《Toriaezu Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu》 Volume 1 - CH 1 ¡°Uuh¡­¡± Ryner Lute closed his eyes and groaned. He had dark hair, messy from sleep, and scowling, pitch black eyes. They narrowed as he sighed. ¡°Sure wish I hadn¡¯t spent the whole day being attacked, ever since this morning¡­ I don¡¯t even like fighting¡­¡± Ryner had spent the whole day inside of a forest clearing with two sleeping bags. One belonged to him, and the other belonged to a woman with long and glossy blonde hair. ¡°Hey,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re awake, right? Do something about it.¡± After that single, rude command, she moved deeper into her sleeping bag. Her breathing soon slowed to the cute and shallow sounds of sleep. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner was speechless. Several months had passed since he was shooed out of Roland for ¡®work.¡¯ He was used to Ferris Eris¡¯ blunt speech by this point, sure, but he was sleep deprived and pissed enough to give her a snappy reply. ¡°What¡¯s with you? You¡¯re sleeping pretty good for us being on the brink of a dire situation. You¡¯ve got nerves of steel, huh?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°Then you should get out of your sleeping bag, too,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna. It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°But things are supposed to get dire, are they not?¡± ¡°They already are,¡± Ryner said. A strange sound rang through the clearing. It steamed up and wavered like a heat wave had filled the forest. ¡°Mm,¡± Ryner mumbled. ¡°Offensive magic¡­ explosion fumes¡­¡± He¡¯d just glanced at the steam with his black eyes¡­ no, his eyes could hardly be called ¡®black¡¯ now. A crimson pentagram had risen within them, and all it took was a glance to see that the distortion around him was caused by magic, and offensive magic at that. His eyes allowed him to instantly understand the composition, effect, and scope of the magic that was cast around him. He could even tell how to make it, down to the angle of each and every line within the magic circle used to cast it. How its restoration value was 072¡­ and so on and so forth. Despite knowing all of that, his sleepy expression didn¡¯t change, and he shrank back from the cold deeper into his sleeping bag. Nothing about anything he did was urgent in the slightest, even as he spoke. ¡°Never seen this kind of magic before¡­ Must not be from Roland.¡± In fact, it was completely different from his home country¡¯s magic. It was different enough that it was amazing that they could both be called ¡®magic,¡¯ because there was truly hardly anything similar between them. How¡¯d it come to be? What medium did it use? Did they still recite an incantation? Did they use magic circles, too? Those were all questions that one tended to ask when first faced with foreign magic. In any case, it was magic that Ryner knew absolutely nothing about, so it must¡¯ve come from someone who wasn¡¯t from Roland. ¡°We¡¯re in Imperial Nelpha, so it¡¯s probably something a Nelphan soldier cast, though¡­¡± A massive flame exploded before Ryner and Ferris, accompanied by a threatening bomb-like sound. Trees fell all around them, and the blast from the explosion shot their sleeping bags away. So they flew through the forest inside their sleeping bags, just like bugs might. When Ryner hit the ground and eventually rolled to a stop, he spoke with the same tired voice as always. ¡°What to do¡­ guah!? Ow, ow, ow, hey! Why the hell did you land on me!¡± Ryner screamed. Ferris had managed to get out of her sleeping bag midair, and apparently saw fit to use her freedom to aim right for Ryner and crush him. She looked perfectly calm and as pretty as always despite just being thrown through the forest. Despite being about as attractive as possible in every other category, when she spoke, it was always emotionless and usually rude. ¡°Mm. So you were there.¡± ¡°You were clearly aiming for me!!¡± Was the contrast between Ferris¡¯ beauty and her personality one of those famous cases of ¡®every flower has its thorns?¡¯ But anyway. Ryner finally crawled out of his sleeping bag with a big yawn. ¡°No sleep and no motivation¡­¡± Ryner had an average build¡­ no, maybe he was a little taller than average, but it wasn¡¯t particularly noticeable due to his perpetual slouch. He was wearing a military uniform of white armor and a navy blue robe with Roland¡¯s coat-of-arms¡ªlances and snakes¡ªdisplayed clearly. His uniform was that of the Magical Knights, an elite group of soldiers feared even among others in the Roland army. Only the best of the best were permitted to wear it. That was probably why soldiers from the Nelphan army were gathering to surround him. ¡°You¡¯re a Roland spy, aren¡¯t you!?¡± One yelled, tense and ready to strike. Ferris, unlike Ryner, was perfectly awake. Emotionless, but awake. She moved a finger to point at Ryner, and Ryner pointed his finger at Ferris. ¡°Whoa, hey. You really think a beauty like her could be a spy?¡± ¡°Do you truly believe that a stupid man like this could be a useful spy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± They both went silent. It took a while, but Ryner broke the silence first. ¡°I was totally praising you.¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Ferris said, emotionless as always. ¡°¡­You!!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± One of the Nelphan soldiers yelled. ¡°The crest of Roland on your chest is, more than anything, proof that you¡¯re spies!¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Ryner said, then looked down as if only just realizing the crest for the first time. ¡°Damn. How¡¯d an enemy country¡¯s crest end up there¡­?¡± ¡°This is what I mean when I call you stupid,¡± Ferris said. ¡°What!? But you have the same crest!¡± Ryner said. Not only did she have the crest on her armor, but it was conspicuous as hell too! It was right there, silver metal on leather armor. Not only that, but her sword had the crest on its hilt, too¡­ But Ferris didn¡¯t lose her cool. ¡°You being stupid has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°But¡­ but doesn¡¯t this mean that you¡¯re at least a little stupid, too?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The atmosphere turned to ice. Ryner, the Nelphan army, and even the trees went silent¡­ Eventually, Ferris looked down just so, her face turning a bit red. ¡°It was¡­ a joke¡­¡± ¡°So cute,¡± Several men from the Nelphan army cooed. ¡°I-I¡¯m being tempted!!¡± ¡°These two have to be spies!¡± A man who appeared to be the officer shouted. ¡°Catch them, throw them in jail, and torture them!¡± Ryner nodded, finally understanding. ¡°Aah, okay. So you wanna hear about why we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°See, you don¡¯t actually have to torture us for that. I¡¯ll just tell you,¡± Ryner said. He blinked and looked so happy that he seemed to shine, a 180¡ã from his usual unmotivated self, then set off on his explanation. ¡°Where to start¡­ Okay, so we came here to look for relics left by legendary heroes from the olden days. We¡¯ve been searching for them here and there, but since those legendary heroes lived over two hundred years ag¡ªughk!¡± Ferris¡¯ longsword was digging into Ryner¡¯s neck, rendering him unable to move. Despite her current act of violence, Ferris spoke as calmly as ever. ¡°You talk a lot for someone who knows what secrets he¡¯s supposed to keep, don¡¯t you? Hm? You¡¯re like a kid.¡± Then she traded her usual tone for an over-the-top feminine one. It was¡­ somehow very, very scary. ¡°If you love running your mouth so much, then how about I cut your head off and let it run free?¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± Ryner stopped running his mouth for a moment. When he spoke again, it was shrill. ¡°Uh, with that being said, I think I¡¯ll go take a walk in the forest now! It just looks so nice right now¡­ hahaha.¡± After seeing Ferris and Ryner¡¯s exchange, it was all the Nelphan soldiers could do to yell ¡°suspicious!¡± Even though he knew that it was probably a lost cause, Ryner threw a final shot into the dark. ¡°So¡­ you guys at least don¡¯t think that we¡¯re spies anymore, right?¡± And their response: ¡°All forces, attack!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ferris pulled her sword away from Ryner¡¯s neck. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be fighting too!?¡± As they spoke, the Nelphan soldiers readied their swords and began to draw magic in the air. ¡°Goddess of flames, lend us your power¡ª¡± They moved their hands in a complicated pattern as they spoke. Ryner copied their motions. ¡°Goddess of flames, lend us your power¡ª¡± He replicated their spell wholly, perfectly, and flawlessly. Some of the soldiers balked at the sight, astonished beyond belief. ¡°Wha!?¡± They were probably thinking something along the lines of ¡®why can a Rolander spy use the same spell as us Nelphan soldiers?¡¯ Roland¡¯s magic was cast through magic circles, but Ryner had clearly just used his hands to sign magic. Things like that weren¡¯t supposed to happen. But if they were to happen anyway¡­ ¡°His, his eyes!¡± A soldier shrieked. ¡°They have a red pentagram!¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s an Alpha Stigma bearer!?¡± Alpha Stigma. Those words were always spat with such fear and loathing. These soldiers were no different. They¡¯d all gone pale, fear in their eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t use any magic! That spy¡¯ll steal our spells and take them back home!¡± Ryner grimaced. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not a spy¡­ Well, I guess it¡¯s too late for that. Also, I didn¡¯t copy this spell just now. I copied it back when you guys first used it while we were trying to sleep¡­¡± He finished the spell, moving his hands the final steps that the others never reached, and shouting the spell¡¯s name. ¡°Freyja Burst!¡± The air wavered from heat just as it had before. ¡°Whoa! Run!¡± The soldiers yelled as they scattered and fled. As the soldiers ran, condensation gathered in the air, then exploded. Several soldiers were caught in the explosion and sent flying. But hey, Ryner didn¡¯t die, so the soldiers were probably okay too¡­ but anyway, it was a win for Ryner and Ferris. Ryner looked to Ferris, proud. ¡°Alright. Got ¡®em beat, just like you said to. So what do we do now?¡± Ferris briskly walked away. ¡°We continue our mission. Come on.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not gonna praise me? Not even a little? Even after I woke up and did my best¡­?¡± ¡°Hm. Good for you.¡± ¡°No, uh¡­ well, whatever,¡± Ryner mumbled. ¡°But really, I wonder where those Heroic Relics are?¡± And so they continued on their quest. Then, at a different place, at a different time¡ª (Calm down, Milk! You¡¯ve got this! Yeah, it¡¯ll be fine. Those guys won¡¯t stand a chance! I¡¯ll have them beat in no time! Bam-bam, whoosh whoosh!) Milk Callaud was hidden in a thicket in the depth of night, trying to psych herself up. She had big and cute red eyes, a babyface, and her flaxen hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She was a little shorter than the average sixteen year old, and she looked even smaller than normal as she hid rolled up into a ball on the forest floor. And that woman, if a sixteen year old could even be considered a woman¡­ ¡°Chief! Chief Milk.¡± One of her subordinates was quietly calling for her. Yes, despite being just sixteen years old, this girl was a chief Taboo Hunter. Though¡­ this was actually her first mission ever¡­ Milk had entered the Roland Empire¡¯s Military Training Academy when she was six years old, but this was her first year that she entered the battlefield as an elite. She turned towards her subordinate, forcing her face into as serious of an expression as she could manage. It wasn¡¯t particularly serious looking, though, thanks to her chronic babyface. ¡°Luke! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to call me Chief Milk!? You¡¯re supposed to call me Chief Callaud!¡± Unfortunately, her stern voice only went as far as to make her sound like a kindergarten teacher¡­ For some reason, it just made Luke smile. ¡°Sorry, Chief Milk.¡± ¡°What did I just say!¡± Milk yelled, flailing her arms like a kid. ¡°I-I understand!¡± Luke said, flustered. ¡°You¡¯re yelling, Chief. Please be be conscious of the fact that we¡¯re Taboo Hunters.¡± ¡°Oh! Uh, sorry.¡± Between Milk Callaud (age 16) and Luke Stokkart (age 25), it was impossible to tell which one was the chief and which was their aide¡­ Milk looked back to the taboo breakers they were following after her sincere apology. One was a man, the other a woman. The man was tall with a slouch, had black hair, and a motivationless expression on his face. The woman was an unbelievably beautiful swordswoman, with long blonde hair and a delicate figure. ¡°I can¡¯t see very well from here,¡± Milk whispered, ¡°but I think I can see the Roland coat-of-arms on them.¡± ¡°So those two are our taboo breakers?¡± Taboo breakers were people from Roland who left the country without permission, despite knowing their magic. They were captured and sometimes executed for the crime of attempting to leak their military secrets to foreign countries. That was why they, Taboo Hunters, were there, just past the border into Imperial Nelpha. ¡°W-we really found them,¡± Milk said. ¡°Is that really surprising? We¡¯ve been searching for them, after all,¡± Luke said, then forced a smile. ¡°So what should we do?¡± ¡°Huh? Um, what do you think we should do, Luke?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your decision to make, Chief. Should we attack, or should we watch them and wait for a while longer?¡± Milk thought about it for a second. ¡°I think we should put it to a vote. We¡¯ll do what everyone thinks is best.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Luke said. He¡¯d been there by Milk¡¯s side for a while now, but he moved back into the thicket to talk to the others on Milk¡¯s command. After a while, everyone¡ªa total of five troops, including Milk and Luke¡ªwere gathered to discuss their next move. ¡°It¡¯s finally time for your first battle, isn¡¯t it, Chief Milk?¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing a good job, Chief Milk. You¡¯ve already found them, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll capture them before long, too.¡± ¡°I told you guys to call me Chief Callaud, not Chief Milk!¡± ¡°Understood, Chief Milk,¡± everyone said in unison, matching smiles on their faces. Even with everyone gathered, Milk was the youngest and smallest. ¡°Geez!¡± Milk huffed, exasperated. Then she nodded to Luke and turned back to their targets. ¡°Give us your orders, Chief,¡± Luke said. ¡°Huh? Oh, um, right. So what do you guys think of reining them in a little with magic first, then having Luke, Lach, and Lear use swords to attack? I¡¯ll take care of the magic. Cover me, okay, Moe?¡± Despite her light tone, Milk was top of the top among her elite peers when it came to strategic planning in school, and it was obvious at times like this. Luke and the others nodded in agreement, so it was decided. Milk started by drawing a magic circle. She recited the intonation faster than the average mage. ¡°I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash!¡± Light gathered at the center of her magic circle, then it turned to lightning with a bang and flew towards their targets! Or at least, that was what was supposed to happen¡­ but one of their targets¡ªthe man¡ªmoved his hand through the air with his usual exhaustion, and Milk¡¯s attack disappeared before it could ever connect. ¡°What!?¡± Milk and her squadron all said. ¡°Th-they realized we were here?¡± ¡°And the timing of his magic! I didn¡¯t realize that anyone could cast that fast¡­¡± Milk¡¯s squadron all shook from fear. The blonde woman moved next, casually unsheathing her sword and turning towards them. ¡°This is bad!¡± Luke yelled. ¡°Protect the Ch¡ª¡± The swordswoman flew towards them with impossible speed, stopping just before Luke. She slammed the dull side of her sword into the back of his neck, knocking him out. She did the same to Milk¡¯s remaining subordinates, leaving just Milk. Milk watched in a daze. It was just so unbelievable. This woman¡¯s swordplay was so fast that she could hardly see, much less understand, what had just happened. It was like they¡¯d been attacked by a mythical creature, an invisible force that left very real wounds. And she¡¯d kill Milk next¡­ ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Milk screamed. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me! I still have things I have to do¡ª¡± Milk stopped there, then moved her hands to cast magic - she never knew when to stop, and could be a bad loser. ¡°There¡¯s no relationship between ¡®being killed¡¯ and ¡®still having things to do,¡¯¡± the swordswoman said. Milk couldn¡¯t help but realize how beautiful she was. Emotionless as all get out, but very pretty nonetheless. ¡°B-but still!¡± Milk said. ¡°I have things I need to do, so you can¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°Mm. I see. Then get to running.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Milk couldn¡¯t help but stand there in shock after hearing such an unexpected response. She was certain that she¡¯d be killed here¡­ The swordswoman pointed behind herself, still maintaining that hollow expression of hers. ¡°Do you see that man? The one with the stupid face? He¡¯s a sex maniac. If you don¡¯t run now, he¡¯ll catch you and do things that are worse than your worst imagination can conjure.¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa. Don¡¯t say that with that emotionless tone of yours. She¡¯ll think you¡¯re being serious,¡± the male taboo breaker said, having finally decided to speak. He was a real danger, having dispelled Milk¡¯s magic with ease. Not just that, but he was a sex offender, the enemy of all women. Milk braced herself as the man walked towards her. ¡°What are you doing, you sleaze!? If you think I¡¯m going to let you do whatever you want to me, think again¡­ huh? What¡­?¡± Up until that moment, Milk had been tense and prepared to resist, knowing that this man was strong, but now that she was getting a good look at his face¡­ ¡°No way¡­ That pentagram in your eyes, and that black hair¡­ Could you be Ryner!?¡± ¡°Huh? How do you know my name?¡± ¡°Hm? So she¡¯s an acquaintance of yours,¡± the scarily expressionless woman interrupted. ¡°Have you already attacked her, Ryner?¡± ¡°No!¡± Milk and Ryner yelled in unison. ¡°Hmm, hmhmhmm,¡± Ryner mumbled, a pensive look on his face. He stepped forward to Milk and her team, then crouched down and tied them all up. ¡°You still don¡¯t remember me!?¡± Milk yelled. Ryner responded with a mumble, just as he so often did. ¡°Hmm¡­ yeah, no dice. We were at the same orphanage, right? And we promised to get married just before you got taken to go to a military training school, yeah? But you ended up leaving before we got married, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°N-no! I mean, I, uh, we did decide to get married, but uh, we were just kids, and um, we were really just childhood friends,¡± Milk said, though her own words seemed to depress her. Ferris spoke next. ¡°So why did you, a poor girl who was thrown aside by a rotten man, decide to attack us?¡± ¡°Thrown¡­? No, he didn¡¯t throw me away! We were just kids, so¡­ uuh¡ª¡± Milk stopped. Ferris had pressed her unsheathed sword to her neck. ¡°Answer my question.¡± Between Ferris¡¯ threat and Ryner standing there waiting, Milk told them everything. She told them that they were Taboo Hunters chasing Ryner and Ferris because they were taboo breakers, and the Roland Empire wanted them so they didn¡¯t spill their government secrets¡­ ¡°Wait, what!?¡± Ryner shouted. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on, Ferris? Why¡¯s Roland after us? I didn¡¯t hear about that part, and besides, Sion¡¯s the one who sent us out here in the first place¡ª¡± Ryner heard a familiar, sharp whooshing sound, and Ferris¡¯ sword was instantly at his neck, and she was back to that terrifyingly girly voice. ¡°You sure are in trouble¡­ Your head really wants to run free, doesn¡¯t it?¡± At this point, Ryner was more tired than anything. ¡°No, I¡­ I get what you¡¯re trying to say, but do you really need to use your sword to illustrate every point you¡¯re trying to make?¡± ¡°Mm? Would an axe be more effective?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the problem¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking for too much,¡± Ferris said. She moved her sword up and away, gracefully sheathing it. ¡°We can save the details for later. Roland is after us, and so is the Nelphan army. But our orders state that we are not to kill. We naturally can¡¯t kill any of our own countrymen without punishment, and if we were to kill anyone from foreign countries, there¡¯s always a possibility that it may lead to war. That¡¯d be dangerous. If you understand, then we¡¯re going to continue our mission. Get to digging.¡± ¡°W-wait, shouldn¡¯t we be¡ª¡± Whoosh! ¡°Aah, alright, yes ma¡¯am, I¡¯m digging. I¡¯m digging, okay? So put that sword away!¡± Ryner said. Then he got up, moved back to where he¡¯d been before Milk attacked, and returned to digging the hole he¡¯d been working on. ¡°W-wait, you two!¡± Milk yelled. ¡°At least untie me!¡± Ryner and Ferris ignored her. ¡°Really, though,¡± Ryner said to Ferris as they dug. ¡°It¡¯s been two hundred years since a Legendary Hero went anywhere near here. There¡¯s no way anyone else could¡¯ve found it since then because of all the digging it¡¯s making us do. I mean, I doubt anyone¡¯s ever tried except for us¡­ Still, though. How long have I been digging?¡± ¡°One hour.¡± It was a little embarrassing that it¡¯d only been an hour and Ryner was already complaining, but that didn¡¯t stop him. ¡°This whole situation¡¯s pretty messed up, don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s gotta be some misunderstanding with Roland¡­ so let¡¯s just give up and go home, okay? It¡¯s already all messed up. It¡¯s not gonna work out, so let¡¯s just¡ª¡± A sharp, metallic sound rang out, but it came from below instead of from Ferris¡¯ sheath this time. Ryner¡¯s shovel had hit something. He and Ferris went silent as they moved to get a better look at it. ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidding!¡± Ryner shouted, an almost-smile on his face. Ferris answered with a shrug. Her expression didn¡¯t change, but she was probably surprised too. They both continued to dig around the same area until they unearthed something. ¡°S-seriously?¡± What they found¡­ appeared to be a dagger. It was metal, though Ryner didn¡¯t know what kind; its blade was a blue color that he¡¯d never seen on a weapon before. Though he wasn¡¯t absolutely sure that it was a dagger, he couldn¡¯t imagine that it had ever been used for anything but to cut things - it had a blade and a hilt, so it was probably a dagger¡­? Ryner, who had been motivationless at best and apathetic at worst up until now, suddenly sparkled with interest as he picked the dagger up and turned it in his hands. ¡°What material is this? Oh, and it¡¯s faint, but I can see some ancient writing on it, too¡­!¡± ¡°Is it what you predicted in your thesis?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°¡­Man, I¡¯m getting all flustered. I don¡¯t know yet. I don¡¯t know if this is a real relic or not yet, and my Alpha Stigma¡¯s not giving me any clues either way. Oh, but what if I¡­?¡± But just then, they heard some voices. ¡°The Rolander spies should be around here, right? This is where they ran off to this morning.¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll definitely catch them for our mission. And that means catching that beauty, heheheh¡­ That¡¯s what we really brought a whole fifty man troop here for.¡± It was a conversation between two Nelphan soldiers, and judging by how clearly Ryner could hear them, they were close, too. Ryner and Ferris glanced to where they heard them to confirm, then moved to hide in a thicket. ¡°There¡¯s another sex fiend over there,¡± Ferris whispered as she watched the soldiers. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that I¡¯m not a sex fiend! Oh, but I¡¯m glad that they only just got here. We should be able to take the maybe-a-relic and run pretty easily,¡± Ryner said as he held the relic up. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± But just then, they heard someone else, who spoke with a high-pitched, girly voice. ¡°Hey, you too! Are you really going to leave a girl like me tied up and left here in this forest!? That¡¯s downright humiliating! You perverts! Hurry up and untie me¡­! Please, I¡¯m begging you! I¡¯m a woman, you know! D-don¡¯t make me say¡­ that I have to go to the bathroom or anything like that¡­¡± Her voice was soon followed by another. ¡°Ch-chief. Please keep the fact that we¡¯re in a foreign country in mind. Please refrain from speaking so loudly.¡± ¡°Found them! Over there!¡± One of the Nelphan soldiers yelled. ¡°All forces, go! We¡¯ll make them pay for earlier!¡± Ryner sighed heavily at the unnecessary third act of today¡¯s shitty play. ¡°Milk, you idiot,¡± Ryner grumbled. ¡°Mm. This is fine,¡± Ferris said. ¡°She¡¯ll be the decoy and we¡¯ll escape¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Seriously? You¡¯d just let her die?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that leave a bad taste in your mouth?¡± ¡°Hm? Why would it? Unless you¡¯re admitting some lingering attachment to her even after throwing her away¡­? Ah.¡± Ferris suddenly fixed her blank stare on Ryner. No matter how emotionless she may be, being stared at by such a pretty woman was enough to make anyone flustered. ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°Are you in love with her?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s not like¡­¡± ¡°So you were only into her for sex.¡± ¡°Seriously, why do you always make things about that!?¡± Ryner yelled while Ferris shook her head in disappointment. Could it be that she was a little interested in that stuff, despite her bored expression? In any case, Ferris stood. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll take her.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hurry up. Go help her. Don¡¯t make us late.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, yeah.¡± With that, Ryner and Ferris prepared for battle. The Nelphan soldiers had Milk¡¯s team surrounded. Ryner stood just out of sight and moved his fingers to draw a magic circle. ¡°I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash!¡± A terrifying sound echoed through the forest as Ryner shot his spell up into the sky. ¡°Wh-what was that!?¡± A soldier yelled. He and the others looked up to see what the noise was. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Ferris said. She unsheathed her sword, then flew towards the soldiers. Ryner followed. Their strategy was fairly simple. First Ryner messed their formation up by scaring them with his magic, and then they¡¯d save Milk during the chaos. They had to do that without killing anyone¡­ which meant that they¡¯d have to take special care not to hurt anyone. That required timing things just right. Ferris went around knocking soldiers out by hitting them with the blunt side of her sword, creating a path. Ryner followed while casting another spell. ¡°I wish for silence - Dark Garden!¡± All sound disappeared in an instant. Even the sound of footsteps, breathing, and leaves moving against the wind were completely silenced. It was a rather simple and safe spell, but it was perfect for inciting panic. Between that and the thunderous sound from his Lightning Flash, the soldiers were at a complete loss for what to do, and unable to communicate between each other¡­ up until the moment that Dark Garden¡¯s effect dissipated. ¡°W-what¡¯s happening!?¡± ¡°This is bad! It¡¯s an enemy! It¡¯s gotta be an enemy!¡± And so the soldiers panicked, exactly as planned. They left their positions, allowing Ryner and Ferris to rescue Milk with ease. She and her team were there, all tied up, wriggling around like worms on the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± Milk yelled when she saw them. ¡°Ryner, you idiot! I can¡¯t believe you! You¡¯re going to save me right now, aren¡¯t you! What would you have done if I wet myself or something while I was tied up!?¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ so I¡¯m still an idiot even though I came back for you? My motivation¡¯s dying¡­¡± ¡°A, anyway, hurry up and untie me! This is an order! I may not look it, but I¡¯m chief here¡­¡± ¡°I-if you understand your situation, then please be a little quieter,¡± Ryner said. ¡°We finally got them off our asses and you¡¯re still over here making a fuss¡­¡± ¡°Too late,¡± Ferris said, monotonous as always. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner turned around to see that the soldiers were already back in formation. ¡°So you bastards were allies! Die, you damned Rolander spies!¡± ¡°S-s-seriously!?¡± Ryner yelled. ¡°U, uwawaah!¡± Seeing that it was getting dangerous, he hoisted Milk up to untie her. ¡°Kyaa! ? Wh-what are you doing!?¡± Milk shrieked. ¡°This is so n, naughty! I can¡¯t believe you! Where are you touching!?¡± ¡°Hah!? I¡¯m not touching anywhere! And how the hell did you just say ? !?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! Also, you¡¯re really the worst if you¡¯re trying to touch me right here and right now! You need to set the mood first!!¡± ¡°Oh, alright, alright! God, you¡¯re loud. Can you try being a little quieter!?¡± By that point, Milk and Ryner were having an all-out screaming match. Ryner gave up on untying her by hand and took the dagger out of his pocket. He somehow managed to evade the soldiers¡¯ attacks, but he was at his limit. There were just too many of them. He doubted that he¡¯d be able to get a full spell off without anyone interrupting it. Not just that, but he had to worry about Milk and her tied-up team, too¡­ ¡°Shit,¡± Ryner said. ¡°What should I do, Ferr¡ª¡± Just then, one of the soldiers¡¯ clubs connected with Ryner¡¯s head. His vision went white for a moment as the attack sent him flying. He had a rough landing, his limbs hitting the ground in a mess of painful angles. ¡°N-nooooo!! Ryner!?¡± He thought he heard Milk scream. ¡°Oh, he finally died? Nice.¡± Ferris¡­ ¡°Hey!¡± Ryner yelled while holding his head in his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t go declaring me dead all on your own!¡± He managed to stand. Ferris clicked her tongue, then spoke in her usual monotone. ¡°Oh, so you were alive. That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Can you at least try to sound happy about that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. In any case, this situation is pretty bad, Ryner. It¡¯s difficult to deal with this many men while protecting the girl you threw away as well. Do something about it.¡± ¡°Hah!? Do what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. What¡¯s that item you just found? A hero¡¯s sword, no? Then that makes you, who now owns it, a hero, yes? So you can do something about this, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What kind of reasoning is that? I haven¡¯t even gotten to investigate this thing at all yet. I don¡¯t know how to make it work.¡± ¡°Then investigate it now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the time for that in this situati¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cover for you,¡± Ferris said. ¡°This is absurd,¡± he muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if anything will come of investigating¡­ whoa!?¡± Ferris thrust her sword at Ryner for an instant before turning it back towards the enemy army. ¡°The next time you complain, your head and body are getting a divorce.¡± ¡°Uu¡­ Yes, ma¡¯am¡­¡± Ryner panicked and set to investigating the dagger¡¯s pattern. He studied it frantically, exactly as Ferris ordered him to. He really earnestly investigated, investigated, and investigated¡­ And then, at last! ¡°I dooooonnn¡¯ttt geeeettt iiiitt!! There¡¯s no way I can analyze it in a tight situation like this!¡± Ryner yelled, giving up easily. Then he threw the dagger to the ground, his expression clearly labelling it too much of a pain. The dagger¡¯s tip planted in the ground¡­ Hiiiiiiiiiiiihhh!!! The dagger emitted a high-pitched noise as it spun around, burying itself within the earth. It continued, echoed an ear-piercing, terrible sound. Ryner couldn¡¯t help but let out a stupid noise in his shock. ¡°Guagh!?¡± There was a brief moment between when that happened and when the next oddity occured. The earth began to shake with great vigor. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Is it an earthquake?¡± Ferris and the Nelphan soldiers stopped fighting from the shock of the apparent natural calamity. Ferris¡¯ expression was the same as always, though¡­ ¡°What did you do?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°How should I know?¡± Ryner responded and stepped back, taking absolutely no responsibility for this chain of events. And then it happened. A massive pillar of fire rose from the hole the dagger disappeared into. No¡­ not just a pillar. It had a massive jaw with sharp fangs and blood red eyes¡­ It wasn¡¯t normal. It was unbelievable. A beast that should have only existed inside picture books had appeared before them¡ªa legendary dragon itself. Death was before their eyes. It had a horrible intimidating air about it. ¡°Whoa, a monster!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be kiiillled!!!¡± ¡°C-commander!¡± The Nelphan soldiers screamed and ran this way and that, screaming bloody murder. But that meant that the battle ended without too much effort, so it was all good. Ferris spoke to Ryner as he stared up at the dragon with astonishment. ¡°Amazing,¡± she said. ¡°So that¡¯s the hero of legend?¡± ¡°No, no matter how you look at it that¡¯s a dragon¡­ it is pretty legendary though.¡± ¡°Hm. Well, it did save us. It did well. But that enough. It¡¯s pointlessly dangerous, so put it away.¡± ¡°¡­How?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was a dragon. A big huge dragon coming from the ground. It was, all things considered, very concerning. But Ryner and Ferris turned around and walked away. ¡°But it really seems like that dagger¡¯s a heroic relic, huh?¡± Ryner said. ¡°Of course it is. We had information that said it would be.¡± The screaming of a sad girl rang out from behind them. ¡°W-wait, Ryner! I told you to untie this rope!¡± Did he even hear her? He just kept walking, calm and collected as could be. Ryner and Ferris just kept walking. ¡°But it¡¯s like, kinda a pain that they actually exist, you know~? That means we gotta go look for the next heroic relic too. I don¡¯t wannaaa.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s horribly dangerous for me to have to go with a lazy sex maniac like you for the whole journey.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m more worried about the danger my neck¡¯s in.¡± ¡°What are you going to do about the dragon!?¡± The same girl yelled, even louder than before. ¡°Are you just going to abandon it!?¡± They must¡¯ve had an exceptionally grand mission that they couldn¡¯t bear to turn from to deal with the dragon and the girl, even for a moment. ¡°Where to next?¡± ¡°I guess Runa, since they¡¯re basically right next door.¡± They resumed their journey, which had only just begun. ¡°Aw, shit! I¡¯ll definitely catch you, Ryner! Uuh, uuh, bathroom¡­ ah. ?¡± It seemed that this would be a road lined with difficulties. Volume 1 - CH 2 ¡°Haah¡­¡± Ryner Lute sighed, unmotivated despite the ongoing tense situation. His hair was messy from lack of effort, and his eyes didn¡¯t show any intention of doing much of anything. He was tall with a slouch and currently wearing white armor with a navy blue robe. That armor was supposed to be reserved for the Roland Empire¡¯s most elite soldiers, their Magical Knights, but¡­ ¡°I never liked adventures or expeditions or anything exciting like that, you know¡­¡± Despite what his first-class armor might imply, he was lazy as hell. ¡°I mean like getting chased by massive boulders trying to get to the treasure chest, running from tsunamis with our lives at stake, the works. I¡¯d like to avoid living a wild life like that if I can¡­¡± So he said while standing among poorly lit, maze-like ruins. There was a drip-drop, drip-drop of some liquid down the hall from where he was standing. Ryner looked to his partner, who seemed to have absolutely no intention of moving. Ferris spoke, monotone and expressionless. ¡°Isn¡¯t this right up your alley? You come from the ¡®wild¡¯ genre where women are attacked in the night, after all.¡± ¡°Hey, you know I don¡¯t actually do that stuff, right?¡± ¡°All criminals say that.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, whatever.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re okay with it, then don¡¯t argue,¡± Ferris said. ¡°¡­¡­¡± There she was with her totally monotone, expressionless comebacks again. This was Ferris Eris, his journeying partner. She had long, glossy blonde hair and an unbelievably beautiful face. When she walked the streets, ten people out of ten turned back around to look at her. She was wearing lightweight armor and had a longsword fastened to her waist. So that was the situation. Ryner and Ferris stared down the hall, Ryner¡¯s expression being disinterested at best, and Ferris¡¯ expressionless as usual. They stood there and stared down the narrow corridor as if in a daze, as the sound of water grew closer and closer. ¡°Oh, see?¡± Ryner said. ¡°We really are being chased by water¡­ What a cliche trap.¡± ¡°¡­You deal with it, then. There has to be a way to disable it, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Huh? Hey, if you¡¯re so calm, then you should be the one to deal with it¡­¡± Ferris¡¯ eyes narrowed as if deep in thought, and when she spoke, it was a single, soulful sentence. ¡°No, it has to be you.¡± ¡°Uwah, what¡¯s that supposed to¡ª¡± That was all Ryner could get out before the massive wave of water made its way to his line of sight. ¡°A-anyway, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± And so they ran off as fast as they could. ¡°But¡­ What should we do, Ferris? We won¡¯t be able to outrun it forever.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I have a plan, but only one.¡± ¡°Really? Then let¡¯s get to it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°So is being drowned in that massive wave. If we don¡¯t do something, we¡¯re gonna die.¡± ¡°Alright. Then you¡¯re in agreement,¡± Ferris said as she unsheathed her sword. ¡°Are you gonna cut the wave in half? That¡¯s amazing. If you can do it, I mean.¡± Ferris turned to Ryner. ¡°Alright. Your time has come.¡± ¡°Huh? What!?¡± The first thing Ryner saw was Ferris¡¯ hair moving, shining beautifully as it did. Then her sword was against his back. ¡°Uwah!?¡± Ferris pushed him to the ground, jumped from his body towards the ceiling, and seemed to disappear. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Huh!? After this I¡¯ll definitely¡ª¡± Water touched Ryner¡¯s back. ¡°This is bad!¡± He yelled and broke out in a run for the second time. And then, some time later¡­ ¡°Uwauwuwa!!¡± Somehow, Ryner managed to make it to the ruins¡¯ exit. Once he did, he lept up, and the wave crashed down on the open ground with a loud sound, and he was free. Ryner¡¯s shoulders fell as he sighed. I, I really thought I was dead meat¡­ He wanted to say that, but nothing came out. He was exhausted in mind and body from using a spell to enhance his running speed that whole time¡­ He¡¯d learned that spell by copying it from Estabul¡¯s Magcial Knights during a battle with Roland that he was stationed in, but¡­ That spell sure exhausts me¡­ Ryner layed down with creaking joints. The truth was that he shouldn¡¯t have been using that spell at all. Each country had its own type of magic, varying in both construction and appearance, so as a Rolander, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to use Estabulian magic. However¡­ Right then, Ferris stepped out of the ruins. She looked down at him, nonchalant as could be. ¡°Mm? So you were in a place like this. Why are you so out of breath?¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m gonna fucking kill you!¡± ¡°Ohh. So you can still yell. You¡¯re in surprisingly good spirits, even though you were running around so much.¡± Right now, the two of them were in Imperial Nelpha, a country that their native Roland Empire didn¡¯t have the best relationship with. They were supposed to be heading towards the neighboring Runa Empire while searching, but¡­ Ryner sat up, having finally rested enough to move his body. ¡°But y¡¯know, even though we heard rumors about this place, it seems like there¡¯s not a relic here, so it was a pretty pointless detour, wasn¡¯t it? The old texts we found didn¡¯t say anything about any relics, and even when we went digging, we didn¡¯t really find anything, right? I don¡¯t think this place has any rel¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about your opinions,¡± Ferris interrupted. ¡°We¡¯re searching Nelpha for relics. We have to. Do you understand? Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°W-wait,¡± Ryner stuttered. ¡°I¡¯m really tired, so let me rest for a while¡­ And, um, we¡¯ve mostly just been setting trap off while we search for relics, right? They were all pretty obvious except for that water one¡­ though we keep setting them off anyway¡­ but listen, I think Nelpha might¡¯ve already sent out a recovery party for their relics and collected them all. Let¡¯s just go home, okay? This is too much work. It¡¯s too wild. No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s just a waste of time.¡± Ferris watched him coldly. ¡°Who¡¯s the one who wrote that report?¡± ¡°Um, that was me, but¡­¡± ¡°Then you know that it¡¯d be bad if Nelpha got ahold of any relics, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah, but this whole thing was our lovely king¡¯s selfish¡ª¡± Ryner¡¯s words were interrupted by the sharp sound of a sword unsheathing. Ferris¡¯ longsword was up against Ryner¡¯s neck before he could react. ¡°Shut up,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°¡­I would¡¯ve shut up even without your sword being on my neck, you know¡­¡± Though even Ryner knew that his complaints were pointless¡­ Ryner crouched down with Ferris, skillfully keeping Ferris¡¯ blade from killing him as he did, and listened. He could hear several men talking inside the ruins. They were most likely that Nelphan relic recovery group¡­ ¡°Why¡¯d that trap suddenly go off?¡± one wondered. ¡°I don¡¯t think our targets would be so foolish to have activated it.¡± ¡°Whaddaya mean, foolish? I can¡¯t believe the nerve of them, setting it off like that. I¡¯d call them conniving instead of foolish.¡± ¡°Ryner,¡± Ferris said, her sword still up against his neck, ¡°It seems that they¡¯ve heard the rumors about you.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who set the trap off?¡± ¡°It¡¯s charming when I do it.¡± ¡°¡­I guess there¡¯s not much I can say about that, given that your sword¡¯s already on my neck¡­¡± ¡°In any case, this is good luck. We¡¯ll capture them and have them lead us to the relic. Ryner, you do it.¡± ¡°Me again!? I¡¯m tired from running around so much, you know?¡± Ferris ignored him and flicked her eyes to her sword. ¡°Come to think of it, I had a dream last night. You see, my hand slipped and my partner¡¯s head detached from his body¡­¡± ¡°What!? Listen, I understand, so you can put your sword away now. I was just thinking about how I want to fight them single handedly¡­¡± ¡°Mm? Really?¡± Ferris said. ¡°Don¡¯t push it if you¡¯re too tired.¡± ¡°Shameless, aren¡¯t you¡­ Geez,¡± Ryner complained as he leapt towards the entrance to the ruins where the Nelphan relic recovery party was. He sighed. ¡°I really don¡¯t have the motivation for this¡­¡± Ignoring the inevitable ¡®but you never have any motivation,¡¯ Ryner watched the Nelphan recovery party emerge with dim eyes. For some reason, they were fully armed. ¡°Uwah, I was sure they¡¯d be a bunch of scholars instead of soldiers. This just becomes more and more of a pain,¡± Ryner complained. The Nelphans spotted him, and they soon had matching confused faces, seeing that motivationless man standing in their way. Then their gazes lowered to the crest on his chest. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Roland¡¯s crest!? You¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Ryner said, disinterested. ¡°You¡¯re about to call me a spy, right? You won¡¯t believe me even if I deny it, so I¡¯m just not gonna bother.¡± The Nelphan¡¯s expressions tensed, and they predictably assumed a fighting pose. ¡°Then this should be easy. Come with us or else.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡± And so they began to fight. ¡°King of light, creator of infinity¡ª¡± The soldiers drew a complex seal in the air. Ryner watched. But just by watching¡­ ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen this spell,¡± Ryner remarked. ¡°Um¡­ range is 276, power is¡­ oh, so this spell can make a system to capture someone. Seems pretty useful.¡± He wasn¡¯t doing anything in particular. He was just watching them with the same tired eyes as always, but that alone was enough to perfectly analyze the Nelphan spell. That was because of his special eyes¡ªthough they were usually black, a scarlet pentagram had risen within them. With that, he¡¯d copied the spell, down to the final words that the Nelphans shouted. ¡°Light Kinase!¡± A net appeared from within them and shot out, attacking Ryner. Ryner made absolutely no move to stop it. They caught him with ease. The Nelphan soldiers laughed, seeing their victory. ¡°Fuahaha. Looks like you won¡¯t be moving any time soon. It¡¯s good to know that Roland¡¯s spies are this weak.¡± Ryner was still perfectly relaxed. He moved his right hand up, languid. ¡°Mm, there we go.¡± He used that hand to draw a complex magical circle in the air - magical circles like that were sign that he was using a spell from Roland, just as a seal was a sign that the magic was from Nelpha. He said the incantation once the circle was complete. ¡°I wish for an invasion - Eclipse!¡± As soon as he said it, a cloud of black smoke enveloped him. The light net dissolved against the smoke, freeing Ryner. ¡°Wh¡­¡± The soldiers watched, astonished. ¡°Th-that¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Ryner, on the other hand, was looking pretty satisfied with himself. ¡°I¡¯ve already analyzed that spell, so I know all about its weakness. With that being said¡ª¡± Ryner began to draw a magic seal in the air, identical to the one that the Nelphans had drawn not too long ago. ¡°What!?¡± A soldier yelled. ¡°Why does he know Nelphan magic!?¡± And that was surprising. It wasn¡¯t something that he should¡¯ve known. A spy from Roland shouldn¡¯t have known Nelphan magic. The fact that he did meant¡­ ¡°Y-you¡¯re an Alpha Stigma bearer, aren¡¯t you!?¡± A soldier spat. Alpha Stigma. It was an ability that allowed the bearer to copy a spell down to its core, and yes, it was something that Ryner had. It was his eyes. The Nelphan soldiers paled at the brand inside of his eyes. ¡°Shit! That means he¡¯s already stolen our magic¡­¡± Ryner finished his spell. ¡°Light Kinase!¡± Just like before, a net of light appeared and shot from the seal. This time, it shot straight towards the Nelphan soldiers, catching them with ease. ¡°Geez,¡± Ryner said. ¡°I don¡¯t love having the Alpha Stigma, but I¡¯d rather you guys didn¡¯t spit at me just ¡®cause I have it¡­ anyway, though. Ferris, I caught them just like you wanted me to. What should we do now?¡± Ryner asked as he leisurely walked towards the beauty. She ignored him, instead going for the Nelphan soldiers for an interrogation. ¡°Alright, Nelphans. I have some questions for you¡­¡± ¡°Hey, wait, I just went through all this effort even though I¡¯m so tired. I think at least a little praise is in order? I guess I¡¯m not really expecting anything, though¡­¡± Ferris turned towards him. ¡°Mm? Praise? You mean this?¡± She asked as she unsheathed her sword and aimed it straight for his neck. Ryner could only watch, eyes half-lidded. ¡°Umm¡­ nope, that¡¯s something else entirely.¡± ¡°Really? But¡­¡± Ferris turned her sword back towards the soldiers. ¡°Nelphans, if you don¡¯t answer me, kcchha. Your heads will go flying. Will you choose to answer?¡± Their answer was obvious. ¡°Y-yes. Ask us anything.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°¡®So?¡¯ Er, where to start¡­¡± With that, Ryner and Ferris bullied the Nelphans for information. --- To go back a bit in time¡­ ¡°I¡¯m telling you that we can¡¯t go home empty-handed!¡± Milk Callaud had both of her arms extended, flailing them for emphasis, as they walked through a rural area¡¯s road. She had big eyes, a cute face, and was currently acting like a spoiled child. She was sixteen but small for her age, and her flaxen ponytail was waving back and forth as she walked. At the moment, she was the perfect picture of ¡®unreliable¡¯¡­ She was accompanied by her four subordinates, members of a Taboo Hunter squadron from Roland. Though they¡¯d never successfully completed a taboo hunt¡­ Luke Stokkart, a twenty-five year old man with white hair despite his young age, spoke to her like a parent would speak to his child. ¡°But Chief Milk¡ª¡± ¡°Augh! You¡¯re treating me like a kid again, Luke! You can¡¯t call me Milk! You have to call me Chief Callaud!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chief Milk.¡± ¡°Geez!¡± This was a conversation that the two of them had every single day. ¡°But the two Taboo Breakers are extremely strong. I think they might be a little too much for us to manage¡­ I propose going back to Roland¡ª¡± ¡°Noo!¡± Milk yelled as she flailed her arms. ¡°No, no, no, no, no!! You know that we¡¯ll have to write a formal explanation and apology if we go home empty-handed, don¡¯t you!?¡± A troubled expression rose to Luke¡¯s face as he spoke with Milk, who refused to listen to reason. A Taboo Breaker was a magician from Roland who defected, taking the secrets of their country¡¯s magic with them. A Taboo Hunter was tasked with catching these defectors to keep the secrets of their magic from leaking to other countries. They chased them, caught them, and even executed them at times to prevent that. Milk had information on a pair of Taboo Breakers, but¡­ they were too strong back when they first made contact, and the Taboo Breakers just shook their attempts at capture off. Just thinking about it put Milk in a bad mood. ¡°Uuh, that Ryner! How could he forget about me! We made a promise back when we lived in the same orphanage, didn¡¯t we!? And, and there¡¯s that beauty with him¡­ what¡¯s that supposed to mean!? What¡¯s he thinking, leaving the country with a beauty like that?!¡± ¡°Er, Chief? I¡¯ve been wondering this for a while now, but are you acquainted with that Taboo Breaker?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not associating myself with a guy like that!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I asked,¡± Luke asked. Perplexed as he was, he maintained a smile as he watched Milk. That was because Milk had successfully captured the hearts of her subordinates. She wasn¡¯t aware of that, though¡­ ¡°In any case, Chief. I really believe that we ought to return to our country for a bit.¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯m definitely not going back!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Luke crossed his arms, troubled. ¡°Oh, Chief. There are some ruins just past the forest ahead. What do you say we take a field trip over there and take some souvenirs back home?¡± Milk responded to that despite herself. ¡°Huh? Ruins? Where, where?¡± Then she realized what she was saying. ¡°Ah!? Wait, no! Gosh, Luke! You can¡¯t trick me that easily!¡± So she said, but wanting to see a foreign country¡¯s ruins was human nature, but Milk pretended like she didn¡¯t want to see it anyway (even though her subordinates absolutely realized that she wanted to see them). Luke¡¯s eyes moved towards it. It was an intimidating stone structure, and for some reason, there was a noisy river flowing from the entrance¡­ whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­ Then screams joined the sound of water. ¡°Uwawawawa!!¡± A massive wave crashed out of the entrance along with a lanky, slouched man. Luke¡¯s expression immediately changed to ¡®oh, shit,¡¯ and in the same moment, Milk¡¯s tuned dark. ¡°I~found~you, Rymgfmgmfg¡­¡± Luke covered her mouth with his hand, but he knew that it was futile. ¡°Chief, I keep telling you that this is pointless,¡± he said. ¡°Fuohn fuo foeh, fouhfu!¡± ¡°Huh? You understand that we can¡¯t win, but you want to chase him anyway? Hmm¡­¡± Luke looked to the other members of their squadron for opinions. ¡°Well¡­ we agree with whatever Luke¡­ I mean, whatever Chief Milk wants to do¡­¡± ¡°Luke, you could tell what Chief was trying to say just now, and that just makes me respect you even more.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Luke asked, then laughed, bashful. ¡°It¡¯s really not that impressive.¡± Milk pushed the hand off of her mouth as her subordinates talked about useless things. ¡°Anyway! We¡¯re chasing after them as Taboo Hunters! That¡¯s an order from your superior!¡± ¡°¡°Okaaay.¡±¡± Her subordinates followed her into the ruins like they were teachers on a kindergartener¡¯s field trip. Seeing that, Ryner made a slovenly remark. ¡°It¡¯s pretty pointless to just leave now, isn¡¯t it¡­¡± So he didn¡¯t. Back in the innermost chamber of the ruins, the Nelphan army was still trying to figure out how to get out of the traps, seeing as they made it that far already¡­ Meanwhile, Ferris and Ryner had reached a dead end. The Nelphans were a ways away, still stuck in every trap. Ryner and Ferris were calmly surveying a different area, and it wasn¡¯t anything that a normal person would fall for. There was a suspiciously discolored panel on the stone floor and a door-like discoloration on the wall. It was easy to avoid the trap¡ªthat wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem was¡­ Ryner was peering into a massive hole in the center of the room. It was already so dark that one could hardly see, so trying to see into the hole was a lost cause. They¡¯d definitely die if they fell in¡­ ¡°See? This is why we should just go home,¡± Ryner said, unhappy. ¡°The Nelphan surveillance party came all the way out here, and we¡¯re so far in that we can¡¯t really escape by going down any more - this hole¡¯s too deep for us to see the bottom. Guess I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to stop you either way, though¡­¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Ferris nodded. The beautiful swordswoman looked into the hole along with Ryner. ¡°Whoa, hey, don¡¯t tell me you actually want to jump¡ª¡± Ferris raised her head, and her face betrayed absolutely no emotion just like always. ¡°I¡¯m a swordswoman,¡± she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s with that all the sudden? I know that painfully well, you know?¡± Ryner asked. He had enough flashbacks of her sword on his neck for a lifetime. Ferris nodded. ¡°All swordsmen have trained just for moments like these where we can release our true power.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re about to say something totally unreasonable, but go on.¡± ¡°Although we get few chances to really show our true power, that doesn¡¯t mean that it doesn¡¯t exist,¡± Ferris said. ¡°I see. So what are you getting at?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Ferris moved slowly, deliberately, towards Ryner¡¯s back. ¡°Magician, attack.¡± She slammed her foot into Ryner¡¯s back. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner said. For a moment, he felt like he was floating in air. Then, ¡°Gyaaaaahhhh!¡± He fell at a frightening speed. Death approached at a frightening speed. Ryner could feel it. This was bad¡­ he was really going to die, wasn¡¯t he!? H-he had to do something¡­ His best bet was magic. His hands moved frantically, and he chanted the intonation just as quickly. Light gathered in the center of the hole like a candle lighting in the dark, and soon lightning burst out. A normal magician would be impressed beyond belief at the speed that he cast it. After the flashes of light, many bolts of lightning slammed against the walls. Once silence returned to the ruins, Ferris looked down inside the hole again. ¡°Trying to commit suicide by jumping?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°The nerve!!¡± Ryner screamed. But he soon breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that he was alive. In contrast, Ferris was sounding awfully satisfied with herself. ¡°As long as it makes you happy,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re so energetic, after all. In any case, go search for the relics and then report back.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡­ hah¡­ well, I guess I¡¯m used to it already¡­ Oh, there¡¯s an altar and scroll here. Now I just have to figure out how to get back up there¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if you want to die of starvation,¡± Ferris said. ¡°No, I¡¯ll just copy that light web spell from earlier and climb up it,¡± Ryner said. With that, he made full use of that spell and started to climb up, little by little. It took twenty minutes to make his way back up, give or take. When he finally got above the edge of the hole, he collapsed, his legs still dangling over the edge. ¡°Ha, hah,¡± Ryner panted. ¡°My body feels like it¡¯s gonna fall off today¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear that from you!¡± Ferris grabbed the scroll from Ryner¡¯s hand. ¡°So this is a heroic relic?¡± ¡°How should I know? I didn¡¯t get a good look at it yet.¡± ¡°Hurry up and have your look at it, then. What¡¯s the hold up?¡± ¡°You know damn well what the hold up is¡­ Let me get all the way up first, and then we can look¡­¡± With that, Ryner used the last of his strength to pull himself up¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The familiar voice of a girl rang through the ruins. Ryner stopped in his tracks and turned his attention to where he¡¯d heard the voice, and there¡­ were four men and a girl. He scowled. ¡°You guys again¡­¡± It was Milk and her squadron. For some reason, her chest was puffed out in accomplishment. ¡°Heheheh. You guys can¡¯t escape now! How is it? Ryner¡¯s stuck in the hole and can¡¯t move! All according to plan!¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing great, Chief!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t have to turn in a written apology thanks to you!¡± Milk nodded proudly at the sound of her subordinates¡¯ praise. She pointed a finger at her targets. ¡°Alright! Just like always, Luke, Lach, and Lear, you guys attack with swords! Moe, you¡¯re my support! I¡¯ll capture that unfaithful man!¡± ¡°¡°Understood!¡±¡± And so their sudden battle commenced. The white-haired man called Luke and two other men readied their swords, and meanwhile¡­ Ferris continued to read the scroll, completely unperturbed. ¡°Hm. I can¡¯t read any of this. What about you, Ryner?¡± Ryner ignored them, too. ¡°Let me see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just ignore us!¡± Milk screamed. But Ryner didn¡¯t lift his head from the scroll. ¡°Oh, this is¡­¡± Luke and the others approached, swords ready. They were strong, as was to be expected of elite Taboo Hunters. Ferris absentmindedly raised her sword with one hand to block. ¡°So? How is it, Ryner? Is it like the last relic where you couldn¡¯t read it even with your Alpha Stigma?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s written in the ancient alphabet. Want me to translate it?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡®My name is Kyubel Alphonse. I am a great thief, and have hidden this scroll among treasure¡­¡¯¡± Ryner raised his head. ¡°Hey, this guy¡¯s a thief, not a hero.¡± ¡°Seems so.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s just like I¡¯ve been saying, right? There¡¯s no relics here. This has all been a waste of time. We¡¯ve come up empty handed again¡­¡± Milk tried to speak over them. ¡°Geez, Ryner! Stop spending all your time talking to her! We¡¯re your enemy here!¡± For some reason Ferris, who had completely ignored Milk and her squadron until now, finally reacted. ¡°The woman who you horribly cast away is loud, Ryner. Do something about her.¡± ¡°Whoa, hey, I¡¯m horrible now?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t cast away!¡± Milk yelled. Apparently a switch flipped inside of Ferris¡¯ mind, because she turned a bit red and stuttered. ¡°Mn¡­ if that¡¯s not it, then it was a one-night stand? How adult of you two.¡± ¡°¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡±¡± Milk¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°I¡¯m mad now! Do you think it¡¯s funny making fun of us like this!? Oh, I¡¯m really going to capture you now!¡± She moved her hands to draw a magic circle. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re pretty fast,¡± Ryner said. He lifted the rest of his body up from the hole. With languid eyes, he moved his hands far faster than Milk to cast a spell first. ¡°I wish for an invasion - Eclipse!¡± Black smoke rushed out from his magic circle, easily blotting out the light of Milk¡¯s. ¡°Wha¡­¡± Milk¡¯s expression turned to one of astonishment¡­ and then she puffed out her cheeks. ¡°Ryner, you coward! How could you cancel my magic like that!?¡± ¡°Huh? Coward?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I put my all into my spell, and now you¡¯ve gone and cancelled it! How immature!¡± Ryner couldn¡¯t even begin to respond to that, but he didn¡¯t have to. The men with Milk responded with their nods instead. ¡°Anyway, Ryner! Stay right there! I¡¯ll never forgive you for this!¡± Milk yelled as she waved her pointer finger like a child. Her subordinates cheered her on from behind. ¡°Good luck, Chief~!¡± They moved to attack, but that in itself wasn¡¯t all that scary. There was something far scarier that he just realized. He let out a sound as soon as he noticed it. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Right there, in Milk¡¯s path, was the discolored panel on the floor, and she was charging full-force towards him. It was only after she stepped on it that Milk noticed it, too. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The floor clicked, and with it came a loud rumbling sound. ¡°Uwah¡­ this is the worst possible outcome,¡± Ryner groaned. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s this? What¡¯s going on?¡± Flustered, Milk stopped in her tracks and rested her hand on the wall. Another clicking sound echoed through the chamber¡­ ¡°Hey!¡± Ryner yelled, but it was already too late. Another loud, rumbling sound came from elsewhere in the ruins, changing the sound of the first one ever so slightly. On top of everything, the whole ruin began to shake. ¡°That idiot¡­ is this place really gonna collapse now?¡± ¡°Seems so,¡± Ferris said, just as emotionless as always as she looked around. ¡°W-we should get out of here!¡± Ryner said. ¡°Mm.¡± And so the two of them broke out in a run. Milk took off after them, too. ¡°Ryner, you idiot! I won¡¯t let you get away even if you run!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the idiot here!¡± Ryner yelled back. ¡°Ugh, geez, we don¡¯t have time for this! Just come with us! I¡¯ll explain it later!¡± He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her along as they ran. ¡°Eh? Eh ? W-wait, Ryner, what are you doing, grabbing my hand all of the sudden? D-don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re eloping!?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°A man¡¯s stealing our chief away!¡± ¡°Augh! Just shut up already!¡± They all ran towards the entrance of the ruins while screaming, but as they ran¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± A massive wave raced through the ruins from the path they were trying to escape through. ¡°Uwooahgh!?¡± ¡°Kyaaaa!?¡± ¡°Chieeef!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hm.¡± --- ¡°¡­¡­¡± A man and woman made it out, sopping wet. ¡°See, I knew that getting out of bed today was a terrible idea¡­ We¡¯d be dead if that hole didn¡¯t act like a storm drain.¡± ¡°Mm. We were all in danger of being attacked by you through the chaos, too.¡± ¡°No, I definitely didn¡¯t have the time to worry about something like that¡­ oh, well¡­¡± Ryner had absolutely no energy to argue with her about that now, so he just sighed. There was a splash in the water. Then, ¡°Uwawah, what¡¯s all this? Why¡¯re we in a river!? I-I can¡¯t swim!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ she¡¯s awake,¡± Ryner said. ¡°What should we do about that?¡± ¡°About what?¡± Ferris asked. More screaming. ¡°Kyah!? Luke¡¯s sinking? He¡¯s sinking!?¡± ¡°I mean that,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Can¡¯t see a thing,¡± Ferris said, blunt as ever. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°¡­Hm. Guess you¡¯re right.¡± And so the two tried to walk away¡­ ¡°Huh!? Ryner, there you are! Don¡¯t just ignore me¡ªcome help! Uuh, puh, I¡¯m getting water in my mouth¡­¡± They turned around for a second, but ended up leaving it to be. ¡°Anyway, where to?¡± ¡°I want to go to Runa next.¡± They ended up walking away to continue their journey. ¡°Wait, Ryner! Wait¡­ wh, why¡¯s there a waterfall!? Kyaaaah!¡± What awaited them on their journey¡­? Volume 1 - CH 3 ¡°We¡¯re fighting them.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you insane? That¡¯s impossible, you know? We¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Hm? We¡¯ll die? That¡¯s dangerous, isn¡¯t it. In any case, I¡¯d like to see you die, so¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, you¡­ but anyway, that¡¯s totally impossible. After all, it¡¯s just such a pain, you know? So let¡¯s just give up. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a way easier way to do this.¡± ¡°Mm. An easier way¡­ such as?¡± ¡°Hm? Well, I haven¡¯t thought of one yet, but¡­ oh, wait. It¡¯s nice out, so how about we take a nap. As soon as we close our eyes, bam, we¡¯ll be in Runa¡ª¡± Whoosh! A sharp metallic sound rang through the sky. ¡°If that¡¯s your easy solution, then I have an even easier one.¡± ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t think me dying will get us any closer to Runa¡­¡± ¡°Really? I think that once your head is flying through the air, the wind will pick up, and soon enough¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrifying! I see that I¡¯m in the wrong, so could you put your sword away?¡± ¡°Mm. In any case, we haven¡¯t come up with any alternatives, have we.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± So their conversation went, as they stood atop a knoll, the tall grass wavering in the wind. The wind didn¡¯t make Ryner Lute¡¯s dark hair any less messy or his eyes any more motivated. He surveyed the area, then looked to the blonde hair, blue eyes beauty, Ferris Eris, next to him. ¡°You understand the situation, right?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°Our enemy¡¯s five of Nelpha¡¯s Magical Knights. They¡¯re nothing like normal soldiers. And you want to strip them of everything they¡¯ve got? Without them killing us? I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s definitely impossible.¡± Ryner looked down from the hill again as he spoke. There were five men down there, each with their own incredibly tough armor. Just looking at them was enough to know that they were Nelphan Magical Knights. They were an elite force, and their appearance on a battlefield was always the start of a bloodbath that easily changed the course of any battle. ¡°Let¡¯s attack them,¡± the emotionless beauty next to him said, careless as ever. Seriously, she was insane. It was all Ryner could do to lay there, tired. ¡°Let¡¯s give up,¡± he said. ¡°Okay? All that¡¯ll happen if we fight is us dying.¡± Ferris turned her cold eyes towards him. ¡°Then how do you intend to get to Runa? All of the paths leading there are filled with soldiers. Besides, whose fault is it that we¡¯re in this situation? Hm?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s your fault too?¡± ¡°But when you caused that dragon to rise from the ground, and when you destroyed those ruins¡ª¡± ¡°You were definitely involved in both of those situations, though,¡± Ryner said. Ferris paid so little attention to him that it was like she didn¡¯t hear him at all. ¡°Not only that, but you¡¯ve attacked countless women along the way¡­ And you¡¯ve even laid your hands on Nelphan soldiers¡ª¡± ¡°I did!? Also, did you really have to slander me to all the housewives in the villages we passed through?¡± ¡°How regrettable. I was simply conveying the truth. Though the rumor does seem to have gotten out of hand¡­¡± ¡°¡­So what¡¯s this ¡®truth¡¯ you speak of?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I told them that there is a slim man with dark hair and dark eyes wearing white armor with a navy robe¡ªthe very same outfit that Roland¡¯s Magical Knights wear¡ªand that he is a high-level degenerate, and that they must be careful of him.¡± ¡°There¡¯s literally no way to exaggerate that any more than you already did. Geez¡­ you know that you¡¯re just fanning the fires of a Roland-Nelpha conflict here, right?¡± ¡°How so? I only speak the truth.¡± ¡°I swear¡­¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I also put a good word in for a blonde-haired beauty whose insides are just as beautiful as she is.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ don¡¯t know her.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious who it is?¡± ¡°Not to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner sighed at the absolute pointlessness of their conversation. ¡°Anyway¡­ we¡¯re seriously gonna attack them?¡± Ferris nodded easily. ¡°Of course. If we assume that they¡¯re just dressed as Magical Knights to use their name and armor as a free pass to do whatever they want, then it¡¯s simple. They think that they¡¯re invincible, because if we Rolanders were to kill them, it¡¯d lead to a Roland-Nelpha conflict¡­ Any questions?¡± ¡°Even if I had questions, you¡¯d just ignore them¡­¡± ¡°Alright, no questions. So¡ª¡± Ferris raised her hand and pointed towards the soldiers, as casual as ever. ¡°¡ªattack them.¡± Ryner sighed. ¡°How did I know you were gonna say that¡­ and why¡¯s it always just me?¡± ¡°You attack women every night, so you¡¯re clearly the better of the two of us at attacking¡ª¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. We¡¯re up against Magical Knights, you know? I¡¯ll die if I go up against them alone.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not ¡®interesting!¡¯¡± Ryner yelled. Suddenly Ferris looked into Ryner¡¯s eyes¡­ or more specifically, to the very faint pentagram within them. ¡°I¡¯ll rephrase. Ryner, you once repelled Estabullian Magical Knights all by your lonesome, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wha!?