year ago.


    Except last time, it was for revenge; this time, it was to protect.


    Lize rolled her eyes at Kyle, who out of nowhere, stood up and started yelling at the sun.


    (What the hell is he talking about? He¡¯s talking nonsense all of a sudden.)


    Kyle just began talking about fate and changing the world. It¡¯s felt like a close childhood friend whom she knew everything about, suddenly went far away.


    And not just far away: far away into a forbidden place.


    In a different sense, Lize was afraid again, and said to Kyle as if she realized something new: ¡°Maybe I hit you too hard this morning.¡±


    Lize was flustered and turned blue.


    ¡°W¡­.w¡­w¡­¡­w¡­..what do I do¡­.in these situations¡­..m¡­maybe if I hit him again¡­it¡¯ll fix him.¡±


    Burning with passion, Kyle didn¡¯t realize that an equally determined Lize was standing right behind him.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó

 Volume 1 - CH 2.2

    ¡°I wonder what happened.¡±


    The next morning, Kyle faced towards his desk and thought about the previous day¡¯s events.


    He swore he would save the world, but he had no idea how he would do it.


    First, he would need to speak the truth. The entire truth.


    He needed to tell everyone that he came from four years in the future, and that the people would need to defend themselves from the demons, who would launch a full-fledged assault in three years. He needed the people to hear his voice.


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no way anyone would believe me. Had I not experienced it myself, I would probably shrug it off as well.¡±


    Rationally, it would be impossible.


    Being laughed wasn¡¯t the worst thing that could happen; he would be seen as a crazy person and would be isolated from society. The worst-case scenario is that he would be accused of being a spy for the demons by attempting to disrupt the harmony. In that case, he would be executed.


    Even if a few people believed his story, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.


    It would be of no use unless he could convince the entire human race.


    The reason why the human race was driven to near-extinction was clear.


    ¡°¡­The initial response was terrible. The humans were completely off guard and there was no system of cooperation.¡±


    Had they cooperated, it wouldn¡¯t have been an easy win, but at least it would have been an even fight.


    If the humans are able to strengthen their defenses and prepare for a great invasion, they would be able to avoid mass destruction.


    But, given the current situation, that seems impossible.


    To begin, the humans, who comprise the largest group of the human race, are not grouped well. Territorial issues among different countries, economic inequality, religious issues...there is no end to the issues that are hampering cooperation.


    Small clashes have been occurring, and in fact, had the demon race not existed, the humans would be in an all-out civil war.


    The other portion of the human race known as the Ajin, comprised of elves and dwarves, are also struggling to cooperate.


    Grouping them together and making them cooperate won¡¯t be an easy task.


    ¡°Instead of one big invasion, it would¡¯ve been better if they came in frequent waves. Maybe then, the human race would have realized that there was a serious threat.¡±


    They would realize that they needed to set aside their differences to ward off a common enemy.


    Elves live for around a thousand years. In that same time span, humans would go through multiple generations. Demons have been an enemy of the humans for thousands of years, but without experiencing an actual threat, the heightened security begins to wear off.


    An alternate plan would be to step into demon territory and kill the demon king, who would ascend to the throne in three years.


    The great invasion was ordered by this upcoming king, so if he can be eliminated, then in theory, there would be no invasion.


    ¡°The problem with this plan¡­is that it¡¯s virtually impossible to carry out.¡±


    First, not much is known about the demon king. Only his appearance from the final battle is known. Other than that, not even his name is known. With just this much information, finding him in vast enemy territory would be impossible.


    Furthermore, in the rare chance that he is found, whether he can be killed is a completely separate issue.


    When the humans stormed the main castle, there was a force of at least 100 elites chosen from the human race that made it this far. Less than 10 made it to the king¡¯s layer, and only Kyle was standing in the end.


    Luck was the only thing that could explain all of this. It was a battle that was barely won, and nobody would do it ever again if asked.


    Kyle took a deep breath, rested his head on his desk, and pondered about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel that stopping the invasion on my own is probably impossible¡­what else can I do¡­¡±


    He then changed some of his ideas and thought about what he could do right now, in the present circumstances.


    Kyle took a booklet that was lying on his desk into his hands.


    ¡°One advantage I have¡­is that my memory is above average. For that, I¡¯m thankful.¡±


    Indeed, the largest advantage he could ever have, is the fact that he knew everything that was going to happen.


    In the booklet, he had written all the things that were going to happen in the next four years.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t recall every little detail, but just thinking about it a little produced a lot of material.


    He spent all day yesterday writing everything he could remember.


    He didn¡¯t know which information would be of use, so he wrote everything from the situation of each country, method of attacks, weather, and food. If he could make use of the information, then a lot could be accomplished.


    Another advantage he had was his strength. During the battle with the demon king, Kyle was the most powerful magic swordsman¡­but¡­


    Kyle glances over at his thin arms.


    ¡°I have to keep track of my health too¡­¡±


    ¡°O¡­Oh, hey Kyle. Good morning. It¡¯s great that you woke up on your own today.¡±


    Feeling hungry, he headed over to the kitchen, and was greeted by Lize, who once again had prepared some food.


    Seraiya, who had already started to eat and had a mouth stuffed with food, greeted Kyle with a barely understandable ¡°good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to both of you. By the way mom, talking with your mouth full probably isn¡¯t the best thing to do.¡±


    Kyle also noted that she had jam all around her mouth.


    ¡°The food¡¯s gonna get cold, so hurry and eat!¡±


    Lize pulls the chair and makes Kyle sit.


    ¡°Thanks¡­by the way Lize, you seem absurdly nice since yesterday.¡±


    Kyle spend the entire day holed up in his room yesterday, but Lize kept making excuses to come in and talk to him, asking if he was thirsty, if there was anything he needed, etc.


    She was being nice as if she was talking to a child, sick person, or even an elderly person.


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. Oh, that piece of bread is big and hard. Let me cut it for you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want him to choke on the bread. It¡¯s almost as if she was nursing for him.


    Maybe she really thought blasting Kyle into the bookshelf screwed up his mind.


    After he had completely woken up, Lize took him to the Our Lady of the Earth Church and had some healing magic casted on him.


    ¡°By the way Kyle-chan, are you going to stay in your room all day today too? It¡¯s not good for your health you know?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m going to go out. I want to practice my sword skills.¡±


    Mother knows best. He knew he had to go out.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve taken a swing with your sword, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s strange that you¡¯ve decided to go practice all on your own. What happened?¡±


    Lize and Seraiya both seem confused.


    ¡°I just need to take a break. That¡¯s all.¡±


    With a piece of bread in his mouth, Kyle thought to himself about how he¡¯s been slacking off recently.


    On the ruins in the outskirts of town, Kyle was completely focused on swinging his sword.


    He wasn¡¯t just randomly swinging the sword. He mixed it up with an occasional feint, and finished with a coup de grace. He would sometimes move as if he ¡°received¡± an attack with his sword.


    There was nobody near Kyle. But in Kyle¡¯s eyes, he saw one target; an enemy that he intended to kill. It was a technique called Gentoh¨­, taught to him by his master. Basically, he would cast a spell of illusion and hypnosis on himself. The result would be a phantom enemy that could also receive and return attacks.


    More practice with this technique allows the user to create an enemy that closely resembles the real thing. In short, for those with magic power, this was a very effective training method.


    In most cases, one would have to actually know the enemy to a great extent to cast an image that accurately reflects the enemy, but Kyle was experienced so a single battle was enough to get an accurate representation.


    The enemy Kyle created in his mind was the demon king: one of the strongest enemies he has ever known.


    ¡°Damn¡­I¡¯d be killed every 10 seconds if this continues.¡±


    After a while, Kyle was running out of breath, and stopped his movements. At the same time, the illusion disappears.


    The battle Kyle had with the real demon king was an intense match. Now, it was no contest. He¡¯d lost count of how many times he¡¯d been ¡°killed¡± by the illusion.


    It¡¯s not that the demon king had become stronger; rather, Kyle had become weaker.


    (In Kyle¡¯s perspective) 3 days, ago he wouldn¡¯t be running out of breath after such a short fight, but now, the speed at which he swings his sword had become slower, and his movements were off. His body just wasn¡¯t able to keep up.


    It was a complete lack of basic stamina. Technique and experience were unchanged, but his body had lost quite a bit of muscle, and the way he predicts, he¡¯ll be very sore tomorrow.


    In hindsight, Kyle remembered that he used to spend these lethargic days doing nothing. He neither studied magic nor moved his body much. He regretted that he wasted such valuable time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try *strength* *haste*!¡±


    Kyle casted spells that increase his muscle strength and his agility.


    These were the most basic spells of a magic swordsman for self-reinforcement. Magic power would run through the body and physical strength and speed would increase.


    But,


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? It¡¯s more effective than before.¡±


    He felt more magic going through his body than before, and as a result, a slight movement produced a noticeable effect.


    The two important rules to keep in mind when using Ancient Magic are Magic Power and Magic Control.


    The more magic power one has, the more times one can cast a spell. More magic power equals more powerful and effective spells.


    Magic Control measures the extent to which one understands the principles of magic, and also gauges the imagination powers.


    More Magic Control allows a person to cast multiple spells at once, and can abbreviate spells and movements needed to cast spells.


    In terms of attacking spells, more magic control allows the user to either broaden or narrow the scope of the attack. It also allows magic power to be used more efficiently, so more spells can be cast.


    These principles also apply to the other two types of magic.


    After attaining a certain amount of experience, the magician would level up and would be able to use a higher level of magic.


    In short, a lack of magic power limits the spells one can use, and lack of control limits their command.


    If one cannot use a spell, nothing happens, but if one cannot command a spell, it either fails or goes berserk. A fire magician who fails to command fire spells would be engulfed in flames, and an ice magician would freeze himself.


    Both magic power and magic control can grow through experience, magic power is mostly innate.


    The highest level magic Kyle was able to use in the previous world was high-level magic.


    ¡°But now, I think I can go for the highest-level magic¡±


    In most of the battles up until now, Kyle only used magic as a support. He would use it to strengthen himself or weaken the enemy. His main weapon was the sword.


    Instead of casting some strange attack spell, he would rather strengthen himself and slash his enemies, but with the increased magical powers, he felt like he could make more use of magic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why this is happening¡­but I think I have a larger arsenal now.¡±


    For once, he was being optimistic.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.3

    ¡°Five¡­even this doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    He moved around lightly to test the effects, but his body couldn¡¯t keep up with the increased strength. He seemed to have hurt his muscles so he lied on the ground and spread his arms and legs. He groaned.


    ¡°I have more magic power, but my body can¡¯t handle it. Even if it¡¯s little by little, I have to get my body accustomed to handling more power.¡±


    Loss of muscle was a major blow, as he was unable to swing the sword as he pictured in his head.


    Muscle, technique, and magic. Everything was out of balance.


    But with more magic power, there was more room for improvement.


    If he trained hard enough, he would be much stronger than he ever was (which was three days ago).


    ¡°Stronger than that time, eh¡­¡±


    The year following the great invasion was a year of desperation for Kyle.


    He had to fight. To stay alive, he had to win. He did anything he could possibly do to stay alive and win the battles. And before he knew it, he had become the strongest magic swordsman.


    All of this did come with a price. He had to resort to forbidden strength enhancing spells, secret medicine, and as a result of the repeated use of such methods, his body was tattered. Regardless of how much he rests, he most likely would have died within ten years.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get strong while staying healthy¡­and have an awesome life after retirement!¡±


    Kyle decided his last goal in life.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a modest goal or an unreasonable one,¡± said someone from nearby. Kyle was startled and jumped up.


    A healthy, tan, and large woman who was about 30 years old had suddenly approached Kyle. She was suited up in a battered armor and was armed with a two-handed sword.


    Her face was well refined, but beautiful at the same time.


    She¡¯s in the same generation as Kyle¡¯s mother Seraiya, but in a different sense, she was very young.


    ¡°Shi¡­Shish¨­!? Since when were you¡­¡±


    Shish¨­ (ŽŸ½³) is a Japanese title used to refer to or address teachers or masters of traditional Japanese arts including, but not limited to, martial arts. The word is combination of the kanji shi (ŽŸ), meaning "teacher", and sh¨­ (½³), meaning "craftsman".


    Her name was Leila. She was Kyle¡¯s sword mentor and former gladiator herself. She was also Seran¡¯s foster mother.


    Gladiators are those who fight against other humans or demons or anything that can cause harm to humans. They are the ones who fight in arenas for glory.


    It¡¯s a dangerous profession, but comes with tons of fame and glory.


    While other gladiators either quit because of an injury or were killed, Leila has been undefeated for five years in the continent¡¯s largest Arena located in Ruos, the capital of the Garugan Empire.


    After retiring 10 years ago, she had complicated relationships and decided to come to Rimaze and depended on Seraiya, and old friend.


    Kyle was told that she adopted her benefactor¡¯s orphan, who turned out to be Seran.


    She has a habit of wandering around, and anyone you knew it, she¡¯d be gone. Her clothes were dirty, so you could tell she just came back from a ¡®wandering journey.¡¯


    ¡°S¡­since when were you watching?¡±


    ¡°You were killed at least six times. I counted. What kind of crazy demon have you been battling? If this was a real battle, you¡¯d be dead in 5 seconds.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I tried to last at least 10 seconds.¡±


    Seraiya had been watching Kyle fight in the dim light.


    ¡°It¡¯s good practice to challenge a foe that is stronger than you, but when the difference in ability is too great¡­its no use¡­.but anyways, where did you meet this opponent? You seem to have put together quite a realistic illusion.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just my imagination. I just tried to think of the strongest enemy I could come up with. By the way, I wanted to ask, if you were to fight this enemy, how would you defeat it?¡±


    ¡°You mean me? Well¡­I¡¯ll take a risk and step forward, maybe lose an arm or a leg, and get up in between the spaces. Then I¡¯ll give one big blow. If that doesn¡¯t kill him, then I¡¯d lose.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­That¡¯s what I thought you¡¯d do.¡±


    In fact, it was the exact method in which Kyle defeated the demon king. After realizing that his methods mimicked that of his mentor, he let out a small laugh.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m proud of you. You¡¯re practicing even when I¡¯m not around. I had a feeling you¡¯re the only one that had something special and was worth teaching.¡±


    Leila was one of the top swordsmen in the world, and in her eyes, Kyle was one of the few ¡°chosen¡± ones who had an extraordinary ability.


    In fact, since being mentored by Leila, Kyle¡¯s skills grew even further.


    But Kyle at that time was not that motivated, so he was sometimes criticized for it.


    ¡°You still teach Seran though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s technically my son. I have no choice, so I teach him even if I know it¡¯s of no use. If it weren¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t teach that stupid kid anything.¡±


    Leila often said: Kyle¡¯s a failing student, and Seran was the worst student.


    ¡°Either way, I¡¯m impressed at how much you¡¯ve grown, Kyle.¡±


    The physical attributes haven¡¯t changed much since Leila left for her ¡°trip,¡± but his techniques were as if he had been building up on one experience after another.


    The most noticeable change was his mental preparation.


    He used to be like some dog who just sunbathed in the fields, but now, he¡¯s a lion ready to fight.


    ¡°Even your magic has become better, and most of all¡­you¡¯re more organized¡­what happened to you?¡±


    Kyle decided that it was not a wise idea to try and fool an intelligent warrior like her.


    So he decided to hide some of the truth: ¡°I just had a slight change of feeling. I decided that I¡¯m going to seriously train my sword and magic skills.¡±


    No matter what happens, the stronger he gets, the more things he can do.


    ¡°¡­You¡­.You changed so much, you¡¯re making me sick.¡±


    She really did look sick.


    ¡°With all due respect, it¡¯d be great if you can honestly accept and appreciate your student¡¯s growth.¡±


    ¡°People often say to shed a layer of skin. But you seem like you¡¯ve shed four or five layers¡­Anyways, are you sure it¡¯s just a change of heart? I sense there¡¯s something more to it than just a little change in feeling.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing¡­.I just really want to be strong,¡± said a determined Kyle, gripping his sword tight.


    ¡°¡­Did you eat any spoiled food? Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°It kinda hurts that you¡¯re actually worried about that¡­¡±


    ¡°I wonder what that guy is up to.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s so unusual of him.¡±


    A little into the distance, Seran and Lize were in the bushes watching the two.


    Lize was curious about Kyle when he left the house and followed him, and picked up Seran who was also just wandering around. She decided not to talk to Kyle, who was swinging his sword around and decided to just peek.


    ¡°Even my mom knows that something¡¯s up with Kyle. I still don¡¯t know how he got so much more skillful all of a sudden.¡±


    It¡¯s been a while since Seran actually watched Kyle practice his sword techniques, but he couldn¡¯t believe that Kyle had gotten that much more skilled.


    ¡°Is it possible to become like that in such a short period of time?....But if there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m sure of, it¡¯s that Kyle isn¡¯t possessed or anything. This is the real Kyle.¡±


    He¡¯s sure of this because he¡¯s known Kyle for such a long time, but at the same time, he sensed that something was off.


    ¡°Yeah, in principle, nothing much has changed. It¡¯s as if I haven¡¯t met him in several years.¡±


    She initially thought it was because she hit him hard, but after observing him for a few days, she realized that that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s the same guy who I took a piss with on an ant hill three days ago and said it was ¡®flooding¡¯.¡±


    Leila walked over after finishing with Kyle: ¡°You two are always doing stupid things.¡±


    ¡°Oh hey mom, I knew you¡¯d see us here.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back Leila-san.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Lize-chan. You¡¯re probably the only one who greets me anymore.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve returned from being almost dead. Again.¡±


    ¡°And I see you still haven¡¯t gotten yourself killed, stupid son. You better not have caused trouble to Lize-chan.¡±


    ¡°He came over every day.¡±


    Lize honestly reported to her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later¡­.but whatever the hell happened to Kyle? He¡¯s acting strange.¡±


    Leila asked if the two were watching because they knew something was up as well, and the two simply nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Y¡­You¡¯re right. Kyle always had the look of a dead fish, but suddenly, he has goals in mind! As if he was motivated to do something! It makes me sick!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s the same guy who said his dream was to screw around and live off whatever he inherits!¡±


    ¡°I know how you¡¯ve been perceiving Kyle¡­.but that means¡­neither of you know why he¡¯s suddenly changed..¡±


    Leila was hoping that the two would know the reason behind his sudden change.


    ¡°Since the morning on the day before yesterday, he suddenly started acting strange. I don¡¯t know what happened, but whenever I ask about it, he changes the subject. I can¡¯t believe he won¡¯t even tell his best friend.¡±


    ¡°Well~ if there¡¯s one reason a loser like that would suddenly change¡­¡±


    Leila crossed her arms and thought about it, and suddenly clapped her hands.


    ¡°He got a girlfriend!¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Seran screamed and Lize froze over.


    ¡°Put more accurately, he now understands women. He must have matured, that bastard.¡±


    To Leila, Kyle was like another son. She smirks.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case for the two youngsters next to her.


    ¡°Damn it! He¡¯s leaving me out of all the fun! I¡¯m never going to forgive him!¡±


    Seran¡¯s fists were clenched. He was burning with rage.


    ¡°Did he not say best friend just a while ago?¡±


    ¡°There are exceptions for everything! Nothing more evil that I know of.¡±


    Though Leila thought that jealousy among boys was stupid, she asked a question that everyone had in mind.


    ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, who is his partner?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Who could it be? The most plausible candidate is frozen right in front of me, so it can¡¯t be her. And I¡¯m not trying to show off, but there are no girls in this town who have feelings towards either of us.¡±


    Seran was looking at Lize the entire time.


    ¡°Surely you can¡¯t be serious about showing off.¡±


    ¡°Either way, you¡¯re right. That¡¯s probably the only thing that can cause him to change this much. But damn, who could it be?¡±


    Lize, who was too shocked to do anything, slowly began to move.


    Leila stopped Seran, who was about to say something to her.


    ¡°If you value your life, it¡¯s probably best to shut up.¡±


    ¡°I can feel the animosity in the air.¡±


    Seran wiped the sweat from his forehead, and watched as Lize approached Kyle.


    ¡°Okay. Confess. Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Ooooohhhhhh¡­w..what are you talking about? What are you suddenly asking me?¡±


    Kyle had his hands on his waist and was greeted by a punch in the stomach by a childhood friend.


    ¡°Stop messing with me! Who is it?!¡±


    ¡°Ca..calm down¡­I kind of understand what you¡¯re getting at, but it¡¯s a misunderstanding! How did you even reach that conclusion!?¡±


    ¡°Leila-san and Seran both confirmed my suspicions!¡±


    ¡°Those two never say anything meaningful. You know that girls our age aren¡¯t interested in neither Seran nor myself.¡±


    Though that was the truth, it pained Kyle to say it aloud.


    Before Kyle started slacking off, he was actually quite popular. Not anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably true that you can¡¯t win over any girl¡¯s heart in this entire town¡­but if that¡¯s the case then what is it? A threat? Have you been brainwashed? Are you under a spell? On drugs?!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? I wouldn¡¯t commit such a crime!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s nothing crime related then¡­.did you force Aria-chan!?¡±


    That was a girl that was close to Kyle, and Lize treated her like a little sister as well.


    ¡°She¡¯s only three! What kind of monster do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°Then...is¡­.is it Leizel-sama?!¡±


    This time it was the opposite. Someone who treated Kyle and his buddies like grandchildren. She was basically the elder member of the town.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?! She¡¯s almost 100! Why is your impression of me so crazy!?¡±


    ¡°B¡­because, there¡¯s no other females in town that like you!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that mean! That¡¯s why at that time I¡¯ll properly¡­.¡±


    It was too late to stop his gaping mouth.


    ¡°At that time? Properly?¡±


    ¡°It was a misunderstanding¡­. Quit it! Stop strangling me! It hurts!¡±


    Of course, Kyle couldn¡¯t tell her that she was the one.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.4

    ¡°Have you calmed down?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought about what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°I just lost it for a moment. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Lize was on her knees and apologized to Kyle, who was sitting right in front of him.


    Lize almost strangled Kyle. It was a while before she calmed down; the sun was about to go down.


    ¡°Well. As long as you know that it was a misunderstanding. But why did you lose everything all of a sudden?¡±


    Lize tends to overthink things, and sometimes she goes nuts, but today was especially bad.


    A teary eyed Lize responded to Kyle.


    ¡°B..beacuse¡­.Kyle¡­you can¡¯t do anything without me¡­and all of a sudden..you being with someone is¡­.just mortifying.¡±


    Her voice became smaller and smaller, and the latter half of her response was drowned out.


    (Was she this jealous? Maybe I never noticed it)


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not angry anymore. Can you please cheer up.¡±


    Kyle patted her head lightly to comfort her, and she turned red.


    ¡°Yeah, come to think of it, you don¡¯t have the balls to do something like that. Had I stayed calm, I would¡¯ve totally realized that. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°You hurt me as you¡¯re apologizing.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s done¡­I¡¯m going to train a little more so just go home first. I need to focus.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll make some food and wait for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Make sure you tell the two sitting over there.¡±


    Kyle glared at Seran and Leila who were still looking this way.


    A short while after Lize went to where the two were, Seran gave a big wave and left.


    Kyle was slightly irritated at that, but he took a deep breath, and went back to training.


    That night¡¯s supper was luxurious, partly because Lize wanted to show her remorse.


    ¡°Mhmm, you came home at a great timing.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Why are you two here?¡±


    Kyle complains to Leila and Seran. He wanted to talk about what happened during the day.


    ¡°Why not? That rabbit you see there, that¡¯s the one I caught.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to eat something tasty since it¡¯s been a while. As if I would eat face to face with this loser after my journey.¡±


    ¡°Kyle-chan, the food will be tastier if you eat it with more people.¡±


    Kyle sighed, but agreed. Over the past year, he hasn¡¯t had much opportunity to eat with many people.


    After a hearty meal, Kyle became formal and asked everyone a question.


    ¡°Mom and Shish¨­,  I wanted to ask you two something.¡±


    ¡°whaaaawmmmtmt?¡±


    ¡°Mom, quit talking with your mouth full. I¡¯ll ask you later.¡±


    Once again, Kyle warned his mother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel fully comfortable, but I don¡¯t have anyone else I can ask, so I¡¯ll ask you four.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how you ask for favors, but since the food¡¯s bomb, I¡¯ll let you go on this one. Ask away.¡±


    Seran sounded pretentious.


    ¡°Who is someone that can say something and affect multiple countries?¡±


    Today, Kyle was stronger than ever before, but he also realized his limitations.


    No matter how strong he becomes, that alone cannot change the fate of the human race.


    If he were to change it on his own, he would need the strength to destroy an entire army by himself, but that seemed highly unlikely.


    So in figurative terms, he needed the countries to unite and prepare against an invasion, so that they can go on the offensive when duty calls.


    This is the most rational way to keep the humans alive, but to achieve this, he needed to group the people together.


    ¡°Someone who can move the country eh?¡±


    Leila folded her arms and thought about it.


    ¡°If it were simply affecting other countries, then it would probably be the emperor of the kingdom.¡±


    According to Seraiya, that would be the emperor of the Garugan Empire.


    ¡°Ah¡­that¡­¡±


    The Garugan Empire was a militarist country that was continuing its expansion.


    Kyle thought about the young emperor who died to preserve his dignity and pride.


    ¡°You sound as if you¡¯ve met him or something.¡±


    ¡°I only know rumors¡­.anyone else come to mind?¡±


    ¡°Well, the highest priest of the Church of the Earth Goddess also has significant influence over many people.¡±


    Leila gave the name of the most respected and most revered being.


    ¡°What about Randolph-sama?¡±


    Lize chimed in with the name of a hero who defeated the demon king who was the ruler during the war 300 years ago.


    ¡°Aah..you¡¯re right. Even the elves and dwarves listened to him..¡±


    Seran agreed.


    ¡°Hmph¡­A hero you say.¡±


    In all honesty, the title ¡®hero¡¯ itself had the power to attract many people.


    On the other hand, with only three years left, there¡¯s no chance that he would be appointed emperor or priest.


    There was only one path left.


    ¡°Then¡­.there¡¯s no chance but to become a hero.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a hero because he saved the world; he was becoming a hero to save the world.


    The order is reversed, but that can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°I will be a hero. That¡¯s the only option.¡±


    Kyle suddenly stood up¡ªand began to refill his bowl.


    Kyle¡¯s back seemed to be emitting a powerful aura, and the four began whispering to each other.


    ¡°Hey, like I said, I think something went wrong while I was away.¡±


    In response to Leila, Lize shook her head.


    ¡°But nothing comes to mind. We took him to a healer and even cast a healing spell on him, and they said nothing was wrong with him.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­a few years ago, Kyle-chan and Seran-chan were talking about how they were the ¡®chosen ones¡¯ and that they were the special warriors. Maybe it¡¯s a relapse.¡±


    Lize and Leila scoffed at Seraiya¡¯s story.


    ¡°Yeah. I remember. We did say that. In fact, we were ostracized by our friends for saying it. What a terrible memory.¡±


    ¡°It was right around that time when your sword skills began improving. You guys claimed that we came up with our own magic spells and moves¡­.After around 10 beatings from Seraiya and myself, you guys calmed down.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. If this is a relapse¡­I would like to respect him. He¡¯s probably gonna regret it later anyways.¡±


    Seran defended Kyle in a strange way.


    ¡°Definitely. At least he¡¯s still positive about it.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s Kyle-chan, he¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°When Seraiya says something is ¡®going to be fine,¡¯ it¡¯s never backed up with any proof¡­but that can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s just watch over and pray for him. ¡°


    The four decided to warmly watch over Kyle as he refilled his bowl.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.1

    The day after Kyle swore to become a hero, he sat in his room thinking.


    He was thinking about how he was going to be a hero.


    ¡°Heeey~ Do you mind?¡±


    While Kyle was deep in his thoughts, Seran came in without knocking.


    ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s up with your room?¡±


    Seran was shocked at what he was seeing.


    The desk Kyle was facing had books spread everywhere. Everything surrounding his desk was filled with books as well.


    All of the books were brought over from Seraiya¡¯s collection. The genre of the books spanned a wide range.


    Books dealt with topics ranging from legends, heroes, knowledge on magic, and lifestyles of demons and historic battles.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been thankful of my mother¡¯s collection until today. All the knowledge I need right in front of me. Anyways, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Kyle closed the book he was reading.


    ¡°Umm¡­are you serious about be coming a hero?¡±


    Seran sat on the bed and popped the question.


    ¡°Yeah, no doubt. And I need to be one fast.¡±


    He replied without looking at Seran.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t be a hero just because you want to be one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m struggling¡­do you have any idea how I can become a hero?¡±


    He asked Seran.


    ¡°Well~ defeat the demon king and you¡¯ll instantly be a hero!¡±


    ¡°¡­If that was possible, I wouldn¡¯t be thinking this hard.¡±


    Kyle let out a big sigh.


    ¡°There¡¯s no method that¡¯s guaranteed to make anyone a hero¡­but I¡¯ve began to realize what¡¯s needed. Seran, do you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­.you need strength¡­right?¡±


    All the past heroes were praised for their extraordinary strength.


    ¡°Well¡­obviously¡­In my opinion, it¡¯s money, connections, and luck.¡±


    ¡°Seems strange. But it¡¯s somewhat convincing.¡±


    ¡°First, money. This is because heroes shouldn¡¯t expect anything in return. For example, let¡¯s say you¡¯re in a rural village that¡¯s been attacked by demons and you¡¯re coincidentally there. What would you do?¡±


    ¡°Well...if it¡¯s my first time there, I¡¯d look for cute girls.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re off from the start. You¡¯d need to ward off the attack. When you do, you¡¯d most likely receive compensation. But what if you don¡¯t receive the award? What if you say that helping those in need is your obligation? And just walked off?¡±


    ¡°That would be overwhelming. I¡¯d probably be a legend in that village.¡±


    ¡°A courageous act without demanding anything in return. Doesn¡¯t that sound heroic? This can¡¯t be done without any spare money though.¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean now. If you say so, you can do a lot with money.¡±


    Seran nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Next, I need connections. This goes hand in hand with money, but whenever someone tries to do something, connections come in handy. The more respected your connections are, the better it would be.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Being backed by respected people in power would help a lot.¡±


    ¡°In essence, it¡¯s give and take.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re slowly moving away from your goal of becoming a hero.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, if I¡¯m associating with highly respected people, my reputation will naturally rise as well. If I have money and a good reputation, I can accomplish a lot. But I still can¡¯t become a hero with just those two.¡±


    ¡°So the last thing you need is luck?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Kyle said this was the hardest part.


    ¡°I see¡­.luck¡­that¡¯s something you can¡¯t really work for.¡±


    ¡°And plain luck won¡¯t suffice. The luck a hero needs is different from ordinary luck.¡±


    Heroes shine in times of war, sadness, confusion, and grief.


    Also, the worse the situation is, the brighter they shine.


    ¡°In other words, I need the luck to be there when something terrible happens. Only then can I become a hero.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not planning anything bad to benefit myself. I don¡¯t even have to do anything bad; the world has a lot of danger already. Something bad is always happening somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­.but to be placed in those situations is completely dependent on¡­luck¡­You can¡¯t do much about it can you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I have a trick to make it happen, so nothing to worry about.¡±


    Kyle flapped the thin notebook that was on his desk.


    The things written in this notebook are filled with terrible things that are to happen in the next four years.


    Other than large-scale invasions that can¡¯t be helped, there are some things that can be prevented with adequate preparation.


    There¡¯s too many things and too little time to handle all of them, but something that¡¯s too easy to handle won¡¯t amount to much heroism.


    Heroes always act swiftly when something comes up.


    It might hurt more people in the process but if it means changing the seemingly hopeless fate of the world, it must be done.


    ¡°I will do anything to be a hero. Even if it¡¯s unfair.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that defeat the entire purpose of being a hero?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m only say this kind of stuff in front of you.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­I forgot to ask the big question. Why do you want to become a hero?¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re curious huh?¡±


    Seran initially thought that Kyle was going through puberty and that it was messing with his mentality.


    If that was the case, then Seran would have fully supported Kyle. But it was different.


    He sensed that Kyle was determined more than ever.


    ¡°I can sense that you¡¯re serious about this, but for some reason, I sense that your goal isn¡¯t to become a hero; rather, you¡¯re trying to be a hero to achieve some other objective.¡±


    Kyle wasn¡¯t expecting Seran to see right through his intentions, but it shows that they¡¯ve been close friends for a long time.


    There will be a time when Kyle will confess his true intentions. But it¡¯s too early.


    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend. You¡¯re absolutely right. I do have a goal in mind. Regardless of whether you¡¯ll believe me or not, I decided that it¡¯s too early to tell anyone. I just hope you trust me on this one.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Seran sat up straight. He knew it was pointless asking any further questions.


    ¡°Well, good luck my friend. I¡¯ll always be supporting you.¡±


    Seran waved as he left the room. Kyle just stared back at him with a puzzled look on his face.


    ¡°¡­Why does he sound like he doesn¡¯t care?¡±


    Kyle¡¯s plans involved Seran.


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll deal with money by doing this and I want to meet that guy too. In terms of fame and reputation, I¡¯ll just prevent the Arcane incident ¡­.but my schedule is really tight.¡±


    Either way, there¡¯s not much I can do around here.


    Kyle looked out the window. He knew he had to embark on a journey soon.


    ¡°So. I¡¯m gonna go on a trip.¡±


    ¡°A trip¡­?¡±


    The next day, Kyle reported his plans to Leila.


    ¡°Did you tell Seraiya about this?¡±


    ¡°I did¡­she cried a little, but she understood.¡±


    ¡°She is overprotective¡­.what did you tell Lowell?¡±


    ¡°Lowe¡­.? Oh¡­my father¡­.wait¡­when¡¯s he coming back? Did he come back? Whatever. I¡¯ll just tell him when I see him.¡±


    ¡°Show some respect. I do think that going around on a trip is a good idea. With your current strength and power, you¡¯d be able to handle most problems along the way. By the way, take Seran with you.¡±


    ¡°That was my original plan. Are you sure that¡¯s fine with you?¡±


    ¡°Use him to block arrows or magic. He has other uses. He can be your substitute and you can sacrifice him if you feel like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste him like that. Unless I absolutely have to, I won¡¯t sacrifice him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously debating this right in front of me? Give me a break.¡±


    Seran complained.


    ¡°What about my opinion?¡±


    ¡°You have no say. I¡¯ve always wanted you and Kyle to explore the world to understand the harsh reality.¡±


    Kyle knew that regardless of anybody¡¯s intentions, he would be forced on a journey within a year.


    There were some problems here and there, but Kyle remembered that it was a good journey overall.


    ¡°You had no future in this town anyways.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? I have my future planned out you know?¡±


    ¡°Tell me then.¡±


    ¡°Finding two or three beautiful, rich, and sincere maids who¡¯d let me do anything to them. I¡¯d be surrounded by them for the rest of my life.¡±


    Leila pretended not to see her son who was being very serious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine if he¡¯s alive. Do as you wish.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I can use him in a lot of ways.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I was being conservative when I said 2 or 3 maids. I¡¯d like around 10.¡±


    Leila let out a big sigh, knowing she failed in raising Seran. Kyle comforted her saying he was born with the weird personality.


    That evening, Kyle was at the hilltop practicing his sword as usual.


    Just as he was about to go home after experiencing some muscle pain, Lize stopped by.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Kyle saw that Lize was just out of it.


    ¡°Seraiya came over to complain to me. She told me that you were dumping her.¡±


    Kyle bowed deeply.


    ¡°So. Is it true that you¡¯re leaving on a journey?¡±


    ¡°Ohh¡­.yeah¡­.I need to prepare first, but I¡¯ll be on my way within two or three days.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°My first destination is Mallad. The capital. I have to prepare for a lot of things.¡±


    The capital city of Mallad is about a five day walk away from where they currently live.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Lize¡¯s face turned serious.


    ¡°Umm¡­Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°I have no intentions of bringing you along.¡±


    Kyle knew what she was going to ask, so he answered the question before she could ask.


    ¡°Why?! Seran¡¯s going with you right?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t throw you around and put you in danger.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be obstructive!¡±


    ¡°I know your strengths.¡±


    Her actual power is very strong. Especially these past few days.


    Kyle is gifted in the art of swords, and Lize was skilled in martial arts. From when she was little, she trained with the guards of Kairis.


    Lize was skilled. Not as much as Kyle, but to make up for it, she worked diligently.


    She always said that she would make use of it when she grew up.


    Lize¡¯s father died in a war before she was born, so her mother definitely would have wanted Lize to live a more peaceful life.


    Lize¡¯s mother died two years ago and since then, she¡¯s been helping out at her aunt¡¯s house. She still continues her training but doesn¡¯t bother anybody other than Kyle or Seran.


    When Lize heard that Kyle was going on a trip, she couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Given her strength, Lize would probably a great addition to Kyle¡¯s team.


    ¡°If it¡¯s about your mother, I¡¯ll apologize.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. It¡¯s also me being selfish. I just want you to be in safe. I never want you to be in danger¡­¡±


    Kyle thought about the moment Lize died in his arms.


    He never wanted to go through that experience ever again.


    ¡°Listen to me. I also need a home. Knowing I have a home to return to empowers me.¡±


    Kyle grabbed both of Lize¡¯s shoulders and looked at her straight in the eye.


    ¡°I¡¯ll report my return to you before anybody else. And I want you to welcome me home before anybody. So¡­I need you to stay home and wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Kyle¡­I¡­.¡±


    Kyle leaned in and gently touched her lips with his.


    ¡°ah¡­.¡±


    Lize¡¯s face turned bright red.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯ve changed. You weren¡¯t using these tactics before. Now¡­.I have¡­no choice¡­but to listen¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m older.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the same age.¡±


    Kyle looked at Lize in a friendly way and squeezed her. Lize didn¡¯t resist.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll come back. It¡¯s hard enough knowing you¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°Relax. I¡¯m not going to be gone forever. And I won¡¯t do anything crazy.¡±


    This was a lie. Kyle knew he would do anything to achieve his goals.


    ¡°Ok¡­¡±


    Kyle felt a little guilty, but he hugged Lize anyways.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Lize seemed reluctant at first, but she grabbed Kyle¡¯s hand.


    In order to get home, they had to walk through several busy streets. They were sure that they would run into their friends. But it didn¡¯t really matter now.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With a big grin on her face, Lize squeezed Kyle¡¯s hand.


    (The first time I kissed someone was when I was 18¡­I was quite shy¡­)


    Kyle started walking with silly thoughts spinning through his head.


    The sun was setting when the two were walking down the main street of Rimaze.


    It was rush hour, and the flow of workers going home made the street very busy.


    The stores along the road were trying to grab their last customers before closing.


    Lize found an area that looked a little different from everything else in the street.


    Some journeyman was gathering a lot of attention.


    She had on a sturdy cloak, and a dagger in her waist. The lady had all her belongings organized neatly, just like a typical journeyman.


    Nobody seemed to care.


    ¡°Ah! An elf¡­.¡±


    The elf was walking towards Kyle and Lize.


    The elf belonged to a rather isolated species; they hardly ever leave the forest on their own.


    There were no nearby elf villages, so it was quite rare for an elf to be strolling the streets here.


    Beautiful figures and long ears were the defining characteristics of elves. This elf, however, had a different kind of elegance that was special.


    She looked straight forward. Her eyes were filled with determination.


    She left such a strong impression on people passing by, that everyone turned to look once more.


    ¡°I knew elves were beautiful. If Seran were here, his eyes would be glued to her.¡±


    Lize said that if that happened, she¡¯d have to smack him.


    But Kyle wasn¡¯t paying attention at all.


    Kyle let go of her hand, and started walking as if he was being pulled towards the elf.


    ¡°K¡­Kyle¡­.?¡±


    Lize seemed anxious.


    Kyle didn¡¯t answer.


    He just kept staring at the elf in front of him.


    And then he whispered.


    ¡°Exes¡­¡±

 Volume 1 - CH 3.2

    A big thank you to Ruka-san for this chapter!


    Ulza was known for being strange. Everyone began to believe that label.


    Most elves live their entire lives without ever leaving the forest. Ulza left to see what the outside looked like.


    She ran into countless issues on her journey, but her spiritual magic and her sword skills allowed her to continue with little hassle.


    She didn¡¯t have any special reason to visit Rimaze; it was just the next stop on her journey.


    And when she walked through the streets, everyone looked at her in a strange way.


    It was as if the people were looking at a ghost.


    She was used to getting strange looks on the street, but this was entirely different.


    Agony, happiness, confusion¡­


    None of them looked at her with hostility, but the looks she received were unusual.


    She was sure it was the first time she¡¯d seen this gentleman, but his appearance urged her to talk to him. But at that exact moment, the human mumbled something¡­


    ¡°Exes¡­.¡±


    It was a very faint voice, but elves have superior hearing. There was no way she missed it.


    ¡°How do you know!!¡±


    Ulza screamed, and Kyle was stunned.


    ¡°Huh??...Oh¡­damn! I shouldn¡¯t have said that in front of her. I¡¯m sorry Ulza¡­.Wait¡­no¡­.I mean¡­.N..nice to meet you? Welcome to Rimaze?¡±


    ¡°You think you can trick me!?¡±


    Kyle smiled and pretended to be a regular villager in the town of Rimaze, but Ulza was insulted. Needless to say, she was very agitated.


    ¡°She did say she had visited Rimaze before¡­But I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d visit at this time¡­.Damnit¡­¡±


    Kyle was holding his head. He regretted the fact that he let his tongue slip.


    Ulza stayed with Kyle until the final battle. She was very supportive in terms of fighting and mental support.


    Kyle didn¡¯t forget her. But at the same time, he really didn¡¯t mind her too much.


    He did, however, remember that right around this time, she was out on a journey to widen her perspectives. Her home is far away, so he thought the chances of meeting her here were slim.


    Kyle had decided that when he had time, he would go visit her, but he wasn¡¯t expecting to meet her like this.


    Ulza was agitated further with Kyle¡¯s nonsense mumbling, and being the impatient one, she reached for her dagger on her waist.


    ¡°S¡­Stop!¡±


    Kyle used a spell, *haste*, which could be cast without saying anything.


    Using this, he was able to close the distance with her in an instant.


    To any bystander, it looked like he was giving her a huge hug.


    To render her powerless, the best thing to do was to just pummel her, but there was no way he was going to do that to her.


    ¡°L¡­Let go!!¡±


    Ulza tried to break free, but elves were small and delicate. She was unable to free herself.


    ¡°Calm down. There¡¯s soldiers nearby. You¡¯ll be arrested!¡±


    If a foreign elf were to brandish a weapon and attack a human, she would most likely be severely punished.


    ¡°Shut up! Let me go!!¡±


    She showed no signs of calming down.


    If this continued any longer, she would do anything to grab the dagger and slash Kyle.


    If she used any spiritual magic, things would be worse.


    Kyle had no other options but to use magic to calm her down.


    But elves have a high resistance to magic, so spells aren¡¯t that effective.


    Kyle had a trick.


    ¡° *Sleep Exes*! ¡±


    By using her mana* in a sleep inducing spell, he made it work.


    ¡°Y¡­yo¡­.you¡­.¡±


    You could tell she was still angry by looking at her eyes, but she fell asleep just like that.


    Kyle grabbed Ulza just as she was about to collapse to the ground.


    To him, this was no different from what happened just five days ago.


    He remembered the night before the battle.


    ¡°¡­We meet again¡­.¡±


    He gently caressed her sleeping face.


    Ulza was gently breathing while she slept, and Kyle smiled.


    At that moment, Kyle felt an excruciating pain on his side, and he went flying.


    His was lying on the floor and his body was bent. After a few moments, he was finally able to look up.


    ¡°What are you doing¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°You really like hitting me in the guts don¡¯t you!!¡±


    Lize was looking down at Kyle. Her face showed no expression whatsoever.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what it seems like. Just listen to me. Calm down. Let¡¯s talk about this. She also lost her home and her family¡­so we comforted each other¡­and I was lonely because you were gone¡­or¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! Or maybe not¡­but it¡¯s complicated!¡±


    ¡°Be serious! You¡¯re acting just like Seran. I can¡¯t believe you just attacked a girl on the street because she was pretty.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that! That¡¯s a complete misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t trust you! I¡¯m coming with you! I don¡¯t care what you say, I¡¯m going with you on your trip! No way I¡¯m letting you out of my sights!¡±


    The ensuing argument that continued right next to Ulza¡¯s sleeping body carried on until it was stopped by nearby soldiers.


    However, since Lize beating up Kyle was such a common event, she got away with it with only a warning.


    Lize was preparing tea at Kyle¡¯s house in his reception room.


    The three sat down.


    Ulza was very cautious of the two. She didn¡¯t even drink the tea, but she seemed calmer than before.


    It¡¯s not like she could do anything about it: when she woke up, Lize was being lectured by soldiers, and Kyle was beat up pretty badly. It took a while for her to understand what was going on. For that reason, her rage simmered down.


    Lize and Kyle continued with the argument.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m telling you¡­it¡¯s a misunderstanding¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.can I talk now?¡±


    Ulza finally interrupted with a gentle but powerful voice.


    ¡°So¡­um¡­.nice to meet you¡­I¡¯m Kyle¡­Your name is Ulza¡­right?¡±


    ¡°You really think you can still fool me? Spill it out. Why do you know my mana?¡±


    She had calmed down a bit, but one wrong move and she¡¯d probably slice Kyle¡¯s head off.


    Kyle knew this, and anyone who understood the situation would understand as well.


    Mana refers to a name other than the one used on a daily basis. It has a magical meaning in it.


    Spiritual magicians use their mana to make a contract with the spirits, and cast their spells by borrowing their power.


    The mana is usually known only by close friends, the naming parent, and a significant other. Misuse or abuse of the mana could be fatal.


    The reason is because the mana is linked directly to soul. If a spell that affects the mental state is casted using the mana, she would be unable to fight back.


    If the ¡®charm¡¯ spell is casted, she would definitely be a slave. On the other hand, if a curse was inflicted using the mana, she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.


    In essence, Ulza¡¯s life was in Kyle¡¯s hands.


    In his head, Kyle said: ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me¡­¡±


    In the other world, both Kyle and Ulza had lost important people. They trusted each other more and more and eventually, they covered each other¡¯s backs.


    The night before they stormed the Demon King¡¯s castle, Ulza came into Kyle¡¯s room.


    // ¡°My mana is *Exes*¡­When we¡¯re alone, call me by that name¡­and as long as you¡¯re with me¡­¡± //


    Ulza was holding onto Kyle tightly when she told him this.


    (Damn, Ulza was cute then¡­)


    Kyle remembered her tear-filled eyes when she said this.


    ¡°Why are you grinning¡­..¡±


    Kyle snapped back, and saw that Lize was staring back at him.


    He cleared his throat and straightened his posture before looking straight at Ulza.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just can¡¯t tell you right now. But I¡¯m the only one that knows right now. There is nobody else that knows this right now. So you don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore.¡±


    What he said was meant for Lize as well; not just Ulza.


    Lize was about to say something, but when she saw Kyle¡¯s face, she decided it was best to no say anything, so she just sighed.


    ¡°Are you daft?! You think I¡¯m going to believe you?!¡±


    Ulza was clearly not satisfied with Kyle¡¯s response.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to lie about this¡­I could make anything sound true¡­but that would be pointless.¡±


    (Actually, it was my fault anyways for letting my tongue slip¡­I can¡¯t think of a good excuse¡­¡±


    But he wondered what would happen if he did tell the truth.


    ¡°Four years later, we¡¯ll fall in love. That was when you told me your mana. As evidence, I know you have a heart shaped birthmark on your ass. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m the only guy that knows this¡­Also, your left ear is very sensitive¡­and a whole bunch of other stuff¡­¡±


    The day Kyle tells her this, would be his last day. Ulza would definitely slice him into pieces and tear him apart with magic.


    Instead, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t like to lie¡­that¡¯s why I just said I can¡¯t tell you right now. I know you probably feel insecure about this, and I apologize.¡±


    Lize looked at Kyle with the what-are-you-talking-about face, but he ignored it.


    Kyle used what he knew from before to his advantage.


    He knew that her weakness was being dealt with face-to-face. He also knew that she hated liars.


    ¡°And even if I did tell the truth¡­would you believe me¡­even if you used the lie detection magic¡­could you prove it¡­?¡±


    The lie detection magic was just what it sounds like. It tells the user if the other person is lying or not. But it¡¯s effectiveness is questionable. Sometimes it gives false positives.


    Kyle¡¯s tactic paid off.


    Ulza seemed to relax a bit.


    ¡°But¡­I still don¡¯t feel safe¡­Normally, I¡¯d have to kill you to prevent you from telling anyone my mana¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!!¡±


    The word ¡®kill¡¯ set Lize off.  She interrupted the two.


    ¡°I know the how important your mana is to you. But I can¡¯t afford to be killed right now. So in exchange, how about you use the spell: Contract Agreement?¡±


    ¡°Contract Agreement?! Are you serious?¡±


    Ulza¡¯s eyes widened.


    Contracts are basically deals that spiritual magicians have with the spirits using their mana. The Contract Agreement, on the other hand, is an agreement with humans that places a restriction of some kind.


    Since the use of this magic would result in the human knowing the mana of the one dealing the spell, it¡¯s rarely used. But since Kyle already knows Ulza¡¯s mana, that didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°¡­..I can¡¯t believe you know about the Contract Agreement¡­.only elves and spiritual magicians should know that¡­.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal: I won¡¯t tell anyone your mana. Nor will I abuse it. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°You do know what will happen to you if you break this contract right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I die.¡±


    Contracts borrow the power of spirits, so going against them results in the punishment of death. Kyle¡¯s life was on the line, but he brought out this agreement as if it were no big deal.


    ¡°Are you sure you understand? As long as I¡¯m the one using the Contract Agreement, I can trick you and stuff too you know? If I wanted¡­I could take your life¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that. I know Ulza wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°We just met. What makes you so confident that I won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°And even if it were true, you wouldn¡¯t warn me beforehand.¡±


    ¡°¡­hmph¡­..¡±


    Ulza looked away. She clearly was not having any fun.


    ¡°Fine. My life is on the line as well. I see no reason to object.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. Regarding why I know your real name, I¡¯ll speak when the time comes. I promise.¡±


    ¡°But not right now. I can¡¯t create a Contract Agreement until the next full moon.¡±


    Contracts require the power of Muna, the Guardian Elf and Moon God. His power is largely dependent on the phases of the moon.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, there¡¯s at least half a month until the next full moon.¡±


    Ulza let out a sigh, knowing that she¡¯d have to stay in town until then next full moon.


    Kyle, without any remorse, added on: ¡°Oh. Sorry. By the way, I¡¯m leaving town in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°W¡­.What?¡±


    *Translator¡¯s note: mana written in characters in the original is ÕæÃû. Literally, it means true name. First character translates to True/Real/Authentic (read ma). Second character translates to Name (read na). The na is the same character for the first letter of the Japanese word for name namae(ÃûÇ°). The mana used here should not be confused for the mana that most of you associate with magic spells (i.e. HP and Mana).

 Volume 1 - CH 4

    2 days later.


    In front of Kyle¡¯s house.


    ¡°Well then, farewell Kyle-chan. Don¡¯t only eat fish and meat, okay? Make sure to eat vegetables, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I got it.¡±


    Kyle, who had just finished packing, now had to deal with a sobbing Seraiya.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will be with him.¡±


    Lize, who had also finished packing, comforted Seraiya.


    ¡°Yes yes. Lize-chan. Take care of Kyle-chan, please.¡±


    Seraiya was wiping away her tears with a handkerchief.


    Kyle was tired of her crying over and over, so he was getting ready to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Try to visit, okay? Good luck.¡±


    Seraiya blew her nose while waving goodbye.


    ¡°Do your best Kyle. And take care of your friends.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Wait. Huh? You were here dad?¡±


    Lowell, Kyle¡¯s father, was standing next to Seraiya.


    ¡°I came back the day before yesterday. I was at home all day yesterday, too¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t notice¡­¡±


    Kyle remembered that there was food prepared even when Lize wasn¡¯t home the other day.


    ¡°Honey, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too early for him to go out on a journey?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried. But he¡¯s our kid.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­. I suppose¡­ He is our child. What will we do if we don¡¯t trust him, right? I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Seraiya.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going. Rest well, you two.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s parents were slowly getting carried away into their own world. The last thing Kyle wanted to see was a love scene between his parents.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving~¡±


    Lize stood beside Kyle. She waved to everybody.


    ¡°Did you tell your family?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I told my aunt¡¯s family and visited my parents¡¯ graves.¡±


    ¡°Did you pack everything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all set. It¡¯s much easier than when I stayed in the mountains for a month.¡±


    ¡°I remember¡­ I still think you should stay home, you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Too late. You can¡¯t stop me now.¡±


    Lize had a huge smile on her face and Kyle knew that it was useless to try to make her stay, so he just let out a big sigh and gave up.


    Seran and Ulza were already waiting at the meeting place.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe a beautiful lady like you is going to be joining our team!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just watching! I have no recollection of being in your team! I still don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m going with you guys¡­.¡±


    Ulza was clearly depressed about this, but Seran was extremely happy.


    ¡°Going on a trip with Kyle alone is depressing¡­and Lize doesn¡¯t make me feel any better, either¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t listen to people, do you¡­¡±


    Ulza massaged her temples as if she was having a migraine.


    ¡°Ulza-san, it¡¯s best if you just ignore him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s better if you just pretend he¡¯s not there.¡±


    Lize and Kyle were used to handling him.


    ¡°What did Master say?¡±


    Kyle asked Seran.


    ¡°What? Oh. The usual. In fact, she was like, ¡°What are you still doing here? Hurry up and go!¡±¡±


    Kyle let out a dry laugh. It¡¯s what he expected Master to say.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Kyle called out to everyone.


    Seran and Lize looked eager to go, but Ulza seemed like she wanted to relax for a few more days here.


    ¡°Wait. The East Gate is this way.¡±


    Lize called out to Kyle, who had started to walk.


    They had originally planned to go to Mallad first, which was east of Rimaze, but Kyle was heading to the North Gate.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re going this way. I¡¯m changing the first destination. I had planned to go to the capital first to buy some things, but there¡¯s no need for that anymore..¡±


    ¡°What were you going to buy?¡±


    ¡°A magic tool. Slightly expensive¡­ that costs at least 30,000 Gadoru¡­¡±


    Gadoru is the unit of currency here. 1 Gadoru can buy you a meal at a street shop. A regular person would be able to make a living with around 10,000 Gadoru per year.


    The total amount that the four had right now didn¡¯t even reach 10,000 Gadoru.


    ¡°30,000 you say? That¡¯s quite a lot. How were you going to earn that much money?¡±


    Seran had every right to be worried. There was no way to earn 30,000 through regular means.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do anything dangerous. I was just going to be a swordsman and bet on myself to increase my earnings.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyways¡­There¡¯s no need for me to buy the magic item since  the highly skilled spiritual magician Ulza has joined our team.¡±


    As Kyle introduced Ulza, Lize and Seran started applauding.


    They acted as if they were all childhood friends.


    ¡°Like I said¡­I don¡¯t remember ever joining your team¡­.¡±


    Ulza seemed unimpressed, but that didn¡¯t bother Kyle at all.


    ¡°The first goal is to reach the Sanguld Mountains.¡±


    The Sanguld Mountains were on the northern side of the border. It was a dangerous mountain range and took around half a month to reach.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite far isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ulza can use the spell ¡®Wind Walker¡¯.¡±


    Wind Walker adds the power and blessing of the Wind Spirit Silfeed. It makes walking several times faster. In addition, it comes at little cost to the one casting the spell, so it¡¯s very useful.


    What would take half a month now only took 3 days.


    This magic was very useful, but there was no method for humans to cast it. It was so useful that people would hire spiritual magicians at astronomical prices just for this particular spell.


    ¡°Wow~ Spiritual magicians have so many useful spells. It helps a lot.¡±


    ¡°Like I said¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡±


    Kyle was talking as if he and Ulza were best friends. Ulza, on the other hand, seemed tired.


    (I knew she¡¯s weak to a change in atmosphere. Once things don¡¯t go her way, it¡¯s all downhill from there.)


    It¡¯s amazing how he managed to drag along a stubborn Ulza.


    ¡°What do you plan on doing once we get to the Sanguld Mountains?¡±


    Lize asked Kyle.


    Do you know the famous legends of that mountain?


    ¡°Umm¡­.I do remember¡­that there¡¯s a hidden labyrinth somewhere in there¡­.¡±


    Lize remembered someone telling her this legend.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The largest human labyrinth known as the Magic King.¡±


    There were many other legends that dealt with the ancient magic kingdom of Zares.


    The Heart of Shinryu that Kyle had was one of them, but the Magic King was another one. The greatest known magician in human history, Sildonia Zares, left a huge labyrinth. According to the legend, there were lots of treasures inside.


    ¡°That''s a legend right? Does it really exist?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Do you know how many years that¡¯ll take?¡±


    ¡°Relax. I have a map with the details of exactly where everything is.¡±


    Kyle pulled out an old map and flashed it to everyone.


    ¡°Huh¡­is this real?¡±


    ¡°I found it in my mom¡¯s old collection. The book itself is from the age of Zares so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s real.¡±


    Kyle was also sure about this, because he had been there before. But he didn¡¯t tell them about that part.


    During the Great Invasion, the outlook for the humans was so bad that they began to depend on legends as well. Just then, it was said that the imperial family had a sealed map of the labyrinth.


    Kyle vaguely remembered this story and went back to his ruined village and dug out the map from the book in his mother¡¯s collection.


    With this map, the humans were able to increase their forces and connect it to the final battle. He thought it was fate that his mother guided him to the map.


    Kyle looked back to the direction of his home.


    He knew that by now, his parents were in their own world, so he let out a dry laugh.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem fake. The paper the map is printed on is from a magic tree that¡¯s been around for over a thousand years. Most of the trees were destroyed in a battle a long time ago, so this kind of paper isn¡¯t made anymore.¡±


    Ulza started to show some interest; she knew that they stopped making this paper after Zares was destroyed.


    ¡°However, even if we have a map, the insides are extremely spacious. It¡¯s also dangerous. There are  many  traps and self-activating magic weapons¡­.We¡¯ll probably be killed ten times over.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no use going.¡±


    Seran felt it was suicidal.


    ¡°I know there¡¯s no use. But, there¡¯s supposed to be a ton of treasure and magic items there. Whatever we do, it¡¯s easier if we have money.¡±


    ¡°Treasures¡­that is tempting¡­But I still value my life, you know.¡±


    Seran was starting to think about it when Kyle reassured him: ¡°There¡¯s no need to go head first.¡±


    ¡°So¡­.?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to dig ourselves in.¡±


    ¡°You never know what can happen in life. Half a month ago, I never expected to be here digging my way into a legendary labyrinth.¡±


    Seran wore a headband with a luminescent rock placed into it as he was digging.


    ¡°After I swore to be a hero, I never thought my first task was to dig a tunnel.¡±


    Kyle also had a band with luminescent rock strapped to his head.


    The two used shovels to dig through the rocks and placed them in a wagon. Occasionally, they wiped their sweat away with the towels they had around their necks.


    ¡°You fools. You two of all people should not be complaining.¡±


    Behind the two boys stood Ulza, also with a band strapped to her head. She was giving orders from the back as she checked the map. She was also using the help of the Earth Spirit Nome.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m helping you guys¡­ Hey! Seran! Don¡¯t dig there! We haven¡¯t hardened the surroundings! Kyle! Use Detect Magic once you finish hauling the dirt outside! Things might be misaligned!¡±


    Detect Magic was a spell that detects magic power. The three used that magic to detect the power coming from the treasure inside, and adjusted their movements accordingly.


    ¡°I feel like Ulza is putting in the most work here¡­¡±


    Kyle simply nodded to Seran.


    ¡°She¡¯s a very serious person. She hates people who slack off.¡±


    ¡°Quit talking! Keep working!!¡±


    ¡° Yes ma¡¯am!! ¡±


    The two decided it was better to not talk back.


    The Sanguld mountains spanned an area as large as a small country. Kyle and his friends were deep in the mountains where nobody dared to travel. The mountains were like a staircase. The plateaus in between each step had goats grazing on the grass. The steep areas, however, were very dangerous.


    Kyle was at the rear entrance. The real entrance of the labyrinth was on the other side of this mountain.


    This area was also the closest to the treasures, and the perfect place to start digging.


    Although if they decided to actually dig through the stone, it would take years.


    This is where Ulza comes in handy.


    Using the Earth Spirit Nome allowed her to make the stone into a softer dirt-like substance so it¡¯s easier to dig.


    At the same time, to prevent any avalanches, she hardened the surrounding stone and made it sturdy. Finally, by using the Wind Spirit Silfeed, they were all able to breathe without a problem even if they were deep in the mountains.


    As a result, they were extremely efficient.


    Kyle¡¯s original plan was to fight at the arena to collect funds so he could buy magic tools that did what Ulsa was currently doing. Thanks to Ulza, there was no need for that anymore.


    Kyle could have asked others for help or hired others, but he wanted to do it with as few people as he could. In fact, he originally planned to do it with Seran alone, but that would take much longer.


    ¡°Good work all three of you.¡±


    Lize greeted the three as they walked out of the tunnel. She was in the middle of cooking something.


    The base camp was right near the entrance of the tunnel and there were two tents.


    Kyle, Seran, and Ulza were in charge of digging, while Lize handled the cooking and other miscellaneous jobs.


    It¡¯s been five days. They were getting used to this lifestyle.


    ¡°The laundry is all dry, and I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to eat in those clothes, so why don¡¯t you all go change? The food will be ready in a bit. Oh, and I¡¯ll wash the clothes you¡¯re wearing now so just put them all together, okay?¡±


    Lize was giving out orders and the three went into the tents to change.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired~ I can¡¯t move~¡±


    Seran was done changing.


    ¡°Keep it up, we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    ¡°You too. Your legs are shaking.¡±


    As Seran pointed out, Kyle¡¯s legs were shaking. But he pretended that he was fine.


    ¡°My body is fine, but calling the spiritual apostles has drained me mentally.¡±


    Ulza sat down and let out a sigh.


    Using apostles differed from using contracts to summon the powers of the spirits. With the apostles, Ulza was able to give direct orders. For example, she could command the Fire Spirit Salamander to ¡°light 100 candles individually.¡±


    There are certain things each spirit can and cannot do, and depending on the level of the person using the spirits, the commands can be quite detailed. This is one of the reasons why spiritual magicians are still considered useful compared to the ancient magicians.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready~¡±


    Lize set out all the food in front of the three.


    ¡°I must say. Lize, your cooking skills are amazing. I¡¯ve been on long journeys, but all the food outside the city tastes bland¡­¡±


    Ulza seemed surprised.


    There was a stew, grilled chicken, and fruit. All of it tasted quite delicious. The meals brought excitement every day for the three working in the mountains.


    Ulza knew how to cook, but not in the wild like this. During her journey, Ulza normally ate preserved food.


    ¡°There happened to be a really fat bird so I used that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­huh? This meat over here is different?¡±


    ¡°Oh that one is bear. I killed it just a while ago so that¡¯s fresh as well.¡±


    ¡°When did you¡­.¡±


    Ulza was enjoying the meal, but the two boys just stuffed food into their mouths. The combination of exhaustion and hunger left them with no energy to talk.


    Lize refilled their bowls as if it was a routine.


    ¡°How much longer do you guys have to dig?¡±


    ¡°Well, at this pace, we¡¯ll be done by tomorrow or the day after.¡±


    Kyle answered while drinking his after-meal tea.


    The Detect Magic spell was returning very faint signals at first, but as they dug further, the signal strength increased.


    ¡°I see. Go take a bath once you¡¯re done, and get ready for tomorrow~¡±


    The bath was a little far away, and it was big enough so that several people could go in at once. It was a hot spring, but it wasn¡¯t natural.


    Ulza used the Earth Spirit Nome to create a crater and the Water Spirit Undeene to summon the spring water from below while Kyle used his fire magic to heat it up.


    ¡°I never expected to be able to take a bath everyday in the mountains like this. When I went to the mountains before, all I did was wipe my body.¡±


    Lize stretched her body and relaxed.


    Lize¡¯s body showed the effects of her training. There was not a single bit of fat and her body was in a nice streamlined shape.


    Her legs had just a bit of muscle, but it wasn¡¯t too obvious. Her skin had a healthy tan and looked beautiful.


    When she flipped over, her large ass floated on the water.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also been on a long journey. This was a long overdue bath.¡±


    The elves were a delicate species, but Uzla was an exception.


    She had a very balanced body. Her breasts weren¡¯t huge, but they had a beautiful shape.


    If she was a statue, she¡¯d probably be placed in some king¡¯s room.


    She rested on the edge of the bath, and tied her blonde hair. Her skin was white and glowing.


    ¡°I envy you.¡±


    Lize had an average sized chest, but Ulza had a rather large one.


    ¡°Really? Where I grew up, those kind of hips are envied.¡±


    ¡°R¡­really?¡±


    Thought Lize had an average chest, her hips were larger than most girls her age.


    ¡°Yeah, you look like you could rear a lot of healthy kids. Look at me¡­.¡±


    Ulza stood up, got close to Lize, and looked at her own skinny hips and small ass.


    ¡°¡­The old women in our town tell me the same thing. But it¡¯d be better if it was more like you Ulza-san¡­oh¡­a heart!¡±


    There was a heart shaped area with darker pigmentation on Ulza¡¯s white ass.


    ¡°D¡­don¡¯t say it. I don''t like it.¡±


    Ulza hid the scar by going down in the water.


    Her face was bright red, but Lize thought it was cute.


    They both laughed and Lize thanked Ulza again for the hot bath.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know magic could come in handy like this. I can¡¯t use magic so I¡¯m really thankful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Besides, you killed a bear with your bare hands. That¡¯s much cooler.¡±


    Ulza got a glimpse of the bear carcass before going in the bath. It was as big as two grown men and weighed as much as 7 or 8.


    ¡°I¡¯m also in the midst of training, so it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°Training¡­.for Kyle?¡±


    ¡°Eh?...Ah¡­yeah¡­I mean, this is the only thing I excel at so¡­¡±


    Lize rubbed her cheeks. She was shy.


    ¡°Hey Ulza-san. I know this won¡¯t sound convincing coming from me, but¡­.I don¡¯t think you should worry that much.¡±


    ¡°Worry?¡±


    ¡°I know that Kyle is hiding something, and I know that whatever it is, it¡¯s got something to do with your Mana.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Ulza¡¯s face tightened. The only reason Ulza is here is because somebody else has access to her Mana.


    ¡°All I can say is, that guy does a lot of things that pisses me off, but he would never do something to make me cry. So I¡¯m certain that he would never do anything to hurt you Ulza-san. I¡¯m just going to wait until he speaks up.¡±


    When Ulza saw the smile on Lize¡¯s face, she knew that Lize trusted Kyle. That eased some of the tension.


    (or she just couldn¡¯t believe how Lize was so dumb)


    ¡°Either way, I just tagged along because I was uneasy about letting him go alone. Ah. But don''t worry. If he does anything stupid, I¡¯ll take responsibility and¡­¡±


    Lize had her fists clenched.


    ¡°Just call me Ulza.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, drop the san.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay¡­Ulza.¡±


    The two laughed.


    While the girls were bonding, there was some commotion.


    ¡°Let me go!!!! I¡¯m going to go see!!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?!¡±


    Seran was trying to peek at the girls taking the bath, and Kyle was doing everything he could to stop him.


    ¡°It¡¯s an open air bath! Of course I¡¯d look! What¡¯s wrong!?¡±


    Seran screamed with everything he had.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to look?!¡±


    ¡°Of course I want to look!¡± Kyle replied and began to speak.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you see those two! That¡¯s my¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you just say two?! So it¡¯s not just Lize but also Ulza-chan!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you suddenly quiet?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re annoying! It¡¯s gonna affect our work tomorrow! Just go and sleep already!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about tomorrow! I¡¯m living this moment right now!¡±


    There was tension building between the two.


    ¡°Ugh. Damnit. I failed again today.¡±


    ¡°¡­you¡­you¡¯ve wasted my energy¡­..¡±


    ¡°What are you two doing!? I just washed these clothes you know?!¡±


    Lize came out of the bath and saw the two were grappling. In the process, they had dirt all over the freshly washed clothes Lize had provided.


    Needless to say, she wasn¡¯t impressed.


    Around noon the next day, Ulza approached Kyle, who had resumed digging after having lunch.


    ¡°I never thought to conquer the labyrinth like this. I still feel uneasy about doing it this way¡­.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way. If we go in from the front, we¡¯ll be destroyed for sure.¡±


    Kyle remembered the time he went through the front.


    Although he had a map of all the traps, it wasn¡¯t easy getting through. Plus, not all the traps are on the map.


    The map itself is a trap as well.


    There¡¯s some magic infused in the map. Basically, the map is accurate for most part, but once you get to the layer with all the treasure, additional layers appear on the blank areas.


    The layer with the treasure can¡¯t be reached without going through those layers, but the traps are some of the worst.


    Just thinking about how hopeless that experience was sent shivers down Kyle¡¯s spine.


    He took a look at the signature on the corner of the map.


    The signature was written in ancient writing: Sildonia Zares.


    The reason for all this digging was simple: Kyle never wanted to enter the labyrinth again, but at the same time, he wanted all the treasure.


    ¡°By the way, is Seran back yet?¡±


    Seran took off after having lunch and hasn¡¯t returned since.


    ¡°He has a nasty habit of slacking off. I remember him saying he¡¯d find a place where he could see from far away¡­I wonder what he¡¯s talking about¡­¡±


    Ulza tilted her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m gonna strangle that guy later.¡±


    Kyle crushed the cup he was holding in his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m confused. Anyway Kyle, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡±


    Ulza explained that she¡¯d rather ask now since Seran was gone.


    ¡°I¡¯m a down to earth kind of person, so I¡¯ll get straight to it. Lize and Seran have known you for a long time and they trust you very much, but I¡¯m different. I don''t know you very well. So tell me. Why do you want to become a hero?¡±


    When Ulza heard about Kyle¡¯s intentions on the way over here, she initially thought he was some weird kid with unreasonable ambitions.


    But as time went by, she realized that Kyle was serious. He had a clear goal in mind, knew what he could do, and what he needed to do. He also hadn¡¯t slacked off one tiny bit.


    ¡°Your ring. That¡¯s part of your training right?¡±


    She looked at the simple ring on Kyle¡¯s left hand.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve noticed. It¡¯s a ring that has the gravity spell.¡±


    Gravity adjusts the weight of the target. It¡¯s normally used to weaken beasts by draining their energy and rendering them powerless. It¡¯s also called the Ring of Promise because it¡¯s used to take away the power of criminals.


    The type of ring that Kyle had on his finger could be instantly deactivated if he wanted to. And unless it was a complete surprise attack, he would have no problem with it.


    ¡°With that ring, your weight is probably 2 or 3 times the normal amount right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just about right. According to my master, constantly putting on weight is helpful in increasing my base strength. It¡¯s simple, but very effective nonetheless. For now, I just want to raise my basic strength. By wearing the ring and digging, it¡¯s two birds with one stone.¡±


    ¡°At first I thought you were into masochism¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ like¡­ you know¡­ You have those weird sexual fantasies¡­ with Lize and¡­ the way you flirt with her¡­ is your method of¡­. foreplay?¡±


    ¡°What kind of misunderstanding is that!?¡±


    ¡°I mean.. Seran told me that..the way you two flirt is a very high-level type of foreplay¡­ so I shouldn¡¯t really take it seriously¡­¡±


    ¡°That guy¡­ always speaking nonsense¡­¡±


    ¡°At first I thought it was a very rare type of fantasy¡­ so I was looking down at you while feeling sorry for the human race for being so strange¡­ but it looks like I was wrong. My bad.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Somewhere inside, Kyle felt like crying.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna ask you again. Why do you want to be a hero?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡±


    Just as Kyle was about to say something, there was a loud noise. The shovel hit something very hard.


    ¡°Is this¡­.metal? W¡­We¡¯ve made it!¡±


    The metal was very hard and cold.


    The Detect Magic spell was giving it¡¯s strongest feedback so far.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the final approach. We¡¯ve got to tell Lize and Seran.¡±


    Just as Kyle was about to go out, he turned back and told Ulza.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t tell you right now. But I promise, when the time comes, I¡¯ll tell Lize and the rest of you.¡±


    Ulza looked at Kyle as he walked out and decided not to press further.


    She said to herself,


    ¡°For some reason¡­being with these guys is messing with my mind¡­¡±

 Volume 1 - CH 5

    ¡°Wow¡­.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­.¡±


    ¡°Waaaaa¡­¡±


    Seran, Ulza, and Lize each said something before they were at a loss of words.


    Once they tore through the outer layer of metal, they were in a large warehouse filled with treasure. The place was as big as 10 homes put together.


    The mountain of treasure included rings, necklaces, and statues. There were also tapestries and crystals and gems of all sorts.


    Most of these things cannot be replicated with today¡¯s technology. Merchants and aristocrats aren¡¯t the only ones who would pay for these treasures. Royalties would also pay a significant amount to buy this stuff.


    There were also coins from the ancient times. Hundreds of thousands of coins were scattered everywhere. It was literally a mountain of treasure.


    There were rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, topaz, opal, pearls, and other minerals.


    Herbs were also in the pile. These herbs were used as ingredients to make magic medicine. Other ingredients like unicorn horns and dragon skin were also neatly stacked.


    The items had the Preservation spell cast upon them; even after a thousand years, everything looked fresh.


    In the corner was an ingot of mithril. Mithril is a light and durable element that has the ability to increase resistance to magic. It¡¯s used in weapons and defense items, but it¡¯s so rare that select dwarf races are the only one to mine this.


    It¡¯s dozens of times more valuable than gold and it¡¯s something that you can¡¯t just buy with money.


    This amount of treasure would be enough to buy several countries.


    Though the amount is impressive, it was an appropriate amount. The magic kingdom, Zares, spread across half of the entire landmass when it was at its peak. This meant it controlled ¾ of the entire human population. It was believed that with such power, the humans could defeat the demons.


    The king during that time, Sildonia Zares, was the one that left all this treasure. It¡¯s no surprise that he left so much considering his status.


    Regardless of how humble an individual was, that person will definitely be struck with awe. In a sense, it was a dangerous charm.


    Lize and Ulza were both speechless. They absentmindedly stood there and looked around.


    Only Kyle, who knew this place, was calm.


    Lize and Ulza slowly made their way to the treasure when Kyle softly but firmly reminded them: ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away.¡±


    The two were in a state of shock; they shivered before looking back at Kyle.


    ¡°Listen. The reason I¡¯m here is because I need money to achieve my goals. Money is nothing more than a tool. It¡¯s definitely better to have some, and it¡¯s good to handle it effectively. But be careful not to be thrown around by money.¡±


    It sounds a bit harsh but someone had to say it because there are countless people who lead miserable lives from their wealth.


    ¡°To show you what I¡¯m talking about¡­take a look over there!¡±


    Kyle pointed.


    ¡°Hyahaaaa!! It¡¯s money!!! I can finally live a luxurious life!!¡±


    Seran threw himself onto the pile of coins and rolled around.


    ¡°¡­.that is an example of what happens when you let money control you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rich!!!¡±


    Seran scooped up coins and started throwing it, pretending it was raining coins.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That doesn¡¯t look too pretty.¡±


    ¡°I definitely don¡¯t want to end up like that.¡±


    The two looked at Seran with pity. They shook their heads in disproval.


    Watching Seran helped them calm down, and they began to calmly look around the stacks of treasure. (Thank you Seran¡­Thanks to you, I¡¯m sure these two won¡¯t be controlled by money. It sounds trivial, but I¡¯m starting to think that bringing you along wasn¡¯t a mistake after all.)


    Kyle looked at Seran, who was still rolling around in coins, with a gentle look.


    The last time Kyle came here was two months ago, from his previous life.


    That time, the economy was already in shambles, and even with all of this treasure, it wouldn¡¯t mean much. Moreover, at that time, bread was more important than gold, silver, and gems.


    The dwarf craftsmen were able to create weapons and shields using the mithril, and the alchemists were able to stir up some magic medicine.


    Without those items, the last battle would have been lost.


    While the three were distracted by the treasures, Kyle silently headed towards the back.


    The ginormous statues and mountains of jewelry covered him from sight.


    There was a big sword on the pedestal. It was a bastard sword; one that could be carried with one hand or both.


    The blade of the sword was polished, and there were letters written in ancient magic language.


    On the hilt was a red gem. Clearly, it had some strong magical powers.


    The sword was probably made of mithril. It was well balanced, and one look would be enough for anyone to know it was a legendary sword.


    It was a beautiful sword. One could keep staring at it. It was so peculiar that it would make people feel like they were being sucked in.


    Kyle took a deep breath rather quickly, and stepped forward. At that moment, the sword emitted a light. The particles of light gather in front of the sword and created an image of a little girl.


    From the look of it, the girl looks around 12 or 13. She had white hair and was dressed in a loose robe. She had her eyes closed.


    Slowly, she opened her eyes.


    She spoke in a clear and stern voice.


    ¡°Well done for surviving the long ordeal. I must congratulate you for survi¡­.whaaa?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t finish. Kyle held her mouth shut and carried her to the corner of the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk too loudly! They¡¯ll hear us!¡±


    Kyle peeked at the two, and made sure they didn¡¯t notice.


    The little girl tried to break free and spoke in an angry voice.


    ¡°You inconsiderate person! Who do you think I am?!¡±


    ¡°I told you to not speak loudly! I know who you are. You¡¯re Sildonia Zares. The Magic King.¡±


    Actually it¡¯s a replica, Kyle whispered.


    ¡°The real one is in the gem on the sword. That gem has part of Sildonia¡¯s personality and his knowledge embedded within. You were a shadow made of magic. Right?¡±


    ¡°H¡­how do you know? The original Sildonia and myself are the only ones who should know this!¡±


    Sildonia panicked, but she replied in a soft voice.


    ¡°Also, I know the questions you¡¯re about to ask, as well as the answers to all of them, so can we just skip all of that please?¡±


    ¡°But¡­that¡¯s my time to show off¡­and isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re here?...wait¡­.how do you know all of this?!¡±


    Obviously, Kyle knew the questions and their answers from their previous encounter.


    ¡°Fine fine¡­The answers are¡­a dragon to the east of the second layer, a wolf to the west of the third layer, demons to the north of the fifth layer, and a large painting of the human race on the south of the sixth layer¡­.not very nice of you to ask questions regarding rooms that I didn¡¯t even have to go through.¡±


    ¡°Wow! So you went through all of them!! Wait..why do you know the answers!?¡±


    ¡°Well, to be honest, I took a shortcut this time, so I didn¡¯t go through any of them.¡±


    ¡°Shortcut?¡±


    ¡°We dug a hole on the opposite side directly to this treasure.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do that!? You know this is also part of Sildonia¡¯s grave?!¡±


    ¡°Special circumstances. Let me do the final test. You¡¯ll understand. I¡¯m gonna grab the sword now.¡±


    ¡°¡­so you know about that too??¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think if I do this, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Kyle grabbed the sword that was on the pedestal.


    Sildonia was even more surprised.


    ¡°What!? Who are you!?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and read it! If this¡¯ll convince you, you won¡¯t have to use the final trap right?¡±


    ¡°?!.....fine fine, take it out!!¡±


    Sildonia¡¯s body became a bunch of light particles once again, and were sucked into the sword¡¯s gem. At the same time, Kyle removed the sword.


    Just as the particles of light were engulfing Kyle, they disappeared as well.


    Sildonia¡¯s shadow appeared once again, but she had a very troubled look on her face.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Time travel¡­..is this real¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°*Perfect Reading* reveals everything right? Then it must be. I also have the Heart of Shinryu with me.¡±


    Perfect Reading is a special class of magic that is lost today. It reveals all of the target¡¯s experiences and memories and personalities.


    The user practically knows everything about the target¡¯s life and deceit is futile. Even things that the target has forgotten will be revealed. The last time Kyle encountered Sildonia, she explained this to him.


    The spell is activated by gripping the sword. Sildonia tested those who were able to make it this far to determine if they were worthy of keeping the treasure. It was the final test.


    ¡°¡­Such a convenient magic doesn¡¯t exist. I mean, certainly, you could read parts of the person¡¯s memory, but it¡¯s just a bluff.¡±


    ¡°Oi! It was a bluff?!¡±


    ¡°Either way, you cant¡¯ lie and you know some things that only I would know. Most importantly, your soul is proof of this.¡±


    ¡°Soul?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Your¡­.Your magic level has increased since the last time you came here. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°You know why?¡±


    Kyle asked out of curiosity.


    Until now, he just let it be.


    ¡°Hmph, so the hypothesis that I made earlier proved to be true. But I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d actually meet you in person.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Explaining will take some time¡­anyways, how many people are with you? Are they your friends?¡±


    ¡°Oh snap¡­.they¡¯ll notice soon for sure. Here¡¯s the deal. They know nothing. So let¡¯s get our story straight.¡±


    ¡°So you haven¡¯t told anyone about this yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be a confusing matter¡­but I knew you¡¯d figure it out anyways¡­¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. I had no choice though, since the fate of the human race was at stake.¡±


    Sildonia had to cooperate. She let out a sigh.


    ¡°Ok here we go¡­ Oh wow!! A talking sword!!! And it¡¯s name is Sildonia Zares!?!?¡±


    ¡°That was a bit too fake¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that, I briefly lost control of myself after looking at all the treasure.¡±


    Seran pretended to be normal, but neither Ulza nor Lize were paying any attention.


    Since there was an important figure right in front of them, it would make sense that the two ignored Seran.


    Lize didn¡¯t have any words to say as she stared at the King from over a thousand years ago who looked just like a kid.


    They decided to take a break inside the treasure room. Sildonia deliciously ate the baked goods that Lize had brought with her.


    ¡°Hpmh, this actually tastes quite good. The food during this age isn¡¯t that bad after all. Did you make this?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I used a lot of juice and honey in it¡­anyways, are you really the Magic King?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m only a part of it. I¡¯m based off of part of the Magic King who is stored inside the gem on the sword. I¡¯m Sildonia Zares, but at the same time, I am my own independent self.¡±


    Sildonia was talking about herself, but spoke as if she was talking about someone else.


    Magical beings like the one in front of them are oftentimes synthetic chimeras or some sort. They are made by alchemists. In the ancient magic kingdoms, they were made quite often, but over time, the methods of making it were lost and because of the difficulty and high level of magic it requires, it¡¯s seldom researched today.


    ¡°Everything I eat and drink is converted into magical power, so nothing goes to waste¡­.hmm¡­it¡¯s been approximately a thousand years since I last ate¡­.not bad..¡±


    She says it as if it were no big deal, but converting food to magical power would be unthinkable with today¡¯s alchemy methods. It was too difficult.


    One could sense at the high level of alchemy that existed in ancient times.


    ¡°But why are you in the form of a child?¡±


    ¡°This is the original form of Sildonia you know? She used magic to stop aging when she was the strongest. She remained like this until her death.¡±


    ¡°I see~ But I¡¯ve never heard of that story before.¡±


    Since Sildonia is a legend, there are many stories about her. But they¡¯ve never heard of her being in the form of a little girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over a thousand years. Those stories evolve over time into something tremendously far from the truth. She didn¡¯t really show her face in front of people to begin with¡­¡±


    She said that that was probably one of the reasons why.


    She seemed uninterested throughout.


    ¡°But why would she preserve her form?¡±


    Ulza asked the question that everyone was asking about.


    ¡°There is a reason. It¡¯s regarding the inheritance of all of this treasure. It¡¯s not state property or anything. It¡¯s all private property.¡±


    ¡°All of this is private property? You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me. No wonder people have been fighting over it.¡±


    Seran spoke while looking around.


    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a war broke out over who would control the treasures.


    ¡°She had no heirs to pass along the property, so when she died, so she sealed the treasure when she died. She would only give the treasure to those who pass all the traps and things placed in the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why all these traps are here¡­¡±


    Just looking at the map gave an idea of how many traps there were scattered across the area.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a hobby. It¡¯s quite effective.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Very few were able to even get to the labyrinth. I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone to actually make it through..¡±


    Sildonia shook her head.


    ¡°The plan was to place a final test. Those who pass would get the treasure. Those who didn¡¯t would suffer the last trap.¡±


    ¡°The last trap?¡±


    ¡°The caving in of the entire place. I can do that in an instant. I would bury everyone who made it here alive.¡±


    Again, she said it as if it were no big deal, but everyone except Kyle turned blue.


    ¡°But if you do that, even you¡¯ll be buried alive!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a sword now. It doesn''t matter if I¡¯m buried alive. All I have to do is sleep for a thousand years or maybe two thousand years. The next person who finds this place¡­.well¡­it¡¯s not any use to think of that right now is it..¡±


    She kept calm throughout, but the three were panicking. They looked at the ceiling, thinking it would collapse on them at any moment.


    ¡°Normally, those who cheat their way through the labyrinth by digging a hole directly to here would make me want to activate the last trap without any exception¡­but¡­¡±


    Sildonia looked at Kyle, but he was busy drinking his tea.


    ¡°You¡¯re a quite interesting group of people so you can relax. But there is one condition. I need to watch you guys so you have to take me with you wherever you¡¯re going.¡±


    Sildonia wanted to take a look at the outside world for the first time in a thousand years. Of course, the three were nodding away.


    Saying ¡®no¡¯ here would mean everyone would be buried in an instant. That would be a total waste of all the effort.


    ¡°¡­So why are you a sword again? If you¡¯re a Magic King, couldn¡¯t you have been something more magical?¡±


    Seran looked at the sword in front of Kyle¡¯s hands. As a swordsman himself, Seran was very curious.


    ¡°To be honest, the original Sildonia never told me. It could be just a coincidence. Without her, I¡¯ll never know.¡±


    Sildonia looked at the distance.


    ¡°Anyways, as long as I¡¯m a sword, I¡¯ll have to be used as a sword. I have to choose a user, but I think Kyle would be good.¡±


    ¡°I also request that.¡±


    ¡°I will be of great use.¡±


    Kyle knew that her words were nothing but the truth. She was very confident.


    Kyle knew her for only a month, but she was very useful. Even during the last battle.


    ¡°Until the person wielding the sword dies, I¡¯ll have to stick to the very end.¡±


    After saying that during the final battle, she was able to allow Kyle to win against the demon king.


    But at the same time, it meant that Sildonia would be destroyed.


    In essence, it was a reunion of those who were never supposed to meet again.


    Sildonia was still munching on the food. Kyle was looking at her. In his mind, he thanked her for everything.


    ¡°Hey hey! I¡¯m also a swordsman. How about choosing me over Kyle?¡±


    Seran smiled at Sildonia.


    Sildonia looked at Seran as if she were putting a price on him.


    She quickly shook her head and said: ¡°¡­Nope¡­it¡¯s psychologically impossible.¡±


    ¡°You always get rejected like that. I suppose even a thousand years ago people couldn¡¯t stand you.¡±


    Lize nodded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t disagree. I suppose those things don¡¯t change over time.¡±


    Ulza agreed.


    ¡°Don''t worry. The world is spacious. There¡¯ll be someone who¡¯ll accept you.¡±


    Kyle tapped Seran¡¯s shoulders and consoled him.


    ¡°Damn¡­.I feel like crying¡­¡±

 Volume 1 - CH 6.1

    The Zilgs Kingdom is at the center of a large continent.


    It borders demon territory but it¡¯s land is very suited for agriculture. It¡¯s climate is also warm. Under Remonaz, the current ruling King, Zilgs is a very stable country that is continuously growing.


    There¡¯s no official ranking on the countries strength, but if there were, the Zilgs Kingdom would be ranked very highly, near the top.


    The capital, Mallad, is surrounded by two layers of thick walls, and has a population nearing 200,000. The royal palace at the center of Mallad can be seen from anywhere in the capital and the country¡¯s land seems as if were radiating outward from the palace.


    ¡°Ho~ there¡¯s so many peple! The people in this era look very prosperous!¡±


    Sildonia was using magic to create an illusion of herself as she walked through the streets that were flooded with vendors.


    Kyle and his friends just arrived at Mallad. Sildonia was right. The streets were flooded with people. ¡°I heared Mallad has a population of 1,000,000.¡± Lize said that with such a large population, such a scenery wasn¡¯t something to be shocked at.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But that¡¯s only from what I¡¯ve been told. I don¡¯t know from experience. Sildonia herself had never walked through such a crowd and neither have I.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Kyle was wondering why Sildonia kept asking questions on the way. Her existence was a very unbalanced one: she was full of knowledge but lacked any experience whatsoever.


    Sildonia was attracted by the scent and moved towards one of the vendors. Lize forced a smile on her face and followed.


    ¡°She¡¯s like a kid from a rural village visiting the city for the first time.¡±


    Seran is a whole different story, but in fact, Seran and Lize are very similar. Neither of them have left Rimaze for a long time, and it''s the first time either of them have been to Mallad. The way they looked around the city made it very easy to tell that they were from out of town.


    ¡°Hmph, it doesn¡¯t taste as good as Lize¡¯s food, but it¡¯s quite good. Let¡¯s see¡­up next is that vendor¡­¡± Sildonia was carrying a meat skewer as she returned. BEcase she needed to convert the food to magic power, she ate a lot.


    ¡°Eat later, I want to go buy the stuff we planned.¡±


    ¡°Stuff¡­as in¡­weapons and shields?¡±


    ¡°Right, we wouldn¡¯t stand a chance with the equipment we have right now. It¡¯s better if we have higher quality items.¡±


    Their current equipment consisted of Sildonia, working as Kyle¡¯s sword. Everyone else¡¯s equipment was just a little better than that of an average journeyman.


    ¡°We can upgrade our current equipment, but there would be limits. With our current strength, new, higher grade material will enhance our abilities exponentially.¡±


    He added on that it¡¯ll also reduce the chances of them getting killed.


    Over the past year, Kyle had lost so many loved ones ¨C he didn''t want to lose any more.


    ¡°If we can avoid getting killed by buying better equipment, it¡¯s a cheap price to pay. No need to be cheap.¡± In a big city like Mallad, there were several different places to buy goods from.


    Of course, the stores had different levels: stores for novices, intermediates, and professionals. The place Kyle¡¯s team was heading toward was without a doubt the highest class store around.


    Only noblemen and journeymen who earn tens of thousands of Gadoru per assignment can afford the items there.


    The store was built with stone, and had no signs.


    There were no signs because signs weren¡¯t needed. Only people with a particular purpose would come to the store. In other words, it wasn¡¯t the type of store where one would just walk in randomly or by accident.


    There were several armed guards at the entrance. Only one of them was wearing a uniform for the store. He spoke to Kyle as he approached the entrance.


    ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I want to buy items.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but do you have a referral?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with our policy of first time customers with no referral?¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, those without referrals who are completely new have to pay a deposit in order to enter the store.¡±


    Kyle remembered from his previous life.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct. I apologize for the inconvenience, but we ask all new customers to make a deposit of 10,000 Gadoru. Of course, it will be returned upon your departure from the store.¡±


    The boy was somewhat apologetic, but firm nonetheless.


    The store has many very expensive items on display. Noblemen have their identities confirmed, but most of the customers who visit this store are armed journeymen.


    The store has to be on the safe side to prevent any armed robberies.


    As a result, the store normally doesn¡¯t allow customers without a referral to enter. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that they turn all of them away. The deposit system ensures that only safe customers are let in the store. If they can¡¯t afford the initial deposit, there is no way that they will be able to afford anything in the store. Hence, they have no purpose of being there.


    ¡°5 pieces of Zares gold. Is that enough?¡±


    Kyle handed the boy Zares gold, a currency from the ancient magical kingdom period. It had very tiny engravings and even had a preservation spell. As a result, even a thousand years later, there are many of them in circulation. Many stores that sell expensive items also accept it as currency.


    Zares gold has twice the value of the highest denomination, which was worth 1,000 Gadoru.


    Though not produced anymore, there is an even more high value currency that is worth 10,000 Gadoru that uses precious gems. Those are often used for investments or rituals and are seldom found circulating.


    ¡°Thank you. Right this way please.¡±


    Beyond the heavy door was a hallway.


    At the end of the hallway was another heavy door.


    For added protection, there were 2 doors. On the other end of the second door was a spacious floor.


    There were no windows, but magic items with the *light* spell had lit up the room.


    In addition, the moisture and temperature were adjusted perfectly to ensure maximum comfort.


    And on the counters and were armor and weapons neatly organized.


    Possibly due to the time, there were no other customers in the store.


    The store wasn¡¯t meant to attract large numbers of people at once in the first place.


    ¡°Welcome! I am Fesiba, the owner of this store.¡±


    A wide man in his 50¡¯s greeted Kyle and his friends as they walked in.


    For first timers, either the owner of the store or one of the sales associates are assigned to stay with them at all times.


    They determine the type of customer you are and whether the store can make money off of you. They then adjust their services accordingly.


    Fesiba had a great smile on his face but watched Kyle with a keen eye.


    ¡°What can we do for you today?¡±


    ¡°We want to see your weapons and shields.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. We have a lot of weapons and shields. Let me show you.¡±


    There are many kinds of magic items.


    Some are simply enhanced while other are made lightweight. Some are speceially made for users of fire or ice, and still others are made to defend against those types.


    There are several other types, but they¡¯re not made that often these days.


    To put magic in a weapon or shield takes more effort than a simple magic item. It also costs more, so most of the items on the market were made during the rule of the ancient magic kingdom.


    ¡°Whoa. I see lots of things from Zares. Oh! This one¡¯s made by Melanis!¡±


    Sildonia commented on some of the things she saw.


    ¡°You sure do know a lot. This one was indeed made by Melanis, one of the most famous craftsmen in the old days¡­¡±


    ¡°Not really. I mean, he did make some neat items, but when I criticized some of his work, he started tearing up. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s realized his mistakes by now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t pay attention, she¡¯s kinda crazy.¡±


    Kyle whispered to make sure she couldn''t hear.


    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­Okay¡­I see¡­¡±


    Fesba looked around the store and caught the attention of another store employee. She led Sildonia to a consulting table.


    ¡°Hm? What is it? Oh wow! These snacks look delicious!¡±


    Since this store dealt with rich customers, their snacks were also top quality.


    Sildonia began eating.


    Kyle gave a light bow, apologizing for her behavior. Fesba also smiled. He presumably understood the difficulty that she was giving Kyle and his friends.


    ¡°Oh! Could this be?¡±


    What caught Kyle¡¯s eye was a light blue colored armor suit in a glass display case. It was probably the most expensive item in the entire store. It was displayed so that it would get everyone¡¯s attention. It was known as leather armor, and emphasized speed. It also used a special type of leather.


    ¡°Dragon leather armor¡­and does it have magic on it as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has magic to increase resistance, defense, hardness, magic resistance, heat resistance, cold resistance, and it¡¯s also been made lightweight. Inside, phoenix wings are sewn.¡±


    Fesba was probably asked the same question before; he knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°Phoenix, as in the phantom monster?¡±


    Among the monsters, there exists a thing that uses intellect to command language and use magic.


    They were their own category and were called phantoms.


    The number of phantoms is extremely small, but most of them, including dragons, were very powerful.


    ¡°Yes, it is a phantom monster as strong as a dragon. It¡¯s the epitome of life, so it has resistance against poison and sickness. Also, although it''s a small amount, it does have an automatic health recovery function.¡±


    The store owner did a fantastic job of selling the armor to Kyle. It was, indeed, one of the best armors around.


    The price tag was under the display case.


    3,000,000 Gadoru.


    You could buy a castle with the land and several servants in the capital with that kind of money. For one armor, this price was an outlier.


    ¡°¡­And over here we have our armor¡­.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take this one!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Fesba¡¯s eyes grew very wide, but Kyle had already started talking to Seran.


    ¡°Seran, this should fit you in terms of size. What do you say?¡±


    Seran was busy talking to the female sales associate so he wasn¡¯t too interested.


    ¡°Hm~ I¡¯m not a big fan of the blue coloring¡­I want a passionate color like blue, red, or black. I¡¯ll pass on this one.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll take this one. So now I have armor and a sword. I¡¯m all set. Now there¡¯s Ulza and Lize¡­.Can you please show me the items for women please?¡±


    Kyle was completely calm, but Fesba¡¯s eyes were still very wide.


    Afterwards, he bought Ulza a mithril silver breastplate and a dagger. Spiritual magicians don¡¯t like metal like steel and bronze, so they often don¡¯t have any defensive items.


    However, magical metal like mithril silver was an exception.


    He also bought an amulet using a precious stone that is said to be found only in the spiritual world.


    It is said that putting this on reduces the distance between the user and the spirits.


    In fact, Ulza recalled that she felt a special relationship form with the spirits the moment she put the amulet on.


    ¡°I heard that the leader fo the village neighboring mine owned one¡­but the quality of this one is unheard of¡­With this, I¡¯ll probably be able to form contracts with high level spirits.¡±


    Needless to say, Uzla was quite excited.


    For Lize, he bought gauntlets to protect her arms.


    There were also made of mithril.


    They also had magic to make it sturdy yet lightweight.


    With these, Lize would be able to dispel simple sword attacks with ease.


    For her body, he bought cloth armor, to put emphasis on ease of movement. The cloth armor also had the *protect* spell cast on it, so it was actually sturdier than the average metal armor.


    ¡°Feels great!¡±


    Lize made several steps and jumps to check the fit, and confirmed that there were no problems.


    ¡°Do you have any other armor made of dragon leather?¡±


    Kyle asked Fesba.


    If possible, he was looking for dragon leather armor that even Lize would be able to move comfortably in.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we¡¯re out of stock at the moment¡­these items rarely come around, so even in our store, we only have a limited supply.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Kyle continued, and whispered to Sildonia who was still eating.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we have dragon leather?¡±


    ¡°Um..yeah..we have enough to process. In fact, we have the leather from the old dragon, like the armor here, that uses young dragon leather. If we¡¯re talking about armor, we can easily make 10 or even 20.¡±


    For some reason, Sildonia seemed proud of herself.


    She would¡¯ve sounded much cooler if she didn''t have chocolate all around her mouth.


    ¡°Then itd be easier if we have them made to order. But then again, there are only so many leather craftsmen around these days¡­¡±


    Kyle lamented the difficulty of simply finding someone who could process the leather and make something out of it.


    He let out a small sigh.


    Now all that¡¯s left was Seran.


    ¡°Do you have armor that would make a girl as pretty as you fall for me just by putting it on?¡±


    Kyle shook his head at Seran, who was dead-serious.


    ¡°For this guy, can you prepare a one-handed longsword, and for defensive armor, can you get some leather armor? If you¡¯re out of stock, some used rag would work as well.¡±


    ¡°Hagh¡­.Yes sir.¡±


    The female sales associate dealing with Seran in a strictly professional manner replied with a tight face.


    ¡°Also, we need some magic stones and magic medicine.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir..¡±


    Magic stones are stones that are fined and have magic placed in them. Because they are a single use item that cost quite a lot, they¡¯re not used often. However, because it allows even a low level magician to cast high grade spells, most journeymen carry one or two with them just in case.


    ¡°For attack spells, we have in stock the *explosion* stone.¡±


    Fesba took out a small black stone that fit on his palm. There were magic letters carved into the stone.


    *Explosion* is a mid level magic that causes an explosion.


    It¡¯s used best against groups of enemies.


    ¡°Read the magic letters as you trace your finger over the. The letters will light up and the magic will take effect in 5 seconds. During that time, throw the stone towards the enemy.¡±


    Fesba explained how to use the stone.


    ¡°Magic medicine is normally ingested through drinks.¡±


    As he said this, he showed Kyle several small vials containing a liquid substance.


    There are medicines that heal injuries, cure sicknesses, and the highest level medicine can regenerate lost limbs in an instant.


    Magic stones and magic medicine are both single use items, but the ones in this store all cost at least 1,000 Gadoru.


    ¡°So many useful items. By the way, do you have any magic stones that are effective against reptiles?¡±


    ¡°I heard fire isn¡¯t that effective against them, and neither is lightning¡­I suppose your best bet is an ice type. Not only will it damage the enemy but it will also slow it down. It won¡¯t always be effective on dragons, but it should work against Wyverns and Hydras.¡±


    ¡°I knew it had to be an ice type¡­Do you have magic stones with the *blizzard* spell?¡±


    *Blizzard* is a mid level magic spell that creates an icy blizzard over a certain area. Kyle has the ability to use this spell.


    However, using this spell requires tremendous amounts of focus and concentration.


    Casting it in the middle of an intense battle requires lots of practice. Given the current circumstances, that would be hard for Kyle.


    To compensate, he would use the stones which requires no concentration.


    ¡°Yes, we do. However, putting ice spells in magic stones requires advanced technology, so they¡¯re slightly more expensive¡­¡±


    ¡°Great, we¡¯ll take everything you have. They¡¯re all useful.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Fesba took a look at the over 100 stones lined up on the countertop.


    ¡°Also, I need magic medicine. Since we have no healers in our party. I¡¯ll take all of those too.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Also,¡±


    ¡°Yes!?¡±


    Fesba was clearly in shock.


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably be returning quite often, so if you could, can you please stock up on everything?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Huh¡­¡­..¡±


    That¡¯s all Fesba could say at the moment.

 Volume 1 - CH 6.2

    ¡°How¡­ how would you like to make your payment?¡±


    Kyle had finished shopping, and Fesba was trying very hard to keep on a professional smile.


    Given that the total came out to be more than 10,000,000 Gadoru, it¡¯s no surprise that Kyle had managed to get every sales associate¡¯s attention.


    The look on their faces had an element of fear mixed in.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be too many if I pay with coins. Do you mind if I mix in jewels?¡±


    If Kyle decided to pay everything in 1 Gadoru coins, the entire store would be buried.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s quite a sum, we¡¯d actually prefer you do so¡­.¡±


    Kyle agreed and proceeded to take out an Apport bag.¡±


    There¡¯s a maximum grade spell called Apport that allows the user to retrieve items from a specific location. The bag is a magic item that has the same abilities.


    The bag was connected to the treasure room where Kyle and his friends just came from.


    By using the apport bag, Kyle was able to retrieve anything from the mound of treasure in that room.


    The room is part of a labyrinth that is over 1,000 years old, so he decided that it would be better to just keep the treasure there and seal the entrances.


    It¡¯s better to play it safe; had he taken out the treasure, he might have lost it or worse, he might have been robbed.


    Kyle was assigned to manage the treasure in that room.


    Sildonia was appalled when she had heard that Kyle and his teammates had not discussed how the treasure would be divided.


    After a short discussion, it was decided that Kyle would be in charge.


    The apport bag itself is a rather expensive item, so Fesba was slightly surprised when Kyle took it out; however, as he started taking out coins, rubies, diamonds, and emeralds from the bag, Fesba was stunned. He couldn¡¯t do much besides just stand there in shock and awe.


    A special person in charge of determining the authenticity immediately took a look at the coins and gems.


    One look was enough to determine that everything was in fact, real.


    Not only were they authentic, everything Kyle had taken out from the bag was worth at least 100,000 Gadoru a piece.


    ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m very sorry, but we have to determine the exact value of each of these, so it might take some time¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Do you mind if we try on the equipment in the meantime?¡±


    They were allowed to try on everything. Everything except for the dragon leather armor, that is.


    ¡°Y¡­yes¡­of course.¡±


    After a while, Fesba, who was clearly drained but still had his smile on,talked to Kyle.


    ¡°We¡¯ve counted everything up. You¡¯re all set¡­ How is the equipment? Is everything fine?¡±


    Kyle had on a blue armor and a cloak. He also had a sword on his back.


    ¡°Are you guys all set?¡±


    Lize and Uzla nodded, but Seran seemed uncomfortable.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No¡­the equipment is fine¡­It¡¯s just¡­I couldn¡¯t even get her number¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t know what to say when she saw that Sildonia had received a whole bunch of snacks.


    ¡°¡­.Well¡­..whatever makes you happy¡­.Anyways, we¡¯ll be back soon, so please stock up on your items!¡±


    Fesba made sure that he guided Kyle and his companions towards the entrance.


    Kyle had broken the record for the daily sales by a significant margin, and the staff members were all exhausted.


    ¡°Who were they?¡±


    One of them talked to Fesba.


    ¡°I have no clue¡­but ¡­we don¡¯t know them¡­so that means they can¡¯t be any famous journeymen¡­¡±


    Fesba made sure to remember the faces of his regulars.


    ¡°They paid in Zares gold and jewels¡­ so it could be that they were novices who were lucky and hit the jackpot.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the most reasonable explanation¡­ But what kind of treasure has that much worth?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the legendary¡­ Demon King¡¯s labyrinth¡­¡±


    ¡°Possibly.¡±


    Fesba and his fellow workers laughed.


    ¡°We made a huge profit but it¡¯s bad for my blood pressure¡­ Oh dear¡­ we¡¯ve run out of stock. We must call the factories at once and restock our supply of magic stones and magic medicine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

 Volume 1 - CH 10

    Chapter 10


    On the straight highway in the middle of the large forest, the carriage was powerfully advancing forward.


    Compared to ordinary horses, the wleipnir horses that were pulling this carriage were superior in strength, speed and endurance. They were pulling a large coach, but still, as long as they kept up this speed, the swift horses that were carrying the royal guard¡¯s knights would likely not be able to catch up.


    Within the vehicle, Kyle and his three friends as well as the princess and her maid Ninos were sitting on opposite sides.


    As one would expect from a coach of the royal family, even though it was going this fast, there was surprisingly barely any vibration and noise inside.


    ¡¾¡±First of all, I would like to thank you once again. If not for you, I would have already left this world by now.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena deeply bowed her head.


    Ninos, the maid who was next to her, seemed to be dissatisfied about her master bowing to others, but since she had also been saved, she lowered her head similarly.


    Kyle and the others had already introduced themselves and explained the situation.


    Well, actually, all they had said was their names, and the fact that they had only stumbled upon the princess by pure coincidence.


    ¡¾¡±Yesterday¡­. You said that the one who planned this attack was the commander of the royal guard¡¯s second knight corps?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Indeed. And the person backing him is Prince Carenas, my older, half-brother.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­I see, so it was Prince Carenas?¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle with a bitter tone of voice.


    He had already expected that when the princess had brought up Zentos¡¯ name earlier, but upon actually hearing it from her, he had a hard time completely believing it.


    ¡¾¡±In short, this is one of those internal squabbles for the right of inheritance to the throne?¡±¡¿


    Asked Lize from the side.


    ¡¾¡±Yes, exactly.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Wow¡­.¡±¡¿


    Lize found herself at a loss from the straightforward answer.


    ¡¾¡±About Zentos¡­ was this really orchestrated by him? Are you sure of what you¡¯re saying?¡±¡¿


    Kyle asked. His manner of speaking could very well be considered to be rude.


    However, the princess did not mind, even though Ninos, who was sitting by her side, had a bad expression on her face.


    ¡¾¡±Yes, after all, I heard it directly from my brother. After Zentos made us drink the drugs and our consciousnesses started fading away, my brother proudly gave a minutely detailed explanation about the whole matter.¡±¡¿


    First, the princess heard that a village nearby had been attacked by a hydra, therefore, she wanted to go there for a consolation visit, but the knights of the royal guard opposed her wish since the risks of being attacked by monsters on the way was too big. However, Princess Milena did not give up, and accompanied by a few of the town¡¯s guards, she secretly departed before dawn. Although the royal guard¡¯s knights hurriedly chased after her upon noticing that she had left, her group had unfortunately already been attacked by monsters, and the princess had died as well¡­ a simple accident, that was what the prince wanted the matter to seem like.


    This accident was precisely the version that Kyle knew of, but that turned out to have been planned by Carenas. Kyle was shocked, wondering just how incompetent the prince had to be in order to actually reveal himself on purpose.


    ¡¾¡±In other words, he tried to fool the nation by using the fact that your highness sometimes changes her schedule.¡±¡¿


    ¡°Like you did when coming to Archen for example¡± The moment Lize said that, Seran, who had been lost in his thoughts on the way, spoke up.


    ¡¾¡±Oh, I remember now. I knew I¡¯d seen this child somewhere. Aren¡¯t you that little girl who tried to give flowers to the princess in Archen?¡±¡¿


    He said, while pointing at Ninos with a shocked face.


    ¡¾¡±Oh, you were able to notice that? I believed she gave a completely different impression with her disguise.¡±¡¿


    ¡°You have good eyes¡±, added the princess, while feeling a little surprised.


    ¡¾¡±I noticed because she¡¯s a cute girl, and when I saw her in Archen, I was thinking that she would sure become a beautiful woman in the future.¡±¡¿


    Seran showed Ninos a big smile, but she drew back her body with a slightly disgusted facial expression.


    ¡¾¡±So, that means¡­ she did that on purpose?¡±¡¿


    Gently comforting a little girl after she fell down was a simple action, but it was likely to give a favorable impression to others.


    And since this whole interaction had been prepared in advance, that meant that the princess¡¯ visit to Archen¡¯s orphan institution had not been due to a sudden change in her schedule but had actually been planned from the very beginning.


    ¡¾¡±A plain interaction with the nation¡¯s people like that one is perfect for a publicity stunt. But in the Sanes village¡¯s case, there would not have been much merit to me going there directly. It would have sufficed to send them gifts from the royal family and to casually spread the word about that.¡±¡¿


    The princess laughed elegantly while covering her mouth. An old proverb crossed Kyle¡¯s mind, ¡°The one thing the devils share with angels is their smile¡±.


    ¡¾¡±Did she really just openly call it a publicity stunt?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I feel like I¡¯m learning more and more than I¡¯m supposed to know about what happens behind the government scenes¡­¡±¡¿


    ¡ºWell, it¡¯s important for politicians to be popular with the people below them. ¡»


    ¡¾¡±¡­human politics sure has many sides to it.¡±¡¿


    Seran and the others, including Sildonia in her sword form, started speaking in whispers.


    Of course, they were in the same carriage as Princess Milena, so she could still hear them, but she did not mind that and continued to explain.


    ¡¾¡±I knew that my brother had these kinds of ambitions. But I neglected the matter because I assessed that he would not be capable enough to put them into practice.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Hmm¡­ would you say he has ¡®difficulties¡¯ of some sort?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, frankly speaking, he¡¯s incompetent. It¡¯s fair to say that he is a good-for-nothing who cannot fulfill his obligations as a member of the royal family.¡±¡¿


    Said Princess Milena while disregarding Kyle¡¯s considerate attempt at being careful with his words.


    ¡¾¡±However, everything changed the moment he managed to ally himself with Zentos, who is very competent and popular.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±But, was that worthless¡­ I mean, was prince Carenas really able to get commander Zentos and the knights under him to join his side?¡±¡¿


    The princess shook her head from side to side in response to Kyle¡¯s question.


    ¡¾¡±No, Zentos is likely the only one actually following him, along with, at most, a mere small part of the second knight corps.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±So all the other knights following him are just obeying their commander¡¯s orders?¡±¡¿


    Said Seran in astonishment.


    ¡¾¡±Yes, I do not know if they have doubts about this matter or not, but for knights, as long as they¡¯re ordered to do something, it¡¯s plenty enough for them to go through with it.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Can¡¯t they think for themselves a little¡­¡±¡¿


    Although Seran complained to her, the princess¡¯ sole reaction was to answer him.


    ¡¾¡±No army can hold if the soldiers start acting and thinking for themselves as individuals. They are faithfully following their commander¡¯s orders, which is the right behavior for the royal guard¡¯s knights. It would have been absolutely impossible for them to be appointed as knights of the royal guard if they gave priority to their personal thoughts and feelings rather than to their superiors¡¯ orders.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±However, will they really be okay with this? We are talking about the assassination of their own country¡¯s princess after all¡­.¡±¡¿


    The princess responded to Kyle¡¯s question with a clear nod.


    ¡¾¡±They will. If the commander tells them that this is a secret order from my father, the king, then they¡¯ll have no other choice than to obey.¡±¡¿


    ¡°The princess is suspected of the grave crime of betraying the country, but given her unanimous popularity with the people, this information would bring about a massive pandemonium within the nation. So we¡¯ve received a secret order to deal with her and to cover her death as an accident caused by monsters.¡± All Zentos had to do was probably only to give an explanation along those lines


    If those knights were told by their commander that this was a secret order that he received directly from the king, then they certainly would have no other choice than to abide, no matter what their inner thoughts really were.


    ¡¾¡±¡­So, anyone chosen to become a commander of the royal guard¡¯s knights would be all the more loyal and would never be driven by their own self-interests. Given that he¡¯s the commander of the second knight corps, this should have applied to Zentos Ordiy as well, however¡­¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena shook her head. It seemed like, even now, she was still not able to accept this.


    ¡¾¡±To begin with, Zentos became a military attach¨¦ under my brother¡¯s direct control in order to observe him and prevent him from doing anything foolish. And I personally had no suspicions about Zentos at all, so the moment he became my brother¡¯s ally, I had already lost. I fatally misread the situation.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡¾¡±Of course, that does not mean I had any intention to drop my vigilance, and I always tried not to let any openings in my guard for others to take advantage of. Every time I left the royal capital, I would be escorted by the fifth knight corps. Moreover, Killen, the fifth corps¡¯ commander, is a relative from my mother¡¯s side and she¡¯s also a military attach¨¦ whom I can trust and who¡¯s directly under my orders. However, due to their good-looking appearances, the corps¡¯ members are often pulled into ceremonies.¡±¡¿


    After saying that, the princess lightly put her hand over her right eye and brow, as if she was having a headache.


    But she still looked like she had come out of a fine painting, even in that state of pain.


    ¡¾¡±This time, the fifth corps was called back to the capital because of the sudden visits of some state guests, and so, Zentos¡¯ second knight corps took the role of escorting me in their instead. But that was no issue since, after Killen, the person I trusted most was Zentos¡­ Now that I think about it, I should have been suspicious about the fact that my brother came along with them even though he had no business in Archen.¡±¡¿


    Kyle shared the exact same feeling of bitterness as Princess Milena.


    An assassination over the succession of the throne:although this would be the most simple reason as to why the princess was targeted, Kyle did not doubt that this was a possibility.


    But this was completely unexpected to him since he trusted the former spy who had told him about the details of this matter, and because, above all, he had personally met with Prince Carenas and Zentos in his previous life and knew their personalities.


    Kyle¡¯s impression of them was the same as the princess¡¯, especially the part about Zentos being extremely trustworthy.


    Kyle believed that Zentos would not be able to fake his behavior like that, and that he would not allow himself to do it even if he could.


    (¡­)


    After sighing deeply in his mind, Kyle put his feelings in order and started talking.


    ¡¾¡±I see, I understand the gist of the situation. The problem now is, what are we going to do about what¡¯s coming?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±At this point¡­ I guess there is no way they¡¯re going to just give up.¡±¡¿


    Seran said, to which Kyle answered with ¡°Of course they won¡¯t¡±.


    ¡¾¡±Since they failed to use the monsters to assassinate her, they¡¯ll probably think of other ways to do that. They¡¯re going to come up with something like ¡®the princess was abducted by a mysterious group of people, but when those kidnappers were exterminated, she had already been killed¡¯.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, I also think so. Perhaps, ¡®officially¡¯, the second knight corps are currently pursuing my kidnappers in order to rescue me.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena agreed with Kyle.


    ¡¾¡±Kidnappers? But who would that be in their made up sto¡­ Wait, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s¡­¡±¡¿


    Seran pointed his finger at himself with a bitter facial expression, and Kyle gave a big nod in response.


    ¡¾¡±So what then? Are we going to become, out of nowhere, some kind of villains who kidnapped a princess?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, and we¡¯ll also be framed as the brutal murders who slaughtered those town guards.¡±¡¿


    After saying that, Kyle suddenly looked at the princess.


    ¡¾¡±I understand what you were doing. The reason you explained the situation to us in details was to prevent us from escaping.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes.¡±¡¿


    The princess gave a clear answer while keeping her composure intact.


    ¡¾¡±It would be impossible for Aluka, Ninos, and I to keep escaping by ourselves up until when the fifth corps arrives tomorrow. If I may be frank with you, Kyle-sama, I can only rely on you and your friends right now.¡±¡¿


    The reason the princess had explained in details this matter that could be said to be a big scandal for the royal family was so that Kyle and the others would have an accurate understanding of the current situation.


    There was no reason for prince Carenas¡¯ side to keep Kyle and his friends alive, rather, they would consider that they have to kill them no matter what in order to keep their mouths shut.


    Even if the group were to abandon the princess and escape from here, the prince¡¯s people would likely figure out from the circumstances that the hydra was defeated by outsiders, and they would likely try to get those outsiders¡¯ information from the princess before killing her.


    It was easy to imagine what would happen after that; if the princess ended up leaking information about Kyle and the others, her assassination would be pinned on them, and they would end up being put on the country¡¯s most wanted list and chased after.


    In order to avoid that, Kyle and his friends would have to silence the princess right here and to escape after, but they would not be able to do such a thing.


    In short, in order to survive, the group would have to bring the princess back to the royal capital safely so as to prove their innocence.


    ¡¾¡±All of us are already on the same boat. Therefore, let us do our best to survive together.¡±¡¿


    Perhaps because she had seen through the conflict that was occurring within Kyle, the princess showed a smile that would enchant even demons.


    Apparently, she not only had a sharp mind, but she was also stubborn and had a tough mentality.


    ¡¾¡±Well, from the start, abandoning you and your people was not really an option for me¡­.¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle while trying to convince himself that those inelegant traits of hers would make her quite reliable in a situation like this one, and while feeling a little ashamed for having such rude thoughts.


    ¡¾¡±Oh? What do you mean?¡±¡¿


    The princess slightly tilted her head.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯m afraid that the coachman and servant from earlier were likely two royal guard knights in disguise. I kept them alive with the intention of interrogating them later on¡­. but I forgot to bring them here.¡±¡¿


    The Zentos matter had simply been that much of a shock to Kyle. However, because of this, the prince¡¯s side would now get a detailed description of Kyle¡¯s appearance, at the very least.


    ¡¾¡±well, that¡¯s all the more reason why you cannot abandon us here, isn¡¯t it?¡±¡¿


    Said the princess with a delighted tone while matching her hands together, but Kyle only answered with a dry laugh.


    ¡¾¡±Of course, if we¡¯re able to safely return to the royal capital, then I promise to grant you a reward. If you wish to become a knight, then¡­¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±No, I do not want higher status nor money. If possible, I¡¯d like you to grant me some prestige.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­That¡¯s quite a peculiar wish.¡±¡¿


    The day gradually slipped into the evening, and the group¡¯s carriage was smoothly advancing forward.


    If no problems occurred, then they would soon arrive at the Sanes village, which was unfortunate.


    ¡¾¡±When that happens, we¡¯ll be like trapped rats.¡±¡¿


    Kyle groaned while looking at a map.


    The highway that the group was currently riding on only went on as far as the Sanes village, after that point, it would become impossible to use the carriage.


    The enemies likely would not miss that opportunity in their assassination attempt.


    ¡¾¡±To summarize our situation: First, we have one advantage, which is that rescue will come as long as we earn enough time.¡±¡¿


    The rescue that the princess was referring to was the royal guard¡¯s fifth knight corps, which was scheduled to arrive the next day, between the morning and noon.


    ¡¾¡±If I¡¯m not in Archen by the time they arrive, Killen and her group will immediately come towards here to search for me. Therefore, assuming that they will come to the Sanes village, I suppose we will meet with them around tomorrow evening.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±What if they¡¯re given false information in Archen about our location?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. In these circumstances, lying would be akin to admitting one¡¯s suspiciousness, and my brother¡¯s side cannot do that if they consider what¡¯s to come in the future. In the first place, I was supposed to be dead at this point in time.¡±¡¿


    ¡°By now, their plans have already been disturbed.¡± Added the princess.


    ¡¾¡±Once the fifth corps comes, our side and my brother¡¯s side will be on equal standings, so they will be in trouble if a commotion were to start.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±And that¡¯s why the prince¡¯s side is also in a hurry¡­.¡±¡¿


    In short, if the group could hold on until, at the latest, the next day¡¯s evening, then they would be saved.


    So, the question now was: how exactly were they going to earn time until then?


    ¡¾¡±Why don¡¯t we just keep escaping until we reach the Sanes village and then just barricade ourselves there?¡±¡¿


    Suggested Seran, but Kyle refused.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯d rather we don¡¯t. They¡¯ll probably kill the whole village to silence them.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Huh? Seriously?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yeah, at this point, they won¡¯t mind doing this much. A single village would only have around one hundred or two hundred villagers, so they probably won¡¯t be concerned about silencing them all. After that, they can pin those crimes on monsters or on the brutal kidnappers who took the princess.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±What with all the plotting and silencing? These guys are so damn high-handed.¡±¡¿


    Complained Seran.


    ¡¾¡±How about running away inside the forest instead?¡±¡¿


    Proposed Urza, who was knowledgeable about the forest.


    The forest was like the elves¡¯ own garden. Escaping there would probably be possible with Urza¡¯s cooperation.


    However, going through the forest would naturally mean leaving the carriage.


    And no matter how one looked at it, princess Milena, whose safety was the number one priority, would not be able run from place to place within the forest.


    ¡¾¡±My apologies, but my strength is only average at best. I will surely hold you back if we run away in the forest.¡±¡¿


    Adding to that, going there was very dangerous as there were many monsters living inside the forest and they were particularly active in the dark of the night.


    ¡¾¡±And if something happens there, we¡¯ll end up using fire to fight.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Fire? ¡­It would certainly be bad if we start a fire inside.¡±¡¿


    Urza frowned. Such a turn of events would be unbearable for elves since the forest was their home.


    ¡¾¡±I guess we¡¯ll pick that suggestion if we run out of time or something.¡±¡¿(Kyle)


    ¡¾¡±So, are they still chasing us?¡±¡¿(Urza)


    Urza sighed.


    Abandoning the coach at this time would be quite a blow to the group.


    Of course, it was convenient for moving, but besides that, its size and weight combined together with the sleipnirs¡¯ speed could produce a great destructive power. And above all, since it was custom made for the royal family, it was considerably solid, and the vehicle itself could serve as a shield to protect the princess.


    The odds were clearly not in the group¡¯s favor, but they did have this one advantage over the enemy.


    ¡ºThe knights did not change their direction, they are still pursing us and coming towards here. Their numbers haven¡¯t changed either, there should be about 80 of them.¡»


    Reported Sildonia. Her hawk-shaped second body was continuing to observe the knights from the sky, which was a great help since it allowed the group to stay aware of the enemy¡¯s movements.


    ¡¾¡±This Intelligence Sword is quite convenient.¡±¡¿


    Said the princess with a tone of admiration.


    An intelligence sword, as its name implied, was a sword that possessed intellect; it was a type of magical life-form.


    In some extremely rare cases, they could be found in ruins that were left in ancient times, and Kyle had explained to the princess that Sildonia was a sword that had been found in one of said ancient ruins and which happened to excel in monitoring things and people.


    After thinking for a while, Kyle made up his mind and spoke up.


    ¡¾¡±Although there will be some risks involved, I think we should return.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Return? Where? Surely you¡¯re not thinking of going back to Archen, are you?¡±¡¿


    Asked princess Milena.


    ¡¾¡±Even though this might not be the case in a single village, there are thousands of people in Archen, and I don¡¯t think it would be possible to silence them all.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Certainly, if we¡¯re able to go back to Archen, then we will have places to hide and our pursuers won¡¯t be able to simply do as they please, but¡­¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Besides, that way, you will be able to meet up with the fifth corps earlier, Milena-sama. At worst, you¡¯ll meet them tomorrow around noon, and at best, your safety will be guaranteed by tomorrow morning.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±However, for that, it will naturally be necessary to get past the knights who are pursuing us. Do you have any good methods to do so?¡±¡¿


    It seemed like Milena had yet to be able to agree with Kyle¡¯s explanation. Because this highway was a straight road, and if the group turned back, they would certainly end up colliding with the knights who were coming after them.


    ¡¾¡±No, it won¡¯t be necessary to get past them, nor to deceive them. We will take them from the front.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­.I am sorry, what did you say? Hmm¡­ There are 80 of those knights coming after us, isn¡¯t that right?¡±¡¿


    The princess¡¯ facial expression looked like she was asking ¡°just what in the world are you blabbering about?¡±, but she was also confused at the same time because Kyle seemed to be completely serious.


    Naturally, Kyle had fully considered all of the limited options at hand, and he had deemed that this was the best choice to raise the group¡¯s chances of survival.


    And, above all, something fortunate had happened, which had led Kyle to that decision.


    ¡¾¡±You¡¯re certain that Zentos isn¡¯t with them?¡±¡¿


    Kyle asked Sildonia.


    ¡ºMhm, you mean the fellow who was walking by the side of the princess the other day, right? I¡¯ve confirmed over and over again that he¡¯s not there, I have no doubt about this.¡»


    ¡¾¡±I see¡­. That¡¯s very good news.¡±¡¿


    Zentos, who was the commander of the pursuing knights, was no with them.


    Kyle did not know the reason for that, but in any case, that was convenient for him.


    ¡¾¡±Then our chances of success are high enough. All was have to do now is to find a place that seems good enough to set up an ambush.¡±¡¿


    With these words, he took out a magic stone and some magic medicine from one of the bags that he and his companions had been carrying on their shoulders earlier.


    ¡¾¡±Oh dear.¡±¡¿


    As she saw the large amount of magic stones, a surprised expression appeared on the princess¡¯ face, as one would expect.


    There was only a single pile of magic stones, but that alone was already a considerable amount.


    ¡¾¡±Milena-sama, take some magic medicine, just to stay safe. If by any chance you happen to get injured, please drink it immediately.¡±¡¿


    The princess was familiar with what Kyle had given her, it was a top-ranked magic medicine which could even heal a deadly wound as long as the person taking it was still alive. Naturally, its price was proportionate to its effectiveness, but it could be said to be worth as much as one¡¯s own life.


    Although the people of the royal family would always keep some magic medicine on them for emergencies, the princess did not have any on her right now because, apparently, it had been taken from her when she was still asleep.


    ¡¾¡±¡­¡­.¡±¡¿


    The princess took a second look at Kyle and his companions.


    Until now, she hadn¡¯t had the time to think too deeply about this, but those people had defeated two knights of the royal guard and a gigantic hydra.


    Besides, based on the talk they had, it seemed like the hydra had been killed in a one-on-one fight.


    Fruthermore, no matter how she thought about it, having such a large amount of magic medicine and magic stones seemed unlikely for some run-of-the-mill adventurers who just happened to pass by.


    ¡¾¡±You¡­ Just who are you?¡±¡¿


    Kyle answered the princess¡¯ question with a shrug of his shoulders.


    ¡¾¡±Who we are? Well, we¡¯re just some passersby who aspire to become heroes.¡±¡¿


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    ¡¾¡±What¡¯s the meaning of this?! Why is this happening?!¡±¡¿


    In one of the rooms of the inn where the princess had been staying before, there was an irritated man pacing back and forth while yelling at a knight who was standing in front of him.


    That plump man who was wearing refined clothes was Carenas, the prince of the Jirgus country.


    And the one standing in front of him was Zentos, the commander of the royal guards¡¯ second knight corps, who was famous as being the country¡¯s greatest knight.


    Placed on a table in that room, there was a card with ancient magic letters written on it. Such cards would come as a pair that two people could use to communicate with each other even when there was great distance between them.


    Those cards could be used for no more than a few times a day, and it was only possible to talk for a few dozen seconds each of those times, but they were precious and extremely convenient magic tools from the era of the ancient magic kingdom.


    Through this tool, the prince had received a report from the second corps¡¯ vice commander who was chasing after princess Milena.


    ¡¾¡±There is no need to worry. We will be able to deal with the princess soon.¡±¡¿


    Said Zentos while deeply bowing his head.


    ¡¾¡±Then, why are you still here?! Go take care of that woman yourself immediately!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±There is no problem since I¡¯ve instructed the vice commander in advance about what he should do in case of a failure. Besides, your highness, in the first place, had you stayed in the royal capital and left everything to me, I would have been able to command the troops directly.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I, I naturally have to personally ascertain that this matter is properly dealt with! It¡¯s my duty to lead that impertinent woman to her death!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±However, in doing so, you¡¯re exposing yourself to danger, your highness. Therefore, it is impossible for me to leave your side at moment. The fifth corps will come back soon, and I believe that you are aware of commander Killen¡¯s stern personality, and of her loyalty to the princess.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Uh¡­¡­¡±¡¿


    Prince Carenas found himself at a loss for words.


    ¡¾¡±The fifth corps is supposed to arrive by tomorrow, but if they come back earlier than scheduled, then commander Killen will certainly pressure your highness. In that situation, will you be able to handle her by yourself?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±W-well, I¡­.¡±¡¿


    Karenas knew that that woman might even thrust her sword at royalty.


    And the only one who could handle and suppress her was Zentos.


    ¡¾¡±Damn it!¡±¡¿


    Theprince was becoming more and more irritated and kicked a chair that was near him.


    Killing princess Milena in the royal capital would have been too conspicuous, but whenever she was outside of there, Killen¡¯s fifth corps would always stick to her. However, since they were currently separated from her, there was a long-awaited opportunity to assassinate the princess.


    And now that the prince¡¯s side had taken action, failure was no longer an option.


    ¡¾¡±Moreover, this is also to prepare in case there will be suspicions about princess Milena¡¯s death. At that time, we¡¯ll be able to push the full responsibility of this on the vice commander and the knights under him, so I believe it will be more convenient for us not to be present at the location of the princess¡¯ death.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±O-oh, indeed! That is very important! In reality, I had already thought of this. I was just wondering if you would notice it or not.¡±¡¿


    Although the prince instantly turned back on his previous statement, there was one there to point that out.


    ¡¾¡±There is no way that the princess will be able to escape. She¡¯s surrounded by a large forest, her carriage can only be used on the highway, and she won¡¯t be able to run inside the forest with her dress. Adding to that, we¡¯ve already closed the highway so that there won¡¯t be any more disturbances, therefore, no one will be able to go there from Archen. If any disturbances come from the Sanes village, then our troops will simply silence as many people as necessary. Therefore, be relieved, your highness.¡±¡¿


    Explained Zentos indifferently, with an emotionless tone of voice.


    ¡¾¡±But in the unlikely event that¡­ and by unlikely, I mean there is one chance on ten thousand for this to happen, but, if the princess returns to Archen, then at that time, I had better be on standby here.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Surely, you don¡¯t mean that she¡¯ll be able to break through the knight troops, right?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, that is what I mean. As I said, the possibility of that happening is low, but it is her best chance to survive.¡±¡¿


    Although the report that Zentos had received was not detailed, it seemed like the people who had rescued the princess and her maids had also defeated two knights and killed a massive hydra.


    They were likely adventurers that the princess happened to meet by chance, and they were probably very competent people.


    If they were really outstanding, then they were surely going to consider the option of coming back to Archen.


    ¡¾¡±And when that time comes, I will personally kill all of them¡­ So, the princess¡¯ chances of being saved are very slim, normally, it should be completely impossible for her to survive, unless the heavens themselves are on her side.¡±¡¿


    Following Zento¡¯s words, Carenas finally calmed down; he stopped pacing around, and sat down on a chair.


    ¡¾¡±Look, since you¡¯re following my personal plan, I will not tolerate any failures from you! Do not let me down again!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Please leave this to me, I will surely meet your expectations¡±¡¿


    Zentos knelt on one knee and bowed his head down before Carenas.


    At that moment, Carenas could not tell what kind of expression there was on the commander¡¯s face.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    The day had already grown dark on the highway, and Kyle, who was sitting on the coachman¡¯s seat, talked to the people who were inside the carriage.


    There were four of them in total: the princess, her two maids, and Lize.


    ¡¾¡±Milena-sama, please lower your body just in case, and prepare for an impact. Lize, I¡¯m leaving her to you.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±You can count on me.¡±¡¿


    Lize answered energetically.


    ¡ºThey¡¯ll be here soon.¡»


    Reported Sildonia, who was still keeping watch on the knight from the sky and was estimating the time of their arrival.


    ¡¾¡±I see, then¡­¡¯Brave¡¯!¡±¡¿


    This was a mind-control spell which could give courage to recruits and adventurers who were still not used to fighting.


    Now that Kyle had used the spell on the spleinirs, they probably would not get agitated no matter what would happen after this.


    ¡¾¡±Are you ready over there, too?¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle while aiming his voice towards the the top of the carriage.


    ¡¾¡±Yeah, leave this to us!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±We are all good.¡±¡¿


    Replied Seran and Urza, who had attached themselves to the roof of the carriage so as not to fall even if it were to shake or sway.


    Having confirmed that, Kyle lightly flicked the reins in his hands.


    With loud neighs, the sleipnirs started galloping towards the town of Archen.

 Volume 1 - CH 11

    Chapter 11


    ¡¾¡±Slow down!¡±¡¿


    The vice commander of the royal guard¡¯s second knight corps ordered the knights arond him.


    Although they were on a wide highway, it was too narrow for the 80 knights atop their horses to walk side by side, therefore, they were advancing in multiple rows instead, but in this area, there was a part of the forest that was more open, like a prairie.


    In other words, that meant it was possible to circumvent and slip through the knights¡¯ formation.


    Besides, the night had already come, and although they were using ¡°Light¡± magic tools to broaden their field of vision to some extent, nothing could be done about the fact that it was more dark out than during the day, so they needed to increase their vigilance.


    There was a possibility that the princess was being supported by some traveling adventurers. According to the reports of some subordinates, those adventurers were capable enough to kill a massive hydra, so the troops could not afford to be negligent in any way.


    A report came from one of the knights who had been walking slightly ahead of the others.


    ¡¾¡±Vice commander! We¡¯ve found a carriage, and it¡¯s coming right towards here!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±They¡¯re coming here!¡±¡¿


    Tension rose among the knights. What made them the most worried was whether or not that the sleipnirs¡¯ charge would be powerful enough to break through their formation.


    ¡¾¡±Spread!¡±¡¿


    Following the vice commander¡¯s instructions, the knights moved in an orderly manner and spread their formation into a semi circle.


    This was commonly referred to as the Crane Wing formation, and although it would thin down the defense on the front, it would conversely entice the enemy to advance, only to envelop them and to make it possible to attack them not only from the front, but also from the left and right. Moreover, it would make it impossible for the enemy to slip through from the sides, which made this formation great for ambushes.


    At any rate, once the carriage and the sleipnirs drawing it were dealt with, the knights would be able to crush the enemy with numbers.


    ¡¾¡±Aim for the hoofs! We only have to stop them from moving!¡±¡¿


    There were many people among the royal guard¡¯s knights who could use magic, and they had prepared bows and arrows as well. Their preparations were perfect.


    Following the vice commander¡¯s orders, all the knights readied themselves to attack.


    But right before the carriage entered the range of the magic spells, something came down from the sky and knocked against a knight who was in the front.


    The knight instinctively looked above him, and although he could not see much in the dark of the night, there seemed to be some kind of large bird in the sky.


    And the moment he thought about checking the object that had hit him, bot h that knight and his horse blew up.


    The object that had fallen from the sky was an ¡®Explosion¡¯ magic stone.


    Following that, there were multiple other explosions, and some other magic stones kept coming one after the other from the carriage that was facing the formation.


    There were so many of these stones that it was more appropriate to say they were being sprinkled rather than thrown, moreover, they were being aimed precisely despite the long distance separating the coach from the knights.


    But there weren¡¯t only explosions, there were also pillars of fire rising to the sky, storms of ice freezing the knights, tornadoes which were cutting everything to pieces, and there was even a toxic mist spreading in their formation.


    Due to the explosions and the heat in the air, even the knights¡¯ trained horses were falling in a panic and becoming hard to control.


    ¡¾¡±H-how is this possible?!¡±¡¿


    Yelled one of the knights, and that feeling was shared by all the other knights as well.


    They had not been careless nor had they looked down on their opponents, but Kyle and his groups had gone completely against those knights¡¯ calculations, or rather, they had gone against common sense itself.


    In total, the stones that Kyle and his companions had used were worth around a million Gadors, the fact that the group had so many magic stones on them was completely unimaginable.


    Although the knights were also firing spells and arrows, they could hardly see anything due to the lights and the cloud of dust that had come after the explosions. So they could only fire their attacks while making an approximate guess about their target¡¯s position.


    ¡¾¡±Everyone, don¡¯t break the formation! Dismount your horses!¡±¡¿


    As the vice commander desperately gave instructions to his subordinates, the magic stones continued to come towards them.


    Then, the moment he thought he saw huge hooves come out of the cloud of dust and approach him, the vice commander was blown away and lost consciousness.


    ¡¾¡±How can I say this¡­ That was incredible.¡±¡¿


    Said the princess while feeling partly amazed as she watched the scene of chaos that the carriage had just left behind.


    Kyle, Urza and Seran, who had been outside, had received some minor injuries due to splinters. Therefore, they once again entrusted the driving to the maid Aluka, and they came back inside the carriage to rest and drink magic medicine.


    The sleipnirs were also given magic medicine to recover from their wounds, and although the coach had some traces of burns here and there, it was still able to go forward at the moment.


    ¡¾¡±Forcing your way through by using the cumulated power of a large amount of power stones was clever. It was simple but it went quite smoothly.¡±¡¿


    The first shot from the sky had not alerted the enemy at all and had been a success, then, Urza was able to precisely throw the magic stones one after the other by commanding her wind spirit, Sylphide.


    ¡¾¡±You can do some awesomely crazy things when you don¡¯t care about spending money.¡±¡¿


    Said Seran, as he recalled the scene from before, when he had been on top of the carriage, activating the magic stones to then hand them to Urza.


    (In the end, Zentos really did not show up.)


    Kyle felt from the bottom of his heart that his companions and him were very lucky. In the first place, if Zentos had been there, it wouldn¡¯t even have been possible to break through the enemy formation in such an absurd way. The Zentos that Kyle knew would have been able to instantly kill both of the sleipnirs, even in the middle of all of that chaos.


    The truth was that, for various different reasons, Kyle absolutely did not want to fight against Zentos.


    ¡¾¡±Well, anyway, we can be a little relieved now.¡±¡¿


    There had probably not been that many casualties among the knights, but many of their horses should have been incapacitated. Even if they were to reorganize their troops to chase after Kyle¡¯s group, that was likely going to take some time, and their numbers would have considerably decreased by then.


    All that was left for Kyle¡¯s group to do now was to keep going forward, to sometimes lower their speed so that the sleipnirs would not collapse, and to give them some stamina recovery magic medicine.


    There could be some more ambushes from that point forward, but Sildonia would be able to warn the group ahead of time.


    However, naturally and as they expected, things did not keep going so well for long.


    When the light of the sun started coming from the east, close to the middle of the highway that led to Archen, the carriage that Kyle¡¯s group had been ridding was lying toppled on the ground by the side of the road.


    ¡¾¡±Guess it was too much after all.¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle with a bitter tone, as he looked at the coach¡¯s broken wheel.


    The coach had likely been damaged when it broke through the knights¡¯ formation. Rather, perhaps it was already good that it had held on until this point.


    Fortunately, no one was injured when it fell down, but one of its wheels was completely broken.


    ¡¾¡±We can¡¯t do anything about this, we could repair it but that would take a lot of time.¡±¡¿


    Said Seran as he gave up since there was currently no time for this.


    ¡¾¡±Now that it came to this, we have no choice, we have to abandon the carriage. Milena-sama, you and your maids should get on the sleipnirs, we¡¯ll have to follow you as we can using Urza¡¯s ¡®Wind Walker¡¯ spell.¡±¡¿


    Now that they had come so far, the best choice for them was to keep running away until Archen, but naturally, their speed would now be considerably slower than before.


    The problem was the second knight corps that the group had encountered earlier.


    ¡¾¡±We just have to avoid getting caught in a pincer attack, no matter what¡­¡±¡¿


    Given that there was no time to ponder on the situation, Kyle immediately made a decision.


    ¡¾¡±We need to stop the enemies who are coming after us. In other words, one of us has to remain behind to stop them. And since protecting the princess is our top priority¡­ whoever stays will have to deal with them alone.¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle indifferently, but his words did not leave any room for objections.


    ¡¾¡±Kyle, don¡¯t tell me you¡­.¡±¡¿


    Urza¡¯s face became pale as she looked at Kyle.


    Clever schemes like the ones from before were likely not going to work anymore, this time, the knights were likely going to come at full strength.


    And the one who would stay would have to hold all of them back alone.


    As Urza complained that Kyle was being reckless, he told her not to worry with a gentle smile, and then¡­


    ¡¾¡±So, with that said, try to do your best!¡±¡¿


    Kyle patted Seran¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡¾¡±¡­Huh?¡±¡¿


    Seran found himself unable to say anything.


    ¡¾¡±That¡¯s true, Seran is certainly qualified for this.¡±¡¿


    Lize agreed with Kyle¡¯s words.


    ¡¾¡±What the hell!?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Alright, we can¡¯t linger here. Let¡¯s hurry and leave.¡±¡¿


    Lize and the maids promptly started removing the sleipnirs¡¯ harnesses as Kyle instructed them to do so.


    ¡¾¡±Hey, listen here! I¡¯m talking to you! You seriously want me to fight 80 knights of the royal guard by myself?!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±No, many of them were probably injured, and, above all, I¡¯m sure a lot of their horses can¡¯t be used anymore. So, there will probably be only less than half of them that will follow us.¡±¡¿


    ¡ºMhm, that¡¯s true, they¡¯re already coming, and there are about 30 of them.¡»


    Explained Sildonia.


    ¡¾¡±Oh, then it¡¯s fine¡­ Wait, that still means I have to fight 30 knights of the royal guard who are full of killing intent!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Sorry but we don¡¯t have enough spare time to keep talking about this. They should be really close to here by now.¡±¡¿


    Kyle put his hands on both of Seran¡¯s shoulders from the front, and looked at him face to face.


    ¡¾¡±Don¡¯t worry, if need be, I¡¯ll tell master that you were heroic in the end. Anything else you want me to tell her?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I don¡¯t have any last words for that old hag!¡±¡¿


    When Seran said that, the maids finished the preparations and got on the backs of the sleipnirs together with the princess.


    ¡¾¡±Okay, we¡¯re leaving now. Urza, please use ¡®Wind Walker¡¯ on everyone.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Ah, yes¡­ But¡­¡±¡¿


    Urza was looking at Seran with a conflicted expression on her face.


    ¡¾¡±Hurry! I don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll catch up!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±A-alright!¡±¡¿


    Urza gave her wind spirit Silphryde an order, and a swirl of wind coiled around the feet of Kyle and the others, making their legs lighter.


    ¡¾¡±Aright, let¡¯s go! Seran, I¡¯ll leave them to you!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Good luck!¡±¡¿


    Kyle and Lize each gave Seran one last thumbs up in encouragement before departing.


    Urza, princess Milena and the maids all looked back many times over at Seran, but eventually, he became blurry to them in the distance.


    ¡¾¡±¡­Seriously? They really left without me.¡±¡¿


    Seran sighed as he looked towards where Kyle and the others had run away, but there was no time to waste, so he hurriedly started moving.


    He entered inside the forest that was beside the road and brought an adequate, long tree branch from there. Then, he took out a the sleeping bag that he was carrying inside the bag on his back, and he skillfully cut it to make a squared and white cloth which he tied to the tree branch.


    What he had made was the worldwide symbol of surrender, a white flag.


    ¡¾¡±That will do it¡­ wait, they¡¯re already here?¡±¡¿


    On the highway, Seran heard a horse¡¯s neigh that came from the direction of the Sanes village.


    It seemed like Kyle¡¯s words had been right on point.


    Seran stood up on the carriage, which had been toppled on its side, and waved his flag in order to stand out. Then¡­


    ¡¾¡±I surrender! I have no intention to fight! I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know so please spare my life!¡±¡¿


    Seran shouted, appealing for the enemy¡¯s mercy.


    ¡¾¡±Stop!¡±¡¿


    Ordered the vice commander, whose whole body was still feeling a dull pain despite the fact that he had taken healing magic medicine.


    The troops had managed to gather the horses that could somehow still move, and after healing the knights with minor injuries, they had resumed their pursuit.


    ¡¾¡±Everyone, get down from your horses and advance, but stay alert!¡±¡¿


    Like they were ordered to, the knights dismounted their horses and dispersed to put a distance between each other as they advanced forward.


    If yet another magic stone attack were to be used, the knights would not be able to put up a resistance, and if even more horses were incapacitated, it would become impossible for them to pursue the princess.


    But those magic stones were the only attack to look out and prepare for. Normally, the knights would have been more cautious, but they did not have the time for that at all, since, upon the fifth crops¡¯ return, the secret mission given by the king would end in a failure.


    But if the second corps¡¯ knights were to get close enough to the enemy, then he would find himself unable to use any magic stones due to the possibility of damaging himself in the process. And so, all of them pulled out their swords and got closer while perfectly prepared for battle.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯m really sorry! Everything that happened was due to Kyle being an idiot, I was just dragged into this! Please forgive me!¡±¡¿


    Seran jumped down from the carriage and greeted the knights by getting down on his knees.


    All the royal guard knights, including the vice commander, were slightly bewildered.


    They had been ready to fight when they found the carriage, they truly had not expected that the enemy would completely surrender all by himself.


    The knights had been ordered to get rid of everyone that was involved in this whole matter. But although they were supposed to kill this enemy directly without talking to him, they could not eliminate him without asking him about their top priority target, the princess.


    Moreover, there was a chance that the princess was still inside the carriage that was toppled over, so they first had to confirm that.


    ¡¾¡±Please, let me explain what¡¯s going on! The carriage¡¯s wheel broke and it feel down on its side. Right now, the princess and the others have gotten on the sleipnirs and are heading to Archen.¡±¡¿


    Seran started telling them everything before even being asked.


    ¡¾¡±They threw me away like I was some kind of sacrifice! That devil, Kyle, told me to stay here and to hold all of you back¡­As if that was freaking possible! I mean, that¡¯s crazy, right? Oh, don¡¯t worry, we used up the magic stones a while ago, and they don¡¯t have the carriage anymore either, so going at them with your numbers is basically the same as wining! So please have at it!¡±¡¿


    Although Seran was earnestly appealing for the knights¡¯ kindness, there was no change in their sharp, bloodthristy eyes.


    Seran became teary eyed.


    ¡¾¡±Haha¡­. Ha¡­ I, hmm¡­ Oh that¡¯s right! I can give you some good information! Here, look at all the money I have!¡±¡¿


    When Seran took his leather bag and turned it upside down, a large amount of dazzling trasures fell down, such as rings stacked with large gems, and gold coins from the Zanes kingdom.


    Even untrained eyes would be able to tell that the precious goldl¡¯s worth would well exceed a hunred thousand Gadors, and as expected, the royal guard¡¯s knights became noisy and started exchanging glances with each other.


    ¡¾¡±We found this in some ruins. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of that legendary Sanguld mountain range, but it turns out that there is a huge labyrinth inside it! It¡¯s thanks to that that we managed to prepare so many magic stones!¡±¡¿


    Seeing that he had excited their interest, Seran kept babbling.


    ¡¾¡±I know that place! And I can tell you all about it in exchange for my life!¡±¡¿


    Seran rubbed his forehead on the ground as he prostrated in tears.


    Seeing that, the vice commander sighed and then clicked his tongue.


    ¡¾¡±Enough! Someone go check the inside of the carriage, we¡¯ll get back to our pursuit after that. As for that man¡­ get rid of him.¡±¡¿


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any more time to waste¡± added the captain to his order, and the knights took action accordingly.


    The men who were the closest the carriage went to check it, while the other knights lowered their weapons and prepared to return on their horses.


    Then, a knight who was near Seran approached him with a drawn-out sword.


    ¡¾¡±Aaaah!¡±¡¿


    When the knight took hold of his sword to get rid of the enemy as he was asked to by the vice commander, Seran¡¯s response was to raise his voice like a dying frog, and to retreat back as he was, seeming like he was unable to stand back up.


    He restlessly looked at his surroundings, then he focused his gaze on the knight in front of him, and he finally stood up on his knees and clung on the knight¡¯s leg.


    ¡¾¡±I don¡¯t want to die! Please spare me! I¡¯ll do anything, please!¡±¡¿


    With a face full of tears and nasal mucus, Seran kept clinging to the man¡¯s leg while begging for his life.


    The knight seemed to find Seran to be troublesome as he looked down on him with a gaze that contained some disdain but also a little pity.


    And then, he prepared to attack.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    ¡¾¡±Hey, are you serious about this?!¡±¡¿


    Urza, who had been continuously worrying in the back for a while, was finally unable to control herself anymore and spoke to Kyle.


    ¡¾¡±Serious about what?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±About Seran! Are you fine with leaving him there like that?!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Oh, that¡­. Well, even I wanted to keep the casualties to a minimum, but this can¡¯t be helped. We just can¡¯t give our own lives in exchange for that.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±What!?¡±¡¿


    Said Urza to Kyle, with a voice that did not conceal her anger in the slightest.


    ¡¾¡±I understand that you used that man as a sacrificial pawn¡­. but it doesn¡¯t seem to me like that would earn us much time.¡±¡¿


    Said the princess anxiously while riding on top of one of the sleipnirs.


    She was worried that this would, on the contrary, make the situation even worse if Seran were to tell the enemy about the group¡¯s circumstances.


    ¡¾¡±Ah, you do not need to worry at all. It will be fine.¡±¡¿


    Told Lize to the princess with a smile on her face.


    ¡¾¡±But this¡­.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Lize, you too?! How can you stay so calm?! He¡¯s your childhood friend!¡±¡¿


    Urza flared up at Lize as well.


    ¡¾¡±Huh? ¡­ Oh, I see what¡¯s going on here. So you don¡¯t know, Urza?¡±¡¿


    Said Lize, while thinking ¡®No wonder she doesn¡¯t get what we¡¯re saying¡¯.


    ¡¾¡±I don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t know what?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Well¡­ Not only is Seran incomparably stronger than me, he¡¯s actually also stronger than Kyle.¡±¡¿


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    The moment the knight was about to slash his sword at the man that he was looking down on and who was miserably begging for his life, there was a clear metallic noise.


    Looking at source of the sound, the knight saw a circle of metal rolling at his feet.


    ¡¾¡±Sorry about that, but you¡¯re the most competent among all of them, right? That¡¯s why I had to kill you first, no hard feelings.¡±¡¿


    When the knight heard that, the ground rapidly rose towards him and soon filled his field of view. That was the last scene that the knight ever saw, and he died without even realizing that his head had been cut off.


    Having witnessed that, the surrounding knights were petrified. Their brains were unable to process that sight which was beyond their understanding.


    That man had been crying miserably and clinging to their companion while begging for his life, and then, he had suddenly drawn his sword with a godly speed to cut said companion¡¯s head off.


    Just before that happened, the knights¡¯ tension had dropped to the point where they had even lowered their swords. They could not wraps their heads around the scene they had just witnessed, and even though they were veterans of the royal guard¡¯s knights, their reaction was still delayed for a mere instant.


    That instant was enough for Seran.


    He dashed forward, almost reaching the speed of a hurricane.


    He aimed for the knights who were walking towards their horses, and slashed his sword from behind them to quickly force his way forward.


    Each of Seran¡¯s slashes was aimed at their vital points. Be it their heads, their necks, or their hearts¡­. he sliced those parts with a dreadful speed and accuracy, so as to instantly kill the enemies, and he continued to rush ahead.


    After six of them were killed, the knights finally drew their swords, but at the same moment, Seran leaped up as if wings had grown from his back.


    He jumped so high up over them that he could be said to be flying, and he aimed for the vice commander who was standing behind them.


    However, rather than slashing his sword at him, he attacked him with a dropkick in the chest.


    After landing, Seran quickly ran after the vice commander, who had been blown away, and he stepped on him while pointing his sword at his throat.


    ¡¾¡±All of you, don¡¯t move!!¡±¡¿


    Like a roaring tiger, Seran yelled with a very loud voice which was filled with fighting spirit.


    Any faint-hearted person would have lost consciousness just from hearing this.


    As one would expect, the knights, who had been about to slash their swords, did not faint, but they still stopped their movements given that the enemy was pointing his weapon at their vice commander.


    Seran did not believe that he would able to keep all the knights from taking action by simply holding their vice commanders hostage like this.


    All he wanted was to stop the knights from moving for one more moment.


    And in that moment, he took a magic stone from his pocket. Naturally, what he had said about having used them all up was a lie.


    He threw the stone in the middle of the horses that were behind him.


    Following that, an explosion blew the horses away. The ones who weren¡¯t dead or injured were still driven into a state of panic, and ran away in all directions, either taking the highway towards the Sanes village, or going directly inside the forest that was on both sides of the road.


    Since Seran was pointing his sword at the vice commander, the knights who were in front of him had failed to make a move and had lost all of their mounts.


    At that time, the first knight who had his head cut off and whose body was still gushing out blood like a water fountain, slowly fell down, as if he was finally realizing that he had lost his life.


    ¡¾¡±With this, your horses are all gone.¡±¡¿


    Said Seran with a fearless smile.


    Seeing that, the remaining knights were struck with fear, like they had encountered a mysterious, unknown creature.


    ¡¾¡±Still, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d manage to beat eight of you with my first assault, that was lucky. Or maybe I overestimated you?¡±¡¿


    That was a direct provocation, but it only served to make Seran appear even more eerie.


    Then, before the knights could come to their senses, he started attacking again.


    He kicked up the vice commander at his feet, and the man with his heavy equipment flew away if he was a mere pebble.


    When the knight at the very front dropped his focus as he hesitated about catching the heavily wounded vice commander, his face was almost instantaneously pierced by Seran¡¯s sword.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    ¡¾¡±That man is¡­ strong? Even stronger than you, Kyle-sama?¡±¡¿


    Having been told that Seran was stronger than Kyle, who had defeated a hydra one-on-one, princess Milena was round-eyed with astonishment.


    ¡¾¡±That¡¯s not true at all, in my current state¡­. I should be roughly as strong as him if I use a seIf-strengthening spell.¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle while feeling somewhat grouchy due to Lize¡¯s words.


    ¡¾¡±Seriously!? As strong as Seran!? When did you become that strong?¡±¡¿


    It seemed like Lize¡¯s reaction was one of genuine surprise.


    ¡¾¡±Ah, but obviously, if we were to start a combat, I¡¯m sure he would forbid the use of magic¡­ and I¡¯m also sure it would be a very harsh fight.¡±¡¿


    The mere thought of such a fight made Kyle feel bad from the bottom of his heart, and that was visible on his face.


    ¡¾¡±Ho-hold on! What in the world are you two saying?¡±¡¿


    Said Urza, seeming like she was unable to understand a single thing about the two friends¡¯ conversation.


    ¡¾¡±Well, it¡¯s only natural that you can¡¯t imagine this, but when it comes to fighting with a sword, and only with a sword, he¡¯s certainly stronger than me.¡±¡¿


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit it but it¡¯s true¡± added Kyle while sighing at the same time.


    ¡¾¡±Seran has no talent for magic, and as a person, his personality is fundamentally rotten. But when it comes to the sword, he¡¯s a rare talent; no, actually, rare is an understatement, there are no adjectives to express exactly how talented he is. Besides, he¡¯s not letting that get to his head, and he¡¯s constantly putting great efforts into forging his talent without being negligent. So, yes, if you compare our mastery of the sword only, he¡¯s a genius who¡¯s far beyond me.¡±¡¿


    Leila, who was Kyle¡¯s master in the art of the sword, had told him that he was a talent that was seen only once in a hundred years.


    But when it came to Seran, her son: ¡°He¡¯s the kind of talent that only appears once in a thousand years, no, maybe only once in history, there have never been anyone as talented as him, and there probably won¡¯t be anyone else like him in the future¡± That was what Leila had said.


    ¡°Why do I have to teach him when I know full well that he¡¯ll become way stronger than me anyway even if I let him train by himself? This is the worst, it¡¯s so stupid.¡± That was how she used to lament, but she would still reluctantly teach the sword to Seran despite her complaints.


    ¡¾¡±He often goes off alone to wander aimlessly, doesn¡¯t he? Well, at those times, he usually goes to train his sword skills by himself. Though he¡¯s helpless when it comes to everything else, he¡¯s proportionally diligent when it comes to the sword.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±That¡¯s certainly true. But he has lost some important human qualities in exchange for that, hasn¡¯t he?¡±¡¿


    It wasn¡¯t clear whether the two were praising or insulting their childhood friend.


    Kyle recalled that he never won any mock sword fight against Seran.


    But as Kyle had said to Lize, if he were to use magic to strengthen himself, then he would likely be just as strong as Seran, and perhaps he would even able to gain the upper-hand if he fought him, although that would not apply against the strength that Seran had during the battle with the demon king.


    However, at present, if they were to fight with their swords only, then there would be no contest. Kyle was quite conscious about that difference in their abilities.


    Besides, Seran¡¯s sword skills were not the only reason he was a strong, or rather, a troublesome opponent.


    Due to his personality, he could do absolutely anything for the sake of his goals, because he did not have any pride and so he wasn¡¯t concerned about using unfair or cowardly methods when necessary.


    And that made him an efficient fighter.


    ¡¾¡±But¡­. That doesn¡¯t show at all in his behavior. If he¡¯s that capable, how do you explain his usual attitude?¡±¡¿


    Urza was still not convinced.


    ¡¾¡±¡­ Would anyone ever be cautious of Seran when looking at the way he usually behaves?¡±¡¿


    Kyle¡¯s words sent a chill down Urza¡¯s spine, like a block of ice sliding down her back.


    ¡¾¡±Surely you don¡¯t mean that¡­. Seran¡¯s usual behavior¡­ is all just an act?¡±¡¿


    Upon seeing Seran behave in such a way when meeting him for the first time, anyone would make the mistake of ignoring him and making light of him.


    In fact, Urza herself had made light of him, and even though she had been around him for a while, she had never seen through his true capabilities.


    Had she fought him, she would probably have been killed instantaneously. If his usual attitude was nothing but a calculated facade, then¡­.


    A feeling resembling fear ran up Urza¡¯s back.


    ¡¾¡±No, I think that only half of his attitude is an act, and the other half is his true nature.¡±¡¿


    Said kyle briefly, and Lize followed up.


    ¡¾¡±In the past, I also used to think that it was only half of it, but recently, I¡¯m actually starting to think that 90% of it is his true nature.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­.That true. In the end, I think he got that personality from birth.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Oh, so that¡¯s what¡¯s going on. That¡¯s a relief.¡±¡¿


    Urza was somewhat reassured.


    while thinking of the battle that was likely taking place around this time, Kyle looked behind him.


    ¡¾¡±Most of the royal guard¡¯s knights are just following orders. I didn¡¯t want them to be killed if possible.¡±¡¿


    Since there were 30 of those knights, Seran was likely not going to be able to afford to hold back.


    Moreover, he would never forgive someone who came at him with a weapon and killing intent.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Seran and the royal guard¡¯s knights were confronting each other.


    There were already only eight people left standing among the knights; in total, more than twenty of them had been sliced by Seran¡¯s sword.


    It was unimaginable that the power of those mighty sword swings was coming from Seran, whose body did not differ much from an ordinary person¡¯s. His slashes could cut through everything, be it the enemy¡¯s swords or the armors they were using to protect themselves.


    And those attacks were sharply and accurately hitting the knights¡¯ vitals. To defend against this, they had no other choice than to dodge very skillfully.


    The difference in strength between the knights and Seran was akin to the difference between a cat and a tiger.


    Nevertheless, those were still thirty of the country¡¯s best knights. So, as one would expect, Seran was not left uninjured. He had some wounds here and there on his body, and he was somewhat running out of breath.


    Initially, Seran had taken control of the battle¡¯s pace and was able to manipulate it to his advantage, but the knights, who had regained their spirits, were well coordinated, and they were making the best out of their advantage in numbers as they fought.


    (As expected of the imperial guard¡¯s knights, they¡¯re damn persistent. Even now, there is still some life left in their eyes. But¡­.)


    After thinking that, Seran sighed and spoke up.


    ¡¾¡±What a drag.¡±¡¿


    He said while relaxing his body.


    ¡¾¡±Let¡¯s end things here.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±What¡­.?¡±¡¿


    Said dubiously one of the knights who had survived.


    ¡¾¡±I told you at first, didn¡¯t I? My role is to hold you back here. Slaughtering you all is not my goal. Your horses are gone and you¡¯re out of time. At this point, there is no way for you to catch up with the princess¡­ In short, I don¡¯t have any reason to fight you anymore.¡±¡¿


    Having said all that, Seran put his sword back in its sheath and turned his back on the knights.


    The knights were astonished by this. But even though that moment should have been a good opportunity for them to attack, they could not picture themselves killing him at all, on the contrary, they could vividly picture themselves getting killed by a slash of his sword instead.


    ¡¾¡±Of course, it¡¯s a whole other story if you say that you still want to fight, but you should be well aware of how powerful I am. I won¡¯t chase after you if you just leave though.¡±¡¿


    The knights were not afraid to die on duty. However, that did not mean they were willing to die in vain.


    As Seran had said, their mission had already basically failed. It would be meaningless for them to give their lives here.


    ¡¾¡±If you¡¯ve made up your minds, you should hurry and do it. Your vice commander over there is still barely alive, and there are some other fellows that you¡¯ll be able save if you hurry up. I do have some healing magic medicine, but I have no obligation to share it with you.¡±¡¿


    Seran distanced himself from the knights and entrusted his back to one of the trees in the forest by the side of the road. Then, he showily started drinking his healing magic medicine.


    Afterwards, having likely made their decision, the knights exchanged glances with each other before taking action.


    Two of them used their shoulders to support their vice commander, and the other knights who were still breathing were also carried.


    At that time, the knights had not dropped their guards and were still watching Seran, but once they felt like there was absolutely no way he would be able to chase after them, they left the scene.


    Before long, they had taken a considerable distance away from him, and the moment when all of the knights started running towards the town of Archen¨D¨D Seran started running without making a sound and he threw his last magic stone at their backs.


    The knights were blown off by the explosion, and before the resulting cloud of smoke could dissipate, Seran kept running and using his sword to skillfully finish off anyone who was still breathing.


    ¡¾¡±Sorry, to be honest, I was already set on not letting anyone escape from the start. One of you seemed like he was about to run away for his life soon due to fear, so I had to put on a little act.¡±¡¿


    Said Seran while using his sword to deal a finishing blow to the vice commander, who he had kept alive to the very end so as not to have to go through the trouble of chasing after the other knights.


    ¡¾¡±You guys already know about the treasures we found in the Sanguld mountains. Those treasures are probably one of Kyle¡¯s important lifelines, so on the off chance that you¡¯ll leak that information, I can¡¯t let you go.¡±¡¿


    If Lize had been here, she would have retorted with ¡°But you¡¯re the one who went and told them about that¡±, but Seran was actually being very serious, he had not done this to mock his opponents.


    Telling the enemies about the treasures so as to make them drop their guard, then silencing those same enemies because they had heard about the treasure from him, to Seran, each of these individual actions were completely natural and even necessary.


    ¡¾¡±Hah~¡­. I¡¯m beat.¡±¡¿


    After carefully confirming that he was the only man who was still alive in the perimeter, Seran sat down.


    He had just put his life on the line to take on 30 knights of the royal guard all by himself. His stamina and injuries might have recovered thanks to the magic medicine, but mentally, he was exhausted.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯ve done my part here, so you better not fail over there.¡±¡¿


    He muttered while directing his gaze towards Archen.

 Volume 1 - CH 12

    Chapter 12


    In a certain room of one of Archen¡¯s inns, Zentos was looking at the card which had stopped transmitting the regular messages that he had been exchanging with his subordinates.


    Even if something had happened to the vice commander, someone else would be acting as his substitute. The fact that he could not communicate with the knights despite that meant that they had likely been annihilated.


    There was still no expression on Zentos¡¯ face, his clenched fist was trembling.


    He then left the room and gave an order to his remaining subordinates.


    ¡¾¡±You must stand guard for his Highness. Don¡¯t let anyone pass by here before my return.¡±¡¿


    Having said that while not leaving any room for objections, he went out of Archen on top of his personal horse.