¡± Ryner turned away unnaturally. ¡°Wh, what are you saying, Ferris? I-I didn¡¯t do anything like that. The king did all that. I mean, everyone from Roland knows that, right? That our hero king was the one to rout 50 Magical Knights in the fight against Estabul? I had nothing to do with that. I just happened to be there when it happened¡­¡± Ferris interrupted, trembling, with a pressured voice. ¡°I heard it from the king himself.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ really?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°Mm.¡± Ryner grimaced. ¡°Ugh, shit. That guy and his big mouth¡­ He tells me nothing about Ferris and then goes and gabs to her all about me¡­¡± ¡°Obviously. No one would tell a girl¡¯s private affairs to a sex fiend.¡± ¡°Like always, who are you calling a sex fi¡­ actually, I¡¯m tired of argueing about that, but¡­ it¡¯s just not like that¡­ but yeah, anyway, Ferris, you¡¯re misunderstanding something here. It¡¯s not like that,¡± he said and pointed at his eyes, where a red pentagram was becoming clearer¡­ it was that special mark that everyone both hated and feared¡­ Ryner continued with a bit of a dark expression. ¡°You¡¯ve got that situation wrong. But, um, explaining it¡¯s kind of a pain, so¡­¡± Ferris stared at him for a moment before speaking. ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you that you don¡¯t have to explain it,¡± Ferris said and looked away. ¡°I have¡­ no desire to hear about your private affairs.¡± ¡°Huh, um, Ferris?¡± ¡°I know that you¡¯re thoroughly incompetant, and that¡¯s enough for me.¡± She sat up and put a hand on her sword, a gesture that was second-nature for her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do but fight too. You¡¯ll be my meat shield¡­ no, my decoy.¡± ¡°Huh? Like I said, what¡¯s happeni¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She grabbed Ryner by the scruff of his neck. ¡°You¡¯ll fly in and catch their attention, then I¡¯ll stealthily knock them out.¡± ¡°W-wait, you¡¯re gonna have me dive bomb off this hill!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell the king that you became a star in the sky.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell him tha¡ª¡± She pushed him off. ¡°Uwawawah!?¡± Just then, they heard noises down from where the Magical Knights were. ¡°Mm? Did they notice us?¡± Ryner frantically tried to grab hold on the hill to scramble back up. When he finally gained hold, he spoke. ¡°They probably noticed ¡®cause you¡¯re so noisy.¡± Ferris gracefully moved her sword to Ryner¡¯s neck. ¡°Quiet. I hear voices.¡± ¡°¡­Voices?¡± Ryner¡¯s ears perked up despite the sword on his neck. They were loud, as if agitated. ¡°Finally found them! They¡¯re on the mountain path!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get ¡®em! They¡¯ll never get away!¡± ¡°The nerve they have, making us look for them like this! We¡¯re definitely catching them!¡± The Magical Knights broke out in a run. They were pretty fast. Ryner and Ferris looked at each other. ¡°We¡¯re not on a mountain path,¡± Ryner said. ¡°So who¡¯re they looking for?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ in any case, let¡¯s give chase,¡± Ferris said. ¡°We¡¯ll find a gap in their defence and attack while we can.¡± Ferris returned her sword to its scabbard faster than Ryner¡¯s eyes could follow. ¡°Hurry up and get down,¡± she said, then readied a kick. ¡°Y-you¡¯ve got to be kiddi¡ª¡± That was all he could say before the kick connected with his back. ¡°Gyaaaahhh!¡± And so Ryner slammed down the hill at an inhuman speed¡­ --- Bugs and birds alike chirped. And on top of that¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t believe this! A dragon? Seriously, a dragon? You¡¯d normally save someone from a dragon, right!?¡± ¡­Then there was the sound of wind through trees, and the sight of Milk Callaud¡¯s flaxen ponytail swaying in the breeze as she walked through a deep mountain path. She had darling red eyes and a small build, and right now she was putting her all into taking big steps as she walked. She was surrounded by her older subordinates, each walking far more solumnly than her. Yes, this sixteen year old girl was the leader of five elite Taboo Hunters. Though said subordinates looked at her warmly as if she were a child, not their leader, she most certainly was. ¡°What do you think?¡± Milk asked Luke. ¡°Ryner¡¯s mistaken, right? I mean, he left a girl to drown in a river, right? I just can¡¯t believe that he didn¡¯t save me!¡± Luke listened, troubled. ¡°Chief, we¡¯re Taboo Hunters, and he¡¯s a Taboo Breaker. He has no responsibility to save you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here!¡± ¡°I-is that so¡­?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Milk asserted. Yeah. Yeah, that wasn¡¯t the problem¡­ Ryner was her childhood friend, and, and¡­ he¡¯d made that promise to her! And yet! She waved her arms around, overcome with anger. ¡°What¡¯s up with him! What happened to Ryner? He turned out to be so lazy! And, and why¡¯s he with that beauty!? He¡¯s cheating on me! Sleeping with another woman! I¡¯m so mad! I¡¯m definitely gonna catch him!!¡± And so Milk was overcome with suspiciously passionate zeal for her professional duty as a Taboo Hunter¡­ A Taboo Hunter¡¯s duty was to catch or even exterminate Taboo Breakers, who abandoned their country for another despite knowing the secrets of Roland¡¯s magic. It was a tough job, exterminating one¡¯s own countrymen, and few wanted to do it. It was dangerous, too. Milk was the chief of such a group of people. Her subordinates followed after her, each with the air of parents looking after their small child who was having a temper tantrum, even though they too were elite soldiers who could easily take down the third-rate soldiers that characterized most armies. ¡°But Chief,¡± Luke started, ¡°I really think it¡¯s pointless to keep chasing after these Taboo Breakers. They¡¯re just too strong for us. That blonde woman was enough to handle all of us with ease, you know? We really ought to return home¡ª¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not going home!¡± Milk yelled over Luke¡¯s words. ¡°How do you intend on catching them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll persuade you!¡± Milk said, determined. ¡°Huh!? P, persuade me¡­?¡± Milk nodded real big, then balled her hands into fists. ¡°I¡¯m sure that blonde beauty is seducing Ryner! I-I can¡­¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­ Chief?¡± ¡°I know that beauty is scary. We can¡¯t let her wake Ryner¡¯s eyes up! Right? Don¡¯t you think so, Luke?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Luke sighed. ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s do our best for just a little longer¡­¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Milk said, suddenly cheerful. Meanwhile, her subordinates watched with the mixed expressions of fathers who were half sad that their daughter would someday be married, and half looking forward to her happiness¡­ That was how they passed the early Sunday afternoon. Up until they were suddenly attacked, that is. ¡°¡­What!?¡± Sensing a presence, Milk and her subordinates suddenly looked behind themselves. They were strong enough to have gotten close to surround them despite how powerful the Taboo Hunters were. When they turned around, it was almost like no one was there. That was all it took to know that they were a massive threat. Despite their lack of presence, there stood five men wearing strange armor. That in addition to their deathly aura left Milk and her team paralyzed. They were like prey in the face of their predators, and predators always caught their prey. The middle predator spoke. ¡°You bastards are spies from Roland, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wh-who are¡­,¡± Milk stuttered. Luke was the one who answered, his eyes full of despair. ¡°Ch-Chief¡­ these people are Nelpha¡¯s Magical Knights.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Milk said, subconsciously raising her voice. Nelpha¡¯s Magical Knights were on the same level as Roland¡¯s¡ªthey were the strongest corps of any army. ¡°Wh, why are they here¡­?¡± Luke moved in an instant, his sword unsheathed, to stand in front of Milk to protect her. ¡°Run, Chief! We¡¯ll shield y¡ª¡± That was as far as he got. A Magical Knight was there, one hand holding a sword to the back of Luke¡¯s neck, the other light with a seal characteristic of Nelpha¡¯s magic. ¡°Don¡¯t move, Rolander. If you do, it¡¯ll take two seconds for us to annihilate the five of you,¡± a Magical Knight said. His voice was both calm and threatening. These were soldiers who could go into any situation completely unperturbed¡ªtrue machines of war. Milk fell to the ground at the sight of them. ¡°Wh, what should we do¡­?¡± She had to save her subordinates¡­ and she couldn¡¯t die here¡­ Death. Being killed. She understood what that meant. This wasn¡¯t like those times¡­ it wasn¡¯t like when Ryner saved her¡­ ¡°R-Ryner¡­ what should I do¡­?¡± Despair was all that she could see. --- Ryner watched from the tall grass with the most tired eyes imaginable. He sighed. ¡°Ugh¡­ again? How do those guys always know the absolute worst time to appear¡­?¡± Ferris was next to him, as emotionless as ever. ¡°They must be masochists just like you are.¡± Ryner was silent for a moment before replying. ¡°Seriously¡­ what do you think of me¡­?¡± ¡°That you¡¯re a sex fiend.¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, you say that every single day to the point where I feel like you¡¯re gonna brainwash me into believing it too¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re becoming self-aware?¡± ¡°¡­Anyway¡­¡± Given the situation, Ryner dropped their conversation. ¡°So what should we do?¡± He asked. ¡°Mm¡­ Our plan remains unchanged. In fact, this is a best case scenario¡ªwe can attack while all of their attention is on the girl and her men. We¡¯ll be able to attack and incapacitate them without any bloodshed,¡± Ferris said. She unsheathed her sword. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ryner stretched. ¡°What a pain.¡± The two postured for battle. Ferris¡¯ form disappeared in an instant¡­ or rather, she moved so quickly that it was impossible for the naked eye to follow as she leapt towards the enemy, and in a flash she was there by them. She slammed the blunt side of her sword into a Magical Knight¡¯s head. He collapsed then and there. She moved to attack the second knight in the same fashion¡­ however¡ª Kaching! The sharp sound of metal echoed through the air. The second Magical Knight had somehow noticed Ferris¡¯ surprised attack and stopped her sword before it hit him. That was the power of a Magical Knight - they were able to stop Ferris, whose speed with her sword was her pride. The remaining three knights moved to attack too, one with a sword and two with magic. The two knights drew seals in the open air. ¡°Goddess of flames, lend me your power¡ª¡± Ferris was too busy fending off the two sword users to fight the magic, too. ¡°Ryner!¡± ¡°I know!¡± The Magical Knights finished their spell. ¡°Freyja Burst!¡± Condensation began to gather in the air. Ryner knew this spell. It was one that gathered condensation, then pressurized it, leading to an explosion. Ferris was in danger if it hit her at point-blank range¡­ so Ryner¡¯s hands danced in the air from his place within the tall grass. ¡°I wish for an invasion - Eclipse!¡± Three lines of pitch-black smoke shot from his magic circle to envelope Ferris, stopping the condensation from gathering around her. ¡°What!? They¡¯ve cancelled our magic!?¡± Their shock was enough time for Ferris to jump out from the smoke to knock another knight out. Two down, three to go. ¡°It was an ambush!?¡± Milk and her team had moved to behind the knights to keep them from running. ¡°Hm. Good judgement,¡± Ferris said. Ryner rose from the tall grass, too, a ¡®what a pain¡¯ look still plastered on his face. ¡°Just two, huh?¡± ¡°Ryner!? So you did come to save¡ªah!¡± A knight¡¯s sword flew to Milk¡¯s neck. He stared at Ryner. ¡°I see. So you¡¯re Rolander spies, too¡­ Pretty skilled ones, at that. I¡¯ll change my approach. If you don¡¯t put your sword down,¡± he said, looking to Ferris, ¡°The girl gets it.¡± It was tense. One slip and they¡¯d lose her life. Anyone would be flustered in that situation¡­ or they should¡¯ve been. Ferris didn¡¯t move. Instead, her voice turned¡­ joyful. ¡°Interesting. Kill her.¡± ¡°Whoa whoa whoa,¡± Ryner said, but for some reason, his voice wasn¡¯t very urgent either¡­ Their easygoing responses were enough to make the Magical Knight falter. ¡°Y-you¡¯re alright with abandoning the life of one of your comrades?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Roland,¡± another said. And so the relationship between Roland and Nelpha continued to crumble¡­ ¡°Ah, w-wait,¡± Milk stuttered. ¡°They¡¯re from Roland, but they¡¯re Taboo¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ferris said, talking entirely above Milk. ¡°We¡¯re not allies. This doofus next to me is a serial robber, murderer, rapist, and kidnapper of both women and children. He¡¯s even threatened the darling little sister of a beauty¡ªme¡ªand is of course the greatest criminal in all of the Roland Empire.¡± ¡°What!?¡± The Nelphan knights were at a loss for words. It was just so sudden. Just now, they learned a shocking truth straight from a beautiful woman¡¯s mouth¡­ so that was how it was. This beauty was living with that dark past, and even now she was forced to lend her hand to this perverted criminal¡­ Everyone shared the same shocked expression. For some reason, the Magical Knights¡¯ faces were getting redder. Even Milk was astonished. ¡°Is that t-true, Ryner!?¡± ¡°No way in hell! But arguing against Ferris is at this point is way too much of a pain, and¡ªauh,¡± A sword raced to Ryner¡¯s neck as he tried to explain, followed by a quiet voice. ¡°What are you trying to accomplish by running your mouth, criminal? Hm?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s really sad that no one believes me even though I¡¯m being bullied with a sword to my neck all the time¡­¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s a win for this beauty.¡± ¡°I seriously don¡¯t wanna hear that from you.¡± The knight who was holding Milk hostage spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that¡­ this officer is another one of his victims¡­?¡± Ferris nodded without hesitation. Then she took up a sad expression that Ryner had never seen on her before. ¡°Not just the soldiers of Roland, but the soldiers of Nelpha too, now, have come to save me from my victimhood with their overflowing compassion¡­ and although I ought to be able to return home now, I cannot, for my dear little sister has been taken hostage¡­!¡± It was a pretty convincing act, all things considered. Despite the sword on his neck, she easily passed as the beautiful (in both mind and body) heroine of a tragedy. ¡°The hell do you mean, ¡®victimhood¡­¡¯ And who¡¯s the one who happily said that they should kill Milk just minutes ago?¡± Wrong answer. The sword advanced a millimeter into Ryner¡¯s neck. ¡°Uuh¡­ I¡¯m bleeding, you know,¡± Ryner mumbled, crying on the inside. Anyway, the Magical Knights released Milk, flustered. ¡°What have we done? We¡¯ve committed a crime through our ignorance of the circumstances. Please, forgive us.¡± Milk was perhaps the most perplexed of all. ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± The Magical Knights paid her no mind, though. ¡°I thank you for your consideration in coming here to spare Nelpha¡¯s people from this criminal. We shall assist in capturing this criminal! Release that poor maiden!¡± How much of that was Milk able to understand? She darted her eyes around, flustered beyond belief, before settling on Ryner. She stared at him, unable to move with Ferris¡¯ sword on his neck¡­ then her face lit up with some kind of understanding. She raised her voice, decisive. ¡°Geez! I¡¯m mad now! Ryner, you idiot! You sure do get along with that beauty, don¡¯t you!? You cheater! Cheater!! Everyone, capture that cheating scum!¡± ¡°¡°Understood!¡±¡± And so everyone, from Nelpha¡¯s Magical Knights to Milk¡¯s troops, turned to Ryner for a fight. Their target was him and him alone¡­ Ryner sighed. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Mm. Well, it keeps the relationship between Roland and Nelpha intact. Let¡¯s clear this out and make our way towards Runa to search for Relics there.¡± Ferris¡¯ tone suddenly changed to an eerily feminine one. ¡°For my little sister¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know.¡± Ryner squared off¡­ and ignored Milk and her subordinates. Their real enemy here was the Magical Knights. Seals of light appeared to his left and right, and the Magical Knights began their incantations. ¡°It is the waves which rule all¡ª¡± Ryner watched the spell¡¯s composition and structure. Even now, his eyes were lazy¡­ but within those lazy eyes lay a scarlet pentagram. ¡°Aah, I see. So it¡¯s a spell where you attack with a soundwave.¡± All it took was the sight of the seal for him to know that, even though it was completely different from Roland¡¯s magic. How was it made? How did it activate? What kind of magic was it? He understood it all. Ryner moved his hands, too fast to be seen, and in an instant there was a magic circle before him. ¡°I wish for silence - Dark Garden!¡± The Nelphan spell finished at the exact same time. ¡°Sonic Walk!¡± An ear piercing sound radiated from the Nelphan spell. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± It never reached Ryner. Neither did their attack. The Magical Knights¡¯ expressions turned to panic and they tried to raise their voices, but¡ª ¡°¡­¡­!?¡± No one could hear them. Their voices made no sound at all. All sound was erased from their surroundings for just a moment. Then it reappeared. ¡°And with that, your spell¡¯s useless. All it takes is a second for Dark Garden to cut your spell off and make it useless,¡± Ryner said carelessly. The knights couldn¡¯t respond. What was happening¡­? A single knight could choke out a trembling voice. ¡°You¡­ you bastard¡­ Who are you? You were able to stop our magic at the perfect moment with its antimagic¡­? I can¡¯t believe it. It should be impossible¡­¡± Ryner didn¡¯t respond. He just moved to make a seal, the likes of which the Magical Knights had created moments ago. The knights watched in shock. This man could cast not only Roland¡¯s magic, but Nelpha¡¯s too¡­ That couldn¡¯t be possible. The only way it could be possible was if¡­ A knight finally realized what was going on. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­ that his eyes are¡­¡± ¡°Is he an Alpha Stigma bearer!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner didn¡¯t respond to their shock. He just finished his spell. ¡°Sonic Walk.¡± A soundwave shot out, loud enough to rattle their very brains. The Magical Knights fainted with ease, ending the battle. Ryner sighed. ¡°That was easier than I thought it¡¯d be with your shock tactics¡­ It was way different than the fight with Estabul¡¯s Magical Knights. When he raised his head, he saw that only Ferris and Milk were left standing. ¡°Wh, what¡¯s with you!?¡± Milk yelled. ¡°You think you can do whatever you want just because you¡¯re pretty, don¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°Mm. Is that jealousy from the girl who was thrown away talking?¡± ¡°Wh-wh-what!? I wasn¡¯t thrown away!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so flustered, even though the one who threw you away is nothing but a criminal,¡± Ferris said. ¡°You can¡¯t even see the reality of the situation¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not like that!¡± Milk said. ¡°That was just a childhood promise. It has nothing to do with this¡­ but anyway! Give Ryner back!¡± ¡°Mm? You¡¯re misunderstanding something. I was captured by him, not the other way around. Every day I¡¯m forced to do this and that¡ª¡± ¡°This and that!?¡± Ryner had to intervene. ¡°Stop spilling lies about me!¡± Ryner yelled. In response, Ferris moved her sword to Milk¡­ ¡°Auh¡­¡± Milk fainted with ease. Then Ferris turned to Ryner. ¡°Mm. She¡¯s quite stubborn.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a liar!¡± Ryner said. ¡°You have way too much fun filling people¡¯s heads with lies¡­¡± ¡°How upsetting. I only speak the truth.¡± ¡°Uugh¡­ just stop right there.¡± ¡°Of course. The truth is hard to swallow, after all.¡± ¡°Literally no one told her the truth, though?¡± Ryner said and shook his head about this, sincere. ¡°Well, anyway¡­ let¡¯s strip these knights of all their belongings before we head out?¡± ¡°Mm. And you¡¯re thinking of stripping the woman, too.¡± ¡°I am!?¡± And so the two rummaged around the knights¡¯ belongings, stealing everything. --- A while later, at a checkpoint on the way to the Runa Empire from Imperial Nelpha¡­ According to the guardsmen, a man and woman had passed just a few hours ago, wearing Magical Knight armor. Hearing that¡­ Milk stomped her foot. ¡°They got away again!?¡± Luke was calm in contrast. ¡°Rather than saying they got away again, I¡¯d say that they saved us¡­¡± But Milk wouldn¡¯t listen to him. She was still being just as oppositional as before, even now that she was face to face with both guards and Magical Knights. ¡°Geez! Only cowards would let them get away like that! I don¡¯t remember ever having subordinates like that!¡± ¡°Ch-Chief,¡± Luke said, flustered, ¡°The Magical Knights aren¡¯t your subordinates¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re my subordinates or not,¡± Milk said, serious. ¡°Oh, my,¡± Luke said as he bowed to the Magical Knights a few times, apologetic. The Magical Knights saw it differently, though. They spoke one after another. ¡°What a wonderful lieutenant, being on such good terms with her subordinates!¡± ¡°Exactly. I feel at ease knowing that Roland¡¯s officers are this big-hearted.¡± ¡°We must think about if we¡¯re really a match for Roland or not.¡± Luke, who was usually a rather humble person, changed at the sound of praise for his superior officer. ¡°Right? I think that she will be a wonderful bride for someone in the future.¡± In the end, he was a doting father. Though her ability as an officer had absolutely nothing to do with if she¡¯d make a good wife or not¡­ Milk raised her fist up towards Runa. ¡°I¡¯m definitely not letting you get away this time, Ryner!¡± Luke and the Magical Knights watched her, their eyes narrowed for some reason. They spoke one after another, calm as could be. ¡°But I feel awfully lonely when I think about her being married off¡­¡± ¡°You can say that again. My daughter just turned four, and I think the same thing every day.¡± It seemed that the bond between doting parents transcended country boarders. Anyway, the friendship between the Roland Empire and Imperial Nelpha not only remained intact, but somehow even grew. Meanwhile, in Runa¡­ Ryner cast the heavy, uncomfortable armor away. ¡°I¡¯ve gone this long without saying anything.¡± ¡°Mm. I know. Because my plan is flawless.¡± ¡°Hahah¡­ I just have one question for you. Where exactly does spreading rumors about me being a criminal factor into our overall goals?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just my hobby.¡± ¡°Hah!? You¡¯re finally admitting it!? Your hobby? You¡¯re telling me that it¡¯s your hobby!?¡± ¡°I just told you,¡± Ferris said, her expression ever unchanging. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t say that this isn¡¯t just a little troubling¡­¡± ¡°Hm. In any case, let¡¯s go,¡± Ferris said. We have a mission here.¡± ¡°You mean the Heroic Relics? Uugh, the next relic is gonna be such a pain. I don¡¯t wanna do iiiittt.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s so much of a pain, then why don¡¯t you make your life a little simpler and just stop brea¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d do that!¡± And so the two advanced while carrying on their usual conversations, leaving their abandoned Nelphan armor and robes there. It was time to tackle the Runa Empire. Volume 1 - CH 4 ¡°We just need to seduce the woman. Simple, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ferris said, as emotionless as always. ¡°Hey, you¡­ I¡¯d hardly call that simple,¡± Ryner said as he pointlessly ran his hand through his perpetual bedhead. Despite being tensed up, his lanky form was still slouched, a sign of his lack of motivation. His dull eyes looked like they never did anything but sleep as he walked down the main path to Runa. In contrast, Ferris was rather energetic as she dragged him along. ¡°Um, so what do you mean by seducing her? She¡¯s a princess. You do understand that, right?¡± ¡°Of course. But you spend day after day chasing after women, so it should be a piece of cake for you,¡± Ferris said, lacking any and all tone to her voice. ¡°¡­Seriously, when have I ever chased a girl?¡± ¡°You¡¯re always doing it,¡± Ferris said, so certain that it could have easily been the truth¡­ except that it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Ugh. Arguing is a pain, so I¡¯m not even gonna bother,¡± Ryner replied, shaking his head. It was always like this with Ferris. He glanced over to his beautiful partner in crime, Ferris Eris. Her blonde hair seemed to sparkle in the sun, and her face was ideal in every way, and her figure was no different. The only thing that stood out as ¡®off¡¯ was her perpetually blank expression. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ll take it from her in a suicide mission.¡± ¡°You say that so easily¡­ but I seriously think it¡¯s impossible, you know? Joke about it all you want, but this is a real princess we¡¯re talking about. That¡¯s why I think that Runa¡¯s relics are gonna be way too much of a pain to get, so I don¡¯t wanna bother. You¡¯d have to be insane to try to get a princess¡¯ necklace from her.¡± ¡°Mm. But according to your report¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s pretty much set in stone that the necklace that¡¯s customarily passed down to the princesses of Runa is a relic¡­¡± ¡°Mm. So we have to steal it,¡± Ferris said. ¡°After all, you report states that those in possession of relics¡ª¡± ¡°I know that. We can¡¯t avoid this stuff, right? But how can you expect us to just steal it? It¡¯s way too dangerous. We¡¯re just two people, y¡¯know?¡± Ferris suddenly looked puzzled. ¡°Are you joking? The two of us aren¡¯t going to steal it.¡± ¡°Huh? Really? Are you telling me that we¡¯re getting a supporting army this time? How many people are we getting?¡± Ferris shook her head, looking like she was looking down on him. ¡°Why are you assuming that we¡¯re getting more people? If it¡¯s not two people, then it¡¯s naturally just one, isn¡¯t it? To summarize¡­¡± ¡°To summarize.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one in danger here.¡± ¡°Hah!? God, why are you always so¡­¡± Needless to say, Ryner¡¯s exhaustion quickly returned. ¡°I just wish you wouldn¡¯t say it so easily¡­¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯m a very positive person,¡± Ferris said, nodding. Ryner sighed. ¡°So how do you plan on approaching the princess?¡± ¡°I have the perfect plan,¡± Ferris said and stopped walking. She put her hand on her chest¡­ no, more specifically, she put her hand on her armor, pointing to the crest on her chest. It was Roland¡¯s crest of arms, a snake with lances on either side. ¡°We use this. We¡¯re lucky that Roland and Runa are allies. We can use this to enter the castle under the guise of good-will ambassadors.¡± ¡°Good-will ambassadors, huh~?¡± Ryner looked down to his own armor¡¯s crest. It was on strange white armor, covering a navy blue robe, and his expression turned to one of doubt. ¡°So we¡¯re relying on the crust alone, huh. That¡¯s gonna be the only proof we need to invade their castle. I could totally say, ¡®what the hell do you mean, that¡¯s your perfect plan, dumbass!?¡¯ but like, I¡¯m really tired and that¡¯d all be a huge pain, so I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡®Dumbass,¡¯ you say¡­ I can¡¯t imagine who you¡¯d tell that to. I¡¯d have to shout back, ¡®Ryner, you¡¯re head¡¯s going flying!¡¯ if I were to hear that, though,¡± Ferris said as her hand settled on her sword. ¡°¡­So why¡¯s your hand on your sword then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to shout it. I¡¯m sure it would be a most beautiful sight¡­ heheh.¡± ¡°A ¡®most beautiful sight,¡¯ you say. Um, so¡­¡± Ferris gracefully unsheathed her sword. ¡°Uuh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Ferris nodded, satisfied, and put her sword away. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Your role is simple: you seduce the princess, get close to her, and steal the necklace. It¡¯s no different from what you always do.¡± ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t do that.¡± Naturally, his words never reached Ferris, who had already resumed walking at a swift pace. It was all Ryner could do to stare after her, tired. ¡°Well, whatever,¡± he mumbled as he followed after her. ¡°Best case scenario, I seduce her well enough to become a real gold digger and live the rest of my life in leisure¡­¡± --- At the same time, in a different place¡ª A black building, built to intimidate, was known as Roland¡¯s Taboo Hunter¡¯s Headquarters. They were currently in a room inside filled with an oppressive atmosphere. It was there that Milk Callaud¡¯s stern superior read through her report with furrowed brows. Milk had flaxen hair wrapped up in a ponytail, an adorable face and big eyes, and a short figure. No matter how you looked at her, she didn¡¯t seem like a military officer, but the truth was that at age sixteen, she was already the chief of a group of Taboo Hunters. Her subordinates, all lined up behind her, were all older than she was. Among them, her guardian¡­ er, no, her assistant Luke Stokkart, a twenty-five year old man with white hair, whispered to her. ¡°The Major¡¯s looking stern again today¡­¡± ¡°Uuh,¡± Milk whispered back, ¡°He¡¯s really mad about us failing, isn¡¯t he¡­?¡± Milk got tenser and tenser the more she looked at her superior, Rahel Miller¡¯s face. He was the leader of the whole Taboo Hunter division of the military and they¡¯d just handed in their apology letter for their failure, and Miller¡¯s expression just got harsher by the second. This man might¡¯ve had a certain adult appeal to him, but Milk wasn¡¯t quite at the point of her life where she¡¯d think about stuff like that¡­ The Taboo Hunters¡¯ duty was to catch or otherwise exterminate runaways from Roland who knew their country¡¯s magic to avoid their secrets being exposed, and yet¡­ Luke whispered to her again. ¡°See, Chief, it wasn¡¯t our fault that we failed this time, so there¡¯s no reason to worry, okay? Our opponents were just too strong. Far too strong to realistically catch. It really is best if we give up on this job entirely¡ª¡± Milk interrupted him with another whisper. ¡°W-we can¡¯t do that. We have to capture Ryner. I, I mean, I made a promise with him a long time ago. Then he goes and elopes with that beauty¡­ I have to catch that cheater.¡± ¡°Even so, Chief,¡± Luke whispered back, ¡°We cannot possibly catch¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Milk said. ¡°We¡¯re definitely catching him!¡± ¡°Shh! Shh! You can¡¯t talk so loudly, Chief! Do you understand where we are? We¡¯re in the Major¡¯s office!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Milk said, back to a whisper. ¡°That¡¯s right! Sorry, Luke. D-do you think he heard¡­?¡± It¡¯d be weird if he didn¡¯t hear in such a small room¡­ As expected, Major Miller raised his head, even more stern than before. ¡°Hm¡­ you¡¯re just as energetic as ever, Lieutenant Callaud.¡± ¡°Y, yes! That¡¯s thanks to everyone¡¯s support! Major Miller, you¡¯re just as stern as ever¡ª¡± Luke quickly covered Milk¡¯s mouth with a hand. ¡°Um, er, yes, you¡¯re just as vigorous as always, Major Miller¡­¡± Miller shook his head, then returned to reading the document he¡¯d been given. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the greetings for another time. The issue at hand is your loss to the Taboo Breakers, isn¡¯t it?¡± They didn¡¯t lose, per se. The truth was that the Taboo Breakers had even managed to repel Nelpha¡¯s Magical Knights. That was how impressively powerful they were. Magical Knights were the most prestigious of a country¡¯s soldiers, the strongest of the strong. That meant that this was really a job for a veteran Taboo Hunter. ¡°So which is it?¡± Miller asked. ¡°Will you fail this mission, or will you complete it?¡± Milk nodded enthusiastically. ¡°This mission¡¯s easy peasy! Last time Nelpha¡¯s Magical Knights got in the way, but¡­¡± Her subordinates behind her got flustered. ¡°Ch-Chief? What are you saying!?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s impossible. Those Taboo Breakers are just too strong. We¡¯d be better off trading this job for another one¡ª¡± ¡°Ugh, geez!¡± Milk interrupted. ¡°Quiet, all of you!¡± Milk said as she turned around and pointed her finger back at them. ¡°It¡¯ll definitely work out this time!¡± ¡°On what grounds¡­?¡± Milk nodded, a sincere look on her face. ¡°See, I wasn¡¯t serious enough last time¡­ Once I¡¯m serious, I can catch Ryner not once, but two or three times over again! I won¡¯t let that woman win! All she¡¯s got going for her is her beauty! Right? Luke?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, er¡­ Is that so¡­?¡± Unable to keep up with the quick change in conversation, it was all Luke could do to nod unenthusiastically¡­ Miller gave them a curt nod. ¡°I see. If Luke agrees with you, then I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Huh? No, I¡­¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave this to you once more as chief of a Taboo Hunter squadron, Milk Callaud.¡± ¡°Auh¡­¡± It¡¯d already been ten years since those two Taboo Hunters knew each other, so Luke had long since earned the trust of his superior. Milk saw Luke¡¯s dejected nod and got fired up again at the sight of¡­ a nod. ¡°Wait for me, Ryner!¡± She yelled, once again forgetting that she was in Major Miller¡¯s office. Seeing her, the only thing that one could think was ¡®well, she¡¯s cute so it¡¯s okay,¡¯ so nobody bothered disciplining her¡­ ¡°Okay, let¡¯s hurry up and leave for the Runa Empire!¡± Milk said. ¡°They¡¯re our allies, so it¡¯ll be easy to get in! Let¡¯s go!¡± With that, Milk raced out of the office. Luke sighed as he watched her. Miller smiled, troubled. ¡°She¡¯s an elite who graduated with honors from the military academy she attended. She¡¯s friendly even though she¡¯s the daughter of a noble. It¡¯s interesting.¡± Luke turned to look at him. ¡°She¡¯s from an orphanage just like the rest of us¡­ but she was adopted into a noble family to earn them military recognition. Even so, she¡¯s still so bright.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Protect her, Luke. Kids like her are the future of the country.¡± ¡°Er, I¡¯m still young too¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re definitely not young to a sixteen year old.¡± ¡°Then you must be a senior citizen, being over thirty.¡± ¡°Mrgh¡­¡± Miller scowled as Luke stuck his tongue out at him. ¡°I¡¯d better leave before you get mad,¡± Luke said. ¡°Ugh, just get out of here already. I have lots of work to do.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll go on after our princess now,¡± Luke said and left the room. --- There was the Runa Empire¡¯s princess. She was pale to the point that one wouldn¡¯t think she was human¡ªher skin was more the color of bone than the skin that other people had. ¡°Whoa, she¡¯s pale¡­ Almost like snow,¡± Ryner said. They¡¯d come to see her as good-will ambassadors. Seeing her graceful smile as the princess, Ena Asto greeted them was enough to take Ryner¡¯s breath away. ¡°Mm. She certainly is pale,¡± Ferris said back, just as quietly as Ryner had spoken to her. ¡°Almost like she¡¯s ill.¡± ¡°Geez, you¡¯ve got no concept of dreams, do you¡­ She¡¯s a legendary princess of every man¡¯s dreams with her snowy skin¡­ or rather¡­¡± Ryner stopped in his tracks when he looked back at Ferris¡¯ face. She was no Princess Ena as far as paleness went, but she was endlessly beautiful in other ways. ¡°Or, uh, I mean, there¡¯s a beauty over in this corner, too¡­ Although I¡¯m already used to it¡­ and although her personality doesn¡¯t match her face,¡± Ryner said quickly, then sighed, glad that Ferris didn¡¯t hear the rest. Then Princess Ena spoke to them. ¡°I am very pleased to see that you have come all the way from Roland as ambassadors. I regret to inform you that both the king and queen are out of the castle for the time being, but I would be honored to receive you in their absence.¡± Ryner¡¯s face turned grimmer and grimmer the more she spoke. She was so soft-spoken and polite. Did he really have to trick her, seduce her, and steal the fiery red necklace she was wearing right off of her neck? Just thinking of it made his chest¡­ no, his very heart¡­ ¡°Ugh, what a pain.¡± ¡­cry out in unmotivated pain. Firstly, it was impossible. Inside was full of royal guards, and outside was full of soldiers. How exactly was he supposed to seduce a princess in that situation? Wouldn¡¯t they kill him!? Ugh, it was seriously impossible. His best course of action would be to take the feast they¡¯d no doubt get for dinner and then peace out. For some reason, Ena¡¯s face reddened as Ryner¡¯s thoughts ran wild. ¡°Er¡­ do excuse my rudeness, but who might this beauty be? They are so dainty, and their golden hair is just divine, and there is their beautiful face to speak of as well, yet they wear armor and carry a sword¡­ Might they be¡­ a man?¡± Ryner smiled bitterly. He¡¯d heard that women kept out of military affairs in Runa, but to this extent? To think that anyone could possibly mistake Ferris for a man¡­ ¡°No, Princess, she¡¯s a¡ª¡± Just then, Ryner heard the same sharp sound as always. He instinctively shut up. A few strands of hair from his bangs fluttered down, and that was the only sign that Ferris¡¯ sword had ever left its scabbard. It was back in its place before he could say a thing. ¡°Wh-what was that for¡­?¡± ¡°Look at her,¡± Ferris said, her expression unchanging. ¡°She is enraptured by my beauty. I will be the one to seduce her.¡± ¡°What!? That¡¯s impossi¡ª¡± Whoosh! More of Ryner¡¯s poor hair was cut off. ¡°Hey, you¡­ Do that five more times and you¡¯ll have shaved all of my bangs off.¡± ¡°Then shut up,¡± Ferris said and took a step forward, a solemn expression on her face. ¡°How unusual. Of course I am a man, Your Highness.¡± The princess¡¯ face grew redder. ¡°O-of course. I do apologize. It is just that I have never seen such a beautiful person in my life¡­¡± Ferris shook her head, a troubled expression on her face¡­ except for in her eyes, which were as empty as always. ¡°What a predicament I¡¯m in, hearing that from you, whose beauty is legendary throughout the lands. Your grace as well. You are just as beautiful as I.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ ?¡± Ryner watched them with half-lidded eyes. ¡°This is stupid¡­¡± He shook his head at the thought that Ferris could even win at being a man better than men could. --- That night, Ryner and Ferris stood in front of the princess¡¯ room. The contents of Ferris and Ena¡¯s conversation is unknown, but their relationship somehow progressed to the point of the princess inviting Ferris to her chambers for the night. Ryner sighed as he admitted to himself that Ferris was in fact a pro of seduction. ¡°So why am I here?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°You can do whatever you need to do, Ferris, so why do I need to be a part of it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. What would happen if I were to enter the room of a beast and be attacked?¡± ¡°Hah? A beast? You talkin¡¯ about the princess?¡± Ferris nodded, almost meek. ¡°Even women are at risk of turning into beasts when faced with my divine beauty¡­¡± Ryner was at a loss for words at her obvious compliments towards herself. Ferris slowly reddened. ¡°J-joking aside¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it if you¡¯re just gonna get embarrassed about it,¡± Ryner said. Awkwardness aside, here was the plan. The princess would figure out that Ferris was a girl if she undressed her, so they instead planned to knock her out and steal her necklace then. Ferris would escape, then give the signal for Ryner as soon as she got it. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to steal the relic from the beast,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Enter the room when I give the signal. I¡¯ll be escaping through the window.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± And so they put their plan into action. Ferris disappeared inside of the princess¡¯ rooms in a flurry. ¡°Ah, Lord Ferris¡­ ?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come, Ena¡­ You¡¯re as beautiful as ever tonight.¡± Outside, Ryner could hear every single cringeworthy line they said. He crossed his arms at the feeling. ¡°¡­Why am I getting embarrassed listening to this¡­¡± Just then, he heard the sound of several watchmen down the hall. ¡°Ah.¡± both parties said the second they saw each other. ¡°Y-you!¡± A guard shouted. ¡°What are you doing in front of the princess¡¯ room!?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± He gave up on explaining it the second he started. ¡°I have nooo idea.¡± Ryner too dove into the princess¡¯ room. When he did, the princess looked up at him, shocked. ¡°Wh-why are you here!?¡± Ferris, meanwhile, was completely unperturbed. ¡°What should I do?¡± Ryner asked her. ¡°They caught us.¡± The soldiers filed in after him. ¡°Princess! Are you safe?¡± ¡°Kugh!? This is bad, Ferris! Let¡¯s leave these guys and bolt. We weren¡¯t prepared for¡ª¡± There was suddenly a flash of light from Ferris¡¯ sword, shutting Ryner up. ¡°Uwah!?¡± Unable to dodge, the blunt side of Ferris¡¯ sword smacked into Ryner, knocking him to the ground. She confirmed that he was down with cold eyes before speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were planning on sneaking into the princess¡¯ bed at night, Ryner¡­! Could it be that the rumors of you being a sex fiend were true?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Uuh¡­¡± Ferris spoke so fast that it was impossible for Ryner to get a word in. Of course, he was in too much pain to get a word in, too¡­ Ferris surveyed the guards for a moment before looking back to Ena. ¡°Princess, are you unharmed?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, y-yes. I am fine. More importantly, what about you, Lord Ferris¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m un¡­ hrgh¡­¡± Ferris suddenly grabbed her chest. Seeing that, the princess¡¯ voice rose in shock. ¡°Y-you¡¯ve been wounded!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made an awful blunder. The sex field must have thrown an invisible needle at me¡­¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Ryner whispered, ¡°When did I get a n¡ªguah!?¡± Ryner was silenced by Ferris stepping on him as though he were already a dead body. ¡°I do apologize for this, Princess,¡± Ferris said, somehow triumphant, ¡°But could you lend me your aid?¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± The princess squeaked as she ran to help Ferris. Then she turned on the guards. ¡°What are you doing!? Call for a rescue squadron!¡± The soldiers nodded as one and left on her orders, flustered. All in all, it was impressively played. The situation was completely turned on its head in seconds. The guards were gone, the princess thought that Ferris was her savior, and Ferris was there right next to her. She moved her hand to her neck, slipped the clasp of the necklace and moved it from her neck, then slid it across the floor to Ryner in one graceful move. Ryner whispered, ¡°Man, you really should¡¯ve gone the con artist route¡ªow!¡± Ferris had moved her foot to grind it against Ryner. Then she shook her head, a sad look in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ena. To think that my companion would do something such as this¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault, Lord Ferris! We ought to focus on your wounds now, not the past¡­¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Right, Ena. Do you think you could bring me a glass of water¡­?¡± The princess gave her a big nod. With that, she¡¯d leave the room, and Ryner and Ferris would be able to leave through the window¡­ It was perfect. So perfect¡­ Too perfect, even¡­ Ryner sighed quietly. ¡°Man¡­ I¡¯m starting to get a phobia of women because of you¡­ guah?!¡± ¡°The water, Princess¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± But just then! ¡°Ry¡ªn¡ªer!?¡± The familiar voice of a girl rang out through the once-quiet castle halls. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Ferris and Ryner both made noises of surprise. The princess, too, tilted her head. ¡°That voice¡­?¡± And so a second wave of commotion sprung up around the princess¡¯ door. Runan soldiers were rushing forward, with a girl at the forefront of their crowd. Ryner jumped up in shock. Ferris, in strikingly Ferris fashion, pulled the princess close with one arm and moved to the bed. ¡°Eh? L, Lord Ferris, this is so sudden¡­ You¡¯re taking me to bed¡­? ?¡± They ignored the princess¡¯ remark. They didn¡¯t have time for that now. After all, a terrifying enemy was fast approaching. Ryner and Ferris turned towards the door as their enemy stepped into the doorframe. She had a flaxen ponytail, big eyes, a petite body, and¡­ explaining all of this is pretty unnecessary at this point, so anyway, it¡¯s Milk. Her face was bright red, and she was waving around a fist. ¡°What is this!?¡± Milk screamed. ¡°What am I looking at!? You¡¯ve led two girls to the bedroom!? Explain yourself, Ryner!!¡± ¡°Chief¡­ That¡¯s not the problem right¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, Luke!¡± Milk said in a flat-out refusal to listen. Her red eyes were burning with anger and passion. Ryner returned her red-hot gaze with something far less motivated. ¡°And so all of our efforts are wasted,¡± Ryner said, tired. ¡°How are you always, always where we need to be, anyway? You aren¡¯t a ghost here to haunt me, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Ferris answered. ¡°We had someone fix our armor back in the castletown when we were preparing to enter as good-will ambassadors, did we not?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°I made sure to warn that shopkeeper about the dangers of Roland¡¯s perverted¡ª¡± ¡°So it¡¯s all your fault!¡± Ryner yelled. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on?¡± Ena whispered as she shivered under Ferris. The guards were the ones who answered. ¡°Princess! These people are not ambassadors! They¡¯re fakes!¡± ¡°What!? Is that true, Lord Ferris!?¡± Ferris moved her mouth close to Ena¡¯s ear to whisper to her. ¡°True, we aren¡¯t really ambassadors. But Ena, I need you to believe me when I tell you that my feelings are real. It won¡¯t always be like this. Someday, we¡¯ll be able to meet just as we are¡­ I¡¯ll come for you then.¡± The princess was silent for a second before determination spread across her face. She rose from Ferris¡¯ grip and spread her arms out to protect her. ¡°Don¡¯t lay a finger on Lord Ferris!¡± It was the heroism that one could only find in a girl who was in love. ¡°Easy,¡± Ferris said, satisfied. ¡°¡­You are definitely going to hell,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Mm? Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re seriously asking me why?¡± ¡°All beauties go to heaven.¡± Ryner had nothing to say. All he could do was sigh. ¡°Out of the way!¡± Milk said. ¡°I have to capture Ryner!¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t let you lay a finger on Lord Ferris!¡± ¡°Ah! Ah, are you another one of the girls that Ryner tricked!?¡± ¡°You know nothing about Lord Ferris!¡± ¡°And me and Ryner promised a long time ago that we¡¯d get married!¡± ¡°And Ferris said he¡¯d come back to get me!¡± And so Milk and Princess Ena catfought over totally different things¡­ Ryner just watched, astonished at the absurdity. ¡°So should we jump out the window now?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± And so Ryner and Ferris escaped with ease. They say that no one was able to break the girls¡¯ intense fight up, and that it only stopped come morning¡­ --- By morning, Ryner and Ferris had escaped from the castle to a faraway prairie, apparently without any pursuers. Ryner was lounging on a hill, examining the necklace they¡¯d stolen. There was no way that its only purpose was ornamental. Its massive red gems were just too distracting. Ryner nodded to himself as he examined it in detail. Just then, Ferris returned with water. ¡°So, Ryner. Is it a relic?¡± ¡°I wonder¡­? It¡¯s just like with that dagger from before. I have no idea just by looking at it. I wish we had a research facility or something to check these things out in¡­¡± ¡°Hm. Is it just like before where you couldn¡¯t see anything with your Alpha Stigma?¡± ¡°I was just about to try that,¡± Ryner said. He sat up properly, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes wider than usual. As he did, a crimson pentagram rose up from the depths of his black eyes. It was Ryner¡¯s special power¡ªhis eyes could steal any kind of magic, no matter what country it was from or how complex it was. ¡°So?¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes narrowed. He could see the world¡¯s very make up with it his eyes, as if looking at the world from a different plane. He could see things like lights and colors like numbers and graphs. He looked at the necklace, and¡ª ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°It¡¯s faint, but it seems to be absorbing the surrounding light¡­? But what does that mean?¡± He thought it through, but could only come to one conclusion. He wrinkled his nose. ¡°Is it¡­ absorbing ultraviolet rays?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ So what¡¯s your conclusion?¡± He didn¡¯t respond to her. He just sighed. ¡°So that¡¯s how the princess was so pale. I¡¯m pretty sure it was because of this.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Um, so in conclusion,¡± Ryner started, awfully tired, ¡°In conclusion, I¡¯m thinking that this relic might be an item for cutting down on ultraviolet waves to keep skin looking fresh.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s a legendary relic?¡± ¡°I wonder if you can really call it that¡­ It¡¯s not like there was a paper that pointed to it and said, ¡®this here¡¯s a relic!¡¯ or anything. But it¡¯s definitely something legendary that a hero passed down to princesses of the Runa Empire.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± They were quiet as pleasant winds blew across the grass. It felt really good¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was tranquil, but at the same time, barren¡­ Ryner sighed. ¡°So what should we do with it¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Try it again.¡± Ryner tried looking at it with his Alpha Stigma again, but just then¡­ ¡°Ow.¡± Faint pain shot through his eye. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ferris asked. Ryner waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Nothing. I think there¡¯s something in my eye, that¡¯s all. Anyway, it¡¯s all yours,¡± he said and tossed the necklace to her. But then the necklace stopped in the air. ¡°Huh? ¡°Hm?¡± Darkness began to spread from its center. ¡°What did you do?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°Nothing¡­ wait, but more importantly, it¡¯s sucking the light out of the air!¡± The necklace¡­ no, more specifically the red gem in the center of the necklace, was quivering in the air, sucking light from its surroundings. It wasn¡¯t just collecting light or anything like that. It was actively sucking it in with the vigor of something that fully intended on sucking all of the light from the world inside of it, and before long, all the light around them was gone. It was dark like night. ¡°Th-this thing¡¯s no joke!¡± Light had disappeared altogether from their worlds. Then there was a crackling sound coming from the necklace. The light inside of it rumbled around like thunder, and it ultimately fired out like lightning. ¡°Uwah¡­¡± ¡°Kuh¡­¡± There was a terrible flash of light, and then it began to spiral in the fiery jewel. Then the jewel burst. It actually burst apart. A horrible explosive sound and a blinding flash of light blast through them, returning light to the world¡­ ¡°That was¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner and Ferris could just stare, dazed. The light hadn¡¯t returned the world to what it was before. It had taken something with it. A mountain range that was there before was no longer there¡­ ¡°Seriously?¡± Ryner groaned. It was a terrifying power. Demonic, even. Was it really a ¡®heroic¡¯ relic? It was¡­ ¡°So that was the item that was only meant to keep skin looking nice via ultraviolet rays?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°Ah¡­ ahaha,¡± Ryner laughed, his mouth dry. What could do but laugh at this point? The necklace had released its power and disappeared. It was the kind of power that could bring the world to ruin if it wasn¡¯t a one-time use item¡­ All he could do was stare. At the place that the mountains had been. ¡°So¡­ what should we do about those mountains?¡± Ryner asked. Ferris turned her back to the mountains. ¡°The past will never come back.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You know, in some ways I¡¯m kinda jealous of your personality.¡± That wasn¡¯t exactly the issue at hand¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ferris said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left for us to do here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true¡­ But y¡¯know, I can¡¯t help but feel like we¡¯re leaving a path of destruction here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna start taking notes on this stuff. I¡¯m realizing that I¡¯m on the delicate side,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Hm. So you think I don¡¯t have any delicacy?¡± ¡°Just saying.¡± Ryner turned back to look at the place where the mountain was. Then the two set off once more. Where would they go next? One can only hope that it¡¯s not somewhere that they¡¯ll leave another path of destruction in¡­ Volume 1 - CH 5 ¡°Kyaa ~?! What a wonderful man! And aren¡¯t they just the ideal couple!¡± A girl squealed. She was probably about fourteen or fifteen years old, and had long curled hair with an extravagant pink dress on. In that sense, she was like a doll. Although it was supposed to be a normal afternoon, somehow everything around her appeared as a field of flowers¡­ ¡°It¡¯s perfect! Just a perfect couple! Ena was right, wasn¡¯t she!? Yes! I finally found it!¡± She screamed from within her stylish coach as she vigorously tap-tap-tapped on the window. She grabbed the neck of the gentleman in his forties next to her and shook it in excitement, ignoring his groan. ¡°They¡¯re the perfect couple. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been searching for. Wanting for. Isn¡¯t that right? Old man!!¡± He recovered quickly when she let go, corrected his collar, then spoke. ¡°Yes. It is just as you say, Lady Hamine.¡± Both of them, the so-called Lady Hamine and the older gentleman called ¡®Old Man¡¯ peeked out the window again. It was a major road that¡¯d soon lead to a town called Fanoll. Two people were walking along the road. One had beautiful long blond hair. They were awfully expressionless, but that expressionless face was somehow perfect, and they had such a fantastic, graceful body that one could easily mistake them for¡­ a woman. But with their leather armor and longsword, there was simply no possibility for them to be anything but a man. Women in Runa did not wear armor. He was perfect¡ªthe man that Hamine had always wanted to meet. The man that he was with wasn¡¯t bad, either. He was reasonably attractive, though his black hair was a mess. He had unmotivated black eyes, and his slouch gave the overall impression that he was languid in general. Why was he so tired¡­? ¡°Could it be that the blond tops and the one with black hair bottoms!?¡± She yelled, her words entirely incomprehensible. Then she cooed and whispered as if in a trance. ¡°It¡¯s just perfect¡­ Two handsome men doing XXX and OOO each and every night, hidden from the public eye¡­ iyaan ? !¡± ¡°Lady Hamone, you¡¯re drooling.¡± ¡°Drooling? Drool? What would these two handsome men do if there was drool involved? Kyaah ? !¡± ¡°P-please calm down!¡± ¡°How could I!? That¡¯s impossible! What kind of immoral things do the two of them get up to together¡­ ? I can¡¯t die without seeing it! Now, Old Man. We¡¯ll become acquainted with them. Even if the world won¡¯t forgive them, I will! I¡¯ll protect them, even! They¡¯re world-class treasures, after all!¡± Kind of shitty treasures, though. Anyway¡­ Ryner continued to walk, as tired as always, completely oblivious to what was going on inside of the carriage. There was a blond man next to him¡ªactually, she was a well and true authentic woman, Ferris Eris¡ªand she walked at a quick pace next to Ryner. ¡°We¡¯ll be in town soon,¡± Ferris said in that absolutely monotonous voice of hers. Ryner nodded. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what the sign said, anyway. I¡¯ll finally get to sleep in a real bed. All we¡¯ve done for ages is camp. For someone as delicate as I am, um¡­ never mind,¡± he said and shook his head. He was so tired that even thinking of what to say was a bother. And so the two of them walked in silence. Then Ferris suddenly spoke, curt as always. ¡°We¡¯ll be camping tonight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± They continued to walk in silence. Then it finally sunk in. ¡°Hah!? What the hell? We camped yesterday and the day before, so why can¡¯t we stay in an inn now that we¡¯re finally in a city?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve run out of money. We¡¯re broke, whether you want to stay in an inn or not.¡± ¡°Hah!? How? We¡¯re on a mission to find heroic relics that the king himself made us do, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So how come we¡¯re broke? We¡¯re getting an allowance straight from Roland¡¯s treasury for this, right? Actually, me aside, I saw you with lots of money recently. That was our allowance, wasn¡¯t it? Can¡¯t we just use that? We should have tons since we¡¯ve just been using it on inns.¡± Ferris shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s all gone.¡± ¡°All of it!? How?¡± ¡°I gave it all to a lovely woman who was down on her luck.¡± ¡°Yeah, right! Actually, back up,¡± Ryner said, looking more tired by the minute. ¡°You¡¯re the ¡®lovely woman¡¯ you¡¯re talking about, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh. You¡¯re getting smarter, Ryner. What gave it away? A lovely maiden who is forced to travel with a sex field must do something for herself every now and then.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Mm. Such as investing it in the uncertainty of the future. Fragile girls live their lives in fear. We should use it as we await the day we mature.¡± ¡°¡­Until you mature¡­¡­ You know that you can just save it, right?¡± ¡°Really? But don¡¯t worry about that. The king informed me that you would spend it all on women.¡± ¡°¡­You always manage to make this stuff my fault¡­ But anyway, if we just sleep outside for a while he¡¯ll send more and then we¡¯ll be good, right?¡± Ferris shook her head easily. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. The king states that he won¡¯t send money that you¡¯ll just waste on women. He said that we must source our own money from now on. God, you¡¯re something else. How far will you go to inconvenience me?¡± ¡°No, uuhh¡­ um, well¡­ okay. Sorry.¡± Ryner was out of energy to do anything but apologize. That was the kind of exhausting afternoon he had. --- Hamone followed behind, listening in on the tender love that society criticized with shaking shoulders. Just like Ena said, the blond one was Ferris, and the one with black hair was Ryner. Ryner seemed to be tired of violently making love outdoors, and wanted to be taken kindly on a real bed. Ferris, on the other hand, knew that they¡¯d need money to live on the fringes of society, so he tried to tell Ryner to bear it for just a little longer¡­ She was pretty sure that was the conversation they were having. Hamone couldn¡¯t help but shiver at their extreme conversation. ¡°They¡¯re the real deal! This is true love!¡± She was shaking with pleasure as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She couldn¡¯t hesitate a moment longer. She was going to do it. She had to protect these world-class treasures! And so Hamone executed her plan. They¡¯d rush ahead, then she¡¯d collapse on the ground, then she¡¯d put her hand to her chest, and wait for Ryner and Ferris¡­ ¡°Hau!? My chronic disease is acting up¡­ Someone save me, cough, cough!¡± Hamone looked up at the two men as she acted. They glanced down at her, and¡­ ¡°Hm¡­ So what should we do about the money, Ferris? We can¡¯t travel without money, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I have an idea.¡± ¡°Hohoh. What kind?¡± ¡°First, I cut your head off, then I take your insides and sell them on the streets. Cannibalism is a huge trend right now. I should be able to make a lot¡ª¡± ¡°Proposal rejected. Just the fact that you know that makes me scared to travel with you.¡± They ignored Hamone entirely, walking past her without looking back. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± She watched them behind, a dazed look on her face. ¡°S-so they have absolutely no interest in women. Perfect. It¡¯s just so perfect,¡± she said, shivering for how positively moved she was. She completely dropped her chronic illness schtick and once again ran in front of them. ¡°I-I¡¯m actually being chased by assassins right now,¡± she said and flopped down on the ground a second time. ¡°I¡¯m still wounded from the last time they caught up to me!¡± ¡°So about the money,¡± Ryner said. ¡°I¡¯ll get half of it, so let¡¯s make sure to actually save it this time.¡± ¡°Mm. I will collect the money, then bring peace to the world.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re trying to say that you want to kill me, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess I can¡¯t really argue with that¡­¡± And so they once again ignored Hamone. ¡°Ggh! I won¡¯t lose!¡± Hamon said as she ran forward again. The older man¡¯s carriage followed. To keep it brief, she rushed forward and collapsed so close to them that there was absolutely no way for them to ignore her. ¡°Auh¡­¡± Then she lay there, unable to move. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°You just fell hard enough to break your neck¡­¡± Truly, she felt blessed that the bones of her neck were so powerful as to survive that. Even so, the jewel that she was to the world was mere rough when compared to the world-class diamonds of handsome men that were standing here in front of her. ¡°I¡­ have an incurable illness, and I¡¯m being chased by assassins, and on top of that, I¡¯m having a seizure. But I¡¯m saved thanks to you two. I¡¯m already feeling so much better. I must give you a gift to account for your good graces.¡± ¡°¡­Already feeling better, huh¡­ Somehow I don¡¯t see how all that can be fixed by me asking if your neck was okay.¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t be modest. I¡¯m on your side. No matter what anyone may say, I am on your side!¡± ¡°Modesty isn¡¯t the problem here, your neck is.¡± ¡°My neck is fine. Look,¡± Hamone said and cracked her neck to put it fully back in place. For some reason, Ryner was white as a sheet, twitching with discomfort. Then there was Ferris, completely unperturbed. She could feel love radiating from the two of them. Oh, what a wonderful thing. To think that she was able to closely bear witness to such a beautiful thing. ¡°Old Man. Take the carriage to Fanoll and buy a home for the two of them¡ªa suitable love nest.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± Hamone nodded to herself, satisfied. ¡°Please do take a seat, my good Ryner and Ferris. I, Hamine Pati, your chief supporter, would like you to take full advantage of this opportunity.¡± Ryner grimaced at the words that came straight from Hamone¡¯s heart. ¡°What¡¯s with this chick? She¡¯s creeping me out¡­ How¡¯d she know our names?¡± But Ferris replied with the only words that could shatter his hesitation. ¡°She seems like she has a lot of money.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Mm.¡± That was all it took for them to reach a mutual understanding. ¡°A-ahaha,¡± Ryner laughed, suspiciously high-pitched. ¡°Um, well, to think that you¡¯d spoil us with kindness like this¡­¡± Hamone was deeply moved by their exchange. By how Ferris¡¯ words could dispel Ryner¡¯s concerns with ease. Ah, how far could she see them to? ¡°Even if God won¡¯t forgive your love¡­¡± Those self-absorbed, undevout words played on loop in her mind. ¡°Now let¡¯s advance,¡± she said, ¡°To the country of love!¡± With Ryner and Ferris in the carriage, it raced forward. And so they were led into a beautiful mansion and fed a lavish feast. They¡¯d learned in the carriage that the Pati family was one of the big names in Runa¡¯s nobility, and not only that, but she was cousins with Ena Asto, Runa¡¯s princess. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you two,¡± Hamone said. ¡°About how that dastardly Ena used her status to have an illicit affair with you, Ferris, and about how Ryner saved you. I was truly moved.¡± ¡°Uhh, leaving all of that misinformation aside,¡± Ryner said with a grimace, ¡°Are you thinking that me and Ferris are lovers?¡± ¡°Of course. Your romance is the only one that I have seen in my life that rivals that of romance novels.¡± Ryner¡¯s grimace only deepened. ¡°So you also heard that Ferris is a man from Ena, right? So you think that this is a romance between two men?¡± Hamine seemed to tremble as she responded. ¡°Yes, of course. And I know for a fact that boy x boy is the only true love in the world!¡± She said it with the absolute certainty of someone who believed that what she was saying was common sense. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner was at a loss for words. Ferris, meanwhile, was still eating, completely unbothered by their conversation¡­ ¡°Then there¡¯s Ena, who used her status to single Ferris out,¡± Hamon continued. ¡°That filthy wench! Ferris belongs to Ryner! Er¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I became a bit fired up there. You are free to resume eating. Preparations for tonight have already been made, so please, do enjoy yourselves. It¡¯s designed to allow for roleplay too¡­ ehehehe.¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ roleplay, she says,¡± Ryner groaned after hearing her eerie laugh. It was scary. Super scary. She wasn¡¯t explaining the details, but worst case scenario, wasn¡¯t his chastity in danger?! So Ryner spoke, a little high-pitched. ¡°Um¡­ Hamone, I think you might be misunderstanding something. See, the truth is that Ferris is¡ª¡± Shink! There was the sharp sound of Ferris¡¯ sword unsheathing. It was at Ryner¡¯s neck in an instant. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°You know that she thinks we¡¯re a gay couple, right? And that she¡¯s gonna have us spend the night together? My chastity is at risk here,¡± Ryner said, trying to appeal to Ferris with wet eyes. Ferris, meanwhile, remained cold. ¡°She seems like she¡¯s loaded. She might pay us if we act. Any problems?¡± ¡°¡­Problems or not, this is a crime on so many levels¡­ It¡¯s kinda maddening, actually.¡± ¡°Mm. No problems. There¡¯s nothing we can do about your chastity.¡± ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something you should be deciding for me¡­¡± Hamone, meanwhile, was fangirling over their hush-hush conversation. ¡°Aha. You two really are close. ? I¡¯ll do anything I can to protect your love, so be as brazen as you¡¯d like in this city. I¡¯ve already told them all about you.¡± ¡°You told them!?¡± ¡°Yes. I will use my power to imprison anyone who says anything about you two. No, the death penalty. I¡¯ll give them the death penalty. The ignorant people who don¡¯t understand your sublime love are better off dead!¡± If the nobility could go around saying that, then this country was doomed¡­ Ryner picked at his food as he did everything he could to keep a straight face. --- And so night fell. Ryner, having lost to peer pressure, followed Hamone, who looked like she was living in a dream and Ferris, completely expressionless as always, to the bedroom. The door slowly opened, and¡­ ¡°Uwah¡­¡± That was the only sound that Ryner could muster as he looked in from behind the girls. The wallpaper was flower-patterned. The ceiling was made of mirrors. The whole thing felt like a fairytale. Naturally, the bed had flowery bedding, too¡­ But reflected in the mirrors, there was also a stand with leather ropes, wicks and the like, along with various costumes. ¡°Whoa, whoa¡­¡± Hamine, meanwhile, completely misinterpreted his awe. ¡°Lord Ryner, I see that you¡¯re interested. Aha ?, just like I knew you¡¯d be! Oh, Lord Ferris whipping Lord Ryner¡­ Ough, just thinking about it makes me¡­!¡± Meanwhile, Ferris¡ªbeing Ferris¡ªwalked over to the bondage items and picked up the whip. ¡°Hm.¡± She raised her arm, and¡­ Wha-cha! The second her arm moved, a dreadful sound rang out. She¡¯d whipped the wall. Not just once, either. She did it again and again, until another whip or two would break the whole wall down to lead into the next room over. That was how much power this woman had when she wielded a whip. ¡°Amaaazing!¡± Hamine said as she watched. ¡°So fierce! ? So that¡¯s why Ryner is so tired all the time - you always bring him right to his limit! To think that he doesn¡¯t keel over dead from that¡­ The power of love is something else.¡± No fucking way¡­ ¡­is what Ryner wanted to say, but he was fresh out of the energy to speak, much less argue. Seeing Ryner¡¯s face, Hamone seemed to understand that something was a little wrong with this picture. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°Nighttime is for couples. I, being a woman, am intruding on your private time¡­¡± She turned red before continuing. ¡°You don¡¯t need to camp outside tonight; you have a proper bed¡­ So don¡¯t mind us too much, my lord Ferris. Please make Sir Ryner cry tonight, okay? I¡¯ll leave the rest to you two, so enjoy your youth¡­ ehehehe. Let¡¯s go, Old Man.¡± And so Ryner and Ferris were left alone in that blindingly pink room. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± There was a rotten air around them. They were a man and woman here in a room that was meant for two men to do this and that in¡­ Not just that, but Ferris was inarguably a world-class beauty. There shouldn¡¯t have been a single man in the world who could face this situation with a straight face¡­ There shouldn¡¯t have been, but¡­ Ryner yawned. ¡°I¡¯m so tired. And sleepy.¡± There he was. He yawned real big a second time, his sleepiness easily reaching his eyes. Then he laid down on the bed. ¡°Anyway, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a bed in forever, so do you mind if I turn in?¡± Ferris watched him, her face somehow meek. Her expression was more sincere than usual despite being nearly as expressionless as always. Even her voice was sexy, which was very different from her norm. ¡°Ryner¡­¡± Ryner looked at her, surprised. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore, Ryner. ?¡± ¡°Huh? You can¡¯t take it? ?? W, wait¡­¡± What? What did this mean? She wasn¡¯t making a move on him, was she? But why now? Even though he was pretty much just her punching bag¡­? But Ryner¡¯s thoughts stopped then and there. Even Ferris¡¯ expression had gone sexy¡ªthough her eyes were just as expressionless as always¡ªand she took a couple more steps closer. ¡°Uh, Ferris? I don¡¯t think you should drop this stuff on a guy so suddenly. Trying something like this when we¡¯re on the clock is kinda¡­ y¡¯know¡­¡± But Ferris wasn¡¯t listening. She just kept approaching, silently, until she raised her whip¡­ ¡°Huh? Uwah!?¡± Wha-cha! Ryner jumped off the bed to escape the Killer Whip. It slammed into a pillow, diving it neatly into two¡­ ¡°Are you trying to kill me!?¡± He screamed. Ferris didn¡¯t reply. She just raised the whip a second time. Wha-cha! ¡°Gyaah!? W-wait, Ferris!?¡± She ignored him completely. ¡°Hm. I see,¡± she said to herself. ¡°So I can use it like this.¡± She slammed the whip down with even more force than before. ¡°Come on, Ferris, talk to¡ª¡± ¡°Heheh. You¡¯ll die if I hit you. You¡¯re nothing but an insect. Try and escape if you dare.¡± Wha-cha! ¡°Guuh¡­! You have some nerve getting even better at using that thing¡­ uwouh!? Wha-boom! ¡°What the hell was that sound!? There¡¯s no way that sound came from the whip¡­ huh?¡± Ryner was suddenly at a loss for words. She¡¯d whipped a hole into the ground. He could see right through the bottom of this floor and into the next¡­ If that whip had hit him, he¡¯d have disappeared without a trace¡­ ¡°Hey, this was going too far! I definitely would¡¯ve died if you hit me with that th¡ª¡± Ferris dropped the whip and closed the distance between them in no time, holding Ryner still by a hand over his mouth. Then she pushed him down onto the bed. ¡°This has gone on for too long. Haven¡¯t you realized that that perverted girl, Hamone, has been watching us this whole time? We have to give her a show if we want her to shell out for us. Give up and sacrifice yourself to my whip.¡± She¡¯d kept her usual emotionless expression, but her voice had gone sexy again. Ryner tried to speak, but her hand was still over his mouth. ¡°Fugo! Fuowoh foh fuwaoh fufhehehefu!?¡± By the way, what he was trying to convey was this: ¡°Uuh! I can¡¯t breathe! Get your hand off of me!¡± Ferris nodded in understanding. ¡°Mm? The whip hurts, so you want me to choke you until you¡¯re unconscious and then whip you to our hearts¡¯ content? I understand. Let¡¯s do that, then. I¡¯ll be sure to convey your passion towards completing our mission to the king.¡± So she said as she began to choke Ryner. ¡°Uah!?¡± He tried to get her to release him with both his hands and all his power, but she skillfully captured his arms with her legs, rendering him useless. Her grip tightened and tightened. ¡°Ah¡­ uuh¡­¡± He could feel his consciousness begin to fade, but strangely, his senses began to sharpen. The reel of his life¡¯s memories flashed before his eyes, and ah, the flowers¡­ the field of flowers¡­ For some reason, the night was louder than usual. There was the faint sound of insects from outside, and for some reason, Hamone¡¯s voice from above. ¡°Amazing! Fierce! So this is love! This is true love!?¡± There was another voice, too, coming from far away. A familiar one. One from forgotten days. One that he treasured very much, but also one that he didn¡¯t give a shit about¡­ ¡°¡­ner¡­ you, so¡­ chea¡­¡± It was a girl¡¯s voice, one that slowly got clearer and clearer. ¡°Ryner! I¡¯ll never forgive you! All you do is cheat!¡± And then, ¡°I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash!¡± There was a violent sound, and in the next moment, the wall exploded, as if the one who did it didn¡¯t think about the people in the room at all. Ferris was the first to respond. ¡°It¡¯s that girl again.¡± Her grip on Ryner¡¯s neck finally loosened. Ryner used the opportunity to push her legs off with his arms and sit up. ¡°Fuaoh! I thought I was a goner!¡± ¡°Hm. You were so close to meeting paradise, too¡­¡± ¡°Were you trying to knock me out? Or kill m¡ª¡± Ryner was cut off by yelling. ¡°Wh-wh-what were you doing, Ryner!? Were you s-sl-sleeping with a girl on this bed!?¡± Ryner was already tired of hearing it. He didn¡¯t have to look to see whose voice it was. She had an adorable face and a flaxen ponytail. Vigor overflowed from her small body. When Ryner looked back at her, yep, it was Milk Callaud. Milk talked way louder than one would expect to hear from someone as small as she was. ¡°Explain yourself! Or I¡¯ll never forgive you! You¡¯re a coward when it comes to that woman! Beauty¡¯s all she has! Right? Isn¡¯t that right, Luke?¡± Luke, who was backing her from behind, was always there as if he was her guardian. ¡°More importantly, Chief¡­ I feel like your language is getting a bit crude¡­¡± A flower-pattered board on the ceiling raised and Hamine glared down from her perch, surely at Milk. ¡°You have some gall trespassing in my mansion! Who are you people?¡± Hamine said. That was the most reasonable reaction to anything she¡¯d had all day, even though she said it after almost letting a demon turn Ryner into a ghost. And of course there was Milk, who always had the worst timing imaginable. She probably should¡¯ve said something before trespassing like this, but instead¡ª ¡°I¡¯m Milk Callaud, chief of a Taboo Hunter squad, and me and Ryner promised to get married!¡± She said while sticking her finger out. Dun-dun-duuun! Hamine scowled. ¡°I can¡¯t let you spew lies like that. Marrying Lord Ryner? To think that a woman of all people would say something as rude as that. And you¡¯re a Taboo Hunter¡­ certainly boy x boy is taboo, and of course people whisper about it to their hearts¡¯ content, but that¡¯s just gossip from foolish and ignorant people! Boy x boy is the most sublime of love!¡± ¡°Say that all you want, but aren¡¯t you one of the girls that¡¯s trying to seduce Ryner too!?¡± Milk fired back. ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that!¡± ¡°Hm. You think I want to seduce him? You¡¯re so stupid. You really think that a woman such as myself could be Lord Ryner¡¯s partner? Women repulse him. He has absolutely no interest in them.¡± Ryner was about to tell her that wasn¡¯t true in the slightest, but Ferris beat him to it. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said. ¡°So give up. There¡¯s a reason that he¡¯s thrown so many girls away. This demon of a man has advanced to just little girls and other men¡­¡± ¡°¡­Haah.¡± At this point, there was nothing that Ryner could do but sigh. The situation had long passed the point of control. It was completely out of his hands now. Milk, meanwhile, was trembling from the combined force of Ferris and Hamine¡¯s words. ¡°Little girls? Men? I-I have to compete with men, too¡­? Is that true, Ryner?¡± Even Luke, who¡¯d been waiting behind her, was trembling. ¡°I k-knew that this was a dangerous job¡­ Come on, Chief, let¡¯s withdraw! You¡¯re not the only one that¡¯s in danger of this man! He could attack me or the others, too!¡± He said, anxious for the three behind him, Lach, Lear, and Moe. Ryner, meanwhile, was completely and totally done with all of this. ¡°Well¡­ I guess that could be a plus,¡± he said offhandedly. In contrast, Hamine was ecstatic. ¡°Kyah ?, so he¡¯s protecting those three pretty boys! This has to be love, right!? So that¡¯s how this is. That makes this girl the villain around here. She¡¯s not only getting in the way of Lord Ryner¡¯s love, she¡¯s also getting in the way of the beautiful man x those three pretty boys! She¡¯s committing atrocities here! God may forgive her, but I most certainly will not!¡± For some reason Ryner got the feeling that Hamine was the one here who god wouldn¡¯t forgive here¡­ but anyway, she kept going. ¡°Lord Ferris, Lord Ryner. I¡¯ve prepared everything that you might need for your journey outside. Please, use it all to escape. I¡¯ll follow from behind!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, you really don¡¯t need to follow us,¡± Ryner mumbled before turning to Ferris. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± And so they moved to escape through the window. ¡°Ah! Wait!¡± Milk yelled. ¡°I definitely won¡¯t let you get away this ti¡ª¡± Milk was cut off by Hamine¡¯s punch. ¡°I won¡¯t let a vulgar female like you get in the way of their sublime love! You¡¯ll get the death penalty!¡± It was a pretty serious punch, and it caught Milk completely off her guard, so she stumbled back. But she soon caught herself. ¡°Luke, Lach, Lear, Moe. We¡¯re getting past this perv and chasing after Ryner. Cover me!¡± ¡°¡°Got it!¡±¡± With that, Milk and her four subordinates rushed to the window, but not before Hamine could react. ¡°Old man, cover for me!¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± another voice said from the ceiling, and soon an older gentleman descended. ¡°So you were there too?¡± Ryner asked, tired. ¡°Yes. I am not to leave Lady Hamine¡¯s side, after all.¡± ¡°Basically, you¡¯re a huge perv too¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve quite been looking forward to this,¡± the old man said as he pressed both hands to his chest. ¡°O God who lies in heaven, save us pitiful humans with your flame!¡± It was Runa¡¯s characteristic magic, which relied on the power of god. Flames appeared around the gentleman, soon followed by Hamine¡¯s scream. ¡°Old man!¡± She shrieked. ¡°What are you doing!? You can¡¯t burn those four hunks! They¡¯re in love, you know! They¡¯re some of the world¡¯s most wonderful treasures!¡± ¡°Mgh, what have I done!¡± He said and his magic instantly dissipated. He had to be pretty skillful to have that level of control over his magic, but Milk wasn¡¯t a force to be reckoned with, either. She started a spell with master speed¡­ Ferris and Ryner used the sudden fight as an opportunity to slip out of the window, making a stop downstairs to silently rummage around and steal some expensive-looking jewels and anything else they could find that looked valuable, then took to the carriage and bolted. --- The next morning was clear and free of clouds. Hamine and the old man were stuck with the aftermath of the tough battle as sunlight poured in through the window. The four men, who she¡¯d gathered from Milk were called Luke, Lach, Lear, and Moe, were out cold. It was quite the beautiful sight. Proof of their love for each other, even. Just seeing it made her certain that their sublime love was one of the many truths of the world. They were coworkers by day, but the night brought them closer! ¡°Heheheh. Not bad. Not bad at all. Hey, Old Man.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady?¡± They spoke as they watched the men. Luke and Moe had ended up holding each other, and the same went for Lach and Lear. Hamone watched as God smiled upon her from heaven. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry anymore,¡± she said. ¡°Your nightmare is over. I¡¯ve defeated that woman. I¡¯ve already distributed pamphlets informing the town¡¯s commoners of your love. You¡¯ll be able to live with confidence now, hiding from nothing and no one. Isn¡¯t that right, Old Man?¡± ¡°Yes. Love has yet again been saved by your hands, my lady.¡± ¡°I am a protector of sublime love. I will do anything in my power to fulfill this duty. Now, Old Man, let us pursue Lord Ferris and Lord Ryner.¡± ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± With that, Hamine Pati¡¯s quest to find true love began. On another note, a few hours later, Milk woke from where she¡¯d been thrown aside on the floor. She looked to her subordinates, who were all on the floor hugging each other. ¡°Wha!? L-Luke!? You guys, too!? Wh, what¡­ And this pamphlet¡­ noooooo!!¡± But her mental breakdown was another story entirely. Volume 1 - CH 6 Volume 1: The Exhausted Heroic Saga --- Pal was nervous. This was a first. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d never gone out with a girl before. Even so, for some reason, when he watched her he got all choked up and red¡­ He couldn¡¯t say a thing. This girl, Fie Marinas, could make his heart race with just a smile. She was so cute. He knew that logically his personal tastes were playing a big part in all of this, but he still thought that she was the best there was. She had short black hair, and even though she was quiet, she had the friendliest smile. He also noticed that she spent a lot of time helping her parents out with their work - something that she seemed to enjoy. She wasn¡¯t a bold beauty or anything, but he doubted that there was a better bride in the world. It was a miracle that her parents considered him for the marriage of their daughter - him of all people. He had somewhat curly light brown hair and a completely average build. His looks just barely passed, and that was all there really was to say on the matter. His one redeeming trait was that he¡¯d always been pretty good at sports, but now that he was twenty-two, he wasn¡¯t exactly confident in his athletic abilities compared to others his age¡­ He was the son of a hot spring owner in the scenic Crohn Village, but even that was pretty unremarkable, since there were more than enough hot springs there. And her parents had suggested that a guy like him marry their daughter. So here they were, on their third date. Though it was kind of hard to take her somewhere nice here in their hick village¡­ So he took her to the river that ran next to their village, and she showed him a perfect smile. ¡°The breeze here feels so nice,¡± she said. ¡°Hm? Oh, uhh, yeah¡­ I mean, yes, it does.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Silence. This always happened. She crouched down to feel the water and didn¡¯t look upset or anything, but still. ¡°Auh¡­¡± This was bad. If he didn¡¯t say something, then¡­ geez, surely something happened recently that he could talk about? But no matter how much he thought, he couldn¡¯t think of anything! When he saw her, he lost his head entirely and struggled to speak. The worst part was that she never said a thing about it¡­ He had to talk about something. ¡°Um, so¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Coming with me is pretty boring¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± That¡¯s what he finally managed to say. Ah¡­ why was he such a terrible man? Haah¡­ he sighed in the corners of his heart. This was the end. Soon, she¡¯d say, ¡®yeah, it¡¯s boring.¡¯ No, wait, she was too kind for that. Instead, she¡¯d say something like, ¡®I¡±m sorry. You¡¯re too good of a person. It¡¯d be wasted on me.¡¯ Yeah, that¡¯s what she¡¯d say. Oh well. It¡¯d been doomed to the start, wasn¡¯t it? He used his lone miracle up on being asked to think about marrying her. Actually doing it needed another miracle entirely. At least she went on a date with him¡­ That was more than enough. Her eyes moved from the water to look at him. And she spoke. ¡°Not at all! I¡­ coming here to look at the river with you makes me really happy, Pal!¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought so. It really is bor¡­ wait, what?¡± ¡°The river glittering and waving with the sun is beautiful. I could look at it forever and still never get tired of it.¡± Pal tried looking at the river, too. Just as she said, the sparkle from the sun was moving with the waves¡­ but he didn¡¯t think that it was a special kind of beauty or anything. It wasn¡¯t anywhere near as beautiful as Fie¡¯s profile¡­ If he could say something that bold, he wouldn¡¯t be having a problem right now, would he? He inwardly sighed once again. And so they fell back into silence. Then Fie suddenly spoke as she stared at the river. ¡°But Pal, if I were alone, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to look at it for this long.¡± Her voice was quiet like a whisper, but still perfectly audible to him. For some reason, it seemed to shake as she spoke. She looked back at him, just a little red. Then a small smile appeared on her face, and she stuck her tongue out playfully. ¡°I wonder if I was pretending to be a little too innocent there? ¡®I could watch the river forever and never get tired of it¡­¡¯ That was a lie. ¡®But Pal, if I were alone, I,,,¡¯ Pal¡¯s mind went blank. ¡°Wh, wait, uh, wait! You¡¯d really go that far!?¡± He yelled, flustered. He forced his frazzled mind to think. What? What just happened? What¡¯s going on? If she was saying that all of that was a lie, then the part where she implied that being with him wasn¡¯t boring was also¡­!? Augh, shit. He really should¡¯ve waited to hear the rest of what she was going to say¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± He shook his head violently. What was he saying? He didn¡¯t need to make her spell it out for him now. He¡¯d be the laughingstock of the village. After all, he was a man. Even if he was kind of a shitty one¡­ He steeled his resolve. He had to do this. He took a deep breath and turned back to her as forcefully as he could manage. ¡°Um¡­ Fie!¡± Urgh, his voice cracked. But she didn¡¯t laugh. She just watched him, waiting. ¡°Yes?¡± She said with a nod to acknowledge him. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really have any redeeming features, and I¡¯m definitely not rich, and I¡¯m kind of a boring guy¡­ But if you¡¯re okay with it, will you marry me!?¡± He finally said it. The way he did it wasn¡¯t cool at all¡­ but he still said it. Now all that was left was her answer. And her answer was¡ª ¡°I-I¡¯m the one who should be saying that I¡¯m incompetant, but¡­ I¡¯m in your care from now on!¡± She said with a little blush, but a real big smile, and lowered her head as if it was an honor¡­ ¡°¡­Yessssss!¡± Pal yelled. He was pretty sure that this was as happy as a human being could get. Little did he know, his happiness would be short-lived. --- There was a dragon. A huge dragon raised from the earth. It was about as strange as things could get. Just leaving it there instead of dealing with it was impossibly irresponsable. It was like a nightmare. That was the beginning of the world¡¯s erosion¡­ --- The scene changes both time and place. Now Pal was in a big city known through all Nelpha, Lancas. He stood in the middle of a street, at his wit¡¯s end. ¡°Shit¡­ why¡¯d this have to happen? I was supposed to live out a happy life with Fie,¡± he mumbled. His¡­ no, their situation couldn¡¯t get much worse. Two men were standing around him¡ªToran and Beat. They were his childhood friends who¡¯d also grown up in touristic Crohn. On top of that, they¡¯d both gotten girlfriends and the okay to marry from their parents at roughly the same time, but somehow, they¡¯d ended up here in the big city with grim looks on their faces. --- That day marked the beginning of his misfortune. On that day, Crohn stopped being a tourist destination for its hot springs and scenery. It wasn¡¯t like a ton of people ever showed up, but it was enough for the three tourist seasons of the year to give them an entire year¡¯s worth of money¡­ though it might¡¯ve been more correct to say that they were out of luck if they failed to earn their year¡¯s worth of money in those three short seasons. The month it took for them to save for their weddings was one of said tourist seasons. In addition to preparing rooms for as many guests as possible, and he had this idea, too. Fie would help him, and they¡¯d be happy¡­ And yet. That season had few visitors, so inn owners like Pal¡¯s, Toran¡¯s, and Beat¡¯s, all suffered. That¡¯d never happened before. It was so strange that it should¡¯ve never happened. On top of being strange, it was disastrous. The tourist season never came to their tourist town. That meant the end of their little town. Pal, Toran, and Beat joined forces to combine their inns into a pub. That was how Toran ended up at the entrance of the pub yelling; he was at his limit. ¡°Pal! How the hell¡¯d this happen?¡± Obviously, right? They were hopeful for a crowd since the new tourist season was beginning. After all, if no one came, then a pub wouldn¡¯t be able to pay the bills either. If that happened, then there was no real point in transitioning from being inns in the first place. If that happened, then the collateral they got from their girlfriends was¡­ There was no way that they could sleep at night with everything that was going on. Pal was spending every night doing whatever he could for extra cash¡­ as if his hard work was bearing any fruit. He looked to Toran, completely exhausted. ¡°¡­How¡¯s Mel been?¡± Pal asked. Mel was the woman that Toran was planning to marry. She was a strong girl that he¡¯d known since they were kids. Toran grimaced. ¡°That loaner who¡¯s always here came yesterday, right? He said that if we couldn¡¯t repay him, he¡¯d take Mel¡­ And he¡¯s a nice guy too, always complimenting me. If only he was the kind of guy who whined about everything instead¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a good girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Toran silently stole Pal¡¯s cup and gulped it down. ¡°Anyway, things¡¯ll get real bad if this continues,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s causing all of this? We can¡¯t solve it if we don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on.¡± Just then, Beat rushed in. ¡°Guys, I know why no one¡¯s coming to Crone anymore!¡± Pal and Toran stood with a start and glanced at each other. ¡°I heard it from a peddler who was passing through the village today,¡± Beat said and took a seat. ¡°There¡¯s this town called Harpunnel - you know it, right? It¡¯s past the capital, and apparently the only good thing about it is that it¡¯s for tourists, too.¡± ¡°Harpunnel? That hick town?¡± Toran asked. ¡°Forget tourists, all they¡¯ve got is bumpkins!¡± Crone was plenty country, but Harpunnel was another step down. Pal nodded. ¡°Right? Isn¡¯t that a cotton-run village? I¡¯ve never heard of anyone visiting it for fun. It¡¯s ugly, and close to the Roland Empire to boot. I¡¯d hardly call it safe.¡± The Roland Empire was south of their country of Nelpha, and it¡¯d recently captured Estabul,¡± Toran spat. ¡°Its military capture of Estabul even further down south made it really dangerous.¡± ¡°I heard that its new king¡¯s a young guy, and he¡¯s on good terms with our king¡­ but I don¡¯t believe it. Its nobility¡¯s rotten - I¡¯ve never heard a single good thing about them. My word isn¡¯t law or anything, but I really don¡¯t think I¡¯d go to a place as close to Roland as Harpunnel is.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m telling you, something unbelievable happened over there,¡± Beat said. ¡°Unbelievable?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Beat took a deep breath. ¡°I can hardly believe it myself, but¡­ they say that a dragon¡¯s appeared in Harpunnel.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Pal and Toran said simultaneously, perplexed. ¡°A¡­ dragon,¡± Pal said. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that there¡¯s a dragon there?¡± ¡°Yes. A dragon.¡± Toran sighed. ¡°This really isn¡¯t the time for jokes. There¡¯s no way in hell there¡¯s a dragon there.¡± ¡°No, seriously, there¡¯s a dragon there,¡± Beat insisted. ¡°It¡¯s not a joke.¡± Pal crossed his arms. ¡°That¡¯s just an urban mystery, isn¡¯t it? Like how that dragon called Lossey lives in Lake Locka, and you know it¡¯s true ¡®cause sometimes people see her shadow! Right? Oh, but if it¡¯s a false alarm like that that¡¯s keeping the tourists away, then this should be an easy fix. After all, Lossey¡¯s not real, right?¡± But Beat didn¡¯t budge. He stood his ground, tense. ¡°It¡¯s not just an urban legend. It¡¯s actually true. Even the peddler saw it.¡± Toran snorted. ¡°Ha! You fell for it. Dragons belong in fairy tales, and in those, they¡¯re super strong monsters, right? They¡¯re crazy dangerous. You¡¯d get killed and eaten if you actually saw one.¡± Despite what Toran was saying, Beat remained tense. ¡°Well¡­ apparently it¡¯s not quite that dangerous. He said that it can¡¯t move at all - that it¡¯s growing¡­ ¡°¡­Huh? Growing? What¡¯s growing?¡± ¡°The dragon.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it growing out of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s growing out of the ground.¡± Pal and Toran exchanged another look. ¡°So the dragon¡¯s coming up out of the ground? So what¡¯s it doing?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Then why¡¯s it growing out of the ground?¡± ¡°Who knows. All I know¡¯s that it¡¯s sticking up out of the ground.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you that I have no idea. It¡¯s just there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± They didn¡¯t know what it could mean. If this was true, then it meant that their misfortune was caused by this strange, meaningless phenomenon¡­ Pal asked one more time to confirm it. ¡°So is this all really true?¡± Beat held his gaze and nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. I¡¯ve done business with this peddler for a long time, and I know he¡¯s a reliable guy, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± They were all silent once more. Unbelievable as it may be, it was apparently all true. A dragon had pointlessly sprouted up from the ground, and took their tourism with it¡­ Then Toran began to yell. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me!? That dragon¡¯s a goddamn nuisance, taking all of our customers away! We¡¯ll never be able to provide for our families if this goes on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Toran¡¯s words invited another round of silence. They all had matching mournful expressions on their faces. They won¡¯t be able to provide for their families. Those words carved a hole in their hearts. Then Pal finally spoke. ¡°We won¡¯t get anywhere if we don¡¯t calm down. We need to think of why that thing¡¯s even there. If we do, we might find a way to get rid of that meddlesome dragon. Isn¡¯t there something we can do about it and bring the tourists back? Like, what if we get something even better than a dragon here?¡± Toran tilted his head to the side. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that take way too long? This is serious. All of our money¡¯s gone into preparing for the tourist season. We have to have a turnout this season. We¡¯ve been able to delay the end so far, but the guys we took loans from are getting antsy. If they start to push us to repay them¡­¡± Toran stopped there, but he didn¡¯t need to continue. If they didn¡¯t get some money now, the fruit of their labor would be demolished, and Fie¡­ He might need to take her and leave to escape from their debt. Either way, he¡¯d caused a lot of trouble for her. Even so, he didn¡¯t have the ability or the time to get out of this deadlock. He breathed a small sigh. Just as he sighed, Beat began to speak. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make my girl suffer.¡± ¡°That obviously goes for me and Pal too,¡± Toran said. ¡°But what can we do? The best way to protect them is to run away from here¡ª¡± ¡°No. There is one thing we can do. I thought of this back when that guy threatened to take Mel away from you if you couldn¡¯t pay up¡­ but it¡¯s really dangerous. And it¡¯s nasty, too. But there¡¯s a lot waiting for us if we manage to pull it off¡­ Nah, it¡¯s not gonna happen. Sorry, forget what I just¡ª¡± But they had no other choice, right? ¡°Tell us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± And so Beat began to speak. --- The time changed once again, to where they stood in a bustling street in Lancas. They watched the thick crowds with nervous faces. On that day, Beat had said¡ª ¡°They said they¡¯d take the girls if we didn¡¯t pay up, right? I was thinking about that, and it has to mean that there¡¯s a trade for buying and selling here, yeah? So if we take some of that ¡®supply¡¯ and give it to those who ¡®demand¡¯ it¡­ we¡¯d turn a huge profit, wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Basically, he meant kidnapping and selling people. It was completely inconceivable. But after that conversation, Beat had asked other customers about it out of curiosity. They told him that it was a booming industry. What they needed was women. The prettier they were, the higher the price. Then there were children, too. Rich guys who were into kids paid a colossal price for them. But that customer told him something else, too. ¡°Take it from someone who¡¯s been in the industry for a while. Even if you get the courage to actually do it, sending the family a blackmail letter will leave a better taste in your mouth than selling them off will.¡± That was that. It was strange that the owner of a shop selling teacakes would know that much about human trafficking, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious knowing that the dark side of the world had always been that close to the surface, but¡­ This was hardly the time to dwell on it. Pal and the others watched people as they passed through the street. They had to choose a target. At first, Beat had suggested targeting a child since they¡¯d be too weak to protest, but for some reason, Toran was opposed to the idea. ¡°That¡¯s too horrible,¡± Toran had said. ¡°Let¡¯s at least choose an adult, okay? When I think about having kids myself, I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to make parents worry like that.¡± Pal quickly agreed. ¡°I feel the same. Children are off limits.¡± They were surprisingly reasonable on that one point. And so they waited for a beautiful girl to show up and blow them away. Maybe their expectations were a little high, but¡­ they had a few conditions. First of all, they wanted an unmarried woman. Women who¡¯d already had a kid were less valuable, after all. Second, they wanted her to be pretty and stylish. If she had a lot of accessories, that meant she probably had a lot of money. So if they could find someone beautiful and rich¡­ Also, about the unmarried thing¡ªwhen they thought about what it¡¯d be like if their own wives were kidnapped, they just couldn¡¯t do it. Toran was the one to voice it. ¡°You guys think so too, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Because they were on the same page, their plan progressed smoothly. They watched the crowd with sharp glints in their eyes. Time passed. And then¡­ Toran made a soft sound. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Beat turned towards where Toran was looking. ¡°Uwah¡­ What is this?¡± Last was Pal. He looked, and¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­was at a complete loss for words. They¡¯d spotted some kind of being in the crowd. She was¡­ not human. Couldn¡¯t be. ¡°Is she¡­ a goddess?¡± Pal whispered. A young woman was walking down the street. She had flowing blonde hair that seemed to sparkle in the sun. Her face was perfect, her body was slender, and her limbs were frail. Though there was a terribly cold expression on her face¡­ her almost-shaped eyes still had a mysterious appeal to them. All it took was her walking for the crowd to part around her. The men gazed with desire, and the woman gazed on with envy¡­ but absolutely everyone was enraptured by her features. She turned not one or two heads, but every head on the street. She was an unbelievable beauty, one that somehow stood apart from all other humans. A dumb-looking man with a smooth voice called out to her. ¡°Hey, miss. You sure are pretty. Are you alone? How about coming with me for a meal if you have some time on your hands?¡± ¡°Get lost,¡± she said, her voice completely lacking intonation. She clearly had zero tolerance for this stuff. Looked like seducing her was a lost cause. Though the man she¡¯d turned down still looked pretty satisfied¡­ Anyway. Two men in black suits were approaching the beauty with fiery eyes. They had healthy skin and their dark suits were open to bear their chests. The suits being open was a strange contrast that left a bad taste in their mouths. One of them opened his mouth to reveal a sparklingly bright smile. ¡°He-he-he-heey, can you spare a second? You¡¯re super cute, you know that? You have what it takes to become a star in our company. Won¡¯t you come visit our shop?¡± She stopped. ¡°¡­Your shop? What kind of shop?¡± She asked, monotone. A couple dejected voices started up in the crowd. But the man didn¡¯t mind it. ¡°It¡¯s a nightclub, but a girl like you would only get the best of treatment! And if our president takes a liking to you, then you¡¯re set for life. Come give us a chance.¡± ¡°¡­Hm. A nightclub. Do those have dango and tea?¡± ¡°Hah¡­? Dango? Tea? The hell¡¯re you on about. You¡¯re a real high-class gal, aren¡¯t you? I mean, we don¡¯t have any of that. But we¡¯ve got some pretty good food¡ª¡± ¡°Not interested,¡± she said instantly and started to walk away. The crowd collectively sighed in relief. ¡°Huh? Hey, w, wait a second. There¡¯s alcohol, you know? And it¡¯s really tasty! So¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up. Your voice is grating. Say another word and I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°¡­Ah¡­¡± She was so blunt that it shut him right up. She continued to an alley. ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Toran said as she walked into the alley. ¡°Huh¡­? You want to kidnap her? Her?¡± ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s beautiful, and that kind of beauty means money. Honestly, I didn¡¯t get a good look at her clothes ¡®cause I was too distracted by her face, but I¡¯m sure they were expensive. She¡¯s loaded.¡± Pal tilted his head at his friend¡¯s logic. ¡°Really¡­? I feel like that logic is wrong at the most basic level, but oh well. It¡¯s hard to say. Her personality seems terrible, too¡­¡± Beat was next to speak. ¡°But a bad personality = being rich, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that may be true.¡± Their biased conversation continued for a while before Toran put a stop to it. ¡°Alright! With that decided, let¡¯s get this started! We¡¯ll be in trouble if she gets back on a main street, so we need to prepare ourselves quickly.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The other two said. And so the three men entered the alley after her. Their plan was as follows¡ª First, they had to corner their target and threatened her for if she didn¡¯t follow them. Then, once she was all nice and quiet, they¡¯d bag her and wrap her up real tight. They¡¯d bring her outside and keep her with them night after night¡­ If, just if, on a 1/1000 chance, she put up a real fight, then they had another ace up their sleeves - they¡¯d bought some cutlery to threaten her for real with. Of course, they¡¯d do anything they could to avoid that outcome. In short, they were perfectly prepared. The last thing they needed was to actually do it. The beauty was walking through the alley. Beat and Toran ran to the front and back of her, essentially blocking her in. Then Pal flanked her. It was impossible for her to get around them - she was trapped between the three men with nowhere to go. Yet she didn¡¯t stop. She just kept walking, as if she didn¡¯t notice them at all. ¡°Hey!¡± Toran yelled. ¡°Can¡¯t you see us!?¡± She stopped to look at him. ¡°I can see you. So?¡± ¡°Um¡­ ¡®so?¡¯ Anyway, how about you come along with us?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s a special sale on dango today. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re in a hurry I see,¡± Toran said, completely losing his momentum. ¡°Then¡­¡± Toran moved to let her go. Beat and Pal, meanwhile, were making frantic gestures at him. ¡®What are you doing!?¡¯ Toran shrugged¡ª¡®I mean, she¡¯s not afraid of us at all,¡¯ was what that shrug conveyed. Pal held his face in his hands. ¡°God, you¡¯re so useless.¡± Then he addressed the girl. ¡°Hey, you. Look over here.¡± She looked. She really was impossibly beautiful. ¡°Mm?¡± Beautiful as she was, her water-like eyes conveyed absolutely no emotion. He couldn¡¯t lie. He shrunk back from it, but he had to do his best. He flashed the knife in his pocket. ¡°This is what¡¯s going to happen to you.¡± He hated to use such a barbaric method, but what other choice did he have? This¡¯d get her attention for sure. After all, she was surrounded by armed men in a back alley. She¡¯d definitely start shaking from fear. Finally, realization dawned on her. Her expression changed just a little. ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t need a kitchen knife. I don¡¯t cook.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? No, uh¡­¡± ¡°If you have no other business with me, then I¡¯m leaving.¡± And so she began to walk by them again. ¡°Ugh, you guys are useless!¡± Beat said, exasperated. ¡°It looks like this isn¡¯t phasing her, so let¡¯s move onto real force. Come on, Toran, grab the bag!¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Toran responded, but his voice wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as before. He felt a little weird about overpowering a woman. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. Pal steeled his resolve and removed the knife from his pocket in full, pointing it at the girl. He raised his voice to intimidate her. ¡°We¡¯re kidnapping you. Things¡¯ll get real painful for you if you put up a fight!¡± She finally understood exactly what was happening. ¡°Ah, I get it. A kidnapping, is it. It isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t understand your earnest feeling of wanting to preserve my world-destroying beauty¡­¡± Toran came at her with the bag. ¡°The hell are you even on ab¡ª¡± In an instant, she was gone. The bag caught thin air. ¡°Huh?¡± Toran turned back, but she was nowhere to be seen. Then he heard her voice. ¡°However, if you were to stuff me, I would miss the dango sale¡­ so give it up.¡± Somehow, she¡¯d reappeared at the exit of the alley. Unbelievable. She¡¯d moved so fast that it was like she took a portal into another dimension. It was as if¡­ she¡¯d gone completely invisible¡­ and on top of that, she¡¯d stolen the cutlery in Pal¡¯s hand at some point. She was some kind of monster. On top of that, none of what she¡¯d said made any sense. A dango sale? Wanting to stuff her to preserve her beauty? ¡°Wh-what was that?¡± Pal stuttered. ¡°Shit!¡± Toran yelled. ¡°Tell us to give up all you want, but we can¡¯t!¡± He¡¯d have taken the knife out to attack her if she hadn¡¯t stolen it. She brandished the knife with ease. The walls surrounding him began to crumble. It hardly seemed real. ¡°T-Toran! Run!¡± ¡°Wh-what!?¡± Toran yelled as he only barely managed to make it through the rubble. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡± Him, Pal, and Beat were all at a loss for words. They simply stared, eyes fixed on the scene of destruction in front of them, speechless. To think that a kitchen knife could do this¡­ it was insane. If they¡¯d actually laid hands on a monster like her, they¡¯d have been killed for sure. She nodded to herself, satisfied with her work. ¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°Your true forms have been revealed. Your true identity is that of a group of people whose goal is to steal the dango sale. But it¡¯s too bad for you. My passion for dango is already past the point where anyone can stop it. I will go to the sale. If by chance you decide to get in my way once more, then I hope that you are prepared to die.¡± With that, she nodded again, then turned away. None of them wanted to give their lives up for that. --- A few minutes later, they were standing back in the corner of a bustling street. ¡°God, what was with her?¡± Toran said. ¡°Are all girls in the city like that?¡± Apparently the shock had been too much for him, because tears were forming at the corners of his eyes. Beat was shivering. ¡°Uuuh¡­ We told her that we were gonna kidnap her and everything, but all she did was go on about weird shit. Dango? Special sale? Is it because we¡¯re from the country? Is that all city talk?¡± They were a total mess. Their plan was a complete failure. Pal, too, did nothing to hide his trembling. ¡°If all girls in the city are that dangerous of lifeforms, then I¡­¡± Fie¡¯s kind smile came to mind. It was a huge contrast with that girl¡¯s cold beauty. Pal couldn¡¯t help but think that he was glad that he wasn¡¯t born in the city. Even if there were tons of beautiful girls like that here¡­ He was sure that there would be good parts too, but still¡­ ¡°A-anyway, we chose the wrong target, didn¡¯t we?¡± Pal¡¯s voice shook as he spoke, an after-effect from the massive shock of earlier. ¡°City girls are tough. We really went for the hardest choice first, didn¡¯t we?¡± Toran nodded vigorously, in complete agreement. ¡°Yeah. I really didn¡¯t expect city girls to be that¡­ much,¡± he said. ¡°She was so eccentric. It was impossible to hold a conversation.¡± ¡°Right? Is that really what those legendary city girls are like¡­?¡± At first, Pal and Toran had been a bit confused when Beat said that city girls were incomprehensible, but now they knew. ¡°But there¡¯s no way that we can give up on abducting one now, right?¡± Beat said. ¡°We won¡¯t have a tomorrow if we don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°¡­We know that.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get our resolve back. This isn¡¯t the time to be picky. We just need to do it. Got it?¡± Pal and Toran nodded. There they were, in the corner of a street watching the crowds carefully. This time, their target would be a child. One always thought of kids first when they thought of kidnapping, after all¡­ They¡¯d already gotten over their earlier naivety where they said that they couldn¡¯t take a kid because they didn¡¯t want to make their parents sad. They told themselves over and over that they were going to do this, and now they were prepared. They needed a kid who looked like they had at least a little bit of money. Not only that, they needed the most innocent kid that they could find. One who wouldn¡¯t doubt them for a second when they told her to come with them. They¡¯d traded their kitchen knife for something more suited to kids, too. They were prepared for anything. Now all they needed was to find a target. And then¡ª Toran let out a sound just like when he saw that beauty. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Then the other two followed his eyes. Beat was first to speak. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s so cute¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s super cute,¡± Pal whispered. A girl was walking down the street alone, humming to herself cheerily. She had cute big eyes and pretty skin. Every now and then, she¡¯d move her head to the rhythm, and when she did her brown ponytail moved with her. The way it swooshed in the air was adorable. Everything about her was bursting with youth. ¡°What do you think of her?¡± Toran asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Beat said. ¡°We should be able to nab her.¡± Pal was the only one to voice any doubt. ¡°But¡­ is she really a kid? I know that she¡¯s younger than us, but I think she¡¯s a little older than the age group we were aiming for¡­¡± Apparently her spirits could get even higher, because her humming soon turned to words. ¡°Hmm hm hmm~! Yay ? Yaaay ? Yaaaay!!¡± It wasn¡¯t just her head anymore. Her arms were moving to the rhythm as she sang enthusiastically. By the way, this was in the middle of a busy street¡­ It¡¯d be totally inexcusable if she were an adult. People would be avoiding eye contact and getting as far away from her as possible. But for some reason, the passersby¡¯s reactions were different. Instead of scolding her, they instead said, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so good at singing!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cute. But you know, walking alone on the streets like this is dangerous!¡± She giggled, her expression pure and completely free of clouds. She was so cute. Way too cute! ¡®I want that child.¡¯ That¡¯s what Pal thought in the depths of his heart. His friends looked at him, and Pal nodded to put words to what they were all thinking. ¡°We were wrong. That is definitely a child.¡± ¡°Right. So should we go for her?¡± ¡°Wait a sec,¡± Beat said. ¡°No matter how innocent and easy to trick she is, it¡¯s pointless if her family doesn''t have the money to cough up for ransom.¡± ¡°True. This is dangerous stuff, but if she¡¯s really easy to deceive, it should be fine. What do you think, Pal?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± They all fixed their eyes on the girl once more. ¡°Bebebear is waaiiting! Mimimilk will come and play with you!¡± Everyone over sixteen was watching. Her career as an idol was going swimmingly. ¡°Hmm. I wonder. She seems like she has a great personality¡­ She seems a lot nicer than other people her age.¡± ¡°Then she¡¯s probably poor. After all, being rich = having a bad personality, right?¡± Beat said, his decision instant. Pal and Toran exchanged a look. ¡°You¡¯re really biased against the rich, aren¡¯t you?¡± Beat didn¡¯t have to think about that one, either. ¡°¡®Cause they¡¯re rich.¡± ¡°No, well¡­ okay,¡± Pal said. ¡°We don¡¯t need to spend all day on this. Kidnapping her is pointless if she¡¯s not rich.¡± ¡°Wait. Look at that,¡± Toran said. Pal looked back to the girl. Her solo had finished, and now she was surrounded by four men. Among them was a noticeably taller man. Despite being about Pal¡¯s age, his hair was already white. ¡°Really, Chief Milk. You¡¯re popular wherever you go,¡± he said. ¡°Were you having fun?¡± Her smile was intolerably adorable. She nodded real big. ¡°All the old men and woman were really nice to me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Yeah! Anyway, did you buy us food, Luke?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t found anywhere affordable yet. I heard that there¡¯s a 30% off sale on Purla street, though,¡± the man said. Even though he looked young, it seemed like he ran the household. ¡°I¡¯m having Lear survey the area to see if he can¡¯t find a cheaper place.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the man, apparently called Lear, said. He looked like he was the smartest out of their group of four. ¡°Just as Luke said, I¡¯ll be done surveying the area soon.¡± The girl nodded a few times. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to help? Even I, Milk, can carry groceries!¡± Luke shook his head lightly. ¡°No. Please rest for a bit, Chief. You haven¡¯t had enough time to relax recently. Lach and Moe can carry everything.¡± The two teenagers nodded. ¡°Leave it to us!¡± ¡°Play as much as you¡¯d like, Chief Milk!¡± ¡°She¡¯s got lots of servants,¡± Toran said. ¡°She¡¯s gotta be rich!¡± Pal crossed his arms. ¡°Hmm. But if she was rich, they wouldn¡¯t care about getting more than a 30% off sale, right?¡± ¡°But rich people are greedy,¡± Beat said. ¡°They save just to hoard.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s good to save money, but¡­ hmm. Wanting to save money doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that she isn¡¯t rich. She¡¯s got servants. She¡¯s rich.¡± Toran nodded. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± ¡°We just need to get rid of her servants.¡± ¡°And take her somewhere deserted!¡± And so they waited until her servants left. Then they waited as she walked from here to there on the street. When she was done there, she went to the park. Played with five or six year old kids. Chased some butterflies around. Then she finally settled alone on a patch of grass far away from everything else. Finally! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Pal and Beat approached her from the front so she wouldn¡¯t get scared while Toran approached her from behind to keep her from escaping. Beat was the first to make contact. ¡°You sure are a cute girl,¡± he said in a wheedling voice. ¡°Hweh?¡± The girl raised her head. Her eyes darted between Pal and Beat¡¯s faces. ¡°Who are you guys?¡± She asked. There wasn¡¯t a trace of caution in her voice, and her expression was as innocent as could be. Pal¡¯s heart hurt a bit when he thought about tricking and kidnapping this girl. He didn¡¯t mean to, but he ended up stuttering. ¡°Oh, um, well¡­¡± Beat sighed. ¡°See, kid, you¡¯ve been such a good girl today. That¡¯s why we wanted to give you a present.¡± Her eyes sparkled. ¡°A present!? What is it?¡± ¡°Mm. You¡¯re a good girl, so have this,¡± Beat said. Then he dipped his hand into his pocket and fished out the secret key to kidnapping children: candy. ¡°Candyyy!¡± She yelled. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of it. Pal couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It was just so easy. He watched as Beat led her with the candy. ¡°Here, candy! It¡¯s really sweet.¡± If Pal ever became a parent, he¡¯d definitely teach his kids not to follow suspicious adults like this¡­ Anyway. ¡°We can¡¯t give this candy to bad kids,¡± Beat said. ¡°So are you a good kid?¡± She looked a bit doubtful. ¡°Hm, hmm, I dunno. I want to eat the candy, but am I really good? I just don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a test to see if you¡¯re good or not. You have to do what I say, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a good kid, then you¡¯ll come with me.¡± Deceiving kids was easy. Now all they had to do was catch her and send her family a ransom letter. It was just too easy. Kids really were the ideal target of kidnappings. They had to teach all the kids in their village to watch out for this stuff. That¡¯s what Pal was thinking about to separate himself from the crime they were committing. Then the girl suddenly raised her voice. ¡°Ah! I just remembered something!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Um¡­ what did you remember?¡± Beat asked. Her gaze went from innocent to hostile. ¡°Luke told me to never take candy from strangers! Or follow them! He said that guys who do that are bad people. That means that you guys are bad people!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true at all!¡± Beat said, flustered. ¡°We¡¯re good people, aren¡¯t we, Pal?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s the point you focus on¡­ Um, yeah, he¡¯s right. Kids always say that we¡¯re good people¡ª¡± ¡°No one said that, dumbass!¡± Toran yelled. ¡°Oh, uh, right¡­¡± The trust that¡¯d once been on the girl¡¯s face was crumbling rapidly. ¡°Ah, I knew it! You¡¯re bad people! Alright, Milk, let¡¯s do this!¡± ¡°Aww, shit,¡± Toran said. ¡°We have no choice but to use brute force. Things¡¯ll get bad if she runs off and sics her four servants on us.¡± ¡°But attacking a kid like that is kinda¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to dawdle! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re trying to hurt her, all we need to do is stuff her in the bag and go!¡± ¡°Ugh, god. I guess there¡¯s nothing else we can do now.¡± Pal, Toran, and Beat got into position. ¡°Milk¡¯ll show you bad kids what¡¯s up! Let¡¯s gooo!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± The men leapt towards the girl with the bag, but in that instant, something unbelievable happened. Toran¡¯s right hand was the first thing to make contact with Milk. Just when it touched her¡ª ¡°Wagh!?¡± ¡ªhis body flew through the air. No¡­ someone threw it through the air. Beat moved to kick, but when he did, she grabbed his leg and flipped his body over. ¡°Gyah!?¡± That left Beat on the ground, unconscious. Then the girl rushed towards Pal with unreal speed. ¡°Stop doing bad things!¡± Even though her voice was cute, the fist she slammed into his stomach was not. And so Pal lost consciousness. --- A while later. ¡°What was with that monster!? Again? It happened again? What the hell do they feed girls in the city!?¡± Toran yelled. The water gathering at the corners of his eyes was already beginning to fall as tears. They were back in the corner of a busy street. ¡°Enough¡­ enough is enough,¡± Beat whispered. Pal was still pale. ¡°I just remembered what my mom used to tell me. She said, ¡®Cities are dangerous, so you shouldn¡¯t go anywhere near them. Youngins like you always want to go to the big city, but you shouldn¡¯t listen to them.¡¯ I finally understand what she meant.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Fie, he would¡¯ve been girl phobic by now. That was how scary the beauty and that girl were. It was like they¡¯d come from a different dimension. He couldn¡¯t help but worry about if it was even possible to kidnap someone in this city haunted by demons. They had to do something, though. Pal forced his face into composure. ¡°Hey. We don¡¯t have time to stand here shivering in the middle of the street. We haven¡¯t decided on our next move yet.¡± Beat finally pulled his head out of his hands with shaking fingers. ¡°D-decide what?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? We need to figure out where we¡¯re gonna go from here.¡± ¡°Pal, don¡¯t tell me you still want to kidnap one of those monsters? We¡¯re too far below their level. The insanity. The absurdity. The ignoring all of our efforts¡­ Forget monstrous, they¡¯re more like natural disasters. It¡¯s impossible. We can¡¯t go against nature,¡± Beat mumbled. To him, it was past the point of pointlessness. Meanwhile, Toran¡¯s expression was deep as if he was lost in thought. But Pal knew exactly what he was thinking. If kidnapping someone was out, then their only choice was to take their girls and escape the village¡­ But that future was just too dark. They¡¯d lose the place they lived in, their money, and their hometown. They¡¯d lose it all. On top of that, the loan sharks were the kind of people who worked in the human trafficking industy. It wouldn¡¯t be a half-hearted chase on their part - they¡¯d track them down with ease. They were pros. There was even a chance that they¡¯d kill them¡­ When Pal thought about everything that led him here, he shook his head furiously. ¡°Ah, no way! No way I¡¯m giving up!¡± Beat didn¡¯t share his enthusiasm. ¡°But Pal, I don¡¯t want to have to escape from home either. It¡¯s just that this is impossible. Let¡¯s be good and go home.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®but¡¯ me. That beauty was right. If we try again, we better be prepared to die. If we weigh dying and running away against each other, which comes out on top?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What could he even say to that? The only choice left was to run¡­ But then Toran spoke. ¡°Hey, I just got an idea. Wanna hear it?¡± Pal and Beat didn¡¯t react. They didn¡¯t believe that any idea, no matter how good, could break them out of this situation. If they couldn¡¯t kidnap someone, they¡¯d never be able to protect the girls¡­ ¡°¡­It¡¯s impossible,¡± Pal said, dazed. He heard him, but he wasn¡¯t paying any attention. ¡°So I have this idea. We¡¯re men, right?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Toran nodded, satisfied that they were paying some attention to him, even if only a little. ¡°Yeah. So because we¡¯re men, we don¡¯t really understand women, right? Because we¡¯re not women.¡± ¡°I guess not,¡± Pal said. ¡°Right. There¡¯s lots of stuff we don¡¯t understand about them,¡± Beat said. ¡°Like, why¡¯s my girl in such a bad mood around the same time each month? I don¡¯t get it at all.¡± ¡°Oh, that. Be real nice to her and her bad mood¡¯ll clear up,¡± Pal told him. ¡°Ugh, you guys!¡± Toran said, raising his voice to talk over their derailment. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that, even though we didn¡¯t know it until now, girls have always had superhuman strength. But what about men? You can tell which men are weak or strong at a glance, right?¡± ¡°I-I see,¡± Pal said, realization dawning upon him. Beat¡¯s eyes began to shine. ¡°So we just need to find a weak-looking guy and kidnap him instead!¡± Toran nodded. ¡°Exactly. What do you think of him?¡± He asked and pointed to a man on the other side of the street. When Pal and Beat looked, they saw a lanky man with black hair and a terrible bedhead. He looked awfully tired, like he was ready to keel over and go to sleep right now. It looked like he was carrying his tired body around instead of doing what one would normally call walking. Pal had never seen a human being look that exhausted before. He ran completely contrary to one¡¯s definition of ¡®youth¡¯ and ¡®aspirations.¡¯ Just looking at him was enough to suck the motivation out of a man. ¡°Just looking at him makes me feel like all this is gonna be a real pain¡­ I wonder why?¡± Toran nodded. ¡°In some ways, I¡¯d call him outstanding.¡± ¡°Outstanding? How?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell just by looking? His face is completely devoid of motivation. Of energy in general. He¡¯s what we¡¯ve been looking for this whole time: the ideal target for a kidnapping!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Now that he mentioned it, this guy did look like he was the polar opposite of the monsters from before. They might be able to make this work after all, Pal thought. The final problem was¡­ ¡°But there¡¯s no point if he¡¯s not rich, right?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Toran said. ¡°Someone with that little will to live would never manage to scrape by if he wasn¡¯t already loaded, obviously.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying some pretty horrible things about him¡­¡± That being said, Pal looked back to the motivationless man. In the short amount of time that they¡¯d been talking, the man had found a table at an open-air cafe, sat down, and laid his head on the table to nap without ever ordering¡­ ¡°¡­No,¡± Pal backtracked. ¡°Actually, you can say even more horrible things about him. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the perfect time for an afternoon nap, and it looks like he¡¯ll sleep anywhere. Our luck¡¯s finally turning around. C¡¯mon, chop-chop! We¡¯ll nab him and end this as fast as we can.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Who knew how many times they¡¯d settled their resolve like this by now. Either way, the three men hurried over to the cafe. --- Their target was napping peacefully. They approached the motivationless (or ¡®lazy¡¯ for short) man by entering the cafe and securing an area where they had a good view of the street. It wasn¡¯t exactly private due to their proximity to the street¡­ but all that they needed was to get him somewhere that they could come up on him from behind with a knife and threaten him to stay quiet at. Besides, the area wasn¡¯t so busy that it was likely to be a problem. It took a while, but they eventually carved out a plan that¡¯d cover all of their bases. There would be no mistakes this time. If their target started to get noisy, they¡¯d silence him with the knife. They also knew how they¡¯d get him out of the cafe as quickly as possible. Their plan was spotless. Now the only thing left was to do it. Toran and Beat surrounded the lazy man while Pal lay in waiting. Even then, he didn¡¯t open his eyes, even though two hours had already passed since he first sat down¡­ In that time, he hadn¡¯t ordered anything at all, either. Him being here was a huge nuisance. Toran and Pal exchanged a look, then nodded. That was their signal to start. Pal grabbed the knife from his pocket, pinned the man¡¯s arms behind his back, and held the knife to his neck. ¡°Hey¡­ you feel this? I¡¯m pressing my knife up against your throat. If you don¡¯t do what I, uh¡­ I mean, do what we say if you don¡¯t want to die. Got it? If I hear even a peep out of you, you¡¯re dead,¡± he said in the lowest voice he could manage. The lazy man finally opened his eyes just so, then looked up to the men around him. ¡°Mmh¡­ is it already morning?¡± Apparently he wasn¡¯t quite awake yet. They wouldn¡¯t get anywhere like that, so Pal purposefully moved the knife just so, for the lazy man to see it properly. ¡°Wake up, dumbass. Can¡¯t you see this?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ I¡¯m so sleepy that I can¡¯t see.¡± ¡°Huh? Well, that¡¯s quite the probl¡­ no, wait! Whether you¡¯re sleepy or not doesn¡¯t matter in the slightest! Your life¡¯s at stake here!¡± ¡°¡­My life¡¯s at stake? How?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ hm, I don¡¯t really¡­ know how to react to that? Why?¡± Pal looked at the others. ¡°Um¡­¡± Toran was puzzled, too. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not the point! You need to look at the situation, not something on the other side of the room! You don¡¯t understand the situation one bit, do you!? We¡¯re telling you to open your eyes! Then you¡¯ll understand what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯d really disturb a guy¡¯s good nap by being that loud?¡± The lazy man asked as he covered his ears. ¡°What do you even want from me? I can never get any good sleep in thanks to that wild demon of a woman¡­ so? What do you want me to look at?¡± He opened his eyes, but they only opened a little bit for how tired he was. But they were open. He¡¯d finally see the situation he was in. He¡¯d finally start to feel a little nervous once he saw the knife at his throat. There wasn¡¯t a single person in the world who could keep their cool in that situation. Pal once again moved the knife a bit so that the lazy man would absolutely certainly see it. ¡°This is what¡¯s happening to you.¡± He nodded to himself, satisfied that their conversation was finally getting somewhere. Finally, the lazy man responded to their efforts. He looked at the knife, a meek expression on his face. ¡°Mm,¡± he said. ¡°I get it. Now that I¡¯ve seen it, I¡¯m going back to sleep. Night niiiight.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, night night.¡± The lazy man closed his eyes once more and let out a small snore¡­ ¡°¡­Wait!¡± Pal yelled, finally at his limit. ¡°What the hell is this!? You saw the knife, so you need to have a better reaction!¡± The lazy man opened his eyes just so. ¡°What do you waaant. I saw it already. What more do you want from me? Just let me sleep¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s the problem! It¡¯s a knife, you know? It¡¯s going to cut you. You know that, right? And you aren¡¯t scared!?¡± Finally. Finally, the man had a little bit of a reaction. ¡°A knife¡­¡± He breathed a huge sigh, his expression somewhere between tired and sad. ¡°Man. That woman bullies me so much that my reaction to a knife being pressed against my neck¡¯s been dulled to this point¡­ She¡¯s dead emotionless, and she¡¯s going to be the death of me at this rate. I need to do something about it¡­¡± It seemed like he was shocked about something or other - he was shaking from some sort of memory. ¡°Hmph. Finally scared of us?¡± Toran asked. Though Pal couldn¡¯t help but think that he was a little off the mark¡­ Either way, they¡¯d succeeded in getting scared, even if it wasn¡¯t over the thing he was supposed to be scared about. Now they just had to get him away from the cafe. But then the man, totally exhausted, began to speak once more. ¡°Oh, well. Thinking about it isn¡¯t gonna get me anywhere. Night,¡± he said as he laid his head back down on the table. Pal, Toran, and Beat just stared, at a loss for words¡­ Then Beat spoke. ¡°Ah¡­ you know, he doesn¡¯t actually have to be awake for us to take him away.¡± ¡°¡°Ah¡­¡±¡± Pal and Toran had genuinely never thought of that. They exchanged a look. --- The scene changed to a less than popular park that they were camped out at. The sun had fallen through the sky as time ticked towards dusk. They¡¯d tied the lazy man up real tight with a rope, leaving him immobilized while sitting up on the ground. Only then did his eyes open. He wasn¡¯t tense in the slightest. Then he looked around to see that Pal, Toran, and Beat were there. ¡°Ahh¡­ I have no idea what happened because I was asleep, but¡­ what¡¯s up with all this? What¡¯s going on?¡± Pal explained the situation to him. That he¡¯d been abducted four hours ago. That he had money. That they were holding him ransom. That he was their precious hostage, so if he listened to what they said, they wouldn¡¯t kill him. That they¡¯d feed him because he was their precious hostage. Toran explained the final bit. ¡°But no matter how important you are, don¡¯t even think about keeping your life if you disobey us. Got it?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re coldblooded killers. You never know when we¡¯ll snap and off you. Got it?¡± They had to make threats that he wouldn¡¯t forget. It should go well this time. They¡¯d practiced making threats in the four hours that the lazy man had been sleeping, after all¡­ They nodded to themselves, satisfied with their work. Then they looked at the man to see how much of an effect it had. ¡°Ohh,¡± he said. It sounded like he was more impressed than anything. His eyes were shining, and he had an expression that Pal hadn¡¯t seen on him yet. ¡°This is great! I didn¡¯t know that hostages got fed. Talk about luxurious. That means I¡¯m gonna eat, sleep, eat, sleep and get to laze around without doing any work, right?¡± ¡°Uh, lazing around is a little¡­ I mean, it¡¯s not wrong? As long as you don¡¯t try to resist¡­¡± The lazy man shook his head as if that was unthinkable. ¡°Resist? Why would I ever do that? It¡¯d be such a pain. And you said all I have to do is eat and sleep, right? Hostages are amazing! Talk about ideal employment,¡± he said. The lazy man continued without giving them room to speak. ¡°I¡¯ll finally be free from that bully of a swordswoman, and free from that annoying quest to search for relics¡­ I¡¯ll be able to hold a stable job being here as a kidnapping hostage. Yeah. The road to get here was long and hard, but I¡¯ve finally made it. God hasn¡¯t abandoned me¡­ Being a hostage is the best!¡± ¡®Being a hostage is the best¡­¡¯ That was a new phrase. Just hearing it was enough to make them dizzy from the speed that they were thrown into a parallel world. Everything was a surprise since coming to this city. They couldn¡¯t fail. They couldn¡¯t turn back, no matter what happened. Pal breathed a deep sigh then addressed the lazy man, who seemed to be getting a little tired again. ¡°You want some dinner?¡± The lazy man looked up at him. ¡°Hm. Right. I slept so much that I missed lunch. So what are you gonna feed me, since I¡¯m a hostage and all?¡± Why did he make it sound like he was proud of being a hostage¡­? Pal grimaced. ¡°We¡¯ll feed you as long as you do as we say. Got it?¡± ¡°Hm. So what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Simple. You tell us where you live, or who you live with. Someone close to you. Your parents, for example. We need to collect ransom, since this is a hostage situation. That¡¯s it. Then you can do whatever you want. So? Will you tell us?¡± ¡°Hm. Someone close to me?¡± He mumbled. ¡°Someone close to me, huh¡­ I don¡¯t have any parents¡­ And when I try to think of people I know in this country, things get pretty dicey¡ª¡± He paled, then continued to speak, his voice louder this time. ¡°Oh, but that leaves that woman. It¡¯s best to give up on that one. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d actually come if you threatened her with me. And on the off chance that she actually did¡­ she¡¯d be the one killing people here, not you guys. Ugh, it¡¯s hopeless. Let¡¯s do someone else instead. You can find someone off the streets who doesn¡¯t know me but will feel bad about it and pay up anyw¡ª¡± ¡°Nobody like that exists,¡± Toran said. ¡°If they did, they¡¯d have given us money a long time ago. Stop being an idiot and spit it out¡ªwho¡¯ll pay your ransom!?¡± He opened his mouth and told them where he was staying. Then, ¡°Ah¡­ I don¡¯t know anything, okay?¡± he mumbled, then fell over. Pal, Toran, and Beat immediately started drafting a ransom letter. The hostage is already on the verge of death. If you want him to return alive, then meet us at Pohbu Bridge in the suburbs tomorrow night. Bring money. ¡ªwas the letter that they ended up going up with. They gave a youngster a little money to take it and deliver it to the address that the man specified. Yes¡­ they¡¯d finally reached the point of true ransom. It was a spectacular feat for them to come back from the events earlier, where the monstrously strong beauty and the innocent-looking monster girl tried to kill them. Now they were as good as done with the whole affair. They¡¯d repay their debts. Get rich. Save their businesses. This was all so that they could protect the people who were the most important to them. ¡°We did it!¡± Toran said. Pal nodded. ¡°Yeah! Just a little more¡­ just a little more and we can wash our hands of this!¡± ¡°It was such a long day,¡± Beat said, tears streaming down his face. ¡°So, so long¡­¡± They hugged each other tightly to ascertain their friendship. Now all that was left was to taste the sweet flavor of victory. They¡¯d finally get their happiness back. They¡¯d finally be able to relax again¡­ ¡­Or so they thought. --- A scream, filled with urgency, echoed around them. ¡°I-I¡¯m gonna be killed! Killed!¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± The three men looked around to the source of the scream. Pal¡¯s eyes focused on a youngster¡ªthe very one that they¡¯d given a little money to deliver their letter¡­ or maybe it was better to say that they had him deliver a ransom letter. He was white as a sheet, and tears were streaming down his face. He was running at them with full force. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Toran asked. The youngster was breathing hard by the time he reached them. He shoved something into Beat¡¯s hands. ¡°H-here,¡± he said. ¡°There. I delivered the letter. I delivered it, okay? Because I¡¯d be in trouble if I didn¡¯t? I don¡¯t want to die like this¡­¡± He suddenly shivered as if terrified, then ran off again. That was not normal. What could have possibly scared him so badly? ¡°He must have seen something,¡± Pal whispered. Just then, Beat began to shiver horrifically. ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s bad¡­ It¡¯s really bad¡­ What should we do¡­?¡± He repeated those words as he held the letter that the youth had given them. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Toran asked. ¡°What¡¯s the letter say?¡± Toran took the letter and read it. His face went pale, too. ¡°You too, Toran?¡± Pal asked. ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡± ¡°R-read it, Pal. Things just got really serious¡­¡± Toran handed the letter to Pal, who unfolded it and read it. Lay a finger on the hostage and you¡¯re dead. Hand over all the cash you¡¯ve made by kidnapping people or you¡¯re dead. Have all your money ready by the time I get to you or you¡¯re dead. I will m a s s a c r e you. Everything in the letter¡­ was saying that they¡¯d be killed. ¡°M-massacre,¡± Pal whispered. From birth to now, this was the first time he¡¯d ever seen someone tell another person that they¡¯d kill them. Their letter had been all wrong. Theirs had conveyed their intention, but this one conveyed not only intention but intent and fear. They were a pro. That was for sure. They were a professional criminal¡­ no, it was more than that. They were a demon. Only a demon could write a threat like this. They knew that it wasn¡¯t a bluff from the youngster crying and running away earlier. No one would react like that unless they¡¯d witnessed proof of the claim being real. What had sent them that threat? Even without knowing what did it, the fact that they were in danger was unmistakable. ¡°Enough,¡± Beat said. He was at his limit. ¡°I give up! Women, children, and men are all impossible in the city! Let¡¯s go back to the countryside. I¡¯ll take Anne and we¡¯ll escape, consequences or not!