    As for Kyle¡¯s group, they were about to get out of the large forest soon.


    After leaving the forest, they would be back on the main road, right next to Archen. The town would soon come in their field of vision.


    Precisely because they were close to their goal, Kyle focused his attention all the more so as not to get distracted. And then, a report came from Sildonia.


    ¡ºKyle, there is a knight heading here. ¡»


    ¡¾¡±How many people are there with him?¡±¡¿


    ¡ºNone, he¡¯s all by himself¡­ Oh?!¡»


    Sildonia raised her voice out of surprise.


    ¡¾¡±Is something wrong?¡±¡¿


    ¡ºMhm, I was just attacked by an ¡®Energy bolt¡¯ spell even though I had taken plenty of distance. To keep such power and accuracy from this far is a pretty big deal. ¡»


    ¡°Energy bolt¡± was a lower-class spell with low power which would attack an opponent using a magical arrow, but thanks to its range and its little cost in mana, it was used as a foundation for attack spells.


    ¡¾¡±I see, he noticed a bird moving suspiciously in the sky so he attacked without any hesitation. Given that he aimed accurately despite the long distance, he must have a high control over his magical powers. Knowing this, the knight who¡¯s coming here can only be¡­. him.¡±¡¿


    ¡°So he still came in the end¡±, added Kyle with a heavy sigh.


    ¡¾¡±I was hoping from the bottom of my heart that he wouldn¡¯t come, but it seems like things won¡¯t go my way.¡±¡¿


    Although Kyle did not want to fight, he still resolved himself since there was no avoiding this.


    He stopped the sleipnirs, and instructed the rest of the group.


    ¡¾¡±Everyone, go reatreat a little and stay on standby. If you sense anything that¡¯s even just remotely strange, go back further down the highway and join Seran.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±But, will you be alright, Kyle?¡±¡¿


    Said Lize worriedly, having felt a tension that she had not felt before within Kyle¡¯s words.


    ¡¾¡±¡­This will definitely be harder than dealing with that Hydra or with the thirty knights of the royal guard.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±So Zentos is coming.¡±¡¿


    A grave expression appeared on the face of the princess, who had likely guessed this from Kyle¡¯s words alone.


    ¡¾¡±He¡¯s the best knight in all of Jirgus. Are you saying that you¡¯ll face him by yourself?¡±¡¿


    Kyle was also aware of the severity of the situation.


    If possible, he would have prefered to face Zentos together with Seran, Urza, and Lize, no matter how cowardly that would have been.


    ¡¾¡±I also absolutely want to avoid this, but at this point, there is no other way. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful.¡±¡¿


    ¡°Rest assured, it¡¯ll be fine¡± Leaving everyone with only those words, Kyle once again started to walk.


    ¡ºYou seem to have some sort of connection to him. ¡»


    Sildonia spoke quietly to Kyle, who was full of vigor.


    ¡¾¡±Something like that. Also, I¡¯m sorry, but, is it okay with you if I do as I like in this fight?¡±¡¿


    ¡ºGood grief, you¡¯re really hopeless. ¡»


    Complained Sildonia, but she did not say anything else other than that.


    Having taken enough distance from Lize and the others, Kyle kept waiting in the middle of the road in an imposing stance, until he noticed a man on top of a horse, approaching at an extreme speed.


    The man also noticed Kyle, and having likely judged that it would be dangerous to approach any further with his mount, he stopped it and dismounted it.


    Zentos then approached on foot, and when he was a single step away from reaching the exact range at which the battle could commence, Kyle talked to him.


    ¡¾¡±Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m the only one here, there is no trap.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Are you one of the travelers helping Princess Milena? ¡­I see, you do seem competent.¡±¡¿


    Zentos strengthened his guard as he faced Kyle, who had an accurate grasp over the distance that was separating him from his opponent.


    ¡¾¡±Well, I¡¯m only so-so. But why are you alone? There should still be around ten knights left among your people.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I don¡¯t want to lose any more of my men on a matter like this one. I just have to kill all of you myself.¡±¡¿


    Zentos said that he would kill everyone in Kyle¡¯s group because he had enough power and self-confidence to back up his words.


    ¡¾¡±Is that so? Sorry, but most of the knights who were pursuing us were eliminated. Also, how do I say this¡­ If possible, could you surrender? I don¡¯t want to kill you, and I don¡¯t want you to die either.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±What did you just say?¡±¡¿


    Zentos furrowed his brows.


    He never thought he would be looked down upon and even asked to surrender so straightforwardly by a young man who was 10 years younger than him.


    ¡¾¡±Certainly, you might not be able to escape from being sentenced for a capital crime, but I could ask for your life to be spared in exchange for giving up on my reward. If you want, you can ask for other conditions.¡±¡¿


    As Kyle said that, the expression on Zentos¡¯ face grew more and more dubious.


    That was because Zentos could tell that Kyle was seriously trying to help, even though he was trying to kill him and frame him for the princess¡¯ murder.


    ¡¾¡±I don¡¯t get your motive, why¡¯d you want to help me?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I just sincerely believe that it would be a shame for Zentos Ordiy to die here.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­ I¡¯m glad you think that much of me, but it¡¯s too late for me to quit the mission.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yeah, I figured you¡¯d say that, it¡¯s only natural.¡±¡¿


    Even though he had known this would be the answer, Kyle had not been able to stop himself from asking.


    ¡¾¡±I want to ask one more thing. Why do something as foolish as trying to assassinate the princess? At the very least, it wasn¡¯t for the money nor to raise your position, was it? Moreover, I heard that you¡¯re following that Carenas guy¡¯s plans. Is there any worth to that?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Seems like you know a lot about the situation¡­. Or maybe you heard about it from the princess? Anyway, for now, let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s a complicated story.¡±¡¿


    Kyle had expected this answer, too.


    ¡¾¡±¡­ Even so, this plan is full of holes, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s actually already on the verge of failing. Speaking frankly, it¡¯s a pretty sloppy plan.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±We¡¯ll be able to fix that as long as I silence all of you people.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Say what you like, but you¡¯ve pushed things really far now, haven¡¯t you? Some people will have suspicions.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±You¡¯re going to die very soon so you don¡¯t have to concern yourself with that.¡±¡¿


    Believing that it would be futile to talk any more than this, Zentos pulled out his sword.


    ¡¾¡±I can¡¯t let you buy any more time than this. I have to quickly kill you and then chase after the princess.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­Well, I suppose it was obvious that you¡¯d notice what I was trying to do.¡±¡¿


    ¡°Guess that¡¯s as much as I¡¯m gonna get¡± Thought Kyle while pulling out his sword.


    Just like Zentos has said, Kyle had been buying time.


    Even though Zentos was his opponent, Kyle figured that it would be possible to capture him alive by using numbers as long as he could keep earning time until the fifth knight corps¡¯ arrival.


    Because, in the present situation, Kyle had not other choice than to kill Zentos if he didn¡¯t want to be killed.


    However, they weren¡¯t there yet, so, in the meantime, Kyle started chanting to launch some magic spells.


    And so did Zentos.


    ¡¾¡± ¡®Haste¡¯ ¡®Strength¡±!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡± ¡®Haste¡¯ ¡®Strength¡±!¡±¡¿


    Simultaneously, the two of them used self-reinforcement spells to boost their respective speed and strength.


    And so, a fight began between Kyle and the man who had been his model in the ways of a magic swordsman in his previous life.


    Zentos made the first move.


    He raised his sword above his head to attack with a head-on front blow aimed at the crown of Kyle¡¯s head ¨D¨D However, that attack was actually a mere illusion made through the use of the ¡°Illusion¡± spell.


    Even though it was just an illusion, the blow was filled with killing intent, to the point where it would make even a first class warrior move his body by reflex, and there were few differences between the intensity of this illusion and the real thing.


    However, Zentos¡¯ real attack was an upper slash from below, which was difficult to deal with and came almost at the same time as the illusory attack, with only a slight delay of difference.


    So far, no one had been able to defend against this attack upon seeing it for the first time. This sure-kill attack, which was mixed with a magic feint, had brought many of Zentos¡¯ opponents to their doom.


    However, Kyle easily avoided it.


    ¡¾¡±Wha-¡­!?¡±¡¿


    Zentos raised his voice out of shock.


    Having dodged sideways, Kyle calmly swung his sword downward, aiming for Zentos¡¯ dominant arm.


    But, since Zentos instantly jumped back, he merely received a superficial wound on his arm.


    ¡¾¡±Damn you¡­¡±¡¿


    Zentos was grinding his teeth while glaring at Kyle, who had not only dodged his sure-kill attack, but had also injured his arm.


    However, Kyle actually clicked his tongue.


    That was because he had missed the best and only opportunity to beat Zentos while keeping him alive.


    ¡¾¡±If I had chopped off his arm just now, I could have incapacitated him, but¡­¡±¡¿


    Kyle spoke with a pained and a bitter tone.


    Since Zentos wanted the fight to be over as soon as possible, Kyle had figured that his first blow would be this one as he was very confident in it and it was a sure-kill attack.


    Now, Zentos was using normal attacks and was slashing his sword over and over again. Under that assult, Kyle was retreating little by little. He was handling Zentos¡¯ fierce attacks very well, by sometimes avoiding them, and sometimes parrying them with his sword.


    Kyle was patiently withstanding the attacks, and once there was a slight gap in Zentos¡¯ defense, he slashed his sword without a moment¡¯s delay.


    Although Zentos easily dodged the slash, Kyle almost simultaneously sent a kick towards his crotch.


    There was no change to Kyle¡¯s extraordinarily balanced stance as he used his upper body to attack with his sword while he launched that sharp kick towards his opponent, but Zentos managed to block the kick with the handle of his weapon.


    This manner of fighting by including kicks in one¡¯s attacks was Leila¡¯s forte, therefore, her students, Kyle and Seran often used kicks as well.


    ¡¾¡±What a vicious foot technique!¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Well, I¡¯m just following my master¡¯s teachings!¡±¡¿


    Following the kick, Kyle used Zentos¡¯ sword like a springboard to jump behind him and to land a great distance away from him after rotating once in the air.


    And the moment he landed, Kyle threw an ¡®Explosion¡¯ magic stone at Zentos.


    The explosion¡¯s blast could reach a wide range so it would be able to deal some great damage to Zentos even if he were to dodge.


    However, having received a report about the magic stones beforehand, Zentos stepped forward instead of dodging and used the flat of his sword to repel it towards Kyle.


    Kyle was able to bear the resulting flames thanks to his armor¡¯s fireproof ability, but the shock of the explosion still assaulted his whole body.


    Zentos rushed forward with his sword as if tearing through the cloud of dust that rose due to the explosion¡¯s blast and he aimed for Kyle¡¯s neck.


    When the blade was a few milometers away from the nape of Kyle¡¯s neck, he barely managed to parry it with the guard of his sword, despite his reaction having been delayed by the impact of the explosion.


    Even so, Zentos kept pushing his sword forward with all his strength, trying to cut Kyle¡¯s neck, and Kyle was also clenching his teeth while doing his utmost to resist.


    For a little while, the blade and the sword guard continued to stay in a lock, and then the blade slowly started digging into Kyle¡¯s flesh until blood started to trickle down his neck, but Zentos suddenly jumped back and took some distance.


    There was a skin-deep, distinct, bleeding scar left on the nape of Kyle¡¯s neck.


    Zentos had likely also suffered some considerable damage due to the explosion.


    The two fighters were now facing each other, gasping for air while trying to put their breathing back in order.


    ¡¾¡±As expected¡­ he¡¯s strong.¡±¡¿


    Although the Zentos that Kyle knew was the one from three years in the future, he was almost as powerful now as he was back then.


    There was no big difference between Kyle¡¯s skill with the sword and Zentos¡¯.


    However, Zentos¡¯ basic physical capabilities, like his speed and strength, exceeded Kyle¡¯s.


    ¡¾¡±That¡¯s a good sword¡­¡±¡¿


    Zentos was looking at Sildonia that Kyle was wielding. From the several blows which he had already exchanged with it, he understood that this sword was an amazing treasure.


    Given that he was a commander of the royal guard¡¯s knights, Zentos¡¯ sword was quite good as well, but Sildonia was on a whole other level.


    If Zentos were to parry a blow unskillfully, his sword would break, leaving him with no chance of winning. It was quite disadvantageous for him to fight while having to worry about his weapon.


    The reason he had withdrawn earlier, when his weapon was locked with Kyle¡¯s, was because he did not want to damage his sword.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯ll thank you in her stead, I¡¯m sure she appreciates the compliment¡­ Look, I¡¯ll ask you one more time, how about you just surrender? Oh, and, if surrendering is really impossible, why don¡¯t you escape to another country? I¡¯ll help to arrange that for you.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­You¡¯re a persistent guy.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I could even give you some escape funds, what do you think?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±If you want to help me that much, how about you stand still and let me kill you?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yeah, how about no? Ask for something cheaper, can¡¯t you?¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle with a light laugh.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t lost his calm at all¡­ Just how experienced can he be at his age?¡± Thought Zentos in astonishment as he watched Kyle¡¯s state.


    In the first place, it would be impossible for any normal person to joke around with their opponent in a life or death battle like this one.


    Even in the attack from earlier, if Kyle had reacted one instant too late, his head would have likely been separated from the rest of his body, and yet it had not agitated him in the slightest.


    It seemed like he was used to fighting against opponents who were much stronger than him.


    And, more than anything else, the hardest thing to deal with were Kyle¡¯s abnormally good reactions to Zentos¡¯ attacks.


    It was as if he had fought Zentos many times before.


    That first attack that used a magic feint was one of Zentos¡¯ trump cards, there were few people who knew about it.


    Because most of the people who had witnessed it were dead.


    ¡¾¡±You¡­ How did you manage to react like that against my first attack? ¡­Do you know me?¡±¡¿


    Zentos had absolutely no recollection of the man in front of him.


    However, the man surely knew him in some way, that at least was a certainty for Zentos.


    ¡¾¡±Well, how do I say this¡­. I can¡¯t really explain in words whether I know you or not. I¡¯ve had quite the curious life. But if you want me to, I can explain all the details to you from the beginning.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±That sounds like it will take too long so I¡¯ll have to say no. I can¡¯t let you drag things on any longer than this.¡±¡¿


    Kyle showed a big grin in response to Zentos¡¯ words.


    ¡¾¡±Well, of course I¡¯ll try to drag the situation, that¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m fighting you in the first place.¡±¡¿


    Kyle¡¯s biggest advantage was time.


    From Zentos¡¯ perspective, the princess could escape to a place out of his reach while he was fighting here.


    But conversely, for Kyle, earning time would allow rescue to come.


    And at that point, the match would be decided.


    Zentos was well aware that Kyle was trying to prolong the fight instead of trying to win.


    ¡¾¡±¡­This means I¡¯ll have to be the one who ends this.¡±¡¿


    In Zentos¡¯ original schedule, he expected, or rather, he needed Kyle to already be dead by now.


    When he realized that, overall, he was actually the one being cornered, the look in Zentos¡¯ eyes changed. So far, he had been fighting with all his strength, but now, he was ready to put his life on the line.


    From here on out, he wasn¡¯t going to leave any spare energy for himself to overthink things anymore, and he was going to focus all his power into a life endangering assault.


    ¡¾¡±I guess it does.¡±¡¿


    Sensing a killing intent that felt as if it was burning his skin, Kyle also took a fighting stance.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯ll just kill you right now, and chase after the princess immediately after.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­My name is Kyle by the way¡­. Kyle Leonard.¡±¡¿


    From there, the two men stopped speaking. Now, they were only going let their weapons talk for them.


    With his sword lowered, Zentos charged ahead in a forward-bent posture.


    He completely gave up on defending for this attack, he was likely aiming for a simultaneous exchange of strikes. Having realized that his defense would be useless against this, Kyle prepared to thrust his weapon to meet his enemy¡¯s attack.


    Right before they entered each other¡¯s range of attack, Kyle thrust his sword forward while Zentos simultaneously lowered his body even further.


    The sword, which been aimed at Zentos¡¯ heart, left a big hole in his left shoulder, but he stepped forward without worrying about that.


    And the moment Kyle tried to bring his weapon back towards himself, Zentos repelled it upwards, using the pommel of his sword.


    Both of Kyle¡¯s arms were repelled upwards with great strength, and while his sword did not escape his hands, his arms were now raised above his head.


    Kyle¡¯s body was left completely unguarded, and it was right in front of Zentos.


    ¡¾¡±I got you!¡±¡¿


    Given his capabilities, Zentos would be able to cut through both Kyle¡¯s armor and body with this single slice of his sword from the left flank.


    Though he was aware that Kyle¡¯s sword was approaching him from above, Zentos had put all his strength in this attack and he was convinced that his sword would be the first one to reach its target.


    After Zentos¡¯ slice hit Kyle¡¯s flank, he felt a certain resistance and ¨D¨D with a dull clunk, his sword broke in two.


    ¡¾¡±Wha¡­.¡±¡¿


    When Zentos instinctively raised his wide-opened eyes, all he saw was a sword blade right in front of him, and the face of Kyle, whose eyes were full of sadness.


    ¡¾¡±As you¡¯d expect from Zentos, that part of the armor was cleanly sliced, even though it¡¯s made of dragon leather¡­ Still, there is no way he could damage this.¡±¡¿


    While patting his flank, Kyle brushed the gap which had appeared in the part of his armor that had been sliced.


    From that gap fell a blood-like red gem, the ¡°Dragon god¡¯s heart¡±.


    Even though Zentos¡¯ slash could cut and slice through rocks and steel alike, it was not able to damage this legendary ¡°Dragon god¡¯s heart¡± which existed since the mythical era.


    However, Kyle¡¯s complexion was bad. The ¡°Dragon god¡¯s heart¡± had been able to defend against the slash, but the resulting shock had apparently damaged Kyle¡¯s ribs and internal organs. Even now, he was still feeling a throbbing pain.


    As for Zentos, he was lying down in a sea of his own blood.


    He had suffered from a fatal cut that went from his shoulder straight to his heart. It was likely thanks to the strength of his will that he was still barely able to breath.


    ¡¾¡±Did you let me¡­ repel your sword¡­ on purpose¡­?¡±¡¿


    While vomiting blood, Zentos spoke with a hoarse and weak voice.


    ¡¾¡±No, it wasn¡¯t on purpose. I was serious, my attack was completely serious and you really did repel my sword¡­. I also thought I might be cut right in half.¡±¡¿


    In a direct confrontation, especially if Zentos were to put his life on the line, Kyle could not win by himself; for Kyle this was an undeniable fact, no matter how much he thought about it.


    Therefore, knowing that he might end up fighting against Zentos and starting from the assumption that he was going to be killed, Kyle had begun thinking from the day before about the methods that he could use to reverse the situation.


    And since he was not able to make enough preparations, the only way he had come up with was this one.


    ¡¾¡±Actually, we¡¯ve had several bouts before, and I¡¯ve fought maybe hundreds of time against the illusory version of you. So I was able to predict that the fight would go like this. And I figured it was inevitable for me to use this method.¡±¡¿


    Once Zentos attacked while putting his life on the line, the only method for Kyle to fight him was to put his life on the line as well. If he had changed his position ever so slightly, if his timing had been off by even one instant, Kyle would have likely died.


    Although Zentos, who was on the brink of death, did not understand what Kyle meant by saying that he had had several bouts against him, he was still amazed by the rashness and recklessness required to walk so close to the brink of death.


    ¡¾¡±What¡­. that¡¯s insane¡­.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Well, I decided to do it because I had faith in you and your skill. I was convinced that, if it came from Zentos Ordiy, such an attack would take my life for sure, so I had no other choice.¡±¡¿


    Zentos weakly laughed at the words of Kyle, who seemed like he sincerely had an absolute faith in him.


    And then, using his last breath to mutter something to himself, Zentos Ordiy perished.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­ there are people that I absolutely have to protect, no matter the sacrifices needed for it.¡±¡¿


    Kyle looked behind him, while picturing the faces of Lize and Urza who were likely standing not too far from there.


    ¡¾¡±¡­¡­ You were one of the people that I wanted to save in this life, damn it¡­ I never thought I¡¯d have to watch you die a second time¡­. Farewell, comrade.¡±¡¿


    While dragging his wounded body and heart, Kyle went back to his group.

 Volume 1 - CH 13

    Chapter 13


    Within a room of a certain inn in Archen, prince Carenas was pacing around, like a beast locked up in a cage.


    As he started getting irritated about the assassination¡¯s success having yet to be reported, the room¡¯s door was violently opened.


    ¡¾¡±Hey, Zentos, what the hell took you so¡­ Ah!?¡±¡¿


    Prince Carenas was knocked off his feet without being given any chance to argue.


    The one who had entered the room and hit the prince was none other than Kyle.


    Following behind Kyle, the female knights of the royal guard¡¯s fifth knight corps rushed inside as well.


    And even further behind was Princess Milena, who was ordering said knights.


    After the end of the fight against Zentos, Kyle and the others had advanced further on the highway toward Archen, until they met up with the fifth corps¡¯ knights on the way.


    Then, under princess Milena¡¯s orders, they broke into this inn. After restraining the remaining knights of the second corps, they entered the prince¡¯s room.


    ¡¾¡±Killen, search this room at once. Zentos might have been cautious but this brother of mine surely has left some evidence.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes!¡±¡¿


    While staying in the back, princess Milena instructed the commander of the imperial guard¡¯s fifth knight corps, Killen, who was also her close aide.


    Killen was a tall and beautiful woman, but she had sharp eyes and an atmosphere that did not allow people to come near her.


    ¡¾¡±Also, restrain prince Carenas. We¡¯ll be returning to the royal capital Marad now, so we¡¯ll interrogate him on the way. Once we¡¯ve gathered enough proof and witnesses, we¡¯ll report to my father.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes¡­ However, will he talk?¡±¡¿


    Killen knew prince Carenas well.


    Even if she were to question him, he would not answer obediently. He¡¯d likely avoid the responsibility while finding excuses and claiming his own innocence to the point of looking unsightly.


    ¡¾¡±In case he doesn¡¯t talk, then you may use a little force¡­ You¡¯ll just have to say that he confessed on his own.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­Understood.¡±¡¿


    Killen bowed her head and separated to the princess in order to go give her subordinates their orders.


    With a light sigh, princess Milena approached Kyle, who seemed worn-out and had sat down after striking the prince.


    ¡¾¡±Kyle-sama, please, I¡¯d like you and you friends to accompany us as well.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes¡­ Also, thanks for listening to my selfish request.¡±¡¿


    Kyle stood up and bowed his head to the princess who had gladly heeded his request when he had asked if he could hit Prince Carenas.


    ¡¾¡±No, I should be the one thanking you, I owe you a hundred times more than that¡­ There might still be various things to deal with, but this matter should be over now. Please allow me to express my gratitude again once we are back to the royal capital.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena also deeply bowed to Kyle.


    Thus, the major incident of the princess¡¯ assassination ended with a failure on the perpetrators¡¯ part.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    At the center of Jirgus¡¯ royal capital, Marad, there was a large palace that was famous even among the surrounding countries. It symbolized the prosperity of the country.


    Kyle and his team were deep within said palace, in a guest room that was located in the royalty¡¯s living quarters.


    ¡¾¡±No need to be so tense, all of you are important guests.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Please excuse us for just doing as we please¡­¡±¡¿


    Kyle apologized in the group¡¯s stead.


    After a little while, the group was informed that someone was coming to visit them, and they all stood at attention while waiting.


    Then, the palace¡¯s chamberlain opened the room¡¯s door and the one who entered was a man at the prime of his life, wearing a crown and a mantle that had the jirgus¡¯ royal family¡¯s lion crest embroidered on it; he was the king of the Jirgus country.


    ¡¾¡±Oh Milena, you¡¯re safe!¡±¡¿


    Upon entering the room, king Raymond trotted towards Milena and hugged her closely.


    ¡¾¡±Yes, father.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Thank goodness, when I heard what happened, I was worried sick¡­¡±¡¿


    After showing great delight from seeing that his daughter was safe, the king frowned and asked.


    ¡¾¡±So, was what the report said true?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, my older brother was aiming for my life together with Zentos, and we¡¯ve currently restrained him. The evidence and witnesses have already been gathered.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I see¡­¡±¡¿


    Said the king with a bitter tone, while looking up at the ceiling.


    Even though the prince was part of the royal family, the only outcome for this kind of crime was the death penalty; moreover, that punishment had to be ordered by none other than the king himself.


    ¡¾¡±Father¡­ My elder brother might have been injured in the monsters¡¯ attack, and maybe he¡¯ll need to rest for a long time.¡±¡¿


    Understanding the meaning of his daughter¡¯s words, the king showed a surprised face.


    ¡¾¡±Are you sure you want to do this?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, that will be better for the country.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena¡¯s meaning was that, rather than letting a matter like this one out in the world, it was better to pass it off as an accident.


    ¡¾¡±¡­ I understand, that will certainly be better. Carenas will be sent to Curtim.¡±¡¿


    Curtim was a small town surrounded by mountains, located in the north of Jirgus, and it was used as a summer resort by the royal family.


    The prince was going to be strictly confined there in the name of recovering from his injuries and from a disease that came due to complications.


    Perhaps until the day of his death.


    ¡¾¡±And I guess I¡­ had better avoid meeting with him from now on. No matter how foolish he is, he¡¯s still my son but¡­.¡±¡¿


    ¡°But I can¡¯t let my emotions dictate my actions¡±, added the king.


    ¡¾¡±But what¡¯s unbelievable above all is that Zentos actually cooperated with a ploy like this one.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, I still don¡¯t understand this. Why would he do such a foolish thing¡­.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Mhm, maybe it¡¯s another country¡¯s plot¡­.. or, I don¡¯t even want to think of this possibility, but maybe it was the work of demons. We¡¯ll scrutinize the evidence and witnesses to try to get an answer.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Please do.¡±¡¿


    After that, king Raymond saw Kyle and the others for the first time.


    ¡¾¡±Are you the travelers who saved Milena?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes.¡±¡¿


    Kyle started kneeling down, and Lize and the others were about to imitate him, but the king raised his hand to stop them.


    ¡¾¡±It¡¯s all right, you¡¯re my daughter¡¯s benefactors, there is no need for such formalities. As a father, I¡¯d like to thank you.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±You¡¯re too kind, your majesty..¡±¡¿


    Answered Kyle while bowing.


    ¡¾¡±I believe you¡¯ve heard us, but this whole situation will be referred to as a monster attack in the public. Telling others about this matter will not be allowed, you understand?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Of course, we would never dare to say anything that could harm the country of Jirgus.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±It¡¯s all right, father, I was not only saved by them, but I was also moved by their characters. These people are worth trusting.¡±¡¿


    The princess put in a good word on behalf of the group.


    ¡¾¡±I see, if you say so, then I¡¯m willing to believe it¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to give you a reward fitting of your great accomplishment.¡±¡¿


    With those parting words, the king left the guest room.


    ¨D¨D When prince Carenas and princess Milena were on the way to pay a visit to the Sanes village, a large crowd of monsters, including a hydra with a low rank dragon¡¯s strength, had attacked their troops, causing great damage.


    Starting from Zentos, whose name was famous even in the surrounding countries, over half of the royal guard¡¯s second corps¡¯ knights had died. Furthermore, princes Carenas was injured and it was going to take a long time for him to recover.


    The only fortunate point was that princess Milena was safe thanks to the actions of a few travelers who happened to pass by ¨D¨D.


    This was how the whole matter was announced to the public, and only a few people knew the actual truth.


    As for Kyle and his group, their fame had soared in a flash due to their rescue of the princess.


    By all rights, Kyle should have been able to become a knight for an achievement like this one, but since he declined the position, he was awarded with a Saint Randenale medal instead.


    It was a medal which was named after a saint who lived in Jirgus hundreds of years in the past. This was the highest ranking that an ordinary person could get, and no one else had received this reward in the last few decades.


    ¡¾¡±Say, say, does this suit me?¡±¡¿


    Said Lize as she spun around in front of Kyle while lightly pinching the hem of her dress¡¯ skirt, as the group was waiting in an antechamber for the medal award ceremony.


    What Lize was wearing right now was a dress that was lent for ceremonies like this one. With its light pink color, it evoked the sight of a flower, and the same applied to the hair ornament that she was wearing. This suited her well.


    ¡¾¡±Yeah, it looks good on you.¡±¡¿


    Answered Kyle, who was similarly wearing a ceremonial attire.


    He was not just flattering her, he was being as sincere as can be, he was truly a little fascinated by her at the moment.


    ¡¾¡±You think so? I feel like it¡¯s not my style, but maybe it¡¯s nice to wear something like this once in a while.¡±¡¿


    Lize was likely also aware that Kyle was being completely honest, and she started looking at her own dress-up in a good mood.


    Urza was wearing a light green, slightly open dress.


    Moreover, her long ears, characteristic of the elves, were coming out of her nicely coiffured hair, making her look like a beauty that came from a painting.


    ¡¾¡±In the end, I still think I¡¯m too out of place here, but¡­¡±¡¿


    Said Urza, whose face seemed quite bitter in contrast to Lize¡¯s content facial expression.


    Urza felt like there were various problems with someone like her receiving a medal here, given that she didn¡¯t come from Jirgus, and she was of the elven race, a completely different species. However, princess Milena had insisted that it was perfectly fine for her to be here.


    ¡¾¡±Besides, I¡¯m no good when it comes to dressing up like this¡­¡±¡¿


    Added Urza dejectedly while recalling how, earlier, she was made to wear different dresses one after the other by the princess¡¯ maids, as if she was a dress-up doll.


    ¡¾¡±I know you don¡¯t have much experience with these things, but you¡¯ve already come this far, so I won¡¯t ask you to exchange civilities with people, but please try to put on a little smile.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Hmm¡­.. L-like this?¡±¡¿


    As Urza showed an indescribable, forced smile, Kyle replied ¡°Well, that will do, keep it up.¡± with a similarly indescribable face.


    As one would expect, the group was not allowed to take any weapons with them, so Sildonia had to sit the ceremony out.


    Sildonia had been pouting earlier, displeased that she could not to get anything from the feast that was going to be served in the dinner party after the ceremony, so Kyle was wondering if he should pack some leftovers and pastries to bring them to her. At that moment, Seran, who was wearing the same attire as Kyle, came to talk to him.


    ¡¾¡±But are you sure about refusing to become a knight?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yeah, I don¡¯t need that position right now.¡±¡¿


    The truth was that, currently, a knight¡¯s position would not only be unnecessary to Kyle, it would actually hinder him.


    He would certainly get various privileges if he were to become a knight, but at the same time, he would also have responsibilities and obligations towards Jirgus, which would restrain his actions.


    Due to his goals, it was absolutely impossible for Kyle to stick to the country of Jirgus only. From here on out, he also had to start spreading his name in other countries, and among other races.


    For the time being, getting a medal and raising his fame in the Jirgus country was enough for Kyle.


    ¡¾¡±You look very good everyone.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena joined the ground in the antechamber.


    She was also wearing a white ceremonial dress. She looked beautiful and was displaying an elegance and nobility fitting of her title as the ¡°Treasure of Jirgus¡±.


    ¡¾¡±If possible, I really want you to not only receive the medal, but to also become knights of Jirgus¡­¡±¡¿


    ¡°To be more precise, I want you to become my knights¡± Added princess Milena in her mind.


    Kyle and his companions knew about one of Jirgus¡¯ big scandals.


    So, if possible, she wanted to keep them under her, bound by the collar called ¡°status¡±, plus she was well aware of their capabilities.


    It was a fortunate, in a way, that there were now some open positions in the royal guard, for that meant that Kyle and the others could be made into knights in the name of reinforcing the troops.


    Especially Kyle, who had enough skill to beat Zentos in a one-on-one fight. Furthermore, princess Milena¡¯s intuition made her feel like there was something about him that was different from other people, so she wanted him to work for her no matter what.


    However, she could not be forceful with the group since they had saved her, moreover, she was well aware that, even if they were to go far away, they were not the kind of people who would foolishly reveal the assassination attempt to others.


    So, the princess came to the conclusion that, for now, it was all right to just build a relationship with them.


    ¡¾¡±No, that would be too much, wouldn¡¯t it? Besides, the money we¡¯ve receiving for this is plenty enough as a reward.¡±¡¿


    Kyle was going to receive a monetary reward together with his medal.


    Although such a sum was not significant anymore to Kyle and his companions, they still decided to gratefully accept it since it would have been suspicious if they were to refuse even that.


    ¡¾¡±I see, I suppose you all have your own circumstances.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Circumstances? That¡¯s a pretty heavy term, we really don¡¯t have any particularly important reason for this.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Oh, really? But¡­.¡±¡¿


    After saying that, a devil-like smile appeared on the princess¡¯ face, as she tentatively gazed at Kyle.


    ¡¾¡±But, you see, you said that all of you saw me in Archen on the day before the attack happened. So, you either left Archen on that day or the day after, but either way¡­ Isn¡¯t it a little bit unnatural that you just happened to be at that place, at that time, on that road that only leads to the Sanes village?¡±¡¿


    ¡°And I¡¯ve already confirmed that you haven¡¯t even been to the Sanes village ever since then¡±, followed up the princess with a small laugh.


    ¡¾¡±Ah, hmm¡­¡±¡¿


    Kyle instinctively opened his mouth.


    Seeing Kyle¡¯s state, princess Milena once again laughed, but this time more childishly.


    ¡¾¡±For now, I¡¯ll just have to be satisfied with having seen you make such a face. However, if you can, please do tell me your story some other time.¡±¡¿


    ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll see each other at the ceremony¡± With those words, princess Milena gracefully bowed and then left.


    ¡¾¡±For some reason, I feel like that was actually a warning¡­¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle to himself, with a slightly cramped smile.


    The big double door opened to a room that was filled with a huge audience.


    Inside, there were many pillars made entirely of marble, and each of them had finely detailed decorations. On the walls, there were tapestries which depicted some of Jirgus¡¯ stories and legends, as well as portraits of all the kings who had succeeded the throne. And close to the ceiling was a flag with many of the knights¡¯ and nlobes¡¯ family crests embroidered on it.


    There was a red carpet that started from the door until an elevated pedestal at the other end of the room. A throne had been placed on the pedestal and king Raymond was standing there together with princess Milena, who was smiling by his side.


    Furthermore, some of the palaces¡¯s other important people were also on the king¡¯s sides, such as ministers and court magicians, and standing on the surrounding carpet were the knights and nobles who served the palace.


    Had this been a ceremony to reward a knight or a noble, things would have been different, but since only a mere honorary medal was being awarded, most of these people were looking at this favorably.


    Following the etiquette that he had been taught about beforehand, Kyle stood up in front of king Raymond.


    ¡¾¡±Kyle Leonard, despite being only a citizen of the Jirgus country, you and your party have rescued princess Milena. This is indeed an act worthy of the kingdom¡¯s gratitude. Therefore, you shall be granted this medal of Saint Randenale.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­I¡¯m honored to accept it.¡±¡¿


    Around Kyle¡¯s neck, King Raymond put a medal that was decorated with a lily flower made of gold, which was the symbol that represented saint Randenale.


    After watching that, princess Milenna started applauding, and a round a applause followed suit from the surrounding people.


    ¡°The hope of humanity¡±, ¡°The master of the sword and magic.¡±, ¡°The lustful hero¡± It was at this moment that the great hero Kyle Leonard, who would receive many names in the future, first stepped into the front stage of history.


    From that instant, a new saga began, the saga of the hero named Kyle.

 Volume 1 - Epilogue

    Epilogue


    On the night after the medal awarding ceremony, king Raymond was on the top floor of his palace, drinking by himself in a dimly lit room.


    Due to his position as the king, he would rarely find himself alone like this. However, for the last few days, the palace¡¯s chamberlain, who was aware of the latest events, had been making sure that no one would come to disturb the king at night.


    The reality was that King Raymond¡¯s feelings were in disarray, and he was drowning his desolation in his first-class wine.


    It would have been only natural for him to feel angry after having sent his son in exile ¨D¨D But that was, in fact, not the case.


    ¡¾¡±Be it Carenas or Zentos, they were both completely useless in the end!¡±¡¿


    The true source of the king¡¯s anger was his failure to assassinate the princess.


    Whether it was inside or outside the country, king Raymond¡¯s reputation was not bad at all.


    He had never done anything particularly grand nor had he ever committed any particularly big mistake, and he was doing a smooth job managing the country¡¯s military affairs, the domestic affairs, and foreign affairs. Many of the nation¡¯s people were satisfied with his rule.


    ¡®A normal king with his some good and some bad sides¡¯, that was the people¡¯s evaluation of king Raymond.


    But precisely because he was a capable king to some extent, he was well aware of how extraordinary his daughter was.


    She had been smart from a very young age, and she had perfectly assimilated everything that she had been taught about how to be a good leader.


    Knowing that various things in the future would be much easier for her if she were to become popular, Milenia had skillfully made use of her status as the princess, which was a role that was relatively light on responsibilities, in order to come in contact with the nation¡¯s people and earn some fame with them.


    Thanks to that, she now was very popular indeed. Much more than the king himself.


    Lately, she had gradually started involving herself with the country¡¯s politics. Even though her range of actions was limited for now since she was only the next heir to the throne, she was still achieving some results, little by little.


    At this rate, in less than five years, she was likely going to make the king step down from his throne and to take his place as the country¡¯s queen.


    Moreover, it was going to be a peaceful process as everyone in the country would be satisfied with her ascension.


    Then, Jirgus was probably going to develop itself and grow well under the rule of the beautiful queen.


    At any rate, there was no doubt that Milena would be a queen whose name would go down in history.


    As for the king, he was going to lose his political career upon her ascension, and to be left behind in the past.


    He was 38 years old, and even in five years, he would be still only be 43.


    His daughter would have no difficulty to destroy what he had been building for the past 10 or 20 years, and she would then build something even better over the rubble of his forgotten legacy.


    ¡¾¡±Milena¡¯s methods are too drastic. In the future, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to drive the whole country into a crisis.¡±¡¿


    Using this pretext, he lied to himself and made up his mind to disinherit the princess.


    However, it was impossible for him publicly punish her. Because the princess had committed no mistakes so far.


    With this matter, half measures would surely result in retaliations.


    That being the case, an assassination was the only solution, but that was too risky.


    If he were to fail and his attempt were to be exposed, that would likely result in a civil war which would divide the whole country, and in that scenario, the king¡¯s chances of success were thin.


    Therefore, the king¡¯s eyes had fallen on his other child, prince Carenas.


    Even from his father¡¯s own perspective, Carenas was a fool, therefore, he was easy to understand as an individual and the king could manipulate him as he wished.


    Hence why the king had used Zentos to incite Carenas to attack his own little sister.


    Even though these kinds of aspirations were originally completely beyond the prince, he still immediately felt like killing Milena upon being incited to do it, without knowing that he was being manipulated.


    But even if Carenas had succeeded, the king had had no intention to make him his successor.


    There were many people who had the royal family¡¯s blood in their veins despite not being direct descendants of the king, so he could simply choose his successor among them.


    However, the prince had turned out to be even more foolish than expected.


    The king had made various preparations, such as assigning Zentos to him and separating Milena from the the fifth corps¡¯ knights, who were escorting her, and yet Carenas had still failed to kill his little sister.


    ¡¾¡±Still, that Zentos¡­ Even though I favored him, if he was going to die anyway, he might as well have directly killed the princess beforehand.¡±¡¿


    Although the king had told him that he would, of course, cover the whole matter afterwards, Zentos had still been particular about not wanting to be too high-handed, and about making the princess die from an accident instead.


    ¡°You should have just killed her directly from the very start¡±, Said the king angrily.


    ¡¾¡±Right now, it doesn¡¯t seem like anybody is suspecting me, but I have to think of another plan soon before anyone starts realizing what¡¯s really going on¡­ Seriously, why did those travelers have to put their nose where it doesn¡¯t belong¡­¡­¡±¡¿


    The king recalled the medal awarding ceremony which had taken place earlier in the day.


    ¡®Since these people are aware of the assassination attempt, they have to be dealt with as soon as possible. If possible, maybe I could kill them together with the princess and¡­¡¯ As king Raymond thought so, he finished his cup of wine in one gulp, and at that moment, his hair swayed.


    ¡¾¡±Hmm? ¡­Was it the wind?¡±¡¿


    When the king looked around him, believing that there was no way the wind would blow in this closed-up room, his eyes fell on the room¡¯s unlit fireplace, in front of which there was someone standing.


    That man was dressed all in black, and only his eyes could be seen on his concealed face. He was as suspicious as he could possibly be.


    However, this place was in the residential area of the royal palace, and more precisely, this was the king¡¯s bedroom, it was the safest place in all of Jirgus. ¡°No intruders are allowed here, and there is no way an intruder would be able able to come in anyway.¡± That was the king¡¯s thought process, which was limited by his drunkenness.


    The man instantly approached the side of king Raymond, and went behind him. Then, he twisted both of his arms around the king and used his hands to seal his mouth, therefore rendering the king unable to move or speak in the span of a moment.


    Faced with those movements that the man was clearly accustomed to, king Raymond, who knew nothing about martial arts, was not able to resist.


    ¡¾¡±Wondering how anyone could come here without facing any obstacles? It¡¯s simple, really. You know that secret passage behind the fireplace that leads to the royal capital? Well, I came from there.¡±¡¿


    A small voice whispered behind the king¡¯s ear. Although the king knew he had heard it before, he could not recall where that was.


    Indeed, behind the room¡¯s fireplace, there was an emergency escape passage that was connected to the royal capital.


    However, that information was held in absolute secrecy. The exit was extremely well hidden, and the only living person who knew about it was the king himself.


    ¡¾¡±I once escorted you from there when the palace fell to the enemy¡­ Seriously, at that time, I went out of my way to escort a bastard like you, and just to save your life I¡­Well, I guess it¡¯s thanks to you that I know of this passage now, so there is that at least.¡±¡¿


    ¡°I suppose at this point, I should just be happy that it wasn¡¯t all for nothing¡± Muttered the intruder.


    Not quite understanding what the man was talking about, the king, who was being restrained, was focused on desperately struggling to free himself, but to no avail.


    ¡¾¡±It¡¯s really fortunate you were drinking here by yourself. I was planning to come back several more times to wait for an opportunity in case today seemed no good, but that won¡¯t be necessary¡­ I wonder, is karma rewarding me or punishing you?¡±¡¿


    Said ironically the intruder, who was none other than Kyle.


    In order to avoid influencing the medal awarding ceremony, Kyle had been waiting until today to come here, but it seemed like he had not made the wrong choice.


    ¡¾¡±Naturally, you want to know why I¡¯m doing this, don¡¯t you? I have various reasons, but still, I don¡¯t exactly have a personal grudge against you, though I suppose I¡¯m kind of venting my anger on you.¡±¡¿


    Hearing that the intruder was just venting on him, the king groaned angrily, however, Kyle did not seem to care.


    ¡¾¡±It¡¯s useless to tell you about that now, but during the ¡®big invasion¡¯, even though I advised you to immediately go to the rescue of the dwarfs in the neighboring country, you made the political decision of delaying your rescue and waiting until they fell into a crisis before helping them, in order to seize an advantage for yourself. But the attack of the demons¡¯ troops was far above your expectations, and in the blink of an eye, the dwarfs were already done for.¡±¡¿


    Back then, Kyle was only a skilled magic swordsman who had slightly spread his name, and he was treated accordingly.


    As a survivor of the Limaze town, he had desperately appealed to how big and dreadful of a threat the demon army was at that time, but the king had not paid much attention to his words.


    ¡¾¡±That defeat caused a ripple effect which eventually led the country of Jirgus to its demise. You kept coming up with one stupid plan after another until you were cornered, at which point you started dodging responsibility¡­¡±¡¿


    As he said that, Kyle let out large sigh that came from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡¾¡±Seriously, I wish you¡¯d been stronger and had gotten your act together in those days. Maybe then I wouldn¡¯t have had to go through so much trouble¡­ It was because there were so many leaders like you that we had to suffer through all those hardships.¡±¡¿


    Perhaps because he was filled with anger, or because he was recalling his unbearable past, Kyle put more strength into his hands and arms which were twisted around king Raymond.


    The king groaned loudly from the pain.


    ¡¾¡±Oh, sorry. I guess it¡¯s meaningless to tell you all of that now¡­ Besides, I never planned to do anything to you for something you haven¡¯t even done yet¡­ But if you¡¯re going to protect yourself by manipulating your son and making him try to kill your own daughter due to your personal jealousy, then it¡¯s a whole other story. I don¡¯t need to hold back against you.¡±¡¿


    Kyle tightened his arms and hands even further, and started walking while pushing the king with him.


    ¡¾¡±But, above all, you went and gave that kind of order to my old comrade in arms, and you made me kill him. That I cannot forgive.¡±¡¿


    Zentos¡¯ last words were ¡°I have failed you, your majesty¡±.


    The moment he had heard that, Kyle was able to understand everything.


    Moreover, he had confirmed his suspicions when he was eavesdropping on the king earlier and had heard him speak to himself.


    ¡¾¡±It¡¯s simple when you think about it. As ridiculously serious and loyal as Zentos was, there is only one person who¡¯d have been able to make him assassinate the princess¡­ and that person is none other than you, your majesty. After you died and the country of Jirgus disappeared for good, Zentos seemed oddly refreshed, as if a heavy rock had been lifted from his shoulders¡­ If only he could have chosen the country of his birth, and the king he would serve.¡±¡¿


    Step by step, Kyle was approaching the room¡¯s window, which was connected to a balcony.


    Realizing what Kyle was about to do, the king struggled violently but uselessly.


    ¡¾¡±You really went all out to hide that whole matter back then. It seems like, no matter how much they investigated, it only looked like an accidental death to them¡­¡±¡¿


    Kyle smiled wryly as he recalled his former spy friend who had been full of confidence when declaring that the princess had died of an accident.


    ¡¾¡±Well, that princess is sort of devious, but she¡¯s smart. She¡¯s probably going to give priority to benefits rather than feelings and emotions when leading the country, but she will still be better than a king like you who only thinks of saving his own neck, so I can¡¯t let you kill her. Besides, after killing the princess, you¡¯d probably have made us your next targets since we know of the country¡¯s secret, right? ¡­So, I¡¯m sorry but this is where it ends for you, no hard feelings.¡±¡¿


    Kyle quietly opened the room¡¯s large window, allowing the night wind to enter inside.


    ¡¾¡±Also, the princess would normally have taken over you in 3 years, more or less. So, it doesn¡¯t really matter if I make that happen a bit earlier, right?¡±¡¿


    King Raymond was feeling an immeasurable fear as Kyle was indifferently talking about his death like it was already decided. The king started struggling and groaning even more, but that did not stop Kyle who continued to walk forward.


    ¡¾¡±Oops, I¡¯ve been talking for a little too long, haven¡¯t I? It¡¯d be pretty bad if I lose any more time.¡±¡¿


    The two men arrived at the balcony¡¯s railing.


    During daytime, this balcony would give a good view on the palace¡¯s courtyard, but right now, in the dark of the night, there was only darkness to be seen.


    This was the fifth and top floor of the royal palace, and under here was a stone pavement. Falling from this balcony would leave the victim no chances of survival.


    ¡¾¡±Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make this look like an accident, I won¡¯t tell anyone that you tried to kill your own daughter, so your honor will be safe after your death¡­ Oh, and, I¡¯d be troubled if you start screaming, so I¡¯ll have to do this beforehand.¡±¡¿


    After saying that, Kyle dealt a knifehand strike on the back of the king¡¯s neck.


    It was a light blow, but it hit the right spot and was aimed well enough to make the king pass out.


    ¡¾¡±So long, your majesty.¡±¡¿


    As his consciousness was being wrapped in darkness, those were the last words the king heard before losing his life.


    That night, some patrolling soldiers heard a loud sound towards which they immediately rushed, only to find that king Raymond had fallen to his death.


    There were no traces of an intruder in his room, and it seemed like he had been severely drunk, so it had been assumed that he had gone out to his balcony to let the night wind sober him up, and had then accidentally fallen down.


    In the end, since telling the public that the king had drunkenly fallen from his balcony would have tarnished his reputation, it had been officially announced that he had perished from a sudden heart attack.

 Volume 2 - CH 1

    Chapter 1


    The royal capital of the Jirgus kingdom, Marad, was the largest city through the whole continent. There were nearly 200.000 people living there, and it was usually bustling with activity.


    However, lately, there had been shadows lurking over the city¡¯s crowds.


    ¡¾¡±Turns out that man had lots of influence on these people in the end. If you ask me though, he¡¯d have looked like any other chap without that crown over his head.¡±¡¿


    Grumbled Seran, who was resting his chin on his hand on the border of a window, while watching the streets that had fewer people than usual.


    It had been ten days since the medal awarding ceremony, or in other words, since the day of the king¡¯s death. In that time, Kyle and the others had been staying in one of the most prominent inns of Marad.


    Two days after the king¡¯s death, a grand national funeral had taken place, and Marad was now in mourning.


    King Raymond was said to be a mediocre king, not as religious as the holy king of the Sula holy kingdom, nor as charismatic as the emperor of the Galgan empire. However, it seemed like the kingdom¡¯s people had come to like him as he was.


    The theaters and the like had suspended their programs, and the large plaza where street performers were usually displaying their skills was now quiet, with the only performances remaining being those of the minstrels, who were gloomily interpreting songs of grieving to mourn the king.


    ¡¾¡±He was a king who never made any big mistake, and that was enough for the people.¡±¡¿


    Answered Kyle, who was lying face up on a bed while looking at the booklet that he had made.


    ¡®Personally, I¡¯d say that king¡¯s been the source of a lot of trouble.¡¯ Thought Kyle while hiding a bitter smile.


    The king¡¯s abrupt death had brought a great deal of disorder to the country.


    Moreover, there were various plausible rumors circulating around the country about this excessively sudden death, with some saying that it was related to the monster attack on the prince and princess which had happened right before, others saying that it was due to a plot from another country or that it was a show of force done by those who were opposed to the king, and some even went as far as saying that it was all the work of demons.


    However, all those rumors were just that, rumors, and they never evolved into anything else. Moreover, there was no doubt that the country¡¯s current silence was not going to last. In fact, the country¡¯s mood of mourning and self-restraint was gradually fading, and new hopes and expectations were starting to rise, not only in Marad, but in Jirgus as a whole.


    ¡¾¡±Still, I shouldn¡¯t say this, but, he really picked a bad timing to die. Why did that have to happen right on the night of the ceremony? We¡¯re completely out of the spotlight now because of that.¡±¡¿


    Siad Seran as he grumbled again.


    Kyle and his companions had helped the princess when she had fallen in a crisis, and they had been decorated for their achievement.


    The masses loved these kinds of topics, and this should normally have been the talk of the town around this time, but the matter was heavily overshadowed by the king¡¯s abrupt death.


    Seran was sighing over how unfortunate that was for Kyle, whose goal was to raise his popularity in order to become a hero.


    ¡¾¡±¡­.On the other hand thought, if he had died even a single day earlier, the medal awarding ceremony would have been delayed, maybe even cancelled. We should be thankful we didn¡¯t have to be stuck waiting here.¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle while thinking ¡®I guess that¡¯s a pretty shameless thing to say considering I¡¯m the one who assassinated that king.¡¯


    ¡¾¡±Oh, I get it. If you put it like that, we did dodge a bullet.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Besides, our achievements are still here, we just have to wait a little while longer and then hire some minstrels.¡±¡¿


    The minstrels¡¯ job was not just to spread the stories and songs that they made for themselves, it was also to spread the songs that they were commissioned to make by others.


    It was not unusual for minstrels to receive requests from nobles wanting them to praise the gladiators working under them, and from adventurers wanting them to advertise their successful ventures, although there was no mistaking that the resulting songs were nothing more than publicity stunts.


    Of course, it was perfectly possible to add more or less drama to the original stories before spreading them through that method.


    ¡¾¡±I see¡­. And while you¡¯re at it, you might as well hire a troupe to do some showy performances for you in theaters, too.¡±¡¿


    Although Seran was merely jesting, when Kyle heard him, he closed his booklet and started thinking with a serious face.


    ¡¾¡±That could also work¡­ But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve accomplished enough to do it yet. We can think about it later down the line.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­ Well, if you ever make a play, I¡¯m counting on you to make me look as cool as possible.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yeah, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±¡¿


    No matter how he thought about it, Kyle felt like Seran¡¯s character would mostly serve as comic relief in a play, but he did not venture to say it out loud.


    ¡¾¡±So, what are we going to do after this?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Well, I think we should leave Jirgus after all.¡±¡¿


    Kyle immediately answered Seran¡¯s question.


    ¡¾¡±Oh? Then which country are we going to?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­That¡¯s the problem, I still don¡¯t know.¡±¡¿


    Kyle glanced at his closed booklet and sighed.


    This booklet contained everything Kyle remembered about what would happen from here on out, in other words, it contained information about the future.


    Kyle had decided to leave Jirgus a long time ago.


    In three years, the demons¡¯ ¡®great invasion¡¯ was going to happen, cornering humanity to the verge of extinction.


    Kyle¡¯s current goal was to oppose that by gaining influence among humanity until the invasion and putting together a resistance that could face the demons.


    ¡¾¡±We¡¯re back.¡±¡¿


    Lize, Urza and Sildonia, who had been out shopping, had returned to the inn.


    ¡¾¡±Welcome back, how was it ouside today?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Well, the streets still aren¡¯t all that lively¡­ But it kinda feels like they¡¯re returning to how they were before the funeral.¡±¡¿


    Lize answered Kyle¡¯s question while sorting the large amount of groceries that she had bought.


    It seemed like she had the intention to prepare some handmade food, since Sildonia had complained that the preserved meals that group usually bought in the city were too insipid and just generally no good.


    ¡¾¡±There are only few food stalls open, too, which is pretty annoying. I wish I could have eaten a few other types of food.¡±¡¿


    Said Sildonia while holding various ¡®spoils of war¡¯, such as meat skewers, bread, and boiled potatoes.


    ¡¾¡±Eating a lot as usual I see.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I didn¡¯t eat anything for more than a thousand years so no amount of food is going to be enough, ever.¡±¡¿


    Sildonia was a magical life form created through all of the very best techniques of the Zares magical kingdom. So it was no problem if she did not eat for a thousand years or even two thousand years, but Kyle preferred not to retort on this subject.


    ¡¾¡±By the way, someone left us a message at the reception. Apparently, our equipment will be repaired and delivered by tomorrow.¡±¡¿


    Reported Urza.


    It looked like she was the only one who had not bought anything in particular.


    That was likely because the group had been in Marad for ten days already and there was nothing more she wanted to buy, she had probably gone out with Lize and Sildonia this time just for the sake of tagging along.


    ¡¾¡±Is that so? That¡¯s earlier than I thought¡­ How about we directly leave the city once we receive them tomorrow?¡±¡¿


    The reason Kyle and the others were still staying in Marad was that their equipment was still in repair.


    There was not only Seran¡¯s sword which had sliced dozens of people, but there was also Kyle¡¯s armor, which was quite special case since it was made of dragon leather, and it was therefore going to take time to repair it.


    Kyle and his companions also wanted to resupply their consumable goods, such as magic stones and magic medicine, but the ones that they wanted to use were all more or less rare, so it was going to take time for a new batch to arrive.


    Naturally, Kyle and the others had not been dilly-dallying in the meantime, they had been gathering knowledge about the ways of the sword and magic, as well as information about the world¡¯s countries and the like. Being in a large city like Marad was quite convenient for gathering information.


    ¡¾¡±But, I just can¡¯t decide where we should go, so if you have any ideas, I¡¯m all ears¡­¡±¡¿


    When Kyle tried to seek the opinion of Urza, who was used to traveling, he heard the sound of the knock and the room¡¯s door opened before he could get an answer.


    ¡¾¡±Pardon my discourtesy.¡±¡¿


    Entering together with those words was a woman wearing a silver plate mail armor on her tall and slender body with a dragon crest on her chest that showed her belonging to the royal guard¡¯s knights ¨D¨D She was Killen, the commander of the fifth corps of Jirgus¡¯ royal guard knights, as well as princess Milena¡¯s close aide.


    ¡¾¡±It seems like all of you are here, how convenient. Milena-sama wants to meet with you, so I¡¯d like you to come to the palace.¡±¡¿


    Killen kept speaking indifferently, without minding the surprised reactions of Kyle and the others.


    ¡¾¡±Huh? That¡¯s¡­ Isn¡¯t she busy right now?¡±¡¿


    Kyle clearly did not seem to be interested.


    Kyle preferred to avoid meeting with the princess if possible at the current time. But of course, his reason for that was something that he could not tell anyone.


    ¡¾¡±That¡¯s certainly true, but while this meeting will be an informal one, I¡¯d like you think of it as more of a royal decree. And please consider the fact that she sent me to invite you directly as a proof of how highly she thinks of you.¡±¡¿


    Although she was speaking politely, Killen¡¯s tone did not allow any retort.


    Moreover, Kyle had perceived that, while Killen had said that it was convenient that everyone was present in the room, she had likely been waiting for them to gather there for a while.


    ¡¾¡±So, why does she require our presence? Because we were thinking of leaving Marad tomorrow if possible.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I have not been not told about why she wants to meet you. But this matter probably isn¡¯t going to take too much of your time¡­ I think. I¡¯ve kept the carriage waiting outside, we¡¯ll be heading to the palace as soon as you¡¯re done preparing. Try to make it quick.¡±¡¿


    Faced with this manner of speaking that did not leave any room for objections, Kyle reluctantly obeyed while thinking ¡®Damn it, we should have left a day earlier.¡¯


    As the ¡°treasure of Jirgus¡±, Princess Milena received tremendous support from the nation to take over the throne in the king¡¯s stead after his sudden death.


    The only problem was that, according to rumors, the princess intended to only handle the country¡¯s political affairs while still keeping her current status as a princess, because she deemed that she was still too inexperienced to take over the throne. She was apparently intending to become the queen only once she would deem that it was time.


    The king¡¯s seat was therefore going to be vacant for a while.


    But, even if it was only for a short while, having an empty throne was still a source of various problems for a country under a monarchical system. However, it seemed like that was not going to cause any major disorder in Jirgus¡¯ case given that the king¡¯s successor, Milena, was alive and well, and that it was clear that she was going to take the throne sooner or later.


    In reality, Princess Milena was likely just planning to choose the most effective timing for her enthronement.


    And Kyle and his companions were now heading to meet with that very same formidable princess.


    Once the group arrived at the capital¡¯s royal palace, Killen separated from them and they continued to walk towards the guest room inside the royal family quarters.


    Afterwards, Kyle and the others were welcomed so hospitably that it could be said to be undeserved.


    However, even after the group waited for quite a while, there was no sign that the princess was going to come, and the chamberlain who was in charge of taking care of the palace¡¯s visitors was apologetically repeating ¡°Please wait for a little while.¡±


    After a while longer, princess Milena finally came, accompanied by Killen who had left the group earlier.


    ¡¾¡±Everyone, thank you for coming on such short notice, and I am sorry for having kept you waiting.¡±¡¿


    Said the future queen while bowing her head. She was a woman who was born with something that was important for those who stood at the top: a certain light that could naturally charm and captivate people.


    However, Kyle felt like he could see a few traces of shadows seen within that light.


    ¡¾¡±Milena-sama, please don¡¯t lower you head to us, we¡¯re not worthy.¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle, making as little eye contact as possible with the princess, and bowing his head while acting like he was flustered.


    ¡¾¡±No, I think of all of you as my friends. Please think of this gesture as a simple apology for having kept my friends waiting¡­ I¡¯d have preferred to have a more relaxed conversation if circumstances permitted it, but I am sorry, I¡¯ll have to immediately get to the heart of the matter.¡±¡¿


    Kyle and his companions, who had been standing since they arrived, were encouraged to take a seat by the princess. But that naturally did not mean that she had called them to chat with them.


    ¡¾¡±First, I¡¯d like to say that this is more of an official commission than a personal request. Please make your decision only after hearing everything I have to say, but rest assured that it will be completely okay for you to decline the commission by then.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Ah¡­ understood.¡±¡¿


    ¡°Yeah, there is no way it¡¯s going be easy to decline it once we¡¯ve heard it.¡± muttered Kyle in his mind.


    ¡¾¡±¡­¡­ This matter is related to my marriage.¡±¡¿


    With those words, Princess Milena started talking.

 Volume 2 - CH 2

    Chapter 2


    ¡¾¡±Your¡­ marriage?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, although even I only learned about it a few days ago, I apparently have a fiance.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena was 16 years old, it was not strange for her to be engaged.


    However, a marriage within the royal family was a matter of great concern, both inside and outside the country. Especially in cases like this one, because whoever would get married to the next queen would therefore become the prince consort, which would give him significant influence over  the entire country.


    The mere process of deciding between choosing a king from the country or from overseas would likely give rise to intense disputes, let alone if that choice was settled before any discussions could start.


    However, the decision had already been made.


    ¡¾¡±Hmm¡­. If you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me who that person is?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, it is his higness Maiser Leng Garguan, the third prince of the Garguan empire.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±The Garguan empire!?¡±¡¿


    Not only Kyle, but even Seran and the others showed surprised faces.


    The Garguan empire was currently the most powerful country of the human race, and they were planning to spread their dominion even more. Moreover, they were on bad terms with the Jirgus kingdom.


    The empire was a young nation, always aiming to expand its territory, while the Jirgus kingdom was keen on traditions and rather conservative. Two years in the past, they had been on the verge of war over a certain place, located adjacent to both countries.


    That place was the city-state known as Calan.


    ¡¾¡±What I am about to tell you goes back to two years ago, during the territorial dispute over Calan.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena started explaining the situation.


    Originally, Calan was a city-state located at the southeast of Jirgus.


    It was a mining city where many members of the dwarf race lived, and where a lot of high-quality metals were produced. Furthermore, to the present day, they were the only ones in the continent who had the technology to mine and process the magic metal called Mithril.


    Any country that could get a hold of this small city would become a significant economic and military asset. But while many countries had been aiming to take over it , Calan was located in a mountainous region, which made it difficult to bring a large army to attack them.


    Due to this geographical advantage and also to the city¡¯s defense that made it worthy of being called a fortress, Calan had been able to protect its independence for a long time.


    However, two years in the past, in its ever-going expansion, the Garguan empire ended up becoming adjacent to Calan. At that point, the empire pressed the small city to submit to it like that was the obvious choice, but naturally, Calan refused.


    The empire made many concessions in trying to negotiate, but those negotiations eventually collapsed and then elapsed into a war.


    Thinking that the empire would eventually give up their assault, Calan¡¯s side made use of their geographical advantage and deployed some mercenaries as well as some troops of excellent dwarven warriors in order to fortify their defenses.


    However, the empire sent their knight troupes, renown everywhere in the human territory, their archmages, their mighty magic weapons, and they even launched an unprecedented assault from the sky. This had far exceeded Calan¡¯s expectations.


    Realizing that they had completely misread the empire¡¯s war potential and that they would likely end up being taken by the enemy if things stayed as they were, Calan requested the assistance of the Jirgus kingdom.


    In exchange, Calan was willing to become a city-state attached to Jirgus.


    Although those who followed the empire without resistance would be taken under their cordial care, those who fought them and resisted before being swallowed up would instead end up being mercilessly oppressed and stripped off of their wealth.


    Because of that, even if Calan surrendered to the empire, they would not be able to trade freely afterward. Hence why Calan had desperately sought the help of the Jirgus kingdom, which previously had an equal association with the small city.


    Becoming attached to Jirgus would be basically the same as belonging to the kingdom, but at least Calan¡¯s independence would be kept to some degree. And from Jirgus¡¯ side, they knew that if Calan completely went under Garguan¡¯s control, it would become a knife under the whole kingdom¡¯s throat, and they therefore accepted Calan¡¯s request.


    Thus, the situation between Jirgun and Garugan became critical, with Calan in the middle of their disputes.


    Even though the Garugan empire was the most powerful country of the human race, the Jirgus kingdom was also one of the continent¡¯s major powers. If a war started between them, both countries would sustain great damage.


    In the end, after barely avoiding an all out war,the Garugan empire withdrew.


    Moreover, the empire signed a non-aggression pact with Calan and offered reparations for starting the war, which clearly showed that the Garugan empire had given in.


    ¡¾¡±It seems like at that time, the two countries made a secret agreement to engage me to his highness Maiser.¡±¡¿


    King Ramonas only told a few of his close aides about this, but he had not informed princess Milena.


    Like he thought that there was no need to actually talk about it.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on¡± Muttered Kyle in his mind, after hearing about the situation from the princess.


    On the outside, it looked like the empire had made a big compromise, but if it had been decided that a descendant of the emperor would be accepted as the prince consort of Jirgus, then the truth was different than it seemed.


    This would allow the empire to have some influence over the epicenter of Jirgus, and in the future, this could give the empire a justification to invade Jirgus, as well.


    Therefore, even though Calan became attached to them, this deal was still a loss for the Jirgus kingdom. In other words, looking at the situation from another perspective, it was actually the Jirgus kingdom that had ended up making concessions and giving in.


    However, what if princess Milena were to die before the official announcement of the marriage?


    Naturally, the engagement would be cancelled.


    Then, the empire would demand a marriage with the next of kin, prince Carenas, but it would obviously take time for the empire to prepare a princess for the prince.


    If necessary, the country would declare that prince Carenas had an official fiancee, and then, all that would be left do was to use some pretext to disinherit him ¨D¨D That was probably king Ramonas¡¯ plan.


    (That¡¯s quite nasty¡­ It seems like the king planned to use the princess¡¯ death in this case, too.)


    But perhaps he would not have been fit to be king if he could not make those kinds of decisions.


    ¡¾¡±And so, I¡¯ve been thinking of officially refusing this marriage. A messenger from the empire is supposed to come in a few days for that, so¡­.¡±¡¿


    As the princess kept on explaining, Kyle quickly interjected with a question.


    ¡¾¡±You¡¯re going to refuse it? But what is going to happen to Calan if you do so?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Calan will naturally still be attached to Jirgus. Officially, Calan and the marriage have nothing to do with each other, and we have not exchanged any sort of formal document about the marriage. Since circumstances have changed, there is nothing wrong with refusing.¡±¡¿


    In short, the princess intended to pretend that she did not know about the previous king¡¯s arbitrary decision.


    Of course, such an explanation was far from enough to convince the empire¡¯s side.


    ¡¾¡±I would like the head of Calan to be informed of the situation, so that we can be on the same line. And I want you to be my emissaries for this mission.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena¡¯s request was for Kyle and the group to deliver a letter that she was going to write for the head of Calan.


    ¡¾¡±I  have one question¡­ Why do we have to be the ones in charge of that mission?¡±¡¿


    Kyle¡¯s doubts were only natural.


    If this was about being emissaries, then anyone in the royal court could do it in the group¡¯s stead. And that was all the more true given that the goal was to deliver a mere letter.


    ¡¾¡±First, Jirgus is currently in great confusion. And there are still a few people who I cannot completely trust.¡±¡¿


    In a word, the princess was simply saying that there was a shortage in manpower.


    Her succession to the throne, which was supposed to be planned over many years, had been accelerated, and the kingdom was neither ready nor prepared.


    Although Calan¡¯s matter was important, it was more important to stabilize and gain complete grasp over the country¡¯s internal affairs, and there was not enough manpower to do both.


    ¡¾¡±Moreover, we also need to monitor the Garugan empire¡¯s actions. With the failure of their plan to interfere with the kingdom¡¯s affairs from the inside, I am sure they¡¯re going to urgently come up with new plans.¡±¡¿


    Added the princess.


    ¡¾¡±Given the current status quo, they likely won¡¯t interfere with Jirgus. As for Calan, since they signed a non-aggression pact with them, there should be no way for the empire to use brute force against them¡­. But I¡¯m sure they will try to coerce them one way or another.¡±¡¿


    In short, the princess was implying that the messengers sent to Calan would be exposed to a direct danger.


    ¡¾¡±Also, although I personally think it¡¯s unlikely¡­ There are some people who suspect that the empire might have been involved in the other day¡¯s incident.¡±¡¿


    The princess was referring to the recent attempt on her life.


    ¡¾¡±Huh? But the empire is trying to extend its influence by marrying the third prince to you, right? So that would be contradictory of them¡­¡±¡¿


    ¡°I mean, wouldn¡¯t assassinating you actually spoil their plans?¡± Said Lize with doubt in her voice, but the princess shook her head from side to side and explained.


    ¡¾¡±The empire is not completely unified. They all want to expend their territory, but some factions want to do it through wars, and for them, the factions that want to extend the empire¡¯s influence through diplomacy, with marriages and the like, are a hindrance. So, they could have assassinated me and then purposely left evidence that they were the one who did it. Then, Jirgus would protest against the empire, who would object, saying that the accusations were wrong and groundless, and that they felt insulted by them. At that point, they would be able to use that as an excuse to declare war against the kingdom.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±These political matters are a mess¡­¡±¡¿


    Said Urza, as if shocked by humanity¡¯s excessive wretchedness.


    ¡¾¡±That is true. Still, they cannot do such shameless things on the spot, but we do need to be prepared, because they are capable of applying these kinds of plans when necessary.¡±¡¿


    Princess Milena sighed lightly.


    Kyle and the others were trustworthy enough, they were skilled enough to shake off the dangers that could come, and they had enough adaptability to deal with any complications that would arise.


    Moreover, princess Milena was worried that, if the empire would really end up getting involved and if she sent someone who was not competent enough, they could end up spreading the scandal that happened with her bother. So, one of the reason she chose Kyle¡¯s group was that they already knew the private information concerning the attempted assassination.


    ¡¾¡±If you accept this request, you will have to leave by the end of tomorrow. I am sorry, I know this is sudden, but please tell me your decision by tomorrow morning.¡±¡¿


    ¡°We¡¯ve prepared a room for you so please stay the night.¡± Saying only that, the princess quickly went out of the room and then walked away, looking like she was being urged to do so by the surrounding maids.

 Volume 2 - CH 3

    Volume 2 ¨C Chapter 3


    That night, Kyle was considering things while lying down on a bed in the guest room that had been prepared for him in the royal palace.


    After the conversation with the princess, the whole group had come together to discuss the situation, but since they could not come up with any real reason to resolutely accept or to adamantly refuse the princess¡¯ request, the final conclusion was they were going to leave the decision to the leader, Kyle.


    ¡¾¡±That being said¡­ Can we actually refuse?¡±¡¿


    To begin with, refusing a personal request from the princess was not really an option.


    Princess Milena said that she would not mind if they did not accept her request, but from the perspective of the people surrounding her, that would make it seem like the group betrayed the princess¡¯ expectations and trust.


    Jirgus was going to be one of the most important forces during the ¡°Great invasion¡± due to its geographical location and its national power. Kyle absolutely did not want to lose this country¡¯s trust.


    And if he could so a meritorious deed for the country, then that wouldn¡¯t hurt either.


    Moreover, meeting with the head of Calan would also be a significant matter for Kyle.


    Calan had many greatly skilled dawrven blacksmiths, and the armors and weapons made through their craftsmanship had been of great use in the very last battle of Kyle¡¯s previous life.


    Kyle currently had a lot of precious metals, including mithril, but those metals were of no use by themselves.


    And the dwarves of Calan were the only ones who could process those kinds of metals and make them into weapons and armors. Considering all that, then perhaps this request was a good opportunity.


    ¡¾¡±Even so, I don¡¯t really feel like doing it¡­ but that would be a pretty bad decision, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±¡¿


    If a problem were to occur, it would be the Garugan empire taking action.


    Kyle knew for a fact that the empire was not involved in the assassination attempt on the princess.


    However, it was highly likely that they were going to make use of this opportunity to meddle with Calan.


    The issue was that Kyle had no intention to antagonize the empire, which was the most powerful human nation. Rather, he wanted to build a relation with them going forward.


    ¡¾¡±If the empire really does get involved¡­ they¡¯re going to be difficult to deal with.¡±¡¿


    Kyle let out a long sigh.


    What was occupying his mind above all was the fact that, right now, in his heart, he wanted to keep his involvement with the princess to a minimum.


    There was no helping what he had done, and he had done it to protect the princess¡¯ live, but even so, the had still killed her father.


    Whenever he talked to her, he was at a loss as to how to face her.


    ¡¾¡±¡­Lately, all I¡¯ve been doing is worrying.¡±¡¿


    ¡ºYou¡¯re using your head, that¡¯s a good thing.¡»


    While Kyle was groaning with his face buried in his pillow, a voice came out of the sword that was placed beside his bed. It was Sildonia.


    Sildonia¡¯s phantomatic incarnation as a young girl was sleeping in a separate room that had been prepared for her. She could not create a phantom of herself at too far of distance, but since she was in the same building right now, it was no problem.


    ¡ºI¡¯m just guessing right now, but there is a possibility that the empire¡¯s possible meddling is not the only problem that¡¯s happening in Calan. ¡»


    ¡¾¡±What do you mean?¡±¡¿


    ¡ºTen days have passed since the death of the king, and yet the head of Calan hasn¡¯t come to visit the royal capital, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s strange? After all, Calan is attached to Jirgus.¡»


    ¡¾¡±That¡­ that¡¯s certainly odd.¡±¡¿


    The kingdom¡¯s subjects such as feudal lords and the like, including those who did not live in the royal capital, had come from all over the country and gathered in Marad in order to offer their condolences regarding the king¡¯s death.


    ¡ºThe fact that the princess did not explain anything about that is proof enough that something abnormal happened in Calan, and perhaps she¡¯s expecting us, or rather, you, to investigate that situation or even to resolve it. She might be testing you.¡»


    Delivering the letter was likely the least she wanted him to do, but perhaps her main goal was to see whether he would adapt and do more than he was asked to do.


    ¡¾¡±Is she trying to see whether she can use me from here on out¡­?¡±¡¿


    ¡ºThat¡¯s can¡¯t be helped, giving many implications and nuances to one matter is an important ability for those who stand at the top. You should think of that as something that is to be expected. Even so, it¡¯s likely that, right now, what that princess wants the most is a capable subordinate or comrade that she can trust.¡»


    Added Sildonia after hearing a little bit of what seemed like dissatisfaction behind Kyle¡¯s words.


    The origin of the magic life-form Sildonia was the ¡°Magic king¡± from Zares, an ancient kingdom which had fallen to ruins a thousand years in the past.


    Among Kyle¡¯s entourage, Sildonia was the one whose mentality was the closest to that of the princess, and that allowed her to understand Milena¡¯s feelings and position.


    ¡¾¡±I didn¡¯t really take it the wrong way, rather, I¡¯m thankful that she gave me the option to accept or refuse the request after explaining to me the relation between Calan and the Garugan empire.¡±¡¿


    As he said so, Kyle stood up and went towards the room¡¯s door.


    ¡ºWhere are you going?¡»


    ¡¾¡±To the rest room, in the meantime, you should hurry and go to sleep.¡±¡¿


    As a guest, Kyle had a maid who was assigned to him and who was standing outside of his room for night watch and in order to assist him in case of need. When Kyle came out of the room, she took care of guiding him towards the rest room.


    It was already close to midnight. However, the palace¡¯s pathways were always kept bright, even at this time. There was big windowpane which overlooked the courtyard, during the day, it reflected the image of the courtyard¡¯s splendid garden from the outside, which was probably a sight to behold for the passersby.


    As Kyle silently looked through that windowpane on his way back, several people came walking from the opposite direction. When Kyle realized that that was the princess, her maid, and a knight escorting them, he immediately stepped towards the side of the pathway to make way for her, and then bowed his head.


    Since it was this late, Kyle merely offered a simple greeting and immediately started leaving, but princess Milena called out to him from behind.


    ¡¾¡±Excuse me, I know it¡¯s a crazy thing to ask this late at night, but¡­ Would you be willing to go outside with me for a little recreation?¡±¡¿


    That voice sounded somewhat lonely and sad.


    Since declining the invitation of the future queen would have been a no go, Kyle folowed her lead until they both arrived at the palace¡¯s courtyard.


    Although it was called a ¡°courtyard¡±, this was the courtyard of the royal palace. It was as big as a park.


    ¡¾¡±This is my favorite place.¡±¡¿


    Said the princess, who was standing in the back of the courtyard, while looking at her surroundings.


    This place was slightly elevated compared to its surroundings, and it was encircled by flowers that were maintained by the hands of the palace¡¯s gardeners. During the daytime, the place was high enough to overlook the whole garden, which was so splendid that it could be called a green piece of art.


    But, through the use of a magic item that contained a ¡®Light¡¯ spell, the multiple colors of the flowers were still visible even in the dark of night, giving the garden a peculiar beauty, different from that of the daytime.


    This was the seventh month of the year. It was right in the middle ofsummer, but this late at night, the weather was cool and comfortable. There was a comfortable breeze coming and going, which was slightly moving the princess¡¯ long hair.


    ¡¾¡±But lately, I haven¡¯t had a single moment of respite.¡±¡¿


    The princess sighed lightly. Looking at the profile of her face, there was still traces of a shadow, just like earlier in the day.


    The truth was likely that she was worn out. In a short period of daytime, she had lost both her father and her brother, and, from here on out, she was going to have to carry the weight of the country of Jirgus over her shoulders.


    That mental pressure was likely unbearable, even for the young princess who was full of wisdom.


    Kyle, who was standing nearby, couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak back to the princess.


    He was not qualified to comfort her. Because he was without a doubt the one who had put her in her current situation.


    ¡¾¡±You must think that I am a cold-hearted woman. Even though I just lost my relatives, I am not even grieving.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±That¡¯s¡­.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Of course, I do feel sad. It¡¯s just that, in some way, it all seems like it¡¯s somebody else¡¯s problem. I have no time to spare, especially not for mourning¡­ I wonder how much my father would lament if he saw me today¡­.?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±¡­¡­ His majesty was a great man who thought of the well-being of the country more than anyone else. If he saw you today, doing nothing but working for the sake of Jirgus without letting yourself be crippled by his own death, I am sure he would be pleased, don¡¯t you think so?¡±¡¿


    As he said so, Kyle felt like his mouth was about to betray his feelings, but that did not show on his face at all, he looked completely earnest.


    Putting on an act of this level was well in Kyle¡¯s capabilities.


    Not realizing what was going in Kyle¡¯s mind, the princess offered her thanks.


    ¡¾¡±Thank you very much¡­ Sorry, I had already figured you would say that, maybe I just wanted someone to say it to me out loud.¡±¡¿


    As she became more at ease, princess Milena¡¯s voice lightened up a little.


    ¡¾¡±Are you dissatisfied by your current position?¡±¡¿


    Kyle knew that he was in no position to ask that question, and that even if the princess answered yes, nothing could be done about her situation anyway.


    However, Kyle could not help himself from asking that question, because he noticed that there was a cloud above the princess¡¯ unique radiance, which had not dimmed in the slightest in the past, even on the day when her life was being targeted.


    ¡¾¡±I am not dissatisfied about becoming the queen¡­ I was born to become the queen of Jirgus, to live as the queen, and to die as the queen. I cannot live any other way.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±That sounds like a restrained life.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±It might look that way from other people¡¯s perspective, but I am not unhappy about living that way. What I¡¯m worried about it whether I am good enough to hold such a position.¡±¡¿


    From Kyle¡¯s perspective, no one was more suitable than princess Milena to become the queen, however, it seemed like succeeding to the throne so abruptly was making the princess feel some serious doubts.


    Kyle could not possibly understand the pressure that came with succeeding to the throne. Therefore, he decided to borrow someone else¡¯s words.


    ¡¾¡±¡­. Putting 10 people at a disadvantage for the benefits of 100 people. Abandoning 100 villages in order to save 1000 towns from starvation. Sending 1000 soldiers to their death in order to lead 10.000 troops to victory. A ruler needs to have the resolve to make these decisions without any hesitation.¡±¡¿


    The princess was amazed by Kyle¡¯s words.


    ¡¾¡±¡­.Are you the one who thought of that, sir Kyle?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±No, I borrowed those words from the greatest leader that I know. He said that those who stand above should never waver.¡±¡¿


    During the ¡®great invasion¡¯, Kyle came across many people from various ruling classes, such as nobles and royals. And, during the chaos, most of them were worthless.


    The words he borrowed were from the only person that he respected among them.


    Even Kyle himself was someone who would help those he could help in battle, but would sometimes make a more heartless choice when it came to those he couldn¡¯t help.


    Being able to save everyone was nothing but an empty dream. Kyle was well aware of that.


    ¡¾¡±That is certainly true, I cannot let myself waver. Because if I waver, the country itself will follow suit.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±But, lady Milena, I hope you will not forget about the people who will be on the short end, I¡¯d like you to reduce their numbers as much as you can, even if it¡¯s by a single person¡­ My apologies, I said too much.¡±¡¿


    Kyle bowed deeply. He had clearly said too much for a man of his status.


    However, princess Milena spoke in a delighted manner.


    ¡¾¡±There is nothing to apologize about. Your words are more than welcome, thank you.¡±¡¿


    Kyle thought that, far from helping the princess through this difficult time, he had ended up putting more pressure and expectations on her, but the princess seemed delighted, as if a load had been taken off her mind.


    Afterwards, the princess seemingly returned to her normal condition and chatted about two or three other things with Kyle, this time in a brighter mood. Then, the conversation centered on the request she had made at noon.


    ¡¾¡±Although I will have to get married eventually, I have no intention to do it now. I am sorry for his highness Maizer, but I do not need to be connected to the empire right now.¡±¡¿


    The princess had to be as cautious with her own marriage as with everything else that mattered to the country.


    ¡¾¡±It¡¯s certainly important to consider the matter carefully.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Yes, the queen does not have the right to divorce. The only case where a queen can leave her husband is when he dies. In other words, I can only get married once, so I must choose the other party carefully. Marriage is a trump card, I do not want to use it to be linked to the empire, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±You¡¯re saying this like it doesn¡¯t concern you at all, but it¡¯s a matter that will affect you through your whole life.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Well, I personally cannot understand how one can long for marriage and the like¡­ No, rather, it¡¯s more accurate to say that I haven¡¯t considered the question.¡±¡¿


    She appeared to completely consider her own marriage as a political tool.


    ¡¾¡±If I ever come to seek love or something like that, I don¡¯t mind getting a lover.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Wait, what do you mean?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Well, he would have to be¡­. For exemple, the type of person who would appear gallantly if my life is in danger, but at the same time, would also be enigmatic and have secrets¡­ I¡¯d be kind of interested in someone like that.¡±¡¿


    As she said that, princess Milena turned her body around towards Kyle and then drew slightly closer to him, who had not come in front of her at all so far.


    They were now standing so close next to each other that a passerby would wonder if they were feeling each other¡¯s breaths. However, it was past midnight, even the servants had left the courtyard.


    Looking so closely at this beautiful face that was famous even in the neighboring countries, Kyle¡¯s heartbeat quickened and his whole body stiffened.


    Upon seeing that reaction, the princess lightly smiled.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯m just joking. But I really am interested in you, sir Kyle, and I have no doubt that we would get along. Because I feel something from you that I¡¯ve never perceived from anyone else that I¡¯ve ever met.¡±¡¿


    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite the good judge of character¡± added the princess with a laugh, before widening the distance between her and Kyle.


    ¡¾¡±Thank you for accompanying me today. Now then, I wish you a good night.¡±¡¿


    After a bowing her head lightly, princess Milena turned her back on Kyle and started walking towards the palace.


    ¡¾¡±¡­ Did I just get played?¡±¡¿


    As he looked at the retreating back of the princess while wondering if she had just made fun of him to improve her own mood, a cramped smile formed on Kyle¡¯s face.


    When the princess returned to the palace, she was received by her maids who had been waiting for her. The youngest among them, Ninos, spoke to her.


    ¡¾¡±I see you have worked hard. How was his reaction?¡±¡¿


    Among the princess¡¯ personal maids, Ninos was Milena¡¯s favorite.


    Although she was still only 11 years old, she was quick-witted, very knowledgeable, and she was also a ¡®mage¡¯ who could even use advanced magic. She was a so called child prodigy.


    She was a quiet person, her judgments were always calm and cool-headed, and she was of assistance to the princess in various ways.


    ¡¾¡±Oh? Whatever do you mean?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I thought you intended to practice in order to learn how to lead men by the nose?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±If anyone were to hear that, it would make me seem like an unbelievably wicked woman.¡±¡¿


    Although the princess¡¯ let out a small laugh, she did not deny Ninos¡¯ words.


    As the princess had said to Kyle, she was going to have to get married eventually. As a queen, giving birth to children or a child was both her duty and part of her job.


    Of course, if her husband could be someone that she liked, that would be best, but it was better not to expect too much.


    Moreover, although he was going to be the prince consort, she had no intention to let her future husband meddle with her own affairs.


    However, that did not mean she wanted to build an unhappy family. What kind of partner did she want for herself? As long as it was someone she could control, then it did not matter.


    For that purpose, the princess had casually gathered information about leading men by the nose from wealthy, experienced noble ladies during dinner parties and tea parties, but the techniques she had learned about would be worthless if she did not try to put them into practice.


    Up to now, she could not let herself get close to any specific man due to the king¡¯s presence. And if she had tried those techniques on the officials and staff of the royal palace, that could have turned into a problem in the future.


    However, now that she had become the country¡¯s most influential person, there were some problems that she could crush if she wanted. For the time being, the one caught her eye as a practice target was Kyle, who who did not have any political ties at all.


    ¡¾¡±I had heard that showing some weakness would be effective, and it certainly worked wonders. Well, that¡¯s probably because sir Kyle is gentle at his core, but still, his reaction afterwards was pretty good¡­¡±¡¿


    As the princess said so, there was no trace of the shadow that Kyle had perceived on her face. Physical tiredness aside, her mental tiredness had vanished completely.


    ¡¾¡±However, I felt a psychological wall, like something was pulling him back.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±That¡¯s only natural, isn¡¯t it? There is no one in all of Jirgus who can approach you in a relaxed manner, lady Milena.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±It wasn¡¯t only about our difference in status, I felt like there was something else¡­ Well, understanding a man¡¯s heart or whatever was just a secondary thing. Putting that aside, this conversation allowed me to take a step forward in understanding some parts of his personality. This time¡¯s request will make for a good test, too¡­. But in the end, I still want him to completely belong to my side no matter what.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I disagree. We still don¡¯t know what is that man¡¯s true nature.¡±¡¿


    Ninos clearly showed her opposition.


    That group certainly is outstandingly powerful. They were only five but they were a match for a whole squad of royal knights.


    However, they did not seem to be fixated on gaining political power, yet their financial assets were so enormous that even a a big aristocrat would pale in comparison, and their origins were still unknown.


    On the other hand, they were obsessed with their prestige and were very keen on raising their fame.


    At any rate, their conduct did not make sense, and Ninos could not figure what was their real purpose. For her, Kyle was an incomprehensible being.


    The fact that she could not comprehend him meant that she could not read his action. Ninos did not want to let a walking cause of anxiety like him approach the princess.


    But the princess had already expected some opposition, so she was not dissatisfied by Ninos¡¯ attitude.


    Those who did not doubt her management of the country at all and who could abandon their own selves in order to follow her orders were necessary, but those who could clearly express their conflicting opinions to their master were also important.


    On that point, Kyle was similar. Few were the times when anyone gave her an advice as upfrontly as Kyle did, which made the princess appreciate that all the more.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯m well aware that he¡¯s hiding some things. But, even knowing that, he¡¯s still worth it.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±You seem to appreciate him quite a lot, but why are you so convinced that he¡¯s worth it? ¡°¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Well, if I have to say¡­ it¡¯s just an intuition, I guess?¡±¡¿


    Ninos was astonished by the princess¡¯ words.


    That was because she had never heard a word such as ¡°intuition¡± come from the princess¡¯ mouth.


    After laughing out of satisfaction from seeing such an expression on the maid¡¯s usually expressionless face, princess Milena started walking towards her bedroom in order to go get some sleep, this time for real.


    In the early morning of the next day, Kyle and his group informed one of the princess¡¯ attendants that they had accepted the princess¡¯ request, and after receiving a letter, noticed that contained information for them, and a proof of their identity, they left the palace.

 Volume 2 - CH 4

    After leaving the palace, Kyle and the others immediately headed to the smith shop. Their goal was to get back their repaired weapons and armors, and to buy certain consumables to replenish their stocks.


    ¡¾¡±Welcome.¡±¡¿


    The shopkeeper Fespa went outside his store and deeply bowed to greet Kyle and the others as they came towards him.


    ¡¾¡±I know It¡¯s a little late, but congratulations for your medal.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Oh, thanks. The story didn¡¯t spread much though.¡±¡¿


    Said Kyle while shrugging his shoulders somewhat bitterly. Fespa answered him with a similarly bitter smile.


    ¡¾¡±That¡¯s only because your timing was a little bad¡­ However, I¡¯m sure you and your friends will get a new achievement in no time at all.¡±¡¿


    Fespa spoke with a radiant smile. That was probably mere lip service, but his smile had the ability to give people a good impression.


    The truth was that Kyle and the others were very important customers for Fespa.


    Normally, the repairs would have taken a little more time, but, since he was in a big hurry, Fespa had considerably pushed things in order to finish sooner.


    That unreasonable workload had been compensated, but in addition to paying Fespa extra money for the extra efforts, Kyle had also ordered large amounts of magic medicine and magic stones, making the profits enormous.


    Moreover, Kyle had paid for all of that in advance. It was only natural for a shopkeeper to become more courteous when faced with a good customer who paid this much.


    Of course, that did not mean that Fespa did not care or wonder about Kyle¡¯s true identity.


    Even though his identity was still unknown, Kyle was extraordinarily rich, he had saved the princess, and had even been given a medal.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped that Fespa¡¯s curiosity was stimulated by those events that were like the start of those heroic tales that the minstrels would usually sing about.


    ¡¾¡±Now then, I¡¯ll give you the items you ordered and the ones I repaired, come with me, please.¡±¡¿


    However, no qualified merchant would arbitrarily investigate his clients¡¯ backgrounds.


    (As long as I can make money, that¡¯s plenty enough, I should value this relationship.) Thinking that, Fespa guided the group towards the second floor, into a room that he would use when receiving someone special as a customer.


    After getting back his repaired leather armor, Kyle tried it on to check its feel.


    Urza and Lize were checking the different types of magic medicine and magic stones the group had bought. As for Sildonia, she was merrily eating some sweets that had been given to her earlier.


    ¡¾¡±So, how is my sword?¡±¡¿


    As he said so, Seran picked the sword that he had left for repairs and checked its blade.


    ¡¾¡±There were a lot of small scratches and dents on it, but it was still repairable. The craftsman who fixed it said that the sword looked like it been used for years.¡±¡¿


    Fespa smiled as he recalled the shock that appeared in the craftsman¡¯s eyes when he was told that the sword had been used for less than a month.


    ¡¾¡±Yeah I might have overused it a bit.¡±¡¿


    Seran couldn¡¯t tell Fespa that he had fought against 30 heavily-equipped royal knights and had sliced the armors of each one of them.


    ¡¾¡±Anyway, this sword is not bad, but don¡¯t you have a slightly better one?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I am very sorry, this is a sword of the highest class and it¡¯s the best our store has to offer¡­¡±¡¿


    As he said so to Seran, Fespa seemed sincerely apologetic.


    ¡°Do you have a better sword?¡± ¨D¨D This was something that Fespa heard on a daily basis from customers wanting to buy something that was above what they could handle just so that they could show off.


    But, as a merchant, there was no way he would refuse to sell his products, even to those kinds of customers. Still, every time, Fespa would think to himself that those customers were throwing away their money.


    However, objects could not lie.


    From the damaged condition of the sword, it was clear that it was not good enough to keep up with its owner¡¯s capabilities.


    However, it would have been very difficult for him to prepare a sword better than the one he had given to Seran. Therefore, as a merchant who was unable to provide his customer with what he was really seeking, Fespa apologized from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡¾¡±I see¡­ Then, I guess I¡¯ll just have to manage with this one for now.¡±¡¿


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡± Added Seran before putting his sword back in its scabbard.


    In this shop, this sword was considered to be of the highest quality, and Seran knew that this meant that, in short, he was not going to obtain anything better here with money alone.


    Had this been an average sword, it would have ended up being bent or broken in the middle of his fight, but this one had held on until the very end. Therefore, it was not a bad sword by any means.


    However, it was also true that Seran would be able to fight with more ease if he had a sword of the same equality as Sildonia.


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯m sorry¡­ I cannot make any promises, but I will use all of my connections to try to find a sword that suits you, sir Sera. And then I¡¯ll add it to my stock.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±¡¿


    Said Seran while wearing his sword and its scabbard at his side.


    ¡¾¡±Our next destination is Calan, is there anything you can tell us about it?¡±¡¿


    Having received and checked everything he had ordered from the shop, Kyle asked Fespa for some information.


    Even in his previous life, Kyle had never been to Calan. He used to think that he would like to visit it if an opportunity ever presented itself, but the big invasion happened before he could do so.


    Calan was known for making weapons and armors of superior quality, even this store was selling arms that came from there. Hence why Kyle figured that Fespa had to know at least a little bit about that place.


    ¡¾¡±About Calan? Well, that place is¡­  kind of complicated. It has an old history coupled with isolationist policies, and its traditions don¡¯t have much to do with the rest of the world.¡±¡¿


    Although his face had slightly clouded over upon being asked about Calan, Fespa still continued speaking after cautioning Kyle to keep the conversation between themselves.


    ¡¾¡±The real ruler of Calan is the blacksmith guild, and the head of the guild is also the head of the whole city. To put it gently, most of the people of the blacksmith guild are very confident in themselves and their skills, and to put it in harsher terms, they are very arrogant and look down on others¡­ I¡¯ve had problems with them many times.¡±¡¿


    ¡°In the past, it was very hard to enter the city, and I had a lot of trouble doing business with them.¡± Added Fespa with a wry smile.


    ¡¾¡±However, it seems like they had no choice but to change after they became a vassal city-state of Jirgus. Since then, they have been trying to change their customs, they¡¯re now making the younger generation put more emphasis on interacting with the outside, and the city as a whole has also been increasing its exchanges with other countries, especially with Jirgus. I personally think It¡¯s evolving in the right direction.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I see¡­ Thank you. I think I¡¯ll come here again in the future, but until then, you have my best regards.¡±¡¿


    Kyle expressed his thanks before leaving the store, followed by Lize and the rest of the group.


    ¡¾¡±Oh, sir, if you¡¯re also going there, then¡­¡±¡¿


    As Seran started heading outside the store, Fespa called out to him.


    ¡¾¡±Due to Calan¡¯s very nature and its old history, it has plenty of stories about weapons and the like. So you might be able to find out about a sword that fits you there, sir Seran.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Hmm¡­ This will be my first time going to that city, so my priority will be to look for pretty girls, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to bend my convictions to go look for a sword instead¡­¡±¡¿


    Seran had a serious expression on his face despite the ridiculousness of the words he had muttered. Then, he suddenly realized something and proceeded to ask Fespa a question.


    ¡¾¡±Are you really okay with me getting a fitting sword from elsewhere? I mean, if you do find one and put in your stock like you said, it will end up being useless.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±If that happens then that would just mean that my business luck does not want me to make that sale. I¡¯ll have others opportunities to make up for that loss.¡±¡¿


    After wishing everyone good luck on their trip to Calan, Fespa saw them off with a smile.


    ¡ó¡ó¡ó


    Merely two days after they had left Marad, the city soon came to the sight of Kyle and his friends.


    Normally, this would have taken several more days, but the trip was shortened quite a lot thanks to Urza¡¯s magic spell ¡°Wind Walker¡±.


    ¡¾¡±So that¡¯s Calan¡­. Seems like the rumors were true.¡±¡¿


    As she looked at Calan in the distance, there was both amazement and admiration in UIrza¡¯s voice.


    The surrounding area was a plain which was long and wide enough to be able to see the horizon line, but that view had been broken by a solitary mountain that suddenly appeared in the group¡¯s sight.


    The peak of the mountain reached above the clouds and was perpetually covered by snow. There was a place in the right side of the middle of the mountain that seemed like it had been cut off from above to form a giant platform, which was where the city of Calan was located.


    With the steep surface of the back of the mountain behind it, and the giant walls in front of it, the city as a whole was worthy of being called a fortress.


    Even though the gate of the city was halfway up the mountain, there was an uphill road that led towards it. The road was on a gentle slope and its starting point was far away from the base of the mountain. It did not seem difficult to come in and out of the city.


    ¡¾¡±I heard that it was in the mountains, but I didn¡¯t think that it was literally in the middle of a mountain, or rather, it¡¯s a part of it.¡±¡¿


    Even Seran showed amazement in his voice.


    ¡¾¡±How in the world did they make a city in the middle of a mountain?¡±¡¿


    The more she looked at the city, the stranger it seemed to Lize. This had heavily stirred up her curiosity and wonder.


    ¡¾¡±It¡¯s actually the opposite. The city wasn¡¯t built in the middle of the mountain, the mountain was made at the same place as the city.¡±¡¿


    Explained Sildonia, as if it was a trifling matter, leaving everyone astonished.


    ¡¾¡±They made¡­ a mountain?!¡±¡¿


    Lize unintentionally kept switching her gaze between Sildonia and Calan.


    ¡¾¡±Mhm, to begin with, isn¡¯t it unnatural there there is one huge mountain in the middle of these wide plains? Originally, that city was made during the Zares era as a front-line base against the demons, but we also used this location to try a certain large-scale magic experiment.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Was this mountain the result?¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Exactly. We knew that there were many veins where minerals of a great quality could be mined underground in this zone, but they were too deep for us to get on our hands on them. So we changed the whole topography of the area. We gathered the veins that were deep underground and we pushed them above the ground. In other words, that mountain is like a mass of high-quality minerals.¡±¡¿


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there would be so much that even a thousand years wasn¡¯t enough to dig them all up.¡± Laughed Sildonia.


    ¡¾¡±The ancient magic was¡­ really amazing.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾¡±I¡¯d heard from the village elder that there was large scale magic in the old times that could change the topography of a terrain¡­ I didn¡¯t think it was true.¡±¡¿


    As Lize and Urza said so, they looked in amazement at the mountain that pierced the clouds.


    ¡¾¡±Yeah, and as you gathered the veins, it must have made it harder to attack the base. So you ended up also raising your defense in the process; that¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone¡­ It¡¯s really incredible that the Gargan empire was able to bring a city that¡¯s so suitable for defense to the brink of destruction.¡±¡¿


    Seran¡¯s thoughts on the matter were different.


    One small look at Calan was enough for anyone who was knowledgeable about the subject to understand that the city was impregnable.


    The road that led to the city was too narrow to deploy a large army on it, so having an advantage in numbers would not have been of much use here. Moreover, for the same reason, it was also impossible to use large siege weapons against them.


    Naturally, the city should have already had enough provisions to hold for years, and the more numerous the enemies were, the faster said enemy¡¯s provisions and supplies would have run out. Therefore, bringing numbers would actually have been a disadvantage.


    ¡¾¡±Of course, but there are many other factors to take into account. There is a clear difference in military strength between them, the empire has a few elite squads, and it seems like they had also brought a great mage with them. The many special troops that were deployed by the empire played a big part, too.¡±¡¿


    Explained Kyle, who knew the Gargan empire very well.


    ¡¾¡±What do you mean by ¡®special¡¯ troops¡­ Wait, what the hell is that?¡±¡¿


    Seran saw a silhouette fly from behind the mountain towards Calan.


    Its shaped looked like that of a bird, but it was too big to be one. Whatever it was, there was several similar beings flying in a flock, coming from the east.


    ¡¾¡±Those are¡­ wyverns?¡±¡¿


    With her good eyesight, Lize was able to see through the true nature of those creatures.


    The monster called wyvern was a subspecies of dragons.


    However, it was weaker in battle than normal dragons, and its intelligence was low. Still, the wyverns were great when it came to flying, and they were a sort of model among the flying-type monsters.


    ¡¾¡±There are people riding on them¡­ And that is definitely the crest of the Gargan empire.¡±¡¿


    Said Urza, referring to the flags on the backs of several of those wyverns, which had a crest that showed a golden snake entwining itself around a shield.


    That was undoubtedly the crest of the Gargan empire. And that could be confirmed by looking at the people who were riding those wyverns.


    ¡¾¡±¡­¡­ They are from the wyvern knight order, which the empire takes much pride in. There is no other group that would ride on wyverns like so.¡±¡¿


    Kyle also looked up at the sky, with a frown.


    ¡¾¡±Taming wyverns is a pretty great feat.¡±¡¿


    Said Sildonia in admiration.


    There was nothing unusual about riding monsters instead of horses, but wyverns had a rougher temperament than other monsters, making it almost impossible for humans to tame them.


    There were some adventurers who could ride wyverns, but that was very rare, and so far, it had been considered impossible to tame wyverns for military use.


    However, the Gargan empire had established a technique which allowed them to do so. They had succeeded in using wyverns as a tool to boost their military strength.


    Not only did the wyvern units have far more mobility than normal cavalrymen, but, when faced with an attack from the sky, the normal techniques to deal against a siege were useless. This was one of the reasons for the fast growth of the empire¡¯s strength.


    ¡¾¡±Were you referring to them when you talked about the empire¡¯s special troops?¡±¡¿


    Kyle nodded in response to Seran¡¯s question.


    ¡¾¡±I see¡­ The question is, why would the empire¡¯s so called wyvern knight order come here at this time?¡±¡¿


    While looking at the wyverns enter Calan, Seran asked Kyle for his thoughts on the matter.


    ¡¾¡±¡­I¡¯d love to say that this has nothing to do with our objective here, but that would probably just be wishful thinking.¡±¡¿


    After muttering so with a sigh, Kyle reorganized his thoughts and stepped towards Calan.

 Volume 2 - CH 5

    Lined up in front of Callan¡¯s main gate was a long line of horse carriages most likely belonging to traders from other countries. While observing them with a sideways glance, Kyle and his group passed through the gate.


    ¡°I guess our position as emissaries immediately came in useful, huh.¡±


    Judging from that mass of people in front of the gate, the simple procedure of entering the city would have taken hours, but until this current incident was over, Kyle and his group were regarded as representatives of Zilgus, thus allowing them inside much faster. Here in Callan, Zilgus was regarded as the governing country. It reached the point where the guards at the front gate immediately flew off to report on Kyle and his group¡¯s arrival, simply because they were emissaries.


    Callan possessed a characteristic city atmosphere. All the buildings were made out of stone, looking awfully rustic and brusque. It was a step back from the looks and atmosphere of Malad, instead seeming unaffected and sincere. Seran and Shildonia observed the streets and cityscape with a dubious gaze. However, Urza seemed oddly displeased, covering her special long ears with her hood.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Hearing Lieze¡¯s question, Urza merely quietly turned towards the people walking down the street. There, one could see several dwarves.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± There, Lieze seemed to have understood.


    Dwarves were the race part of humanfolk that had the second highest numbers next to humans, having an independent country, and great influence. Both male and female dwarves had a generally small stature, but meaty physiques. In terms of their stature, they were the exact opposite of elves. If elves were inhabitants of the forests, then dwarves lived on the earth. This resulted in them building a lot of underground towns and cities, which explained why they would be present in a city like Callan, but at the same time, you wouldn¡¯t find any elves around. At the same time, those two races weren¡¯t exactly on the bestest of terms.


    ¡°Rest assured, I don¡¯t have any problem with this. I don¡¯t discriminate against others like some of the dwarves tend to do¡­Mostly, they are just far too thick-headed. And, they love alcohol a bit too much. They are absolutely helpless and unable to show any consideration for others.¡±


    ¡°What a perfect summary of prejudices to have¡­¡± Lieze commented with a sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I understand my position. I won¡¯t cause any needless ruckus.¡± Urza reassured Lieze, and yet still sounded displeased.


    Although it was mostly unofficial, as Kyle and others were emissaries of Zilgus, they couldn¡¯t afford to cause any trouble. Kyle saw Urza¡¯s attitude, and let out a sigh. Even during past battles, he couldn¡¯t help but show a wry smile at the bad terms his comrade elves and dwarves were on.


    They fought together as the world was in danger, but outside the bare minimum of conversation, they didn¡¯t even try to look at each other. When Kyle asked for the reason, both sides gave a blunt ¡®They hate me after all¡¯, so nothing could have been done.


    ¡°You must be the emissaries sent by Princess Milena, I assume.¡±


    A voice called out to them from behind, and when they turned around, they were greeted by a single woman. Seeing her, Kyle froze up for a moment.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am an ambassador of Zilgus, working here in Callan. My name is Miranda.¡± The woman smiled.


    She wore glasses made from dwarven technique, and possessed a knowledgeable as well as calm atmosphere. Behind her stood about ten armed soldiers, most likely acting as the guards.


    ¡°Ah, um¡­My name is Kyle Leonard. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡±


    I see, she¡¯s working as an ambassador right now¡­


    Kyle had to take a moment to regain his composure, but managed to respond.


    ¡°Yes, I am all too familiar with all of you. Since talking here while standing won¡¯t do us any good, could I ask you to come to the embassy? It is quite close to here, so I¡¯d ask you to follow me.¡± Miranda said, and started walking.


    ¡°¡­What was that reaction about?¡± Lieze gave Kyle a sideways glance. ¡°You were probably flustered because of how beautiful she is, right?¡±


    In reality however, Kyle simply was surprised by the unexpected¡ªat least for him¡ªreunion.


    ¡°Hm? N-No no no. She¡¯s basically the same age as Mom, so I wouldn¡¯t be interested anyway.¡±


    ¡°Same as Seraia? She sure didn¡¯t look that way though.¡± Lieze looked at Miranda again, who possessed an outer appearance that made her seem to be in the middle of her twenties at most.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s as Kyle said. From the way she moves her hips, and the condition of her skin¡­she should be around 33, maybe 34.¡± Seran explained with a serious expression while inspecting Miranda from behind.


    ¡°You¡¯re one hell of a guy¡­¡± Kyle knew her age, but couldn¡¯t help feeling intimidated by Seran who guessed it correctly with just a glance. ¡°However, it¡¯s not a natural appearance like Seraia-san has, but she¡¯s more likely keeping it up with a lot of effort.¡±


    ¡°If you know that, then don¡¯t say it out loud. What if she hears you?¡± Kyle let out a sigh, while being aware that his mother was quite the exception.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­So Kyle, are you bad with older women?¡± Urza asked, sounding disinterested but somewhat worried at the same time.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not that big of a difference, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Kyle guessed what she was asking that for, and answered accordingly.


    At the same time, he looked at the elf who was more than a hundred years older than him with a ¡®You¡¯re an entirely different parameter¡¯ gaze.


    ¡°And when it comes to me, you¡¯d reach a measurement error.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even count.¡±


    When talking about the magical entity of Shildonia who had lived a thousand years and more, talking about an age gap was wasted breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about age, I simply judge with appearance!¡±


    ¡°Nobody asked you!¡±


    As the emissaries were arguing and discussing vividly, Miranda simply watched them with a faint smile.


    Kyle and his group were taken to the most prominent and renowned building in Callan, the place where the mayor, basically the king of Callan had lived at. However, according to Miranda, this place had been used as the residence of Zilgus¡¯ ambassador for the past two years, now changing into the embassy instead. Here, the current power relationship between Callan and Zilgus was discussed on a regular basis.


    ¡°I see, so you came here in order to meet the Mayor.¡±


    At the reception room, Miranda looked at the documents delivered by Princess Milena, and confirmed the goal of Kyle and his group.


    ¡°Even though His Highness had passed and the country found itself in chaos, she sent over such irregular emissaries¡­That is very much like Milena-sama.¡±


    Prioritizing profit and speed over custom was one of Princess Milena¡¯s strengths. At the same time, Kyle felt like there was a sense of familiarity in Miranda¡¯s voice you wouldn¡¯t expect from a servant.


    ¡°Um¡­Are you acquainted with Milena-sama by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Yes, around three years ago, I was one of the teachers of Milena-sama, mainly being responsible for diplomatic relationships. I know it might sound weird coming from me¡­but I thank you very much for helping Milena-sama while she was in danger.¡± Miranda deeply lowered her head. ¡°Milena-sama has informed me of your great help, so ask me anything.¡±


    ¡°Then for starters, we¡¯d like to meet the mayor of this city.¡± Kyle said, to which Miranda¡¯s expression grew a bit cloudy.


    ¡°I believe that won¡¯t be as easy. The mayor is currently suffering from a sickness, and won¡¯t be able to accept visitors.¡±


    ¡°Is it so severe that we can¡¯t meet him even once?¡±


    ¡°I have asked for a meeting several times already, but the doctor has advised against meeting him to prevent a possible epidemic. At the same time, the management of Callan in itself is going smoothly, so there was no need to press an appointment.¡± She sounded regrettable while explaining.


    ¡°Is that so¡­I was really hoping to meet him at least once.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, now that you are official embassaries sent by Milena-sama, he will have the duty of coming to meet you, and I personally was thinking of meeting him anyway, even if it had to be by force.¡± Miranda stood up. ¡°Let me take you there.¡±


    As the group was waiting in front of the embassy for Miranda to finish all necessary documents and procedures, Seran called out to Kyle.


    ¡°Hey, Kyle, there¡¯s no meaning to me being at the place of negotiation, right. I¡¯ll move separately for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but what are you¡­well, guess I don¡¯t have to ask.¡± Kyle judged that Seran would go hunting for women again.


    ¡°Won¡¯t deny, that¡¯s a big part of it, but I also have something to take care of¡­Well, I¡¯ll be back before it gets dark.¡± He waved his hand at the group, and disappeared in the streets.


    After a bit more time passed, Miranda returned.


    ¡°Apologies for the wait. Where is Seran-san?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to check out Callan on his own, but¡­was that bad?¡±


    Hearing the news, Miranda¡¯s expression stiffened a bit.


    ¡°No, it is probably just my needless fear. Ah, there is something else I must warn you about. Here in Callan, there is no person who doesn¡¯t cooperate with us. Though they are most certainly forced to, whether or not they like it.¡±


    ¡°Quite honest of a statement, huh.¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s the truth. That just shows how much Callan has changed.¡±


    Lieze and Shildonia whispered to each other.


    ¡°However, there is an exception.¡± Miranda said, and pointed at a building in front of the embassy.


    It was a lot smaller than the embassy of Zilgus, but was built with fashionable stone, set up like those two buildings were looking at each other.


    ¡°That is the embassy of the Galgan Empire.¡±


    At the same time, from inside the tall walls, a place that resembled a garden, you could hear the loud screams of beasts.


    ¡°Even we have no power when it comes to that place. After all, it is neither Callan nor Zilgus grounds, but merely under Galgan jurisdiction.¡±


    In other words, meddling there could lead to damages in their diplomatic relationship.


    ¡°I hope you are careful about that,¡± said Miranda. ¡°Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to bring down a single embassy like that, but¡­the Empire has positive relationships with Callan and Zilgus, so¡­It sadly can¡¯t be helped.¡± Miranda let out a sigh.


    ¡°She can be quite extreme despite looking so docile.¡±


    ¡°You need to be like this if you want to make it as a female ambassador.¡±


    Lieze and Shildonia were once again whispering between each other, but Kyle made them stop with a faint glare.


    ¡°Anyway¡­the wyverns we had seen on our way here are residing there?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I hadn¡¯t been informed about this myself. I was expecting them to inform me about this¡­¡±


    Right as Miranda said that, the door of the Galgan Empire¡¯s embassy swung open, and several people stepped outside.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t Miranda-sama, I was just thinking of coming to meet you.¡±


    An employee of the embassy greeted Miranda. Seems like they had met before.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Then let me directly ask you about the wyverns just now.¡±


    ¡°Let me explain that.¡±


    The person who stepped to the front was a slender and tall man, who seemed to be in the later half of his 30s. He wore an ashen-white robe, carrying a staff that reached up to his shoulders at his back. He looked like what you would expect from a mage.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Aluzard, and ranking as the 2nd mage of the Galgan Empire¡¯s imperial court.¡±


    Court mages are the ones responsible for any magic related to the country. They have a say in political discussions, teaching the noble children magic, generally giving great influence to the country. The Empire has several court mages at its disposal, but if he was the number two, then he must be a crucial presence. Naturally, Miranda was quite surprised at this appearance.


    ¡°Apologies for the abrupt visit, I had some urgent business.¡± Or so he said, but his expression seemed like he was enjoying himself. ¡°As it stands, in our Imperial Capital Luos, the father of an employee working here has ended up in a critical condition, and he wishes to meet his child in his last moments. This person had been at His Highness The Emperor¡¯s side for quite a long time, so His Highness felt urged to allow this wish and called for the employee.¡± Aluzard turned around, and gazed at the cages with the wyverns. ¡°However, we couldn¡¯t allow ourselves to waste time in reaching this place, so I had one of the Flying Dragon Knight squads sent here, and I happened to be coincidentally travelling with them as part of my own goal¡­As these matters overlapped, I found it impossible to inform you beforehand, and I will apologize for that.¡±


    He emphasized that he simply happened to be here by pure confidence.


    ¡°I see, I have grasped the circumstances. Then, you will have to return to Luos as quickly as possible, I will take it.¡± Miranda may have sounded polite, but on the backside of her words, he was urging the man to leave once his business had been dealt with.


    ¡°Problematically enough, leaving aside one of them, all other wyverns had suddenly fallen ill. We will need to let them rest for a moment, so it appears that we won¡¯t be able to leave anytime soon. As they are, like us, living beings, these things happen, see. Quite the predicament.¡± Aluzard argued, as he shook his head.


    The term ¡®acting brazenly¡¯ probably described this the best. He was speaking out of his own convenience, yet made it sound like something inevitable.


    ¡°Either way, since one of the wyverns had been in a good condition, we managed to safely send off the employee in question, so I figured I might use this lucky chance to visit the mayor.¡±


    ¡°¡­Perfect timing, we were just about to visit the mayor, so feel free to join us.¡± Miranda said, clearly emphasizing that she wouldn¡¯t let him act independently.


    ¡°Yes, I will gladly take you up on that offer.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain about this?¡±


    ¡°I am quite aware of the long history Zilgus and Callan share, but would there be any problem?¡± He spoke with a tone like he meant to emphasize his clean slate, as Aluzard laughed with all his might.


    After that, he turned his attention towards Kyle¡¯s group, standing behind Miranda.


    ¡°May I ask who these people are?¡±


    ¡°These are the emissaries sent by Princess Milena.¡±


    ¡°My name is Kyle Lenard.¡±


    The moment Kyle introduced himself, Aluzard¡¯s eyebrow twitched.


    ¡°Ohhh, so you are the new hero of Zilgus who saved Princess Milena in her time of need?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you knew.¡±


    Even inside Zilgus itself, not many should know of Kyle and his group.


    ¡°I am quite fond of Zilgus, see, so I often look into the local affairs.¡± Aluzard spoke thus far, dropped his forced smile to reveal what might have been his earnest expression, and took a close look at Kyle¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hm, your face seems awfully familiar¡­and your family name Lenard¡­Are you quite possibly Seraia¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°You know of my mother?¡± Kyle was surprised to hear his mother¡¯s name here.


    ¡°I had figured. But to think she had a grown son like you. Time sure flies. I guess I have aged myself.¡± Aluzard showed a wry smile. ¡°Seraia and I had been fellow students, see. We had our desks next to each other, studying magic. Though, that is a story from almost 20 years ago.¡± Aluzard smiled. ¡°That reminds me, I had made an acquaintance of Roel-kun. Is he doing well?¡±


    Hearing that name, Kyle tilted his head.


    ¡°Um¡­Roe?¡±


    The name sounded familiar, but he couldn¡¯t attach it to a face.


    ¡°Uncle.¡± Lieze jabbed her elbow into Kyle¡¯s side, telling him the answer.


    ¡°¡­Ahh! Yes, he¡¯s doing well¡­I think¡­maybe?¡±


    Even despite that, Kyle failed to remember his father¡¯s face, so he gave up.


    ¡°It took you quite some time for that answer, but¡­I guess this just shows how weak of an impression he makes.¡± Aluzard showed a somewhat bothered expression. ¡°Still, to think I would meet the son of an old acquaintance here¡­It appears as if this job will be a lot more enjoyable than expected.¡± Aluzard showed a different kind of impeccable smile compared to before, and muttered these words.

 Volume 2 - CH 6

    There currently exist two rulers¡­or rather, two ruling parties. The first one was Zilgus, which had been the newer of the two, giving various influences to Callan ever since the embassy was established two years prior. The other one was a party that existed for far longer, consisting of the mayor as the center, surrounded by a group of talented people. The most crucial and main industry of Callan consists of digging up valuable ores, building tools out of such, followed by skilled smithing. The ones who controlled all of that are the blacksmith guild, and the mayor who acts as the leader of such a guild is the individual holding the most political power.


    Although they are dependent on Zilgus, this isn¡¯t anything that could change overnight. After all, if everything was suddenly put under Zilgus¡¯ rule, chaos and discord would be a natural turn of events. Worst case scenario would be the total destruction of Callan. In that event, fighting against the Empire, even admitting to dependency from Zilgus, would have been all for nothing, so Zilgus was carefully giving out minor orders, and slowly gained more power inside of Callan.


    ¡°So that means we still can¡¯t meet Mayor Bucks?¡±


    At the reception room of the mayor¡¯s residence, the person who was progressing the rule of Zilgus in Callan, Miranda, now strongly interrogated the vice-mayor, who was the temporary replacement for the bed-ridden mayor. In the face of Miranda¡¯s relentless approach, they started sweating profusely.


    Naturally, Kyle and his group¡¯s duty wasn¡¯t simply to hand over documents to the mayor. Rather, they had to get a proper answer from the mayor, and if it was anything negative, they had to at least come back with chances of a compromise, as they were emissaries of Zilgus. However, nothing would start if they didn¡¯t even manage to meet the mayor.


    ¡°M-My deepest apologies, but the mayor has yet to recover¡­¡± The plump vice-mayor wiped his sweat, trying his hardest to make up excuses.


    ¡°This will be two months already. We offered to prepare a doctor, but there¡¯s no way for us to tell.¡± Miranda would not let up.


    Since it was her duty to have Kyle¡¯s group meet the mayor, she could not give in now.


    ¡°Even with the passing of His Highness Remonas, and the gathering of the various lords at the royal capital Malad, Mayor Bucks has been absent as well¡­This is quite the problem. As a result of that, I could not even return to Malad myself.¡± Miranda spoke with an ironic tone.


    However, the vice-mayor continued to apologize, relentlessly lowering his head.


    ¡°H-However, his sickness¡­it is out of our control, so¡­¡±


    ¡°If it is that severe of a sickness, then maybe it is time for someone else to take the position of the mayor?¡±


    ¡°T-The doctor has stated that recovery is still very much possible, which is why¡­¡±


    The mayor of Callan is fundamentally chosen via election, but the only people who have the power to vote are those with a certain amount of influence. At the same time, this mostly is hereditary, which is why the mayor often belonged to the same bloodline for generations. However, the next election would most likely be greatly influenced by the opinion of Zilgus. Then, the side of Miranda will attempt to put a supporter, or even someone directly in contact with Zilgus in that position.


    ¡°Anyway, if his return will take much longer, then we will be executing business for you, and we already have an idea.¡±


    That idea was probably about resolving things forcefully.


    ¡°I will come again in two days. Until then, I pray you give us a positive answer.¡± Miranda glanced at Kyle, like she was asking for his confirmation.


    Kyle nodded. She basically gave them a two-day time limit.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­We accept¡­¡± The vice-mayor seemed terrified, sighing in relief when Miranda finally turned to talk to Aluzard next.


    ¡°That being the case, you won¡¯t be able to meet the mayor. I suggest pulling back for today.¡±


    Both Miranda and Kyle were most likely hesitant to have him participate in today¡¯s event, but it was better than leaving him alone and free of reign to do whatever.


    ¡°Hmm, indeed. I believe it will be hard to meet the mayor today. How troublesome.¡±


    ¡°No no, your feelings are more than appreciated. If you have anything you need him to know, I will gladly relay that to him.¡± Miranda evidently said ¡®I¡¯ll take care of it, so you leave already¡¯ behind those polite words of hers.


    ¡°It is not that much of a message, but¡­two years ago, we had an unfortunate incident, absolutely unwilling from our end, but the Galgan Empire has been satisfied by this peaceful and amicable relationship. However¡­circumstances have changed, so I was hoping we could possibly consider ways to deepen our bonds even further.¡± There, Aluzard flashed a profound smile. ¡°If you were to elect a new mayor, then I will come visit again to offer my blessings. Then, if you would excuse me.¡± Aluzard bowed, and walked away.


    ¡°He definitely knows about the annulment of the engagement.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Kyle responded to Shildonia¡¯s comment.


    Aluzard¡¯s¡­or more accurately, the Empire¡¯s goal was to acquire Callan, and Kyle was now certain that they would be ready to do anything for that.


    ¡°A daunting diplomacy typical of the Empire. They will surely threaten us quite a few more times from here on out.¡± Miranda explained upon returning to the embassy.


    As the Empire had gained power and national forces through acquiring smaller countries, they were quite prominent in flashing their military prowess to subdue any opposing forces. Coming to Callan with the use of wyverns surely was one part of that. From here on out, they will most likely attempt just about anything to force Callan to distance itself from Zilgus.


    ¡°It makes my head hurt,¡± said Miranda with a sigh.


    ¡°Still, they¡¯re acting quick. To think people of the Empire have already come to Callan.¡± Urza tilted her head as she commented, to which Kyle agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s fair to say that this is too quick. We only learned of this three days ago. Even if information had been leaked since then, it would still take time for it to reach the Empire.¡±


    Even if they used wyverns, it was impossible to think they would be here. In other words, they had to have learned of the annulled marriage beforehand. When Aluzard saw Kyle, he seemed surprised for a moment, but that was simply because he is the son of Aluzard¡¯s old classmate, and because he didn¡¯t expect him to be an emissary for Princess Milena.


    ¡°Meaning that inside the royal palace, or maybe even next to the princess, there may be a spy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it would boil down to. There must be something going on in the shadows. The best idea would be to leak fake information, and witness what kind of move the other party takes,¡± Kyle commented while being certain that that princess would be doing that for sure.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we the nice-looking bait then?¡± Lieze said, evidently complaining.


    They were told that it could be dangerous, but foisting that didn¡¯t sound much to their preferred way things went.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Whatever the Empire does to us, or what kind of reaction they have¡­reporting that back is part of our job, I guess. It¡¯s to be expected.¡± Kyle tried to calm Lieze.


    ¡°What I¡¯m curious about is that they¡¯re far too obvious. Their actions couldn¡¯t be more flashy.¡±


    As they keep it all out in the open, it makes it seem like they¡¯re intent on provoking, and drawing attention.


    ¡°Well, it seems like something the Empire would do¡­but it is ominous.¡± Kyle put one hand on his jaw, and started thinking.


    ¡°¡­Maybe they¡¯re trying to take the offensive? If they¡¯re doing anything in Callan, it¡¯ll reach me.¡±


    Kyle assumed that Miranda was just thinking about it too deeply, and shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance for that, but it¡¯s easy to believe that Aluzard himself might be the bait, and that there is something else going on that even he doesn¡¯t know of¡­It sounds plausible of the Galgan Empire at least.¡±


    They act bold but deep down are careful, daring yet cunning¡­Kyle knew a thing or two about the Galgan Empire, and told Miranda that letting down her guard could prove fatal. At the same time, Miranda looked at Kyle, seeming impressed. In the document addressed to her from Princess Milena, she spoke about these circumstances. And, in order to test the abilities of Kyle and his group, she gave Miranda the duty to support them to the bare minimum, and only run once the worst case scenario sets in.


    Miranda assumed this to be sheer madness. Giving an amateur at diplomacy the duty of acting as an emissary, while simultaneously giving them a trial like this. However, once she got a better look at Kyle, she was satisfied. Surely, Princess Milena must have high hopes for him.


    Not only is he strong in battle, but he possesses eloquent knowledge and the ability to quickly assess a situation¡­Indeed, I can see why Milena-sama must be interested in him.


    ¡°I understand, I will warn everyone, and make sure to keep a close eye on this.¡± Miranda said.


    ¡°By the way, this sickness that is plaguing the mayor, is it really just a normal sickness?¡± Kyle had always been curious about that.


    ¡°Yes, I had judged it as dubious, but he never set foot outside ever since he became sick, nor did he even contact any outsiders. Of course he may be faking it¡­but that would not explain anything.¡±


    It might be a faked sickness as a means of protest, but there hadn¡¯t been any casualties as a cause of that.


    ¡°Mayor Bucks had been an openly-admitted supporter of Zilgus. However, this might just be a pretense, and he could hope to be replaced through this as a reason. It would be a good opportunity.¡± Miranda smiled.


    She sure smiles a lot¡­though it¡¯s mostly because of malicious intent.


    Kyle remembered that in his previous life, Miranda was often referred to as the ¡®Women of Ice¡¯, as she rarely ever showed any emotions, and was quite surprised at that.


    Around the same time, Seran was taking a stroll through Callan¡¯s streets.


    ¡°No good ones, pretty unexpected.¡± He crossed his arms behind his back, muttering as he took one step after another.


    His goal for now was to look for a passable sword to use, so he went around checking various stores and blacksmiths. Lots of the swords he spotted were of high quality, made out of raw material rivaling the best of the continent. However, that was only good quality for the eye, and the best swords of the stores couldn¡¯t rival what he has right now.


    ¡°Even if Kyle can give me the money to buy it, there¡¯s still a low chance I might find anything good.¡±


    Then again, he had only got some rough looks, but he judged it¡¯d be best to not get his hopes up.


    ¡°And, it¡¯s the same with the women.¡±


    Even as he looked around, there weren¡¯t nearly as many people walking the streets despite this being a city, and he barely spotted any young women. It didn¡¯t feel like a city at all, and more like a small village.


    ¡°Seems to be something going on there.¡±


    He entered a back alley from the large main street, and the people he met lessened even more in number. He looked around, wondering if there was any other store he hadn¡¯t seen before, when he heard an odd voice.


    ¡°¡­No¡­let go¡­¡±


    It sounded like a faint woman¡¯s voice. Looking over at the direction from where he could hear it coming, it was in the deepest part of a small alley deep in the back alley. Before he thought, he immediately started running. There, he spotted a small individual, surrounded by a group of men. They apparently grabbed the person¡¯s arm, trying to drag them away.


    ¡°Ouch¡­S-Stop it!¡± The voice protested even further.


    The moment Seran heard that, he jumped to action.


    ¡°Oraaaa!¡± Together with a roar, he fired off a kick, slamming his foot right into the man who was grabbing the arm.


    ¡°Guha!?¡± The man let out a groan, and was blown off with a loud bang.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay now.¡±


    Seran stuck a beautiful landing, flashing a handsome smile, and turned towards the individual he had just saved.


    ¡°¡­Alright! Big hit! Though actually¡­Mmmm¡­Damn it! Maybe two, three more years.¡± Seran grumbled, seemingly disappointed.


    The person he had saved turned out to be a handsome young girl with charming facial features, now showing a somewhat confused expression. She seemed to be around twelve years old, so Seran reluctantly decided to maybe wait a bit longer.


    ¡°Though, I am excited, alright. If I wait another three years, I maybe should start earning some points now¡­¡± He convinced himself, and called out to the girl. ¡°Now then, my lady, are you hurt? Now that I¡¯m here, they won¡¯t dare to lay a finger on you.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you very much¡­But, well¡­I am a boy.¡± The girl¡ªor rather, the boy explained with an apologetic expression.


    ¡°What¡­did you say?¡± Seran seemed shocked, closely inspecting the boy¡¯s face.


    Through that, he saw his ambiguous facial features, and his clothes resembled that of a boy. So far, he simply didn¡¯t look at it. Since he wasn¡¯t at an age where his voice had changed, that explained the awfully feminine voice.


    ¡°Um¡­are you really a guy?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­Though, people often mistake me as a girl¡­¡± The boy seemed awfully bothered by this.


    ¡°T-To think I of all people would make such a mistake¡­¡± Seran collapsed to the ground, both his hands on the earth.


    There, the other man around the two seemed to have regained their composure.


    ¡°W-Who are you!? What was that for!?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think we are!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not from here, right? Don¡¯t meddle with other people¡¯s affairs!¡±


    The man showed clear hostility as they approached Seran. He himself was a bit depressed still, but eventually looked at the men in disdain. Just like their first impression suggested, they turned out to be nasty punks, but they were well-trained at least. Their phrase ¡®Who do you think we are¡¯ suggested that they had some kind of influence here.


    Now, what to do about this¡­


    Leaving aside any normal circumstances, Seran was now here with a certain position. Turn and twist it all you want, Seran is still an emissary of Zilgus. So, he was at least attempting to not cause a ruckus, and not trouble Kyle in the process. He couldn¡¯t help much with diplomacy or negotiations, but he also couldn¡¯t pull them down either. Naturally, he didn¡¯t know what kind of position these men had inside Callan, and depending on his actions, it could cause a lot of trouble, bothering Kyle. It felt like he already stepped in too far, but Seran started thinking. Naturally, if this was an actual girl he was saving, he wouldn¡¯t bother thinking about Kyle¡¯s circumstances at all.


    ¡°¡­Hmm, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not related to this, and I got in your way.¡± With these words, he turned around, attempting to walk away.


    Seeing that sudden attitude from Seran, the men were confused once again. They didn¡¯t expect him to step down this quickly.


    ¡°Eh!? Y-You¡¯re not going to help me!?¡± The young boy pleaded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that far from the main street, so if you scream with all your might, help should come soon, and the rest depends on you. If you were a girl, I¡¯d help you unconditionally, but things are different now that you turned out to be a guy! You have to overcome this dangerous situation with your own strength!¡±


    Just as Kyle and Lieze often pointed out, Seran was quite strict towards other men. Especially if they were more handsome than himself. With a brief ¡®Best of luck¡¯ to the boy, he walked away, only to stop once again.


    ¡°Wait a second¡­Let me ask one thing. You got a big sister? She look like you?¡± Seran asked with a serious expression he would rarely show.


    ¡°Eh? Y-Yes, he¡¯s five years older than me¡­and I¡¯ve been told we do look a lot like each other.¡±


    The moment Seran heard that, he struck a victorious pose. At the same time, all his consideration for Kyle and his plans was blown away instantaneously.


    ¡°Alright! Shoulda told me sooner about that! You bastards! What do you plan on doing with this innocent child!? I shall correct you for the sake of justice!¡± He pointed at the men, screaming with a dignified expression. ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll definitely get you back to your sister!¡±


    ¡°O-Okay¡­thank you very much.¡± The young boy smiled with a hint of confusion in his expression.


    At the same time, the men were getting fired up, feeling agitated because of Seran¡¯s provocation.

 Volume 2 - CH 7

    Reality is often heartless. No matter how much of a strong determination you bring up to try to fight against it, there are times when you can¡¯t do anything about it. Right now, the men that got beaten up without any chance of victory surely must feel that very fact.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You guys are just fine, I¡¯m just far too strong.¡± Seran clapped his hands together, as he called out to the men that had collapsed to the ground.


    That was simply a fact, and he wasn¡¯t blaming them. At the same time, the young boy who had been saved in such a turbulent way, he didn¡¯t fully understand what just happened.


    ¡°So strong¡­¡±


    Those were the first words that came to his mind. The young boy couldn¡¯t even fully trace Seran¡¯s movement, as the next thing he knew, the men had collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look that strong¡­¡±


    ¡°I can hear you. Also, you were attempting to run away midway, right?¡± Seran glanced at the boy.


    Whenever it looked that Seran could possibly lose, he was ready to run.


    ¡°Eh, no, um¡­thank you very much for saving me.¡± The boy let out a flustered laugh, showing his awfully cheeky and brazen personality.


    ¡°My name is Gou, I am a magic engineer.¡±


    ¡°Magic engineer? So you¡¯re a specialist in creating magic items?¡± Seran tilted his head, and started thinking.


    Normally, the ones to create these magic items are people ranking as a [Wizard] or higher, but there are people who walk a path of specialization in that, possessing high talent in that field, which you would call magic engineer. They succeeded in creating magic items with great accuracy, living a profession that could even bring forth magic items imbued with rare magic. Additionally, with the support of a major nation, they are attempting to rebuild magic weapons that had existed during the time of the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales, or so Seran had heard.


    ¡°Without knowledge in Ancient Language Magic, as well as passionate talent in smithing, you shouldn¡¯t be able to reach that profession, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Luckily, I have a bit of talent in magic, and my father is a blacksmith, so he has been helping me ever since I was a young child.¡± Gou spoke, sounding quite proud of that.


    In fact, becoming a magic engineer at such an age gives him all the right to brag, as that requires a lot of talent and genius.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­So, who are these people? Why¡¯d they attack you?¡± Seran looked at the men on the ground, and asked.


    ¡°Um¡­they are so-called debt collectors.¡± Gou scratched his cheek, and answered with a bashful tone.


    ¡°Debt collectors?¡±


    Of course, Seran knew of that idea, but he was quite shocked to see debt collectors coming after Gou, who looked to be barely twelve years old.


    ¡°I see, so your parents are drunkards or addicted to gambling, and pushed the debt onto you¡­¡± Seran showed sympathy for Gou, assuming that something like that must have been the circumstances.


    ¡°No, this is my debt.¡±


    ¡°¡­S-So then, one of your parents is sick, and you¡¯re trying to get the costs for the medical treatment together?¡±


    ¡°That is wrong as well¡­The leader of these people brought an investment to me, which involved the recovery of an old magic weapon. However, it was much more complicated than I thought, and when I saw that it would take at least ten years for any success, he got angry at me¡­So, I was trying to evade them in order to buy time, but they found me¡­¡± Gou said.


    ¡°I see, you can be a pretty nasty guy with such a cute face.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t any ill fate befalling Gou, he deserved all of that for his own actions. Seran started regretting meddling with all of this, but it was already too late.


    ¡°Tehe~¡± Gou stuck out his tongue, gently tapping his fist on his head.


    That gesture in itself was quite adorable, but Seran was only more agitated thanks to that.


    ¡°Well, at least those guys learned their lesson for now¡­But, enough about that, I¡¯ll stop thinking about it. Now, take me to your home, I need to introduce myself to your big sister. That¡¯s the least I need to do and take from this situation.¡± Seran grumbled.


    ¡°Um¡­my sister is married, and lives in another town, so she isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°I figured that would be the case, god damn it!¡± Seran roared in anger. ¡°Also, why did you not tell me about this right away!?¡±


    ¡°You never asked me¡­Plus, if I did, you definitely wouldn¡¯t have saved me, right¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course! Who¡¯d save such a nasty bastard like you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­But, can you stop screaming, please¡­¡±


    Although they stood in a back alley with no other people around, making this much noise would eventually attract people.


    ¡°Gaaah, I can¡¯t take this anymore!¡± Seran walked away, only to be followed by Gou.


    ¡°Ah, please wait for me!¡±


    ***


    At the same time, back at the embassy.


    ¡°Now then, I need to head out somewhere. You can take a rest here, everyone.¡± Miranda told Kyle and his group.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°In regards to the potential election of a new mayor, I have an individual I would like to recommend, so I planned on meeting them right now.¡±


    ¡°Huh, who is it?¡± Kyle asked, simply on a whim.


    ¡°He is a member of the blacksmith guild, possessing a lot of skill, and probably the most talented blacksmith in Callan. He may be a bit thick-headed and easy to misunderstand, but he often takes care of others, and a lot of people follow him. However, he is a bit of a workaholic, so he probably won¡¯t participate much when it comes to practical business.¡± Miranda gave a detailed explanation.


    ¡°I see, that sounds convenient.¡±


    For Zilgus, that is¡ªKyle added in his mind. If it¡¯s someone who has Callan origin, then people won¡¯t disagree with him as much, and if he isn¡¯t interested in politics, he probably doesn¡¯t belong to any faction either. In other words, he¡¯s easy to control, easy to make a puppet. Miranda probably had her eyes set on him for a while as a result of that.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, do you mind if I tag along?¡±


    ¡°Eh? That¡­I don¡¯t mind, but¡­why?¡±


    Kyle felt like he wasn¡¯t particularly welcome.


    ¡°¡­Since this seems to be a talented and highly skilled blacksmith, I would love to meet him. Is there any problem with that?¡±


    One of their goals in Callan was to find a blacksmith they could frequent for alchemy magic.


    ¡°Well, he can be¡­a bit difficult to deal with. Also¡­¡± Miranda glanced over at Urza. ¡°Gazas-san is a dwarf, see.¡±


    The moment Urza heard the word ¡®dwarf¡¯, her face grew tense.


    ¡°Well, he doesn¡¯t hold any particular grudges towards elves, so Urza-san should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Kyle listened to Miranda¡¯s words, and started thinking.


    Maybe it would be better to not take her with them, but there¡¯s a good chance he could help with Urza¡¯s equipment. If so, it might be best to reveal her identity right away.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind, and I don¡¯t particularly think bad of dwarves either. As long as the opposite side doesn¡¯t do anything either.¡± Urza said, but she was clearly displeased.


    ¡°Well, if Urza is fine with it, then I don¡¯t mind, I guess¡­¡± Kyle simply wished that she wasn¡¯t forcing herself too much.


    ¡°Then, let me get the guards. Please wait a brief moment.¡± Miranda said and left the room, when Lieze quietly called out to Kyle.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised she has to get guards. Maybe there¡¯s some danger to this?¡±


    As her position of an ambassador, she most likely would always need protection, but even inside the city made it seem a bit excessive.


    ¡°She might just be trying to be considerate towards us¡­And since she doesn¡¯t explain it to us, it¡¯s hard to ask.¡± Kyle said, but felt the urge to ask despite that.


    ***


    ¡°So, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same, alright.¡±


    Having run into each other in front of Gazas¡¯ house, these were the first words Kyle and Seran threw at each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten involved with this guy. Said he wanted to thank me no matter what, so he dragged me here for some tea.¡± Seran said, while looking at Gou. ¡°So, what about you?¡±


    ¡°Miranda-san had some business here, so we tagged along. Seems to be the home of a dwarf called Gazas, who¡¯s a skilled blacksmith. Though his personality seems to be a bit complicated at times, we should probably be able to get some conversation going since we have the ambassador of Zilgus with us. If things work out, we might even have him work on the mythril, as well as a new sword for you.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­now that you mention it, we have the materials, we might as well make the sword ourselves. I never even thought about that,¡± said Seran.


    Thinking about it, Miranda was one of the rulers here in Callan, so if they were looking for anything, she would be the best starting point.


    ¡°What¡­so you were thinking about me? I thought it was only Lieze or Urza-chan.¡± Seran felt a tingling feeling all over his body.


    Since Kyle had a bigger goal, he thought he was depending only on himself.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re my irreplaceable friend and partner.¡± Kyle laughed, questioning what Seran was even talking about.


    And then, with a serious expression that he rarely showed towards him, he continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be abusing you from now on as well, so of course I gotta take good care of you.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, rather than sweetening up words, you¡¯re the guy who¡¯s honest about everything. I completely forgot.¡± Seran sighed in relief.


    ¡°Gou-kun, is Gazas-san present?¡± Miranda asked Gou, who clearly knew him.


    ¡°Eh? ¡­Ah, yes, I think he should be here, but what brings you here today?¡±


    Right at that moment, the front door swung with great momentum.


    ¡°Shut up already! What is this ruckus in front of someone else¡¯s home!?¡±


    There, a small but compact dwarf appeared, probably about 40 years old in human years, seeming quite hot-headed from that entrance alone.


    ¡°What, Gou, are you back¡­¡­Ah.¡± The second this dwarf spotted Miranda, his eyes opened wide in shock, as he opened his mouth to speak.


    However, Miranda got ahead of him.


    ¡°Hello there, Gazas-san, I came here as an ambassador of Zilgus, with something very important to talk about.¡±


    Gazas looked at Miranda and Kyle¡¯s group behind her, as well as the guards lingering in the back, and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Could we bother you for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­It¡¯s not the most clean place, but if you¡¯re fine with that, then come in.¡± Gazas said, turned his back towards them, and walked back inside.


    Miranda ordered the guards to stay on stand-by around the house, and followed after him. Just as Gazas stated, the inside of the house was quite the mess, reminding you that it was a single man living here with his son. Miranda observed this with a raised eyebrow, but immediately moved on to the main topic.


    ¡°Are you serious? You want me to become the mayor!? Absolute nonsense.¡± Gazas immediately shook his head.


    ¡°That just means you have enough followers, qualifications, and ability.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! I¡¯m not interested in that kind of nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Please! I¡­We wish for you to become a strength of Zilgus. Surely, that will be helpful for Callan¡­as we¡¯d like to resolve the problems here in Callan.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you folks just do it then!? I¡¯m a blacksmith! Don¡¯t plan on changing jobs this late!¡±


    ¡°Please, won¡¯t you consider it!¡±


    Their opinions were clear parallel lines. As Kyle and his group could only watch this unfold in silence, Gou spoke to them.


    ¡°This will probably continue for a while, so let us move to a different location.¡±


    He took Kyle¡¯s group to a workshop-like room beneath the ground. It was equipped with construction tools and other magic items, as well as a large amount of documents on the desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, all the other rooms are as much of a mess, so this is the only one¡­¡± Gou had prepared tea for the group, now showing a bitter smile.


    ¡°Huh, you have a lot of weird stuff here.¡± Seran¡¯s curiosity had been piqued, as he moved to grab a small bottle with liquid inside.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a powerful adhesive. If you get two things glued together with that, you might never be able to remove them, so please be careful.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tell me about that sooner, alright.¡± Seran frantically pulled back his hand.


    ¡°We have other objects that melt your skin, or poisonous gas lying around, so please try not to touch anything.¡± Gou said with a faint smile, but Kyle and his group immediately stiffened up, moving like robots.


    ¡°Dwarves sure are thick-headed beyond their own good.¡± Remembering the previous exchange, Urza threw out a complaint, only to receive an elbow to the rib by Lieze.


    In shock, Urza looked at Gou, but he continued to smile innocently.


    ¡°Haha, my father is quite famous for being stubborn, and it¡¯s a fact.¡±


    ¡°A-Apologies¡­Though, if your father is a dwarf, then what are you?¡±


    Even if they are of the same humanfolk, when two individuals from different races come together, they can¡¯t bear any children. However, the only exceptions are a human and elf couple, as well as a human and dwarf one. As a result of that, they may be small in number, but marriages between different races exist. The resulting children are either half-elves or half-dwarves, inheriting the peculiar traits of both races, but Gou simply looked like any other human boy.


    ¡°Yes, both me and my older sister had been born during my mother¡¯s previous relationship. Two years ago, she passed away, and one year ago, my sister got married herself, which is why this house is such a mess¡­¡­So, if I may ask, did you come here from Zilgus?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and we¡¯re¡­¡­Hm!?¡±


    Here to talk with Gazas-san¡ªis what Kyle was about to say, but the second he spotted a certain object, his entire thought process came to a halt. Atop the desk with its many papers, he spotted something that resembled a blueprint. Drawn on there were figures Kyle remembered all too well. During the severe war he had fought, he saw figures of silver-white running through the battlefield. They offered immense power to human folk during its darkest times, shining bright like the ray of hope.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the blueprint of a magic weapon that had been developed during the time of the Ancient Magic Kingdom.¡± Gou caught on to Kyle¡¯s gaze, and delivered an explanation, to which Kyle¡¯s gaze shot towards him.


    ¡°I see! So you are the manufacturer!¡±


    ¡°Eh? ¡­Ah, are you interested in the restoration of this magic weapon? If so, then we can talk about an investment¡­Fueh!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay! As much as you need! That¡¯s why, recreate it! And mass-produce them!¡± Kyle looked like he had completely lost himself, simply grabbing onto Gou¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°T-Thank you very mush?¡±


    Lieze and the others observed this dubious exchange with confused expressions.

 Volume 2 - CH 8

    It was an automatic type of magic item, called a golem. There were those in the shapes of humanfolk, but also animals and even monsters, as well as shapes that were far removed from the natural world. The general idea was for them to keep repeating the same order they had been given, but when it comes to high-level golems, they could even act independently and make decisions for themselves.


    Back during the Ancient Magic Kingdom era, this area was very developed, which allowed golems to take over jobs usually done by humans, raising the efficiency when it came to physical labor. Usually, one family had one golem, so they weren¡¯t a scarce resource either.


    Naturally, this usability was also impactful when it came to battle. The golems that had been adjusted as weapons possessed power any normal member of human folk couldn¡¯t hope to compete against, and they contributed in many victories against the demons. However, this knowledge had been lost with the collapse of Zaales, and the best modern technology and knowledge could do was create small and almost insignificant replications. Although you would find ancient golems in ruins and such, these usually sold at an insanely high price.


    ¡°So basically, you are trying to restore the golems from the Zaales era, in particular the weaponified ones?¡±


    In order to calm down Kyle who had been going crazy for a while now, Lieze fired off consecutive blows to the liver, and asked in his stead. Of course, Kyle still was in high spirits, but the pain made him go quiet.


    ¡°Y-Yes. I managed to complete a blueprint, but creating a test version will take a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­this is quite the resourceful work you¡¯ve done.¡± Shildonia commented in admiration after looking at the blueprint.


    ¡°You can tell!?¡± Gou looked at her in shock.


    ¡°Indeed. In particular, this is the model for the [Titan], which had been used against demons specifically, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes! With the small amount of literature left, I tried to recreate it.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­There seems to be no problem with the most difficult part, the efficient exchange of mana into dynamic force.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Rather, I have problems with making it smaller¡­¡± Gou was utterly entranced, simply asking Shildonia questions.


    Shildonia glanced at Kyle, and faintly nodded. It appeared as if things would go smoothly from now on. Kyle finally managed to regain his composure, and was relieved to see Shildonia cooperating.


    Kyle was hoping to acquire magic weapon golems that would gain them military power and freedom. He had originally planned to buy up all remains of Zaales with his excessive wealth, but with Shildonia¡¯s assistance, mass-production might be possible. However, even if Shildonia was basically the [Magic King] in person, she didn¡¯t possess all the knowledge that existed during Zaales¡¯ heyday. Additionally, Shildonia right now wasn¡¯t a perfect reincarnation of the [Magic King] either.


    Surely, she possessed extensive knowledge in regards to magic weapons, but she herself mentioned that she was not on the level of a specialist. Asking how long it would take to build it from scratch with the assistance of Shildonia, she said that years, and that was still thinking positively. Kyle desperately wished for independent power like that, but he couldn¡¯t afford to take that much time, which is why he had to put that on the side. However, if Gou managed to succeed, and mass-produce them¡­the [Great Invasion] would surely change drastically.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Shildonia-san. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about Zaales, and yet¡­¡± Gou looked at Shildonia with glittering eyes.


    ¡°Indeed, respect me.¡± Shildonia seemed to enjoy the praise.


    ¡°Man, I thought it would take tens of years to create a prototype, but now it should be doable in half that time even.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still too slow. At latest, it has to be in two years¡­maybe even one would be best. And from that, we need to focus on mass-production.¡± Kyle said with a serious face.


    ¡°Eh? No, but¡­for that, I would need a literal fountain of money¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you as much as you need, so use it all.¡± Kyle said, still dead serious.


    Gou¡¯s mouth opened in shock, and looked at the other members, but they all nodded along to affirm that.


    ¡°Thank god¡­It seems like I found myself a reliable patron¡­¡± Gou wiped his tears away. ¡°With this, I don¡¯t have to worry about the budget, and let my interests run wild¡­¡±


    ¡°No, please continue with the plan. Also, another point of interest, I¡¯d like to ask you to keep this a secret.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Ah, but¡­I already have an investor¡­¡±


    ¡°Just tell them that you failed. I¡¯ll give you the pay and compensation so that you can pay them back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind then, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Please¡­We need to be careful about this.¡± Kyle urged Gou, making it seem like his frantic attitude just now was nothing but a lie.


    ¡°So, did you make progress?¡±


    After this brief meeting, Kyle and the others returned to Miranda, who seemed awfully exhausted.


    ¡°Neverending parallel lines.¡± Miranda let out a sigh, and Gazas was unable to hide his discontent.


    ¡°Imagine me, a dwarf, becoming the mayor! There are way too many problems to consider!¡±


    There may be a lot of dwarves living in Callan, but it was still a human city. If a dwarf became the leader, there would surely be a group of people not willing to accept this.


    ¡°¡­I want to move beyond the wall of races, and change Callan as a whole.¡± Miranda said, and stood up. ¡°That¡¯s all for today. I will come again.¡±


    ¡°No need to.¡± Gazas did the same, certainly planning to lock himself up in the back room, when Kyle stopped him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you after all this, but I also have a request unrelated to Miranda¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°A request? You want me to make you a sword or something? Sorry, but I¡¯m not taking any right now.¡± Gazas rejected Kyle without even looking at him.


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯ll be in their care regarding my own job, so at least hear them out.¡± Gou spoke up.


    Naturally, Kyle asked him to do this in the event that Gazas immediately rejected his request. He seemed to be weak against his son, so he stopped in his tracks, and looked at Kyle¡¯s group one more time. Once his gaze reached Urza, it stopped. At the same time, Urza¡¯s expression tightened up, and she seemed about to say something, but Gazas got ahead of her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t discriminate against elves¡­I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m dealing with an elf or a human.¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­Quite admirable for a dwarf.¡±


    ¡°Even if elves are always arrogant, against metal, wussy about everything, and don¡¯t care about others, I don¡¯t care at all, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Urza started blushing aggressively, ready to complain, but Lieze somewhat stopped her.


    ¡°So, I want a new sword. The one I have right now isn¡¯t quite cutting it.¡± Seran said, and after Gazas briefly inspected it, his eyes narrowed in disgust.


    ¡°That sword you¡¯re holding, it was made by Doutos, right?¡±


    ¡°You can tell?¡±


    Naturally, Seran didn¡¯t pull the sword. He could simply tell from the hilt and the center of gravity.


    ¡°Leaving aside that Doutos isn¡¯t even on my level, you really are one skilled fellow, not satisfied by his sword. I rarely get to see that.¡± Gazas said, evidently displeased, but Gou jumped in.


    ¡°Father, Seran is really that strong. I don¡¯t think Doutos-san¡¯s sword is good enough.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Doutos¡¯ sword, huh?¡±


    Gazas seemingly put faith in the eye of his son, as he started thinking.


    ¡°That means¡­No, but¡­¡±


    ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like something on the same level of Shi¡­as Kyle¡¯s sword.¡±


    This time, he looked at Kyle, as well as the sword he was carrying at his back, as his eyes opened wide in shock.


    ¡°Wha!? S-Show me that sword¡­No, please show it to me!¡±


    Accepting the sword from Kyle, Gazas carefully pulled it out of the sheath with shaking hands.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Met with the beautiful yet strong blade, every skilled blacksmith immediately would be bewildered. As proof of that, both Gou and even Miranda looked at the sword in disbelief.


    ¡°I have seen various legendary swords that had survived the collapse of Zaales, but¡­this is on an entirely different level¡­To think there existed others¡­¡±


    Seeing Gou utterly baffled, Shildonia simply nodded along in pride and confidence.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­creating a sword that could rival this¡­the current me has no hope of doing that.¡± Gazas muttered with a defeated voice.


    Devoid of any energy, Gazas told the group to leave for today, throwing them out.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­I guess even making it from scratch won¡¯t get me a sword on Shildonia¡¯s level.¡± Seran commented, scratching his head.


    ¡°Of course. My sword form was a product of Zaales¡¯ techniques and wisdom. In other words, no other man-made sword could surpass me.¡± Shildonia spoke with pride in her voice.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I got my hopes up to begin with, but¡­he sure seemed weird at the end.¡± Remembering Gazas¡¯ attitude after having seen Shildonia, Seran tilted his head.


    ¡°Now that you mention it¡­Oh yeah, his ¡®To think there existed others¡¯ mumbling really confused me. Does that mean he saw swords that could rival Shildonia?¡± Lize commented.


    ¡°Hm? A sword that can rival me? As if such a thing could exist!¡± Shildonia pouted, immediately denying that possibility.


    ¡°Oh yeah, he did say that¡­Maybe we should stop by tomorrow again, asking for more detail in regards to that.¡± Seran said while looking at Gazas¡¯ home.


    That night, Kyle entered his bed in the embassy, but spent most of this night lost in thought rather than sleeping. Although he didn¡¯t make any progress in regards to Seran¡¯s sword, the case with the golem was a valuable find.


    ¡°That being said¡­¡±


    Circumstances weren¡¯t all that simple, and he couldn¡¯t just simply be joyful about that. If things went smoothly, and with the condition of Gou receiving enough funds, the weapon-type golem wouldn¡¯t be a far off dream. However, preparing several of those would be impossible for Gou alone, so there¡¯s a need for workers and equipment. At the same time, the bigger the operation became, the more it would stand out, and draw attention.


    ¡°That way, we¡¯d definitely be seen as a threat.¡±


    Kyle himself knew the strength and military power of a weapon-type golem. If the danger of these were to be revealed to the world, then let alone a hero, Kyle and his group might be seen as enemies of the country. The best choice to avoid that is to hide behind a different country, hiding it from the world. In that event, the best possible candidate would be Zilgus, but Kyle remembered that not many specialists of golem knowledge lived there. Thus, it wasn¡¯t suitable for strengthening humanfolk¡¯s military power.


    Most likely, the ones who held the necessary techniques and ability to truly make the golems flourish¡ªwould be the Galgan Empire. In the midst of the past ¡®Great Invasion¡¯, the ones who achieved the recovery of weapon-type golems was the Empire.


    ¡°They mentioned they got the blueprints and built them accordingly¡­So I guess that Gou must have made that.¡±


    In the past world line, Gou seemingly failed with the recovery of the golems.


    ¡°He most likely failed immediately because of the lack of money.¡±


    Following that, the blueprint must have been leaked, and the Empire built the golems as magic weapons. In the midst of that, the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ happened, and they had to go with the test version, sending it to the frontlines. However, even that one golem did wonders. That¡¯s why they mass-produced them, gaining more strength in their battle against the demons.


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for me to approach the Empire with this, but¡­¡±


    Kyle knew at least one or two people of the Empire who would be quite interested in this, and could most likely assist in mass-production.


    ¡°However, that would give the Empire too much power.¡±


    The Empire was constantly aiming to expand, repeating invasions and fights at borders like that. Clearly, that would be the lesser evil compared to the whole humanfolk falling to ruin, but in the worst case scenario, humanity as a whole might start interior fighting before the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ occurs.


    ¡°So many things to consider.¡± Realizing that he had to be cautious of the power balance amidst the various countries, Kyle let out a sigh. ¡°Saving the world sure is tough.¡±


    While muttering this, Kyle softly fell asleep.


    The following morning, the sleep-deprived Kyle ate breakfast, when he received notice of a visitor. It came from Aluzard, saying that after taking care of some official business and paperwork here at the Zilgus Embassy, he wanted to meet Kyle.


    ¡°Apologies for arriving this early in the morning. We never got the chance to properly talk yesterday, am I wrong.¡± Just as yesterday, Alzuard showed a friendly but eerie smile, as he spoke up.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. But, are you sure about visiting me while you¡¯re so evidently busy?¡±


    ¡°I simply want to exchange a few words with the son of my former classmate. I will be busy soon enough, so I¡¯d like to use my free time right now to talk with you. That reminds me, since you¡¯ve finished your breakfast, how about we spend lunch together? I will gladly invite you.¡± He sounded like a fishy neighbourhood uncle, but his tone sounded confident and unfazed. ¡°After that, we could go for a stroll in the sky with our wyvern? It¡¯s something you probably won¡¯t be able to enjoy that often.¡± He continued, sounding even more suspicious.


    ¡°Are you sure? I heard that wyvern riding techniques are regarded as a national secret.¡± Kyle was worried.


    ¡°I doubt they will have any complaints if it is you. After all, the one who came up with the foundation for it was your mother Seraia herself. Simply asking her, you would have been able to figure it out yourself,¡± Aluzard laughed.


    ¡°My mother did?¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t the youngest person in history to be appointed as a court mage for nothing. Even though I was older, I could only chase after her, which was a great goal to reach.¡± Aluzard spoke with a nostalgic tone.


    ¡°So that story was true¡­¡±


    About the whole court mage part, Kyle heard about it from a drunk Seraia before, but he never really gave it much thought.


    ¡°Right now, she¡¯s just a simple housewife though¡­¡±


    ¡°That, in a way, is very much like her.¡± Aluzard showed a wry smile. ¡°Either way, I¡¯d like to hear some more stories about her, so I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Aluzard waved his hand, and walked away.


    ¡°I thought so before yesterday, but this individual holds quite a tremendous amount of mana.¡± Shildonia commented, as she gazed at Aluzard walking away.


    ¡°You can tell?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. He holds enough mana to control high-grade magic, and there may come a day when he reaches the level of supreme-grade magic.¡±


    ¡°Supreme-grade magic¡­¡±


    Supreme-grade magic is told to be able to influence heaven and earth. And now, Kyle learned that Aluzard may one day be able to use that.


    ¡°I guess he¡¯s not a court mage for nothing¡­¡±


    The time of the invitation had arrived, so Kyle made his way to the Empire¡¯s embassy, together with Miranda. On paper, it was a banquet for friendly relationships between Zilgus and Galgan, which is why Miranda was invited as well. The other four of Kyle¡¯s group naturally had received invitations, but Seran couldn¡¯t be bothered with the stiff dinner, and although Shildonia always had an empty stomach for delicious food, she had already headed over to Gazas¡¯ home to assist Gou. As her mana would grow weaker the further she was from her real body, the sword, Lieze and Urza took that with them, visiting Gazas¡¯ home as well.


    As Kyle couldn¡¯t attend a lunch fully equipped with his armor, he was moving a lot more freely, and it¡¯s been quite a long time. Walking down the hallway while being escorted, Kyle thought about Aluzard¡¯s goal.


    It seems like he wants to throw me off balance, or win me over, but I don¡¯t see any benefit for him by doing so¡­Maybe he has some other goal? Maybe it really is simply related to Mom?


    Either way, it would be beneficial if Kyle could get some leads on the Empire, but¡­Right as he was thinking that, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°!!¡±


    From beyond the large door in front of him, he felt the same pressure he was once showered with endlessly. Every hair of his body stood on edge, as his pulse accelerated, his breathing growing out of control. At the same time, Miranda looked at Kyle in confusion, unable to understand his sudden attitude. Even the employee who was guiding them gave Kyle a dubious look.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Right as the employee spoke up, Kyle started running like he had been shot by a gun, and kicked open the double-door. What greeted him was a typical banquet room, equipped with a large table offering seats for ten people, together with a luxurious lunch lined up. And, without a doubt, Aluzard is present at this very moment¡ªor rather, was. Fragments and lumps of a body had been scattered around the room, and the only identifiable part of the body, his head, had rolled down next to a plate on the dining table. The people most likely working as waiters ended up in similar fashion, coloring the room red with blood and innards, creating a horrendous and satanic painting.


    And then, there was a single shadow standing next to the table. That person slowly turned towards Kyle, looking at him. It was a woman that looks-wise seemed to be a bit older than Kyle, possessing a sharp and wise impression, and her facial features categorized her as a beauty. As she wore a tight leather garment on her, one could easily see the tender line of her body, as well as her well-developed proportions. If she walked down the street in town, most men, naturally Seran first and foremost, would call out to her¡ªif she was from the humanfolk, that is. The single horn that grew from her forehead, like she was the Mythical Beast Unicorn, was enough for Kyle to tell, and scream.


    ¡°¡ªA demon!¡±


    The archnemesis of humanfolk, and its eternal rival, stood right there.

 Volume 2 - CH 9

    Demonfolk¡ªthey are regarded as the other ruling force on this continent of Loindars, commonly seen as the archenemy of humanfolk. What the humanfolk of current day and age knew about demonfolk and demons was awfully limited. Although their numbers were few and far inbetween compared to humans, they greatly surpassed them in individual strength, with the Demon Lord reigning absolute control over them¡ªthat¡¯s about it.


    Not a single country managed to grasp any valuable information about this race, and although a few brazen soldiers dared to invade demon territory, none of them had returned alive. In the span of the 300 years, as the demons showed no signs of infiltration and conquering of humanfolk land, humanity as a whole had dropped its careful mindset towards them. Most of the humanfolk members currently alive likely had never even seen a demon.


    However, as an exception to this rule, it took Kyle only a second to understand that he was dealing with a demon. Although their general appearance oftentimes overlapped with that of a human being, there were still peculiar differences amongst them. Some had more limbs, others were exceptionally big or small, some others had wings growing from their backs, the variations seemed endless. However, the most prominent and common feature amongst them, and a trait that stood out like a sore thumb, was the horn they had growing from their heads. Naturally, the demon in front of Kyle had such a horn.


    At the same time, since Kyle was experienced with demons, he could feel the peculiar pressure only given off by a demon. Seeing Kyle storm into the room, the female demon inspected Kyle, let out a faint sight, and acted. Her graceful right hand suddenly changed shape into something that resembled a fierce monster¡¯s claw. Immediately after, she moved towards Kyle. Her speed reached Kyle¡¯s level after he strengthened himself with magic, or maybe even faster.


    At the same time, Kyle¡¯s body moved faster than he could think, all on instinct. This was all thanks to the thorough experience in battle against demons, nothing less. However, with no sword or armor on him, any half-baked defense would mean an instant game-over. Seeing no other option but to go on the aggressive, Kyle started running ahead. That choice of action seemed to have surprised the female demon as her eyes opened, but she immediately swung her claw at Kyle.


    He at the same time intercepted this attack with his left arm. It was a sharp slice of a claw, which dug deep into Kyle¡¯s unprotected arm, penetrating it. With speed and impact added to the attack, any normal humanfolk¡¯s arm would have been torn off without a doubt. However, Kyle¡¯s sturdy left arm managed to withstand that fate. Naturally, the intense pain wasn¡¯t anything to joke about, but Kyle forcefully ignored that, and started his counterattack. He gathered mana in his clamped right hand, creating a faint light.


    This brought forth a common-grade magic spell [Energy Bolt], a type of magic that sacrificed speed and accuracy for sheer impact. With this in his fist, he aimed at the demon. Any other high-level magic was impossible for Kyle to use at this particular moment because of the pain and the brief window he had to prepare himself. At the same time, without a sword at his disposal, this was the best he could manage when it came to a functional attack. The female demon seemingly didn¡¯t expect that attack, as Kyle managed to connect it right into her stomach.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    The female demon¡¯s body was shaped like a sideways V as it was blown off, but she immediately regained her posture. Any normal human being would have probably died from that attack, as Kyle put as much impact and mana as possible into that attack. However, although the demon pressed her hands on her stomach to suppress the pain, she quickly stood up strong again. That being said, her facial expression was distorted in agony.


    ¡°Seems as if that worked like a treat. How about I let you taste another two or three?¡± Kyle spoke up with a provocative tone, showing composure to the best of his ability, but he was evidently bluffing.


    That attack just now was basically like a final trump card in case he had to fight without his equipment, but Kyle¡¯s mana was still not fully trained to the point he wished it to be. Through the fusion of his soul from the previous world and the current one, he managed to gain a tremendous amount of mana which could assist him in becoming an elite, but he knew that he needed to be above an elite status if he wanted to even graze a demon.


    Without his equipment, he could only fist with his bare hands. Although it was inevitable that he didn¡¯t have Shildonia with him, not even having a second or supplementary sword with him was a clear sign of negligence.


    I wasn¡¯t careful enough¡­


    If this was in the middle of the Great Invasion, Kyle most definitely would not have made that mistake. The blood loss from his left arm was getting severe, and the longer this battle continued, the more at a disadvantage Kyle would be. And as he was thinking about what to do, he heard voices from behind him. They must be Miranda and her guards. The second Kyle prepared to scream ¡®Don¡¯t come!¡¯, he heard the female demon clicking her tongue. Following that, she turned around, headed towards the courtyard side of the room, and jumped through the already broken window.


    ¡°Did she¡­run away?¡± Kyle muttered.


    Judging from Kyle¡¯s experience, a demon running away from battle was an exceptionally rare occasion. Naturally, the situation back then was far too different to this encounter. In a rush, Kyle headed towards the window, looking outside at the courtyard, he saw a sea of blood. The wyverns Aluzard had called over were slaughtered without any sign of compassion. Far in the distance, Kyle spotted a silhouette that resembled the female demon he just fought.