¡± With that, he ran off. Pal and Toran watched him, in a daze. Pal was the first to speak. ¡°Wh, what should we do? It¡¯s clear that this is serious. We can¡¯t kidnap anyone right, so that means we didn¡¯t get any money from that¡­ No one will lend us money anymore, either. So¡­ what happens if we can¡¯t pay up¡­?¡± Toran shivered. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ be killed.¡± They made up their minds, then began to sprint in the direction of their hometown. The sun dipped entirely below the horizon, beckoning the moon and stars into the night sky. Ryner Lute yawned as he watched from his place on the ground. ¡°Aww¡­ my glorious days as a hostage came to an end too soon,¡± he mumbled as he twisted his body inside the rope that was wrapped around him. With a few movements of his wrists, he got the rope tying his hands behind his back loose, too. Just like that, he got the rope that¡¯d been painstakingly wrapped around him off with ease. He yawned. Then he raised his untied upper body. Then he yawned again. ¡°I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯m tired from sleeping. I picked a weird time to wake up. Oh, but I did get a little bit of a breather today without Ferris breathing down on my¡ª¡± Just then, the familiar sound of something sharp cutting through air reached his ears. Then he felt a sword against the back of his neck¡­ His next sigh was 40% more tired than the one before it. The sword had stopped at the perfect point. It was almost miraculous how it could come at him with full force and then stop just as it reached his neck. It¡¯d cut him if he moved, so he stayed as still as possible. Then she¡ªFerris Eris¡ªstarted to speak in her monotone, emotionless voice. ¡°It¡¯s time. Where¡¯s the money?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? What? Uh, I have literally no idea what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± She looked down at him with cold eyes. ¡°I wrote that all the kidnapping money needed to come here, or I¡¯m going to start killing.¡± ¡°¡­Um¡­ So I understand what you¡¯re saying, but look at the situation here. I was the hostage. The culprits aren¡¯t here anymore. They ran away. So¡­¡± With a glint of light, Ferris¡¯ sword moved from the back of his neck to his face. ¡°Uwah! Hey! W, wait. Why are you¡ª¡± ¡°I went out of my way to come here. Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t have the money. I said that I¡¯d massacre you if you didn¡¯t have the money. And so¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, you¡­ Think about the situa¡ª¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll massacre you¡­¡± ¡°Whaaa!? Why¡¯re you trying to kill me!? Gyaaaah!¡± And so the usual screams echoed through the city. --- The moon was truly beautiful. Ryner was collapsed on the ground just like always. Of course, Ferris¡¯ sword was the culprit¡­ Ferris was nearby. Her sword was sheathed and she was looking up at the moon. ¡°Leaving aside my joke about massacre.¡± ¡°¡­Is knocking me out a joke too? Also, why am I the only one you bully¡ª¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± Ferris interrupted. ¡°I heard that you were on the verge of death.¡± Ryner made a stupid noise on hearing that. ¡°Wha?¡± That was¡­ that meant¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were worried,¡± Ryner said, his face full of surprise. Ferris continued in her emotionless voice. ¡°So why aren¡¯t you dead? You¡¯ve completely betrayed my expectations. Things would have been more interesting if you were d¡ª¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be interesting at all!¡± ¡°Hm. If you¡¯re alive, then let¡¯s get going. You¡¯ve gotten your fill of sleeping, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ryner watched as Ferris began to move. ¡°Geez¡­¡± But in that instant¡ª ¡°Mm?¡± ¡ªa piece of paper flew right onto his face. He took it off, unfolded it, and read it. A number of simple words that he¡¯d seen before were written on it. His eyes settled on the first sentence. He stared, his eyes half open. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said softly. Then he caught up to Ferris. ¡°So where are we going now, in the dead of night?¡± ¡°I got new information on the relic from before. The one that sprouted a dragon.¡± ¡°Ah, right. That pointlessly dangerous-looking thing.¡± ¡°Apparently it¡¯s suddenly disappeared,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Hmm. So?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking into it. Hurry up.¡± ¡°Aww¡­ don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s kinda weird that we have to go investigate it now, even though we didn¡¯t get what it meant earlier eithe¡ª¡± Ferris unsheathed her sword and swung it towards him. ¡°¡ªOkay, okay, I get it. Yeah, we definitely have to go and investigate it. God!¡± Ferris ignored him. ¡°We¡¯re going,¡± she said, then resumed walking. He watched her for a moment, then looked back down to the paper in his hands. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s fine.¡± The paper caught in the wind and flew off up, up, and up, until it disappeared. By then, Ryner and Ferris were already gone. --- By the way, two months later¡ª Pal, Toran, and Beat had returned to their village. The dragon disappeared from Harpunnel and the tourists returned to their village. They had their weddings. At some point, their lives had reached the peak of happiness. They came from hell and made their way to heaven. Their passionate newlywed lives slowly erased those terrible days¡­ and then. Pal and Fie were on their daily lovey-dovey walk in the park. Suddenly, a piece of paper hit Pal in the face. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡¯ He picked the paper off his face, unfolded it, and began to read the first sentence. Lay a finger on the hostage and ¡°Gyaaaaaagh!!¡± That was as far as he got before screaming. By the way, that wasn¡¯t the only time someone screamed in Crohn Village that day. --- The world was moving. Irresponsibility brought that dragon to life. Something made it disappear. But that¡¯s a different story entirely. Volume 2 - CH 1 A carriage was riding along a road, uncommitted to reaching its destination. Ryner Lute and Ferris Eris were sitting in the front. Ryner had an absentminded look on his face and unruly dark hair, and his whole body was exhausted. All in all, he had the unmistakable aura of a student on a Sunday dreading going to school on Monday morning. In contrast, Ferris was expressionless but dashingly beautiful by his side. She was staring down a map or something, serious as could be. It was a nice, cloudless day, the likes of which could make anyone sleepy, not just Ryner. Ryner was in control of the reins, so when his grip tightened, the horses slowed down a bit. ¡°So?¡± He said. ¡°What¡¯ve you been looking at so seriously this whole time, Ferris? I know where the next Heroic Relic is even without a map. I spent two years researching this stuff, after all¡­¡± She raised her head quietly. ¡°I know that. But I received information that I¡¯m interested in regarding our travels yesterday¡­ I¡¯m looking into it now.¡± ¡°Hm? Information that you¡¯re interested in?¡± ¡°Mm-hm. I heard stories about magical items not unlike the Heroic Relics that have seduced millions of people in the Runa Empire since olden days. They said that those items not only exist, but are skewered on display.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ uwah¡­ too crazy to be true,¡± Ryner said, exasperated. ¡°Um, so¡­ If those were real, they¡¯d be way more famous than this. They wouldn¡¯t just be in some exhibition. It¡¯s probably just a circus or something? In all of the Runan legends that I looked through, not a single one mentioned this. I reject your proposal to check it out. God, if we looked into every single contrived story, we¡¯d never finish this¡­¡± ¡°Our job is important,¡± she said, making for Ryner¡¯s neck. ¡°We can¡¯t overlook anything, trivial as it may seem. We both know that we cannot allow Runa¡¯s powerful magic items to be overlooked.¡± ¡°¡­No, I just think that looking into this one¡¯s a waste of time¡­ uuh¡­ I get it. You want to say that I don¡¯t have the right to make any decisions here, right? So you can put your sword away now.¡± Ferris nodded and took her sword back away. ¡°Then our next move is clear. Our destination is Tallas Town¡­ but there¡¯s one problem. There is a considerable entrance fee to get in there to see the famous magical item.¡± ¡°Yeah, I bet having something like that would be pretty profitable. So? Any other problem?¡± ¡°Mm. They¡¯re a limited time offer going on, too. Couples are getting half-off on admissions to Tallas Town, and we both know that we¡¯re traveling on a major budget. Therefore, we¡¯d best use that deal, but that lends itself to another problem.¡± ¡°I think the problem is that a discount for couples is shady in itself, but anyway, do you really think there¡¯s a relic there?¡± Ferris completely ignored him. ¡°The first problem is that women are forbidden in military circles in Runa to the point that they think that I, a first-class beauty, am a man just because I wear armor. Think back to that perverted woman who thought that we were a couple consisting of two men. The biggest problem is that I, whose beauty destroys land, water, and the heavens, would never date a sex maniac who hasn¡¯t fully woken up in 10,000 years. One would think that the easy solution to this would be for me to remove my armor and wear something feminine, but on the other hand, that¡¯s difficult¡­ but fear not. I already have a solution.¡± With that, Ferris took something she¡¯d stored in the back of the carriage out. It was perfectly normal, and perfectly feminine, being a pink and frilly dress. There was just one abnormal thing about it¡­ actually, it was a kind of huge abnormality. ¡°Huh, I see,¡± Ryner said, his voice strangely shrill. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I think it suits you, Ferris. If you wear that, they¡¯ll see you as a woman and me as a man, and we can get that couples¡¯ discount¡ª¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Ferris interrupted. ¡°Look at the size. This clothes were made for you¡ª¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to look at it! How did you even come to this conclusion!?¡± Ferris ignored his screams. ¡°I¡¯ve already bought cosmetics for you, too. This solves all of our problems. The discomfort of seeing a transcendent beauty like me with a sex maniac is an issue. Men are all wild beasts, after all. On the other hand, I could easily seduce a lazy but perverted woman. All of that discomfort is gone. My plan is flawless.¡± Then she reached back to pull something else out. ¡°In any case, shall we start with lipstick?¡± ¡°Nooooo!!¡± And so Ryner¡¯s screams echoed down the road. --- Children were laughing. Whether it was families or couples, everyone had smiles on their faces. Family friendly activities were everywhere, along with delicious-looking food stands and rare animals. It was a theme park of sorts. There was a sign up high, its big letters proclaiming it to be Picky Fantasy Land. It was a famous theme park in Runa. And in that theme park¡ª ¡°I¡¯m not a kid! I understand that this is the Runan way of thinking. You¡¯re trying to get me to play to my heart¡¯s content and forget all about Ryner so that I¡¯ll go home nice and quiet, aren¡¯t you! Well, that¡¯s not happening!¡± Milk Callaud yelled at her guardian-like subordinates who were surrounding her. She was angrier than one would expect to see from someone so cute-looking. ¡°I¡¯m an adult!¡± Milk continued. ¡°Thinking that I¡¯d want to spend all day on this family-fun stuff is a big mista¡ª¡± Just then, Milk¡¯s oldest subordinate (though he was still only twenty-five) spoke as he pointed across the crowd. ¡°Ah! Chief Milk! There¡¯s the mascot, Pikipicky!¡± ¡°What!? Where?¡± Milk yelled, whipping her head around to look, her ponytail swaying with her as she scurried over. Then she caught sight of him and his half-bear, half-rabbit, half-asleep glory. ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s Picky! Luke, Lach, Lear, Moe! Look, it¡¯s amazing! C¡¯mere, c¡¯mere!¡± Her subordinates watched her, somehow deeply moved by the sight. ¡°I¡¯m so glad that we took her to Fantasy Land.¡± ¡°This will make a good memory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s important to make good memories while you¡¯re still a kid, after all.¡± ¡°They say that memories are more important than possessions.¡± ¡°Oh, not a bad phrase, Lear.¡± Lately, they¡¯d really settled into their role as her guardians. --- Just then, Ryner and Ferris arrived at their destination¡­ Picky Fantasy Land. However, Ryner didn¡¯t have the heart to comment on or even notice this fact. ¡°Uuh¡­ Everyone¡¯s looking at me, Ferris. Are you seeing this? Everyone¡¯s looking at me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Anyone would worry about it!¡± Ryner said, then sighed. ¡°This is the worst¡­ How did things end up like this? I hate this¡­ I really just¡­¡± He walked with his head hung low, trying to take up as little space as possible. Ferris, meanwhile, did the talking once they reached the ticket booth. ¡°We¡¯d like a couples¡¯ ticket.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­ whoa. You¡¯re beautiful. Are you sure you¡¯re not a woman?¡± ¡°Mm. I get that a lot. But look at my armor.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ you really are a man. Amazing. I can¡¯t help but feel like your beauty¡¯s wasted¡­ no, what am I saying? Anyway, here¡¯s your couples¡¯ ticket. Here¡¯s yours, and here¡¯s your girlfriend¡¯s¡­ whoa!?¡± He went silent for a moment. ¡°Uh¡­ this is your girlfriend? This¡­ this¡­ this guy?¡± ¡°Mm. She gets that a lot. But would a man wear a frilly pink dress? Only a pervert would do that in broad daylight.¡± ¡°R-right. I¡¯m sorry that I doubted you¡­ But to think that she¡¯s your girlfriend¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We hear that more than enough. But you¡¯ve hurt her feelings. Give me her ticket instead.¡± With that, Ryner and Ferris entered Fantasy Land, Ferris handing the second ticket over to Ryner. ¡°And that¡¯s that. Pervert.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean!¡± Ryner yelled. ¡°No matter how you look at it, seeing you as a man and me as a woman is way more uncomfortable than the other way around!¡± ¡°Hm. Seems so. Everyone looks at you as they pass.¡± ¡°Everyone?! Ugh, I can¡¯t do this! My life is over! I¡¯ve been violated! I¡¯ll never be a bride!!¡± Ryner said as he covered his face, sitting like a woman would for some reason, his composure completely gone. ¡°If you hate it so much, then why didn¡¯t you refuse?¡± Ferris asked, collected as ever. ¡°You even let me put make-up on you.¡± ¡°Haah? I refused since the very beginning! Anyone would crossdress if they were threatened with a sword¡ª¡± ¡°Mm. The other couples are all linking arms. It¡¯s suspicious if we don¡¯t do the same. Come on, give me your arm.¡± ¡°Are you even listening to me!?¡± So he said, but he moved his arm forward and linked it with hers. Once again, his face turned downcast. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get that magic item and go.¡± ¡°Yes. Heheh.¡± ¡°Ah! Did you just laugh!? You laughed, didn¡¯t you! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re having fun with making me look like this!? ¡°It really suits you. Perverted woman.¡± ¡°Youuu! I¡¯m going to kill you after this!¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯m definitely reporting this to the king.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll definitely kill you if you do!¡± And so they made dangerous conversation while walking around like a lovey-dovey couple. Ryner, meanwhile, was different from his usual motivationless self. He was working out a plan. ¡°What should I do¡­ If I go back to the carriage and change clothes, then I¡¯d have to pay the entrance fee again to come back¡­ What should I do¡­¡± Just then, something caught Ryner¡¯s eye. It was two people in mascot costumes. He couldn¡¯t tell if they were supposed to be bears or rabbits, but one was red and the other one was blue. They were surrounded by happily smiling children. It seemed like they were a lot more comfortable wearing something weird here than Ryner, who was still stuck on the crossdressing bit. Seeing it, Ryner screamed. ¡°There!¡± ¡°Mm? What are you yelling about?¡± Ferris asked as she looked over to what Ryner was reacting to. ¡°Do you want to shake hands with that abnormality?¡± ¡°No way! Besides, I¡¯m way more out of place than that!¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s impossible to see you as anything but a pervert.¡± ¡°¡­W-well, we don¡¯t have enough time here for me to react to that, but anyway, don¡¯t you think that I¡¯d blend in better if we stole one of those costumes? We¡¯d be able to sneak into anywhere.¡± ¡°Ahh. I see. Not a bad plan.¡± ¡°Right? Okay, it¡¯s decided. I¡¯m stealing that costume. Alright! Then let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± Ryner broke out into a run, his frilly dress fluttering as he did. Watching him from behind, no matter how slender he may be, he was obviously a man. It was impossible to see him as a woman with a large build instead of a crossdressing man. It was past the point of strange and approaching the line of fear for the park-goers, who would probably be reassured if they saw him over by the funhouse instead of out in the rest of the park. ¡°I see. I¡¯ve decided on Ryner¡¯s next job,¡± Ferris mumbled as she too approached the two Pickys. A while later¡­ Milk had her fill of Fantasy Land. She¡¯d mastered all the games and was now searching out the red Picky. Her ponytail swayed as she looked around restlessly. ¡°Uuh¡­ I can¡¯t find it. But I won¡¯t give up! I¡¯ll definitely find you, red Picky!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, Chief!¡± Moe said. ¡°You won¡¯t have any trouble finding a red Picky or two!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help you out,¡± Lach said. Lear was reading a pamphlet on the park. ¡°Hm. If there wasn¡¯t one in the west or south sides, let¡¯s go east next.¡± ¡°Yeah! Thanks, everyone! Wait for me, red Picky!¡± Luke was watching her, a kind look on his face. This was supposed to be an elite squadron of Roland¡¯s Taboo Hunters¡­ One couldn¡¯t help but think that this was a massive waste of their skill. Their powers of perception, observation, and analytics far exceeded a normal human¡¯s. That meant that finding the red Picky in this theme park was a simple matter for them. Lear¡¯s role in their military squadron was being the brains. Lach and Moe¡¯s job was to tag along as her big brothers. Luke¡¯s job was to be the dad. ¡°You can only have ice cream once a day,¡± Luke said. ¡°We don¡¯t want you to get an upset stomach,¡± Luke said. He kept a watchful eye on all aspects of her care. The sun was just barely moving past its highest point in the sky. The weather was still perfect, with its refreshing breeze and cloudless sky. Nobody would think that this nice day was part of a dangerous journey. ¡°Not bad,¡± Luke said with a nod to himself. Milk suddenly dropped her ice cream. She shivered. ¡°I-I found it! Everyone, look, I found the red Picky!¡± She said as she pointed. It wasn¡¯t just the red Picky, either. There was a blue one too. Those Pickys were different from the others. It wasn¡¯t just the color, either. There was an entirely different air about them. The red one wasn¡¯t cute at all. Also, it had a longsword. Then the blue one¡­ was tall, slouching a little, and just looked exhausted in general. Like it was going to keel over asleep any second. ¡°I found them! The red and blue Pickys! Aren¡¯t they cute!?¡± Milk said and jumped up. ¡°Lach, Lear, Moe. Go with her.¡± ¡°¡°Understood.¡±¡± Milk picked up the ice cream she¡¯d dropped and put it in the trash. ¡°Alright, peace has been restored.¡± They leisurely walked with Milk, like they were teachers on a kindergarten field trip, not to speak of their real roles. Milk, on the other hand, was energetically heading for the Pickys. ¡°Red Picky, I found y¡ªgyah!?¡± The second she reached the red Picky, she was on the floor. ¡°Are you okay, Chief?¡± Lach and the others yelled. Milk instantly jumped back up and at her target. ¡°I won¡¯t let you escape, red Picky!¡± The red Picky adopted a bit more serious of a stance this time. Even so, Milk was a graduate of a military academy. She was on a far higher level than someone who was a part-time Picky. So she easily captured the Picky¡­ or at least she should have. But the Picky seemed to disappear, leaving a red blur as its aftermath, then reappeared closer to the blue Picky. So Milk ended up on the ground once more. Lach and the others made a surprised noise. ¡°Wha!?¡± They were shocked that a Picky that looked as unsubstantial as this one had that kind of power. It moved insanely quickly. They had no idea that this kind of skill was required to work as a Picky¡­ Then the red Picky whispered. ¡°You¡¯re a nuisance. Get out of my sight.¡± What a thing for a Picky to say! She knew that Pickys were able to communicate their feelings to children telepathically, but it just spoke. The dreams of children¡­ were being crushed¡­ Milk looked like she just couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Huh? No way¡­ Picky, Picky just talked! Uwaaahn. Is there a person inside? Is there actually a person inside!? She cried. Luke ran over, flustered. ¡°C-calm down, Chief. This is a special Picky that can use human speech. The proof is that it¡¯s red.¡± ¡°R-really? Pickys are real, right? They¡¯re not fake?¡± ¡°Of course not! The proof is that the blue one isn¡¯t speaking, see?¡± Luke said. He turned to the blue one, a pleading look at his eye. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m sleepy¡­ so tired¡­ and this costume is heavy¡­¡± ¡°Kyaaah! It said ¡®costume!¡¯ It called it a ¡®costume!¡¯¡± And so the girl was wounded yet again by a cruel adult. The Pickys, meanwhile, ignored not only her but the other kids, too, as they talked to each other. ¡°So where are those magic things? We came all the way here and did a bunch of weird shit for them. Let¡¯s hurry up and nab them before this gets any more annoying than it¡¯s already been.¡± ¡°Mm. They¡¯re in the northern area,¡± the red one said. ¡°I¡¯ll get them, so what about you? Will you do your job as a bear-rabbit hybrid?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Luke grimaced as he listened to the Pickys. They were just the worst. To think that the morals of part-time workers were this low¡­ but there was nothing they could do about it now. Their best bet was to go ahead and buy her that second ice cream and calm her down enough for her to go home. The point of all of this was to help her forget about their professional duties for a day, and yet. The red Picky trampled on those feelings of his without a second thought. Then, the red Picky spoke, detached. ¡°Then Ryner, I will go to the north¡ª¡± Time stopped. Milk stopped crying and Luke was aghast. The blue Picky was facing the red one. ¡°Dammit, Ferris¡­¡± ¡°Ryneeerrr!? What¡¯s going on? Augh, I¡¯ll never forgive you for having fun dressed up like Pickys with her! I wanted to be a Picky! Stop fooling around with her, you cheater! Luke, Lack, Lear, Moe. This Picky is Ryner!¡± ¡°Haah¡­ this is ridiculous. Just when we got Chief to come here and forget about our duties for a bit¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, just go!¡± ¡°O-of course,¡± her subordinates all said in unison. That marked the start of their battle. Luke and the others unsheathed their swords. ¡°You¡¯re never, ever getting away from me again!¡± Milk yelled as she drew a magic circle to cast one of Roland¡¯s stronger spells. The blue Picky sighed loudly. ¡°Are you kidding me¡­ You¡¯re casting offensive magic in a crowded public place? If I couldn¡¯t counter it, people would really die here. You¡¯d be a wanted criminal.¡± He moved his hands far faster than Milk. ¡°I wish for an invasion¡ª¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you counter me! Luke, Lach, Lear, support me!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The men readied their swords and leapt towards Ryner. There was a sudden red flash, and before anyone had time to process it, the red Picky¡¯s sword was out and everyone else¡¯s swords had been knocked away. For some reason, the surrounding kids began to cheer. ¡°Wow, the red Picky¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t lose, Picky!¡± ¡°Picky, over here!¡± At some point, the Pickys vs Milk¡¯s group of five had become a show for the surrounding people; be it families or couples, they all watched, perfectly at ease despite the offensive magic that was about to fire. ¡°I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash!¡± Ryner¡¯s spell finished right in time, too. ¡°I wish for an invasion - Eclipse!¡± Thunder and smoke fired from their magic circles, but soon after, the two spells interfered with each other in a way that they both disappeared safely. The crowd went wild. ¡°¡°Whoaaa!!¡±¡± They clapped and clapped around them. ¡°Good luck to that girl, too!¡± ¡°She¡¯s adorable!¡± ¡°And the man with the white hair is a sight to see, too!¡± The blue Picky¡ªokay, he¡¯s Ryner¡ªglared at the red Picky and yelled. ¡°Ferris you asshole! Why¡¯d you have to expose me in the first place?¡± The red Picky¡ªokay, she¡¯s Ferris¡ªignored him and surveyed the crowd. ¡°Standing out like this is bad. Especially when it comes to that girl who you threw out from your past the second she ceased to be useful to you. We¡¯ve already shown too much of Roland¡¯s magic to Runa. Is she not conscious of the fact that she¡¯s a Taboo Hunter? If she uses any more magic here, then¡­¡± She unsheathed her sword. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll chop her head off.¡± ¡°Whoa, hey!¡± The blue Picky known as Ryner shouted. ¡°If you do that, these kids will have nightmares about heads flying every night for the rest of their lives. Besides, aren¡¯t you the one who started all of th¡ª¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s the fault of your deplorable and habitual thirst for women that¡¯s gradually built up to this point. You are reaping what you sow. I am fulfilling our duty. I will continue to the northern part of the park, and you will stay here and deal with this. It¡¯s in area twenty-four.¡± ¡°Hey¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use any magic,¡± Ferris interrupted. ¡°There are too many people watching.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to say¡ª¡± This time, Milk was the one who interrupted him. ¡°What!? You think you can ignore me just because you two are Pickys and I¡¯m not?¡± With that, she began to draw another magic circle. ¡°Whoa, wait a sec¡ª¡± ¡°Alright. You deal with this,¡± Ferris said one last time. ¡°I¡¯m trying to tell you that since you don¡¯t fight with magic in the first place¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this, Ryner!¡± Milk said. ¡°We¡¯re definitely going to play together as Pickys!¡± Ryner sighed loudly. That was all he needed to do to convey his thoughts on the situation. He wasn¡¯t happy with any part of this. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be accomplishing our duty,¡± Ferris said. She disappeared in a red blur. The spectators gasped at the sight, but Ryner hardly had the time to pay attention to the crowd. He looked at Milk. Her magic circle was just finishing up. ¡°Ugh, geez¡­ I¡¯m seriously at my limit here.¡± He moved to quell her magic circle. Luke and the others jumped in front of Milk. ¡°I won¡¯t let you lay a hand on the Chief!¡± ¡°¡­This is a huge pain, but I guess I¡¯m gonna have to take it at least a little seriously,¡± Ryner said with another sigh as he kicked up at Luke to throw his sword off. It flew, doing several spins in the sky. He curbed Lach as he came at him from the side, dodged Lear¡¯s sword then kicked him from the side, making Moe crash into him. Getting to Milk was easy with her subordinates defeated. He didn¡¯t move with Ferris¡¯ overwhelming speed. Instead, he moved smoothly, with practiced ease. Though Ferris was pretty smooth too, if one were to categorize her speed as a monster¡¯s instead of as a human¡­ Either way, he made it to Milk and shoved his arms through her magic circle. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ve suppressed¡­ huh?¡± The magic circle was already complete. All she had to do now was recite the spell. ¡°I¡¯m doing it, Ryner! I wish for¡ª¡± ¡°W-w-wait, Milk!¡± Ryner said, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t move his arms through the spell enough to stop her. ¡°I wish for thunder¡ª¡± ¡°This is bad! What should I do? Kgh¡­¡± He moved his arms again, taking her hands. ¡°¡ªLightning fuwaghwagh!¡± He covered his lips with the costume¡¯s lips. Milk¡¯s face went bright red. Her limbs went limp and a dreamy look washed over her face. ¡°¡°Chieeeefff!¡±¡± ¡°What¡¯s up with them?¡± Ryner said carelessly as they separated. Of course, his lips hadn¡¯t touched hers at all from inside the costume. ¡°Haah¡­ I¡¯m so tired. This costume¡¯s too heavy for this.¡± Not like he could take it off now, though. The crowd, which had gone silent at some point, slowly got loud again. Picky fans swarmed Ryner. ¡°Amazing. That was just the best! I¡¯m so moved!¡± ¡°Picky¡¯s not just cute. He¡¯s cool, too¡­¡± ¡°Will you kiss me, too, Picky?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Was all that Ryner could say to that. There were too many of them to cut through. He had no idea when it happened, but their little ¡®show¡¯ had become a real attraction, and now everyone was calling out for Picky as they ran up to him. Soon the crowd would swallow him, and he¡¯d lose his life¡­ Ryner took a step back and scowled. ¡°Hey now, one at a time¡­ Anyway, though, let¡¯s get out of h¡ª¡± Something latched onto his legs. ¡°¡ªUwah!¡± Whatever it was, it was stronger than a demon! It pulled him down to the ground. Though it was probably pretty obvious that it was Milk who grabbed him. ¡°I¡¯ve caught you, Ryner! You can¡¯t get away now!¡± ¡°Look at the situation here! We¡¯re seriously gonna die if this crowd tramples us, you know!¡± ¡°Say that all you want, but you¡¯re just looking for an excuse to abandon me again, aren¡¯t you! But I won¡¯t let you! Now hurry up and tell me how to turn into a Picky too!¡± ¡°Huh!? This isn¡¯t the time for that!¡± Ryner said. Then he lifted his head and went silent. No, he gave up on it. The crowd was engulfing him, and a demon was holding him down and letting it happen. ¡°Ah¡­ I don¡¯t even care what happens anymore.¡± The complete defeat on his face didn¡¯t stop the crowd, though. And so the crowd swallowed him up with ease¡­ --- The sun was falling down the horizon, leaving the sky a brilliant red. It was evening, but still too early to be called dinner time. A snug wooden building with the air of a family-run business stood in the twenty-fourth area of the northern quarter of Fantasy Land. A blue Picky staggered over¡­ but at this point, could it really be called blue anymore? Its fur was covered in dirt. What kind of carnage had this Picky lived through? No emotion remained in its tired eyes. Though it was a costume, so it was kind of hard to tell if it was experiencing emotion in the first place. The blue Picky opened the double doors and stepped inside. There was food at the counter and numerous tables inside. There was only one guest: a relaxed red Picky with the head off, revealing a drop-dead blonde beauty. She looked up when the blue Picky called out to her. ¡°Oh, Ryner. You¡¯re late,¡± she said, a skewer of dango in her right hand and a cup of tea in her left hand. ¡°Hey¡­ why are you in here relaxing? What happened to that duty of ours? To the magic items?¡± She ignored the blue Picky¡¯s questions. ¡°Too bad for you, but the dango is all sold out. It¡¯s a popular shop. It¡¯s a good thing that I went out of my way to come here.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Dango? The hell? You went out of your way for this¡­?¡± The red Picky ignored him again. Could it be that the two types of Picky were unable to communicate¡­? ¡°So what about the magic items?¡± ¡°Mm. The dango here is sublime. This is the first time that I¡¯ve tasted this anywhere but Wynnit Dango. It¡¯s no wonder that it always makes the top ten in the dango newsletter that I¡¯m subscribed to¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking¡­ wait, did you just say that there¡¯s a dango newsletter!?¡± ¡°Hehe. I read Dango Magazine, too.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the point¡­ Wait, did you lie about the magic items just so that you could try this dango?¡± Was it such a stretch to say that a vein appeared on the blue Picky¡¯s head? The red Picky sighed deeply. ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything. What else should dango enthusiasts use to describe the taste of this dango? Is it not a magic item among simpler dango?¡± ¡°How should I know!?¡± ¡°Why are you angry? I did not lie. Remember what I said at the very beginning?¡± ¡°Um¡­ if I¡¯m remembering correctly, you said something like that they were ¡®magical items not unlike the Heroic Relics that have seduced millions of people in the Runa Empire since olden days¡­¡¯¡± The red Picky wordlessly pointed at the sign. Celebrating our 120th anniversary. Our guests have exceeded two million! All seats are sold out for today, thank you for your patronage. So basically, she¡¯d translated that into the speal about magical items. The red Picky held eye contact as she ate her dango. ¡°So? Do you need me to explain anything else?¡± ¡°¡­No, you¡¯ve said more than enough¡­¡± He sighed and took the head off of his mascot costume, then sat down beside her and took a dango skewer. ¡°But¡­ the fruit of all of my labors is just this dango, then? Really? I can¡¯t believe I went through all of that for this¡­¡± He stuffed a ball of dango into his mouth. ¡°Geez¡­ it was all for this. Oh, but this is really good. It¡¯s like, sticker than other¡­ ah, it¡¯s stuck in my throat guagh! Ferris! W-water!¡± ¡°Hm? Water? What are you saying? It¡¯s only natural to drink tea with dango.¡± The blue Picky was supposed to have taken his blue head off, but it seemed to be coming back. He slurped tea up as fast as he could. The red Picky just watched with a melancholic look in her eyes. ¡°The way of dango is a long and perilous art to master¡­¡± The sky was changing from vivid reds to deep blues. Will those two be able to master the way of dango? No, wait, what kind of journey even is this? It¡¯s kind of hard to say lately. Volume 2 - CH 2 ¡°Yahoo!¡± ¡°Listen here. If you don¡¯t wanna die, stop the carriage and hand all yer cargo over!¡± A vulgar voice suddenly shouted. Ryner Lute sighed. Even now, his hair was messy and his posture was terrible. His sleepy eyes scanned his surroundings. ¡°Such a pain¡­¡± He sighed a second time. The situation was as follows: They were traveling on a remote road. Ryner was in the driver¡¯s seat, and their carriage had been progressing at a leisurely pace. Then a bunch of guys on horses decided to surround them. There were six of them, and they were waving their poorly-made, thick swords around. ¡°What now!¡± One of the men yelled. ¡°You got some nerve driving such a pretentious-lookin¡¯ carriage around! You¡¯re dripping cash, and on top of that, you¡¯re scared shitless!¡± No matter how one looked at it, it was a pretty tense situation. Ryner, however, didn¡¯t have a shred of urgency written on his face. Instead, he spoke with a voice that was crazy tired. ¡°Whoa, hear that, Ferris? We¡¯re dripping with cash. Where¡¯d he even get that from? I haven¡¯t had a good meal in forever¡­¡± Ferris Eris nodded from beside him. In contrast with Ryner¡¯s exhausted atmosphere, she exuded beauty. Though she was excessively expressionless¡­ Her tone, too, was detached. ¡°Mm. It¡¯s horrible. But this is a common tale. They¡¯re men who failed to earn an honest living. They don¡¯t work, and they spend what little money they have on alcohol. When these trashy men drink, they get mean. In the end, they can¡¯t afford to live, so they sell their wives out. The ones who suffer most in all of this are their wives and children.¡± ¡°What kind of story is that?¡± ¡°Yours, naturally. You borrowed money from the men surrounding us, did you not? But it looks like your wife didn¡¯t cover the bill.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have a wife,¡± Ryner mumbled and sighed. ¡°They¡¯re obviously bandits, right? And you¡¯re the reason that we¡¯re poor, not me. You¡¯re the one who embezzled our funds.¡± ¡°Mm. I see. So you¡¯re blaming all of this on delicate, pitiful women, even though they¡¯re the ones who you turn into your prey.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who are you calling delicate.¡± ¡°Myself, of course,¡± Ferris replied instantly. Ryner held his face in his hands. ¡°Ah¡­ My mental image of a delicate woman is crumbling,¡± he mumbled. ¡°And we don¡¯t have any money¡­ At this rate, we¡¯ll need to get jobs so we can keep traveling¡­¡± ¡°Who do ya think yer ignoring!? Stop your damn carriage and hand over everything you¡¯ve got!¡± One of the bandits yelled. He swung his thick sword to intimidate them. A normal person would be intimidated, but¡­ Ferris didn¡¯t react to the sword in the slightest. ¡°Hm. Money. Methods like this aren¡¯t without ease.¡± ¡°Methods like this?¡± Ryner asked, also completely ignoring the bandits. ¡°Mm. We attack rich-looking carriages, just like these guys.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you wanna do¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Do you have any complaints?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to attack bandits like these? You want to go for normal people?¡± ¡°Naturally. We don¡¯t know if these guys have any money, but if they look rich, they are rich.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s true, but¡­ I just, like¡­ feel better about stealing from bad people than from normal people, you know? I¡¯d feel guilty.¡± ¡°Guilty? I don¡¯t want to hear that from someone who attacks women in the depths of night,¡± Ferris said, maintaining a straight face. Ryner was going to reply, but then he looked very, very tired, then sighed and gave up before he even started. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s fine, I guess¡­ Anyway, should we do something? We might be able to eat a good meal today if we take everything they have.¡± He said as he ignored the bullies¡¯ threats, just like any adult would. A while later¡ªor more like twenty seconds later¡ªthe two had knocked the poor bandits out and were fishing in their pockets. Ryner turned the dirty cloth inside out, and nothing came out. He sighed. ¡°This guy seriously didn¡¯t have anything¡­ How¡¯s it going for you?¡± ¡°The same. They don¡¯t have any valuables, either. It¡¯s just as I said - there¡¯s no conceivable way that bandits would be rich. If they were, they wouldn¡¯t be laboring away as thieves. Rich people get more money by virtue of already having money.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s kinda deep¡­¡± ¡°Mm. Our next target will be a mansion,¡± Ferris said. ¡°When did we become bandits by trade?¡± ¡°We are not bandits. We are chivalrous thieves, taking money from the rich and redistributing it to the poor.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re stealing¡­¡± So they said as they searched the pockets of the defeated bandits. No matter how one looked at it, it wasn¡¯t chivalrous in the slightest¡­ ¡°Mm?¡± Ferris suddenly stopped. ¡°This is¡­¡± Ryner raised his head. ¡°What? Did you find something edible?¡± He asked and shuffled over to look at a piece of paper that Ferris was holding. Plan for Attacking the Ectal Congregation ¡°Heeeyy¡­ what¡¯re you staring at that so seriously for? You don¡¯t seriously want to attack a church, do you?¡± Ferris raised her head. ¡°Do you have a problem with it?¡± ¡°Where¡¯d all that talk about us being chivalrous go?¡± Ferris ignored him, apparently completely unconcerned with his question. ¡°The Runa Empire is different from Roland. You know that they borrow power from god to cast magic, don¡¯t you?¡± Ryner nodded. ¡°Seems so. A book I read when I was researching all this said that you can¡¯t cast Runa¡¯s magic unless you¡¯re devout, but¡­ is that really true? That god would grant his power to living beings? Kinda unrealistic¡­ How am I supposed to believe it?¡± Ferris tilted her head. ¡°You don¡¯t believe in god but you¡¯re against attacking a church?¡± ¡°No, the problem stems before believing or not believing¡­ Like, even if we don¡¯t believe, don¡¯t you feel like we¡¯ll get punished for it?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Ferris said, her reply instant. ¡°Because I¡¯m always on my best behavior.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner had no words. Ferris ignored his expression and continued in that emotionless voice of hers. ¡°The problem is that the magic here is directly linked to their religion. As a result, churches here - no matter how small they may be - are prosperous. And so¡ª¡± Ferris ripped off a piece of the paper and thrust it at Ryner. A simple blueprint of a building was drawn on it. Strange symbols were drawn among stars inside of a cross. Ryner had seen these symbols on Runa¡¯s national flag, too, but he could tell that this version was shitty to the point of wondering if even their god would recognize it. Anyway¡­ In similarly shitty writing, ¡®steya silver¡¯ was written next to the symbol. Ferris pointed at it. ¡°In any case, it appears that this church¡¯s icon is made of silver.¡± ¡°Steya silver, huh¡­ Sounds like this church¡¯s got some cash.¡± Steya silver was more beautiful than regular silver, and on top of that, it was rare. It was only natural that it fetched a pretty price. It was also pretty hard to process, so it was kinda impractical, but¡­ ¡°Hm. This ¡®god¡¯ character seems like he gets an impressive paycheck. I told you before, didn¡¯t I? The ones who have the most money are the ones who don¡¯t work for it.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, you¡¯re right on that one¡­ But about the whole being damned thing, are you telling me that stealing from god makes you chivalrous? You¡¯re definitely gonna get punished somehow, you know? I mean, you¡¯re talking about stealing from a church¡­¡± That was as far as his complaining got, though. Because his poor undernourished stomach growled. Ryner grimaced. ¡°Well, I mean, I¡¯ve never seen god before. I¡¯m starting to think that it¡¯s okay if I become chivalrous too¡­¡± And so the two were damned for all eternity. ¡°Mm. Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°The hell?¡± They got back into the carriage and began towards their new destination. --- On the other hand, at another place. ¡°Excuse me!¡± Milk Callaud was standing at the gate of a church. Her flaxen hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her eyes were just as cute as always. She was tapping with all her might on the gate. She took a deep breath before speaking again. ¡°Excuse meee, can we stay the night?¡± The sun was nearly past the horizon, and there wasn¡¯t a town in sight. Milk was surrounded by her guardians - er, her subordinates - who were talking amongst themselves with concerned expressions on their faces. ¡°It¡¯ll be bad if they refuse,¡± Lear said. ¡°Luke, if we don¡¯t find somewhere to stay, it¡¯ll be the middle of the night before we can sleep.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad alright,¡± Lach agreed. ¡°Staying up late is bad for the body and mind.¡± Moe paled. ¡°It¡¯s horrible! A good kid¡¯s bedtime is at nine! That¡¯s what a parenting book I read recently said.¡± By the way, this was a group of Taboo Hunters, an elite military force within the Roland Empire, but¡­ lately, their favorite book was called A Beginner¡¯s Guide to Parenting. Wonder why¡­ Anyway. The oldest among them, Luke Stokkart, was still only twenty-five. He nodded. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t think that we should let her stay up too late¡­¡± ¡°It also said that we shouldn¡¯t shelter her too much.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s what Guide to Parenting said at the start of the second chapter.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What kind of conversation were they even having¡­? Then the gate suddenly opened, and an older woman wrapped in a white robe came out. She was accompanied by several other women in matching robes. ¡°I must humbly welcome you to our church. I am Shirme, the resident priest. Is something the matter¡­?¡± Milk gave her a big nod. ¡°So Ryner was unfaithful and ran away, and now I have to find him, but Luke says I have to go to bed at nine, so we¡¯ve been looking for somewhere to stay¡ª¡± Luke took a step forward in the middle of her explanation. ¡°I apologize for our late introduction. We are a squadron of Taboo Hunters from the Roland Empire. Our current duty has taken us within the Runa Empire¡¯s borders, but our plans faltered, and now we are left without anywhere to stay unless we travel far in the dead of night. We were wondering if it might be possible for us to impose on you for the night¡­¡± Shirme smiled. ¡°Oh, so you are from Roland. You have come a long way from home¡­ You may stay as long as you wish.¡± With that, it was settled. They were fed a very simple meal and ate along with Priest Shirme and the other sisters. ¡°So that¡¯s what has been going on,¡± the priest said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to have your duty bring you so deep into Runa? You say that Milk is only sixteen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Milk said as she ate. ¡°After all, I¡¯m here with Luke and the others¡­¡± The priest nodded along, a big smile on her face. ¡°And I absolutely have to catch Ryner!¡± Milk continued. ¡°We promised to get married, you know?¡± ¡°I see. So you have to catch your fiance? That does sound difficult.¡± ¡°It is! And even though we promised, he ran away with this woman who¡¯s only got her beauty going for her!¡± ¡°Huh? A beautiful¡­ woman!?¡± ¡°Yeah! Ryner¡¯s definitely being seduced by her! That¡¯s why I have to open his eyes to reality!¡± Milk said, fired up by the conversation. In contrast, a complicated expression was on the priest¡¯s face. ¡°Um, pardon me, but I do have a question¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I am only asking, but were you not here on military duty? As a chief?¡± Milk nodded with ease. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Ah! You don¡¯t believe it because I¡¯m so small, right? But it¡¯s true. Right? Luke?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Chief Milk is an accomplished graduate of an elite military academy,¡± Luke said, with the tone of a doting father. That aside, the priest¡¯s expression only deepened as she listened to Luke¡¯s explanation. ¡°No, that is not what I meant to ask¡­ Rather, I am asking about your fiance¡­ Could it be that they¡¯re male¡­?¡± Luke realized what she was trying to say and became flustered. ¡°Ah!? Ah, no, that¡¯s not it, that¡¯s not it! She may be wearing a military uniform, but our chief is a girl!¡± He¡¯d explained this to many people here already. Luke smiled bitterly as he thought back on it. Women were absolutely forbidden in military spaces in Runa, so this was a common misunderstanding. The priest was shocked. ¡°Huh? A girl?¡± ¡°Yes. Besides, she¡¯s a girl no matter how you look at her, isn¡¯t she? A cute and honest child like her could only be a girl,¡± Luke sincerely said, bursting with that doting father bit. The priest was dumbfounded by this revelation. ¡°Haa¡­ Now that you mention it, I do see a cute girl¡­¡± Then the priest paled and abruptly stood. ¡°W-what is the meaning of this!? You are telling me that Milk is a girl on dangerous military duty!?¡± She shouted in disbelief. Luke nodded to her despite the threatening look in her eyes. ¡°How deplorable,¡± the priest continued. ¡°Burdening a woman with military duty¡­ What is Roland¡¯s king thinking? He is a good-for-nothing, incompetant king¡ª,¡± she said. If they¡¯d been elsewhere, her words could have sparked a war. Then she realized that and stopped herself. Luke tried to interject. ¡°Er, no¡­¡± Priest Shirme shook her head and spoke again. ¡°Ah, do what you must. We cannot have this sinful conversation. God would never forgive it¡­ I understand what I must do. I will show you God¡¯s path¡­¡± She closed her eyes and made a gesture as if in prayer. Then, ¡°It¡¯s coming to me¡­ aah, it¡¯s coming to me¡­ ah!?¡± She screeched. Her eyes were opened and fixed in place. Then she made some connection and assumed a satisfied expression. ¡°I see. You are soon to marry. A woman¡¯s happiness is to marry and stay in the house!¡± ¡°This is sudden¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been decided¡­ Just now, I heard God¡¯s voice. Luke, you will be Milk¡¯s husband.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Milk and her squad yelled simultaneously. ¡°I-I¡¯m twenty-five years old, you know?¡± Luke said. ¡°Marrying a sixteen year old would be a crime¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! My decisions = God¡¯s intentions. After all, I just heard God¡¯s voice,¡± Priest Shirme said, a serious expression on her face despite the dangerous words coming out of her mouth. The sisters, meanwhile, looked to Priest Shirme with nothing but respect in their eyes. ¡°As expected of Lady Shirme. Her faith must be unshakable for her to hear God¡¯s voice with such ease.¡± Priest Shirme nodded. ¡°It all started when I blacked out from drinking. I was stricken with a divine revelation, the voice of God: he bestowed upon me his words, ¡®Forget that man and serve me!¡¯¡± ¡°Simply amazing!¡± ¡°God is truly at the side of every young woman!¡± So they said, ready to cry¡­ Luke and the others looked defeated by Priest Shirme¡¯s excessive pushiness, but Milk found it in herself to object. ¡°Um, but I have my promise with Ryner¡ª¡± ¡°Now, Sisters, we must work with haste. Let us prepare for the wedding ceremony. Let¡¯s get Milk into her wedding dress.¡± ¡°Huh!? Wedding dress? You have a wedding dress!?¡± ¡°Sisters, please show Milk the way.¡± ¡°Of course. This way, Milk.¡± ¡°Where, where!¡± And so they coaxed Milk away. Sisters swarmed Luke and the others, too. ¡°Let¡¯s get you into a tuxedo, Luke! Come now, take off your clothes! Hehe, I¡¯ve never seen a nude man before! ?¡± ¡°Kyaa! ? Me neither!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been four years for me. ?¡± They kyaa-kyaa¡¯d as they pushed Luke away into a separate room, all fired up. And so it was decided that Milk and Luke would be married. --- The sun had long since fallen, leading way to the dead of night. Ryner and Ferris stood outside of the church. Ferris broke a small section of stained glass away with her sword, and they both peeked inside. ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s kinda weird that there¡¯s a light on in the middle of the night,¡± Ryner said, tired. ¡°Why¡¯re they at church so late?¡± For some reason, Milk was inside in a pure white wedding dress, and her subordinate with the white hair - Luke, if he remembered correctly - was standing right there with her, wearing a tuxedo. An older woman, likely a priest, stood between them and a massive cross, hundreds of times larger than Ryner had imagined it to be. Sisters and Milk¡¯s subordinates watched on, tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. ¡°¡­What the hell are they doing?¡± Ryner whispered and looked to Ferris. ¡°It has to be a wedding ceremony. She seems to have chosen a familiar perverted sex fiend rather than you,¡± she said and patted Ryner¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t let it discourage you.¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m seriously not discouraged about literally anything¡­ and you trying to comfort me makes me feel weirdly miserable, so knock it off. But anyway, what should we do?¡± ¡°Mm. I see no issue. The fact that someone is having a wedding changes nothing, even if it¡¯s a wedding involving your ex.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I was talking about that symbol. It¡¯s huge. Even the two of us won¡¯t be able to move it, y¡¯know?¡± Ferris moved her head away from the stained glass, but maintained her emotionlessness. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. All we have to do is cut it up,¡± she said as she unsheathed her sword. ¡°You say that pretty easy, but it¡¯s steya silver, right? That stuff¡¯s pretty hard. Pretty sure it¡¯s a four on the hardness scale¡­¡± Also, this was probably obvious, but even if they managed to cut it all down, nothing said that they¡¯d be able to carry it out. There was literally no point if they couldn¡¯t get it out of there¡­ But Ferris ignored Ryner as she brandished her sword. She cut through the iron frames holding stained glass into four angles, as if it was just gelatin. By the way, iron was even harder than steya silver. Despite that fact, she swung her sword through it as if nothing was there, and it¡ªthe wall? Or maybe it was a door now?¡ªfell silently into four pieces. Then she turned back to Ryner. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m always thinking this, but you¡¯re kind of a monster, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You have no right to call me a monster.¡± They headed inside causally, trespassing just like any (other) thief would. Then their pace picked up as they headed for the symbol. The priest was the first to notice her uninvited visitors. ¡°You¡¯ve come so late at night¡­ Do you have some business here¡­? And who might you be?¡± She asked cautiously. ¡®Shit, this is bad¡¯ was written all over Ryner¡¯s face just as Milk opened her mouth. ¡°Ah! Ryner!? You came for me!¡± She screamed. For some reason, she was teary-eyed, and her whole face seemed to shine. ¡°Kyaa! ? Has my true love come to save me, saying ¡®Run away with me!¡¯ all the while!? No way! ? This is so dramatic!¡± The priest¡¯s eyes narrowed as she listened to Milk, who was inside of her own dream. ¡°Hmm. So you¡¯re Ryner. You¡¯re the atrocious man who stepped all over your promise to marry her and forced her into the military¡­¡± ¡°¡­I feel like you¡¯re misunderstanding basically everything about this whole situation¡­¡± The priest completely ignored Ryner. ¡°God will never forgive you! He bestowed upon you a woman and you only now come to claim her! It¡¯s useless trying to stop it now. She will be married to Luke!¡± Ferris patted Ryner¡¯s shoulder for a second time that night. ¡°Mm. It¡¯s just as she says. A man¡¯s lingering feelings mean nothing. Give up.¡± ¡°No¡­ um¡­ uuh, I guess I don¡¯t really care at this point,¡± Ryner pouted. Then he looked around at his surroundings. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and steal this so we can go home.¡± ¡°Steal!?¡± Milk¡¯s face shone. ¡°Did you say steal? That¡¯s so bold! ? Kyaah!¡± Luke paled. ¡°S-steal!? Chief is still a minor! Do you understand that!?¡± ¡°¡®S-steal?¡¯ That¡¯s so improper¡­ Don¡¯t you realize that she is a young woman?¡± The priest said. Ferris took a step forward and spoke in her usual monotone. ¡°What a foolish question. This sex fiend does not care if the person he uses and throws away in a night¡¯s time is a young woman or a man.¡± To think that she said something that seriously with not only a straight face, but a serious tone, too. Everyone present paled. ¡°E-even men!?¡± The priest¡¯s expression wouldn¡¯t have gotten any worse even if she learned that the world would end by morning. ¡°Good lord! Good gracious! Why must you go so contrary to God¡¯s teachings!? People like you are the cause of sickness and poverty!¡± There was no way that was true! ¡­Though Ryner had no energy for rebuttals like that lately. Maybe that was part of why this shit just kept happening to him¡­ Ferris looked at Ryner, and suddenly looked shocked - though her eyes were just as dead as always - and spoke. ¡°So you¡¯re the source of all evil in the world¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yeah,¡± Ryner said. ¡°You¡¯re surprised, huh. You¡¯re sooo shocked that I¡¯m the king of evil things. First I¡¯ve heard of it too, to be honest. Anyway, are you satisfied now?¡± For some reason, Ferris looked unreasonably sad. ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Then should we get back to work?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Hey, youuu¡­ What¡¯s with you getting all sad when I stop playing along? You¡¯re making me feel like I¡¯m in the wrong.¡± ¡°Heheh.¡± ¡°Ah! You just laughed, you bastard!¡± Ferris ignored him and unsheathed her sword. Apparently she was satisfied now. ¡°Playtime is over. Let¡¯s go, Ryner.¡± Then she raised her voice a bit. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ryner! Let¡¯s steal that woman who you threw out after you were done with her so long ago!¡± Ferris then disappeared. She didn¡¯t actually disappear, but she moved so fast that it was near impossible to see her. Ryner sighed. ¡°So you¡¯re trying to grab their attention¡­ What a pain.¡± The priest¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°I won¡¯t hand Milk over to you, the incarnation of all evil! Sisters, hide Milk!¡± ¡°¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±¡± The sisters crowded around Milk and her subordinates. ¡°Huh? Huh? Huh? What¡¯s¡­ ow, ow! Auh¡­¡± They knocked their hands against the pressure points in their necks as many times as it took to knock Milk and her subordinates out, but thanks to their training, they stayed conscious as the sisters led them into another room. ¡°Whoa, hey¡­ Are you trying to kill them!?¡± Ryner said, finally finding the strength for some kind of rebuttal. Though it was completely ignored, exactly as expected¡­ ¡°It¡¯s time to test your devotion, sisters! Show this evil-doer the power of Runa¡¯s God!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The sisters replied. Theydrew crosses before themselves. ¡°O God who lies in heaven¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Are you kidding me!¡± Ryner yelled, shocked. ¡°They¡¯re just sisters! How do they know magic!?¡± The priest laughed loudly. ¡°Of course they can use magic! Runa is a country of believers. God bestows upon us magical power equivalent to the strength of our faith. It is only natural that the clergy of our country all know magic. That means that God leads me and my sisters to battle as holy officers!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ what? To battle? But I heard that women aren¡¯t allowed in the military here¡­?¡± The priest looked at him like there was no medicine for his level of idiocy. ¡°We are not soldiers! We are holy officers. How could you possibly confuse the two?¡± ¡°Say that all you want, but aren¡¯t they just different in name¡­? Though this isn¡¯t the time to have this long conversation! Uh, soo,¡± Ryner said as he watched the sisters with his peculiar eyes. A red pentagram rose within their depths as he carefully observed their spell. ¡°This is bad,¡± Ryner mumbled. ¡°If it¡¯s true that only the faithful can use their magic, then since I don¡¯t believe in it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to copy it with my Alpha Stigma and cancel it at all¡­ huh?¡± He made a stupid sound, then took a troubled expression and tilted his head. ¡°Uh, but¡­ I don¡¯t see a divine component or anything like that¡­¡± And if he couldn¡¯t see it with his Alpha Stigma, it likely wasn¡¯t there at all. It did seem like it was easier for the faithful like the sisters to learn and cast, though. Either way, though. ¡°I can use this.¡± Ryner pressed his hand to his chest as if in prayer, and spoke the intonation that the sisters hadn¡¯t yet finished. ¡°O God who lies in heaven, save us pitiful humans with your winds!¡± A maelstrom was born from Ryner¡¯s hands. And the sisters who it hit¡­ ¡°Kyaaaa! ?¡± They moved their hands away from their spells to hold the hems of their robes down, easily canceling their spells. ¡°I guess that works,¡± Ryner mumbled as he averted his eyes. Certainly, they weren¡¯t soldiers in this sense. If he saw anything, he¡¯d be begging for them to kill him instead of trying to prevent it¡­ ¡°How could a nonbeliever like you use Runa¡¯s magic!?¡± Ryner couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell them that the unfaithful could actually use their magic. It was their right as people to believe in god if they wanted to, after all. Ferris, who for some reason had been standing somewhere behind the priest casually watching them this whole time, noticed that Ryner looked to her and sliced up at the symbol. Then she returned to Ryner. ¡°Fgh¡­ Getting this symbol has been far harder than expected.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie! You treated the whole thing like you were sightseeing¡­ oh, well. Whatever. So are we rich now?¡± Ferris shook her head, unperturbed. ¡°No. That symbol wasn¡¯t silver.¡± ¡°Huh? Then what was it?¡± ¡°Come look.¡± Ferris handed a piece of the not-silver over to Ryner, who began to shiver. ¡°This is¡­ wood,¡± he said. ¡°It is.¡± ¡°¡­We can¡¯t make money out of this¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­So all of the effort we just went through¡­?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± The sound of Ferris¡¯ voice echoed through the church, and then the whole church began to tremble. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner looked up at the ceiling. Bits of it were sprinkling down. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ crumbling? Are we seriously doing this again?¡± ¡°The symbol must have been its support. Though that was fairly obvious.¡± ¡°¡­No, even if it was ¡®obvious¡¯¡­¡± The sisters had noticed what was happening, too, and began to scream. Then the priest spoke in her priest-like way. ¡°Good lord! My goodness! My house of God¡­ my house of God! This is divine punishment! It¡¯s punishment for me selfishly selling the silver from the cross and using it on the young and burly bartender from Pino Bar with ulterior motives! God is punishing me!¡± ¡°¡­Really¡­¡± Didn¡¯t she say before that the unfaithful couldn¡¯t use Runa¡¯s magic? Ryner thought it, but he didn¡¯t really want to know what¡¯d happen if he actually said it. He watched the half-crazed priest for a long moment before reaching his limit. ¡°Um, so¡­ uh, yeah, we¡¯re leaving¡­¡± ¡°Mm.¡± And so they disappeared into the night once more. By the way, on the following day, in the nearest town, an iron safe was cut apart, its contents stolen. But that was a different story entirely. Volume 2 - CH 3 ¡°Uwah¡­ Yeah, I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t eat any more¡­¡± With that, Ryner Lute went limp on the table. His hair was no better than usual, and neither was his posture. His eyes also reflected his usual sleepiness. It was lunchtime in a restaurant. He¡¯d just cleared his tenth plate and was now experiencing the blissful pain of overeating after breaking his too-poor-to-eat fast. An unbelievable beauty sat across from him, eating with a refined hold on her knife and fork. She too was finishing her tenth plate¡­ When she finished, she called out to the owner. ¡°We¡¯ll have the tri-colored dango set for dessert.¡± The owner balked. ¡°Y-you¡¯re still not done? Are you guys sure that your wallets can take this¡­?¡± Ferris whipped some cash out of her pocket. ¡°The tri-colored dango set.¡± ¡°C-coming right up.¡± Ryner sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve already eaten a ton. You¡¯re not done yet?¡± ¡°I have a second stomach for dango.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then I¡¯ll have the tri-colored dango set too.¡± They had their relaxed conversation while living out their relaxed day. After proving their supremacy over the entire menu, they began to talk again. ¡°Aah¡­ I¡¯m so happy,¡± Ryner said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that food was this delicious until now¡­¡± ¡°Mm. Breaking that safe last night was the correct decision,¡± Ferris casually replied. ¡°Well¡­ I dunno how I feel about stealing, but it¡¯s better than starving to death¡­¡± What on earth had they done¡­? ¡°So anyway, what¡¯re we gonna do now?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to stay in Runa now, since we¡¯ve become burglars here and all. There¡¯s only one Heroic Relic left here. Let¡¯s grab it and go. We have money now, after all.¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°What kind of relic is it this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from this Runan legend about Karlwade¡¯s Seven Generations Arms.¡± Ryner explained to Ferris what he¡¯d learned when researching all of this. According to the texts he¡¯d read, Runa wasn¡¯t always one country. It used to be two, one being the Ruid Empire, and the other being the Nast Empire. Those two countries fought many a harsh battle over many years, one that spanned their entire countries. Then a knight by the name of Karlwade rose up, and he alone put an end to the war. Despite Karlwade¡¯s unheard of skills on the battlefield, he was able to end the conflict between Ruid and Nast without spilling any more blood. The two countries listened to what Karlwade had to say, then joined together to form the Runa Empire. ¡°Apparently that¡¯s how it all happened,¡± Ryner finished. ¡°What do you think? The legend¡¯s a lot more substantial than the other ones, and not only that, but it sounds like the relic¡¯s pretty amazing, right? We¡¯re talking about something that could overwhelm two separate countries. Power that could end a war without fighting it. And that relic was known as the Seven Generations Arms.¡± ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯d be bad if that fell into someone else¡¯s hands. Let¡¯s hurry and steal it. Where is it now?¡± Ryner grimaced, just a little. ¡°That¡¯s the problem this time¡­ See, a few years after uniting Runa, he dropped because of food poisoning, and his arms of war were buried with him.¡± ¡°Hm. So what¡¯s the problem? We can just rob his grave.¡± ¡°¡­You say things that you could get punished for very easily¡­ I mean, you¡¯re not wrong, but¡­ that¡¯s not really what I was going for. Karlwade was a monstrously strong guy, right? One who could overwhelm both countries and unite them? But he died of food poisoning? Something just feels off about that part¡­¡± Just then, the voices of several men entering the restaurant drowned out Ryner¡¯s voice. They looked from Ryner to the money in his hands. ¡°F-found you! You¡¯re the sex fiend with the dark hair and eyes and slouch that stole Roland¡¯s armor¡­! You bastard! You stole from Kailaru¡¯s safe, didn¡¯t you!?¡± All that Ryner could do was make some dumb noises. ¡°Huh? What?¡± The men looked to Ferris. ¡°And that makes you the Captured Angel, doesn¡¯t it? You¡¯ve lived through so much as his hostage. You¡¯ll be alright now that we¡¯re here, miss!¡± Then they were back to glaring at Ryner. ¡°Now, you perverted kidnapper! Hand the Captured Angel over and surrender!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Ryner finally understood the entirety of the situation. He looked to Ferris, tired. ¡°Come on, Ferris¡­ This again?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Her voice was clear. ¡°It¡¯d be bad if rumors of Rolanders stealing from other countries appeared, after all. That¡¯s why I left a note detailing the truth at the scene of the safe burglary.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s this ¡®truth¡¯ you speak of¡­ I mean, whatever, but, what about that ¡®captured angel¡¯ crap?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as I said - I left a note detailing the truth¡ª¡± ¡°Yes yes I get it I¡¯m wrong for speaking up,¡± Ryner quickly said. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± ¡°Mm¡­ We make a loud and flashy show of a struggle, then leave without paying,¡± the Captured Angel said, as if it was a perfectly normal and natural suggestion to make. Ryner let out a long sigh. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m always reaching new lows when I¡¯m with you¡­ like as a human being, you know?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°I believe in your ability to become a true demon from all of the kidnapping children and assaulting women that you do¡ª¡± ¡°Not do! Ugh, if this is what we¡¯re doing, then let¡¯s do it. Let¡¯s send these guys flying and get out of here.¡± And so the two quickly defeated the men surrounding them and made a run for it. --- It was a dark, moonless night. Not a single light lit the surroundings, leaving it truly dark. And, taking steps into that darkness¡ª ¡°Camping, camping, barbeque, yaay!¡± ¡ªwas Milk Callaud, cheerfully moving through the pitch black. She was a cute girl of sixteen, with big eyes and a flaxen ponytail. Despite her appearance, she¡¯d already made it as the chief of a group of Taboo Hunters - she was a true elite. That being said, she should have no trouble sensing the presence of obstacles in the darkness¡­ Then she tripped on a tree branch and began to fall forward. ¡°Gyah?!¡± ¡°Ch-chief!¡± A hand quickly reached out from beside her to prevent her from falling on her face. Despite being an elite, she was clearly walking without paying any attention to her surroundings. The person who stopped her from falling spoke in a fatherly tone. ¡°Please be careful, Chief. Fun things won¡¯t be as fun if you get injured, okay?¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Luke. But, but, this¡¯ll be my first time camping, so I¡¯m really excited!¡± Milk said, then began to skip about again, her face shining with excitement, as if she didn¡¯t hear Luke at all. Luke couldn¡¯t help but smile. Milk¡¯s subordinates spoke, one after another. ¡°We really made the right choice in buying camping gear. There won¡¯t be any towns or even villages for a while, and besides, look how happy the chief is¡­¡± ¡°But she was adopted into a noble family, so you¡¯d think that this wouldn¡¯t be her first time.¡± Lear shook his head. ¡°What are you saying, Lach? Our chief wasn¡¯t a normal adopted child. She was adopted in order to be put through harsh military training, day after day¡­¡± Her subordinates¡¯ expressions darkened. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to make lots and lots of good memories with her! Alright! Let¡¯s put our passion into this barbeque!¡± Moe said, then raced up to Milk. Luke nodded a few times, then spoke. ¡°Lach, Moe, you two go play with her.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Lach, could you search for somewhere suitable for us to set up the tent?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± With that, everyone ran to complete their duties on Luke¡¯s orders. ¡°Mm, this should do,¡± Luke said and held a wooden instrument. ¡°We¡¯ll have a campfire and a tent, and we even have this guitar I bought. Chief Milk will surely be happy. Heheh. Now we just need her to forget about that Ryner guy and¡­ and this will become a fun journey¡­¡± Such were the worries of someone who was not unlike the father of a daughter who was approaching adulthood. --- A graveyard stood under the dark, moonless sky. Countless bodies slept under crosses. Unlike Roland, which customarily cremated their dead, bodies in Runa were exclusively buried under the cross. That meant that under each and every cross here lay the full, uncremated body of a human¡­ The wind was strong enough to shake the trees, and everything bundled together gave the graveyard a terribly ominous feeling. To add to that, the air was lukewarm at best¡­ Ryner stood in the center of the graveyard in the pitch black night, a shovel resting on his shoulder. ¡°Hey, Ferris. There¡¯s this problem¡­¡± ¡°Mm? What is it?¡± ¡°So I said that the hero¡¯s grave would be a little different from a commoner¡¯s, right? So we won¡¯t find it digging here in the dead of night? Why not wait until noon to search for the proper grave?¡± ¡°You did say that. So?¡± ¡°So¡­? What I¡¯m trying to say is that I don¡¯t get why we have to do this in the middle of the night, when not even the moon is out? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be best to wait until morning?¡± ¡°What are you saying, Ryner?¡± Ferris said, as if she genuinely didn¡¯t understand. ¡°You think of nighttime when you think of graveyards, don¡¯t you? I saw them in a picture book long ago. A mysterious light appeared in the dark rainy night, and the many bodies of the graveyard rose up to eat flesh and drink blood¡­ If that¡¯s true, then you want to see it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I¡­? Even if I did, you know that¡¯s not true, right? Sure, I read about how mages used to revive the dead to get them to do their dirty work back in the olden days¡­ I think they called them skeletons or zombies or something? But a ¡®mysterious light¡¯? The hell¡¯s that? Where did that even come from?¡± Ferris ignored his question. ¡°I¡¯ve heard other tales of this, too. They say that the dead rise up as ghosts to attack humans due to their deep-seated grudges. They don¡¯t follow the laws of nature. They¡¯re cases such as abandoned women standing at your bedside crying or constantly whispering about their grudges in your ears.¡± ¡°Uwah¡­ Th-that¡¯s pretty scary.¡± ¡°Mm. Conversations like this must make your ears hurt, since you¡¯re a sex maniac and the enemy of all women.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that one¡­ I mean, aren¡¯t you more of a¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± But Ryner didn¡¯t back down. ¡°No, you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Ferris repeated. This time, she unsheathed her sword and swung it towards Ryner¡¯s neck. ¡°Another word and I¡¯m decapitating you. If I say no, then it¡¯s not true. What would you do if a ghost began to haunt me?¡± ¡°¡­Ferris, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re afraid of ghosts?¡± Ferris was silent for a moment before responding. ¡°Are you not? Ghosts won¡¯t die even if you slash through them with a sword, will they? I endured relentless training from my brother in order to learn how to kill the unkillable. You will never understand just how strict that training was.¡± ¡°¡­So you even want to cut ghosts up,¡± Ryner said, defeated. All of this made him want to become a ghost to haunt Ferris by standing over her pillow after death¡­ but it was probably best to stop that thought before it really got going. He didn¡¯t really want to die for that, after all. But anyway. They walked through the graveyard with their shovels over their shoulders, confident in their steps despite their dark surroundings, as they could perceive their surroundings fairly well even without light. They finally stopped in front of the hero¡¯s grave, where a conspicuously large cross marked his eternal resting place. That meant that the arms ought to be under the cross, too. ¡°This cross will get in the way of digging him up,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Let¡¯s cut it up.¡± Her hands moved faster than Ryner could see, and she unsheathed her sword and swung it through the cross before he could get a word in. The cross collapsed with ease¡­ Ryner just stared. ¡°You¡¯re pretty amazing, you know that?¡± ¡°Mm. That was as easy as it gets.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­ I meant to say that it¡¯s amazing that you could destroy someone¡¯s headstone without batting an eye. Your tolerance for divine punishment never ceases to amaze me¡­ but anyway. So we¡¯re excavating this grave now, right? What a pain¡­¡± And so the two of them began to shovel away. But then, just as soon as they started, Ferris quickly moved as if noticing something. ¡°What was that?¡± She asked. ¡°Hm? What was what?¡± ¡°That sound. Didn¡¯t you hear it? It was like singing¡­ or screaming¡­¡± ¡°Hm? I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Ferris continued to stare over her shoulder. ¡°No, it¡¯s faint, but I can feel a presence. We are not alone.¡± ¡°Seriously? I really think that we¡¯re the only ones who¡¯d come to a graveyard in the middle of the night like this, though¡­¡± ¡°I agree. However, in all likelihood¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The dead have risen from their tombs and are now singing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner was at a loss for words at Ferris¡¯ sudden declaration. But Ferris continued, completely unperturbed by his silence. ¡°This is bad,¡± she said. ¡°This means that, night after night, Runa¡¯s dead have risen by the command of their mages from the olden days. This is a major threat to Roland.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ there¡¯s no way that you¡¯re serious, right? It would be a threat if that was true, but¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. That kind of magic is way too serious to become mainstream, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I will only say this one more time, Ryner. The dead will come to your bedside and sing. What do you think of that?¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ I do think that¡¯s pretty scary¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a joke with a strong basis in reality.¡± ¡°Huh? That was a joke?¡± ¡°It was a joke,¡± Ferris said before continuing. ¡°In any case, we have a duty to alert Roland of anything that could be a threat to our country. If Runa is developing military-grade magic, then it doesn¡¯t matter if we are in an alliance or not - we cannot ignore it. We¡¯re investigating this.¡± ¡°W-wait, wait,¡± Ryner said, flustered. ¡°It¡¯s really, really dark tonight. We won¡¯t be able to see if they¡¯re raising the dead until they¡¯re right in front of our faces. So isn¡¯t it actually really bad if the thing that¡¯s around here is going to attack us?¡± Ferris patted Ryner¡¯s shoulder, a solution already in mind. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not even gonna say it this time¡­ I¡¯m way too used to this¡­¡± And so they embarked on a trip to confirm if the presence was truly a monster or not, irregardless of how disheartened Ryner was. --- A while later, Ryner and Ferris were hiding in an overgrown thicket when they saw something unbelievable. It was in a small clearing in the graveyard. Whether for magic or some other means, branches were piled up on one another, with a fire burning through them. Several people were around the fire, moving in an eerie, inhuman way. ¡°Seriously¡­?¡± Was all that Ryner could say. ¡°Just as I thought,¡± Ferris said, her voice lacking intonation. ¡°The dead have risen.¡± ¡°What part even makes you think¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s words trailed off. One of the guys, who¡¯d been wriggling around awkwardly, stepped on the girl¡¯s (who¡¯d also been wriggling about awkwardly) foot. ¡°Oww! Moe, your foot!¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, oh, s-sorry, Chief Milk! I¡­ it¡¯s my first time trying folk dancing,¡± he said as he quickly moved his foot away. The girl smiled. ¡°Ahaha. Don¡¯t worry about it! Copy what I¡¯m doing, okay?¡± They began to sway eerily once more. Forget folk dancing, it looked way more like kids playing around¡­ ¡°Amazing!¡± One of the men said. ¡°You really can do anything, Chief Milk!¡± ¡°Eheheh! ? Of course I can!¡± Then the man with the white hair began to play the guitar in tune with Milk¡¯s movements. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for the next song!¡± ¡°Alright! Okay, everyone, copy what I¡¯m doing!¡± ¡°¡°Okaay!¡±¡± They began their eerie sway once more. That was the kind of dreadful scene that they were watching. Ryner let out a long, lamenting sigh. ¡°How do these guys always know where we are? I feel like that¡¯s the real paranormal phenomenon here¡­ There¡¯s absolutely no way for them to have guessed that we were here¡­¡± It was all that he could do to watch the Taboo Hunters who¡¯d been persistently following them, dumbstruck. They were always chasing him around and showing up when he least expected it. ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Ferris said. ¡°They¡¯re ghosts. The girl committed suicide after you threw her away, and now she¡¯s engaged in this strange dance of malice in order to exact revenge on you. There¡¯s no point in running from ghosts. She¡¯ll be doing that strange dance at your bedside from now on.¡± ¡°No matter how I look at it, she¡¯s not a ghost¡­ Anyway, jokes aside, what now? Things¡¯ll get real annoying real fast if they see us.¡± ¡°Mm. We must not get possessed. We¡¯ll ignore them, get the relic, and leave.¡± ¡°Right?¡± The two made to leave the area¡­ but suddenly!? The campfire went out! ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Ryner turned back towards the campground. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Milk noticed¡­¡± The campground was absolutely pitch black. Because their eyes had adjusted to the light, Ryner couldn¡¯t see anything at all, not even Ferris beside him. Though they could sense their surroundings, even if only a little¡­ ¡°Huh? What?¡± Milk said. ¡°Why¡¯d you put the fire out, Luke? Are we done with the campfire already? Can¡¯t we keep going for just a little longer?¡± Luke, unlike Milk, had some tension in his voice. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t do that. What about you guys? Lach, Lear, Moe?¡± A calmer man¡¯s voice followed. ¡°The fact that the fire went out so quickly means¡­ that it was almost certainly magic. Lach, Moe, and I did not use any magic.¡± ¡°I see. Then that means¡­ that something else is¡­¡± A ghoulish, almost death-like voice rang through the dark. ¡°Who dares disturb our resting place?¡± ¡°Huh? Huh!? What¡¯s happening?¡± Milk asked, her voice shrill. ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± A similarly creepy voice to the first spoke. ¡°You, who plan to open the grave of the hero¡­¡± ¡°Grave? What do you mean, grave?¡± ¡°Grave?¡± Luke repeated, nervous. ¡°Lear, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± The man with the calm voice - Lear, apparently - responded. ¡°This is my bad. I apologize. This was the most suitable area to make a campground¡ª¡± ¡°You insolent fools, who¡¯d make a game out of playing with other peoples¡¯ souls¡­ You¡¯d be better off dead from our curse.¡± ¡°¡°Lear, you idiot!¡±¡± Then some kind of fight broke out. ¡°¡­Huh? No way, what¡¯s th¡­ kyaaaa, it¡¯s a monster! They¡¯re monsteeeers¡­!! Auh¡­¡± ¡°Wha!? What¡¯s wrong? Chief Milk¡¯s fainted, Luke¡ªuwagh!?¡± ¡°Moe!? Are you okay? Shit, what are these skulls!? At this rate, guogh!?¡± They couldn¡¯t see what was happening due to the darkness, but judging by the sounds and the general feel of things, Milk¡­ promptly fainted, and then her subordinates seemed to have been hit on the heads, collapsing from something completely different from Milk. ¡°Hey, one really appeared,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Mm. Just as I predicted. One really does think of night when they think of graveyards.¡± ¡°Dunno that that has anything to do with this, but anyway, what should we do now?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll capture them. According to the girl from your past, what attacked them was monsters, not ghosts, and as long as it¡¯s not ghosts, this is a non-issue. We¡¯ll capture and inspect them.¡± ¡°I was more of asking what we should do about Milk and the others, since they got attacked and all¡­¡± Ferris¡¯ expression turned sad. ¡°I wish them happiness in their next life.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re not dead¡­¡± The sounds of battle had completely faded. Apparently all of Milk¡¯s men had fainted. ¡°Hmph. These guys were pretty strong,¡± someone said from the clearing. ¡°Yeah. But no matter how much of a threat they might be in battle, it¡¯s clear to me that these guys weren¡¯t thinking of graverobbing in the slightest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s absolutely no way that these guys knew the truth about Runa¡¯s relics¡­¡± Ryner and Ferris exchanged a look. ¡°What do you think?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°Seems to me that they¡¯re not monsters¡­¡± ¡°Mm. It also appears that they have information about the Heroic Relics. This doesn¡¯t change our plan, though. We¡¯re capturing them.¡± ¡°Okaaay.¡± Now that their eyes were adjusting ever so slightly to the darkness, they began to move. A few seconds later, and Ryner had relit the fire pit, illuminating the monsters - or rather, the men wearing skull masks. Ferris unsheathed her sword and swung it up against one of their necks. ¡°I¡¯ll give you choices,¡± she said. ¡°I could cut your head off and send it flying. I could cut your stomachs open and spill your organs all over the campgrounds. Or you can do as I say. What¡¯s your choice?¡± That was probably obvious. --- They left Milk and the others at their campground and made their way through the graveyard proper, in the direction of the hero¡¯s grave. ¡°Um, Ferris¡­ No matter how I look at this, it¡¯s weird as hell¡­¡± ¡°Mm? What part?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I get why you¡¯re having them dig this grave up,¡± Ryner said. He looked to the poor men who Ferris was threatening with death. They were digging with everything they had. ¡°Hm. And?¡± ¡°And?¡± Ryner repeated. He moved his shovel just a little, as if to push the sword that was presently aimed at him away. ¡°Why am I being threatened too?¡± He glared at Ferris, who played the part of their cruel supervisor. Ferris moved her sword to his neck. ¡°I¡¯ll give you choices. I could cut your head off and¡ª¡± ¡°See!? Isn¡¯t that weird!? Augh, uh, no, sorry¡­ I¡¯ll dig without complaining anymore, so please stop moving your sword closer¡­ I¡¯ll die, you know¡­ Uuh, shit¡­ I¡¯ll definitely turn the tables on you one of these days!¡± Ryner returned to work, grumbling all the while. Why did these men do what they did? And what did they mean when they said ¡®the truth about the relics?¡¯ Ryner and Ferris asked, but¡­ ¡°P-please, forgive us¡­¡± ¡°W-we¡¯ve been keeping that secret for generations¡­ It¡¯s what we live for¡­¡± Ferris¡¯ sword glistened. ¡°Hih!? U-understood, ma¡¯am¡­ aah, this is the end for us¡­ Our ancestors will never forgive us¡­ A-ah, yes, we¡¯ll talk, so please don¡¯t kill us¡­¡± Then they began to speak, shaking in fear as they faced the great enemy known as Ferris¡¯ sword. They said that Karlwade wasn¡¯t really a hero. That the kings of the Ruid Empire and the Nast Empire were terrible tyrants, who seemed to delight in the deaths of others. They mercilessly executed their own and fought meaningless wars for the fun of it. Amidst all of that death, Ruid¡¯s prince and Nast¡¯s princess met and fell in love and tried to patch things up. They frequently met in secret with a restaurant as their rendezvous point. They took interest in the skillful chef there, a man by the name of Karlwade. They invited him to their castles and ordered him to poison the kings¡¯ meals. It never even occurred to the kings that their own children would think to kill them with poison, so they ate the chef¡¯s food without a second thought, and peace was eternally restored to their lands. The prince and princess ascended to their countries¡¯ thrones, then married, and joined their two countries, Ruid and Nast, into Runa. It wasn¡¯t a suitable founding tale for a country, though. No one really had to know that patricide was the answer to ending many generations of war, so they needed a suitable legend to cover it up¡­ One that the common people could get behind¡­ Ultimately, they ended up raising the chef into the Legendary Hero Karlwade. His legendary arms - his knife, cutting board, frying pan, and more - were nothing but kitchen utensils. It was a secret that was known only to the prince and princess themselves, and Karlwade and his apprentices¡­ ¡°We¡¯re descended from his apprentices,¡± one of the men said. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re destined to protect his secret! It¡¯s so top-secret that not even the king of this country knows about it!¡± He said so with such pride¡­ that he began to cry. ¡°But this is the end, isn¡¯t it!? Soon everyone will know the truth!¡± ¡°What did we leave our lives for if not for that secret¡¯s sake!?¡± Ryner watched them cry in agony for a while before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m really doubting the fact that a secret like that was left to descendants of his apprentices, but whatever.¡± Then he looked up at Ferris from where he stood in the hole they¡¯d dug. ¡°Um, so us digging this up is pretty useless then, right? They¡¯re the seven kitchen utensils, for crying out loud¡­ Haah¡­ And like, we dug a really deep hole for this and everything¡­¡± ¡°What would you do if they were lying?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner looked at the men, who were crying their eyes out. ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­ Let¡¯s just forget about it, okay? We¡¯ll keep our mouths shut and keep your secret.¡± The men clung to Ryner. ¡°R-really!? You¡¯ll keep our secret!?¡± Then Ferris swung her sword close to them again. ¡°No. Hurry up and dig. The sun will rise soon.¡± In that moment, Ryner was sure that he saw a demon. Anyway. They continued to dig until they finally, finally hit the casket. Then they opened it, and inside were countless kitchen utensils. There was a frying pan in the dead center, then a kitchen knife, and a pot¡­ Just as expected, there were seven utensils in total. ¡°This is terrible¡­ Our secret is no more. The struggles of our ancestors are now nothing but bubbles in the water¡­¡± So they said, then collapsed in a pile of tears. Ryner watched them, a pained look on his face, then turned to Ferris with a glare. ¡°Hey¡­ Don¡¯t you think you were a little too mean this time, Ferris?¡± But, just like always, she ignored him as if she never heard what he said in the first place. Instead, she picked the kitchen knife out of the casket. Then she raised the knife¡­ and cut the casket in two. ¡°¡°What!?¡±¡± That was all that the men could say. The rest of their thoughts were lost to shock. Ryner already knew damn well how good she was with a sword, though, so he wasn¡¯t surprised at all¡­ Then she nodded and spoke, as if to answer the shock that the men were experiencing. ¡°Mm. This is exactly what I expect from a Heroic Relic. It cuts incredibly. I cannot possibly believe that any regular chef would own a knife such as this¡­ But you may grieve if you must.¡± With that, she tossed the knife. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ryner,¡± she said and briskly walked away. One of the men picked the knife up, confused. ¡°C-could it be that Karlwade was a true hero¡­? But if that¡¯s true, then aren¡¯t we free? We don¡¯t need to keep our secret anymore¡­ We don¡¯t need to bear the burden of the world anymore!¡± ¡°I can hardly believe it, but it must be true. That makes us descendants of the hero¡¯s apprentices!¡± And so their tears of lament turned to cries of joy. Ryner watched them for a moment before catching up to Ferris. ¡°Is this why you made us finish digging it up? You were pretty nice today, then.¡± Ferris shook her head, then spoke as if it had nothing to do with her. ¡°What are you talking about? I was only fulfilling my duties. Runa is Roland¡¯s ally, after all. Destroying one of Runa¡¯s heroic legends would not be in our nation¡¯s interests.¡± Ryner smiled. ¡°Hmm. Well, that¡¯s fine too¡­ To think that Ferris of all people was secretly a good person.¡± Just then, Ryner noticed a glimmer in Ferris¡¯ hand. He looked down to see a number of gaudy golden skewers. She followed his line of sight. ¡°Oh, these? They say that these skewers were a present to the chef from the royal court¡­ Are you jealous? Heheh. I¡¯ll have fun using these for dango.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you,¡± Ryner said, but stopped there, too tired to argue. He just sighed. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re done with Runa now. Next up is neighboring Iyet, right?¡± ¡°Right. I wonder what kind of dango awaits us in Iyet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always about dango, isn¡¯t it!¡± They walked into the horizon as the first rays of dawn lit the sky. Volume 2 - CH 4 A grand scene spread out before them. Mountains pierced the heavens, as tall as could be, unburdened even by clouds. Ryner Lute stared up at a massive cliff that ran perpendicular to the horizon. ¡°¡­Are you fucking kidding me,¡± he whispered. He had messy black hair and eyes where motivation had gone to die. His usual slouch was amplified as he held himself for warmth. It was a bleak, rocky landscape, devoid of even plants¡­ Ryner stared up at that sheer cliff for some time in blank amazement before turning back. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Ferris. There¡¯s no way that we can climb this¡­ Look how tall it is. It¡¯s disappearing past the clouds, you know?¡± The beauty answered with a perfect monotone. ¡°Mm. No problem.¡± She had long, glistening blonde hair and an unbelievably beautiful face. She wore leather armor on her delicate body, and held a longsword that definitely looked too big for her. Climbing a mountain like this - no, how could a sheer cliff like this even be called a mountain? Either way, it was impossible. ¡°We can¡¯t reach the neighboring Iyet Republic if we don¡¯t climb this,¡± Ferris continued. ¡°So climb. I don¡¯t see any problem here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re definitely dead if we fall. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t fall.¡± ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s not the¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s words trailed off. He knew that saying anything was pretty useless at this point, so he was silent for a while, just staring at the sheer cliff. He tried again, changing his approach. ¡°There¡¯s something that¡¯s been bothering me for a while now. The Iyet Republic¡¯s surrounded by these crazy mountains, right? But it¡¯s also connected to other countries via the ocean. That goes doubly for the Runa Empire, since they¡¯re so close. We could¡¯ve taken a ferry there instead. So why have you been completely ignoring that option?¡± Ferris averted her eyes. ¡°Mm. That. Even I could be in trouble if I was locked inside of a ship with nowhere to run with a sex maniac like y¡ª¡± ¡°No, even if I attacked you, I¡¯d be found dead in the ocean sooner than later¡­ Wait, this isn¡¯t what we¡¯re supposed to be talking about! Answer me - why aren¡¯t we just taking a boat there?¡± ¡°¡­So you haven¡¯t heard the rumors. They say that there¡¯s a monster lurking in those waters¡ª¡± ¡°Liar! Why are you dodging the question? It¡¯s so un-Ferris like. C¡¯mon, tell me the truth. Take a deep breath and just say it,¡± Ryner said, and staaared at her. Ferris wouldn¡¯t make eye contact, and she didn¡¯t say a word. Then she finally spoke in a whisper. ¡°I get seasick.¡± Ryner was silent for a moment, then turned on his heel and began to walk back the way they came. ¡°Let¡¯s catch the next ship out!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not riding in a boat.¡± ¡°Noo! I¡¯m not risking my life for a stupid reason like that! I don¡¯t even like exercising! I¡¯ll collapse¡­ auh.¡± The sharp sound of Ferris unsheathing her sword echoed throughout the mountains. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uuh¡­ I don¡¯t wanna¡­ It¡¯s so much effort,¡± Ryner whined as he moved to what looked like the easiest portion of the cliff to start scaling. A little ways away, by huts nestled around the cliff, numerous bearded men spoke amongst themselves. ¡°Why are they climbing that mountain? Why this mountain?¡± ¡°They¡¯re unfamiliar faces. Don¡¯t tell me they actually want to climb it¡­¡± Another one of the bearded men snorted. ¡°What are you saying, Rick? There¡¯s no way. This is the hardest mountain to climb. We climbers know it as the holy mountain Bethlude. Do you think these amateurs could climb it without any preparation?¡± ¡°R-right. Do you think they¡¯re tourists? Then they shouldn¡¯t get too close to it. This isn¡¯t just any mountain. It is God¡¯s home.¡± ¡°See?¡± Ryner mumbled as he listened. ¡°They said it¡¯s reckless to climb this mountain without any preparation. I told you that this was dumb as¡ª¡± Kaching! ¡°Ugh, okay, I know!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She put her sword back away with unreal speed, then turned to the bearded men. ¡°God, you say? What do you mean?¡± The bearded men¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hah? You came here as tourists without knowing anything about it? Whatever. I¡¯ll explain, and then I need you guys to hurry on out. Umm, where to start¡­ You know that these mountains host goddesses, right?¡± Ferris shook her head. ¡°Ahh, I heard about that,¡± Ryner said. ¡°They say that they¡¯re ugly and envious and won¡¯t forgive women who try to climb their mountains, right? That¡¯s why it¡¯s said that a woman climbing up here will cause a calamity. It¡¯s just a superstition, though. The bearded men nodded. ¡°True. But that¡¯s said about the other mountains. This mountain is a little different. A real Goddess lives on Bethlude Mountain. And to add to that¡­¡± The men¡¯s expressions wavered. ¡°They say that she¡¯s unthinkably beautiful. We would die for her. We planned to climb her mountain with a tribute today, as we always have¡­¡± But then they looked at Ferris. ¡°You, too, are beautiful. Far more beautiful than what a human could be. Could it be that you¡¯re also a goddess¡­? No, you are wearing armor; are you a man, then? Are you perhaps a god who¡¯s come to take the goddess as his wife? Y-you can¡¯t do that. We will not give you our goddess!¡± So they said¡­ even though Ferris was unmistakably a woman. But people in Runa mistook her as a man time and time again due to the simple fact that she wore armor, and women in Runa couldn¡¯t join the military. That was so deeply ingrained in their brains that they couldn¡¯t comprehend Ferris being anything but a man. Ryner figured he¡¯d better set them straight. ¡°You guys are misunderstanding something. Ferris isn¡¯t a goddess or a man. She¡¯s actually a demon¡ªugyaah!?¡± Ferris ignored his screams and spoke. ¡°I see. But don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s true that I am a transcendent, world-shattering beauty, but I am human. It sounds like this ¡®goddess¡¯ is my opponent in otherworldly beauty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that said you¡¯re just a normal, human beauty¡­ ugyaaah!¡± ¡°Mm. Now, Ryner¡ª¡± ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am?¡± Ryner¡¯s voice was feeble as Ferris lifted him by the neck from where he lay on the ground, on the brink of death. ¡°¡ªWe¡¯re climbing this mountain.¡± ¡°W-we just told you not to!¡± One of the bearded men said, flustered. ¡°If the goddess fell in love with you¡­er, no, I¡¯m sure that the goddess would hate to see an outsider climbing her mountain. If you go regardless, I just know that she will bestow devine punishment upon us¡­¡± Ferris completely ignored him, never releasing her hold on Ryner¡¯s neck. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ryner,¡± she said as she placed her foot on the perfectly vertical cliff. She took five, six quick steps up. Then, when she couldn¡¯t get any higher by stepping up alone, she rammed her sword into the cliff. She continued at that rate for a while before addressing Ryner. ¡°You¡¯re heavy. Climb it yourself.¡± ¡°Uh, haven¡¯t I been telling you that I can¡¯t do that this whole time? My head¡¯d get smashed to hell and back¡­¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°You did this on purpose!?¡± Ryner half-yelled as he gripped a suitable rock jutting out with one hand, then used the other hand to draw a spell. ¡°I wish for a spark of light - Cursed Tether!¡± A string of light appeared from his magic circle. He gripped it with his free hand. ¡°I have to find a good rock to tie it around,¡± he whispered. ¡°Then I can climb.¡± He did the same thing several times, slowly making his way up. ¡°Aah¡­what a pain. I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± And so he successfully climbed up the mountain. ¡° Ferris watched him to confirm that he was fine. ¡°Mm.¡± She took a few steps up, using extremely thin perches as her guide as she climbed the steep cliff so fast that it could almost be considered running. She made it look far easier than it actually was. The bearded men watched from below. ¡°Th-this is the hardest and most dangerous mountain in this whole range¡­ They can¡¯t be human!¡± That¡¯s what they thought they said, anyway. They were so far down that it was hard to tell. --- A while later¡ª ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so tall!¡± Milk Callaud said from the base of the mountain. She had a flaxen ponytail and big, cute eyes that shined at the sight. She was a sweet sixteen year old girl who was supposedly the chief of a squadron of Taboo Hunters, but¡­ She turned back to her subordinates, who were all older than she was. ¡°Hey, Luke! Luke! We¡¯re climbing this, right? So can we climb it now? Can we!?¡± The man she called cute was a twenty-five year old man whose hair had already gone white. His expression was troubled, but Milk was a cute kid, so he couldn¡¯t help but look at her with the eyes of a father. ¡°Chief Milk. It may look fun, but climbing a mountain like this is dangerous. You understand that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s start preparing for our climb.¡± ¡°Yaay, mountain climbing! ? Yaaay!¡± Milk hummed as she took her backpack off. It was a cute bag with an embroidered bear on the back, and it was filled with everything they needed to get to climbing. Her subordinates all watched with fondness. ¡°No matter how fun it may seem, our sources are saying that the taboo breakers are climbing this mountain,¡± Lear, one of her subordinates, said. Luke nodded. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to avoid ever meeting them¡­ I want Milk to forget all about that Ryner guy.¡± ¡°Yes. We cannot allow our chief to marry that motivationless man.¡± ¡°Hm hm hmm¡­¡± And so on and so forth. As usual, they worried about her just the same as fathers might. Did they even remember what their duty was supposed to be¡­? Anyway. They finished their preparations. ¡°Let¡¯s climb!¡± Milk said, all smiles. Luke and the others nodded. But then¡ª ¡°W-wait, you guys!¡± A bearded man said from afar. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you plan to climb this mountain? Not only is this a holy mountain, it¡¯s also said to be the hardest mountain to climb around here. Only experienced climbers like us should¡ª¡± Milk¡¯s voice drowned them out, though. ¡°Mountaaaain climbinggg! ?¡± With that, Milk began to climb with a grapnel and rope. Sure enough, she was a military elite¡­ ¡°Ah, wait for us, Chief!¡± Her subordinates said, then began to climb just as easily. Milk looked back at them. ¡°Ah, Moe, not like that! You have to grip it like this.¡± And so Milk and her subordinates climbed, humming all the while. The bearded men watched in blank amazement. ¡°The other guys made climbing our mountain look easy, and now these guys are too¡­¡± They stood still for some time before one suddenly spoke. ¡°Ah! But won¡¯t our goddess be angry with all these outsiders climbing her mountain?¡± The men all looked at each other, then paled. ¡°Th-this is bad. What should we do? The last time the goddess got angry, she brought many to the brink of death and demanded more sacrifices than usual for the next three months¡­¡± ¡°We have to stop them!¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right. Okay. We¡¯ll use magic to send a message to them - that they absolutely cannot climb any further!¡± ¡°¡°Yeah!¡±¡± --- Ryner and Ferris were high enough that they might as well have been in heaven. They were surrounded by thin clouds. They couldn¡¯t see the ground at all when they looked down - hell, they could hardly see the other mountains. Ryner stepped up, finally free of the need to use his rope of light. Ferris sheathed her sword from beside him, then looked up at the sky. She was holding a dango skewer, though Ryner had absolutely no idea how she¡¯d gotten a hold of dango in a place like this. Such was the heartwarming scene of two people who¡¯d absolutely die if they fell. They were the only two living breathing people there. Ryner sighed. ¡°I¡¯m so tired, Ferris¡­ I hate mountain climbing, and I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± ¡°Mm. Your dullness never fails to amaze me.¡± ¡°Says the one who decided this¡¯d be a great time to eat dango.¡± ¡°Mm. I have a separate stomach for dango.¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with what I was saying¡­ Well, whatever. Give me some, too.¡± Ferris¡¯ eyes narrowed. Then she brought the dango skewer to Ryner¡¯s lips. ¡°Aah.¡± She fed him the dango. It absolutely looked lovey-dovey from an outside perspective. ¡°Heh. It¡¯s feeding time, Ryner.¡± ¡°What am I, your dog¡­? I don¡¯t really have the energy to argue though¡­¡± A grapple suddenly flew at them, landing by their feet. ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°What?¡± They didn¡¯t have time to be surprised about the first one when several others soon flew at them. They dodged them all with ease, though¡­ The bearded men from earlier rose from the edge of the cliff, all their eyes on Ryner and Ferris as the grapples continued to fly towards them. ¡°Oof! Uwah, w-wait,¡± Ryner protested. ¡°Why are you guys attacking us? We¡¯re¡­ uah, they¡¯re not listening at all. What should we do?¡± Ferris, however, was still eating her dango, completely unperturbed. ¡°I¡¯m busy. You figure it out.¡± ¡°Hah? Busy? All you¡¯re doing is eating dango.¡± ¡°¡®All I¡¯m doing?¡¯ Don¡¯t take dango lightly,¡± Ferris said as a murderous aura began to spread around her. ¡°Oh, um¡­ r-right. You sure are busy! I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡± ¡°Mm.¡± All Ryner could do was sigh. He looked around at his foes, tired to his core as he dodged their attacks. For some reason, the men were on the verge of tears. ¡°You! You! Why can¡¯t we hit you!? If our goddess were to see this¡­ if she were to see¡­¡± ¡°Hurry! We don¡¯t have the time for this. We¡¯re in the goddess¡¯ territory!¡± Ryner, on the other hand, was perplexed. ¡°You know that¡¯s just a superstition, right? You don¡¯t need to be so scared¡­ But what should I do? I can¡¯t attack them back, and this isn¡¯t exactly the kind of place you can escape from¡­ Guess I could try anyway.¡± With that, Ryner used the rope of light to support himself as he slowly moved along the wall. He moved like his heart wasn¡¯t in it, and like all he wanted was to go to sleep¡­ Even so, the men couldn¡¯t manage to hit him with their grappels. Eventually, Ryner¡¯s smooth but leisurely movements brought him to one bearded man in particular. ¡°I saaaiid that you need to stop this.¡± ¡°Uogh!? How did you do that? I-if you¡¯re going to kill me, then just kill me! If our goddess will forsake us either way, then I have no will to live any longer!¡± ¡°Whoa¡­ You seem to think I¡¯m a super terrible person? I¡¯ve been going out of my way to avoid killing you.¡± ¡°Terry!¡± One of the other bearded men yelled. ¡°Shit! He got Terry!¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t kill Terry! We¡¯re in the wrong, and we won¡¯t attack you anymore, so please!¡± Ryner was more and more dejected by the second. ¡°I just said¡­¡± Then Ferris spoke from behind him, dango still in hand. ¡°It¡¯s useless. This man is a demon - he is everything from a kidnapper to a sodomist. Accept your fate and offer him your bodies.¡± The bearded men turned as white as a sheet. ¡°Hii! He¡¯s a true deviant! Please, anything but thaaaaat!¡± Ryner sighed. ¡°The bright side is that it was easy, I guess¡­ You guys won¡¯t attack us anymore, right? You¡¯ll let us climb in peace?¡± The men nodded and nodded. But then a voice echoed through the mountains. ¡°Hoh. You dare to betray me, the great Estella?¡± It said, with a voice that was somewhere between sexy and immature. ¡°Huh? What?¡± Ryner said. He looked around, but all he could see were the bearded men. If they weren¡¯t in despair earlier, now they definitely were. ¡°G-Goddess! That¡¯s not it! Th-that¡¯s not it! We would never betray you¡­!¡± ¡°Then pray tell, why have you led these people here?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Enough! I will not listen to the excuses of your lot. You will have your fair share of punishment from this. I command thous to wait at the base of the mountain.¡± ¡°U-understood¡­¡± With that, the bearded men descended, dejected. Ryner watched them leave, astounded. Then he turned to Ferris. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Think there¡¯s really a goddess?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Ferris said, completely disinterested. ¡°You, the trespassing man and woman¡ªdoth thou think that I will let you leave so easily now that you have so carelessly infringed on my territory?¡± ¡°Huh? Man and woman?¡± Ryner repeated. ¡°You know that Ferris is a woman? She¡¯s wearing armor¡­ oh, wait, are you not from Runa?¡± ¡°What a strange thing thou hath said,¡± the maybe-goddess said, as if she thought that Ryner¡¯s question was stupid. ¡°I am a goddess. I do not think as you lowly humans do.¡± Ryner shrugged. ¡°She says she¡¯s a goddess, Ferris. Do you believe her? Because I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s a bluff, beginning to end. It is impossible for there to be someone more beautiful than I am.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Don¡¯t you get embarrassed when you say stuff like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Not particularly.¡± ¡°Your face is getting red¡­ Not that it really matters right now. Anyway, I don¡¯t believe it. Show me some proof that you¡¯re a goddess. I need the proof! If you don¡¯t have it, then we¡¯re leaving.¡± They stood there for a second, waiting for the goddess of the mountain to descend from the clouds or something without a shred of anticipation. Instead, they were like the part of the audience at a magician¡¯s show that didn¡¯t believe anything they were looking at. ¡°Mrrgh¡­ How dare thou make a fool out of me¡­ Fine. Let there be proof!¡± She said, agitated. The clouds began to part. ¡°Ohh, cool. That¡¯s cool,¡± Ryner said, still not tense in the slightest. The parted clouds made way, revealing a human - a woman with long, dark hair, robed in a shrine maiden¡¯s outfit. She was scowling, but even so, she was far too beautiful to be considered human, just as Ferris was. She had long, glossy dark hair. Her facial features were flawless. Her skin was perfectly smooth. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen. She seemed to float through the air. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ floating?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°I thought flying magic was so difficult that Runa gave up on it. Maybe she¡¯s a real goddess¡­? What do you think, Fer¡­¡± When Ryner looked to his partner beside him, she was gone. Instead, she was in front of Estella, killing intent radiating from her to the point that it felt like it had a heavy sound¡­ Ferris stared at Estella with her usual blankness. Estella stared back with a triumphant look on her face. Then they spoke at the same time¡ª ¡°¡°Hm. Big talk for someone as ugly as you.¡±¡± Then they glared at each other. ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Mrgh.¡± Ryner looked at them for a moment before taking a step back. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on, so I¡¯m gonna head on over to Iyet now¡ª¡± Estella cackled. ¡°Aiming to escape? Of course. My beauty is undoubtedly enough to make you run with your tail between your legs.¡± Then Ferris¡¯ sword nearly crashed into him. ¡°You¡¯re running? From who? I don¡¯t see why you would need to run from this mountain¡¯s affected master, even if she¡¯s so ugly that she¡¯d look better with a beard hiding half her face.¡± ¡°What!? For you to say such a thing! I will not forgive you. No, I will bestow upon you my divine punishment!¡± ¡°Mm. Come at me,¡± Ferris said. Her sword glinted and she rushed towards Estella at lightning speed. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes widened. A scarlet pentagram rose up in each of his eyes. With that, he¡¯d be able to see any magic used during this fight down to its composition¡­ ¡°¡­This is¡­¡± Lightning shot from Estella¡¯s hand, and Ferris leapt up to dodge, then turned it into a kick. She removed the tie from her own outfit, wrapped it around her sword, and got a good hold on it to bring herself back to the cliff. ¡°Mrrgh¡­ Youuu¡­¡± ¡°Mm. This is a bad place to fight. I¡¯m at a disadvantage¡­¡± ¡°Ferris,¡± Ryner called out to her, ¡°She¡¯s definitely not a goddess. She¡¯s using a spell that wraps transparent wires around herself so that she can move through the air like a puppet. It looks like she¡¯s floating to us, but it¡¯s really just magic. So she¡¯s definitely human. She¡¯d probably fall if you sliced the wires.¡± Ferris nodded and looked Estella up and down.. ¡°Just as I thought, you¡¯re human. That means¡­¡± ¡°¡®That means!?¡¯ Finish thyne sentence! Oh, how you get on my nerves! But this man is something. True, I am not a goddess. I am from Iyet, and I am most certainly not a woman of low birth. Instead, I am a woman whose beauty surpasses even that of a god¡¯s.¡± With that, Estella laughed, seemingly in good spirits. In Ryner¡¯s opinion, both of the women were beautiful beyond words with personalities that were terrible beyond words¡­ But he was pretty sure that he couldn¡¯t say that out loud. ¡°However, I shall not allow you to leave, as you know so much,¡± Estella continued. ¡°I have enraptured the mountain men, who bring me money tributes so that I can build myself a small white house on the peak, where a prince will come to see me while riding a white horse¡­ Heheheh! ?¡± She giggled and reddened as she detailed her commonplace dream. Ferris snorted. ¡°What a small dream. It cannot compare to my magnificent dream of building a dango shop in the cozy countryside, running it together with a husband, and where we will win the Most Delicious Dango Award three years in a row.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Ryner could only stare at the shockingly dumb competition that was spreading out before his eyes. Then he yawned and gripped the rope of light in his hand. ¡°Uh, anyway, I¡¯m gonna go take a nap, so can you guys wake me up once this is settled?¡± But just then, the familiar voice of a girl echoed through the mountains. ¡°Aaaaaah!?¡± Ryner instinctively jumped away. ¡°Huh? Are you serious? Why¡¯s she all the way up here¡­?¡± She had a flaxen ponytail and big eyes, and yeah, explaining it again is pretty redundant. It was Milk. ¡°Ryyneeer, I¡¯ve found youuu!¡± Her voice seemed to echo up from hell. Ryner shivered. ¡°S-scary¡­¡± He¡¯d taken his time climbing up here, fully believing that she wouldn¡¯t show up. But here she was! ¡°Whoa whoa whoa¡­¡± Ryner took his rope and began to climb up higher to escape. ¡°Ah! Ah! I won¡¯t let you escape!¡± Milk said. ¡°I definitely won¡¯t let you get away again! Luke, Lach, Lear, Moe! We¡¯re catching him! Cover for me!¡± ¡°Y-you want us to fight him here? That¡¯s impossible, Chief. W-we¡¯re dead if we fall.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t fall then!¡± Ryner felt like he¡¯d heard that somewhere before. ¡°Alright, Ryner! I¡¯m coming!¡± Milk yelled. She took both her hands off the wall, moving to flip herself. That set Luke off into a panic. ¡°Uwagh, Chief! Please don¡¯t push yourself!¡± He shrieked as he grabbed her to keep her from falling. Milk didn¡¯t seem to care in the slightest as she used both hands to draw a magic circle. ¡°A-are you kidding me!?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°You¡¯re using offensive magic here of all places? And isn¡¯t that a pretty wide-range spell?¡± ¡°What!?¡± Estella followed. ¡°A wide-range spell would cut my wires! This is ridiculous¡­ What are you, a demon!?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°Mm. This man threw her away as though she was garbage, and now her grudge has turned her into a demon. He¡¯s also made demons of other women, children, and men¡­ Exterminating them is my job.¡± ¡°Wh-what a grave fate that thou hast endured!¡± ¡°What are you saying? She¡¯s obviously human,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Though she¡¯s just as much of a pain in the ass as real demons¡­¡± Estella glared at Ryner. ¡°Silence, enemy of women. Enough snide remarks.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about that¡­¡± ¡°Okay, Ryner!¡± Milk said, somehow smug that her magic circle was complete and aimed straight at Ryner. ¡°I wish for a burnt prairie - Crimson!¡± Bullets made of fire shot out from her magic circle with explosive sounds. ¡°Uwagh!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Ryner and Ferris simultaneously jumped back. In the second that they were airborne, Ryner grabbed Ferris by the arm and used his other arm to draw a magic circle and fire a rope of light at a cliff. But Milk had already readied her next attack. ¡°Geez, Ryner! Dodging isn¡¯t allowed! I went through too much trouble to cast that for you to just dodge it! Okay, take two!¡± Fireballs slammed against the place that Ryner¡¯s rope was tethered to and broke pieces of the cliff away. ¡°S, seriously¡­?¡± ¡°Hm!¡± Ryner managed to find a foothold, and Ferris jumped again, grabbing a wire that held Estella up. ¡°Ryner!¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Ferris outstretched her sword, and Ryner clung onto it for dear life. Ryner turned back to look at Milk. ¡°You¡¯re gonna be the death of me one of these days¡­¡± Just then, he realized that there was something strange about her. She was shivering, and tears were building at the corners of her eyes. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wr¡ª¡± But before he could even finish his sentence¡­ ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on? There¡¯s another beauty now!? And she¡¯s flying! I want to be a bird, too! Oh, I¡¯m mad now!¡± Milk said as she started to draw yet another magic circle. Estella could hardly believe it. ¡°Wh-what is wrong with these people¡­¡± Ryner sighed. ¡°Where did I go wrong¡­¡± Ferris nodded, reached into her pocket, and pulled another skewer of dango out. Milk¡¯s magic circle exploded, and Estella¡¯s wires broke with ease. ¡°Mrgh.¡± ¡°Haah¡­¡± ¡°¡­Mm¡­¡± Were those supposed to be screams? Either way, they began to fall towards their deaths. --- They were swaying from a cliff, back and forth with the wind as if on a swing, nearly grazing the ground. Countless spells had been cast to keep Ferris¡¯ sword close enough to the wall to offer them some protection from falling. Ferris was hanging from the sword by her legs, and Ryner and Estella were stiff like cooked shrimps as they hung from her. ¡°I-I was sure we were dead meat,¡± Ryner said. ¡°We really kept falling until the last possible second.¡± ¡°Hmh. True,¡± Estella agreed. ¡°Time and time again I saw my dead grandmother attempting to strangle me, yelling madly that she¡¯d never forgive me and I¡¯d better get over there nooowww¡­ I suppose that¡¯s what they call life flashing before your eyes.¡± ¡°What did you do to your grandma¡­? Guah! Ferris! Why are you trying to fall on me?¡± ¡°Mm. Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No shit! Ugh, I¡¯m so over this. I¡¯m tired of living. Can I sleep now?¡± Ryner asked, exhausted to his core. Then a ruckus built up around them. ¡°Oh¡­ Isn¡¯t that our goddess? She fell from heaven¡­¡± ¡°Ah, and that beautiful man is there, too. Did he elope with the goddess¡­? No! We can¡¯t let that happen! Come on, guys!¡± ¡°¡°Alright!¡±¡± Bearded men began to swarm around them, each one radiating murder. And to top it all off, a voice suddenly echoed from above. ¡°Ryneeerrr! Wait right there! I won¡¯t let you get away!¡± Yup, that was the voice of the devil alright. ¡°Uuh¡­ I want peace. When will I finally have some peace and quiet around here?¡± Ryner wondered as he cradled his head in his hands. He stayed like that for a moment, lamenting. Then he raised his head and sighed. ¡°What should we do, Ferris? There¡¯s a demon above us and we¡¯re surrounded by these bearded guys¡­¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯d be troublesome if the demon got a hold of us. I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ll take a ship to Iyet.¡± ¡°It is about time that I return home as well,¡± Estella said. ¡°I have hidden out here for long enough. I will take a trip back, and tidy up my grandmother¡¯s grave¡­¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Estella got up, completely ignoring Ryner, and took off in a run. ¡°You, woman. I place our competition in your care until we meet again. Then we will determine who is the beautiful woman between us, and there will be a loser.¡± Then she drew a circle of light. Her surroundings became vague, and then she disappeared¡­ ¡°The goddess disappeared!¡± One of the men said. ¡°W-we¡¯re nothing but filthy men¡­ This is your doing, isn¡¯t it? Give us our goddess back!¡± Once again, they radiated murderous intent. Ryner sighed. ¡°I feel like¡­ Like, is it just my imagination, or are more and more pain in the ass women forcing their way into my life?¡± ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re counting me in that list?¡± ¡°No, no, you¡¯re not on the list, so you can take your hand off your sword now. Anyway, let¡¯s go before we get killed.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± With that, Ryner copied the spell that Eslina just used, and disappeared like mist into the air¡­ --- By the way, on the following day, in about the same place, a story began to unfold. It was a legend about the mountain goddess and a legendary hero fading into mist as they escaped a demon¡­ The story flew through the grapevine until it eventually reached Ryner. ¡°¡­I was the number one victim, but they forgot that I was there at all?¡± He whispered, pitiful, but his voice fell on deaf ears. Volume 2 - CH 5 They were so close to the sea that they could tell it was there by smell alone. It was the damp smell of a shore. One had the undeniable feeling as they stood there that there was something out there across the vast ocean - it was something like nostalgia, or maybe something from a dream. Even so, the only thing they could really tell was there from afar was the salt carried by the breeze¡­ Ryner wrinkled his nose. ¡°Ugh, the air¡¯s so salty¡­ It¡¯s like it¡¯s stuck to my face and I can¡¯t get it off. I hate it.¡± He had his usual messy hair and tired eyes, and his usual slouch and air of laziness. He faced Ferris with his usual exhausted expression. ¡°So how are we gonna do this? We don¡¯t have permission to cross the border, and there aren¡¯t any regular ships going from Runa to Iyet. We¡¯ll have to get on one of those smuggler¡¯s ships, right?¡± Ferris¡¯ fair skin didn¡¯t look sticky from the salt at all. Instead, her lustrous blonde hair seemed to flutter in the sea breeze. ¡°Mm. True,¡± she said in her usual monotone. ¡°In any case, we have a responsibility to eat the most delicious dango in town.¡± ¡°¡­Were you even listening to me? I was talking about getting on a ship, not about dango¡­¡± ¡°They say that food - including dango - is more important than frivolous things, after all¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what that phrase is supposed to mean! I know you hate ships, but I need you to cooperate with me here¡­ If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll be forced to say things like, ¡®Alright, let¡¯s go smuggle ourselves in!¡¯ or ¡®How should we approach this problem?¡¯ even though I hate that optimistic shit¡­¡± So they said as they stood in the port town that acted as the sole hub between the Runa Empire and Iyet Republic. Ferris reluctantly nodded. ¡°What information do we have on this town?¡± Ryner searched his memory. ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s called Karlal. It¡¯s the only place where you can enter the Iyet Republic from Runa¡­ Or maybe it¡¯d be more accurate if I said that it¡¯s the only place that it¡¯s possible to reach Iyet from.¡± Ferris cast a sharp glance at Ryner. ¡°The only place? Don¡¯t sprout such lies. It¡¯s also possible to reach Iyet through Bethlude Mountain.¡± ¡°¡­Look, the entire reason that I¡¯ve managed to brave my chronic motivationlessness is because we gave up on that. Bethlude Mountain is just too tall. It¡¯s taller than the clouds. The clouds! There¡¯s no way in hell that a normal guy could climb that monster of a mountain.¡± ¡°However, we aren¡¯t¡ª¡± Ryner raised his hand and interrupted. ¡°Stop there. I already know what you¡¯re gonna say, because we literally already had this conversation on the way here. Several times. Sure, we tried to climb it earlier¡­ but we knew we¡¯d die if we fell, right? So then the conversation turned into how we¡¯re tired of climbing and should take a boat instead. Just give it up. I don¡¯t care how much you hate boats - we are not climbing that mountain!¡± Ferris averted her pretty eyes. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®tch¡¯ me!¡± So went their conversation as they made their way towards a tavern where they might be able to gather information on smuggling rinks. ¡°Huh? The hell?¡± Ryner said, having found something strange. ¡°Mm? What is it, Ryner?¡± Ryner pointed. ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s just, y¡¯know, that¡­¡± A building that one could hardly call large stood on the other side of his finger. It¡¯d been bleached from many years of exposure to the salty air. It certainly looked like it¡¯d seen better days. There was a huge, blaring sign right outside that said ¡®Smugglers, please enquire inside!¡¯ It was very casual. It was definitely breaking the law, but it was so casual that it was like, ¡®Oh, I forgot something while I was out. I¡¯ll just go next door to grab some green onions.¡¯ Ryner just stared. ¡°¡­I hadn¡¯t realized that smuggling was something one could display so boldly,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Is it even smuggling anymore if they¡¯re so bold about it¡­? I thought that smuggling goods from one country to another was a punishable offense¡­¡± ¡°So what will we do? Ask them for help?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, it¡¯s not like we have any other leads¡­¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem. Let¡¯s go,¡± Ferris said as she quickly walked towards the small building. Ryner watched her go. ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s not suspicious in the slightest,¡± he mumbled, then reluctantly followed. The inside was surprisingly lively. It was filled with fiery-eyed, strong-armed men. Everything about them screamed that they were sailors. They were pouring drinks even though it was still early afternoon. A middle aged man who appeared to be the owner was getting drinks out when Ferris and Ryner caught his eye. He smiled. ¡°Welcome, newcomers. You here for a drink? Or do you need a sailor?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just, we saw that sign about smuggling outside,¡± Ryner said as casually as he could manage. ¡°Ahh, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re after,¡± the owner said with ease. So he acknowledged it¡­ with a smile, of all things. ¡°We¡¯re a long-established smuggling company.¡± ¡°At least try to hide it!¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Ferris nodded beside him. ¡°He¡¯s an underhanded serial rapist who proudly proclaims himself a master degenerate. Please do something about it.¡± ¡°¡­First of all, that¡¯s not true, and second of all, I wouldn¡¯t be proud about it if it were.¡± ¡°Hm? Really? But the rumors that say such follow us wherever we go¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re spreading them!¡± Ryner yelled, then covered his face, tired. ¡°Anyway, be quite for a sec. Otherwise, this conversation¡¯s not gonna get us anywhere¡­ If I don¡¯t put some effort in just this one time, we¡¯re gonna regress to the wild times of trying to climb that stupid mountain¡­ Alright, Ryner, do your best, yaaay,¡± he said, his energetic words accompanied by a dead tone. Then Ryner raised his face. ¡°Okay, so if you¡¯re cool with being so open about it, then I am too,¡± he said to the owner. ¡°So about the smuggling thing¡­¡± ¡°I see. You aren¡¯t from around here,¡± the owner said. ¡°The Iyet Republic turns a blind eye to smuggling and illegal entry.¡± ¡°Huh? They just let it happen?¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess there are some economists in Iyet that say it¡¯s good for the economy, so they let it happen. I¡¯m no expert in it, though. It¡¯s a weird country. All they care about is money. It¡¯s a man-eat-man world out there. That¡¯s why criminals are always escaping there.¡± Ryner nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Looks like we¡¯ll be able to get in pretty easily, Ferris. Lucky!¡± ¡°Mm-hm. A high-level criminal like you won¡¯t be able to disembark so easily, however. I will make you suffer for your crimes if they don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I decided that I¡¯m gonna be positive today, no matter what you say to me, ¡®cause I absolutely refuse to climb that mountain again. Ships are great. I could even take a nap while we¡¯re cruising along the sea. Alright, old man. We¡¯re gonna go to Iyet, so do you think we could get on one of your ships for the trip?¡± ¡°Well, to tell you the truth, ships aren¡¯t sailing right now¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± ¡°¡®Cause of the pirates.¡± ¡°You can definitely still sail even if there¡¯s pirates. Like, this is a large-scale, public but illegal business that you¡¯re running. How are you even different from pirates?¡± Ryner asked. He pointed at the flustered sailors for emphasis. The owner grimaced. ¡°Of course our proud business of sixteen years wouldn¡¯t be afraid of normal pirates. But these pirates are different. They have a dragon, you see¡­¡± ¡°A dragon?¡± Ryner repeated. ¡°The hell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth. Countless people have seen it. It¡¯s a fire-breathing dragon. The pirates use it to loot ships with. It¡¯s as if the Goddess of the Sea herself blessed these pirates and bestowed upon them a dragon. No sailor wants to risk his life to go to Iyet without any guarantee that they¡¯ll be safe, so they aren¡¯t sailing until things calm down.¡± ¡°You see? The sea is dangerous,¡± Ferris said. ¡°We¡¯d be better off returning to the mountain¡ª¡± ¡°Dismissed. Absolutely not happening. Besides, pirates are nothing compared to you. You could take them all by yourself without batting an eyelash, and the dragon¡¯s hogwash. No problem, right?¡± ¡°What are you saying? A pitiful maiden such as myself could never exterminate a band of pirates.¡± ¡°¡­Where on earth are you getting the ¡®pitiful¡¯ part from? I would have gone with ¡®invincible.¡¯¡± ¡°Hmph. How naive of you. My seasickness is so strong that I become unconscious.¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re that bad with boats?¡± ¡°We have already been over this. If I weren¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t hate them so much. Once, I was on a boat on my family¡¯s lake, and when I next regained consciousness I was on my bed. I lost consciousness entirely with no recollection of what had happened. Those around me were pale and said that I was never to get on a boat again. Do you truly believe that I could defeat pirates?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready to lose consciousness at the thought of having a lake big enough to sail on, personally¡­ Guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, though, since you¡¯re a noble and all¡­ But still. For the sake of argument¡­ even though I¡¯m tired and it¡¯s a major pain in the ass, I could fight them while you¡¯re unconscious. Should be easier for these guys who make their living off the sea to get us into a position to do it.¡± Then Ryner turned back to the shop¡¯s owner. ¡°Alright. Will you take us if we take care of those pirates and the dragon?¡± The owner stared at them blankly. ¡°Huh? You can take care of them?¡± He asked, then suddenly exploded. ¡°Give me a break! There¡¯s no way in hell that guys like you could¡ª¡± Ryner picked up a nearby iron pot and tossed it up. ¡°Ferris, cut it.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Ferris moved so fast that it was impossible to see her hands go to her sword, and in an instant¡ª Chiiiiing! The sharp sound of metal-on-metal rang out through the shop as the pot was cut into halves, fourths, eighths¡­ Before long, it was cut so small that the shards were nigh on invisible as they fell onto the floor. Then Ferris sheathed her sword like nothing happened. The owner just stared in blank amazement. ¡°Do you still think it¡¯s impossible?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°N-no¡­ But the dragon¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t worry about that. So this is normally a secret, but the truth is that she¡¯s not human. Don¡¯t be fooled by that pretty face - she¡¯s a demon through and through. The proof? Her personality¡¯s terrible, and she¡¯s violent, but listen. I can guarantee that power will be yours. All it takes is some dango ingredients¡­¡± Ferris disappeared again. This time her target was Ryner. Wham! Then she reappeared in front of the owner. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the lies of a sex maniac like this. He¡¯s traveled far and wide just to commit crimes. You see, he¡¯s an evil magician who has stolen spells and kidnapped the princesses of many countries.¡± So went their mutual praising. The friends (?) stared the owner down, waiting for his answer. ¡°T-true, you may just be able to take the pirates and dragon¡­ Alright! We¡¯ll do it!¡± With that, the room was filled with the sailors¡¯ battle cries. --- Their ship departed the following day. Its sail caught the wind with ease, and it traveled smoothly across the ocean. Ryner stood on the deck, where the sun warmed him and the wind cooled him. ¡°This is nice,¡± he said. ¡°The sun feels good, and so does the breeze. I¡¯m ready for a nap.¡± It was the best weather possible to set sail. In contrast, Ferris was pale, on the verge of blue. ¡°It¡¯s moving, it feels disgusting, I want to die¡­ This is it, Ryner.¡± ¡°Huh? This is it? What do you mean?¡± When he turned to look at her, she¡¯d already passed out. Ryner stared for a second before his face broke out in a smile. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re seriously bad with ships¡­ But this is good. It¡¯s good. I¡¯d been thinking of you as an unrivaled monster this whole time¡­¡± The ship¡¯s coordinator was a little more worried. ¡°A-are you okay?¡± He asked her. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s fine. She¡¯s just seasick. I¡¯ll take her to the cabin, so don¡¯t worry about it. I am so writing on her face as revenge for everything she¡¯s done to me, though¡­ heheh.¡± The coordinator shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­ I mean, the pirates. The dragon. Will we really be alright on our own?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°¡®Who knows!?¡¯ Take some responsibility here! We¡¯re returning to the port¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, no, I was joking. I¡¯ll do it. Pirates and dragons are a piece of cake for me. It¡¯s a pain in the ass, though¡­ Anyway, I have to conserve energy, so I¡¯m gonna take a quick nap. Wake me up if there¡¯s any pirates or anything, alright?¡± With that, Ryner laid down next to Ferris, and before long started to snore lightly. The sailors¡¯ eyes widened, doubtful for what was to come. --- The sun turned through the sky¡­ and then, screams filled the deck. ¡°It¡¯s here! I knew it!¡± ¡°The dragon! It¡¯s real!¡± And there Ryner was, completely unconcerned, as he¡¯d chosen to pass his time by fulfilling his insatiable need for sleep¡­ ¡°Ryner, it¡¯s time for your debut! Please wake up!¡± ¡°Mmh¡­ Five more minutes¡­ Five more minutes, Kiefer¡­ After that, I¡¯ll go to class¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying!? Our ship will have already sunken by the time five minutes go by!¡± ¡°Huh? Ship? What¡­¡± Ryner, still half asleep, rubbed his eyes and forced himself up. The surroundings had gone foggy while he was out. The poor visibility meant that the only thing he could see was the sailors screaming and running around the deck. ¡°Man¡­ All of you guys look super busy, so I¡¯m just gonna go back to sleep¡­¡± ¡°Give us a break! The only reason we sailed all the way out here is because you said that you¡¯d get rid of the pirates for us! Here, the dragon is here, so do something about it!¡± The coordinator screamed, tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he pointed up towards the dragon. Ryner¡¯s eyes followed, but his expression stayed rude. A strange sight awaited him. It was difficult to see because of the fog, but there was unquestionably a very large lifeform moving above them. It had a squid-like head and sharp fangs and ferocious eyes, and its whole body was covered in scales. Yeah, that was definitely one of those legendary dragons. ¡°Ohh, amazing. It really is a dragon,¡± Ryner said, but contrary to his words, his tone proved that he wasn¡¯t all that amazed. ¡°A-as expected of a dragon-slaying magician! You¡¯re not flustered in the slightest!¡± ¡°Everyone, hide behind him! Our bro will definitely exterminate this dragon!¡± ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, bro!¡± Ryner stood, even though it was a total pain. ¡°Who¡¯re you callin¡¯ ¡®bro¡¯¡­ I feel like the leader of a bunch of delinquents now. Oh well. Guess I gotta do something about this.¡± He took a step forward. The massive dragon was glaring at him, as if specifically intending to intimidate him out of a fight. Ryner stared through its intimidation. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a fake, so I¡¯ll go ahead and rip its disguise off.¡± The dragon opened its massive jaws. Blazing red fire began to gather inside of its mouth. ¡°It¡¯s fire! It breathes fire! Our whole ship will burn!?¡± Ryner turned a backwards glance at the sailors as they screamed in fear. Then he looked back at the dragon. ¡°Hmm. So it breathes fire, too.¡± His hands danced through the air. ¡°I wish for rain clouds - Leveling Rain!¡± Condensed liquid gathered at the center of his magic circle and shot towards the dragon to extinguish its flames. The water and fire slammed into each other, the force of them both just strong enough to annihilate the other. The sailors began to cheer, but Ryner didn¡¯t have time to listen. Instead, he broke out in a run. He closed his eyes, and when they opened, a red pentagram had settled in their depths. It was a special characteristic of his eyes, the Alpha Stigma, that allowed him to see through and copy all magic. ¡°Ha-haah! So that¡¯s the trick¡­¡± He could see everything about the dragon down to its numerical values and place on the plane of existence. Its trick was simple. It was a dragon model not unlike paper mache that moved with magic wires. Familiar wires. ¡°These things again? Ugh. That means whoever¡¯s doing this knows Iyet¡¯s magic¡­ I guess there are a lot of people who like little tricks like this in Iyet. Anyway, all I have to do now is figure out who¡¯s controlling it¡­¡± All he had to do for that was to follow the wires with his Alpha Stigma. ¡°Found you.¡± Ryner leapt up off the deck. His fingers glided through the air with ease. ¡°I wish for a spark of light - Cursed Tether!¡± A rope made of light shot out from his magic circle and wrapped around the dragon¡¯s neck. He spun it and then, in contrast to his graceful movements in the air, took a lethargic stance once he landed. He didn¡¯t land back on his ship, though - he landed on another one. The pirates¡¯ ship. ¡°Hey. How¡¯re you doing?¡± Ryner asked. The mean-looking pirates were all gripping their scimitars. They¡¯d been preparing for an attack on Ryner¡¯s ship, but now that they were standing face to face with Ryner, their expressions were more shocked than anything. ¡°Wh-wh-what? Who are you? You evaded the Dragon God¡¯s attacks¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, right. That. I¡¯m on the side of justice, see,¡± Ryner said. ¡°I¡¯m just a nice guy who¡¯s out here trying to discipline rowdy pirates like you. That¡¯s what I look like, right? An ally of justice?¡± So he said, but between his exhausted tone, sleepy eyes, and slouch, he looked more lazy than anything. Where was the ¡®ally of justice¡¯ in all of that¡­? Even so, the fact that he was so calm given the circumstances was enough to win his mental battle with the pirates. Ryner ignored the pirates, then looked back to a throne-like chair as someone sat on it. ¡°¡­Wow¡­¡± Ryner was at a loss for words. His eyes went wide and he grimaced. ¡°Are you kidding me¡­? You again?¡± An absolute beauty on the same level of Ferris sat delicately atop the throne. She had glossy black hair and a perfect face. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, and she spoke with a voice that was far bolder than what one would expect. ¡°Mm-hm. You did well to see the reality within my illusion. You dare to stand before me, Estella, the divine and otherworldly beautiful daughter of the God of the Ocean, vulgar as you are? Are you aware that the only ones who may live are those who bow before me?¡± ¡°Goddess!¡± The pirates cheered. ¡°Please, get him!!¡± ¡°Give him your divine punishment!¡± Ryner, meanwhile, was straight up done with all of this. ¡°You¡¯re running the same scam again? Like, goddess? Daughter of the ocean god? Forget divine beauty, I¡¯m pretty sure you mean eccentric beauty. We both know that you¡¯re not a god.¡± ¡®Oh shit,¡¯ was written all over Estella¡¯s face. ¡°Mrgh¡­ You have some nerve, you bastard!¡± ¡°No, half of that was a compliment,¡± Ryner said, then sighed. This was still the same Estella who¡¯d swindled the mountain men into giving her easy cash by convincing them that she was a goddess. Seemed like this time she was the daughter of the ocean god. ¡°Geez, you never learn your lesson,¡± Ryner said. ¡°What¡¯s next, the plains goddess or the river goddess or something?¡± Estella was alarmed. ¡°I-I cannot allow you to leave here alive if you already know that much¡­!