    If his condition had allowed him to, Kyle would have wished to chase after her. There was so much valuable information she may hold, and more than anything, killing a demon was a necessity at any given moment. However, she had already moved far away to the point she turned into a small rice grain, and taking Kyle¡¯s situation in consideration, that was evidently impossible.


    ¡°Just what is¡­Eeek!?¡±


    Miranda entered the room, only to almost let out a scream in the face of this hellish scene. Somehow, she barely managed to keep herself from collapsing. Things didn¡¯t end so well for the employee though, who couldn¡¯t even stand anymore. At around that time, screams from all around the embassy could be heard, creating a mass panic. As for Kyle, he pressed his unharmed hand on his injured left arm to suppress the pain, and sank to the ground.


    Through several checks via the embassy, it became clear the amount of victims and damage done was unfathomable. Not only had the banquet hall turned into a red murder scene, but mostly half of all employees present at the Galgan Empire¡¯s embassy were slaughtered. The true shock came from the fact that all the survivors had actually not witnessed any killing in the process, nor did they hear any sounds that could have alarmed them.


    They merely looked away for a moment, or moved away from their seats for a few minutes, and yet most victims had been killed without producing a sound. At this revelation, all parties involved felt true terror running through their bodies.


    At around the same time, at the home of Gazas, Lieze and the others had just finished taking in their lunch, now drinking some tea.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you even had to make a meal.¡± Gou spoke, evidently uncomfortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we ate some ourselves.¡± Lieze, the person who prepared the lunch, reassured Gou with a smile.


    ¡°But, you even cleaned up the room¡­¡± Looking around his now tidy home, Gou once again apologized.


    ¡°Was that too much, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! You really helped us. Both me and my father¡­aren¡¯t very good with housework, which is why things turned this messy in only a month.¡±


    ¡°Well, that sounds plausible in a place with only men.¡± Lieze let out a snicker.


    ¡°That reminds me, where is Kyle-san today?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s having lunch with some higher-up from the Empire. Since he¡¯s an emissary of Zilgus, he needs to meet them or something like that. I personally can¡¯t deal with that though,¡± said Seran.


    ¡°I thought all of you were emissaries?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re the bonus, so to speak¡­That being said, he¡¯ll probably have the most luxurious shit.¡±


    Or so Seran grumbled, but he probably never would have imagined that Kyle was inside an ocean of blood.


    ¡°Still, Shildonia-san¡¯s knowledge really is amazing. Even today, it feels like I made progress that would have normally taken me months.¡± Gou looked at Shildonia in respect, having received constructive advice from her all morning.


    ¡°You¡¯re not half bad yourself. Even if I grant you the knowledge, you need the fundamental basics to apply it. Having so much skill in this day and age is quite commendable.¡±


    ¡°Eh? T-Thank you very much¡­¡± Gou felt a bit of discomfort at the phrase ¡®Day and age¡¯, but still accepted the praise.


    ¡°Seems like your morning was used well¡­Can¡¯t say the same here.¡± Seran muttered.


    It was his goal to ask Gazas in regards to the sword, but said Gazas was not present today.


    ¡°Apologies, my father has left early. He did not tell me where he went, so I have no idea when he might be back.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped¡­Oh yeah, do you know anything by any chance? He seemed to know something about swords that could rival Shi¡­Kyle¡¯s sword, so do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­He may be talking about the Holy Sword Rand.¡±


    ¡°Holy Sword Rand?¡±


    ¡°Three hundred years ago, it was created by the most famous dwarf in Callan. With this sword, the hero Randolph struck down the past Demon Lord.¡±


    Taken from the hero¡¯s name, the legend of the Holy Sword Rand was born.


    ¡°My father mentioned he had laid his eyes upon it once, so maybe that¡¯s what he meant?¡±


    ¡°The sword the hero used to strike down the Demon Lord¡­So, where is this Rand sword now?¡±


    ¡°Since Randolph never had any children, the original creator seemingly took it back in, so it might be here in Callan, but I don¡¯t know the details either¡­I think that Mayor Bucks might have it on him, he was quite interested in gathering tools like that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­Now that was a great piece of information. A Holy Sword¡­Yeah, that¡¯d be a worthy sword for me.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­even if it would be here in Callan, I believe it is treated as a national treasure¡­¡±


    ¡°National treasure? Now that sounds difficult¡­Guess I should use my position as an emissary of Zilgus then. I could ask for that as a reward from the princess. Power is everything after all¡­Soon enough, I should force a meeting with the Mayor. Then, I¡¯ll squeeze any possible info about it out of him¡­¡± Seran was thinking, only to look around like he realized something. ¡°By the way, Gou, are you being hated by people?¡±


    ¡°Eh? I mean, that¡¯s not¡­Well, I tend to get in a bit of trouble because of money and all, I guess.¡±


    ¡°The folks from yesterday, huh? But, those weaklings would never be able to emit such killing intent¡­So, are they aiming for us? Even without Kyle around¡­?¡± Seran thought about something for a moment, but immediately gave up. ¡°Whatever, thinking isn¡¯t my strong suit. I¡¯ll have Kyle think later¡­Oi, we¡¯re dealing with a raid.¡± Seran put his sword on his hip, and spoke up to the others.


    ¡°A raid? You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Lieze said, clearly not having expected this.


    This house was quite the distance away from the residential district, with no barely any people around, but it was still noon time. Naturally, there would be witnesses around, so this clearly wasn¡¯t a proper time for an attack.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no mistaking it, there¡¯s folks surrounding this place, emitting clear hostility. At least ten folks. I guess it¡¯d be best to go out and get on the offensive.¡± Seran pulled out this sword, and headed for the entrance. ¡°I¡¯ll draw the attention of the main body. However, two or three might make their way inside, so be prepared. Prioritize your own safety, or at least buy us time.¡± Seran said, and stepped out of the room.


    ¡°S-Seran-san seems a lot different compared to before.¡±


    ¡°He basically only has talent for fighting, so with everything else, his brain is rotten beyond belief.¡± Gou said with a bit of surprise in his voice, as Lieze swiftly put on her gauntlets.


    ¡°To think that Seran would be saying that¡­Yeah, this situation is serious.¡± She bumped her fists together, as a metallic sound rang out.


    ¡°Indoors, a fire would be bad¡­If so, [Gnome]!¡± Urza focused her mind, until the lump of rocks turned into the shape of a human, creating the Earth Spirit Gnome out of thin air.


    Generally, spirits don¡¯t possess a physical body, but a spirit user could grant them mana through an established [Contract], and grant them a physical body like this.


    ¡°My Gnome is sturdy and strong, so he¡¯ll act as a shield. We¡¯ll have it stand in front of us, with the wall to our back so that we can¡¯t get attacked from behind.¡± Urza gave formation orders, and the rest listened.


    ¡°Awawawa!¡± Gou started panicking amidst all of that.


    ¡°Calm down, there¡¯s no meaning to you being flustered. Just believe everyone, and stay down.¡±


    Shildonia herself held no fighting power either, but she equally could not suffer any wounds in her spirit form. In a way, she was the person who could keep her composure the easiest.


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±


    Gou couldn¡¯t help but admire how calm and composed Shildonia is despite looking the same age as him, once again looking at her in respect.


    ¡°Let Kyle give you the repair fee for the door, ya hear me!¡± Seran scrambled as he walked down the hallway leading up to the entrance, and cut up the door with a few sword swings. As pieces of the door were scattered everywhere, Seran stabbed his sword into the man¡¯s shoulder that appeared, and jumped out of the house with the momentum he had. There, he was greeted with several men wearing clothes that made them seem like average citizens. They faltered because of this unexpected attack, but immediately readied their weapons.


    ¡°Hmm, seems like I was right¡­For starters, that¡¯s one.¡± Seran said, and kicked away the guy with the injured shoulder.


    The man raised a groan, and fell to the ground again, but his life clearly wasn¡¯t in danger.


    ¡°Let me give you one last warning. If you don¡¯t want to die here, run. Lucky enough, and you might live to see another day.¡± Seran spoke with clear bloodlust in his eyes, as he licked his tongue.


    Immediately after, he started slashing at them.


    Although Lieze was a bit surprised to hear the sounds of a sword fight from the outside, she knew how strong Seran was, so she wasn¡¯t that worried. There, two men stormed inside the home from the backdoor. These two men had already pulled their weapons, equipped with small daggers fit for the narrow inside of the house, dripping with a purple liquid which indicated the use of poison.


    ¡°It¡¯s Berada poison. Just a small touch will paralyze you, so be careful!¡± Urza gave out a warning, dropping the name of a man-eating plant.


    ¡°Understood!¡± Lieze readied herself, and stepped in front of Gou to protect him.


    Urza gave Gnome an order as well, and the battle began.

 Volume 2 - CH 10

    Despite Lieze¡¯s passionate temperament, whenever it came to fighting, she was always calm, almost relaxed. She knew that getting emotional would only cost her of her focus and fighting abilities. Always keep your calm¡ªthat is what she learned from the priest warriors at the Cairys Shrine.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    At the same time, she had learned from experience that taking the first step in battle would give you the advantage. She took a deep breath, put strength in her legs, and stepped forward. The man with the poisoned dagger frantically swung his weapon. With Lieze not wearing full-body armor, and a single hit possibly proving fatal, normally you would hesitate quite a lot, but Lieze immediately closed the distance between her and the man.


    Naturally, this was because she had confidence and evidence in her own skill. The dagger naturally aimed for a part of her body that was in the open, but Lieze had no trouble using her gauntlet to deflect the approaching dagger, closing the distance between them even further. Namely, a distance even a dagger user would find unpleasant and disadvantageous. Following that, Lieze fired off a liver jab with her left hand that she had been training lately. Additionally, she added a spin to her waist, which could surely shatter a number of bones. However, after that hit landed, Lieze took her distance.


    ¡°I missed the vital part¡­I guess my skills have gotten numb since I haven¡¯t had a one-on-one in so long.¡± Lieze sounded a bit bothered by the fact that the man didn¡¯t go down after that one attack.


    The man clearly suffered sufficient damage. That being said, she didn¡¯t follow up with an attack immediately. She saw just how much it hit him. He held down his flank, sweating profusely, as he staggered and tried another attack. However, this attack was in shambles, and a last attempt. As for the man, he simply had to graze Lieze¡¯s body anywhere, and he would be victorious. Soon after, the poison would spread, completely sealing off her movement. However, Lieze still stayed calm, deflecting every single attack with absolute composure, waiting for an opening.


    Following that, she twisted her body to evade the attack aiming at her solar plexus, and crushed the back of her opponent¡¯s hand between her elbow and knee.


    ¡°Guh!¡± The man couldn¡¯t bear the pain and dropped the dagger.


    Seeing that, Lieze bent her knees to lower her body, putting energy in every muscle down in her legs, and rammed an uppercut right into the man¡¯s jaw. The impact hit even harder because of Lieze¡¯s metal gauntlets. Hit with its full force, the man¡¯s teeth were crushed, as he fell backwards. Confirming that he lost consciousness, Lieze undid her stance.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    It was a flawless victory with not a single moment that needed worrying.


    As for Urza¡¯s battle, you could say that it was even more one-sided. The Earth Spirit Gnome she had summoned was all it needed to hold back the man. As the Gnome¡¯s body was made out of rock, he possessed strong defensive stats, so the attack of a dagger showed next to no impact on it, and neither did the poison it was imbued with. Furthermore, if one wanted to defeat a spirit of such a caliber, you would need either a specialized weapon, or magic itself. Since the man had merely a dagger at his disposal, he would not be able to achieve anything.


    Clearly, the best strategy was to aim for Urza, but Gnome was fully blocking off his path. He had the option of forcefully pushing his way through, but then his back would be open for his back. After the battle continued for a bit, the Earth Spirit realized that he was practically invincible in this battle, and slowly approached the man. The man at the same time frantically swung his dagger, but no progress was made, obviously. And, in the moment where he showed hesitation, considering to run away instead, Gnome captured him in his arms.


    ¡°Crush him!¡±


    The man tried his best to break free of Gnome¡¯s grasp with his dagger, but Gnome didn¡¯t move at all, and simply tightened his grasp on the man as Urza ordered him.


    ¡°Gaha!?¡±


    He coughed up blood, and passed out with a painful-sounding scream.


    ¡°Woah, that looked nasty.¡± Lieze looked down at the man who could barely even gasp for air, and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I mean, yours didn¡¯t look much more healthy¡­Is your guy still alive?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­should be fine?¡± Lieze said, definitely not sounding confident.


    ¡°You two really are strong¡­¡± Gou looked at the invaders who would probably better off dead at this point, and moved a few steps backward.


    ¡°¡­Why are you keeping your distance?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just on a whim.¡±


    Urza gave Gou a sharp half-glare.


    ¡°You done in here as well?¡±


    There, Seran had returned inside the home after taking care of all the enemies outside. In his hand, he had a single man who was evidently injured, but could still talk to some degree.


    ¡°Seems like everything worked out, huh.¡±


    He looked at the two collapsed invaders, and sounded oddly relieved.


    These guys seemed to at least have some skill, so I was worried, but they overwhelmed them one-on-one, huh¡­


    Leaving aside Urza, Seran was surprised that Lieze had become this strong, but it also made sense. She wanted to become another type of strength for Kyle, who aimed to become a hero, so she was constantly training so that she wouldn¡¯t hold him down.


    A maiden in love sure is strong¡­No, a maiden wouldn¡¯t crush another guy¡¯s jaw like that¡­


    Seran looked at the man collapsed to the ground, and he somehow found himself sympathising with him.


    ¡°Are you thinking something rude right now?¡±


    ¡°Just your imagination. Anyway¡­who are these people? They seem used to fighting, and they clearly received some kind of training. They aren¡¯t your usual hoodlums¡­But, they don¡¯t know anything about us. They were far too unprepared for my attacks.¡±


    At the very least, if they had known about Urza being a spirit user, they would have surely prepared something else instead of daggers.


    ¡°Even if they were paid, they were fairly skilled. Hey, who are you guys? What was your goal? Why attack us?¡± Seran grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder, shaking him, but he averted his gaze, his mouth shut close.


    Seran seemed to have expected that reaction, and changed his approach.


    ¡°¡­Just to let you know, but those two behind me are even much more extreme and aggressive than me. Pretty sadistic folks. They¡¯re always pushing me around. So, if you stay silent, they¡¯ll torture you in a far worse way than anything I did to you.¡± Now, Seran tried to get some information out of the man by showing sympathy.


    Both Lieze and Urza were ready to throw a complaint at Seran, but he forcefully shut them up.


    ¡°With that woman over there, she tortures you with her cooking to the point it¡¯ll give you stomach cramps. Cut wounds, stabbing wounds, scraping wounds, even burns¡­she¡¯ll hurt you with whatever you can imagine, killing you from the inside. I bet she¡¯ll enjoy your screams. Eventually, you¡¯ll get numb to the pain, to which she¡¯ll create new wounds all over¡­rinse and repeat.¡± Seran explained in great detail.


    Lieze showed a tense smile, but her fist was clearly shaking.


    ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t get the easy way out with death either, we have recovery magic medicine. That elf over there is specialized in that. You¡¯ll wish to finally be allowed death, as your consciousness keeps drifting back and forth between this world and that world, forced to drink recovery medicine. Of course, it¡¯s not to simply keep you alive, it merely acts to prolong your suffering¡­Also, once the torture started, you won¡¯t be freed even if you talk. Even if you spit everything out, they¡¯ll simply continue the torture for their own pleasure and enjoyment¡­¡±


    Urza¡¯s facial expression tightened up, already thinking about how to punish Seran after this. Not knowing that this was all made-up nonsense, Gou built an even larger distance to the two girls.


    ¡°That being said, I¡¯m not that much of a demon.¡± After uttering words only the devil could come up with, Seran showed a gentle smile. ¡°If you just answer my questions, I¡¯ll let you run away. On top of that, I¡¯ll even give you some compensation fees.¡± Seran took out a leather bag, and swung it around to which the coins and gemstones created rattling sounds.


    Surely, that would be several thousand gadol at least.


    ¡°Of course, I have a condition of my own. Don¡¯t ever involve yourself with this shady business. Change your name, and live in a rural village someplace far away from here.¡± Seran said with a warm smile.


    He was doing the typical good cop bad cop play.


    ¡°Basically, your choice is either to suffer for all eternity, or run away to start a new life. What will you do? If you say no, I can ask your allies.¡± Seran looked over at the group of passed out men.


    ¡°I-I am a former Galgan Empire soldier! This dirty work is my speciality.¡± The man seemingly gave up, and started talking.


    ¡°Soldier? So you¡¯re a specialist that received training, yeah?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a so-called deserter. My job this time was to abduct the designated targets.¡±


    ¡°Abduct? You sure emitted some crazy killing intent despite that.¡±


    ¡°We were told to slaughter anybody who got in our way¡­Or rather, they told us to kill as many as possible. However, we were told to keep a brat called Gou alive no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Me!? I don¡¯t remember doing anything that would warrant such a thing!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason. All I know are the orders we received.¡±


    ¡°This time? So this wasn¡¯t the first time? Yet you¡¯re moving out during noon? What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Of course, normally we¡¯d try not to stand out, but this was an urgent job, and we were told it was fine even if we stood out. I don¡¯t know the details, but they mentioned that the guards wouldn¡¯t come no matter how much of a ruckus we caused.¡±


    Hearing that, Seran realized that the guards had yet to show up.


    ¡°But, I heard a rumour. Apparently, more and more people have started to suddenly vanish here in Callan, and that a lot of abductions were happening¡­¡± Gou commented like he remembered something.


    ¡°A rumour¡­Maybe that¡¯s why Miranda-san has so many guards with her?¡± Lieze commented.


    ¡°Though, it was simply just a rumour¡­¡±


    ¡°But it actually happened, done by these guys. So, what about the people you abducted?¡±


    ¡°No idea. We just bring them to the drop-off location, and we aren¡¯t involved with anything after that.¡± The man explained, mentioning the drop-off point to be an empty house near the plaza.


    ¡°Hmm¡­Then, who are you working for? Who¡¯s giving you the orders?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not allowed to know. It¡¯s the truth!¡±


    Judging from how desperate he was, that didn¡¯t seem to be a lie.


    ¡°But, you could probably guess, am I wrong?¡± There, Shildonia broke the silence, speaking up. ¡°You definitely didn¡¯t want to be treated like sacrificial pawns, yes? You most likely looked into it at least a tiny bit as a backdoor for possible escape.¡± Shildonia asked, to which the man reluctantly opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡­The person who gave us the request was probably someone with power here in Callan. Or, possibly even in the center of it all. We¡¯ve already kidnapped quite a few individuals, many of them with influence and status. And yet, there are only rumours, nothing more. That person must be doing damage control, sweeping it under the rug.¡±


    ¡°Some higher-up¡­Is Miranda-san involved in this!? I highly doubt it, but¡­¡± Gou spoke, clearly shocked by this.


    ¡°No, this shouldn¡¯t be Zilgus¡¯ doing. The mayor is on our side. Rather, it would make sense if it was him¡­¡± Seran spoke that far, only for his body to shiver.


    An ominous killing intent he had never felt before assaulted his body. Instinctively, his gaze shot towards the window, spotting a shadow standing on the rooftop of a house across from theirs. Instinctively, his body moved.


    ¡°Wha¡­Guh!?¡±


    Seran grabbed the man he was questioning by the collar, throwing him outside the window towards the main road. At the same time, the shadow on the rooftop raised their hand, gathering a bluish-white sphere of energy.


    ¡°Get down!¡± Seran screamed with a loud voice, pushing down Gou close to him, and crawled on the ground.


    Lieze listened to that, and pulled down Urza whose reaction was a bit delayed. The moment the man who was thrown and the sphere of light touched, a great explosion occurred. Together with a flash of light, a roaring sound rang out, as even the inside of the home was filled with a scorching heat and a severe impact. Even the other stone houses around were shaking like during an earthquake. Before the explosive wind settled completely, Seran jolted up, pulling his sword.


    The house was practically half-destroyed, the walls broken down completely. After the smoke cleared, the pathway in front of the house was riddled with debris, and the house across from them had its roof broken apart. However, the individual standing on the roof had already disappeared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Seran frantically stopped Lieze, who instinctively moved to chase after the individual. ¡°That one¡¯s bad news¡­Even I don¡¯t see myself winning. Been a while since I felt that.¡±


    So far, whether Seran was fighting a human or a monster, he always saw a chance of coming out victorious. Even if it was an opponent stronger than him. However, even if he saw that individual only from afar, he instinctively felt that he should not try to fight them at this point in time.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t felt this since I fought my serious old hag years ago¡­¡± Seran wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.


    He didn¡¯t quite understand why the other party would run away like they did, but it clearly was in their favor.


    ¡°Correct, is what I should say.¡± Shildonia commented as calmly as always, but her expression couldn¡¯t be more serious. ¡°That was a demon, no doubt.¡±


    A demon¡ªthe moment that name popped up, Lieze and Urza, even Gou, all showed terrified expressions.


    ¡°So that was a demon¡­Makes sense.¡± Seran commented with a dry throat.

 Volume 2 - CH 11

    ¡°The situation is quite severe.¡±


    At the office of the Zilgus Embassy, Miranda spoke with a truly serious tone. In front of Miranda was Kyle, his arm wrapped in bandages. She had just received the reports from both Kyle and Seran, encountering a demon. In order to capture the perpetrators, Miranda had just sent out an emergency situation notice for all guards present in Callan, limiting all exits.


    ¡°Adding to the amount of casualties, we have other problems arising. Capturing the perpetrators takes utmost priority, but we can¡¯t ignore the diplomatic problems that have surfaced through this.¡±


    ¡°Diplomatic problems?¡±


    ¡°The fact that both me and Kyle-san had been present at the murder scene of a Galgan Empire¡¯s court mage is problematic. At the very least, many of the Empire¡¯s workers at the embassy assume that we have a connection with the murder¡­but the real problem is the Empire itself.¡±


    As other people had been present to witness the murders happening, they surely wouldn¡¯t doubt Miranda and Kyle. However, that doesn¡¯t go for the Empire themselves. They will surely use this situation to their benefit. If they fail to capture the killers, they would push the fact that the ambassador of Zilgus and equally an emissary of Zilgus had been spotted in that very room, using it as a weapon for further diplomatic activities, is what Miranda is saying.


    ¡°What a strained interpretation, really. Even though Kyle himself had gotten injured.¡± Urza sighed in disbelief, while looking at the bandages on Kyle¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Surely, with the amount of casualties piling up from the Empire¡¯s side, and not a single person from Zilgus having been killed, they would try to forcefully connect the dots. That is how international relationships work.¡±


    If I was from the Empire, I would do the exact same¡ªMiranda added in her mind.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do about all that diplomatic stuff, but¡­was that really a demon?¡± Lieze tilted her head.


    She merely saw a shadow for a split second after all.


    ¡°Yeah, no mistaking it. That was undoubtedly a demon.¡± Shildonia confirmed it. ¡°That destructive power didn¡¯t come from magic any humanfolk can use. It¡¯s limited to demons and their vastly greater mana pool. When it comes to the amount of mana and regenerative abilities, they surpass humans by a landslide after all.¡± She let out a bothered snort. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why their magic is not all that versatile. It¡¯s all magic prioritizing power and overwhelming destructive force. Even though the versatility of magic is its true power¡­In the first place, magic uses mana to create and change matter and phenomena, eventually bringing all of creation under your rule. That¡¯s why we study its laws and logics, and yet they just give in to the power¡­¡±


    ¡°Um¡­so basically, there¡¯s no doubt that it was a demon, right?¡± Lieze stopped Shildonia, who was about to go off on a tangent about magic.


    ¡°Cough¡­Anyway, that¡¯s what this is. With them being involved, the worst case scenario is that Callan in itself falls to ruin. Just to get it out of the way, but I mean that we will be blown to smithereens.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not helping any of us even if you tell us with all honesty¡­¡± Miranda put one hand on her forehead, massaging her temple.


    She already had enough problems to worry about, so the entire annihilation of Callan was something she really didn¡¯t want to consider.


    ¡°That¡¯s just how dangerous demons are. As it¡¯s been three hundred years since the last war with the demons¡­it seems like your sense of danger has suffered from it.¡± Shildonia said with a bit of irony in her voice.


    At the very least, during the era of Zaales, something like this would not have happened. However, humanfolk of today had forgotten the danger of demons, and barely any human alive ever even encountered a demon. If anything, demons were now part of old stories of the past. Even Lieze, who had been raised in the village adjacent to the demon territory, had no idea about them anymore.


    ¡°If that was a demon¡­then are all demons such monsters?¡± Seran, who had been quiet this entire time, asked.


    ¡°Rest assured. The one we encountered today seems to be on a stronger level than the average demon. On top of that, compared to us humanfolk, they are far less in numbers.¡±


    ¡°I see, that is reassuring to hear.¡± Seran answered, and once again went silent.


    It seemed like Seran¡¯s first encounter with a demon was quite shocking for him. Seeing him oddly quiet and devoid of his usual energy, Urza asked Lieze.


    ¡°What¡¯s with him?¡±


    ¡°Well, his head is always full of flowers and women, but even he sometimes gets serious. Rarely, but it happens.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite unexpected. I thought he would never worry about anything.¡±


    ¡°It happens very rarely, yeah. He¡¯d worry about something, and then return to his nonchalant self. Will happen soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, it doesn¡¯t seem like being serious fits him in any way.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two, I can hear you.¡± Seran complained, but the two ignored him.


    ¡°Not to mention, he¡¯s even more quiet than me¡­¡± Urza commented on Kyle and his complicated expression, as she simply crossed his arms.


    ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t seen him like that for a while. Whenever something shocking happens, he ends up lost in thought.¡± Lieze let out a sigh, and showed a somewhat worried expression.


    As for what Kyle was so lost in thought about¡­He was trying to figure out why a demon would be here, right now. During their war with the demons, humanfolk tried to acquire as much information as possible about them. However, before the Great Invasion, demons barely got themselves involved with their enemy, and no stories of this happening in Callan surfaced. If such a homicide had happened in the previous timeline, Kyle surely would have heard of it.


    So it¡¯s because of my actions after all¡­Damn it!


    If demons had been working in the shadows here, and Kyle¡¯s own actions irritated them to cause this slaughter¡­In order to prevent or at least prepare for the [Great Invasion], Kyle knew that sacrifices would have to be made, and this clearly wasn¡¯t his fault alone. However, he still felt the heavy responsibility weighing down on him.


    ¡°Last time I saw him this seriously lost in thought was when he was seven, and our neighbour Aida-neesan got married to someone in another village. Back then, he thought about ways to run away with her, right?¡± Seran was the first to recover, telling the story of a woman who was about ten years older than them at the time.


    ¡°Oh yeah, that was probably Kyle¡¯s first love.¡± Lieze commented with an awfully displeased tone.


    ¡°He tends to get hung up on this sort of stuff. Last year, Aida-san came to visit us with her child, and he made whatever reason possible to not meet her.¡±


    ¡°Even though she herself wasn¡¯t bothered at all, it¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°You folks really love saying whatever you want¡­This is why childhood friends are such a pain¡­¡±


    As the two were digging up an embarrassing part of Kyle¡¯s past, the person in question simply held his head, and stopped his thought process.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the truth?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean you can just bring it up like that.¡± Kyle let out a sigh, annoyed that his thoughts were interrupted for something so insignificant.


    ¡°But, you¡¯re far too tense. Rather than that face of yours just now, a more idiotic face like the one you have now is much better of a fit.¡± Lieze tried to cheer up Kyle with a gentle tone, silencing him who was about to push out another complaint.


    To Kyle, a demon was an existence that made his heart race in terror, an individual that would completely rob him of his composure. Because he just survived a direct encounter, his heart was in disarray. However, giving in to anger and vengeance would only lead to ruin, and he knew that. At times like these, he had to stay calm. Even though she had no way of knowing how Kyle felt, Lieze still managed to assist him in that. Kyle shook his head to rid himself off the exhaustion and headache plaguing his thoughts, and focused on what he should do next.


    ¡°¡­First, we should check if Mayor Bucks was involved in this.¡±


    With the intel gathered from the people who attempted to abduct Gou conveyed to Miranda, that was the next choice in action.


    ¡°Were you aware of people disappearing without a notice?¡± Kyled asked Miranda, who nodded with a stern face.


    ¡°I only figured out and confirmed the victims a brief time ago. At first, only insignificant people disappeared, but now even higher-ups have started to vanish, so I¡¯ve been trying to do damage control. However, we have no traces of them actually leaving Callan.¡±


    With that in mind, she prioritized the safety of the people who had disappeared, and started a thorough investigation, but no results could be seen so far.


    ¡°However, I never would have considered that Mayor Bucks was involved. At the very least, he didn¡¯t seem like the person to accompany such drastic measures like abduction and kidnapping.¡±


    He simply felt forced to act the way he did because of his position, but Miranda seemingly didn¡¯t take him for that kind of person.


    ¡°However, if the mayor really was involved with all these disappearances, then that would explain why the situation suddenly escalated like that.¡± Urza spoke, reminiscing about the attack.


    ¡°Maybe it was an act born from desperation because of the deadline?¡± Seran commented, referring to the meeting that would happen tomorrow.


    ¡°Most likely. I don¡¯t know what goal he would have with the abductions, but it¡¯s basically written in stone that he¡¯ll be removed from his position as the mayor, so the abductions so far would stop.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, the attack on the embassy might be under his orders as well.¡± Kyle guessed, to which Seran agreed.


    ¡°Probably¡­If not for Kyle-san, I might have been killed as well.¡± Miranda¡¯s facial color grew pale, as she remembered the grotesque scenery.


    If Miranda had been killed there, surely the mayor¡¯s term in office would have been prolonged.


    ¡°So, while the slaughter at the embassy was happening, the abductors could move in broad daylight¡­Two birds with one stone.¡± Urza sighed in disbelief.


    ¡°But, that would connect the mayor to demon activity¡­is that even possible?¡± Kyle started thinking.


    Humanfolk and demons are mortal enemies, so at least to Kyle¡¯s knowledge, they would not work together.


    ¡°In every world, there¡¯s traitors. It wouldn¡¯t be weird for a human to work with demons.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true¡­¡± Kyle showed consent to Shildonia¡¯s comment.


    ¡°Either way, we¡¯ll find out if we squeeze it out of the mayor, right? Simple stuff.¡± Seran seemed to have gotten tired of thinking, so he pushed an all-too-simple answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve confirmed the mayor to be the mastermind.¡±


    ¡°I personally pray for him to be the guy behind the scenes. Would suck if he wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Urza tried to reason with Seran, but he simply formed a fist, pushing his own logic.


    ¡°The Holy Sword Rand, huh¡­If I was a criminal, I¡¯d definitely try to snatch that. Even if he isn¡¯t the mastermind, as long as he¡¯s involved in some way, he needs to take responsibility.¡±


    Kyle agreed with that. He heard about the Holy Sword Rand himself, but he didn¡¯t know that it came from Callan, and he never saw it before. However, if the mayor truly possessed it, then Kyle would love to acquire it no doubt.


    ¡°I agree with that. Or rather, I need him to take responsibility.¡± Miranda spoke up.


    Basically, she wants someone she can press all responsibility on.


    ¡°Then, would it be fine if we headed to the mayor¡¯s home early tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s go right away.¡±


    Although the sun had set, with night approaching, Kyle suggested immediate action.


    ¡°Now that the demons are involved in some way, we cannot even waste a single hour.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand, I will deal with the procedures.¡± Miranda said and moved to leave the room, talking to Gou in the process. ¡°Gou-kun, there¡¯s a good chance that you are still a target, so please stay over at the embassy for now. Here, you should be safe to some degree,¡± she said.


    ¡°My house ended up in shambles, so that would be a great help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Gazas¡­¡­Gazas-san that you are staying here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to give you more work like that. We¡¯re always in your care.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Your talent is crucial for Callan as it is, so if there¡¯s anything troubling you, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± Miranda said with a gentle smile, leaving the room.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been wondering for a while, but you and Miranda are pretty close, huh?¡±


    Kyle looked at Miranda, thinking that he had never seen her smile like that.


    ¡°Rather than me, it¡¯s my father. He and Miranda-san are lovers after all.¡± Gou explained with not a shed of hesitation.


    ¡°L-Lovers!? Those two are!?¡±


    ¡°At first, they simply were working together, and Miranda-san couldn¡¯t quite deal with my stubborn father. However, he eventually opened up to her, and showed considerable kindness. Even my mother who had passed away fell in love with him because of this gap. It¡¯s the same here.¡± Gou said.


    ¡°Wah, those two were like that¡­I had no idea.¡±


    ¡°A human and a dwarf, huh¡­I really feel like the difference in race hurts quite a lot here.¡±


    Both Lieze and Urza seemed awfully interested in that topic all of a sudden.


    ¡°She would often come visit, talking about financing and loans¡­Well, she was probably trying to build a positive relationship with me since I might become her son-in-law, and because she wants to get bonus points with my father.¡±


    ¡°Even if you think that, don¡¯t you dare say it out loud, you hear me.¡± Seran let out a sigh in the face of Gou¡¯s poisonous tongue that didn¡¯t fit his cute face.


    ¡°However, things ended up a bit awkward as of late, like my father is distancing himself from her¡­However, since Miranda-san is clearly more of a workaholic, with barely any experience in love, and because of her age, she probably sees this as her last chance, and is trying her hardest.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t need to hear that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cheering for her, you know.¡± Gou said, with all his honesty.


    ¡°But, are you sure that telling us about this was the right choice?¡±


    If the public found out that the ambassador of Zilgus and a candidate for the next mayor of Callan were a couple, it¡¯d surely end up in a scandal.


    ¡°As both Kyle-san and my teacher Shildonia are my supporters and I rely on you, I don¡¯t want to lie to you. So please, put that information to good use,¡± Gou said, his eyes sparkling.


    For a moment, Kyle lost the confidence in his decision to support this kid, but he decided to not think about it for now.


    ¡°I remember, she mentioned something like that.¡± Kyle muttered with a quiet voice.


    He first met Miranda in the middle of a battle (which happened a lot at the time), and she never once smiled. Back then, she was responsible for the delivery of supplies and gathering information, which made her a crucial existence for humanity, but her personality was always calm and composed, ready to cast aside not only her allies, but even innocent civilians. Once, she happened to get drunk (after being forced by her allies), and told her stories with men, and she did mention an individual that would fit Gazas¡¯ description.


    Since I didn¡¯t hear any name back then, I assumed she was talking about a human¡­but to think it was a dwarf.


    With the death of a loved one as a trigger, she said that she sealed off her heart. All she could feel was regret at being unable to save him. And then, Kyle caught on to something.


    ¡°Maybe he died during this incident? If so¡­¡±


    The second Kyle felt danger for Gazas¡¯ safety, he stood up, only for the door to swing open, Miranda storming inside.


    ¡°Big trouble! A fire broke out in the mayor¡¯s residence!¡±

 Volume 2 - CH 12

    ¡°So someone got the jump on us¡­¡± Kicking through the remains of the burned-down house, Kyle muttered with a strained expression.


    Right after they received reports of the fire, Kyle and his group rushed to the mayor¡¯s residence, but the fire had spread too much that it harmed the surrounding houses, so they were forced to wait for the fire to burn out. Once they had all taken a rest, they returned to the scene, but the residence had fully burned down by then.


    ¡°It burned down to the last bit, to the point it almost feels unnatural.¡± Urza¡¯s facial expression stiffened because of the burning scent.


    As it was a house built with stone, it shouldn¡¯t have burned down so easily, but only a mountain of debris remained.


    ¡°A fire at such a timing, it can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°So it was meant as a distraction and means of destroying proof and escaping?¡±


    Urza nodded, and continued.


    ¡°If the demon disappeared, that would be the best outcome¡­¡±


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll work that way,¡± Kyle scratched his cheek.


    City guards of Callan searched through the debris, but the mayor was yet to be found. In a way, this situation was a godsend for Kyle¡¯s group. Now they could push all the blame onto the mayor.


    ¡°The only problem left is the official clarification, and that basically nothing was resolved, huh.¡±


    The location of the mayor, the safety of the people who had been abducted, and that demon¡­there are many other problems left to worry about.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­I bet on the one in a million chance that we might find something, but nothing over here, huh.¡± Seran turned around some of the debris, looking for anything worthwhile.


    Of course, that anything worthwhile could only be the Holy Sword Rand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy the feeling of being a thief at such a place, but, well, I also haven¡¯t found what I¡¯d rather not find here.¡±


    He didn¡¯t put it into clear words, but this ¡®What he¡¯d rather not find here¡¯ was actually referring to Gazas. According to eyewitnesses, presumably because he was called over, Gazas had entered the mayor¡¯s residence yesterday at noon, and he now completely vanished as well. Surely, Miranda was in turbulence on the inside, but she didn¡¯t show any signs of that, simply returning to the embassy.


    ¡°Also, there seemed to be a lot of people working here at this residence, yet we haven¡¯t found a single corpse anywhere.¡± Seran continued. ¡°Not to mention that we don¡¯t even know where they are.¡±


    ¡°If this was some plot to escape from the eyes of the world, they would have prepared fake corpses, so I guess this was just another way of earning time. However, even if it was, the fact that it even came to this showed that the mayor¡¯s side was dealing with miscalculations in their plan¡­¡± Kyle started thinking, when he tried to remember as much from the previous world¡¯s Miranda and her words.


    When Miranda was drunk that one time, she said something about ¡®If only I had found that secret passage sooner¡¯¡­In other words, Gazas died underground, past that secret passage?


    What if, instead of faking his death, this entire fire was simply meant as a way of hiding the entrance to the secret passage? Kyle stood up, and looked around the area, filled with debris.


    Assuming there is a secret passage leading underground, how do I go about finding it¡­


    He couldn¡¯t waste much time. He came up with one possibility, but that required Urza¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Ummmm, Urza. Can I have a moment?¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you want? You¡¯re acting creepy.¡± Urza took a step back, evidently having a bad feeling about this.


    ¡°Well, if my assumption is correct, then there should be a secret passage leading underground from here. However, finding it amongst all this debris would take far too long¡­so, I want you to use your Earth Spirit to dig a hole, and look for that passage directly.¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡­You don¡¯t even know where it is, let alone if it really exists, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But, it should be somewhere in these remains.¡± Kyle looked at the ruins of the residence, to which Urza¡¯s expression tightened up.


    ¡°¡­Listen, compared to simply changing the consistency of the rocks like back at Shildonia¡¯s labyrinth, directly digging a hole takes up much more mana. And even if I had that, if you tell me to just dig around randomly, I¡¯ll run out of mana before I get anywhere!¡±


    ¡°I know that¡­That¡¯s why I have this mana recovery medicine here.¡±


    The second Urza saw that small bottle, her mouth opened ready to throw a complaint at Kyle.


    ¡°I know that all too well. I also know that it works quite well¡­and tastes awful.¡±


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯ll also weigh on your stomach.¡±


    That magic medicine was expensive, worked wonders, but it was literal hell to consume, which is why not many people really liked using it.


    ¡°One would be fine, but how many do you think I¡¯d have to drink!?¡±


    ¡°Please! We don¡¯t have much time! While we¡¯re talking, the mayor might be running away, and Gazas could be in danger!¡±


    ¡°Urk¡­Alright! I just have to do it, right!?¡± Urza screamed in resignation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m counting on you¡­¡± Kyle apologetically handed her the bottles with ominous violet liquid.


    Luckily, after the fourth bottle, Urza managed to find the entrance to the secret passage.


    ¡°Alright, we can do with this¡­You okay?¡±


    Thanks to Lieze¡¯s shoulder, Urza somehow managed to stand.


    ¡°Urk, gross¡­¡± She held her mouth with a pale face.


    ¡°Seriously, great work out there.¡± Kyle thanked her from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Now then, there¡¯s a good chance we might have to fight those demons again¡­Seran, let me just confirm one last time, the male demon that attacked you had blue sheep horns on his head, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, our eyes met even from a distance, so there¡¯s no doubting it. It annoyed me because he was pretty handsome.¡± Seran wished misfortune to all men who were more handsome than him.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Amongst demons, not many had sheep horns. Aware of this, a certain demon¡¯s face Kyle encountered popped up in his head.


    ¡°On top of that, he seemed awfully arrogant. You ran into a female demon, and a beauty, right? I¡¯d rather have fought her.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just to let you know, but that kind of naive thought process won¡¯t work with demons, okay.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± Seran saw how serious Kyle was, and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll imagine that I¡¯m fighting my old hag when she¡¯s serious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± Kyle nodded himself.


    ¡°Just what kind of image do you two guys have of Layla-san¡­¡± Lieze vowed to snitch on those two once they returned to Rimarze.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re that determined, then I can rest easy¡­¡± Kyle said, and then looked at the two girls.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell us to stay behind this late into the game, right?¡± Lieze glared at Kyle.


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t stay behind after coming this far, you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I personally would feel a lot better if you stayed behind considering your condition right now¡­but I get it. Just promise me to stay on your guard at all times.¡±


    If the enemy was any average monster or someone from the human folk, Kyle wouldn¡¯t be this worried, but one could never be too careful when dealing with demons. In all honesty, he¡¯d rather run off and leave the two girls behind, but now that he didn¡¯t know the motive and goals of the demons, it would be safer to keep them around where he could see them.


    Maybe I just want to have them close to me so that I feel reassurance¡­


    Even for a moment, the deaths of those two popped up in the back of Kyle¡¯s head, but he brushed that away, and set foot underground.


    As the mining city that Callan was, there were many abandoned tunnels, and one of them was used as this underground passage. There were small lamps imbued with [Light] here and there, so it was still easy to walk through. After walking for a long time, they reached a large open area that signaled the ending of this passage. Setting foot inside there, Kyle felt a deja-vu. The ceiling of this space was quite high up, connected to several other underground passages. A magic circle was glowing on the ground, a simple altar in the middle, with shadows that resembled humans lying on top.


    Kyle remembered seeing that scenery. The scale was quite a way smaller than before, but it was similar to the scenery Kyle had seen when entering the Demon Lord¡¯s throne room.


    ¡°The forbidden ritual, huh¡­¡± Shildonia muttered while looking at the magic circle.


    ¡°Wazzat?¡± Seran asked. ¡°It is a forbidden technique that turns life force into mana itself¡­basically, it¡¯s a grotesque way of turning sacrifices into raw mana.¡±


    Approaching it, they saw withered bodies scattered in front of the altar, probably sucked dry of their mana.


    ¡°I remember these clothes¡­¡± Kyle spotted a body with luxurious clothes, and tilted his head. ¡°I remember, he¡¯s the vice-mayor that greeted us two days ago.¡±


    It was a somewhat puffy and overweight vice-mayor, but now he looked like a mummy so thin.


    ¡°Then¡­that as well?¡±


    Amidst the darkness, Lieze spotted a small mountain of¡­mass, looking like withered tree branches. That just shows how large their numbers were.


    ¡°Over there¡­these are probably the Callan people who were abducted.¡± Kyle closed his eyes, and went with silence.


    ¡°Basically, they want to use some strong magic, and need a lot of mana, so they¡¯re using the people they kidnapped as sacrifices¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it boils down to, yeah.¡± Kyle reaffirmed Lieze¡¯s suspicions, who still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    At the same time, Shildonia looked at the magic circle, thinking.


    ¡°It seems to be prioritizing quality over quantity¡­Which sounds awful, granted, but since a sacrifice takes time as you can only use one at a time, this is set up so it can squeeze the most out of every individual. Means they¡¯ll suffer longer as well.¡± She scratched her head as she looked over at the deceased vice-mayor.


    ¡°However, as for the catalysator in the center of it all, this gemstone will soon be at its capacity, and probably grow rampant soon after.¡± Shildonia was talking about the dim-green colored emerald on the altar.


    The way it glowed made it obvious that a lot of mana was inside of it.


    ¡°Grow rampant¡­So, is it going to explode?¡± As Callan itself might be under the danger of being blown into the sky, Seran carefully stepped backwards.


    ¡°Rest assured, with this amount of mana, it won¡¯t be enough to blow up the city¡­half of it would be the max.¡±


    ¡°That still is one hell of a calamity¡­So, what kind of magic are they trying to use?¡±


    ¡°Since they¡¯re simply at the stage of gathering mana, it¡¯s hard to say, but because they built this deep underground¡­¡± Shildonia spoke that far, and turned around like she realized something.


    At the same time, Kyle looked in the same direction. He felt the presence of someone approaching from a path that continued further past this area.


    ¡°Everyone, hide!¡± Kyle gave a sharp order with a quiet voice, and hid behind a rock at the entrance of this cave.


    Although some demons have sharper senses than humans, the majority is about equal to humanfolk. Since that female demon only reacted after Kyle stormed inside the room, her senses should not be that sharp. As for the male demon, if his assumptions were correct, Kyle judged that hiding should be enough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak, and don¡¯t move a muscle.¡± Kyle entered a stance that would allow for a quick chance into battle, as he and his group became silent.


    And then, sounds of footsteps belonging to two individuals slowly approached the open area.


    ¡°Hm, it seems like it¡¯s complete.¡±


    A male and female demon appeared. The moment he heard the male demon¡¯s voice, Kyle¡¯s cheek twitched.


    ¡°It appears as if we¡¯ve gathered enough mana¡­Though if I may ask, what are you so angry about?¡± The male demon showed a bitter smile, as he spoke to the female demon. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t like this situation? Gathering a human ally and quietly gathering information, did you not agree to this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to remind you of the word ¡®quietly¡¯ here.¡± The female demon clearly was annoyed.


    ¡°Are you talking about this trash here? I didn¡¯t decide on this, it was all that human. Even sacrificing those who were close to him, humans really are¡­barbarous.¡±


    ¡°Not about that. I was talking about what happened at that¡­embassy place! The Demon Lord-sama told us to ¡®Leave as many of them alive as possible¡¯, and I won¡¯t let you tell me that you forgot.¡±


    It seemed like the male demon was above the other in ranking, but she clearly wasn¡¯t blindly listening to every command.


    ¡°It happened at the request of our supporter, so I had no other choice. And, all of this is us keeping as many of them alive as we can afford to.¡±


    ¡°We were also ordered to not stand out too much.¡±


    ¡°That was also caused by our supporter. An abduction is happening at another location, so go about it in a flashy way, I was told¡­That however ended up in a failure, so I simply moved there to clean up after them.¡± The man flashed a devious smile, and continued talking before the female demon could say anything. ¡°Also, are you sure that you haven¡¯t forgotten? Our number one priority was that, yes?¡±


    Being told that, the female demon went silent.


    ¡°That should be our Demon Lord-sama¡¯s number one priority¡­and acquiring that is only possible through the contract with that human. Naturally, I do not enjoy being ordered by a mere human, but I can bear it because of my deep respect for our lord, yes? Even if it¡¯s something so foolish as this,¡± the male demon faintly waved his hand, which created a sudden blast of wind that flung the body of the vice-mayor against the wall, exploding into many smaller parts.


    ¡°Now then, we cleaned up the trash. This cave is going to be the end of me, so I will step outside for some fresh air. How about you join me?¡± The male demon asked with a smile, and started walking down another path different from the one Kyle and his group came from.


    The female demon stayed there for a bit longer, but eventually headed down the same path.


    Nobody knew how much time had passed since the two demons left, but after confirming that the air was clear, Kyle signaled everyone that they were free to move again. Immediately after, relieved sighs came from everybody.


    ¡°That was one situation I¡¯d rather never go through again¡­¡± Urza commented, breathing heavily.


    ¡°I started sweating just standing there.¡± Lieze wiped the sweat from her forehead.


    Rather than feeling someone else close to her, she directly felt the pressure from the demons conveyed on her skin.


    ¡°What a creepy way of talking that guy had¡­He¡¯s bound to be the nasty type. Doesn¡¯t fit his looks at all.¡± Seran was feeling hostility towards the demon for a different reason.


    ¡°Still¡­trying to keep as many humans alive as possible¡­I heard that the current Demon Lord was trying to keep things peaceful, but that¡¯s a weird thing to hear. Back during my days in Zaales, something like that was unthinkable.¡± Shildonia exclaimed with a complicated expression.


    ¡°But at least he was quite talkative, so we got some valuable intel from that.¡±


    Namely, that their main goal was to gather information, and that they wanted to acquire a certain object. For that, they worked with the mayor.


    ¡°Also, the location of the mayor and Gazas.¡±


    As a blessing in disguise, neither of their bodies were in this giant mountain of corpses. Conveniently, now that the demons had disappeared, Kyle¡¯s group walked down the passage the two demons came from.

 Volume 2 - CH 13

    While being wary of their surroundings, Kyle¡¯s group carefully moved forward, when they reached another open space. This seemed to be used as a sort-of residential space, equipped with furniture like a table or chairs. What entered their eyes next was Gazas, tied up and lying on the ground. Seeing him bloody all over, not moving an inch, Lieze immediately ran towards him, confirming his condition.


    ¡°Thank god, he¡¯s alive.¡± She sighed in relief.


    ¡°Urk¡­you are¡­?¡±


    As he had wounds all over his body, his voice was distorted in pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± Lieze immediately handed him recovery magic medicine.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive? Glad to hear that. However, the problem is that guy.¡± Kyle looked at the man who sat on the chair, calm as ever despite the sudden appearance of Kyle¡¯s group.


    He looked thin and old, but his eyes had kept a strong glare, emitting pressure. However, it was only him and Gazas who were present in the room.


    ¡°Who¡­are you people?¡± The man slowly opened his mouth, and called out to Kyle¡¯s group, sounding bothered. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to answer me. Whoever you may be, I have no business with you, so leave.¡± He spoke indifferently, no emotion in his voice.


    ¡°Let me just confirm¡­You are Mayor Bucks, right?¡± Kyled asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­But, that doesn¡¯t matter. You have no business here, and I¡¯m busy.¡± He seemed to hold no interest whatsoever in Kyle¡¯s group, simply mumbling to himself as he stared into the void.


    ¡°But, we have business with you. We warned you before that we¡¯d come meet you no matter what it takes. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here,¡± Kyle said, when Bucks¡¯ face showed a change.


    Like he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, he shot up from his chair, and screamed with blood red eyes.


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s you! You¡¯re the emissaries sent by Zilgus, right!? It¡¯s because of you all!¡± He emitted clear hostility, glaring at Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°Honestly speaking, we don¡¯t exactly represent Zilgus¡­¡± Kyle scratched his cheek.


    Simply standing up made Bucks gasp for air, and his facial color equally didn¡¯t look that healthy. However, him approaching Kyle made it seem like he was possessed by the devil. That being said, all of that felt like it was the last spark of his dying flame.


    ¡°Listen! I won¡¯t let you folks do as you please! Neither will I let the Empire, or Zilgus who try to take the long approach! I won¡¯t hand Callan over to anybody! I¡¯ll protect it myself!¡± It sounded like this roar wasn¡¯t exactly directed at anybody, but rather the mayor himself.


    ¡°Protect¡­What do you mean? All those disappearing, and the sacrifices, it¡¯s your doing, right? What is your goal?¡±


    ¡°My goal!? To bring back glory to Callan! It¡¯s all for the sake of Callan!¡±


    Kyle¡¯s group couldn¡¯t follow what he was saying at all, but it seemed like there was a problem going on with Callan as a whole.


    ¡°Soon, they¡¯ll run out¡­All the mines that act as Callan¡¯s lifeline¡­¡± Gazas had taken the healing magic medicine, and explained while coughing. ¡°Especially the mythril, we mostly dug up all of that. The other mines and ores will run out in two, maybe three years as well.¡±


    ¡°I see, so they could only hold out for a thousand years after all.¡± Shildonia let out a sigh.


    ¡°We somehow managed to sweep it under the rug so far, but once we ended up under Zilgus¡¯ rule, we reached that limit¡­Soon enough, Callan is over.¡±


    Once the mines and ores, the lifeline of a mining city, ran out, Callan would lose its reason to even exist. Even the skilled blacksmiths won¡¯t be able to do anything without materials, losing their jobs and earning no more money.


    ¡°I can¡¯t allow that to happen! I¡¯ll return Callan to its former glory! With my own hands! For that, I¡¯ll do anything! Or¡­have to do anything!¡± Bucks screamed with blood-shot eyes. ¡°For that, sacrifices are a minor problem¡­or rather, no problem at all! Rather, they should willingly sacrifice their lives for the greater good! And yet¡­yet, you get in my way!¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­You¡¯re sick, yes? A deadly disease. If I had to guess, you probably only have a few more months.¡± Shildonia spoke up, after calmly observing Mayor Bucks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about my own life! I simply don¡¯t have much time left!¡± Bucks staggered forwards, pressing his hand on his chest.


    ¡°I see, so the part about you being sick was true. The war between the Empire two years ago, the danger of Callan falling to ruin, and your own impending death¡­and now, the ones who used that opening in your fragile heart were the demons!¡± Kyle grumbled, putting as much disgust as he could in his voice.


    ¡°Demons? What about them!? I am merely using them!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you shouldn¡¯t talk badly about others. This is a proper contract.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s group immediately turned towards the calm voice that interrupted their conversation with Bucks. Standing there was the demon with the blue sheep¡¯s horn, possessing somewhat likable facial features, but flashing an eerie grin. Instantly, Kyle¡¯s group moved into fighting formation, their weapons ready, but the male demon was calm despite that.


    ¡°We merely brought up this contract to the current mayor. Saying that we may have a method that could bring Callan back to its former glory.¡±


    Seran saw an opening, and was about to attempt a quick attack, but Kyle stopped him with his gaze.


    ¡°W-What is this about? Do you know a way of saving Callan!?¡± Kyle exclaimed, his voice quivering ever so slightly.


    ¡°I doubt many members of humanfolk know of this, but Callan is a mountain that has been created with magic. Following that, the veins had been gathered together, and the ores made accessible.¡± The male demon spoke with confidence and pride in his voice.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    However, as there came no reaction from Kyle¡¯s group, the male demon narrowed his eyes to form a dubious expression. There, Kyle screamed with a purposefully loud and excited voice.


    ¡°W-What did you say!? A great magic like that exists!?¡± His voice was filled with fear and terror.


    ¡°Hm? ¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right. If we use that magic, we can gather the veins together again. However, that would require a tremendous amount of magic. For that, we need this forbidden ritual. And, the only ones who can do that are us demons, which is why we brought up the idea of a contract.¡±


    ¡°I-I see! So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been abducting people¡­¡± Kyle wiped his cold sweat away, emitting clear tension. ¡°I-If you call it a contract, then you wanted compensation, yes? W-What¡¯s your goal?¡±


    The male demon seemed to enjoy seeing Kyle¡¯s terror, and nonchalantly answered his question.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sword. The sword that struck down our previous Demon Lord-sama. Our current leader has great interest in that sword¡­Well, as it has stolen the life of their father, I am certain they have their own thoughts about this.¡±


    There, Seran was about to push his body forward in excitement, but Kyle once again stopped him.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me, the Holy Sword Rand is here? I had no idea¡­¡± Kyle spoke with shock.


    Coming this far, Lieze and the others were giving Kyle a dubious gaze, but the male demon didn¡¯t realize.


    ¡°Hehehe, our original goal was to gather information. Starting with Callan, who had brought forth tools that made us demons suffer in the past, we then focused on the power relationships between the various humanfolk races. Through that, we found out about the mayor¡¯s suffering. Since he possessed Rand, we bought up the idea of a trade. Being at this side, we would also be able to gather information, so we were striking two birds with one stone.¡± The male demon showed a cheerful smile.


    ¡°Y-You were doing something like that¡­¡±


    For a moment, Kyle hesitated to ask something else, but right at that moment, the female demon returned.


    ¡°So we have invaders.¡± The female demon clicked her tongue, to which Kyle clicked his tongue as well.


    ¡°Guess this is the limit¡­Well, it¡¯s fine. I found out everything I needed to.¡± Kyle pointed his sword at the male demon, showing no signs of his previous terrified and meek attitude, merely provoking the demon. ¡°Hey, sheep horn, I¡¯ll be fighting you.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Quite the abrupt change in attitude, indeed. Is this the so-called desperation?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I just was giving you leisure. Whenever one feels confident, they tend to speak much more easily. Goes for both humanfolk and demons, as you can see.¡±


    There, the male demon realized that maybe he had said too much, and turned red from the shame and anger.


    ¡°¡­I was simply letting you enjoy your last few moments, so don¡¯t act all high and mighty, human.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to act cool after being embarrassed like that, demon.¡± Kyle said with an invincible smile.


    ¡°It seems as if you won¡¯t understand until I kill you for good.¡±


    This must be the first time the male demon received provocation from a human during such a direct encounter, as his smile disappeared.


    ¡°Please wait a moment, we are still in the middle of our mission. We have been ordered to avoid fighting as much as possible.¡± The female demon shook her head.


    ¡°¡­Having come this far, we need to cancel our mission. Later on, these humans will get in our way. We¡¯ve accomplished the majority of our goals, so let¡¯s leave it at that. Let us retreat.¡± The male demon said, but the female demon didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°We have yet to retrieve the sword!¡±


    ¡°It cannot be helped, our goal was to gather information, yes? The sword was merely a bonus. Even if the Demon Lord-sama asks for it. If we silence these people, it will be like we never even existed here. On top of that¡­¡± The male demon continued before the female one could continue. ¡°I am very much aware that the Demon Lord-sama has taken a great liking to you. However, obtaining that sword is their personal wish, and that doesn¡¯t mean we should ignore everything else for it¡­Also, I am the one in charge of this mission, do not forget that.¡±


    Being told all that, the female demon could only remain silent.


    ¡°W-Wait! What do you mean!? The Holy Sword¡­do you not need it!?¡± Bucks pressed one hand on his chest, screaming.


    Kyle let out a sigh, and spoke up.


    ¡°You¡¯re still saying that? These guys are demons, do you really think they would keep their promise?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way demons would care about any promise they made with a human. Yet here you are, believing their lies¡­¡± Kyle let out a sigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the misinterpretation. Without this trouble, we would have used the terraforming magic, naturally.¡± The male demon must have heard Kyle¡¯s words, showing a fiendish smile. ¡°However, it is quite the difficult magic to use, and in the event that it ends in failure, it might grow rampant, which could lead to the entire mountain vanishing from the face of the earth. Sacrificing everything, including their own humanity, and yet still seeing everything fall to ruin¡­I would have loved to see that expression.¡± The male demon laughed with an eerie grin, as Bucks froze up.


    The moment everything he had heart properly set in, he was about to scream something, only for Seran to move first.


    ¡°Guha!?¡±


    He rammed the pommel of his sword into Bucks¡¯ solar plexus, silencing him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t have you cause a ruckus now. That being said, dying ain¡¯t an option either¡­so do that after you¡¯ve taken responsibility.¡± Seran pushed Bucks¡¯ body onto Gazas, and told him to move away.


    After Kyle¡¯s group finished preparing for battle, they faced the demons.


    ¡°Now then, you will face that human and that elf woman.¡±


    ¡°However¡­we cannot kill humanfolk¡­¡± The female demon seemed intent on listening to the Demon Lord¡¯s orders, letting out a voice of hesitation, but the male demon just let out an arrogant snort.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s that man, right? The one you tried to silence after he saw you.¡±


    ¡°I was not planning on killing him. Most humanfolk have yet to even encounter a demon, so if I crushed his eyes and throat, he wouldn¡¯t be able to warn the others¡­¡±


    ¡°What a violent solution you came up with¡­¡± Kyle pressed one hand on his eyes and throat, and shook in terror.


    ¡°Either way, they seem fully intent on fighting, so we need to erase the sparks before they can catch fire.¡± The male demon laughed cynically.


    ¡°¡­Hey, Seran. You stay with those two. I¡¯ll take care of that sheep horn guy.¡±


    ¡°You sure? It¡¯ll be one-on-one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You said you wanted to fight that female demon, right? I¡¯m more than enough for this guy, so you stay with the girls in case things get too heated.¡± Kyle said, and added more provocation against the male demon.


    ¡°¡­Very well, I shall grant your wish and play with you a bit¡­You deal with his group.¡± The male demon told the female one, his voice riddled with anger.


    The female demon seemed to have resigned herself, so she listened to his orders, and the fight began.

 Volume 2 - CH 14

    ¡°Rest assured, I do not plan on hurting any of you.¡± The female demon faced Lieze and Urza, speaking with an annoyed tone.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Urza asked, dubious.


    ¡°Just hurry up and run away, I won¡¯t chase you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you really think we¡¯d fall for such an obvious trap? You probably want to attack our backs while we¡¯re running away.¡± Lieze argued.


    ¡°A trap? Why would I use that against mere humanfolk like you?¡± The female demon seemed genuinely confused. ¡°As much as it pains me to admit it, continuing the mission will be impossible. Thus, I will abide by the Demon Lord-sama¡¯s orders and retreat.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll let you just return to the demon territory?¡±


    Hearing Urza¡¯s words, a faint glimmer of scorn appeared on the female demon¡¯s face.


    ¡°I am only allowed to fight when there is danger of information about us demons being leaked, and when I myself am in danger. Since it is apparent that we demons were at work here, trying to hide it is futile. And, you people cannot hurt me, unlike that man¡­¡± The female demon reminisced about her encounter with Kyle, and glanced at him. ¡°That is why there is no need for me to fight here¡­So, disappear from my sight.¡± She sounded like she didn¡¯t want to waste her energy on any of this.


    However, as you would expect, the two girls weren¡¯t about that.


    ¡°Hey, Urza, I¡¯m really pissed right now.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence, so am I.¡±


    Basically, those two aren¡¯t even being treated as enemies. Since they were confident in their skill to some degree, that must have stung. Thus, Lieze lowered her hip, entering a fighting position, whereas Urza summoned Fire Spirit Salamander. Amidst all her spirits, Salamander had the strongest attack power out of the bunch, looking like a fire lizard of sorts, flames gushing out of its mouth.


    Watching those two, the female demon uttered a defeated ¡®Fools¡­¡¯, and took a stance like she was shooing away an insect. As that battle began, Shildonia approached Seran, who watched it unfold from a distance.


    ¡°What about Kyle?¡± Seran asked her without turning around.


    ¡°He told me to support you instead. And, how are things?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s playing with them. That female demon seems to be prioritizing hand-to-hand combat¡­but as expected of a demon, her physical abilities greatly surpass that of a humanfolk. Even if you¡¯d strengthen yourself with magic, you wouldn¡¯t be able to catch her.¡± He explained, but never looked away once.


    Just as he stated, the battle was quite one-sided. Lieze¡¯s punches and kicks were met with empty air, and Salamander¡¯s fire breath or claws did not scratch the demon. It seemed like an adult was playing with a child, not even taking them seriously. Adding to that, Lieze was not used to fighting an actual demon, and Urza was starting to get pale from controlling the Salamander.


    ¡°Are you not going to help them?¡±


    ¡°¡­Not only does she have superior physical abilities, she¡¯s got sharp senses as well.¡±


    Right now, Seran was periodically sending killing intent her way, showing signs of him possibly attacking, but every time she acted accordingly. She was confident that even if Seran landed an attack, it would not leave behind any fatal wound. She herself was basically just jumping around, focusing fully on evading, not fighting back at all. That¡¯s why both Lieze and Urza were perfectly safe.


    ¡°And knowing Kyle, he probably decided to fight the stronger enemy so that those two could gather experience in battle. Not to mention that getting them used to a demon wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°You can see that this female demon has no killing intent. There¡¯s no better first fight with a demon they could have, not to mention that he¡¯s kept me here to protect them in an emergency¡­God he¡¯s so protective.¡± Seran said, and still did not look away from the fight in front of him.


    He probably wanted to burn this battle of a genuine demon into his eyes.


    ¡°¡­By the way, do you know what this is?¡±


    After watching for a while, Seran took out what looked like a rectangular cuboid, with magical letters engraved into it.


    ¡°That¡¯s something the mayor desperately clung to. I picked it up when I knocked him out.¡±


    Naturally, without consent.


    ¡°Quite the thief you are¡­Hmm, this is a very special magic tool. It erases all mana reactions coming from objects in its vicinity. Basically, it uses [Detect Magic] to confirm mana around it, then obstructs it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­So if this goes off, it means that there¡¯s objects with mana around?¡± Seran grinned.


    The trump card of the contract with the demons¡ªthe Holy Sword. If the demons happened to find that beforehand, it would nullify the contract. That¡¯s why Bucks hid it beforehand. However, as he even treated the people closest to him as sacrifices, he had nobody to hand this to. In other words, the safest method of hiding it would be to keep it to himself.


    ¡°¡­In fact, right as the mayor screamed about the Holy Sword, he glanced over here for a moment.¡±


    Seran looked over at an old chair the mayor had been sitting on when they stormed in here.


    ¡°Despite being a longfinger, you have awfully great perception. Maybe your guess was correct after all.¡± Shildonia guessed what Seran was trying to say, and grinned.


    Slowly but steadily, without the demon catching on, Seran moved towards the chair.


    At the same time, Kyle¡¯s battle with the male demon was equally one-sided.


    ¡°Hahaha! Where did all your confidence go!?¡± The male demon let out a loud roar, firing off fist-sized bullets of mana, with Kyle carefully avoiding them.


    The Ancient Language Magic used by humanfolk basically works as a chant where you exchange mana as efficiently as possible, and create various phenomena. At the same time, magic used by demons basically was, on its simplest terms, mana being exchanged for raw power, without needing any chant. Instead, in order to change its firepower and effects, they could simply gather more mana. Although humanfolk could use the same magic spells as demons, the efficiency would drop drastically, with a large burden on their bodies depending on it. With both the amount of mana and physical abilities surpassing those of the humanfolk, only demons could effectively use that kind of magic. And right now, these mana bullets floated around the male demon in great numbers.


    A scary amount of mana, alright.


    Kyle mentally clicked his tongue. If this was any other humanfolk he was dealing with, this amount of firepower would have used up most of their mana with a single shot. And, the control would have been all over the place, unlike what the demon could pull off. On top of that, the mana bullets the demon fired off had the disposition that they would explode on impact, so Kyle could only keep dodging to the best of his ability, unable to approach the demon.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Another mana bullet hit his shoulder, and exploded. After being blown away, Kyle immediately got back up on his feet again, and regained his posture. However, the taste of blood and pain filled his mouth, and with every groan he let out, the demon¡¯s smile would grow more sinister.


    The only reason Kyle was able to somehow hold his ground now is because he managed to avoid the attacks, and because of the dragon armor that protected him from severe injuries. Of course, this only contributed to the demon enjoying his time playing with Kyle.


    ¡°What a great scream that was. I¡¯ve managed to enjoy myself quite a bit, so maybe I should bring things to an end now.¡± The male demon said so, and created mana bullets that were two-times bigger than the ones before. ¡°I¡¯ll set it up so that they explode after digging deep into your body. Even as your body is blown to pieces, your head might make it out, so they can properly bury your body, yes? Just like those humans yesterday,¡± The male demon showed a smile from the bottom of his rotten heart, and then¡ª


    The moment Kyle had been waiting for finally arrived.


    At the same time, Seran stood in front of an old, moldy chair, as he confirmed the back lean of it. Feeling that something was hidden inside the cotten, Seran felt something inside the cotton, so he swung down his sword in a diagonal downward slice. Naturally, the chair ended up in two parts¡ªand so did Seran¡¯s sword, as the upper part of his blade fell to the ground. From the remains of the chair, he found a blade with a beautiful and awe-inspiring shine.


    ¡°Found iiiiiiit~¡± He flashed a bright smile that almost looked creepy, as Seran raised a cheer of joy.


    Hearing that loud roar from Seran, both of the demons reacted a tiny bit. However, Kyle and the others were all too used to that, so they kept their calm just fine. This small difference worked wonders. The female demon glanced over at Seran, seeing him hold what looked like a sword.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me!?¡± She subconsciously pushed her body forward, but the two girls fighting her didn¡¯t miss out on that chance.


    ¡°Do it! Salamander!¡±


    Listening to Urza¡¯s order, Salamander swallowed a lot of air, and then spewed out a large gush of flames that could wrap up the entire body of the female demon.


    ¡°¡­!¡± She reflexively tried to dodge, but was too late, as she was hit by the flames.


    Although she didn¡¯t receive much damage from the flame itself, she still covered her face with her arms as a last effort to protect herself. At the same time, Lieze jumped through the flame, ramming her armoured fist into the female demon¡¯s face.


    ¡°Urk!?¡± The female demon barely managed to avoid getting hit in a vital part, but the fist wrapped in the gauntlet still grazed her cheek.


    The female demon tried to throw back a punch, but Lieze crossed her arms into an X shape, accepting that without any problem, although the impact blew her off.


    ¡°Ouch¡­Oh, what¡¯s wrong? You just fought back against a human, right? I thought we weren¡¯t even worthy of being your enemies?¡± Although she jumped backwards to dampen the impact, Lieze rubbed her arms as she provoked the female demon.


    ¡°Hm, the tips of your hair looked burned. I bet it must hurt, so why don¡¯t you get that treated quickly?¡± Urza followed up with a confident grin.


    Even the Salamander next to her showed what resembled a smile.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± The female demon gently wiped the blood off her cheek.


    Despite her expression mostly being indifferent up to that point, one could see a clear mixture of anger and irritation filling her face, and right as she was about to say something¡ªa tremendous scream rang out.


    The male demon reacted to Seran¡¯s dubious scream as well, and moved his gaze away from Kyle for a split second. He immediately turned his gaze back at Kyle¡ªor he should have, but Kyle had vanished.


    ¡°What?!¡± Frantically, he looked to his left and right, but could not find him. ¡°Where¡­Ah, up above!¡± There, he saw Kyle flying at him.


    He thought about intercepting Kyle¡¯s approach with a mana bullet, but because the blast radius would injure him at the same time, so he hesitated. That one moment was enough for Kyle, as he used his speed to accelerate the slash of his sword.


    ¡°Guha!?¡± The male demon let out a scream, and held his head, as he staggered backwards.


    ¡°Great reaction. Generally, demons have great reflexes, which makes you such a troublesome bunch.¡±


    If this was any normal humanfolk enemy, they would have been dead with that.


    ¡°Y-You bastard!¡±


    Half of his face was drenched in blood, as the male demon howled. A deep wound could be seen on his head and face, and one of his sheep horns had been cut off clean.


    ¡°A mere human¡­dared to steal my horn¡­hurt my face!¡±


    ¡°Now that look on your face I can appreciate. You have lady-killer potential now.¡± Kyle stepped on the one horn that had rolled towards him.


    The male demon saw this, which only fueled his anger, but Kyle was as calm as before.


    ¡°Now now, don¡¯t move, if you get any closer, I¡¯ll be forced to crush this one.¡±


    The moment Kyle said that, the demon abruptly stopped in his tracks, as his glare of contempt and pure hatred grew even stronger. There, the female demon who had been fighting Lieze and Urza came running. She showed worry towards the male demon, but he shooed her away, and instead screamed at Kyle.


    ¡°Move that foot! Give me back my horn!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna. I know that a horn is like a symbol of honor for a demon, and that you get pushed away, even thrown out from the ranks of demons, if you¡¯re a ¡®Hornless¡¯.¡±


    In fact, in demon society, those who have committed a serious crime are punished to lose their horns, which is regarded as a punishment worse than death.


    ¡°I¡¯m shocked you even know about that.¡± Seran stood next to Kyle, with a sword in hand, clearly in a great mood.


    ¡°Just some miscellaneous knowledge¡­More importantly, that scream of yours just now, is this the Holy Sword?¡±


    He had waited for the male demon to let this down his guard when he wanted to finish off Kyle, but thanks to Seran¡¯s voice, the male demon diverted his attention, which helped Kyle a lot. Of course, saying that out loud would only annoy Kyle, so he kept that to himself.


    ¡°Yeah! I found it! He was hiding it right in front of the demons¡¯ eyes, can you imagine the guts of that mayor?¡± Seran showed the sword he was holding to Kyle.


    The Holy Sword Rand¡ªit was a divine creation from the legendary dwarf blacksmith that had reached divine territory, which was used by the Great Hero Randolph to strike down the Demon Lord during the demons¡¯ invasion three hundred years ago¡­And now that sword was in Seran¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I tried swinging it a few times to test, but the weight and balance is perfect. It¡¯s like my hand is being sucked inside its swings.¡± Seran said, utterly entranced with the sword.


    With just a single glance, Kyle could tell that this sword was able to rival even Shildonia in his hands.


    ¡°It really is amazing, but¡­why is the blade black?¡±


    Despite being called a holy sword, the blade shone in a strong black light, which left Kyle confused.


    ¡°No clue about that¡­But, it¡¯s a worthy sword for me, so I don¡¯t care.¡± Seran rubbed his cheek against the blade, seemingly on cloud nine. ¡°Now then, guess it¡¯s time to test it out right away!¡± Seran readied the Holy Sword, entering a fighting stance.


    However, Kyle stopped him right before that, calling out to the demon.


    ¡°I have a proposition¡­Why don¡¯t we temporarily put this fight on hold?¡±


    ¡°Ehhhh?¡± Seran didn¡¯t seem too happy about that, but Kyle ignored him.


    ¡°What is your plan with this?¡± The female demon seemed dubious.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not exactly in a healthy state myself, and I also don¡¯t want to fight in this arena.¡± Kyle glanced at Gazas and the others. ¡°So¡­I¡¯d like to have a rematch in three days. If you win, you can have the horn and the Holy Sword. It¡¯d help in cleaning up this mess of a situation, right?¡±


    The male demon¡¯s bloodshot eyes moved from his horn up to Kyle. The moment the female demon heard the keyword Holy Sword, the color of her eyes changed. At the same time, Seran seemed quite displeased with that, and embraced his beloved new sword, but Kyle ignored that once again.


    ¡°What is your condition?¡±


    ¡°We do not know much about demons. So, we¡¯ll have you tell us about every other demon who is currently invading humanfolk territory.¡±


    ¡°So I will be fighting the human girl and elf woman, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Kyle hesitated for a moment, but nodded, and looked at the male demon again. ¡°How about you? Or, can¡¯t have a proper and equal fight with a human, huh? Don¡¯t you worry, the two of us will be fighting one-on-one.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me¡­Just you wait!¡± The male demon fired off a mana bullet to create a hole in the wall.


    Through that, another passage appeared. It was probably an escape route prepared by the mayor.


    ¡°In three days, right here, yeah? You better come.¡±


    ¡°Bastard¡­I will slaughter you no matter what it takes¡­!¡± He threw a typical villain threat at Kyle, and walked into the darkness.


    After a bit of time passed, both Seran and Kyle let out long sighs, as their tension vanished.


    ¡°Was there a need to put a stop to this battle?¡± Seran asked, sounding displeased.


    ¡°You just wanted to use that Holy Sword as quickly as possible, right?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t deny that, but now was the time to properly finish things off, right? We could have just squeezed the information out of them after we won.¡±


    Leaving aside their physical wounds, the demons clearly weren¡¯t in the best mental condition. Seran was arguing that finishing it now would make things easier for them.


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t want them to get desperate.¡±


    ¡°Desperate¡­Ah, that magic circle.¡± Seran caught on to Kyle¡¯s intentions, and nodded.


    If they had gotten too cornered in the previous fight, they might have resorted to the magic circle, and blown everything up. If that happened, Kyle¡¯s group would have been buried alive, and Callan blown into the sky.


    ¡°I backed him into a corner. Surely, he¡¯d do whatever it takes just to take me down¡­that¡¯s the kind of guy he is.¡±


    Injured by a lowly human, he¡¯d do everything to erase the shame he felt, so he would attempt to slaughter Kyle with his own two hands, and activate the magic circle simply to get his horn back. So, until the rematch, Kyle¡¯s group basically had to erase that circle, and that condition would fall away.


    ¡°Leaving aside that female demon, that other guy wasn¡¯t nearly as invested in the Holy Sword.¡±


    ¡°So you were aiming for his horn from the very beginning? You waited for an opening this long just for that?¡± Seran looked at Kyle¡¯s body, and sounded both impressed but also baffled.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s just that strong. If you were to put it in human terms, he¡¯s basically on a similar level to a supreme-grade magic user¡­Surely.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s basically legendary-class¡­You can win against him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s why I chose to have the rematch in three days.¡± Kyle grinned.

 Volume 2 - CH 15

    ¡°Were you two okay?¡±


    Kyle approached Lieze and Urza, calling out to them.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. But, I didn¡¯t think a demon would be this strong¡­¡± Lieze rubbed her arms, as she responded.


    ¡°A demon, huh¡­The elder in my village told me about demons before, and he seemed terrified of it. I thought it was just him bragging about some random achievements¡­but seeing it in person is completely different.¡± Urza said with a complicated expression.


    Since both Lieze and Urza are experienced in battle, they could clearly estimate the other person¡¯s strength.


    ¡°So, I bet you probably heard it already, but we¡¯ll have a rematch after three days¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll knock her out for good next time!¡±


    ¡°She seemed to be looking down on us after all. With the right preparations, we¡¯ll definitely win.¡±


    Before Kyle could even ask if they could win, the two girls immediately answered that question beforehand. Lieze formed a fist, and Urza was already thinking of ways to defeat the female demon.


    ¡°I see¡­But, don¡¯t let down your guards, okay?¡± Kyle said with a reassured tone, but still feeling defeated somewhere deep inside of him.


    ¡°So it didn¡¯t break them¡­¡±


    Kyle moved away from the two girls who were already in the middle of a strategy meeting, and muttered these words. There are times when you run into a strong enemy, visibly unbeatable from your standpoint, which then makes you want to give up fighting entirely. Especially in his previous life, he had experienced this many times when it came to battles against demons. In a way, Kyle hoped that the same thing would happen to those two after they fought an actual demon.


    If they developed even the smallest amount of fear towards demons, Kyle could have them go back to their homeplaces, and knew they would be safe, away from the battle. But rather than their hearts being broken, it only fueled their motivation and will to fight. So naturally, Kyle felt relief and happiness that they could stay together, but at the same time he realized that they would still be in danger¡¯s eye.


    ¡°What would you have done after those three days then?¡± Seran asked Kyle, presumably having figured out what he was thinking.


    ¡°Then you would have had to fight, of course. There¡¯s no way demons keep their promises, after all. But, since they¡¯re more than willing to fight, I¡¯ll let them.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­So wait, I don¡¯t get to play any part in this? No way¡­¡± Seran spoke with disappointment in his voice.


    It was clear that Seran was raring to test out his new sword.


    ¡°No, I want you to stick with those two. If it gets too dangerous, I want you to finish things.¡±


    ¡°So I get to play the nasty role¡­¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re good at that, right?¡±


    Unable to deny that, Seran simply grinned.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯m a bit curious about those demons¡­Seran, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­Well, they¡¯re definitely strong, alright. Clearly, higher-ranking demons¡­I guess you¡¯d be feeling the same way when fighting a mythical beast like a dragon?¡±


    Of course, Seran had no experience fighting against a dragon, but he guessed that it would be something along those lines.


    ¡°Yeah¡­they¡¯re strong. You definitely can¡¯t let down your guard around them¡­¡± Kyle muttered, as if to remind himself.


    Kyle was used to fighting demons because of the experience in his past life, but fighting that male demon now, he felt something like a discomfort.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Kyle shook his head, brushing away that thought.


    Kyle¡¯s group went back to the collapsed Mayor Bucks, as well as the exhausted Gazas.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t this weak before¡­¡± Gazas looked down at Mayor Bucks, commenting. ¡°This guy really cared for Callan. Sandwiched by two large countries, with the veins running low¡­His means were clearly wrong, but as I¡¯m born and raised in Callan, I understand his feelings at least.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you knew about what the mayor was doing, but since when?¡± Kyle guessed that from Gazas¡¯ words, and asked him.


    ¡°¡­Around one month ago, I found out by pure coincidence. I told him to stop over and over, but he wouldn¡¯t listen to me. I went to his home yesterday because of this case as well, but that¡¯s when I got captured.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t try to silence you.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s weird coming from me, but I am the number one blacksmith here in Callan. He simply cared for the glory and prosperity of Callan, so I¡¯m an individual he could not afford to lose¡­He¡¯s been looking after me because of that for ages.¡± He showed a self-deprecating smile. ¡°He urged me to join him, work together with him, and if I didn¡¯t listen, then not only me¡­but Gou and¡­her life would be in danger¡­so I couldn¡¯t go against him¡­¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s why you started to avoid Miranda, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t want her to get wrapped up in¡­Wait, why do you know about that!?¡± Gazas started panicking.


    ¡°Well, Gou told us.¡±


    ¡°That brat doing something unnecessary again¡­¡± Gazas held his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Rest assured, I don¡¯t plan on meddling with your business.¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­Ahh, by the way¡­about the Holy Sword Rand¡­¡± Gazas looked at the sword at Seran¡¯s hip, who had been treating it like his possession this entire time. ¡°Now that the Mayor ended up like that, it¡¯ll turn to Callan¡¯s possession, so of course¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I found it, so it¡¯s mine now.¡± Seran emphasized, but Gazas clearly didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    ¡°It belongs to Callan! It¡¯s like a national treasure!¡±


    Seeing how persistent he was, Kyle took over for Seran, and had him step aside.


    ¡°Cough¡­About that. First, we basically saved your life, yes?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, I naturally am thankful about that¡­¡±


    ¡°Adding to that, your house was attacked yesterday. This mayor was aiming for Gou. Probably as a hostage against you, or even as a sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°W-What did you say!? What about Gou!? Is he safe!?¡±


    Seemingly, Gazas hasn¡¯t heard about this, so Kyle explained everything.


    ¡°Yeah, we happened to be present, and saved him. However, your house ended up half destroyed.¡± Seran added, to which Gazas¡¯ body relaxed at once.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about my home, as long as he¡¯s safe¡­¡± Gazas showed a relieved expression.


    Even if they aren¡¯t related by blood, he still had the face of a father.


    ¡°¡­At around the same time, a demon attacked the Empire¡¯s embassy, and killed about half of the employees. Since she¡¯s the ambassador of Zilgus, Miranda was called to the official dinner.


    ¡°S-She!? Is she fine!?¡±


    Hearing Miranda¡¯s name pop up, Gazas showed approximately the same reaction he had with Gou.


    ¡°I happened to be with her at the time, so I managed to chase away the demon.¡± Kyle spoke indifferently, to which Gazas sighed in relief once again.


    ¡°C-Can you stop saying stuff that is bad for my heart!?¡±


    ¡°Basically, including yourself, we saved three people important to you¡­So disregarding that, is there a reason why you are so obsessed with that sword?¡±


    Gazas lost his words for a moment, but reluctantly answered Kyle¡¯s question.


    ¡°That sword was created here, and is treated as the symbol of Callan! And, it¡¯s a goal. As someone who creates swords, reaching a sword on the level of the Holy Sword Rand. I have yet to reach that level¡­but one day, I will make a sword that can rival it! That¡¯s why I can¡¯t have you remove it from Callan just like that!¡± Gazas screamed, gasping for air.


    ¡°I see¡­And for that, you would need high-quality mithril. That¡¯s why you kept quiet despite knowing about the mayor¡¯s actions.¡±


    ¡°Wha!?¡± Gazas went silent in shock.


    ¡°I was planning that as a leading question, but I guess I wasn¡¯t too far off? Thinking about it, you would surely ask Miranda for advice in regards to that.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re wrong! I really was threatened!¡± Gazas tried to deny it to the best of his ability, but his facial color got worse and worse, possibly realizing that it was backed into a corner.


    ¡°Rest assured, it was just a random guess. I definitely don¡¯t think that your desire of wanting to smith a perfect sword made you fall into temptation.¡±


    Gazas tried to argue, but Kyle brought out something before that.


    ¡°A bit of a jump in topic, but look at this.¡± He showed off a lump of metal shining with a silver light.


    With the [Apport Bag], he brought a certain object from the Sangurd Mountain Range¡¯s labyrinth to their current position in Callan.


    ¡°T-This is¡­!? Wait, do you actually¡­?¡± Gazas¡¯ eyes opened wide in shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, mithril. Not to mention that it¡¯s a pure lump of mithril¡­something you can¡¯t create in today¡¯s time. We happened to find ruins that existed since the Ancient Kingdom Zaales¡¯ time, and stumbled upon this¡­in great amount.¡±


    ¡°Ruins of¡­Zaales¡­This is the first time I ever saw something with such high purity¡­¡± Albeit surprised, Gazas¡¯ eyes were still glued to the shine it gave off.


    ¡°I surely don¡¯t need to tell you how valuable this is, but at this rate, it¡¯s just another lump of an ore. Our goal of coming to Callan was to find a blacksmith who can make good use of this.¡± Kyle placed the mineral in Gazas¡¯ hands, to which he audibly gulped his saliva. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s pretty clear that you¡¯re the greatest blacksmith this continent has to offer, so surely you¡¯ll make a sword that surpasses the Holy Sword. For that, you need high-quality mithril. So, why don¡¯t we supply you with that?¡±


    Slowly but steadily, Gazas started to breathe heavily.


    ¡°Imagine. You can use as much of this high-quality mithril as you want, creating the kind of sword you have wished for¡­¡± Kyle gently whispered into Gazas¡¯ ear.


    ¡°A-Ahhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°Now then, this is where my condition comes into place. If the Holy Sword Rand were to end up going missing, there wouldn¡¯t be any problem, right?¡±


    ¡°Yup yup, that¡¯ll make you the victim of this situation, and we won¡¯t be forced to tell Gou or Miranda about what exactly happened here.¡± Seran followed after Kyle.


    ¡°Urk¡­¡±


    Gazas was clearly ridden with conflict, but the lump of mithril in his hands left him no choice but to slowly nod along.


    ¡°Thank you, now all of us can be happy.¡± Kyle showed a bright smile, as he smacked his hand on Gazas¡¯ back.


    ¡°Yep, especially me!¡± Seran added an unnecessary comment.


    ¡°The demons are one thing, but those two aren¡¯t exactly the best kind of people around here.¡±


    ¡°Starting with a simple guilt trip to slowly move into a coercion, followed by sweet promises of the devil¡­No way you can say no to that.¡±


    Lieze and Urza were whispering to each other, but Kyle decided to ignore them.


    ¡°Cough¡­Anyway, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like you to make.¡± Kyle said, whispering into Gazas¡¯ ear. ¡°Can you make that? Naturally, I¡¯ll provide you with all the material.¡±


    ¡°I can make it, alright¡­but it¡¯ll take me five days at least.¡±


    ¡°Make it two.¡±


    The moment Gazas heard those words, his eyes opened wide in shock, and he screamed.


    ¡°Two!? Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°You heard us, right? We¡¯ll have a rematch in three days. I¡¯ll need it before then.¡±


    ¡°But, two days is just¡­Damn it, making me feel guilty for saving my life, asking for something so absurd¡­¡± Gazas cursed while scratching his head.


    ¡°It may be absurd, but it¡¯s not impossible, right? Adding to that, we¡¯re trying to save Callan here, so think of this as a way of protecting yourself and the ones you love.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Why¡¯d I have to be saved by such a troublesome fellow¡­¡± Gazas held his head in despair. ¡°God damn it! I¡¯ll have to shut myself in at my forge!¡±


    ¡°Oh, a special underground forge, huh? Yeah, without that, you wouldn¡¯t be able to process the mithril.¡± Shildonia clapped her hands together.


    ¡°H-How do you know about that?! That¡¯s one of the most utmost secrets of Callan! Only a limited number of people know¡­¡± Gazas screamed in disbelief, but Shildonia delivered an explanation not minding that.


    ¡°Together with mithril¡¯s high value, it¡¯s famous for being hard to process. On top of the ores that were brought to the surface and created the mountain, they interacted with the veins of the earth to allow mithril processing.¡±


    ¡°H-Hey¡­who¡¯s this brat? Gou mentioned that she¡¯s no average child¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, she can be a bit weird at times. But, we might be able to use this¡­¡± Kyle started thinking. ¡°Oh yeah, before you start working, go meet Gou and Miranda at the Zilgus Embassy, they must be worried about you.¡± Kyle said, and started walking above ground.


    ***


    Realizing that Miranda was in her office at the embassy all alone, Kyle pushed the reluctant Gazas inside, listening from the outside.


    ¡®Gazas! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe! If something happened to you, I would have¡­!¡¯


    ¡®M-Moron! Get away from me!¡¯


    ¡°¡­Seems like she was worried, huh.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not, alright.¡±


    Seran and Kyle had a brief conversation as they put their ears to the door.


    ¡°They were actually dating¡­Not to mention that Miranda-san started it¡­¡±


    ¡°I wonder if a relationship between a human and dwarf could work out¡­¡±


    ¡°What, it¡¯s not that big of a deal in terms of races. What really is being tested here is their compatibility.¡±


    Lieze and Urza¡­even Shildonia listened to what was going on inside with great interest.


    After that, Gazas immediately locked himself up in the forge, whereas Kyle and his group reported their encounter with the demons to Miranda. The reason they didn¡¯t tell her about the upcoming rematch was that she couldn¡¯t provide any fighting power. Rather, she¡¯d probably pull them down instead. After handing over Mayor Bucks, Kyle¡¯s group started preparing for the rematch.

 Volume 2 - CH 16

    ¡°Now then, this is the real problem.¡±


    The following day, Kyle and Shildonia were out together, investigating the location of the magic circle. The emerald in the center of the altar still shone with a green light.


    ¡°Hmmm, it is in a very unstable situation, and one wrong move could lead to an explosion. That being said, if we keep it like this, it¡¯ll eventually reach its limit, and grow rampant.¡± Shildonia commented with an indifferent tone, as she walked around the emerald.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably gather mana until it reaches that point, yeah.¡± Kyle narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°This gemstone is reaching its limit with how much it can store. Moving it will be impossible.¡±


    As the core of magic items, you usually use minerals or gemstones which are imbued with mana, and the amount of mana they can store is limited. With special gemstones, you can store more mana, but they eventually reach an unstable state. This emerald had already reached 90% of its storage ability, so simply moving it would risk it going out of control. And if that happened, Callan itself would be blown to smithereens.


    ¡°So, what should we do about the excessive mana?¡±


    ¡°We could simply release it. Have it slowly but steadily return to the air around us. Would make it the fastest.¡±


    ¡°That¡­would be a waste.¡±


    Although it was cursed mana created through the sacrifices of many people, it would still hurt to just waste it like that.


    ¡°Yeah, I agree with that. If I had the technology of Zaales at my disposal, I would be able to make good use of this, however¡­¡±


    With the endless possibilities of magic that the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales possessed, they could use mana to keep the city at night as bright as during the day, using transportation vehicles that could get them from one end of the continent to the other in a single day, and they could even control the weather. All of these things were utterly unthinkable today. However, nowadays you are completely limited in using up this great amount of mana.


    ¡°Maybe we can create a magic item that can put the mana to good use? You know, we have a magic item creator at our disposal.¡±


    ¡°Gou, huh¡­I¡¯d rather have them focus on the golems, to be perfectly honest.¡±


    With this much mana available inside the core, it would surely become a useful or even valuable magic item. However, that would require a lot of production time, and steal Gou of valuable time for the golem production.


    ¡°That being said, we can¡¯t leave this be either. A simple stimulation could spell the end of us.¡±


    Kyle started thinking for a while, when he finally came up with something.


    ¡°I know¡­can we move the mana to another catalyst?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯s impossible¡­but where are you going to put it? This emerald is quite the high-quality catalyst, which is why it can keep this amount of mana stored. Any better catalyst would be hard to find¡­¡±


    ¡°We have a perfect catalyst, remember?¡± Kyle said, and took out a red-glowing gemstone¡ªthe [Heart of the Divine Dragon].


    It could hold enough mana to allow for time travelling, which is why Kyle was standing here right now. This gemstone has existed since the era of legends.


    ¡°I see, that would surely be able to store the mana¡­and it would only be one thousandth¡­No, ten thousandth full.¡±


    It seemed like the heart could store enough mana that could blow up half of a mountain with quite the ease.


    ¡°If I keep it stored up, I might be able to use something after all¡­¡±


    The gemstone gave off as much of an eerie but equally beautiful shine, as Kyle muttered.


    ¡°The transfer will take you two days.¡±


    ¡°I see. So I¡¯d have to keep this here. Also, I need to show up at Gazas¡¯ place¡­That reminds me, using terraforming magic to gather the ores and veins again, is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not happening.¡± Shildonia bluntly denied Kyle¡¯s thought. ¡°The gathering of all veins and ores in this area is how this mountain was created, basically, there are no more materials you could bring to the surface. Even if there were any, it would require you to change the entire terrain again, which would bring ruin to this city either way. It¡¯s an irrational conclusion.¡± Shildonia said.


    That just shows how desperate Mayor Bucks was in his attempt to save Callan.


    ¡°So everything was in vain, huh¡­¡± Kyle let out a sigh.


    At around the same time, Seran, Lieze, and Urza sat at the Embassy of Zilgus, talking.


    ¡°So, you two really plan on fighting?¡± Seran asked the two, to which they both nodded strongly. ¡°My sword is on the line here, so I really can¡¯t have you lose, alright.¡± Seran said, emphasizing the ¡®my¡¯ part. ¡°Listen, the demon you¡¯re going to fight is much stronger than you two. Even if it¡¯s a two versus one, with someone like her, if she gets serious, you¡¯re out, no chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t hold back at all¡­Just as a reference, would you be able to win, Seran?¡± Lieze asked him.


    ¡°Right¡­Even if I went all out, we¡¯d probably be about equal. Even if I used my Holy Sword.¡± Once again, Seran emphasized the ¡®my Holy Sword¡¯ part. ¡°If I fought, then she wouldn¡¯t know about my actual strength just yet, and since demons generally look down on humans, I might be able to finish it in one smooth surprise attack¡­But if that doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯ll end up in a long and tedious battle.¡±


    Both Lieze and Urza had trust in his fighting powers at the very least, so they knew he wasn¡¯t just bragging about it.


    ¡°So, we basically have no hope of winning?¡± Urza asked, but Seran shook his head.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not for certain. In a fight, simply being stronger or weaker aren¡¯t the only factors that matter. If she had used some magic like the male demon did, you would have been killed in an instant. In that way, she¡¯s the best possible sparring partner. Even if there¡¯s a difference in strength, you can win.¡± Seran remembered that the female demon was focusing more on hand-to-hand combat. ¡°That being said, the difference in strength is still there, so in order to win, you need to come up with a strategy.¡±


    ¡°Yup, when we fought yesterday, she almost fell for my obvious feint, and only reflexively managed to dodge.¡±


    ¡°I felt that as well. If I had to guess, she doesn¡¯t have much fighting experience, if at all.¡± Urza agreed.


    ¡°Basically, when it comes to experience and technique, we have the upper hand. That¡¯s why we should focus on that. Besides that¡­Well, it doesn¡¯t feel too great just talking about the enemy¡¯s weaknesses.¡± Lieze seemed displeased.


    She herself preferred a plain and simple, equal fight, doing whatever it takes to achieve that.


    ¡°In order to win, it¡¯s normal to stay away from effort and instead use whatever method available, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know that, it just doesn¡¯t sit right with me¡­And, what kind of strategy would you use, Seran?¡±


    ¡°Me? Well, if I wanted to raise the chance of victory¡­I¡¯d probably attack them right now, I guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­The heck?¡±


    ¡°We set up the time limit, but there¡¯s no need to keep that promise. They excel at deceiving others and breaking promises, but they probably would never even dream that we¡¯d attack them before that. They surely have their guards down right now, so I¡¯d be going for a surprise attack right about now~¡± Seran said with pure joy in his voice, grinning.


    ¡°¡­Leave it to you to come up with such a dastardly method.¡± Lieze said, 90% full of contempt, and 10% of admiration.


    ¡°It does sound efficient¡­but inhumane at the same time.¡± Urza seemed to agree with Lieze.


    ¡°If you keep doing that over and over, it¡¯ll just make our reputation suffer.¡± Lieze argued with Kyle¡¯s goal in mind.


    He wanted to become a hero¡­on a level where he would remain in the chronicles of this world as a legend. If one of these party members were such a fiend and coward, it would hurt his own reputation.


    ¡°Simple, you just can¡¯t let others find out. Easy.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re sounding like a villain.¡± Urza massaged her temple, as if she was plagued by a severe headache.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Kyle himself isn¡¯t afraid to use whatever method necessary in order to reach his goal, right.¡±


    ¡°W¡­Well, that is true.¡± Urza couldn¡¯t help but agree.


    Although they have barely known each other for two months, she somewhat grasped the roots of Kyle¡¯s personality. He wouldn¡¯t act like a coward on the level of what Seran is doing, but if the need arose, he would not shy away from using any method at his disposal. He is what you would call a realist. In a way, it was quite the contradiction to see someone with these ideals aiming to become a hero, a symbol of justice.


    ¡°He¡¯s always been like that, but he sure enough stopped holding back all-together lately.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s found a goal, and is working towards that after all. Since he never had a goal like this before, he¡¯s just been going along with the situation.¡±


    The two childhood friends commented on Kyle¡¯s recent behaviour.


    ¡°Anyway, in the upcoming battle, you need to use your advantage in numbers to the best of your ability. Find some attack formations and combinations that use successive hits.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Luckily, we have the perfect practice dummy¡­excuse me, practice partner, so we can try out a lot.¡±


    Lieze and Urza smiled at each other, and then looked at Seran together.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Like this, the three spent an entire day coming up with strategies, and continued their mock battles. On the night of the second day, Gazas returned, devoid of any energy and color in his face, and simply collapsed on the bed, falling asleep immediately. Gou saw this, and thought to himself. ¡®I¡¯ll just read the mood¡¯, and tasked Miranda with taking care of his father. And with that, the promised day arrived.


    ***


    Right now, Kyle¡¯s group was waiting for the demons to arrive at the rendezvous location. Surely, the tension was visible on his face, as he stood there with his arms crossed. However, looking at everybody else sitting on a blanket on the ground, eating sweets together, this felt less like a fight for the death, but more like a picnic above ground.


    ¡°I did say the date, but maybe not giving an accurate time was a mistake after all¡­¡±


    As he couldn¡¯t afford to make the demons wait, they had been on standby there since the morning. Of course, the tension would eventually wear them down mentally, they now were having a picnic of sorts.


    ¡°You can be clumsy at the weirdest times, Kyle.¡± Lieze said, pouring him some tea.


    ¡°Shut up. I know I messed up¡­More importantly, I was busy with the magic circle so I couldn¡¯t look after you, but will you be fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, perfectly fine. We came up with our strategy.¡±


    ¡°The battle won¡¯t be an easy stomp, but we have a chance at winning.¡±


    Lieze and Urza nodded. Kyle glanced over at Seran, who also nodded while sipping his tea. Seeing that from Seran of all people was very reassuring.


    ¡°What about you, Kyle?¡±


    ¡°No problems on my end. The magic circle is gone, and I got what I needed from Gazas¡­If possible, I wanted to practice a bit longer, but it is what it is.¡± Kyle muttered, to which Lieze and Urza looked at each other.


    ¡°Sometimes¡­Kyle really resembles Seran.¡±


    ¡°Right. How do I say this¡­they really are best friends.¡±


    The moment Kyle heard that, he felt like despair assaulted him.


    ¡°You two! There¡¯s good compliments and bad compliments, you hear me!¡± Kyle felt hurt, especially because he was right next to them.


    ¡°Yeah, I regretted saying it midway¡­Sorry, Kyle.¡±


    ¡°I bet that must have hurt you. My apologies.¡±


    Lieze and Urza both gave genuine apologies.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you care about my feelings, huh?¡± Seran said, the only one who really was insulted.


    ¡°(Absolutely no tension whatsoever, huh. You¡¯re about to fight demons to protect this city, so won¡¯t you take it a bit more serious?)¡±


    ¡°Because you stuffed your cheeks with snacks, I have no clue what you just told me.¡±


    Shildonia looked up at Kyle with her mouth full, warning him, but it had no credibility whatsoever.


    ¡°Sure we¡¯re nervous, but there¡¯s no use being tense all the time. Not to mention¡­the real deal starts now.¡± Kyle dropped his voice, and looked at the secret passage.


    From there, two shadows appeared, most definitely belonging to the two demons.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting. How about we end things now?¡± Kyle said, pointing at them with his index finger.


    ¡°Ah, Kyle, you have some food stuck on your mouth. Clumsy as always,¡± Lieze complained, but still happily wiped Kyle¡¯s mouth with a handkerchief.


    Behind them, Seran and Urza frantically cleaned up the tableware and sheet on the ground.


    ¡°(Like I said, way too calm.)¡±


    Shildonia quickly stuffed the rest of the sweets down her mouth, as her cheeks puffed out even more.

 Volume 2 - CH 17

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get this rematch started!¡±


    Once more, Kyle pointed at the two demons. A deep scar could be seen on the male demon¡¯s face, and one of his horns was still missing. The female demon stood one step behind the man, showing a somewhat conflicted expression.


    ¡°As always, you humans show no end to your arrogance¡­¡± The male demon spoke with a cold tone.


    ¡°Not too energetic today? We can move the day if you¡¯re not feeling well.¡± Kyle joked around, but the male demon did not react at all.


    ¡°No, let us begin right away. I will make sure your insolent mouth never opens again.¡±


    Seeing that reaction, Kyle suddenly changed his tone.


    ¡°¡­Since you¡¯ll be fighting me one-on-one, I have a bit of a proposition.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to bring more numbers? I don¡¯t mind, it¡¯ll just raise the numbers of corpses.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to change the location. It¡¯s a bit too narrow here for two battles.¡± Kyle looked around, as he argued.


    It was a somewhat large space, but as they were underground, they couldn¡¯t go all out.


    ¡°Whichever is fine with me. Do as you please.¡± The male demon didn¡¯t think much and simply responded.


    This was actually somewhat of a test by Kyle, but as expected, he agreed immediately.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The female demon seemed a bit worried.


    ¡°Where we fight doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°However, he may choose an advantageous location¡­¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change much. No matter what a puny human may come up with, as long as I don¡¯t let down my guard like before, he can¡¯t hurt me.¡± There, the male demon gently touched his scar and the location of the missing horn, as his expression distorted in anger for a moment.


    He was clearly much more calm than compared to three days ago, but his hate for humans was showing even more now. The difference in strength was all too clear. He knew that Kyle managed to get a sneak attack on him only because he relaxed his guard for a brief moment.


    ¡°Then, follow me. It¡¯s right over there¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Kyle stepped away from the group, taking the male demon with him.


    He gave Lieze and Urza a worried expression, but Seran simply said ¡°Go get him, tiger.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯ll stay here?¡±


    Seeing Shildonia staying behind with the girls, Seran gave a doubtful question.


    ¡°Yeah, master told me to stay with you all.¡±


    As her projection acting as a physical entity would grow weaker the further she was away from Kyle, she would naturally stick at this side at almost all times, but her knowledge against demons might come in handy.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been supplied with enough mana, so as long as I don¡¯t move too much, I should be fine.¡± She munched on some sweets, explaining.


    ¡°You¡¯re still eating¡­?¡±


    Seeing off Kyle and the male demon, the female demon let out a sigh, and faced Seran.


    ¡°Now then¡­if I win, I will get that sword, but¡­does that mean I have to fight you as well?¡± She spoke like she didn¡¯t care too much.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just the observer here, so only those two will be fighting.¡± Seran shook his head. ¡°If those two lose, I¡¯ll give you the Holy Sword, I promise.¡± Seran spoke with a serious tone.


    Of course, he had no intentions of doing so, and was ready to protect the sword no matter what it would cost, but he didn¡¯t show any signs of that.


    ¡°I see¡­I don¡¯t like the idea of this, but it¡¯s for the Holy Sword, so I will play around with you.¡± She faced Lieze and Urza, declaring this. ¡°However, carelessness is the greatest enemy, as they say. I¡¯ve realized that you are indeed quite strong through our previous battle, so I will be taking you seriously today.¡± She said, and gently ran her hand along the cheek that was previously grazed by Lieze¡¯s gauntlet. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, surrender¡­Or, be ready to lose your limbs.¡± The female demon¡¯s muscles on her shoulders moved upwards, as her long fingers on both hands turned into sharp claws.


    Following that, cracks appeared on the ground where she stood, like her weight had suddenly grown. Her hair stood on end, and her previously green eyes now looked like they¡¯re burning up with a strong red. At the same time, both Lieze and Urza felt shivers running down her backs. It felt like the temperature in this underground area had dropped drastically.


    ¡°¡­This is bad, alright.¡± Shildonia grumbled¡ªher cheeks full of sweets. ¡°That¡¯s a type of strengthening technique amongst close-combat specialized demons, which heightens all your abilities.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s stronger? Even more than before? That¡¯s a bit unexpected,¡± Seran commented.


    ¡°Indeed¡­just think of it as strengthening your physical abilities¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­But if they manage to make it past the first attack, they should have a chance.¡± Seran said, but prepared himself so that he could intercept whenever necessary.


    Despite feeling that the female demon had grown stronger even on her own skin, Lieze stepped forward. Urza stood a bit further back, summoning the Fire Spirit Salamander.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    The first one to move¡ªor rather, before Lieze and Urza could even attempt anything¡ªwas the demon after all. With speed most likely deemed impossible to achieve by human standards, she arrived in front of Lieze, slashing at her face using her claws.


    ¡°Urk!¡± Lieze narrowly managed to intercept that.


    Without the high-quality gauntlets covering her forearms, the battle probably would have been over in an instant. However, the female demon continued her attacks to the point of not even allowing Lieze to breathe. Defending against this relentlessly fast onslaught of attacks, Lieze slowly but steadily was pushed backwards.


    ¡°Salamander!¡±


    At Urza¡¯s order, Salamander fired off an orb of fire from its mouth. Any normal flame attack like that would wrap up Lieze in the blast as well. It had already reached the female demon, in fact. However, even as she attacked Lieze, the demon easily dodged the ball of fire that approached her from her side. However, the fact that she actively dodged it showed that she would definitely receive damage if the attack connected. On top of that, in the time she spent evading, she couldn¡¯t attack.


    As a support attack, Salamander fired off more fire orbs, which allowed Lieze to start her own counterattack. The female demon seemed to see this constant fire of fire orbs as meddlesome, which is why she stopped attacking Lieze, and instead put her focus on Urza next. If Urza were to be defeated, the spirit would lose its master, and disappear. That was the basic strategy when fighting a spirit user. With ease, the female demon jumped over Salamander, and approached Urza. However, that is something Urza had predicted already.


    ¡°Gnome!¡±


    Together with Urza¡¯s voice, the Earth Spirit Gnome appeared, acting as her shield. The female demon¡¯s claws reached Urza, but stopped right in front of her.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Not expecting that, the female demon let out a shocked voice. Summoning and controlling two spirits at the same time needs an insane amount of focus. She probably didn¡¯t expect Urza to be a spirit user on such a level. At the same, the Gnome attempted to capture the female demon. She somehow managed to escape that grasp and took her distance, but the Gnome grabbed one of her arms.


    ¡°Urk! Let go!¡±


    No matter how much she fought, even a demon could not hope to break free from the Gnome¡¯s grasp. Naturally, Lieze did not miss that opportunity. She moved forward, and attacked the demon from behind. However, right before her fist would have connected, she suddenly stopped, and bent backwards. She attempted to avoid the backwards kick fired off by the demon, but it grazed her face, and she was blown away by the sheer impact.


    ¡°Kya!¡±


    Even though she was barely grazed, it was plenty of an impact that made her consciousness blank out for a moment. Using that opening, the female demon broke the arm of the Gnome that was holding her, and moved away. So did Urza, and so that she had another shield, Lieze and the two spirits moved in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m shocked¡­to think she¡¯d be this strong¡­¡± Lieze muttered, as she spit out some blood.


    ¡°Yeah¡­you can say that again.¡± Urza¡¯s expression ended up pale, her breathing out of control.


    They seemed to be exhausted mentally, and also when it came to mana consumption.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not unwinnable, alright.¡±


    They showed invincible grins, and the battle restarted. Lieze and the Gnome acted as the frontline, whereas the Salamander continued firing fire obs at mid-range. Urza stood in the back, giving orders to her spirits and analyzing the situation of the battle. The demon seemed unable to even focus on Urza in the back, as she decided to start with the frontline, attacking the Gnome and Lieze. Those two responded accordingly, slowly starting to push back the demon. Lieze used the Gnome as her shield, and the Gnome did its duty perfectly, which is why Lieze barely suffered any injuries.


    However, this resulted in the Gnome suffering the most damage, already ? of its body having broken apart. Even if he was a spirit, if it took too much damage, its physical body would break apart. As it was the sturdy Earth Spirit, he wouldn¡¯t crumble that easily, but at this rate, it was just a matter of time. Soon enough, Lieze would have to take care of defense on her own, which would burden her even more.


    ¡°I guess they¡¯re being pushed back now?¡± Shildonia said, sounding oddly worried.


    That being said, since she kept eating sweets even beyond the utmost necessity of restoring mana, she didn¡¯t sound serious at all.


    ¡°Yeah, no problem at all.¡± Seran answered calmly, but his fingers and legs were twitching ever so slightly.


    ¡°Can¡¯t calm down?¡±


    ¡°Just watching doesn¡¯t fit my personality. But, if I intervene now, I¡¯ll reap the punishments later.¡±


    ¡°However, it seems like you¡¯ll be forced to eventually?¡±


    ¡°Not wrong¡­but it¡¯s hard since things are going perfectly according to our plan.¡± Seran said, holding his head.


    ¡°You¡¯ve held out for quite some time, but this is the end!¡± The female demon swung her hand at Lieze with full power. The Gnome tried to protect her, but couldn¡¯t keep up because of its severe injuries.


    ¡°Urk!¡±


    So far, Lieze somewhat managed to hold her ground against an attack, but that one was too much even for her. Following that, the female demon jumped and evaded the fire orb, and headed for Lieze once again. However, the Gnome now managed to block her off.


    ¡°That won¡¯t work anymore!¡±


    The Gnome was already close to breaking apart, so when the demon saw that it would take just one more attack, she immediately decided to break through and aim for Lieze to finish her off. However, the Gnome went to its utmost limit in being a shield, closing off the demon¡¯s view, which was used by Lieze as an opening.


    ¡°Now!¡± Urza gave an order, and Lieze fired off a roundhouse kick directly onto the Golem¡¯s back.


    ¡°Haaaa!¡±


    Lieze put as much strength into that kick as possible, piercing through the abdomen of the Gnome, shooting out the rock that acted as the Gnome¡¯s stomach forwards.


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    As the Gnome had blocked off the demon¡¯s view, she could not even guess what Lieze was doing, so this attack completely took her by surprise. Even with her demonic nature and abilities, she could not react, and the rock slammed into her own abdomen. Through the hole that opened up in the center of the Gnome, Lieze¡¯s gaze met the demon¡¯s, who was groaning in pain.


    ¡°Another one!¡±


    Lieze used that opening to put everything into her jab, and hammered the rock even deeper into the demon¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°Guha!?¡±


    The rock broke into several small pieces, and being hit by its full force, the female demon took the shape of a sideways V, blown off. With that, the Gnome must have reached its limit, as it lost shape, the rocks crumbling to the ground. Naturally, its physical body may have been destroyed, but as it was a spirit to begin with, Urza would be able to summon it again after a set amount of time.


    ¡°Well done¡­thank you.¡± Urza deeply thanked her Earth Spirit.


    At the same time, the female demon barely managed to keep herself standing, but on quivering legs.


    ¡°Y-You!¡±


    Lieze tried to follow up with another attack, but the female demon just screamed ¡®Stop your foolish arrogance!¡¯, and tried to counter that. However, Lieze perfectly read that.


    ¡°Your attacks! You only go for one-hit KOs!¡± Lieze easily evaded that attack, and rammed another fist into the same spot of the female demon as before.


    ¡°The counter attack after eating a hit is the exact same as when you punched me before¡­No matter how fast or strong it may be, if it¡¯s an attack I can read, I¡¯m not scared at all!¡±


    ¡°Gah¡­¡±


    Normally, a demon greatly surpassed a member of humanfolk when it comes to strength and endurance, but taking three hits of Lieze¡¯s full power must have hurt quite a lot. She coughed up blood, holding her stomach in agony, staggered backwards, and finally collapsed. There, the Salamander delivered the final blow with a giant flame attack, engulfing the entire demon¡¯s body.


    ¡°I guess¡­it worked out.¡± Urza walked next to Lieze, both of them gasping for air.


    Separating that stomach part of the Gnome so that Lieze could kick it took a lot of mental strength and mana. On top of that, she used up all of her mana for the Salamander¡¯s final attack.


    ¡°Yes, those were some great three hits there.¡±


    Lieze was riddled with wounds all over, her body assaulted with severe exhaustion. However, their expressions were fresh, and relieved. After all, the combination they had practiced this entire time worked out perfectly in the real deal. Even so, they were still careful. Surely, the demon must have suffered a lot of damage from that combination of attacks. Finally, the flames faded, and the female demon was standing there. She had one hand on her stomach, the injury she had suffered, with blood dripping from her mouth, and she had burns all over her body. Her focus must have run out, as the color of her eyes went back to normal, and her claws disappeared.


    Her body was riddled in wounds, but her eyes were more than alive. She emitted strong hostility as she looked at Lieze and Urza.


    ¡°Why¡­I¡¯m clearly much stronger than you two, so how did I¡­¡± She was gasping for air, forcing out a weak voice.


    ¡°There¡¯s many reasons, but the biggest one is that your movement is so dull. You¡¯re too honest, you could say.¡±


    ¡°Right. Before, when you were holding back against us, your movement was much more smooth than now.¡±


    ¡°What¡­did you say?¡±


    The female demon seemingly didn¡¯t expect to even be given an answer, but lost her words after hearing the two¡¯s opinions.


    ¡°Also, this was your first time participating in a battle with your life on the line, right? And, I bet you never even killed anybody, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­!¡±


    Lieze must have hit bullseye, as the female demon went silent.


    ¡°Basically, you¡¯re inexperienced, can¡¯t properly react to anything unexpected, and you get far too emotional way too quickly¡­Finally, as we have gone through a fight for our lives before, we naturally had the upper hand.¡± Urza looked down at the demon.


    ¡°Also¡­you¡¯re a bit too diligent, and I bet people often tell you that you¡¯re stiff, yeah?¡± Lieze said.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    That assumption seemed to be spot-on, as the female demon once again grit her teeth in anger.


    ¡°What a foolish fellow you are¡­your fighting style reveals your personality. Especially you, you¡¯re far too easy to read.¡± Urza nodded, agreeing.


    The female demon once again showed shock and disbelief, shaking violently, whereas Lieze and Urza smiled at each other. They seemed relaxed and confident, but that just shows how happy they were that their strategy had worked out this smoothly. It was a narrow victory where one misstep could have spelled their immediate deaths. However, together with a bit of a bluff, their calm attitude did not break apart. Even if the female demon was lacking experience, it wasn¡¯t enough of a weakness to completely control the fight. If anything, they needed to show her that nothing of that was a fluke, but rather the natural turn of events, showing mental strength and confidence. That being said, the female demon may have suffered more severe injuries, but Lieze and Urza weren¡¯t exactly unscathed, and about as exhausted. Right now, they were about equal.


    ¡°Alright¡­Let¡¯s continue, shall we!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is where the real deal starts.¡±


    Lieze and Urza showed motivation, ready to resume the fight. However¡­


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my loss.¡± The female demon raised her head, announcing her defeat.


    ¡°¡°Huh?¡±¡±


    Lieze and Urza looked at each other, baffled and confused.


    ¡°Um¡­so basically, you¡¯re admitting your defeat?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I lost. I surrender. I don¡¯t intend on fighting any more than this.¡± The female demon calmly declared.


    ¡°Hey now, she gave up¡­?¡± Seran muttered, unable to process what had just happened.


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Even Shildonia¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock.


    Amidst all the experience she had gathered, she never saw a demon surrendering this easily to a member of humanfolk.


    ¡°Before, I simply let down my guard, so I figured that if I fought seriously, there is no way I would lose. However, having seen your determination or what you call it, I realized that I was lacking something. And, as I am at risk of dying in this battle, I won¡¯t fight anymore.¡± The female demon blatantly explained the reason as to why she would surrender. ¡°However, don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I am not scared of dying. The Demon Lord-sama has ordered me to return alive no matter what, so I can¡¯t die here¡­Even so, simply surrendering to humans like this brings me great shame. It tears me apart, without a doubt.¡±


    It became clear that the Demon Lord¡¯s orders are absolute, no matter how much it may taint a demon¡¯s honor and pride.


    ¡°Still, what an irony. After telling you to surrender if you wanted to live, I ended up the one who would run to avoid death¡­¡± She smiled with a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve surrendered, what will you do with me?¡±


    Hearing the demon¡¯s question, Lieze and Urza were finally brought back to reality.


    ¡°What¡­I don¡¯t know, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Even if you ask me that¡­I don¡¯t know?¡±


    The two looked at each other, visibly confused. Clearly, they worked through several strategies in order to come out victorious and alive, but neither of them would have imagined that their battle would end with the enemy surrendering.


    ¡°A-Attacking the enemy who just surrendered doesn¡¯t feel too right with me either¡­¡± Urza was quite confident before, but now she was deeply shaken.


    ¡°Even if she surrendered, you can¡¯t just let a demon go running away.¡± Seran scratched his head, sounding conflicted.


    ¡°Well yeah, you¡¯d probably make her go down on her knees, begging for forgiveness as you laugh to your heart¡¯s content, as you cut her down, but¡­I don¡¯t want to cast away my humanity like that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t make her do that while laughing!¡±


    That being the case, he did not deny the idea of cutting her down. The group sought help at Shildonia.


    ¡°Since you won, you have the right as the winner to decide what you want to do.¡± Shildonia basically contributed nothing.


    ¡°Um¡­So, if we won¡¯t accept you surrendering, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°In that case, I would try to escape to the best of my ability, and resist with all might.¡±


    Oddly enough, the female demon now seemed much more calm than Lieze and Urza themselves.


    ¡°I have to make it back home no matter what, so I can¡¯t afford to be captured here¡­If you were to request something from me, I shall abide to the best of my ability.¡±


    ¡°Request¡­¡± Lieze held her head, taken by surprise because of the demon¡¯s statement.


    ¡°However, anything I could provide you¡­That reminds me, you wished for information, did you not? The demons that are currently active in the humanfolk territory under the Demon Lord-sama¡¯s orders are just us two. There may be other demons invading your territory at this point, but I do not have any grasp on that.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that was one of our conditions.¡±


    ¡°You completely forgot¡­¡±


    Kyle¡¯s desire to learn information from the demons was pretty much just a pretext to get everyone motivated. To the point they simply forgot about it right now.


    ¡°Is there nothing else? Well¡­if you two were men, I wouldn¡¯t have minded sharing a bed with you.¡±


    ¡°Pffft!¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­S-Sharing a bed with us!?¡±


    With this random proposition, both Lieze and Urza blushed furiously


    ¡°Ah, if you¡¯re okay with a woman like me, I don¡¯t mind. Of course, I can also do it with that man if he comes back alive and victorious¡­¡± Although the chance for that is pretty slim¡ªshe added in her mind.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that! Don¡¯t worry about it!¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right! It¡¯s enough!¡±


    Lieze and Urza both strongly denied that generosity (?).


    ¡°I see, then I¡¯ll escape now.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Of course, the two girls could have attacked the demon, as there was no need to keep any promises with her. However, that would dirty the effort and intentions they had when fighting her. Although it was naive, it was the correct decision in the eyes of the two.


    ¡°That reminds me¡­I haven¡¯t asked for your names yet. Could you tell me?¡±


    Right before leaving the tunnel, the female demon turned around, asking the two.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lieze.¡±


    ¡°Urza.¡±


    The two answered.


    ¡°Ah, my name is¡­¡± Seran was about to name himself, but the demon just ignored him.


    ¡°I see, I will remember you. My name is Yuriga. I¡¯d be happy if you remembered me.¡±


    The demon, Yuriga, calmly named herself.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to give us your name¡­Well, it¡¯s different from a spirit user¡¯s true name, but demons still treasure their names, so it¡¯s rare for a demon to give their names to humans¡­Or rather, I never heard about that before.¡± Shildonia spoke, sounding surprised.


    ¡°You know a lot¡­Though I have to say, I always assumed humans were this powerful merely for their sheer numbers, but I was wrong¡­I have to admit, you clearly were stronger than me in this battle.¡±


    Being praised by a demon of all people, both Lieze and Urza showed meek smiles, but it didn¡¯t feel bad for sure. With the battle over, the tense atmosphere slowly broke apart. Yuriga smiled, and turned her back towards them.


    At the same time, Seran moved like he was driven by madness. Since it was at immeasurable speeds, not even Lieze and Urza could react. He immediately sped past them, aiming for Yuriga¡¯s back¡ªand drew his sword.


    ¡°If you¡¯d excuse me. I still haven¡¯t gotten to try out my sword.¡±


    With that voice, Yuriga turned around, and found the sharp glittering blade of the Holy Sword¡ªsomething she had been chasing all this time¡ªnow aimed at her. Unable to react because of her exhaustion, she could only look at the approaching doom.

 Volume 2 - CH 18

    Kyle and the male demon were facing each other in an open space. It was a small walk away from the location Lieze and the others were fighting, which allowed them to go all out without having to worry about the others. Until they reached this place, Kyle always walked ahead, showing his back to the male demon quite openly. Surely, this was pure provocation that he could deal with whatever attack the male demon could attempt, but said demon showed no signs of attacking him, merely following after.


    He sure is calm now, despite looking ready to jump at me the second he saw me before¡­


    Kyle had planned to disrupt the demon¡¯s focus, but this was a disappointment.


    ¡°Let me ask you before we start. Where is my horn?¡±


    ¡°I have it on me. If you defeat me, you can take it from my corpse.¡± Kyle blatantly answered.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved¡­Let¡¯s start, shall we.¡±


    With those words spoken, the battle began. The first one to move was Kyle. His only weapon was his sword, so when fighting a demon that could use long-distance magic, he had to get closer no matter what, or he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight at all. Knowing that his own attack magic was pretty much useless, he instead used magic to buff himself, and slashed at the demon.


    At the same time, the male demon¡ªdidn¡¯t do anything. He simply stood still like it was nothing. Kyle thought it was weird, expecting the demon to attack with mana bullets, but he couldn¡¯t exactly stop himself now, continuing to swing the sword. Right as the sword was about to connect, the male demon blocked it with his left arm. Kyle put more strength in his swing in hopes of cutting off the entire arm, but the sword stopped about half-way.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°At this distance, you won¡¯t be able to dodge, yes?¡± The male demon showed a threatening and eerie grin, firing a mana bullet from his right arm right into Kyle¡¯s flank.


    ¡°Guha!?¡± With a last second attempt, Kyle managed to twist his body and avoid lethal damage, but the impact he received made him feel like his heart would fly out of his mouth, as he was blown backwards.


    ¡°Oh? To think you would manage to evade that attack. I had planned to splatter your organs all over the wall, but¡­Whatever, that should have cost you two or three bones at least.¡± The male demon spoke with an odd tone of admiration in his voice.


    ¡°You were¡­waiting for my initial attack?¡± Kyle coughed, and somehow managed to get back into a fighting position.


    ¡°Not quite, it was an opening move in order to win¡­I have heard about you from her, and that I should drive you back like this.¡±


    There, Kyle swallowed his breath. Just as the male demon stated, Kyle had used this exact counterattack against the female demon who attacked the Empire¡¯s Embassy, and now that very method was used against him.


    ¡°How does it feel to get a good taste of your own medicine?¡± The male demon smiled, but Kyle could only grit his teeth. ¡°Let alone against another demon, I don¡¯t like the idea of starting the battle with an injury like this¡­but when I think of it as protection against a foolish human, it isn¡¯t that big of a deal.¡±


    ¡°So the reason you intercepted it with your arm¡­was because you could protect yourself with mana.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m surprised you could tell. I know that your sword has equal strength to the Holy Sword¡­but if I protect myself with mana, you won¡¯t be able to break through that.¡± He said, showing his left arm, seeing a faint glimmer from the mana enwrapping it.


    It was something similar to the defence magic Kyle could use, but it had similar strength compared to a magic bullet, a type of magic special to demons.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t like the idea of getting hurt, but you are the one who cut off my horn, so I don¡¯t assume I can come out of this fight unscathed.¡±


    The wound reached deep enough to reveal the bone, and blood came gushing out of it. However, the demon¡¯s facial color was the same as before, simply smiling with a certain determination found.


    ¡°So¡­I was the one who underestimated you¡­¡± Pressing his hand on his torso to suppress the pain, Kyle grit his teeth.


    The opponent wasn¡¯t letting down his guard, but rather was fully prepared to win no matter what. Kyle felt like punching himself for being so arrogant as to look down on the demon, thinking he had any right to provoke him. However, he could always reflect on it later. Right now, he should calm down and think of ways to win this fight.


    Just as he said¡­that¡¯s at least two or three bones broken¡­and my insides are killing me¡­


    Everytime he moved, he felt pain rushing through his body. However, Kyle ignored that, and readied his sword. He did have recovery magic medicine, but he doubted that the demon would just let him drink that. On top of that, attempting to run would spell Kyle¡¯s death, so he made up his mind.


    ¡°A great look in your eyes, alright. During our great war against humanfolk three hundred years ago, I saw a lot of folks who had the same look¡­¡± The male demon gathered mana to create mana bullets, signaling that the true battle began now.


    After that, the battle was all-too one sided. Normally, Kyle would have been able to somewhat hold his ground, but with his dull movement, he was pushed into the corner, and the same development from three days happened. The only difference is that this time Kyle was still pressed against the wall despite him going all out compared to before. He managed to close in on the demon at times, connecting his sword, but they were all weak and fragile, blocked off by the demon¡¯s mana defence. That difference probably was born from the male demon actually going all out this time. He showed no opening, no moment that Kyle could use, simply attacking like a robot. Eventually, Kyle had his back to the wall.


    ¡°Urk¡­¡± Kyle¡¯s expression distorted in agony.


    ¡°This is quite disappointing, I have to admit. Why don¡¯t you make up your mind?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, I don¡¯t plan on doing that. I really didn¡¯t want to use this, but it can¡¯t be helped¡­Don¡¯t move!¡± Kyle took out a horn from his pocket, pointing the blade at it.


    The moment the demon saw that horn, his facial color changed. The entire reason for this battle was to retrieve that horn, so naturally he would react that way.


    ¡°Wha¡­! You coward!¡± The demon howled while gritting his teeth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind being called that by a demon¡­Oh, don¡¯t move, you hear me? In this state, you might be able to attach it again, but most certainly not if it¡¯s shattered, yes?¡± Kyle grinned like the devil himself, taking up the role of the villain.


    Each step Kyle took forwards, the demon slowly traced backwards.


    ¡°It truly is something important to me¡­but I wouldn¡¯t offer my own life for it.¡± While stepping backwards, he glared at Kyle with immense hatred and contempt.


    Naturally, Kyle was very much aware of that. This was merely an act to bring the opponent exactly where he wanted him to. Finally, the demon reached the wall behind him. Seeing that, Kyle threw the horn high into the air.


    ¡°Hup!¡±


    ¡°Y-You bastard!¡± The demon screamed, his attention naturally fully focusing on the horn.


    At the same time, Kyle pointed the sword at him, and started running. Sword or horn? The demon hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided to prioritize his own life, turning his attention back at Kyle. As they were too close, he couldn¡¯t fight back, but he at least dodged the tip of the blade at the last moment. However, Kyle wasn¡¯t hoping to land an attack with his sword, and rather aimed at the demon¡¯s body in general. The two ended up entangled at the wall. That wall seemed to have been quite thin, breaking apart.


    That moment, an intense heat assaulted the two, hot enough to make Kyle forget all about the pain. The place they arrived at was an underground forge, filled with several smithing tools. Deep in the back was a location that glowed in a strong, melting red light.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­!¡±


    Realizing what that was, the demon froze up in an instant. As Kyle had known about this from the very beginning, he kept pressing forwards, and sent off a kick.


    ¡°Guha!¡±


    The demon let out a scream, and was thrown into the location that had accumulated sheer amounts of lava.


    Mithril is almost irrationally sturdy, and in order to temper it, you would need extremely high temperatures. Thus, Callan used the heat from raw lava to melt the mithril, thus being able to process it. For that, when they had once changed the terrain of this area, they created this underground forge by pulling the raw lava closer to the surface. In other words, this was a forge, a natural furnace using raw lava. Kyle learned about this when he asked Gazas who holed himself up here, around the time he looked around the area of the magic circle.


    In order to push the demon down the lava pit, Kyle fired off another kick. However, the demon managed to hold his ground at the last second.


    ¡°Shi¡­!¡±


    Before Kyle could finish cursing, the demon moved. He fired a mana bullet at Kyle¡¯s feet, and after Kyle¡¯s kick, he couldn¡¯t recover quickly enough, eating it at full force. His sword was blown off, as he rolled along the ground.


    ¡°Guess I wasn¡¯t pushing strong enough¡­¡± Kyle pressed his hand on his stomach to deal with the pain he suffered when kicking the demon, and groaned.


    ¡°I see¡­If a demon like me fell down that pit, there would be no saving me anymore¡­¡±


    With the lava pit in front of the demon, even he started sweating from the sheer heat he was met with.


    ¡°So that was your hidden ace¡­It was close.¡±


    ¡°Urk¡­¡±


    Kyle seemingly got injured on his leg as well, as he was unable to fully stand up, simply trying to take his distance from the demon who slowly approached him. However, he soon reached his limit, namely the final line before Kyle would end up in the lava pit himself.


    ¡°Human, you did well. Your strength is something even I have to admire. In our battle with humanfolk three hundred years ago, I never encountered someone quite so obstinate like you. However, even so, there¡¯s an impregnable difference in strength between humanfolk and demons. Repent on your curse of being born a human, and die.¡±


    The demon set another foot ahead in order to push Kyle down the lava pit¡ªwhen Kyle grinned.


    ¡°¡­Not exactly. I know a lot about demons. Especially about how pushing you down the pit wouldn¡¯t be that easy!¡± Kyle said, and then pushed his own arm into the lava pit behind him.


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    The demon was shocked. Even more so because Kyle pulled out a chain that had been hiding inside the lava. Kyle used that as a whip, hitting the demon with it. Naturally, the demon attempted to evade that whiplash attack, but his legs wouldn¡¯t listen to him, and he couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Gyaaa!¡±


    The chain clung to his body like a whip, and being met with the initial pain of the whip, as well as the intense heat from the chain made the demon scream in agony. Following that, Kyle put all his strength into his arms to tighten up the chains even further, restraining the demon¡¯s freedom. Following that, he picked up his sword, pointing the tip at the demon¡¯s throat.


    ¡°No matter how much you may focus, once you¡¯re certain of your victory, you let down your guard¡­Ouch, maybe that was too much after all.¡±


    He only touched the lava for a brief moment, but without the strong fire and heat resistance the dragon leather armor possessed, Kyle would have most likely lost his arm all-together. However, thanks to that, his surprise attack succeeded.


    ¡°I knew that, in this situation, you would try to push me into the lava. I was a bit worried because of our positions, but I¡¯m glad everything worked out.


    He used the strong adhesive in Gou¡¯s workshop, putting it on the floor before the battle started. Although quite some time passed since he put it there, it was more than enough to seal the demon¡¯s movement for a much needed moment.


    ¡°Urk! Don¡¯t think you can best me with just this¡­¡­What?!¡± The demon struggled to break free, but to no avail.


    Finally, he realized that the chain restraining him¡­was made of mithril.


    ¡°Impossible¡­a mithril chain?¡±


    He had never seen a chain made out of the scarce and equally difficult to temper mithril.


    ¡°Not to mention that this is pure mithril, so you¡¯re not going to break it that easily. Even if you¡¯re a demon, that is. I went out of my way to make this just for you.¡± Kyle showed a bitter smile at all the work he had put into this.


    Originally, his plan had been to corner the demon at a different location, using another separate mithril chain. Just to make sure, he also put another chain at a location he might end up if cornered, inside the lava, but that seemingly helped a great lot.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I forced Gazas through making two of these, really¡­¡±


    Kyle originally requested Gazas to make three of these, but that might have ended up with Gazas working himself to death, so he gave up on that. Even so, it helped Kyle in reaching his goal of not defeating the demon, but rather rendering him powerless so that he could squeeze all the information he wanted out of him. That was the main reason he had Gazas make these chains in the first place.


    ¡°Quite the eloquent and roundabout trap, but¡­Whatever. Now, I¡¯ll have you tell me everything you know.¡± Kyle pushed down the demon, making him lie down next to the lava.


    No matter what the demon may attempt, a single push was all it took for him to end up in lava.


    ¡°What do you want to know¡­¡±


    However, brought to the brink of death, riddled with shame, the demon still had his final trump card left.


    To think I would have to use that now of all times¡­


    In order to use that, he needed to buy time, so an interrogation like this was the perfect opportunity. No matter what he may tell Kyle, if he killed him in the end, then nothing would matter, so he sincerely answered the questions Kyle had for him.


    ¡°First, how many of your demons are currently inside humanfolk territory?¡±


    ¡°¡­Under the orders of the current Demon Lord-sama, it is just us two.¡±


    ¡°So you are special¡­Then, next question. Is the current demon lord really aspiring for peace?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were ordered to not anger humanfolk during our mission.¡±


    ¡°And you have no problem with that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. Our mission this time was a demand pressed onto us by the pro-war faction, not something the Demon Lord-sama agreed with.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­Then, the next question, and the most important one. Think about it before you answer.¡±


    That one question he couldn¡¯t afford anybody else to hear. Kyle went out of this way to ask that, so he couldn¡¯t waste this chance.


    ¡°Do you know a demon with black wings growing from their back¡­a hornless demon who might become the next demon lord?¡±


    ¡°Hornless¡­you say?¡± He looked at Kyle in disbelief.


    ¡°Yeah, at the very least, they weren¡¯t growing back then, so there¡¯s a good chance they might be broken even now.¡±


    ¡°Impossible, a hornless demon can never become the demon lord. Not to mention that I never heard of someone with black wings skilled enough to become the next demon lord.¡±


    Those who can move up to become the Demon Lord have to possess raw strength that can satisfy all of the demonfolk. Though the idea of bloodlines exists, the demons operate on a creed of true strength above everything.


    ¡°I see¡­So you don¡¯t know anybody like that. I was hoping I might be able to defeat them before they rise to power, but¡­I guess it was futile.¡± Kyle let out a sigh.


    The male demon was confused as to what Kyle was talking about, but didn¡¯t bother much with it, as a being in liquid shape approached Kyle from behind¡ªA technique the male demon called Invisible Assassin. This was the male demon¡¯s final trump card. Using mana it could create an impromptu magical entity, controlling it at its wish. The order of this fake living being was simple¡ªa self-explosion. It was like a living bomb. Even more terrifying is that it was invisible, unable to be seen easily.


    It may be slow, but its main strength wasn¡¯t speed, but rather the applicability for a trap, surprising the enemy. With the target having its back to it, even more so. It had stayed in the corner of the arena right when the battle started, but now it finally reached Kyle.


    Made it in time¡­


    Having succeeded in stalling time, the male demon was delighted. With its immense power, and because Kyle was already heavily injured, it should be enough to finish him off in a single hit. However¡­right as the Invisible Assassin was about to cling to Kyle¡¯s back¡ªhe simply slashed his word behind his back without looking, splitting the liquid entity in two.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    ¡°You were looking too much. And the second it was about to jump at me, you grinned. With all that, you were basically telling me to slash at it.¡± Kyle calmly explained his reasoning.


    ¡°You probably also used this to cause the slaughter at the Galgan Empire¡¯s Embassy, right? I think that it depends on the way you use it, but that¡¯s also the problem. Once it gets sliced in half, it¡¯s useless. I think it was called [Invisible Assassin] or something?¡±


    ¡°¡­H-How do you know about that?¡±


    When it comes to the abilities, the male demon could see Kyle guessing it with just that. However, he should not know the technique¡¯s name.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been endlessly thinking about methods on how to kill you bastards in masses¡­even when I was asleep. This much I had to do if I wanted to fight back¡­Right, Ganias?¡±


    With that, the demon looked shocked to the point he might have his heart leap out of his chest.


    ¡°H-How¡­do you know about my name? ¡­Just who are you?¡± Ganias felt something other than sheer strength from the human in front of him, as his eyes opened even further.


    And then, he felt a certain emotion. To him, to a demon, it was something he should never feel towards a human¡ªFear. Seeing that expression on Ganias¡¯ face, Kyle finally realized something.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­Now that makes sense. This sense of discomfort I had with you two¡­You¡¯re strong, but not scary at all. This bottomless wear I felt towards the demons back then¡­I don¡¯t feel anything from you. That aided in me letting down my guard¡­No, I guess that¡¯s just an excuse.¡± Kyle let out a sigh.


    When fighting the demons back then, Kyle felt this odd fanatic, even frantic emotion coming from the entire demon race. Yet, he felt nothing of that sort now. The one who brought the demons to such a state most likely was the new demon lord who will arrive in three years. And now, Kyle needed information about this demon lord as desperately as water to survive.


    ¡°I was hoping that you right now might be able to tell me something, but¡­I guess not. Now that I figured that out, I have no more need for you. Farewell, Ganias.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait! Just who are¡ª¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t mind those final words, and heartlessly pushed Ganias into the lava.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?¡± He screamed from the top of his lungs.


    Kyle called out to him.


    ¡°You may have killed countless of my comrades, but I am thankful to you in a way. You taught me about the Demon Lord¡¯s castle, and so much more. Without you, that final suicide attack surely would have worked. However, no matter how much we tortured you, you wouldn¡¯t tell us anything about the Demon Lord at the time.¡±


    That¡¯s right, in the past timeline, Kyle and his group, after many sacrifices, managed to capture Ganias after their battle. They managed to torture him until he would eventually give them his name, but his mouth was shut close whenever they asked something about the Demon Lord. Cruelly enough, Kyle continued to speak calmly as Ganias was screaming in agony, continuing to melt alive. If he was human, he probably would have died quite some time ago, but the strong vitality and mana demons possess act as a defense mechanism, leaving him still alive. However, it was only a matter of time, and all he could do was suffer in agony.


    ¡°As a token of gratitude, let me teach you something great. In order to temper raw mithril, it¡¯ll take a full day with the heat of lava. So, since these chains have been in the lava for half a day¡­if you bear with this another half of a day, you might be saved.¡± Kyle explained with no emotion his voice, as Ganias grew more and more quiet. ¡°If that is too much¡­then it can¡¯t be helped. Suffer for the rest of your life, and die.¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t know if it was in response to his words, but Ganias let out another scream that couldn¡¯t be deciphered, and sunk into the lava. Even though he indirectly avenged the deaths of his allies, he could not see them smiling at him right now.


    ¡°So your last moments¡­aren¡¯t all that different from before.¡±


    ***


    Seeing the approaching blade in front of her, Yuriga subconsciously closed her eyes, but no matter how long she waited, no pain arrived.


    ¡°For my first try-out with this sword¡­that sure was disappointing.¡±


    Instead, she heard such a displeased voice. When she opened her eyes, she saw a liquid entity cut in half, collapsed on the ground.


    ¡°This is¡­Ganias-sama¡¯s Invisible¡­¡­Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Yuriga realized what this meant.


    ¡°Seems like you recognize this. It seemed to try and attack you, but what¡¯s this thing?¡± Seran asked, glaring down at the melting liquid that looked like it was convulsing.


    ¡°This was most likely a trap. It probably was ordered to attack me if I passed through this passage.¡±


    ¡°So basically¡­you were betrayed?¡± Lieze¡¯s expression filled with anger as she ran towards them.


    Leaving alone a trap, even killing one¡¯s allies was something unforgivable to her, surely.


    ¡°That¡¯s what this is, yeah. I would report everything that has happened to the Demon Lord-sama. If the demons learned that his horn had been cut-off by a human, it would be over for him after all¡­¡±


    If Yuriga died here, he could push it all onto the humanfolk¡¯s fault.


    ¡°So he¡¯s just silencing you.¡± Urza came running as well, showing a disgruntled expression.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m in your debt¡­¡± Yuriga looked at Seran, showing a complicated expression.


    ¡°Then, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you¡¯d let me embrace you for a night¡­Gah!¡±


    Lieze rammed her elbow into Seran¡¯s flank, shutting him up. Seeing that, Yuriga showed a faint smile.


    ¡°We probably won¡¯t ever meet again, but¡­I shall remember your names.¡± She said, and now disappeared in the shadows for good.


    After she had fully disappeared, the three finally sighed in relief.


    ¡°That was a narrow victory, alright.¡± Seran said, to which Lieze nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know if we could win a second time.¡±


    This time, their strategy was based on Yuriga¡¯s weakness, but this weakness would one day be conquered by her.


    ¡°Losing her first real battle¡­She¡¯s going to get even stronger.¡± Urza agreed.


    ¡°¡­Well, it should be fine. She¡¯s a demon, and will return to the demon territory now. You probably won¡¯t meet again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, as long as we don¡¯t go over there either.¡±


    Seran and Lieze both laughed.


    ¡°Now I just have a really bad feeling¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too deeply about it. Things happen as the world intends it.¡± Shildonia walked next to Urza, simply nodding along.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m quite surprised. Knowing you, Seran, I thought you were going to cut her down for good.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again, I was panicking for a second.¡±


    Lieze and Urza commented, but Seran answered indifferently.


    ¡°That was your fight. You decided to let her go, so I wouldn¡¯t intervene.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­Thanks for believing in us.¡±


    ¡°I know that watching may have been a bit rough¡­but it was reassuring, so thank you.¡±


    Lieze and Urza both smiled, to which Seran looked away and waved his hand, probably embarrassed.


    Definitely can¡¯t tell them that I was actually aiming to kill that demon, but changed my target after feeling a weird presence¡­


    Attacking her after that would have been questionable even for Seran, so he lost his chance.

 Volume 2 - CH 19

    Two days passed after the individual battles with the demons ended, Kyle was in the courtyard of Zilgus¡¯ Embassy in Callan. In front of him was Seran, swinging the Holy Sword. As someone with a trained gaze like Kyle, this movement seemed like one smooth and flowing action, showing that Seran had already gotten accustomed to using the Holy Sword like it was a part of his body.


    ¡°You¡¯re already treating it like it¡¯s yours, huh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I want to hurry and test it out in a real battle.¡± It sounded awfully violent, but these were Seran¡¯s honest feelings.


    ¡°Real battle, huh¡­Then let me ask you, what did you think about those demons?¡± Kyle¡¯s question evoked a somewhat complicated expression on Seran¡¯s face.


    ¡°Right¡­How do I say this, they were strong, but not scary at all. So far, I only heard about them from rumours or legends, and they sure enough were as strong as that, but the more I learn about them, the less scary they become¡­Basically, they¡¯re not even that different from us humans.¡±


    No matter how much overwhelming power they may hold, if they had similar personalities to humans, and chose the same actions, they weren¡¯t a target of fear, is what Seran was saying.


    ¡°So, what? Why are you holding your head?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I don¡¯t want to admit it, but our thought process really is similar.¡± Kyle pressed his fingers on his temples, suffering from a severe headache.


    ¡°Geh, can you not say some gross shit like that?¡± Seran commented, truly looking disgusted.


    ¡°¡­So, you let her go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I didn¡¯t let her go because I wanted to.¡± Seran grumbled.


    After Kyle defeated Ganias, he took some recovery magic medicine, and rushed back to everyone¡¯s location, only to find Lieze and Urza reporting their victory with a smile, as well as Seran with an awkward grin, Shildonia shaking her head. Hearing that the demon had not escaped, but rather was allowed to escape, and felt an unreasonable anger dwelling up inside of him. Since he left it to the two, he was ready to accept whatever result, but he didn¡¯t expect that even Seran would let a demon live.


    However, he understood that it couldn¡¯t be helped, so he didn¡¯t complain. It was just¡­Kyle knew Seran, so he figured that he wouldn¡¯t let such a dangerous enemy roam free. If not for the horrific experiences Kyle made during the Great Invasion, he may have let the demon escape as well.


    Maybe not only us humans have gotten used to the 300-year long peace, but the demons as well. If so, then that demon lord who is going to start the Great Invasion¡­is troublesome.


    Kyle once again realized that he had to find out the identity of the demon who will become the demon lord in three years. Right as he reached that thought, Lieze, Urza, and even Gazas arrived.


    ¡°No problems for the two of you?¡± Kyle asked.


    Along with recovery magic medicine, they both took a full day break, and got checked out by the doctor.


    ¡°Yeah, everything is fine. We can fight right away!¡± Lieze jumped slightly, answering with an energetic manner.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any injuries to begin with¡­but some good rest did wonders.¡± Urza seemed fine as well.


    ¡°I see¡­you two did well, yeah. Winning is one thing, but I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re back alive¡­Really, thank you.¡± Kyle took the girls¡¯ hands, smiling from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡°A-Ahaha¡­it¡¯s not that big of a deal, really, yeah.¡±


    ¡°R-Right. Exaggerating as always¡­hahaha.¡±


    The two started blushing ever so slightly, responding to Kyle. However, Kyle was truly happy. Through this encounter with a demon, those two surely have gotten even stronger. If their battle had ended in a loss despite all their efforts, now that once the Great Invasion happened, they would surely be able to survive with their own strength.


    ¡°Somehow, this is pissing me off.¡± Seran said with a sour expression.


    ¡°Hm? Should I take your hand and thank you? I don¡¯t mind giving you a hug.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you do that, then I¡¯ll use you as the first test object for my new sword, so drop it.¡±


    Following that, Kyle looked over at Gazas, who also had a sour expression on his face.


    ¡°Seems like you recovered just fine, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, your ridiculous request almost left me dead, but I¡¯m somewhat back to energy now.¡± Gazas threw in a complaint, but Kyle acted like he didn¡¯t hear that. ¡°I¡¯ll be going back to smithing now. With the mayor thing, I haven¡¯t had much time for it, and I should probably show myself there.¡±


    ¡°Upright, I like it.¡±


    ¡°Received your funds after all¡­Though, I didn¡¯t expect you to actually defeat those demons.¡± Gazas let out a sight of admiration.


    He was close and right at the front lines of a battle with demons, so he should know how terrifying they may be. However, Gazas knew how lucky he was, and he felt thankful for being saved by Kyle and his group. In reality, he had prepared himself to die during that encounter, so simply being alive was like a miracle, and he was even given a motivation to improve. Right now, there were two swords in Gazas¡¯ sight. Both of them were of the legendary-class that you would probably never find another sword that could rival them. This led to his stronger determination to create a sword that could rival those two.


    ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t waste the mithril you gave me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m counting on it.¡± Kyle smiled, to which Gazas returned a grin, and Kyle returned his back to Gazas.


    ¡°Ah¡­now that you mention it, the forge might be a bit messed up after my fight with the demon, so you probably have to clean up first.¡±


    ¡°Hey!? Wait a damn second!¡±


    ***


    At around the same time, Shildonia was with Gou. Whenever he could find some time, he would seek out Shildonia to learn more.


    ¡°You¡¯re quick on the uptake, huh.¡±


    Gou was easy to teach, so Shildonia treated him like a talented student of hers.


    ¡°T-Thank you very much!¡± Gou showed a happy smile being praised like that.


    However, that happy smile of his quickly turned to a serious expression, as he opened his mouth with determination in his eyes.


    ¡°Shildonia-san! I have something important to talk about!¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­W-Would it be possible if you could keep teaching me like this? Preferably forever!¡±


    At first, he simply admired her for her extensive knowledge, but his feelings slowly started to change, and as Gou was somewhat mature despite his young physical age, Shildonia most likely was his first love. From Gou¡¯s point of view, this was a confession with everything on the line. However¡­


    ¡°That won¡¯t work out. Kyle will leave Callan shortly, and I have to go with him.¡± She rejected him with a serious face.


    ¡°A-Ahaha¡­Right¡­that makes sense¡­You must treasure Kyle-san a lot after all.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I belong to Kyle as of right now.¡±


    Gou seemed to have received a shock from that statement, as he staggered backwards.


    ¡°Is that so¡­Okay, I understand¡­I¡¯ll give up¡­in many regards.¡±


    ¡°Hm? I don¡¯t really understand it, but you show hope, so I hope you continue to train from now on as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    As Kyle was his sponsor, as well as the savior of his father, Gou had no other choice but to give up. After this incident at Callan, Kyle¡¯s honor as a hero grew even further. However, at the same time, a weird rumour about him having several beauties servicing him on the way started to spread¡­though that is a story for another time.


    ***


    The following day, Kyle was called over to the embassy by Miranda.


    ¡°We have received a report that Mayor Bucks has passed away.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see.¡± Kyle sighed.


    After they had given him over to the embassy, Mayor Bucks seemingly regained his consciousness, and confessed everything. However, rather than calling it a confession, he simply retold the events in a cold and indifferent manner, like he was on autopilot, and when he realized that everything he had done was for nothing, his heart broke completely. He seemed to have been on his last breath for a long time, and now that even his will to live was gone, his disease quickly worsened, and he passed.


    He may have used countless innocent people as sacrifices, using a forbidden and evil ritual, but his intentions were all too pure, which made Kyle still feel bad for him despite all of that.


    ¡°However, although it was through the backend like this, we have managed to grasp all the details in this incident all thanks to every one of you¡­Not to mention that you have effectively protected Callan from a demon attack, so representing every citizen living here, I wholeheartedly thank you.¡±


    In regards to said demons, they reported that they happened to encounter them searching underground, managing to defeat one while chasing away the other. More accurately, they let one escape, but there was no need to report that in such detail.


    ¡°However, as much as we are thankful, I would rather keep the involvement of demons a secret.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is probably the best choice. It¡¯ll only cause a panic.¡±


    Letting the world know about the demons was still too early. Eventually, there will come the day when Kyle will have to declare his involvement here. He needs to show the world that he fights against the demons, so that the world will follow him.


    ¡°The only problem is the Empire and our crumbling negotiations. They will most likely use this incident to pull down Zilgus, requesting some kind of compensation. With the annulment of Princess Milena¡¯s engagement, I wonder what they will ask for¡­¡± Miranda said, holding her head.


    ¡°We can only leave them to it, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am aware¡­Though I have to say, Milena-sama¡¯s judgement to employ you was the right choice.¡±


    They had been sent to Callan by Princess Milena as a form of request and trial, but rather than just fulfilling it in a satisfying way, their impression only improved. Even to Kyle, finding a talented smith and rebuilding lost magic weapons, as well as the battle with the demons, was just an added bonus.


    ¡°And, Gazas-san has been chosen as the new mayor.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But, he said he¡¯s locking himself up in the forge?¡±


    Yesterday, Kyle saw him walking that exact way just yesterday.


    ¡°Yes. We added a condition that he could work as much as he wanted if he¡¯d leave the work to us.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s just the mayor in name, huh.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are still things even he can do, naturally.¡±


    Or so she said, but to Kyle it just felt like she was happy that she had a reason to see him more.


    ¡°Now then, I¡¯d like to talk about something a bit more personal. I have a request.¡± Kyle switched the topic.


    ¡°What is it? I will do everything in my power to help you.¡±


    ¡°I have become the investor to both Gazas and Gou¡­but, Miranda-san, you are in a relationship with Gazas, right?¡± Kyle calmly declared.


    He expected Miranda to be shaken, but her only reaction was her eyebrow twitching. Her expression itself stayed calm, unbreaking.


    ¡°¡­It is true that we are that close, but it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t plan on telling you how to live your lives. It¡¯s your discretion, and I doubt Princess Milenna would break up the two of you even if she found out.¡±


    Especially since this allowed Zilgus a stronger grasp on Callan.


    ¡°To be perfectly honest, you were the one who set up things so that Gou would end up in his financial situation, right?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­!¡± Miranda¡¯s eyes opened wide, but Kyle continued.


    ¡°Now, I can understand that Gazas did not want to involve you, but you probably lost your temper and used more aggressive measures. In short, you didn¡¯t rely on Gazas, but instead used Gou who was looking for investors.¡±


    When Gou mentioned that he was receiving help from Miranda during their talk of investment, it finally clicked for Kyle.


    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t use any open intermediation, but instead mentioned the become-rich idea with these folks. So, after that became a larger problem, you helped Gou even beyond your duties as an ambassador, creating a debt with Gazas¡­something like that?¡±


    ¡°Those are all¡­assumptions.¡±


    ¡°Indeed they are, I have absolutely no proof. However, if it really were to be false, then just ignore it as my joke. Even if I told both Gazas and Gou about this, you should know that they would be able to see beyond truth and lies.¡±


    Basically, he was saying that, if what he deduced was wrong, there would be no problem. However, Kyle didn¡¯t miss the second where Miranda¡¯s facial color changed the moment he brought this up.


    ¡°H-How do you¡­¡±


    There, Kyle¡¯s gentle smile and polite tone turned towards one he¡¯d show his former allies in his past life.


    ¡°I mean, I know that you¡¯d go this far for sure.¡± Kyle spoke with confidence in his voice.


    The Miranda in the previous timeline would have done something even more aggressive all to reach her goal.


    ¡°Well, it may have sounded like a big deal, but my wish isn¡¯t anything crazy. I simply want you to make sure that the rebuilding of magic items¡­ as well as details related to that, are not leaked to outsiders. Of course, that means both other countries and Zilgus itself.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You¡¯re fine with that?¡±


    Miranda had prepared herself for a ridiculous request, which could either bring a great minus for Zilgus, maybe even asking her to choose between love and her job. However, if it was just that, she would be able to cover it up just fine.


    ¡°So¡­you are confident that Gou-kun can finish his research and rebuild those machines? It seems that way because of your investment, but¡­¡± Miranda knew of Gou¡¯s goal to rebuild the magic weapon golems, but was a bit dubious.


    Truly, if Gou succeeded, it would provide Zilgus with tremendous military power, so she would have a duty of reporting it to the country. However, if it was actually deemed possible, then he surely wouldn¡¯t have had this much trouble with getting an investor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Once we make them available, we¡¯ll be able to publicly announce them¡­No matter how long, it will take three years at most.¡±


    Beyond that, there was no need to hide it.


    ¡°Haaa¡­¡± Miranda showed a dubious expression, and Kyle answered with a wry smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to show me that face¡­I want you to smile, okay?¡±


    ¡°After basically threatening me?¡± Miranda pouted, but Kyle ignored that.


    ¡°It¡¯s at least much better than your dull, barely alive face from back then.¡±


    Miranda raised one eyebrow at Kyle¡¯s ¡®back then¡¯, but he didn¡¯t seem to be lying at least.


    A few days later, it was publicly announced that the disappeared Mayor Bucks was behind the abduction of the people, and Gazas was inaugurated as the new mayor. The involvement of demons was not publicly stated, but the involvement of Kyle¡¯s group remained in the cords, so only the small number of demons at this current point and the people closely related know of the real details of what had happened.

 Volume 3 - CH extra

    Stronghold Acrolyth, a fortress that had been used in the great war against demons 300 years ago, is essential for humanfolk. With the number of inhabitants it amassed, it was less like a stronghold and more like an actual fortress city. In terms of military use against the demons, it was used as a stronghold, but since it was only useful during war, it had been left alone a long time after the war ended.


    However, after the flames of war burned again because of the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ by the demons that had started nine months ago, it acted as the frontline of war again after 300 years. The guards stood on the walls, observing their surroundings, confirming a person approaching. It wasn¡¯t the west where the demons were closing in, but the east. Realizing that this individual had been long-awaited, the guards immediately gave out a report. This individual¡ªMagic swordsman Kyle arrived in front of the large gate, with it opening with a loud sound.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    The man greeting Kyle was in his later thirties, with a well-built physique and careful facial features. However, he now showed Kyle a friendly smile, seeming close to embracing Kyle, who was dirty and sullied from his long travels.


    ¡°Zentos, huh¡­Seems like you protected this fortress.¡± Kyle called out to Zentos, sounding relieved.


    Zentos was the captain of the first Imperial Knight Corps of the Kingdom of Zilgus, which was the closest to the demon territory. Traditionally, the captain of the first Knight Corps would be serving the king as an additional post. However, his fame crossed borders, and even the neighboring kingdoms knew of him as a knight. He was also a stronger magic swordsman than Kyle. However, this Kingdom of Zilgus was no more.


    ¡°I promised after all¡­By the way, where¡¯s Basques?¡± Zentos was assaulted with a bad premonition, as he asked Kyle about the lizardman that should be traveling with him.


    However, Kyle calmly shook his head.


    ¡°¡­It happened this morning. A demon searching for us, we immediately entered a battle. Basques¡­sacrificed himself to take the demon down.¡±


    He used the flame bag inside his body to create an explosion, which was the secret technique courageous lizardmen would use against strong foes. Just talking about this event let Kyle mourn again.


    ¡°Just a bit more¡­and we would have made it home.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Zentos knew the lizardmen, so he simply responded with silence.


    However, the situation didn¡¯t allow them to grieve forever.


    ¡°I know you just got home, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. Gather everyone, I¡¯ll give you my report.¡± Kyle swiftly walked inside the fortress, closing the gate behind him.


    ¡°Also, she¡¯s gotten a lot better. Sorry to delay your emotional reunion, but go meet her after the meeting is over.¡±


    ¡°Got it¡­Thanks.¡± Kyle let out a truly relieved voice.


    The ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ began in the 9th month. Many countries fell to ruin, and humanfolk were cornered. The army stationed at this Stronghold Acrolyth was the ¡®Western Nation Union Army¡¯. It was a combined force of humanfolk countries of the west, located close to the demon territory. However, most of those countries that were part of this were destroyed at the hands of demons, and even the leader of this union, the Kingdom of Zilgus, was destroyed two months ago, and the people at the stronghold were the last survivors. Thanks to this stronghold, they somehow managed to keep the shape of an army.


    Right now, Kyle¡¯s duty was to head to the Galgan Empire¡¯s imperial capital Luos, gathering information and beginning negotiations, which is why he set out to travel roughly half a month ago. As his return was late for several days, his allies were worried, but at least Kyle managed to make it home. Receiving information about this, the roughly 24 main actors of the human army gathered in the strategy conference room inside the stronghold.


    These main actors didn¡¯t consist only of humans, but also elves and dwarves, beastmen, as well as members of nobles. Some even were generals and politicians, even royalty from nations, but their common ground was that they all carried the ¡®Lost Country¡¯ label on their backs. The meeting began with Kyle.


    ¡°First up¡­the country of Thaihon seems to have fallen.¡±


    With Kyle¡¯s words, the already dampened mood inside the room dropped even more drastically, creating a heavy atmosphere. Thaihon was known as a military nation to the north of the continent, proud to possess one of the greatest military prowess in all of humanfolk. That is why they managed to withstand the attacks of the demons up to this point, but hearing that they had fallen at long last was hard to swallow.


    ¡°¡­This leaves Galgan as the only country that has yet to fall.¡±


    Zentos opened up a map of the continent, putting another X on there. This map reflected the state of the invasion, seeing that three-quarters had already fallen to the hands of the demons.


    ¡°How is the Galgan Empire doing?¡± One of the participants, a former general beastman of a country to the south, asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to stand strong, you could say. They are the last fort of humanfolk after all. It seems like the surviving warriors and soldiers of Thaihon managed to group up with the Empire. However, without Emperor Maizar, the Empire would have fallen a long time ago.¡±


    The current Emperor Maizar was a beacon of hope, which even a mere soldier like Kyle understood. He managed to calmly observe the situation, choosing the best possible method, listening to the information Kyle had given him.


    ¡°As for anything good to report¡­We apparently had a lot of surviving blacksmiths from Callan. They should be able to supply us with new weapons and defensive items.¡±


    ¡°If we can give them mithril, right?¡± A dwarf, former leader of a large accumulation of villages, raised his voice.


    ¡°Yeah. Of course, we¡¯re lacking the material. And¡­we can¡¯t send them reinforcements.¡±


    Silence filled the conference room. It was only a matter of time until they were unable to defend against the demons¡¯ attacks. They¡¯ve been requesting back-up for quite some time now, but they knew that the Empire had its hands full, and they didn¡¯t have much hope, but being denied like that still hurt.


    ¡°¡­In turn, with a specific condition, we can move all of our forces to the Empire.¡±


    Hearing Kyle¡¯s words, the participants of the meeting grew noisy.


    ¡°Should we abandon this stronghold and join them?¡±


    The only country that still held its ground against the demons was the Empire. Forming a bigger force together most definitely raised their chances of survival. Naturally, that would give the Empire full reign. However, there was another big problem if they abandoned this fortress.


    ¡°¡­No, I believe that is far too difficult as of right now. We have too many refugees.¡± An elderly priest of the Cairys faith commented.


    Moving from the Stronghold Acrolyth to the Galgan Empire¡¯s imperial capital Luos would take five days at least. The problem was the many refugees they harbored in this fortress, most of them women or children that couldn¡¯t fight, or were heavily injured. Moving everyone would take at least ten days, and if they were to get attacked by demons along the way, they would not have the strength to protect all of them. That was the main reason Kyle preferred moving in smaller groups.


    ¡°¡­Exactly. Their condition for taking us in was to only bring the ones who could fight with us, and leave everyone else behind.¡±


    This cruel condition Kyle mentioned made the tension inside the room explode.


    ¡°We cannot do that! Casting aside those innocent people!¡± The elderly priest opposed that.


    ¡°However¡­it¡¯s only a matter of time until we all fall. If at least the soldiers can be saved¡­¡± A member of the royal family of a small northern country showed a complicated expression.


    ¡°That would be far too inhumane¡­!¡±


    ¡°But otherwise¡­!¡±


    Following that, it was just a constant fight of back and forth, with no proper conclusion drawn. As this was exactly what Kyle expected, he could only sigh. The Empire¡¯s condition was cruel indeed, but the correct one at the same time. Thinking about it rationally, there¡¯s no right or wrong in this disastrous situation.


    Maizar didn¡¯t give us this condition because he wanted to. It was a painful decision for him as well, and I know that¡­There¡¯s just no other way around this.


    As Kyle had been in touch with the young Emperor many times, he held high respect for him, and it seemed like that feeling was mutual as well. They got on well with each other, to the point he made time in his already busy schedule, inviting Kyle over to the Empire. However, Kyle had a reason to return to the stronghold.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know when or if we¡¯ll get to see each other again, but¡­survive.¡¯


    Upon leaving the Empire, Kyle heard these words from Maizar, as he smiled. After everyone in the meeting had calmed down again, Kyle told them all the other information he obtained during his stay in the Empire. However, none of that was anything worth celebrating, and instead simply stated that the situation was getting worse.


    ¡°Great work out there, Kyle.¡±


    After the meeting ended, Zentos called out to Kyle, giving him a few words.


    ¡°Right back at you, great job protecting everyone. I¡¯m thankful that I had a place to return to.¡±


    Kyle had left this stronghold for about a month, so they must have been attacked by demons several times. The only thing that protected them from the impending doom must have been Zentos and everyone else.


    ¡°I promised after all¡­Though it¡¯s a shame with Basques.¡±


    Zentos had promised to protect this stronghold until Kyle would return. And, he was tasked to take care of her.


    ¡°Still, it is grotesque¡­if only we had listened to your words back then¡­¡± Zentos showed a pained expression, reminiscing about the past.


    Kyle was a survivor of the small town of Rimarze, where the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ began. After he escaped to the royal capital Malad, and reported the damages, he suggested immediately bringing all countries together to face the demons as a common threat, because humanfolk might fall to ruin. He himself knew the terror of the demons the best after all.


    However, the king of Zilgus, Remonas, prioritized his own country, fortifying their defenses. Naturally, that choice in itself may not have been the wrong one. However, when even the dwarven kingdom beyond the Sangurd Mountain Range was attacked by the demons, not acting to help them was a fatal mistake. Despite that kingdom asking for reinforcements, the king considered the power balance and tried to wait longer so that the dwarves¡¯ debt towards him grew.


    Even to the residents of Malad, the demons were like beings out of a fairytale, and they failed to see this as a problem of their own. The three hundred years of peace robbed humanfolk of its perception of danger towards the demons. Everything ended with naive thinking, as the reports came in that the proud dwarf kingdom, which had lasted for a thousand years, now fell to the demons after a mere seven days.