¡± ¡°Bullseye!?¡± Ryner said, shocked. ¡°But anyway, don¡¯t you remember me? We just met recently.¡± ¡°Mh? Dear me. I would never have a mere human as an acquaintance¡­¡± She stared and stared for a moment before it finally clicked. ¡°Ah! Y-you¡¯re the lackey of that dead fish woman!¡± ¡°Who¡¯re you calling a lackey!¡± Ryner yelled, but as usual, he was ignored. Estella was tense now that she remembered. ¡°So where is that woman? It is time to settle our competition of whose beauty is more divine than a god¡¯s. I will show that mistaken, antisocial dango woman just who is best!¡± The pirates cheered for her. Ryner had passed the point of caring. ¡°You¡¯re free to do whatever, but like, can you not involve people who are just trying to live their lives? I¡¯d be really happy if you just took these pirates and went home¡­¡± Shockingly, Estella nodded. ¡°Of course. This is the time to show that woman that my beauty is a blessing from god!¡± ¡°Did you even hear me!?¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± Ryner just shook his head, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t listen to his rebuttal anyway. ¡°These two are really similar¡­ They¡¯re so pointlessly infuriating¡­ It¡¯s like they don¡¯t even understand my plan to get old by napping, nodding off, and dozing until my time comes¡­ They just ignore it entirely,¡± he grumbled, even though his dream was honestly pretty worthless. ¡°Now speak,¡± Estella said. ¡°Prostrate thyself before me and show me the location of that pitiful woman!¡± ¡°She¡¯s knocked out cold in the cabin from seasickness,¡± Ryner said. ¡°We¡¯ll mark it up as your victory, so can you please just let us pass? I really don¡¯t wanna fight you guys. It¡¯d be such a pain¡­¡± For some reason, Estella seemed happy. ¡°What, she¡¯s seasick? Hehehe. God hath chosen me. He chose me, daughter of the ocean god! Now, I must gloat upon that sorry loser. My minions, we will follow this ship to shore. You may plunder it as you please.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m telling you, just listen to me for once¡­ Ugh, I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do about it¡­¡± Then he began to draw a magic circle with a tired expression. And then, screams rang out from the boat that Ryner and the others embarked from. ¡°Gyaaaahhh!¡± ¡°Th, the demon! The demon¡¯s eyes opened!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner turned back to look to where thunderous noises were erupting from the boat. Then he turned back to Estella. ¡°What the hell¡­ Did you guys already attack us? It¡¯s not really a ship worth plundering, you know.¡± Estella smiled as though she believed that Ryner was beneath her. ¡°Heheh. You pitiful, ignorant fool. My minions excel at what they do, unlike yours. What happens off this ship has nothing to do with me!¡± She said with the snap of a finger. The pirates suddenly began to tremble. ¡°N-no, Goddess, we¡¯re all still here¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The ship went silent for a moment. Ryner scratched his head and yawned. Only then did Estella speak. ¡°Mrrrgh¡­ Another illusion of yours!? The only tricks you have are those that cowards use!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything though¡­¡± ¡°I will never forgive you! Say your prayers!¡± ¡°I literally just said that I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± A high-pitched, metallic sound rang through the air, cutting Ryner off. He looked up, but all he could do was stare at what was happening. ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± he said, just as sophisticated as always. Something unbelievable was happening in the air above him. A flash of light glinted through the sky, and before he knew it, the dragon¡¯s head was sliced clean off. Estella was frightened. ¡°Wha¡­ I reinforced its neck with steel! What¡¯s¡­ what¡¯s going on¡­?¡± ¡°No one but her could do something like that,¡± Ryner said as he watched the sky. A woman was flying down, her sword glinting in the moonlight. She was disgustingly beautiful as her limbs moved through the air, full of vigor. She caught everyone¡¯s eyes, whether she was trying or not. ¡°Hey, Ferris,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Did you get over your seasickn¡ª¡± Ferris raised her sword and swung it right at Ryner. ¡°Huh? Whoa, wait¡­¡± Ryner jumped back, and Ferris slashed the place where he¡¯d been, leaving a deep cut in the floor. ¡°Th, that was bad,¡± Ryner said. ¡°I really thought I was gonna die¡­¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve finally arrived, you seasick dog,¡± Estella gloated. ¡°Heheh. I am the true beauty here¡ª¡± Ferris moved so fast that it almost seemed¡­ no, she moved so fast that she did disappear. She sliced through the ship¡¯s massive mast like it was nothing. ¡°What are you doing, Ferris!?¡± Ryner yelled. Ferris¡¯ expression was hollow. ¡°Uuh¡­ I feel terrible¡­ I have to sink this ship¡­ before I die¡­ I¡¯ll do it!¡± Ryner scowled. Then he remembered what Ferris said earlier. She said that when she was seasick before, she woke up on her bed with no memories afterwards. That the people around her told her to never get on a boat again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ that she¡¯s unconscious¡­!?¡± She moved to destroy the pirates one by one. Their screams were unmistakable. ¡°Demon! Monster! We¡¯ll be killed!¡± The smuggling ship began to turn around in an attempt to return to the port. ¡°We were fools for asking that monster to kill the dragon for us. We¡¯ll be killed, too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave us here!¡± The pirates screamed. They jumped off of their sinking ship one after another, and attempted to swim onto the other ship. Soon, the only ones left were the demon, the annoying goddess, and Ryner. Ryner watched Ferris destroy the ship. ¡°A-anyway,¡± he said to the goddess, ¡°This ship¡¯s gonna sink if we don¡¯t stop her.¡± ¡°Mrrgh. I see that she has gone insane from jealousy at my beauty, to the point where she wants me dead.¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m begging you to listen to me just this once. If we work together, we won¡¯t need to sink in the middle of the night like this.¡± ¡°Muogh! I will not go easy on her!¡± Estella said and took off in a run. She drew a circle in the air and recited one of Iyet¡¯s spells. Countless fireballs appeared around her, then flew towards Ferris. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner was at a loss for words. It wasn¡¯t just Ferris that Estella wasn¡¯t going easy on. She was, however unintentionally, adding to the ship¡¯s destruction with her fire. ¡°How do you like this!?¡± Estella yelled as she chucked a particularly conspicuous fireball at Ferris. Ferris cut through it with a splendid arc of her sword. It didn¡¯t hurt her, but it was the final blow to the ship. It creaked loudly and began to sink. Ryner held his head in his hands as he stood on the deck of the sinking ship. ¡°Hah¡­ hahahah¡­ This has to be a dream. There¡¯s just no way that idiots like these two could be real. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just sleep. When I wake up, I¡¯m sure that my normal, happy life is waiting for me. I¡¯m sorry, God. I¡¯m a bad kid for staying up too late¡­¡± And so Ryner successfully escaped from reality as the ship sank into the ocean. --- Ryner and Ferris were floating in the open sea. Ferris had finally regained consciousness once she fell into the ocean. ¡°Mm? Is this Iyet?¡± Ryner sighed. That was all he could do at this point. He looked around, searching for another troublesome lady, but he didn¡¯t see her. Oh, well. She was probably fine. ¡°She seems tough, after all,¡± Ryner mumbled to himself. Ferris seemed satisfied. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that we managed to safely reach Iyet without ever meeting any pirates or dragons.¡± ¡°You call this safe!? Besides, we¡¯re not even in Iyet!¡± ¡°Mm? We¡¯re not? Then why are floating so leisurely?¡± ¡°Leisurely, she says¡­ Even though it¡¯s all her fault¡­ Ugh, whatever. I was mistaken to believe that something logical would happen.¡± ¡°Your whole life is a mistake, after all.¡± ¡°True,¡± Ryner said. ¡°It¡¯s been on the wrong track entirely since meeting you.¡± Such went their conversation as they let the sea bring them where it may. Then, little by little, rain began to fall on the ocean. Ryner¡¯s eyes narrowed. Rain clouds covered the moon. Thunder sounded in the distance. The waves steadily grew taller. He stared at the clouds for a moment before they sparked a realization. ¡°It¡¯s storming,¡± he whispered. He wanted to cry. The wind was picking up. The sea was becoming restless. But he wouldn¡¯t let it get to him. He¡¯d realized something. No, he had a revelation, the likes of which any monk would be jealous of. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen in life¡­ It¡¯s okay. I can just float anywhere and it¡¯ll be okay.¡± Maybe it was better to call it abandoning himself, actually¡­ Ferris nodded. ¡°And so he decides to become a vagabond, without ever doing anything useful in his life.¡± ¡°And whose fault is that!¡± ¡°Not mine,¡± Ferris said without a shred of guilt. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m definitely killi¡­ buwagh!¡± A huge wave slammed into him, and Ryner disappeared under the surface of the water. Ferris raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mm? Ryner, where did you¡­¡± But before she could finish, a wave swallowed her, too. And then there were none. Whatever happened to them? --- By the way, somewhere out there was Estella, burbling on the water¡¯s surface. ¡°Mrgh. I¡¯ve lost sight of them. Though I am sure that they¡¯re still alive. They appear to be rather tough, after all. They do say that weeds grow strong.¡± Yet she missed the more apt saying here - birds of a feather flock together. Volume 2 - CH 6 Volume 2: Apathetic Counter-Attack Bio Ment¨¦ silently stared at the letter in her hand. Kill Ryner Lute, a member of the forty-second squadron of the Illusory Masters. She was fifteen and had red hair that reached her shoulders. Her eyes were dark and her expression cold. That was the story of her existence. The story of her existence as an assassin¡­ She read the letter once more. Ryner Lute. Ten years old. Bearer of the Alpha Stigma. She had a pretty good image of the situation with that information alone, down to the reason that she was supposed to kill him. The Illusory Masters were a division of the Roland Empire¡¯s military made up entirely of those with peculiar abilities. This Alpha Stigma bearer was, of course, no different¡­ ¡°¡­So they¡¯re telling me to kill a monster this time,¡± Bio whispered, a faint but self-deprecatory smile forming on her lips. That was her current job as one of many assassins officially affiliated with Roland¡¯s military. This was her duty, and had been since she was twelve years old - she¡¯d been doing it for three years at this point. Accept her mission, kill her target. Accept her mission, kill her target. Accept her mission, kill her target. Everything repeated itself, again and again. She¡¯d perfected the art by now. There were times when her targets were spies. Times when they were people who¡¯d learned Roland¡¯s secrets, however unintentionally. She¡¯d been ordered to kill lovers before, and ordered to kill wives after big shots fell in love with another. It didn¡¯t matter who they were. Men, women, children¡­ She¡¯d devoted her life to following her orders, after all. By now, she was known as a top achiever in her field. They said that she could perform superhuman feats. She had astounding physical ability and her senses were sharper than a dagger. All at the young age of fifteen, no less. She was hailed as a genius, so others felt confident in leaving their missions in her hands. Assassination was her calling. Or rather, it was what she was raised to do. Those around her had died for it, and now she was the only one left¡­ The only value in her existence was her value as an assassin. That was what she was raised for. That was what she lived for. That¡¯d been hammered into her since long ago. And yet¡­ this letter that she¡¯d been handed¡­ Bio continued to read the letter. Bio Ment¨¦¡¯s duty as an assassin will be resolved after the resolution of this mission. We have finally seen an end to the conflict between the Roland Empire and the Kingdom of Estabul. Your impressive achievements have finally come to fruit. You will be compensated with being released from the army. You will recieve the right to a new name and a new life. This is your final mission. Please put all of your strength into fulfilling it. ¡°¡­My final¡­ mission?¡± All that she could do was stare at those unexpected words. She had never thought of such a thing. Her final mission. A different life. One without¡­ without killing¡­ She had never thought of it. She¡¯d ever even dreamed of it. A new, free life¡­? ¡°¡­What should I do¡­?¡± She was a young girl of fifteen, but she¡¯d never thought about this before. She had no dreams to accomplish, even if she were suddenly freed. It¡¯d just never occurred to her. She¡¯d always been forbidden from pointless contact with other humans. There was a wall around her heart. She¡¯d never spoken to another human without acting out her role. Telling her that she was free after all of this time was¡­ ¡°Freedom¡­¡± It didn¡¯t sound bad at all. Really, what should she do? Such were the thoughts in her mind as she prepared for her final mission. --- She¡¯d categorize this job as ¡®basic.¡¯ The target was living all on his own, after all¡­ Those belonging to the Illusory Masters were generally made to be off, either in regards to their bodies or their minds. They gathered in the dark side of the Roland Empire. That was where all monsters gathered. Monsters made to superheat the flames of the war. It was the dark side of the empire that the people weren¡¯t meant to see. That meant that once the war was finished, someone had to ¡®deal with¡¯ their little monster problem. They¡¯d be dealt with in the most normal of normal ways. That was to say that they¡¯d be accused of and executed for treason or other some such crimes. But this Ryner Lute was different. He possessed the Alpha Stigma, which meant that he was fully capable of massacre. If they gathered him up with the other soldiers to execute them all, there was a high probability of his Alpha Stigma going off. If it did, then the soldiers wouldn¡¯t be the only ones to die. The executors and overseers would, too. Not only that, but the Alpha Stigma was capable of copying any and all magic that it saw. That made it quite the threat. He wouldn¡¯t go down easily. And if it got out to the people that the Roland Empire was keeping an Alpha Stigma bearer, one who was capable of spreading destruction across their lands, as a pet¡­ That¡¯d be bad. That was why Bio was entrusted with this mission. Alpha Stigma bearers went berserk when their emotions peaked. ¡°That means that they have to die before their emotions have the chance to peak,¡± Bio whispered as she stared up at the building before her. ¡°I excel at that kind of thing¡­¡± The building was a residence made of brick. It seemed that the military was lending this building to Ryner Lute alone. ¡°¡­This is too big for one person.¡± It was a distinct trait of the Illusory Masters. If the monsters were compliant, if they allowed themselves to be controlled, they were rewarded. They weren¡¯t like other people. They were chosen. They were special people chosen for the sake of the Roland Empire. That¡¯s why they were treated well. In exchange for that treatment, they had to fight for Roland. That was part of how they controlled the monsters that made up the Illusory Masters, and that was also what made this mission so easy. Ryner was chosen, so he was given this big house to live in all by himself. He shouldn¡¯t find it odd in the slightest if Bio invited herself in as one of his maids, and if she could get that close to him, killing him would be a walk in the park. Even if he was an Alpha Stigma bearer, he was only ten. ¡°And once I finish this matter¡­¡± Her words trailed off. Her eyes narrowed. Her emotions fled from her face. Her heart locked up. She took the expression that she always had when she worked. Nothing could catch her off guard. She wouldn¡¯t trust anybody. She wouldn¡¯t let anyone into her heart. Her emotionless expression was completely unlike what one would think a fifteen year old girl to be capable of. Instead, she wore the cold expression of someone whose only purpose was to kill. Then she smiled, completely at odds with the true expression beneath her lips, and knocked on the door. ¡°Um, excuse mee! Mr. Ryner Lute, are you home?¡± Bio asked in a gentle voice. One filled with kindness. ¡°¡­¡­¡± No answer. She tilted her head. It was the first thing she¡¯d done all day that betrayed her age as that of a fifteen year old. ¡°Huh, is he out?¡± It was weird. Her sources said that he¡¯d be in right now. He should have responded¡­ And then¡ª ¡°Ahh, yeah, yeah. I¡¯m opening it now,¡± a childlike voice said from inside. It was accompanied by noisy steps. Then there was the clank of the lock coming undone. A lovely sense of relief flashed through her, and she sighed softly. ¡°Ah, good. I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done otherwise.¡± Even now, she was measuring Ryner physical ability by the sound of his steps and the lock. The movement of his feet didn¡¯t sound practiced at all. He moved like a normal kid would. She didn¡¯t sense any sense of danger from his voice, either. Then there was the kid who opened the door. He looked sleepy, and like he was a little bit of a dolt. He had disheveled dark hair and relaxed eyes. Bio was about as tall as the average woman, and this kid was about her height. He was taller than most ten year olds. Height mattered here, too - the fact that they were close meant that they¡¯d both have similar reach, should they end up fighting. Though from the look of things, she highly doubted that this would turn into an all-out brawl¡­ Bio smiled and nodded in salutations. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Bio Ment¨¦. I¡¯ve been ordered to act as your housekeeper from now on.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, I heard about that. I¡¯ve been waiting for you. You¡¯re really good at cooking, right?¡± ¡°Of course, Sir Lute! I love cooking! I¡¯m also quite skilled with laundry and cleaning!¡± Ryner¡¯s nose crinkled. ¡°Whoa¡­ Sir Lute¡­? You can¡¯t be talking about¡­ I mean, you¡¯re obviously talking about me, but I kinda don¡¯t like that. It makes me sound super full of myself, y¡¯know?¡± Bio stared blankly. Honestly, she didn¡¯t expect that at all. Illusory Masters all thought that they were the chosen ones. They all thought that they were different from others. They had to believe that. They were people who didn¡¯t find it odd that a housekeeper would be assigned to them, for crying out loud. That was how numb their sense of consciousness was. But here this ten year old was, crossing his arms with a sour expression on his face. ¡°So, um¡­ yeah. Anyway, just call me Ryner. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re serving me or anything. You¡¯re just here because the country told you to come here.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Well, then, Sir Ryner¡­¡± ¡°Ughhh. It¡¯s R-y-n-e-r. I¡¯m not answering unless you just call me ¡®Ryner.¡¯ Oh, also, I know that you¡¯re supposed to be a maid, but I¡¯d be happy if you made some food for me when you cook for yourself too, if you don¡¯t mind. That¡¯s about it. Other than that, just live how you want to.¡± ¡°No, umm¡­¡± ¡°Also, this place is pointlessly big, and there¡¯s lots of rooms, so you can just sleep wherever. Anyway, that¡¯s about it. Here¡¯s the key. I¡¯m gonna get back to my nap now. Night~¡± With that, Ryner turned around and walked up the stairs to the second floor. Bio just stood there for a moment, perplexed. Her expectations had been far off base. ¡°Um, Sir Ryner? Even if you tell me to just use whichever room I wish, I¡­¡± Ryner didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°S-sir Ryner?¡± He didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Uh, umm, Ry¡­ner. Please talk to me.¡± Ryner finally turned around, a childish expression on his face. ¡°See? It¡¯s a lot easier making friends if you leave all the ¡®sirs¡¯ and ¡®lords¡¯ off, right? I hate the whole social hierarchy thing. So what do you want me to call you?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, um¡­ Well, anything is fine, S¡­ no¡­ Ryner. I¡¯ll work hard to make ¡®Ryner¡¯ as natural as possible.¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, Ryner smiled meanly. ¡°Alright, then. Lady Bio it is.¡± ¡°Whaaat!? No, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t like it? Even though you wanted to call me ¡®Sir Ryner?¡¯ Don¡¯t tell me that you hated all this stuff since the beginning?¡± Bio was at a loss for words. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding,¡± Ryner said, an innocent expression on his face. ¡°Bio it is. Oh, but since you¡¯re older, maybe you want me to call you Ment¨¦ instead?¡± ¡°B-Bio is fine,¡± she said, flustered. ¡°Alright, Bio. Live however you want wherever you want. I¡¯ll do what I feel like doing, too. Anyway, night night~!¡± Ryner said, then continued up the stairs. Bio just stared. ¡°What¡¯s up with this Ryner guy¡­? Talk about hard to handle¡­¡± He lived life completely at his own pace. She gathered that he was a skilled conversationalist. And yet¡­ He was so innocent¡­ He had that sleepy smile, completely devoid of anything negative, more than anyone that she¡¯d ever killed. For some reason, she didn¡¯t want to do it. Then her expression turned back into the calm smile from before. ¡°Now, which room should I choose? Once I pick, I¡¯ll clean up, and then get to work on dinner.¡± With that, her mission began in earnest. --- She¡¯d memorized the house¡¯s layout before stepping foot inside. Even so, she was careful to take the details in as she cleaned. Many assassins had failed in executing their missions due to unfamiliarity with their surroundings, after all. She had to find and erase all of the variables that could affect her mission. That caution of hers was what allowed her to stand at the top of the country¡¯s assassins for so long. This time would be no different. She would erase her target entirely. So she wouldn¡¯t let anything get to her. It didn¡¯t matter how weak her opponent might be, or how pointless killing them might seem. Every movement she made was for the sake of completing her mission. She would not fail. ¡°Hm hm hmm~ ? Hm hm hm¡ªmm!¡± The layout was approximately the same as what she expected of a house provided by the army. She should be able to attack and kill him while he slept. She finished cleaning and moved on to cooking. She made bread, soup, and seasoned meat and put it in the oven. ¡°Let¡¯s make some super delicious food¡ª!¡± Her humming turned to improvised singing as she cooked. Even so, the thoughts in her head were that of a killer¡¯s - could she poison this food? Poison had a little bit of a taste to it. Not much, but it was decidedly there. There was always a chance that her target would realize that he was being poisoned before he ingested a lethal dose. From what she¡¯d seen of this boy, he was still inexperienced. She could probably poison him with ease. She retrieved a packet of powder from her breast pocket. But just then, she heard a yawn. ¡°Ohh, smells good! It smelled so good that it woke me right up. Is this dinner? It¡¯s dinner, right? Did you make some for me, too?¡± Flustered, Bio quickly put the powder back in her pocket. When she turned around to face Ryner, her expression was decidedly calm. ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯ll be done soon, so sit tight!¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll be at the table, then! I¡¯ll be sleeping. Wake me up when it¡¯s done, okay? I haven¡¯t eaten anything but sweet potatoes that I bought at a street stall for the past three days, so I¡¯m reaaally looking forward to this.¡± ¡°Sweet potatoes? That¡¯s all you¡¯ve eaten? You¡¯re still growing! You need to be eating a balanced diet!¡± ¡°Oh, you got mad at me¡­ But I¡¯ll be eating your cooking from now on, so I¡¯ll be super healthy. You seem like someone who¡¯d say that kids need to eat well and sleep well¡­ Alright! I¡¯ll start sleeping well now. Wake me up when it¡¯s dinnertime, alright?¡± With that, he walked over to the table, lay his head down, and was asleep within five seconds. Bio watched him, defeated. He really was a purehearted child. Completely different from herself. She¡¯d already been training as an assassin in her first memories. It was the kind of training where she¡¯d die if she took a single misstep¡­ She took the poison out again and just stared at it. Even if she took three times of the usual lethal dose, she would not die. She¡¯d been forced to drink it as a child, starting with a small dose, then increasing it as she built up a tolerance. Day by day, she struggled horribly. It was training that¡¯d make anyone scream and cry¡­ In fact, many others who went through the same thing went mad, threw up their own blood, and died. Even so, she slowly built up a tolerance to it¡­ That was how she¡¯d spent her childhood. But there was no way that the child before her had gone through the same agony that she had. She watched Ryner, who was laying face first against the table. He was sleeping soundly as he breathed in and out lightly, cute as could be. He¡¯d completely let his guard down. This was the same boy who had said that he was looking forward to eating her food with a smile on his face. Her eyes narrowed. She put the powder back in her pocket. This poison was cruel. Dying by it was horrible. She herself knew just what¡¯d happen if one ingested it. There was no need to use it to kill this boy. There were plenty of easier methods out there. Ones that¡¯d cause less suffering. She was good at what she did. She was capable of killing him with each and every one of those methods with ease. It wasn¡¯t just that, either. ¡°¡­¡­¡± He could always realize that he was being poisoned before he ingested a lethal dose. That was her number one reason for not doing it. It had nothing to do with emotions. Bio nodded to herself, then took the food to the table where Ryner slept. --- ¡°Man, this is delicious!¡± Ryner said over and over while he ate. ¡°It¡¯s way better than sweet potatoes!¡± Bio smiled, a bit bitter. ¡°Is that even a compliment¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. Forget about the sweet potatoes. It¡¯s just good! Eating food like this every single day¡¯s gonna turn this place into heaven. I mean, my life¡¯ll be eating, sleeping, and then more eating, and then more sleeping! Talk about luxury!¡± Bio smiled. He sounded like an old man. This was the first time that someone had praised her cooking like that. She normally pretended to be a maid in nobles¡¯ manors, and when she cooked for them, all they ever did was insult her. They could find faults in anything. That was what she¡¯d been expecting here, too. Honestly, being praised like this made her kind of happy¡­ She¡¯d taught herself how to cook because she realized that assassins who knew how to cook had a higher success rate than those who couldn¡¯t, due to being able to use poison more effectively. So she learned. ¡°Geez. You¡¯re just saying that because you¡¯re good at praising people.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m being honest. You shouldn¡¯t just hang out here. You should open a restaurant.¡± ¡°A restaurant, huh? Sounds nice.¡± It might really be nice. Once she finished this job, it might be nice to try opening one¡­ She really thought that. She liked cooking. If she just finished this job¡­ If she just¡­ killed this boy¡­ ¡°Fuah, I¡¯m stuffed. I can¡¯t eat another bite! I seriously ate way more than I could handle.¡± ¡°I suppose it suited your tastes?¡± Ryner nodded real big. ¡°Perfectly! It was amazing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad. Oh, I also made dessert, but I suppose you¡¯re too full¡ª¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll eat it!¡± ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll bring it out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so excited. Maybe it¡¯s ¡®cause I¡¯m a kid, but I¡¯m a sucker for dessert. I have a second stomach for it ¡®cause I¡¯m a kid.¡± Bio smiled at Ryner¡¯s one-man-argument. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s fruit jelly, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard on your stomach.¡± With that, Ryner tore into his dessert. ¡°Oh, this is tasty,¡± he said as he ate. ¡°I¡¯ve never had it before. How do you make it?¡± ¡°Hm? Well, first of all¡­¡± Bio explained it for some time as Ryner nodded along, but in the end¡­ ¡°Man, even though I¡¯m listening and all, I really don¡¯t think I could make it. You¡¯re really good at cooking, Bio. How¡¯d you learn how to do it?¡± Bio smiled, happy. ¡°I learned how from someone who¡¯s crazy about food but horrible at cooking. I decided to try my hand at it, and brought food for them¡ªthey ran a bookstore¡ªeverytime I went to buy books.¡± ¡°Oh, wow. It¡¯s really good for being self-taught. You¡¯re really talented.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get embarrassed if you keep praising me.¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that¡­ That means that you don¡¯t get praised much, right? There¡¯s no way. But alright. I¡¯ll try to stop.¡± It was hard not to be flustered at hearing someone say that with a straight face. ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re praising me.¡± Those were her true feelings. She¡¯d never really been praised for anything aside from her ability to kill. Her existence had only been acknowledged as an assassin. And yet, this boy¡­ ¡°Really? That¡¯s good,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m happy to compliment you, too, and besides, it really is super delicious. Thanks.¡± ¡°¡­I, I¡­ Yes. Um, uh, I¡¯m also thankful¡­ Ah, I¡¯ll bring some tea to wash the food down.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good, really. I¡¯m really full, and it¡¯s making me really sleepy. I¡¯m gonna go to sleep now.¡± With that, Ryner took his leave. His steps were a bit out of sync, as if he was really tired. ¡°He¡­ sleeps a lot,¡± Bio mumbled. Her eyes fell to the empty dishes covering the table. She laughed. It came off as cheerful, even if only a little. Then she began to clean. She briskly washed the dishes and tidied up as her plans for the night circled in her head. She¡¯d kill him tonight. She¡¯d enter his room as he slept and slit his throat. It wouldn¡¯t make a sound. He wouldn¡¯t feel any pain. She was skilled enough that she wasn¡¯t worried about that. She had complete confidence in herself. Even so, she kept going over her plan in her head. She¡¯d kill her presence. Quietly open the door to Ryner¡¯s room. Ryner wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that she was there. She¡¯d be able to slowly approach him. Raise the knife. She¡¯d raise it¡­ and aim for Ryner¡¯s neck¡­ And easily slice through it. She¡¯d slice the neck of the person who she¡¯d been chatting with until just a moment ago with ease. He¡¯d praised her cooking. She¡¯d been happy. His heart was pure. He¡¯d made a good impression on her. Ryner¡¯s smile rose in her mind. His face as he happily ate her cooking rose in her mind. His face as he slept so innocently on the table rose in her mind. Even so¡ª Every simulation that she ran in her head ended with her skillfully slicing his throat. That was ¡®Bio.¡¯ She was a top level assassin, and had been for the past three years. All meaning in her life could be summed up in a single word: killing. It didn¡¯t matter if her target was a woman or a child. She¡¯d kill them. She¡¯d kill him tonight. Ryner let down his guard too easily. He¡¯d eaten too much at dinner. He¡¯d be slow whether it made him sleepy or not. She wouldn¡¯t let him feel pain. She liked his smile too much for that. That¡¯s why she¡¯d kill him before he realized that anything was amiss. She finished cleaning, then made sure that everything was in order. Now all she had to do was wait for night to fall. --- It was the middle of the night. Ryner¡¯s room was on the second floor. There were four rooms, and his was in a corner. Bio hid the sound of her steps as she made her way for his room. He¡¯d left the wooden door slightly ajar. The inside was pitch black. An impenetrable darkness. She could hear the easy, almost cute breathing of Ryner as he slept. ¡°¡­¡­¡± She sided up to the door, then slipped through without pushing it open any more than it already was. She made absolutely no sound as she did. Bio crouched down, then waited for a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She kept watch on Ryner to ensure that he stayed asleep. Her training allowed her eyes to adjust fairly quickly. She looked around the room. Ryner was asleep on the bed. He must have tossed and turned in his sleep, because he¡¯d knocked his blanket off and onto the floor. Bio couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was an expression that an older sister might make for her sloppy but precious little brother. Even so, she was pulling her expertly sharpened knife from her pocket. Everything was going according to plan. All she had to do now was get a little closer, then kill him. She stood. The sounds Ryner made as he slept remained unchanged. She took a step forward. Unchanged. She took another step. Then another. Even so, it remained unchanged. There was no point in getting impatient. He hadn¡¯t realized that she was there. She¡¯d completely erased her presence, after all. He remained in a deep sleep. She¡¯d take another step, raise her knife, and end it all. She took another step. All she had to do was kill him. There was no need to hurry. Now, it was time to end it. ¡°¡ªAhh¡­ Actually, I have to use the bathroom. Is that okay?¡± It was so sudden. Ryner suddenly spoke to her, his voice tired, as if he lacked the motivation to deal with what was happening. Now she was questioning everything. Had he woken up? Did he realize what was happening? Did he know that she was there, or did he really just so happen to wake up to go to the bathroom? Would he see the knife, half-asleep as he was? Then all of her questions disappeared from her mind. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that she had to kill him! Ryner wasn¡¯t trained like she was. It didn¡¯t matter how much things diverged from her plan - she¡¯d still kill him! Bio moved unbelievably fast. She drove her knife towards his neck¡ª ¡°Mmh.¡± Ryner dodged with the slight turn of his neck. Only then did he jump out of the way. Bio was shocked. ¡°Wha¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s reaction speed was absurd. She followed suit, but she could only reach his turned back. Then he jumped off the bed, kicked off the wall, and flew into her blind spot. ¡°Kgh¡­¡± This was the worst. It was her first time making a mistake like this. She¡¯d completely misjudged her target¡¯s abilities. What was she thinking, again? He was just ten years old. He was an innocent kid who lived a peaceful life, unlike her. How could she have thought something so stupid? A ten year old who could fight like this¡­ was no different from her. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. He must have endured even more hardship. He must have lived in an even bloodier hell than hers. Her target¡­ was a ¡®monster.¡¯ She felt a killing instinct radiating from behind her. A normal person wouldn¡¯t have that. They¡¯d glare, and that¡¯d be that. But this boy¡­ Ryner. He was radiating killing intent that meant he¡¯d really attack. From where, though? Her right, or her left? She¡¯d die if she didn¡¯t move. She¡¯d move if she made the wrong choice! She tossed the knife, then moved to the left - the opposite direction from the door. Her gamble¡­ paid off. Ryner was not there. Ryner was on the right side. He picked up her knife, then moved to block the door. She figured that was where he¡¯d be: by the door, so that she¡¯d be unable to escape. That¡¯s why she moved to the right instead. She¡¯d avoided him for now, but that didn¡¯t change the situation. ¡°Shit¡­¡± She already understood that Ryner was the stronger of the two of them. Overwhelmingly so. The innocent Ryner who she¡¯d eaten together with was nowhere in sight. The Ryner that was here was wearing a bored expression with eyes that showed that he was past the point of exhaustion as he stared at the knife in his hands. ¡°¡­You really had me there,¡± Bio said. ¡°You had me with your tired, motivationless actions¡­¡± Shit. That was all she could think. They wouldn¡¯t give her an easy job for her final mission, now, would they? ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner didn¡¯t meet her eyes. It was as if he had absolutely no interest in her. That meant that she couldn¡¯t buy time by talking. She glanced around. There was a door, but Ryner was blocking it. There was a window, but its storm shutter was closed. She wouldn¡¯t be able to get through it. That left the door as her only way out¡­ Bio gazed at Ryner with keen eyes. ¡°Now, then. Do I have the power to get past him and through that door?¡± She wondered so quietly that not even she could hear her own voice. To be frank, she wasn¡¯t confident. That was how tremendous Ryner¡¯s power was. Then Ryner raised his face and looked at her, his eyes sharp and dark. ¡°This is a pain, so let¡¯s end it already.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s end it simpl¡ª¡± Ryner¡¯s body wavered, then he crouched low, lower¡­ and then he rushed at her. Bio reacted by flinging herself out of the way. Just dodging wasn¡¯t enough to save her, though. He was faster. So she took note of where he was moving and punched to the place he ought to end up. It was like Ryner knew exactly what she was going to do. He grabbed her wrist with his left hand and tugged, pulling her to the floor. Then he raised the knife in his right hand up. The knife glinted in the dim light coming from the hallway. He was brilliant. Nothing she did would change anything at this point. She was dead. It was her turn to die. Those idle thoughts were all that was left of her thoughts. And yet¡­ ¡°Alright. I win this time¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure the rules say that the loser has to do something for the winner. Right?¡± Ryner asked, his voice unwaveringly tired. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner shrugged and stood. Then he flipped the knife in his hand the other way, and handed it to Bio by the hilt. ¡°I¡¯ll give this back.¡± ¡°Um? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Okay, so, I want you to be quiet for a minute and listen to me,¡± he said. Then a troubled expression rose to his ten year old face and he crossed his arms. ¡°Why¡¯re you here? I want the full story. I mean, I get that you came here to kill me. But who sent you?¡± What choice did she have but to listen to his questions? He was overwhelmingly stronger than her. One could easily figure out who her client was by checking the letter in her bag. She couldn¡¯t tell him, though. Silence was drilled into an assassin¡¯s mind from the second their training started. It didn¡¯t matter if she was threatened with torture. It didn¡¯t matter if she was threatened with death. She would never say a word. She didn¡¯t resist, either. They both knew who was stronger, so any resistance at this point was a waste of time. Ryner nodded. ¡°Aright, so if you won¡¯t say it, then I¡¯ll do it for you. Roland ordered you to come here and kill me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bio didn¡¯t answer. ¡°On top of that,¡± Ryner continued, his tone even, ¡°They said that they¡¯d relieve you of your duty as an assassin after you killed me, right? They¡¯d give you a new name and let you live a new life, right?¡± ¡°How do you know that, you bastard!?¡± Her conscious thought had finally resumed. What was going on? How did he know about that letter? Where was the weak link that the information leaked from? Ryner¡¯s expression went sad. ¡°By the way, about my orders¡­¡± He walked over to his desk, picked up a letter, and held it out for Bio. ¡°My mission is to eliminate the assassin Bio Ment¨¦. It¡¯s because you did so much work during the war. Because you know too much about the dark side of Roland now, and well, y¡¯know. They decided that their best course of action is to just get rid of you.¡± Bio took the letter in her hand. It was just as Ryner said - it was an official mission from Roland¡¯s military. One that stated that his mission was to eliminate her. ¡°This is¡­ absurd,¡± she whimpered. ¡°Nah. This is how this country always does things,¡± Ryner said. His tone alone said it all: he¡¯d given up on humanity. ¡°They use people to their fullest, then when they start being more trouble than they¡¯re worth, they kill them. That¡¯s just how the top dogs run things here.¡± One wouldn¡¯t dream of a ten year old saying something like that, but the truth that he was a skilled assassin. More so than Bio was. The way he moved, the way he thought¡­ Ryner continued. ¡°Seems like this is supposed to be some kind of training for me. They want to see if I can kill the best assassin there is, Bio Ment¨¦, even while being targeted by her. Basically, you¡¯re a human guinea pig. Amazing, right? Roland plays games with people as pieces. That¡¯s just how it is as a country. Honestly, I admire you for coming this far.¡± Bio raised her face from the letter to gaze at Ryner. ¡°I see¡­ Are you going to kill me, then?¡± ¡°Mm. Yeah,¡± Ryner said with a nod. ¡°Because it¡¯s my job.¡± He said it so easily. He was right, though. It was his job. It was every assassin¡¯s job to kill their target. It just so happened that Bio was the target instead of the killer today. She would die here. It was weird, wasn¡¯t it? She¡¯d devoted herself to her country. She¡¯d undergone rigorous training for her country. She¡¯d killed so many people on her country¡¯s orders¡­ and now that they said that she¡¯d be free after this final job, so she¡¯d allowed herself to have a modest dream of the future¡­ She¡¯d devoted herself to her country, but now it was betraying her. She¡¯d killed so many people. It didn¡¯t matter if they were women or children. She¡¯d killed anyone who she was ordered to kill. So she¡¯d dreamed of a tomorrow where she¡¯d be free¡­ Bio had thought that she, who had stolen the futures of so many people, would be allowed a future of her own. That was weird. Her naivety was weird. There was no reason for her to be happy. The same country that she¡¯d devoted herself to would now kill her. It was a suitable end for her. That¡¯s what she thought. She smiled at Ryner. ¡°Hurry up and do it.¡± That bothered Ryner. ¡°Huh, why? I just said that I was gonna kill you, and now you¡¯re smiling?¡± ¡°Hm? What, you can¡¯t kill a woman just because she¡¯s smiling? Are you more interested in killing women who run away screaming and crying, then? You¡¯re some kind of deviant. You can be ridiculously strong, but if you¡¯re actually like that, then that puts you below even third-rate assassins.¡± She knew that there were lots of weirdos in the Illusory Masters. They were a group of people who had it in their heads that those surrounding them were trash. Ryner shrugged. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not interested in that stuff. Also, don¡¯t lump me in with the rest of the Illusory Masters. I know that I¡¯m supposed to be one, but¡­ I actually think it¡¯d be better if that wasn¡¯t true¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s face warped with sadness, but even that soon turned to an expression that was nothing but exhaustion. ¡°Ugh, anyway,¡± he continued, ¡°To me, what¡¯s gonna happen here is that I¡¯ll kill the assassin Bio Ment¨¦, and then ¡®Bio¡¯ will take a new name and live a new life. So don¡¯t make that face like you¡¯re about to die, okay?¡± ¡°Haah? H, hey, wait. What¡¯re you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that you should get out of Roland. You¡¯ll get a new name. Then I¡¯ll report back and say that I got rid of you. Do you get it now?¡± Did she get it now? What? He could be bratty about this all he wanted, but it just wasn¡¯t clicking. It took her a moment to break out of her daze enough to speak. ¡°Hey, you. Even a kid should be able to understand that that¡¯s impossible.¡± Ryner tilted his head, confused. ¡°What? What¡¯s impossible?¡± ¡°Everything. Every single part of that is impossible! First of all, do you understand how hard it is to get out of Roland¡¯s borders without the country¡¯s express permission?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve done it before.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± ¡°No, seriously,¡± Ryner said. As if it was the simplest thing in the world. Bio was silent for a moment before finding her words. ¡°B, but! Even if I get out without a hitch, they¡¯re still gonna order you to hunt me down and kill me! And if you don¡¯t, then you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll take the fall. Failures get the death penalty. You know that, right? And they¡¯ll definitely be making sure that I¡¯m just a body by that point. What¡¯ll you do then?¡± Ryner smiled as if he was suddenly in a good mood. ¡°Hey, is this how you really talk? It¡¯s different from the calm and collected way you talked before, and different from the helpless schtick you had going on when we first met. I think you¡¯ll be good at living another life.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the damn subject!¡± She half-yelled. Then she sighed. ¡°Ugh, geez¡­¡± Sure, he wasn¡¯t wrong when it came to her innocent act from earlier¡­ But this kid was taking this conversation and running at his own pace here. What were they even talking about? Was he worried about her life? They were both assassins. Enemy assassins, at that. That should¡¯ve been the extent of their relationship. ¡°I¡¯ve got something I need to ask you. Okay?¡± Bio asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Have we met before or something?¡± ¡°Pretty sure we haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Right? So we¡¯re strangers. We met today for the first time ever.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°So then I¡¯ve got another question for you,¡± Bio continued. ¡°What¡¯s the merit in you helping me here? You won¡¯t get punished if you kill me now. Your net worth in the military will go up, too. So why won¡¯t you kill me?¡± Ryner crossed his arms. Then he shrugged. ¡°¡®Cause it¡¯s a pain.¡± ¡°Huh? How?¡± ¡°Killing¡¯s a pain.¡± ¡°Haah? Are you telling me that getting me out of this country alive and lying to the military about it isn¡¯t a pain?¡± Ryner¡¯s nose wrinkled in a grimace. ¡°No, that¡¯s a pain too. Ugh, I hate making an effort for anything. But¡ª¡± He smiled kindly at Bio. ¡°¡ªbut I¡¯d rather not live with having killed you, y¡¯know? Killing¡¯s the number one pain that there is. You¡¯ll have to live with having killed someone. It¡¯s even worse when it¡¯s easy. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Like their ghosts are gonna get you while you sleep. It just gets worse and worse the more you kill. Even just walking starts to feel bad.¡± Ryner continued. ¡°It¡¯s like, ugh, you get tired all the time and don¡¯t even wanna go to school¡­ Well, that might be unrelated, though. Anyway, it¡¯s a pain. It must¡¯ve been hard for you to live like that for so long too, right? And the war¡¯s already over. We don¡¯t need to kill people anymore. Thanks for your service.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bio was at a loss for words. It was hard? Was it hard for her, too? What had she thought when she killed? She didn¡¯t feel anything after a while. She had killed people, but it didn¡¯t fill her with anguish or anything like that. But when something fun happened, she didn¡¯t feel like she was having fun, either. She just lived a life where she completed her missions, one after another. She existed to kill and to kill alone. ¡®It just gets worse and worse the more you kill.¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t need to kill people anymore¡¯¡­? But if that was true, then what was the point of her existence? No one had ever taught her how to live without killing¡­ She¡­ she¡­ The boy was smiling. He was tired, but he was smiling. ¡°See, the orphanage I¡¯m from is special. Most of my friends from there became assassins. For me, well, it got to be a pain after a while, so I figured that if I didn¡¯t do anything right, then they¡¯d decide that I was useless, and¡­¡± Ryner stopped himself, having thought better of it. ¡°But, well, that¡¯s enough about me. My friends, though? They got to smile normally recently. But then the next time we met, it looked like things¡¯d gotten tough for them. It was like they¡¯d already died. They were suffering. Living as regular members of society was hard, too. I understood something when I first saw you, Bio. The truth is that you don¡¯t want to kill people anymore, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Didn¡¯t¡­ want¡­ to kill? Who? Her? Her, who didn¡¯t know what it was like to not kill? Her, who had risen to the top of the assassin¡¯s hierarchy through killing? ¡°Sure, things¡¯d be different if you were the kind of person who got pleasure from killing. But you¡¯re not. So live a different life. Because¡­ you¡¯re not a ¡®monster¡¯¡­ like me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She stared at Ryner, who wore a sleepy but smiling expression. Her mission had been to come here and kill a ¡®monster.¡¯ But¡­ ¡®monster?¡¯ This was a ¡®monster?¡¯ That wasn¡¯t true. The real monster here was their country. The real monster¡­ was herself, who had killed without thinking. The real monster was herself, who only existed to kill. But even so, this boy¡­ told her that she could live. He said that she, who had no value outside of killing, was allowed to live. He said¡­ that he¡¯d forgive her. He said that she should start her life over again. What was wrong with him¡­? It didn¡¯t make sense. It was like he scooped her heart right out of her chest. She gazed at him. This boy¡­ This boy, who was only ten years old¡­ It didn¡¯t feel like she was looking at a kid. He had terribly sad eyes. He had terribly tired eyes as he called himself a ¡®monster.¡¯ But here he was, leading her by the nose, telling her that he¡¯d save her. Even though they were complete and total strangers. ¡°¡­So I¡¯ll leave Roland, and you¡¯ll tell them that you killed me?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll know that you¡¯re lying if there¡¯s no body.¡± ¡°Probably, yeah.¡± ¡°And if they know, then you¡¯ll be punished.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ryner said with a careless smile. ¡°But ¡®monsters¡¯ don¡¯t need a reason to be punished for it to happen. Everyone¡¯s afraid of us anyway. They all hate us anyway. I¡¯m used to it. So don¡¯t worry¡­¡± His expression made her heart hurt. She was staring at a smile that no ten year old should ever have to make - one made out of suffering and suffering alone. ¡°I care!¡± Bio suddenly yelled. Why did she have to yell? She didn¡¯t know. It just happened. Her mouth moved all on its own. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care, I do!¡± ¡°Huh? What? We just said that we don¡¯t know each other at all,¡± Ryner said, surprised. ¡°We¡¯re total strangers, right? But you still care? I could kill you right now, you know. I mean, I¡¯m an Alpha Stigma bearer. A mons¡ª¡± ¡°Shut it! I care, okay? So¡­ so¡­ so! There¡¯s nothing I can do about it, is there!¡± ¡°Umm, uhh, what? There¡¯s nothing you can do about what?¡± Bio hid her face. ¡°Uh, umm¡­ so! It¡¯s, uhh¡­ anyway! It¡¯s just, I don¡¯t want you to be hurting!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I love you!¡± Those words left her mouth, but they still shocked her. What? What did she just say? What was happening? Her head was a mess. She just didn¡¯t want to see Ryner with that expression on his face. She didn¡¯t want to see him suffer. She wanted to protect him. This was the first time that she was experiencing this feeling. The feeling of ¡®love.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter who it was. She never loved anyone at all. Of course, she knew what love was. She¡¯d read about it before. She knew that there were many kinds of love. There was love for your children. Love for your animals. And¡­ There was another kind, too. Love for someone that you wanted to protect. There was also love for someone of the opposite sex¡­ That was referred to as ¡®romantic love.¡¯ None of those had ever really clicked for her. She¡¯d always thought that risking one¡¯s life for someone without compensation was unreasonable. So what was the emotion within her now? No matter how she looked at it, she was far weaker than Ryner¡­ So was this romantic love? Or was it another kind of love that she didn¡¯t know about? Her head was spinning. Ryner was shocked from the depths of his soul. ¡°Haah!? Wait¡­ You¡¯re kidding, right? Love is like, umm, love, right? Why? I mean, we just met, right?¡± ¡°I kn-know that!¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯m ten, and you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°I know that! But there¡¯s nothing I can do about it! It¡¯s my first time feeling like this. I¡¯m just as surprised as you are!¡± ¡°Oh, o-okay. Um, so¡­ okay. What should I do¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me!¡± Bio yelled. She couldn¡¯t look at him. Her blood was rising to her head and making her dizzy. This was the first time she¡¯d ever felt like this. She was seriously sick¡­ To think that liking someone would make her change this much. When she killed people. When she was in danger. In those times, she¡¯d quickly regained her composure, and the training that¡¯d been drilled into her took over¡­. Bio pressed her hand to her chest. ¡°Uuh¡­ this is it for me. It feels like my heart is going to physically leave my chest and throw itself out of my mouth.¡± ¡°S-seirously!? Do you feel like you¡¯re gonna die?¡± ¡°I th-think I¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯s tough, but I don¡¯t hate it. It¡¯s painful, but I feel at home with it. Is this really that romantic love thing?¡± Bio asked. She really had no idea what kind of love it was that she was experiencing¡­ ¡°Uwah¡­ I feel like that was like, a really shitty line¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t deny it. She smiled. ¡°Right. That¡¯s true. I think so too¡­ But a normal fifteen year old girl feels like this, right? It¡¯s a pretty serious feeling, all things considered.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Maybe.¡± ¡°I wonder.¡± It was her first time having a conversation like this. She felt that she had just become a ¡®human.¡¯ She took a deep breath, pressed a hand to her chest, and willed her heart to calm down. Ryner waited for her silently. Talking to him gave her so many new experiences. --- They talked for a while as she calmed down. They were pointless conversations. It was the first time she¡¯d ever talked about things that didn¡¯t matter at all. She didn¡¯t act like someone else. She talked about cooking and reading as herself. She glanced at Ryner, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of his room, and spoke. ¡°Anyway, we should get back to the point. I can¡¯t leave you here in Roland to be punished. You understand why, right?¡± ¡°¡­I get it, but I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s possible for me to lie about killing you and then get out myself, y¡¯know? Because I have to lie to the military and say that you already died in order to get you enough time to escape. And you can use magic, right? So the Taboo Hunters will be after you too¡­¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t just leave you here, Ryner! I can¡¯t leave you here in a country that treats you like a monster.¡± Ryner was troubled. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to leave the country with me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind, but¡­ I just don¡¯t think it¡¯d work out.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not running away unless you come with!¡± Bio said. ¡°Y-you¡¯ll be killed then, you know?¡± ¡°Even so, I won¡¯t do it!¡± Ryner crossed his arms. ¡°Uuuh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine! You did it before, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was surprisingly easy. Should be a piece of cake for someone as good as you are.¡± ¡°Then we can do it. You¡¯re really strong too, Ryner¡­ We¡¯ll definitely be able to do it.¡± Ryner grimaced. ¡°I think that we could make it outside the country, too. But I don¡¯t want to have to fight anyone to do it, and I think we¡¯d have to fight someone eventually. It¡¯d be a real pain.¡± Basically, he didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone who came after them. But this wasn¡¯t a situation where that was an appropriate line of thought. If they couldn¡¯t leave this hellish country that they called Roland¡­ ¡°Guess it can¡¯t be helped¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll put some effort in,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Where do you wanna go? We have three choices: Estabul, Nelpha, and Runa. Runa¡¯s allied with Roland, so it should be the easiest one to get into¡­ But that means that anyone chasing us would be able to get in easier, too. Estabul¡¯s on the other side of the coin. We just got out of a war with them. The border would be extremely hard to get past. But on the other hand¡­¡± Bio nodded. ¡°No one would come to chase us. They may even welcome me for being someone that Roland wants to eliminate.¡± ¡°Right. But then Nelpha¡¯s in the middle of those two options. Some people would come for us, and we¡¯d have some trouble crossing the border. Thoughts?¡± He asked for an opinion, but what he got was a confident answer. ¡°I want to go to Nelpha.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, Nelpha hasn¡¯t gone to war since their current king took the throne, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It seems like you hate killing and seeing people die, so¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking that Nelpha might be a good choice,¡± Bio said. It was rather sweet of her, if she did say so herself. Sure enough, Ryner looked troubled. ¡°O-okay¡­ alright. Nelpha it is, then¡­¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Bio said with a nod. Her voice was so lively that it surprised even herself. She was changing¡­ She was changing so quickly that it was embarrassing. Her voice was changing weirdly fast. She really felt that she¡¯d be able to redo her life if Ryner was by her side. ¡°So we should leave¡­ ugh, tonight, right? We can¡¯t wait. We¡¯re both disappearing, after all¡­ I think that if you¡¯re gone by this morning, then the military will be after you by this afternoon. It¡¯ll only be more suspicious if we both go. So? Think we can get out of here tonight?¡± Bio puffed out her chest. ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am?¡± --- It was the middle of the night, but it was still bright thanks to the campfire. They were at the border between Roland and Nelpha. A large gate separated the two countries. It was guarded by over a dozen men. Of course, if they were to use their powers to the fullest, Bio and Ryner could easily murder all of them¡­ But they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do it without a sound. It¡¯d lead to an all out battle. They¡¯d call for back-up. That back-up would be members of the actual army. Taboo Hunters would come, too. Their leader, Rahel Miller, was pretty well-known. He was said to have amazing combat ability. Basically, they couldn¡¯t make a scene here. Bio looked at Ryner, who spoke. ¡°We obviously can¡¯t get through here. If we could, then I¡¯d like to, since it¡¯s even ground and all, but that¡¯s impossible. We¡¯ll go through the mountains. There will be cliffs and valleys, and plenty of animals to eat, and we¡¯ll be able to light a fire without being seen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Being good at working in darkness is in my job description.¡± ¡°Right. You attacked when my room was pitch black.¡± ¡°Chasing you around like that was hard, though¡­ But I¡¯m glad that I didn¡¯t attack you with everything that I had. Well, you didn¡¯t kill me, but¡­ Ryner, you¡¯re really strong. I wouldn¡¯t think that you were ten at all.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really! It¡¯s really cool.¡± Ryner shrugged. He looked a bit upset. ¡°Al-alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Bio nodded. ¡°Mm.¡± They set out towards the mountains. ---- They walked along a dark path, whispering between themselves as they did. But that in itself was fun. They walked along the border for about two hours, and then there it was - a mountain trail that looked pretty uninviting to humans. Nobody was guarding it. Ryner looked around. ¡°Looks like we can get through here?¡± Bio stared up at the mountains rising up around them. ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Ryner took the first steps into the mountains. It was covered in a thick layer of trees and undergrowth. Bio didn¡¯t move. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Ryner asked. Of course she was okay. She wouldn¡¯t break a sweat climbing through here. But she didn¡¯t move. It was because she¡¯d leave Roland if she took another step. She¡¯d be in a different place from the one that she¡¯d lived her entire life in. No one would give her any orders. She wouldn¡¯t need to kill anyone. It would be a free place. Ryner would be there, too. It was too good to be true. It was too good for her. It¡¯d be a new life. She¡¯d be able to live a new life. Amazing, wasn¡¯t it? She¡¯d be a normal fifteen year old girl, who could fall in love in a normal way, work in a normal way, and smile¡­ It was amazing. She¡¯d never imagined anything like it. ¡°Amazing¡­ Ryner, this is amazing.¡± Ryner tilted his head. ¡°Hm? What is?¡± Bio raised her head to look at him. ¡°I feel so happy right now. I feel like I want to be happy right now. This is a first for me. I¡¯m shaking¡­ Thank you, Ryner.¡± ¡°¡­Umm¡­ I feel like it¡¯s kind of weird to be thanked for this kind of thing¡­ It¡¯s good to be happy. But it¡¯s not like this is it.¡± ¡°Mm-hm. You¡¯re right. But is it really possible to be happier than this?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ryner said with full confidence. ¡°You¡¯ll get even happier once you take a nap.¡± Bio laughed. ¡°Ah, okay. You¡¯re a sleepy kid, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah. I take the phrase ¡®sleeping is a kid¡¯s only job¡¯ very seriously. I¡¯m an upstanding kind of guy. I work so hard that I just know that I¡¯m gonna become the Napping Kingdom¡¯s king one day.¡± ¡°Ahaha. What¡¯s that? But¡­ well. Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­¡± A life where every day was peaceful and uneventful¡­ Where she didn¡¯t have to kill people, and nobody had to die¡­ Where she could stare at the face of her sleeping king forever¡­ She might really be able to feel happiness even greater than what she was experiencing now. That¡¯s what she thought. She thought it from so deep inside of her that it made her shiver. If she took a step forward, then she might be able to grasp that happiness. Ryner reached his hand out for her. ¡°Come on, Bio.¡± She nodded¡­ and moved her leg to take a step forward. It happened within a single moment in time. A sharp sound pierced the air. It was a light sound, like something flying. She felt it hit her side. ¡°Ah.¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± Bio looked down. Her eyes found her side. And¡­ and there was something there. It was a thin, stick-like object¡­ An arrow. Its head was deep inside of her. Her clothes were turning dark. ¡°Bio!? Ryner screamed. Bio calmly assessed the situation. Her wound wasn¡¯t fatal. The arrow didn¡¯t hit any organs. She could still move. ¡°Ryner. I¡¯m fine. This wound isn¡¯t serious.¡± Even so, Ryner rushed to her side. ¡°Shit. I messed up. When did they realize that we were here¡­? Why here?¡± Countless armor-clad men were racing towards them. A gangly older man from within their ranks spoke. ¡°Haha. You acted exactly as expected, Ryner Lute. You¡¯ve never accomplished anything as an assassin. I knew that you¡¯d do this, you useless monster.¡± Ryner glared. ¡°Y-you old bastard¡­!¡± The old man sneered. ¡°Everything really went just how I thought it would. It looks like you¡¯ve gotten quite close to this little lady. Exactly as planned. Now, shall we continue our experiment?¡± ¡°Experiment?¡± Bio whimpered. ¡°Yes. Experiment.¡± The old man seemed to be enjoying this. ¡°It appears that Alpha Stigma bearers tend to go berserk when faced with stressful situations¡­ such as when their loved ones die, or when they are abused. There haven¡¯t been any cases where they survive after going berserk, so we¡¯ve been unable to get many details. This here monster doesn¡¯t listen very well, so we¡¯ve had issues in advancing this project. I thought that we¡¯d best kill him sooner than later, but he has this idiosyncratic ability to return after going berserk, you see¡­¡± Experiment¡­ This was just an experiment. They¡¯d predicted that they would run away and come here. Everything went according to their plan. She was there to act as a trigger for Ryner to go berserk. She was there to be killed. She¡¯d die. Ryner would go berserk. Everything would go according to their plan. Ryner grabbed her shoulder. ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen. I won¡¯t let you kill Bio.¡± The old man smiled again. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about it. I¡¯ve prepared more soldiers than what you see here now¡ªall in all, they make up one hundred men. Though what¡¯ll happen to them if your eyes go berserk is a bit of a different story. If you don¡¯t want to see us kill her, then why don¡¯t you go berserk now so that we don¡¯t have to?¡± Ryner didn¡¯t answer. Then he turned to Bio. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is my fault. It¡¯s because¡­ Because I¡¯m a monster¡­¡± Bio shook her head hard. ¡°No. It¡¯s not your fault, Ryner. This country is insane. I didn¡¯t realize that until now, even though I¡¯d been killing people for it this whole time. It ordered me to kill, and I didn¡¯t think anything of it¡­ This country is crazy. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± But he didn¡¯t hear her. Instead, he was glaring at the old man. ¡°Shit¡­ I definitely won¡¯t let you kill Bio. You¡¯re always, always making me do what you feel like seeing me do¡­ I can¡¯t stand it. Bio, leave. I won¡¯t let anyone follow you across the border,¡± Ryner said. His posture lowered as he prepared for a fight. The killing intent surrounding him was completely different from what he¡¯d had back when they fought in his room. It was overwhelming. Anyone could see how strong he was by that alone. It was suffocating enough that she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if all one hundred soldiers backed down from a fight because of it. This wasn¡¯t the kind of situation where he could hold back. It was the kind of situation where he had to have the power to kill. That meant that he¡¯d have to take the lives of everyone here right now. That meant that he¡¯d have to take many lives in order to protect her. This was the same Ryner who¡¯d said that killing was a pain. On top of that¡­ Bio looked down to where the arrow was lodged in her side. She was still bleeding in a thin but steady stream. It wasn¡¯t fatal, but it wasn¡¯t shallow, either¡­ She probably wouldn¡¯t be able to escape like this. They¡¯d catch her while Ryner was fighting. And then¡­ They¡¯d kill her right in front of Ryner¡¯s eyes¡­ She¡¯d make him make that sad face again. They¡¯d call him a ¡®monster¡¯ again. Everything was going according to those guys¡¯ plan¡­ The real monster was Roland itself. It was these men who toyed with their hearts while laughing. Those same men would call Ryner a monster again. She hated that. She¡¯d fallen in love with this boy. She¡¯d thought that they¡¯d be able to spend all their time together from now on, laughing all the while. She looked back. It was one step. If she took one step, it¡¯d be into that free future. It was a dark mountain trail, but to her, it¡¯d been filled with an unmistakable, shining light. She¡¯d seen a free place, the likes of which she shouldn¡¯t have been allowed to see. It¡¯d just been so far away. ¡°¡­I just wanted to feel it, even if it was only for a while¡­¡± She looked back to Ryner, who was postured for battle. Ryner, who was fighting for her sake. Ryner, who seemed to hate fighting so much. He was fighting for her. ¡°For someone like me,¡± she whispered quietly, far quieter than anyone could hear. ¡°He¡¯ll kill all of these people for someone like me¡­¡± She watched Ryner, happy in her own way. She wanted to see him sleeping one more time. That was the thought that hung in her mind. She¡¯d be the closest person to the Napping Kingdom¡¯s napping king, watching his innocent, sleeping face¡­ There was no greater happiness than that. Every day would be a little boring, but nothing would be happier. She smiled gently. ¡°Ryner. I¡¯m really happy that I met you.¡± Ryner nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t need any more parting words than that, so just get away. It¡¯ll be alright. I absolutely won¡¯t let them kill you.¡± But Bio didn¡¯t move. She just watched Ryner¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m already satisfied. I don¡¯t need anything else. I¡¯m fine with this. So you don¡¯t need to do anything that¡¯s too much of a pain, okay, Ryner? I won¡¯t let anyone call you a monster. I won¡¯t let you become a monster¡ª¡± Ryner turned to look at her. He looked like he didn¡¯t know what to say. Bio laughed softly. The sight of his face alone was reassuring. That was what ¡®freedom¡¯ meant to her. ¡°I¡¯m glad I met you. I¡¯m glad that I met you, Ryner. I¡¯m so glad that I met you¡­¡± ¡°Bio, what are you¡­?¡± Bio grasped the arrow stuck inside of her and pulled. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone pull my strings anymore. I¡¯m free now. I won¡¯t do what Roland tells me to do. Living the way that I want to live is what makes me happy.¡± ¡°W¡­¡± Bio embraced him. ¡°H, huh? Huuh!? Bio?¡± Tightly, tightly embraced him. Her hand that she¡¯d placed on his back moved across it, then forward¡­ She took the arrow in her hand, then gouged it into her own chest. It only hurt for a second. Heat welled up inside of her. She instantly understood that this was a fatal wound. It was scary. This was the first time that she felt that death was a scary thing. She hadn¡¯t had anything to be scared for, after all. She¡¯d been raised so that she wasn¡¯t scared. But now¡­ she was scared of letting go of Ryner. She was afraid of never hearing his voice again as she lost consciousness. She wouldn¡¯t be able to see him anymore. She wouldn¡¯t be able to feel him anymore. She wouldn¡¯t be able to laugh about stupid things together anymore. That was terrifying. She first felt that she was human because of him. And¡­ She spoke quietly. Whispered so that Ryner would be the only one to hear her. ¡°I¡¯m glad that I fell in love with you. That¡¯s enough happiness for me. I don¡¯t need anything else. So¡­ so¡­¡± She stopped there. She couldn¡¯t speak anymore. She just felt so weak. ¡°Bio! Come on, think of the situation we¡¯re in. We don¡¯t have time for¡ª¡± Then he realized what Bio had just done. ¡°¡ªWhat!? What are you doing!? Get off! Wh-why¡­!?¡± She wouldn¡¯t get off. Because if she did, then she wouldn¡¯t have the power to embrace him again. She wanted to stay close to him for as long as she could. ¡°R-Ryner¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Even if I¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Ryner screamed, high-pitched and loud. ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t be sad,¡± Bio continued. ¡°I fell¡­ in love, so¡­ Those guys can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t kill me¡­ Ryner, you¡¯re not a¡­ mon¡­ ster¡­¡± That was all she could say. Her lips wouldn¡¯t form another word. She still had so much more that she wanted to say, but she just couldn¡¯t get the words out. She wanted to say that she loved him more. Because she was happy when she was with him. She wanted to convey to him that the way she¡¯d changed was strange and wonderful, almost as though she¡¯d become a different person entirely. But she couldn¡¯t say it. Even the sensation of embracing him soon began to fade. ¡°No! You can¡¯t, Bio! If you die, then¡­¡± Even his voice was fading. That was what death was like. Little by little, all of her senses were taken from her¡­ She couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore. Even the sense of being together with someone she loved¡­ Even so, she managed to open her eyes. Everything was blurry. She could hardly see a thing. But she could see that Ryner was still embracing her. It was too good to be true. She was so happy. She was so tired. It looked like she¡¯d become a citizen of the Napping Kingdom before Ryner¡­ --- ¡°Aaahhh!¡± The air was filled with screams. Screams and screams, all belonging to Ryner. ¡°Oh, has he finally gone berserk¡­? Hm? What¡¯s with his eyes? It looks like he still has some rationality left in them. So he hasn¡¯t really gone berserk¡­ Tch. What a useless woman. She took our perfectly good plan, and then ruined it by committing suicide¡­¡± Ryner glared at the man. His eyes were determined. Fierce. This was the first time that he¡¯d wanted to kill this badly. It didn¡¯t matter how much torture and humiliation that they put him through. Nothing made him want to kill like this did. He wanted to kill him. He wanted to kill him. He wanted to kill this man. He wanted to kill these people. He wanted to kill everyone who belonged to this country. He really thought that. He thought it, and he didn¡¯t care what he had to become to make it happen. It didn¡¯t matter if it made him a ¡®monster.¡¯ He really thought that. But Bio wouldn¡¯t forgive him for it. She, who had used the last of her strength to embrace Ryner, would never forgive him for it. He gritted his teeth and glared with all his might¡­ The man¡¯s expression suddenly turned fearful. ¡°G-guards! Protect me!¡± But for all of Ryner¡¯s glaring, he didn¡¯t move. ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ need to be that cautious. I¡¯m not going to kill you or anything. I¡¯m against killing on principle. It¡¯s just too much of a pain¡­¡± Ryner pulled Bio away by the shoulder, just enough that he could see her face. ¡°Killing people really is a pain, isn¡¯t it?¡± He whispered. It was almost as though she answered by the expression on her dead face. --- They said that the king often slept. Time passed quietly, and before they knew it, it was already afternoon. It was a normal, peaceful day. She passed that normal day by watching his sleeping face all day long, with that happy expression on her face¡­ Volume 3 - CH 1 Volume 3: First Taste of Violence ¡°I¡­ I hate this,¡± Ryner Lute choked out. And he did. From the depths of his heart. Now, perhaps more than ever, he has messy dark hair and unmotivated eyes. His lanky body was sinking into a deep blue world. It was a world without a sky. The lower he sank, the darker it got. He was inside of the ocean. Normally, someone in that situation would be freaking out. Ryner, however, crossed his arms slowly. ¡°Hmm¡­ I won¡¯t be able to breathe for very much longer. Oh well¡­ Wonder if I¡¯ll die here? Why was I here in the first place?¡± He mumbled to himself. Then he remembered the ship. Being on it and then being swept away by a storm. ¡°Ahh, a storm¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s pretty terrible.¡± He didn¡¯t question it at all. He was floating around in the ocean when a huge needle-like something-or-other appeared. It was an attack¡­ ¡°Haah!? What? Why¡¯s there a needle in the ocean?¡± Ryner screamed internally. He flapped his arms around, trying to dodge, but because he was in water¡­ he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of the way in time. H-he¡¯d really die! The sharpness pricked his neck. Fresh blood gurgled out. ¡°Gyaah!¡± He felt it, but the pain was faint at best. ¡°Mm. You¡¯re finally awake. But you¡¯re a massive annoyance, screaming in the middle of the night like this. Is it the sound of you transforming into a beast so that you can kidnap women and children?¡± So said the impressively expressionless woman in front of him. She looked as unfriendly as they got¡­ and about as beautiful as they got, too. She had long blonde hair and almond-shaped blue eyes. Her delicate limbs were holding a longsword that she was holding up to Ryner¡¯s neck. It was a familiar scene¡­ Ryner sighed. ¡°I understand my dream now¡­¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s because I¡¯m here. You must have had a wonderful dream where a purehearted angel appeared before you.¡± ¡°¡­No, it was more like a dream straight from hell¡­ Like, waves were attacking me¡­ And a needle was flying at me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s punishment for your daily sins.¡± ¡°No, the needle was definitely because of you!¡± ¡°Heheh. If I¡¯d stabbed you, you would¡¯ve jumped right up.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯d be dead!¡± Their current banter was taking place in a fairly large inn outside of a port town called Toyrule in the Iyet Republic. Somehow or other, they¡¯d made it here after nearly dying in an ocean storm on the way. But they survived that harsh trial. They were both exhausted after that, so they found an inn, ate their fill, and then went straight to bed. ¡°I¡¯m begging you,¡± Ryner said to the swordswoman whose sword was hovering against his neck, ¡°Can you just let me have some peace and quiet? I¡¯m really tired.¡± Ryner¡¯s words were in vain. She ignored them entirely. ¡°I¡¯m also tired past my limit. Your beast self is overwhelming me, helpless as I am, and¡ª¡± Here Ferris shook her head as if in true despair. ¡°¡ªcutting those sharks to pieces as they make passes at my life during the storm was rough.¡± ¡°My sympathy goes out to those sharks. But anyway. Why¡¯d you come into my room to put me in danger in the middle of the night? You¡¯re way worse than the sharks.¡± Ferris sheathed her sword, an almost troubled expression on her face. ¡°There was a presence here a moment ago. You didn¡¯t notice it?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯re you talking about?¡± ¡°One of your friends appeared in my room.¡± ¡°Friends? The hell?¡± ¡°Mm. It was a beast. An army of twenty lustful men came for me and my property. No matter how tired you may be, there¡¯s no way that you didn¡¯t feel it.¡± Ryner tapped his fist to his open palm. ¡°Ah, okay. Burglars. I¡¯d obviously notice something like that. But I don¡¯t really care as long as they¡¯re not after me¡ª¡± There was a flash of light. Ryner went silent for a moment. ¡°¡­Auuh¡­ S-sorry, I was in the wrong. But burglars can¡¯t do anything to you, right?¡± Ferris thrust her sword at him. ¡°What do you think a fragile beauty such as myself should do about it?¡± Ryner didn¡¯t even open his eyes all the way when the sword was thrust at him. ¡°My sympathy goes to the burglars,¡± he said, exhausted. --- Ferris threatened Ryner, so he reluctantly got up to investigate her room. Just as expected, hell itself was waiting for him. All twenty of the poor burglars were knocked out cold on the floor, courtesy of Ferris. Some had their heads pounded into the wall. One was halfway through the window, dangling in the breeze as he tried to avoid certain death¡­ Ryner had the feeling that the man who¡¯d welcomed them into the inn and the owner were also collapsed somewhere in this mess¡­ Ryner didn¡¯t really care, though, so he chose to ignore that thought entirely. Ryner looked to the self-proclaimed fragile beauty. ¡°So what exactly do you want me to say here?¡± ¡°Mm. My room is dirty now, so we need to switch.¡± ¡°Haah? Why the hell do I have to trade rooms with you! I¡¯m seriously gonna k¡­ yes, of course I¡¯ll trade with you so that I don¡¯t die¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Ferris once again sheathed her sword. ¡°Hm. I knew that you¡¯d do that for me. You and all of your comrades in arm who¡¯d attack a sleeping woman should be together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely gonna kill you someday¡­¡± One of the men who was laying on the floor shot a disparaging glance at them. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating us, you bastards¡­ After all, heheh, this inn¡¯s owned by the great thief Koch Krook¡­ This place belongs to our gang. Our don was in Runa for business, but he¡¯s back starting today. We normally wouldn¡¯t have guests then, but you guys have some bad luck. That woman¡¯s crazy beautiful, so we¡¯re plannin¡¯ to give her to him as tribute. Heheh. Resisting¡¯s futile. Give it up and do what we say.¡± So he said, despite the fact that he was presently collapsed on the floor. Ryner completely ignored his threat. ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s no other guests since the head¡¯s coming back. Why not use an empty room then? Alright, you. Go make a bed for her.¡± ¡°Oh, alright, I will¡­ wait!¡± The burglar said, losing his composure. ¡°Noo! Were you even listening to me? Our leader¡¯s going to be back any minute now! He¡¯s a thousand times stronger than we are! Only the strong rise to the top here. And there¡¯s assassins, too¡­ They¡¯re all part of the strongest faction in Iyet. Heheh. Us meeting marks your end¡­ Nothing will save you now. Kehehe. You can¡¯t run. We¡¯ll catch you no matter where you go.¡± He was brimming with confidence. It sounded like things were pretty bad. Even so, Ryner¡¯s only reaction was to say the bare minimum to show the burglar that he was kind of sort of listening. ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s cool. Super scary. But I¡¯m kinda tired, so how about you go to your rooms?¡± ¡°Uh, weren¡¯t you listening to me¡­?¡± This time, Ferris was the one who spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll go to sleep as well. If I don¡¯t, I may accidentally send a head flying out of drowsiness.¡± ¡°Whoa¡­ Uh, time for bed then! Don¡¯t want you saying anything else dangerous. Then don¡¯t wake up!¡± They didn¡¯t seem to care in the slightest that the burglar¡¯s leader was coming soon. The receptionist was dumbfounded. ¡°D-do you guys even understand what¡¯s going¡­¡± ¡°Cut the chatter and make that bed,¡± Ryner interrupted. ¡°Uuh¡­ yes, sir, right away,¡± the receptionist said. And so he hurried out of the room, sniffling with tears threatening to spill out from his eyes. --- Going back a little to the early afternoon, a merchant ship docked at Toyrule¡¯s harbor. In that moment, the harbor was full of life. It¡¯d been dead for a while because the pirates had stopped marine traffic for the most part, but now that they were gone, everyone¡¯s ships were sailing once more. ¡°We finally made it!¡± Milk Callaud said as she ran down the gangway, her flaxen ponytail waving and her big eyes shining. She was filled with youthful excitement, but despite everything, this sixteen year old was chief of a group of Roland¡¯s Taboo Hunters. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t run, Chief Milk! You might fall, so be careful!¡± Her oldest subordinate, Luke, said. Though he was the oldest, he was still only twenty-five. Two boys who were only a little older than Milk followed. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lach! We have to make sure that Chief Milk doesn¡¯t fall!¡± ¡°Say that all you want, but I know that you¡¯re the happiest one here to get off that ship. Ships and the little rooms in them make you claustrophobic!¡± Lach said, then leapt off the boat with his body that had become weak from spending the past two days holed up in the ship. Then he looked back at Luke. ¡°I¡¯ll go with to make sure that those two don¡¯t get hurt, Luke!¡± Luke nodded. He smiled, happy. ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± And so the three ran off together. Luke watched them go, then sighed to himself. ¡°Still, in chasing that Taboo Breaker Ryner, we¡¯ve ended up in the remote country of Iyet¡­ It¡¯s an enigma because it¡¯s surrounded by the sea and mountains, cutting it off from the rest of the continent. No one really knows what¡¯s going on inside of it.¡± Lear, who was much more cool-headed than the two boys who¡¯d followed Milk off the ship, answered. ¡°True. It¡¯s said that this country was founded by criminals who¡¯d escaped from other countries, so crime is extremely common.¡± ¡°Mm-hm. Well, there¡¯s no helping it now that we¡¯re here. But what if Chief Milk is corrupted by this environment?¡± ¡°No, Chief Milk wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Of course our chief wouldn¡¯t become a delinquent¡­ Even so, this is a terrible place for a child to grow up in. We should leave as soon as we can.¡± Just then¡ª ¡°Ah! You!¡± Milk said. ¡°I saw that! You aren¡¯t supposed to steal people¡¯s wallets! Right, Lach? Moe?¡± ¡°Yes, Chief. You¡¯re right. You caught him red-handed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an asset to society, Chief Milk!¡± ¡°Eheheh.¡± The criminal naturally had something to say about that. ¡°Y-you assholes! You tryin¡¯ to get in our way? You got some nerve!¡± Luke and Lear exchanged a look. ¡°See? Chief Milk will be fine, even in an unlawful country like this,¡± Luke said. ¡°She¡¯s a good kid, after all¡­¡± ¡°Still, this isn¡¯t good. I heard that the police and security personnel don¡¯t intervene in cases like this. What if the criminal is part of a larger criminal syndicate?¡± ¡°O-our chief¡¯s in danger!¡± With that, Luke and Lear ran down towards the harbor. A dozen men quickly surrounded Milk, Moe, and Lach, and more were still coming. Apparently they¡¯d all been on the same ship that Milk and her team had just come off of. ¡°You¡¯ve never been to Iyet before, have you, Missy? I can tell by the way you¡¯re pickin¡¯ a fight with us. You really have some nerve telling us off over a wallet.¡± ¡°Huh? I have a lot of nerve? Is that a compliment?¡± Milk asked, as if she was completely misunderstanding the situation. Moe nodded. ¡°Exactly, Chief! Everyone loves you no matter where you go!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong!¡± One of the men said. ¡°You tryin¡¯ to make a fool outta us!?¡± ¡°Huh? Huh? Huh?¡± Lach took a step forward as if to protect Milk, then rose his voice. ¡°We¡¯ll make a fool out of anyone who upsets our chief. Right, Moe?¡± Moe crossed his arms. ¡°Right. Underestimate us and we¡¯ll show you what pain feels like.¡± Moe braced himself, his intent to fight clear. The men lost their calm for a moment, but quickly recovered. ¡°Aah? You brats tryin¡¯ to look cool? We¡¯re part of a gang of bandits that¡¯ll do it all, from robbery to assassinations. You understand all that?¡± Lach smiled confidently. ¡°Haah? You saying that you¡¯re gonna kill us? Stop bragging and get to work, then.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s pretty cool, Lach,¡± Moe said happily. Then he postured for a fight. ¡°It fires me up. It¡¯s been a while since we did something like this, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on us! C¡¯mon, guys, get ¡®em!¡± By then, twenty men were surrounding them. They all attacked at once. Lear¡¯s body dropped into position, his arms tensed and his stance wide. His limbs seemed small for a confident stance like that. ¡°Hah!¡± He kicked out full force, then followed it by slamming his palm out. Four men went flying from the combination of his attacks. Then two men tried to grab him from the side. He punched them both, knocking them out cold. It didn¡¯t matter how they tried to attack him. He had far more power than his small body might imply. Moe, on the other hand, was ridiculous. He was agile, and used that speed of his to toy with his opponents. ¡°Whoa! Take that! Oh, that was dangerous! Heh, this is fun~? We haven¡¯t fought this many enemies since we were on the battlefield.¡± He moved back and forth freely, and his opponents could hardly follow the tricky way he fought. They hadn¡¯t practiced in a while, but they still punched, kicked, hit, and dodged as if they were in top condition. The thieves dropped, one by one. It was like a storm was wracking through their little gang. A simple, innocent storm¡­ ¡°Tch, these guys are experienced fighters,¡± one of the men said. ¡°Call the boss! Call him and the rest of our leaders! We can¡¯t take these guys ourselves!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± With that several of the men moved to return to the ship. ¡°Hm? Their boss is coming? Let¡¯s get him. It¡¯ll be fu¡­¡± ¡°Geez¡­ It won¡¯t be fun. What are you guys doing?¡± Someone moved, far calmer than the men they were righting. He reached his hand out towards Lach¡­ and grabbed him by his head. ¡°Huh?¡± Lach tried to react by removing his arm with his hands, but instead of freeing himself, he was carelessly dropped to the ground. ¡°Wha!? He¡¯s strong¡­ Just who¡ª?¡± He looked up at the man who¡¯d dropped him. He was pushing his hair back, a troubled look on his face¡­ ¡°Lear!? Why¡¯d you¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a tall man captured Moe with terrific speed. Of course, Moe had been moving amazingly fast himself, so it was quite the feat. Luke sighed. ¡°This is what happens when we leave you two alone¡­ I¡¯m always telling you to have fun with Milk, but look at you, having fun without her¡­¡± He shook his head like the teacher of a misbehaving student might. Moe and Lach exchanged a look that said it all - ¡®oops,¡¯ and then they stuck their tongues out at each other. Then Luke turned to Milk. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t encourage them, Chief¡­¡± At some point, she¡¯d tied a headband around her forehead and a sash around her shoulder. She¡¯d been whistling up a storm while waving a fan around. ¡°What on earth are you wearing?¡± Luke asked. ¡°Huh? Oh, well, Lach and Moe were fighting the bad guys, and I thought I better cheer them on, and in the last town we were at, I also bought pink pom poms, and¡ª¡± ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s okay. I understand, but really¡­ Where exactly were you keeping those things?¡± Luke asked and sighed. He quickly regained his cool. ¡°More importantly, Chief. It doesn¡¯t matter how bad those people might be - we¡¯re here in Iyet for work, and that work has nothing to do with serving justice to the people here. You too, Lach, Moe. Do you understand?¡± Lach and Moe groaned in unison. ¡°Auh¡­¡± Then Milk, Lach, and Moe all spoke at once: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Luke sighed once more before smiling. ¡°As long as you guys understand,¡± he said with a nod. Heartwarming, wasn¡¯t it? Well¡­ aside from all of the evildoers collapsed around them. But anyway. Luke spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s leave before this situation gets too out of¡ª¡± But then men approached them. ¡°Hm?¡± They pulled swords on him, without giving Luke any time to speak. But Luke dodged them with a small, swift move to the side. ¡°Hmm¡­ If you¡¯re trying to be quiet, then attacking someone with a sword is a poor way to go about it,¡± Luke said. He sized his opponents up with calm eyes. They each had fierce expressions on their faces, far more than the men from before; but even among them, there was an older man whose gaze was far sharper. The several men who¡¯d run away to get help before Luke entered the fray were there, too. They pointed to Luke. ¡°Right here, Don Krook. These are the ones who we got into a brawl with, and¡ª¡± The don raised an eyebrow. ¡°And you¡¯re telling me that these young''uns fought better than you guys?¡± ¡°Uh, no, well, umm¡­ But these guys are excessively strong¡­¡± Krook nodded. ¡°Seems so. Just now, hm, are they army men? Yep, that¡¯s strong alright. Hey, you, boy with the white hair. Are you the leader of this bunch?¡± Luke sighed. ¡°See, Lach? Moe? This is because of what you guys just did. I can tell that this man is as strong as I am just by looking at him¡­¡± ¡°Ggh¡­ He¡¯s as strong as you are?¡± ¡°He might be hard to take on even with two of us¡­¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Lear said. ¡°Shall we pull back for now?¡± Milk was dejected by seeing the look on Luke¡¯s face. Her voice came out as a little sad. ¡°Um, so, Luke¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What is it, Chief Milk? I¡¯m a bit busy at the moment¡­¡± Milk lowered her head. ¡°Um, I really am sorry for earlier. I was being a bad kid.¡± ¡°Huh? Er, no, there¡¯s no need to hang your head like that, Chief Milk¡­ D-don¡¯t tell me that what I said earlier made you upset? N-no, that¡¯s not it, okay? I wasn¡¯t upset with you,¡± Luke said. He sounded like someone who felt that he¡¯d failed as her teacher. Milk shook her head up until he stopped talking. ¡°But, but, I¡¯m the chief, so I think that I¡¯m the one who needs to take charge when things get dangerous! So I¡¯ll beat the don up!¡± She said it so easily. ¡°¡°Huh?¡±¡± All of Milk¡¯s subordinates made the same shocked sound. They wanted to stop her, but they were too late. She was already pointing at the don. ¡°You can probably tell just by looking at me, but Luke¡¯s not the chief - I am! So I¡¯ll be your opponent. Let¡¯s settle this, if you have the nerve to!¡± The don¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Haah? You¡¯ve gotta be joking, little la¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± Milk interrupted. She didn¡¯t give him any room to argue. Instead, she leapt right at him. She was unquestionably faster than Moe. ¡°There!¡± She struck harder than Lach. Her single attack on Krook was strong enough to make the men surrounding him stumble. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s up with her!?¡± ¡°We n-need to protect the don!¡± The five men who moved to attack Milk were no joke, but¡ª Their efforts were in vain. Lear put them to shame by striking their vitals one by one. Once they were all on the ground, he turned to face Krook. ¡°Tch, don¡¯t underestimate us. Very well. We¡¯ll take you on¡­¡± ¡°We won¡¯t forgive evildoers!¡± Wham! Krook somehow managed to protect himself. ¡°There! Smack, bam, boom!¡± ¡°Whoaaa!¡± They traded attacks, but in the end¡­ ¡°Hiyaah!¡± Milk¡¯s kick connected with Krook¡¯s head. It sent him flying. ¡°Shit,¡± Krook muttered from where he lay on the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that little girl¡­¡± Milk lightly pressed a finger to Krook¡¯s brow. ¡°So, anyway, Mr. Don. The truth is that I¡¯m actually better at fighting with magic. If you want to keep going, then I¡¯ll end up casting a few spells¡­ So I¡¯m kind of thinking that I¡¯d like you to surrender now. Okay?¡± Krook¡¯s face warped with shock. ¡°I-impossible¡­ I can¡¯t believe that you guys know magic on top of everything¡­ Keh, hahaha. Ah, well. It¡¯s my loss. Very well. From now on, you¡¯ll be the don of the Krook Gang. It¡¯s been sixty years that my grandfather owned this port¡­ The strong rise to the top. That¡¯s the single principle that I¡¯ve lived by my whole life. Everyone, this girl will be the don from today forward. Call her ¡®Dona!¡¯¡± ¡°¡°Aye! Pleasure to work with you, Dona!¡±¡± ¡°Huh? Um, so that means that you won¡¯t do bad things anymore, right?¡± ¡°¡°As long as you don¡¯t want us to!¡±¡± ¡°Wow, how admirable! So you guys were good people all along!¡± Lear watched Milk and the bandits¡¯ exchange with a cool expression on his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this outcome¡­ She tamed the bandits like it was nothing. You can¡¯t find this level of appeal anywhere else.¡± ¡°I knew you could do it, Chief!¡± Moe said with shining eyes. Luke¡¯s smile was none other than the smile of a proud father. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve raised her well.¡± No, not really¡­ But anyway. ¡°Donna, please stay the night at my inn,¡± Krook said. ¡°We¡¯ll celebrate your victory. Our chef¡¯s great, too.¡± ¡°Huh? Really? Do you have candy too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Yaay! ?¡± Milk was too cute. The bandits¡¯ faces all broke out in smiles. ¡°Our dona¡¯s adorable.¡± ¡°We have to protect her with our lives.¡± Lach was indignant. ¡°Hey, the chief¡¯s ours!¡± And so Milk was surrounded by her subordinates - er, rather, surrounded by her great big gang of bandits, who welcomed her with open arms¡­ --- Anyway, back to that night. Ryner was having another nightmare. A massive needle moved to attack him¡­ ¡°¡­Not this again,¡± Ryner muttered. He had exactly zero motivation to deal with this for a second time. If he opened his eyes even a little bit, he was sure that he¡¯d be staring at Ferris¡¯ sword a second time, too¡­ Ryner sighed, lamenting his reality. ¡°So what is it this time?¡± ¡°Mm. I was thinking that we should make the final blow on those dangerous beasts before they wake up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m seriously gonna fucking k¡­¡± ¡°Jokes aside, they¡¯re here. The head of the bandits and their men. There are more than I¡¯d imagined.¡± ¡°Whaat?¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes narrowed, then flicked to the door. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. They¡¯re not bad at concealing their presences. There¡¯s a few in particular that are really good at it. They¡¯re not perfect, though. Are those the contracted assassins that the receptionist was talking about? They seem pretty strong.¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°It¡¯d be a pain to fight them in a small space like this.¡± ¡°No, I think it¡¯d be pretty easy for you¡­¡± Ferris tilted her head. She suddenly looked sad. ¡°Unfortunately, I am unable to fight as their opponent right now. So I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Haah?¡± ¡°Sorry. You¡¯re the only one I can count on.¡± ¡°¡­Wha? What¡¯s that supposed to me. Are you not feeling good or something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± She said it so easily. For a moment, Ryner was at a loss for words. Then, after a long moment, he finally made a small sound. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you not hear me? I¡¯m tired, so I don¡¯t want to do it. You do it.¡± ¡°¡­And you think I¡¯m not tired?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m seriously gonna kill you¡­ God, I¡¯m even more done with you than usual! I¡¯m tired too! And it¡¯s giving me a short temper!¡± ¡°Mm. Don¡¯t think that your sleepiness can win over mine,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Uh, no, I¡¯m definitely more tired than you are.¡± ¡°Hmph. A normal person¡ª¡± ¡°Ugghhhh, just shut up!¡± Eventually, their mutual stubbornness reached its peak. ¡°¡°Fight!¡±¡± Ryner moved to draw a magic circle. Ferris unsheathed her sword. And then, at the worst time imaginable, the door opened. A well-built older man and the other bandits that the receptionist mentioned stepped into the room. ¡°Heheh. Time to pay the piper. Get ready!¡± ¡°Hm. Are these the ruffians who¡¯re trying to take the inn over? I, Koch Krook, will¡ª¡± He never got the chance to finish what he was saying. ¡°I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash!¡± Ryner¡¯s spell exploded in the small room. ¡°Gyaaah!¡± It sent Krook and the receptionist flying. Ferris skillfully avoided Ryner¡¯s attack, her sword flashing once, then twice. That was enough for her to slice through the room¡¯s ceiling and walls, leaving it to crumble. Someone screamed, but they were in the middle of a life-or-death battle, so they didn¡¯t really pay attention to it. Ryner¡¯s eyes followed the beautiful demon. ¡°You¡¯re actually trying to cut me up, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be doing women everywhere a favor by getting rid of a sex fiend like you.¡± ¡°Ah, that again. Get over here, then,¡± Ryner said as he began a second, massive magic circle. Ferris, meanwhile, was still slicing her sword wherever she pleased. The room was being sliced up as though it was paper. That coupled with the fire, lightning, and explosions meant that it was being absolutely destroyed. And amidst all of that destruction¡­ ¡°Our inn¡­ Our i-inn¡­ Our base is¡­ ah, Dona! These guys are crazy. Please do something!¡± ¡°Huh? What, what? Aaahhhhhh Ryneeeeerrr! I~found~youuuuu~! And I won¡¯t let you get away this time! Luke, Lach, Moe, Lear! Ryner¡¯s been having fun with this pretty girl here and cheating on me! I¡¯m gonna capture him, so cover me, okay! I wish for thunder¡ª¡± ¡°Chief Milk! Why are you using that spell in a small room like¡ª¡± ¡°D-Dona¡¯s with them, huh¡­¡± Crrraaaaash! ¡°Gyaaah!¡± The bandits shrieked. ¡°Oh! Luke, what do we do? The floor just brooookkeee!¡± ¡°Whoa?! You¡¯re kidding¡­ Th-the chief fell!? Lach, Moe, Lear, I¡¯m going to go save her!¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± But as they flurried about, a lethal sound echoed through the inn. Such was the end of a glorious 180 year old inn. --- It was a moonlit night, and a beautiful one at that. The breeze was playing with a beautiful woman¡¯s silky blonde hair. She was standing atop ruins. Atop destruction. She was joined by a tired, slouching man with dark hair. ¡°It¡¯s about time that we settle this,¡± the beauty said, her face devoid of expression. ¡°Yeah.¡± There was a serious atmosphere between them. There, within the rubble¡­ was something that both of them had fervently protected. Though they¡¯d both protected it, only one of them could have it. ¡°I¡¯m doubtful,¡± the man said. The beauty¡¯s face didn¡¯t betray her feelings. ¡°But betrayal is the truth of this world.¡± A gust of wind blew between them. Then they began to move. ¡°I wish for¡ª¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Their match was made in a moment - all it took was for them to cross past each other a single time. ¡°I knew it,¡± the woman said. ¡°Beautiful things always win. It¡¯s the truth of this world¡­¡± ¡°Can it!¡± The man yelled, then collapsed on himself. ¡°Uuh, shit¡­ I lost again¡­¡± Then his breathing turned to that of sleep. ¡°Fool,¡± the woman whispered as she sheathed her sword. Then she turned around. There it was - the thing that she¡¯d risked her life to protect. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Finally¡­¡± She combed a hand through her bangs, brushed the dirt off of herself, and approached it. --- The following morning had Luke staring into the ruins, Milk unconscious in his arms. The ruins were made up of the bandit¡¯s inn, or more specifically, a scene from hell. The bandits themselves were amongst the rubble, agony written into their faces. If Milk hadn¡¯t fallen through the hole in the floor, there was no doubt in Luke¡¯s mind that they would have met the same fate as the bandits¡­ Luke¡¯s subordinates were staring at the destruction, too. ¡°Hunting taboo breakers really is hard work¡­¡± Luke nodded with a heavy heart. To top everything up, there was something odd in the rubble and dust: a pristine bed, completely untouched by everything that had gone down last night. A peerless beauty slept on it, her small, sleeping breaths as cute as could be¡­ It was almost as though she was an angel sent to save the world from destruction¡­ or perhaps she was a demon who was merely poised as an angel. But Luke and the others knew of her true form. ¡°A-alright. We¡¯re running from the Taboo Breakers before the chief wakes up.¡± ¡°But wh-where are we going?¡± ¡°Somewhere where they aren¡¯t. Hurry!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± All of the subordinates said. Just to be clear, catching taboo breakers was their job. Did they understand that, though? Volume 3 - CH 2 Ryner was staring, dazed, at a booklet in the street on a day that they didn¡¯t have any plans. His bed head was four times worse than usual, and his eyes spat upon aspiration itself. Those very eyes were presently zoning off into a booklet that he bought at a stall just a moment ago. It was as expensive as a hardcover novel despite being only 126 pages in total. He read from the start. Step 1: Don¡¯t assume that water, safety, or even knowledge is free. Step 2: Also, the fact that you¡¯re taking advice from this book means that you¡¯re pretty gullible. Step 3: Anyway, writing this is pretty boring, so that wraps things up. Every page after the second was completely blank¡­ Ryner trembled. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®that wraps things uuuppp!¡¯¡± He yelled and threw the booklet as hard as he could. Ferris Eris, the beautiful woman standing by him, spoke. ¡°That book taught us something important, though, so I would say that it was worthwhile,¡± she said as she casually flipped her hair, her blue eyes following the booklet¡¯s path through the sky. ¡°What, that Iyet doesn¡¯t give a shit about the fact that it¡¯s a dangerous country crawling with criminals? That it¡¯s the kind of place where the strong eat the weak?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s that you shouldn¡¯t buy books like that like an idiot. You didn¡¯t realize that it¡¯s strange how there would be a guidebook to Iyet when this country is so cut off from the rest of the world?¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ Okay, they did get me with that one, but¡­ You said that it was okay for us to buy it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ferris somehow looked proud of herself. ¡°Hmph. How naive. That was camouflage.¡± ¡°Camouflage!? What does that even mean!? In the first place, you¡¯re¡­ no, whatever¡­ Yelling is making me even more tired. Frankly, I don¡¯t get this place. It¡¯s completely isolated from the rest of the world. It¡¯s a total mystery. We need to gather information on what kind of relics might be here, but¡­ I don¡¯t know who we can ask about finding a library¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s words trailed off as his eyes followed the booklet. It rose up in an arc, up and up, riding on the wind¡­ His eyes flicked left and right to see where it¡¯d land. Naturally, there were three men down there, and they looked like trouble. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s coming in to your right, Boss.¡± ¡°Alrighty. Here?¡± ¡°Bingo, Boss!¡± The booklet fell right onto the head of the ¡®Boss¡¯ with a light sound¡­ The man slowly pulled a red liquid in a clear bag out of his pocket, opened it, and dribbled it on his head. ¡°¡­The fuck is this!? I¡¯m bleeding!? Bleeeeeding!¡± It was a very convincing act. Ryner watched in blank amazement. What else was he supposed to do? The henchman paled and rushed to his boss¡¯ side. ¡°Ah, hold it together, Boss!¡± ¡°Shit¡­ Who¡¯d do something so terrible?¡± The boss asked with a terrible monotone. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive ¡®em¡­ I¡¯ll never forgive ¡®em¡­¡± So he said, but it was pretty obvious, all things considered. The men made their way over to Ryner and Ferris. Ryner sighed. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so done with this country¡­¡± ¡°Mm. So you¡¯re the kind of person who doesn¡¯t like people who are similar to yourself.¡± ¡°Where exactly are you seeing any similarities here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re all criminals,¡± Ferris said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Though I doubt that there are sex fiends of your caliber here.¡± ¡°How am I that high-level!? Wait¡­ ugh, you know that¡¯s not true! But anyway, we can ask these guys where the library is. Oh, but Ferris, you remember what that booklet said? About how we shouldn¡¯t assume that basically anything is free?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°This country sure is a pain in the ass. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll tell us where the library is for free¡­¡± Ferris unsheathed her sword. ¡°¡­Aah, well, I guess you¡¯re pretty good at this kind of thing¡­ I think you¡¯re a lot more suited to life in this country than I am.¡± The men had finally made their way over. ¡°Well, well, you bastar¡ª¡± That was as far as he got before Ferris; sword flashed and she disappeared. The men were sprawled across the ground in an instant. ¡°Mm. The weather is excellent today,¡± Ferris said, perfectly casual. ¡°The birds are singing. Surely your heads are longing to fly through the sky just as those birds are.¡± The men screeched. They were white as sheets at the contrast of Ferris¡¯ pleasant start and violent end. They were experiencing turmoil unlike anything they¡¯d ever known. Ryner, meanwhile, was mostly just impressed. ¡°Only Ferris, the heinous king of everything evil, couuullddd gyaaaaahhh!!¡± And so Ryner was slammed into the ground. That only scared the men more. ¡°So,¡± Ferris started, ¡°Unless you want to suffer another blow from this charming angel, you will answer my questions. Won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am¡­¡± It seemed that Ryner and Ferris became accustomed to Iyet¡¯s traditions with ease. --- They learned from the men that there was no free institution that one could consider a library in all of Iyet. They also learned about the monopolies. There was a monopoly on food. A monopoly on land and buildings. If you could name it, there was a monopoly. The massive organization that controlled the country¡¯s publishing power, documents, and even the flow of information itself through a regulated rumor mill was known as the Fiurelle group. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that we can¡¯t learn anything at all without paying up¡­ I mean, that¡¯s par for the course for important stuff, but really?¡± Ryner asked as he looked up to the massive building they¡¯d been standing by. - a building that was said to be managed by the Fiurelle group. The Iyet Republic¡¯s Information Synthesis Headquarters was written on it. Fantastic naming sense, right? But that wasn¡¯t the only division that the massive black building had to offer. There were numerous other doors in, too, each with its own division. ¡®Financial Information,¡¯ ¡®Political Information,¡¯ ¡®Maps,¡¯ ¡®Distribution¡¯¡­ There were smaller divisions within those, too. ¡®Infidelity Investigations,¡¯ ¡®National Gastronomy,¡¯ ¡®Recruiting for Soap Operas,¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s Party, Fellow Elites,¡¯ and other ¡®who the hell cares¡¯ kinds of divisions¡­ ¡°Oh, but this could be weirdly convenient,¡± Ryner said. ¡°I¡¯m all for not investigating things myself. So, um, the stuff that we need to know about is¡­¡± Ryner took one of the pamphlets provided outside the building and leafed through it. ¡°Ah, Gate 302248 - Historical Facts might be right, or maybe Gate 302344 - City Legends¡­? What do you think, Ferris?¡± Ferris shook her head. ¡°I believe we will find the most useful information within Gate 302238.¡± ¡°Huh? Three, zero,¡± Ryner flipped through the pamphlet. ¡°Hm. Three, zero, two¡­ uhh, the hell is this? Delicious Dango Info¡­? You¡¯re the only one who cares!¡± ¡°Perhaps Gate 804867, then.¡± ¡°Hm? Eight-zero-four¡­ How to Get Rid of Stalkers? Are you implying that I¡¯m stalking you?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s become self-aware¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even true!¡± And so their usual back-and-forth flared up. But they were soon interrupted. ¡°Hello, Customers.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Ryner and Ferris dropped their unproductive conversation to look at the person who¡¯d talked to them. A man with a neat black suit was standing there. ¡°We have been awaiting your arrival. Welcome to the Fiurelle Group. Our leader would like to speak with you in the VIP room, if you will,¡± he said, then began to move. Ryner tilted his head. ¡°Haah? Your leader? VIP room? Why¡¯re we getting special treatment? Hey, Ferris, what do you¡ª¡± He was going to ask, but she was already following the man. ¡°¡ªYou don¡¯t think this is suspicious!?¡± Ryner finished. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Like, why are we being treated like VIPs? We¡¯re hardly famous. I mean, we just got here¡­¡± Ferris sighed, then gave him a look that was clearly meant to be condescending. ¡°I pity the ignorant. Do you really not understand why?¡± ¡°What? Well, do you know why we¡¯re VIPs?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Hoh. Okay, so what¡¯s all this about, then?¡± Ferris locked eyes with him. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m beautiful. Beauties are always VIPs. That¡¯s that.¡± Ryner was at a loss for words. Truly. Silence was all that passed between them. Then, after a long moment, Ferris reddened. Her hand moved to her sword. ¡°I¡¯ll k¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Listen, I¡¯ve thought about this a lot, and if something¡¯s so embarrassing that you feel the need to kill someone after you said it, maybe you shouldn¡¯t say it in the first place¡­? Ugh, I¡¯m so sick of this. I guess we can follow him and see where it goes. If I¡¯m with an atrocious demon like you¡­ Um, I mean, if I¡¯m with an angel like you, I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be safe wherever I end up.¡± With that, Ferris¡¯ sword left his neck, and they began to follow the man in earnest. --- ¡°Welcome.¡± A boy had been waiting for them in the dimly lit VIP room. He might have been about twelve or thirteen, and his face would no doubt grow into something incredibly beautiful. He was very easy to mistake for a girl. He was wearing a shrine maiden outfit, which lended an antique sort of association to him, and watched Ryner and Ferris with sweet, innocent eyes. ¡°Well, it is very much a pleasure to meet you! I am the leader of the Fiurelle Group, Vois Fiurelle. I am pleased to henceforth make your acquaintance,¡± he said, polite beyond what one would expect of a child of his age. Ryner was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re tellin¡¯ me a brat like this is the leader here¡­? Guess that¡¯s how family-run businesses operate, though¡­ Anyway, did you guys need something from us?¡± Vois smiled sweetly. ¡°Please, I would hate to make you stand as we speak. Have a seat. Oh, and have something to drink, too.¡± ¡°O-oh¡­ okay.¡± Ryner and Ferris took their seats, and accepted the tea that they were offered. Only then did Vois continue. ¡°Now, to get straight to the point¡­ You two defeated Koch Krook¡¯s gang just after entering the Iyet Republic without any outside help. I would very much like to rely on that sheer power of yours. That is why I called you here today¡­¡± Ferris¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Hoh. You know quite a bit. Have you been monitoring us?¡± ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t call it monitoring¡­ You see, buying and selling information is what we do for a living. It¡¯s our main source of income. Information like this has no chance of escaping me,¡± Vois said pridefully. ¡°And I think that anyone would have noticed you demolishing that inn,¡± Ryner added. Nobody responded to him as usual, though¡­ ¡°Now, where to start?¡± Vois wondered out loud. ¡°You may not know much about us since you¡¯ve only just entered the country, but we in the Fiurelle Group make our living off of the flow of information. That is only one face of what we do, however. We are actually a charitable organization; we give what we make back to the people. Day by day, we do everything that we do for the sake of the people. So? Doesn¡¯t that make you want to support us, knowing that we¡¯re pure and correct in all that we do?¡± Ryner was already sick of hearing it. ¡°No, it just sounds like you¡¯re singing your own praises¡ª¡± ¡°See? It made you want to support us, didn¡¯t it?¡± Vois asked. ¡°Were you even listening¡ª¡± ¡°Yes! Of course it¡¯ll be free.¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯re clearly not listening¡ª¡± ¡°Should you accomplish what we ask of you with flying colors, we shall allow you full access to one type of our information. One gate, if you will. So, what do you think? I personally think that it¡¯s an amazing deal.¡± With that, Vois waited, observing them as they found an answer to his question. Ryner grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t like your attitude, but¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t sound like a terrible deal. What do you think, Ferris?¡± ¡°Mm. Depends on what his request is.¡± ¡°Oh, true. I¡¯m not accepting anything that¡¯s going to put us down as accomplices to some massive crime. So what kind of request are we talking about?¡± Vois was happy to hear them considering it. ¡°Naturally, our Fiurelle group, which stands for fraternity, charity, and purity, would never ask you to commit a crime like that. Please, be at ease!¡± He said strongly. Just then the door opened, and a man who¡¯d gone pale rushed in. ¡°Youth! Youth!? ¡®S terrible. The geezer that who lives on the plot that we¡¯re gonna build an orphanage on just won¡¯t leave!¡± Vois wrinkled his eyebrows. He appeared in deep thought for a moment. ¡°Hmm¡­ That is a problem. But our motto of fraternity and charity means that we must respect his viewpoint, too.¡± Then his expression suddenly changed. His face went from that of a normal boy to that of a demon. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. Tie him up by his arms and legs, tie a weight to him, and sink him in Toyrule Bay. That should be a rather peaceful way to solve the problem.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®yessir¡¯ hiiimmm!!¡± Ryner yelled. Then he facepalmed. ¡°Stop right there, brat. Sorry if I misheard any of that, but didn¡¯t you just tell him to drown someone in the ocean with a straight face?¡± Vois looked at him, surprised, not a single trace of that devil¡¯s expression left on his face. ¡°Huh? What are you saying? Noo, I¡¯d never. Why would I ever say anything of that sort? A charitable organization like this would never do something as unscrupulous as that, you know?¡± ¡°R-really¡­?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Vois said. He just looked so innocent. Not evil in the slightest. Not with that sweet smile on his face. Ryner reluctantly gave up on it, overpowered by Vois¡¯ current innocence. But then! The door opened a second time and a different man ran in. ¡°¡®S terrible, Youth! You know that up-and-coming gang of kids who we left the drugs on our island to? Well, they broke into the drugs!¡± Vois took a kind expression, like the parent of a bad kid¡­ even though he was a kid himself. ¡°I see. They can¡¯t tell right from wrong. This often happens when one is young, however. Kids don¡¯t grow if you scold them over every little thing. We must deal with this peacefully¡ª¡± His expression shadowed over. It was so dark that only his red mouth stood out from the rest. ¡°¡ªCapture one as an example. Beat him, parade him around town, and then wrap a rope around his neck and hang him in the square¡ª¡± ¡°Aaahhh!! For real, how are you saying that scary shit with a straight face!?¡± It was as though Vois came to his senses at the sound of Ryner¡¯s voice. ¡°Huh!? What was I just saying?! I¡¯m so embarrassed. Truly, how shameful of me. Please, forget all about me. To think that I would let anyone die alone at that tender age¡­ How terrible. I am grateful for your warning. We must do as Ryner says. He¡¯ll be lonely if he¡¯s the only one hanging out in the square, so tie ropes around every single person in his family¡¯s necks, and¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meaaaannnnnttt!¡± Vois¡¯ childlike expression only moved because someone who could¡¯ve been his brother scolded him. ¡°What¡¯s the problem now?¡± He asked. ¡°You still think there¡¯s something wrong with it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What, am I the problem now!?¡± Ryner asked, confused by everything that was going on here. ¡°No, wait, that¡¯s not even the point! You just said that fraternity and charity was the Fiurelle Group¡¯s motto!¡± ¡°Of course it is. For example, we build orphanages every day for the sake of this country.¡± ¡°And then you kill people to make them! Your priorities are totally backwards. And wait, before we get too far on the orphanage point, didn¡¯t you say something about drugs a minute ago?¡± Vois looked like Ryner had just said the unthinkable. ¡°Huh? Drugs, you say? That can¡¯t be right¡­ Our peaceful and charitable group would never deal in drugs. We do, however, aim to help the people with their ailments. We are investigating the matter so that we may bring pharmaceuticals to the people at never before seen low rates.¡± ¡°¡­Okay¡­ So can you describe what those pharmaceuticals do to people when they take them?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re enveloped by a dazzling light for a moment, the world gets bright, and then you feel ecstasy like never before. It¡¯s like you can do anything, and yes - if you will it, you can even fly!¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about hallucinogens!¡± ¡°Enough of your false accusations. You are right, though, that there are drawbacks to this medicine. The first is that it¡¯s addictive. The second is that taking too much will disable you¡­ Though those are, of course, fairly minor.¡± ¡°Those are major issues!! God, I¡¯m exhausted¡­ All I do is yell¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m going home. You guys can live your charitious lives without me. Let¡¯s go, Ferris¡­¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Vois watched them with a sad expression. ¡°I see. In the end, I didn¡¯t even get to tell you about our sublime ideals¡­ Such a shame. I will be praying that your journey from here on out is a wonderful one.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Do all the praying you want on your own time.¡± ¡°Yes. The lifespan of those who have drank poisoned tea such as what you just had is a mere three hours. I pray that you find the antidote by then¡­¡± ¡°Wait, what!? Poisoned tea? Are you kidding me? You seriously poisoned our tea¡­?¡± ¡°Tee-hee ?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®tee-hee¡¯ me you damn braaatt!!¡± Ryner yelled, then turned to Ferris. ¡°What should we do? He says we¡¯ll die in three hours without the antidote¡­¡± ¡°Mm. I did sense a high level of toxicity in his black tea through the kemari. But when the smell of the tea mixed with the smell of poison, it smelled exactly like dango¡­ This Vois character is rather tactful.¡± Vois smiled. ¡°You have quite the discerning eye. Kemari is a rare plant that we can¡¯t grow here in Iyet. I¡¯m pleased that you noticed that we went through the effort to bring it all the way here so that our esteemed guests could drink it.¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s a once in a lifetime chance. That¡¯s the foundation of all such tea parties.¡± ¡°What are you guys even talking about?¡± Ryner mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s obviously a once in a lifetime chance if we¡¯re poisoned and die¡­ Not that anyone¡¯s listening to me anyway.¡± He was starting to feel dizzy. ¡°So, brat. You went out of your way to import the poison. You went out of your way to import the cure too, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. In the end, it was a once in a lifetime¡ª¡± ¡°We already went over that joke!¡± Ryner yelled. By now, he was on the verge of tears. But as usual, no one cared. ¡°So will you accept my request now?¡± Vois asked. ¡°¡­¡­¡± They had no choice. --- It was the time of the day that invited sleepiness in. Vois himself led them to a shopping street, then snuck into a cafe, then snuck under a table, where they then waited. ¡°Soo¡­ Why exactly are we hiding under a table?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Vois asked. ¡°I got information that said that my target would be here. Ryner, Ferris, please hide as soon as possible. You aren¡¯t taking this seriously at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to take something seriously when you don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s supposed to be¡­ But it was pretty easy for us to take out all those bandits, so I don¡¯t see why this would need to be taken any more seriously than that was.¡± ¡°Here! She¡¯s here!¡± Vois yelled. ¡°It¡¯s that girl!¡± Ryner scanned the crowd slowly, until¡­ ¡°What!? Them?¡± Ryner and Ferris moved at the speed of light. They were under the table with Vois in an instant. ¡°What kind of a target is that!¡± Ryner said. ¡°Do you know something about her!? And what do you want us to do to her?¡± He asked the shaking thing under the table. There was a girl with a brown ponytail and sparkling big eyes, protected by four men. She had candy in either hand, and her smile was nearly the size of her face. ¡°Hey, Luke, Luke, what is this? I¡¯ve never eaten anything like it before! It¡¯s so fluffy! And good!¡± She said. Her extreme happiness at having her very own cotton candy was truly a sight to see. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you like it, Chief Milk,¡± her young, white haired subordinate said. ¡°Just make sure that you brush your teeth once you¡¯re done, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Milk said, then got back to her cotton candy. These were the persistent and veeerryy frightening elite Taboo Hunters that¡¯d been hot on their tails for god knows how long now¡­ Vois was watching Milk, in a trance. ¡°Ahh¡­ That swirly ponytail¡­ How wonderful.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Wait, wait, wait. What on earth are you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s ideal. How does she do her hair? It¡¯s wonderful. Exceptional workmanship. Aah, Miss Milk¡­ You would be a suitable wife to the leader of the Fiurelle Group¡­¡± ¡°What? Your wife? You¡¯re saying that she has a good ponytail, so she should be your wife? Are you insane?¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Vois asked, serious. ¡°Her ponytail is on fire!! Are you really telling me that there are other criteria that I should be considering when her ponytail is right there!?¡± ¡°E-even if you get all fired up about it, it¡¯s still¡­¡± Ferris tugged Ryner so she could whisper in his ear. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you opposed to it? You are faced with a man who is after the woman you threw away. Is it only now that your true feelings awaken? In the night, you¡ª¡± ¡°Ugh, shut it! Stop making your own explanation for everything!¡± Ryner whispered back. ¡°Huh? You threw the ponytail away¡­?¡± ¡°Nobody said that! Ugh, I¡¯m tired of having the only brain cell all the time! But anyway, back to the point. What do you want us to do?¡± ¡°That should be obvious. I already know that you guys know Miss Milk. I need you to play cupid between Miss Milk and I, since we¡¯re clearly meant to be. Can I make it any more obvious? I need you to send regards to her father, Mr. Luke, since we¡¯ll be getting married. And of course, I need you to persuade her to do it. That is all.¡± Ryner was at a loss for words. It took him quite some time to speak. ¡°My trust in the Fiurelle Group¡¯s information network is rapidly dwindling¡­ You have misunderstandings to work through here. You¡¯re misunderstanding our relationship with her, and also, Luke¡¯s not her dad¡­¡± But his words fell on deaf ears. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m busy with inviting everyone and reserving a location for the ceremony, so I¡¯ll leave this to you,¡± Vois said. ¡°Thank you in advance.¡± With that, Vois got up and left. They didn¡¯t have time to dwell on him, though. Milk¡¯s group was on the move. ¡°Now, where should we go next?¡± ¡°How about that cafe? I¡¯m sure that they serve juice.¡± ¡°Huh!? They have juice? Really? Yaay!¡± ¡°Whoa, you¡¯re kidding me,¡± Ryner said, flustered. He moved to escape from under the table, but¡ª Someone screamed. ¡°Uwah¡­¡± Strong wind blew up from behind them. ¡°This is bad!¡± Milk had tripped over absolutely nothing and into not one but several tables. ¡°Urgh¡­ What is she, a boar?¡± ¡°Mm. That or a type of meteorite,¡± Ferris said, as calm as always. ¡°¡­Yeah, her destructive power does land her somewhere around there, doesn¡¯t it.¡± The God of Destruction herself stood and locked eyes with him, astonished. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe this. Why are you under a table with a beautiful woman when you have me¡­? Geez! This is the day! I will never forgive you ever again after this! Luke, Lach, Lear, Moe, it¡¯s time for some containment magic. We¡¯ll trap him here in this cafe where we can punish him properly!¡± ¡°¡°Understood!¡±¡± With that, all of her subordinates began to chant as one. Milk was drawing her own magic circle, too, fast as could be. ¡°Alright! Say goodbye to this cafe!¡± Ryner just stared for a second. When he pulled himself out of his daze, it was only to hold his head in his hands. ¡°Same shit, different day¡­ What do you think of that? Her saying she¡¯s gonna blow this cafe down, I mean. That¡¯s crazy¡­¡± ¡°Mm. A woman who has found new love wants nothing but to wipe her dirty past clean.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Where do you even get those ideas from¡­?¡± Whatever. Anyway, what should we do? We¡¯re gonna die from poison if we don¡¯t take her back.¡± ¡°Mm. We take her and offer her up as sacrifice to that child.¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ When you say it like that, it makes me feel awful about all of this¡­ Ahh, it¡¯s not like we have any other choice, though. Our lives depend on it¡­ Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± He took a step towards Milk to try to stop her from casting destructive magic inside of a cafe, but when he did¡ª She stopped her spell. ¡°Huh? Um!? E-even if you come closer and tell me that you love me, it¡¯s already too late! I-I wouldn¡¯t smile! I wouldn¡¯t b-be happy! So, so, so¡­¡± Ryner raised his arm and carefully, kindly tapped it as soft as he could against her neck to knock her out without hurting her. ¡°There.¡± ¡°Auhh¡­¡± Milk fell, unconscious, into Ryner¡¯s arms. ¡°¡°C-Chieeeff!!¡±¡± Her noisy subordinates yelled out for her, but thanks to the magic that they themselves cast preventing entry to the cafe, they themselves were unable to come and rescue her¡­ Anyway, ignoring those idiots. ¡°Let¡¯s bring her back to Vois, then,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Mm. I see. So the second you make her trust you again, you¡¯ve already betrayed her. You are a true fiend.¡± ¡°¡­Auh¡­¡± Maybe there was a little bit of truth in her words this time. Ryner was unable to refute her. Milk¡¯s subordinates continued to yell outside of the cafe, at their wits¡¯ ends. ¡°He¡¯s stealing the chieefff!!¡± Ferris¡¯ expression turned sad at the sound. ¡°Sorry. Even I, Heaven¡¯s purehearted messenger, am unable to defend her against this perverted, demonic, violent kidnapper¡­ This is a natural disaster that we must simply learn to live with.¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ Why do you always have to say that?¡± ¡°This human woman is aws pitiful as it gets. She got mixed up with and thrown away like trash by an awful man when she was younger¡­ But even after throwing her away, he persists, and when he finally regains her trust a second time, he immediately betrays her and offers her up to another man.¡± ¡°Auauauh¡­¡± Her words were stabbing him in the heart one by one¡­ He would never recover from this. ¡°¡­What else am I supposed to do!¡± Ryner snapped. ¡°We could die from poison, you know? You¡¯re just as much of a fiend here as I am.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m beautiful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard! Ugh, let¡¯s just go. The hard part starts now. We hand her over to Vois, get the antidote, then steal her from him and give her back to those other guys.¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°Right. We only have an hour to go before the poison kills us¡­ I suppose I should stop messing with you for now.¡± ¡°You were messing with me!?¡± They left the cafe from its second entrance with ease. Strained cries echoed in the distance. ¡°¡°Th-they kidnapped our chieeeeffff!!¡±¡± But there was no one in this country who would lend a sympathetic ear to them¡­ --- Ryner and Ferris were led to the VIP room a second time. They were told to wait on a fluffy couch. It was thirty minutes before Vois opened the door, cheerful as could be. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a minute, Mr. Ryner. How, pray tell, have you been?¡± ¡°What!? Don¡¯t ¡®pray tell¡¯ on me, asshole, you just made us wait half an hour! We only have five minutes before the poison starts taking effect. Here, we brought Milk, so hurry up and give us the antidote.¡± When Vois looked at Milk, his cheerfulness faded. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this? You say that you brought her here. Don¡¯t you notice the changing of the ages?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you saying?¡± Ryner asked, dumbfounded. ¡°Now glasses are in!¡± Vois said, back to being happy. ¡°Only a glasses girl can marry the leader of the Fiurelle group now! Don¡¯t you think so Mr. Ryner? Now, hurry up and find a beautiful woman who can rock glasses¡­ hm? Is something the matter?¡± ¡°¡­I see,¡± Ryner said sarcastically. His expression had gone dark. ¡°I see! It just clicked. Man am I glad that this is all it was. I blame Ferris for making me put all this effort in lately. You¡¯re just burglars anyway. Ahahah.¡± Vois shrunk back at the sound of Ryner¡¯s dry laughter. ¡°Um, M-Mister, your laughter is a bit¡­ dark¡­¡± ¡°Naww, it¡¯s normal. Totally normal. Ufueheh. Let¡¯s settle this, Ferris. Do your thing.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Her sword unsheathed with a horrifying shink. ¡°Ah! No, ah, jokes aside,¡± Vois tried, flustered, ¡°You¡¯ve accomplished my mission, thank you so much for your time and effort! I will get you the antidote as soon as possible. I will allow you access to one of our information rooms where you can learn to your heart¡¯s content. Yes. Ah, I will send Miss Milk home myself. Please do tell me the number gate that your desired information is behind.¡± Ryner finally relaxed. ¡°Man, we really should¡¯ve started with this. Um, so we want to know about historical facts and city legends¡­ Wait, what numbers were those again? Let me find the pamphlet¡­¡± ¡°Gate 30223 - Historical Facts,¡± Ferris said. ¡°Huh? Really? You¡¯ve got a great memory.¡± ¡°Naturally. Excellent memory is an important part of being an excellent swordmaster.¡± Ryner was impressed. ¡°I¡¯ll count on that memory, then,¡± he said, without any doubt whatsoever. --- A little later, Ryner was faced with all of the information one would ever need to know about ¡®Delicious Dango.¡¯ ¡°¡­I¡¯m so tired of this life¡­¡± And that was the story of how Ryner died of poison, too exhausted to even bring the antidote to his lips. It was also how ¡®An Unbelievably Stupid Story¡¯ got added to the Fiurelle Group¡¯s archives. Volume 3 - CH 3 ¡°¡­I feel like everything we¡¯ve done since coming here has been pointless,¡± Ryner Lute mumbled in his usual motivationless voice. He had dark hair and dark eyes. He was slim and tall, but had a chronic slouch. He was walking through the bustling city without a destination in mind. Ferris Eris, a blonde beauty, was walking beside him, dango in hand. She spoke in her usual monotone voice. ¡°Hmph. You say that as if your life has ever been anything but pointless.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t casually deny someone¡¯s existence.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not particularly denying it. Day by day, you attack women in alleyways. You¡¯ve been promoted to the emperor of sex fiends recently due to your daily activities, haven¡¯t you? That¡¯s amazing. You¡¯ve finally reached Sion¡¯s level. How dare you continue to amass power,¡± she said. Instead of mixing truth and lies, his partner tended to mix lies with lies. Ryner sighed. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s gotten pointless alright.¡± ¡°Mm. You¡¯re talking about your life, are you not?¡± ¡°I just told you not to casually deny¡ª¡± ¡°But this dango is truly delicious,¡± Ferris interrupted. ¡°I mistakenly underestimated Iyet¡¯s dango until now.¡± ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡± ¡°Hm? Did you want me to listen to you?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ I guess I don¡¯t really care either way¡­¡± It was a useless afternoon, just like it always was lately. Just then, a group of five well-built men in black suits appeared in their periphery. They surrounded a beautiful boy with pretty black hair and sharp, intelligent black eyes. He was wearing a shrine maiden outfit. The boy looked like he was about twelve or thirteen, and spoke in a way that one wouldn¡¯t expect just by looking at him. ¡°Oh, what to do? Our saying is that we spread fraternity and charity wherever we go, but our Fiurelle Group is a bit troubled at the moment - we have donated all of our money to charity, after all¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes narrowed with suspicion. He remembered this boy. His name was Vois Fiurelle, and he was the boss of the Fiurelle Group, an organization that held a monopoly on all information in the Iyet Republic. ¡°What does he wan¡ª¡± ¡°Are you telling me that you absolutely aren¡¯t able to pay us back?¡± Vois asked. His men were surrounding a frightened girl of only seven or eight as well as a timid older man. ¡°B-but when your Fiurelle Group lent us money, you said that we could pay it back at our leisure because charity was your motto¡­ You told us that we ought to use it to cure my daughter¡¯s illness!¡± ¡°Are you familiar with a ¡®public stance?¡¯¡± Vois asked as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Of course I am,¡± the older man said, as if to admonish Vois. ¡°If I may, I¡¯ll explain it to you in detail. Say that you meet an acquaintance out in town by chance. You talk for a while, and at the end, you say this: ¡®Please, come over to my place sometime. I¡¯ll cook you a nice homemade meal.¡¯ Then, after your next meeting, your acquaintance actually comes over to your place. They happily eat your homemade cooking. Then¡ª¡± Vois interrupted, his face gentle, but his voice colder than ice. ¡°Then you would naturally think: ¡®This guy has some nerve, actually coming over. Look at that smiling mug. Dumbass. Did this simpleton seriously think that I wanted to feed him his daily fodder? Doesn¡¯t he know what a public stance is?¡¯¡± Vois continued. ¡°It¡¯s when you say something polite just because it¡¯s rude not to. You¡¯re nice, but timid, too. It¡¯s impossible to say what we¡¯re really feeling when you act like that. Thickheaded people like you end up becoming victims. In any case, this is the situation that you¡¯ve left us in. Could you please understand our point of view?¡± Ryner couldn¡¯t help but comment on it. ¡°Ugh, he¡¯s still saying that horrible stuff with a smile.¡± Ryner¡¯s commentary aside, the older man was terrified. ¡°So what should we do now? We, we don¡¯t have any money. My daughter¡¯s illness is cured, but it¡¯s left us without any money at all.¡± ¡°Hmph. So you wasted our money on curing her, as if money grows on trees.¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s finally recovered completely. I-I am truly grateful to you for that¡ª¡± Vois smiled sweetly, but he wouldn¡¯t let the man finish. ¡°No, no, there¡¯s no need to thank us¡­ After all, charity is part of our motto. It¡¯s only natural that we¡¯d do it.¡± ¡°What? Doesn¡¯t that mean that there¡¯s no need to pay you back?¡± Vois nodded. ¡°Of course. However, we need your daughter in exchange. You see, men everywhere are turning to degeneracy nowadays. They all want girls around her age. They would forgive our debt if we handed her over. Really, it¡¯s wonderful. Truthfully, this outcome is what we were aiming for since the beginning¡­ That¡¯s the situation that we¡¯re dealing with.¡± The men in suits moved to grab the girl and tear her from her father. ¡°Kyah, Dad!?¡± ¡°Wait! Spare my daughter! You can have anything but her!¡± ¡°Ah, you needn¡¯t worry,¡± Vois said. ¡°You will be dead, so you won¡¯t need to stress over what¡¯s happening to her.¡± Ryner couldn¡¯t leave it at that. ¡°Whoa, whoa, this is crazy!¡± Vois turned to look at Ryner. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Then he turned his gaze back away and smiled widely. ¡°Oh, but to think that the girl would be so happy about this. I¡¯m really happy too. Hm? Money? No, no. Fraternity and charity is our Fiurelle Group¡¯s motto. We never demand money from another. Now, then. Let us make your daughter happy¡­¡± Then Vois turned back towards them. ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t those Ryner and Ferris!? Wow, what a coincidence. Ah, you saw everything, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m so embarrassed. I just can¡¯t leave people with that troubled expression on their face alone. Why? Because we practice fraternity and charity.¡± ¡°You seriously don¡¯t understand what those words mean,¡± Ryner said, tired. Vois¡¯ expression went blank. ¡°Hm? They meant something?¡± ¡°You have got to be kidding me.¡± ¡°Well, now, jokes aside¡­¡± ¡°That expression definitely wasn¡¯t a joke!¡± ¡°Now, now. Calm down, Ryner.¡± ¡°Mm. He¡¯s right,¡± Ferris said. ¡°There is no need to get so excited about this. Attacking a minor will land you in prison¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of excitement! Ugh, he¡¯s up to no good again. Anyway, that was all. See ya, Vois.¡± With that, Ryner and Ferris turned their backs away from him and started to walk away. ¡°Ah, please wait a moment,¡± Vois said. ¡°The truth is that I¡¯d like to ask you a favor. You two defeated Koch Krook¡¯s entire gang in only a night, after all.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Ryner said without even turning back to look at him. ¡°I know it¡¯d just turn into something bad again, you bum.¡± ¡°You will be handsomely compensated. I gave you access to our Delicious Dango Archives last time. This time, I¡¯ll give you access to everything that you want to know.¡± ¡°Were you even listening just now? We don¡¯t want anything to do with you¡ª¡± This time, Ferris was the one who interrupted Ryner. ¡°Hmph. Are you saying that you would give us access to information on tea houses where the tea perfectly suits dango at no cost?