    Shortly after, the surrounding kingdoms felt the true sense of danger set in, and they formed an alliance. However, that ended up with a battle for authority, showing no cooperation whatsoever, which is why many more countries amongst them fell to ruin. Then, roughly half a year after the initial beginning of the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯, Zilgus had realized its mistakes in handling this threat, but it was too late.


    ¡°If we had acted according to your words¡­things may have been different.¡±


    ¡°¡­Complaining now won¡¯t change anything. If anything, you were the weird one for even caring about me.¡±


    The only individual in the upper echelon of Zilgus who even offered any hearing to Kyle was Zentos. However, even he was half doubtful about the true strength of the demons. Kyle could only appeal to that. Kyle may have talent with the sword and magic, but he was an average human with no major achievements. Even if he begged the country to listen, there was no weight behind his words, nobody bothered. If he was in a position like Zentos, that result may have been different, most certainly.


    ¡°Kyle¡­be honest with me. From your judgment, how long will the Empire last?¡± Zentos asked with a serious expression.


    Zentos valued Kyle greatly. Not only with his sword and magic, but also his ability to make decisions and his knowledge.


    ¡°¡­Around two more months, I guess. Nothing much will change even if we join them either.¡±


    Maizar was doing great. However, even that good work had a limit. Kyle and his group knew that the fall of the Empire would be the same as the end of humanfolk.


    ¡°I see¡­So as long as we don¡¯t find a way to turn this situation around, it¡¯ll be over soon.¡±


    ¡°In regards to that, there¡¯s something¡­that might be worth trying out.¡±


    ¡°What did you say!?¡± Zentos pushed his body forward, grabbing Kyle¡¯s shoulders.


    He seemed desperate to try anything as long as it offered some kind of hope.


    ¡°What is it! Please tell me!¡±


    ¡°Calm down¡­Honestly, it¡¯s a bit questionable to say the least. I don¡¯t have any confidence in it, and it¡¯s pretty much like a bad bet.¡± Kyle showed a gloomy expression.


    However, Zentos shook his head.


    ¡°The fact that you mentioned it to me shows that you have some hope in it, right? I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a bet. At this rate, we¡¯ll die in vain, so anything is better than that.¡± Zentos laughed ever so slightly.


    Pulled along by this smile, Kyle changed his approach.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so glad to have you, really¡­¡±


    Not only because of his strength but even as a person, Kyle deeply respected Zentos. There was no greater comrade to have than Zentos. However, this time Zentos¡¯ expression grew grim.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case¡­I couldn¡¯t protect the princess after all.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Princess Milena? That happened years ago, and it¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    The [Treasure of Zilgus], Princess Milena, was attacked by monsters during her travels, which happened four years ago. It is said that Zentos had been with her, but her death was self-deserved, they said. As a result of that, Zentos received no blame, and was even named an Imperial Knight in Zilgus the following year. However, at times, Zentos would blame himself for the princess¡¯ death.


    ¡°¡­So far, I only swung my sword for the sake of the country, as well as the royal family, and it was the obvious decision for me, but¡­¡± Zentos looked at his hand. ¡°Now, I am swinging my sword in order to survive. This is much easier, allowing me to fight for what I believe in.¡± Zentos said, showing a somewhat saddened, but also refreshed smile.


    From how Kyle could see it, Zentos seemed much more cheerful, and freer than when he was acting as the captain of the Imperial Knights.


    ¡°Got it¡­By the way, I¡¯d like to meet her now.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, right. I don¡¯t want to get in your way, so¡­go ahead.¡± Zentos tapped on Kyle¡¯s shoulder.


    After splitting up with Zentos, Kyle walked through the fortress, reaching a residential area. On the way there, he spotted refugees scattered through the fortress, all of their expressions distorted in terror and despair. All of them were in a situation where they didn¡¯t even know if they would survive tomorrow, so that couldn¡¯t be helped, most likely.


    Luckily, they had an abundance of water available in this fortress, and along with food, they could still hold out for several months. Anything beyond that would require a miracle though.


    ¡°Kyle.¡±


    Someone called out to Kyle behind his back, to which he turned around. Standing there was a young woman, clothed in black complementing her black hair, giving Kyle a sharp and cold gaze.


    ¡°Minagi, huh.¡±


    She was a resident of the dark side of the world, someone Kyle normally wouldn¡¯t get involved with, but in these chaotic times, good or bad didn¡¯t exist anymore, and they started fighting together. All so that they could survive.


    ¡°I¡¯m back. Personally, I bet you wouldn¡¯t make it back.¡± Minagi showed a cynical grin.


    ¡°Sorry to say, but I¡¯m not letting you win that bet¡­So, what do you want?¡±


    Minagi looked at Kyle¡¯s face, tossing him a small bottle.


    ¡°You used some this morning during battle, right? I can tell by looking at your face. Here¡¯s your next share.¡± Minagi said, seeing a faint red color left in Kyle¡¯s eyes.


    Kyle didn¡¯t even need to ask what he could find inside. The name of the liquid was [Blood Eye]. When using it, it could temporarily raise your physical abilities drastically, but it also eats into the user¡¯s body, so the more you use it, the more you come to death itself. Minagi was skilled in the arts of the dark side of humanfolk, a professional when it came to poison, which then resulted in a lot of knowledge in regards to drugs. This Blood Eye was a mixture she created.


    ¡°I set it up so it has a less negative impact on your body, but make sure to not use it too excessively. If you go beyond once a day, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety¡­though it might also be too late already.¡± Minagi looked at Kyle with a severe gaze.


    In fact, Kyle had been relying on this Blood Eye quite a lot, and he started to feel the damage on his own body. Of course, in most of the battles he had to use it in he was fighting to the death, so hesitation would have killed him either way.


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re worried about me¡­where did that change come from?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so arrogant now¡­I just don¡¯t want to lose a valuable asset to our strength. Well, you do what you want with your own life, really. Just make sure not to die.¡± Minagi¡¯s expression was the same as before, as she gave Kyle a few cold words, and turned her back towards him.


    Watching her off, Kyle let out a faint sigh.


    ¡°No affection whatsoever¡­I really wish Souga would have raised her to be a bit more friendly.¡±


    ¡°Why, sorry about that.¡±


    Another voice called out to Kyle, this time being a small white-haired elderly man, flashing a warm smile.


    ¡°Souga, don¡¯t sneak up on me like that, this is bad for my heart.¡±


    Normally, Kyle wouldn¡¯t let anybody get this close to him. That¡¯s just how perfectly Souga had erased his presence up to that point. As you would expect, though, since he was Minagi¡¯s teacher, and the second strongest assassin in the entire world. Naturally, Minagi is number one.


    ¡°My bad, my bad¡­She may be a genius, but she can be a bit fragile at times. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s acquired more confidence recently, but the way it¡¯s moving¡­Well, she¡¯s also cute that way.¡±


    ¡°Fragile? Cute? ¡­Sorry, what are you talking about?¡± Kyle tilted his head, unable to process what he had just heard.


    ¡°Also, what you need the most right now is skill and talent, not personality, no? In that regard, Minagi is excellent.¡±


    ¡°That¡­is true, I guess.¡±


    As both Minagi and Souga are renowned assassins, many gave them dubious stares, but their skill itself made up for everything. Without those two, this stronghold may have fallen already, all of them dead.


    ¡°Especially compared to before¡­¡±


    Souga commented on his pupil that he loved bragging about, and left Kyle alone again.


    In front of a single room in the living area, Kyle cleared his throat and knocked on the door. Since a response came shortly after, Kyle entered. It was a simple room, only equipped with a bed and chair.


    ¡°Ah¡­Kyle!¡±


    The elf woman raised her upper body from the bed and raised a voice of joy the second she saw who entered. Kyle saw Urza, and flashed the first smile of the day. It was faint, but he undoubtedly had a happy expression on his face. A smile was a smile. Seeing the girl like that, Kyle felt relieved from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡°So you¡¯re back safely. I was worried because it took you so long. I¡¯m so glad!¡± She tried to push herself up with tears in her eyes, but Kyle stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself¡­you should keep it slow for now.¡± Kyle sat down next to the bed with the chair, putting Urza down again.


    ¡°I¡¯m a lot better already, just getting a bit more rest.¡± Urza felt like she was treated as a child, and started sulking a bit, but still listened to Kyle. ¡°Sorry¡­for getting hurt during such an important time.¡±


    Normally, Urza should have joined Kyle in his travels to the Empire, but on the day of the departure, she suffered a severe injury, forced to be left behind. As a talented spirit magic user, she could have used her movement-boosting [Wind Walker] magic, which would have allowed them to return in a mere few days, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡­More importantly, did something happen while I was gone?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    After exchanging a few smiles, they both reported on what each other had missed. However, when Kyle explained the death of their lizardman comrade, Urza¡¯s face distorted in visible pain.


    ¡°I see¡­So Basques is¡­¡±


    She lamented the passing of the lizardman she knew quite well. However, allies dying was something that happened every day, so getting swallowed in grief was not something they could afford. Naturally, whether that was good or bad was up for debate.


    ¡°Still¡­I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯ve come home safely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that I got to meet you once more¡­¡±


    There, the two went silent. The two first met half a year ago, when the war between humanfolk and the demons had reached a disastrous moment. At first, they were simply comrades fighting back to back. However, they eventually reached a mutual helping and being helped relationship, getting to know each other more, learning that they both had lost everything, and cared for each other. It may have just filled the large holes in their chests, but they slowly started to get attracted to each other.


    However, both Kyle and Urza hesitated to take the final step. In this reality where you could lose someone close to you in a matter of moments, you never know when you will never get to see each other again. If they crossed that final line, and they became an irreplaceable existence to each other¡­the pain would be even greater once they¡¯d lose each other. Both of them feared this.


    If I have to go through that again, then¡­


    Kyle remembered the last moments he had with Lieze before his hometown fell to ruin. He didn¡¯t want to experience such pain ever again. But even so, being with Urza felt comfortable to him. Even this silence now gave him happiness to the point it helped in forgetting the cruel reality they were in. However, staying in silence forever won¡¯t help them either. After thinking for a bit, Kyle spoke up.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m thinking of going back to Rimarze.¡±


    ¡°Rimarze? That was your hometown, yes? But, why?¡±


    Urza had heard that it had already fallen into the demons¡¯ hands.


    ¡°Do you know the legend of the [Magic King]? There¡¯s supposed to be a great labyrinth hidden in the Sangurd Mountain Range¡­¡±


    The Ancient Magic Kingdom was supposed to have existed a thousand years ago and more, regarded as humanfolk¡¯s greatest and most developed country to date. The great labyrinth supposedly left behind by the [Magic King] Shildonia was hidden somewhere in that mountain range, legends stated. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t exactly that believable of a story, Kyle heard from a survivor of a certain country¡¯s royal family¡ªwhich now had fallen into the hands of the demons¡ªthat there existed a document with a map to this labyrinth.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming that this old document might be hidden in the library at my former home.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My mother loved gathering all sorts of literature, and I feel like I read something about that before¡­¡±


    Kyle¡¯s parents had gone missing on the day of the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯.


    ¡°When Zaales had still existed, they managed to completely push back the demons¡­I¡¯m hoping they might have some sort of information that could save us.¡±


    It truly was just a shot in the dark. It might be Kyle¡¯s memories playing a trick on him, and there was no guarantee that the library wasn¡¯t fully burned down. Even if there was a map, trying to reach the Sangurd Mountain Rage was another problem. More than anything, there was no guarantee that what they would find in the labyrinth would even help them. Even so, it was better than waiting for the impending doom to arrive.


    ¡°I¡¯m planning on going there once Seran returns.¡±


    Seran was currently out on another mission, away from this stronghold, assumed to return in a few days.


    ¡°I see¡­then I also have to go with you.¡± Urza said it like it was obvious. ¡°Over this past month, I¡¯ve realized. I¡¯m not good at waiting¡­So, I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    Hearing those words, Kyle hesitated. If Rimarze was under the control of the demons after all, then it was a danger zone, and Kyle had no way of knowing what would happen. However, this location wasn¡¯t safe either, so it was better to keep Urza close to him than far.


    ¡°Got it¡­Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Urza said with a smile, and asked Kyle. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you tell me about your past in Rimarze?¡±


    ¡°Where did that come from?¡±


    ¡°I want to know¡­about you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright. When I was eight years old, Lieze and Seran¡­¡± There, Kyle told stories of the past, everything he experienced in Rimarze. ¡°And then, Lieze just¡­¡±


    As Kyle was gleefully telling stories, he realized that Urza¡¯s smile slowly but steadily turned into a complicated expression. All of his memories contained Lieze in some way. Her existence was such a huge influence that it shaped Kyle¡¯s life. In a way, from Urza¡¯s point of view, Lieze was Kyle¡¯s ex-girlfriend. Surely, she must have had her own thoughts when she saw him talk about it like this.


    ¡°Ah, well, you know¡­Lieze is Lieze, but it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with¡­you know¡­¡± Kyle panicked to provide some sort of follow-up, but he couldn¡¯t find the right words.


    Seeing him like that, Urza let out a faint snicker.


    ¡°I would have loved to meet that Lieze.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°We might have been good friends, you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯d hope so.¡±


    Imagining it gave Kyle a severe stomachache, but even so, they both smiled at each other.


    Right then, as if to rob them of their time, a loud sound filled the fortress. Kyle was awfully accustomed to this, even if he didn¡¯t want to be. It was a warning sound, signaling that the demons were attacking. At the same time, both Kyle and Urza¡¯s expressions turned serious, dashing out of the room. The fortress temporarily grew chaotic, as the people unable to fight evacuated, and those who could fight prepared for battle.


    Kyle and Urza ran towards the fortress walls, grouping up with Zentos who had arrived early, now glaring at the west. Right next to him was Minagi. The two were talking, with Minagi apparently reporting the sighting of demons nearby as she went out for reconnaissance. Tension filled her face, as she told Kyle and the others.


    ¡°They should come in sight soon¡­It¡¯s around 100 of them.¡±


    Kyle swallowed his breath, and Urza tightly grasped the staff made out of world tree wood, which could deepen your bonds with your spirits, heightening your knowledge. If they were humans foolish enough to attack this fortress, there would be no problem whatsoever. However, even a weak demon had the strength of a hundred human soldiers, and the strongest ones were unparalleled. On top of that, demons would generally be rather reckless, so even if they had protection thanks to this fortress, there was no guarantee that it could hold off the demons.


    ¡°So they finished off Thaihon, and then took the rounds over here¡­¡± Zentos glared at the horizon.


    ¡°They¡¯re mostly demons, I didn¡¯t find any half-demons in there¡­¡±


    The half-demons Minagi was talking about were basically different from pure-breed demons, such as goblins, kobolds, and orcs. They held nothing resembling a human conscience, often used as slaves by demons, simply categorized as laborers or sacrificial soldiers during a battle, but even their strength greatly surpassed that of a normal human soldier.


    During the war three hundred years ago, there had been enough of them to rival humanfolk¡¯s numbers, but now in the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ even Kyle barely saw any. Kyle didn¡¯t know why that was the case, but the fact that they didn¡¯t arrive at humanfolk¡¯s doorstep with millions of them was good luck. Of course, Kyle and everybody else knew that this wouldn¡¯t have changed much.


    At the walls, the soldiers prepared their crossbows and other ranged weapons, and the magic users were focusing on their chants. All of them were evidently tense. They knew that there was a great chance this could be their last battle. Losing would spell death, or enslaved and taken to the demon territory, never returning alive.


    ¡°I see them!¡± Zentos screamed with a sharp tone, as tension rose ten-fold.


    Finally, the band of demons appeared on the horizon. They did not look that different from humanfolk, but there were those who had wings growing on their backs, those who had several arms, those who were small like fairies, and many more. Some were covered with moving tentacles, and others had grotesque visuals that sent shivers down your spine. The only common ground they all shared was the horns they had on their heads, from sheep to cow horns, even bigger singular horns, or multiple smaller ones.


    At the same time, most of the demons didn¡¯t possess any proper weapons, instead wielding rough clubs or swords. It was a sign that they were absolutely confident in their own physical abilities and mana. If this was a war between humanfolk, they would use throwing weapons as well as sieging arsenal like a ballista, which were like giant crossbows, but demons didn¡¯t rely on that, and neither did they need to. They had something far better for that.


    ¡°Two giant demons, huh¡­¡±


    Kyle commented, glaring at two giant shadows in the crowd. The giant demons possessed physical appearances like humans, but they were around ten times taller than the average human, with dull movements, without any particular special ability, not giving off any conscience, simply acting as lumps of raw vigor and destructive power. As this stronghold was built with anti-demon measures in mind, the wall had been fortified with anti-magic properties, able to protect them from long-distance magic attacks. Those giant demons were solely used to break down these kinds of walls with raw physical strength.


    ¡°Shoot!¡±


    At Zentos¡¯ signal, a shower of arrows rained down on the giant demons, and as they had no way of avoiding and defending, those hundreds, most likely thousands of arrows stabbed right into them. However, the giant demons didn¡¯t bother much with that, simply moving forwards one step at a time, heading for the wall.


    ¡°Guess we need to go in there directly, as expected.¡±


    Kyle cast support magic on himself and gulped down the second portion of Blood Eye without hesitation. His pulse accelerated, his body burned up fiercely, and his sight turned red. Immediately, he was assaulted by the typical Blood Eye symptoms. Everything was pumped up inside of his body for a fight. His strength may have been boosted, but his life was being chipped away at with every passing second. Minagi saw this, clicking her tongue, and Urza looked at Kyle with a hurt expression, but they couldn¡¯t stop him.


    ¡°Blegh¡­Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Kyle stepped on the veranda of the wall, glancing at Urza. She seemed to have understood what she was thinking, and immediately started summoning a spirit. With just a glance, the two could convey what each other thought. At the same time, if they couldn¡¯t do that, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. Kyle jumped off the wall, directly aiming at the giant demon, stabbing his sword into its left eye. At the same time, Urza used her Wind Spirit Sylphid to create a pistol, firing at the demon¡¯s right eye.


    That seemed to have worked wonders, as the giant demon screamed in agony, covering its eyes. Before those hands could capture Kyle, he swiftly jumped to the ground. Losing its eyesight, the demon was forced to recklessly swing its arms left and right, stomping on the ground. Kyle calculated the timing, moved towards the giant demon¡¯s right ankle, slicing at the tendon with his sword. The demon once again roared in pain, lost its balance, and collapsed with a loud thump.


    Next to that was the other giant demon, clinging to the wall, right then and there defeated by Zentos in a similar way. The rest was done by the soldiers rushing out of the gate, stabbing the two giant demons everywhere.


    ¡°That takes care of them¡­¡±


    Through this almost inhumane coordination and flawless attacks by Zentos and Kyle, managing to defeat giant two monsters, the motivation of the humanfolk¡¯s army was raised immediately. However, the two¡¯s expressions were as tense as before. As those giant demons were slow and their movements predictable, they were the easiest threat to erase if you knew how, so nothing was done here.


    ¡°This is where the real deal starts¡­¡± Zentos muttered, looking at the large number of demons in the back.


    If this was any normal warfare against humanfolk opponents, their next strategy would be to hole up inside the fortress, going for long-distance attacks, prioritizing defense over everything. However, if you attempted something similar with demons, who held much more strength than the average human, there¡¯s a chance that they would break through your defenses. Rather, it was much more crucial to thin out their numbers. This aggressive role was Kyle¡¯s and Zentos¡¯ duty.


    Despite the two giant demons collapsing to the ground, the large group of demons continued their march forward without any hesitation. The most troublesome part of these battles was that even the advantageous demons showed absolutely no opening. Usually, the side with the advantage would relax, certain of their victory, but there were no signs of that. If anything, they continued to put pressure on Kyle and the others.


    ¡°¡­Him.¡±


    Kyle glared at a demon in the front pack, sheep horns on his head. He had clashed with him before. He put his life on the line as the other demons, but he hid his cruel side, constantly taunting Kyle. More than anything however, his strength still remained in Kyle¡¯s memories. At the same time, Urza summoned another spirit from above the wall, preparing support. Minagi must be hiding in the shadows somewhere, poisoning her blade. Zentos stood next to him, readying his blade. After confirming that the guards had finished their preparations as well, Kyle breathed in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Kyle howled and kicked off the ground, attacking the sheep-horned demon.


    ***


    This battle lasted three days and three nights, with the humanfolk army succeeding in repelling most of the demons. At the same time, many of the refugees ended up as casualties in the large battle. However, humanfolk succeeded in capturing a single demon, which granted them a wide arrangement of information. This incident happened three months before the final battle with the Demon Lord.


    After this, Kyle took Urza and Seran, as well as Zentos to Rimarze, managing to find a map of the giant labyrinth the [Magic King] had left behind. Through this, he acquired the riches in the treasure room, as well as the magic sword Shildonia and its magical personality, which assisted greatly in the battle against the demons and the Demon Lord.

 Volume 3 - CH 1

    There was a narrow passage surrounded by two stone-paved walls on either side. As there were no windows whatsoever, it was dimly lit, hard to breathe, and even so, Kyle kept on walking. He looked ahead with a serious and almost deadpan expression, but he couldn¡¯t help letting out a sigh inside his mind.


    For crying out loud, this sure turned troublesome quickly. Then again, it may have been unexpected, but there¡¯s no way I can cut corners¡­Guess I should prepare myself for the worst.


    And then, he stopped in front of a thick and imposing double door. Opening that caused a loud and creaking noise, finally bringing some light into this dark passage behind him. At the same time as the scenery opened up, loud cheers and joyful noises pierced his ears that had been met with nothing but silence up to that point. This was the continent¡¯s greatest arena, located in the ever-growing Galgan Empire¡¯s capital Luos. Kyle entered this arena as a fighter, surrounded by around 70,000 visitors waiting for him to fight.


    When he directed his gaze up ahead to the opposite entrance of the arena, a large man stepped outside. Almost as if he attempted to show off his muscles, his upper body was completely naked. His arms were even thicker than a woman¡¯s torso, and he probably weighed three times the amount of Kyle. His face was riddled with wounds, and the mustache he had gave him an evil look.


    ¡®Everyone, thank you very much for waiting! The first match of the Galgan Empire Foundation Anniversary Martial Arts Festival will now begin!¡¯


    A clear and energetic woman¡¯s voice, belonging to the announcer, was conveyed throughout the entire arena, most likely with the ability of magic.


    ¡®And as it turns out, our first match is one to look out for! From the West gate, we have Fighter Kyle, who has come from the far Kingdom of Zilgus! According to the material in front of me, he has bested a large Hydra all by himself in order to protect Princess Milena from her peril, and has arrived here under the recommendation of Zilgus itself!¡¯


    The moment Kyle¡¯s place of birth, Zilgus, was revealed, a loud booing came from the audience that even reached him directly. As Zilgus and Galgan were potentially hostile countries, no citizen has forgotten that they almost ended up in a war a few years ago.


    ¡®Facing him will be a popular fighter making his earnings here at the arena¡ªViolent Rockert! He is a skilled and active gladiator who made it to the semi-finals of last year¡¯s Martial Arts Festival, a prime candidate for this year¡¯s victory amassing popularity as well as raw strength and talent!¡¯


    This time, cheers all around the arena rang out, the exact opposite from the treatment Kyle received. Rockert responded to these cheers, raising his arms into the sky, roaring. A sword fight generally was the most basic of gifts to entertain the audience, but it¡¯s not like everybody here would be fighting with a sword. All participants had their own preferred type of fighting, and there were a lot of fighters who chose to go bare-handed like Rockert.


    ¡®Bets are 8 to 2 in Fighter Rockert¡¯s favor! It seems like Fighter Kyle¡¯s lack of name in the Galgan Empire really is showing!¡¯


    With that announcement, Kyle¡¯s eye twitched, as his hand moved to the sword at his back.


    ¡®Now, let the match begin!¡¯


    With the signal to begin the match, Kyle looked at his foe with a bit of sympathy in his gaze and moved his hand away from the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Rockert showed a dubious gaze in response to that.


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re a fighter, right? I was thinking of joining you as well.¡± Kyle said, taking a stance as he winked Rockert over.


    ¡®Oh my! Fighter Kyle is not going to draw his sword? He seems even to be provoking Fighter Rockert!¡¯


    The moment this voice came from the announcer, Rockert let out a roar of anger and started running at Kyle. As Rockert¡¯s fist, imbued with all his strength, approached him, Kyle simply did a backstep to avoid it. He did the same with the follow-up attacks, calmly evading the incoming fists. It was by the breadth of a hair he did it, and he even added further provocation to injure Rockert¡¯s pride.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? All I¡¯m feeling is a faint breeze here.¡±


    ¡°Shut yer trap!¡±


    Together with a wrathful voice, Rockert kept on firing off an endless barrage of fists, simply hoping to connect at least one of them, but Kyle continued to evade.


    ¡®Fighter Rockert does not let up! Fighter Kyle is managing to somewhat dodge, but it¡¯s a one-sided battle!¡¯


    In a way, this stalemate continued for a long time, until Kyle eventually reached the wall with his back.


    ¡°Now I¡¯ve got you¡­!¡±


    This time, Rockert put all his might into a kick, firing it off at Kyle. However, as he had been fighting at full strength this entire time, he was gasping for air.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten tired!¡±


    At the same time, Kyle showed only the slightest movement so far, so he was perfectly fine. The leg, thick as a log, approached Kyle, as he took a step forward, closing the distance between the two instantly. This sudden sharp movement turned into somewhat of a feint, delaying Rockert¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything against you, but consider yourself unlucky to end up this way.¡±


    Together with that statement, Kyle swung for a punch. It slammed into Rockert¡¯s jaw, strong enough to make his brain shake. Out cold, Rockert fell backward like a large tree cut in half and stopped moving.


    ¡°Yep, this angle really works.¡±


    This was one of Lieze¡¯s special talents alongside the liver jab, and Kyle learned that from her. It¡¯s an effective strike to completely knock the lights out of someone. Shortly after Rockert fell down, roars of cheers resounded, and Kyle responded by raising one hand. Without looking at Rockert once again, he slowly walked over towards the West gate.


    ¡®Fighter Rockert is staying down! This declared Fighter Kyle¡¯s absolute victory! A one-hit kill! Instantaneous K.O!¡¯


    I actually didn¡¯t kill him though, Kyle added in his mind, and disappeared from the arena.


    ¡°Great work out there!¡±


    Having returned to the waiting room for participants, Lieze, Urza, and Shildonia all greeted him. As per Kyle¡¯s wish to be alone so he could focus, they had left him alone and watched him as part of the audience, but now that he had seized victory, there was no need to hold back.


    ¡°You managed to knock out a finalist candidate in a single strike, that¡¯s admirable.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now you should be able to win the whole tournament easily, right.¡±


    Both Urza and Lieze praised Kyle. They looked happy like it happened to them. Shildonia seemed like she wanted to say something, but her mouth was full with all the food she bought at the stalls, so she just nodded arrogantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it so easily. I barely won that, you know.¡±


    As the girls got excited, Kyle could only let out a sigh, feeling mentally exhausted. In fact, Rockert was more than strong enough to be a candidate for the overall win. It looked like an easy win for Kyle, but that¡¯s only because he previously looked into Rockert¡¯s fighting style and personality. He felt proud at his strong hits, especially after blocking off his foe¡¯s attacks to go for a counterattack. Basically, he¡¯s simple but flashy. The wounds on his body originated from that, acting as trophies, which heightened his popularity as a gladiator.


    As he fought to please the audience, even if he knew that Kyle was plotting something, he had to listen to the provocation. That¡¯s why Kyle continued with his technique. That being said, Rockert¡¯s fists were sharp and packed a good punch, so they¡¯d surely inflict great damage if he managed to connect them, which cost Kyle a lot of mental stamina for every single dodge. However, as Kyle learned that most of Rockert¡¯s victories ended in a short time, Kyle continued to deplete his stamina and anger him. Finally, he finished him off with a clean, vital hit.


    In order to gain influence and a voice among the countries so that he could prepare against the Great Invasion, Kyle had to raise his fame and spread his name. For that, he wanted to win in the most flashy way, taking this risky strategy over a safe knockout. Even if he wouldn¡¯t have lost, it could have been dragged out. It looked like a simple and easy one-hit finish, but beneath the surface, it was awfully close. However, without knowing about Kyle¡¯s thoughts, the girls got even more excited.


    ¡°How many more matches do you need to win for the overall victory?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­the second round, the third round, the semifinals, and then the finale¡­So four more matches!¡±


    ¡°Nom nom¡­What, that¡¯s a lot easier than expected. I personally would wish for a bit of danger to appear to make things more exciting.¡±


    All three of the girls had no doubts whatsoever that Kyle would win.


    ¡°I just hope everything works out that way.¡±


    Since he showed an overwhelming victory against the favorite Rockert, he can¡¯t expect his future opponents to let down their guard against him. And once a match becomes dangerous, forcing Kyle to become serious, his next opponent will have studied him. Realizing that Kyle found himself in a truly bothersome situation, he reflected on how things even ended up this way.


    ***


    The Arinilla Road was one of the major roads that reached from the East to the West of the humanfolk¡¯s territory that existed in the continent of Loindars, regularly used by travelers and traveling merchants. To defend against thieves and demons, it¡¯s common sense that you move in as big of a group as possible, but the large group traveling towards the East on that day especially caught a lot of attention.


    In the center of it was a large horse carriage carrying the emblem of the Kingdom of Zilgus. Around them were several horseback knight corps, as well as smaller horse carriages that transported court ladies and subordinates, this entire group of diplomatic emissaries consisting of around 200 people in total. Let alone the luxurious horse carriages and the knights, even the horses wore luxurious garments. As emissaries of a country, representing it in the world, they had to immediately show off their status and wealth of the country, even more so considering the country they were visiting now¡ªtheir potential enemy the Galgan Empire.


    That being said, their numbers were still fairly low. Normally, they would prepare at least a thousand people for such an occasion. At the same time, they were moving at quite the speed this time around. This indicated a different reason besides simple diplomatic relationships.


    Even so, they¡¯re only about half the traveling speed we could reach¡­Well, at least it¡¯s more comfortable.


    While being shaken inside the horse carriage, Kyle looked outside at the scenery passing him and thought about this. Sitting inside the large main carriage was Kyle, and two other higher-ups involved in this case. Sitting across from Kyle was the leader of the Kingdom of Zilgus¡¯ 5th Imperial Knight Corps and close aide of Princess Milena, Kirlen. She wore a military uniform, but it still emphasized her dignified beauty.


    ¡°Kyle-dono, my deepest apologies for this sudden request. Thank you very much for immediately coming with us.¡± Kirlen lowered her head towards Kyle.


    She was born from a renowned family of nobles that had existed since the foundation of Zilgus, and the cousin of future-queen Milena¡¯s mother. At the same time, her great-grandmother was the previous King¡¯s little sister, so she also had royal blood flowing inside of her. In other words, she was proper royalty. Although Kyle had assisted in preventing Princess Milena¡¯s assassination before, Kyle didn¡¯t expect her to show this much gratitude to a commoner like him.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. I am related to this case myself, so I can¡¯t just leave like that. And, I fully understand how crucial the diplomatic relations going on right now are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. The result of our discussion this time greatly relies on you after all.¡±


    Kyle frantically gave a response, but because of Kirlen¡¯s serious expression, she unknowingly put even more pressure onto him.


    Their current visit to the Galgan Empire resulted from the incident at the mining city Callan, the slaughter at the Galgan Embassy caused by demons. They may have averted immediate danger because Kyle and his group defeated the demons, but that incident wasn¡¯t over with just that. The problem, in this case, were the victims on the Empire¡¯s side. Half of the Empire¡¯s employees at the embassy were killed in that massacre, and even their flying dragon knight riders had been decimated. On top of that, the most important individual, court mage Aluzard had been found dead, turning this into an even bigger problem.


    Basically, they needed to certify that all of this was caused by demons, and not by the hands of Zilgus as a means of interception. As a representative of Princess Milena, Kirlen has taken up the duty of proceeding with the diplomatic discussions at Galgan. As a result of that, since Kyle¡¯s group was closely related to the demon incident at Callan, they naturally were summoned as well. To Kyle, it felt like he was being used as a servant and less like a hero, but if things went south now, it could put a significant rift between the two countries, and it might even result in war. That is something Kyle wanted to avoid at all costs. At the same time, he could use the fact of him defeating the demons to get a positive evaluation from the empire.


    Those two reasons led him to accept this visit. However, he added the condition that he was simply here to testify the existence and involvement of demons, and most definitely not act as a representative of Zilgus again. Naturally, people who disagreed existed, but because Princess Milena used her influence, Kyle and his group were granted the right to join under these conditions. Either way, he was treated as a special guest, which showed as he rode together with Kirlen in this horse carriage.


    ¡°Oh my, you don¡¯t have to be so considerate, really. Even if we reach the worst-case scenario, total war, only one country will fall to ruin.¡± The person who spoke up was a small but somewhat chubby man, sitting right next to Kirlen.


    He had an excellent beard and looked about in his 50s, known as the close aide of the late King Remonas¡ªCabinet Minister Orgis.


    ¡°Orgis-dono, can you stop poking fun at important matters like these?¡± Kirlen said, clearly in a bad mood because of this.


    ¡°Oh my, please excuse me. I simply didn¡¯t want things to end up too tense, see. That was supposed to be simple advice from someone with experience. Orgis lowered his head, but his smile remained. ¡°See, Kirlen-sama, you also seemed a bit tense. Not just Kyle-dono.¡±


    Publicly, Kirlen acted as the representative for diplomatic relations in this incident, but the one in control was Orgis. Before Kirlen could say something, Orgis continued.


    ¡°I am sure that receiving this much responsibility must be a first for you, but I suggest you don¡¯t act so stiff. Leaving aside me and my experience, you have yet to even visit the Empire, Kirlen-sama, so nobody is expecting you to be perfect.¡±


    Kirlen showed an expression like she got stabbed right where it hurt. She may have a lot of experience in this general field, but she never carried the role and responsibility of representing Zilgus as a whole. She herself didn¡¯t know this, but this was also a result of the cold treatment by King Remonas who tried to ostracize Princess Milena and the people around her.


    ¡°In that regard, I have gathered experience over the years, and have visited the Empire several times. Just leave all the complicated work to me, and rest assured.¡±


    In other words, don¡¯t do anything unnecessary, and just be a decoration. But, take responsibility in case something goes wrong¡ªthat¡¯s how Orgis¡¯ words sounded to Kyle.


    ¡°¡­As expected, there was a reason why King Remonas has continued to take your support. Your success in life after being a low-ranking government official is a tale to behold.¡±


    When Kirlen returned fire with that comment, you could see Orgis cheek twitching, even through that fake smile of his. Orgis was seen as the confidant of the late King Remonas, with rumors floating around about him doing the dirty work to rise to power. Surely he must know about that, but he probably never heard it said to his face. Kirlen caught this inner turbulence of Orgis, and continued.


    ¡°However, soon enough, Milena-sama will reign. Although we shall protect the old customs, we need to take new approaches. In that regard, I cannot rely on you forever, and I will participate intensively so that I become more confident.¡±


    I won¡¯t let you do as you please. The generations are going to change, so old dust like you should disappear already. You¡¯re used goods¡ªThese intentions were hidden in Kirlen¡¯s words. After that, both of them went silent, occasionally smiling at each other with strained smiles. Clearly, they were forced smiles, which made the mood only tenser.


    Just why do I have to stay here¡­


    Kyle was filled with nothing but regret.


    ¡°By the way, Kyle-dono.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha¡­Urk¡­!¡±


    Right as Orgis called out to Kyle, he pressed his arm on his chest, groaning.


    ¡°Oh my, is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, the wound I suffered from my battle with the demons has yet to fully heal, so it hurts from time to time¡­Urk!¡±


    Or so he said, but his injuries had actually fully recovered a long time ago. Orgis was a strong supporter of the late king, an influential presence in the country, and Kirlen is the greatest ally and right-hand aide of Princess Milena. Although he only stayed with these two for a short while, he immediately understood that they were in a rivaling relationship. Participating in the conversation at such timing would most likely result in him being forced into one of those two sides. Surely, as he was seen with great respect and interest by Princess Milena, both sides were keen on having him join their faction.


    However, as Kyle prioritized his own freedom, he may be fine with earning favor with the country of Zilgus itself, but joining one faction was out of the question. Right now, he was simply participating under Princess Milena¡¯s wish, assisting the Kingdom of Zilgus, nothing more.


    Getting wrapped up in this mess won¡¯t end well either way¡­


    Surely, Princess Milena should know of those two and their relationship. Since she sent the two to go on this trip together, she probably expected this as well, and Kyle cursed her for that.


    ¡°Ohh, thank you very much for assisting us despite your condition¡­I know, there is a wonderful hot spring in my territory, and the military is using it to tend to their wounds. I would love to invite you over.¡±


    ¡°No no no, our Kirlen Family has an excellent priest serving us, so let us help your treatment. While we¡¯re at it, we might even baptize you to become a holy knight¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh my, my body suddenly feels much better. I¡¯m sorry to make you worry like that.¡±


    Kyle deeply wished for them to soon arrive at their destination, as he showed a forced smile once again.


    At the same time, the rest of Kyle¡¯s group rode on a smaller horse carriage behind the one Kyle was on. The atmosphere inside the carriage was cheerful and comfortable, the exact opposite of what Kyle was experiencing right now, the group eating snacks and playing card games.


    ¡°Travelling with a horse carriage sure is relaxing, but it¡¯s also a bit boring¡­¡± Seran yawned, as he held onto his cards.


    ¡°Kyle said he was traveling with some important higher-ups, but he sure didn¡¯t seem like he was looking forward to it.¡± Lieze held cards herself, as she remembered Kyle¡¯s last expression before he entered the horse carriage.


    ¡°¡­Keep quiet you two, I can¡¯t focus at all,¡± Urza complained, staring at the cards in her hands.


    She had been losing this entire time, and as she was a very diligent person, she even took the smallest card game quite seriously. That being the case, her every emotion and reaction showed on her face, making her easy to be seen through.


    ¡°I¡¯m bad with uptight stuff like that, but his goal requires this kind of stuff¡­Alright, I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done as well. That makes Urza¡¯s 10th consecutive loss.¡±


    ¡°Urk¡­O-One more!¡±


    ¡°Well, relaxing like this doesn¡¯t hurt once in a while. It¡¯s honestly a shame that it¡¯ll end in five days.¡± Shildonia munched on her sweets, speaking about as nonchalantly as the others.


    These five days passed all too quickly, and right before a hole opened up in Kyle¡¯s stomach, they reached the largest city of the humanfolk territory, the Imperial Capital of the Galgan Empire, Luos.

 Volume 3 - CH 2

    Humanfolk¡¯s largest city was known as the Imperial Capital of the Galgan Empire, Luos. Its population was said to be around 500,000 people, but Kyle didn¡¯t know the actual number. Neither did anybody else, it was hard to count it after all. It was basically a fortress city surrounded by triple gigantic walls, quite peculiar in design, as even the area inside the outer wall rivaled the size of a small country. Besides the average district, you even had a slums district, which had taken its age.


    Right now, Kyle and his group of four allies were traveling through this large city with a small horse carriage the Empire prepared. As Kirlen and Orgis were emissaries of Zilgus here for diplomatic relations, they received a free pass during the check at the main gate, but since Kyle and his group were simple participants, they had to fill out some paperwork, which is why they temporarily split up. That being said, as they were treated as important people from Zilgus, they got to enjoy some light sightseeing inside the horse carriages, as they were brought to the palace where the Emperor resided.


    The main street was filled to the brim with people, not only humans but also elves and dwarves, and even beastmen such as lizardmen, who lived in the southern region, in relatively small numbers.


    ¡°I thought that Malad was crowded with people, this is on an entirely different level.¡±


    ¡°Where are they all even coming from¡­¡±


    As both Lieze and Seran were still relatively used to their small and familiar rural hometown, they were the ones who were the most shocked, their mouths open in disbelief.


    ¡°This is my first time coming to Luos as well¡­but to think it was such a large city.¡±


    Although Urza was somewhat used to traveling like this, even she looked around in admiration. Only Shildonia seemed used to this, focusing instantly on the different food stalls at the corners of the street, her eyes sparkling as always.


    ¡°As much as it¡¯s the largest city on the continent, it also is bound to end up the most chaotic once calamity hits.¡± Kyle couldn¡¯t help but admire it in his own way.


    He came to Luos before in his past life, but that was during the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯, so he didn¡¯t have the time or leisure to calmly inspect the streets like this. However, reaching that thought, the current state also seemed odd for some reason. The people passing them gave off a certain voltage filled with energy and passion, something that seemed out of the ordinary from what you¡¯d expect, and this enveloped the entire city.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably the influence of the festival happening in five days.¡± Their guide must have felt doubts in Kyle¡¯s group and provided an explanation.


    The Empire Foundation Festival¡ªIt is a festival celebrating the founding of the Galgan Empire around three hundred years ago when the war against the demons ended. For the next three hundred years after this event, the Empire had continued to grow. With more and more territory being added to the Empire, the festival continued to grow, almost too large, which is why it was now held every two years instead of yearly.


    ¡°It really is the world¡¯s largest festival. You¡¯re lucky that you can enjoy the festival here in Luos.¡± The guide said, sounding quite happy themselves.


    Following that, they were shown the large plaza, the triumphal arch celebrating the victory of the war, the large cathedral, and the religious building called the obelisk. It seemed like this was a typical course offered to foreigners, as the guide spoke with confidence and experience.


    ¡°I heard from my old hag about this, but the place sure is huge alright.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I heard stories as well.¡±


    Both Kyle¡¯s mother Seraia and Seran¡¯s foster mother Leyla originally were born in this town, so their children heard various stories from both of them. Especially Leyla, who had been a gladiator here at Luos in the past, known as the undefeated champion. Finally, they saw a circular building in the distance, called the continent¡¯s largest arena, the arena of Luos.


    Even at this current point in time, there seemed to be a match going on, as they heard loud cheers even from this distance away. A row of large stone statues with the size of multiple people stacked atop each other was standing in front of the arena, all of them depicting one of the champions of the arena. One of them stood out in particular, belonging to a female swordsman.


    ¡°Oh lord¡­¡±


    The moment Seran saw that statue, he let out a voice like he wanted to go home already.


    ¡°That is the individual seen as history¡¯s strongest sword princess, the statue of [Crimson Ogre] Leyla. She reigned supreme in this arena as the undefeated champion, but at the prime of her popularity, she suddenly retired ten years ago, which was a severe hit for the arena and its income.¡± The guide explained as they looked at the statue of Leyla, striking a dignified pose with a greatsword in hand. ¡°At the Martial Arts Festival, she was the only one who managed to achieve consecutive victories, and her fighting style, as well as matches, had become a legend at this point.¡± The guide seemed to be a fan of Leyla, as he explained all of that happily.


    However, to Kyle, Seran, and Lieze, that was just a statue of a family member, nothing more.


    ¡°¡­Feels weird that it oddly looks like her.¡± Kyle looked at the statue with a complicated expression.


    ¡°It really seems like a perfect replica.¡± To Lieze, Leyla was a familiar existence.


    Since the statue had so much resemblance to the individual in reality, she could only show admiration mixed with exhaustion.


    ¡°Hm, so she is Seran¡¯s foster mother, as well as your teacher of the sword? She must have been strong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Rimarze, but I¡¯d love to meet her sometime.¡±


    Shildonia and Urza both showed great interest.


    ¡°Better stop with that thought. You¡¯re not gaining anything from meeting her. Still, to think I¡¯d meet my old hag here. Maybe I should draw some doodles on her statue?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you probably shouldn¡¯t. Plus, it¡¯ll just bring us misfortune, so drop it, Seran.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right, she might curse us.¡±


    Both Seran and Kyle let out a synchronized sigh. To them, she was their teacher, and a symbol of fear their entire youth, so that terror probably would never disappear. The guide was confused about their reactions but continued taking them to the imposing palace.


    The palace of the Galgan Empire was built similarly to the royal palace of Zilgus. However, unlike the luxurious palace of Zilgus, the imperial palace of Galgan actually had a much more militaristic look, seeming like it could actually protect itself in the case of an invasion and siege, focusing on usability instead of looks.


    In the flashy waiting room where Kyle and the group were brought, Kirlen was already on standby. A bit longer, and the representative of the Empire would arrive. Finally, the door opened, and three individuals entered the room. The first one was a man who seemed like a guard with a cold gaze. The man looked kind at first glance, but he wore different armor and had a different sword than the normal knights. Seeing that, Seran let out a faint ¡®Huh¡¯ voice.


    The man observed the inside of the room without a single shed of carelessness, and when he confirmed the appearances of Seran and then Kyle, the glimmer in his eyes changed. He probably saw and guessed their strength with a single gaze. He showed a faint smile and then stood guard at the wall.


    The next person to enter the room gathered all the attention of the room. He was a tall man with a well-built body, seeming to be in the middle of his thirties. Just from that appearance alone, he gave off the air of deep knowledge in martial arts. What stood out the most was his sharp gaze and the translucent pressure that came from his eyes. In a different way from Princess Milena, he possessed an aura that made him worthy of standing above others.


    ¡°Your Highness Eldorand, it has been a while.¡± Orgis stood up, deeply lowering his head towards the man.


    Eldorand Oba Galgan. He became the representative of the current Emperor Benedix, who according to rumors hasn¡¯t been feeling well, and is the first prince of the Empire who is taking care of domestic and foreign affairs. Following him was an elderly and quite small woman. She seemed to be in the latter stages of her life, and she was walking in a slouched position, leaning forwards, but she used a wand larger than her as support, her face giving off a mild and moderate smile.


    She may seem like your average old lady, but she is actually one of the three supreme-grade magic users currently existing in the humanfolk, acting as Galgan¡¯s number one court mage¡ª[Great] Beadola. She is one of the individuals whose name will remain in history.


    Besides the Emperor, both Eldorand and Beadola are the other two most influential individuals in the Galgan Empire at this point. Seeing those two here, Kyle understood that the Empire was expecting a lot from this meeting. There were what looked like chief vassals behind Eldorand, but none of the three mattered at all.


    ¡°Emissaries from the Kingdom of Zilgus, I welcome you. Normally, my father would be meeting you for such an important occasion, but he has not been feeling well, which is why I will participate in this discussion in his stead.¡± Eldorand spoke with an indifferent, calm tone.


    He made it seem like he was welcoming them, but his expression did not change in the slightest.


    ¡°Now then, should we start?¡±


    Following that, another type of war¡ªand diplomatic discussion¡ªbegan.


    ***


    ¡°First, in regards to the victims and damages of the Empire, I wish to ask in what way Zilgus would offer their apology, and what you can offer us as a token of compensation.¡± Eldorand immediately jumped into the main topic.


    Evidently, he was acting like the entire responsibility of this incident was on Zilgus¡¯ side.


    ¡°Apology and compensation, is it? Quite intriguing, as we have reported that this incident was caused by the work of demons and that even we from Zilgus have suffered casualties.¡± Kirlen responded with a resolute tone.


    As for the intentions of Zilgus, they wanted to avoid mixing fake information in their report to later receive the blame, and instead explain the situation as it happened, pushing all the blame on the demons, saying that even they suffered casualties.


    ¡°I cannot hope you believe we would simply stay silent and believe that. If that worked, we could blame everything up to this point on the demons. Adding to that, the involvement of demons, in general, is a questionable tale, and quite frankly hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It is worth mentioning that demons have not been active inside the humanfolk territory for the past 300 years.¡±


    Both Beadola and Eldorand followed up on that comment. Naturally, it was a fact that demons existed, and they were the common enemy of all of humanfolk, but barely any human being alive had felt any recent threat from the demons. To the average person, demons were nothing but a fairy tale.


    ¡°To prove this, we have brought a witness with us. He is the one who fought and repelled the demons.¡±


    An immediate entrance, huh¡ªKyle thought, stepping forward.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the one who reported it?¡± Eldorand¡¯s sharp gaze pierced Kyle.


    If he was someone with a weak mind and fragile personality, he would have started shaking from just that, but Kyle was perfectly calm.


    ¡°Yes, my name is Kyle Lenard. As previously stated, there were two demons, one of which we managed to defeat, and the other managed to escape.¡±


    More accurately, they let one of them escape, but there was no need to be that honest.


    ¡°¡­Say whatever you want. You may not be directly related to the royalty of Zilgus, but even if you are a citizen, it does not matter, we cannot believe you. Not without any solid proof of the demons¡¯ involvement.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, I expected you to say that. Thus, I have brought proof of me defeating one of the demons right here.¡± Kyle took out the sheep horn he cut off Ganias¡¯ head during their first encounter.


    Seeing that, Beadola¡¯s faintly closed eyes shot wide open. She most likely picked up the distinct scent of mana different from humanfolk. With a quivering hand, Beadola accepted the horn, closely inspecting it.


    ¡°Indeed, this truly is a demon¡¯s horn overflowing with mana. Not to mention that it hadn¡¯t been preserved for ages, but it surely was cut off just recently. It truly is hard to believe, but now that it is in my hands¡­¡± She said with a reluctant tone.


    Immediately after, the Galgan side¡¯s individuals went silent. Now that Beadola admitted this to be a demon¡¯s, the Empire was forced to give more credibility to Zilgus¡¯ report.


    ¡°¡­I see, now we understand that demons have been present. However, how can you prove their involvement with the slaughter at our country¡¯s embassy?¡±


    ¡°Then, think about it this way. Half of all employees in the embassy, as well as the entire flying dragon knight corps, even the second-ranking court mage Aluzard, had been killed almost instantly¡­Who but a demon could have done such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Eldorand could only go silent. Just as Kyle stated, the survivors of that attack have offered testimony that this attack happened with a small group if at all, and that it happened in a very brief moment. As Galgan was confident in its own strength, it would take an enemy of exceptional caliber to pull off something like that.


    ¡°Hm, but that means you were strong enough to repel those demons?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct. We are stronger than the demons who defeated the Empire¡¯s knights and even one of your court mages.¡±


    Eldorand threw about this sarcastic comment, but Kyle declared this without a moment of hesitation. Seeing Kyle like that, Eldorand showed a somewhat astonished expression.


    ¡°I see¡­that is quite the confidence¡­However, I understand that the demons hadn¡¯t been acting in solitude this time. For example, the mass abduction incident of the citizens in Callan¡­the one who gave the order to that was the mayor of Callan, yes? And as of right now, Callan is under the rule of Zilgus, so how do you explain that?¡±


    With that question, Orgis stepped forward, as if his turn had arrived.


    ¡°Regarding that, we have captured the perpetrators who were following the orders, and heard the details. It appears as if Mayor Bucks was forced to assist the demons to a certain degree.¡±


    Hearing that, Kirlen was about to push up her hip with a ¡®This is different from what we¡¯ve discussed¡¯ gaze, but Orgis glared at her and made her sit back down. He possessed immense pressure he probably gathered over his long years in service.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a conclusion you reached out of the convenience for Zilgus? What if that mayor let the demons inside for his own goal?¡±


    ¡°According to the perpetrators, we cannot judge that. Nor can we believe their testimonies¡­After all, they were former soldiers for the Empire.¡± Orgis added like it was nothing.


    The moment his words passed, tension filled the room.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember this fact being part of your previous report though?¡± Eldorand glared at Orgis.


    ¡°Oh my, really? That must have been a mistake on our end. My deepest apologies.¡± Orgis swiftly lowered his head.


    Of course, that was all on purpose so they wouldn¡¯t have any way of fighting back.


    ¡°However, we already did the background check so that we wouldn¡¯t bother you. Here are the details in that regard.¡± Orgis dropped the names of the soldiers, their former squad, and even drawings of their faces.


    One of the officials left the room in order to confirm this information, but looking at Orgis attitude, Eldorand had to accept this to be the truth. It was a well-known fact that the Empire¡¯s army was strict with their principles and training, which contributed to their strength as one part of it, but there were a lot of soldiers who couldn¡¯t bear with this and ran away. Naturally, they would receive the death penalty, but it was generally hard to trace them to where they were. These deserters were quite troublesome, as they were often given special orders, holding confidential information.


    ¡°Personally, we would love to deepen our relationship with the Empire, handing over such dangerous individuals if you were to wish for that¡­but for that, we would need to arrive at a common ground here.¡±


    In other words, he wouldn¡¯t mind letting them run either, but that would require adequate compensation. At the same time as Orgis stated such, the Empire faction looked at him with disdain in their eyes. He probably kept quiet about this towards Kirlen in order to make this his own achievement. Said Kirlen sent him a gaze of anger as well, but Orgis¡¯ face remained calm.


    This discussion continued further after that, but they never reached any common ground. The Kingdom of Zilgus continued to plead their innocence, and that their own country was not to be held responsible as the demons were to blame for everything. At the same time, the Galgan Empire was trying to press the responsibility on Zilgus, but with the involvement of demons and their own deserters, they couldn¡¯t cut past the final line. However, as there were clear victims, in this case, they needed to arrive at some sort of conclusion.


    Accusing them of fabricating proof and requesting compensation, or even threatening war was an option, but as these factors came all too abrupt for the Empire, they didn¡¯t have time to prepare. Around the time most participants were ready to close up and continue the discussion the following day, the door swung open, and the entire room turned towards the person who entered. It was a young man slovenly wearing royal clothing, unbefitting of the atmosphere in this crucial meeting between countries. The moment the Empire faction saw this individual, half of them showed a bitter smile, and the others were already shaking their heads.


    ¡°Yo, let me bother you for a second, Brother.¡± The young man flashed an invincible smile, calling out to Eldorand with a light tone.


    ¡°Maizar, huh? What do you want?¡±


    The invader¡¯s name was Maizar Leng Galgan, the third prince of the Empire, and the former fiance¨¦ of Princess Milena.

 Volume 3 - CH 3

    ¡°Well, I heard we got emissaries over from Zilgus¡­Oh, that¡¯s the cousin from my ex-fiance¨¦? Phew~¡± Maizar showed no restraint whatsoever to closely inspect Kirlen from head to toe, to which the woman¡¯s face tensed up.


    ¡°Looking at you, I bet that Zilgus¡¯ princess, or the so-called ¡®Treasure of Zilgus¡¯ must be just as beautiful, huh. Man, I might regret that the marriage was annulled.¡± Maizar grinned with not a worry in the world.


    ¡°Will you drop that, Maizar, you¡¯re being rude.¡± Eldorand tried to stop his younger brother but to no avail.


    ¡°I mean, I was excited about that marriage, you know? If possible, I¡¯d like to have a beauty by my side. Oh yeah, why don¡¯t you take her place, female knight? It¡¯s for the sake of both our countries, remember?¡± Maizar hit on Kirlen with as much of a nonchalant face as always.


    At the same time, Kirlen couldn¡¯t be more displeased, with anger mixing in her angered expression. If he wasn¡¯t one of the princes of the Empire, she probably would have struck him down with her sword.


    ¡°¡­I am happy about the wonderful offer, but I sadly have a fiance¨¦ already.¡± Kirlen calmed herself down, giving a faint response.


    ¡°Oh my, what a shame. Well, if you get rejected, just call out to me, I¡¯ll gladly welcome you.¡± Maizar shrugged and then turned towards Kyle.


    ¡°And, you¡¯re that Kyle, huh? The one who apparently defeated a demon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Your Highness Maizar.¡± Kyle showed a polite answer.


    ¡°What kind of demon was it, and how did you defeat them? I¡¯d love to hear the details, it sounds quite entertaining.¡±


    ¡°I hardly believe it is such an entertaining story. I only managed to defeat it because I was lucky.¡±


    ¡°¡­If demons truly are what the legends told me, then you can¡¯t defeat them with just luck, right?¡± Maizar looked at Kyle with a sharp, perceptive gaze.


    Kyle didn¡¯t miss that and had to hold back a grin.


    His true self is still the same¡­Well, that makes sense.


    ¡°Yes, naturally I am also strong enough to defeat a demon. I can confidently state that I could hold my ground as one of the strongest in all of humanfolk.¡± Kyle explained to Maizar without a glimmer of hesitation in his voice, to which Maizar¡¯s eyes opened wide, him bursting out in roaring laughter after.


    ¡°I-I see. You¡¯re confident enough to boldly declare that, huh¡­So then¡­¡±


    ¡°Maizar¡­Leave it at that¡­To all of you from Zilgus, my deepest apologies. To repay my younger brother¡¯s insolence, please enjoy the banquet we had prepared for you this evening.¡± Eldorand forcefully ended the conversation, as if he had enough.


    On the way to the room, Kirlen was fuming with anger, completely out of her usual character.


    ¡°What a confident, insolent fool, exactly what I had heard, but to think that was the third prince¡­What is the Empire thinking!¡±


    As they were inside the Imperial Palace, Kirlen whispered, but her anger was clearly showing.


    ¡°The Empire itself seems to be dubious about this, but His Majesty Benedix and His Highness Eldorand seem to have a soft spot¡­¡± Orgis let out a sigh himself, and since he was experienced with diplomatic relationships, he must have his own fair share of experiences.


    ¡°¡­However, we were quite lucky that his marriage with Princess Milena was annulled, I¡¯d say. There may have been a future where I would have to bend a knee to him,¡± Kirlen commented, as she shivered in fear.


    ¡°Hahaha, that is true. To Zilgus, it was a blessing in disguise.¡± Orgis showed a bitter smile and agreed.


    Periodically, those two would clash in their own ideals, but their passion for Zilgus was at an equal level, so they probably were happy to find a point they could agree on.


    Really? I feel like those two would be a good married couple¡­or rather, they were a happy couple back then.


    While listening to the two discussing, Kyle thought back to the time he knew Milena, as well as Maizar all too well, and smiled.


    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood?¡± Lieze looked up at Kyle¡¯s face and talked to him.


    ¡°Did it look that way?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Whenever you¡¯re happy, your left cheek tends to convulse from time to time, and it did that now as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­I had no idea.¡± Kyle was confused to hear this unexpected trait about him and touched his cheek.


    ¡°Still, Kyle, calling yourself strongest among human folk, you really went all out back there,¡± Shildonia remembered the previous conversation and said with a teasing tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember saying that much, but¡­Well, any straightforward response like that will please him more, and leave a better impression¡­yeah.¡± Kyle remembered Maizar from the previous timeline and smiled.


    After Kyle¡¯s group left the room, Eldorand had everybody leave the room except Maizar, Beadola, as well as the man in armor leaning against the wall.


    ¡°Brother, you should probably try to win over that Kyle guy, or kill him if he¡¯s against it.¡± Maizar called out to Eldorand.


    His tone was as nonchalant as before, but his eyes were different.


    ¡°¡­For what reason?¡±


    ¡°I think the fact of him beating a demon is right. He seems to be clever as well, and he¡¯s still not in direct relation to Zilgus, so something is going on¡­the rest is just my intuition.¡±


    ¡°Intuition, huh¡­Yeah, you tend to hit the jackpot a lot with that. Especially during the times I¡¯d rather not wish you to.¡± Eldorand let out a sigh.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like he was lying about possessing respectable strength among us humanfolk. On top of that, the allies with him were no joke either¡­Darius, what do you think?¡± Maizar turned towards the man leaning against the wall.


    ¡°Yes, the human and elf woman were quite strong, but that swordsman¡­he is on an entirely different level.¡± Darius thought about Seran and gave his response.


    ¡°To think even you would say that¡­So, could you win against him?¡±


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to tell without a real fight.¡± Darius showed a faint smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­normally you¡¯d say you could win easily against most people¡­¡±


    Eldorand knew of Darius¡¯ skill with the sword, which is why he kept him close. Hearing the words of one of the strongest swordsmen in the entire Empire, Eldorand¡¯s expression tightened up.


    ¡°What I am most curious about is the girl in white. She most definitely isn¡¯t a normal human being. It seemed like a magical entity, but a bit different from that.¡± Beadola remembered Shildonia. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know who she is.¡±


    ¡°If Grandma Bea doesn¡¯t know, then nobody here will be able to figure it out.¡± Maizar showed a faint smile, but Eldorand was panicking a bit.


    In his memories, the all-knowing saint of the empire, Beadola, never said ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ before.


    ¡°¡­Anyway, it¡¯d be best if we don¡¯t let down our guard around them, and we should probably look into it more. We already had a spy search through their past, so we should probably see results soon.¡±


    With both Beadola and Darius giving their advice, Eldorand decided to push up his caution against Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°You probably should rush things a bit, they¡¯re far too talented. If you can¡¯t make them your allies, better remove them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you bring down such judgment.¡±


    ¡°I told you, right, it¡¯s my intuition. Something just doesn¡¯t feel right¡­¡± Maizar scratched his head, unable to explain why he felt that way.


    It might not seem that way, but Eldorand highly valued his younger brother. A lot of people seemed to look down on him, but his overall abilities were excellent, and Eldorand knew that this was probably just a strategy to hide his true talent. More than anything, he held trust in this blood-related younger brother.


    ¡°For crying out loud¡­There¡¯s my father to worry about, and them as well, so I¡¯d rather not get a headache because of them.¡± Eldorand remembered all the troubles he had to worry about, all of them related to the future of the country. ¡°Still, it is a shame that we couldn¡¯t send you off to Zilgus. If you had made it, then Zilgus would have easily been in our hands.¡±


    ¡°No way that would have worked out. Checking into it, that princess over there is quite the individual. Not to mention¡­even if I managed to get inside Zilgus, and saw a winning chance if I took that princess¡¯ hand, I might have invaded Galgan, you know?¡± Maizar grinned, and Eldorand joined. ¡°Well, now that it¡¯s come to this, my duty is to be the bad guy, and carry all the displeasure towards the Empire. Then, you¡¯ll dispose of your blood-related younger brother with tears in your eyes, raising your reputation as the prince, right?¡±


    ¡°There is no way that you would be disposed of that easily. You¡¯ll change your face and name, live freely.¡± Beadola commented, and Eldorand let out a sigh.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ever think of using you for such wicked methods. I¡¯m currently thinking of something so you better be prepared. Not to mention those demons¡­they¡¯ve been silent for three hundred years, they should have just stayed quiet for another hundred.¡±


    In their previous conversation, Eldorand doubted the involvement of demons, but he had known that Zilgus was right this entire time. If demons were back on the rise, then the Empire had to react accordingly.


    ¡°Well, that should be fine. Even if something happens to our old man, as long as you¡¯re alive Brother El, the Galgan Empire will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Can you not say something that¡¯ll cause calamity down the line? Also, you¡¯re making it sound like the Empire is done for if something were to happen to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, you gotta live long and healthy. With that, I can take it easy.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have to tell me.¡±


    The oldest son and third-oldest smiled at each other.


    ***


    ¡ªAround that time.


    ¡°¡­So, that first prince will die?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and even before the Emperor will pass.¡±


    Once it was just Kyle and Shildonia in their room, he told his sword about the chaos that will soon break out.

 Volume 3 - CH 4

    In Kyle¡¯s previous timeline, around one year from now on, Emperor Bendix will pass away because of his old age and sickness, but his oldest son, the first prince Eldorand was seen as the wisest in the entire imperial family, believed to bring great prosperity to the Empire. However, with his sudden passing shortly after, the Empire was thrown into chaos. As a result of this, on his deathbed, Emperor Benedix declared not Eldorand¡¯s child, nor his own second son, but rather the third prince Maizar as the next Emperor.


    As a result of that, the Empire was split into three factions. The ones who listened to the Emperor¡¯s dying words, following Maizar; the ones who believed that Eldorand¡¯s son was the righteous heir to the throne; and finally the faction who tried to bring the second prince to the throne, creating even larger chaos as there already was. At first, it was assumed this would continue for several years, but through Maizar¡¯s talent and strength, he managed to chase away all opposing forces in a single year.


    Everybody had to accept his true talent, and Maizar moved up to become the next Emperor. He tried to go for a clean and new start¡­when the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ happened.


    ¡°Without all these domestic affairs, humanfolk might have been a bit more organized back then,¡± Kyle said with a bitter tone.


    As the Galgan Empire was plagued by internal fighting, they were belated in joining forces against the demons, which was the main reason the Empire, as well as all of humanfolk, fell to ruin.


    ¡°I see¡­So, why did the first prince die?¡± Having listened to the entire story, Shildonia voiced the obvious question.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know about that either. I asked Maizar, but to no avail.¡±


    The official report of Eldorand¡¯s death said it happened because of a heart attack. However, as it happened so suddenly without any previous signs, a lot of people were suspicious. Many suggested that it was an assassination planned by Maizar who aimed for the seat of the Emperor. However, Kyle knew that this was impossible.


    ¡°He never showed any signs of actually wanting to be the Emperor¡­It might have been a natural death after all. There¡¯s not always some hidden agenda behind every death.¡± Kyle said. ¡°That¡¯s how the truth often works.


    ¡±Well, it may have been possible for all I know, but we can¡¯t discard the possibility. Didn¡¯t you say that the incident with Milena was a natural accident?¡±


    Indeed, Kyle had assumed that Milena¡¯s death in the previous timeline was just an accident. However, once he looked deeper, it was actually an assassination planned by her older brother Prince Carenas, who had been urged by King Remonas himself.


    ¡°Now that you say that, I can¡¯t deny the possibility¡­But, I don¡¯t plan on meddling with that.¡±


    Whatever the real reason for Eldorand¡¯s death may be, if Kyle reported this beforehand, or took safety measures, it might be something that can be avoided. That being said, Kyle knew that, unlike the time with Milena, involving himself here wouldn¡¯t help in making him a hero of humanfolk, and preparing against the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯. And even if he tried to help, Eldorand¡¯s death would probably happen either way somewhere out of his control.


    ¡°I feel bad for Eldorand, but I plan to stay out of this. Maizar being the next emperor is much more convenient to me¡­¡±


    Kyle¡¯s encounter with Maizar was one of the small glimmers of joy he got to enjoy in that hell. He was the leader out of all the other countries he respected the most and felt genuine affection for. Adding Maizar¡¯s talent, he was someone that he needed as an ally no matter what. For that, having him become Emperor was Kyle¡¯s goal.


    ¡°If you decide on that, I won¡¯t say anything. However, if you wanted him as your ally, wouldn¡¯t it be better to lend him strength during the struggle, and make him indebted to you?¡±


    ¡°That is also true¡­¡±


    Hearing Shildonia¡¯s suggestion, Kyle crossed his arms and started thinking. In order to calm down the chaos inside the Empire, Maizar used quite aggressive methods, which lessened the country¡¯s overall military power. That is something Kyle wanted to avoid if possible.


    Maybe I should tell Maizar some details about the circumstances¡­But, what? Eldorand is going to die soon so prepare yourself? No, he¡¯d probably just lock me up.


    Even if he were to believe Kyle, he would surely try to save his older brother. Personally, Kyle rather preferred to lend him strength once the country had fallen into chaos, and focus on making the Empire recover. Although this incident is still a year away, acting quickly could be a virtue.


    ¡°Either way, I¡¯ll look for him during the banquet tonight, and call out to him.¡± Kyle decided.


    That night, in order to welcome the visitors from Zilgus, a large welcoming banquet was held at the imperial palace. Many participants were nobles of the Empire, as well as other important foreigners present for diplomatic relations. It started with a greeting from Eldorand, followed by him introducing Kirlen and Orgis, and then the banquet was opened.


    ¡°That¡¯s our second time going through this type of thing, but now it¡¯s a lot more comfortable,¡± Lieze said, looking down at the dress she borrowed.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t calm down at times like these.¡± Urza also wore a more formal dress, letting out a faint sigh.


    ¡°Glad to hear that.¡± Kyle showed a bitter smile, looking at the two.


    They were talking about the previous banquet where they were given a medal for their deeds in saving Princess Milena. It still is pretty much the same right now, but today they weren¡¯t the main guests, and simply bystanders in the corners. Back during that first banquet, they were showered with attention, making everyone tense.


    However, the one in the main role today was mostly Kirlen, so they could stand in the shadows, not gathering much attention. Normally, this would be less of an actual banquet and more stiff of a gathering of diplomats and the like, but this wasn¡¯t the case with the Galgan Empire, as the place was filled with a more relaxing atmosphere. As the Empire governed a large territory, you could see a wide arrangement of races present at this current location. Thanks to there being elves and dwarves, even beastmen, Urza managed to fit in just fine.


    With all of these reasons combined, the two should be able to enjoy today¡¯s banquet a lot more than before. Well, both Shildonia and Seran did not bother with that in the slightest and simply stuffed their cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go eat something as well. I was always curious about the food they were offering during these kinds of occasions. Couldn¡¯t enjoy it before because I was too nervous.¡± Lieze said, looking at the various tables of food, probably as a reference for her own cooking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go look around myself.¡± With her strong curiosity, Urza was probably interested in all sorts of things offered here and followed after Lieze.


    Being left alone, Kyle walked around the place, looking for Maizar. Standing in the large banquet hall acting as the center of attention was Kirlen. She wore a snow-white dress, emphasizing her feminine beauty now that her tight armor was gone. The beauty that was worthy of serving the [Treasure of Zilgus] naturally gathered gazes all over, surrounded by many young men. Used to this kind of atmosphere, Kirlen had no problem responding to all of them. Next to her was Orgis, talking with people of the Empire. However, Maizar was nowhere to be found, so right as Kyle was unsure of what to do, someone called out to him from behind.


    ¡°Are you the person called Kyle?¡±


    Turning around after hearing such a deep voice, Kyle was greeted by a large man looking down at him. It was an unfamiliar face to Kyle, but with the flashy appearance he had, wearing the national uniform of the Galgan Empire¡¯s royal family, equipped with the crest, and because Kyle knew how the first and third prince looked, he didn¡¯t need to think much.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. How can I help you, Your Highness Konrad.¡± He deeply lowered his head, greeting the man.

 Volume 3 - CH 5

    ¡°Hm, so you do know about me. For someone from Zilgus, I have to admire that.¡± Konrad looked down at Kyle with a somewhat arrogant gaze. ¡°The reason I of all people called out to you is that¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Konrad, can you get out of the way for a second?¡±


    Right as Konrad wanted to say something, a young girl appeared behind him. Age-wise, she seemed to be the same as Kyle, and she was a beauty with noble facial features and a strong gaze in her eyes. She was clad in a luxurious dress, with ornaments befitting the royalty that she was. Indeed, she is the only female child of the Emperor, as well as the youngest out of the siblings, Princess Angela.


    ¡°A-Angela! I¡¯m in the middle of a conversation here!¡±


    Konrad seemed shaken because of this sudden appearance, but Angela didn¡¯t bother with that in the slightest.


    ¡°You must be Kyle-sama, yes? I always wanted to meet you!¡± Angela closed in on Kyle, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    Undoubtedly, that was an affectionate smile.


    ¡°I like strong people! Hearing your heroic tale, I felt my heart racing. That¡¯s why I needed to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I-I see, thank you very much.¡±


    However, Kyle felt danger mixed in that gaze, so he reflexively stepped backward. Angela¡¯s expression was indeed filled with interest and positive affection, but there was no admiration or romantic feelings at all, more like she was a hunter in the wild. It felt like she was already thinking about what kind of trap to set up, and how to poison the drink. Of course, this was nothing but Kyle¡¯s impression, but Kyle couldn¡¯t help but become more cautious. However, as she was royalty, he also couldn¡¯t take any insolent attitude towards her. Finally, Konrad recovered from this sudden development and spoke up.


    ¡°Angela! I am talking with him, so keep that for later¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, Big Bro and Angela?¡±


    Yet another individual joined. Naturally, it could only be another member of the imperial family.


    ¡°Maizar¡­!¡± Konrad¡¯s face grew tense, and he seemed displeased as he looked at Maizar.


    ¡°Ah, Brother Maizar, rare to see you appear during an occasion like this.¡± Angela seemed surprised.


    As Maizar was known to regularly skip these sorts of events, he gathered quite the amount of attention.


    ¡°Just happened to. By the way, Big Bro Konrad, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you! Step back!¡± Konrad howled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s rude to interrupt people when they are talking, Big Brother Maizar.¡± Angela turned towards her older brother as well, but Konrad gave her a gaze of contempt.


    However, right as he tried to speak up, another person appeared.


    ¡°What¡¯s this ruckus about?¡±


    Seran returned with a plate full of food, calling out to Kyle. In return, said Kyle gave him a harsh glare. There was a chance he might do something stupid and increase Kyle¡¯s worries. Kyle sent him a ¡®Don¡¯t come here¡¯ gaze, but Angela latched on way before that was conveyed.


    ¡°My, you must be Seran-sama, yes?¡± Angela spoke up with a happy voice, approaching Seran. ¡°I heard from Darius that you are very strong.¡±


    ¡°Um, thanks¡­Darius who?¡± Seran seemed a bit bewildered at Angela¡¯s attitude, and tilted his head at a name he never heard of suddenly popping up.


    ¡°Ah, Darius is the personal guard of Big Bro Eldorand. He was present during the meeting this noon.¡± Maizar explained, to which Seran remembered.


    ¡°That guy, huh.¡±


    Both Kyle and Seran knew that he was quite strong and that he was equally checking them out from afar.


    ¡°Yes, he is the winner of the previous Martial Arts Festival and one of the strongest swordsmen in the entire Empire. Now that Darius has judged you as strong, I wanted to talk with you.¡± Angela showed a similar gaze compared to when she spoke out to Kyle, relentlessly approaching Seran.


    Right as Konrad was about to scream in anger once again at being ignored¡ªthe last individual joined the group.


    ¡°Will you give it a rest already! I was the first one to¡­¡±


    ¡°What is this ruckus about?¡±


    With a sharp voice full of pressure ringing out, everybody¡¯s movement stopped abruptly.


    ¡°Ah¡­Dear Brother.¡± Konrad lost all of his energy, looking at Eldorand.


    With this, all the children of the current Emperor had gathered, which made all the attention drift towards them.


    ¡°Angela, you should have some more respect for Konrad and Maizar. The same goes for other people older than you.¡±


    ¡°My deepest apologies, Brother Eldorand.¡± Angela showed a truly apologetic expression and apologized.


    It seems like she earnestly listens to her oldest brother at least.


    ¡°Same goes for you, Konrad. You should know better than to scream like that in such a place.¡±


    ¡°That! ¡­No, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just as you said, Dear Brother.¡± He wanted to rebel for a moment but immediately lowered his head after. ¡°I¡¯ll cool my head,¡± he said and walked away.


    ¡°Who was that small fry anyway?¡± Seran asked Kyle with a quiet voice.


    ¡°He¡¯s the second prince of the Empire, alright? Even if he seems like a weakling, don¡¯t say that out loud.¡± Kyle did agree with Seran¡¯s feelings and wondered what business Konrad had with him anyway.


    ¡°Big Bro Konrad only listens to Big Bro El, huh.¡± Watching his older brother stomp off, the youngest brother shook his head.


    ¡°You should learn from him¡­The only problem is that he is a bit too diligent for his good.¡± Eldorand let out a sigh but didn¡¯t say much to Maizar.


    He seemed to know that whatever he could say, it would fall on deaf ears.


    ¡°Both my younger brothers and younger sister have been quite rude to you. I hope I can make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Kyle panicked and shook his head.


    Having the candidate for the next emperor apologize to him was bad for his heart.


    ¡°Then, let us continue. I had wanted to hear a few things from you two.¡± Angela called out to Kyle and Seran again, although with a more calm voice than before.


    ¡°Ah, me too actually¡­¡± Maizar looked at Kyle, to which Angela protested with a pout.


    ¡°Brother Maizar, as I said before, I came first.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it already. I¡¯ll come back once you¡¯re done.¡± Maizar walked away with a troubled smile, seemingly being weak against his sister.


    ¡°Then, Kyle-sama, Seran-sama, please tell me lots of your stories!¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­I don¡¯t mind.¡± Seran scratched his cheek, seeming a bit bashful.


    ¡°If you¡¯re okay with us,¡± Kyle said while glancing over at Maizar.


    His original goal had been to get more acquainted with Maizar, and he also seemed to have something to talk about, but he figured that tagging along with Angela first would be better.


    ¡°Thank you very much. Recently, I haven¡¯t gotten many chances to calmly talk during these occasions.¡± Angela looked around, showing something resembling a teasing smile.


    She was currently a mere 15 years old, and the time to bind an engagement was slowly approaching. Normally, a princess under the Empire would have no right to decide on anything, but since both Emperor Benedix and her older brother Eldorand tended to spoil her, they wouldn¡¯t force it upon her, or so a rumor was going around. As a result of that, many participants of banquets like these were looking out to leave a good impression of her, hoping to one day have a chance with her.


    However, Kyle and his group were related to Zilgus¡¯ main actors present tonight. On top of that, since Eldorand broadly stated ¡®Please take your time and entertain my younger sister¡¯ in a way for everybody to hear, nobody would dare to break between them right now.


    ¡°So, please tell me how you defeated the de¡­the enemy.¡±


    As the involvement of demons was kept secret between a small group of people, Angela was forced to keep her question a bit vaguer.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kyle couldn¡¯t exactly tell her everything, so he simply told her about the battle itself.


    Angela herself seemed interested in martial arts and the like, so she asked a lot of questions, and the conversation between the three was going just fine. However, a simple question from Angela brought ruin to the good atmosphere they had going.


    ¡°You two are strong¡­But, I wonder, who is the stronger out of you two?¡±


    ¡°¡°That¡¯s me for sure.¡±¡±


    Without a single moment wasted, both Kyle and Seran answered at the same time. In that brief second, the atmosphere changed drastically.

 Volume 3 - CH 6

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Seran looked at Kyle in disbelief.


    ¡°Right back at you, what are you on about?¡± Kyle let out a dubious voice.


    They still had the same smiles on their faces as before, but their eyes were not smiling at all.


    ¡°I won the last practice match, right?¡± Seran remembered their mock battle half a year ago.


    As this was held under the supervision of Leyla, it was their last direct encounter since.


    ¡°Stop lying, that was a draw,¡± Kyle answered, also reminiscing about the time back then.


    Leyla ended their match as they ran out of time, which made it a draw.


    ¡°I was superior from start to finish, so objectively speaking, it¡¯s my win. You should know that, right?¡± Seran spoke with a gentle voice.


    In fact, Seran was right about that fact, so Kyle couldn¡¯t deny that.


    ¡°¡­Not wrong. However, that was back then. Strength can change in a single day. It¡¯s been quite some time since back then¡­and, it was only a practice match. You should have seen my true strength after watching me fight before.¡± Kyle didn¡¯t back down either.


    Naturally, Seran was also aware of this, as he was with him this entire time.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s my phrase. You should be perfectly aware of my strength right now.¡± Seran flashed an arrogant smile.


    He seemed to be confident enough to not back down from this conversation. Angela watched their continued exchange with open eyes, and eventually clapped her hands together.


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you have a sparring match?¡± Angela happily brought up an idea. ¡°I¡¯d love to see you two fight. I can prepare a location, so how about we hold the mock battle tomorrow?¡±


    However, the second the two heard that, their tension dropped drastically.


    ¡°¡­No, I feel bad for wasting your generous offer, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for that. Now that I think about it, Seran is probably stronger than me.¡± Kyle spoke modestly.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s always magic and other techniques to consider in an actual battle, so adding all of that, I¡¯m pretty sure you have more choices to use against me, Kyle.¡± Seran equally spoke more humbly than before.


    The tense atmosphere from before had vanished, and now the two were complimenting each other.


    ¡°H-Huh?¡± Angela was confused at this sudden change of tone.


    Before she could say anything, Kyle moved.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯d like to excuse myself for now, I cannot make Prince Maizar wait much longer.¡± Kyle dropped Maizar¡¯s name and quickly moved away from that location.


    ¡°Just what am I doing?¡± Kyle stepped out on an empty balcony, letting out a sigh.


    The cold evening breeze entered his lungs, cooling down his hot temper from the inside.


    ¡°I got way too into it¡­Even though measuring my strength with Seran has no meaning at all¡­¡±


    Rather, there¡¯s nothing to gain. If it was anybody else, he would have managed to just push his way. Memories of his past came back to plague Kyle. If things escalated after that¡­Right as he was busy disciplining himself, a voice called out to him.


    ¡°Um, is something wrong?¡± It was a gentle female voice.


    The woman must have seen Kyle feeling off, and was worried.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­¡±


    Fine¡ªHe wanted to say, however before Kyle could really finish his sentence, he saw the other person¡¯s face, and froze up. She should be in the latter half of her twenties about now, a woman a bit taller than Kyle, wearing a dress with red as its basic color. Her figure was quite excellent, and with her charming face, she was immediately standing out as a beauty. The moment Kyle saw her face, he lost his words. Of course, not because he was simply entranced by her, but rather for a different reason.


    ¡°But, you seem a bit pale, are you sure¡­?¡± She continued with a gentle voice once more, but Kyle couldn¡¯t even react.


    Why are you here, Minagi?


    Running into a former ally of his, a talented assassin, Kyle had to focus first and foremost on not blurting out these words.


    ***


    During the war with the demons, borders between countries and races were vanishing¡ªor more accurately spoken, erased¡ªwhich forced humanfolk to stand as a single entity to fight off the demons. Amidst humanfolk were people you truly couldn¡¯t call good individuals, rather reaching more towards the evil spectrum, but you were forced to work together with them¡ªto survive. One of those evil people was the person standing right in front of Kyle at this very moment.


    She wasn¡¯t all too far from Kyle in terms of age, but she belonged to a prestigious assassin family that existed since her ancestors a long time ago, doing the dirty work necessary. In other words, she was raised inside the dark side of the world. Finally, after rigorous training and self-discipline, she inherited the family¡¯s techniques and became a valuable strength for humanfolk. However, as this was right before the world fell to ruin, she should not be present during such an official location.


    What is she doing here?


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad to hear that¡­Ah, excuse my late introduction, my name is Rona.¡± She grasped the skirt of her dress, showing a polite bow.


    Remembering how she always wore black and easy-to-move-in clothes during his past life, Kyle felt a sense of discomfort to see her wear an extravagant dress such as this.


    ¡°I am a relative of a feudal lord living in Zenof, which is why I am participating here but¡­I don¡¯t feel all too comfortable here¡­¡±


    The girl Kyle knew would always show a provocative and confident smile, most definitely not something so docile.


    Also, you were born on an island to the East, right!


    Minagi¡¯s origin was an island located in the East of the continent, possessing a peculiar and interesting culture. Zenof however was to the North of the continent, a small country that had been under the rule of the Empire for several years. It was a somewhat relocated location not playing any major role, so using that to hide her true identity was probably the most convenient. There, Kyle caught on to a sweet and alluring fragrance coming from Minagi. It was probably perfume, but it made Kyle feel like smelling it more. Kyle knew that this kind of fragrance had a faint hypnotic effect, which lowered the ability to judge situations and lowered their guard.


    Oh yeah, she was originally an assassin, right¡­I forgot her main profession because she¡¯s been acting as a scout during the war¡­Eh? Am I her target?


    Kyle knew of Minagi¡¯s abilities. She was regarded as the world¡¯s strongest assassin during the war. Kyle didn¡¯t know why, but now that she interacted with him like this, he must be related to her goal in some way. Considering that she was an assassin during this time, there was a good chance that he was her target¡­Kyle reached that conclusion, and the second a cold sweat ran down his back, he instinctively took a step backward.


    ¡°Um¡­as I thought, you don¡¯t seem to be feeling too well, so should I bring you something to drink maybe?¡± Minagi spoke up with a worried tone in her voice.


    ¡°N-No, I¡¯m feeling fine.¡± Kyle frantically shook his head.


    It¡¯s gotta be her special poison in there! Seriously, how did she manage to make a poison that even affects demons¡­


    With their strong vitality, demons were known to have strong poison resistance, and yet Minagi developed something that worked even against them. In a way, Kyle may have strong resistance to poison, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to accept any drink from her right now. Around the time he started to get exhausted with the conversation, another individual appeared.


    ¡°So you were here. Are you done talking with Angela?¡±


    ¡°Ah, M¡­Prince Maizar.¡± Kyle quickly corrected himself.


    Minagi seemed surprised with the sudden arrival of the prince, lowering her head and retiring from the place. Right as Kyle thought he was saved, he felt regret at letting her run away, as he watched after her.


    ¡°Acting faster than expected. Did I get in your way perhaps?¡± Maizar spoke with a teasing tone.


    ¡°No, we were just talking for a moment. So, what did you want to talk about?¡±


    Kyle was curious about Minagi, but Maizar had his utmost priority. He probably won¡¯t get many more chances to talk with a noble like this.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like beating around the bush, so let me get to the point. Who are you, and what is your goal?¡±


    Just as he stated, he jumped right into it, not allowing Kyle much time to think.


    ¡°What exactly do you mean by that?¡± Kyle played dumb.


    ¡°Watching you, I feel oddly restless. Like I have a bad premonition¡­like you¡¯re plotting something.¡± Maizar scratched his head, looking at Kyle.


    ¡°Plotting something¡­Is there any problem with what I¡¯m doing?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just my intuition.¡± Maizar said.


    ¡°Intuition, is it.¡± Kyle showed a bitter smile but was actually happy deep down.


    As always, he¡¯d had a good nose for this type of stuff¡­No, I guess it started around this time.


    Maizar was born with power, or a divine intervention, which allowed him to see through other people quite easily. It was something different from his brother Eldorand, a disposition that allowed him to stand above others. Many times Kyle was saved because of that. In Kyle¡¯s past life, these two met when the war against the demons had cornered humanfolk. Normally, Emperor Maizar and your average magic swordsman Kyle normally would never even cross paths, but amidst the war, boundaries and social ranks were destroyed, as their relationship deepened. They both had respect for each other, which then slowly changed to friendship, or that¡¯s what Kyle thought at least.


    ¡°¡­Personally speaking, I don¡¯t dislike people like you. Why don¡¯t you swear allegiance to the Galgan Empire instead?¡±


    It was a straightforward attempt at scouting Kyle.


    ¡°No matter who you are, you won¡¯t be a problem if I keep you in my reach. You¡¯re not a vassal of Zilgus, yeah? We will put your talent to great use.¡±


    The history of the Galgan Empire was quite short, barely lasting three hundred years. That is why they treated their resources with respect and took in people regardless of their origin. This was the strength of a newly-founded nation, not differentiating in terms of races, even taking beastmen under their wings, which led to their rapid growth.


    ¡°That is true. However, you¡¯re also famous for purging those who try to run and escape, yes?¡± Kyle calmly responded with a smile, pointing out the darker part of the Empire.


    The stronger the light it may give off, the larger the shadow it leaves behind. Those who are free often live in chaos and in opposition. The Empire was quite famous for its strictness in that regard. They may take good care of their vassals, but any opposition will be punished. A truly simple but effective mindset, really.


    ¡°Saying that straight to my face¡­I could accuse you of insolence towards royalty, you know?¡± Maizar spoke with a threatening tone, but his expression was clearly one of joy and excitement.


    ¡°I spoke too much, my apologies. I was just happy being valued this highly¡­I didn¡¯t mean to insult you,¡± Kyle said. ¡°However, I have no intentions of hurting the Empire. At the same time, I have not sworn allegiance to Zilgus either, I am simply at the beginning of my rising. I have other more pressing matters.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Then, do tell.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want to become a hero. One whose name will remain in history.¡±


    Naturally, becoming a hero was just a necessary step in order to save the world, but there was no need to explain that much.


    ¡°Ohh? Aspiring to become a hero, is it? You coincidentally saved a princess in peril, defeating demons invading humanfolk territory¡­Quite an exciting few weeks for you. You sound like the hero out of a heroic tale.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going quite well. At this rate, I should be able to achieve my dream in about three years.¡±


    More accurately, he needed to become a hero until then, but he kept that part a secret. Maizar looked at Kyle, his expression distorted in excitement.


    ¡°He he he, that¡¯s some admirable confidence¡­However, it won¡¯t be that easy, don¡¯t you think? There are not many heroes who managed to reach their status while being alive. Most heroes receive that honor after dying in battle, saving humanity. The only hero I can think of is my old man,¡± Maizar explained with a gentle smile.


    Kyle remembered that Maizar had great respect for his father and oldest brother.


    ¡°Right. Any major setback would be a simple stroke of luck, and most people would probably die in the attempt¡­However, I cannot afford to give up. I will definitely become a hero.¡±


    Seeing Kyle exclaim that with such determination, Maizar¡¯s smile stopped. After they both looked at each other for a moment, Maizar averted his gaze, turning his back towards Kyle.


    ¡°Well, once you¡¯re back to zero, and yet still alive, remember that our doors are open. If you¡¯re lucky, we might take you in,¡± Maizar waved his hand as he walked away, seen off by Kyle who lowered his head.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll become a hero no matter what it takes. I can¡¯t afford for the Empire to fall to ruin, and you will have to survive as well.¡± Kyle raised his head, and watched Maizar¡¯s back, remembering his final moments.


    The situation during the war grew worse, and when the Empire, humanfolk¡¯s greatest military strength, fell to ruin, Maizar chose to die with the Empire, saying he did not want to be the emperor of a ruined country. Only being able to watch that was one of Kyle¡¯s biggest regrets.


    ¡°This time, for sure¡­¡±


    ***


    Following this, Maizar fully retired from the banquet, heading to the adjacent room, where Eldorand was waiting.


    ¡°So, how was it?¡± Eldorand asked in regards to Kyle, but Maizar simply shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°We talked a bit, but¡­He¡¯s hard to grasp, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ve learned nothing.¡± Eldorand let out a sigh after he had high expectations of his younger brother found out something.


    ¡°He said he wants to become a hero. Either he¡¯s blinded by the honor, a booster, or an absolute moron. However, he seemed dead-set on becoming one, and his confidence even made me fall quiet for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he is just a fool who doesn¡¯t know his place?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s clearly no moron. That¡¯s what makes his dream of becoming a hero even more confusing¡­Either way, he¡¯s hard to really figure out.¡± Maizar scratched his head.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­It seems like he¡¯s an unstable entity after all. Maybe we should dispose of him before he swears his allegiance to Zilgus¡­¡± Eldorand argued, but Maizar stopped him.


    ¡°No, he mentioned that he wasn¡¯t planning on swearing allegiance to any country, and neither does he have any intention of bringing harm to the Empire. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll get in our way at least.¡± Maizar oddly enough sounded like he was panicking, which was perceived as weird from Eldorand.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Weren¡¯t you the one who said we should dispose of him if we can¡¯t use him? To think you¡¯d change your mind¡­¡± There, Eldorand caught on to something. ¡°I see, you¡¯ve taken a liking to him?¡± He spoke with a teasing tone, to which Maizar shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°He¡¯s a weird fellow. But, I was thinking that he¡¯d be fun to have a drink with.¡±


    ¡°Maizar, just to let you know¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not letting my personal feelings take over and I will only do what is necessary. I just wanted to keep an eye on him for a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. Either way, we¡¯ll have to wait for the report of our spy.¡± Eldorand said and stood up.


    ***


    At the same time, after being left behind by Kyle, Seran was still with Angela. Right as he wanted to walk away, Angela frantically stopped him. She looked up at him, with a charming but equally deviant smile.


    ¡°Um, I have one request.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­?¡±


    Seran got a bad feeling, but he didn¡¯t see him successfully denying the girl, so he just smiled with a tense grin.

 Volume 3 - CH 7

    After splitting up with Maizar, Kyle started looking for Minagi. There were countless things he wanted to ask, such as why she was here, what she was doing, and many more, but she had completely vanished from the banquet hall. The Minagi Kyle knew was humanfolk¡¯s strongest and most skilled assassin. If she was participating in a banquet of these government officials and higher-ups, she had to be plotting something.


    I¡¯d like to ask just why exactly she¡¯s here, but¡­what if it¡¯s because of her job?


    If she was here for assassination, then¡­who? And for what reason? If Kyle found out about that, should he intervene, or let her continue? And, if her target turned out to be him¡­


    ¡°Yo, done talking over there?¡±


    As Kyle was lost in thought, flashing a complicated expression, Seran called out to him with a nonchalant tone. Judging from that, he probably ran away from his conversation with Angela because things became too awkward. As they had known each other for years, Kyle knew that all too well.


    ¡°Yeah¡­What about you, finally freed from that princess? Seemed as if she took a liking to you, right,¡± Kyle said, remembering Angela¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°Guess so. Though she asked me for something.¡± Seran responded with a somewhat exhausted tone, letting out a sigh.


    ¡°Asked you for something? Just what¡­Uh, is something wrong?¡±


    There, Kyle realized that something about Seran was odd. He didn¡¯t look different, but while carrying food to his mouth, he seemed cautious of his surroundings, and he emitted hostility to a point only Kyle could realize.


    ¡°¡­I just felt a weird gaze, is all.¡± He looked around, as his face tensed up.


    ¡°Officials of the Empire, right?¡± Kyle lowered his volume while being conscious of the people around them.


    Kyle and his group are emissaries from Zilgus, a country that was the Empire¡¯s hypothetical enemy. Together with them being supervised so as they wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble, they were probably watched from afar for any possible suspicious behavior. At the same time, they were with the VIPs of Zilgus, so the fact that they were participating in this banquet was enough to gather attention.


    ¡°I get that the guys from the Empire are supervising us and that the others are giving us curious gazes. That¡¯s no problem. It was close to hostility, but not really, and something similar to ill intent, but also not quite¡­it¡¯s hard to put into words, and I don¡¯t like it.¡± Seran rubbed his neck, explaining with a displeased tone.


    Kyle looked around, this time a lot more cautious than before. The scenery of the banquet hall with random noises and the band gently playing a tune has yet to change. However, Seran, whose senses are sharper than Kyle¡¯s, may have caught on to something else. Minagi¡¯s face popped up in his mind, but he erased that and spoke up.


    ¡°We are official visitors here, so if something were to happen to us, they will have to take the responsibility. As long as we don¡¯t do anything weird, we¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to mess up something, you know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it¡­¡± Kyle sighed.


    ¡°Oh yeah, were you looking for someone just now?¡± Seran gave up on thinking about it and changed the topic.


    ¡°Yeah, did you see a woman like this?¡± Kyle told Seran the rough appearance of Minagi, and knowing Seran¡¯s gaze for women, he may have seen her around. ¡°She called herself Rona, but¡­Oi, what¡¯s that weird gaze about?¡±


    Seran¡¯s hand carrying food to his mouth abruptly stopped, and he gave Kyle a gaze of disbelief.


    ¡°You got hit on? Think about your own position damn it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from you of all people¡­That¡¯s not it, I was just¡­curious about her, I guess?¡± Unable to confess that she was an assassin, Kyle had to deliver a more awkward explanation.


    ¡°Oh, a beauty you¡¯re interested in? Well, maybe you should explain that to her, not me.¡±


    Right as Kyle suffered an awful premonition because of Seran¡¯s words, he turned around and saw Lieze with a bright smile on her face. Naturally, her eyes weren¡¯t smiling, and Kyle immediately knew he messed up.


    ¡°Um¡­since when were you there?¡±


    ¡°Around the time you were passionately looking for a beauty.¡± She answered, still smiling.


    ¡°No, this is a misunderstanding! I am interested in her, but not in that way¡­Ouch! D-Don¡¯t pull me like this!¡±


    ¡°Yeaaaah, whatever, let¡¯s discuss this in more detail over there.¡±


    Right as Kyle was thinking that Lieze was fairly docile recently, she now grabbed his ear, pulling him with her. After that, Urza joined the two, equally displeased after hearing the details, as well as Shildonia enjoying the scenery, and Kyle was relentlessly lectured about his lack of awareness of hero mentality, which lasted long until the middle of the night.


    The following day, the negotiations between the two countries continued with the same parallel lines from the previous day. The Galgan Empire was dead-set on having Zilgus carry the blame, and Zilgus pressed their innocence. The threat of war sadly didn¡¯t work for a larger country like Zilgus, and Kirlen plus Orgis were experienced enough to not be forced by Eldorand¡¯s pressure.


    Naturally, red-eared Kyle participated in the vent as well, but there was no room for him to even speak up. If he had known about this, he should have just stayed with Lieze and the others, away from this hellish battlefield. It didn¡¯t end with just the incident at Callan, but they soon brought up the annulled engagement with Princess Milena and Maizar, it was a dirty meeting really. And, this arrowhead was now pointed towards Kyle.


    ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed the involvement of demons, but did this man really defeat them?¡±


    One of the vassals of the Empire let out obvious provocation aimed at Kyle.


    ¡°I see, there is a chance that Aluzard-dono had dealt with the demons, and then was attacked in a moment of weakness¡­Or maybe they left him to die after he suffered severe injuries.¡±


    Another vassal agreed, requesting proof that Aluzard had truly died in a fight against the demons.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this, he is the person who saved Milena-dono, so he possesses the strength needed.¡± Kirlen immediately jumped to Kyle¡¯s defense.


    ¡°No no no, he mentioned that he possessed strength rarely seen in human folk, but simply accepting it without a single doubt is impossible.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, he can say whatever he wants without any proof. Defeating a demon should not be that easy.¡± Eldorand followed up.


    However, since Kyle was sleep-deprived after the long lecture the previous night, and because he thought his job was over, his reaction was belated.


    ¡°Oh, so if he can show his strength that could defeat demons, there would be no problem, yes?¡±


    Before Kyle could comment on that, Orgis spoke up. Almost like he had been eagerly waiting for that.


    ¡°¡­That being said, how do we make him prove it?¡± Eldorand wouldn¡¯t let him take back his words at all.


    ¡°In regards to that, don¡¯t we have the perfect opportunity for that? The Great Martial Arts Festival is happening right now. If he could manage to seize victory in that festival¡­then that would prove his actual skill, yes?¡±


    Orgis was talking about the large Great Martial Arts Festival happening soon to celebrate the founding of the Empire. Many countries have such tournaments, but the Empire offered prize money and other objects, but not only for winners. If you achieve good results, you might even enter government service. As a result of that, hundreds of participants from all over the continent would gather, making it the biggest martial arts festival in the entire world.


    ¡°Still, the preliminaries have already started¡­¡±


    It would be a tournament of 32 people, and the qualifying round was currently being held.


    ¡°Oh? The preliminaries would only select 24 fighters, and the others will be chosen by recommendation, and past achievements, yes? A reputable prince like you should be able to add a certain fighter if you wished for it, right?¡± Orgis grinned, to which Eldorand clicked his tongue.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind if you recommend him as a representative of Zilgus.¡± Kirlen saw Eldorand¡¯s expression and added that after Orgis. ¡°Or can someone of the imperial family not even influence the festival to such a small level? Maybe you are afraid that Zilgus will win your own festival?¡± This time, Orgis was the one provoking.


    ¡°¡­Very well, I will accept that condition.¡±


    Having come this far, Eldorand could not back down, obviously. The Galgan Empire prided itself on possessing the strongest and most extensive military power in all of humanfolk, and this also goes for individual strength. They couldn¡¯t let another country step on their honor when it came to the Martial Arts Festival.


    ¡°However, we will also prepare a participant. In the event that this man cannot win the overall tournament, you will take all the blame, yes?¡±


    His words basically meant that now that they¡¯ve reached this point, the people from Zilgus should be prepared for everything.


    ¡°Yes, of course. The Kingdom of Zilgus will accept this condition.¡± Kirlen said with no hesitation.


    ¡°Then, let us enjoy the Martial Arts Festival.¡± Eldorand practically declared this meeting over, as she stood up.


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    Kyle had missed his timing to comment, and by the time he let out a yawn, the meeting had already ended.

 Volume 3 - CH 8

    ¡°In fact, Milena-sama has ordered us to leave everything to Kyle-dono if things end up this way.¡±


    After the higher-ups of the Empire left the room, and Kyle had returned to his senses, Orgis spoke up with an apologetic tone, explaining everything.


    ¡°End up this way¡­When the negotiations end in a stalemate?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kirlen nodded.


    Just as much as Zilgus would not back down, Galgan would not let them back off either. Naturally, the wise Princess Milena had expected this to happen and came up with a way to break through the stalemate. Namely, hammer down on them until they understand it. The Galgan Empire valued strength over everything, and although it may sound like bad-mouthing, the opinion of the strong counts the most. Showing ultimate strength was enough to silence the other party.


    This very method was often used by the Empire in negotiations with other countries. That¡¯s why Milena guessed they would immediately jump on the idea of resolving this with the creed of absolute strength. The location of Kyle to prove himself would be the Martial Arts Festival, showered with attention, and no way to cheat himself out of it.


    ¡°Basically, this possibility existed from the very beginning¡­and you just kept quiet about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do feel terrible, but we couldn¡¯t let them take the lead during the negotiations, so we kept it a secret.¡±


    Hearing Kirlen stating it with no hesitation, Kyle let out a sigh. He knew how effective this method was. However, because he wasn¡¯t informed at all, he could not enjoy it at all.


    ¡°Naturally, even in the event that you lose, you won¡¯t bear any responsibility. Of course, you also have the right to decline after learning about the circumstances. What do you say?¡±


    It seemed like Kyle had the freedom to choose at least, but as his goal was to become a hero, he could not run away before a battle, as that would leave a bad spot in his history. Milena probably judged that this was Kyle¡¯s predicament, which is why she decided on this method in the first place. Kyle could even see her devilish smile, as he let out another sigh.


    ¡°I doubt Kyle-dono will have much trouble acquiring victory, personally.¡±


    Kyle felt a vein pop in his head after hearing Orgis¡¯ statement, but this was equally convenient for him.


    Now that it¡¯s also a request from Zilgus, there¡¯s no way I can back out.


    Kyle had always considered participating in the festival. If he managed to defeat stronger individuals here in Galgan, it would raise his honor and spread his fame. If he managed to win at the festival, even someone from Zilgus like him would be regarded as much more popular.


    However, he planned on doing so in two years once Maizar became the Emperor, as that would bring him closer to the Emperor. It was a bit earlier than he had planned, but participating in the festival was still beneficial for Kyle. At the same time, as it was Kyle¡¯s goal to become a hero that could influence the whole world, he needed the assistance of Zilgus. At the very least, this was another plus point on the Zilgus affinity level.


    I¡¯m using her myself¡­Not to mention that this is how the relationship between a princess and a commoner would work. I should just earn bonus points while I can.


    Kyle convinced himself.


    ¡°Leave it to me, I will definitely bring victory to Zilgus.¡± Kyle responded with a confident smile, and swore to get back at that princess at some point.


    Inside the imperial palace of Galgan stood the guardroom of the knight brigade. Inside of that was the training room. It was a robust, stone-paved room, with various weapons hanging on the walls, used for the knights to train. Normally, this would be the time for the Empire¡¯s knights to gather and train their skills, but right now no person could be seen present¡ªExcept Princess Angela and Seran, facing each other, as well as a few of Angela¡¯s maids.


    Angela wore a white light and flashy armor that prioritized looks over defense. At the same time, Seran held a dull training sword. After Angela let out a faint breath, she pulled the rapier from her waist, stepping forward to slash it at Seran. From pulling her sword to the actual attack, it looked like one smooth motion, resembling less of an actual sword technique and more like the scene of a theatre play, as it possessed beauty to charm everybody watching.


    However, despite its outer appearance, there was no mercy to be found in this strike. If she attempted a feint only to then aim for a place that was hard to defend, Seran would immediately retaliate with a counterattack. She showed swift and sharp swordsmanship you wouldn¡¯t expect from the princess of a country. However, Seran evaded all of that, dealing with it quite easily. After Angela grew hasty and forcefully went for a hit, Seran moved, as if he had been waiting for that. Not to mention with a speed greatly outmatching even Angela¡¯s first-class attack.


    As Seran had only been defending up to this point, he now saw an opening in Angela¡¯s reckless movement, and stabbed his sword at her, twisting it for further attack. A moment later, Angela¡¯s weapon dropped to the ground, and her eyes opened wide. They had further matches after that, but Angela never even managed to touch Seran once, and the mock battle ended.


    ¡°Thank you very much for listening to my request.¡± Angela flashed a smile with her reddened face while wiping off her sweat, putting away the rapier.


    Immediately after, a maid approached Angela, changing her appearance into something worthy of a princess.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re satisfied.¡± Seran sighed in relief that this mess was finally over, but he kept up a flawless smile.


    During the previous night¡¯s banquet hall, Angela asked Seran for a sparring match. Seran responded that maybe if he could manage to find the time, but he was immediately summoned early the next morning.


    Thank god this is over. I¡¯m really not good with this sort of stuff¡­


    From Seran¡¯s point of view, this was a person he had to always be on his mental A-game, always careful what he was saying or doing. He couldn¡¯t afford to go easy on her, but if he got serious, he¡¯d definitely injure her. Adding all the other circumstances into the mix, and he was mentally exhausted. Now that this straining mock battle finally ended, Seran could sigh in relief.


    ¡°But, it pains me that I couldn¡¯t even graze you once. I wanted at least one attack to connect.¡± Angela pouted in disappointment.


    ¡°No no no, I was quite surprised at your swordsmanship, really. I didn¡¯t expect that at all¡­¡± Seran showed another vague smile, hiding his true feelings.


    ¡°Thank you very much. It¡¯ll make my teacher very happy.¡±


    ¡°Huh, and that teacher is¡­¡±


    ¡°That would be me. Angela-sama is a disciple I am most proud of.¡± A voice suddenly spoke up, belonging to Darius who had entered the room without anybody noticing.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve arrived, Darius.¡± Angela called out to him with a bright tone.


    ¡°Oh, when did you¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already realized for a while now, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Seran tried to play dumb, but Darius showed a wry smile. In fact, the bigger problem of his mock match with Angela was that he couldn¡¯t shake off Darius¡¯ presence in the back of his head, which made him feel restless as he was watched so one-sidedly.


    ¡°What exactly? I don¡¯t enjoy being watched by men like that.¡± Seran threw a teasing comment at the smiling Darius.


    ¡°No, I was simply admiring you. I knew you were skilled, but to think you possessed such talent. It makes me wonder how a fight with you would play out¡­¡± Darius¡¯ expression seemed dubious, but he at least wasn¡¯t admitting his immediate defeat. ¡°So, between you and that Kyle, who is stronger?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been asked that a lot lately¡­I don¡¯t really care who is stronger, okay.¡± Seran complained.


    ¡°Come on, having someone so strong next to you, there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t be curious who is stronger, right? It¡¯s something that plagues you as a swordsman¡­Or, are you admitting defeat?¡± Darius clearly aimed to provoke Seran with that statement.


    On the surface, Angela looked at the two with a worried gaze, but deep down, she seemed to be excited. Right as Seran was about to say something, another voice called out to him from the side.


    ¡°I genuinely couldn¡¯t care less myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, Kyle-sama!¡± Seeing Kyle¡¯s arrival, Angela was delighted.


    After the negotiations ended for Kyle, he was curious about Seran being summoned by Angela, and went on the lookout for him. Now, said Angela looked at the three men, truly delighted.


    ¡°This is such a wonderful opportunity, so I¡¯d like to have a sparring match with Kyle-sama as well. And then, we¡¯d find out who the strongest out of you three is¡­¡±


    ¡°Angela-sama, it pains me to spoil your fun, but Prince Eldorand has been calling for you.¡± Darius stopped Angela¡¯s excitement, to which her expression grew a bit more gloomy.


    ¡°Is that possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s related to that.¡±


    Angela looked up at the ceiling, sighing.


    ¡°I would have wished to talk like this a bit longer¡­but it appears as if some urgent business came up¡­¡± Angela spoke with true regret in her voice. ¡°If possible, let us meet again tonight.¡± She told Seran, and left after being pulled along by her maid.


    ¡°Seems like she took a liking to you, huh.¡± Kyle told Seran while looking after Angela.


    ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯m not good at dealing with important people like her.¡± Seran simply held his head, wishing for the torture to be over soon.


    Everybody close to him knew that he was a woman-chaser and playboy. In that regard, Angela was undoubtedly a beauty above others. However, no matter how much the princess of the Empire may have taken a liking to him, one wrong move could turn the whole imperial family against him. Seran at least understood the pressure from that, so he decided to keep an adequate distance from Angela.


    ¡°Not to mention that she¡¯s just hard to reject in that regard¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, keep it up, chief¡­¡± Kyle could only sympathize with Seran.


    As Kyle had nothing more to talk about, he excused himself, and Seran followed after. However, before they could leave, Darius called out to Kyle.


    ¡°Is it true that you were the one who struck down Zentos?¡±


    The moment Kyle heard Zentos¡¯ name, his feet stopped abruptly.


    ¡°¡­What might you be talking about? Zentos died because of a monster¡¯s attack. Well, since I was the one who defeated the Hydra, I guess you could say that I bested him.¡± Kyle kept up his poker face as best as he could.


    ¡°I fought Zentos only once, but I lost back then. I know it might sound petty, but I believe it was a close loss on my hand. However, I¡¯ve trained quite a lot, hoping to have a rematch¡­It is a shame.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even listening to me¡­¡±


    It seemed like the failed assassination of Princes Milena, ordered by King Remonas, had already reached the Empire. Once again, Kyle had to admire the reliability of their sources. Of course, they shouldn¡¯t know that it was King Remonas who plotted the assassination¡­or so Kyle hoped at least.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that a question of who is stronger was only valid if both participants were alive. The only way to find out would have been a direct battle. If I won against you, it¡¯d indirectly mean I won against Zentos, after all.¡± Darius smiled, creating an awkward atmosphere.


    Kyle was forced to flash a smile himself.


    ¡°¡­Oh, my apologies. There¡¯s no need to rush anything. I¡¯ve received orders from Eldorand-sama to participate in the Martial Arts Festival.¡± With that comment, the lukewarm atmosphere vanished instantly.


    ¡°Oh, so it really ended up like that.¡±


    Naturally, Kyle had expected as much. The other side definitely can¡¯t afford to have Kyle win the tournament, so they sent their strongest warrior. Basically, this year¡¯s tournament would be a battle of representatives.


    ¡°Originally, I planned to never participate again after my victory¡­but if I can become the next one to secure a consecutive victory after the [Crimson Ogre] it might not be so bad. Let¡¯s try our best to end up in the same match. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Darius showed an excited smile and walked away.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re participating in the festival?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sadly ended up that way,¡± Kyle answered Seran¡¯s question with clear displeasure in his voice.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­the festival that my old hag won¡­¡±


    ¡°You interested?¡± Kyle asked Seran with a serious expression.


    ¡°¡­No, not really. With you participating, I can¡¯t be getting in the way.¡± Seran crossed his arms behind his back, walking away.


    Kyle watched Seran¡¯s back distance itself with complicated feelings.

 Volume 3 - CH 9

    Thus, the first round ended. Having emerged victorious from his match with Rockert, Kyle and the others walked around inside the arena. As you can¡¯t watch the matches from the waiting room, they were instead heading to their designated seats in the audience. Coming to the front entrance of the arena, they spotted the large tournament board lit up with light magic. On it was also Kyle¡¯s name, with Rockert¡¯s name not lit up anymore, showing that Kyle had progressed to the next round.


    ¡°How many matches are there in the first round?¡± Lieze asked Kyle.


    ¡°It¡¯s 16 matches in total for the first round. 8 are held on the first day, and the others are held tomorrow.¡±


    As there were breaks in between those matches, the Martial Arts Festival generally is held over around six days.


    ¡°Hey, why are there some names missing?¡± Just as Lieze stated, out of the 32 participants, some columns on the board were empty, one of these even being the last match of the first round, in which case both nameplates were empty.


    ¡°That¡¯s the so-called surprise match.¡± Urza explained, while looking at the ¡®Festival Guidance¡¯ pamphlet in her hand. ¡°Especially when it comes to participants that have been recommended to participate, or famous ones, they generally hide their names until the very match to make the festival more exciting.¡±


    Sometimes these surprise matches were also announced previously, and others would only be revealed shortly before the match in question began. There are even bets going on to see who can guess the participants, and those are quite popular. Since Darius¡¯ name could not be seen on the board, he must be part of one of those hidden recommendations.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Seran?¡± Kyle left early for the arena, so he has yet to see his worst friend today.


    ¡°He was called over by Princess Angela again. Maybe they¡¯re watching the matches together?¡±


    ¡°Again? She really has taken a liking to him, huh.¡± Kyle let out a sigh, as he heard roaring cheers from the audience.


    It seemed like the second match had just begun.


    ¡°¡­Guess I should watch it.¡±


    To Kyle, the winner of this match might be his next opponent, so he can¡¯t afford to miss out on it. The audience seats were split into various categories, reaching from the imperial family to upper nobles, vassals, and finally the normal citizens. The seats for Kyle and his group were quite high up in ranking, located near the nobles of the Empire. They were away from the average seats of the normal citizens, with food and drinks, naturally immediately visited by Shildonia.


    The second match ended with the favored axe-user, which decided Kyle¡¯s next opponent as well. The matches continued in great excitement for the audience, and Kyle simply watched the matches unfold while barely saying anything. Some of the participants were not only human, but also dwarves and beastmen, even lizardmen, and the audience would always celebrate a winner, even if they were not human. As expected from the country that valued strength over origins or race, you could say. That being said, the weak were bullied, so it was a double-edged sword.


    ¡°Yeah, lots of strong people here.¡±


    Once the remaining matches grew lesser and lesser in number, Kyle muttered a compliment. Most participants of humanfolk¡¯s greatest tournament were all strong enough to obtain honor and great rewards, but that was also to be expected.


    ¡°But¡­this is still inside my range of assumptions.¡±


    It seemed like Rockert was the favorite not just for show, as the other participants were strong for sure, but not fully on his level. Most of the participants, Kyle could win against them.


    ¡°So the problem is that Darius person after all?¡± Lieze asked.


    Darius was the previous winner of the last festival, and Lieze heard from Kyle that he was basically Kyle¡¯s ultimate enemy. However, Kyle shook his head.


    ¡°¡­No. Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that dangerous of a participant.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But, he¡¯s the winner of the previous festival, and one of the strongest fighters in the entire Empire, right? How can you be so sure?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I don¡¯t know him. Not his face or name, even.¡±


    Naturally, Lieze couldn¡¯t follow what Kyle exactly was talking about, but Shildonia smirked briefly, as she probably realized. During the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯, humanfolk had to come together to gain the most strength in their fight against the demons. Since Darius never met with Kyle, who was in the center of humanfolk¡¯s last stand, he probably didn¡¯t survive long enough. Of course, there may be certain circumstances that could lead to that. Sometimes even strength alone isn¡¯t enough. However, that also meant that fate wasn¡¯t on his side, which made Kyle feel mentally superior at least.


    The matches continued, and Kyle¡¯s tense expression slowly softened up. He understood the average level of the people participating in the tournament, and found relaxation.


    ¡°¡­It won¡¯t be an easy victory by any means, but as long as I don¡¯t let down my guard, I should be able to win. As long as nothing irregular happens.¡± Kyle muttered.


    ¡°¡­Now that you said it, something will definitely happen, you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­Kyle gets caught up in both fortune and misfortune, after all¡­I have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    Lieze and Urza were whispering to each other after having heard Kyle¡¯s comment.


    ¡®Now then, let us move on to the final match of the day, number eight!¡¯


    The female announcer¡¯s voice passed through the arena. Since this was the final match of the first day, both participants had been hidden in secret. One was recommended from the country, whereas the other joined as a surprise, which would make this match the most exciting.


    ¡®From the East gate, we have Participant Gadofury, who achieved second place overall in the festival two years ago!¡¯


    As Gadofury was introduced, a roar of excitement unprecedented during the day ran through the audience. Appearing from that gate was a handsome and young man, making you think that he didn¡¯t quite belong there. Because of his good looks, a lot of loud female shrieks could be heard from the audience.


    ¡®With his alluring sword skills, he charmed many of the audience, and his battle against Fighter Darius during the previous festival has been regarded as a legend! This year for sure, he promised to take the victory!¡¯


    Gadofury raised both hands, throwing smiles at the audience.


    ¡®Facing him from the West Gate, we have today¡¯s surprise participant! His name is¡­um¡­¡¯ The announcer hesitated, and went silent.


    At the same time, the participant appeared, as the audience waited in awe. With red as its basis, he wore a red garment with bird feathers all over, looking like a costume for a stage play. The crimson mantle he wore swayed with every step, and the mask covering the upper half of his face looked like a trademark. To sum it up, he was a swordsman who stood out in a negative way, not looking like he¡¯d participate in a match now.


    ¡®F-From the West gate, we have the mysterious masked swordsman! San Ferdes!¡¯


    The announcer gave a half-baked introduction, as San Ferdes did a cartwheel and raised one hand. The audience was confused for a moment, but immediately showered him with heckling and booing.


    ¡®We have absolutely no information on him! However, he ended up participating under Princess Angela¡¯s recommendation! His strength is unknown, but we can expect great things from him!¡¯


    The audience grew noisy again, but the booing stopped. Princess Angela was famous for being infatuated with the strong, so that alone was proof of his strength. Amidst this chaotic atmosphere, Kyle¡¯s group went silent.


    ¡°¡­Hey, is that possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it, please¡­¡± Kyle held his head, as he heard Urza¡¯s comment.


    Naturally, Kyle and his group saw through San Ferdes¡¯ identity right away. Even if he hid his face, that sword he was holding was undoubtedly Seran¡¯s beloved Holy Sword Rand. Kyle looked over at the seats of the imperial royalty, and saw Princess Angela push her body forward, clearly enticed at the appearance of the fighter, and Eldorand next to her asked her something. It seemed like he didn¡¯t hear of this either.


    ¡°¡­By the way, the name San Ferdes comes from Ferdes-san, an old neighbour of Seran¡¯s, who had a dog called San.¡± Lieze explained with a sigh.


    ¡°What a weird name.¡± Shildonia commented as she munched on some more food.


    Before the excitement from the audience subsided, the battle began. At first, Gadofury smiled like the audience, but once the match started, his facial expression changed, and he showed absolutely negligence. And although he had never seen the person fighting, he slashed at his opponent. Worthy of being a former second-place and all-around favorite, even from Kyle¡¯s judgment, he was far stronger than the previous participants. On top of that, his swordsmanship was a beauty to behold, which explained his popularity.


    However, the masked swordsman easily accepted Gadofury¡¯s attack of full might and added a counterattack to the mix. Gadofury seemingly had planned on ending this in one fell swoop, but after being met with the masked swordsman¡¯s furious onslaught of attacks, he was forced into defensive mode, as his expression slowly changed to agony and exhaustion. Naturally, Gadofury is a first-class swordsman, so by simply exchanging a few blows with his opponent, he could tell just who he was dealing with.


    Skills, experience, strength, speed, stamina, the habit when holding a sword¡­as well as inborn talent. The moment you catch on to the opponent being superior in everything, the longer you clash swords with them, the more the despair inside of you grows. From the gap of the mask, the eyes shining through, despite the laughable outfit, they held no negligence and arrogance. Certainly, Gadofury¡¯s chances at victory were slim, but he continued to fight. After the loss during the previous festival, he was now ready to do whatever it takes in order to emerge victoriously. As long as a one in a million chance existed, he could not give up that easily.


    As for the masked swordsman himself, he felt the strong determination residing in Gadofury¡¯s gaze, judged that simply crushing his spirit to make him surrender wouldn¡¯t work, and ultimately changed his approach. First, he attacked the opponent¡¯s face. Gadofury managed to defend against that, but the masked swordsman suddenly crouched down, and fired off a foot sweep with the momentum that could even gouge a hole in the ground.


    As Gadofury had his attention towards the attack on his face only a second ago, to him it must have looked like his foe suddenly vanished. As a result of his reaction being belated, he was swept off his feet, falling backwards on the ground. Gadofury immediately got up and attempted to regain his posture, but the masked swordsman moved before that. With a swift move of his leg, putting speed and heaviness into his knee, he rammed that right into Gadofury¡¯s face, nothing between the two.


    Unable to defend against that, Gadofury was blown off, rolling along the floor, started convulsing, and eventually stopped moving. For a moment after that, the masked swordsman pointed his blade at Gadofury, showing no opening whatsoever, but after confirming that his foe was down, he put away his sword, and raised one hand to signal his victory.


    ¡®A-An overwhelming victory! Victory candidate Gadofury has been knocked out of the festival in the first round! Our winner is the masked swordsman San Ferdes! Truly a remarkable show!¡¯


    The arena was enveloped in cheers, showering the new favorite of the day with aggressive applause from the audience. The masked swordsman responded to that applause, and finally retired from the arena through the West gate again. As the polar opposite of that, Kyle and his group were watching the swordsman walk off with a cold expression.


    ¡°Was there really any need for that last knee kick?¡± Looking at Gadofury being kicked off, nose twisted and teeth gone, Urza let out a bothered voice.


    ¡°He probably judged that he couldn¡¯t let down his guard against a first-class swordsman. At the same time, if the enemy¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t be broken, he needed to be more aggressive.¡±


    In order to win a match at this festival, you needed to either knock out the opponent, or make them surrender. Looking at Gadofury, there was no chance that he would have surrendered. Eventually, he may have been able to win, but it would have taken time. So, the masked swordsman took the quick approach.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s at least better than dying, I guess.¡±


    It was a severe injury, but at least his life would be saved. He was probably brought to a priest and received holy magic to be healed.


    ¡°¡­Or so I added a reason, but he probably couldn¡¯t stand seeing a guy who¡¯s more handsome than him, which is why he went for the face.¡±


    ¡°He really is the worst.¡± Urza furrowed her eyebrows, shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Anyway, we should probably ask that masked swordsman for his circumstances.¡± Kyle said, and stood up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t join because I wanted to, alright.¡± Seran, also known as the masked swordsman San Ferdes, greeted Kyle and his group arriving at the waiting room.


    He still wore the masked swordsman¡¯s attire.


    ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s because of that Princess, but just what happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­You know, after we had our mock battle, she was suddenly called over, right? That was apparently for a marriage meeting.¡± Seran explained with an indifferent expression.


    As of right now, many nobles inside the Empire and even other countries request marriage with Princess Angela. Some of these could be awfully passionate, and now Duke Warbal, a chief vassal in the empire, is attempting to have his oldest son be engaged to the princess. Both the Emperor and Prince Eldorand are quite gentle to her, so they let Angela, who isn¡¯t interested in marriage, pretty much roam free. However, with the relentless request from the Duke, they couldn¡¯t reject him anymore, and they agreed to a marriage meeting at least.


    However, that very son was quite far from Angela¡¯s ideals, so she found a good reason to reject him. The Duke however still didn¡¯t let up, and recommended Gadofury as a participant, adding the condition that if he won the festival, she would have to marry his son. It was quite an aggressive condition, but it was very much like Angela. At the same time, the Duke knew about Eldorand using Darius as his participants. He accepted, knowing that Gadofury would not lose against anybody but Darius.


    ¡°Basically, you were used so that she can avoid the marriage?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. Apparently, I agreed with confidence¡­Can¡¯t remember because I was drunk, though.¡±


    For a moment, Kyle showed a bewildered expression, but eventually shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°So you were set up¡­And, what¡¯s that disguise about?¡±


    ¡°Saying that I¡¯m from Zilgus would apparently bring too many problems, so they hid my true identity for me.¡±


    The design apparently came from Angela.


    ¡°Well, I get why you did it. You achieved your promise right, what will you do now?¡±


    Naturally, Urza was asking about the upcoming match. If both he and Kyle continued to win, they would end up in the semi-finals as opponents.


    ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s simple. My duty is over, so I¡¯ll be retiring. I was told that participating in one match was enough after all.¡±


    As Kyle¡¯s goal was to win, Seran had no need to continue further.


    ¡°Ah¡­wait a second.¡± Kyle stopped Seran, showing a somewhat complicated expression. ¡°Can¡¯t be helped now that you¡¯re participating. You should continue the second and third match as well, and then retire in the semi-finals. That would make it easier for me, raising the chances of my overall victory.¡±


    Seran looked at Kyle¡¯s face for a moment, and then answered with an indifferent tone.


    ¡°Can¡¯t help it then¡­That princess told me to raise my name match by match.¡±


    ¡°Must be Princess Angela¡¯s hobby.¡± Kyle argued, remembering Princess Milena in contrast.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m shocked the audience accepted me looking like this. I wouldn¡¯t dare approach someone looking like this.¡± Seran muttered while looking down at himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it yourself¡­It¡¯s all because you won.¡±


    They were booing him before, but as soon as he remained victorious, the audience cheered. The stronger, the higher your reputation.


    ¡°Strength is justice, huh¡­This country is exactly as my old hag said. It¡¯s simple, and easy to understand.¡± Seran¡¯s foster mother Leyla was a gladiator who fought in this arena ten years ago.


    At the time, she was the strongest in the Empire, even surpassing the Emperor in popularity. However, she eventually left this country behind. Back then, she never spoke much of her past, so Seran doesn¡¯t know the circumstances of that.


    ¡°¡­No idea if that is the best approach or not.¡± Kyle muttered without wanting anybody to hear him.

 Volume 3 - CH 10

    The first day of the Martial Arts Festival ended soon after. On the way back to their rooms prepared in the imperial palace, they walked down the main street with street stalls and vendors on both sides. Crowds of people were around them, making you realize once again that the Imperial Capital Luos was currently in the middle of a celebrative festival.


    ¡°We have money, so they can just buy something.¡±


    Lieze and Urza were excited as they looked at the dubious products in front of them, with Seran throwing in an exhausted comment. In fact, Kyle and his group had enough money to fully buy up hundreds of these stalls.


    ¡°I said the same thing, but they don¡¯t want to needlessly waste money.¡±


    With anything absolutely necessary, they would buy it with excessive wealth, but the women¡¯s group was hesitant to buy any luxury.


    ¡°Like a housewife. Doesn¡¯t hurt to do a frenzy buy once in a while.¡± Seran said, loving to waste money.


    ¡°You can say that again. Saving is a virtue, but sometimes you need to treat yourself, like I do.¡± Shildonia argued, both her arms full with food from the stalls.


    ¡°Treating yourself like a true glutton.¡±


    ¡°There are things important out there. Eating a lot will supply me with mana, and I can act separately from my main body more.¡±


    Shildonia¡¯s appearance that she had right now was pretty much like a phantasma created from mana, which stopped her from getting too far from the gemstone in the sword. However, by converting food into mana, she could supply herself longer. In other words, the more she ate, the more freely she could act.


    ¡°My range of possible actions opens up, and I can walk around to individually buy stuff from the vendors.¡±


    ¡°So your gluttony still takes utmost priority¡­To think that this was the legendary [Magic King], really.¡±


    ¡°Calling people legends is an accessory added after my existence, so it¡¯s not my responsibility to uphold that image,¡± Shildonia said and went back to raiding more food stalls.


    Like this, everyone part of the group enjoyed the festival in their own way, and when they reached a church of the Goddess Cairys, Lieze wished to take a quick detour there. Seran had no interest in this sort of thing, Shildonia was busy stuffing her cheeks with food, and Urza, a believer of the Spirit Goddess Moona, decided to wait outside for Lieze and Kyle to return.


    The chapel was large enough to fit several hundred people, and as it was opened for the normal believer, countless people were present at this very moment. At the front altar stood a large statue of the Goddess of Earth Cairys, showing a peaceful smile, looking down on the believers visiting her. Goddess Cairys was the goddess most revered in all of humanfolk, and Lieze often visited the small shrine back at their hometown, so she was a faithful believer. Like many others around her, she was praying vigorously. Most likely, she was praying for the safety and success of the group¡¯s travels. Engraved the wall next to it was a short sentence, acting as a prayer towards the gods, which stated ¡®O Heavens, please watch over us¡¯.


    ¡°Please watch over us, huh¡­¡± Kyle muttered with complicated feelings, as he watched Lieze from a distance.


    He may not be as passionate as Lieze, but both he and Lieze were believers of the Cairys faith. However, ever since he returned to the past, started his second life, he never prayed once. The Gods of Light created the world, building humanfolk with humans as their starters. That is what the legends said. Surely, these gods exist. In the thousands of years since the history of humanfolk started, they surely have shown themselves in front of the people. The faint lingering strength of the gods was gathered with faith, which could grant miracles in the shape of holy magic.


    This faith has become a natural part of human lives, and there is never an end to prayers. However, the gods merely watched over their creation, and generally don¡¯t intervene with what is happening on earth. It was the same even during the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯. No matter how much humanfolk prayed, no matter how much they screamed for salvation, there were no answers from the gods. Amidst the horrors of the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ many cursed the gods who did not offer any help, casting away their faith.


    ¡°Are you not going to pray, Kyle?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯ll skip on it today.¡±


    Naturally, Kyle hadn¡¯t thrown away his faith entirely. The recovery holy magic had helped him many times, and many of his allies stood firm in their faith. However, it would probably take a bit longer for him to be able to genuinely pray. As he left the chapel with Lieze, he turned around one more time.


    ¡°No matter the hardships that may await us, we will overcome it with our own strength. However, I can go without the whole trial and tribulations, so please be a bit more gentle this time around.¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t pray, but instead showed his determination, with a bit of an idle complaint thrown at the statue of Cairys.


    Right as Kyle faced forward again, a cold shiver ran up his spine. It was hard to put into words, but it felt like it was glued to him, a very unpleasant feeling. This chill immediately vanished again. In a rush, Kyle turned back, but the statue was smiling still, and only other believers, as well as priests of Cairys, were around him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lieze seemed like she didn¡¯t feel anything, just tilting her head at Kyle¡¯s odd behavior.


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    It was a bit too strong to just be Kyle¡¯s imagination. Kyle feared that maybe he angered the goddess, but he suddenly spotted a certain individual in the corner of this view.


    ¡°Sorry, something urgent came up! You go back to Seran and the others, Lieze.¡±


    ¡°Eh? H-Hey!?¡± Lieze tried to stop him, but Kyle simply chased after a person mixed in the crowd.


    He could only see her for a moment, but that was undoubtedly Minagi.


    Minagi¡¯s clothes had changed drastically compared to when he saw her. She now wore a worn-out skirt, a large apron on top of that, wearing clothes that made her mix in with the average citizen, holding a woven basket in her hands. She had her hair tied up in a simple, indifferent fashion, looking like a waitress. More than anything, the atmosphere she gave off was completely different from before.


    Her expression and gestures before resembled that of a royal and noble lady, but now she walked without a dignified fashion, acting as the billboard girl of a bar. Just because of a bit of acting, her entire impression changed completely, and without Kyle¡¯s perceptive gaze and previous knowledge about her, you probably wouldn¡¯t recognize her. However, her inborn beauty was difficult to hide, and even now she looked like an alluring girl.


    Was that presence just now Minagi after all? No, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d manage to give off such a presence¡­Not to mention that she probably hasn¡¯t caught on to me either¡­


    Kyle followed after the girl, and right as he hid in the shadows, another voice called out to him from his back.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Woah!? S-Shildonia, huh¡­Don¡¯t surprise me like that.¡±


    Standing there was Shildonia, her hands full with food as always.


    ¡°Tailing someone? To think you¡¯d chase a young girl around¡­Oh? That woman, I feel like I¡¯ve seen her before¡­¡± Looking at Minagi who took a peek inside a stall, Shildonia tilted her head.


    ¡°Do you know her? She¡¯s the one we met during the banquet, naming herself with a fake name Rona. She¡¯s also¡­¡±


    ¡°Ohhh! Yeah, I remember now! What a skilled disguise.¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. She was quite formidable, so it left a strong impression on me.¡±


    ¡°Formidable? In what way?¡±


    ¡°During that banquet, I was aiming for some high-quality food which was running out of supply, and she skillfully snatched it from me. Grabbing the best food in the most efficient way without standing out, using no unnecessary movement, I couldn¡¯t help but admire her, despite her being my enemy.¡±


    ¡°She was just grabbing food, there¡¯s nothing skillful about that¡­¡± Kyle suffered from a headache, putting one hand on his forehead.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m still far more skilled than her. I managed to grasp more food than her in the end. She probably caught on to what I was doing. She seemed calm on the outside, but she surely resented me deep down.¡± Shildonia showed a grin. ¡°Well, I guess it was a draw in the grand scheme of things. A satisfying battle, truly.¡±


    ¡°What were you two doing¡­¡±


    Kyle had never once realized that such a fierce battle was happening behind the scenes of the banquet.


    ¡°What I cannot forgive however is that she not only ate at that banquet, but even took food with her. That¡¯s just bad manners,¡± Shildonia pouted.


    ¡°T-Took food with her¡­¡±


    Kyle truly was concerned about what Minagi was up to, as he looked back at her again. She seemingly didn¡¯t buy anything from the stall, and started walking again.


    ¡°A-Anyway, I need to talk with her, so tell the others for me.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, leave it to me. I¡¯ll tell them exactly what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Kyle felt worried at the odd phrasing Shildonia chose, but he couldn¡¯t afford to lose Minagi, so he continued the tailing.


    With lots of people around, he managed to continue following Minagi without being caught in the act. Minagi approached the slums, heading to what looked like a shared residential district. She seemed to be living there, as she headed into a poor-looking home in the corner of the area. Kyle checked his surroundings, erasing his presence, and then clung to the wall. He carefully put his ears against it, trying to listen in on the conversation and sounds from inside.


    ¡°Haaa¡­Only leftovers today, huh. Before, I could at least enjoy the meals from the banquet for the past few days¡­¡±


    It was, in a lot of ways, a depressing monologue to have.


    ***


    After that, the negative monologuing continued along the lines of ¡®I can¡¯t keep living like this much longer¡­¡¯ or ¡®I guess accepting it all on my own was too much¡­¡¯, overall dampening the mood a lot. From the sounds of it, she was low on money. Judging from the word leftovers, she must be working at a food place to earn some money on the side.


    What is this about? Did she fail at her job? But then why would she sneak into the banquet like that¡­?


    After guessing what situation Minagi was in, Kyle then heard the rustling of clothes. She was probably in the middle of changing now. Now that it had come to this, Kyle started to feel guilty.


    I¡¯m basically like a pervert now¡­I know where she lives, so I should temporarily fall back, I guess.


    With these thoughts, Kyle moved back from the wall, but his leg got caught in something. Looking down, it was a fine thread barely visible. He probably was lucky that he didn¡¯t trip over that when he first arrived. Evidently, a naive thought of ¡®There¡¯s no way this worn-down place would have any traps¡¯ was a severe mistake on his end. By the time he however caught on to this, it was already too late, and a bell rang from the inside of the home.


    That being said, Minagi¡¯s actions following that surprised Kyle even more. The wall was immediately destroyed with her own knives, and she appeared in front of him. She held blades in both hands with a dual-wielding style. As she was in the middle of changing, she now wore only her underwear. As expected of Minagi, her proportions were a feast for the eyes, and definitely something Kyle would enjoy if not for this current situation.


    However, when he felt genuine killing intent from Minagi, and the shivers racing across his body, even this foolish thought was banished from his head. At the same time as he felt nervous, he also was oddly happy. All the regret he felt before was blown away, as he realized that this reaction, as well as seriousness from Minagi was exactly how he had remembered her.


    But, I can¡¯t just be happy here¡­Now, what to do?


    With raw strength, Kyle surely was stronger than her, but it wasn¡¯t in his best interest to fight Minagi here. If she saw a risk of losing, she would most likely escape, and then definitely aim for his life later on. More than anything, he didn¡¯t want to strike down a former ally of his. He had enough of that after his battle with Zentos. Luckily, nobody was watching them right now, so Kyle saw a chance to defuse the situation.


    How do I get out of this¡­Maybe I should drop her name?


    Minagi herself seemed flustered at the fact that the invader was the person she ran into at the banquet. Seeing this, Kyle acted first.


    ¡°Wait, Rona¡­Or, should I say Minagi.¡±


    With her true name being thrown around, Minagi was even more bewildered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on fighting. I heard about you from Souga.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­!?¡±


    Now that Kyle even added the name of Minagi¡¯s former teacher, she was at a loss for words.


    ***


    ¡°¡­Have a seat.¡±


    Kyle sat down on a chair. After she changed into proper clothes, Minagi put down some warm tea on the table. After their initial contact, Kyle suggested that they calm down and talk things out, to which Minagi surprisingly agreed, now offering him tea. Minagi naturally was cautious of Kyle, looking at him with a sharp gaze, probably like she was about to leap at him and kill him. The name of Souga seemingly worked wonders.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Minagi was a skilled poison user, so it was dubious whether this was safe to drink, but Kyle didn¡¯t hesitate. After taking a sip, Kyle spoke up.


    ¡°¡­Your teacher Souga came from an island to the East of the continent, where he learned assassination techniques, and became a¡­what was it called, a shinobi? Either way, only those with significant status and fortune even know of their existence, yes? I think he should be around 60 now? He has a scar on his face that stands out a lot, which he suffered when he was young.¡± Kyle talked about Souga, who had been one of his allies just like Minagi.


    ¡°He¡¯s your teacher, and the person who raised you, yeah? He didn¡¯t have any children, so he took you, an orphan, in, and raised you as his disciple. When you were young, you went to a mountain called Mt. Shumin, and you fell off a cliff when you were eight, which is where you got injured, yes? The scar of that is still visible on your abdomen.¡±


    Right now, gaining Minagi¡¯s trust was the most important, so he told her all the information he could remember.


    ¡°S-So Souga told you about all of that¡­¡± Minagi seemed confused, as these were all things only she and Souga should know.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s pretty weak against alcohol, right? When he was drunk, he let it all out.¡±


    During the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯, Souga had kept his location hidden, only dragged out by Kyle against his will. Well, his age was one problem, but the strength he brought was undoubtedly real. Knowing that Minagi trusted Souga from the bottom of her heart, Kyle guessed that simply using his name would do wonders, and it worked even better than he had anticipated. If there was one problem, it would be that Kyle and Souga did not know each other during this time yet.


    If Minagi had any opportunity of contacting Souga, and confirming this, Kyle would be at a dead end, but luckily it didn¡¯t seem that way. Rather, it felt like Minagi was hoping for more stories about Souga. That¡¯s why Kyle had to supply. Luckily, Souga was easy to talk to, and one he could form a contract with. There was a good chance he could explain everything to Souga and sweep this under the rugs.


    Either way, I need to talk to Souga first before she confirms anything¡­


    However, it was evident that he at least gained a certain level of trust now. Minagi¡¯s caution had lessened, or so Kyle felt at least.


    ¡°Were you¡­told to come here by Souga?¡± After a brief silence, Minagi awkwardly asked.


    It¡¯s like she was a young child terrified of being scolded.


    ¡°No, not at all. I happened to hear about you from Souga, but it¡¯s a coincidence that we ran into each other here.¡±


    Kyle felt a faint discomfort from her attitude. She seemed relieved after hearing his words.


    ¡°That being said¡­you¡¯re in a bit of peril right now, yes?¡±


    Just as Kyle judged from the outside, the inside of the home was run-down, the broken wall covered with a blanket¡­It was pretty much an emergency situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that you¡¯re low on money¡­So, Souga told me to help you out in case I ran into you.¡± Kyle explained, but Minagi stayed quiet. ¡°Won¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Kyle asked, feeling that he might be able to drag out her information by using Souga¡¯s name.


    ¡°¡­But, you know who I am, right? And, you are the hero of Zilgus.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I have a debt with Souga, so of course I¡¯d help his foster daughter with anything I can.¡±


    Minagi seemed happy at being called Souga¡¯s daughter, and reluctantly explained the circumstances.


    Among the long history of shinobi, Souga was exceptionally talented, and he always thought about which request to pick and which to pass on, but he was still a famous celebrity. However, after reaching the formidable age of 60, he started to lose more and more of his skill and strength. As Minagi was always with him, that was more than obvious to her as well, and she thought of herself as the one to inherit his name. However, Souga himself only saw her as an assistant, evaluating her below average, which started to fuel Minagi¡¯s heart with anger more and more.


    At that time, a crucial request came in that would take at least one year to fulfill. Souga evidently was not pleased with that, and since he also wasn¡¯t feeling too well at the time, he rejected that offer. That¡¯s where Minagi went and accepted it, leaving behind only a letter, and headed to the Galgan Empire.


    ¡°The details of the request were to approach the hub of the Galgan Empire, gather information, and then assassinate the designated individual.¡±


    ¡°¡­And who is that?¡±


    ¡°I have yet to be informed. It can pretty much change on the spot, but it probably must be someone from the imperial family. It was a mouth-watering reward, so I went through my necessary preparations, and snuck into the imperial palace, but then my mission was canceled¡­or rather, the client disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, the client was¡­¡± Kyle had an awful idea, and asked.


    ¡°¡­King Remonas of Zilgus, yes.¡±


    Kyle tried to keep calm on the outside, but he held his head on the inside. Naturally, Kyle felt guilty for killing Minagi¡¯s client like that. Her target probably would have been Eldorand. As long as Eldorand died right after Remonas, it would have been a big hit for the Empire.


    I see, so the one to assassinate Eldorand was Minagi¡­Guess he at least had some brain in his head.


    Kyle remembered King Remonas, and sighed in disbelief.


    ¡°Well, did you receive any advance payment?¡± Kyle felt awkward, and asked.


    ¡°I used most of that for the sake of my preparations¡­If anything, I¡¯m in the red now. I had planned to pay up everything with the reward¡­because I figured I¡¯d be able to succeed with the mission.¡±


    Seems like she did some thorough preparation at least.


    ¡°So the reason you snuck into the banquet the other day¡­¡±


    ¡°T-That was¡­Since I already got myself a fake identity¡­I figured I might as well get my money¡¯s worth. Lessens my expenses for food as well.¡± Minagi explained with a bashful expression.


    ¡°Um¡­So you interact with me because¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I thought that any possible connection would help me later on.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right¡­So, right now you¡¯re working in order to repay your debts¡­¡±


    Minagi nodded with no strength in her gesture.


    ¡°Yes¡­I didn¡¯t have the courage to face Souga.¡±


    It was quite admirable that she didn¡¯t use her own skills for her own right.


    So, she stuffed herself during the banquet, and is fine with taking food home? That¡¯s a weird part to be conscious of¡­Well, it¡¯s better than grabbing garbage.


    At the very least, it won¡¯t be wasted food or used as leftovers in the trash can.


    ¡°I see, I get what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°So¡­I have a request¡­¡±


    ¡°You want me to keep this a secret from Souga, right? Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t plan on telling him.¡± When Kyle explained with a gentle tone, Minagi seemed relieved from the bottom of her heart.


    She wanted to show off to Souga, so having him see her like this is surely something she would want to avoid. Well, Kyle didn¡¯t even know where Souga was, so it¡¯s not like he could snitch either way.


    That being said, normally I would meet Minagi in three years¡­so she feels like a different person.


    The Minagi Kyle knew held absolute confidence in herself. Whether it was royalty or the king himself, she would undoubtedly assassinate them, holding pride in her work as a dignified woman. Before, when she had her weapons ready at the arrival of Kyle, she possessed dignity and strength compared to before, but now she looked like a drenched puppy discarded on the side of the road. What was most surprising for Kyle however was that she would explain her circumstances this easily even though the other person was simply an acquaintance of her foster father.


    ¡°¡­Let me just confirm. Did you ever manage to fulfill a contract all on your own in this kind of work?¡±


    Minagi faintly shook her head.


    So during her first job, she managed to assassinate the most promising prince of the Empire, which started her path to become the world¡¯s greatest assassin?


    Kyle couldn¡¯t help but admire that, and at the same time realized why she acted the way she was right now.


    I only know the confident and strong Minagi, but now she¡¯s broken completely¡­I know that people change a lot in three years, but she¡¯s no joke.


    This made Kyle think. His former ally ended up in poverty like this, not to mention because of his own fault, so he couldn¡¯t just sit still. That being said, she wouldn¡¯t just accept the money for nothing. In order to bring the money to her, there was one efficient method.


    ¡°As a return for keeping silent¡­I have a bit of a request myself.¡±


    ¡°Request?¡± Minagi seemed dubious.


    ¡°Yeah¡­Though it¡¯s more like a favor. I wonder, do you know that I¡¯m participating in the Martial Arts Festival? In fact, my victory was pretty much decided as a promise between the two countries.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­is that true?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I thought I might as well get myself some money.¡±


    Of course, his victory wasn¡¯t decided at all, and he was rich enough to not worry about some small change, but there was no need, to be honest here. He took out ten Zaales gold coins that equaled about 2000 Gadol, and Minagi¡¯s eyes opened wide the moment she saw that.


    ¡°Use all of this money to bet on me. I have four more matches left, so once I win, it¡¯ll be ten times the amount of that.¡±


    Every match had its own round of bets, and you even could bet on the overall winner. As the arena management also received donations from royalty or businessmen, you could mostly get refunds on your bets, which is another reason what made it so popular. So, if Rockert had won during the first match, they would have gotten their bet multiplied by 1.3x, the people who bet on him got 5x the amount back.


    ¡°The pay for this request is half of the money gained from the bets. You can even personally bet yourself.¡± Kyle smiled.


    Minagi was bewildered because of this sudden development, and teared up a faint bit while thanking Kyle.


    ¡°Well¡­thank you¡­¡± Minagi must have realized that this request solely came into place to save her.


    Kyle was met with a fresh feeling from a familiar person, and continued with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve been in Souga¡¯s care after all¡­That¡¯s why I want to help you.¡±


    That actually wasn¡¯t a lie, as Kyle was often saved by Souga and Minagi. Though he decided to ignore the fact that Minagi was still an assassin.


    Not like I can argue much after killing the ruler of a country for my own personal reasons.


    Kyle figured that having Minagi gain confidence would help him in the long run.


    ¡°¡­I may have more errands later down the line, so I¡¯ll count on you then.¡±


    There may come a time when Kyle could be forced to assassinate someone, so that would be the best time to have a favor repaid.


    ¡°Got it. If there¡¯s anything I can do, just tell me.¡± Minagi responded with a clear voice.


    The shadow covering her face had disappeared, and the light returned to her eyes. She was a bit closer to the Minagi Kyle knew. At the same time, he realized that now he had gained another reason that forced him to win the festival no matter what.


    After this incident, Minagi declared that she had another job at a night bar, and pretty much kicked Kyle out. Upon returning to where the rest of his group were waiting, Lieze and the others captured him with a smile, squeezing all possible information out of him as he sat prostrating himself on the ground. Any weak excuses were immediately seen through, and since he didn¡¯t have any matches the following day, this lecture continued deep into the night.

 Volume 3 - CH 11

    On the second day of the Martial Arts Festival held the other matches of the first round. As both Kyle and Seran had no match that day, they instead planned on watching the matches for reference, but the only opponent really being somewhat of a match for them was Darius. Angela informed them that Darius wouldn¡¯t be appearing until the final match of the day, so Kyle and his group took their time heading to the arena.


    ¡°Still, having to look at this statue every single time¡­¡±


    In front of the arena, Seran looked up at the statue of his foster mother, showing nothing but displeasure. The statue of Leyla, who was seen as the undefeated ruler ten years ago, was watched in disgust by her son. It truly was a sad sight.


    ¡°Why did she suddenly retire after becoming a living legend?¡± Urza asked, while looking at the statue.


    Many speculations went around, with many of them remaining even to this day. Even Urza, who only stayed here for a few days, heard about these.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a reason. She just got tired of it despite the honor and money.¡± Seran said it was nothing special.


    ¡°I heard she got fired for dealing with people. Being too popular, the ties of obligation were too big. She simply swung her sword for the sake of her freedom¡­In that case, you really are similar.¡± Kyle looked at Seran, grinning.


    ¡°Like hell that hag and I are similar! The reason I swing my sword is¡­¡± Seran screamed, but went silent mid-way.


    Urza thought of this as odd, and asked him.


    ¡°Then for what reason¡­¡±


    Did you try to become stronger¡ªshe probably wanted to ask, but the loud cheers from the arena silenced her. Seemingly, the match had started.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out. Endlessly talking here won¡¯t do us any good!¡± Lieze pushed everyone¡¯s backs, entering the arena.


    The matches of that day were moving along smoothly. While there were matches that finished immediately, you also had matches that lasted much longer, with all fighters being fairly strong overall, making them exciting. However, from Kyle¡¯s point of view, no participant was dangerous enough for Kyle to keep his eyes on the lookout, except Darius, which he would probably meet in the final match.


    So, he started thinking about something else. Namely, the previous incident with Minagi, and the Galgan Empire.


    I guess I was lucky to end up in such a fortunate relationship with Minagi. I can¡¯t fully say it for certain, but there¡¯s a huge chance that Eldorand¡¯s death was caused by Minagi¡¯s assassination. Thus, the chaos would not happen, and they could prepare for the Great Invasion¡­


    However, there¡¯s another problem.


    If Eldorand is alive, then Maizar most likely won¡¯t become the Emperor. Personally, I¡¯d prefer Maizar, but¡­Maybe I should pay Minagi to assassinate Eldorand? No, that¡¯s too much. Are there any other ways of making Maizar the emperor? A peaceful one that would let the Empire keep its military power¡­


    ¡°Kyle! Kyle!¡± Lieze shook his shoulders, pulling him back to reality.


    ¡°Y-Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Why were you spacing out like that?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking¡­Oh, is it already the final match¡­Wait?¡± There, Kyle realized something.


    ¡°Yeah, something¡¯s off.¡±


    The final match of the first round was about to begin, and yet Darius was the first to appear.


    ¡®In this final match of our first round, we have the popular surprise match, which deserves everyone¡¯s attention. First, from the East gate, we have the previous winner of the festival, Fighter Darius!¡¯


    Summoned by the announcer, a large and sturdy man appeared, claiming to be the strongest of the Empire. At first, roars of excitement filled the arena, but they soon drowned out in doubts. Normally, you would announce the most exciting participant last to keep the tension up. In other words, Darius¡¯ opponent must be an even bigger fish than him. Darius himself seemed to know who he was about to fight, as he looked at the West Gate with a bitter gaze. His expression was riddled with tension.


    ¡®T-Then, let me announce the final participant left to appear in the arena!¡¯ Even the announcer¡¯s voice was shaking. ¡®For five years, she was undefeated, crowned as the invincible ruler, leaving her name behind in the legends told even to this day, until a sudden retreat! Ever since then, she has yet to show herself!¡¯


    From the West Gate, the large stone door opened, and the participant appeared. They possessed tanned skin with red hair, a greatsword about the same size as them on their back, flashing a smile that would make even the strongest predator in this world cower in fear, as they slowly walked to the center of the arena.


    ¡®However, she has now made a return after ten years¡­Known as the ¡®Crimson Ogre¡¯, Fighter Leyla makes a turbulent return!¡¯


    Undoubtedly, it was Seran¡¯s foster mother, and Kyle¡¯s former teacher, Leyla. The moment the announcement ended, roaring cheers like thunder had struck ground rang out, enveloping the entire arena.


    ¡°What is that wench doing¡­¡± Seran¡¯s mouth opened wide in shock to the point he might dislocate his jaw.


    ¡°W-Why is Teacher here¡­¡± Kyle tilted his head in disbelief, looking at his teacher of the sword.


    ¡°Oh, she does look exactly like the statue.¡±


    ¡°It really is her, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­that¡¯s Leyla-san¡­But, why is she here?¡±


    At the same time as Shildonia admired this sudden appearance, Urza was still a bit dubious, only for Lieze to answer that question.


    ¡®As a five-time consecutive winner of the festival, and last time¡¯s winner, this is an unparalleled match-up. However, as the acclaimed strongest of the Empire, Darius, he must be feeling a bit worried now!¡¯


    As the announcer¡¯s voice went all around the arena, Darius raised his sword high, pointing the tip of the blade at Leyla. She responded with a swing of her greatsword, and swung it down like she was planning on splitting Darius in half.


    ¡®Darius versus Leyla! He challenges the living legend!¡¯


    The audience once again cheered in excitement, but the two people fighting couldn¡¯t be calmer. The two faced each other from a certain distance, not moving an inch. Leyla¡¯s greatsword reached a size that almost seemed unbelievable in size for a normal weapon, and its destructive power was the greatest of all weapons, able to incapacitate you with a single hit. That being the case, a consecutive attack was always delayed, creating an opening. If Darius attacked first, or even managed to counter it, he had the overwhelming advantage.


    As both fully understood that fact, Darius judged his timing for the attack, and Leyla took a posture ready to intercept it, neither of them moving. Even the audience went silent so that every breath could be heard.


    ¡°This is bad, he¡¯ll get sucked in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯ve experienced it myself, and that is a pain.¡±


    Seran muttered, and Kyle agreed.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Urza asked, answered by Kyle as he thought about the past.


    ¡°Teacher is exceptionally good when it comes to bargaining and reading the other¡¯s moves. When you attempt to move for an attack, she¡¯ll read your gaze or faint movement, and seal it off. Just by facing her, you¡¯ll end up playing at her pace.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s like she¡¯s reading your own thoughts, seeing the future¡­She makes you think that. And then, she already has the upper hand.¡± Seran said with a bitter smile, having experienced something similar.


    Just as Kyle stated, even though they were simply facing each other, Darius started to sweat aggressively, his breathing slowly getting out of rhythm. He probably saw a hallucination of attacking, and getting split in half in return. At the same time, Leyla flashed an arrogant smile, calm as always. When fighting Leyla, you would need an iron mentality to even keep standing.


    ¡°That¡¯s just the difference in real battle experience. That old hag¡¯s been fighting even way before we were born.¡±


    ¡°A surprise attack right after the beginning may have been his best bet¡­although it would be reckless.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Probably wouldn¡¯t work against an enemy whose strength you don¡¯t know, but with her¡­However, this is just the first round, with more matches tomorrow. If Darius¡¯ goal is to win the festival as a whole, he can¡¯t take any risks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true¡­I know it can¡¯t be helped, but that¡¯s a nasty development.¡± Kyle explained, to which Urza joined in.


    ¡°¡­Why are you two cheering for Darius?¡±


    From the way they made it sound like, they wished for their foster mother, or teacher, to lose.


    ¡°Of course? We both can¡¯t help but sympathize with Darius in this case.¡±


    Kyle and Seran knew all too well what Darius felt like right now.


    ¡°On top of that¡­pity, I guess.¡±


    Envisioning what was about to unfold, Kyle sent Darius a complicated gaze.


    Darius seemingly finally made up his mind and moved. He put all his strength into his leg, taking a step forward, closing the distance between him and Leyla. His sword aimed at the centerline of Leyla, right where her heart was. As Leyla was previously waiting, she now swung her sword down with all her might, going in for the charge as well. That swing of her sword landed on the ground, and exploded before Darius¡¯ sword could reach her. An impact strong enough to simulate the shaking of the arena rang out, with the ground breaking and denting like it was the epicenter of an earthquake.


    Such an impact that would leave no remains of any normal human being, Darius barely managed to avoid it with severe deceleration, barely making it out of that attack unscathed, now attempting to swing his sword down at Leyla to finish her¡ªHowever, he couldn¡¯t do that. Leyla¡¯s attack, which resembled the explosion of a bomb, greatly influenced his surroundings even if it wasn¡¯t a direct impact. Vibration, sound, dust blew up into the air, like a second calamity, the explosive wind covered him, damaging him all over. His attempt of going for a counterattack now fired back at him.


    ¡°Urk!¡±


    Even so, Darius wanted to attempt an attack, swinging his sword, but Leyla had her second attack ready, and Darius was forced to intercept it. As the greatsword was pushed up, Darius blocked it with his sword. That single swing possessed enough destructive force to most likely break Darius¡¯ sword completely, and since he would have no chance of winning without his trusty partner, he deflected a bit of the impact with a twist of his body, and somehow managed to block off the attack¡ªHowever the second he thought that, Leyla continued.


    ¡°Off you go!¡±


    She put all her might into a kick, which she rammed into her own sword, kicking up Darius in the process. With the attack of the greatsword, Darius¡¯ balance was already off-center, and his own sword couldn¡¯t bear the incoming damage, breaking in the process as he was kicked up into the air. Reaching a height comparable to a three-floor building, Darius seemingly had passed out at that point, and simply soared down onto the ground, not moving anymore.


    Witnessing a shocking conclusion you wouldn¡¯t expect to see from a sword match, the entire arena was wrapped up in silence. However, Darius ended up unable to fight, and Leyla stood tall. Once the audience realized that the winner had been decided, an explosive roar rang out.


    ¡°Darius really is strong. He made the old hag go all out¡­¡±


    As the audience was roaring in excitement to the point that it made your ears hurt, Seran showed a completely different reaction compared to everyone else. That last kick of Leyla was actually from a rather unpleasant position, with all her might put into it, not considering the aftermath. She seemingly managed to keep standing despite everything, but her posture was broken for sure.


    ¡°That was all her strength, for sure. Not to mention so close to her¡­If Darius managed to keep standing after that, she would have gotten hit by a counterattack for sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she probably guessed that he wouldn¡¯t go down without going the extra mile¡­He really is no joke, making Teacher go all out.¡±


    As the majority of the audience sent Leyla a round of applause, Seran and Kyle instead complimented Darius for his valiant efforts. Said Darius was still out cold, but most likely alive at least.


    ¡°¡­I doubt he¡¯d be happy to hear that praise after ending up that way.¡±


    Lieze muttered, while listening to the comments of Seran and Kyle.

 Volume 3 - CH 12

    ¡°Yo, you brats. How have you been doing?¡±


    Arriving at the waiting room, Leyla greeted Kyle¡¯s group whom she hadn¡¯t seen since their departure from Rimarze. The waiting rooms were split into various ranks, this being the greatest of them all. It was like a personal room, with servants, resembling a stay at a high-class inn. This normally should have been Darius¡¯ room, but he wouldn¡¯t be using it anymore, so Leyla quite literally snatched it from him.


    ¡°There are many things I¡¯d like to ask, but¡­Why are you here?¡± Seran¡¯s expression was still more than sour, as he greeted his foster mother.


    However, Leyla didn¡¯t bother much with him, and instead turned towards the girls.


    ¡°Lieze-chan, great work keeping those idiots under control. Also, two new faces in your group, huh.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m used to it, so it¡¯s fine. Those two are Urza and Shildonia, and we¡¯re traveling together.¡± Lieze showed a wry smile, and introduced the other two.


    Leyla looked at the two, especially Urza, which clearly made her feel a bit uncomfortable.


    ¡°¡­Make sure not to lose, alright.¡±


    Leyla glanced at Kyle, whispering towards Lieze like some neighborhood old lady. Lieze understood those words and their intentions and started blushing.


    ¡°Listen to me, alright.¡± Seran was a bit annoyed at being ignored, forcing Leyla to look at her son.


    ¡°Yeah, normally the arena¡¯s side prepared an aspiring gladiator to participate, but he suffered an injury this morning at a practice match. Since the recovery will take at least half a month, I was forced to participate.¡±


    ¡°I bet you were the one who tortured that poor guy¡­¡±


    It seemed like Leyla not only aggressively stole this room, but also her spot in the festival itself. The Empire loved using aggressive means and strength as their absolute creed, and Leyla¡¯s name itself most likely sold her more than anything.


    ¡°Also, I wasn¡¯t asking how you got a spot, but rather why you even bothered to.¡±


    ¡°I decided yesterday. I found out that my stupid disciple and my useless disciple were participating, so it sounded fun to mix in.¡± Leyla said, basically stating that she had no particular reason.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about me, and just continue as you would have.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so simple¡­¡± Seran sighed.


    ¡°Um, I actually wanted to talk about that.¡±


    Kyle went ahead and explained why he himself and Seran had to participate, and why he needed to win no matter what.


    ¡°I see, I get what¡¯s going on¡­So, you expect me to retire, or hold back against you?¡±


    ¡°No, not in the slightest.¡±


    Kyle never would expect that from Leyla of all people, but he still informed her despite that. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t be this considerate. And, that she was having too much fun to explicitly state it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you are forced to take responsibility, yeah? No problem then.¡±


    ¡°Well, it would be a lot more convenient for me¡­¡±


    Kyle immediately gave up on discussing anything with Leyla. Just as she said, even if he didn¡¯t manage to win the festival, he would have no responsibility. However, that would most likely cost him faith and trust from Zilgus, in particular from Milena. That would drive a nail in his plans and actions so far.


    ¡°Ahh, about you wanting to become a hero? But, if you¡¯re gonna falter because I¡¯m getting in your way, then you won¡¯t be able to become a hero either way. This is another of your trails, so do your best.¡±


    ¡°I feel like an impregnable wall suddenly appeared in front of my eyes¡­¡± Hearing Leyla speak like this was not even her own problem, Kyle now also let out a sigh.


    ¡°Ah, Seran. You¡¯re thinking of quitting, right? I won¡¯t accept that, you better fight with all your might. Same goes for Kyle.¡±


    The two tried to speak out against that ridiculous order, but Lieze got ahead of them.


    ¡°Leyla-san, that¡¯s!¡± Lieze screamed, her face pale.


    That almost desperate reaction left Urza and Shildonia both bewildered. However, before Leyla could say anything, another visitor arrived.


    ¡°Oh, there she is.¡±


    The person to enter was the most important individual in the entire Empire after the Emperor and the imperial family¡ªBeadola.


    ¡°What, Old Beadola? You still alive?¡± Leyla nonchalantly greeted her.


    ¡°You know her?¡± Her son asked, to which Leyla nodded.


    ¡°She¡¯s Seraia¡¯s teacher, so both I and Roel know her.¡±


    ¡°Only the imperial family, you, and maybe Seraia call me that way, you know.¡± Beadola glanced at Kyle.


    ¡°I know about Mum and Teacher, but who¡¯s Roel?¡± Kyle whispered towards Seran. ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit too cruel?¡±


    Seran saw Kyle completely without any memories of his own father, and sighed in disbelief. Kyle kept tilting his head, but he realized that both Lieze and Leyla were giving him a cold stare, so he asked Beadola.


    ¡°Anyway¡­My mother was your pupil?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. To think you were young Seraia and brat Roel¡¯s child. Has your mother not told you about me?¡± Beadola spoke with a nostalgic tone.


    ¡°My mother rarely talks about her own past, see¡­However, she sometimes told me about the person who was her teacher¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, and what did she say?¡±


    ¡°Uuuum¡­Something along the lines of ¡®As expected, being single all my life is impossible for me¡¯, I think.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the only pupil who would speak of me that way¡­For crying out loud, even though she was the best fit to be my successor¡­¡± Beadola sighed, and shook her head.


    ¡°Was my mother that amazing?¡±


    The image Kyle had of his own mother did not equal the potential successor of humanfolk¡¯s greatest magic user.


    ¡°Indeed, she held genius greatly surpassing my own¡­However, her fatal flaw was that she could never muster up any motivation. Her talent was utterly wasted on her.¡±


    ¡°Personally speaking, I think my mother was only interested in magic and nothing else. When it came to aiming higher or obtaining status, she just couldn¡¯t be bothered. It¡¯d force her to get involved with the government and other obligations.¡±


    When it comes to users of Ancient Language magic, especially reaching [Magic King] class or higher, the more you work the more attention you¡¯ll get. No country would ever let her rest easily. In order to avoid that, she moved to a small isolated village called Rimarze.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I expected from her son, you really know your mother¡­And, it pains me even more now that Aluzard, someone who truly strived to aim higher, has left us. Without Seraia, he was the only one to carry my legacy¡­¡± Beadola showed a somewhat defeated expression, and then remembered her original goal of coming here. ¡°Oh, the conversation has gone off the rails. Leyla, regarding the fact that you defeated Darius and spoiled the ambitions of the Empire, I can hardly blame you. Darius will receive the blame for being defeated. However¡­why did you come back at such a time? What is your goal? You haven¡¯t even approached the Empire for the past ten years since that happened.¡± Beadola questioned Leyla with a harsh gaze.


    ¡°Um, did something happen ten years ago?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal. I just got into a fight with the Emperor.¡± Leyla nonchalantly answered Lieze¡¯s question.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a pretty big deal¡­¡±


    The Emperor is the absolute ruler of the Empire, and most likely the most important person in the entire humanfolk. It seems like Leyla¡¯s been hiding one hell of a reason as to why she suddenly went into hiding.


    ¡°For crying out loud, only a small number of people may know, but to think you would embarrass His Majesty to such levels¡­Even with someone of your fame and honor, you might have been convicted on the charges of treason.¡±


    ¡°I knew I was at fault, which is why I pulled back. It¡¯s been ten years, I figured things would have cooled down by now.¡± Leyla scratched her head. ¡°Well, I came here to check out the growth of my own son and pupil, so once the festival is over, I¡¯ll be gone again.¡±


    ¡°To think you would do such a thing¡­Well, I¡¯ll leave it at that. When you¡¯re here, standing out for good as well as bad, something will happen. Once the festival is over, you leave. This is also for your sake,¡± Beadola pushed.


    ¡°I know that.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine then¡­Now, Kyle, I¡¯d like to talk with you under four eyes.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I mean, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    Kyle was surprised to suddenly become the center of attention, giving a half-baked response. Beadola then took him to the corner of an isolated passage.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Prince Maizar asked me the exact same before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. What I want to know is your entire being¡­the constellation of your existence.¡±


    There, Beadola narrowed her eyes even further.


    ¡°Before, my attention was stolen by that Shildonia girl with you, but¡­you¡¯re one person, while also being two¡­So vague¡­and yet so strong¡­but unstable¡­¡± Beadola kept muttering, sounding like she herself wasn¡¯t quite sure of what she was saying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can follow¡­?¡± Kyle simply tilted his head, acting dumb in this context, but he had a faint idea as to what Beadola was talking about.


    She must have felt the circumstance of his soul. Using time-traveling magic, Kyle has jumped back in time in order to stop the Great Invasion from happening. According to Shildonia¡¯s explanation, Kyle¡¯s memories and experience, contained in his soul, as well as the [Heart of the Divine Dragon], came to this time, and his soul fused with the already existing one in this timeline. In order words, Kyle became the holder of two souls, which naturally strengthened his innate mana.


    ¡°In my long life, I¡¯ve seen many people, but an irregular person like you is a first for me.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Although Kyle started to sweat furiously, he tried his best to not show it on his face.


    ¡°That being the case, it is true that you hold unbelievable amounts of mana inside of you. Won¡¯t you start studying magic with me? In ten years¡­no five years, you might be a worthy successor of mine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really happy about that, but being a swordsman fits me better.¡±


    Not to mention that five years won¡¯t be nearly fast enough. Kyle¡¯s goal is to become a hero that could put his own influence on the whole world. Becoming Beadola¡¯s successor might be one way to do it, but he won¡¯t make it in time for the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ then.


    ¡°Just like your mother, you¡¯re rejecting me¡­Well, I simply wanted to tell you. Now that Aluzard is gone, I need to look for a new successor¡­¡± Beadola sighed, wondering what she should do.


    ¡°I understand how you must feel. If there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know.¡±


    As she was his mother¡¯s teacher, he was simply attempting to show some human kindness¡ªthis however he would regret greatly later, but that¡¯s a story for another time.


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s quite troublesome¡­I didn¡¯t think such a factor would disrupt my calculations.¡±


    After they split up with Leyla, Kyle looked up at the sky on their way back from the arena, muttering in exhaustion. Naturally, this factor he was talking about referred to Leyla, and Kyle knew all too well how strong she truly was. He would have to fight her in the finale without a doubt, and he was also ordered to fight Seran in the semi-finals, so naturally, he was a bit of a peril.


    ¡°Anything behind the scenes or some drugs she¡¯ll surely sniff out¡­Buying her off won¡¯t work, and I wouldn¡¯t know how to threaten her¡­¡± There was Seran, thinking about ways to make his foster mother retire from the festival.


    ¡°Hm¡­Maybe you could take Seran hostage, threatening to kill him?¡±


    ¡°Then she¡¯ll cut us both down, right?¡± Seran immediately denied Shildonia¡¯s idea.


    ¡°You¡¯re mother and child, right? Don¡¯t you know any of her weaknesses?¡±


    ¡°Weakness¡­She¡¯s weak in the morning, and is bad with spicy stuff¡­The greatest damage I ever saw her suffer was the two-day hangover after getting drunk with Seraia-san.¡±


    ¡°Mom might not look like it, but she¡¯s a heavy drinker¡­¡± Kyle commented.


    ¡°What are your chances of victory in a one-on-one battle anyway?¡±


    Kyle showed a complicated expression towards Urza¡¯s genuine question.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be unwinnable, but¡­the negativity is probably the toughest part of the whole encounter.¡±


    Because of his memories as a child, as soon as he stood in front of Leyla, his mental strength and defense just started collapsing. Attempting to fight her in such a state was the same as losing from the very start.


    ¡°Same for you, Seran?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s even worse for me¡­How do I say this, I got slammed with her iron fists countless times when I was young, so my body just¡­Can¡¯t help it. Kyle, I¡¯m going to practice!¡± Seran answered Urza¡¯s question, and made up his mind.


    ¡°You say that, but it¡¯s pointless this late. If we both proceed, the finale will be in four days, no? You won¡¯t be able to make that big of a change in such a short time,¡± Urza said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be practicing to win. It¡¯s to practice so that my old hag doesn¡¯t see through our fixed match.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit too negative about this?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably the best idea. Fighting against Seran would only leave both of you injured.¡± Shildonia explained with an exhausted tone, but Kyle agreed that they should focus on the semi-finals.


    ¡°¡­But, what about the finale and Lelya-san then?¡±


    Hearing about them doing a rigged match, Lieze seemed oddly happy, as she asked them.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­a problem I¡¯ll think about once I reach the final.¡±


    Kyle let out yet another sigh, having lost count on how many times that makes today.

 Volume 3 - CH 13

    The following day started the second round of matches, with eight matches, and naturally Kyle, Seran, and Leyla managed to succeed smoothly.


    ¡°Still, most of the winning candidates may have gotten kicked out, but it¡¯s still as exciting as before.¡±


    Seran and Kyle were in the special training space of the arena, as Seran reminisced about today¡¯s matches. Even today, Leyla received roaring applause that could make your ears hurt. Her absolute popularity was enough to get the audience excited.


    ¡°That old hag sure is popular, alright.¡±


    ¡°In Rimarze, she was acting like a simple teacher and mercenary though,¡± Kyle remembered his image of Leyla back in the day, and showed a somewhat surprised expression.


    ¡°So, did you come up with any countermeasure against the old hag?¡± Seran asked, but Kyle shook his head.


    To Kyle, Leyla is his teacher, and someone on the level of family, so naturally he knew her all too well. At the same time, she should know practically everything about him, so any clever tricks won¡¯t work against her.


    ¡°I see. Well, go get her, tiger.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice not having to fight her, you bastard.¡± Kyle glared at him.


    ¡°Just give up, this is the path you¡¯ve chosen. More importantly, is this good enough?¡± Seran was worried about his semi-finals match with Kyle.


    Coming to this practice ring was to deceive Leyla, plotting the fixed match, deciding on believable ways to make Kyle win.


    ¡°With how far she is from the actual fight, I think we should be fine¡­¡±


    ¡°We might as well¡­No, maybe a feigned illness instead¡­¡± Seran was involved himself, so he was thinking about it quite seriously.


    After their secret meeting ended, Kyle returned to Lieze and the others, and Kyle stayed behind to think about countermeasures against Leyla some more. He stood in the center of the small arena, and started his Phantasmal Enemy skill, which used both self-hypnosis and illusion to conjure an actual enemy. He closed his eyes to obtain focus, when he started to see the hallucination of Leyla in front of him. She was almost exactly built as the real Leyla, even flashing an invincible smile as she always would. With any other foe, he would be able to attack, but his feet wouldn¡¯t move. In terms of strength, he most likely fought higher demons stronger than her, and he didn¡¯t even feel any fear when fighting the Demon Lord. However, as soon as he faced Leyla, he could not see himself winning.


    ¡°Damn it, what a bothersome teacher she is¡­¡± His focus was dispelled, and the illusion of Leyla disappeared. ¡°No¡­this is my own problem.¡± Kyle let out a self-deprecating laugh.


    He fought against Leyla many times before, but he couldn¡¯t even remember ever making the first move. It was always Leyla starting the attack, followed by Kyle being pushed against a wall, eventually losing. In terms of strength, she wasn¡¯t unbeatable. There was no questioning to that, but Kyle found himself doubting. And right as he held his head in disbelief, a person entered these training grounds that could only be used by participants of the festival.


    It was a lizardman. His race often, as the name suggested, had the appearance of a giant lizard. They are part of the humanfolk only living deep in the south of the continent, and although you would see many different races in a big place such as the imperial capital, this was a rare instance to see an actual lizardman. On his right leg, he had a metallic ring of sorts.


    The proof of a slave¡­so he¡¯s a war slave used as a gladiator, huh¡­


    The Galgan Empire had a slave system, which was categorized into types such as monetary slaves who can¡¯t pay their debts, war slaves who had been captured during the war and can¡¯t pay for their freedom, and even crime slaves, which are pretty much self-explanatory. In the past, children of slaves were equally children, a system that continuously guaranteed new slaves, but nowadays they are adding a time limit. As the Empire had already invaded the southern parts of the continent, so he must be a war slave taken here.


    And, one of the professions a slave could choose from was a gladiator. Fighters were more than welcome in an arena like this. Of course, they were in danger of losing their lives, but the time of service was significantly shorter, and you may even be able to obtain fame and fortune. Lizardmen were a race known for their strength, so they were the perfect gladiators.


    I think that¡¯s Goldar, right¡­


    Kyle had seen that lizardman before. Only one lizardman participated in the festival, and he was Kyle¡¯s opponent in the third match. Goldar must have spotted Kyle as well, but didn¡¯t look at him in the slightest, and just used his meaty blade to slice up the training dummy. So that he wouldn¡¯t get in his way, Kyle immediately moved to leave, but a single action caught his attention.


    Before Goldar returned to practice, he raised his left hand towards the sky, muttering something. Kyle remembered this. A former comrade of arms lizardman used something similar.


    ¡°I think it was called¡­Azaul?¡± The moment Kyle muttered these words, Goldar¡¯s movement abruptly stopped, and he ran towards Kyle.


    ¡°Did you just say Azaul?¡± He spoke, with the characteristic high ending note every lizardman added at the end of their sentences. ¡°Answer me. Why do you know that?¡± His entire body was emitting an ¡®I won¡¯t let you off the hook with any half-baked answer¡¯ energy.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­well¡­¡± Kyle internally clicked his tongue.


    I made the same mistake again¡­I completely forgot that they have good hearing¡­


    It¡¯s the same from back when Kyle was so surprised, he called out to Urza by her true name. He didn¡¯t expect the lizardman to really pick up on his careless mutter, but this was hard for Kyle to talk his way out of there. Seeing no other option, he explained with a bit of truth mixed into it.


    ¡°¡­A lizardman I knew did the same thing. When I asked what that was, he said it was some kind of prayer towards the god of war, called Azaul.¡±


    That lizardman told Kyle that this was proof of his rigorous training, as only a small number of chosen ones were allowed to use this prayer.


    ¡°¡­What was his name?¡±


    ¡°¡­He never told me. Since we only fought together for a small time, he shouldn¡¯t know my name either.¡±


    Naturally, Kyle knew of his name, but there was a chance it could cause trouble if he named it here.


    ¡°I see¡­Fine. If he told you of its origin, it means that that hero has accepted you. In other words, I shall accept you as well.¡±


    Kyle couldn¡¯t fully decipher the changes in expression on the lizardman¡¯s face, but the aggressive and cold atmosphere he emitted had vanished, and he now showed a more friendly atmosphere.


    ¡°¡­Are you fine with that?¡± Kyle couldn¡¯t back a retort.


    ¡°This prayer is something granted only to those who have continued to train, those who have been accepted by our race. It¡¯s the pride of me and my folk.¡± His voice sounded proud as well. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Kyle¡­Don¡¯t tell me, you didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d be your next opponent?¡±


    Then again, Kyle himself had trouble differentiating the various faces of lizardmen, so it took him a moment as well.


    ¡°So you were my next opponent¡­When it comes to human faces, I can¡¯t see the differences¡­That¡¯s why this is good luck for me in a way.¡± Goldar seemed surprised for a moment, but quickly showed a delighted smile. ¡°No matter who my opponent may be, I will fight with everything I have, but if it¡¯s an opponent accepted by a hero, I can feel that this would be a good fight. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Goldar said, and returned to his practice.


    ¡°Those guys really love to fight¡­¡± Kyle showed a wry smile.


    They were a race that pretty much existed solely to fight. In a bad connotation, you¡¯d call them careless of their life. However, the lizardman comrade Kyle had in his previous life was strong and reliable, someone he could entrust his life to. Kyle remembered the lizardman who was his ally, and offered his own life for Kyle¡¯s sake, wishing that they could meet each other again one day.


    On the way home from the arena, Kyle stopped by in front of the large cathedral. He was reminded of that eerie feeling of evil that he had picked up on two days ago when he came here with Lieze. Back then, he spotted Minagi immediately after, so he didn¡¯t have time to worry about that, and yesterday with Leyla¡¯s arrival, he had his head full, unable to worry about anything else.


    ¡°Maybe now I should go for a prayer¡­Hopefully, it¡¯ll help me with Teacher¡­¡±


    The fact that he relied on the Goddess¡¯ help now showed how much he was cornered, but he simply accepted that, scratching his head as he walked inside. The chapel was as full of people as before, but some things were different. There were various armored knights, patrolling the vicinity. Seemed like some important folks came over to visit. When he looked towards the back of the chapel, he spotted 2nd prince Konrad. As their eyes met, he showed a displeased expression.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Kyle was surprised to be met with such an oddly hostile reaction, but he simply lowered his head in politeness, giving an indifferent explanation.


    ¡°I am a follower of Cairys myself, and I came here in order to pray for my success and victory in the further battles of the festival.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmpf, fine. We were interrupted before, but now I can finally talk to you about something. Listen, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Konrad-sama, can I have a moment?¡±


    Right as Konrad was about to say something again, he was interrupted by a priest. He seemed to be in his later 30s, looking like your average clergy, showing a calming and gentle smile.


    ¡°Barrel! Don¡¯t get in my way!¡±


    Being reprimanded by Konrad, the priest called Barrel showed an apologetic expression, but still said what needed to be said.


    ¡°My deepest apologies, but Eldorand-sama is waiting for you in the imperial palace.¡±


    ¡°Urk¡­I can¡¯t afford to have Brother waiting for me¡­Whatever!¡± Konrad¡¯s mood was spoiled even further, as he left the chapel at high speed.


    Kyle watched him off, wondering what that was about, when Barrel apologized in Konrad¡¯s stead.


    ¡°We¡¯ve caused quite the ruckus, it seems. My deepest apologies, my name is Barrel, and I am the head priest of this country. It is a pleasure to meet you,¡± He lowered his head.


    As not just any simple clergy, but with his duties of organizing religious duties in the country, he served not only the Goddess but also the Empire. He most likely possesses a position on the level of government officials or politicians, an important profession in the Empire.


    ¡°In fact, I had been itching to have a conversation with the great Kyle-sama, so could I have some of your time right now?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, it won¡¯t take much time. Being able to meet you is a blessing of our Goddess¡­so I have to ask kindly. I¡¯m sure it will benefit you as well, Kyle-sama.¡±


    Kyle tried to decline, saying he had other plans, but Barrel gave him no option of doing so. Without much choice in the matter, Kyle was taken to the back of the chapel.


    The head priest¡¯s room was quite luxurious. In front of Kyle, as he sat on a soft and comfortable chair, was a plate with tea snacks, as well as high-quality tea itself, making it clear that he was very much welcome.


    ¡°Indeed, Kyle-sama¡¯s deeds¡­¡± Barrel sat across from Kyle, continuing to praise him.


    ¡°Well, thank you very much¡­¡±


    Barrel started to become a bit more aggressive with his interactions and physical contact. With Kyle having gained fame and renown fairly quickly, many people in the Empire were expecting him to achieve the same here, which is why they would try to get on good terms with him quickly. This was proof that Kyle¡¯s path of becoming a hero was starting to form ahead of him, but it made it equally obnoxious. That being said, he couldn¡¯t be rude towards Barrel, and the person himself seemed at least friendly on the outside, so he didn¡¯t have much trouble tagging along. That being the case, when Barrel said those words, Kyle almost reflexively agreed.


    ¡°However, that long-eared woman is no good.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡­Eh?¡± Kyle looked at Barrel¡¯s face, but he still showed the same usual smile.


    Saying the words long-eared towards an elf was a derogatory term. Something you wouldn¡¯t expect from a priest serving the Goddess Cairys who symbolized love and respect.


    ¡°If you keep such a thing next to you, she will eventually bring harm to you, Kyle-sama. You should remove her as quickly as possible.¡±


    He must be talking about Urza. At first, Kyle thought of it as a joke, but that was too nasty of one, and Barrel¡¯s eyes were serious as well.


    ¡°Are you¡­being serious?¡± Kyle glared at him, a mixture of anger and killing intent within his eyes.


    If this provocation had some sort of goal in mind, he would have to stay calm no matter what. However, when Urza or Lieze was in danger or being shamed by someone, he had no intentions of just letting the other person talk as much as they wanted.


    ¡°Naturally. Such an inferior being will only bring ruin to you, no matter what good you do for them. One cannot trust humanfolk other than humans after all.¡±


    That moment, Kyle felt a wave of eerie pressure and evil will, the same one he had witnessed two days ago, which made him almost reach for his sword. No doubt, it originated from the smiling Head Priest Barrel right in front of him. The moment he heard the words ¡®Humanfolk other than humans¡¯, Kyle remembered something.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­a follower of Mera!¡±


    It was the name of an evil cult that was prohibited in all of humanfolk society.

 Volume 3 - CH 14

    ¡°Ohh, so you know about us.¡± Barrel spoke like he was happy from the bottom of his heart.


    Goddess Mera is being seen as the older twin-sister of the Goddess of Earth, Cairys, with who she created the world and this continent, often appearing in ancient legends. Amongst the gods, she is one of the oldest and most renowned, told to hold tremendous power, which resulted in many faithful believers existing all over the world. However, despite being the twin-sister, she is supposed to have the exact opposite disposition of Cairys. Whereas Cairys controlled the light, Mera was responsible for the darkness¡ªDay and night, truth and lies.


    Whereas Cairys represented affection and universal love, Mera was a goddess who preferred humans the most among all humanfolk. Inevitably, most believers were of the human race, starting persecution or prosecution towards other races like elves or dwarves, and the stronger and stubborn believers would start setting up attacks without any discrimination. As a result, no other race but humans were accepted in their eyes, and rejected extremely, which is why this faith was regarded as a heretical religion, prohibited in every single country. However, even this remained deeply in human society, told to have great influence.


    ¡°I merely heard rumors about it¡­¡±


    As the line between both sides of society crumbled down during the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯, Kyle touched upon the dark sides of the world, and came to know about the Mera Cult.


    ¡°It seems like it was dug deeper than I initially assumed.¡±


    The doctrine of the Mera Cult even accepted fallacy if it was necessary. They would hide, faking their belief towards Cairys, but not even Kyle expected that the head priest of the Empire was a follower of Mera.


    ¡°As expected of Kyle-sama, being able to guess it immediately. The belief and teachings of the Mera Cult are spreading, deeply rooted in society. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many believers we have.¡± Barrel smiled, and grinned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­Prince Konrad?¡± A shiver ran down Kyle¡¯s back, remembering the prince he had just met.


    ¡°Nay, he simply visited us because of official business¡­The missionary work inside our country isn¡¯t quite making much progress, which is very troublesome. Absolute creed of strength may sound great, but those pseudo-humans really are starting to get on our nerves. In that regard, the Kingdom of Zilgus is wonderful, is it not? As an old human country, it has a perfect classification between humans and demi-humans. My ideal would be to completely cut them off¡­and to think that the next of Callan would be a dwarf¡­¡±


    ¡°So, what does a follower of Mera want with me?¡±


    Right as Barrel wanted to continue and complain about the state of Zilgus and the Empire, Kyle cut in, asking with his caution levels at an all-time max. He had no idea why Barrel would reveal his true identity here.


    ¡°Ah, my apologies¡­Their Holiness has ordered me to greet you as a believer of Mera-sama, hoping that you would one day serve our faith.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    For a moment, Kyle didn¡¯t understand what exactly he was talking about.


    ¡°We have yet to see a precedent of such a case, but it is quite the honor, truly. Congratulations, Kyle-sama.¡± Barrel seemed happy from the bottom of his heart, enough for Kyle to grasp that.


    ¡°Why? For what reason would you ask me?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? I have yet to hear any reason for it. However, it appears as if you are absolutely essential for the future of the Mera Cult. Their Holiness¡¯ orders directly come from Mera-sama herself, so someone like me dares not know.¡±


    ¡°I am a believer of Cairys, remember?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, however we will immediately educate you. Mera-sama is quite open-minded in that regard, so she will forgive you for being uneducated.¡±


    Now that the leader of the Mera Cult, the Holiness, has invited Kyle, Barrel must have accepted Kyle as a new faithful believer already. In his unwavering eyes, Kyle could even see an emotion resembling madness.


    ¡°Still, seeing Kyle-sama here as soon as I have received this order from Their Holiness, this must be the guidance of Mera-sama.¡±


    So the grotesque presence Kyle felt two days prior really was Barrel after all.


    ¡°However, although we would want to welcome you immediately, any special treatment would cause confusion, and we have those who fear Kyle-sama based on your strength and abilities. I would not dare call it a trial, but we figured it would be easiest if you showed your true skills. That would make everything a lot easier for us.¡± Barrel spoke, sounding like he believed this was all pure goodwill.


    ¡°Hence, we will have you fight the slave we have prepared.¡±


    ¡°Slave? Are you talking about Goldar?¡±


    Kyle faintly remembered the slave gladiator lizardman he met at the training space today.


    ¡°Goldar? I¡¯m sorry, but I have not bothered to remember his name¡­However, we simply assume that his strength is not too far from Kyle-sama.¡±


    Just as Harrel said, when Kyle saw Goldar¡¯s match, he understood that he was quite strong, making it to the third round, but someone that Kyle could beat no doubt.


    ¡°There, our plan shook a bit. We will be using a certain measure, enjoying the results¡­Or rather, if you had won in the festival, there would have been no need for such a test, but the arrival of the Crimson Ogre was outside our expectations. Making you face her would be far too cruel, so we prepared that lizard. Fight to your heart¡¯s content,¡± Barrel talked like he simply did this all for Kyle¡¯s sake.


    Kyle stayed silent to get as much information as possible out of him, but because the displeasure and disgust got the better of him, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve been talking this entire time about this and that, but do you really think I¡¯d just nod and say yes?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, but, Their Holiness said¡­¡±


    ¡°Then tell that person. Whether I¡¯m dealing with a human or another race from humanfolk, it doesn¡¯t matter, I won¡¯t discriminate against them.¡±


    There, for the first time, Barrel¡¯s expression broke apart, as regret showed on his face.


    ¡°That¡­is quite troublesome. It appears as if that long-eared woman has been seducing you. We have followers of the Mera Cult in the imperial capital, so maybe we should prepare to dispose of her as quickly as¡­¡±


    That moment, Kyle pulled his sword at incredible speed, pointing the blade at Barrel¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you off easily if you plan on hurting Urza in any way.¡±


    However, despite Kyle putting earnest killing intent in his words, and despite the blade pointed at his neck, Barrel was as calm as always.


    ¡°I can cut you down right here.¡±


    Barrel however just laughed, and shook his head.


    ¡°I highly doubt that, yes. You are quite wise, Kyle-sama, so you should know what would happen if you were to strike me down.¡±


    Seeing Barrel brimming with confidence, Kyle clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll reveal that you¡¯re a follower of Mera¡­¡±


    ¡°With no proof? Even if you were to attempt this, with your significant lack of trust in the Empire, nothing will happen to me.¡±


    Judging from that tone, he probably had enough countermeasures ready even if someone were to rat him out. If Kyle let his emotions get the better of himself, and he struck down Barrel, he would be branded as a criminal, and it might start the flames of a new war.


    ¡°More than anything, I have no problem with dying here. There are more who will welcome you.¡±


    He seemed to believe that it was fine to die for the sake of that Holiness and the Mera Cult.


    A fanatic, huh¡­How troublesome.


    Not fearing for their lives, simply acting out the orders for the sake of their doctrine¡­only a fanatic could do that.


    ¡°Well, it cannot be helped. If you are that adamant, I shall keep that case on hold for now.¡± Barrel said, clearly hinting at the assassination of Urza as well.


    ¡°Do what you want. I will fight Goldar, and win. Without you forcing me to.¡± Kyle put away his sword, and was about to leave the room, showing that he had nothing more to talk about, when he suddenly stopped again. ¡°One more thing. Were you present at the banquet the other day?¡±


    ¡°Oh, have you realized? Indeed, I was summoned. However, I had yet to hear the full details in regards to Kyle-sama, so I couldn¡¯t come to greet you. My deepest apologies.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    So that eerie presence Seran had felt really was Barrel after all.


    ¡°Now then, I am quite looking forward to your match tomorrow.¡± Barrel deeply lowered his head, seeing off Kyle.


    After Kyle left the cathedral, he moved almost like he was running.


    ¡°Now one annoying guy has set his eyes on me¡­¡±


    The doctrine and faith of Mera did not align with Kyle¡¯s goal at all. Defeating the demons was absolutely impossible with just the human race. He needed elves and dwarves as well, so discrimination against them was the last thing he could do if he wanted to unite all of them. In his previous life, Kyle had absolutely no connection to the Mera Cult. He may be standing out now, but that doesn¡¯t explain why their leader had their eyes set on him.


    Either way, he had to rush back to guarantee Urza¡¯s safety. They were currently staying at a designated room inside the imperial palace, and although that place was regarded as the most secure in all of the Empire, Barrel said they had followers of Mera inside the imperial palace, so nothing was guaranteed. On top of that, Kyle didn¡¯t know what kind of methods the cult used. When it came to secret assassinations, neither Urza nor Kyle was experienced. However, he had his own way of dealing with the situation.


    ¡°Fight an assassin¡­with an assassin.¡± Kyle rushed towards the bar where Minagi was working.


    ¡°That being the case, I¡¯d like to employ you.¡±


    ¡°Even if you suddenly tell me that¡­¡±


    Minagi was currently on a shift, carrying out food to the tables, only for Kyle to barge in, leaving her baffled.

 Volume 3 - CH 15

    ¡°I see¡­the Mera Cult indeed is a lot of trouble.¡±


    Minagi took a short break, taking Kyle to the back of the shop, hearing out the circumstances. She showed a complicated expression while eating the staff meal.


    ¡°So you know about them after all.¡±


    ¡°Somewhat, yeah. I may be working in the shadows, but I try my best to keep my distance from them. It seemed like they had been silent for a while but¡­they were interested in you? For what reason?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know, really¡­Anyway, since I¡¯m a target now, I need to prepare countermeasures. I figured it¡¯d be best to leave it to a professional, and hire you.¡±


    Hearing the ¡®professional¡¯ part from Kyle, Minagi¡¯s facial expression grew tense.


    ¡°Just to let you know, but I¡¯m not a professional assassin¡­Not to mention that the assassination of fanatics like followers of Mera works fundamentally different.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°I need to know their true identity, and I wouldn¡¯t obviously assassinate them. It¡¯s a basic principle to make it seem like a suicide or accident, and I can¡¯t wrap up other people. What¡¯s most important is that I have to make it back safely. Those are Souga¡¯s teachings.¡±


    That¡¯s why she needed time and money to spend on her preparations, doing it as thoroughly as possible.


    ¡°However, in the case of the Mera Cult, their lives are pretty much sacrificial pawns to make the mission a success, and since most of their targets are enemy of the cult, they make it flashy, priding themselves in the assassination. They don¡¯t mind how many other victims result from their actions.¡±


    As far as Minagi knew, they were willing to poison an entire banquet to kill a single person, and they previously killed a hundred people to achieve their goal.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the worst.¡± Kyle imagined the terrifying scenery in his head, and shivered in fear.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­However, that only heightens the numbers of their enemies, and they seemingly felt that as well, because those aggressive jobs started to get less and less in number. Though¡­¡±


    ¡°The assassinations haven¡¯t stopped, huh.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m pretty sure the numbers have gone down¡­Since I was in your care, I¡¯ll accept this request. I was planning on quitting today anyway, so I¡¯ll be sticking with that elf girl called Urza tonight, which is why you can rest easy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quitting?¡±


    ¡°Yup. At this place as well as the other bars and cafeterias!¡± Minagi grinned, nodding happily.


    All the places she worked at were food-related, ensuring that she would get as many staff meals as possible. She had to work this hard because of this debt. And yet, she¡¯s quitting all of her jobs. Right on the day of Kyle¡¯s 2nd match.


    ¡°¡­Seems like it worked out.¡±


    It appeared as if the bet was a huge payout.


    ¡°Ehh? That¡¯s not true~¡± Minagi said, showing a smile.


    Seeing that smile, Kyle was unable to tell her about the unexpected appearance of Leyla, and that he may not be able to make it to the final after all.


    ¡°Ahh¡­should I tell Urza about this?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t. At least for a while.¡± Minagi¡¯s smile stiffened up, as she thought for a bit. ¡°If she knew that an assassin might be aiming for her, she might just go out hunting for them herself, right? At least judging from what you told me about her.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, I¡¯d say it¡¯s best not to needlessly stimulate her now. I¡¯ll be sticking to her and she won¡¯t even realize it, and you should tell her once the danger is gone.¡±


    Hearing Minagi¡¯s suggestion, Kyle found himself agreeing. Following that, they discussed the details, and after Minagi¡¯s break ended, she returned back to her work. After splitting up with Minagi, all the excitement and panic Kyle previously felt managed to calm down. Now, the smile Urza showed while sacrificing herself to protect Kyle disappeared. Even so, he kept on running, wanting to see Urza¡¯s face as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Urza!¡±


    Arriving at the imperial palace, Kyle didn¡¯t even bother to knock, and simply swung the door open.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    At that moment, Urza and Lieze were together, eating the snacks they bought during the day, frozen stiff with open mouths at the sudden appearance of Kyle.


    ¡°¡­You two seem to be doing just fine, I¡¯m glad.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s mouth was equally open, trying his hardest not to meet eyes with Lieze. He wanted to leave the room with a brief ¡®If you¡¯d excuse me¡¯, but¡­he was captured, and lectured once again about suddenly barging into a girl¡¯s room.


    ***


    The following day, Kyle waited for his match to begin in the waiting room, a complicated expression on his face. He had already been contacted by Minagi in regards to her protection of Urza. He didn¡¯t manage to spot her, but she must be protecting her from the shadows. In short, he was reassured that Urza¡¯s safety was guaranteed, which is why he now focused on the third match ahead of him.


    ¡°Barrel talked about some plan, but¡­a follower of Mera using a lizardman, it can¡¯t be anything good¡­¡±


    Kyle had an awfully bad feeling about the upcoming match, but since an employee called for him, he had to instead worry about the match itself.


    ¡®Finally, the third round will start now! In our first match, we have participant Kyle who has managed to beat the favorite Rockert in the first round, and won in the second round without even breaking a sweat! He will be fighting participant Goldar, a lizardman with dragon blood inherited in his veins, so we can expect an exciting fight!¡¯


    Together with the announcer¡¯s voice, Kyle appeared from the west gate, whereas Goldar walked in from the east gate. As for Goldar, he changed a lot compared to when Kyle met him the day before. Even from afar, it was evident that he was breathing heavily, the muscles all over his body seemed about to burst out from his skin, and it felt like he had grown taller. More than anything, his eyes were blood red, like they had been pumped full of blood.


    The moment Goldar spotted Kyle, he didn¡¯t even wait for the signal to start the fight, but rather raised a warcry and immediately slashed at Kyle. At the same time, his movement was completely different from what he had shown during previous matches and practice, rather like he was giving in to using raw strength. Kyle evaded this attack with a faint graze on his cheek, as the sword Goldar used slammed into the ground, turning into its own starting signal.


    After that, Goldar continued his relentless attacks, the audience boiling in excitement. However, Kyle¡¯s heart was as cold as ice.


    ¡°Blood Eye¡­not to mention an undiluted solution,¡± Kyle muttered while evading the attacks, to which Goldar responded.


    ¡°So you knew.¡±


    [Blood Eye] is a type of medicine using the blood of a special mythical beast¡ªa mythical beast being special from your average monster, holding high knowledge and self-recognition, even being able to speak peculiar magic¡ªwhich could exponentially raise your fighting abilities. Looking at the effect alone, there was no better drug for a warrior. However, it wasn¡¯t all that convenient, of course. On top of average toxicity, it has several harsh side effects, one of them robbing you of your calm mind. It even whittles down the raw life force of the user. The red eyes of a user were one of the hints of [Blood Eye] and equally its namesake.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I had to drink it a lot myself.¡±


    The moment Kyle realized that his bad premonition was spot-on, Kyle grew even calmer.


    ¡°On top of heightening your strength and speed, Blood Eye also sharpens your senses and vision, even making your reflexes much quicker. At the same time, you stop feeling any pain, and you won¡¯t feel exhausted¡­More than anything, since it¡¯s just a drug, you can still use strengthening magic, which was the perfect match for me.¡±


    While blocking Goldar¡¯s fierce onslaught of attacks, Kyle calmly explained the effects of Blood Eye.


    ¡°However, all of these benefits equally turn to negative effects. First, your senses become far too sharp.¡±


    Kyle took his distance, and took off the scabbard he wore on his back, holding the scabbard in one hand and his sword in the other, like a two-handed sword style. After evading an initial attack from Goldar, he used the dull side of the sword to slam it against his scabbard, creating a loud metallic sound.


    ¡°Gah!?¡±


    Goldar covered his ears, staggering backward. The lizardmen always had sharp senses, but with the effect of the Blood Eye, this sound now was enough to act as a punch directly to his brain.


    ¡°Of course, I was fighting with earplugs just fine. Besides that, you also become weaker against radiant light and smell.¡±


    What Kyle took in his previous life was a weaker version, which dampened the side effects, but it was enough to harm him in many ways. In a moment, Kyle went on the attack, swinging his sword at Goldar¡¯s shoulder. With his smooth reactions, Goldar was already prepared to block this, but this swift movement would cost him greatly. Kyle had already stopped his sword, and instead sent a low kick directly at Goldar¡¯s knee.


    ¡°Your reactions become too quick as well, and until you¡¯re used to it, it¡¯s easy to fall for a feint¡­¡± Kyle connected another faint, continuing his attacks.


    Goldar was a first-class swordsman. From experience and training alone, his body would move faster and instinctively before he could think. As a result of that, he fell for every feint, suffering the main attack, his body ending up in wounds. However, because of his thick scales, and a result of the numbing effect of the Blood Eye, he continued to fight. However, his knee gave in, devoid of strength, as his sword dropped to the ground.


    ¡°¡­And, you may not be able to feel pain, but the wounds still remain.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s attacks were relentless against Goldar¡¯s arms and legs. Even if he couldn¡¯t feel any pain, once his tendons were cut, he would stop moving.


    ¡°Basically, Blood Eye is like a double-edged sword, and since you¡¯re not used to its effects, after using it against me, who¡¯s experienced¡­you only made yourself weaker.¡± Kyle continued an indifferent explanation.


    Like this was the expected result, like this couldn¡¯t be helped, he told himself.


    ¡°This is my final battle¡­Like hell¡­I¡¯ll let it end here¡­¡± Goldar pushed himself up on one knee, somehow managing to grab the sword, and tried his hardest to get up, but his limbs wouldn¡¯t listen.


    At the same time, Kyle approached him to finish the battle.


    ¡°Eat this!¡±


    Right as Kyle arrived in front of him, Goldar suddenly raised his head, opening his mouth, spewing out a roar together with an explosive flame. This was the reason people said that lizardmen inherited dragon blood, allowing them to use a trump card called ¡®Flame Breath¡¯. As the number of users was fairly limited even amongst the lizardmen, the great majority of people didn¡¯t even know of this attack. At the best possible timing, this Flame Breath used up all of Goldar¡¯s energy, but¡­


    ¡°Most unfortunate, I also know about that trump card.¡±


    Goldar heard Kyle¡¯s voice right next to him. Before Goldar could even react against that, the hilt of his sword slammed right into Goldar¡¯s lung. Inside the lizardmen, a large structure needed for the ¡®Flame Breath¡¯, called the flame bag, was found, storing flammable gas. He was aiming for exactly that. Kyle¡¯s attack broke that flame bag, which caused a counter-current. As a result, an explosion occurred inside of Goldar.


    ¡°¡­The final trump card of a lizardman warrior¡­resigning themselves to cause a self-explosion¡­I knew about that.¡±


    At the same time as the explosion happened, Kyle jumped backward, getting out of it with only faint injuries. The lizardman Kyle knew in his past life used that exact same technique to blow himself up, taking countless demons with him.


    ¡°What¡­you knew about everything.¡±


    After the dust of the explosion had settled, more than half the lizardman had been blown to bits, and it was a miracle that he was still alive. That being said, that was only the case thanks to the Blood Eye and he would surely die in a few more seconds.


    ¡°Yeah. Am I a coward?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the obvious result. I was the one who fought so unsightly¡­¡± Goldar showed a self-deprecating smile. ¡°I can¡¯t hope to meet Azaul with his kind of face.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then why did you use that drug?¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t used Blood Eye, Kyle could have gotten away without having to kill him, though it was hard to actually say that out loud.


    ¡°Two days ago, my owner suddenly changed, and they forced me. Work in a mine for the rest of my life, or use the drug to fight. To me, fighting is everything¡­so I chose to do this. Although I¡¯m a bit frustrated that I couldn¡¯t even land a single proper hit¡­I can die in peace, no matter the result¡­So, I¡¯m satisfied.¡±


    Kyle understood this. This was Goldar¡¯s own way of conveying gratitude and lessening the burden on Kyle¡¯s heart. However, Kyle still had to complain. He wouldn¡¯t be able to rest easy without that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be satisfied all on your own. I feel horrible because of you. Rather than being forced to kill you, I would have rather fought with you side by side¡­¡±


    Remembering the lizardman that was his comrade in arms during his previous life, Kyle¡¯s expression distorted in sadness.


    ¡°That¡­I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­¡± Goldar showed a faint smile, breathing his final breath.


    ¡®P-Participant Goldar has passed away! Participant Kyle is the winner!¡¯


    The audience was confused because of the abrupt explosion, but upon hearing the announcer¡¯s declaration, they raised cheers with applause. However, Kyle didn¡¯t answer these cheers in the slightest, doing something to Goldar¡¯s corpse, and then walked towards the west gate. They merely talked a few minutes the day prior, so there was no need to grief¡ªor so he told himself, as he headed to the waiting room.


    ¡°Truly, a wonderful act, Kyle-sama!¡±


    On his way there, Barrel greeted him with a bright smile.


    ¡°I am delighted to see that lizard being able to assist you in some way! With this, your honor should grow exponentially.¡±


    So Goldar was urged by Barrel. Have your sole reason for living stolen, or die after one last moment of living. Just as Goldar said, fighting was everything to him. In the end, it all worked out exactly how Barrel planned it. Hence, Kyle simply showed a smile and walked past him. Barrel was bewildered for a moment, but continued to smile, lowering his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­Smiling out of pure fury like that¡­¡±


    Kyle cursed his own desire for self-protection, which stopped him from cutting down Barrel right then and there.

 Volume 3 - CH 16

    ¡°Something was off there¡­¡±


    Sitting in the audience, Urza called out to Lieze. After the third round ended for Kyle, and they headed to his waiting room, his reaction seemed oddly dull and devoid of much emotion. Despite Seran¡¯s match starting soon, Kyle did not return with the girls in the audience.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s bothered by the fact that his opponent died?¡± Urza showed a grim expression, but Shildonia shook her head.


    ¡°It can hardly be classified as Kyle¡¯s responsibility. That lizardman took some weird drug, so he wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold out for much longer in that match. Also, I would assume that he intended on dying from the very beginning. And, it¡¯s not weird for deaths to occur during such a tournament.¡±


    In fact, every tournament suffers casualties, and even Goldar was the second death in this year¡¯s tournament. The participants were agreeing to the possibility of them dying the second they appeared.


    ¡°Right, it seemed like the lizardman was prepared for his death. What do you think, Lieze¡­Lieze?¡±


    ¡°¡­About Kyle¡­it felt like he went back to his former self for a moment.¡±


    Lieze had been lost in thought ever since they met Kyle a few minutes prior, now opening her mouth.


    ¡°Even before he suddenly wanted to become a hero, when he was just a good-for-nothing with no motivation¡­No, even prior to that¡­when he was passionate about sword and magic, quiet but confident about his skills¡­but equally fragile and easy to break¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t fit him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Knowing Kyle only from the current time, both Shildonia and Urza could not imagine him that way.


    ¡°But, because of a certain reason, he just ended up like a lazy good-for-nothing with eyes like a dead fish.¡±


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t a good change¡­he¡¯s gotten worse in a different direction.¡±


    ¡°Right. Though, he was out of harm¡¯s way, and gave me relief in some way, but¡­Kyle just now looked like he was back to that time, and it made me feel anxious¡­¡±


    By the way, the Kyle back at the time was a bit gloomy and mysterious, which made him somewhat popular with the members of the opposite sex, but as soon as he turned into a good-for-nothing again, they all looked away, which made Lieze feel relieved for a different reason.


    ¡°And, the trigger for him to change into that was¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone, could I have a moment with you?¡±


    Urza turned around, wondering who talked to them when it turned out to be Orgis. Both Kirlen and Orgis were letting Kyle take care of everything, just as they said, so they had been keeping quiet so far. Even after the festival began, they stayed away from Kyle¡¯s group so as to not put more unnecessary pressure on them.


    ¡°First, we¡¯d like to congratulate Kyle-dono for making it to the semi-finals. It seems to be going well, surely, but¡­the appearance of the Crimson Ogre was outside our range of expectations.¡± Orgis glanced down at the match, where the masked swordsman San Ferdes (or Seran, for the people who could tell) had just emerged victorious, raising his hand.


    ¡°The next match will be the semi-final, but¡­why is that person participating?¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. He¡¯s just continuing until the semi-finals so Kyle has it easier. They¡¯ll be holding a fixed game then.¡± Urza explained with a quiet voice.


    ¡°Ahh, is that so? Then those two won¡¯t actually have a serious match in the semi-finals¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Lieze protested strongly. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Seran will lose for sure! It¡¯s a fixed¡­Mgh!?¡±


    ¡°Calm down¡­¡± Urza thought that Lieze was starting to lose herself, so Urza covered her mouth before she could say anything unnecessary.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s a relief then¡­I met Princess Angela a few moments ago, and she talked about how she¡¯s so excited in regards to tomorrow¡¯s match that she probably won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight, so I was¡­worried¡­¡± Orgis said with an awkward laugh, and Urza could only show an uncomfortable smile.


    At around the same time, Kyle sat in the waiting room, looking up at the ceiling. A few moments ago, his fury towards Barrel, as well as the Mera Cult, was about to explode, but now that he managed to calm down a bit, he couldn¡¯t help but think about Goldar. He hadn¡¯t intended on killing Goldar, and although it was inevitable in the end, his mind drifted towards the what-ifs. Achieving a one-sided victory towards Goldar, who threw his life away, was like a rule breaker.


    He even started questioning if he should have truly won against Goldar, as Kyle was quite frankly scared of facing Leyla in the finals. He already thought about this when he was forced to kill his former comrade Zentos, but he still had yet to find an answer.


    ¡°Do I¡­even have the right to save the world? Well, there¡¯s no way I would have any right to kill Goldar¡­and Zentos for that goal.¡± Kyle started to question what he had been doing.


    ¡°Sup.¡± Seran entered the room without even knocking.


    ¡°Seran, huh¡­¡±


    He seemed unharmed as always, so Kyle didn¡¯t even bother to ask if he won or not, and Seran didn¡¯t say anything towards Kyle¡¯s match either. He simply grabbed a chair, and sat down next to Kyle.


    ¡°Say¡­did something happen between you and that lizardman?¡±


    After a brief silence, only filled by the cheers of the audience, Seran asked with a nonchalant tone.


    ¡°We just talked a bit yesterday.¡± Kyle said only that, taking a stance along the lines of ¡®This conversation is over¡¯, and Seran must have felt that as well, as he stopped asking.


    ¡°¡­You know, you seem to be thinking too much about all this complicated stuff,¡± Seran spoke with an exhausted tone.


    ¡°You¡¯re just not worrying about anything, ever.¡±


    ¡°Not really, I have my own things I worry about.¡±


    ¡°Really now¡­¡±


    After that brief exchange, another silence emerged, as they simply sat next to each other. At the end of the day, Leyla managed to win without much difficulty, which only left the semi-finals tomorrow, and the finale the day after.


    That night, Kyle went to bed early, but he kept his eyes open, still awake for a bit longer. He made a promise after all. Once it reached the designated time, a person appeared inside the room that should have been locked properly. Only Minagi¡¯s eyes could be seen, her body otherwise shrouded in darkness. If Kyle hadn¡¯t been informed that she would come to report this very day, he may not even have caught on to her presence, that¡¯s how invisible she was. However, Kyle may have admired this, but he wasn¡¯t shocked. He knew that this much she could do just fine.


    ¡°There you are¡­Still, I¡¯m surprised you managed to get inside the imperial palace this easily.¡±


    This should be the most secure location in the entire Empire.


    ¡°I told you, right. I did my thorough investigation and preparations¡­but to think they¡¯d assist me in such a way.¡± Minagi showed a somewhat defeated smile.


    ¡°Just be glad that you didn¡¯t waste all your time and money for nothing. And, how are things?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following her all day, but nothing suspicious stood out to me. No people around her seemed to be plotting anything either. She should be perfectly safe.¡± Minagi spoke with confidence in her voice, letting Kyle sigh in relief.


    ¡°I see¡­Then there¡¯s a chance it might have been an empty threat.¡±


    ¡°Right. Though, what¡¯s especially troublesome about the Mera Cult is that they have crazy people all over, so you can¡¯t ever let your guard down.¡±


    Mera was known as the Goddess who used lies and secrets to make things move to her will. Since Barrel has become a follower of Mera, it was evident that the Empire had already been drenched in that darkness.


    ¡°Well, endlessly doubting won¡¯t do us any good¡­Maybe we should change our approach? I can also be more of an aggressive guard if you¡¯d like me to.¡±


    An aggressive guard¡­sounded a bit like a contradiction, but it basically referred to taking immediate action against the threat, in other words assassinating Barrel instead.


    ¡°¡­No, don¡¯t. Not for now.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be sticking with her for another two, maybe three days.¡±


    As Minagi received special training, she could go an entire week without sleeping.


    ¡°¡­By the way, you seem to be a bit down, are you okay?¡± Minagi called out to Kyle in worry.


    ¡°Just too many things to worry about¡­¡±


    Kyle showed a wry smile, never having imagined the day would come where she would show worry like this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself, if you ended up losing during tomorrow¡¯s match¡­the bet!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about that!?¡±


    ¡°I mean, with the share I won yesterday, I bought the tickets¡­Ah, I should have bought some for the Crimson Ogre as well, she seems really strong after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡­You¡¯re losing yourself in the betting business. Keep it to a normal level.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯ll be going back to guarding her then. Do your best tomorrow.¡±


    Kyle let out a sigh when Minagi vanished, and the room went silent again. Through the open window, the moonlight shone inside the room.


    ¡°Tomorrow, huh¡­¡± Kyle muttered.


    With his business done for the day, it would have been fine for him to sleep, but his head full of everything left him unable to.


    ***


    Before the semi-final started, Angela, in a dress, came to meet the masked swordsman Seran in his waiting room.


    ¡°Seran-sama! Do your best! Ahh, I¡¯m looking forward to your match with Kyle-sama today!¡± Angela looked like a child on Christmas Eve.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can make it that exciting¡­¡±


    After all, it¡¯s already a fixed match¡­But of course, he couldn¡¯t say that, so he just gave a vague response.


    ¡°With this, we¡¯ll finally be able to tell who is stronger!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­right¡­¡± Seran looked at his beloved Holy Sword Rand, muttering.


    ¡®We¡¯ve now made it to the first match of the semi-finals, held between participants Kyle and San Ferdes! Despite this being their first appearance in this festival, they¡¯ve made it through various trials to reach this round. Who will make it to the finals!?¡¯


    The match was about to begin any second. As the announcer¡¯s voice filled the arena, Lieze was oddly absent-minded.


    ¡°You seem to be awfully worried about them fighting, is something wrong?¡± Urza asked her.


    Even before entering the arena, Lieze was oddly adamant and forceful as she told Kyle and Seran ¡®You better make it a mock battle, okay!?¡¯.


    ¡°¡­The last time those two fought was half a year ago, but¡­The last time they fought for real was more than a year ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and how did that fight end?¡±


    Lieze was about to open her mouth, having made up her mind, but then¡ª


    ¡°Kyle almost killed Seran¡­or rather, he pretty much left him half-dead.¡±


    ¡°Leyla-san!¡±


    Their master, Leyla, arrived.


    ¡°They fought countless times before that, but they went all out for that final match¡­which is why things ended as they did now.¡± Leyla pointed at the two in the middle of the arena, and the moment Lieze saw what was going on, all blood was drained from her face.


    Originally, Kyle was supposed to be the one to strike first. However, as soon as the signal for the beginning of the match came in, Seran was the first to attack. It was a high-speed attack that aimed for Kyle¡¯s neck, but he calmly, almost like he expected that, accepted it with his own sword. The two swords of legend clashed, as sparks flew.


    ¡°Sorry, my body just moved on its own,¡± Seran spoke, no lie in his words.


    Undoubtedly, he was planning on losing right before the match began, but as soon as he heard the signal, his body moved. As Kyle blocked Seran¡¯s sword, he used a kick to blow him off, taking his distance.


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I know. My body did the same.¡±


    As the loud cheers of the audience disappeared, the two read each other¡¯s lips, holding a conversation.


    ¡°I thought that this might happen, but¡­We¡¯ll go back to before at this rate. This time, there¡¯s no guarantee we¡¯ll make it out alive, and I don¡¯t want to go through that again.¡±


    ¡°Back then, huh¡­¡± Seran gently caressed the scar on his chest, attacking Kyle again.


    ¡°What¡­are you doing?¡±


    Seeing Seran attack Kyle with all of his might, Lieze¡¯s lips started quivering, her expression pale, as she remembered the time Seran almost died. For three days and three nights, Seran was in a critical situation deciding between life and death. Kyle ended up devoid of any aspiration, like an empty shell of his former self, and Lieze still remembered the shock she had felt back then. Not wanting to go through the same experience again, Lieze was about to get up from her seat in order to stop the match, but Leyla held her down.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. Let them do this.¡±


    The sole reason Leyla even came to them was to stop Lieze like this.


    ¡°No way! It¡¯ll end up the same way as before, I need to stop them¡­¡­L-Leyla-san!?¡± She begged Leyla with tears in her eyes, but the moment she saw her expression, Lieze grew silent.


    Normally, Leyla was an existence Lieze could rely on, always brimming with energy. And yet, she looked like she was close to breaking out in tears. Surely not even Seran had seen her like that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lieze-chan. I get that you¡¯re worried, but¡­I want to grant my son¡¯s wish. He wishes for this fight more than anybody else.¡±


    As she observed the match, Leyla¡¯s face was undoubtedly¡ªthat of a loving mother.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about back then.¡±


    The person who had been brought to the brink of death¡ªSeran apologized. Although he did it while aiming for Kyle¡¯s vital point, it still came from his heart.


    ¡°Ever since I cheated death that day, you never went all out again. You stopped striving to become stronger, and just had the eyes of a dead, emotionless fish. Everybody looked at you like a good-for-nothing¡­and it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but can¡¯t you choose your words a bit more carefully¡­¡± Kyle muttered while defending against Seran¡¯s frenzy.


    However, Seran was right. At that time, Kyle practiced both sword and magic, feeling happy about getting stronger even if it was just a small bit. Despite that, in every mock battle, he could never once win against Seran. Almost desperate to win at least once, he continued his rigorous training, until he finally reached Seran during that mock battle. When he came back to his senses, Seran had collapsed in an ocean of blood.


    Fortunately, Seran survived that almost lethal wound, but Kyle found himself unable to continue his training, losing his motivation to become stronger. Whenever he imagined that his goal of wanting to win eventually could lead to Seran¡¯s death, he became scared.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to go through that again.¡±


    Even now, the fact that he almost killed his best friend with his own two hands weighed down on Kyle¡¯s heart.


    ¡°But, during the banquet the other day, we were discussing who was stronger, right? Like we were back to being small brats¡­And that made me really happy.¡± Seran showed a genuinely happy, and almost innocent smile.


    Even Seran had his own regrets about what happened a year ago. However, not because he was almost killed by his friend, but rather because he felt guilty of stealing all of his best friend¡¯s motivation. It was all because he was too weak, which is why he kept training rigorously like a maniac, all so that the same won¡¯t happen again. However, when Kyle asked Leyla for another match half a year ago, his skills had already been outdone by Seran.


    ¡°Well, the biggest reason was also myself. I¡¯m still hung up on what happened back then. If I don¡¯t fight you with everything I have, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get over it¡­Hey, Kyle, I¡¯m strong now. So strong that you won¡¯t be able to defeat me with all of your strength. That¡¯s why, don¡¯t worry about anything, and come at me.¡± Seran showed an invincible and impregnable smile, the kind of smile Kyle liked the most about him.


    Kyle let out a sigh, and clicked his tongue. After a brief moment, he muttered.


    ¡°The worst¡­I have a goal I need to accomplish no matter what. The first one being my fight with Teacher after this, so I can¡¯t afford to waste any energy. Nothing good will come out of fighting you with all my strength right here, right now. And yet¡­¡± Kyle showed a similar smile to what Seran was flashing. ¡°And yet, here I am, wanting to fight you for real¡­I really am the worst¡­¡±


    At that moment, saving the world, worrying about the Mera Cult, the guilt for killing Goldar and Zentos, it all was blown away in his mind. Even the fact that he almost killed Seran didn¡¯t matter anymore. Even if he were to regret this later, it didn¡¯t matter. He simply wished to fight Seran with every ounce of strength he had, and then come out victorious. It was all he could think about.


    ¡°So it¡¯s come down to this after all¡­Can¡¯t help it, I¡¯ll tag along for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Say what you want. Weren¡¯t you the one who stopped me when I said I¡¯d quit the festival?¡±


    ¡°Right back at you, you said you agreed to Princess Angela¡¯s request because you were drunk, but there¡¯s no way you¡¯d be this careless in a foreign state, let alone the Empire.¡±


    The two smiled.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    From there on out, no more words were needed.

 Volume 3 - CH 17

    Their fight was like a battle to the death. Both of them were painfully aware of their own strengths, and they did not let down their guards even for a second. If their focus ran out for even a second, it would immediately end with certain death. Their attacks were planned as one-hit kills, as they evaded these with the smallest margin, blocking every attack with pinpoint accuracy. And yet, both of them were slowly but steadily amassing small injuries. Amidst this fierce battle, looking like a choreographed dance up on stage, the audience kept on raising cheers.


    However, even this balanced battle slowly started showing cracks. The first one to start pressing harder was Seran. Slowly but steadily, Kyle was pushed into the defense.


    ¡°Urk!¡±


    He somehow barely evaded an attack that grazed the tip of his nose, but because he was forced to dodge that in an unfortunate stance, he lost his balance, which Seran didn¡¯t miss. He aimed for Kyle¡¯s limbs that he could hit for certain. Kyle knew that trying to protect himself there would open up his head or other limbs, which is why he had no other choice but to accept these attacks. With this endless onslaught of attacks, slowly draining Kyle of his strength, Kyle¡¯s movement started to become dull.


    Naturally, this choice was taken by Seran because he was conscious of him as a strong enemy. It might seem like it would take time, but Seran knew that this was the best possible way of bringing a conclusion to a fight that would otherwise be dragged out endlessly. He attacked like a hunter preparing to capture their prey, slowly but steadily cornering Kyle.


    Yeah, I guess Seran is a cut above me when it comes to sword skills.


    Talking in simple talent with the sword, and battle sense, Seran was superior. On top of that, he put much more effort into his training as well. At the same time, Kyle had taken almost a year off of training, his body having gotten somewhat dull. Although he made up for it with rigorous training recently, the difference was still clear as day. Trying to reach an equal level with Seran¡¯s skill was too much for Kyle at the moment.


    He tried his hardest to get back up, in a proper fighting stance, but Seran continued to attack. And of course, Seran had the upper hand when it came to time as well. As of right now, Kyle was boosting his physical abilities with support magic like [Haste] and [Strength]. Once that effect ran out, his fighting strength would drop drastically, and Seran surely wouldn¡¯t allow him to recast the spell.


    If this was an actual battle, he would use a magic crystal that could apply that effect instantly, or run away temporarily to give himself time, but as this was a match, these options had been stripped of him. Seran had seen through all of that, slowly chipping away at Kyle, aiming for him to run out of time. It was all to achieve indisputable victory. All Kyle could do now was go for a hit or miss all-out attack¡ª


    ¡­Yeah, no way that will work!


    He knew that self-abandonment would not let him get the win no matter what. Defending against Seran¡¯s relentless attacks, Kyle sought out openings between these, throwing in counterattacks, always calm and collected. That was the one difference between the two that actually benefited Kyle. Namely, his thorough battle experience. He has had many more dangerous and equally hopeless battles like this, and being shaken or panicked never helped him overcome that. However, even as he was looking for past techniques to help him overcome this battle, more and more wounds were inflicted on him.


    Finally, the magic he had cast on himself wore off. His body suddenly felt like he was carrying a heavy rock, slowing his movement, right as Seran jumped at him, aiming for his chest. Kyle somehow managed to block off the heavy impact, but Seran pushed the two swords together, flinging Kyle¡¯s arms into the air. As his arms were riddled with wounds, Kyle couldn¡¯t hold on to his sword, which flew into the sky, him falling backward on his back.


    ¡°I got you now!¡± Seran screamed, planning on finishing the fight.


    ¡ªThere, an odd sensation filled Kyle. Seran¡¯s sword, which normally would move at speeds a human person wouldn¡¯t be able to perceive as well as the dust being swirled up around him, and the blood and sweat dripping off him, it all looked so slow. Like time had been stretched out, or like his thoughts accelerated. They say that people relive their final moments before death. However, Kyle instead thought of ways he could win.


    Evade? ¡­No, that won¡¯t work. The wounds on his legs were too deep, his posture was unstable. Intercept the sword with his bare hands now that he had lost his own? No, that won¡¯t work. Together with Seran¡¯s raw strength, as well as the Holy Sword Rand, he would just cut through Kyle¡¯s arms. Attack with magic? ¡­Not possible. Magic used chants to exchange mana into fire or cold air, but he didn¡¯t have the time for that. There, a certain thought ran through Kyle¡¯s mind. If he didn¡¯t have time to convert the mana, then just skip that part?


    With that plan in mind, Kyle¡¯s body already moved. Seran saw Kyle¡¯s left arm and his palm pointed at himself, but didn¡¯t bother with that. No matter what magic Kyle could use without a chant, it was nothing but final and futile resistance. Seran accepted the bit of damage if he could finish this fight in his favor. However, the moment he saw a bluish-white light flashing up in Kyle¡¯s palm, Seran felt a shiver running down his back, realizing that this was bad. What Kyle fired off after that was pure mana, raw [Strength].


    That sphere of light was fired off, and the moment it hit Seran, a great explosion happened that caused the entire arena to shake. It was a larger explosion than during his fight with Goldar on the previous day, which caused somewhat of a panic in the audience, as people in the audience even fell off their seats.


    ¡°What was that!?¡± Shildonia raised a voice of shock and disbelief, but there was another person¡ª


    ¡°That was¡­!¡±


    Indeed, it was the Empire¡¯s greatest court mage Beadola, watching the fight from the VIP seats. Finally, the explosion settled, and the only person standing still was Kyle. Naturally, the left arm he used to fire off that sphere of light had suffered severe injuries as well, and he himself was riddled with wounds all over. However, he still managed to stand on his own two legs. As Seran was hit with that explosion at close range, he must be in an even worse shape. Kyle picked up his sword, approached Seran¡¯s body, collapsed on the ground¡ªright when Seran jumped up to leap at Kyle, but he expected this, blocking the attack.


    ¡°So even now¡­you won¡¯t let down your guard, huh.¡± Seran was breathing heavily, blood dripping from his mouth, as he called out to Kyle.


    ¡°When fighting you, there¡¯s no way I can afford to let down my guard even a second, right?¡± Kyle suppressed the pain in his left arm, flashing a cocky smile.


    ¡°¡­So, what was that just now?¡± Seran should have understood that the previous attack wasn¡¯t just any kind of magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s my ace in a hole I prepared for fighting you.¡±


    Naturally, that was an absolute lie, but Kyle wanted to act cool for once. Of course, he himself realized that he was just making up nonsense at this point.


    ¡°Sounds fishy, but¡­At least I can still move my body.¡± Seran said, but his body was in tatters.


    He seemed severely injured on the inside as well. However, his eyes weren¡¯t dead.


    ¡°You still wanna continue¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m still alive after all. Though this is pretty tough.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯m not much better.¡± Kyle was pretty much all out of mana, his body riddled with wounds.


    His left arm was in an especially awful state. However, his eyes were brimming with willpower as well.


    ¡°We both can¡¯t bother with small tricks anymore, but¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as our bodies are still moving, right¡­¡±


    Seran and Kyle smiled at each other, and the battle was restarted.


    The fight from there on grew even more severe, to the point it was hard to describe with sheer words. It was still as fierce as before, but the essence had changed. It was a harsh battle that used every ounce of technique they both possessed, but no small tricks or intricacies were used. It¡¯s like a battle of souls, their beings clashing directly. Each and every swing of the sword was a bet on success or failure, repeated by Kyle and Seran for what felt like an eternity. Sometimes they didn¡¯t even bother to dodge, other times simply clashed against each other, both flung off in the opposite direction, and yet they would get up again.


    The reaction of the audience changed as well. At first, the audience was cheering at every exchange that happened during the beginning of the match. However, they were met with overwhelming force and awe, watching the battle in utter silence, some viewers simply putting their hands together. The VIP lounge was no exception, as Eldorand and Maizar, even Angela all held onto their chairs with quivering hands, their mouths closed in anticipation.


    Lieze was watching with tears in her eyes. Urza¡¯s face was pale in shock and disbelief. Shildonia simply watched the battle from start to finish with an indifferent expression. Leyla observed the fight with a serious expression, but didn¡¯t utter a single word. The entire arena was wrapped in an almost eerie silence you wouldn¡¯t expect during a semi-finals match, as only the sounds of the two people could be heard.


    Despite this battle seeming like it could continue forever, the ending soon arrived. After their countless full-power clashes, they both dropped their swords at the same time. Even though they were burning with passion to continue their fight, the endless wounds and exhaustion they suffered didn¡¯t allow them to even hold their swords anymore. Even so, the two didn¡¯t stop the fight, putting all of their strength into their fists, throwing them at each other.


    Neither of them even had the stamina to block or evade. Their fists just simultaneously slammed into the other¡¯s face, landing direct hit after direct hit. Like this, both their stamina and willpower finally reached their limit, with Seran being the first one to break down and collapse, with Kyle¡ªstanding despite that. Right before he fell over, he slammed one foot on the ground, keeping his balance at the last moment. He grit his teeth to bear with the pain and stood still as his entire body was shaking.


    If one asked why Kyle managed to keep standing then¡ªit was the difference in experience after all. They both gave it their everything, using up every ounce of strength they had, but only Kyle experienced battles where he had to keep standing despite that. There were battles he couldn¡¯t give up as long as he was still alive¡­No, even if it would kill him in the process. That¡¯s what allowed him to stand in the end.


    ¡®P-Participant San Ferdes is down! Regarded as unable to continue the match, participant Kyle is the winner!¡¯


    The announcer returned back to their senses, announcing Kyle¡¯s victory.


    ¡°How¡­can you still keep standing?¡± Seran was still collapsed on the ground, asking Kyle who approached him.


    ¡°¡­Maybe because of our eating habits? I eat everything, but you often leave your vegetables, no?¡±


    ¡°So I lost because of mere preferences¡­So, when will we have a rematch?¡±


    Now that the match between them had ended, there was no grudge between them. Rather, they had a reason to fight again.


    ¡°Can you maybe relax a bit¡­No way I can do that anytime soon again. Ask me in a few years again.¡± Kyle sighed in disbelief, but he didn¡¯t deny the rematch.


    At the very least, Seran would have to wait another four years¡­until everything related to the ¡®Great Invasion¡¯ was over.


    ¡°I know that. Since you won, you have the right to decide when we¡¯ll have the rematch¡­Ouch.¡± Seran tried his best to get up, but his body wouldn¡¯t listen.


    Hence, Kyle came in and offered him a hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll win next time.¡± Seran didn¡¯t curse at all but instead declared with full confidence.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll win again next time.¡± Kyle returned a few words, offering Seran his shoulder.


    The two smiled at each other and left the arena. The audience must have felt the importance of this action, as many of the visitors stood up to give a round of applause.


    ¡°Alright, I guess this is where the real deal begins.¡±


    On the way to the waiting room, Seran muttered with a docile voice


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget about Lieze? Do you really think she¡¯ll let us off easy for doing something so stupid?¡±


    The moment Kyle heard those words, his face grew pale.


    ¡°Crap, I totally forgot!¡±


    This time, Kyle felt true despair assault his body.


    ¡°Then¡­I¡¯ll¡­leave the rest to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, Seran! You bastard, don¡¯t just conveniently pass out! You plan on pushing all the blame on me, huh!?¡± Kyle continued to scream at Seran, who lost consciousness with a gentle smile on his face.


    Kyle somehow managed to drag Seran back to the waiting room, where, as expected, Lieze and the others immediately ran towards them.


    ¡°You two! You might be fine with this, but understand how the people watching you must have felt!¡± Lieze grabbed Kyle¡¯s collar, shaking him while weeping.


    The two may have wished for this, but in doing so, they forced their childhood friend to watch a battle where one of them may have died, so naturally she would be angry.


    ¡°No, well, I also had my own share of circumstances¡­H-Hey, I¡¯m hurt, can¡¯t you see!¡± Kyle looked at Urza in an attempt to seek help, but she just glared at him as well.


    And then, he spotted that her eyes were red as well, realizing that he must have worried her, and ultimately stopped all resistance. Finally, Lieze sank to the ground, breaking out in tears again. Urza tried to cheer her up, but she started crying soon after as well, which is why a blushing Kyle was forced to apologize immediately.


    Around the two girls finally calmed down, the second semi-final match ended with Leyla¡¯s overwhelming victory, and Seran also woke up.


    ¡°Ouch¡­Damn it¡­Yo, old hag.¡± Leyla looked at Kyle¡¯s group, grinning, and then turned towards her son.


    ¡°¡­Feeling better now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­guess.¡± Seran nodded with a somewhat relieved expression, to which his mother Leyla smiled.


    ¡°Glad to hear that. Still, that sure was a flashy match¡­Also, how did you even survive that explosion?¡±


    Even from the audience high up, that explosion looked like no joke, so it was even weird for Seran to still be alive.


    ¡°At least be happy that I¡¯m still alive¡­Well, I don¡¯t really get it myself.¡±


    Even Seran wasn¡¯t quite sure how he managed to make it out of there alive.


    ¡°The reason for that is most likely the Holy Sword.¡± Shildonia pointed at the Holy Sword Rand. ¡°That black blade seemed to be working, providing you with some sort of divine protection¡­It protects its user after all. This most likely saved you from that explosion.¡± Shildonia concluded.


    However, that seemed to be a different kind of power from magic, but Shildonia didn¡¯t fully understand it herself.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s convenient. As expected of my beloved sword.¡± Seran seemed genuinely happy, to which Kyle remembered that the current Demon Lord really wanted that sword.


    Maybe that¡¯s the reason why?


    Kyle realized that he would have to look into it more.


    ¡°Anyway¡­you two worked really hard.¡± Leyla smiled at Kyle and Seran, speaking with a gentle voice.


    So far, all she did was scold them or complain during their fights, so this was a first for the two. They felt awkward, not knowing how to react.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll be fighting you tomorrow, Kyle.¡±


    However, these words from Leyla made Kyle return to reality far too quickly for his taste.


    ¡°Ahhh, Teacher, I think we both showed you plenty of our progress just now, so¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Whether it¡¯s you or Seran, I will fight both of you with everything I have. I¡¯ve decided on that since the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much¡­I wonder if I can even recover in time for the match tomorrow¡­¡± Kyle looked down at his own body, covered with wounds and bruises, flashing a wry smile.


    However, all of the regret he had felt before the match was gone, and his worries left his mind, like he was refreshed. More than anything, he didn¡¯t feel as scared of Leyla anymore.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m looking forward to tomorrow, Teacher.¡±


    Leyla was surprised to see that reaction from Kyle, but she soon after grinned at him with absolute confidence.


    ¡°You¡¯re oh so cheeky now, huh¡­¡±


    Seeing Kyle like that, Seran showed a happy smile. Lieze and Urza sighed in disbelief, but eventually gave in. Everybody was in a good mood¡ªexcept one person.


    He probably hasn¡¯t realized, or maybe he¡¯s aware of it and is purposefully ignoring it¡­That was explosion magic¡­something demons would often use¡­or rather, only demons could use. If he can use that, that means¡­


    Shildonia was thinking to herself, looking at Kyle with a complicated expression.

 Volume 3 - CH 18

    The morning of the finals arrived. Even in the early hours, the arena was filled with people, with people even willing to stand in case they didn¡¯t get any seats, all of them fighting for the best ones.


    ¡°Phew, lots of people.¡±


    In the audience seats reserved for them, Seran looked around himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go sulking just because you lost in the semi-finals.¡±


    ¡°Are you still angry at me¡­I apologized plenty already.¡± Seran complained towards the displeased Lieze.


    ¡°So, Seran, how do you think this match will go?¡±


    Hearing Urza¡¯s question, Seran thought about it for a moment.


    ¡°¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t know. If it was Kyle before he fought me yesterday, I would¡¯ve bet on my old hag¡¯s win.¡±


    This morning, Seran himself asked Kyle about his chances, and he simply declared ¡®I won¡¯t go for any tricks. I¡¯ll be facing her with everything I have¡¯. To Seran, who knew Kyle very well, this was a clear improvement compared to before.


    ¡°How do I say this¡­he¡¯s taken a step forward by winning against me.¡±


    Naturally, Seran saw right through that, but he still felt annoyed that Kyle basically got a step ahead of him.


    ¡°Well, I personally would be happy if both of them lost.¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and watch.¡± Lieze kicked his shin.


    In preparation for the final match, Kyle sat in the waiting room, gathering focus. As for the injuries of the semi-finals, he used the expensive healing medicine, and Urza¡¯s healing magic to recover from 90% of the injuries, so he was pretty much back to normal. As for his mental state, he was oddly calm, and also equally motivated.


    ¡°Now, I can fight Teacher¡­¡±


    And, he might even be able to win.


    ¡®Finally, we have participant Kyle who pretty much decimated his last three foes! Will that explosion work against the Crimson Ogre!?¡¯


    ¡°Treating me like some terrorist¡­¡±


    Right as he threw in a retort, the door opened without even a knock, and someone entered the waiting room. Kyle was about to ask who it was, but seeing the person, he swallowed that. It was none other than Konrad.


    ¡°To think you¡¯d make it to the finals¡­Well, I came here to wish you luck.¡±


    Konrad is one of the most reputable people in the Empire, so Kyle thanked him.


    ¡°Thank you very much¡­So, can I help you with something? I¡¯m about to head out to my final match¡­¡±


    ¡°I need to depart outside the country because of diplomatic reasons. However, before that, I needed to talk to you no matter what¡­Do you know the Mera Cult?¡±


    Kyle was shocked to hear that coming out of Konrad¡¯s mouth, but he managed to hide that, and acted like this was his first time hearing about it.


    ¡°I have heard the name before, but¡­what about them?¡±


    ¡°There are traces that this Mera Cult has been looking into you¡­and even interacted with you. We do not allow the doctrine of discriminating against races in our country, so do not get involved with them.¡± Konrad said, just to make sure.


    ¡°So the reason you kept wanting to talk to me all this time¡­just to warn me?¡±


    ¡°No! I was actually intent on kicking you out from the very beginning! However, Brother and Maizar seemed to be pondering killing you, so I just wanted to get it over with!¡±


    ¡°Eh? So¡­you tried to save me?¡±


    Not expecting this, Kyle raised a voice of surprise.


    ¡°N-Not at all! It¡¯s just¡­you know¡­I have a debt to repay with Teacher¡­with Seraia¡­Is she doing fine?¡±


    ¡°You know my mother?¡±


    ¡°When we were younger¡­she taught me a bit about Ancient Language Magic¡­Since you¡¯re her son, I was a bit curious, that¡¯s all!¡± Konrad was flustered, his face a bit red.


    ¡°¡­Was she your first love?¡± Kyle knew he was being quite rude towards the second prince, but he had to ask that.


    ¡°Wha¡­O-O-Of course not!! Though I have to admit, she was a w-wonderful person!¡± Konrad denied it, red as an apple.


    Seemingly, Kyle hit the mark.


    ¡°I-I am responsible for dealing with the Mera Cult within our Empire! I just wanted to tell you to not cause any problems! That¡¯s all!¡± Konrad seemed frantic, denying everything he just said.


    ¡°Thank you very much for going out of your way to worry about someone like me. I won¡¯t forget your advice.¡± Kyle lowered his head, giving his earnest gratitude.


    ¡°¡­Hmpf!¡± Konrad let out an arrogant snort, and quickly left the room.


    Watching him walk off, Kyle muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a bit late for me to not get involved, but I have my own ideas.¡±


    ***


    The seats in the audience for the imperial family and high nobles were separated from the rest, creating a small space for social interaction, a salon of sorts, which allowed the nobles or other higher-ups to talk before the match. Unlike the normal seats where you were sitting shoulder to shoulder with your neighbor, the seats here were quite a ways away from each other, even allowing for walking around freely. Sitting on one of these seats, Barrel was in an exceptionally good mood, awaiting the final match to start.


    Kyle truly stood out through his erasure of that reptile, but he brought more attention to his name because of yesterday¡¯s semi-final match. It even made Barrel think that ¡°Maybe he could best the Crimson Ogre?¡±, indeed. If he achieved that, his name would spread like a wildfire. Once he became a follower of Mera, it would give them immense amounts of influence.


    That means we will have to remove that long-eared woman immediately, and pull him over to our side¡­


    As he was thinking that, a faint impact shook his head.


    ¡°My deepest apologies, Head Priest.¡±


    The person apologizing seemed to be the daughter of a noble. In a faint moment of carelessness, she seemingly happened to splash whatever liquid she had in her glass onto Barrel¡¯s clothes, frantically taking out a handkerchief. As the head priest for the Goddess Cairys, he naturally answered politely, not telling her to worry, but¡ªhis hand wouldn¡¯t move. He tried to get up from his seat, but he couldn¡¯t muster up any strength. Rather, he was about to fall off his chair.


    Following that, with a perfectly natural movement that showed the lady cleaning up Barrel¡¯s clothes, she made him sit back up on the chair. Met with this irregular and surreal situation, Barrel tried to raise his voice, asking for help, but at that exact moment, Leyla and Kyle entered the arena, which resulted in the audience raising cheers that could make your ears bleed. Through that, Barrel¡¯s weak voice went unheard.


    In the meantime, he completely lost all freedom to move his body, and even his ability to speak vanished fully, as all he could do was suffer. All the other nobles and visitors around him were fully focused on Kyle and Leyla, not glancing at him, no attention whatsoever.


    ¡°There¡¯s always a perfect place for an assassination. In an empty space, in a location where you don¡¯t have a weapon to defend yourself¡­and even in a crowd of people is a possibility¡­¡± The woman, Minagi, showed a smiling expression, befitting a noble lady.


    However, the words she used couldn¡¯t be more extreme and grotesque.


    ¡°Kyle seemingly was dead-set on finishing you with his own two hands, but he apparently gave up on that. Instead¡­¡­Do you know what this is?¡± Minagi opened up her handkerchief, revealing something that looked like a piece of metal. ¡°This is a fragment of the lizardman¡¯s sword, which you used as mere trash for the sake of your objective¡­I put poison on it, and stabbed you. It¡¯s a special type, so it¡¯ll seem like a heart attack.¡±


    After the third round ended, Kyle recovered this small piece from Goldar¡¯s corpse. Hearing about this, Barrel showed a terrified, and equally dejected expression for the very first time. Seeing this, Minagi flashed a smirk.


    ¡°There¡¯s even some on your face, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She said, wiping his face to create a smile. ¡°Now then, if you would excuse me.¡±


    Barrel was even unable to move his face, as Minagi left him alone. As this all happened in a mere thirty seconds, nobody would remember Minagi or her face. At the same time, Barrel¡¯s death was only realized after the final match had already concluded.


    ¡°I sure turned upright, huh. Doing it exactly as he requested.¡±


    After finishing her assassination, Minagi walked away from the noble¡¯s audience suite, letting out a sigh.


    ¡®I decided to approach this a bit more simply. I¡¯m not wrong, so the best way is to just pull through with it¡­If I have to face the Mera Cult either way, it¡¯d be best to erase Barrel as quickly as possible.¡¯


    The previous evening, Kyle gave Minagi this contract, with the extra condition that he wanted it done with a piece of Goldar¡¯s sword, and an explanation of what that meant. Of course, Kyle had no way of proving if Minagi really did that, but that didn¡¯t matter to her. Before his death was made public, Minagi snuck into his room, searching for anything related to the Mera Cult, hoping to acquire any possible information about the enemy.


    ¡°You better do your best as well.¡±


    Seeing that the match was about to begin, Minagi took out her betting ticket, gave it a faint kiss, and ran from the arena to finish her other job.


    ***


    Standing in the middle of the arena, Kyle and Leyla looked at each other.


    ¡°I like that expression of yours, Kyle,¡± Leyla said, sounding oddly joyful.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Kyle showed a smile of his own.


    His fear of Leyla and negative thinking were gone, as he could now face her with everything he had. Just like during her battle with Darius, Leyla swung her greatsword, taking a defensive posture. This stance was something she only used against someone she recognized as a strong enemy. As for Kyle himself, as soon as the signal for the start of the match sounded, he immediately attacked without hesitation. The conclusion of attacking right away against an opponent that was this good at reading attacks, namely Leyla, came instantly. Immediately after, Leyla swung her greatsword at an almost divine speed, yet holding explosive power. Kyle intercepted this with his own sword.


    ¡°Oooooooooh!!¡±


    Kyle¡¯s entire body was raising screams of agony, met with the impact and raw strength. Even his feet were pressed into the ground, but he grit his teeth, standing tall. Defending against Leyla¡¯s full-frontal attack was almost madness in the eyes of many, but Kyle was confident that he could do it. Plus, without that, there¡¯s no way he could win against Leyla either way. Witnessing this, Leyla showed a somewhat surprised expression. This single swing was like her special technique, one she had pride in. There were many times where her opponent evaded it, or deflected it, but taking it head-on was a first.


    ¡°Not bad, kiddo!¡± The crimson amazon raised honest words of praise.


    ¡°Here I go!¡±


    With all of his might, Kyle went on the attack. This time, Leyla was the one to block his attack.


    ¡°Urk!¡±


    It¡¯s not that she let down her guard by any means, but as she had imagined an attack on the level of when she still taught him, that made her take the block a bit lightly, only for her eyes to open wide in shock at the sheer force and sharpness of that attack. At the same time, although Kyle didn¡¯t know if he could win despite giving his all, he at least was in joy that he was recognized as a strong enemy by the person who once taught him.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve gotten strong, Kyle.¡± Leyla said, happy and with a gentle tone.


    Kyle was equally delighted, and moved for a follow-up attack with a grin on his face, when¡ª


    ¡°Ah, I forgot to tell you, but Seraia is pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Pffft?!¡±


    Met with this sudden bombshell, Kyle spit out the saliva in his mouth.


    ¡°Wha¡­W-What did you just say!?¡±


    ¡°The birth is supposed to be next spring, I think. By the way, she apparently got pregnant right after you guys left Rimarze¡­¡±


    As Leyla explained everything in painful detail, Kyle remembered the last sight of his parents flirting around on the day they left, and his face started losing more and more color.


    ¡°S-Stop! I don¡¯t want to imagine that!¡±


    For a moment, Kyle¡¯s concentration and focus were shattered to pieces, which was used by the grinning Leyla, pointing the tip of her greatsword at Kyle.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    With that, Kyle¡¯s consciousness soon faded, and the final of the Martial Arts Festival ended in a way different from any other match before it.

 Volume 3 - CH 19

    When Kyle returned to his senses, a full day had passed since the final match. As for the winner Leyla, she didn¡¯t show up at the awards ceremony, immediately going back into hiding, and since the second-place winner Kyle was out cold, the festival ended oddly docile. However, Kyle didn¡¯t care much about any of that.


    ¡°This is the worst¡­¡±


    Seeing Kyle hold his head in disbelief, Lieze and the others were confused, to say the least. Knowing Leyla, she probably wasn¡¯t lying about what she said, but Kyle didn¡¯t remember having a younger sister or brother in his previous life.


    After I left Rimarze? So as soon as it was just the two of them, they went back to a honeymoon mood¡­


    Thinking that far, Kyle shook his head, trying to rid himself of these ideas.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to even think about that¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, that old hag of mine told you something during the match, right? What happened?¡±


    Clearly, something was off about Kyle, so he saw no other option but to explain everything, to which Seran tilted his head after hearing about everything.


    ¡°Sounds like something that old hag would do, but¡­it sure is weird.¡±


    ¡°You think so as well?¡±


    Seemingly, Seran felt an equal sense of discomfort from this fact.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s her mentality to ¡®Win no matter what¡¯. She doesn¡¯t hesitate to use any foul methods like these, but even if she did, she would at least wait for it a bit longer to make it the most effective hit. That was too quick, and almost reckless.¡±


    Knowing how Leyla did not shy away from any method as long as it led to victory, considering the effectiveness of this, it wasn¡¯t very much like her.


    ¡°She also likes fighting a lot, so¡­did she rush to finish things? No, I doubt that.¡± Kyle started thinking, but he couldn¡¯t find an answer.


    ¡°I see, so Seraia-san is¡­I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    At the same time, Lieze didn¡¯t care much about who won or lost, simply happy about Seraia¡¯s pregnancy.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go back to Rimarze once, I¡¯d like to meet Seraia-san again.¡±


    Lieze always liked children, and since she was good at taking care of others as well, she felt delighted at this.


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no meaning to meeting her now, right. At least until the child is born¡­¡±


    ¡°Ehhhh?¡± Lieze seemed clearly unhappy with this conclusion, but Seran jumped in as well, agreeing.


    ¡°I mean, this guy was in his rebellious phase until recently, but he actually loves Seraia-san very much, so he must have complicated feelings about a pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°Pffft!¡±


    ¡°Ahh, now that you say it. He was always clingy with his mother after all.¡±


    Kyle spit out everything in his mouth, and Lieze joined in.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you were so shaken during the match¡­Like a child.¡± Urza complained.


    ¡°Men always have trouble moving away from the women who raised them¡­¡± Shildonia showed a wise expression.


    ¡°S-Seran! Will you shut up already!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth though¡­Heh.¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­are you still angry that you lost?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lose, I just gave the win to you.¡±


    ¡°Just accept it already!¡±


    ¡°Also, my sight was awful during that time¡­!¡±


    ¡°Well, I had a headache and stomach pain the entire day¡­!¡±


    Seeing the two start another fight, Urza sighed.


    ¡°¡­You two really are kids.¡±


    After that, Kyle was to participate in the meeting between the Kingdom of Zilgus and the Galgan Empire, but his mood was heavy. As Kyle didn¡¯t win in the festival, the Galgan Empire had full reign to request compensation and the likes from Zilgus, and there was no knowing what they might ask for. Just as Kirlen and Orgis said, Kyle was given no responsibility whatsoever, but it was evident that their evaluation of him had dropped.


    I really wanted to respond to their trust but¡­that hurts.


    Now that he couldn¡¯t fulfill their request, he must have taken a huge step back from his goal. The moment he thought about that, he let out a sigh, and entering the meeting room, he was met with Kirlen and Orgis.


    ¡°I¡¯m deeply sorry that I couldn¡¯t uphold your expectations.¡± Immediately, Kyle opened his mouth in order to apologize.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be. As we¡¯ve stated before, no responsibility falls upon you, Kyle-dono. Rather, we are thankful that you¡¯ve made it this far.¡±


    Kirlen herself, at least on the surface, showed no signs of blaming Kyle. Rather, she sounded like she was praising him.


    ¡°On top of that, the Empire¡¯s side seems to be acting off.¡±


    ¡°What do you¡­¡±


    Kyle wanted to ask what exactly he was talking about, but then Eldorand and Maizar arrived. Right before Kirlen could even properly greet them, Eldorand spoke up.


    ¡°This might be a bit abrupt, but in regards to the incident of Callan, Galgan has decided to remove any responsibility from the Kingdom of Zilgus.¡± Eldorand calmly declared, which left Kirlen and Orgis surprised.


    Following that, Eldorand looked at Kyle, showing a gentle smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that you didn¡¯t quite manage to win the festival, but we¡¯ve seen your achievements. Saying that they didn¡¯t count for anything would be disgraceful on our side. On top of that¡­your final opponent was just too unfortunate.¡± Eldorand showed a bitter smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who fought on equal grounds with our old man, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Maizar shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m quite jealous to see Zilgus possessing such a promising and young hero¡­Being blessed with such an outstanding vassal, Princess Milena must be reassured.¡±


    After that, Eldorand and Maizar both talked endlessly without giving Kirlen or Orgis a chance to say anything, simply praising Zilgus for their efforts. Finally, the meeting ended as quickly as it began, one-sidedly concluded by the Empire.


    ¡°What..was that about?¡±


    Left behind in the meeting room, Orgis was confused, tilting his head.


    ¡°It was fortunate for Zilgus, of course, but we need to be careful about the Empire.¡± Kirlen inspected the door Eldorand and the others had left through with a sharp gaze, to which Orgis nodded.


    ¡°There must be something going on, indeed¡­However, cleaning up after these diplomatic discussions is the work of us politicians, so¡­Kyle-dono, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I will make sure to inform Milena-sama of your brilliant efforts.¡±


    The two thanked Kyle unconditionally.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m glad I could be of help.¡± Kyle wasn¡¯t fully satisfied, but at least he managed to fulfill the bare minimum, so that was a relief.


    ¡°¡­So, as we will return to Zilgus shortly I was hoping that maybe we could stop by at my dominion¡­¡±


    ¡°No no no, we would be pleased to have you visit us at the royal capital Malad¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha¡­Urk! My injuries from the final are flaring up again¡­¡±


    Kyle once again used his excuse of being injured, avoiding any awkward conflict.


    ***


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a bit too forced?¡± Maizar remembered their previous conversation in the conference room, showing a bitter smile.


    ¡°That much is just fine. They probably figured out that we have other plans with this. If they read that, it makes it easier for us to move.¡±


    At the same time, Eldorand¡¯s expression was as serious as ever. When it came to the reparations of the incident at Callan, the Empire was directly involved, so they normally couldn¡¯t afford to let it go that easily. However, things were different if the Mera Cult were involved.


    ¡°According to Konrad, the Mera Cult, more accurately its leader, were actively moving and looking into Kyle, we have to prioritize that¡­After all, they are a common enemy between us and Zilgus, so I¡¯d like to fight together¡­¡±


    As a country that allowed all races beyond just humans, the Mera Cult was an existence not allowed to work in the shadows. Thirty years ago, they had managed to thin out the Mera Cult, but victims resulting from the resistance were not few in number. The influence of the Mera Cult was prominent all over the continent, so to completely erase it, they needed to work together as countries. However, as the human kingdom, Zilgus, had existed since ancient times, and the damages of the Empire were much bigger, it would have to be the Empire asking for help. For that, the Empire decided to now break earlier, hoping to bring this up in further discussions when the need arose.


    ¡°The Holiness of the Mera Cult, huh¡­I wonder what kind of person that is.¡±


    The existence standing at the summit of the Mera Cult, the ¡®Holiness¡¯ was an existence looked into by the Empire, but they had no idea if it was a man or a woman, a child or an elder.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll be using Kyle as bait to sniff out their true identity¡­Will you have him supervised?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Beadola said it would be best if we did so.¡±


    ¡°Old Bea did, huh¡­Not like her.¡± Maizar tilted his head, but now that Eldorand had decided on this, he had no intention of complaining.


    ¡°You seemed to have taken a liking to him as well, and Konrad seemed oddly concerned about him as well¡­His accomplishments in the festival were a sight to behold, indeed, and I¡¯d love to have him on our side as well. If he were to join us, I¡¯d put him to good use.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have much luck with that.¡±


    Hearing Eldorand¡¯s words, Maizar showed a somewhat disappointed reaction.


    ¡°On top of that, Angela is still Angela, greatly interested in that Seran person¡­Either way, we¡¯ll continue to investigate the Mera Cult. If possible, filter out the identity of this Holiness person, and completely silence them once and for all. This has utmost priority.¡±


    He didn¡¯t plan on eradicating them. Eldorand knew that this was impossible, as the Mera Cult had deep roots in human society.


    ¡°The Mera Cult, huh¡­Big Bro, they¡¯ve been quiet for the past few years, right? Why do you think they suddenly started acting again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know¡­I wish they could have just stayed quiet until the end of the world.¡±


    They both sighed in unison and then started their meeting against the Mera Cult together.


    At around the same time, Seran was called to Princess Angela¡¯s private room. It was equipped with luxurious furniture you would expect from an imperial princess, and even the single mug in front of Seran probably cost more than an average citizen¡¯s yearly wage. However, Seran was calm despite that, enjoying tea and some snacks. Facing him, Angela seemed in a good mood.


    ¡°You are the first person I have invited to my room except for my brothers.¡± She said. ¡°Thank you very much for listening to my selfish request. Your work at the festival was truly a sight to behold.¡±


    ¡°I did lose in the end, though. Also, I didn¡¯t do anything that would deserve this much gratitude.¡±


    To Seran, this was nothing but a bit of training, and the fact that he was used by Angela even benefited him in the end. There, said Angela showed a noble posture, continuing with a more serious tone.


    ¡°¡­If I may be so forward with you, won¡¯t you become my personal knight? If you were to serve under the name of Galgan, fame, and honor would be yours.¡±


    The imperial family of the greatest country in all of humanfolk told him so. Surely, there were countless people who would kill for a chance like this.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m thankful for the offer, but there¡¯s something else I have to do.¡±


    And despite that, Seran declined without hesitation. That being said, Angela seemed to have anticipated this reaction, as she didn¡¯t seem too dejected, and simply let out a faint sigh.


    ¡°¡­Friendship between men, is it? As a woman, I don¡¯t quite understand that type of thing.¡±


    Naturally, she understood that he was going to help Kyle with his goal.


    ¡°It¡¯s not anything crazy like that. I just want to win against that rotten old friend of mine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you call friendship.¡± Angela smiled with joy, only to calm down again shortly after. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s after you change your mind. Just keep it as a possibility that you can fall back on whenever.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t promise anything, but¡­thank you for the tea. If you¡¯d excuse me now¡­¡± Seran left the room, watching him off with a smile.


    However, the second he left the room, that expression drastically changed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be pushy here¡­so I¡¯ll wait. But, I won¡¯t let you escape.¡± With an impish expression, the girl let out a snicker.


    That night, Kyle couldn¡¯t sleep once again like the night three days before, waiting for the person he wanted to meet the most right now, while also wishing he wouldn¡¯t meet her. As before, Minagi appeared without making a sound.


    ¡°H-Hey¡­¡± Kyle greeted her with a stiff face, and Minagi showed a smile.


    However, Kyle immediately understood that this was simply a customer smile of sorts.


    ¡°So, how did things go?¡± Kyle started with the job first.


    ¡°¡­The assassination worked out. Barrel¡¯s death was classified as heart failure.¡± Minagi explained with an indifferent voice, no emotion in her voice. ¡°As for my infiltration¡­I found hidden letters. They¡¯re random greetings or reports, but the senders are all over the place¡­Though, they are coming in regularly.¡± Minagi showed Kyle a bundle of letters.


    ¡°Some kind of code?¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s been in contact with them¡­Can you decipher it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take time, but it¡¯s not impossible.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    If they managed to decipher that, they would surely find information in regards to the Mera Cult.


    The sudden change in Eldorand¡¯s attitude was probably related to the Mera cult. Konrad warned me, but I don¡¯t have any duty in listening to Eldorand, they might use me as bait¡­Or maybe if I send them information, I could get on their good side?


    Reaching that point, the question was how far he could leak that information, and to who even.


    ¡°Now then¡­that concludes my report about work.¡±


    Slowly but steadily, Minagi¡¯s voice started shaking, and Kyle¡¯s thoughts traced exactly what she was going to talk about.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say¡­you¡¯d win the final¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah, my bad. That was a lie. I thought I might as well go all out, but¡­Alright no, let¡¯s talk.¡± Mid-sentence, the dagger in Mina¡¯s hand suddenly was pointed at Kyle¡¯s neck, so he panicked.


    ¡°I bet all of the money I had¡­How could you do this! Now I have an even bigger debt than before!¡±


    ¡°How did that happen?¡±


    ¡°Since you said you¡¯d win the finals¡­and that this was the final one¡­I took a loan¡­¡±


    ¡°First you should repay all your current debts¡­¡±


    Kyle was worried about Minagi¡¯s spending habits.


    ¡°Last night¡­when I came here¡­while you were unconscious¡­I had my blade at your throat, and I had to hold back so badly¡­¡± Minagi said with a quivering voice, to which Kyle frantically tried to calm her down.


    ¡°I know, so let¡¯s calm down, okay? I¡¯ll make sure to repay all your debts for you.¡± The moment Kyle spoke those words, Minagi¡¯s expression lit up for a moment, but she suppressed that.


    ¡°¡­No. I¡¯ll be taking half of the bets after all, as we decided in the beginning.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind adding a bit of extra as gratitude¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for getting myself in more debt, so I can¡¯t accept that¡­¡± Minagi grit her teeth, but didn¡¯t touch any of Kyle¡¯s money.


    She sure is stubborn during the weirdest times¡­Must be the influence of Souga.


    Knowing the origin of Minagi, Kyle thought about something.


    ¡°¡­Let me ask one thing. I don¡¯t know their goal, but do you think we could make the Holiness of the Mera Cult give up on me?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. It¡¯d just make a bigger fight break out.¡±


    Even if Barrel¡¯s death was regarded as an unfortunate and untimely death, the cult would surely draw the connection towards Kyle and his group.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d like to hire you as a proper guard. I¡¯ll pay off your debts as an advance payment¡­You have time, right?¡±


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m bored! Also, whose fault do you think this is!¡± Minagi wanted to avoid the topic of debt at all costs. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not made out to be a guard¡­¡±


    ¡°Then just think of it as a counter-attack. We¡¯re pretty strong ourselves, so you don¡¯t need to stick around 24/7.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you this adamant about paying me?¡± Minagi was dubious about Kyle¡¯s oddly passionate attitude.


    ¡°¡­Might be my intuition, but I¡¯ve felt like wanting to have you as my ally since the beginning.¡±


    In reality, Kyle already had memories of fighting with Minagi as an ally, and he knew of her skill, but he couldn¡¯t say that out loud, forced to hide it like this.


    ¡°Ally, huh¡­¡±


    That was a word Minagi couldn¡¯t ignore. The only person she, who lived in darkness, could open up her heart to was Souga after all. Yet, Kyle was saying it with absolutely no hesitation. It¡¯s like he was ready to fight at her side even in the face of death.


    Even though I¡¯m an assassin¡­what is he thinking?


    Minagi held her doubts, but Kyle¡¯s words sounded honest to the point she let out a sigh.


    ¡°¡­Less than allies, we can form a temporary work relationship.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s decided then. Please take care of me, Minagi.¡± Kyle showed a smile that looked like it came from the bottom of his heart, offering his hand for a handshake.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start deciphering these letters.¡±


    Minagi didn¡¯t take that hand, and instead melted back into the darkness.


    ¡°¡­Well, now I¡¯ve raised our strength exponentially.¡±


    In fact, so that Kyle could take care of the Mera Cult, he definitely needed Minagi¡¯s strength, and because he lied about knowing Souga, it¡¯d be best to keep her around close to him. It¡¯s good fortune, really. After that, he looked down at his left hand, remembering his battle with Seran. He didn¡¯t need to think much to realize that this power was something dangerous. But even so, he couldn¡¯t avoid it in order to become stronger.


    ¡°¡­I have to get stronger.¡±


    He looked outside the window, at the bright moon, and muttered these words with conviction.


    ***


    Turning back time a bit, we arrive at the night the final match of the festival was held. A single individual had set up camp inside the mountains, a bit further away from the main road that left from the Imperial Capital Luos. It was a woman with a wild and aggressive facial expression, looking down into the bonfire¡ªLeyla. Originally, putting up camp all alone in the mountains like this would require a lot of effort and skill, but she had no problems whatsoever. Next to her, she had a card-type magical item that allowed for a long-distance conversation with another individual. As the moon stood tall, it lit up brightly. Leyla picked up said card, and started a conversation.


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I tested him. He held out for barely thirty seconds, passing out shortly after. I came out unscathed. That¡¯s what I told you, he¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    The reason Leyla was out camping so far away from civilization is that she couldn¡¯t afford anybody to overhear this conversation.


    ¡°Of course, nobody realized. That I was just testing him¡­Well, I feel bad for his evaluation dropping, but I¡¯m just too stro¡­¡­What do you mean? I told you I won, right?¡± Leyla¡¯s voice grew harsher. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re planning with this, but I¡¯ll say it as many times as it takes. Kyle isn¡¯t someone that would be of importance to you.¡± She tried to argue, but the person she was talking with, someone who probably was in a country far away, seemed about as thick-headed, which forced Leyla to speak even louder. ¡°¡­And you¡¯re telling me to believe that?¡± Leyla sounded like she had no other choice but to accept what the other person said. ¡°¡­I understand, Your Holiness.¡±


    The conversation ended with Leyla¡¯s sigh, as she scratched her head.


    ¡°For crying out loud, forcing me to win quickly by doing something like that¡­What a troublesome Goddess.¡±


    Leyla took out a small metal in the shape of a platter, shining brightly as it fit right into her palm. Shown on there was an image of a Goddess carrying a human baby in her hands¡ªwhich undoubtedly was the holy sigil of a Mera follower.

 Volume 4 - CH 1

    A country of mystery and adventurers¡­this was a befitting description for Eddos, located in the dead center of the humanfolk¡¯s territory. One of its peculiar traits was that roughly 70% and more of its territory was covered by large forests. When it came to most forests across the continent of Loindars, they were usually inhabited by monsters and beasts, but none of those could be compared to the sheer amount of different races and types of monsters in Eddos¡¯ forests. Amidst them were monsters with a conscience and magic special to only them, which were categorized as mythical beasts that one would only hear of in legends and myths.


    This was what gave Eddos¡¯ description the mystery aspect. The other was quite self-explanatory, as many adventurers visited this country. If one were to simply describe adventurers with a few words, it would be ¡®endless possibilities¡¯. Whether it was delivery people or guards moving from town to town, people looking for material used in alchemy, working on the subjugation of monsters, and searching for ancient labyrinths¡­Where there was a possibility, there was a job for someone to fulfill.


    Requests came in daily, with varying levels of danger to the point where there were casualties on a regular basis, but the returns made up perfectly for this danger, and nothing could win against the thirst for riches for adventurers.


    A certain location inside Eddos was overflowing with earth veins, transporting mana across the area, which is why you could find experimental facilities and other ruins from the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales. To treasure hunters, it was truly a mountain of treasure. At the same time, the materials gathered from monsters, such as meat or hide, even horns and talons, could bring plenty of fortune. Putting all these reasons together, it should be evident why so many adventurers gathered here in Eddos.


    Roughly three months after the festival held in the Galgan Empire, Kyle¡¯s group reached the capital of Eddos, called Rinecol.


    ¡°In the end, I¡¯m still clueless¡­¡±


    Kyle walked ahead of his group, along the main street of Rinecol which was bursting with energy and life, but his expression was gloomy and his voice exhausted.


    ¡°Not like you had any other choice. This entire story was shrouded in mystery from the very beginning. You most likely didn¡¯t have any high hopes to begin with, no?¡± Shildonia commented, munching on the food she bought from the street vendors.


    Kyle¡¯s group had two goals of coming here to this country. First, they needed to research the Mera cult. After dealing with a follower of the Mera cult in the Empire, Barrel, they found letters in his possession. After deciphering the hidden messages thanks to Minagi¡¯s assistance, they found out that the cult would be acting soon in the country of Eddos.


    Fueled by this fact, the group made their way to this country, but they had yet to find any traceable leads. Over the past three months, they looked into all sorts of intel, but nothing bore any fruit, which is why Kyle¡¯s group had no way of intercepting the Mera cult. Of course, the Empire had been looking into the cult themselves, but they were not giving out any information.


    The same goes for the other larger countries. Even if they had a talented spy with Minagi on their side, it won¡¯t be easy to grasp any possible intel, let alone anything worthwhile.


    ¡°¡­Well, that was just a bonus after all. I¡¯ll have the Empire tell me if they find anything.¡±


    In fact, the information Kyle gathered about the Mera cult¡ªalthough not in great amount¡ªwas already conveyed to the third prince of the Empire, Maizar. He wasn¡¯t giving up on the cult by any means, but he had more pressing matters to take care of.


    ¡°¡­The real battle starts the next time they act.¡±


    Over these past three months, they had virtually no contact with the Mera cult whatsoever. That being said, letting down one¡¯s guard would always prove fatal.


    ¡°Still, why is the Mera cult targeting you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know, all right.¡±


    Seran, who had been walking at the back of the pack, now asked Kyle with his arms behind his head, letting out an elongated yawn, to which Kyle let out a sigh. Kyle could not find any possible reason as to why the Mera cult would target him. He expected to get their attention as an uprising hero candidate, but he was neither working for nor against them, so that felt all too forceful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get why they would target me¡­I guess I¡¯d be useful to them, but beyond that¡­¡±


    If Kyle knew the reason why he was targeted, he could work against that, but¡­seeing none of that, Kyle could only scratch his head.


    ¡°¡­If anything, we don¡¯t know much about the Mera cult in general.¡± Lieze seemed bewildered herself.


    After the festival ended, she learned of the Mera cult. However, since nothing happened after that, she was lacking a sense of reality in that regard.


    ¡°Not to mention that woman¡­Can we really put trust into that Minagi?¡± Urza commented with a complicated expression.


    In fact, Minagi was currently not moving together with Kyle¡¯s group. However, their work-related relationship did not end, as she would periodically come to report back to him. After Kyle first introduced Minagi to the group, she never showed up in front of them. It seemed like Lieze and Urza had trouble putting proper faith in Minagi because of this.


    ¡°¡­Just believe in me. I decided to hire Minagi, so I¡¯ll take responsibility,¡± Kyle said, to which Lieze and Urza showed complicated expressions, but didn¡¯t comment on it any further.


    Seeing their reactions, Kyle was once again reminded of the trouble he went through when first introducing Minagi. Although he managed to sweep the details of their first encounter under the rug, Lieze seemed oddly distrustful of Minagi, and Urza¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t the greatest either. Understandably so, as Minagi is working as an assassin, living in the shadows of the world. Leaving aside Seran and Shildonia, who didn¡¯t care much for a person¡¯s background, it was perfectly reasonable for a normal person to have trouble accepting her.


    Only because Kyle knew her from his previous life, he was able to perfectly trust her, and thus gave her this mission. As long as Kyle paid the money, she would not betray him. Kyle couldn¡¯t afford to lose Minagi¡¯s support. Naturally, Kyle was trying hard to find something to ease the anxiety of Lieze and Urza, but to this point, he was clueless.


    It¡¯s been quite some time¡­¡­If I keep them at a distance, things should eventually quiet down, or maybe I can find an ace up my sleeve¡­


    ¡°Still, there¡¯s a lot of adventurers in this country,¡± Seran commented with a nonchalant tone.


    However, his eyes were sharp as he looked around. It¡¯s true that they had been walking past peculiar people rather than average citizens. Not to mention that many wore armors like soldiers or even flashier clothes, so of course your attention would divert towards them. Usually, Kyle and his group were the main attention when walking down the streets, but now they perfectly blended in.


    ¡°This place sure looks prosperous,¡± Shildonia said, looking around as well.


    As a town, Rinecol was fairly small, but the buildings were flashy and luxurious-looking on the level of Zilgus and even Galgan. You wouldn¡¯t believe that the majority of this country was covered in forests.


    ¡°It must be because of the many adventurers. They are the main source of income for this country.¡±


    Amongst the successful adventurers were those with riches and fame, even owning land somewhere in this country. Just as Kyle stated, many facilities and buildings around were aimed at these adventurers, prioritizing them, which in return gathered even more. With the gathering of rich adventurers, the more money they spent, the more the town flourished. It was an endless circle with profit for both sides.


    ¡°So, what will we be doing now?¡± Lieze asked.


    ¡°Right¡­guess we should work on the other goal,¡± Kyle muttered as he spotted the building he was looking for. ¡°[Flame Dragon of Dawn]¡­that seems to be it.¡±


    It was a stone-paved building, acting as a bar for adventurers. From there, you could pick up requests and errands, exchange information, or simply enjoy some time off with fellow adventurers. What stood out most was the carved statue of a dragon hanging above the entrance. It had its fangs baring at the visitors, ready to leap out at any moment. Having inspected that statue, Kyle remembered the other name that Eddos was known for. The county of mystery, adventurers¡ª-and dragons.

 Volume 4 - CH 2

    After entering the [Flame Dragon of Dawn], the first impression Kyle¡¯s group received was that the inside wasn¡¯t too different from your average bar. Several tables were lined up next to each other, with a middle-aged man looking like the bar owner standing behind the counter, two wall shelves at his back, filled with liquor bottles. However, some things were different from your usual bar.


    For example, one wall was filled with white papers, which probably acted as a bulletin board. Some of those were even about helping with moving houses or cleaning the waterways, not exactly something an adventurer would be responsible for. However, the majority was about subjugating monsters or finding something at the nearby ruins. One corner of the counter looked like a reception area, with a female receptionist. This is probably the location where you would bring in requests and earn rewards.


    The biggest difference to an average bar however was the clientele. Right now, roughly ten people were present in the bar, but all of them were either equipped with swords, staffs, or other weapons, showing their specialization and skill. That¡¯s what Kyle felt directly on his skin. At the same time, the adventurers present were calmly, but thoroughly, inspecting Kyle¡¯s group. Having heard that Eddos had particularly strong adventurers, which especially gathered in this bar, Kyle was satisfied, to say the least. Kyle moved towards the counter, standing in front of the presumed owner, who had a beard on his face.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you here before. For our newcomers, I recommend you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t come here to take up a quest, I actually want to give out one.¡±


    Hearing Kyle¡¯s words, the owner showed a dubious gaze. Matter of fact, as this bar was frequented by strong adventurers, the rewards for each quest were thorough. The quests hanging on the wall each sounded like difficult tasks, which acted as proof. Cause and effect, most people putting out quests were nobles or rich people, so it would make sense for the owner to be confused at such a young man like Kyle bringing that up. That being said, it wasn¡¯t rare for adventurers to hire other adventurers, so the owner didn¡¯t question it much.


    ¡°If you pay our establishment 10% of the reward for the paperwork, everybody can put in a request after all.¡± The owner glanced at the adventurers sitting at the table.


    Only people accepted by the owner could take up requests. The gaze of the owner pretty much composed the value of the bar. As a result of that, he immediately judged Kyle¡¯s strength and ability to be a cut above the rest.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the quest about?¡±


    ¡°I want to hire adventurers who will move through the forest with us, guiding us to a certain location.¡±


    ¡°¡­And what would that be?¡±


    ¡°¡ªThe [Nest of Dragons].¡±


    The moment Kyle uttered these words, a shock ran through the inside of the bar.


    A dragon¡ªnot many had seen them with their own eyes, but even a five-year-old child knew about this strongest mythical beast. The [Divine Dragon] acted as the beginning point of their legends, dating back to the days of myth. They were known for their sturdy and powerful body, paired with their conscience and wisdom, they were beings that even surpassed demons. However, their numbers were even fewer than humanfolk, let alone the demons. As a result of that, they never appeared in history, let alone significantly changing it. However, the more time passed, the more their numbers lessened.


    Surely, the majority of humanfolk had never even seen a dragon before. However, Eddos had comparatively many witnesses of these dragons, and they are confirmed to be the only place that inhabited dragons. As a result of that, they were called the country of dragons, and the particular location in question was called [Nest of Dragons].


    ¡°Our reward will be¡­100,000 gadol.¡±


    When Kyle named his price, the inside of the bar went noisy once more. That amount would allow an average citizen to live easily. The [Nest of Dragons] was located in the deepest parts of Eddos, equally being the most dangerous place. Even the most skilled adventurers were hesitant to head there, but Kyle¡¯s reward must have sounded tasty nonetheless. The owner was surprised himself, but quickly went back in the groove.


    ¡°¡­What are you planning? Are you aiming to become a [Dragon Slayer]?¡±


    The title [Dragon Slayer] was rather self-explanatory, given to those who had slain a dragon, with only a handful of people having accomplished this.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the reason why. That¡¯s why I pushed up the reward. I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a one-way trip either.¡± Kyle added indifferently, putting down the Zaales gold coins in front of the owner.


    Seeing that amount, the owner had no reason to decline.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s your name?¡± The owner took out the quest papers and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kyle. Kyle Lenard.¡± He spoke with a loud voice so that everybody around him could hear that.


    At that moment, all the attention in the room was directed at Kyle¡¯s group. These gazes were filled with clear hostility and displeasure.


    ¡°I expected as much, but this isn¡¯t the evaluation I was hoping for.¡± Despite the way he made it sound, Seran showed a vicious grin.


    Lieze and Urza simply showed bitter smiles.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s still within calculations, no?¡± Shildonia showed a calm expression like she had anticipated this.


    Their reaction was born from what Kyle had been doing over the past three months. Simply put, it was charity work. In this day and age, when you didn¡¯t live in an accumulated place like a town, as soon as it came to a rural area, it was pretty much a reign of the strong, no protection from the major forces of the country.


    Kyle and his group had been going around those rural areas, taking care of monsters, or subjugating thieves, making a name for himself. Of course, without asking for any money. On the contrary, he even donated money to the poor. All this he did while gathering any possible intel about the Mera cult. At the same time, he hired several minstrels, turning his stories into moving tales, with a 70% truth 30% exaggeration ratio.


    With him saving Princess Milena and achieving great results at the festival in the Empire, Kyle¡¯s name had already spread plenty, and he was making fundamental progress on his road as a hero. However, this wasn¡¯t in the best will for many people. Especially the adventurers who were losing jobs because all the monsters had been slain.


    It was perfectly reasonable for them to have their work stolen from someone who wasn¡¯t even an adventurer and doing it for free meant that they had more trouble getting proper words for their own jobs. Basically, they had a sentiment of ¡®Doing what nobody asked for¡¯. To the adventurers, Kyle was obstructing their business.


    ¡°I see¡­so it¡¯s you.¡± Having heard Kyle¡¯s name, the owner showed evident displeasure and disgruntlement, as something troublesome happened.


    However, he had already accepted the paper fee, and he gave his permission, so denying it now was not an option.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop by again tomorrow.¡± Kyle faintly lowered his head and walked outside the bar while being showered by the sharp gazes all around.


    ¡°Was that the best idea? Don¡¯t think you left that good of an impression.¡± Right after leaving the bar, Lieze asked Kyle these words.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m feeling dubious if anybody would be willing to help us, despite the sum you offered.¡± Urza showed a complicated expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, actually. Being shown there definitely would make things easier, but with you, Urza, we¡¯ll manage either way, no? A forest is like your backyard, right?¡± Kyle glanced at Urza, his gaze full of expectation and admiration.


    Elves are born as inhabitants of the forest. With a talented spirit user like Urza, who could control spirits to their aid, they wouldn¡¯t get lost in the forest even if they were unsure where to go. Urza at the same time nodded along, but she showed a clear glimmer of uncertainty.


    ¡°Well, I guess. Though I have to ask, do you really plan on meeting a dragon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just leave that to me. I know the oldest of the dragons, [Dragon King] Zeurus, personally. Well, it¡¯s been at least a thousand and three hundred years since then, he should still be alive¡­¡± [Magic King] Shildonia showed a grin.


    Indeed, Kyle¡¯s goal¡ªto negotiate with the dragons, and strike a mutual contract.

 Volume 4 - CH 3

    The following afternoon, Kyle once again came to the [Flame Dragon of Dawn]. This time, he was alone, however. The others were currently preparing to head off for the forest, for that matter. Inside the bar, several groups of adventurers were currently chatting, but the second Kyle entered, all their not-so-benevolent gazes focused on him. Looking at the wall, the quest he had given out was hanging on the wall still, not to mention in the corner where nobody would look, making it evident that he wasn¡¯t welcome.


    I really am being hated¡­


    Or so Kyle commented in his mind, but it was exactly as he had anticipated, which is why he ignored all of them, and instead headed for the counter, talking to the owner who evidently wasn¡¯t happy to see him.


    ¡°Judging from that look on your face, nobody offered to accept my request, huh.¡± Kyle hid his internal feelings and faked a dejected expression, to which the owner nodded. ¡°Right, what a shame¡­¡± Kyle let out a faint sigh, about to turn around in order to tell the owner to take the quest back down again.


    However, a voice called out to him before that.


    ¡°Let me just tell you. No clue when you¡¯re planning on departing, but no amount of a reward will get people to join you.¡±


    The owner of the voice was a tall-statured fighter. Kyle didn¡¯t remember seeing him here the day prior. His equipment was evidently high-class, used to its extreme, and the atmosphere to him told stories of wild battles.


    ¡°Um¡­Can I ask for your name?¡±


    ¡°Getsuga.¡± He named himself, not showing any glimmer of amiability.


    Judging from the fact that the other adventurers and the owner weren¡¯t breaking between his words, it must mean that he was respected quite a lot. Kyle was about to name himself, but Getsuga didn¡¯t bother much with that.


    ¡°This is a bad time. Recently, there¡¯s been a lot of poaching.¡±


    ¡°Poaching? I thought hunting monsters in this country was not limited?¡±


    In Eddos, monsters are one of its special products. Hunting them was recommended even.


    ¡°That is true, but there exists an exception. Namely, the self-governing dominion of the dark elves. You¡¯re not allowed to trespass there.¡±


    Dark elves¡ªa race even more unsociable than elves, and you never see them around other humans. They aren¡¯t much different when it comes to the appearance of a normal elf, but their skin color was darker, almost tanned, the exact opposite of the elves¡¯ snow-white skin.


    ¡°The dark elves had been living in that forest way before Eddos had been founded. They agreed to a non-invasion pact, and without their permission, you can¡¯t enter their grounds. That being said, never did anybody actually get their permission.¡± Getsuga showed a bitter smile like he had remembered the past. ¡°Following that, many of the mythical beasts, especially the Unicorns, are co-existing with the dark elves, so you can¡¯t hunt them.¡±


    Unicorns looked like white horses, with a horn growing from their heads. These horns were usually used as ingredients for healing medicine, making it a popular target. As a result, you barely see them on the continent, and their numbers were much higher here in the forest. This however led to the price of the horns growing, making them popular targets again.


    ¡°Recently, there apparently had been people ignoring this, and still invaded their territory. As a result of that, they¡¯re high on alert right now¡­Or rather, fully hostile towards us, so we get attacked just by approaching. Through some trouble, we had people barely escaping with their lives, and in order to reach the [Nest of Dragons], you need to pass through their dominion.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­And fighting the dark elves inside the forest is like having a death wish.¡±


    You could even call it foolish.


    ¡°One more thing. The dragons have been oddly active lately.¡±


    Although Eddos was known as the country of dragons, you could see one dragon flying by in the distance barely once a year. It really made you feel like the world humanfolk and dragons lived in were far too apart. However, the reports over the past month were quite different from that, as there had been witnesses many more times. A group of adventurers went hunting in the mountains, spotting a dragon flying by awfully closely.


    ¡°According to eyewitnesses, it seemed to be the same dragon, appearing in various places¡­We wouldn¡¯t want to needlessly aggravate it. That¡¯s why we¡¯re trying to hold off from entering the forest.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­so that¡¯s why.¡±


    Kyle finally understood why so many adventurers were here at noon. A chance encounter with a stimulated dragon was probably something all adventurers wanted to avoid.


    ¡°And finally¡­you must be aware of our reason, no?¡± Getsuga glared at Kyle with a sharp gaze.


    Kyle started to feel a bit guilty and scratched his cheek.


    ¡°Right¡­that being said, you¡¯re awfully friendly despite that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not friendly in the slightest¡­Just telling you everything I know so that you¡¯ll leave quickly.¡±


    Indeed, his tone didn¡¯t sound friendly by any means.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m thankful for the warning¡­so, I¡¯ll pull back my request.¡± Kyle walked towards the wall, pulling off the white paper.


    ¡°You sure? You¡¯re not getting your money back you paid in advance.¡± The owner seemed surprised for a moment.


    After all, Kyle put a large sum of money to simply put up that request.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I was just naive thinking that if I paid enough, people would be willing to join.¡±


    And I achieved my goal already, Kyle added in his mind and was about to leave the bar.


    ¡°One last thing I want to ask. Why do you want to reach the [Nest of Dragons]?¡± Getsuga seemed curious about Kyle, and asked him.


    ¡°¡­Just to have a talk, is all.¡± Kyle gave a vague answer with a smile and left the bar behind him.


    Outside, Kyle started walking down the main street. Right after, a single individual wearing a hood on their head appeared in front of Kyle without making any sound.


    ¡°¡­How did it go?¡±


    Despite that individual walking in front of Kyle, he could perfectly hear their voice.


    ¡°Just as expected. Anything on your end, Minagi?¡± Kyle responded to the shadow¡ªMinagi.


    To any random passerby, it must look like they were simple strangers walking separately.


    ¡°No problems here. It¡¯ll take a few days, and then the rumor about you heading for the [Nest of Dragons] will be going around smoothly.¡±


    Kyle never expected to find adventurers that were ready to join their adventurer. The only reason he put in the request for help was to spread the news that he wanted to head to the [Nest of Dragons], nothing more. At the same time, he had Minagi going around spreading the rumors in town. Equally, he kept his reason for wanting to head to the [Nest of Dragons] a secret as well.


    ¡°Still, you sure do the craziest things.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll come in handy later, so I wanted to spread the news¡­The more I stand out, the better.¡±


    It was Kyle¡¯s goal to become a hero that was known by every single individual on the continent.


    ¡°I bet that negotiating with the dragons might be a necessary step for that, but¡­are you really doing it?¡± Minagi sounded oddly doubtful in regards to that.


    ¡°Yeah. It may seem ridiculous, but it¡¯s necessary. I have good chances of success as well.¡±


    Not to mention that this is something I cannot skip out on, Kyle added in his mind. After all, this could influence the doom or preservation of humanfolk. When it came to history itself, dragons usually stood on neutral terms when it came to the two opposing sides of humanfolk and demons, but during the [Great Invasion] that occurred in Kyle¡¯s previous life, the dragons sided with the demons, attacking humanfolk.


    In regards to that, Shildonia was oddly shocked, despite holding great knowledge of demons. She found it hard to believe that the prideful dragons would serve under the demons, not to mention to attack humans. Shildonia judged that the dragons must have gotten indebted to the demons in some way. In fact, Kyle remembered that the dragons¡¯ attacks were oddly unorganized, almost as if they were unwilling to attack in the first place. If the dragons were brimming with motivation to rot out humanfolk, it would have happened without a doubt, so Kyle considered that stroke of luck.


    However, relying on luck alone won¡¯t get him anywhere. Either Kyle had to make sure that the dragons would stay neutral, or possibly even become allies of humanfolk. That was the intention behind the negotiations.


    I also need to know the reason why they supported the demons¡­or rather, were forced to.


    The dragons had absolutely no reason to team up with the demons. That being the case, Kyle had to at least make sure they wouldn¡¯t find one later down the line. Shildonia herself judged that they had good chances of succeeding. When humanfolk had possessed the greatest force and power, during the ancient days of Zaales, there were negotiations with the dragons, although now dating back a thousand years and more. Shildonia was brimming with confidence that they wouldn¡¯t attack without certain conditions.


    ¡°It still is hard to believe that this Shildonia is supposedly the legendary [Magic King], though¡­¡± Minagi remembered the time she was having a battle with Shildonia for the food at the banquet of the Empire and put her index finger on her temple as if to suppress the pain. ¡°Whatever, about the other thing. How should we¡ª¡±


    Continue, is what Minagi meant to say, but a voice called out to them before that.


    ¡°Please wait a moment!¡± it was an oddly tense voice.

 Volume 4 - CH 4

    Turning around, Kyle was greeted with a girl who was probably a tad bit younger than Kyle. On top of her leather armor, she wore a mantle, with a thick fabric covering her head. With a befitting short bow hanging down her back, she gave off ranger vibes. Although she was clearly still young, her facial features let you categorize her as quite the beauty, and her eyes were brimming with determination as she looked at Kyle. He felt his heart shaken at that for some reason, but he regained his composure and called out to her.


    ¡°Do you need something from me?¡±


    At that point in time, Minagi had already disappeared. Her duty was to work in the shadows, so nobody could afford to see her together with Kyle.


    ¡°You must be Kyle-san, yes? My name is Erina. Um¡­I heard you were looking for a guard that could bring you to the [Nest of Dragons], and I was hoping you would hire me! Please!¡± Erina lowered her head to the point she got close to the ground.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kyle scratched his cheek, seeing that the expected event happened, and inspected the girl.


    ¡°H-Have you already decided by any chance?¡± Erina seemed anxious at Kyle¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°No, not yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, won¡¯t you consider it, please?! I am actually a professional at gathering herbs, and I head into the forest almost every day!¡± She tried her hardest to emphasize her skills, but Kyle was simply trying to figure out how he should go about rejecting her.


    The reason he went looking for a guide was simply to spread the news that he was heading over to the [Nest of Dragons], and he actually never planned on hiring anybody. However, considering the amount of money Kyle offered, the chances of somebody actually accepting weren¡¯t zero.


    In order to avoid that, he threw in the request at [Flame Dragon of Dawn], and took it down a day later. If someone was crazy enough to agree, Kyle would give them a random trial to reject them. In Erina¡¯s case, it would be because she¡¯s too young. But, there was one thing he was curious about.


    ¡°Just to confirm one thing¡­I put in the request at [Flame Dragon of Dawn], but you¡¯re not actually affiliated with them, right?¡± Kyle remembered that Erina was not present in the bar a moment ago.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I heard that you were offering a large sum of money for a guide to the [Nest of Dragons], so I came running over.¡± Erina said with a meek voice.


    Only adventurers affiliated with the bar can accept the requests from there. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s prohibited to do so otherwise, but the majority of adventurers handled it that way. Any violation of that would result in a loss of trust on the bar¡¯s end.


    ¡°Do you understand what that means?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I am willing to quit as an adventurer with this as my last quest!¡± Her eyes were brimming with determination.


    It seemed like she was willing to break the trust between adventurers. They were talking in the middle of the street, so of course, people were listening. Rumors would spread soon.


    ¡°Why are you this desperate to¡­¡±


    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s all because of the money. I need it, no matter what.¡± Erina exclaimed without any hesitation.


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t bother asking for what she could need the money. Every person had their own personal reasons and circumstances, and it wasn¡¯t in his interest to invade her privacy. However, he perfectly understood that Erina was backed into a corner.


    ¡°U-Um¡­have you heard of the dark elves trying to erase the other races of humanfolk? I¡¯m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to that!¡± Erina seemingly tried her hardest to gather Kyle¡¯s interest, and in reality, he reacted to the words ¡®dark elves¡¯.


    ¡°Is that true? I¡¯d like to get to the [Nest of Dragons] without running into them.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! My mother was a former adventurer, and I have a detailed map she made!¡± Erina was really selling herself.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡± Kyle started thinking.


    He really didn¡¯t plan on hiring anybody, but it¡¯s a fact that the incident with the dark elves was not part of his calculations. He didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble that could have repercussions down the line.


    ¡°¡­Alright. I¡¯ll hire you. However, you get the payment after you played your part, and no advance payment, you okay with that?¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you very much! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Hearing Kyle¡¯s words, Erina¡¯s expression softened up, as she showed a relieved smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll depart tomorrow at dawn, so come to the East gate, okay.¡±


    ¡°I understand! I have to prepare now, so if you would excuse me!¡± Erina once again lowered her head and dashed away.


    Kyle watched her run off and was assaulted by a feeling he himself couldn¡¯t describe. He faintly shook his head to rid himself of those feelings and headed to the location where Lieze and the others were waiting.


    The specific location was a large plaza in the center of town. It was also the most crowded and noisy place in all of Rinecol. The stone-paved plaza was bursting with people, as well as stalls selling odd goods; street-performers working for a bronze coin or some applause; a follower of the God Levain, who controls order and law, preaching their teachings; as well as other intriguing individuals. The ones standing out the most were the countless adventurers after all.


    Some carried skin shining with myriad colors, probably from a hunt, and others carried large weapons bigger than a small infant. Despite that, Lieze¡¯s group with Urza and Shildonia, possessing a certain level of beauty, stood out even more than them, so Kyle was able to regroup fairly quickly.


    As always, Shildonia was eating the food from the various stalls. Famous goods from Eddos were grilled meat from monsters, and grilled crab, which she held in both hands right now. Lieze and Urza equally had finished a business trip, drinking some cold water.


    ¡°Good work out there¡­Where¡¯s Seran?¡± Kyle thanked them for preparing for their trip and asked for Seran, who clearly wasn¡¯t around.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably taking a stroll as always. Should be coming any minute.¡± Lieze said with a faint sigh of exhaustion.


    ¡°This really is a country of adventurers, the prices of food and other daily necessities are oddly affordable. With this, we¡¯re perfectly prepared for our departure tomorrow¡­What about you?¡± Urza seemed satisfied with her achievements and asked Kyle.


    ¡°Yeah, I ended up hiring a guide after all.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t plan to?¡±


    ¡°Circumstances changed¡­¡± Kyle told the three about the poaching and the dark elves, to which Urza showed a complicated expression.


    ¡°The dark elves, huh¡­I never met one myself, but they really aren¡¯t the type to bother with other humanfolk races¡­Not like I¡¯m one to talk as an elf myself.¡±


    Elves and dark elves supposedly had been one race at some point, but during the days of legend, they had been split in two. The elves themselves seemingly held no hostility towards them, but they weren¡¯t exceptionally close either. They were probably comparable to distant relatives you¡¯ve never seen.


    ¡°Do you know anything else?¡±


    Kyle didn¡¯t know much about dark elves himself. He fought together with dark elves during the Great Invasion, but never held a proper conversation.


    ¡°Right¡­Unlike elves, dark elves aren¡¯t too skilled with spirit magic, which is why they prioritized their skills with bows, and they seem to be well-versed with alchemy¡­Fighting them in the forest is something I¡¯d avoid. I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen even if you have me around.¡±


    ¡°Means that a guide is necessary after all. What kind of person is it?¡±


    ¡°A-Ahh¡­about that¡­¡±


    Kyle hesitated a second in the face of Shildonia¡¯s question but decided to confess in the end, fully prepared for execution.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­so it¡¯s a girl, and you couldn¡¯t refuse her.¡± Lieze¡¯s gaze grew colder and sharper by the second.


    ¡°Were you sure about hiring her on the spot? We don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll even be that big of an asset.¡± Urza lightly glared at Kyle herself.


    She was probably worried about possible fraud.


    ¡°Hm? I think¡­it should be fine. She mentioned she had a map.¡±


    ¡°Any chances she had a specific goal, which is why she approached only you?¡±


    ¡°No, none¡­I think¡­maybe¡­¡± Kyle grew quieter by the second.


    Only now did he realize the possibility of her being a Mera follower, or someone tailing him from the Empire, and he cursed himself for it.


    It didn¡¯t seem like she was lying, but¡­why did I not think about that? That possibility should have popped up in my head first thing.


    He was not doubting the girl at all, almost like he was dealing with Lieze and the others.


    ¡°Hmm, so you let your emotions get the better of you,¡± Shildonia said, flashing a somewhat teasing smile.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not saying there was no sympathy involved, but I just thought she wasn¡¯t lying, and she was fine with getting paid after the quest¡­¡±


    Judging from how desperate Erina was, there was no doubting that she was short on money, but he didn¡¯t hire her solely for that¡­or so he kept making excuses.


    ¡°Basically, it¡¯s because she was cute, right?¡± Seran had appeared out of nowhere, adding a comment with a grin.


    ¡°Well, I have to admit that she was cute, but¡­Wait, don¡¯t add more fuel to the fire!¡±


    ¡°Haha, seeing a cute girl in peril, of course, you¡¯d want to help her. I totally get it.¡± Seran tapped Kyle on the shoulder.


    ¡°Hmmm, so you¡¯re weak against cute girls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking this before, but maybe Kyle is the more dangerous one when it comes to women¡­¡±


    Lieze¡¯s and Urza¡¯s cold stares pierced Kyle.


    ¡°I guess men never change, even after a thousand years.¡± Shildonia seemed nostalgic about something, as she commented.


    ¡°You guys really don¡¯t hold back¡­¡± Kyle held his head and yet couldn¡¯t argue back.

 Volume 4 - CH 5

    The morning of the following day, while it was still dark out, Kyle¡¯s group arrived at the large gate to the east. The guards patrolling even this early weren¡¯t guarding against any human threat, but rather as a defense mechanism towards monsters, or in the worst-case scenario¡ªdragons. The large double doors were sturdy, heavy, and hard to open. They stayed closed throughout the night and opened up with the first morning light. Just like Kyle¡¯s group, other adventurers and merchants were ready to leave town.


    ¡°P-Please take care of me!¡±


    Having arrived before them, Erina greeted the group and ran towards them with a tense voice.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    However, Kyle was unable to respond, simply staring at Erina¡¯s face. It was the same yesterday, but her eyes caught his attention. He himself didn¡¯t know why exactly that was the case, but he felt restless every time he looked at them.


    Did we meet somewhere before? Since she doesn¡¯t show any signs of that, maybe in my previous life¡­No, I have no memories of her, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Um¡­i-is there any problem?¡± Erina must have felt uncomfortable to be stared at, or maybe even anxious since she was dealing with her employer, but she let out a flustered voice.


    ¡°Stop staring at a girl¡¯s face!¡±


    Before Kyle could answer, Lieze rammed her sharp elbow right into his flank.


    ¡°Guha?!¡±


    Even though he was clad in dragon leather armor, his hips gave out, and he sank to the ground. Lieze¡¯s skills evidently had improved ever since they set out on their journey. It was proof of her hard work and growth.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯ve gotten stronger¡­but¡­I didn¡¯t want to learn about that this way¡­¡±


    It was for Kyle¡¯s sake that Lieze became stronger. He knew that she did this with goodwill only, but the pain at his side still made Kyle stagger.


    ¡°Lieze¡¯s retorts have gotten cruel as of late, huh¡­¡± Seran, another regular victim of Lieze, started sweating profusely at the sight in front of him.


    Lieze herself however ignored the two and turned towards Erina.


    ¡°U-Um¡­I¡¯ll do my best, so please take care of me!¡± Erina was confused at this odd scenery in front of her, but she tried to regain her composure, greeting Lieze.


    Lieze had readied herself for the worst, but seeing Erina¡¯s straightforward attitude, she felt the strength in her shoulders relax.


    I see¡­I can¡¯t cast her aside, that¡¯s for sure.


    Lieze was charmed by Erina¡¯s passionate attitude.


    ¡°My name is Lieze, nice to meet you.¡±


    Following that, Seran, Shildonia, and Urza also briefly introduced themselves. In the face of Seran¡¯s nonchalant introduction, Erina showed a faint smile. When it came to Shildonia, a girl about her size, she felt a bit concerned, and when she saw Urza, Erina was evidently surprised.


    ¡°¡­You mentioned you had a map. Do you mind showing me?¡± Urza said, to which Erina panicked a bit, taking out a hand-sized map from her chest pocket.


    Seeing this, Urza started questioning her in regards to the symbols and other terms written on there, as well as the general outline of the forest. Hearing all of Erina¡¯s answers, she nodded in a satisfied manner.


    ¡°¡­This is quite detailed. Well done. With this, we should be able to trust her,¡± Urza commented.


    ¡°O-Oh yeah, I never asked, but do you not have any comrades?¡± Kyle held his side in pain still, asking.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­I¡¯m working independently. Is there any problem with that?¡± Uncertainty filled Erina¡¯s voice.


    The majority of adventurers work in groups. Evidently, because that was the most efficient way of getting quests and requests done. The adventurers who were working alone were either complete beginners, those who held absolute confidence in their own strength and ability, or those who had other particular circumstances.


    ¡°¡­No, as long as you properly guide us there, it¡¯s perfectly fine. Once again, we¡¯re counting on you.¡± Kyle didn¡¯t know which of those three was Erina¡¯s case, but he didn¡¯t mean to pry into her affairs.


    ¡°Y-Yes! Thank you very much!¡±


    Erina seemed to be relieved to be accepted by the other members of Kyle¡¯s group, as her expression softened up. Kyle was once again entranced by Erina, but he felt Lieze¡¯s anger rising again, so he quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°S-Still, this really is a country of adventurers. So many people moving this early in the morning.¡± Kyle looked at the adventurers around them, letting out a comment of admiration.


    ¡°No, this is quite the low number, actually. The number of people who are heading to the deeper parts has lessened as well.¡±


    Being told this by Erina, Kyle listened in on the conversation around him. As an expected result, some were talking about the recent dragon sightings. However, since nobody ever actually clashed with a dragon, and with no casualties, it was more like a safety measure than actual fear that drove them.


    ¡°Do you know anything regarding the dragons?¡± Kyle asked, to which Erina shook her head.


    ¡°I simply spotted one from afar, but any more than that¡­However, there¡¯s a rumor going around that a human figure was with the dragon.¡±


    ¡°A human figure? The dragons are acting together with a human?¡± Kyle let out a surprised voice.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s simply a rumor, and I haven¡¯t seen them myself¡­Rather, it¡¯s the first time something like this has ever happened before¡­¡± Erina showed a complicated expression.


    ¡°Well, we can just ask about that later.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    Erina tilted her head in confusion at Shildonia¡¯s confident words. Right as she was about to ask what exactly she meant, the bell near the gate rang, signaling the beginning of the day.


    ¡°Alright, time to head off,¡± Kyle told everyone, and they headed towards the gate.


    ****


    The first special trait of the forests of Eddos was the harsh environment. The air temperature was high, and together with the upped humidity, simply moving or standing around slowly chipped away at your stamina. The terrain had a lot of ups and downs, which made it harder to move through and navigate. Most terrifying of all were the monsters lurking around, which is why you had to be cautious at any given moment. It was a dangerous location where, without necessary preparations and knowledge, you wouldn¡¯t even last half a day without a miracle up your sleeve.


    ¡­Or so it should have been¡­


    Right when half a day had passed since they departed, Kyle¡¯s group learned to appreciate the experiences and knowledge they had gathered up to this point.


    ¡°Phew, I¡¯m glad we bought this after all,¡± Lieze said with a cool expression, not breaking any sweat despite the high temperatures around.


    It was thanks to the hoodie with added mantle everyone was wearing. Looking closer at this mantle, it gave off white smoke, automatically cooling down the close vicinity of it. It was another useful magic item, imbued with cooling magic. By wearing it, it naturally cooled you down, like a small fridge.


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Even Erina was positively surprised at the item¡¯s efficiency.


    If she had this available on a normal occasion, her gathering work would be a lot easier. However, the simple logistics of this item were relatively complicated, which made this a rare, expensive item. On top of that, the cost-effectiveness scale wasn¡¯t that high either. Adventurers came to the forest in order to earn money, so they couldn¡¯t afford to go in the red. It may be convenient, but not the best decision to rely on.


    However, Kyle¡¯s group had prepared one of these items for each member as part of their preparations. For that, they must have bought up all the items available in Rinecol. This probably surpassed even the reward Erina would be paid. As a result of that, their traveling through the forest was going smoothly, but it was also thanks to the individual stamina of the group.


    Leaving aside an inhabitant of the forest, Urza, even Kyle and Seran, as well as Lieze were blessed with high endurance. The oddest of them all was Shildonia, who wasn¡¯t even wearing the mantle, and yet didn¡¯t break a sweat either, like the idea of bodyweight and endurance didn¡¯t exist in her books. Erina looked ahead, down at the Wild Boar collapsed on the ground, in the shape of a small mountain. It was around ten times bigger than the average boar.


    The Wild Boar¡¯s fur and thick fat are sturdier than your average metal armor, and its vitality was ridiculously high. Its attacks had enough force to mow down an entire row of trees, and it could very well annihilate a small army troop. To a solo adventurer like Erina, encountering one of these beasts was pretty much death itself. And yet, this dangerous monster had been defeated by Kyle in a single strike. A Wild Boar was a strong foe that required an entire group of well-equipped and skilled adventurers to defeat while being ready for sacrifices. That was Erina¡¯s understanding of the beast¡ªuntil now.


    The boar had come at the group out of the thicket, possibly aiming for a surprise attack, but he remained calm, facing it face-to-face like it was a simple breeze hitting him. Right before they clashed, Kyle had jumped upwards to evade the attack, pulling his sword mid-air, ramming it into the vital point where the Wild Boar¡¯s fat and fur was the thinnest. It all happened in the blink of an eye.


    The Wild Boar continued its charge shortly after that, but as if it had caught on to its own death, it fell over. Only Seran had managed to grasp Kyle¡¯s movement. Lieze and Urza were looking after him, but Erina was standing still in awe.


    ¡°Everyone¡­is quite amazing,¡± Erina commented in admiration.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s thanks to you teaching us about the various monsters and their vital points. And because you warned me beforehand, I could react quicker.¡± Kyle said like it was nothing.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­¡± Realizing that she wasn¡¯t doing much work as a guide, Erina was starting to lose her confidence.


    ¡°So, what do we do about this?¡± Seran said, pointing at the Wild Boar.


    ¡°The scent of blood might attract other monsters. Plus, the sun will start setting soon, so we should quickly move away from here.¡± Erina got back on track, remembering her duty, and warned the group.


    ¡°No worries about that. We have a tool that¡¯ll erase the scent, as well as monster repellant, so we can set up camp here.¡± The tool Kyle was talking about was equally expensive as the mantle.


    ¡°Then, we might as well make some hot pot with the boar¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, quiet please.¡±


    Lieze looked up at the small mountain of a monster, bringing up the idea of dinner when Erina must have heard something, and raised a sharp voice.


    ¡°The sound of wings¡­A Killer Bee, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s a large insect, mainly gathering nectar from the flowers, but it also eats meat. Regularly attacks people if it spots any. Now, a swarm is coming closer.¡± Erina explained.


    ¡°¡­Great job catching on to that. I only heard it a second ago.¡± Urza said, speaking in admiration.


    Just as with the Wild Boar, Erina was the first one to catch on to their presence, despite an elf Urza being part of the group.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­without that, you won¡¯t survive here¡­More importantly, a single Killer Bee isn¡¯t that dangerous, but their numbers are a nuisance. We should move away as quickly as possible. Right now, we should be able to make it at ease.¡±


    Kyle judged that needless fighting wouldn¡¯t give any profit, and was about to move away, when Shildonia spoke up.


    ¡°Wait¡­that means the nest of the Killer Bees must be close, right?¡± Shildonia asked with a complicated expression.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­that¡¯s what I would assume¡­?¡± Erina must have felt an odd pressure from Shildonia as she staggered half a step backward.


    ¡°The honey of a Killer Bee is much richer in flavor than your average honey, and while it acts as strong nourishment, it¡¯s also exceptionally useful as a cosmetic. It was valued highly during the era of Zaales.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡± Lieze¡¯s attention was caught the second Shildonia spoke about cosmetics


    ¡°Indeed, and its taste is also marvelous¡­The moment you get a taste of it, the sweetness immediately stimulates your brain, and yet it isn¡¯t that heavy of a taste either. It goes down your throat quite well, and the scent reaching up to your nose fills you with a pleasant calmness¡­It is unrivaled honey, I tell you.¡±


    Hearing Shildonia praise the honey excessively, both Lieze and Urza audibly gulped.


    ¡°Kyle, Seran¡­I¡¯m counting on you two! I¡¯ll even make you some boar hot pot and bread with a lot of honey!¡± Lieze pleaded, forming a fist.


    ¡°You two¡­No matter what it takes, you need to bring back some honey from the nest!¡± Urza urged the two, seemingly having a sweet tooth.


    ¡°So we¡¯re the ones going?!¡± Seran wasn¡¯t that big of a fan of sweet stuff, so he obviously complained.


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that a bit of a diabolic match-up?¡± Kyle envisioned tonight¡¯s dinner and grew pale.


    ¡°Enough grumbling, and get to work already! I wanna see those arms move!¡± Shildonia screamed, and the two poor men couldn¡¯t hope to win against the group of three girls, with their eyes brimming with excitement.


    No other option left for them, they headed for the nest of the Killer Bees. It¡¯s best not to go against the worlds when they¡¯re this excited¡ªis what the two decided solely based on their instinct.


    ¡°What an interesting group of people¡­¡± Erina somehow managed to build a sentence.


    As such, thanks to the great advice of Erina and the overall skills of Kyle¡¯s group, they managed to enjoy their trip through the forest quite well.

 Volume 4 - CH 6

    By the time the sun had begun to set, only a bit of light was left in the Western sky, Kyle and his group were sitting around a campfire, enjoying dinner. Usually, an outdoor dinner like this would be made of the bare minimum of ingredients. Dried bread, dried meat, maybe some cheese and nuts, anything that would provide necessary nutrients for the next day. It was usually plain and uninteresting.


    However, tonight¡¯s dinner was an exception to that, awfully luxurious and profound despite them being outside still. Just as Lieze had declared, inside the pot on the campfire was the fresh Wild Boar flesh, as well as various root vegetables like potatoes, boiling to a tasty scent that heightened everyone¡¯s appetite. Erina added some fruits she found while searching through the forest during a previous trip, and they even had some raw vegetable salad as well as raw fish dishes lined up.


    The last two were pre-cooked by Lieze. Normally, they¡¯d go bad after a single day, but through the special magic [Preservation], they could be stored freshly for a much longer time. Although it wasn¡¯t on the level of what you could eat in the streets of the Imperial Capital, there was still value to be found. In fact, they never had any problem with stuffing themselves during their travels through the forest.


    Especially today, with the honey of the Killer Bees, they had a rare ingredient you couldn¡¯t easily get your hands on. This nectar was thoroughly enjoyed by the group of women. Urza¡¯s expression especially was distorted in joy and ecstasy, and she didn¡¯t even bother to participate in any conversation. Naturally, they weren¡¯t careless about their surroundings by any means, and they even set up a barrier that made it harder for monsters to approach them. Because of that, they managed to create a comfortable atmosphere in the center of a deadly forest.


    ¡°Still, these are some crazy trees.¡± Seran finished eating first and commented in such a fashion while looking around, his voice filled with admiration but also disbelief.


    His gaze was focused on the giant trees growing in front of him. In order to fully surround a single tree, it would need several people to hold hands and create a circle, and this forest was full of these kinds of trees.


    ¡°We never saw a tree as big as this back in Rimarze¡­Must be hundreds of years old, no?¡± Lieze reminisced about her hometown, looking at the large trees in awe.


    ¡°No, they should only be a few tens of years old,¡± Shildonia said, while drinking some black tea with lots of honey inside of it. ¡°You call this a magic tree, growing by absorbing the mana overflowing in the area. The earth veins of Eddos are especially rich, which leads to this growth¡­And because of the strong mana around here, which influences the plants and vegetation, eaten up by herbivorous monsters or mythical beasts, which are in turn eaten by the carnivorous monsters and mythical beasts, it creates a strong dynamic which results in this place being so deadly.¡± Shildonia delivered a detailed explanation while taking a satisfied sip from the tea.


    ¡°Huh, that explains a lot¡­¡± Lieze remembered seeing oddly large plants as they walked through the forest.


    ¡°You sure know a lot,¡± Erina commented, sounding a bit surprised, which Shildonia apparently saw as a reason to continue with her confident tone.


    ¡°From time immemorial, the flow of mana in the earth¡¯s veins is the strongest here, compared to the rest of the continent. As a result of that, I had the Magic Kingdom Zaales build various magic research and experiment facilities here, acting as the foundation of Zaales¡¯ remains, but¡­to think they would be relevant even until today. Although it is the law of this world, it can be so fleeting. The vicissitudes of fortune, you may call it.¡± Shildonia shook her head with a nostalgic smile.


    It seemed like the delicious food made her a lot more talkative than usual.


    ¡°Um¡­you had them build them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that part¡­More importantly, I¡¯d like to talk about how we proceed from now on.¡±


    Erina seemed a bit concerned regarding Shildonia¡¯s statement, but Kyle immediately changed the topic.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­Um, I was guessing on six days in total, but with this speed, we might make it to the [Nest of Dragons] in three days.¡± Erina explained while taking out a map. ¡°However, that would be the shortest possible route, and this would lead us into the area where the dark elves are active. In order to avoid them, we would have to take a large detour.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­Assuming we went the shortest route, would it be possible for us to still avoid them?¡±


    ¡°It is their area, and because it is hunting season right now, their caution is relatively high, so I think it will be difficult at least. Personally, I would avoid them if possible.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Having heard Erina¡¯s answer, Kyle started thinking.


    In reality, there was no need to rush. In the event that they encountered the dark elves, it would most likely not end up in any positive way, and it would probably invite a more hostile situation. However, the most problematic part was the dragons after all. Kyle was awfully curious about the reason behind their activity. It might be best to rush ahead so that no negative development could happen in the shadows.


    ¡°Um¡­is there any problem?¡± Erina saw Kyle¡¯s reaction and grew anxious thinking she might have messed up somewhere.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go with the detour. But, I¡¯d like to get there as quickly as possible, so can we take the shortest route?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! I understand! I¡¯ll come up with the shortest route!¡± She let out a voice of relief.


    ***


    Pitch-black darkness filled the night. Besides the distant roars of monsters, everything was wrapped in silence as the campfire flickered ever so slightly. Although they set up a barrier, they wouldn¡¯t want to take any risks, which is why they were taking turns standing guard. Right now, it was Kyle and Lieze¡¯s turn, whereas the other four were in deep sleep. Of course, Shildonia didn¡¯t need any sleep, but she was bothered by everyone sleeping so comfortably, which is why she joined them.


    ¡°Hey, Kyle, can I ask you something?¡±


    They were sitting around the campfire, discussing whatever came to mind, when Lieze suddenly brought up that question.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Erina¡­did you ask her why she needed money that desperately?¡± She glanced at Erina, lying a bit further away from them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, no.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­Urza was curious about it as well, you know?¡±


    There, Kyle remembered how panicky Erina was to not upset the mood in the group all day.


    ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯d rather not overstep my boundaries when it comes to that. She probably has some complicated circumstances to deal with, but we all have our own personal reasons why we would need money. Maybe she also doesn¡¯t want to talk about it¡­Honestly, she¡¯s been a great help so far, so as long as I pay her the money later, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡± Kyle said as if he wanted to stay calm himself.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but he was oddly curious when it came to Erina. If this was romantic affection or simple sympathy, he couldn¡¯t draw the line. That¡¯s why he was trying to keep his distance. Lieze probably picked up on that and was curious.


    ¡°Hmm¡­Well, that sounds just fine then.¡±


    Leaving up for debate if she knew how Kyle felt or not, Lieze¡¯s gaze grew a bit sharper. Following that, an awkward silence reigned between the two. Unable to bear it anymore, Kyle spoke up and said what he had yet to say.


    ¡°H-Hey, Lieze¡­Well, you know¡­Thanks for everything.¡±


    ¡°¡­Where did that come from?¡± Lieze showed a surprised reaction, suddenly being thanked by Kyle.


    ¡°I mean, despite everything happening, you¡¯ve always been supporting me, which is why everything is working out¡­¡±


    The reason Kyle could focus on what was truly important solely resulted from Lieze¡¯s support when it came to laundry, cooking, and everything related. Every single meal of the day was like a joy Kyle looked forward to.


    ¡°Haha¡­it¡¯s thanks to Mom, I guess,¡± Lieze said with a faint smile, to which Kyle remembered her late mother Ety.


    She always had a weak and fragile body, a woman you wouldn¡¯t believe to be Lieze¡¯s mother, but her smile was warmer than anybody else¡¯s, and she always treated Kyle like her own son. Skilled at housework duties, she would always say ¡®Everybody would start smiling while eating some delicious food, so the way to the heart of the person you like is through their stomach¡¯, which is why Lieze was this skilled right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m really thankful, alright¡­Not just you, but Urza, and even Seran¡­you¡¯re tagging along with my selfishness.¡± Kyle said, but a shadow flashed upon his face.


    It¡¯s already been half a year since leaving Rimarze. It was a rough start, but even so, Kyle managed to pull through because Lieze and the others were with him. Of course, he felt happy about that, but at the same time, he felt apologetic for putting them through this. He did this to save the world, and he knew that it was the right thing to do, but he was unsure if dragging Lieze and the others into this mess was the correct choice, especially with the burden they had to carry.


    Naturally, leaving this situation as-is would result in the [Great Invasion] happening, with humanfolk falling to ruin, and all of Kyle¡¯s friends dying. However, wasn¡¯t he getting his things backward if he pressed them onto this life-threatening journey? At times, Kyle questioned if he was right or wrong. He was considering telling everyone the fact that he was actually redoing his previous life, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to do so just yet.


    What¡­can I do for Lieze? How can I repay her?


    As Kyle was lost in thought, Lieze suddenly stood up, approaching him.


    ¡°Eh¡­?¡±


    Without uttering a word, she just sat down next to him.


    ¡°H-Hey¡­¡± Kyle tried to say something, but he saw Lieze¡¯s expression as she leaned against him, and closed his mouth.


    Amidst this chilly night, her warmth felt comfortable.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll be there for you.¡± Lieze¡¯s voice sunk deep inside Kyle¡¯s heart.


    Obviously, Lieze didn¡¯t know what exactly Kyle was troubled about. However, she understood that he was feeling weak right now, and she decided to do this. No matter what, she¡¯d stay with him. Kyle could directly feel Lieze¡¯s determination. If the others weren¡¯t around, he¡¯d probably hug her without a shred of hesitation. Instead of doing so, he gently placed his hand on her head, which rested against his shoulder, caressing it.


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Lieze let out a comfortable sigh, like a cat being spoiled.


    This situation continued for a short bit when Seran spotted the two flirting, and teased them for a while. The following morning, Lieze was in an awfully good mood, with an oddly displeased Kyle, and Seran was watching them with a bothered expression, met with a perplexed Urza tilting her head.

 Volume 4 - CH 7

    Two days after that, afternoon arrived. Kyle¡¯s group found themselves in the deeper area of the forest, surrounded by large grass and trees as they progressed. According to Erina, they were reaching a perfect break area, so they were moving towards that right now.


    ¡°That reminds me, there are Unicorns in this forest, no?¡±


    Usually, this wouldn¡¯t be the time for idle talk, especially the path they were trodding, but Lieze asked with no hesitation in her voice. Of course, they were still cautious of their surroundings despite that.


    ¡°There are, but¡­they coexist with the dark elves in their territory, so we probably won¡¯t be able to see them.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­I read about Unicorns in a children¡¯s book before, so I wanted to see one at least once.¡± Lieze showed a somewhat dejected response after hearing Erina¡¯s words.


    Unicorns were white horses with a horn growing from their heads, which possessed excessive healing capabilities, being able to heal whatever poison or disease may plague you. The magic medicine created from these horns could even revive people from the dead¡ªor so the stories go¡ªwhich is why hunting for Unicorns has escalated to the point they were an even rarer existence than a dragon.


    ¡°You mean ¡®Maiden of the Lake¡¯? I read that a lot when I was younger as well.¡± Kyle remembered the picture book Lieze was talking about.


    ¡°Yeah, I liked that one.¡±


    ¡®Maiden of the Lake¡¯ told the story of a young girl who wanted to save her mother from a disease, meeting the Unicorn living in the forest, saved by the Unicorn because of her pure wish.


    However, Erina and Urza watched the excited Lieze with somewhat complicated expressions.


    ¡°There were Unicorns in my hometown, you know¡­¡± Urza looked like she wanted to say something, but gave up mid-way.


    ¡°Not to mention that they don¡¯t suddenly go around saving others¡­Ah, we¡¯ll be reaching a lake any second now.¡± Erina commented, changing the topic.


    They passed through a wall of tall grass, to which all the large trees around them disappeared instantly. What greeted them was a lakeshore with comparatively small vegetation. It was a relatively large lake, as the lakeshore stretched far into the distance. The way the sun shone down on the lake, creating a charming glimmer on its water¡¯s surface, was a sight to behold. The breeze passing the group felt comfortable and relaxing as well, making it evident why Erina called this a passable resting space.


    While enjoying their lunch, Kyle¡¯s group checked out the map, discussing which route to take next.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be going alongside the shore for a bit. After that, we¡¯ll go past the mountains¡­so the quickest route would still take around six days.¡±


    The route drawn onto the map went alongside the shore of the lake, taking a large detour. With magic, they may be able to cross the lake at least, but they would run into dark elves in the process.


    ¡°¡­By the way, are you sure about the new ruins?¡±


    Erina was talking about the previously undiscovered ruins they passed by on the way here. It seemed to be a research facility of Zaales, covered in earth and growing plantations, spotted by Shildonia. Undiscovered ruins of Zaales technology were said to hold countless treasures. Simply the location would pay a great sum of money, and yet Shildonia had no interest in it whatsoever.


    ¡°Yeah, just do what you want with it. I don¡¯t believe that people of today will be able to understand everything that is to be found in there but letting it rot won¡¯t benefit anybody. Since this facility was built to fully use the potential of the earth veins, they were built underground, thus hard to be found. I should probably tell you where the other ones are.¡±


    ¡°W-Well¡­Um, why do you know so much?¡±


    ¡°Because I was the one who had all of them¡ª¡±


    Shildonia was about to say something, but Kyle interrupted her, changing the topic.


    ¡°So¡­is finding a ruin like that a big deal for adventurers?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I may not be a specialist when it comes to ruins, but it is one of the biggest goals of every adventurer coming here. You often hear about them wanting to visit the Sangurd mountain range, conquering the legendary [Magic King¡¯s Labyrinth] ¡ª¡± There, Erina¡¯s gaze shot upwards, pointing at the lakeshore.


    It was a long way away from Kyle¡¯s group to the point not even Seran or Kyle could figure out something, but something was moving.


    ¡°Not good! Hide!¡± Erina gave a warning, and Kyle¡¯s group immediately crouched down on that spot.


    ¡°A dark elf?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­But, it should be fine. I don¡¯t think they spotted us just yet.¡± Erina responded with a quiet voice.


    ¡°A single dark elf¡­A woman, huh? Also, that monster she¡¯s with¡­is that a Unicorn?¡±


    ¡°What?! Where¡­Mguh!¡±


    Seran spotted a Unicorn in the distance, to which Lieze¡¯s head almost shot up in excitement, only held down by Kyle.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for them to come out here, but¡­she can¡¯t find us. Luckily, we¡¯re in a downwind, so as long as we don¡¯t make any noise, we should be¡ª¡±


    However, right then¡­


    ¡°Heeeey! I found a Koato tree over there! Their fruits are famous for their sweetness! They¡¯re usually high up, but if we¡¯re careful¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± Urza came back from plucking flowers, running towards the group with a bright grin. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late, we¡¯ve been found out.¡±


    Urza immediately covered her mouth, guessing the situation. However, Kyle judged that there was no need in hiding anymore, so he stood up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think we were too loud, but she¡¯s got good senses.¡± Seran followed suit.


    ¡°Hey, is there a Unicorn?¡± Lieze stood up as well, still brimming with excitement because of the Unicorn.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Erina kept a stern expression, looking at the lake.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not supposed to be the idiot in the group¡­I¡¯m usually a lot calmer¡­I was just careless for a moment¡­¡± Urza seemed to have understood the situation, depressed about her mistake, but nobody had any time to blame her.


    As they were on the opposite sides of the lake, running away might have been possible for them¡ªif not for the fact that the other party was using the shortest possible route.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­running across the water?¡±


    With speed any normal horse couldn¡¯t hope to compete, a single-horned beast ran across the water, creating ripples at every step¡ªIt was a Unicorn, which completely stole all of Lieze¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Unicorns have a high affinity with spirits, as they are half-spirits themselves. It¡¯s probably relying on the powers of the Water Spirit Undine.¡± Shildonia explained while observing the Unicorn approaching them.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the Unicorn, as well as the dark elf riding on it, to reach the group, and become more visible. The sight of the Unicorn possessed a beauty that could not be replicated by a human hand, its eyes overflowing with wisdom you wouldn¡¯t see in any normal horse. As for the dark elf, when comparing it to human years, she looked to be in her early twenties. Her skin was dark-brown, tanned almost, yet she possessed snow-white hair, as she gave off stern personality vibes unbefitting of her beauty. Besides her skin and another certain body part, she looked no different from your average elf.


    In her hands, she had a large bow described as a complex bow, and the sight of her aiming this bow amidst the Unicorn with perfect posture was enough to entrance you. The Unicorn¡¯s white and dark elf¡¯s black created an odd contrast that resulted in a picture-level beauty. Then suddenly, the two came to an abrupt halt, almost as if they stood on solid ground. They were probably right at a distance where the arrows could reach.


    As they stood on the surface of the water, Kyle¡¯s group had no way of approaching them. If a fight broke out now, they would be decimated by the arrows before being able to do anything.


    ¡°What are you doing here!¡± With the arrow pointed at the group, the dark elf emitted a roar filled with hostility.


    Even though Kyle and his group had the advantage in numbers, she showed no fear, indirectly stating her confidence in her own skill. Kyle hesitated for a moment, wondering how he should respond, when the dark elf fired an arrow, most likely as a warning. It stabbed right into the ground a few inches away from Kyle¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Speak! The next one won¡¯t miss!¡± The dark elf readied another arrow immediately after firing the first one, pressing Kyle with a harsh tone.


    ¡°Phew¡­what a sight.¡± Seran watched this and let out a voice filled with admiration.


    However, this was not directed at the dark elf¡¯s skill with the bow. His lustrous gaze instead was focussed on the woman¡¯s cleavage. In fact, her chest was bigger than Seran had ever seen before. It seemed like not only her skin color but also her proportions were different from the average elf.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they getting in the way when she¡¯s shooting her arrows? No, their heaviness might give her additional balance on the horse¡­¡±


    Kyle fully ignored Seran¡¯s worthless yet awfully serious comment and started thinking. Certainly, fighting in this location wouldn¡¯t necessarily end in defeat, but that would turn all the dark elves fully hostile towards them, and the same will happen if they ran away. However, as the other party was on a horse, they probably wouldn¡¯t start any forced battle, so as long as Kyle and his group emphasized they were innocent, there might be something that could be done about this.


    ¡°Calm down, Paserane. They have three maidens with them, so we shouldn¡¯t be so unscrupulous.¡±


    Before Kyle could say anything, the Unicorn started speaking fluently.


    ¡°Eh? Ah, hey!¡± The dark elf woman called Paserane missed her chance to stop the Unicorn, as it immediately ran towards Kyle¡¯s group.


    With its innate speed, it reached Lieze in an instant. Lieze¡¯s eyes shot wide open because the monster appeared right in front of her, as the Unicorn spoke up with a friendly tone.


    ¡°Human maiden, I am Roas. Would you mind telling me your name?¡± His expression was hard to figure out as the horse it was, but everybody could imagine it smiling with ease.


    ¡°Ah, um¡­M-My name is Lieze.¡± Lieze was taken by surprise, still dropping her name.


    She didn¡¯t know how to react in the face of Roas¡¯ extravagant reaction.


    ¡°Ohh, what a wonderful name. It reminds me of a gentle spring breeze¡­So, what is your name, my beloved elf maiden?¡± The Unicorn¡¯s voice resembled a man in the prime of his life, but his tone made him sound like a playboy trying to pick up girls.


    ¡°Get away, Roas! We still don¡¯t know what they may be plotting!¡± Paserane desperately tried to get through to Roas, but he wouldn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°What is this, Paserane? Jealousy? Rest assured, my utmost love will always belong to you. I just have some extra love left to shower other maidens with.¡± Roas spoke like he was arguing with his parent, laughing heartily.


    His attitude was always friendly and genuine, but that was only towards Lieze and the others. He perfectly ignored Kyle and Seran, like he didn¡¯t even accept their existence. Shildonia watched this and commented with a bewildered tone.


    ¡°Unicorns can instantaneously figure out if a woman of the humanfolk is a maiden¡­or virgin, more accurately. They indiscriminately treat every maiden with respect and favoritism¡­And at the same time, they discriminate against men of any sort, not giving them any affection or attention. It appears as if this Unicorn is a prime example.¡±


    ¡°Hm? You young woman¡­are a mystery. You don¡¯t seem to be a human either¡­This is a first for me.¡± Roas looked at the magical entity Shildonia and showed a gesture of confusion.


    ¡°Well, I technically am a maiden myself. My real body never experienced anything like love¡­¡­¡± Shildonia seemed like she suffered some damage by saying that, as she stared into the distance.


    ¡°In other words¡­Unicorns are just extreme womanizers.¡±


    ¡°Yuck¡­almost like Seran.¡±


    Urza seemed to have recovered from the initial shock, and Lieze threw in a backhanded comment. Said Seran was now thinking about something.


    ¡°Hm¡­I knew that Lieze was a virgin, but to think Urza as well¡­Then again, she doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s used to men, so¡ªGuha!¡± Seran blurted out what he was thinking as usual, as Lieze¡¯s iron fist slammed right into his abdomen.


    Once Seran fell to the ground, Urza stepped on the back of his head with a beet-red face.


    Idiot¡­Well, I knew that Urza was a virgin though¡­


    Kyle was thinking the same thing as Seran, but he chose to go with silence rather than seal his own death. In his previous life, during the night before the final fight with the Demon Lord, Kyle and Urza enacted the ¡®Applied Contract¡¯, which meant the same as a marriage ceremony. There, he learned of her true name, and they promised to stay forever if they made it back alive. That was also the time when Kyle learned about her being a virgin.


    In the end, as a cause of this vow, Urza sacrificed herself for Kyle, and was erased from this world in front of his very own eyes¡­


    Thinking about that now, promising marriage the night before a decisive battle is practically the beginning of a tragic heroic tale¡­


    Of course, it¡¯s not like that fact allowed him to achieve a draw with the Demon Lord, but if he went through the same situation again, he wasn¡¯t sure what to choose¡­Problematic in this situation however was that, while thinking all of that, he was practically staring at Urza.


    ¡°W-What are you looking at!¡± Urza blushed even more furiously as a result of that.


    ¡°Eh, ah, well, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Kyle remembered that night and blushed as well.


    The person to finally break through that silence was none other than Seran himself.


    ¡°Ouch¡­you really don¡¯t hold back at all¡­Ah, does that mean that our lady Paserane here is also a virgin? What a waste with those giant¡ªWoah?!¡±


    Fueled in anger at this sexual harassment from Seran, Paserane did not hesitate a second to fire another arrow at him, which he evaded at the last second. Following that, the entire girls¡¯ group glared at Seran, wishing that arrow could have hit.


    ¡°¡­Is Seran supposed to be that man over there? Are you comparing me to such a vulgar human? You may be graceful maidens, but those words did indeed hurt me.¡± Roas sounded evidently displeased.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°As long as you understand, I shall bear no grudge. Being compared to such a lowly human is nothing short of humiliation, see¡­Really, if only all males besides me could just go extinct. Then, all the maidens in this world would belong to me.¡±


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Lieze immediately regretted apologizing to Roas. ¡°It feels like my magical image of Unicorns broke apart into a thousand pieces¡­¡± Lieze muttered in disbelief.


    The second the Unicorn began acting like Seran, Lieze was thrown into a deep depression.


    ¡°Roas, will you drop it already?! They may be poachers, you know?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not happening. I¡¯ve seen as many foolish people as stars in the sky who tried to hunt me, so I can immediately differentiate between them. Especially if they are maidens,¡± Roas spoke with absolute confidence. ¡°Not to mention that there¡¯s a familiar face amongst all of you¡­If not for that, I may have questioned you after an attack.¡± Roas glanced at Erina, who had been quiet this entire time. ¡°Erina, it has been a while. To think a maiden would go out of her way to meet me¡­There is no greater joy I could feel.¡± Roas¡¯ voice didn¡¯t change much, as he spoke to Erina with a friendly but also gentle tone.


    ¡°¡­Why have you returned, Erina.¡± Paserane purposefully kept a sharp tone, as she spoke to Erina.


    ¡°Returned? ¡­Ah, I see!¡± Urza caught on to something thanks to Paserane¡¯s words. ¡°I was wondering why something didn¡¯t feel right the moment I met you¡­Erina, you¡¯re a half-dark elf and half-human, right?¡±

 Volume 4 - CH 8

    With Urza¡¯s confident words acting as the final nail in the coffin, Erina lowered her head with a stiffened expression, slowly taking off the cloth she was wearing on her head. As a result of this, white hair similar to Paserane¡¯s appeared, as well as her ears. They weren¡¯t as long as Urza¡¯s and Paserane¡¯s, but they held the elvish shape.


    ¡°You gave off the impression of being a half-elf, a child between an elf and a human, but that didn¡¯t quite fit right¡­Now everything makes sense. You¡¯re a child between a dark elf and a human.¡± Urza spoke with half admiration, half confusion.


    Only children between humans and elves, as well as humans and dwarves, were regarded as a half-breed, but not anything beyond that. Then again, dark elves rarely showed themselves in front of other races, so even if any example of such a half-dark elf existed, nobody would have known.


    ¡°I put a faint color on any skin that is visible, like my face and hands.¡± Erina opened up her collar, revealing her cleavage.


    Her skin there was similar to Paserane¡¯s, although not as dark.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Seran let out a voice of excitement and pushed his body forward, but Lieze immediately stepped on his foot, silencing him.


    ¡°So, were you previously living with the dark elves?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­until two years ago.¡±


    She held a detailed map of the place, and that explained why she was so knowledgeable. The reason Paserane didn¡¯t attack right off the bat was that Urza was with them, as well as a familiar face with Erina.


    ¡°¡­Erina, you were banished. Even if it is outside our territory, you know that things will heat up as soon as you get close!¡± Paserane seemed agitated, reproaching Erina for coming closer.


    ¡°There were half-elves in my village as well, but we never did something so cruel as to chase them out. The dark elves are quite intolerant, I see.¡± Urza seemed emotional after hearing words about banishment.


    When it comes to half-breeds, as someone who isn¡¯t fully on either side, there are times when neither race will accept them. However, that doesn¡¯t put any blame on the person in question, and Urza saw it as shameful if anybody treated a half-breed in such a way.


    ¡°Could you not meddle with someone else¡¯s business, elf?¡± Paserane grumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m paying her to¡­¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re allowed to speak, human! I am asking Erina!¡± She roared in anger at Kyle. ¡°I hope I¡¯m wrong, but¡­The one guiding invaders around¡­is you, as well as them?!¡±


    Erina immediately protested with a loud voice.


    ¡°These people are different! I¡¯m simply guiding them!¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?! There are no other places you could take them beyond here¡­!¡±


    ¡°Paserane, calm down.¡± Roas broke between the two. ¡°My apologies, Erina. We had a lot of invaders recently, hunters even, so Paserane is simply on edge. More than anything because¡­¡± For the first time, Roas¡¯ voice sounded calm and collected, almost cold and distant. ¡°We have victims on our side. Five dark elves and two of my Unicorn comrades had been defeated. Not to mention in the span of a month.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡± In the face of this devastating news and Roas¡¯ saddened voice, Erina grew pale.


    This forest was regarded as the garden of the dark elves, so it would normally be unthinkable that there could be dark elf victims. And yet, these invaders were doing whatever they wanted, creating casualties wherever they wandered. This certainly was the cause of Paserane¡¯s anger. Erina¡¯s expression was distorted in pain, as she glanced at Kyle. She was asking if she could tell Paserane of his goal. In response to that, Kyle nodded.


    ¡°These people¡­are heading for the [Nest of Dragons].¡±


    ¡°The [Nest of Dragons]? Erina, are you even aware of the dangers you are heading for?¡± Roas spoke up, his voice colored in shock and worry.


    ¡°The pay is good¡­¡­and Mom has fallen sick. The treatment will cost us a lot.¡±


    ¡°What? Luctera is?¡± Paserane scowled.


    Kyle was equally surprised but immediately returned to his poker face.


    ¡°¡­What is your goal? Is it related to the recent dragon activity?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Does that mean you don¡¯t know the reason behind the dragons¡¯ movement?¡± Lieze asked Roas.


    ¡°Indeed, we have no way of knowing. It appears as if we had connections existing a thousand and more years ago, but at this point in time, neither of us are interfering with the other, and with no ground to begin new discussions, we¡¯re left in the dark¡­¡± Roas explained quite carefree in the face of Lieze¡¯s question, which earned him another earful from Paserane.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to add unnecessary details! ¡­I have no interest in whatever you are planning, but if you say that you are unrelated to the recent poachers, then I will let you go this once. Hurry, and leave¡­Roas, we¡¯re returning! I won¡¯t bother with you any more.¡± Paserane said, ordering Roas.


    As for Roas himself, he looked at Erina, who seemed anxious, but also hopeful about something, and spoke up with an apologetic tone.


    ¡°Erina, as you know, only dark elves can use my healing powers, and that requires a pact of coexistence. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Erina shook her head, like she wanted to say that she knew all along.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Let us meet again, my beloved maidens!¡±


    As the exact opposite of the angered Paserane, Roas declared their departure with a gentle tone.


    ¡°Unicorns never change no matter how much time passes, I see.¡± Shildonia glanced after Roas, shaking her head.


    ¡°For crying out loud, these dark elves tend to be so narrow-minded¡­Ah.¡±


    Elves generally were rather secluded, and yet arrogant towards any other race, is what Urza was saying. However, she remembered that Erina was a half-breed dark elf mid-way, and covered her mouth.


    ¡°But, why did she end up banished¡­Ouch!¡±


    Seran was about to ask something, but as Kyle and Lieze decided to not touch upon that topic, the girl slammed her foot onto Seran¡¯s.


    ¡°¡­No, please let me explain. I¡¯ve already caused you trouble like this, so¡­See, my father was a dark elf.¡± Erina said, explaining that her father was famous for his skill with the bow, which is why his marriage with a human woman was tolerated, and allowed to live with her. ¡°Living in the forest was hard for me, but because I had Mom and Dad with me, it wasn¡¯t too hard.¡± Erina flashed a vague smile like she had remembered her joyful past with her parents.


    However, because of an unforeseen accident, her father passed away two years ago, which made living a lot harder on them. Eventually, they moved to the nearby human town Rinecol, both working as adventurers.


    ¡°Mom had always been an adventurer, which is how she met my father here in this forest. She was very skilled with the bow¡­which is how the two got closer.¡±


    ¡°Love between a human and a dark elf¡­¡± Urza muttered.


    Although it sounded simple on paper, surely there must have been countless hurdles in the way of that. As an elf herself, Urza certainly must have her own thoughts about this. That¡¯s why she went quiet after this comment, and glanced at Kyle, most likely doing so subconsciously.


    ¡°Eventually, your mother ended up sick, but is it that bad?¡± Lieze asked, sounding worried.


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s become stable, but without the horn of a Unicorn, her full recovery will practically be impossible¡­and she will most likely need expensive magic medicine for her treatment.¡±


    That evidently was the reason why Erina needed money so desperately.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Since Lieze¡¯s mother passed away because of her fragile body, she probably felt a strong connection.


    She glanced at Kyle, wondering what they should do. They didn¡¯t plan on asking her, but now that she told them herself, Lieze probably wouldn¡¯t be able to just ignore that. Kyle knew that all too well, so he nodded.


    ¡°¡­So, about this job¡­¡± Erina glanced at Kyle, her gaze filled with uncertainty.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. I was the one who told you to take the shortest route, and I don¡¯t intend to have you take responsibility for this. You being a half doesn¡¯t have anything to do with this request, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you very much!¡± Accepting Kyle¡¯s gentle words and voice, Erina seemed relieved, as she teared up, thanking him.


    ¡°There¡¯s just one thing I¡¯d like to ask¡­Your mother¡¯s name is Luctera?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s skilled with the bow, ashen-grey eyes with green hair, about the same height as me, and she has a mole below her left eye¡­¡± Rather than a question, this was more like a confirmation.


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­Um, did you meet her before?¡± Erina showed a perplexed expression.


    ¡°No, I was just thinking that may have been the case, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    I see, so she¡¯s Luctera¡¯s daughter¡­I can finally see the resemblance.


    She had some of the facial features of her mother¡ªKyle¡¯s former ally in his previous life¡ªLuctera. Finally, it all made sense to Kyle. This emotion he felt towards Erina wasn¡¯t actually aimed at the girl herself, and rather involved a sense of indebtedness he felt towards her mother. It felt like everything made sense, but at the same time, horrible memories filled Kyle¡¯s head.


    As the famous archer Luctera was, she was present at the front lines in the battle between the demons, and Kyle¡¯s life had been saved thanks to her. However, he cast her aside in the end. At the final period of their war against the demons, when her squad had broken off from the main force, and when the discussion came up if they should help them or not. Eventually, Kyle brought judgement that the main force would most likely suffer too many casualties in the process. In other words, he let her die.


    Of course, he knew that it was the necessary evil, more than anybody else. Many similar events like that happened during the war, and feeling guilty about every small thing would not allow you to survive that hell. As a result, because of that decision, they managed to gather a strike force, which made the final attack on the Demon Lord¡¯s castle possible, so Kyle¡¯s chance wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Even so, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I left her to die¡­


    That is why he wanted to save her now no matter what.


    ¡°Erina, don¡¯t worry¡­Luc¡ªYour mother¡¯s sickness, we¡¯ll do something about it.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­R-Really?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it for everyone, but when it¡¯s someone I have a connection to, I want to help them¡­I have an idea when it comes to the magic medicine regarding the sickness she has.¡± Kyle said, glancing at Shildonia.


    ¡°Th¡­Thank you very much! Thank you so much! If Mom were to die now¡­If I have to live without her, I just¡­I just¡­¡±


    Ever since Erina¡¯s father passed, her only saving grace was her mother, so she was trying her hardest to support her. Encountering someone who might be able to support her, she was shedding large tears of hope.


    ¡°However, reaching the [Nest of Dragons] comes first. Also, in return for us helping you, we¡¯d like your assistance with something¡­¡±


    Erina¡¯s talent was evident, and Kyle was aware that even her mother Luctera would be a great asset to have. His desire to save her was real, but he couldn¡¯t deny the fact that Luctera could be helpful later down the line.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do anything, so just tell me!¡± Erina smiled with a determined expression, which led Kyle to feel a severe case of guilt, but he shook that off right away.


    Still¡­a sickness of life and death¡­? I don¡¯t remember that happening in the previous timeline¡­


    Kyle caught on to a discrepancy in his knowledge, but forgot about that, and instead set out for the [Nest of Dragons].

 Volume 4 - CH 9

    Around the time Kyle¡¯s group was moving closer to the [Nest of Dragons], Minagi was present at Rinecol inside a cafe. It was a high-class, open-terrace cafe, with Minagi sitting on one of the seats, enjoying the beverage she ordered while gazing at the people walking down the main street.


    Still, what a troublesome job this is¡­


    She had her hood pulled over her eyes so that her surroundings wouldn¡¯t be able to see her face, as she internally grumbled like that. Her actual duty was to protect Kyle¡¯s group from the shadows. However, that would prove difficult while they were traveling through the forest, and she should be careful of any assassinations in town. Since she couldn¡¯t do anything for the group right now, she was instead acting separately. Right now, her duty was to gather information and spread rumors.


    At this very moment, she was acting as a pilgrim and faithful of the Goddess of Earth Cairys. She was going around to shrines and holy grounds, or so was her story, but that was nothing but a guise. There were two types of pilgrims. First, those who expect almsgiving from other followers of Cairys, used as traveling costs as they go around places, which is mostly done by average citizens. The other was the rich.


    Minagi was the latter. She used her money for virtuous deeds, which acts as deep proof of her faith. Surely, it was the hobby of the rich, but many shrines in the area were welcoming her. In other words, as long as she was rich, nobody around would doubt her, and her clothes were the perfect disguise. She went around shopping, showing off her wealth while spreading rumors along the lines ¡®Oh yeah, something like this happened¡¯.


    The rumors in question were mainly about Kyle, telling the story of him saving Princess Milena, how he managed to achieve great results in the Galgan Empire¡¯s festival, and how he managed to defeat the strong monsters in the close vicinity of the forest. Making these stories spread naturally is quite difficult. Not to mention the results not being visible too easily, which made it a bothersome job.


    However, Minagi was allowed to use all the money at her disposal, and since the rumors were 70% true, as well as 30% exaggerated, they were easy to believe since other similar rumors went around. As a result, Kyle¡¯s name was spreading widely. At the same time, however, Minagi couldn¡¯t find any great information regarding the Mera cult.


    After paying the employee at the cafe a bit extra to brighten their mood, Minagi broke out a topic, seeing if she couldn¡¯t catch anything, but the best she heard were the stories about the recent dragon activity.


    Nothing at all in regards to the Mera cult¡­I guess I¡¯m mostly done spreading the rumors at least. The best I can do is wait until they spread naturally¡­Though, I have to say¡­


    Minagi sighed.


    ¡°Phew¡­What am I doing here, really? Well¡­it¡¯s all Kyle¡¯s fault.¡±


    Minagi once again reminisced about how things ended up this way, and reached Kyle as the origin of it all. The main reason she ended up in this situation is that her original goal of coming to the Galgan Empire, the assassination of a royal family member, fell flat. As the client passed away, it was out of her control, basically bad luck, but luck was also part of one¡¯s own skill. Just as Souga would always tell her with ¡®Every failure results from your own inexperience¡¯, she was forced to take responsibility.


    Since she ended up in debt because of all the various preparations for the job that had now fallen flat, she was certainly saved by Kyle, but the job she was given in return was even more complicated. Acting as a guard was one thing, but when dealing with the Mera cult, filled with individuals who never appeared on the open side of the world, it was hard to grasp anything. Even more so since the target she was supposed to protect ran off to meet dragons.


    I¡¯d be able to understand it if he wanted to become a Dragon Slayer, but¡­what is he thinking?


    Who in their right mind would go negotiate with the dragons? Of course, he seemingly saw himself with a chance at winning, but Minagi couldn¡¯t help doubting his sanity, and there was a big chance that he wouldn¡¯t even return. If so, Minagi would end up driven in a corner for good this time. She had so much more to say, but all things considered, he was the one who saved her when she was in peril, so she felt thankful.


    The pay was great, and she wasn¡¯t actually limited when it came to her own procedure, so she shouldn¡¯t complain about her client. More than anything, he trusted her from the bottom of his heart. When failing at an assassination, it wasn¡¯t rare for shinobi to lay down their own lives. And yet, Kyle was ready to put his life in her hands, giving her utmost respect. Despite being a sullied existence drenched in blood, he showed her a gentle smile, not shying away from her. Understanding that this came from the bottom of his heart, Minagi opened up to him.


    For Minagi, who never had anybody to confide in besides her teacher and practically parent Souga, Kyle¡¯s attitude felt fresh, and she found herself bewildered. Because of her occupation, she was mostly treated with disrespect, looked down on, or even met with hostility, she was still not used to Kyle¡¯s¡ªalbeit calculative¡ªsmile.


    Really messes with my motivation¡­seeing a smile like that¡­


    Minagi sighed once again, albeit for a different reason compared to before. After that, she glanced down at the bag next to her, which she bought while gathering information. Inside there were the things she needed to complete Kyle¡¯s second request. This was the main reason for her sigh. She sure wasn¡¯t on board with it, but she knew that only she could pull this off. Right as she wanted to get up from her seat, a single male individual part of the crowd caught her eye.


    That¡¯s¡­?


    Without moving her face or line of sight, Minagi closely inspected the man, analyzing every gesture even up to his breathing rhythm. He was a man in his 30s, his expression exhausted. He wore worn-out clothes on his body, plain and uninteresting, but something like white flour was seen on his legs and arms. From the shoulder bag, which also looked old and used, you could see working tools like a hammer poking out. At first glance, he looked like a stonemason of sorts, but Minagi immediately saw through that.


    Judging from that way of walking, his prominent leg is his left one, and yet the sole of his right shoe looks more worn-out. He looks exhausted, but his posture is brimming with energy, and he¡¯s constantly wary of his surroundings¡­He¡¯s clearly trained as a spy¡­


    Anything beyond that resulted from something Minagi herself couldn¡¯t fully explain. The reason she had trust in this sensation was not only out of sheer luck, but rather based on knowledge and experience.


    Weird¡­Something isn¡¯t right.


    She completely ignored her own situation, treating the man as someone suspicious. Normally, she would simply be on her guard, trying to stay away from that man. However, right now she was trying to gather information, and her intuition told her to follow the man. At the very least, she should figure out where he was heading. Thus, she began tailing him.


    ***


    Kyle and his group finally reached the [Nest of Dragons]. As the name suggested, it was a resting space for all the nearby dragons. In the entire country of Eddos, or even the human continent, there wasn¡¯t any place more dangerous. The more they approached the area, the greater their surroundings changed. From the high grass and large trees they were previously surrounded by, now they tread on small grass like a large plain.


    Finally, the bigger change was that, the closer they got to the [Nest of Dragons], the fewer monsters they encountered. Especially when it comes to larger monsters, they completely vanished from sight. The monsters most likely understood that they could not cross this line. Thanks to that, the evident danger disappeared, but the tension rose astronomically. What stood out more than anything now was a single tree standing in the distance.


    ¡°I have to say¡­it really is huge.¡± Lieze let out a voice of admiration.


    Structurally speaking, it wasn¡¯t any strange tree, but the size in itself stood out the most. They were still quite a ways away from the tree, but the tip was visibly covered in clouds. The trunk could amass an entire city, and even the smallest branches could carry several family houses on top of them. As such a tree stood on a large grass plain, it couldn¡¯t gather more attention.


    ¡°That is the world¡¯s greatest magic tree, growing since the moment the world has been created. Most people call it the [World Tree]¡­and I have to say, it has grown over the past thousand years.¡± Shildonia looked at the three with a nostalgic gaze while explaining.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the World Tree, huh¡­My mother held a staff made out of one of the branches, but to think I¡¯d see it in person like this.¡± Urza showed an emotional reaction, as she was an elf who had a deep connection with nature, now standing in front of such a legendary existence as the World Tree.


    ¡°So, that World Tree acts as the nest for the dragons?¡± Seran asked, and Shildonia nodded.


    ¡°They are practically living like birds, using the crown of the tree as a nest to live in. Up in the branches, creating holes inside the trunk¡­it seems like they modified it for easier living.¡±


    Just as Shildonia stated, there were small cavities inside the World Tree, most likely acting as small rooms or passages, the bigger ones being the size of a human town, allowing several tens of dragons to live in.


    ¡°Should we really approach it like this? If they attack us without hesitation¡­we have no way of fighting back, remember?¡±


    This was a large grass plain with no place to hide. If a dragon were to attack them from the sky, they would be decimated, so naturally, Seran was worried. Lieze and Urza fully agreed, which is why they were even tenser.


    ¡°Yeah, no need to worry about that.¡± Shildonia denied that bluntly as always. ¡°The leader of the dragons here, [Dragon King] Zeurus, has not changed since the days of Zaales. He¡¯s one of the Ancient Dragons alive since the legends, back when the Divine Dragon Valzed was walking this earth. As long as he¡¯s alive, he will lead them. So, he should be attempting to filter out our goal by coming here¡­ I believe.¡±


    ¡°That ¡®I believe¡¯ of yours is worrying me greatly, but¡­whatever.¡± Kyle judged that his best bet was to put his trust in Shildonia, and kept on advancing.


    ¡°By the way, Erina, are you really coming with us? You already fulfilled your job of taking us here¡­¡±


    Kyle walked out of the thicket, and right as the World Tree came into sight, he told Erina that she could go back now. She did everything he needed her to, and he wanted her to get home safely to her sick mother. He also already paid her the rest of the reward, but she still declined.


    ¡°Yes, please let me tag along until the very end. I asked someone else to take care of my mother, and¡­I want to help you all if possible. Well, I don¡¯t know if I actually can.¡± Erina showed a weak smile.


    She had already removed the fake paint from her face and hands, showing her pointy ears. She probably felt relieved at not having to hide it anymore, as she kept on smiling.


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s already too late at this point. They¡¯re coming.¡± Shildonia pointed at the top of the World Tree.


    At first, it looked like a bird soaring through the sky, but it kept on getting bigger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t draw your weapons,¡± Shildonia warned Kyle and Seran, who reflexively reached for their swords. ¡°Leave it to me,¡± she said and took a step forward.


    And then, it came soaring downwards. Its skin was red like a scorching flame able to defend against any weapon, its fangs were as huge as sharp rocks, with ominous and sinister-looking eyes, its claws could probably slice through any metal armor, a tail that could mow down an army of people, and large wings that could travel hundreds of miles in an instant¡­it was a monster that surpassed human common sense. Simply by living and moving, it put pressure on all living beings around it. A single gaze into its eyes felt like receiving an absolute order, telling you and your entire soul about how much of a lower being you were. The king of mythical beasts¡ªa dragon now arrived in front of Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡®Humans¡­? Why have you come here.¡¯


    Although it was hard to understand at times, the dragon used humanfolk language to communicate. However, it was an intellectual voice. The expression of the dragon was hard to decipher, but Kyle felt a glimmer of shock and surprise in it.

 Volume 4 - CH 10

    That dragon practically showed no caution towards Kyle¡¯s group, utterly defenseless. This was the expected reaction, you could say. The difference in strength between them and all of humanfolk was far too great. No human would be cautious of a single ant. Even if humans attempted a surprise attack, it was all for naught. This is how the dragons were thinking.


    ¡®So it is¡­Listen carefully, I will only say it once. Leave this place immediately, and never return.¡¯ The dragon warned them, clearly not up for any games.


    Of course, this warning wasn¡¯t issued because of goodwill or friendliness. When it came to humanfolk invading the dragons¡¯ holy place, they usually would be incinerated using a flame blaze without a second of hesitation. However, no matter who it was, they were at least given one chance to peacefully leave, and never return¡ªin the shape of a warning. If they abided, everything was just, and if they ignored that warning¡ªthey would turn into grilled meat. That was the thought process of the dragons. However, he sounded a lot more arrogant than the average member of its race, judging from Shildonia¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know you¡­and since you don¡¯t know who I am, you must be younger than a thousand years¡­well, I guess it makes sense that you¡¯d be given guard duty.¡± Shildonia let out an arrogant sigh.


    ¡®¡­W-What did you say?¡¯ For a moment, the dragon failed to grasp the words he was just told.


    He never would have imagined a human would look down on him, not to mention during their first meeting. Right as he was about to roar in anger, Shildonia poured cold water on him.


    ¡°I have no time to waste with you. Zeurus must still be alive, no? Tell him that Shildonia is here to visit him.¡±


    ¡®Wha¡­H-How do you know Zeurus-sama?¡¯


    The second Zeurus¡¯ name appeared, the dragon¡¯s attitude changed entirely.


    ¡°Something like that. I am asking for an official meeting based on the oath we share, so hurry up and tell him.¡±


    ¡®A-An oath?! Impossible! He would never plead an oath with a human¡­!¡¯


    ¡°This is of no concern for you. Asking questions is merely a waste of time for you. Be a proper guard, and fulfill your duty.¡± Shildonia looked down on the majestic dragon.


    ¡®Grrr¡­¡¯ The dragon didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    On the inside, he was fuming with anger, wondering how he should grill this puny human in front of him, but with his superior Zeurus now being named, that won¡¯t do. He had no way of proving if Shildonia spoke the truth, so he had to temporarily return. However, this made the dragon feel like he was being ordered by a mere human, plaguing him with disgrace. He considered removing them right here and pretending like this meeting never happened, but Shildonia immediately spoke up like she had felt this thought.


    ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t confirm this with Zeurus and act on your own accord, what would he do, hm? He may be fair, but very strict¡­so you should know what he does with people who don¡¯t abide the rules.¡±


    ¡®Urk¡­Y-You just wait there!¡¯ The dragon soared into the sky, whirling up the grass and dust on the ground, and flew back towards the World Tree.


    Once the dragon had disappeared into the distance, everyone but Shildonia sighed in relief.


    ¡°¡­Are you crazy? Showing that kind of attitude towards a dragon of all things.¡± Kyle let Shildonia handle everything at her request, but he was sweating profusely during the actual thing.


    ¡°The basis of a negotiation is to go head-first, brimming with confidence. If the other side is shaken, it¡¯s easier to push them¡­Not to mention, I wasn¡¯t so pushy for no reason. Many dragons are very lazy and tend to just take care of humanfolk on the spot rather than go the long route, so there was a risk of not bringing this to Zeurus himself. With this, we should be safe for now.¡± Shildonia explained indifferently.


    After they waited for a bit, the dragon came back flying at tremendous speeds, landing in front of the group.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been officially invited.¡± The dragon¡¯s tone was filled with pain and disbelief.


    ¡°I see, good work up there¡­Now, take us with you.¡± Shildonia kept her dignified attitude, aggravating the dragon.


    ¡®F-Follow me¡­¡¯


    That dragon sure is being picked on a lot¡­


    Kyle was thinking to himself, as they tagged after the dragon.


    When the group reached the base of the World Tree, they once again understood the scale of it. The trunk looked like an impregnable wall, and simply by trying to look up, it gave you a stiff neck. The leaves were colored in a strong green, and the passing dragons looked down at the group in interest and confusion.


    ¡®Over here.¡¯


    The dragon acting as a guard was displeased by this, as he took the group through a giant hole¡ªa small cut compared to the whole tree¡ªand judging from his tone, he was being forced to do this.


    ¡°Hm, the inside hasn¡¯t changed much.¡± Shildonia treated the dragon as some chamberlain, walking ahead with confidence as she looked around.


    ¡°So that means the dragons had always been living like this? Sure looks monotonous to me, alright.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I feel like a bit of decoration wouldn¡¯t hurt, honestly.¡±


    Following Shildonia, now Seran and Urza began talking with a lot more composure in their voices. Just as the two had pointed out, the skin of the tree was visible as day inside the route they were passing through. There was something resembling glowing moss growing on the walls, which granted a faint amount of light, but that was about it. It felt like they were living inside a bare tree.


    ¡°The act of gathering decoration, livening up the area, would only come to you if you were actually using it as a natural shelter of rain, heat, or cold. However, dragons have no need for permanent residence. They possess enough strength to bend nature around them. The only thing this would be used for is to avoid the brightness when sleeping¡­In order words, dragons don¡¯t understand the concept of decoration.¡± Shildonia explained, to which the others let out voices of admiration.


    ¡°Same goes for food supply. Unlike humans, dragons eat earth, stones, and everything else that could be some kind of nutrition. And despite their size, they wouldn¡¯t even eat that much. Hence, they don¡¯t need to cook, and they miss out on the greatness that is cooking. What poor beings,¡± Shildonia shook her head.


    ¡°Really? They¡¯re missing out. The joy of eating something delicious, and the happiness of being full, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live without it.¡± Lieze said with a saddened tone.


    ¡°Indeed, when I learned of this, I couldn¡¯t help but see those dragons as pitiful. I would love to recommend them all sorts of dishes, but they would never listen¡­¡±


    ¡®Enough with the idle talk. We will soon reach Zeurus-sama, so keep it down.¡¯


    Receiving sympathy from humans, the dragon sounded even more agitated compared to before. Lieze went silent because of that, but Shildonia didn¡¯t look too bothered.


    After walking for a while, they reached a wide-open space. In the middle of this large room that would have been impossible to build by human hand was a single dragon, rolled up and sleeping. It was around twice as large as the dragon guiding them.


    ¡®Wait here a mo¡ªHey, what are you¡­?!¡¯ The dragon couldn¡¯t even finish his sentence, as Shildonia started walking ahead, unperturbed.


    ¡°So you were still alive. Even as a dragon, you have taken up quite the age, so I was worried, [Dragon King] Zeurus.¡± Shildonia crossed her arms as she stood in front of the dragon Zeurus, flashing an invincible smile.


    ¡®¡­I was wondering who it was, but this arrogant tone¡­it really is you, [Magic King] Shildonia.¡¯ Zeurus slowly opened his eyes, speaking up with a sharp but equally nostalgic tone.


    ¡°We formed an oath of equality. I do not intend on abasing myself.¡±


    ¡®Hmph¡­I didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d be reunited like this, a thousand years after we went our own ways.¡¯


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m not the same as I was back then, though.¡± Shildonia showed a bitter smile.


    The current Shildonia was nothing but a magical entity of Kyle¡¯s sword, possessing the memories of back when she was still alive, so she was more like a replica.


    ¡®Indeed. You are Shildonia, but not [Magic King] Shildonia. That is why I have no obligation to respond to this meeting¡­That should be enough, no?¡¯ Zeurus must have seen that Shildonia was just a magical entity, and spoke with a teasing tone.


    ¡°You are too uptight of a being to break our oath because of something like this. Also, if you had no intention of listening, we wouldn¡¯t even be here.¡±


    ¡®Hmph¡­Arrogant as always. You are the only person to show such a tone towards me.¡¯ Or so he said, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. ¡®Irumera, good work bringing them here.¡¯ Zeurus spoke to the dragon¡ªIrumera¡ªwho guided them here, saying that he was fine to leave.


    ¡®H-However, I cannot leave Zeurus-sama alone¡­¡¯ He said, glaring at Kyle¡¯s group, specifically Shildonia after she had shown such a rude attitude towards Zeurus.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Or, do you think these people can injure me? Do you think I am too old to hold my ground?¡¯ Zeurus seemed displeased, throwing a comment back at Irumera.


    ¡®O-Of course not¡­! Humans! Don¡¯t show any more insolence towards Zeurus-sama!¡¯ He left behind a sharp warning, and trotted out of the room.


    ¡®¡­Don¡¯t tease the younglings too much.¡¯ Zeurus saw right through Shildonia, who did all of that on purpose.


    ¡°You are just spoiling him too much. It¡¯s great that he¡¯s so diligent, but do you plan on repeating the same thing?¡± Shildonia¡¯s voice suddenly sounded worried, to which Zeurus let out a sigh.


    ¡®It¡¯s slow but steady¡­I have other younglings who are promising.¡¯


    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±


    ¡®¡­So, what brings you here today? Certainly not to dwell in old stories of the past, I presume?¡¯


    ¡°I do quite enjoy indulging in stories of the past, but it¡¯s a bit more important today. It¡¯s something only you and I¡­as well as Kyle over here should talk about.¡± She was clearly stating that this wasn¡¯t anything for the other dragons to hear.


    ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯


    There, Zeurus glanced at Kyle for the first time, but he tilted his head.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Kyle Lenard.¡± Kyle was unable to act as imprudent as Shildonia, so he deeply lowered his head.


    ¡®So you are the user of that sword¡­However, hmmm¡­¡¯ Zeurus¡¯ gaze wandered between Kyle and the sword, Shildonia¡¯s current main body, and seemed to be grumbling about something.


    ¡°What about this sword¡­?¡± Kyle picked up on how serious things were.


    ¡®I¡¯m not exactly unrelated to that sword, but¡­It is what it is. Let us talk about your main goal why you have come here¡­Which means it would be best for us to go over there.¡¯ Zeurus slowly got up from his sleeping posture, letting out some high-pitched sound like wind noise.


    These whistles of sorts are used as the words of the dragons, impossible to be recreated by humans, and neither are they able to understand it. Shortly after, his entire body was covered by light, and he shrunk down to human size. Finally, the light abated, which revealed a tall elderly man with a robe covering his body, long white hair on his head with a prideful white beard.


    ¡°If I stayed in my dragon form, it would be hard to fully communicate with human words, no? And, this makes it easier for us to talk.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, thank you very much.¡± Kyle was taken by surprise at seeing a dragon transforming into a human, but tried his best to not sound rude in the face of that.


    Kyle glared over at Shildonia, asking with his gaze as to why she didn¡¯t tell him about this beforehand, but Shildonia acted innocent.


    ¡°Follow me. Let the others wait here.¡± Zeurus didn¡¯t show any signs of his old age, as he kept on walking with a straight back, Shildonia following after him.


    Kyle told his friends to wait here and hurriedly tagged along. At the same time, he mentally prepared himself, knowing that this is where the real deal will begin.


    ¡°It has been a while since I¡¯ve taken this appearance, but I still can¡¯t get used to these¡­¡¯clothes¡¯, as you call them. Why do I have to cover myself with such fabric¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it off, alright. I¡¯d rather not see an old man naked.¡±


    ¡°It just does not feel right¡­I would love to throw them aside immediately¡­¡±


    ¡°Once again, don¡¯t you dare. I don¡¯t want to start our negotiations with some naked old man!¡±


    Hearing the banter between the [Dragon King] and [Magic King], Kyle couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious.

 Volume 4 - CH 11

    ¡°To think you still had this room. Hasn¡¯t changed one bit.¡±


    The location Zeurus brought them to was a simple yet large room, existing inside the World Tree, offering a large table with seats for six people. People of the humanfolk would surely fit in here at ease, but it most likely was too narrow for a dragon.


    ¡°I made it for you. Because of our equivalent oath, you are the only humanfolk who would visit me here at the World Tree.¡± Zeurus showed a blunt response.


    Shildonia and Zeurus sat down at the table, facing each other. Kyle looked around for a moment and then sat down next to Shildonia.


    ¡°Now then, let me get right to the problem at hand. In the near future, a great war between humans and demons will break out. We want you to not side with the demons, and lend your strength to humanfolk.¡±


    ¡°I decline.¡± Zeurus immediately rejected Shildonia¡¯s appeal. ¡°Indeed, we have been saved by you. However, we have fulfilled our debt, and don¡¯t plan on offering you any more help.¡±


    ¡°Saved? What did you do?¡± Kyle looked at Shildonia.


    ¡°Oh yes, I hadn¡¯t told you yet. The entire race of dragons has been indebted to me.¡± She started explaining how she saved the dragons from an incoming threat back when she was still the king of the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales.


    This threat was that the dragons could not give birth to new children. Dragons could live for thousands of years, basically being immortal beings. Their breeding ability was exceptionally low, and it took them a long time to realize this, namely when it was almost too late. With no successors born, even the great dragons would eventually meet their demise.


    ¡°So, I figured out the reason for their inability to breed and saved them from their impending doom. In a way, you could call it the repercussions of the dragons¡¯ own actions, but still¡­Oops.¡± She started her sentence, only to catch Zeurus¡¯ gaze, and stopped her words. ¡°Anyway¡­this led to the debt of the dragons, and we pleaded an oath.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we have seen more children being born between us since then, and we were saved¡­However, I believe we already repaid you. We evacuated any homes we had except this World Tree for your research facilities and gave you ownership over that¡­I think that we¡¯ve fulfilled our condition. I have no obligation to offer you more than that.¡±


    ¡°Hm? So the reason you still live here in the World Tree¡­¡±


    ¡°Is because we are abiding by the oath we formed. At the same time, any humanfolk approaching us will receive a sharp warning so that they leave immediately.¡± Zeurus spoke with a cold tone, but Shildonia was half in admiration, half in disbelief.


    ¡°What, so you¡¯ve been respecting our oath even now? You could have been versatile with it after Zaales fell to ruin. Really, call it righteous, or uptight¡­¡±


    Well, that is why I can put so much trust in you¡ªshe added in her mind.


    ¡°Hmpf, we¡¯ve gone off the rails here. Either way, we have no intentions of participating in this war. Why would we have to assist humanfolk in a war they have set up?¡±


    ¡°You seem to have the wrong idea here, but the demons will be the ones to bring about the war.¡±


    ¡°What¡­? Impossible, the Demon Lord would never attempt such foolishness.¡±


    Shildonia shook her head, and let out a sigh.


    ¡°I have heard that the current Demon Lord is part of the peace faction, so it is hard to believe¡­However, what if there was another Demon Lord?¡±


    ¡°Another Demon Lord? What are you saying?¡±


    Shildonia glanced at Kyle, and he nodded. They both decided that it would be best for him to tell Zeurus of everything.


    ¡°What I am about to tell you is the indisputable truth. Please, hear me out first.¡±


    Kyle told Zeurus about the birth of a new Demon Lord, the beginning of the [Great Invasion] by the demons, humanfolk being brought to the brink of ruin, how they managed to seize victory in their last breaths, and that he returned back in time through the forbidden ritual of the demon lord.


    ¡°¡­What preposterous nonsense. It is hardly plausible that I would believe that.¡±


    The reaction Zeurus showed after Kyle finished his explanation was torn between believing him and seeing it as utterly ridiculous. In short, it was about what Kyle expected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for that. If this wasn¡¯t about me, I would have just ignored it as some drunkard¡¯s nonsensical fantasy story.¡±


    ¡°However, it is the truth. With your eyes, you should be able to see the deviation in Kyle¡¯s soul, no? Of course, we have other ways of proving it as well.¡±


    The soul of Kyle who came from the future, and the soul of Kyle who had existed in this world, have now been fused into one inside his body. That granted him massive amounts of mana any average human could never hope to possess.


    ¡°Indeed, I was quite intrigued about his soul. The chances are low, but it is not impossible¡­However, you are saying that we dragons will align with the demons?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I know it sounds weird for me to say it, but¡­I indeed was fighting a dragon in my previous life¡­I immediately realized that they weren¡¯t fighting out of their own free will, but rather as if they had no other option.¡± Kyle remembered the dragon he had to fight before.


    He himself knew best that the dragon was holding back¡­although he was still plenty of a threat.


    ¡°However, that is impossible¡­We would not dare side with the demons.¡± Zeurus said like he was annoyed about something.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it either. Hence, I¡¯m sure there must be a particular reason for that. Do you have any idea?¡± Shildonia asked.


    ¡°A reason that would force us to support the demons¡­I cannot think of anything.¡± Zeurus crossed his arms, thinking with a stern expression.


    It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying about that.


    ¡°Anyway, I cannot let my own people fall to ruin, so I¡¯d like to ask the dragons for their strength.¡± Shildonia pleaded.


    ¡°I see, I understand your reasons¡­However, that has nothing to do with us. I don¡¯t plan on assisting you.¡± Zeurus¡¯ opinion had not changed.


    ¡°I see, I guess it cannot be helped then¡­Hence, I¡¯d like to add a new condition to our contract.¡± Shildonia said, to which Kyle took out a certain object, putting it on the table.


    They had anticipated he wouldn¡¯t help them despite hearing about their circumstances, which is why they prepared this ace in the hole. The moment Zeurus saw that object, he barely kept himself from falling off the chair.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­! Impossible! Why is it here? I heard it has gone missing after the fall of Zaales, and¡­I see, that was the catalyst!¡± Zeurus¡¯ eyes had opened wide, his breathing out of control, and he reached for the red gemstone¡ªthe [Heart of the Divine Dragon] with a quivering hand.


    ¡°Indeed, it has come to this world together with Kyle¡¯s soul. This was one proof we had prepared¡­and if you are willing to assist us, we would be fine with entrusting it to you. You have been oddly fixated on it after all.¡±


    Knowing that the [Heart of the Divine Dragon] would have such a huge impact on Zeurus, they purposefully left it out during their previous explanation. Zeurus¡¯ reaction was exactly what they had anticipated, so Shildonia showed an evil smirk. This [Heart of the Divine Dragon] was the last remnant of the grandfather of all dragons, Divine Dragon Valzed, possessing tremendous amounts of mana. Simply by possessing this, the Ancient Magic Kingdom of Zaales managed to make tremendous progress in research, but after learning about this, Zeurus pressured them to return it, which almost led to a war between humanfolk and dragons.


    However, Shildonia thus learned of the hardship the dragons were going through, resolved this, and was given the right to possess the [Heart of the Divine Dragon]. Back at the time, Zeurus was reluctant to give it up but was forced to agree in the end. That is why Shildonia judged he would be more on board if she showed him this precious item. That being said, right before his hand touched the [Heart of the Divine Dragon], he seemed to have come to his senses, as he dropped his hips on the chair, shaking his head.


    ¡°No, I cannot accept this trade.¡± Zeurus seemingly got his excitement under control, and now spoke with a calm tone.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? Even for us humanfolk, this has unmeasurable value, so it should be an irreplaceable treasure for you dragons. Didn¡¯t you call it that before?¡± Shildonia seemed flustered at this reaction.


    ¡°I did say that, but¡­this is just my own obsession.¡±


    If you looked at Zeurus right now, he didn¡¯t resemble the previous [Dragon King], but simply an old man.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°¡­The only dragon still alive who knew Valzed-sama when he was alive¡­is me. At least if you didn¡¯t count the one living in the demon territory.¡±


    Zeurus was saying that only two Ancient Dragons, who had been alive since the age of legends and knew Valzed, were alive today.


    ¡°So many have passed away¡­¡± Shildonia felt the passage of time directly on her skin, as her expression grew painful.


    ¡°Even us dragons cannot live forever¡­To Irumera right now, Valzed-sama is simply known as history¡¯s greatest existence. However, I cannot¡­involve the younglings into this war because of my obsession¡­no, because of my wounds.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t afford to endanger his entire species simply because of his own desires¡ªthat¡¯s what he was thinking.


    ¡°At the same time, humanfolk may have a king, the demons may have their Demon Lord, but I am not governing all dragons. I simply am the oldest alive¡­so I cannot force the others around me.¡±


    ¡°Q-Quite admirable of you to say that¡­or, have you gotten weak? The one they call the [Dragon King]?¡± Shildonia must have tried to brush away the gloomy atmosphere by poking a bit of fun at Zeurus.


    ¡°You may be right¡­It means that I¡¯ve gotten old, as all things do.¡± Together with Zeurus¡¯ mutter, a heavy but slightly different atmosphere filled the room.


    ¡°Um¡­you said you were related to this sword, but what exactly did you mean by that?¡± Unable to bear this heavy mood, Kyle changed the topic.


    ¡°Ahh, the sword me is made out of refined and pure mithril that has been tempered many times, but there¡¯s actually a bonus ingredient.¡±


    ¡°¡­My fang, that is. I was forced to work together with her, offering a fang of mine. It has yet to regrow¡­¡± Zeus showed a faint smile, revealing one missing tooth.


    ¡°It was the fang of the [Dragon King] after all, there couldn¡¯t be any greater material, and by fusing this with the mithril, it offered an excessive amount of sturdiness and mana. Thanks to that, we managed to forge what is possibly history¡¯s greatest sword. A job well done, if I do say so myself.¡± Shildonia nodded.


    ¡°Well, that being the case, I have my own thoughts about that sword¡­Still, the user managed to cross time and space¡­Call it fate, or the natural course of events¡­it must be moving to you, no?¡± This time, Zeurus spoke with a teasing tone, but Shildonia simply tilted her head.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I do not know why my main body went so far as to create this sword.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait, what are you saying? Even though she paid much attention to it?¡±


    ¡°No, my main body never transferred her memories regarding that case to me. It was evidently set up that way¡­though I don¡¯t know the reason why.¡± Shildonia seemed confused, whereas Zeurus¡¯ mouth was open in shock, only to burst out laughing.


    ¡°I-I see, so this is what this is¡­You don¡¯t even know¡­He he he.¡± The [Dragon King], which has lived for centuries and eons, now held his stomach, crying from the laughter.


    ¡°D-Do you know something?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do know. But, are you sure? You might regret listening to this.¡± Zeurus was clearly enjoying himself, as he spoke.


    It even sounded close to a provocation.


    ¡°Whatever! Hurry up and tell me!¡±


    ¡°If you are that desperate to hear it, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Let me tell you. It¡¯s awfully simple. That sword there is your¡ªor more accurately [Magic King] Shildonia¡¯s¡ªpresent to her beloved.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wha?¡± Shildonia let out a dumbfounded voice.

 Volume 4 - CH 12

    ¡°A so-called love that transcends social status, you could call it.¡± Zeurus flashed an evil grin, delivering details to his previous statement.


    Just as the name suggested, the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales amassed the greatest strength of magic in humanfolk history. Standing at the summit of such, Shildonia was treated as a god by most. And yet, this Shildonia, according to Zeurus, had encountered a young individual. He possessed no talent in magic whatsoever. People who had no talent in magic were treated as lower citizens in Zaales, so the difference of social standing between the two was like heaven and earth.


    Back at the time, the fight against the demons had started to grow more serious, and Shildonia was unable to confess her feelings for the young individual, who had trained themselves in the sword as magic was not an option.


    ¡°It was right in this room. You came here without previously informing me, and told me about this young individual with all the joy in the world. The you back then strongly denied it, but you were simply bragging about the person that had earned your feelings. I didn¡¯t know what to tell you when you had asked how you should handle things.¡±


    ¡°So you asked the [Dragon King] for love advice?¡± Kyle sighed in disbelief, but Shildonia was too busy blushing and growing pale from Zeurus¡¯ words.


    ¡°To humanfolk at the time, she was like a living god, so nobody would even dare to talk with her as an equal.¡±


    ¡°That¡­sounds troublesome¡­¡±


    ¡°Honestly speaking, I couldn¡¯t have cared less.¡±


    ¡°At least take me seriously, will you?!¡± Shildonia roared, but Zeurus continued.


    ¡°But, you came over again and again¡­Seeing no other option, I read a book about romantic relationships between members of humanfolk, studied about it, and tried to give her advice.¡±


    ¡ªWhat a great guy¡­dragon, actually.


    ¡°You really gave me a lot of trouble,¡± Zeurus said while shaking his head, and yet his tone sounded like he enjoyed himself despite that.


    At the very least, he didn¡¯t fully mean what he was saying. As the [Dragon King], he was an existence respected by the majority of all living beings, an existence feared and revered. He probably never had anybody he could have an idle talk with, so he might have just enjoyed Shildonia¡¯s presence.


    ¡°When I brought up the idea of using your power as the [Magic King] to make them your lover, you said that you didn¡¯t want them to hate you. You wanted to raise their affection for you, so I said you might as well present them with a sword. As a result of that, you used all technology at Zaales¡¯ disposal and created the greatest sword in existence. And when I offered to help as a token of goodwill, you stole one of my fangs¡­No restraint whatsoever, you humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡­sounds crazy.¡± Kyle agreed with the Dragon King, but he couldn¡¯t tell him how many times this sword saved his life.


    ¡°¡­So, what happened in the end?¡± Shildonia seemingly ended up curious about it herself, asking about the end of that love.


    ¡°Well, things didn¡¯t work out, as you would expect. By the time the sword was finished, that youngling married their childhood friend, without ever learning of your feelings.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­so I couldn¡¯t even confess my own feelings¡­¡± Despite the current Shildonia not even having experienced this broken heart, she had a distant gaze. ¡°Then again, my real body had far too much fame to her that because of political reasons she had no spouse. She should have known that nothing good would come of this, and yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Despite knowing it, there is nothing that can be changed. That is how the principle of love works. Thinking about it to no end, you still won¡¯t get an answer¡­or rather, there is never any correct answer in the first place.¡± Zeurus crossed his arms, saying words you wouldn¡¯t expect from someone who lives inside a tree.


    ¡°So, as for the reason why these memories had not been passed onto you¡­Well, the guess is easy. She most likely didn¡¯t want anybody but her current self to suffer from these memories.¡± There, Zeurus once again flashed a devilish grin.


    ¡°Urk¡­¡±


    Hearing about the romance of herself who also wasn¡¯t her, Shildonia blushed furiously while holding her head as she slammed it onto her desk.


    Kyle didn¡¯t know what to even say to her, but when she realized that he was staring at her, she started shrinking even further.


    ¡°What are you looking at¡­Hmph, it seems like even the great [Magic King] was such a worthless woman she could not even enjoy one fulfilling love in her lifetime. You are free to laugh.¡±


    Seeing Shildonia sulk in a rather troublesome manner, Kyle felt the urge to cheer her up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­I¡¯m always in your care, and there¡¯s nobody more reliable than you. Without you, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have made it this far. So don¡¯t say you¡¯re worthless.¡±


    As she seemed like she had lost her confidence, Kyle tried to give her an extra boost. It might not look like it, but Shildonia loved being relied upon quite a lot.


    ¡°¡­Do you really feel that way?¡±


    ¡°Of course. When I understood that I traveled back in time, you were the first person I realized I needed the help of¡­I can¡¯t do this without you.¡±


    Those were Kyle¡¯s genuine feelings, whether or not he wanted to cheer her up.


    ¡°I see¡­Indeed, that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Of course, Shildonia understood that Kyle was trying to brighten her mood, but she also knew that he wasn¡¯t just sweet-mouthing her either. And as Kyle had known, Shildonia started to cheer up and feel at ease, knowing that she was being needed.


    ¡°Hmm¡­Maybe another reason why these memories hadn¡¯t been passed onto you was that your real body wanted you to taste the feeling of love for the first time yourself. The reason she implemented you into the sword, was it possibly because she wanted you to see the youngling in your future user?¡±


    Zeurus watched the exchange of the two with a teasing grin, only for Shildonia to grasp what exactly he meant with that, leading her to blush furiously.


    ¡°Either way, this just means you turned out to be an even bigger maiden than I had already assumed you were. Phew, that was a good laugh¡­how many thousands of years has it been¡­or ever, really.¡± Zeurus made it sound like he enjoyed this exchange from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡°Enough! L-Let¡¯s return to the main topic at hand¡­Zeurus, you have no intention of lending the demons your strength, yes?¡± Shildonia showed a serious expression, to which Zeurus responded with one of his own.


    ¡°What a foolish question. We are still neutral as we have been for eons. We do not plan on assisting you humanfolk, but neither will the demons receive our support.¡±


    ¡°But in the end, you still teamed with the demons¡­¡±


    ¡°The human over there is simply saying that. I have no reason to believe everything he said.¡±


    As he said he had no intention of supporting the demons, Shildonia decided to leave it at that today. However, Kyle was different.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe your words, but I have seen the dragons fight on the side of the demons¡­and there was one thing that caught my attention.¡±


    Kyle directly asked what he had been doubtful about the second he entered this room.


    ¡°Just now, you said that it had been hundreds of years since the last time you talked with the humanfolk, yes? There was no mistake about that?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    There, Kyle stood up and walked towards the corner of the room. As expected, it was covered in death that made it seem like it hadn¡¯t been used for who knew how long.


    ¡°¡­It is dusty, but the table and chair definitely aren¡¯t nearly as bad¡­If anything, I can see traces of it being used recently. Definitely not frequently, but it sure looks like you have recently met someone here.¡±


    This room originally had been created for the sole purpose of offering a meeting room for negotiations with Shildonia, so if what Zeurus said was true, this room should not have been used for hundreds of years. If it was a meeting between dragons, they wouldn¡¯t use this room. If so, then this must have been used while meeting with someone who is neither humanfolk nor dragon.


    ¡°Wait¡­Zeurus?!¡±


    Shildonia¡¯s eyes opened in shock as she most likely realized what Kyle was getting at, roaring at Zeurus.


    ¡°Did you¡­meet the demons here?¡±


    Zeurus received a sharp and ice-cold glare from Kyle, narrowing his eyes.


    ***


    At around the same time, Lieze and the others had about nothing to do, so they simply enjoyed some sweets and tea, conversing with each other on a small carpet.


    ¡°It still is hard to believe that we¡¯re inside that giant tree right now.¡± Seran was lying around like this was his own home, munching up some of the sweets Lieze made.


    ¡°I knew the World Tree from its name, but it was more like an existence out of a legend¡­My mother, who had a staff made from a World Tree branch, told me stories often¡­I however didn¡¯t expect I would actually set foot inside of it one day.¡± Urza also commented with admiration.


    She originally had been traveling around the continent to visit new places and see extraordinary things. Being able to see the renowned World Tree this up-close, she naturally must be feeling a tad bit emotional.


    ¡°Here, you eat some as well, Erina. They have a lot of fruits in them, so they¡¯re delicious¡­What¡¯s wrong? You seem a bit out of it.¡± While handing Erina some baked sweets, Lieze couldn¡¯t help but be worried about Erina¡¯s recent attitude.


    ¡°No, I was just thinking how amazing all of you are¡­¡±


    Although she herself had wished for this, coming to the nest of the dragons like this, Erina was filled with tension. They might be attacked and burned to a crisp by a dragon the very next second. And yet, Lieze and the others were casually eating snacks, looking like different living beings to Erina.


    ¡°Yeah, not like being nervous all the time will do us any good.¡± Lieze showed a sunny smile.


    Erina seemed to feel a bit of relief with that smile, as she bit onto the sweets offered by Lieze. The pleasant scent of the sweets, paired with the sweetness of the fruits mixed in quite well, makes it exceptionally delicious. Despite being out and about traveling through a dangerous forest, Lieze managing to make such a treat was more than admirable, and it helped melt some of Erina¡¯s tension. While they were enjoying the tea party, Irumera approached the group.


    ¡®You humans, you are in Zeurus-sama¡¯s room¡­¡¯


    Seeing them hold a banquet of sorts, he couldn¡¯t help but stare at them in disbelief.


    ¡°Not like we have anything else to do, and I¡¯m hungry¡­Also, the [Dragon King] and Kyle aren¡¯t back yet, so what do you want from us?¡±


    Seran¡¯s assertive and arrogant tone didn¡¯t change even towards a majestic dragon.


    ¡®¡­What troublesome folk I brought with me¡­Really, what a day.¡¯ Irumera spoke with a disgusted tone like he was biting on an insect when a shadow appeared from behind him.


    Truthfully, Irumera had been in a bad mood at that point, but he most definitely didn¡¯t hold any hostility. Not many official visits had asked of the dragons amidst their long history. On top of that, there were already previous visitors present. The dragons had no concern to make the two parties wait in different locations. That¡¯s why, he guided her here¡ªand the result was obvious.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Who let out such a dumbfounded voice? The woman who entered the room gave off a sharp and wise impression, being quite the beauty. What stood out beyond anything was the single horn growing from her forehead¡ªthe proof of being a demon. And, Seran¡¯s group had seen this horn before.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­Yuriga?¡±


    The demon who had appeared was the female demon Yuriga, who they had encountered in the Mining City Callan, and fought off thanks to the valiant efforts of Lieze and Urza.


    ¡®Zeurus-sama is currently talking with the comrades of these people, so please wait here¡­¡­Why are you frozen stiff like that? Humanfolk and demons are not fighting, no?¡¯ Irumera saw the awkward reactions of Seran¡¯s group and Yuriga, asking with a confused tone.


    He was fully aware of the history these two races had. However, for half of his lifetime, they had been on a ceasefire, so he didn¡¯t know what the problem here was.


    ¡°W-Why are you people here?!¡± The one to recover first was Yuriga, immediately entering a stance of caution.


    ¡°That¡¯s our phrase. You didn¡¯t come here to continue the fight from before, right?¡±


    Seran stood up around the same time, putting his hand on this sword, ready to pull it at any given moment. Urza and Lieze followed suit, stepping in front of Erina.


    ¡®What are you doing.¡¯ Feeling the tension in the air, as a risky mood passed between them, Irumera asked with more force in his voice. ¡®¡­You are our guests, even if I wish you weren¡¯t. I will not allow any fighting, and if you don¡¯t abide by our rules here, you will lose your status as guests. You will turn every living dragon in the World Tree into your enemy, so you best be prepared.¡¯


    Pressing this fact onto everyone present, Seran¡¯s group and Yuriga all undid their postures, but the caution had yet to fully vanish.


    ¡®For crying out loud, both demons and humanfolk are helpless altogether.¡¯


    Seeing this, Irumera shook his head, glaring at all members present with half-opened eyes.

 Volume 4 - CH 13

    ¡°How perceptive¡­¡±


    Receiving Kyle¡¯s gaze, Zeurus didn¡¯t deny these words.


    ¡°What is this about, Zeurus?! Interacting with the demons¡­have you gone insane?!¡± Shildonia¡¯s expression was colored in fury, but Zeurus was ever-calm.


    ¡°You seem to be under the wrong impression about something. I was merely meeting the demons, which has but one reason¡ªnamely that they sought out a meeting. They were polite and kept their manners while coming to meet me, so naturally, I would give them the chance of a meeting. Exactly as I¡¯ve done with you.¡±


    ¡°P-Polite and with manners? The demons did?¡± Shildonia doubted her ears.


    The demons she knew were far too distanced from these ideas.


    ¡°It was different from that time. Three hundred years ago, after the current Demon Lord had been crowned, an ambassador of the demons would come at random intervals. Of course, I had assumed they were plotting something at first and kept my caution¡­but there were no signs of that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­what is the goal of the demons?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t disclose the details. Our mutual faith rests upon this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too uptight for your own good! No flexibility at all, this was always a bad trait of yours!¡± Shildonia slammed her hands on the table, yet completely ignoring the part where she said he could be trusted because he was so uptight. ¡°On top of that, you bluntly revealed the story of my love, so what are you saying now?!¡±


    ¡°I told you because you wanted to hear it¡­But, rest assured, the demons and I had only been meeting here, but we weren¡¯t discussing anything that would deserve your worry.¡±


    Realizing that any further persuasion was pointless, Shildonia sighed, and gave up.


    Kyle however pressed on further.


    ¡°So¡­can we believe those words?¡±


    ¡°Foolish brat.¡± Zeurus glared at him, but Kyle didn¡¯t flinch.


    After a fierce battle of stares, Kyle moved his gaze, and lowered his head.


    ¡°Apologies. The fate of us humanfolk relies upon this factor, after all.¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Zeurus let out a displeased snort, but didn¡¯t say any further.


    ¡°Still, the peace faction, huh¡­Is it really under the orders of the Demon Lord. That¡¯s the exact opposite of Negura.¡±


    ¡°Negura?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°Negura is the name of the Demon Lord who had been reigning when my main body was still alive.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they rose to power during the fierce war between humanfolk and demons, in a way the strongest and most Demon Lord-like.¡± Zeurus narrowed his eyes as he spoke from his memories.


    Demon Lord Negura spread destruction and slaughter, but humanfolk flourished further, managing to push back the demons.


    ¡°Negura had an abundance of pride and was easy to handle in that regard. Thanks to that, three-quarters of the continent fell under the humanfolk¡¯s reign, but thinking about it now¡­we might have been better off going all out to completely erase all of the demons.¡± Shildonia shook her head with a deep sigh, uttering words of regret.


    With a shared effort, the utter obliteration of the entire demon race most likely was not impossible. However, that would also result in tremendous sacrifices on the humanfolk¡¯s side, so they couldn¡¯t afford to do the final step.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    There, Zeurus seemingly caught on to something, and looked at the ceiling.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did somebody contact you?¡± Shildonia asked, understanding that dragons would communicate with sounds humans couldn¡¯t pick up.


    Zeurus seemed to be thinking about something, and then judged that there was no use hiding it, reporting it to the two.


    ¡°¡­I received information from Irumera. A demon has arrived, and has run into your allies¡­¡±


    Listening that far, Kyle shot up like a puppet having its strings pulled.


    ¡°Rest assured, they are not fighting, and I will not allow them to either¡­Though let me tell you, if you dare to use this place as a fighting ground, you will make me your enemy.¡± Zeurus warned Kyle, but even if he accepted this, sitting around while a demon was present was impossible for him, so he ran back to his allies.


    ¡°This Kyle human is quite courageous.¡± Zeurus watched Kyle run off, praising him for not flinching despite being glared at by Zeurus.


    Many humans would probably pass out from sheer pressure when dealing with an Ancient Dragon.


    ¡°Yeah, he is the one swinging my sword, so that¡¯s the least I expect from him.¡± Shildonia crossed her arms, nodding.


    ¡ªShe¡¯s taken quite a liking to him, I see.


    Zeurus thought to himself, but as old friends, seeing Shildonia¡¯s smile made him swallow his words.


    ¡°And it¡¯s not just Kyle. Even his companions are a sight to behold¡­Quite delightful, if I do say so myself.¡±


    She showed a peaceful smile she never could afford to flash during her time as the [Magic King]. Spurred on by that, Zeurus joined in with a faint smirk of his.


    Kyle ran back to his allies as fast as his feet carried him¡ªonly to find them the way he had left them.


    ¡°Ah, are you finished talking?¡± Lieze called out to him, with a cup of tea in hand.


    ¡°Why are you so out of breath?¡± Urza tilted her head, holding some sweets in her hand.


    ¡°Were you worried about your own share? Already too late for that, buddy.¡± Seran proclaimed with a relaxed tone of voice, munching up Kyle¡¯s share of sweets.


    Kyle felt relief at seeing the group the same way as always, but at the same time, he lost all the strength in his body. Only Erina greeted Kyle with a ¡®Welcome back¡¯, sounding relieved at his safe return, which healed Kyle by a great bit.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re safe and all, and that attitude of yours is a relief to see, but¡­Why are you eating together with that demon?¡±


    At a location a bit further away sat Yuriga, her back towards the wall, glaring at Kyle¡¯s group. In her hand, she had the sweets Lieze made.


    ¡°Well, you know¡­it would have felt weird if we were the only ones eating, so I shared some with her.¡±


    Seeing Lieze¡¯s innocent smile, Kyle massaged his temple to soothe the incoming pain.


    ¡°¡­Listen, she¡¯s a demon. The mortal enemy of all humanfolk, and normally you¡¯d be fighting to the death!¡± Kyle urged them to have a higher perception of danger, but Lieze just awkwardly scratched her cheek.


    ¡°I know that, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Not in the slightest,¡± Kyle let out a deep sigh.


    To Kyle, who had fought in the [Great Invasion], the demons are an existence that should receive harsher treatment than just total annihilation. However, in this current timeline where the Great Invasion has yet to happen, the demons have become more of a vague and distant existence, which is why especially Lieze and Urza were far too relaxed. On top of that, the two fought Yuriga with everything they had, so they were plenty aware of how strong she was. Yet, there was no resemblance of tension or sense of danger to be found.


    It makes sense that they understood her through their fight¡­but to think they would feel a sense of closeness towards a demon of all things.


    Kyle had his own gripes with the situation, but blaming the others about that would benefit nobody.


    ¡°Rest assured, I received orders from the Demon Lord-sama that I am not to kill any humans as much as possible. I don¡¯t plan on doing anything to you.¡± Yuriga exclaimed while playing with the snack in her hand, not a shed of joy or excitement in her voice.


    ¡°Personally, I wouldn¡¯t mind going for a rematch for last time¡­¡±


    ¡°You will only pile shame on top of shame, so give up.¡±


    Seran tried to lightly provoke her, but she showed no intention of answering, simply averting her face.


    ¡°¡­I was careful, but she really shows no signs of wanting to fight. Not even a provocation gets her to move¡­At the very least, right now, we should be fine.¡± Seran whispered into Kyle¡¯s ear.


    Luckily, Seran was careful enough for the entire group, but he also didn¡¯t emit more hostility than necessary.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on asking what you people are doing here. That¡¯s why, don¡¯t bother with me.¡± Yuriga proclaimed, now fully ignoring Kyle and his group.


    When Kyle heard of a demon having arrived, he felt the blood rush to his head, but now he¡¯s calmed down a lot more. Although this was purely a coincidence, he would love to use this meeting to gather as much information as possible. Even if by force¡ªwould be an option, but Yuriga showed no intention of fighting, and that would make the dragons his enemy. Right when he wondered what to do, Zeurus and Shildonia returned.


    Spotting Zeurus, Yuriga showed a polite greeting. Shildonia saw this, and found reason in what Zeurus said about the demons visiting him being very righteous. Not to mention that Yuriga proceeded under the pretense that Kyle¡¯s group wasn¡¯t even present.


    ¡°Dragon King-sama, I have a letter from the Demon Lord-sama.¡±


    ¡°For crying out loud, this time it¡¯s the demons¡­You stopped by just the other day, so what is it now?¡± Zeurus complained, but Yuriga showed a reaction.


    ¡°What are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I said. Just five days ago, one of your demons came to meet me, and now again¡­¡±


    Seeing Yuriga bewildered had Zeurus confused himself.


    ¡°¡­The last visit under the Demon Lord-sama¡¯s orders should have been three years ago¡­And yet, five days prior to today?¡±


    ¡°No mistaking it, five days ago a demon came here to visit me. It was also a face I hadn¡¯t seen before¡­So, he wasn¡¯t one of your envoys?¡± Zeurus was starting to get flustered himself, remembering something. ¡°No¡­that demon never directly stated he was sent by the Demon Lord¡­Since it was never at a regular interval, I didn¡¯t think much about it¡­so you don¡¯t know who that was?¡±


    Yuriga didn¡¯t answer at first, simply lost in thought.


    ¡°I have no knowledge of this demon¡­However, there is no other envoy sent here under the Demon Lord-sama¡¯s orders except me.¡±


    ¡°How could this happen¡­Then I told a random fellow about Ghrud.¡± Zeurus put his hand on his forehead, shaking his head.

 Volume 4 - CH 14

    ¡°Who is this Ghrud? A dragon?¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Shildonia asked a question, but Zeurus¡¯ expression grew grim. He clearly didn¡¯t want to be asked about that.


    ¡°It¡¯s already too late for that. We¡¯ve heard about it, so tell us the details.¡±


    However, seeing that Shildonia didn¡¯t let up, he sighed and continued.


    ¡°¡­Ghrud is the youngest dragon living in this area, and my¡­grandchild.¡±


    ¡°Grandchild?!¡± Shildonia raised a shocked voice. ¡°Wait! Your only child should be Mearle. Are you saying that you kept one a secret?¡±


    ¡°No, my only child is Mearle¡­Ghrud is Mearle¡¯s child.¡± Zeurus explained.


    Standing at the summit of all living beings on earth, dragons have a relatively low birth rate. A male and female dragon enter a reproductive period only about once or twice their entire lives, and if they find a partner, they give birth to a child. Zeurus¡¯ only child was a female dragon, and Shildonia remembered that she had already passed her reproductive period.


    ¡°However, that Mearle was supposed to have passed away during that incident way before the time my real body was even alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct¡­You most likely didn¡¯t know either, but before she died, Mearle gave birth to an egg¡­as a memento of her existence, you could say.¡± Remembering the daughter that passed before himself, Zeurus¡¯ eyes were filled with pain and sadness.


    The existence of this egg was hidden from everybody who wasn¡¯t a dragon, which explained why Shildonia didn¡¯t know of this. Luckily, despite the weakened Mearle, the egg managed to survive, and it took thousands of years for it to hatch.


    ¡°I cannot make any more offspring. So to me, he is the final dragon inheriting my blood.¡±


    If he was of direct descent from Zeurus himself, that would make his blood the noblest in the entire dragon race. Of course, this was a story of a thousand years in the future, but Ghrud would eventually rise to become the leader of all dragons living in the World Tree.


    ¡°¡­What you¡¯re thinking is absolutely correct. Eventually, he will rise to govern the dragon race as a whole. That is why I¡¯ve been training him ever since a young age.¡± Zeurus showed a nostalgic gaze as he spoke of the past. ¡°He possesses the role of carrying our past and duty, the testament of Divine Dragon Valzed, and our responsibility to keep balance in the world¡­and as a result of that, he stopped coming back to the World Tree half a year ago.¡± Zeurus had a distant look in his eyes.


    ¡°¡­So basically, he ran away from home?¡± Shildonia said in disbelief.


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡±


    ¡°Then the dragon that has been spotted frequently in human territory was Ghrud?¡±


    ¡°Most likely¡­I simply taught him what is right and wrong, only the best for him in mind, and yet this happened¡­he is barely 500 years old¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, you moron. If you just push logic and justice into a young child¡¯s head every single day, they won¡¯t be able to endure much of that.¡± Shildonia argued. ¡°He must have too much stress built up. 500 years¡­that would be a young adult in human terms. Too much pressure made him explode, surely.¡±


    It may be a young adult in the eyes of a human, but to dragons, Ghrud¡¯s age was even below that.


    ¡°So the whole reason for this ruckus is a dragon running away from home? You can¡¯t make this up, really.¡± Seran said, not bothered at all.


    ¡°Unable to bear with the strict treatment at home, he ran away¡­Sounds typical.¡±


    Lieze came to the conclusion that humans and dragons weren¡¯t all that different.


    ¡°And if he went to bars or started smoking, he¡¯d be an actual delinquent.¡± Urza sighed, as her image of the dragons changed quite a bit.


    ¡°And, you told this suspicious demon about Ghrud, is what I¡¯m guessing here.¡± Shildonia put one finger on her brow, thinking.


    ¡°I-Indeed¡­I actually didn¡¯t plan on doing so, but¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of demon was it?¡±


    Yuriga had stayed quiet until then, now breaking into the conversation with a stern expression.


    ¡°They called themselves Targ. Because they named themselves without much hesitation, it gave them a friendly impression¡­and they talked a lot.¡±


    To a demon, a name was a big thing, so unless they were talking with a fellow demon, they would not drop their name this easily. Although it was in the presence of a dragon, that act alone was quite peculiar. While remembering his conversation with Targ, Zeurus¡¯ expression grew grimmer the longer it went on.


    ¡°At first, we talked about trifling matters such as the weather or my health¡­and then they started to press further on certain topics¡­I don¡¯t know why, but in the heat of the moment, I told them about Ghrud.¡±


    He probably was lured around by the nose with some dirty techniques, grumbling about Ghrud in his half-absent mind.


    ¡°When I told Targ about Ghrud, they seemed oddly happy and left¡­Being this careless, my age has taken a toll on me.¡±


    Basically, this was the result of Targ¡¯s talking skill, and the misinterpretation of Zeurus, assuming Targ to be an envoy of the demon lord. Though imperfect, the Demon Lord had been in regular contact with the dragons, so the trust from this fact dulled Zeurus ability to judge.


    ¡°So, why do you just let Ghrud roam free? He¡¯s your important successor, no?¡± Kyle asked, to which Zeurus shook his head.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t bring a dragon who discarded their duty home. I cannot get involved with the way it is right now. That is our law,¡± Zeurus said with a resentful tone. ¡°If only he returns out of his own free will¡­that is why the best I can do is wait.¡± Zeurus surely would be able to change the law if he wished, but that would mean he used his influence for his personal interest, and that is something someone with power should never do.


    ¡°Bound by law as always¡­So, should we bring Ghrud back ourselves?¡± Shildonia offered, to which Zeurus¡¯ eyes opened wide.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°A dragon won¡¯t be able to bring him back, right? Then we will either convince him or drag him back by force. There would be no problem then, right?¡±


    ¡°That is true¡­Hmmm¡­¡± Zeurus was hesitating, to which Shildonia followed up with more pressure.


    ¡°Not to mention that we can¡¯t ignore Ghrud any more than this, he has already negatively influenced the humanfolk territory. Dragons are supposed to keep balance in the world, no?¡±


    ¡°¡­I got it.¡± Zeurus nodded, to which Shildonia smiled at Kyle.


    To Kyle, this was a very beneficial condition. It allowed him to create a debt with Zeurus. However, bringing back a dragon safe and sound, he had no idea how difficult that would even turn out to be.


    ¡°¡­However, I have a condition. That demon will be acting together with you.¡±


    ¡°¡°Wha¡­?!¡±¡±


    Not only Kyle and his group, but even Yuriga let out a dumbfounded voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what goal this Targ demon has. However, if it¡¯s involved with Ghrud, then it would lead to a fierce battle. If you have that demon with you, you might be able to talk things out, right?¡±


    ¡°That is true, but¡­¡±


    Kyle looked at Yuriga, who also seemed bewildered.


    ¡°Of course, this would be a request I have from you, so you can decline if you want to,¡± Zeurus asked Yuriga, who thought about it for a moment, and then slowly nodded.


    ¡°¡­My order from the Demon Lord-sama said to keep a friendly relationship with the dragons, so I cannot decline this request. At the same time¡­this is a failure on our side. I cannot ignore any demon that would work against the will of the Demon Lord-sama.¡±


    Yuriga had no duty of listening to Zeurus¡¯ request. However, her position forced her to help the dragons, and she couldn¡¯t afford to let this unidentified demon called Targ do as he pleased without any orders from the demon lord.


    ¡°Not to mention¡­it appears I have some sort of connection with these people¡­so if they were willing to.¡±


    Now Yuriga looked at Kyle¡¯s group, seeking confirmation.


    ¡°Well, the circumstances ask for it¡­¡± Seran seemed somewhat okay at least.


    Lieze and Urza had no objections either, and Erina said she¡¯d leave it to everyone, keeping up her same attitude. However, Kyle was the only one who didn¡¯t agree with this. A feeling of anger and displeasure filled his chest.


    ¡°I understand how you feel. However, we need as much help as possible for this incident.¡± Shildonia guessed his feelings, calling out to him.


    He knew that receiving help from a demon is a chance he could not discard. However, demons were the monsters who stole his hometown, his family, his friends, his comrades, his beloved ones, everything from him. His hatred for them had no bounds. If possible, he would have preferred to cut her down right now, and acting together was something he didn¡¯t want to accept.


    ¡°Kyle, your face is scary. Zeurus-san is giving you a chance, so don¡¯t be like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as Lieze said, you need to adapt to the situation.¡±


    The only reason Kyle could hold himself back at this very moment is that his loved ones were with him. Hearing Lieze¡¯s and Urza¡¯s voices, he felt his restless heart calming down, and his feelings coming back under his control.


    ¡°Yeah, in this case, we should probably work together¡­Got it, let¡¯s pair up. However, I don¡¯t plan on giving you any orders, so I won¡¯t listen to yours either. We¡¯re on equal terms, got it?¡± Kyle sighed, and convinced himself that this would be fine, agreeing to move together with the demon.


    ¡°That works best for me.¡± Yuriga nodded.


    And once that was resolved, they immediately said their goodbyes to Zeurus, and departed.


    After they left, Zeurus returned to his dragon shape, and ordered Irumera.


    ¡®Irumera, you follow them.¡¯


    ¡®M-Me?! But, the law¡­?¡¯ Irumera let out a shocked voice.


    ¡®I¡¯m not telling you to help them. Watch them from afar. As this is related to Ghrud, we are not entirely unrelated.¡¯


    He was simply tasked to follow Kyle¡¯s group and watch over them.


    ¡®However, you cannot directly talk with Ghrud. He has to come back out of his own accord, not influenced by us dragons. That is our law.¡¯ Zeurus spoke that far and showed something that resembled a self-deprecating smile. ¡®Law, is it¡­¡¯


    The law of dragons was transcribed by the Divine Dragon Valzed so as to introduce caution against their overpowering strength. That was not wrong, but Zeurus didn¡¯t see it as entirely right and worthy of being followed strictly. However, it was far too late to change it now.


    ¡®Younglings are easy to look down on humanfolk, and you are one of the biggest representatives of that trait. That is why I want you to go with them. So that you learn from them, and come back a wiser dragon.¡¯


    ¡®L-Learn? From humans? I don¡¯t understand much about demons, but why is there such a need to care about such fragile and minuscule beings such as humans?¡¯


    To Irumera, humans were like ants, an existence he could crush with a single step.


    ¡®You will understand it one day. Whether human or demon¡­and even dragon, we don¡¯t share too many differences. That fate will laugh at all of us, shower us with absurdity.¡¯


    Coming from the strongest and oldest dragon currently alive, these words may sound fragile and senile, but the meaning behind them was far too heavy for Irumera to counter with anything.


    ***


    ¡®That being the case, I¡¯ll be observing all of you.¡¯ Irumera grouped up with everyone in front of the World Tree, explaining the circumstances with clear exhaustion in his voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡­don¡¯t pull us down, alright?¡±


    Irumera¡¯s face tightened up, being forced to listen to Seran¡¯s cheeky attitude. However, Lieze smacked her fist into his head, so that case was resolved somewhat peacefully.


    ¡°Now, how should we even look for Ghrud¡­¡± Kyle started thinking.


    If they couldn¡¯t even find Ghrud, there was no trying to convince him either.


    ¡®I do not know where Ghrud is hiding. At the very least, he has not left this Eddos country you call it. I was looking for him from time to time, but to no avail.¡¯


    ¡°Oh? I thought you weren¡¯t supposed to interact with him?¡± Urza asked.


    ¡®M-My duty is to act as a guard! So I was going around gathering information! Not to mention that Ghrud is something like a younger brother to me¡­¡¯ Irumera responded, but that last part was in an oddly quiet voice.


    ¡°However, that would mean we have to look around the entire country. Recklessly running around doesn¡¯t always bear fruit.¡± Kyle was thinking to himself, but he couldn¡¯t come up with any better conclusion.


    ¡°Um¡­I went ahead and gathered any information from the witnesses.¡± Erina carefully spoke up, taking out a map.


    Written on the map were locations and times where the dragon was spotted.


    ¡°Ohhh, that¡¯ll be helpful¡­Though, it seems to be rather irregular¡­Trying to guess his location will be hard just with that.¡± Kyle looked at the map, unable to find any connection between the locations and times.


    ¡°So, as an idea¡­we could ask the dark elves for their assistance? They are the ones who know the most about this forest. Wherever this Ghrud-san may be hiding, he must have left behind some traces.¡±


    Kyle nodded after hearing about Erina¡¯s idea.


    ¡°The dark elves, huh¡­I guess they would be our best bet.¡±


    ¡°The dark elves surely have their own share of troubles, so surely they would be willing to assist us.¡±


    Kyle remembered Paserane and Roas.


    ¡°¡­If we¡¯re going to search for Ghrud, we would most likely have to enter the territory of the dark elves, so we would have to interact with them eventually. If so, clearing up things immediately would probably be safer. So, let¡¯s go meet the dark elves.¡± Kyle made his decision, and everyone immediately prepared for departure.


    ¡°¡­We should head out right away then.¡± Lieze gathered up all their belongings and looked in a certain direction.


    ¡°It will take us two days at least¡­It¡¯d be great if we had a faster way of going.¡± Urza opened up the map, also looking in a certain direction as well.


    ¡°Yeah¡­If we could fly through the sky, we¡¯d make it there in a heartbeat.¡± Kyle focused his gaze in a certain direction.


    ¡°So that we don¡¯t run into any complications on the way, it¡¯d be best if we could move as fast as possible.¡± Seran glanced in a certain direction, grinning.


    ¡°Indeed. On a side note, during our oath, I once asked to ride a dragon in an emergency situation.¡± Shildonia showed a fiendish smirk, as she looked in a certain direction¡ªdirectly at Irumera.


    ¡®¡­¡­Get on.¡¯


    Receiving expectant gazes from the entire group, Irumera turned his back to the group.


    ¡°¡­Like a single lifeform.¡± Yuriga didn¡¯t know if she should be impressed or bewildered.


    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± Erina flashed a simple smile, as she was somewhat used to it at this point.


    Like this, humans, demons, and dragons came together in their search for another dragon. Since the creation of this world, this was the first time humans and demons, as well as a dragon who most definitely remained neutral, worked together for a temporary ceasefire.


    ¡°Well, the job is about bringing home a minor dragon, so this is just all over the place.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡±


    Shildonia didn¡¯t hold back in her phrasing, earning a sharp retort from Kyle.

 Volume 4 - CH 15

    ¡°Amazing¡­So this is what it feels like to fly through the sky¡­¡± Lieze basked in the wind hitting her, speaking in admiration.


    ¡°The scenery is beautiful¡­it¡¯s like a sea of trees¡­¡± Urza¡¯s golden hair fluttered in the wind, as she spoke in awe.


    Kyle and his friends all were riding on Irumera¡¯s back, soaring through the sky. Even into the horizon, the forests of Eddos continued. As humans didn¡¯t grow wings, this kind of scenery was usually something unattainable for humans, so naturally, Lieze and Urza¡¯s eyes were sparkling in excitement at this baffling sight in front of them. However, it¡¯s not like they could afford to take it so easily.


    ¡°Hey, make some more room over there.¡± Seran pushed Kyle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much space here either¡­Wait, stop pushing! I¡¯ll fall for good!¡± Kyle pushed him back.


    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t get a good view here, so let me get on top of you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t climb on me! Also, you can just erase your own body, right¡­?!¡±


    Shildonia climbed on Kyle, resting on his shoulders.


    ¡®You fools! Don¡¯t cause a ruckus on my back!¡¯ Irumera complained as Kyle¡¯s group did whatever they pleased.


    Even if Irumera was a gigantic beast, packing seven people on his back was difficult. Not to mention that this was his first experience of letting somebody right on his back, so he had to be careful to not accidentally drop them. Yet, they were making a party like this.


    ¡°Indeed, what a sight¡­Erina, would you like some as well?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­Thank you very much¡­¡±


    Shildonia offered some sweets to Erina.


    ¡°Um¡­what about you, Yuriga?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with me.¡±


    Lieze wanted to offer Yuriga some sweets as well, only to be rejected mercilessly.


    ¡®Don¡¯t start a party on my back!¡¯


    Some trouble happened here and there, but they managed to reach their location in the blink of an eye, which would usually have taken several days.


    Irumera descended at the lake Kyle¡¯s group ran into Paserane and Roas. If they went to the village of dark elves immediately, it would only end in fighting, so Erina offered in a calm tone.


    ¡°She should be guarding this area around here. So if we step into this area, she should approach us.¡±


    ¡°Paserane¡­I just hope she actually even listens to us.¡±


    Kyle remembered the fury Paserane had shown towards the poachers.


    ¡°She will, she¡¯s our best bet. If we tried it with anybody else¡­negotiations would surely fail.¡±


    ¡°So¡­with Irumera present, it¡¯ll make things clear that the dragons are involved, right.¡±


    ¡®¡­I don¡¯t plan on participating in these negotiations, remember?¡¯


    As Erina and Kyle were discussing things, Irumera once again emphasized that his role was to observe the situation, not breaking that limit no matter what.


    ¡°No, you just have to stay with us.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s calculations should be fine as long as he is around.


    ¡°The problem is the possible condition that she¡¯ll give us in return for helping.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they most likely won¡¯t help us for nothing,¡± Erina answered, making Kyle think.


    ¡°It¡¯d make things a lot easier if they just accepted money¡­but I bet that won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Dark elves wouldn¡¯t even be able to use the money¡­What I could think of is helping with the poachers.¡±


    The poachers evidently were the biggest problem for Paserane and the dark elves, so Kyle¡¯s group could handle that in some way and possibly get the dark elves¡¯ help that way.


    ¡°By the way, Kyle, what if we actually run into Ghrud?¡± Urza asked a crucial question.


    ¡°First, talk things out. If he knows that we¡¯re moving under Zeurus¡¯ request, he won¡¯t be able to ignore us.¡±


    The other individual is a logical being. There¡¯s always a good chance rational conversation would work. Not like they couldn¡¯t just use force, but fighting a dragon wasn¡¯t something you¡¯d just do on a whim.


    ¡°Indeed, as long as we don¡¯t set up anything, it shouldn¡¯t turn into any abrupt fight¡­That aligns with Zeurus¡¯ wish, right?¡±


    ¡®Naturally. I won¡¯t do something so violent.¡¯ Irumera let out a snort at Shildonia¡¯s question.


    Kyle glanced at Yuriga just to make sure, but she showed no signs of interrupting them. With that, it was decided they would first talk things out.


    ¡°When trying to bring back a young lad who ran away from home, what would you even talk about¡­What kind of person is Ghrud?¡¯ Kyle asked Irumera, who showed a bit of hesitation.


    ¡®¡­He can be a bit imprudent, and he¡¯s very frank.¡¯


    ¡°Basically, he¡¯s no thinker, and short-tempered¡­Easy to respond to provocation. Also, we heard rumours about there being a human-sized silhouette around him whenever he approached the town. Do you have any idea about that?¡±


    ¡®A silhouette? Are you saying that Ghrud was moving together with humanfolk? That hardly sounds plausible.¡¯ Irumera immediately denied that idea.


    ¡°We have witnesses saying that, but no accurate way to prove that¡­Just to confirm one more time, Ghrud left the World Tree half a year ago, right?¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯


    ¡°So, the sightings happened around a month ago, so then¡­¡± Kyle was thinking, when he seemingly realized something and looked around him.


    ¡°¡­The scent of blood.¡±


    Kyle started running, with Kyle and the others running after him.


    Reaching the source of this stench, they found Roas, currently on the verge of death. He had trouble breathing, as he leaned against the root of a large tree, his body riddled with cuts and stab wounds, even arrows sticking inside of him, coloring his snow-white body blood red.


    ¡°Roas!¡±


    Erina started running towards him, immediately starting first-aid treatment to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°Ohhh, my maiden¡­to think I would meet you during my final moments, it appears as if there was meaning in my life after all¡­¡±


    Even though his eyes were empty and devoid of any energy, Roas¡¯ attitude was never changing.


    ¡°Stop talking! Your wounds are deep, but we can save you!¡± Lieze put bandages on his body, making him drink magic medicine.


    Slowly but steadily, his wounds recovered.


    ¡°You have my eternal gratitude, my maidens¡­my regenerative ability was barely enough to keep me alive¡­¡±


    Roas evidently recovered, as he looked around, spotting Yuriga.


    ¡°Is that¡­a demon maiden?! This is my first time seeing one¡­I see, a maiden is still a maiden after all¡­¡±


    Kyle couldn¡¯t help but think that he was fine with anybody as long it was a woman.


    ¡°We also have unicorns in our territory¡­and they¡¯re all the same.¡± Yuriga looked at Roas with a cold gaze. ¡°Unicorns really lose all their sight around them as soon as a woman is involved.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, I don¡¯t feel that way towards that female dragon behind¡ªWait, why is a dragon here?!¡±


    Because Irumera was so big, Roas only realized it now.


    ¡°Wha? Irumera, you were a female?¡±


    Lieze was surprised for a different reason.


    ¡®Can¡¯t you tell by looking at me?¡¯ Irumera¡¯s tone had this ¡®What are you talking about¡¯ sound to it.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell¡­Ah, and you¡¯re a maiden as well¡­¡±


    ¡®I am still 600 years old! My time to bear a youngling is still far in the future! How imprudent, really.¡¯ Irumera complained.


    Seran was Seran as always, thinking that he might try his luck with Yuriga since she was still a virgin, but he realized that this might prove fatal, so he gave up.


    ¡°Anyway, tell us what happened¡­Where is Paserane?¡±


    The conversation had started to drift apart, but the moment Kyle brought up that name, Erina realized that Paserane was not with Roas.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! What happened to Paserane-san?! Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Erina assumed the worst, her face growing pale.


    ¡°I can somewhat guess what happened¡­Must have had the tables turned on you by the poachers, right?¡± Kyle¡¯s assumption had Roas nod, his expression showing clear pain and suffering, as he started explaining what happened.


    After splitting up with Kyle¡¯s group, Roas and Paserane chased after the poachers and found their stronghold. They managed to hide their tracks quite well, but because Paserane thoroughly analyzed every small track she found, she managed to trace them back to this place. Normally, she would call for her allies, but the poachers seemingly were preparing to retreat, and she couldn¡¯t let them leave this easily.


    The poachers were around ten in number, so with wit and talent, it should be doable¡ªthinking that, however, turned out to be a fatal mistake. In fact, this had all been a plan to lure in dark elves and unicorns who overestimated their luck. Paserane and Roas moved in for a surprise attack, but they were soon surrounded by an ambush who hid inside the grass, marking their scent with feces of the animals living in the forest.


    They clearly were skilled hunters knowing how to mark their scent and play with the vision of a dark elf and Unicorn, as they first threw nets at Paserane and Roas, sealing their movement. Following that, they fired off arrows to attack from a distance, and at the end of this coordinated attack, Paserane fell off Roas. After that, they tried their best to resist, but the second they were ambushed, they had already lost. Roas managed to break free from the net, but could only focus on running away on his own.


    ¡°I abandoned Paserane¡­Of course, I was hoping to reach our allies and ask for help, but I only made it this far¡­All I could do was abandon her, nothing will change that fact.¡± Roas blamed himself.


    ¡°No, you did well. Thanks to you escaping, Paserane might still be alive.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?!¡±


    Not only Roas, but Erina also raised voices of joy.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a good chance that you could return with allies, so they probably are keeping her as a hostage.¡±


    Kyle knew that this was highly wishful thinking, but acting under the pretense of her being alive would make things a lot easier.


    ¡°T-Then, we need to go right away¡­!¡± Roas tried to forcefully push up his body, but he immediately collapsed again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move just yet.¡±


    ¡°Urk¡­But while I¡¯m here, Paserane will¡­Yet I can¡¯t move¡­!¡± Roas cursed his own inability.


    However, it was actually Lieze who forced him to collapse, offering him a lap pillow while she nursed him back to health. Kyle watched this, cursing Roas with a glare, when Erina spoke up.


    ¡°¡­Hey, Roas, what is this?¡±


    Erina pointed at a single sheet of paper, looking like a map, which had fallen out of the bag attached to Roas¡¯ back. It seemed to be almost identical to the one Erina possessed.


    ¡°Ahh, that was used by Paserane to mark down those guys¡¯ movements so she could better track them¡­What about it?¡±


    Erina took out her own map, comparing it with Paserane¡¯s. And then, she caught on to something.


    ¡°This is weird. The movement from the poachers and the sightings of the dragon¡­are overlapping.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Kyle looked at the map himself, finding the same result that Erina did.


    It was like the poachers were using the dragon sightings as a shadow for their own work.


    ¡°They are using Ghrud to confuse the humans and dark elves?¡±


    If a dragon was out and about, as long as you didn¡¯t have a death wish, you would not approach this area under any means. At the same time, the people who knew how the dragon would move could use this to their advantage. The only reason nobody even could have anticipated this answer was because no person would expect the poachers and a dragon to work together.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s true that I often saw a dragon up and about while we were searching for the poachers, but¡­are you saying that was on purpose?¡± Roas said it like he had trouble believing it.


    ¡®Wait¡­that would mean that Ghrud and the humanfolk¡­not to mention the poachers are working together!¡¯ Irumera raised a voice filled with fury as if that kind of conclusion was blasphemy.


    ¡°Of course, he most likely doesn¡¯t actively work together with them. Either he is being used, or controlled.¡±


    Shildonia was knowledgeable about dragons, and started thinking.


    ¡®C-Controlled?! That shouldn¡¯t be¡­!¡¯


    ¡°It is quite difficult, but not unfeasible¡­Especially for a young dragon who has barely lived 500 years, his mind and will must be relatively weak.¡±


    Irumera was in shock, not accepting something like this to be possible, but Shildonia was quite serious about it. The magic to control monsters of even mythical beasts existed. And the success rate of such magic relied on the target¡¯s strength of will. For example, controlling an insect is an easy feat. However, when it comes to dragons, who stand at the peak of all life, it is mostly regarded as impossible. However, that would be the only reason a dragon would work together with poachers.


    ¡®Tsk¡­this is why humanfolk are just¡­!¡¯ Irumera threw words of disgust into the room.


    Naturally, her fury was more than gratified with the possibility of her younger brother being controlled. However, nobody in Kyle¡¯s group wanted to accept that this anger was directed at all of humanfolk. Shildonia sought to dissolve that anger, and began telling a story.


    ¡°Hmm¡­Irumera, do you know the story of the Bikiol, who they called the Dragon of Evil?¡±


    ¡®¡­Of course I do, what about it?¡¯


    With the name of the Dragon of Evil, known to be the vilest dragon of all, thrown into the conversation, Irumera¡¯s mood dropped even further. This was a story of more than several centuries ago, when an Ancient Dragon with the same power as Zeurus, Bikiol, was still alive and his ambitions ablaze, was trying to use his strength to usurp the entire world and make it his own.


    From the view of the dragons under Divine Dragon Valzed, aiming to protect his law, this was regarded as an act of madness. Needless to say, it turned into a great war that not only involved the dragons with Zeurus at their heart, but also humanfolk. In this war, Zeurus¡¯ daughter Mearle suffered critical injuries, and passed away because of them. Finally, Bikiol was slain by a hero that rose from the humanfolk. However, he himself turned into a part of the history of the dragons that none of them wanted to ever bring up again.


    ¡°So, with the Dragon of Evil Bikiol as an example, should all dragons be regarded as evil?¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t joke around! That is a crime Bikiol alone committed, and blaming it on the entire dragon race, what vile humiliation¡­¡¯ Irumera spoke that far, and came to a halt.


    She was a clever individual, and must understand what Shildonia was trying to say. Reproaching all of humanfolk for this one incident with Ghrud would be the exact same.


    ¡°And, it is not as if the controlled Ghrud has no blame to carry at all¡­After all, he broke the law that was supposed to contain him.¡±


    ¡®¡­Hmph!¡¯


    Unable to counter Shildonia¡¯s valid argument, Irumera simply averted her face with a sour look.


    ¡°Well, we will be able to filter out the details after capturing the poachers¡­where are they?¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to save us¡­? I feel rather hesitant to ask a man of this, but thank you, and please take care of Paserane.¡±


    Seeing Kyle show determination, Roas bowed his head. His tone and voice were always cheerful and light, but his feelings towards Paserane were serious.


    ¡°We also have a lot relying on this, so don¡¯t worry about it¡­We might need to ask for your help later, so just keep that in mind.¡± Kyle said with a faint smirk.

 Volume 4 - CH 16

    After regaining her consciousness, Paserane first realized that she was on the ground, tied up in a net. She was surrounded by around twenty poachers, moving around wildly. As Paserane was familiar with the forest, she realized this area was familiar. As the dragon was often spotted around here, it was regarded as off-limits. The poachers seemingly were using this location as their gathering spot. Paserane seemingly must have fought while being unconscious, because her body hurt with every small move, riddled with wounds and injuries. She most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to break free out of the net.


    Her last memory was Roas escaping with his injuries, so that was at least some kind of final grace. Realizing that Paserane had woken up, the man she assumed to be the leader approached her, looking down at her in disgust. Right as Paserane wanted to open her mouth, the man slammed his foot right into her abdomen.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    Naturally, she was unable to evade this attack, groaning in agony, but somehow managed to keep her consciousness connected.


    ¡°Shut your mouth. Hearing human words from you black long-ears is nothing but displeasure for us.¡±


    Black long-ears was a derogatory term towards dark elves.


    ¡°Jeez¡­having my comrades killed by such a pseudo-human¡­¡±


    As there had been casualties in their previous fight, the man cursed Paserane with harsh words. Learning that her final arrow landed at its target, Paserane felt some relief that eased her pain.


    ¡°Will that Unicorn come back, I wonder.¡±


    Another man called out to the leader, who nodded.


    ¡°Most likely. That Unicorn won¡¯t sacrifice his rider, especially if it¡¯s a woman¡­However, the morning will soon come, so whether it comes back or not¡­Depends on the final job.¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­Still, what good luck that dragon brought us. Thanks to it, we managed to finish our plans earlier than anticipated.¡±


    ¡°It almost feels like a shame that we can only control the dragon for a few more days¡­¡±


    ¡°Fool. What¡¯s important is that we use it for our goal. And we are slowly¡ªWhat?¡± The leader seemingly caught on to something and looked around.


    Finally, his gaze moved up towards the sky. Paserane thought ¡®If only I could take these people down with me¡¯¡­when she realized that the air around them changed. The other poachers also felt that something was off, and immediately changed into a cautious mindset. The air grew tense, and pressure filled the air. All the birds around in the forest soared into the sky, and the monsters in the forest ran away. The reason for this was hard to decipher, but everybody felt sheer anxiety and fear crawl up their skin.


    ¡°D-Did the Unicorn return?¡±


    ¡°This is too fast, and it¡¯s not as simple as that¡­Something different is¡­approach¡­ing¡­¡± The leader shortly after lost his words.


    The moment he grasped the identity of this pressure he felt, everybody had their mouths wide open, their eyes filled with confusion and disarray. In a way, they were used to this sight, but as this was outside anything they could have expected, the shock was even greater.


    ¡°Impossible! Why is the¡­No, that¡¯s a different dragon¡­?!¡±


    At that moment, a dragon¡ªIrumera¡ªsoared through the low sky and opened her mouth. The poachers reflexively imagined themselves being burned alive by the flame the dragon would spew. However, no fire arrived. Instead, an ear-splitting roar filled the air.


    ¡®Goaaaaaaaah!!¡¯


    The dragon¡¯s roar could make your soul as a whole shake, utterly chaining down the poachers who just started moving. Aiming for that moment, the attack began.


    The first wave of attack consisted of arrows. As the poachers¡¯ attention was diverted by the dragon, Urza, who had snuck up on the branch of a tree, fired off the arrows with the help of her summon Wind Spirit Sylphid. As they were fired indiscriminately, not many men were injured, but it was more than plenty to leave them in disarray, fulfilling its job perfectly. Then, three shadows appeared from the thicket.


    First came Kyle and Seran, running at the speed of the wind, as they struck down any men in their way, with Lieze after them, clearing up any stranglers. Out of all the poachers present, after roughly 20 seconds following the dragon¡¯s appearance, half of them had been rendered unable to fight. Some of the poachers saw this sudden turn of events, attempting to run away, but the arrows fired by Erina finished them off, unable to move.


    ¡°Urk!¡±


    However, some of the poachers managed to get up quickly. The leader of the poachers realized that no arrows landed near Paserane, and judged that this was a rescue mission, immediately moving to take her hostage. However, a white silhouette¡ªRoas immediately interrupted. Then again, he only had eyes for Paserane, so anybody in the way was mercilessly blasted away.


    ¡°Out of my way!¡±


    The leader suffered a direct ramming attack from Roas. With any normal horse, the man would have been blown off, but as he was hit by a Unicorn with its horn, it stabbed right into his chest.


    ¡°Get off!¡± Roas shook his head, sending the man flying.


    He was slammed into a nearby tree and passed out before he could even raise a scream. Like this, the surprise attack ended shortly after it began, and the number of poachers had gone down drastically, and yet in this disadvantageous situation, they did not lose their calm¡ªalmost eerily enough.


    Lieze was facing two of the stranglers, and most certainly did not let down her guard, but she was taken by surprise because of the two men¡¯s actions. One of them suddenly stepped backward, walking behind his comrade¡¯s back, hiding from Lieze¡¯s sight. He used the longsword in his hand to stab through his own ally, aiming the blade at Lieze.


    ¡°¡­Wha?!¡±


    The man who was stabbed looked down at the hole in his abdomen in shock, as the other man pushed his human shield forwards towards Lieze. She reflexively fought back with her fist, but that didn¡¯t work against the human shield who had already died, giving her no more options to stop the incoming attack. Right as the blade was about to stab her, Yuriga broke between the two, striking the two men away to send them flying with her bare fist, which contained more strength than the average Wild Boar ramming attack.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Lieze stood still in a daze, only to immediately shake her head, attempting to thank Yuriga. However, she immediately moved away from that place, not even giving Lieze a glance. At around the same time, Kyle and the others finished striking down the last stragglers. Roughly 50 seconds after Irumera¡¯s roar, only his group stood on their feet.


    ¡®Why do I have to¡­I¡¯m supposed to be an observer¡­¡¯


    After they finished clearing up the area and restraining the poachers, Irumera sighed in disbelief at his own actions. Of course, since she simply let out a roar while flying in the sky, it was hard to say she directly contributed, but that didn¡¯t leave her any less satisfied. Shildonia observed this and attempted to cheer her up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, we were dealing with a hostage situation here. Also, they used him, remember? I bet you wanted to get some revenge for what they did, right?¡±


    Erina offered Paserane some magic medicine as well, to which she swiftly improved.


    ¡°To think I would end up being saved¡­by that Erina of all people¡­¡± Paserane was still a bit under the weather, as she flashed a weak smile.


    ¡°¡­You saved me many more times than that, Paserane-san.¡± Erina looked after her, tearing up a bit. ¡°The fact that you cared for me, a half, with such passion¡­I won¡¯t ever forget that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Paserane showed a faint smile, only for her serious expression to return.


    There was still something left she had to do.


    At the same time, Kyle¡¯s group was searching around the corpses of the poachers.


    ¡°I was planning to at least leave them alive, but¡­¡±


    Seran flung his leg at a man who collapsed on the ground, turning his face upwards. Both Kyle and Seran attempted to avoid the enemy¡¯s vital points, but they had all been decimated after the fight.


    ¡°They drank poison, alright. Most likely had it stored in their teeth¡­To ensure they wouldn¡¯t leak any information if they got captured and tortured¡­But, why be so persistent?¡±


    You wouldn¡¯t often see information being protected with human lives like this.


    ¡°Just¡­who are these people?¡± Lieze walked towards them with a pale face.


    When Kyle saw the dire situation Lieze had previously been in, he himself felt a cold sweat run down his back. Now he was left with an uncertain feeling in his stomach at the fact that Yuriga was the one who had saved Lieze. Yet, that Yuriga in question had already moved away from the group, as if to say that she had nothing to do with this.


    ¡°Being able to discard one¡¯s allies for the greater cause¡­This recklessness, is it possibly¡­¡± Kyle looked through the chest pocket of the leader, who had been previously killed by Roas.


    And then, his bad premonition turned out to be true. He found a small metallic coin, engraved with a painting of a goddess carrying a human child. It was the holy token any Mera follower kept on them.


    ¡°So they were Mera followers after all.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­the Mera cult.¡±


    Lieze and Urza both grew pale. They had only heard about this from Kyle himself, but experiencing an encounter directly made their skin crawl in terror. Especially Urza, who was always regarded as a target by them, covered her long ears and shivered in anxiety.


    ¡°But, why are they going around poaching like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to ask them about it¡­Luckily, we seem to have some survivors left.¡±


    Most of the poachers had been killed off, but three seemingly managed to survive. They were the ones who tried to run away during the fight, shot in the feet by Erina. According to Roas, they were the ones who planned the ambush. Since they didn¡¯t attempt to kill themselves, they most likely didn¡¯t belong to the Mera cult. Maybe some hired soldiers of sorts.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go right ahead and¡ªAh, wait!¡±


    They tied them up in a simple way, right about to question them, when Paserane shot up and dashed towards them, emitting clear killing intent. In her hand, she had a dagger, so when Urza realized this, she frantically stopped her.


    ¡°Let go! These bastards! These bastards just¡­!¡±


    Having her comrades killed, her friends the Unicorns hunted, and even with her own life almost at their hands, Paserane¡¯s anger was more than gratified.


    ¡°¡­We need to question them. Killing them here will give us nothing.¡± Kyle said, and together with Roas and Erina somehow managed to calm down Paserane.


    As she still wasn¡¯t back to her full strength, she could not break free from them either.


    ¡°Now then, I hope you¡¯ll give me some worthwhile answers. I¡¯m not taking any silence for an answer, and if you don¡¯t spit it out, you¡¯ll have to die. However, if you give me the answers I want¡­I¡¯ll let you go this once. However, if we run into you again, we won¡¯t hold back then. If you don¡¯t want to die, then leave this place and live the rest of your lives in peace.¡±


    When Kyle said ¡®let you go¡¯, Paserane¡¯s entire body emitted a raging fury, but Erina soothed her. The three poachers frantically nodded, so Kyle started questioning them.


    ¡°First, are you also Mera followers?¡±


    ¡°N-No! We are normal hunters, hired for this job.¡±


    Or so they called themselves, but they were ready to offer their help for poaching like this, so they clearly weren¡¯t just any average hunters.


    ¡°Why were you hunting Unicorns?¡±


    ¡°Of course, for the horns. They apparently needed a great amount of them for a strong healing medicine, which is why they gathered us¡­¡±


    Apparently, money was not their goal, but the horns¡¯ healing effect instead.


    ¡°What were they planning on using the medicine for?¡±


    ¡°No idea¡­We were only hired to help hunt the Unicorns.¡±


    The man said as they were all tearing up in fear.


    ¡°Then here comes the most important question¡­how is the dragon related in all this? And where is it right now?¡±


    Kyle knew that Ghrud was not near them, otherwise, Irumera would have known his location.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to hide it, we know that you were using the dragon.¡±


    ¡°We were hesitant about it at first¡­hunting Unicorns in the forest inhabited by dark elves would be impossible¡­and then we heard that we could use the dragon as a guise.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s being controlled. How?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, only that they¡¯re using some secret technique¡­Apparently, the person controlling the dragon is moving separately, and we¡¯ve never met them! They¡¯re also the ones seen with the dragon.¡±


    ¡°So he must be from the Mera cult as well. How many more are out there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure there are some, but they are all acting separately¡­at the very least, there should be ten.¡±


    ¡°Ten of them¡­that¡¯s a lot.¡± Kyle showed a perturbed expression.


    There could be nothing more troublesome than having this many Mera cult followers around.


    ¡°But¡­I heard stories of them having the dragon attack the dark elf village the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?!¡± Hearing this, Paserane¡¯s expression was filled with rage once more.


    Erina also swallowed her breath. Although she was forced to leave, it was still her hometown, so there¡¯s no way she could remain calm after hearing this.


    ¡°Why would they attack us?! What is their reason?!¡± Paserane screamed.


    ¡°We were only hired for the hunting itself! That¡¯s all we know! I swear!¡± The men pleaded while cowering in fear and regret.


    At the very least, it didn¡¯t look like they were lying. Kyle judged that this would be enough of an interrogation, and decided to end it with the next question.


    ¡°One last thing. Did you ever see a demon near your camp or with the people who hired you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? A demon? What are you talking about?¡±


    The men were utterly confused as the word demon was thrown into the conversation.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then that¡¯s fine¡­Alright, that¡¯s all I wanted to hear.¡± Kyle pulled his sword, and pointed it at the men.


    They screamed in terror, cursing Kyle for breaking his promise.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± He swung his sword, cutting through their ties. ¡°Leave immediately. We¡¯ll keep your equipment with us, but if you¡¯re lucky, you might survive¡­Go.¡±


    Before Kyle would change his mind, he let the three run away. Paserane evidently didn¡¯t like that fact, and glared at Kyle like she was going to strangle him.


    ¡°You bastard! Why did you let them go! They killed my friends!¡±


    ¡°In order for them to talk, this promise was necessary¡­and, I keep my promises,¡± Kyle said with a serious expression, but Lieze and Urza were just looking at him in disbelief.


    ¡°I keep my promises¡­I do, at least.¡±


    Kyle moved his gaze, but the fiendish friend of his who should be standing there had long vanished.


    The three men ran through the forest as fast as they could. Just as Kyle said, they were given no equipment, but if they ran with all their might now, they could possibly make it back to Rinecol alive. It was a pipe dream considering how dangerous the forest was, but it was better than being dead, so they ran. However, despair blocked their path.


    ¡°Yo.¡±


    Seran greeted the three, faintly waving his hand.


    ¡°W-What do you want?! Do you still need something?!¡±


    ¡°¡­Seems like you folks couldn¡¯t be more unlucky,¡± Seran said, speaking like it wasn¡¯t even any of his business. ¡°To think we¡¯d run into each other this quickly.¡±


    The men didn¡¯t understand what Seran was talking about. However, when Seran pulled his sword and moved ahead with one smooth motion to cut down the man standing at the front, the other two didn¡¯t take long to grasp what was happening. However, neither could react fast enough, and another of them had collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°Kyle said it just now, right? If we run into you again, you¡¯re done for.¡± Seran explained to the last man alive.


    ¡°Y-You bastards never had any intention of letting us leave alive, huh?!¡± He screamed, but Seran wouldn¡¯t let him waste any more breath.


    ¡°Difference of opinion, my friend¡­Well, not like it matters anymore.¡± Seran¡¯s cruel stab killed the man¡¯s scream of terror, as silence returned.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Kyle asked Seran, who shrugged with his shoulders as he returned.


    ¡°Nothing suspicious. They were just gunning it for the city.¡±


    Seran was following them to ensure they didn¡¯t attempt anything fishy after they were freed, such as reuniting with their allies, but there were no signs of that.


    ¡°Right, good work out there¡­Also, that¡¯s their divine punishment. You¡¯re good with that, yeah?¡±


    ¡°¡­All right.¡± Paserane still seemed bothered by this outcome, but as they had saved her life, there was only so much she could complain about.


    ¡°Also, great job stopping her. You really helped out a bunch.¡± Kyle thanked Erina.


    If not for her holding back Paserane, she might have killed them before Kyle could get any information out of them.


    ¡°No, I knew from the very beginning that while all of you would keep your promise, you definitely wouldn¡¯t forgive them,¡± Erina said with confidence in her voice.


    ¡°Erina-chan, don¡¯t say ¡®all of you¡¯, okay? Only Kyle and Seran are this nasty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we are having our own share of troubles with these guys.¡±


    Lieze and Urza immediately denied Erina¡¯s words, but they didn¡¯t try to stop the boys either.


    ¡°Cough¡­Anyway, we have a favor to ask of you. We¡¯re searching for the dragon they are using, and we need the help of the dark elves for that.¡±


    ¡°¡­So it¡¯s true that they are controlling that dragon?¡± Paserane showed a doubtful response to Kyle¡¯s request.


    ¡°Looking at the situation, there seems to be no doubting that. Although I have no idea how they managed that¡­Listen, I know dark elves don¡¯t want to get involved with humans. However, at this rate, there will be victims on both sides, so let¡¯s work together this once.¡±


    Paserane carefully listened to Kyle¡¯s words and started thinking. Nobody knew why Ghrud (controlled by the Mera cult) would attack the dark elf village. However, as it was done by the Mera cult, who was racially biased towards anybody who wasn¡¯t a human, the answer wasn¡¯t too hard to guess.


    ¡°If we find the dragon before the attack, we¡¯ll head for it ourselves, but if not, we at least want to be ready to fight back at your village,¡± Kyle explained.


    Paserane glanced behind the group, at the dragon Irumera. At the very least, it was evident they were out looking for the dragon.


    ¡°Paserane. We were both saved by these people, we have to repay the favor.¡± As Roas had promised, he was working to convince Paserane.


    ¡°Got it¡­There seems to be no doubt about the dragon attacking, and this is for the sake of our village¡­I¡¯ll do my best to convince them.¡± Paserane promised.


    ¡®So we¡¯ll go to the village of the dark elves¡­I¡¯m only tagging along, okay?¡¯ Irumera evidently wasn¡¯t the greatest fan of this.


    There seemed to be no doubting the fact that Ghrud was controlled by humans, but that didn¡¯t mean she was suddenly allowed to meet him. After all, the law prohibited her from doing so. Being unable to do anything, she was clearly annoyed.


    ¡°I get it, just be around like this time as well¡­then we¡¯ll be able to find Ghrud.¡±


    Kyle understood how their law worked, so he didn¡¯t try to infringe on it too much. Not to mention that having a dragon along with them was the best means of convincing somebody

 Volume 4 - CH 17

    The negotiations with the dark elves went a lot smoother than anticipated. Of course, the brief time after they reached the village was absolute chaos. The atmosphere was already tense because of the casualties on their end, and yet now a dragon came flying towards their village. It also didn¡¯t help that another dragon might come to attack them soon, so the chaos was only to be expected.


    Amidst that, the way Paserane desperately tried to convince them, and the presence of another dragon, helped greatly in persuading the other dark elves. Thus, they succeeded in convincing them about the potential attack of another dragon and started preparing to search for them, as well as preparing for the attack.


    That night, Kyle and his friends were a bit further away from the dark elf village, preparing to set up camp. Although they were working together, since the dark elves were a secluded race, they couldn¡¯t let Kyle¡¯s group stay inside the village, asking for them to sleep outside, to which they agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you came home, right, Erina? There¡¯s no need for you to stay with us.¡± Kyle tried to be considerate, but the girl just showed a saddened smile.


    ¡°I left the village a long time ago, so¡­I don¡¯t have people I¡¯m close with there, let alone friends.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± Kyle¡¯s face tightened up after failing his attempt to be considerate.


    Thinking about it, Erina may have left the village out of her own desire, but half of that was also due to force by the inhabitants. Erina received some dubious gazes by the dark elves here and there after all.


    ¡°Ah, but, I do have my memories with Mom and Dad, so I do feel nostalgic. And, a few people still cared for me after all that.¡±


    Seeing Kyle¡¯s dejected reaction, Erina tried to provide a quick follow-up.


    ¡°Is that¡­Paserane?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s always been kind to me. Even after my father passed away, she recommended I should just leave if it gets too hard for me to live there.¡±


    Right as Erina spoke of her, Paserane arrived.


    ¡°We¡¯re having those skilled at searching on the lookout for the dragon right now. The ones who can fight are preparing for a potential battle.¡±


    ¡°If they find him by the day after tomorrow, we¡¯ll go meet him ourselves, and if not, we¡¯ll wait here for a counterattack¡­right?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be a good starting point.¡±


    ¡°¡­Our goal is not to defeat Ghrud, but to bring him home¡­so I really wish we could approach him ourselves.¡±


    That was Kyle¡¯s goal, but that would mean the one controlling Ghrud would be nearby, and they would have to dispose of them.


    ¡°How¡¯s it looking inside the village?¡±


    ¡°Relatively calm, for now. We have a dragon on our side as well, after all.¡± Paserane showed a wry smile, looking over at the sleeping Irumera.


    The people in the village were probably expecting the dragon to intercept any incoming attack by another dragon.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    In reality, they had not confirmed this with Irumera, but Kyle decided to just stay quiet about it for everyone¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Not to mention that we have another reliable partner¡­though she wouldn¡¯t want to hear that.¡± Paserane showed a somewhat complicated expression as she looked up at a demon woman resting on a tree branch.


    After that, Erina struck up a conversation with Paserane, who responded with a smile. However, Paserane¡¯s smile felt a bit stiff to Kyle.


    Urza was walking around inside the village at that time. Of course, the dark elves weren¡¯t exactly friendly towards her, but she told them that she wanted to confirm the layout of the village in case the dragon were to attack, so they didn¡¯t send her away. Of course, part of that was also because of Urza¡¯s curiosity, and she didn¡¯t want to waste this chance to see the inside of a dark elf village. This one, in particular, seemed to have several hundreds of inhabitants, and the trees doubled as their houses.


    Using magic on the saplings, after a few hundred years, it¡¯ll grow into a proper house. The elves were doing this in a similar procedure, so it was Urza¡¯s impression that their lifestyles weren¡¯t that different.


    ¡°I guess elves and dark elves¡­are fairly similar.¡± She muttered this impression and planned on returning to Kyle¡¯s camp, and Paserane returned.


    ¡°Urza, was it? ¡­I¡¯d like to talk with you about something.¡±


    ¡°With me?¡± Urza wondered what Paserane would want from Urza, and not Kyle.


    ¡°You and that human¡­Kyle, yeah? What kind of relationship do you two have?¡±


    Urza was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Um, well¡­good question.¡±


    It was a bit late, but Urza started thinking. The reason she was traveling with Kyle¡¯s group even now is that he knew her true name despite them not being familiar. To a spirit user, having your true name is like your soul. Leaving him alone like that would be far too dangerous. But, it had been quite some time since she even thought about that.


    Huh? Why am I traveling with Kyle despite it being so dangerous?


    Thinking about it, she was actually part of something crazy. She had been in constant danger for her life not only one or two times. They even fought a demon, and now might end up fighting a dragon. It made sense for Seran and Lieze to travel with Kyle because they are Kyle¡¯s childhood friends. However, Urza should be able to just call it quits whenever. Yet, she never once thought of doing so, and she had no plans of doing so either¡­ As Urza was lost in her thoughts, Paserane showed an expression like she had understood everything.


    ¡°¡­I heard that elves are also very seclusive like us. Yet, why did you end up as lovers with a human?¡±


    ¡°L-Lovers?! Kyle and I aren¡¯t in this kind of relationship!¡±


    However, she also didn¡¯t know how else to explain their relationship, so she just aggressively denied that statement.


    ¡°Also, why did you even think that we were like that?!¡±


    ¡°Well, Erina spoke of you two so fondly.¡±


    ¡°Erina¡­¡±


    As Erina had been traveling with the group for quite some time, she most likely had seen this odd relationship Kyle and Urza shared. On top of that, Erina was an adolescent girl, she most likely was interested in this sort of topic.


    ¡°B-Being with Kyle¡­is fun, and never boring¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all? Is that why you risk your life on this dangerous journey?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­so you¡¯ve fallen for him to such an extent?¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s not what this is¡­! This is¡­Ahh, jeez!¡± Urza scratched her head with a beet-red face, as Paserane let out a snicker.


    ¡°Love with someone from a different race¡­and marriage, huh. I wonder if that person was happy?¡±


    ¡°M-Marriage¡­Are you talking about Erina¡¯s father?¡±


    Paserane nodded. Despite being of the dark elf race, he fell in love with a human woman and even made Erina, so he was quite the rarity.


    ¡°I really respected that person¡­Or rather, admired him. He was my first love, someone who would most likely have risen to become the chief of this village¡­and yet he threw that aside to marry a human woman¡­I couldn¡¯t understand it at all¡­even now¡­¡± Paserane seemed to be thinking about something, as she showed a weakened expression.


    Maybe her near-death experience during the afternoon was still taking a toll on her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met Erina¡¯s parents, but I¡¯m certain that they were definitely happy,¡± Urza spoke up.


    ¡°H-How can you say that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just look at Erina, that should tell you enough, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Paserane didn¡¯t deny it¡ªbecause she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°¡­Then, that is reality. No matter what I say, nothing will change. You should treasure what you see with your own eyes.¡± Urza declared.


    Paserane thought about it for a moment and then showed a refreshed expression.


    ¡°Yeah¡­Sorry for bringing up something weird like that, I just started remembering all sorts of things after meeting Erina¡­I can¡¯t tell my fellow dark elves or humans about this¡­so now I¡¯m feeling a bit better.¡±


    She could tell Urza, an elf, about this because she is exceptionally close with a human.


    ¡°What about Roas?¡± Urza asked.


    ¡°Like hell I could tell a Unicorn about this.¡±


    Indeed, as the Unicorn hated all men, this kind of story was not meant for its ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m really bad with this kind of advice, but¡­¡± Urza showed a wry smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling better, so thank you¡­However.¡±


    ¡°However?¡±


    ¡°I believe you should become more honest with yourself.¡±


    Paserane¡¯s teasing comment made Urza¡¯s face turn as red as a tomato.


    ¡°So you¡¯re back¡­Uh, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After Urza returned to the camping ground, Kyle found it dubious for Urza to stare at his face and threw her a question.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­I was just thinking that I¡¯m fine with the way things are right now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really get it, but¡­you walked around right? Anything worth mentioning?¡±


    ¡°It was quite interesting. It¡¯s not too different from my hometown, but it also has a different feeling¡­¡± Urza explained and sat down.


    Since Lieze wasn¡¯t around then, Urza nonchalantly sat down a lot closer next to Kyle.


    At the same time, Yuriga was resting up on a high tree, away from Kyle¡¯s group. Although they were dark elves, they still belonged to the humanfolk. If a demon like Yuriga was around, it would only cause chaos, so she erased her presence to stay up here, not appearing in front of anybody except Paserane and Roas, who knew the circumstances. Suddenly, Lieze approached Yuriga with a plate in hand.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Yuriga didn¡¯t bother hiding her annoyance, looking down at Lieze.


    ¡°I brought you some food. Even demons get hungry, no?¡±


    On the plate were bread and soup, as well as a desert. A full-fledged menu as always.


    ¡°Are you bad with sweet stuff? I have some great honey to put on the bread, and¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I told you not to bother with me. I¡¯m simply traveling with you, not as one of your allies.¡±


    ¡°But, you saved me, right? I wanted to thank you¡­So thanks for today.¡± Lieze finally got to thank Yuriga.


    ¡°That¡­I was just repaying the debt.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­what debt?¡± Lieze tilted her head, having trouble remembering.


    ¡°Did you forget? At the city you call Callan, after we fought underground, you let me go.¡± Yuriga shook her head, but it helped Lieze remember.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh¡­yeah, that did happen.¡±


    ¡°You really are a weird one. I¡¯m a demon, you¡¯re a human, how can you talk with me so easily? Have you not seen that Kyle human¡¯s attitude towards me?¡±


    Yuriga was fully aware that Kyle emitted clear hostility towards her, and she didn¡¯t blame him for that.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right¡­Sorry about him. I just hope he doesn¡¯t start a needless fight with you.¡± Lieze glanced over in Kyle¡¯s direction, shaking his head.


    Yuriga observed this with another sigh.


    ¡°Normally I would have to challenge you again after my previous loss, but¡­are you not scared of us demons?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­Maybe it¡¯s because we fought once before, I feel like I understood you quite a lot, Yuriga.¡±


    ¡°After a single battle? I really don¡¯t get humans at all.¡± Yuriga shook her head, showing a puzzled expression.


    ¡°But, you don¡¯t necessarily resent humans, right, Yuriga?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Yuriga tried to throw an argument back at Lieze, but she couldn¡¯t. After all, Lieze was completely right. Yuriga didn¡¯t really feel much towards the human race. She was born after the great war between humanfolk and demons three hundred years ago, and she served the current Demon Lord, who advocated peace, so she would be lying if she said she resented humanfolk.


    ¡°If we had to fight, then it wasn¡¯t because of your own resentment, but rather because of your position. That much I understood.¡± Lieze spoke with a confident tone, as Yuriga stayed quiet.


    ¡°¡­I simply don¡¯t care about humanfolk to be perfectly honest.¡± Yuriga felt like she had lost, as she jumped down from the tree, where Lieze pushed the plate at her with a ¡®Here you go¡¯ smile.


    ***


    The following morning, Paserane and Roas rushed towards Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°Did you find them?¡± Kyle asked, to which Paserane responded with a bitter tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­we found something, but something doesn¡¯t add up.¡± Paserane opened the map, pointing at an area near Rinecol. ¡°We spotted a dragon and a large number of people in that area¡­but according to the information, they changed their plans and were heading over to Rinecol.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? Why Rinecol?¡± Kyle asked, confused.


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Paserane looked at Kyle in disbelief.


    If it was a dragon, he should have no trouble destroying a small village of a few hundred people. However, the capital of Eddos, Rinecol, had a drastically larger amount of inhabitants, with several strong adventurers. Of course, if a dragon was to go all out, there wouldn¡¯t be much these adventurers could do¡­


    Why? Why has the dragon headed for Rinecol?


    Kyle couldn¡¯t figure out this sudden change of events. Destroying a village of dark elves would make sense from the viewpoint of the Mera cult, even if they didn¡¯t directly benefit it. However, Rinecol was a location with lots of human residents. There should be no reason for them to attack it.


    ¡°Anyway, the best we can do is head over there.¡±


    Everyone was already prepared for departure. However, Kyle called out to Erina, who stood up.


    ¡°You stay here, Erina.¡±


    ¡°Eh? B-But, Rinecol will!¡±


    She was the one most shaken hearing about Ghrud heading towards Rinecol. It was the town she currently lived in, and her mother Luctera lived there as well. As she was sick and bedridden, Erina must be even more worried about her mother.


    ¡°¡­The chance of Ghrud coming here has lowered, but it¡¯s not completely zero yet. I want to keep some forces here to protect the village if push comes to shove.¡±


    Or so he said, but he truly believed that there was practically no reason for the dragon to come back here again. In reality, she would just slow them down in a fight, so he wanted her to stay behind. After all, they might end up having to fight a dragon and members of the Mera cult.


    ¡°I understand¡­But, please be careful.¡±


    Erina must have understood Kyle¡¯s true intention. She showed a perturbed and hurt expression, but didn¡¯t reproach Kyle. He attempted to give her some relief, as he gently placed his hand on her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon¡­Irumera, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Kyle turned towards Irumera.


    ¡®If it¡¯s close by, I¡¯ll drop you off¡­¡¯


    As always, Irumera sounded more than hesitant to do as Kyle asked her to, but she still let them hop on her back, opening her large wings to soar into the sky.


    ¡°¡­Worried?¡± Paserane called out to Erina, who looked after Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°Come on, these maidens and those useless males are strong enough that I can see them having a chance at winning¡­¡± Roas tried to cheer up Erina as well, but when he saw her face, he suddenly lost his words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You seem oddly happy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since somebody rubbed my head like that¡­it reminded me of my father.¡± Erina showed a bashful smile, which led to a sharp pain running through the heart of Paserane.


    ¡°That sure was rude, don¡¯t you think?¡± Lieze spoke up on Irumera¡¯s back, clearly sounding displeased.


    ¡°Huh? W-What are you talking about?¡± Kyle had no idea what she was talking about, but her voice made it very clear she was in a bad mood, sending a shiver down his spine.


    ¡°You rubbed Erina¡¯s head, right? You were clearly treating her like some child.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­No, I actually didn¡¯t pack such a hidden meaning behind it.¡±


    His hand simply moved subconsciously.


    ¡°Erina can take care of herself just fine. Treating her like a child in such a way hits close to shaming her.¡±


    Shockingly enough, now Urza joined in, agreeing with Lieze as she showed an equally difficult expression.


    ¡°Hm, but the person in question didn¡¯t seem like she disliked it. On the contrary, she looked quite delighted.¡± Shildonia took Kyle¡¯s side.


    ¡°Ehhhhh? Yeah, no way. You agree, right, Yuriga?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    Lieze sought out support with Yuriga, but to no avail.


    ¡°Hmm, I still think it¡¯s barely passable. What do you think, Irumera?¡±


    ¡®Like I care! You take this a bit more seriously, will you?! You might end up fighting a dragon, remember?!¡¯


    ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s better than being excessively nervous.¡± Kyle simply convinced himself and looked up ahead.


    ¡°Almost there.¡± Kyle muttered, as he looked at the map mid-air.


    Paserane had marked a small area in the deep forest close to the town of Rinecol. They would arrive there any second.


    ¡®Weird¡­I don¡¯t feel Ghrud¡¯s presence at all.¡¯


    When they got closer, Irumera raised a dubious voice.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡®If Ghrud really was at that location you were heading towards, I would have felt him nearby.¡¯


    ¡°Maybe he left for Rinecol already? If so, we should head there right¡ª¡±


    Away¡ªKyle wanted to say, but he spotted something weird which made him lose his words.


    ¡°¡­The heck is that?¡±


    Seran also tilted his head, letting out a confused voice. Everybody present shared the same sentiment. It was a red dot amidst the endless green below them.


    ¡°¡­Please get us down nearby.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But, isn¡¯t Ghrud heading over to Rinecol¡­¡± Lieze asked a question, only to swallow her words right away.


    She saw Kyle¡¯s goosebumps running down his neck.


    ¡°Yeah, if we leave that alone¡­something bad will happen,¡± Seran spoke with a heavy tone.


    ¡®Got it¡­¡¯ Irumera must have felt something in the air and descended towards the red area.

 Volume 4 - CH 18

    It was, in the truest sense of the word, an ocean of blood. Arms and legs scattered everywhere, organs splattered against the trees, several heads with the brains and eyeballs drooping out, you could count at least 30 corpses if not more, all turned into worthless lumps of meat, lying around. The stench of blood drifted in the air, leaving Lieze and Urza pale.


    ¡°Oh, we have fresh players, it seems. People of the humanfolk¡­you must be a demon, and a dragon even.¡±


    A single demon stood in the center of this ocean of blood. He had two cow horns growing from his head, but he wasn¡¯t too tall and didn¡¯t emit that much pressure either. Put simply, he gave off a friendly impression, and if you wanted to be negative, he seemed mighty suspicious¡­and his smile didn¡¯t help with that.


    ¡°What an odd group I¡¯ve encountered¡­Ah, my name is Targ. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± Targ completely disregarded his initial impression, simply showing a polite bow.


    He might seem a normal person you¡¯d encounter on the street, but this politeness of his seemed even eerier in this sea of blood.


    ¡®He¡¯s the demon who came to visit recently. No doubt about it.¡¯ Irumera commented, showing a cautious stance.


    ¡°You bastard! Did you kill humanfolk?! You should know the Demon Lord-sama¡¯s orders to not kill if not absolutely necessary!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you are the subordinate of the Demon Lord-sama¡­No no, this isn¡¯t actually in my control. It was merely self-defense. And, didn¡¯t the Demon Lord-sama say to not kill if absolutely necessary?¡± Targ showed a troubled expression.


    ¡°Who are you, and what is your goal.¡± Kyle pulled his sword but still kept his distance so that he was ready for any possible attack.


    Any careless approach towards a demon who committed such slaughter could prove fatal after all.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even so far as to call it a goal¡­I simply wanted to act as an ally to the dragons.¡± Targ glanced over at Irumera, explaining. ¡°I have been told by Zeurus-san about Ghrud-san, and it seemed to me that he was controlled by humans¡­This is why I came here to help him. After, I had barely missed him, which is why I planned to chase after him, when these people got in my way, and just¡­Ahh, how troublesome.¡±


    Targ simply continued to talk like he had nothing to hide. This massacre here most likely originated from the Mera cult followers going for a final struggle to earn time. Kyle didn¡¯t know how effective that was, but since Ghrud was nowhere to be found, that seemed to have worked out quite well.


    ¡°So, things finally calmed down, and I was planning on helping Ghrud-san, when you arrived. Yes¡­so, what brings you here?¡± He truly spoke with the idea of ¡®I told you everything, so be honest with me as well¡¯.


    ¡°Our goal is the same, namely to bring back Ghrud. That would force us to fight the ones controlling him¡­so I guess we are competing for that.¡± Shildonia glared at Targ without hesitation.


    ¡°Ahh, as I thought¡­Our goal most certainly has aligned¡­How troublesome.¡± Targ scratched his head. ¡°Well well well! I am fully aware that I am asking for a lot, but won¡¯t you leave this to me? It is my duty to uphold the friendly relations with ourselves and the dragons¡­and if I were to save Ghrud-san, I¡¯m sure Zeurus-san would be delighted.¡± Targ continued to bow.


    ¡°You say that after deceiving Zeurus.¡±


    ¡°Deceive¡­? Ah, are you talking about my facilitation by any chance? It is true that I do not move under direct orders of the Demon Lord-sama, but I am not deceiving anybody.¡±


    ¡°That is Zeurus¡¯ fault, so I don¡¯t plan on blaming you¡­The most interesting question is under whose orders you act.¡±


    Following Shildonia, now Yuriga began to question Targ.


    ¡°I see how it is. ¡®Three-Arms¡¯? ¡®Flame-Eye?¡¯ Maybe ¡®Thunder-Breath?¡¯ Whose pro-war faction is it?!¡±


    These names Yuriga dropped just now most likely belonged to the demons rebelling against, or maybe even hostile towards the current Demon Lord.


    ¡°Ahhh, my sincerest apologies, but I cannot allow myself to answer that question¡­so please forgive me.¡± Targ lowered his head, but his attitude was aloof as always. ¡°Still, this is quite troublesome. I also have my own circumstances¡­so could I ask you to fall back? Please, I can only ask you.¡± He kept on bowing to the point it could probably break his spine.


    Naturally, Kyle¡¯s group could not afford to pull back either, and Targ most likely understood this. Targ anticipated this and brought up an idea.


    ¡°Then, at the very least¡­an alliance, by any chance? I have absolutely no problem working together with humans, and I will do my utmost to assist you.¡± Once again, he lowered his head.


    Seeing a demon lower his head towards people of the humanfolk was quite an eerie sight.


    ¡°I decline.¡± Kyle didn¡¯t hesitate at all with his answer, showing that this offer of an alliance wasn¡¯t even worth considering.


    ¡°Is that because I am a demon after all? I believe that lady next to you is one as well, and you seem perfectly fine¡­Ah, is it because of these people here? They were our common enemy, and one that you would have had to erase yourselves at some point, no?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on acting like buddies with a demon, nor do I blame you for killing these people. The problem lies far deeper. You seem far too suspicious.¡±


    When Kyle dropped that word, everybody else in the group nodded along.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­Well, I cannot blame you for that. I am quite confident I would be regarded as someone suspicious.¡± Targ put one hand on his forehead, sighing. ¡°It cannot be helped then, I shall¡ª¡±


    Before Targ even finished his sentence, he disappeared. In the truest sense of the word, he vanished. The next moment, Seran reflexively pushed away Yuriga, who had stood next to him. This happened entirely because of his intuition, but not even a second after Yuriga had moved, Targ appeared with his bare hand swung down like a sword. His hand gave off a faint black shine, and everybody with some degree of knowledge in magic could tell that it was filled with mana. It could most likely cut through an armor of steel like it was paper.


    ¡°Oh my, what a wonderful reaction.¡± Targ¡¯s voice was filled with surprise, as he let out his first genuine praise.


    ¡°A teleportation ability?! Everybody, don¡¯t freeze up! Scatter and take your distance!¡±


    With Shildonia¡¯s order, everybody acted accordingly, as Yuriga stood up herself, taking her distance.


    ¡°Teleportation¡­Or rather, instantaneous movement¡­There is supreme-grade magic [Teleport] which allows for such movement, but¡­a demon possesses this as an ability?¡±


    Only three people in the entire humanfolk are able to use such supreme-grade magic. Encountering a demon who was on the same level out of nowhere like this had Shildonia flash a painful expression.


    ¡°Bastard¡­¡± Yuriga grit her teeth, glaring at Targ with evident hostility.


    ¡°Well well well, my sincerest apologies¡­It would be very troublesome if you were to report this to the Demon Lord-sama, so I saw no other option but to silence you here.¡± Following that statement, Targ glanced at Seran. ¡°I have to say, managing to counter my surprise attack despite it being the first time you saw it, this is a fresh feeling for me.¡± He threw his honest impression at Seran.


    ¡°I love to use these types of attacks myself, after all¡­I know that attacking after kneeling on the ground is highly effective.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should brag about that¡­¡± Lieze commented, but her eyes were still fixated on Targ.


    ¡°Ah, this is actually a feud between demons, and I do not plan on fighting humanfolk or dragons alike, so don¡¯t misunderstand, okay?¡± Targ seemed flustered, as he looked at Irumera. ¡°And, despite me offering to work together, they¡¯ve rejected me with no remorse¡­so I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡®¡­¡­¡¯


    It seemed like Targ¡¯s words worked just fine. Then again, Irumera never had any intention of participating in this bout, so she just looked at Targ in silence. The group surrounded Targ in a circle, and while his eyes were glued to Targ, Seran called out to Kyle.


    ¡°Kyle¡­you go on ahead. Ghrud is heading for Rinecol, right? Gotta prioritize that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Got it, I¡¯m leaving this to you.¡±


    Kyle hesitated for a moment but realized that Ghrud had utmost priority right now, and let Seran handle things. After he warned everyone, he headed to where Irumera was waiting, with Shildonia following him.


    ¡®¡­Are you sure?¡¯


    Irumera¡¯s duty was to be an observer. There was nothing she could do, and she couldn¡¯t become allies with either side. Of course, out of preference, she would have sided with Kyle¡¯s group, but she herself wasn¡¯t even aware of this.


    ¡°If Seran said so, then they will be fine.¡±


    ¡®What profound trust you have¡­Get on.¡¯


    ¡°Ahh¡­and there they go.¡± Targ would have loved to chase after Kyle, but Yuriga and Seran in front of him wouldn¡¯t allow for that to happen, so he could only see Irumera take off.


    However, he didn¡¯t seem too dejected by this, as he simply shook his head, and turned towards the two.


    ¡°Now then, I¡¯ll be your opponent¡­¡± Seran turned towards Targ when he felt another presence approaching.


    ¡°Oh my¡­it seems like we have more visitors.¡± Targ looked in a certain direction.


    ¡°Damn it, what awful timing¡­¡± Seran aggressively clicked his tongue.


    Several human presences approached from there, most likely a group of the Mera cult, and they most likely aimed to slow down Targ.


    ¡°¡­Perfect timing. Lieze, Urza, take care of those peeps. I do not want them to get in the way over here.¡± Seran said.


    ¡°Eh? But¡­¡±


    ¡°This one over here is far more dangerous.¡± He answered without looking away from Targ. ¡°Then let me change my way of phrasing it¡­You¡¯ll only drag us down.¡± Seran said without a second of hesitation, as a cold sweat spread on his face. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not confident enough that I can protect you while fighting.¡±


    It was hard to imagine that Seran, a master at fighting, would utter such weak words. It was the first time Lieze heard that at least.


    ¡°Got it¡­Be careful.¡± Lieze and Urza did as they were told, and moved away.


    ¡°Now then¡­Yuriga, you should be fine, so let¡¯s do this together.¡±


    ¡°I told you not to give me orders.¡±


    ¡°You should know that trying to fight this guy alone will only get you killed.¡±


    Seran knew how strong Yuriga was, and yet he said so with full confidence.


    ¡°Just think of it as using me¡­Not to mention that I just saved your life, so just hear me out this once.¡±


    Yuriga clicked her tongue but knew that Seran was absolutely right.


    ¡°Are you done talking? I have to say, that human woman and elf woman are also quite a bother and vexing, but if they intercept our new guests, then I have no complaints.¡±


    It seemed like he¡¯d rather let the two girls go before dealing with the Mera cult followers.


    ¡°If you interrupted them, it¡¯d definitely be taken as an attack towards us,¡± Seran commented, which instigated a smirk from Targ.


    ¡°I understand fully well that you people are the most dangerous. With the close aide of the Demon Lord-sama, and the human holding that sword, I cannot underestimate you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you know about this sword?¡± Seran looked down at his beloved sword, the Holy Sword Rand.


    ¡°Yes, although it has been three hundred years. I did not think I would see it again, however.¡±


    The Holy Sword Rand was used three hundred years ago to strike down the previous Demon Lord, receiving its name from the Hero Randolph. Yuriga was Yuriga as always, showing a complicated expression that she failed to recover the holy sword.


    ¡°¡­So, let me ask you again. Can¡¯t we resolve this peacefully? My only enemy to fight is that demon, but I have no intention of starting a war with humanfolk at this point in time.¡± Targ emphasized his disinterest in fighting Seran.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I would actually agree to that, right?¡± Seran showed a grin, pulling out a wry smile from Targ.


    ¡°What a shame¡­it would have been the best for you humans.¡± Targ sighed and disappeared once again¡ªwhich signaled the beginning of their fight.


    ¡°What¡­is with these people?¡± Lieze commented after smacking her right fist into the side of a Mera cult follower¡¯s head.


    That usually would be enough to knock out any normal person, and yet the follower kept on walking ahead with a blood-drenched head as if they didn¡¯t feel any pain at all.


    ¡°Salamander!¡±


    The Fire Spirit Salamander summoned by Urza spit flames over a large area, wrapping up the approaching opponents, making all of them burn up as a result, and even though half their bodies turned into crispy coal, they kept on walking towards Urza. In the end, it took the Earth Spirit Gnome to blast them away, and knock them unconscious.


    In the end, the incoming attackers were from the Mera cult and immediately assaulted Lieze and Urza upon spotting them. Urza and Lieze were used to fighting humans like this, but this was an entirely different territory. Attacks that should have knocked out a normal human in one fell swoop now seemed to not even show any results, and the fear of death seemed practically non-existent with these opponents.


    When it came to actual skill and experience, Lieze and Urza were clearly above their opponents, but they were having a hard time in these circumstances. Finally, Urza caught onto an omn¨ªnous smoke being carried towards them with the breeze, and frantically covered her mouth.


    ¡°This is¡­poison?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t breathe it in!¡±


    Lieze immediately reacted thanks to Urza¡¯s warning. Breathing in a bit surely wouldn¡¯t leave much damage, but if it had been a full, deep breath, nobody would know what kind of effects it could have. Usually, you wouldn¡¯t use such a dangerous weapon in an area like this. Using such a huge amount of it would then drag in your allies as well. As expected, the smoke attacked the Mera cult followers, and many of them began to collapse. However, they didn¡¯t bother much with the sacrifices made and kept on heading towards Urza and Lieze.


    I can¡¯t break through them¡­


    Lieze sent more fists flying towards the Mera followers, but right after defeating one, another appeared, making it seem like there was no end to it. Even as she tried to force her way through, somebody might attack her from behind. In order to buy even a small amount of time, they were ready to throw their lives away.


    Urk¡­If I could summon Sylphid¡­!


    Right now, Urza had summoned the Fire Spirit Salamander and the Earth Spirit Gnome. They were both talented in attack and defense respectively, and adding them to the fight definitely paid out. However, there was a drawback to that decision. With the Wind Spirit Sylphid, she might be able to blow away this poisonous mist. Right now, Urza¡¯s limit of simultaneous summons were two, and even if she erased one of them to summon Sylphid, it would take some time before she could summon the other again, and she didn¡¯t have that time at her disposal.


    As the Mera cult didn¡¯t care for their own lives, they slowly but steadily began to corner Urza and Lieze. Finally, they started to run out of breath. Right as they were in grave danger, an explosion occurred. Two, then three more explosions followed, blowing away the poisonous mist. The distinct scent of gunpowder made it evident that this wasn¡¯t caused by magic, but by a physical explosion. Eventually, the smoke passed, and silence followed. Lieze and Urza carefully raised their heads, spotting a single woman standing in front of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t relax just yet. As long as they have some Death Soldiers left, they will come for us again.¡±


    Minagi, clad in what was called shinobi attire, explained to the two girls.


    ¡°You were¡­Minagi, right.¡± Urza let out a perturbed comment.


    They hadn¡¯t seen each other since the first time Kyle introduced her to his group.


    ¡°Huh? But, why are you here?¡± Lieze tilted her head.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t get the whole gist of it. That question is something I¡¯d like to ask.¡± Minagi sighed, taking out a small throwing weapon called a shuriken, throwing it at a vital point of a still-breathing Mera cult follower.


    The reason Minagi here was simple. It was an absolute coincidence. She looked into the identity of a suspicious man she spotted in Rinecol, and understood that he was a Mera cult follower. As he seemed to be a stonemason, he worked on tempering with building stones, carrying and transporting goods. Following him, she spotted more and more Mera followers. She even found out the motive of the Mera cult for coming to Rinecol, and why all followers present in the town were gathered for this.


    Minagi was surprised to see their numbers, but after seeing how all of them were moving, she decided to tag along. Finally, she came to this sea of blood and found Urza and Lieze fighting. That¡¯s why she fulfilled her duty as a guard and protected them.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have used a better method of saving us?¡± Urza complained because she received damage from the previous blast, but she knew that this was a necessary evil.


    ¡°You really saved us though¡­¡± Lieze thanked Minagi, who focused her gaze on a single point.


    ¡°There¡¯s fighting going on over there as well, what¡¯s the situation?¡± Minagi threw a severe gaze towards Seran and his own battle.


    ¡°Um, we¡¯re currently in a three-way battle against the Mera cult and a demon!¡± Lieze glanced over there for a moment as she explained, but obviously, Minagi didn¡¯t understand what she was talking about.


    ¡°Huh? Demon? W-Where is Kyle?¡± Minagi was utterly bewildered.


    ¡°He most likely is fighting a dragon right now!¡± Urza responded with a serious tone.


    ¡°D-Drag¡ªYou know what, never mind. I give up on trying to understand everything, so let¡¯s take care of these guys.¡±


    She knew that they weren¡¯t joking or lying, but getting a headache in this situation wouldn¡¯t benefit Minagi in the slightest.


    ¡°For crying out loud¡­I was supposed to protect you from the Mera cult, and yet I¡¯m fighting them head-on like this.¡± Minagi grumbled and pulled out two daggers for a two-handed style.


    Minagi¡¯s special explosive blew away more than ten people of the Mera cult. Even so, at least twenty of them were left, regrouping, and moving towards the three girls again.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll teach you how to fight these Death Soldiers. What¡¯s most important is to kill them in a single attack. Cutting off an arm is nearly not enough, so either send their heads flying or pierce their hearts¡­and if that doesn¡¯t work, then mess them up to the point they can¡¯t even fight anymore.¡± Minagi said, lowering her center of gravity, and ran towards the Mera followers.


    She drew a beautiful curve, flashing almost unreasonable movement, as her defensive posture turned into a fake attack. The Mera followers were deceived, and as she slipped by their sides, she swung her blades. After this attack, three separate heads dropped to the ground.


    ¡°Well, just go ahead and try,¡± Minagi said with a light tone, but the two girls could only shake their heads.


    ¡°Well¡­cutting them off will be impossible, so we¡¯ll go with crushing instead,¡± Urza ordered Gnome and made it stand in front of her.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll work on smashing then.¡± Lieze smacked her hands together, showing her motivation.


    ¡°I know I was the one who brought it up, but you people are crazy.¡± Minagi sighed.


    The three girls now faced the horde of Mera followers, utterly crushing them for good this time.


    Around that time, the fight of Yuriga and Seran against Targ turned into an awfully one-sided battle. The two were assaulting Targ to the best of their ability, with Targ was fighting a defensive battle¡ªand yet somehow cornered them.


    ¡°Damn it, an ability to pass through space¡­that¡¯s cheating,¡± Seran complained as his body was riddled with wounds all over, once again attacking Targ.


    ¡°It¡¯s an ability not many of us demons possess.¡± Yuriga was equally injured here and there, and yet continued to slash her claws at Targ.


    ¡°Haha, I am very delighted to hear such praise from you.¡±


    No matter how fast one moved, you would still be able to trace the opponent¡¯s movement to some degree. However, teleportation happened instantaneously, which allowed him to appear at their backs. As this teleportation could even be used to evade attacks, most of their attempts to hit Targ only ended up hitting empty air.


    The only saving grace was that he couldn¡¯t immediately activate his teleportation instantaneously after casting it. It showed that not even instant movement was unparalleled. This time frame also influenced the teleportation distance, as he could frequently teleport smaller distances, but he had to wait for a longer cooldown when it came to longer distances.


    As a result of that, Targ mostly used his teleportation as a means of evading, and after dodging the attack of the two, he then moved in for the counterattack. Normally, Targ would have preferred to use his teleportation ability to finish the two in one fell swoop, but the relentless attack of Seran and Yuriga made that impossible. Instead, he focused on evading Seran¡¯s killer technique attacks at hair¡¯s breadth without any change in his facial color, throwing in a counterattack from time to time like he remembered that he was fighting them.


    His counterattack was sharp as always, and his hand slash attack had enough power to cut through any defensive tool. So that he couldn¡¯t use this on the offensive, Seran¡¯s and Yuriga¡¯s only option was to keep on attacking so he wouldn¡¯t be able to find an opening. It was basically a fight of 50 attacks from Seran and Yuriga, followed up by one or two counterattacks from Targ. However, continuing this forever would soon prove impossible, as now Seran and Yuriga ended up as the ones cornered.


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    Finally, Seran couldn¡¯t dodge one of Targ¡¯s counters in time and suffered a severe injury. Yuriga wasn¡¯t that much better off when it came to her own wounds. So, both of them temporarily moved away from Targ, hiding inside the thicket of the forest.


    ¡°I have to say, it has been at least three hundred years since I¡¯ve encountered such a human.¡±


    It may have been on a whim, but Targ didn¡¯t chase after them immediately, simply speaking with a polite tone.


    ¡°You sure seem relaxed despite us holding you down here.¡± Seran was sweating profusely because of the pain, and still kept an arrogant tone.


    ¡°Buying time will only work so long for you. And, that human alone will never be able to stop Ghrud-san.¡±


    A human could never stand their ground against a demon¡ªthis was common sense even for a demon like Targ.


    ¡°Huh? What are you on about? Kyle¡¯s already done with the dragon, and on his way back. Don¡¯t you doubt him.¡±


    Hearing how confident Seran was left Targ a bit bewildered.


    ¡°Well, I guess this is enough time we can buy¡­Let¡¯s finish this. Oi, I got a favor to ask of you.¡± Seran took out a thick bandage usually used for emergency treatment, calling out to Yuriga.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± For a moment, she failed to understand what Seran even just said.


    However, the second she grasped his intentions, her eyes opened wide in shock.


    ¡°¡­A-Are you sane?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in tatters, while he¡¯s still in top shape, right? If we don¡¯t take a risk here, we won¡¯t be able to change the flow of the battle.¡±


    Realizing that Seran was serious, Yuriga felt a shiver run down her spine, her face growing pale.


    ¡°You¡¯re willing to go that far¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Seran flashed a devious smile, like a predator about to go on the hunt.


    ¡°Are we done playing hide-and-seek?¡±


    The first one to jump out was Yuriga. She sent out a full-force attack of her claws aimed at Targ¡¯s face. It was an attack with no spin or twist, but it was packed with impact and speed. However, Targ once again evaded it at the very last moment, attempting to ram his knife hand strike right into her abdomen. Yuriga used her inherently high reflexes to barely twist her body in time, evading the direct impact.


    She still received a wound on her abdomen, and as blood splattered around her, Yugira moved away from Targ, when Seran appeared behind her, slashing at the demon. If this had actually been somewhat coordinated, Targ may have been more careful of this possibility, but as they were both individually fighting him, it looked just like a consecutive attack. However, Targ felt an odd sense of discomfort coming from Seran¡¯s brandished swing.


    He couldn¡¯t put it into words, but he felt like he had seen this before. That being said, Seran¡¯s swing was in the territory of humanfolk¡¯s highest peak, so Targ couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. He didn¡¯t think too deeply about it and simply stepped back to evade it. It was an attack slicing through the air itself, most likely with everything Seran could physically offer, which is why his balance was all over the place, full of openings.


    ¡°A wonderful attack, but sadly not enough to reach me.¡±


    This was genuine praise from Targ. Even as he went through his own memories, he could not remember a swordsman of Seran¡¯s skill. There was but one person that came to his mind, but suffering emotional injury mid-battle was something he wanted to avoid. Finally, he would be able to finish off this human¡ªTarg thought, only for his smile to vanish completely, his body frozen stiff. He realized that, from his shoulder down his chest, even reaching his abdomen, a long line appeared on his body. Right as he saw blood starting to quill out, it suddenly exploded into a fountain of red gushing from his body.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as deep as I wanted it to be, but¡­Well, this one¡¯s gonna hurt for sure.¡± Seran gasped for her, as he exclaimed confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­impossible¡­I was sure I evaded that¡­¡±


    Targ lost all his composure, staggering backward, as he looked down at his own body.


    ¡°You would judge the distance between yourself and your opponent, evading the attack at a hair¡¯s breadth, and counterattack. That¡¯s your fighting style. At the same time, you don¡¯t evade with much margin between you and the attack. It would destroy your rhythm after all¡­That¡¯s why, if I mess with the distance a bit¡ª¡± Seran said, making it sound like he raised the length of his sword.


    Unable to process this, Targ looked at the Holy Sword Rand. And then, he caught on to this feeling of discomfort that had plagued him. Seran held the Holy Sword in his right hand, but his left hand also held it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­This is how you shortened the margin?!¡± Targ¡¯s face grew pale.


    Seran¡¯s right hand held his left arm that had been cut off at the elbow. This left hand tightly held the Holy Sword, fixated with the help of bandages. Although his reach was raised only by about a single palm, it was more than enough. This one palm is all Seran needed to deceive Targ.


    ¡°I had Yuriga lend me a hand¡­Uhhh? No, I lent a hand¡­but to myself¡­?¡±


    ¡°Who cares about that right now¡­¡± Yuriga¡¯s face was about as pale as Targ¡¯s, throwing a retort at Seran¡¯s badly-timed play on words.


    When Seran asked Yuriga to cut off his hand, she thought he had gotten completely crazy in the heat of battle, but hearing his plan behind that made her shudder in terror. Learning of how determined Seran was to win this battle, she could only look at Seran in bewilderment.


    ¡°Well, it sure does not matter, yep¡­More importantly.¡±


    Seran raised his sword, undoing the bandages around his left arm with his mouth. He threw that arm of his away to a nearby grassy place, and properly grabbed his sword with his functional right hand, pointing the blade at Targ.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue, shall we. We¡¯re about equal when it comes to injuries, but it¡¯s two versus one, so I wouldn¡¯t complain if you surrendered right about now.¡±


    Seeing Seran¡¯s arrogant and overly-confident grin had Yuriga¡¯s back straighten in fear. At the same time, it felt like Targ¡¯s mask had finally broken to pieces, as his friendly expression disappeared, replaced by his true feelings.


    ¡°How fascinating! It¡¯s been three hundred long years since I¡¯ve last met a human like you! To think you even held this sword¡­Is this fortune, I daresay?!¡± Targ showed a smile that felt like it came from the bottom of his heart, as he clapped his hands together while laughing loudly.


    ¡°The owner of this sword was Randolph, right? Did you fight him before?¡±


    ¡°Well, something like that¡­So, I shall admit defeat here. Fighting any more than this won¡¯t benefit anybody¡­and as the loser, I shall retreat peacefully.¡± Targ accepted his defeat, and stood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re done fighting, but do you think we¡¯d just let you escape?¡± Seran pointed out with a sharp tone.


    ¡°No no, as a reward for me admitting my defeat, I shall explain one thing to you¡­The names of the pro-war faction and I are unrelated. It would be fair to say that the pro-war faction has no involvement in this.¡±


    ¡°What did you say? Then under whose orders are you acting!¡± Yuriga raised a shocked voice, fully assuming he was related to the pro-war faction.


    ¡°I sadly cannot tell you that much¡­Ah, but, I would suggest you be careful with this sword.¡±


    ¡°Careful? What do you mean?¡±


    Targ didn¡¯t answer Seran¡¯s question, showing a faint grin, and vanished with a final ¡®Then if you would excuse me¡¯.


    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t think he¡¯d just hit the legs like that.¡±


    Seran was hoping to give him another beating, so he felt dissatisfied with this result.


    ¡°I was thinking about this before when the girls fought you, but demons actually are pretty quick to admit their defeat, huh?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡­Also, if he has been alive since the war three hundred years ago, he is a veteran. It¡¯s unthinkable that he would admit defeat this easily.¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­Seeing you or that twisted demon Kyle defeat a while back, I was already feeling this way, but I didn¡¯t think a trained demon like that could be such a chore,¡± Seran said. ¡°Guess I have to reconsider my evaluation of you peeps. Well, that just means I was a tad bit stronger than¡­Ahhhh! My left hand!!¡±


    Seran ran for the left arm of his he had previously thrown away. Seran had absolutely no intentions of living but with one hand. He simply could rely on this strategy under the assumption that using regeneration magic or magic medicine, he should be able to attach it again.


    ¡°Found it, found it¡­Phew, the cut is so clean, it should fit perfectly¡­I hope¡­¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re amazing or crazy¡­¡± Yuriga sighed and shook her head.

 Volume 4 - CH 19

    ¡®This is as far as I¡¯ll go. Any further, and I would meet Ghrud.¡¯


    At a distance where they could barely see the city walls of Rinecol, Irumera had Kyle and Shildonia get off.


    ¡°So Ghrud is up ahead, huh?¡±


    ¡®Yeah, I can feel him¡­but, he doesn¡¯t seem to be in his right mind¡­He also must have caught on to my presence, but showed no reaction.¡¯ Irumera spoke with a heavy tone.


    Even if Ghrud knew he was being used, he couldn¡¯t meet Irumera. This is the law.


    ¡°Must be hard being restrained by that law.¡± Kyle wasn¡¯t speaking in a cynical tone, but rather out of pure sympathy.


    That¡¯s why Irumera couldn¡¯t stand it, but also couldn¡¯t argue against it.


    ¡®Although I hate the idea of saying this to a human¡­I¡¯m leaving Ghrud in your hands.¡¯


    ¡°Leave him to me.¡± Kyle declared with confidence in his voice, to which Irumera ascended into the sky once more.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go, he¡¯s over there!¡± Shildonia hopped on Kyle¡¯s shoulders, pointing the way up ahead as she rested on his head.


    ¡°Am I some horse¡­¡± Kyle complained, but he didn¡¯t expect her to get down this easily, so he just lived with it.


    As Shildonia¡¯s main body was the jewel inside the sword, this appearance of hers was created by raw mana, simply an illusion of her main body. She could simply erase this appearance but was most likely used to it this way. As she basically didn¡¯t weigh anything, Kyle could run just as fast as usual.


    ¡°I was looking at it from the sky, but that Ghrud completely wrecked this small area,¡± Shildonia said, remembering the smoke she had seen.


    ¡°Yeah, the burning smell is all over the place.¡±


    Finally, they reached one of the places Ghrud destroyed.


    ¡°¡­This is rough, alright.¡±


    Trees were pushed over, grass completely burned up with flames. As it had rained the day before, a bit of water remained and stopped the forest around from catching fire. Looking around, several adventurers were scattered around the area, injured as they were groaning in pain. When Kyle rushed towards the nearest adventurer, it turned out to be a familiar face.


    ¡°Hey, pull yourself together! What happened?¡±


    The man¡¯s face was distorted in pain, but he somehow managed to open his eyes. He and Kyle met at the ¡®Dawn of the Fire Dragon¡¯, and his name was Getsuga.


    ¡°Urk¡­You were¡­Kyle, right?¡±


    ¡°Know each other?¡± Shildonia asked, to which Kyle nodded.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you were¡­Yeah sorry, I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    He remembered seeing the man¡¯s face before, but it didn¡¯t leave that deep of an impression. Having even his name forgotten, Getsuga showed a bitter smile, or he tried to, but the pain wouldn¡¯t let him. Around him were other adventurers who suffered burn wounds, or scars induced by claw attacks, but luckily no casualties were to be found.


    ¡°Were you attacked by Gh¡­a dragon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­it happened out of nowhere. Right as I wondered if that dragon would approach us, it suddenly attacked¡­With no chance to run, we tried to fight back, but it was all in vain¡­¡±


    It appeared like Ghrud attacked the adventurers near Rinecol. Getsuga was a well-known adventurer, but he had no chance against a dragon.


    ¡°I see¡­sorry, but I have to leave you here. There¡¯s something I have to take care of.¡±


    Confirming that the other adventurers were safe and in no imminent threat, Kyle stood up.


    ¡°Wait, where are you going? ¡­Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Looking into the direction where Kyle walked off, Getsuga could not hide his surprise.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯ll have to exterminate a dragon.¡± Kyle grinned.


    As Kyle kept on running, an ear-splitting roar of Ghrud reached his ears. As he was hidden by the large trees, he couldn¡¯t see him, but it felt like Ghrud wanted to be found, as he spewed fire high up in the air.


    ¡°He sure loves to do it flashy, and stand out¡­The one who ordered him to do that must be nearby as well.¡± Shildonia said with an indifferent expression.


    As she still rested on Kyle¡¯s shoulders, her comment really stung, but her weight was non-existent.


    ¡°So, in the case that we end up fighting, what kind of strategy are we going with?¡±


    ¡°I prepared a great amount of recovery magic medicine, and I have that as well just in case, so we¡¯ll be fine¡­I¡¯d like to think.¡±


    As magic stones with attack magic imbued into them wouldn¡¯t work against a dragon, Kyle had to rely on direct and physical attacks. They finally made it through the row of trees and spotted Ghrud in the distance. On the outside, he looked similar to Irumera, but the impression he gave off was completely different.


    Unlike Irumera, who had an intelligent gaze in her eyes, there was no light to be seen in Ghrud¡¯s. The same could be said about his body. It gave off no life, simply looking like he was controlled. Of course, the pressure he gave off was still tremendous, but compared to the other dragons he met, Ghrud seemed almost sad. You wouldn¡¯t think that he was one of the dragons who stood at the summit of this world.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s look for the Mera follower who¡¯s controlling him.¡±


    Ensuring that Ghrud wouldn¡¯t see him, Kyle looked around looking for anybody fitting that description, and found it immediately. Although they were apparently trying to hide in the shadows of a tree, they weren¡¯t doing their best job, as they stood at a location where Ghrud was easy to see. That near-elderly man spotted Kyle as well, flashing a bright smile as he approached him. At first glance, it seemed like the innocent smile of an elderly man, but in a different way from Targ, it sent a shiver down Kyle¡¯s spine. He gave off the same impression as Barrel from the Mera cult, who he had met in the Imperial Capital Luos.


    ¡°Ahhh! If it isn¡¯t Kyle-sama! Nice to meet you! I am a faithful servant of Mera-sama, called Rockfall! It must be a blessing of Mera-sama that we are allowed to meet like this.¡± Rockfall shed tears of joy, as he prayed towards the sky. ¡°I¡¯m glad you managed to make it in time, really. That odd demon suddenly went on a rampage, and I wondered if we were done for¡­but as expected, with the guidance of Mera-sama, you are to become the savior of all humans!¡± He nodded like he was throwing a drunken fit.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®made it in time¡¯, huh? What are you plotting here? Why are you controlling that dragon!¡± Kyle pulled his sword, pointing at Rockfarl¡¯s throat, but he showed no fear in the slightest, keeping a delighted smile.


    ¡°I was waiting for Kyle-sama, of course. And, all of this is for your sake as well.¡± Rockfall laughed like he was confused at Kyle not knowing this.


    ¡°For my sake? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh? ¡­Ahh, according to the orders of Their Holiness, you have yet to accept the destiny you had been given, was it¡­¡± Rockfall showed a somewhat dubious expression but quickly convinced himself with these words.


    ¡°My destiny¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is¡ªto become a hero.¡± Rockfall showed a smile that looked as if it came from the bottom of his heart, and this bottomless goodwill filled Kyle with unprecedented fear.


    ¡°Why¡­why is this Holiness person so obsessed with me becoming a hero! What is your reason for being so focused on me?! Tell me!¡± Kyle pressed his sword forward, as it bit into Rockfall¡¯s throat.


    Blood came gushing out, and yet Rockfall was as relaxed as always, smiling eerily.


    ¡°That I do not know. I simply abide by Their Holiness¡¯ orders.¡±


    ¡°At this rate, both you and your allies will die, you know?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I am aware that my fellow believers and I will die as martyrs, but Their Holiness has told us of the human world that we will achieve through this.¡± Rockfall grinned, saying that his death had already been written in stone. ¡°Not to mention¡­even if I were to die, the hypnosis on the dragon will not be undone, so rest assured.¡±


    Kyle once again trembled in fear at how far Rockfall and his allies were willing to go for their goal.


    ¡°Naturally, that dragon has already attacked several adventurers, and has been bestowed an evil reputation under us humans, but you needn¡¯t worry. We have kept the human casualties to a bare minimum and will compensate those who have been hurt. They have been wrapped up in this unwillingly, so that is the least we can, and will do.¡±


    It appeared as if his love for humans alone was overflowing to the point it seemed twisted. Excited, Rockfall continued one-sidedly.


    ¡°It had not been our intention for humans to get hurt in this incident¡­We had originally planned on burning down the nest of those vexing black long ears, when another dragon appeared. We had to quickly change our plans¡­but the result does not change. Please, go and defeat that dragon. I have restrained its movement, so with your abilities, it should be easy for you. Please, gain even greater honor by becoming a [Dragon Slayer]!¡±


    As Rockfall stated, Ghrud was easily visible from their position, located in a terrain that was made for fighting. As the city must have received reports about a dragon appearing close by, all their attention must be on there as well. And, this was all for Kyle¡¯s sake. Have him defeat the dragon, and become a [Dragon Slayer].


    ¡°Is something wrong? I believe it was your goal to become a hero in the first place, Kyle-sama, was it not? Why are you hesitating now?¡± Rockfall seemed utterly bewildered.


    ¡°I won¡¯t give you a speech about morals and how you shouldn¡¯t use others, but¡­I don¡¯t plan on sacrificing anybody for my goal. Neither a dragon nor the dark elves.¡±


    ¡°Hum? No, but¡­they are not human, yes? Both the black long ears and this dragon. Who cares what may happen to them?¡± Rockfall showed a reaction like he had been met with disbelief, making it sound like that kind of thought process was the norm of this world.


    ¡°I won¡¯t get anything more out of talking with you like this¡­Free Ghrud right away.¡±


    Or so Kyle said, pointing his blade at Rockfall again, fully aware that even gouging his eyes out or slicing off his limbs wouldn¡¯t do much.


    ¡°That is your duty, Kyle-sama. Please strike down that dragon and grant it true freedom.¡± Rockfall¡¯s eyes lit up like a child excited for a present, pointing at the dragon.


    Trying to keep any sane conversation was pointless. Or rather, the more they talked, the further they drifted apart.


    ¡°Kyle, this is just a waste of time.¡± Shildonia, who had been silent up to this point, spoke up.


    Time was up.


    ¡°I wish you fortune in battle!¡± Rockfall grinned and sent off Kyle.


    ¡°These kinds of people will never leave¡­we already had them in Zaales.¡± Shildonia spit complaints.


    Ghrud was located awfully close to the city walls of Rinecol, at a larger open space easily visible that allowed for the perfect one-on-one fight. Albeit unwilling to play along with the Mera cult¡¯s plot, Kyle now stood face-to-face with Ghrud. However, he couldn¡¯t allow everything to go their way. It was his goal to bring Ghrud back home safely, not to strike him down here.


    ¡°Listen, Ghrud! You are being controlled! Return to your senses!¡± Kyle screamed as loudly as he could, but the empty look in Ghrud¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t vanish. ¡°Is there any way we can forcefully break the control?¡± Kyle clicked his tongue and asked Shildonia.


    ¡°Depends on the method used to control him. If it¡¯s magic controlling his mind, there¡¯s a chance of undoing it by dispelling the magic. However, it seems like Ghrud is under the use of magic and drugs to create some sort of hypnosis. Undoing it would take time. The other method is more of a ride-or-die. But¡­¡± Shildonia whispered into Kyle¡¯s ears, which made a puzzled expression appear on his face.


    ¡°That really is ride-or-die.¡±


    ¡°And also our only option right now with the limited time we have. We can¡¯t fall back either, no?¡±


    Ghrud was already attacking people, so he might just turn towards Rinecol for real if left uncontrolled. This will result in subjugation units being sent out. As he had already been weakened for Kyle¡¯s sake, he would most certainly be killed then.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be mentally supporting you. Go out and be ready to die.¡±


    Kyle shook his head, cast strengthening magic on himself, and approached Ghrud.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go!¡± Kyle proceeded with his sword pulled, and as he reached the close distance of the dragon, even Ghrud reacted now.


    Thus, the battle began. However, as Ghrud¡¯s movement was controlled and dull, it couldn¡¯t compare to the normal attacks of a dragon during a fight, now seeming sluggish and slow. More accurately speaking, it looked like a string-controlled doll¡¯s movement. Without even spewing any fire breath, Ghrud simply swung his large claws, bearing his fangs¡­Of course, that was enough of an attack to send most adventurers running, but Kyle could react to that just fine.


    ¡°¡­I guess this is what they meant by him being controlled.¡±


    Despite the situation he was in, Kyle couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for Ghrud. After evading a giant claw soaring towards him, Kyle jumped onto Ghrud¡¯s back, rushing up his head. Even for a being this big in size, Ghrud¡¯s reaction was awfully slow. Reaching Ghrud¡¯s neck, leaped into the air. He used the acceleration of his fall down to slam the sword into Ghrud¡¯s head. If Kyle had any intent on killing the dragon, the battle would have been over now.


    Even with the high defense power of a dragon, an attack by Kyle and Shildonia as a sword could heavily injure him. If he slashed at the dragon¡¯s head with the intent to kill, he could have finished this with one attack. However, as Kyle¡¯s goal was to simply bring back Ghrud alive, he used the hilt of his sword to use a dull attack.


    ¡°Wake¡­up already!!¡±


    ¡®Gaaah?!¡¯


    Being on the receiving end of this severe impact, Ghrud raised a scream of agony for the first time. This was the strategy Shildonia came up with¡ªor if you could even call it a strategy. By inflicting physical pain on his head, it could assist in him regaining his consciousness¡­Or rather, beat him up until he comes back to his senses, which sounded a lot more violent than what Kyle wished for.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s one hit in¡­¡±


    After putting his might into the attack, Kyle took his distance to observe any possible change. Ghrud seemed to have regained some of his senses, as he for the first time ever glared at Kyle.


    ¡°Hm, seems like that worked just fine.¡±


    His eyes contained a glimmer of consciousness that wasn¡¯t present before, which led Shildonia, the mastermind behind this strategy, to show a fiendish grin.


    ¡®Guh¡­A-A human¡­¡¯


    Ghrud uttered a few words. Light returned to his eyes, and expressions showed on his face. However, as one would expect, the emotions residing in either of these were pure anger. After all, the moment he woke up, he was greeted by a cheeky human attacking him. His breathing started to go out of rhythm, and from the openings of his fangs were flames sparking up here and there. It appeared as if he regained some of his consciousness, but that also awakened his true battle potential.


    ¡°Well¡­I expected as much.¡±


    Met with this raw anger and fury, Kyle subconsciously took a step backward. For Kyle, this was a first, as he never retreated when fighting an opponent, but Ghrud¡¯s pressure was most likely enough to render the average human unconscious.


    ¡°Seems like he¡¯s not fully back yet¡­but also too much for us to take it easy.¡±


    ¡°Not like we had any other choice.¡± Kyle agreed with Shildonia.


    ¡®You human¡­!!¡¯


    Ghrud looked towards the sky, roaring in fury. It was different from his previous roars, simply used to make his position known, and instead contained his full energy to the point it was almost alluring. Even Kyle felt all the hair on his body stand. Guessing that he must have regained his full consciousness from the light residing in Ghrud¡¯s eyes, Kyle screamed.


    ¡°Listen, Ghrud! We were sent from Zeurus to¡­¡±


    ¡®Silence!¡¯


    Ghrud was now reigned by anger instead of mind control, as he opened his mouth, using his flame breath to attack Kyle. Met with this almost beautiful flame that could melt all armor, Kyle accepted it directly, not attempting to evade it. Seeing Kyle, a human far weaker than him, engulfed in his own flames, Ghrud was certain that he had burned Kyle to a crisp. However, Kyle broke through this wall of flames, rushing below Ghrud¡¯s head right as he was in the middle of still spewing fire.


    Kyle jumped up instantaneously, swung his sword upward to slice at the dragon¡¯s jaw. Or rather, since he used the hilt of his sword again, it was more like he smacked his jaw. As a result of this, while spewing fire, Ghrud¡¯s mouth snapped closed.


    ¡®Gafu?!¡¯


    An explosion inside of his mouth occurred, smashing several of his fangs, as the flame breath leaked out of his nose. He seemingly also squashed his tongue between his fangs, as Ghrud howled in pain. That alone was an immense amount of damage, but Kyle did not get out of this unscathed. He wore dragon leather armor that had a high heat and flame resistance, but the dragon¡¯s flame ignored most of that resistance, so his whole body was riddled with burns. While Ghrud was recovering from the pain, Kyle took out an emergency healing medicine, but that only acted as first-aid treatment.


    ¡®Y-You bastard?!¡¯


    Ghrud was now in a fully enraged state, approaching Kyle, who also committed a mistake here. Kyle had assumed he had fully seen through Ghrud¡¯s movement, but the intelligence the dragon possessed surpassed his imagination. Ghrud swung his arm which had a wing growing from it, creating a gust of wind. Hit with this extreme impact, he reflexively tried to withstand it, but that ended in failure. The better choice would have been to get knocked away by the wind to keep distance between the two, but Kyle instead chose to stand strong, taking the wind head-on, which led to him averting his gaze from the opponent a mere second. That however was more than enough for the giant body in front of him to disappear.


    ¡°Above!¡±


    Shildonia gave Kyle a sharp warning, who immediately looked up, only to be met with the sole of Ghrud¡¯s large leg covering his entire view. He was planning on crushing Kyle with his entire body weight. There couldn¡¯t be any attack with more destructive power than this. Without a doubt, it¡¯d cause an impact great enough to make you feel an earthquake had occurred. Assuming that he had succeeded in this attack, Ghrud raised his giant leg, only to find nothing. Right as he looked around to search for Kyle¡ª


    ¡°Over here!!¡±


    A scream reached Ghrud¡¯s ear. Turning towards the direction he heard it from, he now took a direct hit to his cheek.


    ¡®Guha?!¡¯


    The opponent he was so certain of having crushed now rammed his sword into his face with no remorse. Kyle used all his might, both hands on the sword, to slam this attack into Ghrud, which had him fall over.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­been a while. This sensation¡­I didn¡¯t want to ever drink it again¡­but I still relied on it.¡± Kyle was breathing a lot more heavily than before.


    His eyes were colored deep red.


    ¡°Blood Eye¡­huh.¡± Shildonia knew about these symptoms and let out a saddened voice.


    Blood Eye raised one¡¯s physical abilities, making your eyes and ears sharper and more perceptive, but it also dulled your pain, which made it a very effective drug to use during combat. As a price to pay for that, it ruined your body, practically shortening your lifespan. When Kyle closed his eyes, he reflexively drank the bottle he had with him, and that decision turned out to be correct. Thanks to this, he managed to barely evade Ghrud¡¯s attack. He then followed up with another attack on Ghrud¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I had Minagi make a sample¡­although I really didn¡¯t want to use it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­force yourself.¡± Shildonia could warn Kyle but had no way of stopping him.


    She knew that this was the necessary evil in this situation but certainly wasn¡¯t happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, my final goal in life is to live in happiness until I die of old age,¡± Kyle uttered the dream of about every human alive.


    ¡®Damn you, human! Damn you, human! How dare you!¡¯


    Suffering three consecutive attacks to the head, the hypnosis seemingly had been undone fully, as Ghrud spoke coherent words. Kyle assumed that maybe now talking with him might just work, and screamed out loud.


    ¡°Listen to me! I was asked by Zeurus to bring you back! Irumera is worried about you as well!¡±


    ¡®Wha¡­why is a human like you¡­?!¡¯


    With the names of Zeurus and Irumera appearing as part of the conversation, Ghrud seemed even more flustered than after the three-hit consecutive onslaught.


    ¡®N-No! You won¡¯t deceive me again! You must be one of those guys from before!¡¯ Ghrud howled in anger, attacking Kyle again.


    ¡°What, so you were deceived after all? Smooth talk is too strong?¡±


    ¡®Silence!! I will no longer listen to some worthless human!¡¯


    Although he had lived for more than 500 years, he was still a child in the eyes of a grown dragon and did not know anything of the world outside. He probably didn¡¯t know about the danger of the Mera cult, and fell right into their trap, ending up being controlled.


    ¡°I understand how you feel! Having such a huge burden pushed onto you, you probably just wanted to leave the World Tree and experience true freedom, right?¡± Kyle¡¯s words sounded like he was talking down on Ghrud, agitating the dragon even further, as he repeated tail and claw attacks.


    ¡®Silence! Silence! Silence! I will not stand any sympathy from a mere human!¡¯


    Ghrud continued his attacks, with Kyle evading that while slowly moving backward.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re just some rotten brat, I see. Of course, Zeurus would have his own share of trouble with you¡­! Take his advice to heart for once!¡±


    ¡®Shut your mooouth!¡¯


    Ghrud was fully enraged now, not even listening to Kyle anymore. Luckily, because of the injuries on his mouth, he wasn¡¯t spewing any more fire. However, the consecutive physical attacks put Kyle into a defensive streak.


    ¡®Small fry!¡¯ At this, Ghrud was even more furious.


    Kyle saw this as a chance to counterattack, but luck was on Ghrud¡¯s side this once. While evading another attack, Kyle tumbled over one of the pieces of Ghrud¡¯s fangs that had been blown off during the previous explosion and fell over.


    ¡°Crap¡­?!¡±


    ¡®Eat this!!¡¯


    Ghrud didn¡¯t miss that and continued with another full-force attack. Kyle was unable to evade it in time and was hit by the full might of Ghrud¡¯s talon. Using his sword as a shield, he managed to avoid critical damage and was blown to the side. Even with a perfect block, the sheer might of a dragon¡¯s single attack was unstoppable, as he was flung away like a piece of trash, rolling along the ground two to three times, finally coming to a halt. The ground below him was drenched in blood, and Kyle stopped moving completely.


    In terms of human strength, Kyle was a magic swordsman of the highest level, but when dealing with a serious dragon, he was powerless. This was the absolute difference in strength between the two races.


    ¡°Kyle!¡± Shildonia screamed, but no response came.


    ¡®Foolish¡­imbecile!¡¯ Ghrud was gasping for air, glaring down at the human he had defeated.


    The satisfaction of having dealt with a small fry filled his body. And once he had calmed down, he started to grasp the situation he was in and looked around. He spotted a small girl that most likely was the ally of the human, but she seemed powerless, so he ignored her. Instead, he was reminded of the people who had deceived him, controlled him, and made him do their bidding. Thinking that they should still be nearby, he turned to his side¡ª


    ¡°Fell for it, huh?¡±


    Ghrud heard a voice from the side he previously had been attacked from. For the first time ever, Ghrud was filled with a certain emotion¡ªfear. He turned towards the voice and saw Kyle directly in front of his face. He was still tattered in wounds, blood dripping from every part of his body, and yet his blood-drenched face flashed an invincible smile.


    ¡®Wha¡­¡¯


    Ghrud couldn¡¯t even ask himself what just happened, as Kyle rammed the hilt of his sword right into Ghrud¡¯s middle forehead.


    ¡°Never let your guard down, kiddo!¡±


    Met with this impactful attack that made every part of his body quiver, Ghrud was unable to support his large body anymore, and his body sunk to the ground.


    ¡®Y-You bastard¡­you were¡­still¡­alive¡­?¡¯


    Ghrud now glared at Kyle once again, his eyes devoid of any compassion but for a different reason from when he was controlled. He was filled with an emotion a dragon like him had never experienced before. As his consciousness itself was shaken, Ghrud¡¯s view was moving up and down, left and right. His chest was filled with an urge to puke, adding this as another first-time experience. After those four severe attacks to his head, Ghrud¡¯s head was obscured. And as he cowered on the ground, Kyle stood next to him.


    ¡°Seems like it worked just fine¡­Sorry to knock you out right after you¡¯ve woken up, but take another nap, will you!¡± As if to finish Ghrud off, Kyle once again slammed the sword on his head.


    ¡®Ga¡­ha¡­¡¯


    All light vanished from Ghrud¡¯s eyes, as he finally lost consciousness. Kyle confirmed that Ghrud was still alive, and then relaxed his body. At the same time, cheers came from the city walls of Rinecol, but Kyle had no more strength to answer them.


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted¡­¡± Kyle was gasping for air like a fish on land, using his sword as a support to keep standing.


    He had broken bones all over, and his organs were screaming in pain. Rather than moving, simply keeping himself conscious was all he could do, to the point it was a miracle he was alive. Without the Blood Eye which dampened the pain, he probably would have passed out by now. Kyle tried to take out recovery magic medicine with his shaking hand, but he couldn¡¯t manage that, dropping it. Luckily, Shildonia managed to catch the bottle and helped Kyle drink it.


    ¡°You utter fool, what were you thinking.¡± Shildonia¡¯s expression was filled with anger, and yet she also looked close to breaking out in tears.


    ¡°I had no other choice¡­If I don¡¯t go overboard like that, there¡¯s no way I can beat a dragon.¡± He finally got to drink the magic medicine, showing Shildonia a weak smile.


    Because of his promise to Zeurus, he couldn¡¯t let Ghrud die. And since convincing him clearly didn¡¯t work either, Kyle¡¯s best bet was to make Ghrud pass out. First to undo the hypnosis, then to achieve this goal, he focused all his attacks on Ghrud¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t exactly a plan of action, but that was Kyle¡¯s best bet.


    Although he didn¡¯t use the sharp blade of his sword, all of his attacks had his whole weight and power behind them. Let alone a human, even a demon would have been wounded fatally by these, but he bet on the high vitality of a dragon, and continued to hammer them into Ghrud¡¯s head. Until the third attack, it worked just fine as surprise attacks, but after the continued onslaught, Ghrud clearly upped his caution. He only attacked Kyle with his claws or tail, not offering his head as a weak point.


    If Kyle took his time and went on the defense for an opening, his head would recover. That is why Kyle bet on this final surprise attack. He purposefully let himself be hit by this attack that may have very well killed him. If so, Ghrud surely would have dropped his caution, and shown an opening¡ªor so he planned. The only thing he had to be careful of was to actually survive, which luckily worked out.


    ¡°Even so, that was far too reckless¡­Letting your flesh be ruptured, your bones be broken by a dragon like this.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, as long as I¡¯m not dead, it¡¯s my victory.¡±


    ¡°It was flawless acting, indeed¡­You even deceived me.¡±


    ¡°Well, acting¡­I was one step away from death¡­or maybe half of a step? I myself am surprised I made it through that alive¡­Ah, keep that a secret from Lieze, alright? She¡¯ll just worry about me even more.¡±


    If she learned of that, she¡¯d first beat him up, and then bawl her eyes out for three hours to no end. Getting beat up was one thing, but he really didn¡¯t want to make her cry.


    ¡°Hm, if you want me to stay quiet, then I expect proper compensation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already sponging off me, what else do you want¡­¡±


    ¡°Be quiet. I was worried as well, you know.¡±


    The peaceful atmosphere that usually reigned between the two slowly returned. However, it didn¡¯t take long for a cheerful voice to crush all of that.


    ¡°Wonderfully done! What a sight for the eyes!¡±


    Rockfall clearly didn¡¯t understand the situation he was in, as he rushed towards Kyle with a bright smile on his face, receiving a harsh glare from him. There were a thousand things Kyle wanted to ask. Even if he was a follower of Mera, with a few torture and Minagi¡¯s skills, he should be able to squeeze something out of him. Judging so, Kyle was about to restrain Rockfall, when¡ª


    ¡°Still, not only defeating it, but also showing off a close fight, this will surely positively influence your¡­repu¡­tation¡­Huh?¡±


    Rockfall had been brimming with joy, when he suddenly caught on to something being wrong with his own body, looking down at himself.


    ¡°Since when has this been growing from me?¡± He asked, as he looked at the arm growing from his chest.


    This arm held Rockfall¡¯s heart, still beating, held in the arm. He was utterly baffled, simply staring down at his own arm.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s one problem¡­done.¡±


    Targ had teleported right behind Rockfall, crushing the heart in his hand. Rockfall collapsed to the ground like his strings had been cut, convulsed once, and then stopped moving.


    ¡°Phew, it appears I managed to save face at least a small bit.¡± He spoke like he finished a day¡¯s worth of work, when Kyle glared at him. ¡°Oh, is there any problem?¡±


    ¡°¡­Appearing at the very end, snatching somebody else¡¯s hard work, demons can be quite petty, huh?¡±


    This was all Kyle could say in his current state. He couldn¡¯t afford another battle right after his fight with Ghrud, but Targ evidently had no intentions of doing so either.


    ¡°No no no, you hadn¡¯t planned on killing this man in the first place, am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°Because there were things I wanted to ask him!¡±


    ¡°Well, that sadly would be of demerit for us¡­Plus, I am quite certain Zeurus-san would be quite displeased to hear you¡¯ve kept the one controlling Ghrud-san alive, no?¡±


    Realizing that what Targ said made sense, Kyle clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Not to mention that Zeurus-san is quite fair. As I have punished the evil human who controlled Ghrud-san, he will surely evaluate my action highly.¡±


    Just as he said, Rockfall pretty much turned into the enemy of all dragons in this one incident. The Mera cult has nothing to do with them, and when ignoring his procedure and handling, Targ most certainly acted for Ghrud¡¯s sake. Knowing Zeurus, he would see this as a shared effort by both Targ and Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°¡­You ran away from Seran after barely making it out alive, so I don¡¯t think you should be acting so arrogantly,¡± Kyle said, which made Targ show a dubious expression.


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t think I came here after killing that human?¡±


    As Targ was hiding his wound, Kyle should have had no way to see through his act.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way Seran would lose against you, and he also wouldn¡¯t let you go, so the fact that you¡¯re here¡­means you ran away.¡± Kyle now looked at Targ in confusion, which had Targ open his eyes wide.


    ¡°What unfathomable trust you possess¡­He was also certain that you would win against Ghrud-san, to my surprise¡­Indeed, this has been my absolute loss.¡±


    Targ had come here to confirm Ghrud¡¯s condition. If Kyle had lost, he would have killed the person controlling the dragon.


    ¡°Well, I do not aim for any more than this, and you seem quite exhausted¡­so, I have to return and report what has happened. If you would excuse me.¡± Targ said when Kyle called out to him.


    ¡°Wait! There¡¯s one thing I want to ask you! This person you plan to report this to¡­is it a demon who has black wings¡­and no horn?¡± Kyle only asked this on a whim but felt like he was close.


    ¡°Oh? Um¡­how does a human like you?¡± Targ was bewildered, letting Kyle know that he was on-point.


    Kyle remembered the Demon Lord he fought at the end of the Great Invasion during his previous life after a struggle to the death. This Demon Lord would come to power in two and a half years, bringing ruin to humanity. Kyle wanted to question Targ further, but he moved backward, signaling that he was done talking.


    ¡°My sincerest apologies, but I cannot answer that question. I am certain you will have your chance to find out¡­So, if you would excuse me.¡± Targ flashed a fishy smile as always and disappeared.


    ¡°Kyle¡­¡±


    Shildonia must have understood the severity of the situation, and showed a deadly serious face.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I finally have a lead. I need to meet him again.¡±


    As Targ was a demon, that surely would prove difficult, but it was Kyle¡¯s only hint at this time. If he could get more information out of him, he could stop the [Great Invasion] as a whole.


    ¡°¡­By the way, him being out cold is nice and all, but how do we get Ghrud back to the World Tree?¡±


    ¡°I actually didn¡¯t think about that myself.¡±


    The two looked at Ghrud who was still unconscious on the ground, crossing their arms. Since Kyle¡¯s victory over Ghrud had been seen from Rinecol, it wouldn¡¯t take long for people to come to look at the dragon. Realizing that he was just unconscious, they would most likely attempt to finish him off.


    ¡°Can¡¯t help it, we will have to call Irumera over.¡± Shildonia commented.


    ¡°I thought she wasn¡¯t allowed to meet him?¡±


    ¡°I mean, Ghrud is unconscious now, so¡­it should be fine? Irumera is pretty innocent and easy to deceive after all¡­That should work.¡±


    ¡°¡­I bet Ghrud was deceived in the exact same way¡­¡± Kyle sighed.


    In the end, Irumera went with no comment, and they succeeded in safely bringing back Ghrud to the World Tree.

 Volume 4 - CH 20

    ¡°Um¡­Ah, found her.¡± Lieze walked around in front of the World Tree, spotting Yuriga with a cheerful tone.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Yuriga clearly saw Lieze as a bother as always.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you off. You¡¯re going back to the demon territory, right?¡± Lieze smiled like it was obvious.


    After everything was said and done, Kyle and the group returned to the World Tree. Irumera helped transport Ghrud back, and Kyle¡¯s group took care of the rest, so she didn¡¯t technically break the law. As Yuriga finished her duty, she most likely would now return to the demon territory and report the events here to the Demon Lord. Knowing Yuriga, she wouldn¡¯t even say her goodbyes and just leave immediately, or so Lieze thought. However, a final report to Zeurus was also due, which is why Lieze asked Irumera to contact her if Yuriga came over.


    ¡°I mean, we may have moved independently, but we were working together, so I want to at least properly say goodbye. Kyle clearly didn¡¯t like the idea of that, though.¡±


    ¡°Of course he wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Yuriga sighed, seeing that Lieze still didn¡¯t understand anything. ¡°Just as you said, I don¡¯t particularly feel anything towards humanfolk. And, the Demon Lord-sama does not wish to fight you¡­However, that is only the current situation, and we may end up in total war starting tomorrow. Once that happens, I will kill you without hesitation. That¡¯s what it means to fight a demon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be best if we both didn¡¯t get involved too much¡­for our both¡¯s sakes.¡±


    This couldn¡¯t be any greater rejection. Lieze was about to open her mouth, but no words came out. As the two went silent, a blessing in disguise appeared.


    ¡°Huh? You going home?¡± Seran showed his face.


    ¡°You¡­how is your left arm doing?¡±


    ¡°Just fine, aye. Managed to attach it as if nothing happened.¡± Seran showed the part with the scar on his left arm.


    It was so faint you would barely realize if you didn¡¯t look for it, but he could perfectly move his arm and every one of his fingers.


    ¡°The magic medicine really worked wonders¡­So, you don¡¯t have to worry about cutting it off or anything.¡±


    ¡°I was never worried in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­By the way, why are you two looking so awkward right now?¡±


    He must have felt the weird mood between the two girls, or just subconsciously even, as Seran asked them with a nonchalant voice.


    ¡°Keep it simple, ladies. When you¡¯re saying goodbye, a simple ¡®See you again~¡¯ is more than enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just not thinking about it enough¡­¡± Lieze complained but nodded. ¡°Then¡­see you again, Yuriga. Take care, okay?¡± Lieze said with a smile.


    ¡°¡­We might have to fight the next time we run into each other, you know?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll think about it then. Of course, I¡¯m not going to hold back at all, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Seran grinned with the simplest words as always, once again forcing Yuriga to sigh.


    However, this time it was more a relaxed one instead of simple exhaustion.


    ¡°If I was as simple-minded as you, I bet life would be a lot more enjoyable¡­and, I doubt we will even run into each other again.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the exact same thing before¡­?¡± Lieze tilted her head.


    ¡°This time for sure! Normally, it would be unthinkable for humans to regularly meet a demon¡­Really, dampens my mood.¡± Yuriga turned her back towards the two and started walking, only to turn towards Lieze one last time. ¡°Your cooking¡­wasn¡¯t bad, Lieze.¡± She said, smiling for the first time, and walked away.


    ¡°You seem oddly happy, you know.¡± Seran commented on Lieze¡¯s grinning face, as she watched Yuriga walk off into the distance.


    ¡°I mean, she said ¡®wasn¡¯t bad¡¯, right? And she even called me by my name, while she smiled¡­This is big progress, don¡¯t you think.¡± Lieze smiled happily, making Seran remember something.


    ¡°Oh yeah, there was a time when you were desperately trying to have a stray cat like you¡­Like, you¡¯d get excited the more caution the other party showed.¡± He still remembered Lieze¡¯s smile back then.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t treat Yuriga like some cat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something like that¡­Right now, you¡¯re smiling like back when you hugged that cat.¡±


    ¡°W-What¡¯s your problem? A long time ago, you and Kyle both¡ª¡±


    The two threw complaints at each other, reminiscing about the past.


    ¡°How is Ghrud looking?¡± Shildonia asked.


    Zeus, Shildonia, and Kyle were discussing this incident in the special room of the World Tree.


    ¡°No problems. His consciousness has returned fully. However, he was in a very bad mood. He said he would definitely make that human pay, and all that¡­¡± Remembering Ghrud¡¯s previous attitude, Zeurus sighed.


    ¡°Maybe in a hundred years, if possible¡­¡± Kyle said, still exhausted.


    The injuries he had suffered from his battle with Ghrud brought him to the brink of death. After drinking a lot of recovery magic medicine, he managed to heal up, but he didn¡¯t want to go through the same thing ever again.


    ¡°From now on, we will keep him confined here, and give him an adequate punishment,¡± Zeurus said with a heavy tone, and yet Shildonia felt a glimmer of happiness deep inside of them.


    Even if Ghrud caused a bit of a mess for him and the entire clan of dragons, as he was his grandson, Zeurus must still be happy about his return.


    ¡°Well, that just shows how much energy he has got himself. What¡¯s left is¡­to not repeat the same mistake again, alright?¡± Shildonia warned Zeurus.


    ¡°I am well aware¡­Now, Kyle, I¡¯ve been in your care, and I want to repay you. Is there anything you desire?¡±


    ¡°Then, when the Great Invasion happens in two and a half years, I want you to side with humanfolk.¡±


    ¡°¡­That I cannot do, it crosses my authority.¡± Zeurus rejected Kyle¡¯s greatest wish.


    ¡°Authority¡­you are the [Dragon King], what are you saying?¡± Shildonia complained.


    ¡°I told you before, but I merely am the oldest one alive, acting as a representative. I cannot force everyone to follow my decision.¡±


    ¡°Stubborn bastard¡­¡± Shildonia cursed.


    Surely, he could force them, but he didn¡¯t want to. This fact made Shildonia even more annoyed.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s nothing else I could wish for¡­¡± Kyle was thinking of just letting this one go, but Zeurus continued.


    ¡°Instead of Ghrud, I want to repay the favor as myself. I can offer you my skin that I last shed five hundred years ago. It is worlds apart from the lower-grade dragon leather you are wearing.¡±


    Shildonia let out an excited ¡®Ohh¡¯ voice.


    ¡°Your skin, huh¡­Just like the fang part of my sword, it¡¯s top-class material.¡±


    ¡°So if we could turn that into armor¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it would raise your defensive value drastically.¡±


    When it came to the equipment you could pay for, this dragon leather armor Kyle used was at the top of the market, but Zeurus skin was material never found before. Using it to create defensive tools would most likely result in armor unprecedented on this entire continent. To Kyle, who almost died because of Ghrud, naturally was more than interested in this.


    ¡°The problem is how we can even process such material. Back in Zaales, we would have been fine, but¡­is there even anybody who can make worthwhile use of such a material?¡± Shildonia showed a complicated expression.


    Kyle realized what she talked about, and instantly lost all his excitement as well.


    ¡°Well, whatever you do with it is up to you¡­Finally, we will not cooperate with the demons, that is what I promise in my life.¡± Zeurus declared with no shred of hesitation in his voice.


    That meant Kyle had accomplished the main goal of coming here.


    ¡°Then we have to get back to Erina and the others. Can¡¯t have them wait forever.¡±


    As they had to get Ghrud back to the forest first, the dark elves were waiting in worry. With that in mind, Kyle left the room, and Shildonia was about to follow him when she turned around to ask Zeurus one last question.


    ¡°Why did you have humanfolk, demons, and dragons work together?¡±


    Zeurus crossed his arms, showing a complicated expression.


    ¡°¡­What I want in this world is harmony. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help but dream a bit. Cooperation of demons and humanfolk, with dragons a part of that.¡± Zeurus showed a distant gaze, like he was looking at a place far away, and then up at the ceiling.


    ¡°A pipe dream, indeed. You, who has seen a war between humanfolk and demons, is saying that?¡±


    Having stood at the peak of human folk, fighting the demons, Shildonia knew better than any other how difficult to achieve this would be.


    ¡°With the current Demon Lord, it may be possible, acting as the trigger¡­No, it¡¯s just me dwelling in past emotions, just forget about it.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in high spirits? Is the current Demon Lord that great of an existence?¡±


    ¡°Enough to make me dream.¡±


    Hearing Zeurus speak this highly of the Demon Lord, Shildonia couldn¡¯t help but be curious herself.


    ¡°I see¡­I¡¯d love to meet them myself.¡± Shildonia showed a distant gaze herself.


    Having Irumera send them off to the village of the dark elves, they grouped up with Erina. She must have been worried to death, because Erina leaped at Kyle with tears in her eyes, but clapped her hands together in joy when she heard that everything had been resolved. Hearing that the poachers and threat of the dragon were caused by the Mera cult, now all taken care of, the dark elves were relieved as well.


    ¡°¡­And yet, nobody¡¯s coming to see us off.¡± Seran said, half-complaining.


    Even as Kyle¡¯s group was about to depart, only Paserane and Roas came to see them off. Most of the dark elves were merely watching from a distance. With Irumera behind them, they probably wished for the group to leave immediately before they would cause a calamity themselves.


    ¡°Paserane-san, thank you very much for everything.¡± Erina deeply lowered her head.


    ¡°No, there is no need to thank me. In fact, you were the ones who saved my life¡­Hey, Erina, do you really have no intention of coming home? After this incident, they surely won¡¯t chase you out again. And if I put in a good word for you¡­¡± Paserane sounded almost desperate, but Erina simply shook her head.


    ¡°My mother is still in Rinecol, see.¡±


    Erina¡¯s mother, Luctera, is a human. There was no reason for Luctera to return to the village, even more so since she was still sick.


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­the fact that this is my hometown won¡¯t change, and I will never forget it either.¡± Erina smiled happily, pulling Paserane along with one of hers, as she looked at Kyle.


    ¡°Kyle, was it? I¡¯m leaving Erina to you.¡±


    Paserane seemed oddly passionate about that. In fact, when Kyle would look at Erina, her face turned a bit red, and Paserane didn¡¯t miss that. Even if he happened to save her in such a dire time, Paserane fully understood the meaning of that. Basically, she was saying that she would not forgive Kyle if he dared to make her cry.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    However, Kyle had no idea about this and simply responded with the intention of caring for Erina¡¯s sick mother Luctera.


    ¡°This is a promise.¡± Paserane pushed it once more.


    After their final farewell was done, Kyle¡¯s group got on Irumera¡¯s back, and departed.


    ¡°Let us meet again, my maidens.¡± Roas sent off Lieze and the other girls with a loud and teary voice. ¡°And there they go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Paserane answered with no strength in her voice.


    ¡°¡­Why did you ask Erina to come back to the village? You were the one who initially pushed the decision of chasing her away.¡±


    Paserane¡¯s expression showed clear shock at Roas¡¯ words.


    ¡°So¡­you knew. When Erina is around¡­I just can¡¯t stop hating myself.¡±


    The reason Paserane treated Erina kindly was that she was the child of the person she once admired, calculated to earn extra points with him. And when her father passed away, the reason she told Erina to leave the village wasn¡¯t out of goodwill because it might be too much, but rather because she would keep living in self-loathing every time she saw Erina. However, after they had run into each other, and when she saw how thankful Erina was, this feeling of guilt only became stronger.


    ¡°Then, why did you tell her to come back?¡±


    ¡°Because this time¡­I wanted to become something like her older sister. Without any ulterior motive¡­well, it was also for my own sake. I expected that it would make me feel a bit easier¡­You must be disappointed with me, right?¡±


    However, Roas simply showed a perturbed expression.


    ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m sure Erina must have realized this to some degree. Even so, she cared for you like this¡­there¡¯s no need to be feeling indebted.¡±


    Paserane was surprised at Roas¡¯ words once more, glancing over at the direction Kyle¡¯s group had left towards.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet her again¡­and then talk about everything. With my honest feelings.¡±


    ¡°¡­A troubled maiden in love is quite the charming sight.¡± Roas nodded.


    ¡®I have returned.¡¯


    Having taken Kyle¡¯s group to Rinecol, Irumera returned to the [Dragon Nest] and reported to Zeurus, who was back in his dragon shape.


    ¡®Good work¡­And, how did it feel to work together with humanfolk and demons?¡¯ Zeurus question was filled with a faint bit of anticipation.


    He valued Irumera quite highly, and when Ghrud would eventually become the leader of the dragons here, he wanted her to be an aid to him. However, because Irumera was far too diligent for her own sake, sometimes unable to adapt to the situation. And, although this wasn¡¯t solely limited to her, she had the tendency of looking down on humans. For Zeurus, who had been in direct contact with the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales and Magic King Shildonia, he had greater respect for humanfolk. In order to make Irumera understand this, he gave her the duty as the observer in this incident.


    ¡®I only got to spend a short time with them, but¡­in the end, they are still barbaric and foolish.¡¯


    Irumera most likely was pointing towards the Mera followers.


    ¡®I see¡­¡¯ Zeurus showed a disappointed nod.


    ¡®However¡­just as you said, I learned something from them as well.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, and what is that?¡¯ Zeurus pushed his body forward, expecting something.


    ¡®There are many different ways to perceive law and resolutions.¡¯


    ¡®That way of learning, is it?¡¯ Zeurus was a bit worried.


    ¡®That human¡­when I helped carry Ghrud here, he told me. ¡°Dragons don¡¯t exist for the law, but the law exists for dragons. You shouldn¡¯t experience misfortune because of some law!¡±¡­It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to admit it, but I was quite shocked to hear that. I didn¡¯t expect humans to feel this way.¡¯


    ¡®That most definitely isn¡¯t wrong. That fact in itself is absolutely correct, but¡­¡¯


    Zeurus was unsure if this change in Irumera was for the better or not. He knew that blindly following the law was most likely not the best course of action, but looking for ways to evade it might not be too great either. On a side note, Kyle¡¯s words actually weren¡¯t his own, but he got them from a heroic tale and changed them up a bit. Lieze and the others, who knew about that, showed somewhat bitter smiles, but that apparently worked wonders for Irumera, after they had helped in saving Ghrud.


    ¡®I decided to give this some more thought.¡¯


    ¡®R-Right¡­Well, that should be fine.¡¯


    Zeurus still didn¡¯t know if this was a positive change or not, but at the very least¡ªsomething changed.


    ¡°It feels like I was just dancing on someone else¡¯s palm.¡±


    A few days had passed after the battle with Ghrud. Kyle was resting in an inn room at Rinecol, grumbling to himself. Only Minagi and Kyle were present in that room. Lieze and the others were out shopping and spending their break, whereas Erina was taking care of her mother. Kyle stayed in his room to exchange information with Minagi, but even if he wanted to leave, he couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a bad mood today, Dragon Killer?¡±


    ¡°Stop with that name¡­I really don¡¯t want to hear that right now.¡± Teased by Minagi, Kyle complained once more.


    ¡°Why is that? Receiving the title of [Dragon Slayer] is the greatest kind of fame as a warrior, no? They¡¯ll pass down this story for generations.¡±


    It¡¯s just as Minagi stated. The last dragon-slaying had happened several hundreds of years ago, with heroic tales being left behind even to this time, so surely Kyle would receive the same treatment.


    ¡°¡­How¡¯s the town looking?¡± Kyle asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy, full of rumors about you. If you set even one foot outside, they¡¯d probably storm you.¡± Minagi was clearly enjoying this.


    Even the evaluation towards Kyle amongst the adventurers changed drastically. As adventurers worked on the creed of absolute strength, since Kyle bested a dragon in a one-on-one, they had to accept his skill. According to Minagi¡¯s report, Getsuga was even willing to treat Kyle to a drink for having saved him. They assumed that the second dragon who had arrived recovered the remains of the one Kyle defeated. Thankfully things were slowly starting to calm down.


    ¡°Putting all of them together, many of the rumors were fairly positive¡­so I¡¯d say things are going great. There¡¯s even the talk of another dragon having arrived to thank you for subjugating one of their own who had gone rogue.¡±


    ¡°Does that¡­¡±


    Minagi¡¯s expression turned serious for once.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s clearly intentional¡­Most likely set up by the Mera cult. When it comes to spreading your honor, they¡¯re working in the shadows.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t accept that? I thought this was exactly what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not entirely wrong, but¡­¡±


    To Kyle, becoming a hero wasn¡¯t a goal, but a means. He wanted to become a hero no matter the method he had to rely on, but the real deal starts after achieving that.


    ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t expect the Mera followers to be working in the shadows even in a place like this¡­¡±


    Minagi showed a somewhat troubled expression.


    ¡°¡­Honestly, that just shows me being inexperienced and careless, and that they¡¯re one step ahead of us.¡± She bit her lip.


    After coming to the country of Eddos, Minagi had begun to look into the Mera cult, but she could barely grasp any leads. And yet, there were supposedly hundreds of cult followers present in this single down. Luckily she found them gathered at one point, but it could have ended up a battlefield with casualties if luck wasn¡¯t on her side. She made it sound casual, but deep down, that actually hurt her quite a bit. Especially her pride.


    ¡°This failure was¡­¡±


    ¡°I believe in your skill, Minagi. If you really feel responsible, then you just have to make up for it from now on, right?¡± Kyle said, not letting her complain any further than that.


    ¡°¡­Got it.¡±


    Met with this profound goodwill, Minagi swore to never fail again and relied on his kind words this once.


    ¡°Not to mention that you still helped us a lot this time around. If not for you, Lieze and Urza might have been in deep trouble.¡±


    Ever since that incident, the two had been a lot more friendly and amicable towards Minagi. Having their lives saved by her, fighting side by side was a great boost for their relationship.


    ¡°Yeah, also about the case you asked me¡­it¡¯s exactly as you expected. That Luctera person was given poison, which made it look like a sickness.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    That was the one assumption Kyle didn¡¯t want to be spot-on. As far as he knew, in his previous life, Luctera had never been plagued by a sickness that involved life or death, so he had Minagi look into that.


    ¡°They are both living in a row house, and their neighbor was from the Mera cult, and the doctor also under the patronage of the cult.¡±


    ¡°And, this cult follower¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no need to worry about them anymore. I confirmed what kind of poison it is, so I¡¯ll be making sure she recovers.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡± Kyle sighed from the bottom of his heart. ¡°¡­So, what do you think the reason for that was?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­she probably got on their bad side after marrying a dark elf, and giving birth to a child¡­but, I don¡¯t see the reason for making it look like a sickness.¡± Minagi was thinking.


    Kyle joined her, but came up with one possibility. If Luctera were to suffer from a sickness, Erina would run around trying to earn money. At that time, if a request with a big reward were to appear, she would immediately jump onto that.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    This dragon subjugation incident which had been plotted by the Mera cult from start to finish needed Erina¡¯s participation. Without her, Kyle¡¯s group would not have made it to the World Tree. Or it would have at least taken a lot longer, and they wouldn¡¯t have been able to negotiate with Paserane and the dark elves. But if this was their goal, it was far too roundabout. They managed to make the two parties work together in a natural way, and Erina didn¡¯t assume she was being controlled. It was the same with Ghrud. Nobody would have been able to guess this chain of events, and yet Rockfall said that it happened exactly as this Holiness person had predicted.


    Is it just a mere coincidence? It worked out for them, but the need for luck is too big¡­Or maybe it was¡­


    ¡°I feel like it would all make sense if this Holiness person knew what would happen beforehand.¡±


    Minagi seemingly had the same doubt as Kyle, voicing it out loud.


    ¡°Yeah¡­you¡¯re right.¡±


    Normally, Kyle would scoff at this possibility, but after everything he went through, he could not laugh in the slightest.


    ¡°Also, the Unicorn horns were already transported outside the country.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Kyle would have wished to recover these as well, and return them to the dark elves.


    ¡°As for anything else, it seems like the entire Mera cult changed its course of action roughly half a year ago. Up to that point, they were scaling down, and yet now they¡¯ve suddenly started to become a lot more active.¡±


    ¡°Any reason you can come up with?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­Their Holiness may have been replaced by somebody else? They say that their orders come from that person after all.¡±


    ¡°So it really is that Holiness after all¡­I guess I have to meet them at one point.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be dangerous, you know?¡± Minagi sounded worried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but they seem oddly fixated with me. I¡¯ll bet on that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve taken quite the liking to you¡­Did you do something to that Holiness person?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know¡­seriously.¡± Kyle sighed.


    ¡°And, how do you even plan on meeting them?¡±


    ¡°That¡­is something I¡¯ll come up with soon enough. Looking at how things went, they¡¯ll reach out to me again anyway.¡±


    Kyle realized that they were an individual he at some point would have to meet either way. And, another point of interest was that demon Targ. If Yuriga¡¯s words could be believed, then it was a demon not even the current Demon Lord was aware of. Most important of all is that this could be related to the new Demon Lord who initiated the [Great Invasion]. There was a good chance that, by striking down that demon, the entire invasion could be avoided. But, staying here in the human territory forever won¡¯t get them any new information.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to head there at some point¡­to the demon territory.¡±


    ¡°¡­No idea what¡¯s plaguing you this much, but aren¡¯t you forcing yourself?¡± Minagi doubted his sanity after hearing that comment. ¡°¡­Say, Kyle, what are you aiming for with all of this?¡± Minagi asked with a serious tone.


    His goal wasn¡¯t to become a hero, that was merely a step on the way, and she knew that. However, Kyle¡¯s actions and intentions were far too unclear for her. That¡¯s why she wanted to hear from Kyle what his final goal was. Kyle thought about it for a moment and then answered with a serious expression himself.


    ¡°¡­Live a happy life and die of old age?¡±


    Minagi didn¡¯t hesitate a second to ram her fist on Kyle¡¯s head.

 Volume 5 - CH 1

    ¡ªRiver Chigtes.


    It was a large river wide enough you would mistake it for the ocean at first glance. It was known as the world¡¯s longest river, reaching from the west of the humanfolk territory on the Continent Loindars all the way to the east. The width was large enough that you can¡¯t even see the other riverbank. One certain ship was now going down the river, with Kyle¡¯s group being passengers of this.


    The passenger ship was slowly but surely drifting down this river, and without it massing such a width, a large ship like this wouldn¡¯t even be able to fit on it, transporting the current 500 passengers. Up on the deck, other people besides Kyle¡¯s group were present as well. In order to have the ship go upstream, you could have the sail be hit with wind, or have domestic animals pull it along from the riverbanks, but this ship, in particular, is being pulled by trained monsters of the river.


    The bow of the boat had chains connected to it, leading into the water, and if you looked down, you could see giant turtles swimming beneath the water, pulling it. As if they were closing in on the river, statues imitating the ancient legends were seen on the cliff wall. These are supposedly the remains of a genius dwarf sculptor, who created these all on his own through his entire life several centuries ago, still used as a tourist spot, which is why many people stepped out onto the deck.


    ¡°So these are the famous carvings of Geora¡­Wonderful work. You wouldn¡¯t expect that they had been made by dwarven hand.¡±


    Seeing the job of a dwarf, the elf Urza albeit unwillingly had to praise the magnificent work in front of her.


    ¡°It truly is a piece of art¡­Oh, what is that?¡±


    Shildonia looked past starboard, pointing at a group of waterfowls, colored in lively colours such as red and yellow. Many of them were buried below the water surface to the point you couldn¡¯t count all of them.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a block of Gayos. We¡¯ve been appreciating these famous waterfowls since the age of Zaales.¡± Shildonia said it like this, but as this was her first time seeing them, she couldn¡¯t hide her excitement.


    She might look young and innocent on the outside, but she is actually an almost exact copy of history¡¯s greatest and most respected wizard, the [Magic King].


    ¡°Though, we definitely didn¡¯t have as many back then. I guess they¡¯ve reproduced quite a¡­Ohhh!¡±


    Right as Shildonia was in the middle of admiring the Gayo flock, a swarm of giant fish appeared from inside the water, which startled the Gayo birds and had them fly away. They possessed a magical appearance filling all of your view with their beauty, completely entrancing all the people on the dock, including Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°Woah, amazing¡­¡±


    Lieze¡¯s eyes opened wide, putting both her palms together in front of her mouth, as she let out a voice of admiration.


    ¡°¡­But, that bird has too much muscle, it¡¯s not suitable as food, and the fish reeks a lot, it doesn¡¯t even seem edible.¡±


    However, immediately after being excited, she then sounded disappointed. She clearly saw these beautiful animals as nothing more than possible ingredients.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel about these impressions, really,¡± Kyle commented, but he knew Lieze so he wasn¡¯t too shocked.


    ¡°What, such a shame. Those fish looked great.¡±


    ¡°I mean, depending on the cooking strategy, it might work out. For example, if you get rid of the stench with cow milk¡­¡±


    ¡°Oho?¡±


    Shildonia seemed dejected at first, hearing that she wouldn¡¯t be able to eat those animals, but her eyes soon lit up in excitement at hearing Lieze¡¯s words. Once again, Kyle was filled with a newfound respect for his childhood friend.


    ¡°This really is a huge river, alright¡­can¡¯t even compare to the small one back at Rimarze.¡± Seran was resting his chin on his palm at the fence of the deck, remembering the small river back at their hometown.


    As the name of their hometown appeared from Seran¡¯s mouth, Lieze seemingly remembered something and spoke to Kyle.


    ¡°That reminds me, Kyle, when are we going back to Rimarze? Going back once should be fine¡­and I¡¯m sure they¡¯d give us a warm welcome.¡±


    It¡¯s been three months since Kyle earned the title of [Dragon Slayer] in the country of Eddos, and this greatly changed the world¡¯s evaluation of him. As it had been centuries since the greatest title of honor [Dragon Slayer] was given to someone, which is why this rumor spread like a wildfire, more and more people knew of Kyle¡¯s name.


    In order to be influential amongst the important people of the humanfolk during the impending ¡®Great Invasion¡¯, Kyle had begun to work on his fame and reputation across the continent. As he had made great success in that, evidently, Lieze now offered the idea of temporarily returning to their hometown.


    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s still too early. There¡¯s something we have to do.¡± Kyle thought about it for a moment but eventually shook his head. ¡°And if things went bad, we¡¯d be restrained for too long.¡±


    Rimarze is your average village with nothing really worth mentioning. If the now-famous Kyle returned, it would turn into chaos on the level of a festival. That would stop them from travelling for a short while.


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense¡­Rezel-sama would definitely use that to develop the village. Maybe even make a statue out of you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she already doing that? That lady would probably advertise the village like the one that gave birth to the [Dragon Slayer].¡±


    Lieze and Seran both remembered the elderly lady of their hometown who was neither kind nor forgiving. Kyle also imagined the current state of his hometown and shuddered.


    ¡°Guess we shouldn¡¯t go back for a while¡­I mean, you don¡¯t have to mind me, you can just go back yourselves.¡±


    ¡°What good would it do for us both to go home alone?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of going back either¡­Well, I¡¯m sure you have other reasons for not going home.¡± Seran grinned with a fiendish look in his eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Lieze asked, and Seran whispered to her¡ªin a way that Kyle could clearly hear it¡ªabout what he meant.


    ¡°Remember the thing with Seraia-san? He probably feels too awkward to go home now.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Lieze seemed satisfied at that conclusion, whereas Kyle flashed a disheartened expression as soon as his mother Seraia¡¯s name came up.


    During their travels, according to what Seran¡¯s foster mother and their teacher Layla said, Seraia was currently pregnant, expecting the child quite soon.


    ¡°Personally, I¡¯d love to meet the child, though¡­¡±


    Lieze loved children very much. She would probably treat that child as a younger brother or sister. However, the man in the centre, Kyle, clearly didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    ¡°¡­All of that is totally fine. I¡¯m just worried that things will get noisy if we go back now.¡±


    If the child¡¯s birth would happen soon, Kyle¡¯s group returning would only complicate things. Or so Kyle reasoned, but Lieze once again sighed. It¡¯s not as if Kyle and his mother were on particularly bad terms, but he always had a certain disposition of not being honest when it came to her, especially so during his teenage years.


    Ever since he heard the story of Seraia¡¯s pregnancy, it was like his attitude from back then had returned. It wasn¡¯t a problem of being happy or not, but it was a complicated situation to take in.


    ¡°You really are childish¡­¡± Lieze complained, throwing Kyle a sharp gaze.


    ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Kyle lost his words being on the receiving end of that.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been like this, Kyle. I get that Seraia-san is deficient when it comes to housework and such, and the way she¡¯s completely useless for anything related to livelihood, she¡¯s a failure as a housewife.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sugar coat your words at all, huh¡­¡± Seran threw in a retort, but he also couldn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°But, she still loves you a lot, Kyle. Yet you can¡¯t even be honest with her¡­¡±


    ¡°Blah, blah, I can¡¯t hear you~¡± Kyle seemingly got tired of all this teasing he received, covering his ears with his hands.


    He often used this skill of acting deaf ears whenever Lieze had him cornered.


    ¡°Hey! Listen to m¡ª¡±


    ¡°What are you causing such a ruckus for? I thought you didn¡¯t want to stand out?¡± Urza warned them with a perturbed expression, to which Lieze quickly covered her mouth, and Kyle looked around them as well.


    Luckily, the other passengers were too busy admiring the scenery, which allowed the two to sigh in relief.


    So far, Kyle had tried his best to stand out as much as possible, but his fame and reputation had already spread far and wide, to the point it was out of control. Now that he had reached this point, he had to make sure to always act righteous, and not gather any negative attention. As he never knew when somebody could be watching them, he had to be careful of his words and actions so that it wouldn¡¯t ruin his image as a hero. In fact, immediately after boarding this ship, rumors started by the other passengers had been going around, all related to him. He had known about this already, and he was the one who wished for this, but it would surely be a harsh path ahead of him.


    ¡°Cough¡­Anyway, we¡¯re almost at our destination, so let¡¯s finish our business here first.¡± Kyle cleared his throat, completely ignoring the previous conversation.


    ¡°I can see it from here. It must be that.¡± Shildonia pointed ahead, spotting the final stop of this passenger ship¡ªCity Bayone.


    Bayone was located on what you would call the sandbank of River Chigtes, acting as a tourist city and a merchant city. The surroundings of the city were filled with passenger ships, cargo ships, and more of the sort, allowing you to understand instantaneously that this was a city bringing people together. Naturally, Kyle¡¯s group didn¡¯t come here as simple passengers. The sightseeing just now was merely an act, as they rode on the boat for an entirely different reason.


    Now that Kyle¡¯s name and reputation had spread, he wanted to move on to the next stage. Namely, to meet the most influential people of humanfolk, and build connections with them. And the first individual on that list was located here in Bayone.


    As their ship arrived at the port, everybody agreed to Shildonia¡¯s ¡®food comes first¡¯ proposal, which is why they headed for a tourist and high-class restaurant. Bayone is a city filled with canals, making it famous for offering tours on small boats. The restaurant Kyle and his friends visited faced one of the city¡¯s main canals.


    ¡°The view is nice.¡± Lieze leaned her body on the railing, admiring the scenery.


    Kyle¡¯s group was sitting on the third floor of the restaurant, made up of a balcony, with the various water canals and tourists on the small boats.


    ¡°Hmm, quite the luxury indeed.¡±


    They sat at a large table that could easily fit ten people, as Shildonia quietly looked at the food she ordered covering the entirety of said table. As the city was located on the sandbank of the large river, they mostly focused on seafood and fish, but as it was also a trading city, they had exotic foods all the same.


    ¡°What is this¡­? Fish? Raw?¡±


    One of them was cut white fish, which had Seran narrow one eye.


    ¡°I think it was called¡­sashimi? You add a special sauce to raw fish. It¡¯s a specialty from an island state to the east.¡± Kyle explained.


    ¡°Raw fish?¡±


    Seran wasn¡¯t used to eating raw dishes, having a baffled expression on his face.


    ¡°They have a lot of weird food over there. Like beans on rice.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m never going there in my life.¡± Seran suffered from a culture shock because of the difference in food when Lieze seemingly remembered something.


    ¡°Oh yeah, talking about the east, what is Minagi doing?¡±


    Minagi came from the said country to the east. She technically is an ally, but she was always acting separately, so she would only show up in front of them when absolutely necessary.


    ¡°Same as always, she¡¯s got her own mission.¡±


    Minagi came to this city ahead of time, gathering information. She would most likely reach out to Kyle soon enough.


    ¡°I see¡­Sometimes I wouldn¡¯t mind eating together with her, though.¡± Lieze voiced her regret.


    ¡°I told you. When she¡¯s seen with us, it makes moving harder for her.¡±


    Minagi¡¯s role was to act in the shadows, so not being perceived as Kyle¡¯s ally was beneficial for her, and she couldn¡¯t be around when he already gathered this much attention.


    ¡°I get why, but¡­The more people, the better the food tastes.¡± Lieze pouted.


    At first, Lieze wasn¡¯t too sure how to interact with a professional assassin who worked in the shadows, but by learning more about her, and especially through their battles together, she became a lot more assertive. At this point in time, Minagi was the one bewildered.


    ¡°Mom, mnom mnom mnom mom nom.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full, okay¡­¡±


    Shildonia had stuffed her mouth with meat, wrapped up in herbs, offering just the right amount of spices, making her look like a squirrel with how much her cheeks were filled. Kyle however couldn¡¯t decipher any word she had said. After their noisy dinner temporarily calmed down, they received the diverse arrangement of cakes they ordered, which made the eyes of the girls¡¯ group light up.


    ¡°Hm, this abundant sweetness is different from your normal fruity one.¡±


    As a hole had built up in the cake with fresh cream, Shildonia showed a nod paired with a satisfied sigh.


    ¡°Personally, I like the natural sweetness of fruits, but this is pretty delicious as well¡­Ah, they¡¯re using koku fruit for the smell. That¡¯ll be a great reference.¡± Lieze closely inspected and judged the fruit cake she was enjoying.


    ¡°Both are great¡­¡±


    Usually, Urza was the sweet-taste enjoyer, so when she carried a piece of the chocolate cake to her mouth, her face and mouth distorted in pleasure and ecstasy. As the girls were thoroughly enjoying the cakes, the boys were busy talking about something else, neither being sweets lovers.


    ¡°So after that¡­we¡¯ll meet this Klauwhatsit guy?¡±


    ¡°Klaus Marnico. He¡¯s basically a celebrity.¡± Kyle doubted Seran¡¯s common sense, who showed absolutely no interest in a famous person like Klaus.


    Klaus Marnico originally had been nothing but a sailor originating from this city, but the business he built managed to reach a global standard in a single decade. His success story made him even more famous, acting as the hero of traders and businessmen. His name was even more well-known than your average ruler. The main office of this Marnico Business Group is actually located in Bayone, and they were basically the rulers of this city.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s someone mighty important, yeah? Can you even meet him?¡±


    ¡°I went ahead and had a letter delivered to him, and got a good response back at least. We even decided to meet.¡± Kyle exclaimed.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­Well, either way, I got nothing to do with that old man, and I¡¯m not interested either.¡± Seran picked a slice of cake that didn¡¯t seem as sweet as the rest, clearly showing off that he couldn¡¯t be bothered.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured as much.¡± Kyle took a sip from his tea and looked at a letter in his hand.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The delivery guild just handed it to me.¡±


    Just as the name suggested, the delivery guild is an organization specializing in letters or other luggage. The roads built by the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales were still used to this day, experiencing a lot of traffic. The delivery sections of that organization made up a great amount of that traffic. If you paid enough money, you could enjoy great accommodation, which is why the letter even reached Kyle in this isolated city.


    ¡°This one right here is from Erina.¡±


    ¡°Erina? Let me have a look!¡±


    Urza was still busy stuffing her cheeks with cake, but the second Erina¡¯s name was brought into the conversation, she pushed her body forward towards Kyle. During their previous adventure at the Country of Eddos, Kyle¡¯s group ran into Erina, who was half-dark elf half-human, as well as a dark elf tribe, dragons, demons, and Mera Cult followers, somehow managing to fight their way through. Erina seemed quite enthusiastic about joining Kyle¡¯s group, but she had to take care of her sick mother Luctera, which would take a few more months. She had to stay in Eddos as a result of that, but they continued their exchange.


    The majority of the letter was used to report on recent happenings, and according to that, Luctera had almost recovered fully. Thanks to the dark elf Paserane, they were even allowed to visit her father¡¯s grave, and their relationship with the whole dark elf village improved drastically.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Reading the joy and happiness Erina felt from the letter, Urza narrowed her eyes, showing a relieved smile.


    ¡°Also¡­I have some news from Gou.¡±


    ¡°What, Gou even?¡±


    This time, Shildonia showed great interest in the conversation. Gou is a specialist focusing on magic items, who they met in the mining city Callan. Kyle actually became his sponsor, supporting his attempt to recreate human-type weapons first constructed in the Zaales days¡ªGolems. In the past, Shildonia had given Gou tips and assistance on the golem construction, which made her feel like somewhat of a teacher, so naturally, she would be interested in how he¡¯s doing.


    ¡°So, what is he saying?¡±


    ¡°The restoration seems to be going great. Half of the progress is done as well.¡±


    ¡°Hoh, faster than I had anticipated. Well, he had the supplies necessary, and his environment is making him flourish all the same.¡± Shildonia nodded, showing her joy.


    Gou is actually the step-son of the current mayor in Callan, Gazas, as well as receiving full support from the leading Ambassador of Zilgus, Miranda. With all of these connections, his research was clearly doing just fine.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s using my expenses like it¡¯s growing on trees.¡±


    Gou once again sent Kyle his estimated costs, and Kyle couldn¡¯t help flash a bitter smile when seeing that. That being said, Kyle was more than willing to pay as much money as needed.


    ¡°But, you know¡­¡± Kyle looked at the mirror, his face stiffening.


    It really was going along smoothly, but some words amongst the report made Kyle feel anxious. Examples were ¡®Rather than efficiency and beauty of ability, I believe that it has to look just as appealing as its usage!¡± or ¡°I will guarantee efficiency and beauty!¡± and so on. In the previous world Kyle experienced, the golems used to fight the demons showed no such beauty whatsoever, simply golems in the shape of humans. That¡¯s why Kyle felt oddly hung up on Gou using words like that.


    ¡°Just what¡­is he making?¡± Kyle massaged his temple to counteract the headache.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­Well, if he¡¯s talented and diligent enough, that¡¯s fine and all, but every genius is messed up in their own right. Gou must be part of that. But don¡¯t worry, he will bring worthwhile results¡­¡­Most likely.¡± Shildonia commented while reading the letter.


    ¡°I sure hope so¡­¡± Kyle looked up at the sky with worry in his eyes, realising that he would have to all leave it to Gou, and gave up on thinking about it.

 Volume 5 - CH 2

    After Kyle¡¯s group finished their meal, they used the water canal to reach the Marnico Business Group. They went ahead and borrowed one of the tourist boats, told the ferryman their destination, and enjoyed the ride.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s not just a tourist city for nothing.¡± Urza looked around at the buildings they passed in admiration.


    ¡°Bayone has always been in great reception as a trader city. It was easy to bring negotiations and people together, and this slowly turned it into a tourist city as well.¡± The ferryman explained with a smooth tone like he was used to this.


    The boats were also the ones carrying the bigger luggage. As the River Chigtes reached through most of the humanfolk territory, this was the most efficient way.


    ¡°I see¡­Hey, isn¡¯t that spire over there tilted?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it looks this way through the work of a hallucination, but it actually is standing straight. It¡¯s another famous sight here.¡±


    Lieze seemed genuinely excited at seeing something rare like that, as Shildonia explained. They were all enjoying the sightseeing in their own way. At the same time, their boat was slowly moving down the canal. Just like their boat, there were others afloat, selling souvenirs or flowers, even accessories shown off by girls with bright smiles. Seran answered these smiles with one of his own, as he called out to Kyle.


    ¡°You realized?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re being watched¡­Though I don¡¯t know from where.¡±


    Kyle had already realized that there were onlookers. However, these gazes weren¡¯t out of pure interest or curiosity, but something completely different from that.


    ¡°Definitely not amateurs. Just watching us from afar, not intervening. You got any idea?¡±


    ¡°No clue¡­I have many ideas, but as to who, I¡¯m lost.¡± Kyle thought about it, but quickly realized that they could be from Galgan, Zilgus, or even the Mera Cult.


    ¡°I¡¯m jealous about your popularity, you hear me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind letting you take over¡­This is fine, we¡¯ll walk the rest.¡±


    Seran was as nonchalant and indifferent as always. Kyle sighed and told the ferryman to stop the boat. After paying for everything, they got off the small boat earlier than planned. Even on the streets, there were stalls and so on lined up, making it quite crowded. As they still had time until Kyle¡¯s meeting with Klaus, they looked around some more. Even after getting off the boat, the onlookers had been following them, so it was evident they were specifically aiming for Kyle¡¯s group.


    There doesn¡¯t seem to be any hostility, so I guess they¡¯re just watching over us¡­


    Kyle considered luring them out and confronting them directly as an option, but he decided to leave them alone for now.


    It¡¯s almost time for the meeting. Can¡¯t give off a bad impression by being late.


    Kyle changed his train of thought, now drifting towards Klaus. Klaus may be your average trader, but he also holds immense influence over the world as a whole, regarded as the leader of this city. So before the [Great Invasion], Kyle had to win him over. During the war times, distribution of goods was pretty much completely halted, and only the Marnico Business Group network managed to somewhat survive¡ªbut that was also just life-support. In order to avoid that from happening again, Kyle wanted to thoroughly confirm the reserves of goods and state of circulation. That is why he needed the help of the Marnico Business Group.


    The question is¡­how much I can tell him.


    Calling it a money-making scheme would cause a trader like Klaus to surely get on board. However, when it comes to preparations for war, it¡¯d take a lot more to prepare, and the entire plan Kyle would offer might be seen as suspicious. Kyle had made his predictions, but he wasn¡¯t fully sure how to respond to some of Klaus¡¯ possible questions. Kyle was thinking about all of this as he walked in the back of the group, when another shadow appeared, sticking close to behind him, but on a natural level. This was Minagi, disguising herself as a pilgrim of the Goddess Cairys.


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn around¡­I don¡¯t want them to spot me.¡±


    Naturally, she wasn¡¯t talking about the people passing them, but rather Kyle¡¯s friends who walked up ahead, enjoying the various goods sold in the stalls. As of right now, they didn¡¯t catch on to Minagi¡¯s presence yet, so Kyle moved away from the stalls together with her. After it was just the two of them, Minagi spoke up with a quiet voice.


    ¡°Phew¡­Why is this girl so obsessed with me?¡± Minagi sighed and looked over at Lieze, who was laughing because of some folk craft article representing a monster with a fish in its mouth. ¡°Can¡¯t you do something about her?¡± Minagi complained, but Kyle had no way of dealing with that either.


    ¡°That¡¯s just the kind of personality she has, so give up on it¡­Anyway, did you figure out something? Any suspicious stuff going on related to Klaus?¡±


    Minagi¡¯s goal this time around was to look into the Marnico Business Group, most of all Klaus, and find any material that could be used in Kyle¡¯s negotiations for his advantage. Of course, the word material might sound fine and all, but it was basically any kind of weakness.


    ¡°Sadly, I couldn¡¯t find anything¡­or rather, I couldn¡¯t even properly look into it.¡± Minagi shook her head with a depressed expression, which left Kyle surprised.


    Minagi was known to be skilled at intelligence gathering, so the answer that she didn¡¯t find anything was a rarity.


    ¡°Anyway, their counterintelligence is strong. Even the lowest employee didn¡¯t leak anything, and with their strong defenses and security, without any proper preparations, sneaking inside isn¡¯t going to work¡­I know these are just excuses, but I didn¡¯t have the time to do all of that.¡± Minagi came to Bayone three days ago, so the most she heard of were rumors. ¡°However, that amount of security is a bit unusual. They might just be valuing their intel, but it feels like there might be something that would be troublesome if leaked.¡± Minagi sounded displeased.


    Unable to show any results, Minagi¡¯s pride must have been hurt.


    ¡°I see¡­No, this is plenty. At the very least, I found out that he¡¯s got a vigilant personality. With my meeting this time, it¡¯s not about discussing what we want to do, but rather to bring our heads together and figure out what kind of person he is.¡±


    Even that small piece of information was quite valuable to Kyle.


    ¡°Also, you probably already realized, but the people following you are also under the Marnico Business Group.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­Maybe this is him being careful, or there¡¯s an entirely different reason?¡±


    ¡°Well, you do stand out. For better or worse.¡± Minagi teased Kyle as always.


    ¡°If push comes to shove, I can use my ace in the hole, the black¡ªnegotiation material, but it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Were you just about to say blackmail material?¡± Minagi glared at Kyle who almost said something violent so nonchalantly.


    According to Kyle¡¯s memories, in roughly a year from now on, the Marnico Business Group will experience a great problem. In the Holy Kingdom Shura, the religious state, a high-ranking clergy would offer a great sum of money as a donation to the business group. Offering donations for better connections wasn¡¯t rare by any means, but in the Holy Kingdom Shura, which professed itself as pure and unselfish, this act was strictly forbidden.


    As the Holy Kingdom Shura was the holy ground with the most faith and servants of the Goddess of Earth Cairys, they held influence in the entire world for a different reason than the military nation of the Glagan Empire. This kind of dirty rumor quickly passed through the entirety of the humanfolk territory, even reaching the outskirts with Rimarze. As this practice had been happening in the shadows for years, Kyle judged that it was happening right about now, so if things went south, Kyle was thinking of using this as an advantage.


    ¡°¡­I keep thinking that, but where are you even getting all of this information from?¡± Minagi sounded dubious, as she asked Kyle.


    ¡°To not pry into your client more than necessary is the law of your shinobi group, right?¡±


    ¡°And you immediately change the topic like that¡­¡± Minagi pouted, but she took her work ethic quite seriously, so she had to drop it there. ¡°One more thing. That Business Group has been acting up for a bit now.¡±


    ¡°Acting up? Did some trouble happen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it seemed like they ran into an unexpected problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­If so, then I might not be able to meet him today.¡± Kyle put his hand on his forehead and was forced to accept it.


    They had promised to meet him and discuss things, but the other person must be incredibly busy. This trouble might just hold on for another two to three days.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go there just to see how things are.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­Be careful, okay? They¡¯re clearly different from your average businessmen.¡± Minagi left behind these final words, as she moved away from Kyle, mixing in with the people walking on the street.


    After these events, Kyle and his group went to the north of the town where the main office of the Marnico Business Group was located. Around them, the buildings that had clearly taken a toll from the passage of time started to lessen, as you would see more modern storage houses, which acted as the line between the tourism and the business district. Even the tourists walking down the street started to vanish, slowly turning into sailors or other workers carrying goods. And finally, the group could see a stone-paved five-floor building, most likely a building of utmost importance in the town.


    ¡°So that¡¯s our destination? But, things do seem weird, no?¡± Shildonia tilted her head as she let that comment fly.


    The main branch of the Marnico Business Group also acted as the city¡¯s largest wharf, with many smaller ships anchoring. In front of the building was a larger open space for luggage, with the workers rushing to clean all of that up in a panic. Their effort was almost unsightly to watch.


    ¡°¡­Guess they got some important individuals stopping by today. Unplanned, that is.¡± Seran voiced his bad premonition, and that was most likely true.


    ¡°Woah, what a huge ship.¡± There, Lieze pointed out a large ship currently entering the wharf.


    It was the size of a ship you would see traveling on the open ocean, and although the River Chigtes could fit it, it was a rare sight. Even the appearance looked like it was made purposefully flashy, with a golden statue of the Goddess of Navigation Agray, and every small detail was carefully crafted. What stood out the most was the symbol of a snake on a shield¡ªthe official crest of the Galgan Empire.


    As a ladder connected the ship to the wharf, several knights of the Galgan Empire got off, carefully inspecting their surroundings. Following that came the only daughter of the current Emperor Benedix, Princess Angela. As always, the simple act of her walking made it seem like she was surrounded by a ring of roses, representing the perfect image of a princess.


    ¡°Urk¡­Are you serious?¡± The one who groaned out loud was Seran, who apparently had piqued the interest of the Princess the last time the group visited the Galgan Empire.


    He immediately moved behind Kyle to hide. Despite being such a playboy, even Seran didn¡¯t enjoy this much attention from such a high-ranking beauty. Any bad treatment towards her might end up with his death after all.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s too late, she¡¯s already waving at you,¡± Urza commented on the situation, seeing Angela wave her hand towards them.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you popular, I¡¯m quite jealous.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then switch with me.¡±


    Kyle repeated the same words Seran just told him, making him despair.

 Volume 5 - CH 3

    ¡°Everyone! To think we would run into each other here, I am quite delighted!¡±


    As Angela came running toward the group, her bright smile and entire body emitted evident happiness. The luxurious and abundantly red silk dress she wore looked wonderful on her, and together with her attitude and gestures, she really looked like the type of person that was blessed at birth.


    ¡°It has been a while.¡± Kyle greeted Angela with a sight bow.


    In fact, it had been almost half a year since they last met.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your great achievements! Especially about the heroic tale of you defeating the evil dragon who had attacked several adventurers in the Country of Eddos! It made my heart quiver in excitement!¡± Angela told of the exaggerated rumors that had reached her with a sparkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s been going around a lot, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Ghrud would probably burn you to cinders if he heard of that.¡±


    Lieze and Shildonia discussed this with each other. After Angela finished praising Kyle, she then moved on to Seran, still cowering behind Kyle. Her smile remained as bright as always, although of a different kind, as she approached him.


    ¡°Seran-sama~! I¡¯m glad you haven¡¯t changed much. I have heard of your achievements.¡± Angela seemed like a cat excited to play, as she closed in on Seran, with him stepping backward.


    However, Angela didn¡¯t let that get to her, ending up in a position where she was about to embrace him.


    ¡°No no no, I¡¯m just a bonus, really. Kyle is much more¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course not! I personally believe in my eyes and intuition¡­I had assumed my job this time would be boring official work, but when I heard that all of you are here, I¡¯m sure it will be a lot more entertaining.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s group always acted in ways that made them stand out, so following them around was most likely pretty easy. And inside Angela herself, she most likely decided that she would be acting together with the group during her stay here.


    ¡°Now, let us go. I heard your destination is the same, after all.¡± Angela clung to Seran¡¯s arm, and started walking towards the main office of the Business Group.


    Nobody was there to reproach the princess for her attitude, as all the servants and knights simply followed her. Watching the two walk off, Lieze commented with a dubious tone.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this weird? Being approached by such a cute girl, yet Seran¡¯s not excited at all.¡±


    ¡°Even Seran knows that being liked by the princess of the Galgan Empire is nothing but trouble.¡± Kyle responded with a quiet voice, but Lieze still wasn¡¯t too satisfied with that.


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think he really cares about that¡­and I doubt that¡¯s all of it.¡± Lieze seemingly was plagued by a feeling of discomfort, and as she couldn¡¯t explain it, she decided to talk to Angela directly. ¡°Um¡­¡± She was looking for her words, when Angela turned around with a smile.


    ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯d like to get along with everyone, so speak as lightly as you¡¯d like.¡±


    Lieze understood that Angela was serious about that.


    ¡°Then¡­what did you come here for?¡±


    ¡°As a benevolent ambassador to deepen the positive relationship between the Empire and Bayone. At least officially.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡±


    Hearing that the benevolent part was just a facade, Lieze showed a vague smile.


    ¡°Officially¡­So your aim of meeting President Klaus is¡­¡±


    Kyle could imagine why the princess of the Galgan Empire, someone who aimed to become the supreme ruler of the entire humanfolk, would be sent here to an autonomous trading city, but he still asked nonetheless.


    ¡°Indeed, we as the Galgan Empire wish to receive reign over this Bayone.¡±


    Even so, Angela answered without hesitation. Although he had already guessed as much, hearing it from the princess herself, Kyle couldn¡¯t help but tense up.


    ¡°My brothers also regard Bayone as quite valuable. However, the Marnico Business Group is almost one-fifth of all of Galgan¡¯s trade business. If they were to merge with Bayone, we would suffer from that, and we would lose valuable profit. Hence, we have to treat this quite carefully, and as Klaus should know of this, we are currently exchanging demands and requirements. What a troublesome city this is.¡± Angela shook her head. ¡°As of right now, we are aiming to visit without any warning, hoping for them to mess up in some way that we can use this to threa¡ªnegotiate with them, basically proceeding with typical diplomatic efforts.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡± Kyle judged that commenting on that would be too honest even for Angela, so he simply flashed a vague smile.


    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re in the middle of trying to grasp any kind of weakness we can find. That means even this visit was with no particular goal in mind¡­although I am quite delighted to run into all of you, as that will surely make things more exciting.¡± Angela said with a lot of excitement in her voice.


    Being in a friendly relationship with the princess of the Galgan Empire was something Kyle treasured, so he couldn¡¯t spoil her mood. He didn¡¯t know if moving together with Angela, in this case, would be good or bad luck, but it was too late to hesitate.


    They entered the main branch of the Marnico Business Group, immediately greeted by employees forming a beautiful line. One person stood at the end of said line, deeply lowering his head.


    ¡°I humbly welcome you, Angela-sama.¡±


    It was Klaus Marnico, the man who stood at the summit of all of humanfolk¡¯s economics. As he was a sailor in his younger days, you could see a few wrinkles on his face, but he stood tall and solid on the ground. He should be around sixty, yet he looked much younger.


    ¡°My deepest apologies that I could not greet you directly. If I had known about your arrival, I would have prepared a more official welcome.¡± Klaus threw in a sarcastic comment.


    He was still smiling as before, but he made it clear that she wasn¡¯t welcome.


    ¡°Oh really? We¡¯re so close, you needn¡¯t worry about such trivial matters. And, if you would simply accept all of our conditions, I wouldn¡¯t be forced to come here over and over again.¡±


    Naturally, Angela didn¡¯t sugarcoat her words either, openly facing Klaus¡¯ sarcasm with a sharp comment of her own. And then, they both laughed. Watching this, Kyle quickly realized that having Angela come with them was bad luck after all, and sighed.


    ¡°I heard that you would be visiting today, but not that you would arrive together¡­Welcome, Kyle-sama.¡± Klaus glanced at Kyle¡¯s group, showing a surprised reaction for a moment, but then politely greeted them.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Kyle.¡± Kyle showed a polite bow, naming himself.


    ¡°Yes, he is my precious friend.¡± Angela didn¡¯t miss a beat to brag.


    ¡°I see, as expected of the [Dragon Slayer] hero. To think you were on good terms with Angela-sama¡­¡± Klaus said, nodding in admiration. ¡°Then, if you could just wait a moment¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, let them join us.¡± Angela said.


    ¡°But¡­are you sure? I have not heard of them being affiliated with the Empire, no?¡± Klaus seemed a bit bewildered.


    As this discussion practically involved future diplomatic relationships as equals, letting unrelated people join in clearly wasn¡¯t a smart move.


    ¡°Indeed, my business is the same as always, see.¡± Angela smiled.


    It was as beautiful of a smile as always, but to the people who knew, it looked like a predator licking its lips in excitement.


    The room Kyle¡¯s group was brought to was spacious and luxurious, once again showing off Klaus¡¯ wealth. The carpet at their feet stood out, made out of the purple fur from the giant bear-monster called Violet Bear, which was used to give the carpet its everlasting beauty even as they stepped on it. Every other piece of furniture was equally well done, which left the commoner Lieze utterly baffled, as she simply sunk deeper into the sofa, restlessly looking around. However, she was about the only one who felt this nervous, because Shildonia immediately munched on the snacks previously prepared, and Seran quickly followed after. Urza was sipping on her tea without a single change in expression, acting the same as always. Kyle felt reassured and supported by his strong allies but still apologized to Klaus despite that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about them, they aren¡¯t used to this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, they seem like quite the reliable group you have.¡± Klaus showed a generous smile and reassured Kyle that he was accepting of this.


    Angela also enjoyed the sight of that, but she immediately corrected her posture, and brought up the topic on hand.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s get right to it¡­President Klaus, you will surely give us a beneficial answer this time, no?¡±


    ¡°I wonder, what might you be talking about? The goal of your visit, Angela-sama, is to deepen the amicable relationship between us and the Empire. We have been doing our utmost to work towards that.¡± Klaus played dumb, but Angela continued nonetheless.


    ¡°We guarantee land as a count for you, and you can even use Bayone as your territory, so will you finally accept our request?¡±


    The request of Angela¡ªor rather, the Galgan Empire is quite simple, asking Klaus to join the empire and hand over Bayone under the control of the Galgan Empire.


    ¡°¡­As the first fundamental problem, I am not the ruler of Bayone, we are living under a parliamentary system, as you should be aware of.¡±


    Just as Klaus stated, he was part of a congress consisting of twenty traders, acting as the representative chairman.


    ¡°I may be the representative of said congress, but that¡¯s about all the power I have. Even if I declared our independence from the Empire, I would be kicked out soon after.¡± Klaus shook his head, stating that he wasn¡¯t all that powerful, but Angela didn¡¯t buy that.


    ¡°No need to feign ignorance like that. You are the one leading Bayone from the shadows, and if you felt like it, you could easily silence or erase the masses who don¡¯t agree with you without any difficulty, no? In fact, those who obstructed the direction you proposed had all disappeared in all sorts of shapes.¡± Angela oddly emphasized that last part, covering her smiling mouth with her hand, but her eyes most certainly were not smiling. ¡°Well, this tends to happen a lot in Galgan, so we don¡¯t plan on faulting you for that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Even last year, several of these nobles disappeared in all sorts of ways.¡± Klaus equally emphasized that last part, flashing a provocative smile.


    ¡°Fufufu¡­It really is hard to discern¡­We have too many people who can¡¯t even do something so simple.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you can say that again.¡±


    Dry laughter filled the room.


    ¡°Phew¡­they¡¯re both smiling, and yet they¡¯re giving off pressure like they were fighting on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°So this is a conversation between humans¡­how terrifying¡­¡±


    As the atmosphere between them felt so tense you could hear the air cracking, Seran and Urza were discussing back and forth.


    ¡°In that regard, I believe you are quite wise. We were not asking you to reveal everything to us, but rather that you use your right as the chairman, and forcefully silence any opposition. Of course, this will be of great use for the Empire, but you will also receive great authority, allowing you to move freely.¡± Angela narrowed her eyes, changed the tone of her voice, and continued. ¡°To both you personally and as a business, I believe this is quite beneficial. If you swear allegiance to Galgan, your competition will be erased, and you gain absolute control over the delivery of goods¡­You will not only be the world¡¯s greatest trader, but also the only one.¡± Angela uttered sweet words of temptation.


    However, Klaus slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Angela-sama, when it comes to trading, it¡¯s not good for one person to reign supreme over everybody else. Because there is competition, you yourself can grow. If a country controlled all money and goods, it would stagnate at one point, and lead to a crash. You have to create a natural flow for these sorts of things.¡±


    Klaus truly sounded like he stood at the summit of all economics. However, Angela still cut right through that without any remorse.


    ¡°Yes, I am fully aware¡­However, that is not important for the direction the Empire wishes to go. Rather than making something flourish, we value control and regulation. Our ideal would be to reign over humanfolk as a whole, just as it happened in the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales.¡±


    ¡°No, we actually didn¡¯t rule all of¡ªMgh.¡± Shildonia was about to add an unnecessary comment, so Kyle stuffed a snack into her mouth.


    ¡°However, that would completely half the development of the Empire. How do you feel about that?¡±


    Even if you brought all of humanfolk under yourself, it won¡¯t last long. Klaus¡¯ words made it sound like it was the obvious result.


    ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t you misunderstanding something? The Galgan Empire¡¯s policy is to unite all of humanfolk under them, but that isn¡¯t all. The ultimate goal¡ªis to control even the west of this continent.¡±


    The west of this continent naturally was including the demon territory.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­do you plan on waging war against the demonfolk?¡± Klaus¡¯ facial color changed awfully quickly.


    Wage war against the demons¡ªif it came from anybody else, you would probably regard them as insane and laugh it off, but things were different if it was from the Galgan Empire¡¯s princess. Let alone wrapping up the entire world into that war, it¡¯ll create an all-out slaughter that will remain in history for all eternity.


    ¡°However, there has been no interference from the demons for the last hundreds of years. Wouldn¡¯t it be foolish to agitate them now¡­?¡±


    Poke the bush and the snake will show its head, as they say.


    ¡°Oh my, so you think that leaving the demons, who possess the strength to annihilate all of us, is a better idea?¡±


    It may have sounded foolish if you didn¡¯t know any better, but Kyle was nodding.


    ¡°Well, this is merely our final goal, and we will deal with the demons after we¡¯ve at least brought all of humanfolk together. For that, we will have to get the economy under control, which makes your strength necessary, President Klaus? I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Angela smiled, and took a sip of her tea.


    With this, Angela had completely taken the lead in the conversation, and she continued to close in on Klaus with these sorts of arguments. This must be the result of Angela being used to these discussions from a young age. However, Klaus was Klaus all the same, managing to somehow keep a parallel line in their discussion. Finally, Angela made it sound as if they ran out of time.


    ¡°¡­It cannot be helped, we shall end this meeting for today.¡±


    Angela had plans after this, meeting the other influential people Bayone had to offer.


    ¡°Personally speaking, none of them hold nearly as much value as Klaus, but I also cannot ignore them¡­¡± Angela seemed quite bothered.


    She apparently didn¡¯t plan on having Kyle¡¯s group follow her all that way, and since Kyle also made up a meeting with Klaus, she quickly got up and prepared to leave them. Naturally, she regretted this, so she made plans to eat dinner together in the evening.


    ¡°President Klaus, we¡¯ll soon stop with the compromises. I personally don¡¯t dislike you, but don¡¯t forget that the Empire will eventually run out of time to give.¡± Angela gave Klaus a final warning, and left the room while waving her hand.


    ¡°For crying out loud, the Empire never fails to give me a headache.¡± Klaus flashed a wry smile, but he had already recovered his confident attitude.


    Although this was not their final meeting, it will certainly be soon. That¡¯s why Angela was a lot more aggressive than you would expect, showing that the Empire was serious and ready to do whatever. Considering the relationship of the Empire and Bayone, Kyle was thinking about what to do. However, the previous meeting ended, so Klaus showed a refreshed smile.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve made you wait. Quite honestly, I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you.¡± Klaus showed no signs of having gone through a harsh verbal bout with a princess, simply interacting with Kyle with a nonchalant tone.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot younger than I expected. Or, maybe that¡¯s why¡­Either way, it¡¯s wonderful to be young, so make sure to enjoy that for as long as you can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. It¡¯s an honor to hear these words from the renowned President Klaus.¡±


    Clearly, it was just Klaus being polite, but Kyle even responded accordingly. This time around, his ultimate goal was to get acquainted with Klaus, soa bit of idle talk should end it perfectly¡ªKyle judged, but that quickly changed when Klaus dropped the following words.


    ¡°I definitely had to meet you at least once, after all.¡± Klaus said with an oddly profound meaning, leaving Kyle dubious.


    ¡°Um, why is that?¡±


    To Kyle, it was more than convenient, but he didn¡¯t understand the reason for that. Of course, Kyle had the desire of all sorts of people, but Klaus shouldn¡¯t be as desperate.


    ¡°I am a businessman, and doing business means to have connections.¡± Klaus showed his teeth as he laughed.


    This smile sent a shiver down Kyle¡¯s spine. And judging from his experience so far, that mostly hit its mark.


    ¡°¡­That being said, that doesn¡¯t mean I want to directly do business with you, it¡¯s more like a request from a regular, acting as the mediator.¡±


    ¡°Mediator?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they would love to meet you, which is why I arranged the location. They have certain circumstances that prohibit them from meeting out in the open.¡±


    ¡°And who exactly¡­¡±


    ¡°I believe it would be faster for you to just meet them. In fact, they¡¯ve already arrived.¡±


    Before Kyle could even come up with a guess, Klaus ordered his servant to bring the person over. As expected of a trained businessman who fought a hundred battles, Klaus already had the conversation under control, working at his own pace.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already met each other before, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a breeze.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Kyle was even more puzzled, wondering why that person couldn¡¯t reach out to Kyle directly if they had known each other. However, Klaus simply continued to laugh. After waiting for a moment, the door opened. When Kyle¡¯s group saw the individual entering the room, they all gasped in unison. She had the looks of absolute beauty, but the single horn growing from her head was the proof of a demon.


    ¡°¡­Yeah, we definitely know each other.¡±


    Seran showed a complicated expression, as he looked at the demon woman¡ªYuriga.

 Volume 5 - CH 4

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?!¡± Kyle reflexively put his hand on the grip of his sword, whereas Yuriga remained calm as always.


    Kyle prepared himself so that he could act at any movement, preparing to question Klaus and Yuriga about all of this.


    ¡°It¡¯s Yuriga! How have you been?¡±


    However, only Kyle seemed to be the one who was nervous. Lieze greeted Yuriga as if she ran into an old friend. Seeing Lieze so calmly approach her, Kyle frantically stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close, what if this is a trap?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way. If Yuriga wanted to fight us, she¡¯d aim for a surprise attack, not appearing in front of us like this.¡±


    Realizing that this was a sound argument from Lieze, Kyle went silent. Seran and Urza also kept up their caution but weren¡¯t particularly distanced toward her. Their first meeting may have been hostile, but through a lot of ups and downs, this reaction was to be expected to a certain degree. However, Kyle couldn¡¯t accept it either.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s been a while, but it appears that we actually have some sort of connection.¡± Yuriga once again showed no emotion on her face despite her innate beauty.


    ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡±


    Losing his choice of cutting her down right there, Kyle was feeling a lot heavier, but Yuriga didn¡¯t directly answer his question.


    ¡°¡­Did you never think of it as weird? How could us demons act so freely inside humanfolk territory?¡±


    Being asked that question, Kyle thought about it. They first met Yuriga in the mining city Callan. Then in the country Eddos. Both are inside humanfolk territory, filled to the brim with races of the humanfolk. The Demon Territory was so far away, yet how did they reach that location this easily? It¡¯s not as if they could suddenly turn invisible, so moving from place to place like that would surely gather attention. To achieve this, they would need help from the inside.


    ¡°There are people supporting the demons inside humanfolk¡­?!¡± Kyle glared at Klaus.


    ¡°Rather than calling them supporters, it¡¯s more that the client is the Demon Lord themselves, see.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡± Kyle didn¡¯t bother listening to Klaus¡¯ odd correction.


    From Kyle¡¯s point of view, lending support to a demon is the same as betraying humanfolk as a whole.


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say, but I¡¯d still like you to calm down, and hear her out. Though, to think you would send me a letter right as I was wondering how to get you here, it must be a blessing from Maranai-sama.¡± Klaus dropped the name of the God of Commerce Maranai, showing a meek smile.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you dare use that god¡¯s name in connection with a demon.¡± Kyle threw another sharp comment at Klaus, but he just ignored that.


    ¡°Hmmm, I guess this is just a difference in our mindset. Rather than all demons as a whole, I am much more interested in the Demon Lord themselves. That is why we are working together.¡±


    ¡°Are you even aware that this is betrayal towards humanfolk?!¡± Kyle roared in anger, yet Klaus shook his head.


    ¡°No, quite different. Rather, I¡¯m doing work for the sake of humanfolk, sacrificing my own name for the better of the world.¡± Klaus was being serious about this.


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You should know, right? The current Demon Lord seeks a positive relationship with humanfolk. Confirming that it would be for the benefit of humanfolk, I am working together with them¡­Well, I do receive my own perks from that.¡± Klaus laughed in a good mood. ¡°You see, there¡¯s an abundance of products in the Demon Territory you just can¡¯t get over here, see. As the only one in the market, I do profit quite a lot from it.¡±


    ¡°So in the end, it¡¯s all about the money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, after all, so I won¡¯t deny that¡­However, it¡¯s also not just that.¡± Klaus seemed quite genuine about this, but the second he was working together with demons, Kyle saw him as the enemy.


    ¡°Let me get to the main problem.¡± Yuriga seemingly was done listening to them arguing and spoke up. ¡°The Demon Lord-sama would like to meet you, so I want you to come with me to the Demon Territory.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? What did you just say?¡±


    For a second, Kyle was unable to understand the words he had just been told, bluntly returning the question.


    ¡°Exactly what I said. The Demon Lord-sama wishes to meet you, so I want you to follow me to the Demon Territory.¡± Yuriga showed no emotion whatsoever, bluntly exclaiming her business.


    ¡°Why? What are they planning to achieve by meeting us?¡± Kyle asked for the reason, but Yuriga shook her head.


    ¡°I have no knowledge nor right of knowing about the Demon Lord-sama¡¯s plans. As they wish to meet you, I simply act accordingly.¡±


    ¡°And we have no obligation to do so.¡± Kyle declined in a heartbeat, but Yuriga didn¡¯t seem too shocked.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the expected reaction.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t want to be surrounded by demons and finished off just like that, after all.¡±


    ¡°We fully guarantee your safety, and we don¡¯t plan on simply asking for this favor for free. We¡¯re willing to add various conditions beneficial to you. For example, what about that skin from the [Dragon King] you received a while back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Kyle didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    The skin she was talking about was a reward from the [Dragon King] Zeurus for saving Ghrud from the grasps of the Mera Cult. As a material, it was something that could be directly out of a legend or ancient tale, but that made tempering it only more difficult. Kyle judged it would be of great use for his armor, but no person in humanfolk would be able to draw out its full potential, which is why they had yet to find any use for it. Seeing that Kyle gave no proper answer, Yuriga took that as confirmation to continue.


    ¡°It appears as if humanfolk¡¯s hand is not enough to put it to proper use¡­However, it¡¯s possible for a demon.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll be able to use it if we go to the Demon Territory?¡± Shildonia showed a spark of interest.


    Back in the days of the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales, tempering such material seemingly had been possible, but this kind of technique had since been lost. She is probably curious how the demons managed to acquire it.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You had enough for several people, right? We can make equipment for everyone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    That proposition sounded all too enticing to Kyle, which made him think once more. The equipment they currently possessed was the best you could acquire with money alone, but that was the limit of it. In order to achieve their ultimate goal, fighting was something they most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid. So that they wouldn¡¯t die¡ªso that Kyle wouldn¡¯t let them die again, he needed stronger equipment.


    ¡°This, and also that demon called Targ¡­¡± Yuriga added another piece of interesting information.


    ¡°Did you figure out something?¡±


    Seeing Kyle¡¯s reaction, Yuriga seemed satisfied. Targ is a demon the group encountered in the nest of dragons, who most likely could be related to the next demon lord who will start the [Great Invasion], which is why Kyle was very much intrigued about him. Not to mention that not even Yuriga knew about the next possible demon lord.


    ¡°It seems like you are curious about him. However, I do not have the right from the Demon Lord-sama to tell you about that here.¡±


    ¡°¡­So you figured out something, yeah?¡±


    ¡°You can interpret that however you¡¯d like¡­If you would like to know, you have to ask the Demon Lord-sama directly.¡±


    ¡°So this is supposed to be one incentive, huh.¡±


    If you want to know, come to the Demon Territory, is what she was saying. Kyle considered the possibility of forcing it out of Yuriga, as he faintly put his hand on his sword¡¯s hilt, which Yuriga sensed and took a cautious stance.


    Then again, using force to make her tell me probably won¡¯t work.


    He knew very well that Yuriga¡¯s loyalty could not be shaken. If the Demon Lord had not granted her permission, she would most likely die without telling him anything. Kyle relaxed his body, to which Yuriga lowered her own caution. The demons were a threat that had to be annihilated at one point, but with the current state of the humanfolk, that would be impossible. It wasn¡¯t a case of ¡®the enemy of my enemy is my friend¡¯, but if Kyle managed to meet the Demon Lord, that might turn into a possibility.


    If I can just gather some information¡­most preferably, I could strike down the current Demon Lord and the next Demon Lord at the same time¡­


    However, in order to meet the Demon Lord, they would have to sneak into the Demon Territory, and although there was not that big of a chance of success, being invited over by the Demon Lord most likely was a chance that would never come again. That being said, entering the Demon Territory would be dangerous. In fact, entering the main territory of the enemy makes the trip to the nest of dragons at the World Tree seem like a sightseeing trip.


    Judging from the previous experiences with Yuriga, she most likely would not set up any trap for them. However, if there was an order from the Demon Lord, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to attack them.


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m tagging along with you. There¡¯s the part about business as well, but it¡¯ll guarantee your safety.¡± Klaus brought up this proposition, most likely to reassure Kyle. ¡°I¡¯ve been there a few times myself, and it¡¯s not that dangerous¡­as long as you don¡¯t do anything unnecessary. And if there¡¯s anything else you need me to do, feel free to tell me.¡± Klaus spoke with brimming confidence, but as Kyle still couldn¡¯t bring down a proper decision, he glanced at his allies.


    ¡°¡­Targ was that demon who could teleport, right? I¡¯m dying to know more about that guy.¡± Seran rubbed the elbow of his left arm, having fought Targ directly.


    In order to land a single attack on Targ, he willingly sacrificed his own arm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cut him down next time.¡± Seran flashed an arrogant and confident smile.


    Before, he had to rely on a cheap trick to strike down Targ, but now he was intent on doing it with his skill alone.


    ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t mind meeting that Demon Lord myself. It¡¯s the individual Zeurus held in high regard after all.¡± Shildonia muttered as she crossed her arms.


    She must be quite curious about this Demon Lord that her old pal the [Dragon King] accepted as a person. Lieze and Urza kept their stance of letting Kyle decide, not objecting at all. Kyle closed his eyes, and started thinking. Without knowing the goal of the Demon Lord, it was definitely troublesome to have their attention, but as Yuriga had been ordered by the Demon Lord, she would probably not give up that easily. If so, then agreeing was a good option for Kyle. The danger was high, but so was the possible return.


    ¡°¡­I got it, let¡¯s go to the Demon Territory.¡±


    At the end, Kyle made his decision, and all of his allies nodded.

 Volume 5 - CH 5

    The night of the following day, at the harbor that should have been uninhabited at this time of day, Kyle¡¯s group had finished their preparations for departure under the shining moonlight. Though, all they have to do is board the ship, as the smuggling preparations had been finished at a secret wharf of the Marnico Business Group. Bayone originally was under the control of Klaus, and this departure as well as its preparations only happened where people related to the case could witness it. They¡¯ll go with a route that won¡¯t make them stand out much, so Kyle and his group, together with Klaus, only had to board the ship now. It was quite a large ship, but it could move fine with magic items, easily sailing on the River Chigtes. With this ship, they could make it to the Demon Territory just fine.


    ¡°This is a wharf solely used for my business group, with no other people around, so it¡¯s perfectly sheltered. The sailors I kept at a bare minimum, and I have full faith in all of them.¡±


    This is probably how he handled the previous smuggling as well. It was evident Klaus and his sailors were working carefully, but none of them seemed particularly nervous at the idea of heading over to the Demon Territory.


    ¡°As the more troublesome individual is gone now, we should be able to safely depart.¡± Klaus showed a wry smile, clearly talking about Princess Angela, to which Kyle¡¯s group agreed.


    This afternoon, they saw her off because she had different plans. If she had stayed any longer than that, it may have delayed their departure.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know how glad I am.¡± Seran was lounging around as always, seeming mentally exhausted beyond the usual meter, as he showed a relieved expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to take that attitude towards a cute girl.¡±


    ¡°Hey now, she¡¯s a princess. Can¡¯t be treating her carelessly or I¡¯m done for.¡± Seran brushed away Lieze¡¯s teasing words with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°You were never the type of guy to really bother with that¡­And she doesn¡¯t seem like the type of princess to really care either.¡±


    Urza valued Angela in high regard, considering she was treated like any other person despite being an elf.


    ¡°Well, how do I say this¡­Our compatibility? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like her, but being with her is exhausting¡­But I also can¡¯t just leave her alone. Ahh, what a pain.¡± Seran scratched his head, grumbling. ¡°I¡¯m usually not a guy to care this much for others. Well, not like we¡¯ll meet again for a hot minute.¡± Seran said these words with a relieved expression.


    ¡°Still, I know it¡¯s late of me to ask that, but do you really plan on tagging along? I should be fine on my own this time.¡± Kyle asked Lieze and Urza, seemingly still a bit hesitant to take them with him.


    Traveling to unfamiliar territory is one of the most dangerous things you could ever do, even more so if it¡¯s the Demon Territory, so Kyle would have rather left the two back here in safety.


    ¡°That really is late, alright. If you¡¯re worried about causing trouble for me or don¡¯t want me to get wrapped up in this mess, then turn back time to before you met me, alright.¡± Urza raised one of her beautiful eyebrows, as she crossed her arms and looked away.


    ¡°Then you need to go back before you were even born, Kyle.¡±


    Since Kyle and Lieze had been together ever since they were born, she would need to redo her entire life. Albeit feeling guilty, Kyle also felt blessed that he could be together with these two. Besides them, however, there was also Minagi, despite usually only acting in the shadows. As their decision was made during the time she wasn¡¯t present, Kyle said that she didn¡¯t have to come along as this was outside of their contract, but her pride seemingly wouldn¡¯t allow her to leave her master alone despite still being hired by him. Naturally, hiding on a narrow boat like that would prove impossible, which is why she appeared in front of everyone like this.


    ¡°Going to the Demon Territory and meeting the Demon Lord¡­I never lived my life in the bright light of humanity, but how did things end up this way.¡±


    ¡°Well, the second you ran into Kyle, you were better off giving up on a lot of things.¡±


    Minagi was looking up at the boat, wondering how things turned out to be this way, when Lieze approached Minagi with a smile that made her question what she was so happy about.


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to this trip, Minagi. Never got much time to talk with you, after all. Since we four have one room, we can talk lots¡­Ah, should I invite Yuriga as well?¡± Lieze kept on grinning, but Minagi just shook her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be traveling for eight days straight. I¡¯ll make it as pleasant as possible.¡± Klaus said with a grin, but Minagi¡¯s expression distorted in despair when hearing that.


    ¡°Eight days¡­I just hope nothing happens.¡± Kyle prayed to the heavens.


    Of course, that prayer was not granted, and barely halfway through the trip, a great problem occurred.


    ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°A secret trip.¡±


    Seran¡¯s face was filled with terror, as he asked the individual who definitely shouldn¡¯t be here¡ªPrincess Angela. Kyle and his group, as well as others like Klaus and sailors were currently gathering on the deck, but the person in the center of it all was as calm and relaxed as always. Even her appearance had changed from her luxurious dress, turned into a leather armor using wyvern materials, with a rapier at her waist, her long hair tied together which overall allowed for easier moving. Even so, she couldn¡¯t hide her innate beauty and impression as a princess.


    ¡°¡­How did you even sneak on here?¡±


    As they looked around the ship before departing and making sure nobody was on there, her being there should have been impossible, and yet Angela answered it like it meant nothing.


    ¡°After you departed, I snuck in from the river. I used a magic item imbued with [Water Breathing] to get through the water and snuck on the boat through the shadows. Then I used my mantle imbued with [Invisibility] to stay hidden here.¡±


    The names of the spells were pretty self-explanatory, but the actual levels of them were pretty high, reaching from advanced-grade to high-grade magic. As a result, the items imbued with them had a considerable price. It was quite the forceful way of sneaking on the boat, so it probably was clear she¡¯d be found out immediately.


    ¡°However¡­there were no signs of that whatsoever.¡± Klaus seemed unable to accept this, making an expression like he was biting on an insect.


    So far, and even this time, he kept close attention that nobody would find out any secret travels to and from the Demon Territory. Especially considering a servant of the Empire, Angela, was looking for any kind of dirt on them, he made sure to leave only after confirming she had left Bayone.


    ¡°Of course. I decided on this myself, and it basically happened on a whim. I didn¡¯t tell anybody, so I¡¯m sure they must be going crazy while looking for me.¡±


    If what Angela said is true, then it would make sense why Klaus couldn¡¯t pick up on any irregularity beforehand.


    ¡°Why would you do something so reckless¡­¡± Kyle couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard.


    This most definitely wasn¡¯t something the important princess of the Empire would do.


    ¡°Yes, it truly was reckless¡­However, it clearly had its value. We knew that the Marnico Business Group was conducting weird actions in the shadows, so we wished to grasp their weakness, but this is¡­¡± Angela looked at Klaus, who was frozen stiff with a meek smile, and then at Yuriga behind him. ¡°Travelling to the Demon Territory¡­not to mention working together with a demon¡­let alone a weakness, this is information enough to completely strangle your whole business. I didn¡¯t quite expect that.¡±


    ¡°How troublesome¡­If you were to spread news about this, I would be over, no doubt.¡± Klaus scratched his head in the face of Angela¡¯s grin. ¡°That being said¡­it¡¯s not like this situation is that much of an advantage for you, no?¡± The tone of Klaus¡¯ voice changed a bit.


    It¡¯s almost like he made up his mind about something. As they were on top of a ship, Klaus had all his sailors at this command, whereas Angela was all alone. As they were quite a ways away from Bayone, they could forcefully silence her. However, as Klaus was dealing with an imperial princess, the risks were too high. It might just trigger an all-out war. On top of that, the unstable variable Kyle was present. How would he, a [Dragon Slayer] act now? Who will he side with? If he were to abandon Klaus, everything would be over.


    ¡°¡­However, I don¡¯t mind keeping it a secret for now.¡±


    Right as Klaus was pondering about how to proceed, Angela spoke up with a confident but also charming smile.


    ¡°Oh¡­? However, I¡¯m assuming it won¡¯t be for free, right? What¡¯s your condition? Turning Bayone into a vassal state?¡±


    ¡°No, I want you to become my personal supporter.¡±


    Klaus narrowed his eyes at that request.


    ¡°Personal¡­Then what exactly do you wish for, Angela-sama?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if I want to overthrow my older brothers¡­I simply want to gain more influence in discussions and negotiations.¡±


    Although she was the princess of the empire, with how young she was, she most likely didn¡¯t hold much influence or verbal voice at all. However, things would be different if she had the Marnico Business Group on her side.


    ¡°Am I right to assume that this will also benefit me?¡±


    If Angela may be able to rise in the family, Klaus would gain from that as well.


    ¡°Naturally. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t mind adding the vassalage of Bayone as a condition? That would benefit me a lot, as I am actually seeking to achieve results for the future.¡±


    Pushed into a corner, Klaus¡¯ answer was decided almost instantly.


    ¡°I understand. I will go with that, then.¡±


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s create a mutually beneficial relationship.¡± Angela offered Klaus her hand, which he accepted.


    At first glance, it looked like a peaceful scene, but Kyle, standing in the middle of it all, was utterly lost.


    ¡°Now then, since we got things under control, I¡¯m a bit tired. Would you mind preparing a room for me?¡± Angela spoke like it was obvious.


    ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t tell me, you plan on tagging along just like that?¡±


    Kyle had assumed she¡¯d return to Bayone, which is why he was rather confused about those words. Seran behind him even more so.


    ¡°Of course. Not to mention, if I went home like this, you would be worried, no?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Of course, being seen working together with a demon would hurt Klaus a lot, but the same could be said about Kyle. If the rumor about him meeting the Demon Lord were to spread, he would lose all of this work becoming a hero up to this point.


    ¡°Why not make me your accomplice instead? Knowing about the demons will benefit me, the Empire, and all of humanfolk in the future, no?¡±


    ¡°However¡­it¡¯ll be dangerous. In the Demon Territory, law and common sense of humanfolk do not apply. I am worried if we could even protect you¡­¡±


    If something were to happen to Princess Angela, it would turn the entire Galgan Empire against them.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about that. I am more than skilled enough to protect myself, and I am prepared to fight. If the need were to arise, I will hold a sword on my own.¡± Angela¡¯s eyes were shimmering with unwavering determination.


    Even Seran, who had sparred with her before, couldn¡¯t disregard her strength. Being told this much, Kyle couldn¡¯t object anymore, so Angela would be going with them.


    ¡°¡­However, I can¡¯t afford to give you any special treatment, so you will have to do with a general room and eating together with all of us, so please understand that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this will be a beneficial experience. Please don¡¯t treat me like a princess while we¡¯re on this ship.¡± Angela seemed oddly happy about that, flashing a bright smile.


    ¡°If you¡¯d like a room, then you can take mine. I can sleep wherever.¡± Minagi was already exhausted from staying with Lieze after one night, so she immediately offered that.


    ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to stay with Seran-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°No no no, I¡¯m with Kyle, alright!¡±


    ¡°Ah, then Yuriga might as well come to our room¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wrap me up in this mess!¡±


    ¡°Well, you rarely see a demon share a room with a human¡­¡±


    After a lot of back and forth, Klaus went ahead and offered Angela the best room on this ship so that she¡¯d finally quiet down.


    Still¡­something doesn¡¯t add up.


    Kyle was still dubious about Angela¡¯s actions. He knew that she was ready to act when the chance arose, but sneaking onto this ship was a bit too much despite that. Going this far in such a short time, she must have another reason driving her.


    ¡°Either there¡¯s some other motive of hers¡­or she¡¯s not telling the whole truth.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­so it¡¯d be best if we keep tabs on her.¡±


    Shildonia and Kyle were whispering to each other.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m leaving it to you.¡± Kyle tapped Seran on the shoulder.


    ¡°You can do it.¡± Shildonia couldn¡¯t reach Seran¡¯s shoulder, so she instead tapped him on the waist.


    ¡°Why me?!¡± Seran screamed, but he ended up with the duty of watching over Angela despite that.


    Other than the incident with Princess Angela, their trip was going relatively smoothly. That day, around noon, a giant water snake called River Dragon attacked them, but before Kyle and his group even got any chance to take care of it, Yuriga already leaped at it. As the River Dragon was wrapping its large body around the boat in order to pull it into the water, Yuriga swung her claw to cut off its head in one fell swoop.


    The River Dragon convulsed, and sunk back into the water, drenching it blood-red in the process. Confirming that the deed was done, Yuriga nonchalantly went back to the boat as if nothing happened. Watching this fight happen, Urza and Lieze uttered their honest impressions.


    ¡°She¡¯s gotten a lot stronger¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­It feels like she¡¯s gone up an entire level after losing to us.¡±


    Compared to half a year ago when they fought in the mining city Callan, she had gotten faster and stronger, and her movement had a lot more technique in it. She most likely took a lesson from her weakness, pointed out by Lieze and Urza, namely her lack of experience, and practiced a lot in training and real combat.


    ¡°What do you think would happen if we fought her again?¡±


    Lieze showed a complicated expression at Urza¡¯s question, and shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­It¡¯s true that she has gotten stronger, but the same goes for us, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll overwhelm us¡­¡± Lieze put her index finger on her forehead, thinking about it, only to quit thinking right away. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to fight her again. We¡¯ve gotten close enough that she stepped out to fight before us¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. It would be bad for the Demon Lord-sama¡¯s plans if something happened to you before meeting them, so don¡¯t get the wrong idea about my actions.¡±


    Seeing Lieze oddly happy, Yuriga made sure to press the point two times.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so flustered.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so positive, not listening to me¡­¡± Yuriga sighed at Lieze¡¯s nonchalant comment, but Urza smiled at the two.


    At night, Angela and Seran stood on the dock of the ship. Angela wished to enjoy a bit of the nightly breeze, and Seran agreed to follow her.


    ¡°Even as we approach the demon territory, the night sky never changes. Well, obviously, you could say.¡± Angela¡¯s hair shook in the breeze as she looked up at the starry sky she was used to even at her hometown.


    She seemed to be in a good mood.


    ¡°I have to say, a demon truly is strong.¡± She remembered Yuriga¡¯s fighting style she had witnessed during the day, and dropped a comment full of admiration. ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed a strength that is fundamentally different to that of someone from the humanfolk. This surely will not be an easy fight. Rely on our numbers, or come up with a strategy is most likely the way we have to fight.¡±


    As the Empire was planning to fight the demons at some point in the future, witnessing that scene was important information according to Angela.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no reason why we would have to fight them head-on.¡± Seran agreed, as he was ready to use whatever method if it brought him victory.


    ¡°Still, exceptions exist. The people who could best these demons in a one-on-one fight are who we call heroes¡­Just like Seran-sama.¡± Angela looked at Seran with a hopeful gaze.


    ¡°No no no, you think of me too highly. I¡¯m not the hero here, it¡¯s Kyle.¡± Seran desperately attempted to push all of Angela¡¯s expectations onto Kyle, but she shook her head.


    ¡°No, to me personally, Seran-sama is the hero. I have faith in my eyes.¡±


    Angela¡¯s smile full of trust and determination once again made Seran dubious why she had taken such a liking to him.


    ¡°¡­So you also think I went too far?¡± Angela might have interpreted Seran¡¯s silence some way, as she looked at him with a somewhat worried gaze.


    ¡°Yes, I do believe so¡­But, did you have a special reason for it?¡± Seran asked about something he was curious about this entire time.


    Even he doesn¡¯t see Angela as such a dimwit who would act without thinking.


    ¡°I was panicking, I guess. I needed results to gain influence¡­Ever since you had arrived at the Empire half a year ago, a lot has changed. My father¡¯s condition has not improved.¡±


    Because of the current Emperor Benedix¡¯ age, he is forced to be distanced from his duties, and as this fact was widely-known, things have started to heat up a lot. However, as the oldest brother Eldorand would be crowned the next Emperor, the Empire surely would be fine. Predicting this to happen eventually, Eldorand has been working hard inside the Empire to get the people on his side.


    ¡°Dear brother Eldorand is always kind to me, but he still prioritizes the country in the very end¡­Thanks to Seran-sama, my engagement was called off, but now there has been another talk for my engagement outside the country.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, so you don¡¯t want to get married?¡±


    ¡°I am but a petty official of the royal family, you could say, so I am aware of the role I have to play¡­However, I still want to proceed with my own intentions. If I were to achieve something great here, I would have better chances at doing so¡­Well, just think of it as a shallow woman lamenting.¡±


    After revealing some of her genuine feelings, Angela turned her back towards Seran, leaning against the railing at the dock, and watched the surface of the water.


    ¡°Also¡­there¡¯s one more reason. It¡¯s to protect myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean by that?¡±


    Protecting herself yet going to the Demon Territory evidently contradicted itself.


    ¡°¡­Over the past month, someone has attempted to take my life two times.¡±


    ¡°People are after your life?!¡±


    ¡°The first time was poison, and the second time was a direct attack¡­Luckily, we were able to see through those two attempts before it was too late, but judging from the plot itself, it was skilled work¡­or somebody closeby was acting as a guide.¡±


    As the princess of the Galgan Empire, she naturally would be heavily protected, but two close attempts on her life like this were an irregularity of course.


    ¡°In regards to this visit, dear brother Eldorand judged that me being away from the Empire would be safer for me, which is why I am here¡­However, I may be a bit too perplexed, but it felt like an assassin was present amongst my guard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you snuck on the boat like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Hiding without anybody knowing was another option after all. I knew I would be troubling you in the process, but I decided to rely on your group. Although I would have never expected to sneak on a ship heading for the Demon Territory.¡± Angela showed a smile at the end. ¡°However, I¡¯m certain that, as long as I am with Seran-sama and the others, I will be safe.¡±


    Angela¡¯s reckless actions turned out to be a means of protecting herself.


    But that still doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not reckless¡­this time around, she was just lucky.


    ¡°¡­¡­I apologize for bothering you like this, but I had no other choice this time¡­So please, save me¡­¡±


    As if to shake Seran¡¯s determination, Angela turned around as her worried expression was illuminated by the bright moonlighther tears looked like stars, and she jumped into his arms. Embraced by a crying princess, being relied on, it sounded like the perfect beginning of a heroic tale, but Seran simply felt like he was caught in a spider¡¯s web.


    Not good, it feels like I¡¯m being pulled down into a swamp¡­and even so¡­


    At the same time as Seran felt like his escape route had been sealed off, Seran couldn¡¯t ignore the princess in peril in his arms, let alone push her away.


    ¡°Well¡­if I can be of help, then¡­¡±


    His head was screaming with alarm signals, but he still answered like that with a smile.


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    As if she had waited for those words, Angela¡¯s head shot up instantly. Her face showed a bright smile, her tears from before dried up.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad, I was worried that I would just be in the way, but now I can rely on you!¡±


    Angela was in a great mood, whereas Seran¡¯s head was filled with words such as abyss and swamp.


    ¡°Then, would you please accept this?¡± Angela took out a magic item that looked like a necklace. ¡°This magic item has been imbued with [Telepathy]. It is the exact replica of the one I am wearing, and it allows us to shortly convey our thoughts to the other person, albeit only once a day.¡±


    ¡°No no, I can¡¯t accept that¡­¡±


    ¡°Please see it as a token of my trust.¡±


    Seran tried to politely decline, but Angela practically forced it onto him as she put it around his neck.


    Damn it, it feels like I¡¯m falling deeper and deeper¡­


    ¡°It fits you wonderfully.¡± Angela smiled happily, but Seran could only return a vague expression.


    As Kyle was listening to the two¡¯s conversation from the shadows, he completely ignored Seran¡¯s dilemma and instead started thinking about the Empire and the information he had just received.


    It¡¯s expected that the Emperor will pass away, but now Princess Angela is in danger? What is this about?


    ¡°So you were listening, huh.¡± Kyle looked up at the mast, speaking out into the darkness.


    ¡°Yes¡­though I¡¯m surprised you caught on to my presence.¡±


    It looked like nobody was there. And yet, you could hear Minagi¡¯s voice, her pride hurt after being discovered. This was a special skill called [Shrouded Invisibility] used by shinobi to conceal themselves, which allowed them to be completely invisible to the average person¡¯s eyes even inside a crowd during broad daylight. This worked even better during the darkness of night, so being spotted this quickly must have hurt Miangi.


    ¡°Call it something like intuition¡­More importantly, do you have any idea who might be after the Princess¡¯ life?¡±


    As Minagi had previously been hired to assassinate someone from the royal family, she had experience looking to the rows, and in the future Kyle came from, she also was the one who assassinated Eldorand. However, through the death of Zilgus¡¯ King Remonas, this contract fell flat, and she gave up on that.


    ¡°I was hired by King Remonas, but there¡¯s too many individuals or organizations with possible motives like that, it¡¯s impossible to say for certain.¡± Minagi shrugged her shoulders. ¡°But, attempting it twice like that shows that they must be experienced or have help from the inside. That princess doesn¡¯t seem too clever or sharp, so when she feels this much danger, she must have some kind of reason.¡±


    ¡°Something going on inside the Empire? But¡­¡±


    Kyle started thinking once more. Since Eldorand¡¯s assassination was stopped, he assumed that it would not tread down the same path, but that was most likely naive thinking. If possible, Kyle wished for Maizar to become the future Emperor, but considering the preparations for the war against the demons, he wanted the Galgan Empire to have its full strength once the time came, otherwise it would be too busy with internal affairs to deal with the outside threat.


    ¡°Just as the princess said, the situation changed quite a bit compared to half a year ago¡­Things are getting out of control, possibly.¡±


    ¡°¡­Guess we¡¯ll have to head there again.¡±


    Kyle was unsure if there was even anything they could do, but it was better than not doing anything.


    ¡°By the way, why are you even here, Minagi?¡±


    Since Kyle was curious about Princess Angela¡¯s motive, he secretly followed them, but he was surprised to find Minagi doing the same.


    ¡°¡­If I stayed in that room any longer, Lieze would not let me rest at all.¡±


    It appeared as if staying in the same room with Lieze was something Minagi wanted to avoid.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s got no bad intentions, so put up with it.¡± Kyle cruelly ignored Minagi¡¯s complaint.

 Volume 5 - CH 6

    The fourth day after departing from Bayone arrived. They would soon enter Demon Territory, but they didn¡¯t run into any more trouble. The riverbanks and vegetation in the distance looked the same, and besides the single attack of the River Dragon, it was mostly smooth sailing.


    ¡°¡­Though that one time was tough.¡±


    Kyle was leaning against the railing, looking at the water surface, muttering these words. ¡®That one time¡¯ was actually referring to Kyle¡¯s past, or the future in this case, when they invaded Demon Territory in order to gain any kind of information about these monsters as the great war broke out. In the end, they were mostly decimated. Kyle was the only one who barely managed to come out alive, but it was a dark day for him.


    ¡°Yet, this time everything¡¯s going just fine.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t quite fit with you, what are you being so nostalgic for?¡± Shildonia called out to Kyle from behind him. ¡°Are you worried about meeting the Demon Lord after all?¡±


    ¡°Call it being worried, I personally just feel bewildered. So far, I¡¯ve lived under the idea of killing every single demon out there. I never would have imagined going to Demon Territory to discuss something with the Demon Lord.¡±


    This is completely different from the last time when they happened to fight together with Yuriga. Kyle was unsure if he could stay calm if another demon appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Personally, this is my first time talking with demons like this, so I¡¯m not sure what to make of it, but¡­it¡¯s evident that the current Demon Lord is a clear exception from the rest of the demons. To the point we have to reconsider what we have seen as a demon.¡± Shildonia must have her own thoughts about the demons as someone who fought at the frontlines against them before. ¡°I fully understand how you feel towards those demons. However, in this one instance, you ought to swallow that.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­I¡¯m more concerned about something else.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what would that be?¡±


    ¡°See it for yourself,¡± Kyle asked Shildonia to follow him and headed to the ship¡¯s hold.


    It was filled with cargo, and Klaus was currently busy inspecting all of it.


    ¡°Oh, what brings you all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°Perfect timing, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to ask you. These exported goods here. I saw them when boarding the ship, but are these trade goods?¡±


    These were probably exported goods headed for Demon Territory, but the variety of said goods was oddly unbalanced. You had furniture sold in general stores, cooking utensils, and even paintings. Musical instruments such as lutes or harps, board and card games, even clothes and various spices, plus alcohol. Kyle spotted a vast amount of books as well, ranging from war chronicles to romance works popular with the women of today. In other words, these were goods you could find about anywhere, and cheap to boot. Some were a bit more expensive, but not something a demon would need.


    ¡°Yeah, I was curious about that myself. Are these exported goods going to Demon Territory after all?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, these are all requested goods, you see. This allows me to get exported goods from Demon Territory including raw materials, such as granite ores or koba logs. I even have a lot of raw minerals used for gemstones and such.¡±


    All of these were rare items even barely obtainable, but they must be abundant in the Demon Territory.


    ¡°That means this smuggling must hold quite the value to you.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. To the point I can barely stop myself from grinning.¡± Klaus showed a burst of heartfelt laughter.


    However, this laugh soon subsided, and he showed a much more serious expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than ten years now, but when I first learned of all the rare goods found in Demon Territory, I dreamed of getting rich and made my way there. Thinking about it now, it was foolish and a wish for death.¡±


    Klaus ended up stranded, fighting for his life.


    ¡°However, Lady Luck was on my side, as I was saved by none other than the Demon Lord.¡±


    Through that, the Demon Lord brought up this smuggling, and Klaus agreed as the business-minded man he was.


    ¡°¡­It appears as if they are quite interested in the ¡®culture¡¯ of humanfolk.¡±


    ¡°Culture, you say?¡± Shildonia didn¡¯t hide her surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m not all too familiar myself, but the demons also have towns, and their way of living doesn¡¯t differ much from us humanfolk.¡±


    Kyle already knew about that. However, with their small numbers, these towns are a lot smaller compared to humanfolk residences, and half of the entire demon race is made out of workers and laborers like goblins and orcs.


    ¡°However, these demons lack the idea of enjoyment that we humans have. All they do is eat, drink, sleep, and visit their only place of joy, the arena.¡±


    ¡°Whenever there¡¯s a fight between demons, it¡¯s either resolved by a higher-ranking demon, or they clear up things with a fight from what I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°You know your stuff.¡± Klaus commented on Kyle¡¯s evident knowledge with a surprised tone.


    ¡°I looked into them in my free time.¡±


    During that war, he acquired this kind of knowledge in various battles to the death, solely to gain some kind of advantage against the enemy.


    ¡°Well, their goal is to brighten up their lifestyles with these goods, you could say.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­So these aren¡¯t necessary goods, but rather to let the demons find enjoyment.¡± Shildonia couldn¡¯t help but show admiration for this plan.


    ¡°In other words, they aim to make the demons slowly but steadily accept humanfolk and their traditions¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s the goal of the current Demon Lord-sama. The majority of the demons still look down on humans.¡± Yuriga had appeared out of nowhere, adding extra information. ¡°Most demons see humanfolk as animals with intelligence¡­that¡¯s why the Demon Lord-sama is planning to make them learn more about humanfolk, and have them accept you.¡± Yuriga gently rubbed her stomach, most likely remembering the iron fist she had been hit with by Lieze in the past. ¡°Well, I had been the same in the past, but¡­I had to admit you were more than just animals.¡±


    It seemed like that defeat greatly changed Yuriga¡¯s way of thinking.


    ¡°However, the majority of you humanfolk can¡¯t hope to compare against the overwhelming strength we possess. So, the Demon Lord-sama was thinking of first making us get used to your culture, as that would soften our views on you.¡±


    ¡°And, is that working?¡± Kyle asked with complicated feelings, but Yuriga shook her head.


    ¡°Only a small portion. The values of us demons all boil down to strength, so it will take time until they accept the culture of humanfolk¡­But, there is a definite change.¡±


    ¡°Do they really think that humanfolk and demons can get along?¡±


    Seeing how far the Demon Lord went, they most certainly were serious about their idea. However, things working out or not was an entirely different problem.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that the thousand-year-long history between humanfolk and demons, filled with endless fighting, can be changed this easily. However, as the Demon Lord-sama wishes for this, it will surely become reality at some point.¡± Yuriga delivered an honest answer to Kyle¡¯s question.


    This showed her unwavering trust in the current Demon Lord.


    ¡°As the businessman that I am, I think there¡¯s value to be found in that.¡± Klaus laughed, but there was none of his usual schemings to be found, and rather just his honest feelings.


    To Klaus, this smuggling was a big bet, as much as it was a risk. The only reason Klaus, who has become the world¡¯s most renowned businessman and trader, still continued traveling to and from Demon Territory was duty towards the Demon Lord, and because he believed that it would help humanfolk in the long run.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many tens, or even hundreds of years that might take, and it¡¯s a shame that I won¡¯t be able to see it in person, but¡­¡± Klaus spoke in a cheerful tone, but he wasn¡¯t allowed to finish his words as Kyle turned around and left the room.


    ¡°Hundreds of years¡­is too late,¡± Kyle muttered.


    The arrival of a new Demon Lord and the beginning of the [Great Invasion] will occur in barely two years. Without that, Kyle might have been on board with this plan, but he had no time. And after moving away a few meters, he heard Yuriga¡¯s excited voice behind him.


    ¡°Hm, the new release of [Rezede¡¯s Tale of Tragic Love], is it. I was curious to continue reading.¡±


    It was a popular series depicting the unfortunate story of a female knight.


    ¡°And you¡¯re part of that small portion¡­?¡± Kyle doubted his ears.


    Seven days after they set sails, a definite change happened that symbolized them leaving humanfolk territory.


    ¡°This is¡­an ocean?¡±


    ¡°Huh? We went upstream, so why would we end up at the ocean?¡±


    ¡°The ocean is supposed to be salty, right? Why not get a taste and confirm that?¡±


    They were looking at an endless flat horizon. Having been raised without ever seeing the ocean, Kyle, Lieze, and Seran all stood frozen in the face of that.


    ¡°No, this is a lake. But, the area it spans, it might as well be an entire ocean.¡± Klaus explained, to which the group¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock.


    ¡°Weird, this lake shouldn¡¯t have been here back when Zaales was standing¡­¡± Shildonia tilted her head, not remembering this lake from a thousand years ago.


    ¡°It originally was a normal lake, but five hundred years ago, the high-ranking water spirit went rampant and created a large amount of water. Right now, that¡¯s stopped, but you can see the result.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s why the spirit power of water feels so strong here¡­¡± Urza listened to Yuriga¡¯s explanation as she looked at the lake. ¡°The small island drifting here is our goal. We¡¯ll reach it soon.¡± Just as Yuriga stated, they saw a small island in the distance.


    They had expected it to be a relatively small one as it was located inside a lake, but it could still easily fit one or two cities. The island and its landscape was charming enough to work perfectly as a tourist spot, including a wharf and storage house near the coast for ships to stop. After moving more inland, they ran into a location resembling a castle.


    ¡°Is this the Demon Lord¡¯s residence? This is completely different from what I had imagined.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s totally different from those scary castles I read about in picture books.¡±


    Both Urza and Lieze couldn¡¯t hide their bewilderment. In fact, the building in front of them, and its building style, was about the same luxury level as your average human castle. The path reaching up from the wharf was stone-paved, with a garden awaiting you.


    ¡°This is a separate residence of the Demon Lord-sama. It is comparatively close to the humanfolk territory, with no other demons around, which is why they have chosen this place. Think of it as an honor.¡± Yuriga explained.


    ¡°The way you say that makes it sound like the Demon Lord interacting with humanfolk in this light is not much appreciated by other demons.¡± Seran¡¯s question evidently made Yuriga¡¯s mood drop.


    ¡°Of course. As I said, the great majority of demons look down on humanfolk. If they knew that the Demon Lord-sama treated you as visitors and invited you, they would protest that¡­Especially the ones from the pro-war faction who can be a lot of trouble. Just what kind of complaints would they throw at us¡­¡±


    Lieze saw Yuriga complain and asked her a question.


    ¡°Are you and this pro-war faction on such bad terms?¡±


    ¡°They talk about annihilating humanfolk for the sake of us demons, but deep down, they¡¯re fiends who only fight for their own enjoyment and their own reasons. They would use whatever reason to revolt against Demon Lord-sama who truly thinks about the best of us demons, such insolent fools!¡± Yuriga¡¯s tone grew a lot more aggressive.


    ¡°A war of factions, is it? I guess demons and humanfolk are not that different after all.¡± Angela let out a comment of surprise, used to a battle of factions as the royalty that she was.


    ¡°A pro-war faction¡­You mean those Flame-Eye and Thunder-Breath folks?¡± Kyle remembered these names Yuriga previously mentioned.


    ¡°Yeah. Most troublesome of all is that they are strong enough to receive such an honorific title.¡±


    An honorific title seems to be a special name given to demons whose accomplishments and raw strength have been widely accepted and gratified, with barely ten demons existing who possess these honorific titles. Usually, demons treasure their own personal names, never sharing them with races other than demons like themselves, but an honorific title was a token of pride, which is why demons who possess one are utmost willing to share it at any given moment so that it spreads as much as possible.


    ¡°I see¡­I¡¯d rather not meet those folks, then.¡±


    Targ had stated that his actions were unrelated to the pro-war faction, but as long as they saw humanfolk as the enemy, Kyle¡¯s group would eventually have to fight this pro-war faction. However, the goal at this time was to discuss things with the Demon Lord, and if they got away without running into them in human territory, that was perfectly fine. Approaching the small island, Klaus gave orders to the sailors, and they carefully reached the wharf. At the pier stood their welcome, lowering her head as she greeted Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°I humbly welcome you.¡±


    ¡°Wha?!¡±


    It was a young woman wearing maid clothes with black as its base color. Kyle saw this, and raised a shocked voice. It wasn¡¯t weird for someone high-ranking individual like the Demon Lord to have servants, but the surprising aspect was that this maid was a human.


    ¡°You are¡­a human?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡± The maid nodded toward Kyle¡¯s question without hesitation.


    ¡°There are some humans present in Demon Territory, indeed. And the Demon Lord-sama cares for them.¡± Yuriga spoke with a bit of pride in her voice, as if these were her own accomplishments.


    As far as Kyle could see things, the maid seemed healthy and safe, so there was no problem at least. More than anything, clear determination filled her gaze, and she showed no signs of acting.


    ¡°At the very least, ever since the current Demon Lord¡¯s rule of peace three hundred years ago, no mistreatment of humanfolk has happened,¡± Klaus added an explanation, but Kyle still couldn¡¯t accept this.


    ¡°But¡­if you¡¯re humanfolk, you should go back to our territory.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work. Would you be able to believe a human who returned from Demon Territory? Beyond that, they were born here in Demon Territory, so they lack the common sense found in the humanfolk territory, making a return far too dangerous¡­And, they do not wish to return either.¡±


    The maid let Klaus finish and nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I have heard that our ancestors were brought here as prisoners of war three hundred years ago. We have heard stories of humanfolk, but we personally don¡¯t¡­¡± The maid went quiet.


    To her, humanfolk territory must be a place unreachable, and the idea of being able to return probably never set in for her.


    ¡°The great Demon Lord-sama deeply cares about us, so we have decided to live here.¡±


    Kyle attempted to say something again, but towards the maid who seemed satisfied and thankful to her lord, he was unable to say another word. After giving the sailors orders to offload the cargo, he walked towards the castle. Minagi, like the person she was, decided to stay behind on the boat, so Lieze reluctantly had to see her off.


    ¡°Just to make sure, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could stay behind here, Princess¡­¡± Seran carefully asked Angela, but she rejected that with a smile.


    ¡°No, being away from everyone is much more dangerous for me, so I will stay with you all. Also, we¡¯re not in an official meeting, so please just call me Angela.¡±


    Seran was unable to brush off Angela, as she stayed close to him.


    Guided by the maid, the further they moved inside the Demon Lord¡¯s castle, the less it gave off the vibe of a demonic residence. Flowers were blooming inside a garden surrounded by a fence, with the statue of a maiden standing in the middle of a small fountain that sprayed water everywhere. Upon opening the large double door at the front entrance, they were greeted by a large hall, as well as another ten or more maids lowering their heads at their arrival. The hall had engravings everywhere, creating beautiful paintings on the walls, to the point that it looked more like the residence of a noble than that of the Demon Lord.


    ¡°Those are Rockbar¡¯s sculptures, right. And these are the scenery paintings of Zebones. All these works from famous artists, the Demon Lord¡¯s got surprisingly good taste.¡± Angela looked around with her schooled eye, figuring out that these objects were all of quite high value.


    ¡°I heard that they¡¯ve been trading with another businessman before me, and these objects have taken quite an age¡­It was hard to fit their atmosphere.¡± Klaus showed a satisfied grin.


    It probably took him quite the amount of work to amass all these objects here. After walking down the hallway further, they stopped in front of another large double door.


    ¡°¡­The Demon Lord-sama resides here. Be mindful of your manners.¡± Yuriga turned around, warning the group.


    Kyle took a deep breath, looked at his allies, and then nodded. Following that, the door slowly opened. It resembled an audience chamber, decorated with a strong red carpet on the floor, with a throne standing tall at the end of the carpet. Sitting on this throne¡ªwas a female demon. She looked a lot listless with her untidy clothes, not wearing something you would when greeting people. In human terms, she looked to be in the latter half of her twenties, possessing long hair that reached down to her hips, as well as pretty facial features, but the laziness she emitted ruined all of her good looks.


    What stood out the most however were the two large horns growing from the left and right of her head, as well as the large bishop¡¯s staff standing next to her. It didn¡¯t seem like she was sleeping, but it took a second for her to open her eyes, looking at Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve done well coming here. I am the Demon Lord Luiza.¡± Demon Lord Luiza spoke with a polite tone, but she didn¡¯t move an inch from the throne, let alone fix her posture, so her face sounded more listless than anything.


    ¡°¡­Nice to meet you, I am Kyle Lenard.¡±


    Actually, this was their second time meeting, but Kyle swallowed his thought and greeted her like this was the first time they had met, hoping that his acting had gotten better.


    I see, so you were the Demon Lord at this time¡­


    Kyle remembered the first time they had met in his previous life.


    ¡°So, Yuriga, these¡­humans are?¡± Luiza asked with her usual listless tone.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yuriga went down on one knee, lowering her head, showing absolute obedience.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to name herself¡­¡± Shildonia let out a voice of bewilderment as she looked at Luiza.


    As the Demon Lord, who stood at the apex of the entire demon race, who all treasured their names, she clearly couldn¡¯t believe her ears at Luiza stating her name.


    ¡°Hm? ¡­Ahh, demon folk traditions must be confusing to you humanfolk, so I don¡¯t intend on forcing my name into you. Just refer to me as you¡¯d like, no need to be mindful of your manners.¡±


    She made it sound like she said it for their sake, but in reality, she probably was too lazy to bother with anything else.


    ¡°So, why did you call us here?¡±


    Calling it amiability was a bit too vague for Kyle, but at the very least, she emitted no hostility, so he called out to Luiza. Yuriga glared at Kyle because of this frank tone, but as Luiza said she didn¡¯t mind their manners, Yuriga didn¡¯t dare to reprimand him for that. Instead, Luiza let out a faint laugh and looked at Kyle¡¯s group without anybody in particular.


    ¡°Impatient folks¡­Fine, I have other visitors coming later after all.¡±


    ¡°Demon Lord-sama? What visitors are you¡­?¡± Yuriga seemed to have been left in the dark, asking.


    ¡°We¡¯re not in a public place, you may call me Luiza¡­Quite frankly, they are not very reliable, so you don¡¯t have to worry about them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Yuriga seemed a bit dissatisfied with that, but nodded and lowered her head.


    ¡°So, about you people¡­First, I¡¯d like to thank you. My close aide Yuriga has been in your care two times now, so giving you my thanks would be the least to do as her master, no?¡± Or so Luiza said, but with her usual attitude unchanging, it, sure enough, didn¡¯t sound like any gratitude was being conveyed. ¡°I would have loved to come to meet you instead as that would have been proper etiquette, but I cannot enter the human territory, as that would create war.¡± She showed a faint smile. ¡°In return, I have information about the demon you had fought¡­I believe his name was Targ, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! If you know anything about him, please tell us!¡±


    As Luiza got right into the topic at hand, Kyle pushed his body forward.


    ¡°First, I don¡¯t know that demon. Even if we have lower numbers than you humanfolk, I still don¡¯t know every single demon out there. Not to mention that it¡¯s not rare for demons to defy me.¡±


    To Luiza, Targ seemingly was an existence she didn¡¯t bother much with, not even knowing about him.


    ¡°However, I managed to figure out his location. I personally believe it would be best to leave him alone, but¡­Yuriga was just so noisy. I have someone tracking him, so I would probably be able to remove him in a day or two.¡±


    Kyle heard this and panicked a bit. Naturally, Targ was someone they had to defeat at some point, but he needed to ask him some questions before that.


    ¡°Wait a second, I need to talk with him before that, so could you leave him alive for that?¡±


    ¡°Got it. I had ordered his execution, but I will make sure he gets sent back in a state where you can question him.¡±


    To Kyle¡¯s surprise, Luiza accepted his wish.


    ¡°Huh? ¡­T-Thanks.¡± As he didn¡¯t expect this, Kyle subconsciously thanked her.


    ¡°Also, in regards to the [Dragon King]¡¯s hide, if you leave the measuring to us, we can immediately proceed with the manufacturing. Well, it¡¯ll take time to finish that either way, but if it¡¯s completed, we can have this businessman deliver it to you¡­how about that?¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will take responsibility and make sure it reaches you.¡± Klaus nodded with confidence.


    ¡°R-Right¡­sounds good, then.¡±


    As things went along oddly smoothly, Kyle couldn¡¯t help but be dubious about this situation, but he didn¡¯t comment on it since things were going smoothly for them. At the same time, he realized that being swept along by Luiza¡¯s pace would be bad, so he attempted to speak up, but Luiza fixed her posture and continued.


    ¡°Now, getting to the topic at hand¡­I¡¯m sure you must be aware of this, but I wish for a peaceful relationship with humanfolk. And, I want you to work together with me as much as this businessman does.¡± Luiza said while pointing at Klaus.


    ¡°Working together with a demon¡­¡± Kyle uttered his clear rumination, and his friends were equally perplexed.


    On the way here, they all had their share of ideas of what exactly the Demon Lord would want from them, and working together with the demons certainly was one of those options, but hearing that from the Demon Lord herself was unexpected nonetheless.


    ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t as big of a deal. I just want you to help me in my endeavors, and humanfolk will not suffer any damage, that I promise.¡±


    If these requests were seen as a rebellion against humanfolk, Kyle would immediately reject that in a heartbeat, but as he knew that the Demon Lord was working for the sake of humanfolk, he had to think about it twice.


    ¡°Naturally, I will grant you a fitting reward. Money is one thing, but you seek renown, yes? I could assist you on that as well¡­Just as you had gained the title [Dragon Slayer].¡±


    Luiza added much more profits for Kyle¡¯s group, but his hesitation didn¡¯t disappear that easily.


    ¡°What? Do you wish for war between you and us demons?¡± Luiza gave Kyle a dubious gaze.


    ¡°No, not at all, but¡­¡±


    In a way, there was no person on this continent who wished to avoid this war more than Kyle. Because he had experienced that tragedy himself, he was willing to do whatever was necessary to stop its outbreak. However, the one who will start the war is not the current Demon Lord Luiza, but rather the one who will rise to power in about two years and three months.


    ¡°Hm, no immediate answer, I see¡­Fine, feel free to think about it. There is one more issue I would like to discuss¡± Luiza¡¯s gaze wandered towards Seran¡ªor towards the Holy Sword Rand that he was keeping at his waist. ¡°That sword, I desperately want it¡­¡­Ah, naturally, I don¡¯t plan on taking it by force, so rest assured.¡± Luiza saw Seran¡¯s expression tense up for a moment, so she let out a faint laugh.


    Seran looked down at his own sword with a somewhat saddened gaze.


    ¡°Well¡­Before I think about that, why do you want this sword so desperately?¡± Seran voiced the doubt he had for a while.


    When they fought Yuriga in the mining city Callan, she stated that the Demon Lord wanted the sword no matter what. For that, the former mayor Bucks worked together with the demons, but Seran was always curious why they went so far for that.


    ¡°If you want a good sword, you can always take Kyle¡¯s¡­Ouch.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell me.¡± Shildonia shoved her elbow into Seran¡¯s flank.


    ¡°The question of it being a good or bad sword is not a problem, and rather that I have a special connection with that sword. In fact¡­that sword was used by Randalph to cut down the previous Demon Lord, my father.¡± Luiza showed a somewhat complicated expression, most likely remembering the past.


    At the end of the long war lasting three hundred years, the Hero Randalph struck down the Demon Lord with this sword, giving it the name Holy Sword Rand. And this sword now made its way to Seran¡¯s hands.


    ¡°However, I do not wish for it because of such a trifling connection. In fact, I simply want to keep it close at my side because of a current problem.¡±


    The word current problem made Kyle dubious, and Luiza answered that with a smile.


    ¡°Well, to put it simply, as it was showered by the blood of my father, the previous demon lord, it possesses a certain attribute¡­even able to erase my power that is unbefitting of a Demon Lord.¡±


    Yuriga didn¡¯t seem to know about this either, as her face showed clear surprise.


    ¡°¡­In other words, that sword is my weakness.¡±


    ¡°L-Luiza-sama! You cannot tell them!¡± Yuriga tried to stop the Demon Lord, but it was already too late.


    ¡°Your weakness¡­Should you really be telling us, humans, about such a thing?¡± Seran commented while looking down at the sword hanging from his waist.


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t mind. Even if you were to use that sword, you would not be able to kill me.¡± Luiza said as if there was no problem whatsoever.


    ¡°Huh¡­Well said.¡± Seran¡¯s pride must have been hurt as one of his cheeks twitched.


    Unbeknownst to his feelings, Luiza continued.


    ¡°Even so, I¡¯d like to keep it at my side. Of course, I will provide something of the same value, varying from all treasures. That must be quite valuable for humanfolk, no? Just tell this businessman what you want, and I shall have him provide it.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. Even I profit from this, after all.¡± Klaus deeply lowered his head, as he proclaimed.


    ¡°So, how about it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even need to think about it. I decline.¡± Seran lightly tapped the sword at his waist, which he saw as his beloved partner, and declared with no hesitation.


    ¡°Bastard! What attitude do you dare show towards Luiza-sama!¡± Yuriga was enraged at Seran¡¯s statement, but right as she approached Seran, Luiza raised her hand.


    ¡°I see¡­I can¡¯t force you either¡­What to do¡­I know, I will make you my possession.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Possession?¡± Seran pointed at himself, unable to understand Luiza¡¯s words.


    ¡°Instead of becoming my ally, I will keep you at my side, which will automatically make that sword mine all the same. Humans can¡¯t live for many years, no? I will simply make the sword my possession after your death.¡±


    Basically, she would wait for Seran to pass away and then the sword would ultimately become hers.


    ¡°Naturally, I don¡¯t plan on giving you any cruel life as my possession, and you don¡¯t have to live in Demon Territory either. You can live an easy life in the human territory for all I care. However, I will grant you any wish you have. Money? Women? I have quite a lot of humans with me, and I don¡¯t mind giving you a demon woman.¡±


    ¡°Huh? ¡­So, even Yuriga?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Luiza answered without a single shred of hesitation.


    ¡°Wha¡­?!¡±


    Of course, Yuriga meant to say something and raised her head, but immediately went quiet again. Seran enjoyed the sight of that, as she tried to get a better look at her, only for Lieze and Urza to step on both his feet simultaneously, pulling the emergency brakes.


    ¡°Ouch¡­B-But, that would limit my own actions, right?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. I cannot have you die somewhere I have no supervision on, that would ruin the meaning of making you my possession. I will have you live in a safe and secure place.¡±


    Basically, he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to go on adventures anymore, acting as some stay-at-home husband. Depending on the person, that would be quite a seductive invitation. However, there was a bigger problem in the picture.


    ¡°Then no thanks. I want to live freely. Only listening to someone¡¯s orders doesn¡¯t fit my style at all. Sorry ¡®bout that.¡± Seran waved his hand at Luiza, rejecting her offer.


    ¡°¡­I am willing to give you quite the compromise, you know?¡±


    Suddenly, the tone in Luiza¡¯s voice changed.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Luiza may have only added a faint glimmer of irritation in her voice, but it immediately lowered the temperature in the room. Immense pressure covered their bodies, creating a hallucination as if they were bound down by iron chains. This alone was plenty to make them realize they were actually dealing with the current Demon Lord. After this tense atmosphere pressed down on them for a moment, Angela opened her mouth after being silent this entire time.


    ¡°Excuse me, I don¡¯t particularly care about the ownership of the sword, but I was the first one who set eyes on Seran-sama.¡±


    ¡°A-Angela-sama?!¡± Klaus threw in a meager attempt to stop the girl, but she continued nonetheless.


    ¡°And as I have made a promise with him first, I¡¯d like you to refrain from making any more advances.¡±


    Err, what about my opinion?


    Seran tried to comment on the situation happening in front of him, but he suddenly heard Angela¡¯s voice inside his head.


    (Their attitude isn¡¯t changing, so rather than drawing back, we should push forward.)


    This must be the effect of the magic item¡¯s [Telepathy].


    (I am skilled at negotiations. Please, leave this to me¡­Lies are a useful instrument, see.)


    She seemed oddly confident, as she took a step forward.


    ¡°Oh, I am surprised you could say that in front of me.¡±


    Luiza seemingly found interest in Angela¡¯s protest, her eyes showing a faint glimmer of excitement.


    ¡°I am the princess of the Galgan Empire, so there are things I cannot give up easily.¡±


    ¡°Gal¡­gan Empire? What is that?¡±


    ¡°A large country located in the humanfolk territory. It possesses the greatest strength at the moment.¡± Yuriga delivered a quick explanation, to which Luiza showed a reminiscent reaction.


    ¡°Ahh, one of these ¡®countries¡¯ you call it. Personally, I fail to grasp the reason why all of you humanfolk would split up into smaller groups like these¡­However, that brings up the question why you have come here.¡±


    Luiza did call Kyle¡¯s group here but didn¡¯t hear about the presence of a princess.


    ¡°I ran from my guard and followed Seran-sama. I plan on making him my personal knight, so I cannot let him be stolen like this.¡±


    Because Angela did not hold back at all with her words, Seran felt the urge to comment on that again. She said that lies worked as a great instrument, but Seran felt like he was thrown into a deep hole unable to escape from.


    ¡°Hmm¡­It appears as if I¡¯ve been taken lightly. To think I was given the opinion of royalty whose position had been decided at birth.¡± Luiza glared at Angela.


    It was a light gaze, but as she was the Demon Lord, even that was enough pressure to make your soul shake.


    ¡°¡­My position at birth does not matter. As I will never know when my downfall could happen, I have to discipline myself and aim for someone higher than me.¡± Yet, Angela didn¡¯t back down either.


    ¡°Oh, well said, human¡­Fine, I don¡¯t dislike energetic humans. We will leave this case on hold for a moment.¡± Luiza relaxed a bit, to which the temperature in the room returned to normal.


    ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m happy you understand.¡±


    She probably knew that it was a simple threat and nothing more. Angela took a deep breath and showed a polite bow. However, Luiza apparently had no intentions of backing down either.


    ¡°All right¡­and there is one more thing.¡± Luiza looked at Kyle¡¯s face for the very first time since he arrived, practically staring at him.


    After a brief moment, she showed a dubious expression.


    ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡±


    Unable to understand the meaning behind that question, Kyle was about to ask for confirmation, when the large door behind them opened, and a maid stormed inside. Yuriga reflexively attempted to reproach the girl for her rudeness, but she saw how serious the maid was, and stopped herself.


    ¡°M-My sincerest apologies, but Flame-Eye-sama has come to visit!¡±


    She could barely finish her sentence when a shadow appeared behind her. It looked like a female demon resembling a human, with sheep horns growing from her head, and her peculiar trait in the shape of her crimson eyes shone brightly to match her grin. This was clearly their first time meeting, but Kyle had a familiar impression of the demon.


    ¡°Flame-Eye¡­¡± Yuriga clearly didn¡¯t enjoy this arrival, clicking her tongue.


    ¡°Outta my way,¡± Flame-Eye said with a cold tone of voice, as she looked down at the maid like she looked at a small pebble on the road.


    The second the red glimmer in Flame-Eye¡¯s eyes grew even stronger, Luiza spoke up.


    ¡°That human belongs to me. If you dare hurt her, think of it as hurting me all the same, Flame-Eye.¡± Luiza¡¯s listless attitude remained the same, but her voice held the pressure befitting the Demon Lord.


    Flame-Eye¡¯s movement stopped abruptly, and she turned towards Luiza. She put her hands together, lowering her head which really gave off the feeling that she was only superficially polite.


    ¡°Oh my, oh my, the Demon Lord-sama, it¡¯s a pleasure.¡±


    In the meantime, the maid frantically ran away from that place, and it seemed like Flame-Eye had already lost interest in her.


    ¡°What imprudence! The Demon Lord-sama is partaking in a meeting, how dare you interrupt her!¡± Yuriga howled in fury, reprimanding the female demon.


    ¡°My sincerest apologies, I just couldn¡¯t wait to meet my beloved Demon Lord-sama as quickly as possible.¡± Flame-Eye kept her acting up, as she apologized while showing no hostility. ¡°I have to say, you sure know how to howl despite being nothing more than a small animal relying on the Demon Lord-sama¡¯s greatness¡­¡±


    After evidently looking down on Yuriga, Flame-Eye¡¯s gaze turned towards Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°So, about this important meeting, are you conversing with humans by any chance?¡± Flame-Eye looked at Kyle¡¯s group without even trying to hide her disdain. ¡°The Demon Lord inviting lowly humanfolk over, I would have believed that such a thing was never supposed to happen?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    It was evidently a sarcastic comment, but perfectly reasonable in context, so Yuriga could merely grit her teeth in silence. However, Luiza remained as listless as ever.


    ¡°Huh, you sure have guts to say that.¡±


    The part of Flame-Eye calling them ¡®lowly¡¯ must have hit deep for Seran, now sharing a sharp glare at the demon Flame-Eye in front of him.


    ¡°Oh my, what energy from trash like you¡­I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll burn just great.¡± Flame-Eye responded adequately, as her bright eyes shone.


    Before the situation could escalate, however, Luiza broke between the two with a joyful voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Flame-Eye, they aren¡¯t just your average humanfolk. And, I believe they aren¡¯t completely unrelated to you either.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡± Flame-Eye narrowed her eyes, seeming dubious.


    ¡°Correct. After all, these humans are the ones who defeated Ganias.¡± Luiza explained with an intrigued tone, to which Flame-Eye¡¯s eyebrow twitched.


    ¡°Ganias? ¡­My, what a surprise.¡±


    Up to that point, Flame-Eye had treated Kyle¡¯s group like trash on the side of the road, only for her to face them properly, closely inspecting them from head to toe. That gaze alone made shivers run down Kyle¡¯s back, but he accepted it to the best of his ability. After Flame-Eye had seen enough, she let out a fascinated snicker and called out to them.


    ¡°¡­I see, it appears as if my younger brother has been in your care.¡±


    ¡°Younger brother?¡±


    ¡°I believe you fought that inexperienced brother of mine at this humanfolk city called Callan.¡±


    There, Kyle finally connected the dots. He thought that Flame-Eye¡¯s impression felt familiar, but that¡¯s because she was related to Ganias.


    ¡°I see¡­so you¡¯re Ganias¡¯ older sister. You two do resemble each other.¡±


    ¡°Were you the one who killed Ganias?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was me. I used chains of mithril to seal his movement and pushed him into the lava.¡± Kyle explained without a moment¡¯s hesitation, speaking only the truth.


    ¡°¡­Maybe don¡¯t say that?¡± Urza was plagued by a severe headache as she massaged her temple.


    Everybody would be furious to hear family being murdered in such a cruel way.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s very much like him to go out like that.¡±


    And yet, Flame-Eye was snickering to herself.


    ¡°¡­So? Are you going to get revenge for your brother?¡± Kyle dropped the tone of his voice, as a tense air filled the room.


    ¡°Of course not. The dead won¡¯t profit from anything the living do. And, the dead don¡¯t give us any reward either. I¡¯d rather not stress myself if I don¡¯t benefit from it at all.¡± Flame-Eye calmly explained how she had no hard feelings for them despite murdering her brother. ¡°Though if you really managed to kill that foolish brother of mine, you most certainly are not some trash as I expected you to be¡­Hehe, I think things will get interesting from now on. Me aside, I¡¯m sure those guys would be happy.¡± Flame-Eye showed an almost ominous and unpleasant smile.


    ¡°Those guys? Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, these two will be coming here shortly. Thunder-Breath¡­and Three-Arms, that is.¡±


    Yuriga seemed on edge at Flame-Eye¡¯s words, who explained her words with an almost sympathetic tone, as she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°¡­Leaving aside Thunder-Breath, I¡¯m quite shocked Three-Arms decided to come.¡± Luiza sighed.


    Despite showing no emotion except listlessness up to this point, Luiza finally showed an expression representing surprise, commenting with an annoyed tone of voice.


    ¡°I am surprised. To think Three-Arms would act now.¡± Flame-Eye made it sound like this was an unexpected turn of events.


    ¡°I feel like things will grow turbulent from here on out¡­Fine, since they¡¯re coming, it¡­Hm? Oh, have they already arrived?¡± Luiza directed her gaze at the window, spotting giant bat-like monsters in front of the castle, probably acting as a means of transportation.


    ¡°Maybe we should leave in the meantime?¡± Kyle said, but Luiza said she didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°You are my main guests for the day, so you can participate without needing to worry.¡±


    ¡°No, I was genuinely hoping you wouldn¡¯t wrap us up in your internal¡­¡±


    Before Kyle could finish his sentence, the door swung open with great momentum, and another shadow appeared. It was unlike Flame-Eye, more like a wolf, or a giant lion. With sharp fangs, walking on all fours, it was undoubtedly a wolf, but its eyes inhabited intelligence you wouldn¡¯t see from a wild beast. However, beyond any of that, these sharp eyes emitted clear fury and killing intent, directed at Kyle¡¯s group. From between its fangs, you could periodically see sparks flying, paired with rumbling deep inside its throat. Met with this much hostility, Kyle¡¯s group immediately prepared for any imminent battle, but Luiza stopped that.


    ¡°Thunder-Breath, I¡¯m well aware of how you feel, but I expect you to have the determination to deal with the repercussions if you instigate a battle in front of me without my permission.¡±


    Her voice wasn¡¯t particularly loud or powerful, but the demon called Thunder-Breath shook its body and faced Luiza, lowering his head to the ground.


    ¡°¡­My sincerest apologies, Demon Lord-sama.¡± Fluent words came out of the mouth covered in fangs.


    ¡°Apologies, but Thunder-Breath is one of the demons who begrudges humanfolk the most, always raring to go on a slaughter if I were to give the command.¡±


    It was unclear what she saw as funny, but Luiza explained with a smile.


    ¡°During the great war between us and the humanfolk, his entire race fell to ruin except himself as the single survivor, so I bet he must hold his grudges¡­Not like it matters much now that his entire bloodline is gone.¡±


    Her motive was unclear, but Flame-Eye agitated Thunder-Breath with a faint snicker.


    ¡°Flame-Eye¡­Shut your mouth.¡± Thunder-Breath glared at her in rage, as sparks filled the entire air around him, making it seem like the electricity in the air went up.


    ¡°My, I¡¯m sorry. With them, you may have used them, and without them, life must be a lot easier¡­But, that isn¡¯t something I should tell you.¡± The red glimmer in Flame-Eye¡¯s eye grew more intense, glaring at Thunder-Breath who bared his fangs.


    Luiza watched this unfold and shook her head with a sigh. Right as she tried to break between the two, another demon appeared which completely stopped her.


    ¡°So you¡¯re here¡­Three-Arms.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too noisy, you morons.¡±


    It was a deep voice that made the lower part of your stomach rumble. Seeing the owner of that voice, Kyle was shocked for a different reason than when he met the Demon Lord just now. Three-Arms was tall enough that you had to look up at him. It was typical for demons to be taller than the average human, but even he surpassed the height of his fellow brethren by ten times or more. Because of this overwhelming presence, even Seran and the others audibly gulped.


    The arms and legs of the beast were the sizes of a fully-grown adult, with large muscles around them looking like ropes. From its mouth, you could see sharp teeth, and aiding with the severe impression was the large scar across the left side of its face, most likely inflicted by the strike of a sword. As a result of that, its left eye was fully closed. The tip of its long and thick tail was a sharp end, most likely rivaling the sharp end of an arrowhead. Three-Arms¡¯ appearance practically embodied the idea of the destruction of violence, and his arrival was enough to gravely change the pressure in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Three-Arms. I¡¯m glad you haven¡¯t changed.¡± Luiza¡¯s tone gradually changed.


    Her previous listlessness had vanished, and she adapted to the serious atmosphere. Rather, it almost sounded like she was trying to be considerate of Three-Arms.


    ¡°It has been a while, Demon Lord-sama.¡± With a voice deep enough it resembled rocks rubbing against the other, Three-Arms greeted Luiza.


    At the same time, Kyle¡¯s heart started racing more aggressively, as strength filled all his limbs, his teeth grinding against the other. Every single drop of sweat he could feel on his forehead, as his breathing grew out of control.


    ¡°Kyle, what¡¯s wrong? You look pale.¡± Lieze asked with a worried tone.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    Lieze could easily see through that lie, but Kyle¡¯s odd behavior was on the level she couldn¡¯t ask any further. Kyle knew he worried her, but he equally couldn¡¯t afford to tell her either¡ªthat Three-Arms was her killer.


    This was the third time Kyle met Three-Arms. The first time was the fateful day the Great Invasion began, the day when his hometown Rimarze fell. Kyle had been away from Rimarze for a short time, but by the time he learned about the events happening there and came running back, it was already too late. As the demons were retreating, he saw Three-Arms, but met with the immense pressure from him, he could only hold the dying Lieze in his arms, looking at her killer walking off into the distance.


    The next time they met was on a battlefield where the fight with the demons grew more intense. Kyle led a platoon of around 30 people against Three-Arms. As he still held a grudge for what happened to his hometown, he fought with everything he had. However, it ended in absolute defeat. The only survivor was Kyle who was riddled with heavy wounds, it was a miracle that he was still alive.


    However, unable to get revenge for his lost love, he couldn¡¯t even be happy that he survived, and simply regretted that he was the only survivor. As a blessing in disguise, he never ran into Three-Arms after that. However, they were now reunited, so of course, he couldn¡¯t stay calm.


    ¡°That one¡¯s definitely in the pro-war faction. He probably loves fighting to the point it¡¯s his lone reason for existing.¡± Seran proclaimed with a single glance at Three-Arms. ¡°Of course, he¡¯s far stronger than both of us¡­¡± He was forced to praise Three-Arms¡¯ strength, understanding that playing tough wouldn¡¯t help anybody.


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m well aware.¡± Kyle nodded.


    He knew that better than anybody else.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t provoke him too much. What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Seran warned Kyle, who was still glaring at Three-Arms.


    ¡°Oh, that human over there. That is some comfortable killing intent you¡¯re showing me.¡±


    Catching on to Kyle¡¯s gaze, Three-Arms showed faint excitement, as he looked at Kyle.


    ¡°Human¡­how should I interpret your gaze?¡±


    Thunder-Breath reacted to the blatant hostility from Kyle, howling at him.


    ¡°Stop it, Thunder-Breath, if you attempt something now, then I have to fight you.¡±


    Unexpectedly, the person to stop Thunder-Breath was Three-Arms.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not letting you give me any orders, even if it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, that would give me plenty of a reason to finally fight you, so I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    For some reason, Three-Arms and Thunder-Breath now were acting hostile towards each other.


    ¡°I will not allow any unwanted fighting in front of me.¡±


    Amidst this tense atmosphere, Luiza emitted genuine pressure she didn¡¯t show before. The demons immediately changed their postures, and despite not being the target of this hostility, Lieze and Urza staggered backward. Yet, Three-Arms was the only one who stayed calm during that moment.


    ¡°For crying out loud, I told you to keep this a secret, yet you cause a ruckus like this¡­Though I¡¯m quite surprised, Three-Arms. Why have you come here? You rarely listen to my orders, so what would you be doing here?¡±


    ¡°I simply wanted to visit you¡­or so I¡¯d like to say, but hearing about humanfolk with actual backbone is one of the reasons.¡±


    Three-Arms looked at Kyle, unable to stop himself from grinning. Kyle immediately put his hand on his sword.


    ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t know how these other guys feel, but I don¡¯t particularly dislike you humanfolk. Rather, I have great interest in you.¡±


    Kyle was baffled.


    ¡°What¡­did you say?¡±


    ¡°No need to be so shocked, I simply adore the strong. Whether you¡¯re a demon or not doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Three-Arms explained and started telling of his past. ¡°Three hundred years ago, during the great war, I fought with many of humanfolk, but many of them were insignificant. However, there was one strong individual, Randolph¡­He was really strong. We couldn¡¯t ever finish our fight, but I had no regrets.¡±


    Three-Arms saw the hero who struck down the previous Demon Lord as a sparring partner, almost. In other words, to Kyle¡¯s group, Three-Arms was that much of a legendary individual.


    ¡°And my interest grew even further when I heard that a new wielder of his sword appeared¡­something like that.¡± Three-Arms looked at the Holy Sword Rand at Seran¡¯s waist while telling Luiza.


    ¡°Hm¡­To see you this open and talkative¡­it would appear that you¡¯ve taken great interest in Randolph.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, my battle with him was the most enjoyable in all of my life thus far. Even reminiscing about it makes my scar ache.¡± Three-Arms rubbed the scar on his face as he smiled.


    It was a fiendish smile, but it was enough to get across how much joy that battle brought him.


    ¡°That¡¯s very much like you¡­But, leaving you aside, for now, Flame-Eye and Thunder-Breath. I can somewhat figure out why you¡¯ve come here. You want me to restart our assault on humanfolk, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. As soon as we receive your order, we are ready to depart and completely obliterate those pesky humans.¡± Thunder-Breath showed his fangs, evidently seeking out war with humanfolk.


    ¡°I¡¯m not on the same level as Thunder-Breath, but many of us wish for places of active participation. Please, dear Demon Lord-sama, oblige your subordinates with this single request.¡± Flame-Eye stated that the majority of demons wished to fight humanfolk once more.


    ¡°As long as I have your order, I¡¯m ready to go whenever. Whether I have to fight humanfolk or a fellow demon.¡±


    Three-Arms didn¡¯t have a particular reason, he simply wanted to fight whenever and whoever. They each had a reason to wish for a fight.


    ¡°You guys are as nonchalant as always¡­However, my opinion does not change. I will not fight humanfolk, but rather seek out a friendly relationship.¡±


    The three naturally didn¡¯t enjoy that answer very much. Particularly Thunder-Breath was close to exploding, as he grit his fangs.


    ¡°And to repeat myself once more, if you do not share my sentiments, you are free to fight me whenever, and become the next Demon Lord¡­¡± Luiza showed an invincible smile.


    The condition to become the Demon Lord, the ruler of all demons, is to become the strongest demon to exist. It was a simple yet efficient structure of ruling. The one to defeat the current Demon Lord rises to become the next one, and in the event that the Demon Lord was to die for other reasons, the next strongest demon would take their place. Met with Luiza¡¯s confident proclamation, Flame-Eye and Thunder-Breath both averted their eyes, with only Three-Arms looking at her face.


    ¡°¡­What will you do, Three-Arms?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wonder¡­¡± He showed a profound smile.


    A tense atmosphere ran between Luiza and Three-Arms.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. It¡¯s time¡­¡± Luiza realized something, averting her face.


    ¡°Hm? What are you talking about?¡± Three-Arms was curious.


    ¡°I had other planned visitors, even rarer than your arrival. It was rather abrupt, but I could not decline, see¡­Well, this must be another thread of fate, as they are related to these humans here. And before anything else, he¡¯s a lot more reliable than you are.¡± Luiza smiled and looked at the three of the pro-war faction.


    Finally, the maid reappeared, announcing the arrival of the new visitor, and Luiza ordered her to bring them through. Shortly after, a man and woman appeared. The first one to enter was a human woman who seemed to be somewhere around twenty, maybe a bit younger, possessing knowledgeable facial features with a strong gaze in her eyes. Next to her stood a young man with a comparatively small stature and a cheeky look in his eyes, most likely a year or two younger than Kyle. Both of them wore proper clothes, with fabric reaching down from their head to their waist, which was like a full mantle, but they seemed awkward wearing that.


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Demon Lord. My sincerest apologies for our sudden¡­Huh? What brings you people here?¡± The woman tried to politely greet the Demon Lord, when she spotted Kyle¡¯s group, her eyes opening wide. She clearly remembered them, but Kyle¡¯s group didn¡¯t feel the same way.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Wait¡­is it a hu¡­N-No, you are?!¡±


    The young man seemed just as surprised to see Kyle, but he didn¡¯t seem familiar either. However, that voice sounded familiar to Kyle, as they had a battle to the death before.


    ¡°Why are you here? No, more importantly, I¡¯ll pay you back for last time!¡± The young man opened his mouth in anger, which revealed several of his missing teeth, which made things a lot more clear to Kyle.


    ¡°Are you¡­Ghrud?¡±


    Ghrud was the dragon that made Kyle earn the title [Dragon Slayer] after their battle. Then again, Kyle didn¡¯t finish him off, which is why Ghrud was still alive and kicking. Normally, they should be in their dragon appearances, but since the [Dragon King] could shapeshift into a human, it wasn¡¯t weird for them to be able to either.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I haven¡¯t forgotten about last time!¡±


    Kyle destroyed several of Ghrud¡¯s teeth, and made him pass out after continuous attacks on his head. Naturally, he held a grudge because of that.


    ¡°That was clearly the fault of that Mera follower¡­So, is that woman with you Irumera?¡± Kyle looked at the woman, and she nodded.


    ¡°To think we would meet here¡­¡±


    Unlike Ghrud, Irumera was a lot more relaxed, and albeit she seemed a bit confused, she showed a faint glimmer of happiness as well.


    ¡°Dragons¡­after staying hidden for an eternity, why have you come here today?¡± Thunder-Breath looked at the two dragons while grumbling.


    Although they weren¡¯t humans, he still saw them as a nuisance.


    ¡°Who¡¯re you? If you have a problem with us, then be open with¡­Ouch!¡± Ghrud was about to pick a fight with Thunder-Breath, but Irumera kicked him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re here in their territory.¡±


    Ghrud seemingly wanted to complain at first, but he went quiet, unable to fight against the pressure coming from Irumera. It seemed like she had full control in that situation.


    ¡°Ghrud really is vulgar at times¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still young. I¡¯d assume that Zeurus completely failed at educating him.¡±


    Lieze and Shildonia were secretly talking to each other. After glaring at them, Irumera cleared her throat and turned towards Luiza.


    ¡°Excuse us, Demon Lord, and thank you very much for accepting our sudden visit.¡± Irumera apologized and thanked Luiza, showing a calm attitude despite the circumstances.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t be polite towards me, as you are not a fellow demon. My name is Luiza, I hereby welcome you, dragons who follow [Dragon King] Zeurus.¡± Luiza remained calm, returning the greeting. ¡°So, what is it you want from me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to ask about the Ancient Dragon Juvars-sama who resides here in Demon Territory.¡±


    He is the only existence who can stand on equal ground with Zeurus, Ancient Dragon Juvars. Ancient Dragons were special high-ranking dragons that had been alive since the grandfather of all dragons, Divine Dragon Valzed, had been alive, and there are only two Ancient Dragons alive at this point in time. Zeurus resided in the east of the humanfolk territory, with Juvars living to the west in Demon Territory.


    ¡°Juvars should be present in the iceberg to the north. A Demon Lord of a few generations ago signed a peace treaty that stated as long as we didn¡¯t set foot inside this iceberg, he would not invade our territory. However, I¡¯ve been trying to organize negotiations as much as I am with Zeurus, and send an envoy over, but they had been rejected immediately three hundred years ago.¡± Luiza shrugged her shoulders.


    It seems like Juvars was especially secluded even amongst the standards of the dragons, at least when it came to interacting with other races.


    ¡°If anything, should you not know best since he is a fellow dragon?¡± Luiza asked.


    ¡°About that¡­We made our way to the iceberg under the orders of Zeurus-sama, but it was completely vacant.¡± Irumera narrowed her eyes as she answered. ¡°Unlike Zeurus-sama, Juvars-sama spends most of his time in solitude, so we don¡¯t have anybody else we could ask¡­Thus, we had to rely on the Demon Lord-sama, who knows the most in the entire Demon Territory.¡±


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what happened. It pains me to say this, but I only now learned of him not being in the iceberg anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Irumera was evidently disappointed at that.


    ¡°Hey, they clearly don¡¯t know, so let¡¯s just go ho¡ªOuch!¡± Ghrud commented, clearly not motivated to do any proper work, but Irumera kicked him again.


    ¡°Juvars is quite old, yes? Even dragons have a lifespan, so maybe he has died without any of you knowing?¡±


    Irumera shook her head at Luiza¡¯s question.


    ¡°No, according to Zeurus-sama, his location is unknown, but he is alive. He seems to be moving, even.¡±


    It seemed like a fellow Ancient Dragon could feel the existence of another such as Juvars.


    ¡°I see¡­Though it is weird, if a dragon of Juvars level were to be active, it would have surely reached me by now.¡± Luiza started thinking.


    If an Ancient Dragon were to become active, it would influence the demonfolk as a whole.


    ¡°Very well, I will ask my followers if they know anything.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Irumera bowed, and Ghrud reluctantly followed suit.


    ¡°Alright, now that that¡¯s done. Hey, human! We¡¯ll continue our fight from last time! I didn¡¯t lose, all right!¡±


    Right as Ghrud seemed docile, he bared his fangs at Kyle.


    ¡°¡­You clearly lost. Also, I was trying to save you, so why don¡¯t you show some gratitude, huh?¡± Kyle didn¡¯t back down and returned these words.


    ¡°Come on, that wasn¡¯t necessary,¡± Lieze complained, but Kyle didn¡¯t look away from Ghrud.


    ¡°Well said, human. Then let¡¯s get right to¡­Gueh!¡±


    Ghrud was ready to leap at Kyle, only for Irumera to grab him by the throat.


    ¡°What are you doing? Zeurus-sama ordered us not to cause any unnecessary complications. Do you want to be punished again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­Urgh¡­¡±


    Ghrud must have remembered said punishment, as he immediately grew more docile.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t agitate him either.¡± Irumera looked at Kyle, but he averted his face like he didn¡¯t care.


    At the same time, as these dragons were the furthest away from them as demons, Three-Arms and Flame-Eye looked at the dragons with dubious eyes.


    ¡°I had no idea dragons could play jokes like that.¡± Three-Arms laughed like he was watching a comedy act.


    ¡°Dragons, huh¡­I heard they¡¯re a lot more commendable than humanfolk, but I wonder how far that really is applicable?¡±


    Flame-Eye seemed quite interested in the two dragons, but her eyes made it clear she simply looked for any way to use them.


    ¡°What did you say! Are you making fun of¡­Ouch!¡±


    ¡°How many more times do I need to tell you to be quiet.¡±


    Ghrud ate another punch from Irumera, silenced with no remorse.


    ¡°For crying out loud, things have gotten chaotic. I can¡¯t even continue the conversation.¡± Luiza looked around the participants present and spoke up. ¡°Time for a restart.¡± She stood up from her throne and declared. ¡°Whether I¡¯ve invited you or you¡¯ve invited yourselves, visitors are still visitors. I can¡¯t prepare a banquet, but we shall eat together. It won¡¯t hurt to deepen the bonds between demons, dragons, and humanfolk through a shared meal. Until everything is prepared, please entertain our visitors,¡± Luiza ordered Yuriga, grabbing her staff, and leaving the audience room.


    ¡°Huh? We¡¯re supposed to eat with this constellation of members?¡±


    At the same time, Kyle narrowed his eyes, receiving clear hostility from Ghrud and pure killing intent from Thunder-Breath.


    ¡°Hm, that sounds quite interesting.¡±


    ¡°A meal with humanfolk and dragons¡­that¡¯s a first for me, but I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Surprisingly enough, Three-Arms and Flame-Eye were more than up for it.


    ¡°Now that we were invited, I guess we have to participate.¡±


    ¡°A meal¡­Wha? What will we be eating?¡±


    Since the two dragons had to wait for any information on Juvars, they naturally had to wait here, but the eating practices between humanfolk and demons were far too different, and the group was at a loss.


    ¡°I wonder what they¡¯ll prepare,¡± Shildonia muttered amidst the chaos, looking around the group. ¡°Though I have to say, this is the second chance where humanfolk, demons, and dragons all end up in a group. Last time it was [Dragon King] Zeurus, this time it¡¯s the Demon Lord herself¡­One time makes it a coincidence, but a second time in such a short span¡­history is moving things forward, but I wonder which direction it will take.¡± The former summit of humanfolk, [Magic King] Shildonia, looked at the center of these events, Kyle, and talked to herself.

 Volume 5 - CH 7

    ¡°Phew, I¡¯m tired¡­¡± Seran sunk down on the soft chair in the guest room prepared for them.


    It was a reception room you would see in a castle, with Kyle¡¯s group present, as well as the two dragons Irumera and Ghrud, and Yuriga. Klaus had left the room to confirm the luggage.


    ¡°To think those three from the pro-war faction would come to visit today of all days.¡± Yuriga reminisced about the previous get-together, sounding exhausted.


    ¡°Those three¡­I don¡¯t know if I should be saying this, but they were on pretty bad terms, right?¡± Lieze commented while remembering them constantly clashing.


    ¡°Although they may all be part of the pro-war faction, they aren¡¯t particularly close, no. Their shared goal is to fight humanfolk, but they each have their own reasons, and their personalities are different as well.¡± Yuriga said, evidently displeased. ¡° Thunder-Breath solely resents humanfolk as a whole, Flame-Eye wishes to raise her own glory and find more area for her fellow demons, but neither of them understands Luiza-sama¡¯s grand-scale plan, nor do they plan to either.¡±


    ¡°So what about Three-Arms? Judging from his name, he should have three individual arms.¡±


    When Three-Arms¡¯ name popped up, Kyle suddenly broke his long silence and joined the conversation. In response to that, Yuriga showed emotions that were different but similar to anger.


    ¡°Three-Arms-sama¡­the name Three-Arms comes from his long tail, which he uses during a fight, almost like a third arm¡­or so they say.¡±


    Judging from that way of phrasing things, Yuriga wasn¡¯t too sure of that herself.


    ¡°Or so they say? You¡¯ve never seen him fight?¡±


    ¡°Barely any demons alive today have seen Three-Arms fight. He fights alone without any allies, and the opponents he had fought¡­all died.¡±


    Everybody went quiet after hearing Yuriga¡¯s heavy words.


    ¡°He had been fighting as the close aide of the previous Demon Lord-sama and has continued to win. Nobody dares to go against him. However, as fighting is everything to him, he naturally is against Luiza-sama¡¯s plan to build a friendly relationship with humanfolk. That being the case, we have to be careful of him. Of course, having respect for him or not is an entirely different matter.¡± Yuriga commented.


    ¡°I see. What do you thi¡ªHey, Kyle?¡± Seran called out to Kyle, who had been lost in his thoughts for a while now. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been acting off ever since you saw Three-Arms. Like¡­you¡¯re on edge or something. You were aggressive towards Ghrud as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    Kyle responded to some degree, but he evidently wasn¡¯t mentally present.


    ¡°I understand that he¡¯s no small fry, but it¡¯s not like we have to fight him, nor do we have to. No need to be this concerned about him.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Kyle went silent. He was fully aware that his mental state was in disarray after being reunited with Three-Arms. He was the individual who caused great pain to Kyle. Even if there was nothing else he could have done, it still plagued him. However, all he could do was see Three-Arms off. He used all of his strength, even with a party of 30 allies, he merely grazed him. It was a faint injury, only slightly hurting Three-Arms¡¯ shoulder. That was Kyle¡¯s limit back at that time. Yet, Three-Arms found delight in this, and decided to leave Kyle alive for later.


    ¡®I¡¯ve grown tired of weak humanfolk, but you¡¯re different. Become even stronger for me.¡¯


    Three-Arms left behind these words with a smile, as Kyle barely survived their encounter. Despite that demon being Kyle¡¯s driving force, he was forced to watch him off with a smile, and even given a chance at survival by the enemy, Kyle was dejected beyond belief.


    Yeah, there¡¯s no reason to fight him, and only a fool would wish for needless fighting¡­


    So Kyle tried to convince himself, but the itching deep inside of his body wouldn¡¯t subside. At the same time as he was lost in thought, Yuriga called out to him.


    ¡°Flame-Eye rarely fights herself, so the only one I have actually witnessed partaking in a fight before is Thunder-Breath. His lightning attacks in the shape of his breath gave him his prestigious title, reaching from a close distance to long-range. He could easily fight a thousand humanfolk soldiers on his own, and most likely slaughter them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a pain, all right. With no magic or long-distance weapons, there¡¯s no chance.¡± Seran commented after hearing Yuriga¡¯s explanation, realising that he is a dangerous enemy to fight.


    If his thunder breath attacks were effective even from long-range, close-distance fighters such as Kyle and the others were at a clear disadvantage, and blocking the attacks with their swords wouldn¡¯t work either.


    ¡°So the only way to defeat him is from a distance. A surprise attack would be the best, but since he¡¯s cautious with us around, that¡¯ll prove difficult¡­Getting in close-range and finishing it with one attack probably would be the best.¡±


    ¡°Can you really talk? It¡¯s not like we have to fight him, remember?¡± Lieze gave an exhausted comment towards Seran who was already coming up with strategies.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s safe to assume that he¡¯s intent on fighting us. His resentment towards us¡­or humanfolk as a whole, rather, was no joke. He might just ignore the Demon Lord¡¯s orders to attack us directly.¡± Seran said with a serious expression, to which Yuriga agreed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a good chance, indeed¡­which would be perfect for us, it would finally give us a reason to erase him.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what about us? We¡¯re the ones getting attacked if that happens.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t die that easily, am I wrong?¡± Yuriga calmly countered Seran¡¯s argument.


    At the same time, Shildonia was exchanging information with the two dragons. Ghrud showed a sour face, clearly uninterested to join the conversation.


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why the Demon Lord called you here¡­¡± Irumera finished hearing about the circumstances from Shildonia, showing an expression of consent. ¡°I get that she¡¯s got her sights set on you, considering what you¡¯ve done so far.¡± Irumera showed a faint snicker.


    It appeared as if her evaluation of Kyle¡¯s group had grown quite a bit compared to before.


    ¡°So you came here to look for this Juvars under Zeurus¡¯ orders, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­Zeurus-sama judged that it would be important for demons and humanfolk to negotiate further, and since Juvars-sama resides here, we were sent as messengers.¡±


    ¡°That Zeurus, so he¡¯s finally decided to act.¡± Shildonia¡¯s thoughts drifted towards her old friend, so to speak, as she showed a wry smile.


    Zeurus probably realized that staying neutral before the great war between demons and humanfolk won¡¯t benefit anybody.


    ¡°That reminds me, you two managed to use your humanification powers?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been three months since. It¡¯s not easy by any means, but we learned about it as it was deemed necessary. As Zeurus-sama told us, there will be more and more times we will interact with both humanfolk and demons. When talking, taking up the same appearance would make things easier to fit in.¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t be bothered, to be honest. Damn that old man, what punishment is this¡­Making me look like this!¡± Ghrud complained as he always would.


    It seemed like Irumera learned the ability to shapeshift out of her own desire, but Ghrud evidently was forced into this.


    ¡°Oh, so he actually gave you a punishment, I see.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Normally he would have been forced to stay with him, but since that wouldn¡¯t allow him to ¡®reflect on his actions¡¯, he forced this job as an envoy on him¡­¡± Irumera seemingly had a lot of trouble looking after Ghrud, letting out an exhausted sigh. ¡°However, I couldn¡¯t have anticipated Juvars-sama to vanish like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­I did meet them once before, but I couldn¡¯t tell you why they¡¯re up and gone now.¡± Shildonia crossed her arms. ¡°At the very least, he wasn¡¯t exactly friendly.¡±


    ¡°I just hope nothing has happened¡­if he were under the same situation as Ghrud was before¡­¡±


    A few months ago, Ghrud had been controlled by the Mera cult, forced to obey their orders. Remembering this, Irumera grew pale.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that an Ancient Dragon like him would fall for such a thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, could I have a moment of your time?¡± Angela had stayed this entire time, now speaking up. ¡°Would you mind introducing me to these dragons? It seems like you have been acquainted before this incident¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Shildonia started thinking.


    If she were to explain the circumstances regarding Irumera and Ghrud to her, it would reveal the fact that Kyle isn¡¯t actually a [Dragon Slayer].


    ¡°¡­Well, nothing much lost.¡±


    Angela had already partaken in a secret meeting with the Demon Lord, and she was moving together with them, so trying to hide it would only result in more trouble later. Looking over at Kyle, he was lost in thoughts as usual, so she decided to ignore him, and explained how Kyle actually didn¡¯t kill Ghrud, and simply made him pass out.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what has happened¡­Though I have to say, building connections not only with the demons but also dragons, what wonderful work as always.¡±


    Even after learning the truth, Angela¡¯s evaluation of Kyle showed no signs of having dropped. In fact, he may not have killed the dragon, but he very much defeated it, so it¡¯s not as if his strength was to be doubted.


    ¡°Still, so you ran into the Mera cult, I see. We¡¯re very active in trying to erase any sort of Mera traces in the Empire, but to think they had been active in the shadows of Eddos¡­¡± Angela showed a complicated expression.


    With that timing, a maid entered the room to tell Yuriga of something, taking her away with her. After confirming she was gone, Kyle broke his long silence.


    ¡°Everyone¡­what do you think of the Demon Lord?¡±


    It was a question he most certainly couldn¡¯t ask in front of Yuriga.


    ¡°Well, I could see her being the Demon Lord for sure, she had the necessary charisma for it.¡±


    Everybody agreed with Shildonia¡¯s evaluation.


    ¡°But, that Demon Lord¡¯s got something weird to her. How do I say this¡­she¡¯s contradicting herself?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, agreed¡­Albeit trying to make humanfolk accepted amongst the demons, she sees humanfolk a bit too lightly. She apparently didn¡¯t even remember Klaus¡¯ name, so I feel like she doesn¡¯t even care much.¡± Seran commented with the feeling of discomfort he picked up on, with Kyle nodding along.


    ¡°But there seems to be no mistake that she is serious about building a friendly relationship with us humanfolk¡­As proof of that, she¡¯s trying to keep every human out of harm¡¯s way.¡± Lieze argued, and Kyle also could see the argument.


    ¡°To me it felt like she was just doing the necessary work she needed to do to get to her final goal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it all feels a bit over the place. Despite being serious about her work, she doesn¡¯t care much about the Empire being clearly hostile towards demons. Hence, I anticipated she would either try to use me or remove me from the picture, but¡­¡± Angela seemed like she felt something was off about Luiza as well.


    Now that the princess of the Empire had learned about this secret plan, it would have a great influence on everything. Yet, the Demon Lord showed no plan of action.


    ¡°She should have realized that, but the fact that she practically didn¡¯t even care about me was evidently weird.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things I¡¯m curious about, but¡­why does she even want humanfolk and demons to get along?¡±


    Clearly, Luiza¡¯s thought process was an irregularity amongst demons. Kyle was very interested in asking just what made her decide on all of this.


    ¡°That being said, asking her straight to her face is a bit¡­¡±


    Judging from her personality, it was dubious if she would even answer honestly, and maybe her mood would drop being under the doubts of Kyle¡¯s group, so the plan of asking her directly was something that needed more consideration before being implemented.


    ¡°Why not ask her during dinner later?¡± Seran nonchalantly commented.


    ¡°Maybe if the mood¡¯s right¡­¡±


    It appeared as if this dinner would give Kyle a considerable amount of stomach pain.


    Once some time had passed, Yuriga returned, telling the group that preparations for the dinner had finished, and guided them to the banquet hall. Right as they were about to leave the room, Lieze called out to Urza, who stood a bit further away from everyone.


    ¡°¡­Urza, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been awfully quiet.¡±


    Her face looked awfully pale as well. Thinking back on it, Urza hadn¡¯t spoken a word since they arrived here.


    ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Kyle saw this, and panicked a bit as he approached her.


    He regretted being so self-absorbed in his own feelings that he didn¡¯t catch on to Urza¡¯s condition.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­It¡¯s just¡­the spirit power of water is strong here, and the remains of the higher-ranking water spirit that had gone violent here are interfering with me, so I feel a bit restless¡­¡±


    It seemed like she was unable to explain it herself, but she tried her best to reassure them.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling well, so don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Lieze still seemed concerned, understandably so, but since the person herself said this, she had to accept it.


    ¡°Ah, this isn¡¯t even something bad. On the contrary, maybe¡­Hehe.¡± Urza seemed oddly happy, which made Kyle feel dubious, but she didn¡¯t reveal anything more than that.

 Volume 5 - CH 8

    ¡°This castle really ruins the entire image I had about demons¡­Oh?¡±


    As Yuriga guided them to the banquet hall, Seran unreservedly looked around the place, spotting a particular painting. It was a giant painting hanging above the large stairs in the place most easily spotted, giving off a rather peculiar atmosphere.


    ¡°This one¡¯s different from the rest, no?¡±


    This place was filled with many various paintings, all of them being scenery paintings except the one in front of them. It depicted two people, one of them being a demon with a dignified face with a matching expression, and a human swordsman confronting him. The human held¡ªthe very Holy Sword Rand that was now in Seran¡¯s hands.


    ¡°This is a scene portraying the previous Demon Lord Adonies-sama.¡± Yuriga explained.


    If he was the previous Demon Lord, that would make him Luiza¡¯s father. Indeed, she greatly resembled him.


    ¡°So that guy must be Randolph, huh.¡±


    The hero of humanfolk Randolph, who had defeated the Demon Lord during the demons¡¯ greatest invasion of humanfolk territory, leading to the absolute war 300 years ago, was a hero amongst heroes. His heroic tale was known by the entirety of the humanfolk, and even a young child could recite it easily. Naturally, many statues had been built after him.


    ¡°But there was no need to depict him as some villain, right?¡±


    Contrary to the former Demon Lord¡¯s dignified and calm expression, Randolph¡¯s face was distorted in fury, looking like the bad guy from a novel. It was the exact opposite image humanfolk gave him.


    ¡°Luiza-sama adores this painting, and she often looks at it,¡± Yuriga spoke with an admirable tone, as she looked up at the painting.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­but this Randolph looks a bit familiar, I don¡¯t know why.¡± Lieze traced Yuriga¡¯s gaze, tilting her head. ¡°This kind of villainous face¡­Ah, I got it! It looks like Seran who¡¯s about to finish off a wounded enemy groveling in the dirt!¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Kyle and Urza agreed.


    ¡°You guys are rather cruel today, huh¡­It just looks that way because I¡¯m holding the same sword, right?¡±


    ¡°No, the way you look ready to gut the other person sure resembles you a lot.¡± Shildonia looked at the painting, nodding to herself.


    ¡°You guys are just¡­¡±


    ¡°But that means you are very reliable, no?¡± Angela tried to provide a follow-up, which failed spectacularly.


    ¡°I get it already, you can stop¡­¡± Seran felt like he might suffer more wounds if things continued, so he dropped his head, and walked on forward.


    ¡°Now, both the invited and uninvited, eat at your heart¡¯s desire!¡±


    Luiza sat at the tip of the long table, welcoming her visitors with her arms wide open. Lined up on the white tablecloth was a myriad assortment of foods, which at least looks-wise didn¡¯t differ much from humanfolk cooking, and the scent alone stimulated your nostrils in a pleasant way. Boiled soup in great variety, an abundance of fruits, it even looked appealing to the eye. It was all food that would most likely be served in a high-class restaurant. Humanfolk and demons were separated with the table between them, sitting across from each other. To match up the numbers, the two dragons sat with the demons. Three-Arms and Flame-Eye were already seated, with only Thunder-Breath missing.


    ¡°Ah, he won¡¯t be coming, that narrow-minded fool,¡± Luiza said, making it clear that Thunder-Breath couldn¡¯t even stomach the idea of eating with humanfolk.


    Then again, Kyle was dubious that a four-legged animal like him could even sit at the table like everyone else.


    ¡°Huh~ I guess demon cooking isn¡¯t much different from ours¡­I expected some gross stuff like snakes or insects, where even the look of it made you gag.¡±


    ¡°We do have that, but we matched up with your preferences. Though, we could prepare something like that for you?¡± Luiza offered, but Seran immediately shook his head, almost frantic.


    He had anticipated them to add some weird ingredients, but his tongue wasn¡¯t skilled enough to separate the taste between these, and he also didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°Very well, this is food made by a human, and the taste should be to your liking, so enjoy it.¡±


    Luiza saw Kyle and his friends not touching the food and showed a bitter smile. They had already passed the stage where they had to worry about being poisoned. They most certainly didn¡¯t let down their guards, but it would come off as suspicious if they didn¡¯t eat the food, so they carefully reached for it.


    Even as their dinner started, they couldn¡¯t exactly calm down. Especially Kyle, he was always conscious of Three-Arms sitting across the table, unable to enjoy the food. At the same time, Three-Arms used the tableware far too small for him, working on his food.


    To think I¡¯d end up eating dinner with my mortal enemy¡­


    Kyle couldn¡¯t help but wonder how things had ended up this way, while not even fully tasting the food. It felt like he carried sand to his mouth with every bite. He glanced over at the dragons, who hesitated to eat for a different reason.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t get it¡­why would you cut it up, or grill it? Just biting it would be a lot faster.¡± Ghrud poked his finger at the meat in front of him, grumbling.


    ¡°Seasoning, huh¡­I can¡¯t even tell the differences, and how do you use this?¡±


    Irumera seemed just as confused, as she closely inspected the fork at her table, flashing question marks on her head. As dragons could even live off of rocks or dirt, they don¡¯t really choose their food. This must be a first for them to actually eat any kind of cooking.


    ¡°What helpless fool you are¡­Here, like this.¡±


    Shildonia seemingly couldn¡¯t watch those two struggle to eat any longer, as she gave them instructions. Since she did the same for Zeurus before, she was actually quite used to it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? No need to hold back.¡±


    Amongst the faint noise of tableware being used, Luiza spoke up with no remorse.


    ¡°Err¡­well, I was just surprised that demons eat a meal the same way as us.¡±


    Lieze figured that this was a rare chance to hold a proper discussion with demons, so she boldly spoke up. She somehow managed to create a smile while doing so.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, it¡¯s exactly as it looks. Even as demons, we¡¯d prefer eating something delicious, after all. However, our tastes can vary greatly, so not everything is accepted by everybody.¡±


    Surprisingly enough, Flame-Eye was the one to answer, which made Lieze open her eyes in surprise. This emotion seemingly got conveyed, as Flame-Eye showed a teasing snicker.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s true that I think of humanfolk as mere trash. However, as you have defeated Ganias, I cannot quite see you in the same light¡­And, you even managed to fight back against that woman, you certainly aren¡¯t just some average humanfolk. I¡¯d love to hear more details about that, by the way.¡± Flame-Eye glanced over at Yuriga, flashing a fiendish grin.


    Yuriga¡¯s face tightened up, but she couldn¡¯t start arguing now as she was in the presence of Luiza.


    ¡°Ah¡­Back then, Urza and I fought against her two versus one¡­¡± Lieze tried to be considerate of Yuriga, explaining the circumstances.


    ¡°Oh yes¡­I think you were Kyle and Seran, right? Despite being humans, I could see your strength.¡±


    At the same time, Three-Arms started talking to Kyle and Seran, who he sat across from. The two immediately raised their tension, but Three-Arms simply flashed a pleasant smile that showed his fangs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so wary of me. As I mentioned before, I hold humanfolk in much higher value than most demons. Though I don¡¯t know how you feel.¡±


    ¡°But when it comes to a fight, you won¡¯t hold back at all, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I always fight with everything I have.¡± Three-Arms made it sound like it was the obvious conclusion.


    From that onwards, the conversation between the three of them continued.


    ¡°Hmm¡­so this is how the current humanfolk are doing.¡±


    Unbefitting of his outer appearance Three-Arms was actually considerate when talking to Kyle and Seran, asking about this and that from the human world about which he had an interest, and the two explained everything that they could afford to. Kyle still couldn¡¯t fully believe such a thing was even possible.


    ¡°I see, it seems a lot has happened in the past 300 years¡­Ah, one more thing. I was curious about Randolph¡¯s standing. How does humanfolk feel about him?¡±


    ¡°His heroic tale is the most well-known in all of humanfolk. Doubt there¡¯s anybody who hasn¡¯t heard of him?¡± Seran suggested, and Kyle agreed.


    ¡°I see¡­He¡¯s famous even to the demons. Known as a villain, of course, but everybody recognized how strong he was.¡± Three-Arms must have remembered Randolph, as he gently rubbed the scar on his face. ¡°There is just one thing I¡¯m curious about¡­or rather, which I find unbelievable. How did Randolph manage to defeat Adonies-sama.¡±


    ¡°Depending on the story, the details are a bit different, but¡­it apparently happened at the end of a one-versus-one battle,¡± Kyle explained.


    The battle to the death seemingly continued for a day and a night, with the defeat of the Demon Lord declaring the end. Many heroic tales explained this the same way, and it¡¯s even used as lullabies for children to fall asleep to. However, Three-Arms¡¯ expression grew stiff.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you see it. However, for us¡­¡±


    ¡°Three-Arms.¡± Luiza stopped him mid-sentence.


    A sense of tension filled her voice that didn¡¯t exist before.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to speak of that.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­¡± Three-Arms still didn¡¯t seem too satisfied, but he couldn¡¯t win against Luiza¡¯s quiet pressure. ¡°¡­What about the demons then?¡±


    Kyle and Seran were curious about what he was going to say, but Three-Arms already changed the topic, and since Luiza went back to her dinner, they didn¡¯t see any possibility to ask about that, so they changed the subject.


    ¡°Oh really, so you made her surrender. How, and in what way? Was she frustrated after all? I hope she was crying at least a little bit.¡± Flame-Eye was laughing with all her heart listening to Lieze, who explained the events at Callan.


    Leaving aside the contents, they were getting along just fine.


    ¡°Hmm¡­I really can¡¯t tell much about the taste, after all.¡±


    ¡°Also, it¡¯s far too soft. Can¡¯t we just get some rocks¡­¡±


    ¡°You people¡­What a waste of food, really.¡±


    When it came to the dragons, they showed the same eerie reactions toward the food in front of them, which left Shildonia baffled. She remembered Zeurus being the exact same when she showed him. Contrary to Kyle¡¯s individual assumptions of how this dinner would go, chaos ensued in a different way that ensured a joyful atmosphere.


    ¡°I¡¯d say this was a successful banquet. I had your rooms prepared, so feel free to take a rest.¡± Luiza spoke a few closing words and left the room.


    Kyle would have preferred to talk with Luiza a bit more, but after the story of Randolph came up in the conversation, she had been a bit absentminded. More than anything, because Three-Arms kept on talking to them, he missed his chance.


    ¡°Messed up your timing, huh? Wanna go after her?¡± Seran asked, but Kyle shook his head.


    ¡°¡­Nah, she seems to be in a bad mood. I don¡¯t want to get on her bad side for now.¡±


    ¡°Because of the talk about her old man? ¡­Well, I got to dine just fine, so I¡¯ll leave it at this for today.¡± Seran seemingly enjoyed the food he was given, as he looked in the direction Luiza had walked off to.


    Likewise, Lieze, Urza, and Angela all seemed satisfied with the food itself. Shildonia managed to drill some enjoyment into the two dragons, creating a pleasant atmosphere in the room. The only person not fully accepting of this was Kyle, sighing in disbelief at how relaxed all of his friends were. Right as he wanted to leave the room, Three-Arms called out to his back.


    ¡°Wait, there is one more thing I wanted to ask.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Kyle turned around while trying his hardest to suppress his anger towards the demon, answering with a calm voice. However, Three-Arms didn¡¯t even try to hide his excitement.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that abundant hostility you¡¯re directing at me?¡±


    ¡°¡­What might you be talking about?¡±


    Kyle tried his hardest to suppress this hate for Three-Arms during the dinner, but that seemingly didn¡¯t help much.


    ¡°Your eyes hold such resentment to the point it feels like we¡¯ve met before¡­but I can¡¯t quite wrap my head around it.¡±


    Three-Arms must have experienced something like this before, as he spoke confidently. Since the reason for Kyle¡¯s resentment didn¡¯t happen yet, it made sense that Three-Arms didn¡¯t remember. Receiving such ill will from someone for no reason must be upsetting. And yet, the person in question was happy about this, open to receiving more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember dealing with a human over the past 300 years, nor do I know any reason why you would loathe me like this¡­But that doesn¡¯t matter. I personally am happy to encounter someone as strong as you.¡± Three-Arms grinned, emitting a different pressure from Luiza like he could crush everything in his path.


    Kyle¡¯s hair stood on edge, but he tried to remain calm and took this comment at face value.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not interested in needless fighting. Not to mention that it¡¯s necessary to hold back your feelings depending on the situation.¡±


    Not like I¡¯m one to talk, Kyle commented in his mind. The entire reason why he started to loathe Three-Arms, namely the loss of Lieze and his hometown, was fine at this point in time. If not, Kyle may have set out for a battle, but there was no need to do so.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t mind if you attack me whenever and without restraint, but¡­as you are visitors of the Demon Lord-sama, I cannot do so myself. I¡¯d be thankful if you caused some kind of problem, to be exact.¡± Three-Arms used violent terms, and turned his back towards Kyle, walking away.


    Kyle quickly reached the conclusion that it would be best to get away from this place as quickly as possible.


    Upon returning to the rooms prepared for them, Kyle and his group began discussing the demons again.


    ¡°I once again realized that there¡¯s no big difference in thought process and mental attitude between demons and humans¡­it does seem like we could reach common ground, at least. A lot different from what I¡¯ve heard at least,¡± Urza muttered her impressions.


    ¡°Yeah, I felt the same way. I definitely can¡¯t come to like Flame-Eye¡¯s nasty personality, but we have people like her in humanfolk as well.¡±


    Lieze seemingly shared similar sentiments, showing a troubled expression as she remembered her conversation with Flame-Eye.


    ¡°Basically, the demon territory isn¡¯t actually uninhabitable, and demons aren¡¯t unreasonable monsters either¡­It¡¯s easier to think of this as a gap in culture and thought process.¡± Shildonia said, yet sounding a bit bitter as she reminisced about the time she was fighting the demons.


    ¡°But even if we understand them to be this way, there¡¯s no guarantee that they feel the same way, right? It sure looks like they think of us as convenient pets at best¡­I guess history up to this point must heavily weigh into that.¡± Seran shrugged.


    The endless fighting between humanfolk and demons had continued for thousands of years, and their feud won¡¯t end just because their Demon Lord Luiza wished for it.


    ¡°Also, with absolute rule bestowed upon the Demon Lord¡­a single Demon Lord could easily change the direction the situation might evolve into¡­It sounds efficient, but also equally dangerous.¡± Angela pointed out a huge problem.


    Luckily, the current Demon Lord Luiza sought a friendly relationship with humanfolk, but in the event that someone from the pro-war faction ascended the throne, it would turn into an all-out war.


    ¡°Personally, humanfolk and demons look the same to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop saying that. You won¡¯t be able to continue with that attitude.¡±


    Ghrud observed Kyle¡¯s group discussing the demons, letting fly a backhanded comment, only to immediately get reprimanded by Irumera.


    ¡°Either way, we¡¯ve learned a lot about them. Once we¡¯re done with our business here, we should proceed to leave quickly.¡±


    It¡¯s not as if they didn¡¯t feel welcome, but the sheer danger of being in the enemy¡¯s hideout was too much. Of course, everyone agreed with Kyle¡¯s sentiment and nodded.


    That night, Kyle and his group were resting in their rooms, but Irumera and Ghrud were gone. Apparently, they were still not fully used to humanification magic, so there was a time limit on how long they could use it. Since it would undo itself while asleep, they took their dragon shapes and rested elsewhere. Klaus seemingly didn¡¯t return himself, and Minagi took a rest on the ship. Kyle and his group made sure to stay on guard just to be safe.


    Of course, the chances of Luiza plotting anything against them this late were rather slim, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about Thunder-Breath or the mysterious Flame-Eye. And when Seran was on guard duty, it happened. The moon soon reached a full moon, and Seran realized something when looking outside the window.


    ¡°Great moon¡­Hm?¡±


    Facing the room they were on, there was a window up on the second floor, which revealed a shadow.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­the large stairs?¡±


    Seran remembered the layout of the castle, understanding that somebody was doing something there, which tickled his curiosity. He was seduced by the idea to go check it out.


    Let alone a human castle, can I really just walk around in the Demon Lord¡¯s lair like that? Will I get in trouble later? Then again, we¡¯re guests, so if I look around after a trip to the toilet, there won¡¯t be any problem, right? I¡¯m the guard, so if I spot something suspicious, I have to check it out¡­


    Seran came up with several excuses, convincing himself. In the end¡ª


    ¡°Act first before you worry, yup.¡±


    He reached that conclusion and stepped out of the room.


    After walking up the stairs, he reached the painting of Randolph again. Amidst the darkness, he spotted Luiza with a faint light in her hand. The sight of her looking up at the picture depicting the individual who had slain her own father looked so vague and translucent, that you wouldn¡¯t expect her to be the one who ruled over all demons.


    ¡°¡­What do you want?¡±


    Seran tried his best to conceal his presence while approaching her, but Luiza called out to him without turning around.


    ¡°Well¡­I saw a light, so I was curious.¡± Seran answered without hiding anything.


    ¡°Whenever I¡¯m alone, this area is off-limits¡­but you didn¡¯t know about this, so I shall forgive that,¡± Luiza said, still looking at the painting when a faint glimmer of severity filled her voice. ¡°¡­Perfect timing. Have you decided to serve me?¡± She continued the conversation from the morning.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s actually something I wanted to ask before that¡­Why do you want the sword so badly?¡± Seran voiced a doubt he had for a while.


    ¡°I told you right? That sword is my weak¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡± Seran shook his head. ¡°If it really was a weakness, then you wouldn¡¯t need to tell me about it. You¡¯re just adding a reason to it.¡±


    ¡°Why do you feel that way?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t care about anything at all, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    No response came.


    ¡°The only kind of interest you show is related to the positive relationship between humanfolk you¡¯re aspiring for, I guess? Then again, that also feels half-baked to me¡­and yet you feel oddly infatuated with this sword alone. I was curious about that.¡± Seran said, arriving at a certain conclusion. ¡°Is it related to the reason why you wish to get along with us humanfolk?¡±


    This was just a simple guess of his, but he seemed to be somewhat close to the truth, as Luiza shot around to glare at him. So far, she kept a calm attitude towards everything she was confronted with, this being the first time she revealed something resembling strong emotions. Her expression contained anger, agitation, sadness, and a sense of having somebody touch upon something she didn¡¯t want to be touched, everything mixing into the glare she was showing Seran at this very moment. Her eyes even looked a bit dampened all the while doing so.


    Being hit with this raw and ghastly fury, even Seran regretted his actions, but it was already too late to repent, so he didn¡¯t look away and accepted all of it. Despite only a mere few seconds have passed in reality, it felt like an eternity to Seran. Surprisingly enough, Luiza was the first to avert her gaze.


    ¡°¡­I commend your courage. It¡¯s been three hundred years since somebody had the nerve to say this to me, the Demon Lord.¡± Luiza said, sounding oddly dejected. ¡°But, do not overstep your boundaries. Even demons have things they don¡¯t want others to find out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it. My bad¡­I didn¡¯t know that it was such a big deal to you. I didn¡¯t mean to anger you.¡± Seran lowered his head, which left Luiza a bit perplexed.


    ¡°Human, I had assumed you were a man unable to apologize judging from your attitude, but I guess I was wrong,¡± Luiza spoke with a teasing tone, leaving Seran disheartened.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that insolent of a guy¡­also, my name is Seran.¡±


    ¡°Seran¡­Seran, is it? To think I would learn the name of another human.¡± Luiza showed a bitter smile and turned his back towards Seran, who was about to ask the meaning behind those words. ¡°Now then, it¡¯s time for me to rest myself. You go and return to your room¡­Seran.¡± She said and walked away without turning around.


    ¡°Crying, laughing, getting angry¡­I guess demons aren¡¯t that different from us after all¡­Like any other woman I¡¯ve seen before,¡± Seran muttered while watching Luiza¡¯s back walk off into the distance.


    ¡°Where did you go? Did something happen?¡±


    Upon returning to the room, Seran was greeted by Kyle who presumably had just gotten up, asking him with a quiet voice.


    ¡°Err¡­I ran into the Demon Lord, ended up in somewhat of a fight, and made her cry.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, pause. What did you do?¡± Kyle woke up instantly, pushing up his body from the bed.


    Seran nonchalantly explained the previous incident, which left Kyle holding his head in his hands.


    ¡°What are you thinking? Not even I¡¯m that reckless.¡± Kyle was utterly baffled.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to hear that from you¡­You wanted to ask for her reasons, right? I just thought I¡¯d shoot my shot.¡±


    ¡°And since she got angry about that, I guess it was no good, after all¡­Also, I still can¡¯t believe you just went and angered the Demon Lord of all people, I¡¯m scared to even get up in the morning¡­¡±


    ¡°Should be fine. Doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s that bothered by it.¡± Seran bluntly declared, but Kyle was worried about something else.


    ¡°She might be fine with it, but what if Yuriga finds out?¡±


    ¡°¡­Lord help me.¡±


    Yuriga was the embodiment of loyalty, so if she were to hear about Seran making her master cry, there was no telling what she might do. Just imagining this, Seran grew pale.


    ¡°¡­Worst case scenario, we have to either ask Ghrud and Irumera for help, maybe even deceive them, and have them help us escape.¡± Seran was already considering escape plans, and Kyle agreed.


    ¡°Anyway, we achieved our major goal. Now we just need to get information in regards to Targ, and then immediately return to the humanfolk territory.¡±


    The measurements for their new armor were already completed, and they handed over Zeurus¡¯ hide. The rest was on the other side, so Kyle could only put faith in them.


    ¡°Before any more trouble can arise¡­¡± Kyle muttered like he was praying, looking outside the window.


    ¡°I know it sounds weird coming from me, but you¡¯re basically asking for it if you say that.¡± Seran retorted, but Kyle skillfully ignored him.


    The following morning, an unexpected incident woke up the group.


    Thunder-Breath¡¯s corpse was found.

 Volume 5 - CH 9

    When Kyle was told by Yuriga that Thunder-Breath had been found dead, he envisioned the path ahead of him and his group, and once again held his head in disbelief.


    ¡°What a horrible way to wake up¡­¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Yuriga showed a dry expression, wondering how things ended up this way.


    ¡°Just out of curiosity¡­any chances of a natural death?¡± Seran remembered the incident of the previous night and reluctantly asked, but luckily Yuriga seemingly wasn¡¯t told about it and answered normally.


    ¡°His body is riddled with wounds. He was evidently attacked and killed by someone.¡± Yuriga bluntly denied any kind of hope Kyle still held, leaving him flabbergasted. ¡°Why did it have to happen now¡­¡±


    Personally, Yuriga was more than happy that Thunder-Breath was out of the picture, knowing how rebellious he was towards Luiza¡¯s orders. However, the bigger problem was that Kyle¡¯s group was here.


    ¡°So, how was he killed?¡±


    ¡°A servant found his corpse at the front gate of the castle at the end of the night. Since there were no signs of a fight at that location, he most likely had been killed elsewhere and then delivered right to our doorstep.¡±


    ¡°Clearly an act to stand out¡­Well, the bigger question is who did it.¡± Kyle started thinking, but he had no way of coming up with an answer.


    ¡°So¡­Luiza-sama wishes to meet you. I would appreciate it if you could follow me.¡±


    ¡°I really want to go back home now¡­¡±


    Even so, they had to go no matter what, so they headed to the same audience room as the day prior. Before opening the door, Yuriga turned around one more time, exclaiming the following with a severe expression.


    ¡°I have a request. Please¡­don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for your sake. Nothing bad will happen, so¡­please have faith in me.¡± Yuriga pressed this, and opened the door.


    Luiza, Flame-Eye, and Three-Arms were already present. However, what stood out the most was Thunder-Breath¡¯s corpse laying on the floor in front of them. His entire body was riddled with wounds, half of his head blown to pieces, his tongue hanging down from his mouth, and several of his fangs were broken. Seran was conscious of Luiza because of the previous evening, but she seemed calm despite that, making it seem like she presumably didn¡¯t even remember what happened.


    ¡°So you¡¯re here¡­As you can see, Thunder-Breath died. He was killed. Of course, that happened because he was weak, but as he is my aide, and since it happened without my knowledge, I won¡¯t accept this, and will not ignore this.¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s ask about the motive.¡±


    Right after the Demon Lord exclaimed, Flame-Eye approached Kyle¡¯s group, when Yuriga stepped in front of them as a cover.


    ¡°Flame-Eye, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I would assume that the ones who killed Thunder-Breath are those humans over there, no?¡± Flame-Eye proclaimed with a calm and collected tone, like it was the obvious conclusion to reach.


    She had expected things to turn out this way.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Lieze tried to defend herself, but Kyle quickly covered her mouth from behind.


    ¡°¡­If things were reversed, and a human were to be killed with demons present at the scene, I would immediately doubt them as well.¡± Kyle whispered into her ear, which helped in calming her down.


    Following that, he remembered Yuriga¡¯s previous words, and stepped down, leaving the place to her.


    ¡°¡­Do you have any proof that they killed Thunder-Breath?¡± Luiza asked, but Flame-Eye shook her head.


    ¡°I certainly do not¡­however, isn¡¯t this rather suspicious? I wouldn¡¯t be saying this if they were just your average humanfolk. However, they are strong enough to receive an audience by our great Demon Lord-sama, and I believe it to be very much possible that they have defeated Thunder-Breath. Not to mention¡­¡± Flame-Eye looked at Seran with a profound gaze. ¡°Last night, I heard this human was walking around the castle all alone.¡±


    Seran looked at Flame-Eye in shock, wondering how she could even know that, but the Demon Lord herself was aware of this, so there was no way he could deny it. What was even worse were the piercing gazes by his friends that showered him.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look to me that they had any intent on fighting us, though,¡± Luiza commented.


    ¡°A fight doesn¡¯t require the consent of both parties. More than anything, we all know how much Thunder-Breath despised humanfolk, and if he actually was beaten after challenging them first, that would make him a major fool.¡± Flame-Eye let out insulting words that the deceased Thunder-Breath would never get to hear. ¡°Additionally, the suspects for this murder are very much limited. Currently present here are just Three-Arms and me, those humans, and the Demon Lord-sama.¡±


    ¡°Hey now, you¡¯re making it sound like we are¡­suspects, or whatever you call them. And speaking in terms of possessing enough strength to do this, there are at least two more individuals, no?¡± Three-Arms explained while sounding excited, and Flame-Eye remembered.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, the dragons may very well be able to do this¡­However, Thunder-Breath should have no reason to fight them. The ones we should doubt are those humanfolk members.¡±


    ¡°I get where you¡¯re coming from. Personally, I wouldn¡¯t mind if those guys killed Thunder-Breath¡­for obvious reasons.¡± Three-Arms showed a violent smile, glancing at Kyle and Seran.


    An eerie atmosphere filled the room, when Luiza got up from her throne. She slammed her staff onto the ground, silencing all participants.


    ¡°Leave this to me. I will give a proper conclusion¡­that should be fine, right?¡±


    She told Three-Arms and Flame-Eye, urging them to not do anything unnecessary.


    ¡°¡­If you wish, Demon Lord-sama, I have nothing more to say.¡± Flame-Eye showed a deep bow, whereas Three-Arms faintly nodded.


    ¡°All of you return to your rooms. You are to stay there until I have found my verdict.¡± Luiza left these words behind, and left the audience room.


    Upon returning to their room, Kyle¡¯s group sighed in unison. Even Klaus and Minagi were there, most likely called over.


    ¡°Not exactly what I was hoping would happen¡­¡±


    Klaus received a brief explanation of what had happened, showing an expression like he was biting on an insect.


    ¡°Nothing good ever comes from being with Kyle¡­¡± Minagi grumbled in disbelief.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hope for this to happen¡­So, how were things on your end?¡±


    Kyle had Minagi act separately in hopes of letting her find out anything in regards to the demons. Obviously, he didn¡¯t expect much, and ordered her to retreat at any sight of danger. As anticipated, Minagi shook her head.


    ¡°I barely looked into them. Rather than the demons, Klaus and his employees¡¯ eyes were a lot sharper.¡±


    As Klaus was a supporter of Luiza, he couldn¡¯t afford to spot Minagi while she was working.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many people there were, but somebody was watching over me. It was probably a demon.¡± Minagi deduced.


    ¡°I know fully well that you aren¡¯t the perpetrators in this case. However, Luiza-sama is also troubled by this. She invited you here, so Flame-Eye will use this as material to pressure her, which I fear will have an influence on our relationship with humanfolk¡­¡± Yuriga declared with a troubled expression.


    ¡°In other words¡­we were set up?¡± Seran sighed, and Kyle agreed.


    ¡°Big chance, yeah¡­Or maybe somebody gained from Thunder-Breath¡¯s death, and we were just wrapped up in it¡­either way, this isn¡¯t what I was hoping for at all.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯re right in this. We should probably expect the worst case and be ready to move. The problem is the true criminal of the situation¡­I¡¯d love to give him a few words.¡± Seran scratched his head, emitting clear hostility to the unknown mastermind.


    ¡°About that Thunder-Breath, actually. I didn¡¯t get to inspect him that closely, but from what I could see, he received quite the amount of injuries and wounds after his death. Almost as if to cover up the identity of the killer¡­¡± Shildonia commented on her own observations, which raised even more questions.


    ¡°¡­I guess the number one suspect is Flame-Eye after all. She would gain a lot from Thunder-Breath¡¯s death. His entire faction would basically come and support her.¡± Yuriga grumbled. ¡°However, she most likely has no intentions of defeating Luiza-sama to become the next Demon Lord. That leaves¡­Three-Arms, yes. Then again, those are the only two that might be able to actually kill Thunder-Breath.¡±


    ¡°Three-Arms, huh¡­He said something like that last night.¡±


    Kyle remembered how Three-Arms mentioned he wished for something to happen. However, he couldn¡¯t confidently say that Three-Arms would go so far as to kill Thunder-Breath for that. And he couldn¡¯t say so in front of Yuriga, but there was another strong and influential contender.


    ¡°Hey, what will happen in the worst case scenario?¡± Lieze asked Yuriga, who answered with a blank expression.


    ¡°Flame-Eye will accuse you as the ones who killed Thunder-Breath in front of Luiza-sama. This will force her to question you, and if you don¡¯t admit to it, she will ask you to provide proof that you¡¯re innocent. If you can¡¯t provide any, or fail at doing so, you will be regarded as guilty. If you attempt to run, you will turn all of us into your enemies, and I will be forced to attack you, as I can¡¯t go against Luiza-sama.¡±


    ¡°Basically, we¡¯ll be targeted 24/7 by demons.¡±


    Realizing what Yuriga¡¯s explanation boiled down to, Kyle felt his head hurting once more. At the same time, Yuriga spoke up with conviction.


    ¡°There is one way to get you out of this situation¡­You admit that you¡¯ve killed Thunder-Breath, and you make Luiza-sama forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling us to accept the blame for something we haven¡¯t done?¡± Seran clearly didn¡¯t enjoy the sound of that.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. But for that, we need to make this Klaus as your helper. Luiza-sama would be in pain if she had to break her relationship with him.¡± Yuriga said.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you told us to stay quiet just now¡­But then the true killer of Thunder-Breath would still roam free, right?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the problem. Thunder-Breath is at fault for being too weak, and I bet it was either Three-Arms or Flame-Eye.¡± Yuriga calmly answered Kyle¡¯s question.


    In that regard, the thought process between demons and humans was far too different. The motive behind the killing didn¡¯t matter much.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you¡¯d like to say, but¡­this will save you with certainty. So¡­please.¡± Yuriga lowered her head, as silence filled the room.


    Whatever the circumstances may be, Kyle didn¡¯t expect a demon like her to act this dependant, and as they had traveled together for quite some time, Kyle and his group understood that Yuriga wasn¡¯t just saying this as a farce.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯d like to ask one thing. Is there any chance that the Demon Lord could¡¯ve done this whilst not informing you?¡± Angela bluntly asked what Kyle had been hesitant about.


    A bit of anger flashed across Yuriga¡¯s face, but she just sighed and denied that.


    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t anything to gain from that. In the event that Luiza-sama has truly killed Thunder-Breath, she also would have no reason to keep it a secret. He had always shown rebellious tendencies, so nobody would object to her decision.¡± Yuriga said, but Angela, Kyle, and Seran all mentally put their veto.


    If Kyle and his friends were forced into becoming the Demon Lord¡¯s subordinates, then she would ultimately receive the Holy Sword Rand after Seran¡¯s death. Yuriga didn¡¯t seem to doubt her boss for one second, but this development was far too convenient for Luiza.


    ¡°By the way, you said we have to prove our innocence, but how would we go about doing that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­rather simple, but equally impossible.¡±


    Right as Kyle wanted to ask just what got Yuriga so hesitant, someone knocked on the door and the maid entered the room. It seemed as if Luiza called for Yuriga, who quickly left the room.


    ¡°¡­So, what do we do? Admit that it was our doing?¡± Urza asked, which resulted in Kyle crossing his arms.


    ¡°If need be, then we might have to resort to that, but it also doesn¡¯t matter if we committed something and won¡¯t admit it. The problem is that this might be a trap in getting us to admit to killing Thunder-Breath.¡±


    Yuriga didn¡¯t particularly care who the criminal was, but Kyle and his friends couldn¡¯t ignore that.


    ¡°You¡¯re so noisy, what are you guys up to?¡±


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    Right there, Ghrud woke up from his sleep and scratched his head as he walked over. Behind him was Irumera, who apparently hadn¡¯t heard the details of what was going on. Kyle gave a brief explanation, which had the two shocked.


    ¡°So that demon was¡­¡±


    Irumera showed an expected reaction, which couldn¡¯t be compared to Ghrud.


    ¡°Oh¡­So he got killed after that?¡±


    ¡°Hold on, do you know something?¡± Kyle asked Ghrud after hearing that comment.


    ¡°Huh? If you¡¯re asking me for something, I expect you to have the proper attitude¡­Okay, okay, I¡¯ll tell you, so stop it.¡±


    Ghrud glared at Kyle when Irumera formed a fist and aimed it at him, which made him stop instantly. It seemed like Ghrud couldn¡¯t sleep too well, so he went off to take a flight after Irumera had fallen asleep.


    ¡°Actually, staying with Irumera all the time was too much for me to handle, so I wanted to enjoy a bit of freedom.¡±


    ¡°¡­That last part wasn¡¯t necessary, but continue.¡±


    Ghrud apparently spotted Thunder-Breath as he left the castle. He seemed to be cautious of his surroundings, but he didn¡¯t spot Ghrud in the skies.


    ¡°It sounds like he left the castle willfully¡­But he may have been summoned for all we know.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, the Demon Lord stepped outside shortly after.¡±


    Ghrud dropped another bombshell.


    ¡°What did you say? Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw her myself.¡±


    ¡°Was that after we split up? She said she¡¯d get some rest, but why did she step outside, then?¡± Seran whispered to himself.


    ¡°So? What happened after that?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I went to sleep right after¡­I-I haven¡¯t seen anything.¡± Ghrud momentarily answered, which had Kyle drop his shoulders since he expected a different answer.


    ¡°So you haven¡¯t seen the most important part¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s always been like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Why am I getting so much shit for just sleeping?¡±


    Met with Kyle and Irumera¡¯s grumbling, Ghrud showed a hurt expression.


    ¡°But¡­now everyone feels suspicious. Who¡¯s friend, and who¡¯s foe?¡± Kyle held his head in the face of this detrimental situation when the door swung open without a warning.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Flame-Eye entered the room, not waiting for a response. ¡°That annoying moron is finally gone, huh?¡±


    She most likely waited for Yuriga to leave to make her arrival. She nodded in utter satisfaction.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Kyle and his friends all went into a semi-cautious state when Flame-Eye sat down on the chair Yuriga previously used.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so cautious of me. I have no intention of fighting you¡­right now. Instead, I brought some great news with me.¡± Flame-Eye seemed to be enjoying herself so much she could barely hold back her smile, but Kyle and group were still cautious of her.


    Immediately after, Flame-Eye looked at the two dragons.


    ¡°¡­Whatever you may talk about isn¡¯t our business, and we have no intention of intervening.¡±


    Irumera seemingly guessed what Flame-Eye tried to say and stressed her argument, which had Flame-Eye bring up her main agenda.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you work together with me?¡± She said.


    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±


    Kyle couldn¡¯t hide his bewilderment at this proposition he certainly didn¡¯t expect.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Demon Lord-sama asked you to work with her, right? I want you to be my personal allies. I never considered keeping humanfolk close to me, but you people seem worthwhile.¡±


    ¡°I feel like you¡¯re seriously looking down on us¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply judging based on usable value. I¡¯m not saying we should be friends, I¡¯m simply saying I can use you.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll basically strike a deal¡­and what do you plan on having us do?¡± Kyle asked carefully.


    Luiza pressed that assisting her would benefit humanfolk in the long run, but Flame-Eye was pro-war, so there was no guarantee she¡¯d be as friendly.


    ¡°Good question¡­First, I want information. How the humanfolk is moving. This would allow me to adjust my own actions¡­This could help build a positive relationship with the humanfolk.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you wish to fight us?¡± Kyle¡¯s expression tightened up.


    Knowing that Flame-Eye was pro-war, this made no sense in his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, that. I actually don¡¯t care about fighting with you. I¡¯m just thinking that we could use the amount of land you have, which is why I want war. However, with Thunder-Breath dead, it should cause some change within the demonfolk¡­¡±


    It seemed as if the death of a strong pro-war advocate had more influence than they initially assumed.


    ¡°What I want is influence and power. However, I¡¯m not gunning for the throne of the Demon Lord, I know I can¡¯t hope to live up to the title.¡±


    She simply wanted to raise her influence, nothing more.


    ¡°And as my first offer, if you agree, I¡¯ll make sure to get you guys out of here safely. At this rate, you¡¯ll be confirmed as Thunder-Breath¡¯s killers¡­and you¡¯ll die.¡± Flame-Eye said without any remorse.


    ¡°That¡­why is that?¡± Kyle asked the expected question.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Three-Arms is gonna act. He seems to have taken a liking to you¡­for a different reason from me.¡± Flame-Eye gave Kyle and Seran a defeated gaze, as if she felt bad for them. ¡°He let up last time because the Demon Lord-sama ordered her to, but I don¡¯t think he can hold back. If Three-Arms moves, the greater majority of the demonfolk will. And if that happens, your days will be numbered. But I can get you out here alive.¡±


    She made it sound like this was all for Kyle¡¯s sake.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you could say that after treating us like monsters a second ago¡­Leaving aside us accepting or not, don¡¯t you think we would tell the Demon Lord about this?¡±


    ¡°You gonna snitch? Go ahead. The Demon Lord¡­sama is most likely aware of what I¡¯m doing. It¡¯d be weird if one side didn¡¯t plan anything.¡± Flame-Eye snickered to herself.


    ¡°I see, I get where you¡¯re coming from¡­But I¡¯m surprised you think so highly of us.¡±


    ¡°You managed to kill Thunder-Breath, after all. You can¡¯t put him down without relying on a strong surprise attack.¡±


    Kyle realized that Flame-Eye was under the impression that his group offed Thunder-Breath.


    ¡°You think we killed him after all?¡±


    ¡°I might be the most suspicious one here, but I didn¡¯t do it. Hence, it¡¯s gotta be you guys.¡± Flame-Eye bluntly responded.


    She at least understood she was suspicious as all hell.


    ¡°¡­Oh my, it actually wasn¡¯t you people? I was sure that was the case.¡±


    Flame-Eye seemingly understood the truth at seeing the group¡¯s reactions, showing a surprised reaction.


    ¡°Then was it Three-Arms after all? That is quite the surprise¡­but not like it matters much.¡± She apparently gave up on thinking too hard about it and brought about a new decision. ¡°However, I don¡¯t plan on taking back my proposition. Just to let you know, I rarely take interest in humanfolk like this. I haven¡¯t got all day, so I¡¯d prefer it if you gave me a quick answer.¡±


    ¡°Sadly, we can¡¯t leak such valuable information, sorry.¡±


    ¡°So negotiations failed, huh? Well, that¡¯s also fine.¡±


    Flame-Eye took Kyle¡¯s rejection fairly easily as she stood up from the chair. Right before she left the room, Kyle called out to her.


    ¡°Hold on, who said we¡¯re done? I¡¯ve got another offer, and I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be something you can pass up on.¡±


    Flame-Eye seemingly didn¡¯t expect a human to talk this way, as her eyes opened wide.


    ¡°What I want is information about the demonfolk. And in return¡­I give you intel on the Demon Lord.¡±


    ¡°From the Demon Lord-sama?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. First, we¡¯ll become the Demon Lord¡¯s allies, her subordinates. Then we¡¯ll give you the information we receive from her. You¡¯ll hand us further information about the Demon Folk.¡±


    Basically, Kyle offered to become a spy for Flame-Eye.


    ¡°What an interesting offer. But if that came to light, it¡¯d hurt my own position, so let me think about it.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have all day, so as quickly as possible, yeah?¡±


    Kyle paid back Flame-Eye¡¯s arrogance by copying her own words. She showed a faint reaction towards that but she left the room in silence.


    ¡°¡­Both humanfolk and demonfolk have their own troubles, huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking this too seriously.¡±


    The dragons discussed this with each other after they watched the exchange between Flame-Eye and Kyle.


    ¡°But are you sure about striking a deal with Flame-Eye? She¡¯s one of the worst demons to have around, no?¡± Seran seemed worried, but Kyle calmly responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that, which makes her actions easy to read. And even if some problem were to arise¡­we can just betray her first.¡±


    As she was a demon, Kyle would feel no remorse for stabbing her in the back.


    ¡°But what about the Demon Lord¡¯s offer? I don¡¯t want that.¡±


    Before accepting Flame-Eye¡¯s idea, they would end up as the Demon Lord¡¯s subordinates. In that way, it would mean that the Holy Sword Rand would fall into her hands, and it also would end up limiting Seran¡¯s actions.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to listen to any of what she says. She¡¯s not gonna watch over you 24/7. More than anything¡­you won¡¯t die that easily, right?¡±


    Everybody else present confidently nodded along.


    ¡°You sure got a nasty personality¡­So, who do you think messed up Thunder-Breath? Was it Flame-Eye after all?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­but the way she talked didn¡¯t make it seem like she did¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, agreed.¡±


    Kyle delivered an answer after a bit of thinking, to which Seran agreed.


    ¡°So that means it must¡¯ve been Three-Arms? No, still¡­¡±


    This time, Seran went silent, thinking that not even Three-Arms would go so far as to kill his allies to instigate such an incident. Shortly after this discussion, Yuriga returned to the room with an expression even more grave than before, showing things were even worse.


    ¡°Luiza-sama has called for you¡­¡±


    No way anything good would happen, looking at her attitude.

 Volume 5 - CH 10

    Luiza wore the same lousy clothes as before while waiting for the group to arrive. She was seated on her throne in the reception room, her facial expression distorted in agony. Right now, it was just Kyle who came to see her. The rest were on standby.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve come¡­At this rate, no matter the truth, you will have to be treated like the people who killed Thunder-Breath. I¡¯m willing to get you out of this situation¡­for a price.¡± Luiza sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling us to work with you, yeah? I had planned on agreeing, but what happened?¡±


    ¡°Three-Arms made his decision¡­and vowed to take revenge for Thunder-Breath.¡±


    ¡°Take¡­revenge¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡®Thunder-Breath is a friend in war I¡¯ve fought side-by-side with. I have no objections to leaving the punishment to Demon Lord-sama, but I need to take personal revenge,¡¯ is what he said.¡±


    The demon with black wings was the one who initiated the ¡®Great Invasion,¡¯ but the demon who destroyed Kyle¡¯s hometown was Thee-Arms. Hearing he would take revenge made Kyle feel awkward.


    ¡°Of course, this is just a pretense on his end because he wants to fight you. Whatever he may say, he¡¯s got his sights on you. I guess he just can¡¯t hold himself back any longer.¡± Luiza groaned because of the headache.


    ¡°Three-Arms¡­wants to fight. So we have to fight¡­him, huh?¡± Kyle repeated these words to himself and remained calm on the outside, but his mind was like a stormy sea.


    All he could see in his eyes was the memory of Lieze dying in his arms, the frustration and pain of being powerless, and the fury towards himself that caused this rematch. Emotions difficult to suppress started to dwell inside of Kyle.


    ¡°However, as I have summoned you here, I cannot let him fight you¡­You need to leave today, I can create an opening.¡±


    She was telling them to run away while they could.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the most favorable situation to let you go, but it cannot be helped. As long as you don¡¯t ever get involved with us demons again, I can resolve this.¡±


    This was probably the greatest offer Luiza could give them, considering her position.


    ¡°Wait a second, so the information about Targ¡­¡±


    ¡°Give up on it. Even if I were to capture and drag him here, it would take days. And you can have the Dragon King¡¯s skin back.¡± Luiza said, but Kyle couldn¡¯t accept this.


    They risked this much to get here and gather information, so all that would be for nothing at this rate. In order to stop the [Great Invasion] and the demon with black wings, Kyle couldn¡¯t step back here. More than anything, just avoiding demons altogether from now on wasn¡¯t an option. It was his goal to prevent the [Great Invasion], so he couldn¡¯t just ignore the demons¡¯ actions.


    ¡°That would be meaningless. We came all the way to demon territory to learn more about him, I can¡¯t go back empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then there are only two ways out of this. First, you find the true culprit. With enough proof, of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Kyle thought about it, but he naturally had no proof like that. However, there was one thing that didn¡¯t sit right with him.


    ¡°Then, let me ask one thing. Or rather, confirm. Did you kill Thunder-Breath?¡±


    ¡°What¡­You bastard!¡±


    Yuriga fumed up in anger at such an accusation, but Luiza was as calm as always.


    ¡°Why would you think that? And why would I even kill Thunder-Breath in the first place?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going by the process of elimination, and it can only be you.¡±


    Kyle thought that Luiza was the one most suspicious out of the group. Paired with her desire for Seran¡¯s sword and the fact that Seran spotted her leaving the castle the night Thunder-Breath died, it made most sense that she was behind it.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you people the same, then? Yuriga said you are strong, so you should be able to do it¡­¡± Luiza showed an expression like she realized something. ¡°I see¡­You think I did it in order to obtain the Holy Sword.¡±


    Luiza¡¯s tone suddenly changed, emitting clear hostility as she glared at Kyle.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    Kyle panicked, realizing that his assumption may have been off.


    Crap, she¡¯s serious. Damn those two¡­


    Kyle blamed others for this failure, sending Seran and Ghrud undeserved anger. Kyle prepared himself to apologize instantly when Luiza¡¯s fury suddenly grew weaker.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not entirely wrong, though.¡± She let out a faint snicker. ¡°It¡¯s true that I was using Thunder-Breath¡¯s death for my own benefit. All to get the sword. That¡¯s why I tried to save you folks¡­but thanks to Three-Arms, that was now ruined.¡±


    ¡°Then the one who killed Thunder-Breath was¡­¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you people, then it must have been Three-Arms or Flame-Eye, right? Then again, with no proof or witness, none of that really matters.¡±


    The danger of being ambushed in the dark of night rises equally to your rank amongst the demons, which is why it¡¯s your own responsibility to protect yourself, and those who can¡¯t deserve to die.


    ¡°As for my other method¡­This one¡¯s just as simple. The way to prove innocence amongst demonfolk.¡±


    ¡°Luiza-sama, that is¡­!¡±


    Yuriga seemingly tried to stop Luiza, but she still continued.


    ¡°It¡¯s magnificently simple. You just have to win.¡±


    Whenever personal grudges or other in-fighting happens among the demons, they would resolve everything with a classic fight. Fate would side with the righteous, thus the winner would be declared the right one. The rules are just as simple. Either you admit defeat, someone present decides the fight to be over, or one of the participants dies. And since demons are absolutely in love when it comes to fighting, this method remained present since ancient days.


    ¡°I object to this! It¡¯ll still end with them fighting!¡±


    Yuriga objected to Luiza¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°A fight needs a proper judge, and they can decide over who wins the fight. The only one who can stand their ground against Three-Arms is me, too.¡±


    As it¡¯s regarded as a battle to the death, Luiza could jump between them and stop at the worst possible moment.


    ¡°Do you truly believe you can hold your ground¡­against Three-Arms when he¡¯s in the middle of a fight?!¡±


    Luiza blinked once and looked at her attendant.


    ¡°Have you taken such a liking to these humans?¡± Luiza showed clear shock in her voice, as she had never seen her own subordinate Yuriga objecting to her.


    ¡°Ah, no¡­¡±


    Yuriga acted as if she had regained her senses and grew quiet in an instant.


    ¡°Well, I agree. I¡¯m curious to see how far they could make it¡­and if they¡¯re the same or different.¡±


    Both Kyle and Yuriga couldn¡¯t pick up that last part she whispered.


    ¡°However, that is the only method to make worth of the skin you gave me, as well as to obtain information about Targ.¡± Luiza spoke to Kyle, who had been silent the moment this idea was brought up. ¡°Oh, I see you¡¯ve already made up your mind to fight him, huh?¡±


    However, before Kyle was given a chance to speak, Luiza gave her own conclusion.


    ¡°You may try to hide it, but I can see how much your soul is quivering. You¡¯re aching to fight Three-Arms, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Kyle wanted to deny that statement, but he couldn¡¯t. Kyle was also aware that he had lost against Three-Arms before.


    ¡°That being said, I need to warn you. Three-Arms¡­is stronger than me.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Luiza blurted it out like a remark not to be taken seriously, but Kyle was shaken.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­stronger than the current Demon Lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes, undoubtedly. If raw strength was the winning criteria, he¡¯d be the strongest demon of the current demonfolk.¡± Luiza spoke with no hesitation. ¡°However, he still can¡¯t beat me.¡± She spoke as if she was giving Kyle a riddle. ¡°You should know that raw strength doesn¡¯t always determine victory, no?¡±


    Kyle couldn¡¯t argue against that. He had fought opponents much stronger than him and still came out victorious.


    ¡°So, will you accept this battle against Three-Arms, or not?¡±


    Kyle looked up at the ceiling and made up his mind. It was a fight he could avoid now, and he might end up regretting having taken this fight, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    Later that day, when the sun had set, Kyle and his group followed the instructions from Yuriga and headed to the north of the castle. Waiting there was an artificially created small island acting like a fighting arena. It couldn¡¯t hope to compare with the arena in Luos, but it offered more than enough space.


    ¡°A fighting arena, huh¡­Did you really need a small island like this?¡± Urza asked, filled with doubt as she looked at the fighting arena.


    ¡°¡­Us demons definitely do. Fighting is like a daily occurrence, after all.¡± Yuriga responded with a sour expression.


    ¡°You seem to be in a bad mood, what¡¯s up?¡± Lieze walked up to Yuriga and asked her, but no response came.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. We just have to win, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°A battle, huh¡­And this decides on who¡¯s in the right¡­Perfect for demonfolk, I gotta say.¡± Seran nonchalantly commented, which had Minagi sigh.


    ¡°Even during the days of the Galgan Kingdom, before they rose to become an Empire, they had duels on the regular. However, they kept things a lot more organized than this¡­¡±


    ¡°There are countless other countries that use duels as a way of trial. In that sense, the history of humanfolk and demonfolk aren¡¯t too different.¡± Angela spoke of human history with a reminiscent tone, and Shildonia joined in, too.


    ¡°You folks don¡¯t understand the gravity of this situation!¡±


    Unable to bear the nonchalant conversation happening, Yuriga screamed at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°I know how strong you are! And you¡¯d have good chances against Flame-Eye, but Three-Arms is an entirely different monster!¡±


    Seeing how serious Yuriga was, the group all put their heads together.


    ¡°¡­We won¡¯t know unless we try fighting him, right?¡±


    Kyle spoke with a rational tone that had Yuriga realize no further comment would have any impact, so she shook her head and guided them inside the arena.


    The sun began to set, as their surroundings became engulfed in darkness, the magic items lighting up the night. The circular arena was built from stone, with a large plaza in the center. Around it was a stage for the audience offering at least a thousand seats and more. However, as it was just Luiza, Yuriga, as well as the two dragons, it looked a lot more depressing.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve come¡­I¡¯m looking forward to this dance, haven¡¯t enjoyed one in a while.¡±


    Three-Arms stood in the center of the arena, howling as if he had been waiting for their arrival this entire time. Next to him, he had a giant lance stabbed into the ground¡ªAnd he wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re gonna fight us, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Kyle asked Flame-Eye, who glanced at Luiza and then smiled back at him.


    ¡°Your suggestion was quite delicious¡­But in the end, I¡¯m still a demon. After everything I¡¯ve said, I¡¯m not willing to accept the suggestion of someone who I think is weaker than me. So I¡¯m here to confirm your strength¡­But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you¡­at least.¡± She said and showed a confident smirk.


    ¡°This marks the beginning of the duel between Flame-Eye and Three-Arms with the humanfolk group. Decide on your match-ups now.¡± Luiza declared.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s our plan? Demonfolk and humanfolk are different from birth, so I don¡¯t mind if you come at me with whatever method or tactic that you¡¯d like.¡± Three-Arms declared, not speaking out of confidence, but sheer excitement.


    As a duel like this holds no particular rules, it is fine to fight one versus many.


    ¡°Hey now, will you leave some for me, please?¡± Flame-Eye seemed just as confident.


    ¡°All right¡­Lieze, Urza, Minagi, and Princess Angela will take care of Flame-Eye. We¡¯ll take care of the other beast¡­And Shildonia, you know what to do.¡± Seran glanced at Luiza.


    She was supposed to be the judge of this fight, but as she was still a demon deep down, she couldn¡¯t be fully trusted either.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Shildonia understood what Seran was playing at, and nodded.


    ¡°But, why this match-up? Three-Arms is stronger, right?¡± Lieze threw in a valid question, which had Urza and Angela show a confused reaction.


    ¡°You¡¯d just pull us down, plain and simple. If you guys fought Three-Arms, you¡¯d be killed instantly. And fighting while protecting you guys sounds too tough.¡± Seran pointed out without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    Leaving aside his skill with the sword, Seran was also an absolute realist, so he would only give his objective opinion. That made Three-Arms happy, as he grinned with excitement.


    ¡°This is better than I thought¡­Flame-Eye, you step back.¡±


    ¡°Huh?! What¡¯s that supposed to mean¡­!¡±


    Flame-Eye complained at Three-Arms¡¯ declaration, but she immediately swallowed her words.


    ¡°You fight elsewhere. That¡¯ll allow me to go all-out¡­Of course, I won¡¯t hear any complaints if you get wrapped up in this.¡± Three-Arms glared at Flame-Eye with such intensity you could hear cracks in the air, which was alone to make Flame-Eye take a step backward.


    ¡°O-Okay. We¡¯ll do that¡­¡±


    She obeyed Three-Arms¡¯ order and turned her back towards him.


    ¡°Wait, where are you going, Flame-Eye.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Demon Lord-sama, we¡¯re simply letting Three-Arms have his fun. I don¡¯t mind admitting my defeat here and now, as my only wish is to confirm their skill.¡± She explained to Luiza and kept on walking.


    It¡¯s as if she wanted to escape from this place as quickly as possible.


    ¡°¡­Very well. Yuriga, please watch over them in my stead.¡±


    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll be excusing myself then, for a moment¡­There¡¯s a nearby lakeshore offering enough space, let us head there.¡±


    Lieze and the others cautiously followed Flame-Eye as she stomped away.


    ¡°Kyle¡­do your best.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose, all right.¡±


    Lieze and Urza whispered next to Kyle, who silently nodded.


    ¡°You better be working hard out here,¡± Shildonia commented as she made her way toward Luiza.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll be fighting you two?¡± Three-Arms spoke happily as he observed Kyle and Seran.


    ¡°Yeah¡­wait, what?¡±


    ¡°Seran, let me fight this on my own.¡±


    Right as Seran stepped forward, Kyle pushed him aside.


    ¡°Huh?! The hell are you saying?!¡± Seran grabbed Kyle¡¯s shoulder and forcefully made him turn around. ¡°¡­! Stop messing around! You¡¯re gonna fight all on your own?!¡±


    Seeing Kyle¡¯s expression, Seran exploded with genuine anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who accepted this duel. I know you guys didn¡¯t complain, but I¡¯m the one being selfish here. I have to fight this on my own.¡±


    Kyle accepted a fight they may have very well been able to escape from. Hence, he felt regret at that and lowered his head.


    ¡°Bit late to come at me with that! The second we decided to enter the demonfolk¡¯s territory, we knew that we weren¡¯t up against some third-rate enemies!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that¡­I know what I¡¯m doing is selfish, but¡­I have to defeat him all on my own! If not¡­I won¡¯t ever be able to move forward.¡±


    ¡°Like I give a crap about any of that!¡± Seran grabbed Kyle by the collar.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Please, go to the others.¡±


    ¡°Kyle¡­¡± Seran seemed oddly defeated, as he looked into Kyle¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°If you still intend to get in my way¡­Then I¡¯ll have to fight you first.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do what you want, then.¡± Seran cursed at Kyle who reached for his sword and left the arena.


    ¡°Sorry to make you wait.¡±


    ¡°Just you, then? It¡¯s a bit of a shame, but I accept it. It seemed like you were having a bit of a fight there, but you okay? You wouldn¡¯t wanna die while having any regrets.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize later¡­After I have defeated you.¡±


    ¡°Brimming with energy, that¡¯s what I love to see. Then let¡¯s get this started.¡± Three-Arms reached for his spear and pointed it at Kyle.


    Kyle pulled his sword, ready to slash at Three-Arms.


    ¡°This time¡­I¡¯m going to win.¡±

 Volume 5 - CH 11

    The seashore away from the fighting arena was quite large, as well. While walking here, Flame-Eye seemed oddly restless, only now relaxing as she made it away from Three-Arms. Lieze and the others took positions around Flame-Eye, taking their distance.


    ¡°Are you prepared? Then¡­fight!¡± Yuriga gave the signal for the battle to start.


    As the four moved to attack Flame-Eye, their view was suddenly full of flames.


    ¡°I am the honorable Flame-Eye! Every enemy I lay my eyes upon will be burned to cinders!¡±


    They heard Flame-Eye¡¯s voice from high above them, as pillars of flame rose from the ground. Just as her name suggested, Flame-Eye¡¯s major way of attacking was the usage of flames. She could simply set something ablaze by looking at it, and the flames themselves held plenty of a punch, too. With explosive flames covering a lot of ground, even the scorching heat acted as an attack, all of it flying toward the four.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I thought it felt similar! You two really are brother and sister.¡±


    Lieze was reminded of Ganias, who fired his magic bullets in a similar way to how Flame-Eye freely controlled her flames. However, unlike Ganias and his reserved magic bullets, Flame-Eye¡¯s flame attacks were on an entirely different level, attacking the four without much of a breather.


    ¡°What impressive flames you got there! My hair must be terrified right about now!¡± Angela moved around with her rapier in hand, finding an opening in Flame-Eye¡¯s defenses, only to be blocked off by a wall of flame.


    ¡°Tsk¡­My shuriken aren¡¯t¡­!¡±


    Minagi periodically threw a shuriken at Flame-Eye, but they melted before they hit.


    ¡°Undine!¡±


    To fight the flames, Urza chose to rely on the Water Spirit Undine, which allowed her to move the most freely from everyone else.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t stop!¡±


    Under Lieze¡¯s orders, the four acted to close in on Flame-Eye, trying to disturb her.


    ¡°Standard practice of attacks against me, huh? It¡¯s boring but as long as it works, right?¡± Flame-Eye calmly analyzed the current tide of the battle. ¡°And you¡¯re using your water spirit a lot more skillfully than before.¡± Flame-Eye summoned a flame ball the size of a human and threw it at Minagi, but Undine created a wall of water to block it.


    With fire and water clashing, they canceled out each other, filling the air with steam. Lieze tried to use this as a chance to close in on Flame-Eye, but more flame balls were thrown her way, so she had to pull back.


    ¡°Your cooperation¡­isn¡¯t half bad, either.¡±


    Lieze and Urza were working together perfectly, and Minagi was slowly getting into the groove, but Angela was a bit left out. That, naturally, didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t have much to offer in a fight, but rather stronger in this case since Flame-Eye didn¡¯t know how they fought together. It felt like Flame-Eye was actively pushing them back, but thanks to Urza¡¯s skilled control of Undine, they were holding their ground quite well. Even so, they were all suffering injuries here and there, whereas Flame-Eye hadn¡¯t moved a step since the beginning of the fight. Undine showed signs of disappearing, too.


    All their attention, weapons, and stamina were being worn down by the flames, but they had to continue and press on. By continuing the same principle, even using their allies as a shield¡ªtheir chance would come eventually. Lieze managed to slip past the flames, reaching a distance where her fist could connect.


    ¡°Huh¡­not bad for a sacrificial pawn.¡±


    Flame-Eye delivered an impressed comment. Just as Flame-Eye stated, Lieze was prepared to be blasted off. For that, she had suffered burn wounds on her shoulder and sides, but she still continued.


    ¡°Haaaaa!!¡±


    She used up all of her body¡¯s centrifugal force to slam her fist right toward Flame-Eye¡¯s face. Even if she was a demon, Flame-Eye wouldn¡¯t get out of that unscathed¡ªIf it connected, that is.


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Seeing her full-power punch stopped by being grabbed at the wrist, Lieze couldn¡¯t hide her shock.


    ¡°How close. If I relied only on my abilities like my idiotic brother, you may have had a chance at victory.¡±


    Lieze immediately slipped her arm out of the gauntlet and jumped backward.


    ¡°Good reaction. A bit slower, and I would¡¯ve crushed your arm and burned your body to cinders.¡± Flame-Eye observed the extremely expensive gauntlet and crushed it with her hand like it was a cookie.


    Seeing their one good chance at an attack completely negated without even a sweat, the four had to temporarily retreat.


    ¡°Not good¡­So we can¡¯t even rely on close-quarters combat?¡± Lieze shook her right arm to get rid of the pins and needles as she commented on the situation.


    ¡°For us and our hand-to-hand combat, that¡¯s quite troublesome¡­We should come up with our next plan.¡± Minagi¡¯s plan of just getting up close had been destroyed, but she wouldn¡¯t give up this easily.


    ¡°Just one hit, at least¡­Is far too pathetic, and I won¡¯t be satisfied with just that. We¡¯ll win no matter what it takes.¡± Angela was brimming with motivation to fight.


    ¡°Oh? Normally, every other human¡¯s will to fight would have been crushed by now¡­I see you¡¯re also mentally strong.¡±


    But in the end, it was clear that Flame-Eye was just looking down on them. The only reason Lieze and the others were still alive was that Flame-Eye wasn¡¯t even serious, and her only goal was to measure their strength. She¡¯d even let them live as long as they agreed to surrender. And yet, seeing that Lieze and the others were intent on winning, she was enjoying that.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to what you can achieve¡­and when your hearts will be broken, too.¡± Flame-Eye waited for Lieze and the others to finish discussing.


    ¡°¡­I have one idea,¡± Urza spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll summon a high-ranking water spirit. I luckily have enough dregs left, and I don¡¯t need a magic circle for the summoning.¡±


    Basically, she was trying to summon the water spirit that had laid waste to this place before.


    ¡°But in order to do that, I need time to focus, which will leave me completely defenseless. And once the summoning is complete, I¡¯ll be completely out of energy. Whether or not I can control it is also only a 50/50 chance.¡±


    Trying to control a high-ranking spirit at her current level was reckless and suicidal. But, it was a risk worth taking.


    ¡°This¡¯ll be our chance to win. However¡­¡± Urza hesitated.


    Executing it successfully was a trick in itself, and the burden on her allies was immense. Urza wasn¡¯t sure which decision to take when Lieze smiled at her.


    ¡°Then tell me, Urza¡­How much time do you need?¡±


    Minagi and Angela nodded.


    ¡°¡­100 seconds. You have to protect me until then.¡± Urza took a deep breath and began focusing.


    As she stated, she now looked utterly defenseless. Even a child could defeat her.


    ¡°So we¡¯re buying time¡­I¡¯m not too talented at that, but I¡¯m glad I tagged along with you. I would¡¯ve never experienced something like this.¡± Angela readied her rapier and grinned with an invincible smile.


    Thinking about it rationally, the princess of the Empire Angela would never put her life on the line in a battle like this, but as it turns out, her true self was quite the warrior, as she seemed to be enjoying this thrill.


    ¡°What a violent princess we have here¡­It¡¯s not my fort¨¦ to fight openly this much¡­¡± Minagi sighed and readied her two daggers.


    ¡°We¡¯ll buy you those 100 seconds!¡±


    Together with Lieze¡¯s roar, the three charged towards Flame-Eye. Up to this point, they barely could stand their ground as the four of them, and that¡¯s also because they had the necessary protection from the water spirit that Urza controlled, now both of which were out of the fight. Thinking rationally, this situation should be unwinnable, and yet they were more confident than ever.


    They¡¯re trying to do something¡­Clearly buying time, though.


    Flame-Eye had seen through the opponent¡¯s plan. They were willing to suffer substantial damage to distract Flame-Eye, and she was curious about the words ¡°100 seconds¡± that she could faintly pick up. Maybe she had been a bit careless in giving them time, but it shouldn¡¯t matter much. It had already been fifty seconds since the three of them came to attack Flame-Eye once more. She was still at an absolute advantage, and the conclusion to this fight should arrive soon, and yet Flame-Eye felt oddly oppressed.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m done swatting away flies¡­Time to end this.¡±


    She saw no need to hold back or show restraint, so she used her trump card from the start.


    ¡°Physical alteration¡­Flame Body.¡±


    Together with these words, pillars of flame erupted from her body. It created an oppressive heat that even melted the ground Flame-Eye stood on.


    ¡°This is¡­my trump card. My Flame Body.¡±


    Flame-Eye¡¯s voice came from the pillar of flame, as the entire pillar began to move. Her trump card was to transcend simple control of flames and become one giant roaring and destructive flame herself. It had plenty of weaknesses, but in this appearance, she was basically untouchable.


    ¡°T-The hell is that¡­¡± Lieze uttered in shock.


    Simply approaching this hellish flame would result in massive damage inflicted on them, and all attacks would be rendered futile.


    ¡°Becoming a flame itself¡­That has to be against the rules.¡± Angela muttered.


    ¡°How crude¡­¡± Minagi stepped back, but she already reached the limit.


    She basically had the focusing Urza at her back.


    ¡°All right, then¡­Time to burn you to cinders!¡±


    Right as Flame-Eye prepared to move towards them¡ª


    ¡°Wait, Flame-Eye! The battle is over!¡± Yuriga interrupted the fight, seeing Flame-Eye¡¯s current appearance.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I took this appearance. Don¡¯t you dare get in the way.¡± Flame-Eye roared back, firing a flame at Yuriga.


    ¡°Y-You!¡±


    Yuriga evaded the attack, but it was far too close for comfort, still. As Flame-Eye hadn¡¯t used this appearance in a long time, she had long forgotten about letting the others live, simply fighting for the thrill of it. However, that ultimately was a fatal flaw.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue¡­Huh?¡±


    A great change occurred in the five seconds Flame-Eye had directed her gaze at Yuriga.


    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±


    With simple words, it looked like a giant amoeba, a lump of water. With its current size, it was on the same level as Irumera¡¯s dragon appearance, but it continued to grow. And this very ¡°thing¡± was floating above Urza¡¯s head.


    ¡°Leviathan!¡± Urza screamed the name of the high-ranking water spirit, as the giant amoeba shook violently.


    ¡°A-A high-ranking water spirit?!¡± Flame-Eye looked at the Leviathan in shock.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to pull it off this quickly,¡± Urza spoke with a meek voice and pale face, but her smile spoke a thousand words. ¡°¡­Go!¡±


    Together with Urza¡¯s roar, the lump of water slowly started moving, as Flame-Eye¡¯s face distorted in fear. Even the oldest of demons had only seen this high-ranking spirit maybe once. They surpass human wisdom and even demons wouldn¡¯t dare pick a fight with them. It took a great number of sacrifices to defeat the high-ranking spirit that had gone berserk in this land. And now, this very spirit was making its way to attack Flame-Eye.


    ¡°Damnit!¡±


    She frantically flung her flames at the approaching Leviathan, but they immediately turned into steam. Even if she attempted to run, the Leviathan¡¯s body continued to grow in size, acting like a wall or even a tsunami. And this is also where one of Flame-Eye¡¯s weaknesses during this state came into play. Her movements become much duller. At this rate, she¡¯ll simply be overrun and swallowed up by that giant body of water.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡±


    She screamed with fighting intent, as her body burned up even stronger, turning into what could be described as a mountain of fire, possibly even hellfire. She achieved this by freeing all the mana in her body in the shape of flames, firing them into all directions. It was the last trump card, and possibly even a self-destruction technique. Under normal circumstances, the entire arena would most likely turn into an ocean of flames, but the giant water body from the Leviathan immediately erased most of it. Instead, the entire place was covered with white steam. Even at a certain distance from the whole fight, Lieze and the others¡¯ sight turned white in an instant.


    ¡°That hurt¡­What was that, just now?¡± Lieze felt pain all over her body as she somehow stood up.


    ¡°M-My ears¡­¡± Angela crouched down as she covered her ears.


    As the steam started to clear up, they spotted a large crater, with Flame-Eye standing in the center. Her Flame Body had been undone, too. As she stood in the center of the large explosion, her body was riddled with wounds.


    ¡°¡­To think you were skilled enough of a summoner to control a high-ranking spirit like that¡­But, I¡¯m not done yet!¡±


    Her condition aside, her pride as a demon would not allow her to just give up now. Her initial goal of testing everyone¡¯s strength had completely blown past her, as she now was itching for revenge, burning up with killing intent. However¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Minagi appeared from the shadow behind Flame-Eye, stabbing a needle the size of a chopstick, glowing with a radiant silver, into her back.


    ¡°Y-You wench!¡± Flame-Eye instantly turned around and glared at Minagi, who had jumped away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll burn you¡­to¡­shinshers¡­?¡±


    Flame-Eye¡¯s body began shaking, as she became unable to even speak properly. After she held her head in agony, she collapsed like a doll had its strings cut.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad she got so blinded by rage¡­I guess even demons are weak to poison.¡± Minagi commented with a sigh as she looked down at Flame-Eye.


    ¡°Wh-What did you do?¡± Lieze jogged over to Minagi, looking at Flame-Eye who was foaming from the mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I haven¡¯t killed her. It¡¯s just poison that¡¯ll get her paralyzed. Though I used ten times the amount I would for a normal human¡­And I stabbed it deep inside her body.¡± Minagi showed her the needle in her hand, which had a hole open at the tip, still dripping with the poison.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s not lethal poison?¡± Angela asked with a dubious look, but Minagi didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°When did you even get this close to her?¡±


    ¡°I knew the clash of fire and water would cause an explosion, so I used that.¡±


    Since she had retired quickly, she suffered minimal damage and could freely move behind Flame-Eye.


    ¡°Tell me that beforehand¡­I was worried when you suddenly disappeared.¡±


    ¡°But it gave us an opening, right? I didn¡¯t know if poison would actually work on demons¡­Should we use this chance to experiment on her?¡± Minagi looked down at Flame-Eye like a test subject.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. The winner has been decided, so I won¡¯t allow you to lay another finger on her.¡± Yuriga seemed to have been hit by the explosion as well, as she approached them with injuries here and there.


    ¡°Phew¡­I had no idea summoning a high-ranking spirit like that would be this exhausting. It should¡¯ve turned into an actual sea dragon¡¯s shape, but my strength wasn¡¯t enough to give it that, I guess.¡± Urza showed a bitter smile as she was reminded of the undefined lump Leviathan had been summoned as.


    ¡°I feel like the way it looked was even more terrifying¡­Also, you okay?¡± Lieze offered Urza a shoulder, as she could barely keep standing.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s thanks to all of you buying time¡­Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What a fine victory this is.¡± Angela smiled in a satisfied manner.


    Because they had emerged victorious, everyone was smiling, as a pleasant atmosphere filled the air.


    ¡°Although it was a four versus one, you managed to defeat one of the strongest demons we have to offer¡­Humanfolk truly can¡¯t be underestimated.¡± Yuriga spoke with both admiration and disbelief at the same time.


    Once things had calmed down a bit, Lieze looked towards the battle arena.


    ¡°Now then¡­I wonder how Kyle and Seran are doing. They¡¯ve probably won by now.¡±


    Nobody dared to doubt these words. However, when they headed for the arena, they were greeted by something unnatural.


    ¡°¡­Wazzat?¡±

 Volume 5 - CH 12

    Kyle jumped back faster than he could even think, as he heard something cut through the air right next to him. Although he managed to evade Three-Arms¡¯ destructive attack, his whole body was shaking. If he had been hit by that, he would have just been sliced in half.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite skilled at evading! So far, nobody has managed to dodge my spear attacks successfully!¡± Three-Arms spoke with joy in his voice.


    His spear was incredibly sharp, and a single hit from that would spell Kyle¡¯s untimely death.


    ¡°This much is no problem!¡±


    Kyle was busy focusing on evading, which he didn¡¯t show on the outside, as he commented. This made Thee-Arms even happier, as his onslaught with spear attacks grew sharper, forcing Kyle to block an incoming salve with his sword. He managed to intercept it perfectly, but the power of the attack had him get blown off, slamming his back into the arena¡¯s wall.


    ¡°This would actually be doable if he wasn¡¯t just some muscle brain¡­Kah¡­¡±


    He managed to block the spear¡¯s attack, but the impact from the wall inflicted plenty of damage. It once again reminded Kyle of the innate difference in physical strength between them, but it wasn¡¯t just that. Speed, skill, experience, stamina, vigor, Three-Arms possessed all of this in greater quality and quantity than Kyle, like he had simply been born to fight until his last breath.


    ¡°Good moves you got there. Sharp reading ability.¡± Three-Arms was overflowing with joy.


    With this absolute difference in strength between them, Kyle had one single advantage¡ªhis memory. While remembering his previous encounter with Three-Arms in the previous world, he managed to read his attacks and evade them up to this point. And his memory gave him another important hint at defeating Three-Arms.


    As I thought, his eyesight is impeded on his blind eye¡¯s side.


    He had felt something similar back when he first fought Three-Arms, but his defense on the left side was a bit slower than for any attacks from the right. He had to use a dead angle from the left side, otherwise he¡¯d have no chance at victory. And just being backed against the wall would eventually end with Kyle losing his life, so he had to fight back.


    ¡°Oh, nice attack.¡± Three-Arms evaded Kyle¡¯s sword attack with ease.


    He was still simply enjoying the battle with Kyle, and that was the opening he had to use.


    ¡°Hm, sharpness and strength are good, too¡­But you¡¯re lacking speed.¡±


    Three-Arms sounded slightly dissatisfied, but that was to be expected. Kyle still hadn¡¯t cast his self-strengthening magic [Haste], simply fighting with his raw speed. It was practically suicidal to not use that with an opponent like Three-Arms, but it was all for a single goal in mind. He had seen the perfect timing, finally using strengthening magic.


    ¡°[Haste]!¡±


    His speed accelerated rapidly, as he succeeded in creating a feint.


    ¡°Hmph?!¡±


    Three-Arms followed Kyle¡¯s movement, but once he entered Three-Arms¡¯ dead angle, he lost him for a split second. And since Kyle stomped on the ground to speed up further, it looked like he vanished entirely from Three-Arms¡¯ eye. Reaching the diagonal left side of Three-Arms, Kyle swung down his sword.


    Got him!


    He celebrated in his mind as he put strength in his sword¡ªhowever, that attack never connected. The very next moment, Kyle was slammed into the ground like a small fly.


    ¡°Gah?!¡±


    He crashed into the ground, flung up into the air like gum, and rolled along the floor. The attack had him dizzy for a moment, as his body grew numb. Luckily, he still managed to get up one way or another.


    ¡°Th-That was¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep, this guy here.¡± Three-Arms skillfully moved his tail, showing off to Kyle.


    ¡°You slammed me down¡­with that? But I attacked you from a dead angle¡­!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I used my tail. Folks like you love to attack from my dead angle. And the rest is just intuition.¡±


    This must be the difference in their fighting experience. What Kyle couldn¡¯t do, Three-Arms did so easily.


    ¡°Dammit¡­¡±


    Kyle attempted to fight back with another attack, but his movement has gone dull.


    ¡°¡­So I still can¡¯t win¡­¡±


    He tried to slash at Three-Arms two to three more times, but they were all evaded at ease.


    ¡°Grrr¡­Raaaaah!¡±


    Kyle roared in anger as he swung his sword once more. It resembled a scream that was meant to cast away all fear and terror he felt. Three-Arms did feel a level of pressure from the attack, but in terms of actual danger, it had dropped drastically. He swung his spear in annoyance as Kyle was flung away, slamming into the wall once more.


    ¡°You did well for a human¡­But you¡¯re far from Randolph¡¯s level.¡±


    Kyle tried to use his sword as a stand to keep him on his legs, but his knees were shaking too much. The sword slipped from his hand, and he sank to the ground.


    ¡°Ah¡­Aaaaah!¡± He roared as he crawled on the floor, lamenting.


    ¡°Dammit¡­I still can¡¯t win¡­?¡±


    Just like his past defeat, he cursed his own inexperience and weakness, as he shed tears of pain.


    I guess his heart was broken¡­


    Three-Arms observed Kyle with a regretful gaze. His skills were pristine, and his attacks were strong, but his heart was weak and fragile. The way Three-Arms saw it, Kyle should still be able to fight. However, he had admitted defeat in his mind. And accepting your loss like this was the same as death.


    If possible, I would have loved to fight him when he was a bit more experienced¡­


    Three-Arms removed this thought from his mind as he shook his head.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s end this, then.¡±


    Three-Arms had no intention of playing with his food. There was nothing more gained from looking at the defeated, and in order to respect Kyle¡¯s determination, he readied his spear for a single and decisive swing.


    ¡°This is it for you¡ª¡±


    However, before he could fire off his attack, Three-Arms¡¯ large body jumped backward with speed unbefitting his size.


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    The one who attacked Three-Arms was Seran. The speed, destructive power, and timing, it was using all of this strength, but even that was evaded by Three-Arms.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve come, after all.¡± Three-Arms couldn¡¯t hide a grin as he looked at Seran.


    ¡°Fine, then. I¡¯ll see if you¡¯re worthy of using that swo¡ªGark?!¡±


    Worthy of using that sword, is what Three-Arms tried to say, but a sharp pain assaulting him stopped him mid-sentence. Even as he jumped away from that place to gain distance, he couldn¡¯t perfectly keep his balance after he landed.


    ¡°I-Impossible¡­¡±


    Lying at the place he previously stood on¡ªwas his tail.


    ¡°I was waiting for you to drop your guard!¡± Kyle laughed out loud as he looked down at Three-Arms¡¯ tail, which he previously cut off.


    ¡°Y-You bastard¡­!¡± Three-Arms looked at Kyle, who he had believed to be at death¡¯s door, in disbelief.


    His previously lost fighting intent and strong will had now returned to fill his gaze.


    ¡°What are you doing?! Go and finish him!¡± Seran complained but Kyle screamed back at him.


    ¡°What do you think I was trying to do?! His senses are way too sharp and his experience would¡¯ve stopped me for anything other than this tail!¡±


    ¡°Useless as always, heh,¡± Seran grumbled and lined up next to Kyle.


    ¡°Impossible¡­I broke your will to fight.¡± Three-Arms took a step back for the first time.


    ¡°That was obviously just acting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Kyle and Seran both spoke with confidence in their voices.


    ¡°S-So everything¡­was a set-up?¡±


    Even their falling-out seemed to have been fake.


    ¡°I was trying to make it realistic, but I guess I put too much emotion in there,¡± Kyle grumbled.


    His fear, his terror, his regret at losing Lieze, everything just came gushing to the surface then.


    ¡°You were crying for real, right?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Kyle and Seran were having some friendly banter, but Three-Arms was bewildered. Seran¡¯s attack in itself he could dodge. Kyle¡¯s leap at his tail was also not too much to intercept. However, their attack teamed up was what cost him his tail. Understanding that, Three-Arms grit his teeth and started breathing heavily.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that face about? You¡¯re not gonna call us cowards, right?¡±


    ¡°Everything goes in a battle for the death, yeah? It¡¯s your fault for looking away from your enemy.¡±


    Kyle and Seran only tried to instigate Three-Arms¡¯ anger further.


    ¡°And you¡¯re the one who said everything goes, remember?¡±


    ¡°You were fine with us using whatever trick we wanted, right? How¡¯s it feel to fall for the set-up of a human?¡±


    Three-Arms¡¯ body began shaking. Even as they laughed at him, the two were waiting for his next attack.


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. Lying to your opponent is a proper strategy, and you pulled it off beautifully. And I was careless, without a doubt.¡±


    Suddenly, Three-Arms seemed almost eerily calm.


    ¡°O-Oh¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The two were trying to instigate Three-Arms further, but being praised like that threw them off-concept.


    ¡°I guess I was the one being naive¡­¡± Three-Arms looked up at the sky and let out a self-deprecating laugh.


    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s calming down.¡±


    ¡°Weird. I was thinking he¡¯d throw a fit or leap at us¡­¡±


    The two ended up flustered at this unexpected reaction.


    ¡°Normally, he should be screaming ¡®You fools!¡¯ or ¡®Don¡¯t you know any shame?!¡¯ or something like that. We were doing all of this on purpose to get you enraged, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yep, yep!¡±


    The two continued to get on Three-Arms¡¯ bad side, but he just calmly shook his head.


    ¡°I fell victim to your plot. That¡¯s all this is. You fought with everything you could, and cornered me perfectly. You should feel proud.¡± Three-Arms continued to praise the two with a smile, which made them feel grossed out.


    ¡°Hey, Kyle, this is bad. He¡¯s like a samurai now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, whatever. Everything¡¯s fine as long as we win in the end.¡± Kyle was clearly playing the role of the villain now.


    ¡°However, I am furious. Furious at my own foolishness. And more than anything, joy is filling my heart. I haven¡¯t felt my heart quiver this much since my battle with Randolph¡­No, maybe even more than that.¡± Three-Arms laughed to himself, as the two felt clear tension and danger fill the air. ¡°This is the end. I¡¯ll fight with everything I¡¯ve got.¡± Three-Arms raised one leg, stomping it onto the ground.


    This created several cracks in the stone paving. Immediately after, Kyle and Seran¡¯s bodies felt heavier. They both remembered this feeling.


    ¡°This is¡­[Gravity], huh?¡±


    ¡°This ain¡¯t good¡­¡±


    [Gravity] was a type of magic that could control the heaviness of the air in the atmosphere. In order to improve their training, they had received magic items that had the effect of [Gravity] imbued into them by their teacher Leyla. That¡¯s why they knew how troublesome it could be.


    ¡°It heightens the gravity for everybody but me in a small vicinity¡­And, this is my special ability.¡±


    It numbed the movement of his enemies while leaving himself free to move. It sounded woefully simple, but there could be no ability more terrifying when fighting him.


    ¡°My name Three-Arms comes from the fact that I press down my opponent with an invisible arm. Since no opponent forced me to use this, that fact had long been forgotten, that is.¡± Three-Arms threw away his spear. ¡°I won¡¯t need this, either. My specialty is hand-to-hand combat, but since everybody would die instantly, I opted to use weapons I don¡¯t excel at¡­however, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    It may have been a hallucination, but Three-Arms¡¯ body suddenly looked a lot bigger than before.


    ¡°Kahaha¡­Now, what are you going to show me next?! Surprise me! Give me excitement! Reveal your everything to me!¡± Three-Arms laughed in ecstasy as he took a step forward.


    ¡°Um¡­I guess we gotta fight him head-on? Defeat your opponent in a straight battle to prove you¡¯re in the right¡­type beat?¡±


    ¡°Yep, yep. Using small tricks wouldn¡¯t be too manly, right?¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Three-Arms stopped listening to the two, simply making his way toward them. His true strength wasn¡¯t the absolute power he governed, but rather his experience and nimble movement unbefitting of his stature, and all of this combined greatly surpassed what Kyle and Seran could bring to the table. Adding his gravity-altering ability to the mix, he truly carried the name as the demon race¡¯s strongest. If not for the two of them, any other human would have probably been turned into a puddle of blood by now.


    The only reason they could even fight to some degree is because they were used to this type of magic. They knew how to fight even as their bodies had become more sluggish. And more than anything, a two versus one would allow them to use their unrivaled teamwork.


    ¡°Sha!¡±


    Together with a sharp breath, Seran swung his sword at Three-Arms¡¯ ankle. At the same time, Kyle leaped at Three-Arms¡¯ neck with another swing. The two perfectly split up their attack, making sure to attack from absolutely opposite sides. If Kyle was the right arm then Seran was the left arm. Front or back, head or leg, their attack was in perfect unison for being exact opposites, as they repeated this onslaught. However, Three-Arms easily evaded that and fought back.


    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re keeping a good balance despite your dang tail missing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s gonna grow back like a lizard¡¯s?¡±


    Kyle and Seran were trying to destroy Three-Arms¡¯ composure, but he showed no reaction whatsoever.


    ¡°What a bothersome opponent¡­Well, that¡¯ll make this a worthy challenge!¡±


    Even during this battle to the death, Seran was relaxed enough to throw banter around mid-fight.


    ¡°I swear! This is supposed to be the strongest of what the demons have to offer? I expected more!¡±


    Kyle evaded a swing of Three-Arms¡¯ arm and continued to insult him. It¡¯s because they trusted each other with their lives that they could fight this relaxed.


    ¡°Good¡­this is great, you two!¡±


    Three-Arms continued to use his gravity-manipulating ability as he continued to chase after the two, fighting back with everything he got.


    ¡°What a sight¡­


    Irumera watched this fight from the audience seats, praising the ongoing fight.


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s the least I expect from the guy who defeated me.¡± Ghrud grumbled again all by himself, but his eyes were glued to the fight.


    ¡°This is the best possible fight you could watch. Don¡¯t look away, even crazier things are gonna happen now.¡± Shildonia said, as if she was bragging about herself.


    ¡°However, if they can¡¯t finish this fight, they can¡¯t beat Three-Arms. It¡¯s hard to deliver a final strike.¡± Luiza said.


    Even if Luiza declared victory or defeat, Three-Arms most likely won¡¯t stop.


    ¡°No problem, Demon Lord. You¡¯ll have to stop Kyle and Seran, not Three-Arms.¡± Shildonia spoke with confidence.


    The three of them were fighting with everything they got, but the longer the fight continued, the more injuries they suffered and stamina lost. Everybody knew the end of the fight was approaching. Seran raised his head, as he seemingly realized something.


    ¡°Hey, Kyle.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Kyle traced Seran¡¯s gaze, and they immediately understood each other¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s finish this, Seran.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag me down, Kyle.¡±


    The two still grinned at each other, showing no fear despite being one mistake from death. All they had was their confidence in their faith. Three-Arms felt the air change, as his cheek twitched.


    ¡°Great! Come at me!¡±


    He was filled with anticipation and excitement to see what Kyle and Seran would do next. That being said, he certainly did not let down his guard, and he won¡¯t look away from the two. The moment he fought against the opponent¡¯s strongest with his own¡ªthat is what gave Three-Arms the greatest joy, and his reason for living. First, Kyle started the attack.


    ¡°Raaaaaaaah!¡±


    This time, he screamed with all his power, not as a last effort. Three-Arms was met with the full force of this roar, as even the deepest part of his soul began quivering. Kyle¡¯s attack had all of his energy left packed into it, sharper than any before as it aimed at Three-Arms. At the same time, Three-Arms¡¯ counterattack hit closer and closer each time, but Kyle continued. However, his partner Seran was standing in the back.


    What are they plotting now?


    Three-Arms kept his focus on Kyle right in front of him, while keeping one conscious gaze on Seran. After several more exchanges of blows, Kyle suddenly stepped backward.


    ¡°Come!¡±


    Three-Arms didn¡¯t chase after him and simply awaited Seran¡¯s attack. However, he didn¡¯t move. Right as Three-Arms grew dubious about what their plan was, a shadow came soaring down from the sky. It was a genuine hawk.


    ¡°Wha¡­?!¡±


    Shildonia had moved away from the audience stands, changing her shape into that of a hawk. Since everybody watching this fight was so entranced by the battle between Kyle and Seran against Three-Arms, nobody realized that Shildonia had disappeared. Not even Luiza, in fact.


    ¡°Hee, hee. Never said I wouldn¡¯t be participating!¡± Shildonia spoke as she joined close-quarters combat like this for the first time.


    That being said, all she did was fly above Three-Arms to distract him, and she immediately moved away again. As planned, of course, as her sole duty was to get Three-Arms attention for even a second. That¡¯s all Seran needed, as he instantaneously closed in on Three-Arms.


    ¡°Eat this!¡±


    His Holy Sword Rand bit right into Three-Arms¡¯ neck. However, Three-Arms reacted toward that, slamming his right arm against it. Thanks to his intuition and experience, this attack landed deadly on Seran. He was flung away and slammed into the nearest wall which created cracks all over.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    Seran coughed up blood as he tried to back up again, but his body wouldn¡¯t listen, leaving him collapsed on the ground. For the first time in 300 years, Three-Arms was close to tasting death, but he was far from done. Seran¡¯s attack caused his body to lose balance, which is exactly what Kyle waited for as he jumped towards him in a straight line. He strengthened his physical body with magic to its utmost limit, as he aimed for Three-Arms¡¯ heart.


    ¡°Take this!¡±


    It was an attack with all his might. And he definitely felt the sensation of bone being crushed.


    ¡°W-Wonderfully done¡­¡±


    However, Three-Arms was still alive. He had used his left arm to protect himself and take the sword¡¯s impact. Through this, his arm had been crushed completely, and the tip of Kyle¡¯s sword had pierced his chest, but it was too shallow. It wasn¡¯t a lethal injury, but that arm of Three-Arms¡¯ would not be useful anymore, as blood came gushing out of it like a fountain.


    ¡°What a shame¡­Your strategy was perfect. However, I survived it by sacrificing just one arm.¡±


    ¡°Before, it was a simple scar, and now it¡¯s a whole arm¡­Well, I guess I¡¯ve grown a bit.¡± Kyle laughed in a self-deprecating manner.


    ¡°¡­Huh? Well, you¡­you¡¯ve all done well. Not even Randolph could have shown me such a fight. Rest assured, I¡¯ll let you meet your maker quickly.¡± Three-Arms raised his right arm, but Kyle showed no reaction as if he had run out of steam entirely.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m completely out of strength. But¡­you¡¯re the one who¡¯s gonna meet your maker. You said we could attack you with as many people as we want, right?¡±


    Three-Arms didn¡¯t understand what Kyle was saying. But even if he didn¡¯t understand his words, he grasped the meaning behind them. Because of their height difference, Kyle looked up at Three-Arms, who in turn looked down at Kyle. By the time Three-Arms understood that this was a plot to direct his attention toward Kyle, it was already too late.


    Lieze appeared inside the arena, rushing towards Kyle¡¯s back. If this had been an attack toward himself, Three-Arms most likely would have realized it sooner and protected himself. However, Lieze¡¯s goal was never him. Instead, she slammed her fist right into Kyle¡¯s back.


    ¡°Gah?!¡±


    With Lieze¡¯s speed and heavy punch, Kyle¡¯s body was flung forward, the impact conveyed to his blade, as the tip of his sword pierced Three-Arms¡¯ skin, reaching his heart.


    ¡°Impossible¡­With such a method¡­¡±


    ¡°This time, I¡¯ve reached you¡­huh?¡±


    Three-Arms collapsed to the ground, as Kyle flashed a grin while suffering from the severe pain in his back.

 Volume 5 - CH 13

    Three-Arms fell to the ground with his limbs spread out. Kyle kneeled down next to him, clearly in pain, too.


    ¡°Y-You okay, Kyle?!¡±


    ¡°Somewhat¡­¡± Kyle forced himself to answer Lieze¡¯s worried question.


    In fact, that one attack gave him the most damage in the entire fight, but he decided to keep quiet about that.


    ¡°W-Wonderful¡­Truly, what a fight that was.¡± Three-Arms once again praised them with a weak voice.


    For any human being, this wound would have been fatal with no chance of recovery, but a monster like Three-Arms with his massive vitality was barely alive.


    ¡°However¡­you had no chance of planning this before the fight, so how did you succeed in this cooperation¡­Human woman, why did you aim for that exact moment?¡±


    If Lieze had arrived even a few seconds earlier, Three-Arms would have caught on to her presence, and a few seconds later, Kyle would have been dead.


    ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s because I gave her the order.¡± Seran joined the group, his body tattered everywhere.


    ¡°What even is this? I borrowed this from Angela-sama as you said in your letter, but¡­Hearing your voice directly in my head was gross, and you suddenly told me to punch Kyle in the back.¡± Lieze looked at the magic item with [Telepathy] engraved into it in absolute disgust.


    On the way back to the arena, Lieze spotted this letter that was left behind by Seran.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say gross¡­¡± Seran seemed more hurt from that than his actual injuries.


    ¡°My main body is the sword, after all. I¡¯ve been telling Kyle about this and that during the fight and got their plot moving along¡­Hee, hee¡­this victory was all thanks to me this time.¡±


    Shildonia had appeared out of nowhere, just nodding to herself.


    ¡°I understand about them¡­But what about you two?¡±


    Seran and Kyle didn¡¯t utter a word during the fight. Three-Arms saw that with his own eyes.


    ¡°I mean, I can tell what Seran¡¯s thinking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Guessing what Kyle¡¯s brewing up is easy as pie, it¡¯s almost grossing me out.¡±


    The two looked at each other, only to show disgust on their faces.


    ¡°Basically, you¡¯re both simpletons.¡±


    Hearing Lieze¡¯s translation, they both seemed even more annoyed.


    ¡°I knew from the get-go that I can¡¯t beat you on my own¡­But if I¡¯m not strong enough on my own, I just have to borrow everyone¡¯s strength.¡±


    There are things you can¡¯t do all on your own, no matter how strong you may be.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always fought alone. I thought that¡¯d be enough¡­but I¡¯m just venting out my frustration after having lost before.¡±


    Three-Arms started laughing.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ve got a conclusion.¡± Luiza arrived from the audience, calling out to Kyle and his group. ¡°What a fight that was¡­Although I have to say, your tactics weren¡¯t the finest¡­He¡¯d have all the right to call you cowards.¡±


    ¡°Well, hearing the word coward from the Demon Lord¡­¡±


    Hearing that from her of all people did hurt Kyle a bit, but she was absolutely right, so he had no room to complain. Then again, it was Three-Arms who said they were free to use whatever strategy they wanted or come at him with as many people as they liked. Plus, Kyle could only do such a fight since he was with demons and nobody cared about him being a hero. If he were to repeat such a fight with a fellow human, he¡¯d probably be banned from whatever place he fought in.


    ¡°No, this is the result of all of them fighting with all their might. In a battle like this, victory or defeat is everything, and I would be a fool to cry about it just because I lost.¡±


    ¡°So the old man here is the orthodox guy?¡±


    As no one other than Three-Arms spoke for Kyle¡¯s group, even Seran had the urge to show him some respect.


    ¡°If you¡¯re okay with this, then I won¡¯t meddle any further. And even Flame-Eye lost¡­although she¡¯s still alive.¡± Luiza sighed, as she had seen the state Flame-Eye was in as Yuriga dragged her along. ¡°My strongest generals have lost, huh¡­¡±


    As part of the pro-war faction, they may have been difficult to deal with as subordinates, but she had confidence in their strength. And to see them both lose, it must be quite hard to cope.


    ¡°And to think I would witness the day you lose with my own eyes¡­¡± Luiza looked at Three-Arms on the ground, speaking as if she had witnessed the end of the world.


    ¡°Though¡­I feel great right now.¡± Three-Arms spoke with joy in his voice, like he didn¡¯t even regret his loss.


    ¡°Fine, then¡­What now? Would you prefer doing it yourself, or should I do it?¡±


    Kyle and the others didn¡¯t understand just what she was referring to when Three-Arms slowly raised his body.


    ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like you to be the one to end my long fighting.¡±


    ¡°Very well¡­I shall let you depart by using my father¡¯s rite. Accept it and find peace.¡± Luiza grabbed Three-Arms¡¯ spear and threw it at him.


    He accepted this and used it as a hold when standing up.


    ¡°Thank you very much¡­Demon Lord-sama.¡±


    ¡°You guys should step back¡­¡± Luiza spoke with a terrifying tone that had a shiver run down Kyle¡¯s back.


    He felt like he had seen a completely new side of her, as Kyle¡¯s group quickly moved away from the two.


    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on?¡± Kyle asked Yuriga, who explained with a gloomy expression.


    ¡°Three-Arms, he¡­he made a vow. If he were to lose even once, it would spell his own death. And, Luiza-sama is going to kill him based on that vow.¡±


    Defeat means death¡ªthat¡¯s how Three-Arms operated.


    ¡°Then¡­I will conduct the ritual.¡± Together with these words, Three-Arms leaped at Luiza.


    His speed and movement weren¡¯t on the level of someone who was on death¡¯s doorstep. However, Kyle knew that the last of Three-Arms¡¯ strength was currently being burned up. And since he was using up all of his left-over life force, his attack seemed even stronger. At the same time, Luiza showed no particular posture or even caution, as she just swung her staff. Her movement looked like that of an amateur, and she didn¡¯t seem too intent on even fighting in the first place. However, her strength and speed were enough to intercept Three-Arms¡¯ attack. The proof of her strength was her unparalleled power and ability against anyone and anybody. And at the same time, there was one more thing that made her the current Demon Lord¡ª


    ¡°But¡­she¡¯s gonna lose at this rate.¡±


    Since Seran had just fought him, he knew. Three-Arms was still stronger. After a brief exchange, it became clear that Luiza was being pushed back.


    ¡°I know that Three-Arms is stronger¡­So just shut up and watch.¡±


    Even though her master was in danger, Yuriga was awfully calm. And at the same time, Three-Arms¡¯ final swing finally touched Luiza¡¯s neck. He finished his swing, sending Luiza¡¯s head flying.


    ¡°Wha¡­?!¡± Kyle and his friends saw that happen and all swallowed their breaths in disbelief.


    And yet, Yuriga showed no reaction whatsoever. Blood splattered through the air when Luiza¡¯s head suddenly stopped.


    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re the only one who could defeat me despite the state you¡¯re in.¡± The head grinned, and then returned to its main body together with the blood it lost, almost like time had reverted back to a previous time.


    At the same time, even the wound around her neck disappeared like it never happened. Luiza simply stood on her two feet as if she had just arrived.


    ¡°¡­That is Luiza-sama¡¯s power of immortality.¡±


    Yuriga explained with a casual tone in her voice, but after they had witnessed such a scary scene in front of them, Kyle and his friends were unable to even listen properly.


    ¡°I-Immortality¡­? So she can¡¯t die?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Luiza-sama cannot die. Cut off her head, turn her body into a thousand slices, even burn it to cinders¡­she cannot die no matter what.¡±


    There were monsters that survived even their heads being cut off, such as a hydra, but this couldn¡¯t be compared to the ability they were just shown. And this was also the strength that allowed Luiza to become the Demon Lord. If she doesn¡¯t die no matter what is being done to her, then nobody can win against her. Even Three-Arms, who is the strongest in all of the demon race. No matter how much Three-Arms fought in his state, the winner had been decided from the very beginning.


    ¡°Hm, you¡¯ve certainly become weaker¡­To think you¡¯d only be able to take my head once.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­my heart¡­it¡¯s been mostly crushed, so¡­¡± Three-Arms coughed up a large amount of blood as he responded.


    ¡°I have no intention of making you suffer any longer. You¡¯ve done well serving me. Go rest.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes¡­Thank you very much¡­¡±


    Luiza stabbed her staff into Three-Arms¡¯ chest, crushing his heart completely. After his large body convulsed two to three more times, he slowly fell to the ground and stopped moving. This had been the final moment of the strongest demon who could fight on an equal level with human folk¡¯s hero Randolph.


    ¡°Your misfortune¡­was that you couldn¡¯t die even after three hundred years of fighting, was it not? Fighting was your sole reason to exist¡­or rather, being alive is what kept you from fighting to your heart¡¯s content. You¡¯ve been a living corpse for the past three hundred years¡­Forgive me.¡± Luiza looked up at the sky as she mourned Three-Arms¡¯ death.


    ¡°¡­But, he seems satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. this old man was happy to go out this way.¡±


    Kyle and Seran looked at Three-Arms¡¯ corpse, which gave off a sense of relief.


    ¡°If you say so, then I can let him rest easy¡­as his master.¡± Luiza seemed happy that she could fulfill her duty.


    His final opponents were Kyle and Seran, and the one to end his life was Luiza. This should have allowed Three-Arms to pass on easily.


    ¡°Still, immortality, huh? That¡¯s one hell of an ability.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just against the rules at this point.¡±


    Urza and Angela looked at Luiza as they uttered their impressions.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Minagi hid in the shadows as he already began thinking about how to kill someone that doesn¡¯t die.


    ¡°¡­Actually, I just am basically unkillable, but it¡¯s not like there is absolutely no way to defeat me.¡± Luiza showed a bitter smile as she listened to Urza and the rest.


    ¡°However, it would take a lot of work. If you¡¯d cut up my body into the smallest particle and continued to crush me for an entire year, you might succeed. Then again, I won¡¯t let you just try that, either.¡±


    Imagining that way of killing had Kyle and his friends grew even paler.


    I see¡­and that¡¯s why¡­


    Kyle remembered the last time he met Luiza and agreed to that statement.


    ¡°Anyway, that takes care of that¡­But, even if we¡¯re free from any guilt, we still don¡¯t know who killed Thunder-Breath, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, true.¡±


    Seran brought up a valid point, which had Kyle thinking.


    ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t Three-Arms. He¡¯s not the type of guy to do that.¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­¡±


    Through them clashing in battle, Seran denied his previous assumption of it being Three-Arms, and Kyle agreed.


    ¡°And you people are innocent, too¡­But that really has me curious as to who it could have been. I don¡¯t remember too many demons who would be strong enough¡­¡± Luiza started thinking. ¡°I personally thought it would be Three-Arms, too. There shouldn¡¯t be anybody else able to easily defeat Thunder-Breath like that.¡± Luiza said and turned toward Irumera and Ghrud. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you who killed Thunder-Breath, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. An act like that would hurt the honor of Zeurus-sama.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to doubt us, too?¡±


    The two immediately denied Luiza¡¯s assumption, when she looked down at Flame-Eye, still out cold.


    ¡°For crying out loud¡­Forcing herself to fight despite being weak.¡± Luiza sighed.


    ¡°W-Weak?¡± Yuriga let out a bewildered comment in response to Luiza¡¯s words.


    As Flame-Eye was an important player for the pro-war faction, this isn¡¯t exactly the term she expected to hear.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Flame-Eye is weak. Her abilities may allow her to stand out from the masses, but she would only fight when the need arises. No matter how much talent she may have, it can¡¯t get you far without adequate fighting experience.¡±


    ¡°Th-That is true¡­I¡¯ve never heard anybody mentioning Flame-Eye fighting somewhere¡­¡±


    Since Yuriga had been told something similar from Lieze and the others, she could oddly sympathize with Flame-Eye in that regard.


    ¡°Her true talent is coming up with strategies, and that is what I value about her. Plus, she isn¡¯t aiming for the seat of the Demon Lord either, which let me give her that extra bit of respect¡­However, it doesn¡¯t make sense for her to join the battle even after Thunder-Breath died, and even if she wanted to show off her strength to me¡­this is what she accomplished.¡± Luiza shook her head and looked at Kyle and his friends.


    ¡°Maybe she held a grudge for what you did to her younger brother, and that is why she acted so unlike herself.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Since Kyle was the one who defeated her brother Ganias, he wanted to open his mouth and say something, but he realized it was all meaningless.


    ¡°Leaving that aside¡­¡± Luiza slammed her staff into Flame-Eye. ¡°Wake up already, Flame-Eye.¡±


    She had already been given the antidote, so she simply had to recover her consciousness, which now happened.


    ¡°Urk¡­D-Demon Lord-sama? Where are we?¡± Flame-Eye tried to confirm the situation with a hazy mind.


    She finally remembered that she had lost and was about to throw a fit, only to see Three-Arms¡¯ corpse, which had her grow pale instantly.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me¡­Three-Arms¡­lost? Against humans?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happened. And there¡¯s something I want to ask you. It¡¯s no coincidence that all three of you came here to see me at the same time. Who brought it up?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I was invited by Thunder-Breath.¡± Flame-Eye panicked a bit as she delivered the truth.


    ¡°Thunder-Breath did¡­? So Three-Arms was invited, too?¡±


    ¡°Most likely¡­He was filled with rage after he had heard that you invited humanfolk to your castle.¡±


    ¡°He had heard? From who?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details¡­But he said that this would allow him to finally bring ruin to humanfolk. Since he was well-known for despising humans, I didn¡¯t take him too seriously, of course¡­¡±


    Kyle reacted to Flame-Eye¡¯s statement.


    ¡°Bring ruin to humanfolk¡­is that what he said?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­But now that I think about it, something didn¡¯t quite feel right about him back then.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else you remember?¡±


    Flame-Eye thought about it for a moment but finally shook her head.


    ¡°Hey, that guy who came to the World Tree, you think he¡¯d be able to defeat Thunder-Breath?¡± Ghrud commented.


    ¡°Oh, Targ? He might be strong enough, yeah.¡± Seran answered Ghrud¡¯s question.


    ¡°I see¡­Then Targ is a suspect too, right? He¡¯s at least a lot more suspicious than us.¡± Ghrud commented with a displeased tone like he was sick of being treated as the suspect.


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±


    He did fight Targ, but he shouldn¡¯t be this confident.


    ¡°I mean¡­Targ¡¯s right over there, isn¡¯t he?¡± Ghrud pointed in a direction that was part of the audience seats, not standing out too much.


    Targ was sitting there, gently waving his hand at the group.


    ¡°Wonderfully done. Truly, what a sight that fight was. To think I would be blessed in being able to watch it happen with my own eyes. And who could have guessed that Three-Arms-sama would be defeated¡­¡± Targ clapped as he began tearing up, jumping down from the audience seats.


    ¡°Yo, doing good?¡± Seran raised his hand, greeting Targ.


    ¡°Quite. Has the injury on your arm recovered, Seran-san?¡± Targ replied with an equally fishy smile, responding in fashion.


    ¡°You saw the fight, right? Everything¡¯s great. We can have a rematch right now if you¡¯d like?¡± Seran flailed about his left arm as he responded.


    ¡°Oh, please. In this situation, I would be at a severe disadvantage. More importantly¡­¡± Targ turned towards the Demon Lord, politely greeting her. ¡°Demon Lord-sama, it is an honor to meet you. In truth, I am a lowly demon that has no name or right to even meet you, but forgive me for visiting you like this¡­My name is Targ, and I shall be in your care¡­¡± Targ finished his introduction as he bowed his head deeper than ever before.


    ¡°You¡¯re Targ, then¡­What about your pursuers? I sent people after you that I could trust with skill, loyalty, and devotion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they truly were what I consider the elite. I myself couldn¡¯t handle them. But, since I¡¯m here already, I figure you should know what happened to them.¡± Targ explained with a fishy smile on his face.


    The fact that he stood in front of them meant either that he was good at evading their pursuit, or that he defeated all of them.


    ¡°Luiza-sama! Please, be careful! You cannot let down your guard around him!¡± Yuriga stood in front of Luiza. ¡°So you belonged to the pro-war faction, after all?!¡± Yuriga wouldn¡¯t believe that Targ wasn¡¯t related to that faction.


    ¡°Please, please, I wasn¡¯t lying. I had no relation to the incident back then. And I¡¯ve only met with Thunder-Breath-sama the other day.¡±


    There was no meaning to him making up something, but Targ still fumbled over his own words.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the mastermind who controlled Thunder-Breath?¡±


    ¡°By all means, no! I simply shared some information with him.¡± Called the mastermind by Luiza, Targ panicked even further. ¡°However, I was simply hoping to assist the pro-war faction a bit.¡±


    ¡°¡­In order to weaken the Demon Lord¡¯s strength and influence?¡± Kyle offered an explanation, which had Targ very excited.


    ¡°Ohh! Indeed, indeed! As expected¡­However, you were quite the unforeseen ingredient.¡± Targ looked at Kyle¡¯s group as he tilted his head.


    Everything he did smelt like genuine acting.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything majorly impressive of a plan, you know? Well, it ended up in absolute failure, that is. All I did was tell Thunder-Breath-sama that Demon Lord-sama has invited humans to her castle. I didn¡¯t know just who that was, but to think it turned out to be Kyle-san and Seran-san¡­If I had known that, I wouldn¡¯t have interfered.¡± Targ sighed from the bottom of his heart. ¡°I actually had a talk with Thunder-Breath last night, but I wish he could have kept his resentment for humanfolk in check¡­More accurately, he was planning on killing all of you last night. I tried to stop him to the best of my ability, but he gave me no choice¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­you¡¯re the one who killed Thunder-Breath?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was an unfortunate result. I regret it had to happen this way.¡±


    Answering Kyle¡¯s question, Targ took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from his eyes.


    ¡°I had put my hopes into his resentment of the humanfolk that was out of the ordinary, but it was far too much, and I couldn¡¯t let him roam free any longer. This will also negatively influence our future plans¡­And it truly is a shame.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling us to thank you or something?¡±


    ¡°No, not, of course not. His loss was something unfortunate, so I decided to leave his body in front of the castle to create a bit of chaos.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Kyle grit his teeth.


    Thanks to that, they went through a mountain of trouble, so he truly accomplished his goal of creating trouble. Kyle had considered a wide arrangement of possibilities, but to think it was such a pointless reason.


    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ve been in your care up to this point, so this was just a bit of payback¡­Honestly speaking, our plan was full of holes, so this was like playing the lotto. I truly felt fortunate that things worked out this well. Normally, things would have taken a lot longer with more people to gather on our end.¡± Targ sighed from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Ideally, we would have wished for Thunder-Breath to fight the Demon Lord-sama, or possibly even Three-Arms alongside him, and then finish off who was left¡­But it appears life isn¡¯t just quite that easy. I had no idea you would all end up fighting each other.¡± Targ lamented as he gazed up at the sky.


    ¡°You asked for this, remember? Because you had to pull some nasty prank with Thunder-Breath¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, please. I¡¯ve had plenty of circumstances to consider¡­¡±


    Since Targ apparently loved to talk, it became a lot easier to question him about his motives and such. And that¡¯s also why everyone had become so engrossed in what he was saying¡ªthe only person who didn¡¯t fall for that was Kyle. In the corner of the arena, at an angle above Targ, space started twisting like a mirage. From that appeared darkness much darker than the shadows. Following that, a black mass came flying right towards Luiza. The only reason Kyle reacted quickly enough is that he remembered this presence¡ªhe remembered this magic.


    ¡°Careful!¡±


    Kyle kicked up Three-Arms¡¯ tail that he had previously cut off, flinging it at the black lump. The two collided and erased each other in front of Luiza. In the truest sense of the word, both of the two had disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°No way¡­Was that [Disintegrate]¡­?!¡± Shildonia uttered the name of the supreme-tier magic that should have been long lost.


    [Disintegrate] represented total annihilation. It was magic that could erase matter from this world entirely, unable to be defended against, and effective against demons, dragons, humans, and any other species. The only way to protect yourself from it is to have it collide with another object to actively cancel it, just as Kyle had done.


    ¡°N-Nice reaction¡­But, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re awfully pale.¡±


    Urza had no idea what even just happened, but she realized that something was off about Kyle.


    ¡°Oh¡­don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Kyle couldn¡¯t explain anything to her, but this was the second time he had seen that magic. The first time was during that final battle. The only reason he survived that attack is because Urza had sacrificed herself to protect him. And back then, all he could do was watch Urza disappear in front of his eyes. No doubt, the one who fired off that magic was¡ª


    Kyle glared at the darkness when a shadow appeared from within it. The person wore a long robe that covered their face in darkness, and unless he stormed right into their close vicinity with a sword attack, Kyle could not make out anything from afar. However, Kyle knew them. He knew that demon. The black wings growing from their back and the undeniable presence they emitted, mixed with absolute pressure¡­he could never forget.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been itching to meet you again.¡±


    Kyle thought he¡¯d be a lot more agitated during their reunion, but he was almost eerily calm. The individual who had killed Urza in front of his eyes, and the winged demon who started the [Great Invasion] stood right in front of him.


    ¡°Ahh, I had hoped you¡¯d be out of steam after your battle with Three-Arms-sama, but it appears not to be the case.¡± Targ put one hand on his chin as he lamented.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± This seemed to be Yuriga¡¯s first meeting with the demon, too, as she sent him a sharp glare.


    ¡°A winged one¡­How peculiar.¡± Luiza seemed a bit bewildered and closely inspected the new arrival.


    ¡°We are the ones who rebel against the Demon Lord, against Luiza-sama¡­That is all you need to know about us.¡± Targ explained after he teleported next to the Winged Demon. ¡°And this individual here is my master. He¡¯s rather tongue-tied, and a bit of an introvert, so I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll have to introduce himself another time.¡± Targ jested a bit with his master¡¯s honor, but the Winged Demon showed no reaction whatsoever.


    ¡°I see¡­so you are after my life¡­after the seat of the Demon Lord, is it?¡± Luiza understood their goal, speaking with an expression as if she had seen the abyss of the other side.


    It seems like being threatened or hunted down for her life was no rare occurrence for her. She had been the acting Demon Lord for 300 years, so she must have encountered many assassins or those who started a rebellion. Yuriga also felt furious at the blind attack against her master, but that was all she really cared about. However, Kyle knew. He knew that this rebellion would succeed and that it would bring about an all-out war of humans against demons.


    ¡°Attacking me from behind shows me you¡¯ve got quite the enthusiasm in you. If you wish for it, I don¡¯t mind sparring with you.¡± Luiza exclaimed while showing off her pride as the Demon Lord.


    However, the Winged Demon didn¡¯t respond in fashion, and simply returned to the darkness it came from.


    ¡°We actually had no plans for this, but I guess this acts as an introduction for us¡­Now, if you¡¯d excuse us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Luiza didn¡¯t speak another word and showed no intention of chasing after the two intruders. The one to act instead¡ªwas Kyle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you escape!¡±


    No matter what¡ªis what he swore to himself. If he could end the Winged One¡¯s life right here, right now, it would end his duty. With that thought in mind, he swung his sword.


    ¡°Wh¡­at¡­?¡±


    However, his attack was stopped. His sword was grabbed. His attack had every fiber of his being working towards creating speed and impact, and yet the Winged Demon bluntly grabbed the sword between their thumb and index finger. With his weapon sealed away, Kyle tried to desperately make it move, but to no avail. Following that, the Winged Demon simply moved their wrist like they were brushing away a bit of dust from their clothes, which had Kyle get blasted away.


    ¡°Urk!¡±


    Kyle somehow managed to land and prepared himself for a follow-up attack, but Targ and the Winged Demon had long disappeared.


    ¡°If fate wills it, let us meet again.¡± Targ¡¯s voice was the last thing they heard until the two completely vanished.


    ¡°Was the irregular-level magic [Teleport]? However¡­¡± Shildonia crossed her arms and started thinking about what she had just witnessed.


    Meanwhile, Kyle cursed himself for letting this chance get to waste and slammed his fist into the ground. Luiza¡¯s reaction toward the Winged Demon may have been lackluster, but the same can¡¯t be said about humanfolk. Lieze and Urza had been taken in by fear, unable to even stand. They had stood their ground against one of the strongest demons, and yet they were now filled with terror.


    ¡°So there were¡­demons like that.¡± Angela managed to withstand the pressure from the Demon Lord, but now her face was pale.


    ¡°Hey, Kyle¡­What the hell was that?¡± Seran asked as his voice was quivering slightly.


    His instincts practically forced him to fear that Winged Demon, which had him sweat buckets. Since his damage from Three-Arms had not healed up to this point, he couldn¡¯t attack the demon as Kyle did, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he could even manage to land an attack.


    ¡°¡­He¡¯s the enemy.¡±


    That¡¯s all Kyle could answer to Seran¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t know who exactly he was dealing with, and he wasn¡¯t sure if he could even defeat that monster. But even so, he had to do it.


    Shit! But, I at least know now that you¡¯re behind this! I¡¯ll find you and cut you down!


    Kyle swore in his mind.


    ¡°Human, why¡­did you protect me?¡± Luiza asked Kyle, which had him bewildered.


    ¡°Well¡­because my body just moved on its own.¡± That¡¯s basically all Kyle could say in that regard.


    Back then, he had lost Urza to that magic without being able to do anything. Understanding that it was the same magic, his body just reacted.


    ¡°To think a human would save me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never imagined saving a demon myself,¡± Kyle said.


    ¡°There¡­there is something I want to ask you, humans.¡± Luiza seemed a bit unsure, but eventually asked the group. ¡°You¡¯ve defeated Three-Arms¡­That is why I want to hear how you would answer that question¡­What does believing mean to you?¡±


    Met with Luiza¡¯s question, Kyle immediately felt a sense of deja-vu, remembering the time he first met Luiza. On the day of the final battle, when they stormed into the Demon Lord¡¯s castle, he found Luiza chained up inside a magic circle near the throne room. Back then, she was clearly weakened, which was probably because a great amount of mana was extracted from her. When she saw Kyle, she asked him the same question.


    ¡®A human, huh¡­Since you¡¯ve come this far, won¡¯t you give me an answer? To you humans¡­what does believing mean?¡¯ She asked with eyes devoid of energy.


    Since Kyle had lost his precious allies in the previous battle, he had no intention of lending an ear to the words of a demon. And because Luiza had lost most of her mana, her power of immortality didn¡¯t activate, which allowed Kyle to defeat her in some way or another. It¡¯s not fair to say it after the fact, but he definitely could have avoided that battle. He had denied it back then, but now was the time to answer. His heart was calm, so he should take his time to carefully answer¡ª


    ¡°What¡¯s it matter?¡± Seran responded with his usual carefree voice. ¡°Demon or human doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯ve got people we can believe in. At the very least, Three-Arms is a guy I could put my faith in. And if that fails, then that just means I have no eye for people, and I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡±


    ¡°You moron! Don¡¯t just give some half-baked answer like that!¡± Kyle roared in anger as his thoughts were disrupted.


    ¡°You¡¯re just thinking too much. Sometimes it¡¯s better to give a simple answer than try to brew up something profound that ends up sucking anyway.¡± Seran grumbled.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Luiza let out a giggle.


    It was a genuine smile, like the tension had left her body.


    ¡°As I thought, you resemble him¡­Randolph in a way.¡± The emotions filling her expression were that of joy, and everyone understood how she felt.


    They didn¡¯t know what had led to it, but it was clear that the hero of the humanfolk and the daughter of the Demon Lord had been lovers. And that hero had to strike down her father.


    ¡°So the rumors were true¡­¡±


    ¡°R-Rumors¡­?¡±


    ¡°The reason that the Demon Lord-sama was trying to form an amicable relationship with humanfolk¡­It¡¯s because she had fallen in love with a human before¡­I didn¡¯t give these rumors much attention, though¡­¡± Flame-Eye answered Kyle¡¯s question with a baffled voice.


    ¡°¡­¡¯Have faith in me,¡¯ is what Randolph said once. And when I believed in his words, I guided him to my father¡¯s bedroom¡­where Randolph killed him.¡± Luiza spoke of her past trauma.


    Almost as if she was too exhausted to keep it inside her any longer.


    ¡°Seriously¡­? He¡¯s the worst.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s far too cruel¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s common sense to assassinate someone in their sleep, but having their daughter help you is just¡­¡±


    For some reason, all the girls suddenly looked over at Seran.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do any of that, you know?!¡± On the receiving end of this, Seran tried to protect his honor.


    ¡°My, I believe Seran-sama is wonderful when he¡¯s this determined.¡±


    ¡°Again, I didn¡¯t do anything like that!¡±


    Even Angela was simply looking at Seran.


    ¡°Even so¡­even so, I couldn¡¯t resent him. I thought everything there would end after I stopped believing in him.¡±


    Despite him having killed her father, despite him having died years and years ago, Luiza still cared for him even now.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­I continued to dream. Dream of a world where demons and humans could live in co-existence¡­a world Randolph spoke of. Even if it was nothing but an empty lie in order to deceive me.¡±


    ¡°So¡­the reason you were so desperate to get this sword isn¡¯t because it had the potential to kill you, but because it belonged to the man you once loved¡­¡± Seran looked down at the holy sword as everything clicked for him.


    ¡°That being said¡­I guess, you¡¯re right. I had no talent for finding out who to trust. What did I even put my faith in? What made me believe in Randolph? I can¡¯t even remember it anymore.¡± Luiza sank to the ground, showing an empty smile. ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± She covered her face and began crying.


    ¡°L-Luiza-sama! Please, you don¡¯t have to¡­!¡± Yuriga began panicking and glared at Seran. ¡°Bastard! How dare you hurt Luiza-sama like this!¡± Yuriga roared towards Seran.


    ¡°Huh? Why am I getting the blame for this?!¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve caused all of this. He is not to be blamed.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again!¡± Seran complained, but nobody dared to take his side.


    ¡°Go and say something¡­¡± Lieze rammed her elbow into his side.


    ¡°Try to cheer her up¡­¡± Urza pushed his back towards Luiza.


    ¡°Urk¡­¡± Meeting eyes with the dejected Luiza, Seran was forced to steel his resolve. ¡°Well¡­cheer up, okay? Good stuff will happen as long as you¡¯re still alive!¡±


    He went with a safe approach, but Luiza kept a serious expression.


    ¡°Will it really? Nothing fun has happened for the past three hundred years, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-You just gotta change your way of thinking! Why not look for a hobby or something like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­that might be true.¡±


    You wouldn¡¯t imagine that these two were actually the Demon Lord and a human who kills demons for fun. Yuriga was the same usual Yuriga, glaring at Flame-Eye after she had learned of her master¡¯s secret. Wondering how to get out of this situation, Flame-Eye responded with a meek smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. For the time being, I have no intention of betraying the Demon Lord-sama. And I don¡¯t plan on telling anybody else about this.¡± Flame-Eye continued with a blunt tone. ¡°Now that Three-Arms and Thunder-Breath are gone, I¡¯ve got no chance of winning, either. I¡¯ll just get crushed like a small fry.¡±


    As she had no possible way of winning, she was now back to being a regular subordinate. That of course meant she was ready to stab Luiza in the back as soon as she saw any chance of coming out on top.


    ¡°That being said, I gotta decline your offer of exchanging information about the Demon Lord for information from us demons in general.¡± Flame-Eye rejected Kyle¡¯s offer for their trade with a smile.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Kyle¡¯s expression distorted in disgust.


    She purposefully said it with a loud voice so that Luiza could hear it. She was probably trying to buy points with Luiza now that she had lost the fight. As a blessing in disguise, Luiza was busy talking with Seran. The girls seemed to be happy about this, excluding Angela, who watched it with a sour face. Meanwhile, the two dragons watched all of this like they were present at a zoo, absolutely not understanding what was even going on. As Kyle¡¯s surroundings continued to stay noisy, he simply gazed up at the sky and reminisced about everything that happened today.


    ¡°I really¡­wanna take a nap now.¡±

 Volume 5 - CH 14

    The following noon, Kyle and his friends stood in front of their boat, waiting at the island¡¯s harbor. Their plan for today was to return to humanfolk territory. Next to them were Irumera and Ghrud, already returned to their dragon appearances.


    ¡°That was a mess¡­But most surprising is that the Demon Lord of all people turned out to be a regular woman.¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­I never would have guessed that I¡¯d hear about the Demon Lord¡¯s love story¡­¡±


    Lieze and Urza were busy discussing their impressions and thoughts about the demon territory and everything that transpired. What left the biggest impression was the fact that the Demon Lord could act like an adolescent girl in love. A day has passed since that teary confession, with Luiza acting the same sluggish and listless way she had when she welcomed the group, almost like the events of the previous day hadn¡¯t happened. However, when it was time for the group to depart, she actually came to the harbor, walking straight to Seran.


    ¡°¡­Since I¡¯ve got no other choice, I¡¯ll let you have that sword for a while.¡±


    ¡°Again, this is mine to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Make sure not to die while you¡¯re keeping it on you¡­It¡¯d be troublesome for¡­the sword if it just vanished without a trace.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna die that easily, geez.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, say something?!¡±


    Luiza gave Seran a gloomy gaze, one that packed a different meaning from before. Meanwhile, Yuriga watched this unfold with a brain-fried expression.


    ¡°Hey, what do you think about that?¡±


    Lieze grinned to herself as she talked to Kyle.


    ¡°No, no, no. There¡¯s no way¡­¡± He grasped what Lieze was trying to say and waved his hand.


    ¡°Really? I think there¡¯s a good chance.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the Demon Lord, remember? The one who stands at the top of all demons. No way that would happen with a human.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say that this doesn¡¯t matter¡­but I guess it just depends on the people involved?¡± Urza seemed oddly itchy to support them.


    ¡°Out of curiosity, did the Demon Lord ever come to see you off, Klaus?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, never.¡±


    Klaus had been given the quick rundown of events, watching the two lovebirds with a wry smile.


    ¡°Oh, Angela¡¯s joined them,¡± Shildonia commented as she pointed at Angela clinging to Seran¡¯s back.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been in your care, Demon Lord-sama. I doubt we¡¯ll ever meet again, but I won¡¯t ever forget you.¡± After giving a farewell to Luiza, Angela immediately clung to Seran¡¯s arm. ¡°Now that our business here has finished, let us leave in haste. Humans belong to the human territory, and demons ought to live in the demon territory.¡± Angela smiled, as Luiza¡¯s expression changed, realizing that she was picking a fight with her.


    ¡°¡­Lass.¡± Luiza¡¯s voice was cold as ice, but Angela had the guts to respond in a calm voice.


    ¡°My, is something wrong?¡±


    Sparks flew between the two.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­What did I do to be put in this situation?¡±


    Nobody dared to answer Seran¡¯s plea. Realizing that she was just in the way, Yuriga opted to join Kyle¡¯s group.


    ¡°A-Anyway, you best be careful on your travels. Though¡­I doubt this will be the last time we¡¯ll see each other.¡± Yuriga showed a bitter smile.


    ¡°Yeah¡­Make sure to report back if you find anything about Targ.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And we¡¯ll get in contact once the process of the Dragon King¡¯s hide has finished.¡±


    Kyle and Yuriga discussed their future course of operation. The request for them to serve under Luiza was changed to them looking into their common enemy Targ and the demon he called his master.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open¡­That man¡­those two are no ordinary foes.¡±


    To think a demon would urge me to be careful, Kyle thought to himself.


    ¡®And we will return to the World Tree. It¡¯s a shame we couldn¡¯t find Juvars-sama, but we have to report back to Zeurus-sama.¡¯ Irumera spoke to Kyle¡¯s group from high above them.


    ¡°We demons are looking for his current hideout, so we will let you know if we find anything,¡± Yuriga said.


    ¡®You have my gratitude,¡¯ Irumera nodded.


    ¡®Hey, human! I¡¯m gonna go home for today since that old man will chew off my ear otherwise, but we¡¯re gonna have a rematch next time!¡¯ Ghrud still held a grudge against Kyle after losing some of his teeth.


    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­But, I¡¯m gonna need a lot of time to prepare. So give me at least¡­100¡­No, 150 years.¡± Kyle said with a serious face and voice.


    He knew that dragons could live thousands of years, so to Ghrud it might seem like a short time, but Kyle would not even be alive by then.


    ¡®Tsk¡­Fine, then. But don¡¯t you dare break that promise!¡¯


    Ghrud evidently wasn¡¯t familiar with a human¡¯s lifespan, so he agreed to this.


    ¡°Of course, of course! I¡¯ll do my best so we can have another five in 700 years!¡± Kyle grinned to himself as he discussed this with the dragon.


    ¡®That sounds great! But don¡¯t you forget!¡¯ Ghrud said and flew away.


    ¡®¡­Let us meet again.¡¯ Irumera left behind a brief farewell and joined Ghrud.


    ¡°All right, time to leave,¡± Kyle said after confirming all the dragons had disappeared.


    ¡°You have no intention of fighting him again, do you?¡± Minagi sighed, but Kyle himself thought it would be best that way.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot.¡±


    They all boarded the ship when Kyle remembered something and made his way to Luiza.


    ¡°Is there still something else?¡±


    ¡°Two days ago, you said something that caught my attention. You asked me ¡®Why are you with them?¡¯, remember?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t ask about that because of Flame-Eye¡¯s interruption, but Kyle was curious about that all the time.


    ¡°Ah, that? Well¡­¡± Luiza closely inspected Kyle and showed a dubious expression. ¡°You¡­aren¡¯t a demon, are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe I, the Demon Lord, would be wrong¡­but you undoubtedly are a human, right now. It¡¯s just¡­back then, you looked like a demon.¡±


    Kyle burst out laughing at Luiza¡¯s statement, but she was as serious as can be.


    ¡°You and your soul¡­you¡¯re no regular human.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what you meant¡­But, I¡¯m a demon?¡± Kyle knew that his own soul was different from the normal one, so he could understand what Luiza was referring to, but the fact that this made him look like a demon left him bewildered.


    ¡°However, you¡¯re no absolute demon, either. This is the first time I¡¯ve wavered with my judgment this much.¡± Luiza seemed confused.


    The only ones who caught onto the irregularity with Kyle¡¯s soul were Shildonia, Zeurus, and the empire¡¯s court mage Beadola. And even in their judgment, Kyle still was a human. However, Luiza had mistaken him for a demon. What exactly caused her to feel that way?


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯ve got a deeper attachment to humans. Same goes for Zeurus. However, since the Demon Lord is used to demons, she probably saw you that way first.¡± Shildonia joined them and their conversation. ¡°This one¡¯s soul is a bit special. Definitely different from the average soul.¡±


    ¡°So a sudden change occurred¡­? But when did that happen?¡± Luiza asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even been a year yet¡­What about it?¡±


    ¡°That means there¡¯s no change, yet¡­But, listen well. A soul is what builds a person. If the shape of the soul changes, so could your body.¡±


    ¡°So the shape of my body could change? ¡­Are you telling me I could become a demon?!¡±


    ¡°The chance stands.¡±


    Kyle started to panic when Luiza delivered a calm response as always. Since Shildonia stayed silent, too, there was no denying it either.


    ¡°What¡­is gonna happen to me?¡± Kyle looked down at his own hands as anxiety and worries filled him.


    ¡°And with that being the case¡­let me give you a warning. If you want to continue existing as a human, you cannot allow your soul to waver. Your feelings, thoughts, and will to fight all influence your soul.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to retire and live an easy life¡­and there won¡¯t be a problem?¡±


    ¡°As I said, this is just a possibility, and there¡¯s no way of telling without a previous example. I¡¯m only giving you my own personal opinion, and there¡¯s a good chance I might be wrong.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s taking you so long? We can¡¯t depart without you!¡± Seran called out to him.


    ¡°¡­Thanks for looking after us.¡± Kyle lowered his head and boarded the ship.


    ¡°Farewell, O strong humans. Though I doubt we will meet again¡­¡± Luiza watched the ship sway off into the distance, as she sighed with slight regret in her mind, and turned her back towards the ship.


    Yuriga had never seen her master this saddened but didn¡¯t say a word as she just tagged along.


    In the evening, Kyle gazed at the river¡¯s surface all by himself, remembering what had happened. Then again, they spent only about three days there, and they didn¡¯t leave the vicinity of the Demon Lord¡¯s residence. Even so, a lot happened, and they gained a lot. Kyle even got to meet the Winged Demon again. Their goal isn¡¯t even the seat of the Demon Lord¡ªthat was simply a means. Instead, their plot was to gather human sacrifices in order to gather mana, which then could allow them to travel back to the past.


    One day I¡¯ll be able to find out, but just what is that guy trying to fix¡­?


    Kyle grasped the [Heart of the Divine Dragon] he had in his chest pocket.


    Still¡­what is going on?


    When he was thinking about the Winged Demon, there was something else that caught his attention. Something was different, something gave Kyle the shivers. And that is¡ª


    He¡¯s¡­stronger than before?


    Kyle compared himself to the time he fought the Winged Demon Lord and now. He couldn¡¯t clearly tell which variation of himself was stronger, but it was clear that he currently had no chance of winning against the Winged Demon as he was now. The Winged Demon had become strong through undefined means, widening the gap between them.


    ¡°¡­It won¡¯t be enough at this rate. I¡­I have to become stronger.¡±


    Kyle wished to become stronger. No matter the sacrifice, he had to reach that level. And while watching the setting sun, Kyle swore with these words.


    It took them roughly seven days upstream, but the way back only lasted five days. Hence, after about half a month of traveling, they returned to the city of Bayone in human territory. Once they got off the boat, the relief from returning home safely set in.


    ¡°Good work everyone,¡± Klaus called out to all the passengers.


    ¡°Half a month, huh¡­It felt a lot longer but also shorter than that.¡±


    ¡°We might as well have stayed a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°The food was a lot better than I thought, too.¡±


    Their tension from their departure had long vanished, as they once again reminisced about their trip. Needless to say, their lives were in grave danger throughout, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to visit again.


    ¡°Now, what to do next¡­¡±


    Kyle thought about his plans from now on, looking at the biggest problem, which was Angela. Since she had been missing for half a month at this point, the Empire must be in absolute disarray.


    ¡°At this rate, we might be treated as the people who abducted her¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I will guarantee your safety,¡± Angela said with a smile. ¡°If anything, we should head straight for the capital. Come join me, Seran-sama.¡± Angela took Seran¡¯s hand as she always would.


    Seran had gotten used to this and simply gave up with a bitter smile, but everyone around them was smiling. However, the atmosphere was interrupted when one of the servants from Klaus¡¯ company arrived to whisper in his ear.


    ¡°Wh-What did you say?!¡± Hearing the report, Klaus screamed in shock, gathering everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Well, um¡­¡±


    Klaus hesitated if he should tell Angela. However, he knew he couldn¡¯t just stay silent forever and reluctantly opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡­I just received information that¡­in the Imperial Capital Luos of the Galgan Empire¡­First Prince Eldorand has been assassinated.¡±


    This was the beginning of an uproar that would soon engulf all of humankind.

 Volume 6 - Prologue

    The battlefield was enveloped in a downpour amidst the darkness, hiding three types of deaths. The first death was as if to scatter tyranny. The area was faintly lit up by magic items with [Light] imbued into them, which revealed the corpses of several tens of people who died a futile death. They were soldiers, but they had not taken any coordinated action. The superior, the single individual who could give out orders, had probably already disappeared¡ªor more likely dead elsewhere. The situation was hard to grasp, only clearly revealing that this happened during a nightly raid with a large number of casualties. And to not die a futile death, the troops had gathered here beneath the light to have a better oversight on things, if only a bit.


    More accurately, even if they possessed the will to fight, being in the dark about the enemy made that practically impossible. This would normally be the moment for them to run for their lives, but as deserters would be given the death penalty, they fought against their fear and readied their swords. And while they were cautious of their surroundings, a personification of death and destruction¡ªSeran¡ªappeared from the shadows.


    ¡°Eeek?!¡±


    One of the soldiers just so happened to turn his gaze in that direction, but even a trained individual like him could only scream in fear. He wasn¡¯t given a chance to fight back with the spear in his grasp, let alone warn his fellows around him. With speed surpassing that of a wild beast, Seran closed the distance between them instantly, using the hilt of his sword to make the soldier soar through the air. What he witnessed during his final moment was his own body¡¯s parts scattered through the air, crashing on the ground. His allies suffered a similar fate.


    Once the soldiers landed on the ground, his body would stop moving shortly after, followed by Seran¡¯s next victim, falling to the ground like dust specks. This couldn¡¯t even be qualified as a battle and more like a beast¡¯s storm or the assault of a giant dragon. Everybody standing in its way had their fate sealed, simple as that. It was like encountering a natural disaster. As this was a battlefield, these soldiers should be prepared for battle, ready to live under the idea of kill or be killed. However, none of them could have anticipated such a gruesome and abrupt death, which made it harder to accept.


    After about half of the troops had gone to meet their maker, the rest had given up their resistance and chose to run away. They would rather bet on the chance of running successfully than meet certain death here. The reason they all scattered at the same time in separate directions was so that they had better chances during their escape¡ªor so it would seem, but in reality, they all wished to run from this battlefield as quickly as possible.


    Seran immediately grasped their intentions and headed for the bigger group of about ten people, throwing a magic stone at them. This stone had the electricity attack [Lighting] inside of it, but because of the rainy weather, this magic turned out to be weaker. In return, however, it affected a larger area, slowing down the group of soldiers running away. Thus, Seran dashed in the opposite direction of where he threw the magic stones at, chasing after the faster escapees. Seran made this decision in the blink of an eye, judging that it would be the most efficient way to decimate all his enemies. He had been born with this mindset, which made it one of his greatest strengths.


    After dealing with the faster deserters, he returned to the group he initially slowed down, finishing them all off one by one. This entire fight barely lasted 100 seconds in total. Once Seran had confirmed that no survivors were amidst the corpses, he still remained cautious. Understanding that no more hostile individuals were around, he relaxed a bit, only to quickly shake his head.


    ¡°Not good, can¡¯t be getting arrogant now. Don¡¯t wanna end up getting fooled again¡­My sword is good, I got plenty of magic stones, and I¡¯m feeling good.¡±


    Seran aimed to be the embodiment of invincibility at any given moment, but at least during this situation, he had to be mindful and vigilant of his situation. Just for today, he had dealt with hundreds of soldiers, trying to fight back and defend themselves by using swords and spears, fully armored to the brim. Any sword would have probably given in by now, but Seran was blessed with the legendary Holy Sword Rand that had cut down countless demons and even the Demon Lord three hundred years ago. Thanks to its pristine quality and the user¡¯s skill, there was not a single scratch on it to be found. Judging from the magic stones Seran had left and the stamina in his reserves, he began calculating how much longer he could fight.


    ¡°¡­I can definitely keep going. They¡¯ve got numbers going for them, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Seran¡¯s duty in this battle was to lessen the number of enemies. Imagining just how many more soldiers there were out there, Seran just silently disappeared into the night, looking for his next prey.


    Another type of death was done in silence. At a different place, another twenty soldiers had gathered near the magic item just as Seran¡¯s foes previously had.


    ¡°Everyone gather! Keep a watchful eye on your surroundings!


    What was different compared to Seran¡¯s instance was that the soldiers maintained their organization and listened to their superiors.


    ¡°Gather up! And stay calm!¡±


    The troop¡¯s leader raised a loud voice which effectively heightened their efficiency, but he was also doing it to calm himself down. He knew that fighting was happening all around them. However, the leader couldn¡¯t get in contact with the higher-ups, unable to grasp what the current situation was. On top of that, it was pitch-black out during a heavy downpour. With no information to work on, the leader judged that acting recklessly would be their downfall, so they got together near the light and waited. After a significant amount of time had passed, when something white suddenly flew towards them. Amidst the rain, it resembled a curtain heavy from the water, as it wrapped around the magic item creating the light. Unable to deal with the weight, the item fell over and all light was erased.


    ¡°H-Hurry and put it back up again!¡± The order from the captain sounded like a scream for help, as his subordinates struggled to follow his orders, succeeding in setting up the item once more. Their field of view had recovered much faster, but right as the group sighed in relief, they were suddenly filled with doubts. Amidst this heavy downpour, how would a small piece of fabric land perfectly on the item? The leader looked around to figure out the solution for that, realizing that something didn¡¯t add up. His hips almost gave up in shock.


    ¡°Wh-Where did they go?!¡±


    The leader wasn¡¯t aware of the exact number of soldiers under his command, but he should have had at least twenty or more. Now, there were barely eleven. Even less than half. The other soldiers caught on to what the leader was trying to say, and they panicked. Half their allies had gone with the wind, now filling the survivors with terror. The leader tried to raise a voice and calm down his subordinates, when¡ª


    ¡°C-Captain!¡±


    One of the subordinates screamed with a terrified voice and pointed in one direction, as they saw one of their own collapsed on the ground. They could only see his legs turned towards them, but that definitely wasn¡¯t the case up to a few moments ago. It was clear that this pair of legs belonged to their ally, but unless they approached him, there was no way of telling if he was even alive or not. The captain hesitated in his judgment. Should he go check up on him or not? The chances may be low, but he had to confirm if his subordinate was alive. If he was, he had to be saved. However, if the worst-case scenario may happen, he would be met with absolute despair.


    ¡°Somebody¡­?!¡±


    At the end of his hesitation, right as he turned around to give an order, he was shocked to the point his heart might just stop immediately. There were five soldiers missing from his squad. In that second he was curious about his subordinate, he had lost five soldiers instantly.


    ¡°Ah¡­No¡­!¡±


    One of the remaining soldiers realized what happened and screamed in terror. Following that, the soldiers got closer to the next magic item that provided light. Their teeth were clattering, their hands turning white as they put too much pressure into their grip on the swords, as their whole bodies tensed up to the point they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to fight properly. They prayed that nothing more would happen¡­that they would survive until morning, but this peace didn¡¯t last for too long as the white cloth came flying again.


    ¡°Th-This can¡¯t keep going!¡±


    If another wave of darkness arrived, who would vanish next? Nobody wanted to imagine that. For that reason, the captain reached out for the white cloth to stop before it could cover the magic item, but right as his fingertips touched it, darkness appeared again¡­and then their minds went dark, too.


    ¡°¡­Phew. Finally done. It took a while, but this should make things easier.¡±


    Moving through the darkness, Minagi sighed as she finished the first step of her job. Her main goal was to blow up the medicinal reserves near here by using magic stones imbued with Explosion. Without these, the army will struggle to coordinate their soldiers. But to get to that, the soldiers on guard were in the way. And Minagi¡¯s preferred fighting style was to approach from the shadows. Granted, a head-on battle wouldn¡¯t leave Minagi defeated, but she wanted to avoid taking any risks.


    ¡°Next up¡­the army provisions. I just hope there are no soldiers around this time.¡±


    Minagi¡¯s main goal may have ended, but she still had to do some more destroying left.


    The final battle was an absolute massacre. And the one causing cruel death left and right was Kyle. He ran along the battlefield as he continued to fight, but his way of killing was different from his two allies. He granted his opponents mortal wounds without granting them a quick death, instead torturing them to death. Some had their arms chopped off and their eyes crushed as they walked around like corpses. Others had their bellies cut open as their organs started to fall out, trying to frantically pick them up again. It was all needless suffering that spread across the earth. And the magic stones Kyle relied on were just as gruesome.


    One called [Poison Cloud] would disperse a toxic miasma, and another would do the same but with acid, called [Acid Cloud], which destroyed the organs of the soldiers from the inside, as they slowly but painfully died because of their injuries. On rainy days like these, any magic stones with an [Cloud] effect usually didn¡¯t reveal their full potential, but there was still one prominent reason why he would use them¡ªto make the soldiers suffer as long as possible without granting them a proper death and to stir up even greater fear by letting their screams of terror fill the silence at night.


    And as Kyle moved through the darkness and rain, he spotted three new soldiers, moving to attack them. He cut off half of the first soldier¡¯s head, turned his sword around to slice through the second person¡¯s jaw, and then rammed the hilt of his sword into the third person¡¯s abdomen. He was flung off and rammed into a wall, as he coughed up a great amount of blood, probably because a shattered bone pierced his lung.


    With three more soldiers on the brink of death once again, Kyle wanted to move on, as he met eyes with the first man he cut down. Blood, his life itself, gushed out as the ground was colored crimson red, as the man pleaded to not be killed. However, Kyle simply watched the men. Not helping them, but also not easing their suffering either. He left them to rot to ensure the next soldiers would find them¡­to create greater terror.


    Kyle¡¯s plan was to break the fighting spirit of the soldiers and the army in itself. The more gruesome and grotesque the way of killing, the higher the chance of crushing their spirits, and the better the chance of this fruitless war ending. This was the belief that Kyle held as he continued to kill and kill.


    ¡°¡­Next.¡±


    With a dreary expression, Kyle headed for his next destination¡ªto end this war as quickly as possible. Three deaths brought about fear like never before. And like poison, it slowly spread on the frontlines of this civil war inside the Galgan Empire.