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Mm. That¡¯s that, Ryner.¡± ¡°Are you fucking kidding me!?¡± Ryner yelled. Vois took the opportunity to speak, too. ¡°Now then, about my request¡­¡± ¡°You, too! Don¡¯t start without my consent!¡± Ferris unsheathed her sword with her usual speed, then Ryner took his usual tired expression. He sighed. ¡°I kind of want to die right now¡­¡± With that, Vois began his explanation in earnest. --- They were at a nearby cafe. Vois had a serious expression on his face. ¡°This is all I¡¯m asking for. At this very moment, the world itself is falling down the path of destruction. We are all in great danger.¡± Ryner had absolutely no interest in their conversation. ¡°So the world¡¯s being destroyed, huh¡­ Sounds fake, but okay¡­¡± Vois ignored Ryner, because why wouldn¡¯t he. ¡°As you know, the Iyet Republic doesn¡¯t have much of a government. Instead, it is made up of monopolies. For example, the transportation industry is owned by this group, and the gambling industry is owned by another. Information is handled by our fraternal and charitable Fiurelle Group. Due to the nature of our commodities, well¡­¡± Ryner nodded. ¡°You¡¯re trying to say that there are lots of big companies, right? But ultimately, the strongest one isn¡¯t the one with the biggest army or the biggest organization. It¡¯s the one who controls the information.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly right. We are the top organization in this country, and because we¡¯re at the top, we face everyone with charity and fr¡ª¡± ¡°Ugh, enough. You sell drugs and take girls so you can sell them, too. I don¡¯t want to hear about your public stance. What did you want us to do?¡± Ryner asked, fed up with Vois. Vois nodded, an earnest expression on his face. ¡°You see, there is another organization in the Iyet Republic running shoulder-to-shoulder with the Fiurelle group.¡± ¡°Hm. So how are you dealing with them?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll give you everything. I¡¯ll give you access to every genre of information that you could possibly want. That organization is threatening us. No, perhaps it¡¯s better to say that they¡¯re committing fraud against us? They control ¡®lies.¡¯ See, they¡¯re unscrupulous, unlike us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you of all people calling others unscrupulous,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Mm. But one could say the same of you, the king of the night, the demon who assaults women¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lump me in with him!¡± ¡°Hm? Here I thought you¡¯d have a sense of camaraderie with a fellow deviant criminal¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a deviant! Ugh, talking to you is a pain, so just shut up for a sec. Anyway, where were we¡­?¡± Vois clenched his fist. ¡°I told you, the fate of the world is at stake here!¡± Ryner furrowed his brow. ¡°Hmm¡­ I feel like that¡¯s not what we were talking about, but okay¡­ So?¡± ¡°Yes. You see, that atrocious organization has been relatively quiet up until now. They¡¯d halted their activities due to their leader traveling the world¡­ But see, he returned to Iyet a few days ago!¡± Vois said, all fired up. In contrast, Ryner still looked bored at best. ¡°Oh, that sucks. Man, that reaaalllyyy sucks. So what do you want us to do about it?¡± ¡°You ask that, but isn¡¯t it obvious? This horrid organization would cause the people to suffer. We cannot stand by and allow that to happen. Not as we practice fraternity and charity! They must be punished!¡± ¡°From my point of view, you¡¯re the ones who should be punished, but okay,¡± Ryner said. ¡°But I guess I still have to¡ª¡± Vois interrupted Ryner yet again. ¡°But we who hate fighting would be no match for them. Their leader is simply too strong. My request is that you capture him. What do you think?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t really think anything¡­ I¡¯m just not committed to the cause.¡± But then the expressionless beauty next to him spoke. ¡°Mm. We accept. In exchange, you must show us information on not only the best tea houses in Iyet, but also their history.¡± ¡°Who even cares about that shit,¡± Ryner mumbled. ¡°We have a duty to fulfill, but you only care about dango, which has nothing to do with it.¡± Ferris stared for a moment, silent, as if deep in thought. Then, ¡°Ah, right. That too.¡± ¡°Ah! Ah! You forgot about that, didn¡¯t you, asshole! We really need to get back on track¡­¡± Then Ryner slammed his palms against his despair-stricken face. ¡°No, wait, that¡¯s not it! What am I saying, ¡®let¡¯s work on our mission!¡¯ Listen to what you made me say! I want to abandon our mission. I wanted to grow old while napping peacefully. Didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Mm. While attacking women in the night¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t do that! Anyway, I get it. We¡¯ll do it. We¡¯ll get the info we need, then leave this godforsaken city. It¡¯s just too dangerous. It¡¯s destroying me and turning me into someone who gives a shit about working.¡± Vois smiled widely. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! I knew it, our belief in the principles of fraternity and charity moved you!¡± Ryner sighed, exhausted. ¡°Even I feel like I¡¯m starting to forget what those words mean,¡± he muttered. --- Now, to backtrack to that morning. They were in a bustling area of the harbor. Last night, Luke and the others had found Milk Callaud discarded by a dumpster on a street corner, but now they were here. ¡°Hey, hey, Luke! Look at those super pretty rocks she¡¯s selling! I wanna see them!¡± Her sheer energy was incredible. She had a flaxen ponytail and a pretty face. She was an innocent sixteen year old girl who¡¯d rush towards something she wanted as soon as she saw it, but¡­ ¡°Ah! No, Chief Milk! Don¡¯t go too far. You were just kidnapped, after all¡­ It¡¯s dangerous for a girl to walk the streets by herself! Please understand that!¡± Luke said as he pulled Milk back tightly to protect her. Her subordinates - Lach, Lear, and Moe - gathered close, too. ¡°He¡¯s right, Chief. We were worried sick yesterday.¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯d worried that you were out on the streets all night.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that! Your curfew is six on the dot.¡± Milk was dejected. ¡°Uuh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± This was the elite leader of a band of Taboo Hunters¡­ What exactly were they doing, talking about how she wasn¡¯t allowed out at night because of her curfew¡­? Well, whatever. Her subordinates looked around with the guarded expressions of strict parents. Milk was right - there was some kind of odd stranger nearby. It was a woman whose whole body was concealed by a red cloak. She¡¯d gathered up a number of stones and spread them out before herself. They were dyed in various colors, but it could hardly be called elaborate¡­ They were just colored rocks. The woman took notice of them. ¡°Muhuh! Hath calamity stricken you as of late?¡± ¡°Huh!? How¡¯d you know?¡± Milk asked, easily eating her schtick up. Milk¡¯s subordinates sighed, but the woman didn¡¯t mind them. ¡°I can see it,¡± she said. ¡°A great calamity will soon strike this girl¡¯s future. Yes¡­ Perhaps a bad man will come to follow you¡­¡± ¡°Wha!? Is that true?¡± This time Luke was the one who ate it up¡­ ¡°Huh? Huh? Is Ryner the bad man?¡± Milk asked. ¡°Is this about Ryner? Uwawah, wh, what should I do? He really did remember our promise to get married¡­ I wonder if that¡¯s part of why he fled Roland as a Taboo Breaker?¡± Luke, Lach, Moe, and Lear all paled, their minds in an instant turmoil. ¡°N-no! You can¡¯t, Chief!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t forgive that tired man!¡± ¡°Lach¡¯s right! We can¡¯t forgive him!¡± They were supposed to be chasing down and catching Ryner, since he was a Taboo Breaker and they were Taboo Hunters and all, but apparently the conversation had become one about parents forbidding their lovestruck daughter from dating¡­ Lear was the only one who kept his cool. He sighed. ¡°Still, we¡¯re in trouble. This fortune teller could sum it up easily. Yes, our Chief was cursed by a god of death to fall for a bum. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but let¡¯s solve this once and for all.¡± ¡°Can we solve it?¡± Luke asked, surprised. Lear shook his head. ¡°Not us. But if we could simply buy a solution¡­ Can you do that, Miss Fortune Teller?¡± The fortune teller nodded, solemn. ¡°That is exactly what I do. I alone can save this girl. So, do you want her to be saved? Then let us offer the sacred wine to the god of death.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°I need not money. I follow the path that God¡¯s voice carves for me¡­ I cannot leave a girl possessed by an evil god alone. As proof, take one of my stones, girl. This pink stone will fulfill one¡¯s love - it is very popular with girls. She presented the stone to Milk, who took it with an expression of wonder. ¡°Yay! Look, look, everyone! She gave me such a pretty stone!¡± She said. She was just so happy to receive a dyed rock. ¡°Good for you, Chief,¡± Luke said, his face full of kindness. ¡°Yeah!¡± As usual, their conversation was probably more suited to one in a preschool. That aside¡­ ¡°So what¡¯s the secret wine that you mentioned?¡± Lear asked. The woman moved her hand to a leather bag at her side and reached in. She pulled out a gourd-like container and five small cups. ¡°Now, you must drink this divine wine. Once you do, all of your misfortune will disappear, and a future of happiness shall await you.¡± They each took one of the five cups with matching serious expressions. ¡°To think that you would be so generous to us,¡± Luke said. ¡°And at no cost¡­ You¡¯re a true fortune teller, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, I am my god¡¯s shrine maiden. Now, then. Let us drink the sacred wine with a single swig to avoid calamity.¡± Milk nodded, then gulped it down¡­ And then! ¡°Huh? My head¡¯s spinning¡­¡± Milk flopped down, her consciousness gone in an instant. Then, her subordinates¡­ ¡°Ch-chief¡­ You¡­ what did you make us drink¡­?¡± The woman in red smiled, satisfied, as Milk¡¯s subordinates fell one by one, until they were all out. --- Back to that afternoon. A shocking amount of people were gathered on a street corner. Ryner, Ferris, and Vois waded through the crowd before their eyes landed on that. Everyone was gathered around a wooden pedestal. No, rather than gathered, they were all standing in a line leading to it. A woman shrouded in red stood upon the pedestal. She¡¯d reach her hand out to the front of the line, whisper something to whoever stood there, and then they¡¯d bow their head in respect for her. Something about it was just off, like they were practicing a suspicious and potentially dangerous religion. Vois pointed at her with a serious expression. ¡°The robed woman on the pedestal is their leader.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this is like¡­ really, really trashy?¡± Ryner asked, already tired. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s amazing that she¡¯s got so many people here, but¡­ She¡¯s on a plain pedestal. It¡¯s just wood. Nothing is on it. It looks cheap as hell¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t underestimate her, Ryner,¡± Vois said, serious to the end. ¡°You too, Ferris.¡± Ferris nodded with a grave expression. ¡°Mh. That¡¯s right. The dango sold by street stalls isn¡¯t bad. You mustn¡¯t look down on it. The way of dango is truly deep,¡± she said, then took a bite of her dango, which was covered with red bean paste. ¡°Right?¡± Vois said. ¡°Like I said, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate anything based on appearance alone.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me that you two are gonna stand there and have a conversation,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Hm? About what?¡± Vois asked. ¡°Hmph. You have nothing to add to our dango conversation?¡± They hadn¡¯t been listening to him since the beginning¡­ It just kept happening. He was starting to get philosophical about it. ¡°No, I¡­ Whatever. I¡¯m used to it¡­ So what was the point again?¡± Vois hit his palm with his fist, as if suddenly remembering that there was a point in the first place. ¡°Ah, right. It was about how frightening these guys really are,¡± he started. ¡°My sources say that she was selling rocks she found on the side of the road just a few hours ago,¡± Vois continued. ¡°Despite using tactics that no one would ordinarily call successful, she was able to sell her goods. Look at her now. In the span of a few hours, she became an object of worship, and amassed all of these believers. See that line? She could unite the world under her rule in the span of a few days! How frightening!¡± ¡°Whoa, hey, world unification is a stretch¡­ There¡¯s no way that¡¯s happening. It is pretty impressive that she¡¯s gotten this popular in a few hours, though. They could become a massive organization easily. That¡¯s why the Fiurelle Group can¡¯t leave them alone, right?¡± ¡°Exactly! We cannot stand by and watch them force suffering upon the people. We cannot allow them to destroy the world. That¡¯s why I would like you to capture her.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll let us use all of your info for free if we do?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how valuable capturing her is.¡± Ryner nodded. ¡°Guess we don¡¯t have a choice. Let¡¯s check things out. Come on, Ferris.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± And so they waited in line. It took time, but they eventually reached the front, and¡ª Several men surrounded them. ¡°God¡¯s shrine maiden will now tell your fortune. Be grateful to her.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Thanks so much,¡± Ryner said, going for the bare minimum, wholly lacking enthusiasm. ¡°Then send your best regards to the shrine maiden,¡± one of the men said. The woman in red nodded pretentiously, then stood. ¡°Mm. Something is troubling you, is it not? A woman and a man standing before me want only one thing: you desire a compatibility test.¡± Ryner had no words. He just cradled his head in his hands, then mumbled to himself in blank amazement. ¡°This voice¡­ This way of speaking¡­¡± The woman continued, not bothered by Ryner in the slightest. ¡°I understand, I do. However, I have reservations. You show your worst side to women.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s kinda rude¡ª¡± Ferris stared, fixated for a moment. ¡°Mmh. At some point, I¡­ Your special ability where just talking to a woman can make her pregnant ended up¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! But more importantly, the leader here is¡ª¡± ¡°Furthermore,¡± the woman continued, ¡°That expressionless woman who eats nothing but dango may boast about her beauty, however, there is always someone greater. You must understand as you have met me, shrine maiden of a beautiful god. All who see me prostrate themselves before myself in honor of my sublime beauty. Now, you half-baked beauty, understand that your future is hopeless! Marry this 10,000 year napper and live a snug little life where the sun doesn¡¯t shine!¡± Murderous intent shot from Ferris¡¯ body. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Hmph. Ryner, playtime is over. We¡¯re capturing this vehement woman of a leader.¡± The woman laughed. ¡°Finally admitting your defeat, 10,000 year old dango girl? You cannot win against my shining beauty!¡± With that, she threw her cloak away to reveal a familiar face. She wore a shrine maiden outfit, and to be frank, her inhuman beauty rivaled Ferris¡¯. She had glossy black hair and charming blakc eyes, as well as a perfect body with smooth skin. She appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. And Ryner knew her. They¡¯d met twice. She¡¯d pretended to be a mountain goddess the first time and a sea goddess the second time, and both times she made a killing doing it. It looked like she was a shrine maiden this time¡­ Apparently she was the leader of the so-called swindling organization too. ¡°Es¡ª¡± Ryner had tried to say her name, but he was interrupted. ¡°So you¡¯ve finally decided to show yourself!¡± Vois said from where he¡¯d been hidden just out of sight. ¡°You, the reigning leader of the swindling organization that plagues our land - Estella Fiurelle!¡± Ryner grimaced. ¡°Haah? Hey, wait a sec. The hell is this? Vois, did you just call her a Fiurelle?¡± ¡°Hm, did I say something? What was it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. Why¡¯d you call her Fiure¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s voice trailed off. He looked at Vois. Then at Estella. ¡°¡­You guys have the same hair and eyes¡­ and you¡¯re both wearing shrine maiden outfits¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that you guys are¡­¡± Vois nodded, not fighting it at all. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re siblings.¡± ¡°So this is just a sibling¡¯s quarrel!?¡± Ryner yelled. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t that simple,¡± Vois said with the shake of his head. ¡°There was bad blood between her and the head of our group at the time, our grandma, so¡­ Estella left our organization and created a large organization of her own, see. One that rivals the Fiurelle Group.¡± ¡°¡­So basically, she ran away from home.¡± Vois took a grave expression. ¡°As I said, it isn¡¯t that simple. She was our grandmother¡¯s enemy.¡± ¡°Wha!? Don¡¯t tell me she killed her,¡± Ryner said, then looked back to Estella. She¡¯d been glaring at Ferris for some time now, but¡­ ¡°Hmph. But Vois,¡± Estella said, ¡°Whatever happened to our grandmother, all but her head buried alive?¡± ¡°Oh, I became the leader instead,¡± Vois said as if Estella¡¯s words didn¡¯t concern him in the slightest. ¡°She was too loud anyway.¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t dug her up!?¡± ¡°Oh, but fear not!¡± Vois said. ¡°We never forget to feed her, so you don¡¯t need to worry¡ª¡± ¡°Anyone would worry! You don¡¯t plan on ever digging her up, do you?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°I¡¯m adding ¡®fear not¡¯ to the list of words you clearly don¡¯t know!¡± Vois and Estella both opened their mouths and spoke as one. ¡°¡°Well, enough talk of things nobody cares about.¡±¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible! Ugh, I¡¯m getting another headache¡­ We never should have accepted another job from this guy. Anyway, I¡¯m going home¡­ Go ahead and have your sibling quarrel without me. Bye.¡± With that, Ryner began to drag his fatigued body away. ¡°Heh. So you¡¯re running away,¡± Estella said. ¡°More proof that my beauty surpasses yours. Now, hurry and leave with thyne tail between¡ª¡± ¡°Say that and it¡¯ll just prolong¡ª¡± Ryner spoke too late. Ferris¡¯ hand shot out and grabbed Ryner¡¯s neck from behind. ¡°Who exactly do you think would run from an opponent of her low-level beauty?¡± ¡°¡­This shit again¡­¡± Ryner cursed the path that his life was taking. Vois ignored Ryner no matter how tired of life he may be. ¡°Now, please capture that incarnation of evil! I¡¯ll bury her just like she buried our grandma! I¡¯ll keep her like a hen that can¡¯t lay eggs!¡± ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t wrap me up in your problems¡­¡± Ferris spoke next. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the power of a true¡­ beauty¡­ um¡­ I¡¯ll teach you a lesson¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it if you¡¯re just going to get embarrassed halfw¡ª¡± ¡°Hmph. So you¡¯re fighting,¡± Estella said. ¡°It will be me versus you, the dead fish woman and her personal lackey and final weapon, the demon of legend! Come, my servants!¡± ¡°I¡¯m begging you, so can someone just listen to me¡­?¡± Ryner asked pitifully, but the final blow was that no one did¡­ Five men with large, sturdy bags answered to Estella¡¯s call. They turned their bags over with ease, and out came five familiar people, one per bag. ¡°What¡­¡± It was Milk and the others. Ryner had once promised to marry her and stuff. One could say that his promise resulted in a demon sprouting from the legends it belonged to in order to obstinately chase him, a Taboo Hunter from Roland tracking a Taboo Breaker down. ¡°¡­¡­¡± What could he even say? He already had to deal with Ferris, Estella, and Vois, and now Milk was joining the fray. ¡°Ah, am I dreaming?¡± Ryner wondered. ¡°Like, is this a ¡®it was all a dream¡¯ episode? That means that it won¡¯t hurt if I pinch my cheek, right?¡± So he pinched it. ¡°See? It doesn¡¯t hurt. Aha. I¡¯m so glad this is just a dream. Yeah, it¡¯s just unrealistic that all the bad luck in the world would fall on me. Okay, I¡¯m going to sleep now, so please no one wake me up.¡± Ryner ignored the tingling pain in his cheek and did his best to escape reality. He tried to ignore everything around him, but¡­ Milk stirred. ¡°Huh? Was that drink the reason why I suddenly got so dizzy? My whole body feels hot¡­ It¡¯s really weird.¡± Next was that Lear guy. ¡°Kgh. This is bad. It appears that an aphrodisiac and sleep medicine were mixed into that wine¡­ Staying rational is tough. It sure would be bad if that man were here, because Chief¡­¡± ¡°Th-this is terrible,¡± Luke said. ¡°Uuh, do we have any water?¡± Milk asked. ¡°My ears are pounding¡­ Wh¡­¡± Then she noticed Ryner, who was lying on the ground trying to escape reality. ¡°Ryneeeeerrrr I found youuuuu!!¡± The voice of the devil echoed through the street. Milk¡¯s fingers immediately flitted through the air to cast large-scale destructive magi without a shred of hesitation. ¡°Augh, shit! Why are you always like this!?¡± Ryner yelled. Estella forced laughter. ¡°Now go, my final weapons! For the sake of your beautiful goddess¡¯ shrine maiden, rout the supporting cas¡­ t¡­¡± Milk¡¯s spell exploded in a gale, slamming against everyone in her vicinity, particularly those who were closest to her¡ªEstella and Vois, first and foremost, then Estella¡¯s believers, then Luke and Milk¡¯s other subordinates¡­ ¡°Mrgh! You dastardly dango woman!¡± Estella yelled as the storm took her away. ¡°You¡¯ve caught me off guard with this, coward! Thou had best live in fear of my world-shattering beauty; until next time!¡± ¡°¡­¡®Until next time?¡¯ Ryner repeated. ¡°I¡¯d really rather not see her again¡­¡± Ferris nodded, somehow satisfied. ¡°This is proof that that Estella girl is nothing but a supporting character. I am the beautiful protagonist who remains on the stage at the end¡­¡± Ferris¡¯ words trailed off. The storm of destruction hadn¡¯t stopped. It was still expanding, slowly drawing closer, indiscriminately pulling people in and throwing them away. ¡°That¡¯s our final issue,¡± Ferris said, as calm as ever. ¡°Though it isn¡¯t much of an issue for me.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you telling me that you can cancel Milk¡¯s spell?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°Even though you can¡¯t use magic?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°Because I¡¯m the protagonist.¡± ¡°The hell? Oh, but if you can do it yourself, then that makes things easy for me. So how are you gonna do it?¡± ¡°Mm. Like this.¡± Ferris grabbed him by the collar, then pulled him down with all of her strength. ¡°Uwah!? Wait, what are you doing!?¡± Ryner tried asking, but it was no use. He couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it. He was thrown straight into the storm. ¡°Ah!¡± Milk said once he came into view. ¡°I found youuu, Ryner!¡± For some reason, she jumped right into the gale with him. ¡°Kyaahh!¡± Ryner was past the point of being shocked at the absurdity happening around him. Now he was just exhausted. ¡°Ahh, so that¡¯s what she meant. Personally, though, I really hate the concept of me being a character in a story that she¡¯s the protagonist in¡­ Uwah, Milk!? Gyaahh!¡± And so the two disappeared within the storm¡­ --- Several hours later, in the destroyed corner of the harbor, Ryner and Milk were laying on top of each other, knocked out cold, the pink stone beside them¡­ Does that mean that it worked? Volume 3 - CH 4 Volume 3: First Taste of Violence --- ¡ï The First Visitor ¡ï Ryner made a small noise as he passed by. ¡°Hm?¡± He looked over towards it, his exhaustion apparent in his black eyes and messy hair. He stopped in an alley of the port town they¡¯d been staying in to stare. It wasn¡¯t a popular street at all, and there was a box on the side of the road. And inside of that box¡­ ¡°Meow!¡± Ryner just stared at the box, his head empty. ¡°No, even if you meow¡­¡± He took a step closer to peek into the box, and sure enough, there was a cat. A little one. It was probably still a kitten. Its small body was still unsteady, but it had pretty black, white, and brown fur - it was a calico. It was so small, but instead of being scared, it looked up at Ryner with bright and shining eyes. ¡°Meow?¡± ¡°I just said this, but even if you meow, I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to tell me,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Ahh, you want some food? Lemme see if I have anything¡­¡± Ryner searched his pockets for a moment. ¡°Nope. Sorry.¡± ¡°Meow, meeeoow,¡± the cat said and made eyes at him. ¡°I don¡¯t have any food! Geez¡­¡± He kept saying it, but it just didn¡¯t click with the cat¡­ But that didn¡¯t stop Ryner from continuing to talk to it. ¡°Living the carefree life, huh? You¡¯re cute, so all you have to do is meow and people will feed you, and then you can eat, and sleep, and eat, and sleep¡­ You can spend every day napping to your heart¡¯s content,¡± Ryner said, sighed, then sat down next to the box. ¡°Listen to this, okay? My life¡¯s been horrible lately.¡± ¡°Meow?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s this expressionless, selfish, and dangerous girl that¡¯s been working me to the death, and another girl who I promised that I¡¯d marry a long time ago who keeps attacking me without thinking, and I always feel like I¡¯m gonna come out of it dead¡­¡± ¡°Meow, meow.¡± ¡°You get it, right? Right? It¡¯s horrible, right? I didn¡¯t even do anything wrong¡­ I¡¯d be happy if someone let me just sleep all day¡­ I don¡¯t have any big dreams or lofty ambitions.¡± ¡°Meooww.¡± ¡°Hm? Yeah, naps are good. I completely agree with your opinion,¡± Ryner said as he nodded and nodded to the cat¡¯s advice, as if he were ill. Apparently he was quite dissatisfied with his life. Ryner stared up at the sky. ¡°Ah¡­ If I were to nap right now, Ferris would just come over here and smack me¡­¡± Then he glanced back to the cat, who was looking up at him with an expression of wonder. ¡°Oh, Ferris is the one I mentioned earlier. She¡¯s the expressionless, selfish, and dangerous one. She¡¯s always telling me to get to work, get to work, get to work¡­ That¡¯s why I can¡¯t stay here for too long. Sorry. I gotta go,¡± Ryner said and stood. Greedy as it was, the cat meowed again. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°Hey, what did I tell you about not having any food¡­?¡± Ryner mumbled as he turned his back to the cat. ¡°Meow, meow¡­¡± Ryner grimaced at the sound of its pitiful little meow. ¡°Uuh¡­ Okay, okay. I¡¯ll go get you some food, alright? I¡¯ll bring you dinner tonight, so sorry, but it¡¯ll be a minute. Man, people have ignored me so much lately that I¡¯m really over here talking to cats instead¡­¡± And so Ryner left, mumbling and grumbling to himself all the while. He was ill, alright. --- ¡ï The Second Visitor ¡ï Ferris was a peerless beauty. She had long golden hair that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, almond-shaped blue eyes, and an unnaturally perfect face. Her limbs were delicate and pretty, despite the fact that she fought with a large sword. She was munching away at skewered dango expressionlessly as she walked through the port town. It was a peaceful afternoon, and she had a vague spring in her step to match. Men catcalled her, but ended up on the ground as soon as she passed them. As soon as she finished her dango, she pulled out her wallet, entered a busy street on a whim, and came out of it with three more skewers of dango. Nothing could stop her now¡­ But anyway. It happened when she left the bustling shopping street and entered an alley instead. She heard a faint cry from the corner of the road. ¡°Meoow.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± She turned her attention to it. A single box had been left out. Someone had written on the side. Please take this kitty. ¡°An abandoned cat, is it.¡± Ferris approached the box, dango in hand. A single kitten¡¯s little head was poking up from inside of it. ¡°Mmh¡­¡± Her blue eyes met the cat¡¯s big sparkling eyes. They stared at each other for a long moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡± They stared and stared as time passed around them. Then finally. Finally, Ferris¡¯ face reddened¡­ for some reason or other. ¡°Kgh, not bad. No, I won¡¯t lose. You are too cute to have a purpose in this dangerous world,¡± she said with an even voice as she held her gaze. ¡°What you need to survive in this world full of hardship is not cuteness. It¡¯s knowledge. Knowledge about dango. That is what decides who wins and who loses. For example, do you know how dango is made?¡± The kitten tilted its head cutely. ¡°Meow?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°Mm. It is made from grains turned to a powder known as flour. The best dango is made from flour that creates a subtle elasticity. In the Roland Empire, most flour comes from the Selz region. However, the most delicious dango flour is produced by the Kowls region. Either works. The number of customers you get depends on if you understand this or not. On top of everything, flour from the Kowls region isn¡¯t as well known as the Selz¡¯s region¡¯s, so it remains cheaper. This is crucial. Remember it as you start your own shop.¡± ¡°Meow, meow.¡± ¡°Mm? You want to find a fine dango craftsman? Mm. That is difficult¡­ However, it shouldn¡¯t be an issue if you just put an ad up in the dango magazine. Rather than having many, I believe that the greatest happiness can be found after finding a single, best owner of a small shop through trial and error¡­¡± Her face reddened a second time as she cast it downwards. ¡°My dream aside¡­ Let us meet again tonight for more conversation on the matter. I will bring tea for us to enjoy. Dango is best with hot tea, after all. Let us meet again tonight.¡± With that, Ferris quickly left, a faint ¡°meow¡± heard from behind. ¡ï The Third Visitor ¡ï ¡°Hm hm hmm~? Hmm hm hm~?¡± Milk Callaud was in high spirits just like always. She was a cute sixteen year old girl with a flaxen ponytail and big eyes. Even though she looked like this, she was chasing Ryner as a chief of a squadron of Taboo Hunters¡­ Her subordinates were around her, surveying the world around her with serious expressions on their faces. ¡°Ah! There!¡± Milk suddenly yelled and took off to a small alley squished between two brick buildings. Her subordinates instantly lost their cool. ¡°A-ah, Chief! Running off alone is dangerous! What will we do if you trip!?¡± Luke, her oldest subordinate, said. He¡¯d become even more overprotective of her ever since she¡¯d been kidnapped. Next up was Moe, who was only a little older than Milk. He had a lithe body despite his kind expression, and he took off after Milk with ease. ¡°Did you find something, Chief?¡± Lach, about the same age as Moe, had a willful aura as he spoke to Luke. ¡°I¡¯m letting loose and going after them so they don¡¯t get too far!¡± Last was Lear. Unlike the other two, he kept his cool in situations like this. ¡°Say that all you want, but don¡¯t you remember the last time we let you two do this? I¡¯ll accompany you this time, too.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right, Lach,¡± Luke said. ¡°We don¡¯t want a repeat of that. I¡¯m going too.¡± Lach¡¯s shoulders fell. ¡°Uuh¡­ alright.¡± With that, they all ran after Milk¡­ but she¡¯d already stopped somewhere along the alley along with Moe. They were peering into a box in the messy corner of the road. Then Milk grinned and turned back towards them. ¡°Hey, Luke, Luke! There¡¯s a kitten! It¡¯s super cute!¡± She said. She picked the kitten up and beckoned him over. Luke¡­ grimaced. ¡°Uwah¡­¡± The kitten climbed up over her arms and up onto her head. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°It, it¡¯s adorable!¡± Lach yelled as he caught up to her. ¡°Right!? Meow, meow, meow!¡± She mimicked as she spun happily. Then the cat meowed back, as if her words had resonated with it. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°Ahah! Meow meow, meoow, meooow!¡± The two were apparently on the same wavelength, because they seemed to be having a pleasant little conversation. Moe clenched his fist, clearly moved at the sight. ¡°Amazing, Chief! You can even talk to cats!¡± No fucking way she can! ¡­But no one was there to say that. Luke watched from a spot just a little away from the others, a difficult expression on his face, his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed. He was deep in thought. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­This is bad,¡± Lear said from his side. Luke met his eyes. ¡°You think so, too?¡± ¡°Yes. This is a bigger problem than anything we¡¯ve encountered until now.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­ You¡¯re right¡­ What should we do¡­? It¡¯s coming. What should we do¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know either¡­ Really, what do we do¡­?¡± What were they so afraid of¡­? The answer to that¡­ soon appeared. After Milk, Moe, and Lach had their fun playing with the cat, Milk pitter-pattered over, the cat still lounging on her head. ¡°Um, uh, so¡­¡± She didn¡¯t have to say it. Luke already knew exactly what was about to happen. It was something that everyone who had ever been a parent was prepared to hear. Milk stared up at him with her cute eyes. The kitten stared up at him with cute eyes. The cute eyes that only an abandoned animal could have. Probably because it was an abandoned animal. ¡°Can we keep it? Pleeaaasee?¡± There it was. Luke looked to Moe and Lach helplessly. But they didn¡¯t give him the help he was looking for. Their expressions said it all: can¡¯t we keep it? It¡¯s just so pitiful out here alone. ¡°Augh, traitors¡­¡± Luke looked to Lear next. Lear sighed. ¡°Chief, you know that we aren¡¯t in the position to keep a cat right now.¡± Milk¡¯s eyes moistened. ¡°But, but this kitty¡­¡± ¡°Meow¡­¡± It¡¯s just too cute! It¡¯s okay! We can keep it! Luke really thought that, but no! They couldn¡¯t. He had heard that keeping animals was a good way for children to grow a sense of responsibility, and it wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t willing to do it for Chief Milk¡¯s sake, but¡­ Those excuses just kept spinning in his head. But he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Ah, geez! We can¡¯t keep it!¡± Luke said, doing his very best to be stern. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to stay in very many inns if we have a kitty with us.¡± ¡°W-we can just sleep outside!¡± Milk said, hugging herself as if to protect herself from what he was saying. It was too cute¡­ Luke shook his head, not to be swayed even by his own thoughts. ¡°W-we can¡¯t, Chief. Our mission is too dangerous, and besides that, we are in a foreign country. We never know when we¡¯ll be attacked by thieves or ruffians here¡­¡± ¡°But, but I can protect Mewmew!¡± ¡°Huh? Mewmew? What¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her name! Cute, right?¡± ¡°Ah, it is cute¡­ wait! Umm¡­ right! Our journey is a difficult one. We could run out of food or water for it¡­ But we¡¯ll still have to keep going. This poor kitty might collapse if that happened, you know? Are you telling me that you want to keep it despite everything?¡± They had to agree with him. If they didn¡¯t, the cuteness overload of the two of them would knock him out. Milk looked shocked beyond belief. ¡°Th-the kitty might die? I don¡¯t want that to happen!!¡± She said, shaking her arms vigorously as she burst into tears. Luke was flustered. ¡°Ah, no, I just said that it might die if we bring it, not that it would die now¡­ That¡¯s why we can¡¯t bring it, okay, Chief?¡± Milk gave him a small nod. Luke smiled kindly. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid,¡± he said and pet her head. They were supposed to be elite Taboo Hunters¡­ Seriously, what were they even doing? The mystery only deepened. ¡ï The Fourth Visitor ¡ï It was nighttime. Her black hair glistened with the light from the stars. She had beautiful eyes and a face that was more perfect than that of others. Her shrine maiden outfit clenched her outstanding body in all the right places as Estella Fiurelle dashed about the dark streets. ¡°Youuu! That golden charm isn¡¯t just any hunk of metal!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± She laughed as she continued to sprint through the streets. ¡°It is your fault that you allowed yourself to be tricked. You ought to be thankful that you were blessed with the sight of the moonlight goddess!¡± Apparently today¡¯s scam was that she was a moonlight goddess¡­ Either way, no one could catch the goddess as she ran. ¡°Hah, haah¡­ They shouldn¡¯t be able to catch me now that I¡¯ve run so far,¡± she said to herself through pants. ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t as though a mere human could do anything to a goddess so beautiful as I.¡± Just when she was about to laugh, she heard a small sound from the corner of an alley. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°Meow? What? Is that some kind of new praise for me?¡± Estella wondered as she looked over. There was a box with a child¡¯s writing on it. I¡¯m Mewmew. Nice to meet you! A kitten¡¯s head was peeking up out of the box to watch her. Estella nodded curtly. ¡°Hmph. I see that your name is Mewmew. What might you need from me?¡± ¡°Meow.¡± ¡°Hm? You are enraptured by my beauty? Then sing my praises. Present all that you own to me and I will bless you with fortune. Now, how much do you have?¡± ¡°Meow.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I do not understand what ¡®meow¡¯ means. That is fine. You are only a kitten, after all. Even if you should offer up all of your money to me, it would not be much. I suppose I can bless you anyway.¡± With that, she lent a single bill to the kitten, setting it in front of it. The kitten stared at it blankly, then looked back up at Estella. ¡°Meow?¡± ¡°Mm-hm. Buy whatever you¡¯d like with that, then report back to your cat friends that Estella is the personification of beauty itself. Tell them that they will face no problems in life if they simply serve me.¡± Estella then laughed boastfully. But then¡­ a familiar, unemotive voice reached her ears. ¡°I see. The mistaken girl with no friends has stooped so low as to talk to cats in the night.¡± Energy suddenly burst from Estella as she quickly turned to face her foe. A single woman stood in the dark alley, her blonde hair shining even in the dim light. Her blue eyes were clear but ultimately devoid of emotion. Her face was perfect¡­ and it was a face she remembered. Yes, this was¡­ ¡°Mrgh! The dead fish dango woman!?¡± Estella said with a glare. ¡°What might you be doing here in the dead of night!?¡± ¡°I could ask the same of you. What might you be doing with my tea-drinking companion?¡± ¡°Hah? Tea-drinking companion?¡± Estella repeated, then laughed just so. ¡°What are you saying? You see, this kitten has just devoted its life to my beauty. It will not drink tea with the likes of you!¡± Ferris looked Estella up and down, sizing her up. When she spoke, her voice was calm. ¡°Hoh. To beauty of your level? You are mistaken. That kitten has already aligned itself with me. Why? Because it understands the true beauty of dango.¡± ¡°Mrmrgh! Let us settle the matter of whose beauty is superior once and for all!¡± ¡°Mm. Bring it on.¡± Estella¡¯s strong glare was met with Ferris¡¯ cold eyes. Just like that, the beautiful night turned to a perilous one. ¡°Now come, dango woman!¡± Estella yelled as she pointed her finger out. ¡°This match will be decided by who the cat jumps out of the box to approach. Deal?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°Mm. I have no issue with it,¡± she said, then began to set her dango and hot tea up a ways away from the cat. ¡°Now, come. This time we will talk about the dango economy.¡± She looked confident. As though it was simply inconceivable that she might lose. Estella, meanwhile, was on the cat¡¯s opposite side putting gold, silver, and copper coins down. ¡°Heheh. You ought to buy any number of things that you want with this. Now, come to me.¡± She, too, was filled with confidence. But the ghastly beauties turned the atmosphere rotten. The kitten shivered. Then a woman¡¯s voice¡­ no, a girl¡¯s voice echoed from a third direction. ¡°Here I am, Mewmew!¡± That, too, was familiar. It was Milk Callaud, an innocent smile on her lips. Estella shivered at the sight of her. ¡°Why¡­ why is the demon of legend here!? Ferris¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Mm.¡± Then Milk noticed them and immediately her cheerful eyes turned to a glare. ¡°Ah! Ah! Why are you guys here!? D-don¡¯t tell me that you plan on stealing my Mewmew¡­ Wait, but if all-beauty-and-no-brains is here, don¡¯t tell me that Ryner is also¡­!? Where is he? Augh, don¡¯t tell me that you were just waiting to get me alone? Alright, let¡¯s go! I wish for thunder¡ª¡± There the demon of legend went, spewing bullshit and mindlessly casting magic again. She drew her magic circle quickly, light gathering in its center. The poor, poor kitten just stood there, shivering¡­ ¡°W-wait, Demon of Legend!¡± Estella said. ¡°We are currently contesting to see who is the most beautiful as chosen by this kitten! Do not get in the¡­ gyaaahh!¡± It didn¡¯t matter what Estella said - it was already too late. The lightning shot at her. Milk completely ignored the meaning of the words that Estella had managed to get out. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re trying to decide who gets to keep Mewmew? Then if I win, Luke will say I can keep her? He¡¯ll really say it? Alright! I¡¯m playing, too, and I¡¯ll definitely win!¡± Milk said, then pulled a piece of seeding grass out to use as a cat toy. And from the final road leading to the cat¡­ Ryner lay in hiding, watching with blank amazement. ¡°¡­Why are the three most annoying people in my life all here,¡± he grumbled as he watched the hellish scene before him. Ferris was pouring piping hot tea out. ¡°Now, come. This tea is delicious.¡± But cats didn¡¯t like hot water, did they? Ryner so wanted to say that, but there was no way that he could in this situation. The poor kitty was shivering. Estella was making a show out of dropping coins onto the ground, each accompanied by a gaudy sound. ¡°How¡¯s this? What, it isn¡¯t enough? How about this, then? I will make it ten bills! Surely this is sufficient.¡± Did cats even know what money was? He wanted to say it¡­ But then he¡¯d really understand what death meant¡­ After all, deathly intent was swirling around Ferris and Estella. Ryner gulped. ¡°Come here, Mewmew! Here, kitty kitty!¡± Milk said as she waved her cat toy around. But she was waving it so fast that it looked like it might break instead of attract a cat. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Truly, there were no words. The deathly aura was so strong that even the cat was twitching with anxiety. ¡°I-I think I¡¯m just gonna go home¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I know!¡± Milk said. ¡°I have something even more fun than this toy to show you. I wish for¡ª¡± ¡°Wagh! Using magic is unfair! If you must do it, then I too will!¡± Estella said. ¡°¡­Hm. Why are the two of you pointing your spells at me?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°Is that a challenge? Very well. Don¡¯t underestimate my burning passion for dango.¡± ¡°Meow, meow, meyowww!?¡± And so the alley¡¯s play turned to a tragedy¡­ --- A while later, the poor kitty had escaped its original place and its fire and water and slashing, and now was shivering in a different alley. ¡°Oh, you managed to escape to safety,¡± Ryner said, exhausted, as he approached the cat. It looked up at Ryner with scared eyes. ¡°Meow?¡± Ryner nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, huh¡­¡± He set some leftovers from the inn¡¯s kitchen down on the ground for it. The kitten leapt over as fast as it could. ¡°I knew you were hungry. I guess no one but me thought about feeding you.¡± ¡°Meoow.¡± Ryner sat beside it as the kitten greedily chewed at the food. He stretched out as he looked up at the stars. Then he heard something like an explosion from afar¡­ no, who was he kidding, it was definitely an explosion. Ryner ignored it and sighed. ¡°Listen to me complain for a minute while you eat,¡± he said. The kitten looked up at him. ¡°Meow?¡± Whaaamm! Kyaaahh! I¡¯ll never lose to the likes of youuuu!! Boom! And so on and so forth. It sounded like everyone was reaching the ends of their ropes¡­ Ryner pretended like he couldn¡¯t hear it. ¡°Maan. It sure is a nice and quiet night tonight.¡± Guwaaahhh! ¡°Uuh. I can¡¯t hear it. I can¡¯t hear anything.¡± Bowaagh! ¡°The hell are they even¡­ no, wait, don¡¯t listen, Ryner!¡± He said. ¡°You lose if you listen. A-anyway. We¡¯re ignoring all that. Listen to me instead, okay?¡± ¡°Meow?¡± ¡°You¡¯re listening, right? Okay, so lately, my life really sucks¡­ All I want to do is nap, but those guys won¡¯t let me do it¡­ They¡¯re always getting in the way of everything¡­¡± He complained and complained as he looked up at the night sky, his head otherwise empty. He was just so tired. He couldn¡¯t get any naps in, and he had to work. Those girls were constantly bothering him, and they¡¯d definitely end up killing him at some point¡­ ¡°Augh, it¡¯s all such a paiiinnn¡­¡± Then the cat suddenly jumped up on his shoulder. Ryner slowly turned his head to it. ¡°Hm? What? Are you thirsty, too, now that you¡¯ve eaten? Ah, shit. I forgot to bring you water¡­¡± The kitten pressed one of its front paws to Ryner¡¯s cheek as if it was trying to push the upset expression off of his face. ¡°Huh? Uh¡­¡± The kitten then licked his nose before it jumped back off. Then it set out down the alley¡­ but it stopped once at the end of the road to turn back to Ryner one last time. ¡°Meow.¡± It left him with that single word before he¡­ she¡­? Before the kitten left him alone in the alley. Ryner just stared after it. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m at the point in my life where I need a kitten to comfort me¡­¡± He sighed deeply, but it was drowned out by the sound of explosions. Volume 3 - CH 5 It hardly felt real. The moon, bright in the sky, reflected upon the soft waves of the river. The faint lights from the city were reflected back at it, too, but they seemed to disappear like bright dots on the surface. It was the dead of night. So dark that it seemed to swallow the city¡¯s lights. Ryner Lute was standing on a large wooden bridge utop the river. His hair lacked direction and his eyes lacked motivation. He had his back to the railing and was staring absently into the sky. ¡°Ahh¡­ I woke up at a weird time,¡± he mumbled to himself, depressed. ¡°I knew that going two days without eating or sleeping was a terrible idea¡­ What time even is it?¡± He moved his neck around to search for a clock tower, but he didn¡¯t see any. When he looked back, he saw the same scenery: the river carrying on endlessly, as if removed from reality. Then he looked to the left. The residential area was as silent and as dark as death. He stared into that darkness for some time, but he still couldn¡¯t see a clock tower. Then he looked to his right. ¡°Hm?¡± His eyes narrowed just so. At some point, a girl had appeared there. She had red hair down to her shoulders, big red eyes, and a pretty face with full lips. She looked about¡­ fourteen or fifteen, maybe? She had a dark expression, as if her thoughts were tormenting her. She stood up, onto the railing of the bridge, where it looked like she might fall into the river below¡­ She was, without a doubt, planning to end her life by jumping into the river. Then they locked eyes. ¡°Wh-what!¡± She said, ¡°You can¡¯t stop me! I¡¯m serious about this.¡± The air was tense around them. All she needed was a cue. Then she¡¯d jump full-force through the wintry air and fall far to her death in the cold river below, that serious expression still on her face. She¡¯d already steeled her resolve. Ryner had two options. One: Try to persuade her to come down. Two: Go for all or nothing and try to remove her from the rails. He stared for a moment, the two choices spinning in his head. He thought, and thought, and thought¡­ then raised his face to look back up at the sky. ¡°¡­Who gives a shit about what time it is,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Looking for a clock tower¡¯s such a pain¡­ More importantly, I wonder if I can find somewhere to eat in the middle of the night like this?¡± ¡­¡­Was that supposed to be the second option? ¡°That¡¯s not the pooiiinnntt!¡± The girl yelled, far louder than her cute face would imply that she was capable of. Ryner looked at her with a gloomy expression. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s not the point?¡± ¡°H-how are you even asking me that¡­? I can¡¯t believe you!¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m Ryner Lute, currently starving¡­¡± ¡°No one asked you to introduce yourself!¡± ¡°Ugh, god¡­ So you¡¯re the type of person who¡¯s always telling other people to do what they want them to do. What a pain. So? You started talking to me. What do you want?¡± Her face reddened. ¡°No, um, well¡­ I¡¯m a lovely fourteen year old girl who still doesn¡¯t know anything about the world, and I¡¯m about to jump into this river, you know? Any adult in their right mind would try to stop me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pain so I don¡¯t wanna.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a paaiiiinnn!¡± She yelled, clenching her fists. Ryner looked around, uneasy. ¡°Hey, kid. People are trying to sleep.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re in your right mind about that!?¡± She snapped. But the despair-ridden expression that¡¯d plagued her before was gone. She was full of energy now. Ryner sighed. ¡°Anyway, kid. Jokes aside.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me a kid! It¡¯s Wazer. Wazer Nether.¡± ¡°Hmph. Alright, Wazer. See, I¡¯m currently dying of starvation. That¡¯s why I need something to eat¡ª¡± ¡°I thought you were done joking around! Augh, talking to you makes my head hurt¡­ Normally, we¡¯d start from the beginning here, right? You¡¯d ask about my story, and I¡¯d tell you all about my past and the scars it¡¯s left on me, and then we¡¯d reach some mutual understanding, and it¡¯d plant the seeds of love or friendship or whatever. It¡¯d have a happy ending.¡± ¡°¡­You read too much fiction.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on meee!¡± Ryner sighed. ¡°This kid sure yells a lot,¡± he mumbled to himself. Wazer sat down on the rails stubbornly, refusing to move off the rails, then crossed her arms. ¡°Alright.¡± Ryner tilted his head. ¡°¡®Alright¡¯ what?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious!? I¡¯m going to tell you my story! Make up for your past mistakes by hearing me out. I¡¯m ready to tell you the story of why a lovely fourteen year old girl would try to throw herself off this bridge to kill herself.¡± Ryner was quiet for a moment before sighing again. ¡°I feel like my head¡¯s the one that¡¯s hurting over here¡­ Why is everyone I meet like this lately?¡± ¡°Hm? Do you have scars, too? Maybe romantic ones?¡± ¡°Like hell I do,¡± Ryner said. Then he looked back up at the dark sky and shrugged. ¡°Well, whatever. It¡¯s not like any restaurants are open now anyway. I¡¯ve got time to kill, so I¡¯ll hear you out. So why¡¯d you try to kill yourself?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll listen to me!?¡± Ryner nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± As she thought about it, Wazer¡¯s expression turned just as dark as it had been when he first saw her. She was silent for a moment before speaking. ¡°I wanted you to listen, but I really don¡¯t know where to start. I didn¡¯t think anyone would actually listen to me. I have so much to say, but when I try to say it, nothing comes out¡­ Where do I start?¡± ¡°Hm. If you don¡¯t have anything to say, then I¡¯m leaving,¡± Ryner said, and moved to do just that. Wazer quickly jumped down from the railing and grabbed him tightly by the arm. ¡°I thought you were going to listen to me?¡± She said, and her eyes grew wet. She stared and stared, her eyes boring into him¡­ He heaved his biggest sigh yet. ¡°This has become an ordeal¡­ Alright, alright, I get it. I¡¯ll listen. That¡¯s all you want, right? Start from the beginning. What happened that started all of this?¡± Wazer¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°The beginning¡­ the beginning, huh. I had this piano, see.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay, a piano. Like the kind you play,¡± Ryner said. But he was only saying enough so that it sounded like he was interested. He didn¡¯t actually care. ¡°Yes, that kind of piano. See, my mama and papa are famous pianists here in Iyet,¡± she said happily. ¡°They¡¯re really good. They can play all kinds of songs - beautiful ones, sad ones, fun ones, happy ones¡­ So I¡¯ve always liked the piano, too.¡± Ryner yawned. ¡°I¡¯ve played the piano for as long as I can remember. My parents taught me, and it was so fun. They said that I was really talented¡­ And I was happy when I was praised for it, so I practiced, and practiced¡­¡± She paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°I started participating in a lot of competitions when I turned ten so that I could win medals. But I didn¡¯t really want to win anything, you know? That¡¯s not why I was practicing. But my parents praised me when I won them, so¡­ And besides, I loved playing the piano so much. So I played and played, so that I could make the same elegant sounds that my parents made someday¡­ ¡° Then her expression changed, suddenly warping with sadness. ¡°And yet¡­ and yet¡­¡± Her left arm began to shiver, so she grasped it with her right. ¡°Four months ago, at a concert, I¡¯d just finished my performance. But then there was an accident - the candlestick on my piano fell on my left arm, and since then, since then¡­¡± Tears began to fall from her eyes, slowly at first, but then they fell quickly, as if the dam holding them back had collapsed. ¡°Since then, I haven¡¯t been able to move my fingers very well¡­¡± Ryner was silent for a long moment. He gazed at the girl, eyes narrowed, and waited until her tears had calmed to speak. ¡°So you wanted to kill yourself because you can¡¯t play the piano anymore?¡± ¡°I love the piano!¡± Wazer said. ¡°It¡¯s my everything! Playing the piano, having my parents praise me¡­ That¡¯s all I need to be happy. I don¡¯t need the competitions. I mean, I definitely can¡¯t compete in them now¡­ But if I could just play enough to make me happy¡­ And yet¡­ It¡¯s not just me. My parents look so sad when they see me trying to play the piano. They tell me that it¡¯s okay, but I¡­ I was just playing because it made me happy. I don¡¯t want people to watch me like it¡¯s a shame, but they always, always do¡­ Just me being there makes them¡­¡± ¡°So you want to kill yourself? That¡¯s a pretty stupid reason,¡± Ryner spat. Wazer was surprised. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Aah¡­ I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d make me listen to such a boring story while I¡¯m over here starving¡­¡± ¡°Boring!? Why would you say that!?¡± ¡°Oh, did I make you mad? Sorry.¡± She glared at him, tears pricking at her eyes a second time. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s with you? You¡¯re totally unmotivated to help me¡­ People who live their normal lives without any problems can¡¯t understand me!¡± Ryner¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s true. I¡¯m not you, so I obviously can¡¯t understand your feelings. To be blunt, whether you live or die has absolutely nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± Ryner raised an eyebrow. ¡°What? So you wanted me to stop you since the beginning?¡± ¡°N, no, but¡­¡± ¡°Then do it. You might think I¡¯m living a casual life, but I¡¯m really busy staring up at the sky and wondering what I¡¯m gonna do to keep myself from starving to death, so I¡¯m gonna leave. Sorry for bothering you. See, you can jump now. Personally, I think that¡¯s the easy way out, so that makes it okay, right? Bye.¡± With that, Ryner turned his back to her. ¡°You¡¯re horrible¡­¡± Ryner took one step, then stopped. ¡°Oh, but¡­ I have just one thing to say before I go. My life might be stupid, but¡­ I know tons of people who have problems way worse than yours. People whose whole families were killed. People who had no choice but to kill their families. People who live their lives by sacrificing themselves for others, all wrapped up in their own thoughts and unable to escape. And people who always, always thought they had no choice but to be alone¡­¡± Ryner continued. ¡°But those people are all alive right now, even though dying would have been easier. Do you think that¡¯s stupid? Don¡¯t you wonder why they don¡¯t kill themselves, since their lives are miserable anyway? Honestly¡­ I¡¯ve thought about that. Dying would be easier. Abandoning everything and escaping on your own is easier. Why can¡¯t we just do that and eat and sleep and eat and sleep forever? Everyone who doesn¡¯t think that is stupid. They¡¯re all taking the hard way¡­¡± Ryner paused before resuming. ¡°But¡­ but that¡¯s just me, looking at it from the outside. I don¡¯t hate them. Actually, it pisses me off when people look down on them.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me that it¡¯d piss you off if I died here¡­?¡± Ryner didn¡¯t turn back to face her. ¡°That¡¯s why I said that I don¡¯t get you. I don¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like to be you. Anyway, I¡¯m¡­¡± Then she hugged him from behind, burying her face in his back. ¡°Thank you¡­ I don¡¯t have anyone who would have said that to me. Everyone¡¯s just pitied me ever since I got injured, like I myself am something to pity, even though I¡¯m okay¡­ I¡¯m more than liking the piano. You¡¯re right - I was running away. I feel really stupid about wanting to kill myself now.¡± Her hugging him like that and saying such a thing was kinda¡­ ¡°Uhh, um.¡± Ryner grimaced. ¡°I feel like I just did something super out of character¡­ I thought the early bird was supposed to get the worm. This is the opposite of that. I got all wrapped up in this instead of getting food¡­ I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Even so, he smiled a bit bitterly, and reached his hand back to pat her head¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± His body acted on instinct, moving his hand as he felt a strange sensation. It was in his pocket. The very pocket that he kept his wallet in. Her hand was in it, so he grabbed her by the arm. Ryner was confused beyond belief. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean¡­?¡± He pulled her by the arm, bringing her in front of him. Wazer¡¯s tearful face from before was gone. Now she looked like she¡¯d been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. He just stared. Wazer, meanwhile, was glaring full-force at him. ¡°Fuck, I messed up! I was sure that my master¡¯s swindling trick #42 would nab me some cash!¡± She said, her words somehow at odds with her flustered tone. Ryner pressed a hand to his face. He was getting dizzy. ¡°Haah? Master? Swindling? Uuh¡­ Are you kidding me? This is what we¡¯re doing? You made me say tons of embarrassing things for this? I¡¯m done. I¡¯m so done. Dying would be so much easier. The river is calling my name¡­¡± That kind of contradicted everything he just said, though¡­ ¡°Shit! Let go of my arm! Pervert!¡± She yelled, so that someone might hear her. ¡°No, you need to get your hands off of my cash first.¡± ¡°Are you joking!? A lovely and youthful fourteen year old girl like me should be paid to hug a useless man like you, so that¡¯s my money.¡± ¡°What kind of reasoning is that¡­?¡± Ryner¡¯s voice trailed off. Because he suddenly felt a massive, terrifying murderous aura from behind. He jumped back. ¡°What!?¡± Agh, shit, there were more? Ryner cursed his own thoughtlessness. He could tell that his opponent was strong just by their aura. That¡¯s what his perception was telling him. If he faced them head-on¡­ he¡¯d be killed!? He had to do something. A sharp sound approached him, and there was nothing Ryner could do to dodge it. It was headed straight for his head. ¡°Whoa!?¡± He was sent flying, and when he hit the ground, he rolled. Then he turned to face his assailant. ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­¡± He was speechless. A familiar beauty was standing casually by the railing of the bridge. Her blonde hair was shining in the dim light of the moon, and her blue eyes were clear. She was the perfect picture of beauty in the dark scene surrounding her¡­ but her expression was as nonexistent as always. In one hand, she held the sword that she¡¯d just smacked Ryner upside the head with. In her other hand was skewered dango, which she was presently eating. ¡°Umm¡­ so, uhh¡­ well.¡± That was about as intelligent of a reply as Ryner could manage. He wanted to yell, but he just couldn¡¯t find the words. Not until he calmed down and took a deep breath. ¡°Ferris!? Youuuu! Where the hell did you come from!¡± She looked at him like he was stupid, then pointed up at the sky. ¡°Do you see that?¡± ¡°See what?¡± ¡°The moon, obviously,¡± she said, with no intonation whatsoever. ¡°The moon is beautiful tonight. When one thinks of a beautiful night such as this, they think of¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Ryner said, because really, it was predictable. ¡°You want to eat dango while watching the moon, right? I¡¯m not surprised in the slightest when you do things like this for dango. But that¡¯s not what I was asking. I was asking where you came from. How¡¯d you manage to hide long enough to get that hit in!¡± Ferris sheathed her sword with a practiced hand. Then she nodded. ¡°Mmh. It was extremely simple. The moon is beautiful tonight, which means that the reflection of the moon on the river will be beautiful as well. It is only natural that I would bring dango and tea to it. I of course removed my sword to gather my tea and dango from my waist. Then a perverted sex fiend apperared. Then he said that he would capture that fourteen year old girl. ¡°¡®Hmph, aren¡¯t you a cute girl,¡¯ he said, ¡®You¡¯ll fetch a pretty penny. ¡°¡®No!¡¯ She cried. ¡®Forgive me! I won¡¯t do anything bad anymore! I¡¯ll listen when my mom tells me what to do, so please! Please don¡¯t sell me!¡¯ ¡°¡®I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, Wazer. Your family is too poor, and your mama is good for nothing.¡¯ ¡°¡®H-help me! God! Angels! Anyone! Someone, please, save me!¡¯ ¡°And so she arrives - the beautiful angel who will save the world,¡± Ferris finished. Ryner was at his limit. ¡°I seee. I get what you¡¯re saying. Wait a sec, umm¡­ Where do I even start? It¡¯s all wrong, but the most wrong part is that there are more characters than just us¡­? And what¡¯s up with the beautiful angel thing? What else was there¡­?¡± Wazer, who had been watching them in a daze, suddenly came to her senses. ¡°I-I can get away while they¡­¡± But! Even though Ryner was still laying on the ground from Ferris¡¯ attack, his arm moved quickly, as if it belonged to someone else entirely. He drew a magic circle of light in the air. ¡°I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash.¡± Light gathered in the center of the circle, then lightning shot out in front of Wazer. ¡°Wawagh!?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re gonna run away, at least give me my money back,¡± Ryner said, tired. ¡°That¡¯s all of my allowance¡­ Ferris won¡¯t give me any more, so I¡¯ll really die of starvation if I don¡¯t get that back.¡± He sounded awfully pitiful for someone who just fired off such a showy spell. Ferris looked like she was shocked. ¡°You bastard¡­ To think that you¡¯d fallen so far as to not only attack girls, but also to steal from them¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s my money!¡± ¡°No, if I remember correctly, that is the money that I personally blessed you with.¡± ¡°Stop omitting details and picking fights with me!¡± Ryner yelled. Ferris nodded, satisfied with herself. ¡°Mm. Now, enough fun and games.¡± ¡°None of that was fuuuun! Ugh, I hate this. I¡¯m always being pulled around by the chain with you. Always, always,¡± Ryner grumbled to himself. Ferris ignored his whining and looked at Wazer emotionlessly. ¡°Tell us about that ¡®master¡¯ you mentioned before.¡± ¡°Hah? Master?¡± Ryner repeated. ¡°You were listening in from the very start, weren¡¯t you!¡± But Ferris ignored him. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive anyone who would make a sweet and cute girl like you his apprentice in thievery.¡± Ryner was shocked. ¡°Huh? What? Ferris, did you just say something admirable? Don¡¯t tell me you want to save Wazer from a criminal organi¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯ve exhausted your ¡®master¡¯s¡¯ life,¡± Ferris continued. ¡°You don¡¯t know who you are, laying your hands on my money like this. Though I have no idea how much it is, that money is to be mine. Now call your master. If you don¡¯t, your head will float down the stream of this lovely moonlit river.¡± She unsheathed her sword just enough for the sound to threaten Wazer. It was all pretty crazy. First she said that she was here to save Wazer, and now this. It ran contrary to everything she just said and did¡­ Ryner squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. ¡°Just when I was starting to have a better opinion of you, you¡¯re making me look like an idiot again¡­¡± ¡°Mm. You were an idiot even before I made you look like it.¡± ¡°Shut ittt,¡± Ryner said, then finally stood. ¡°But this is a good plan. We can never have too much money¡­ Alright, Wazer. Lead the way, unless you want this violent woman to cut your head off¡­ ah, no, you¡¯re not violent, sorry. Please don¡¯t send my head flying, too.¡± Wazer shivered as they moved closer to her. ¡°W-wait, Ryner,¡± she started, as if begging him. ¡°What happened to saying that her ¡®wanting to save a sweet and cute girl¡¯ was admirable? Listen, wouldn¡¯t the protagonist normally be on the side of justice in this scenario? You should be saying that you won¡¯t forgive them for using me to steal! You really want to say that and save me, right?¡± ¡°You read too much fiction.¡± And so the hope and dreams left Wazer¡¯s sweet and cute eyes, crushed by Ryner and Ferris. ¡°Ah, I knew it,¡± she said. ¡°There are no gods or angels in this world¡­¡± That aside. ¡°I still have my master, though,¡± she said and grinned with a sudden but empowered expression. That alone was proof of how much she trusted this master of hers. She was triumphant despite the odds. ¡°You¡¯d better be shaking in fear, ¡®cause when my master comes, it¡¯s over for you! All I have to do is play my magic flute, and my master will teleport here and save me!¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°T-teleportation!? You¡¯re telling me that the Iyet Republic has teleportation magic? Forget difficult - every country¡¯s been researching it, and no one has succeeded! We¡¯ve all been assuming that it¡¯s impossible. If you can really use it, then that means¡­¡± Wazer laughed fearlessly. ¡°Surprised? Oh, but don¡¯t get the wrong idea. My master is the only one who can use teleportation magic. You can try to make up for everything all you want, but I won¡¯t forgive you. Live in horror!¡± She blew with all her might. A sharp sound pierced the night sky. Ryner tensed. Ferris rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmph. I will continue to eat my dango and watch the moon, then.¡± ¡°Oh, good idea. I said this before, too, but I¡¯m starving. Can I have some dango?¡± ¡°Mm. Have some. I have tea as well.¡± ¡°Ooh! Really?¡± And so Ryner and Ferris began to watch the moon. Wazer just stood there, the triumphant smile on her face¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Maybe an hour passed? Tears were forming at the corner of Wazer¡¯s eyes, though she was still smiling as she watched the rare occasion before her. It was time spent drinking tea¡­ at least for Ryner and Ferris. But then, a loud sound started up in the distance. ¡°¡­¡­zzeeerrrr¡­ zeeerrr¡­.¡± It was a voice. Wazer smiled widely. ¡°Th-this voice¡­ It¡¯s my master! My master came for me!¡± Ryner looked in the direction of the voice. Now it was close enough to be heard clearly. ¡°Waaaazzzeeeeeeerrr!¡± A single woman frantically jumped into view with incredible vigor. Ferris poured Ryner his fourth cup of tea. ¡°Is that what they call teleportation these days?¡± Ryner shrugged. ¡°Hm. I guess it¡¯s new enough. Thanks for the tea, by the way,¡± he said and sipped. Wazer glared at them and the warm atmosphere that surrounded them. Her expression said it all: she was sure that she¡¯d already won. ¡°Ha ha haa! It¡¯s time to pay your tribute! Your enjoyable evening is over now that my master is here! Now, I¡¯ll be having your leftovers¡­¡± Her voice was cut off by her Master¡¯s. ¡°What were you thinking, calling thyne master out here in the middle of the niiiiggghhhhtttt!!¡± Wazer¡¯s master slammed a fist into Wazer¡¯s head, sending her flying and knocking her out cold. Ryner and Ferris just watched, dumbfounded. They honestly didn¡¯t give a shit about Wazer. The problem was the fact that they knew her master. Her master was a woman with long black hair who was dressed as a shrine maiden. She¡¯d just run a long way so she was out of breath and her face was all red, but even then it was obvious that she was drop-dead gorgeous, just like Ferris was. She was about sixteen or seventeen. Her face was perfect and her skin was smooth. She was Estella Fiuerelle. They knew her, alright¡­ and every time she showed her face, she was always a pain in the ass. She was the head of a massive swindling organization in the Iyet Republic, and she was having an all-out fight with Ferris to determine which one of them was prettier. Basically, Ryner was already suffering just by the fact that she was there. He prepared himself to be swept up in her and Ferris¡¯ maelstrom of trouble, but¡­ Estella spoke in a hazy tone, like she was still half-asleep. ¡°You have quite the spine, waking the sleeping goddess up from her beautiful dreams, Wazer. I had only just gone to bed after a long day of work, and the second I fell asleep, you woke me¡­ And after everything, you are the one who gets to sleep deeply!? Why, I¡­ I, I, I, I¡­!¡± She¡¯d been the one who¡¯d put her to sleep, though¡­ But that didn¡¯t stop her from continuing her attack. She removed Wazer¡¯s belongings with a practiced hand, one piece after another. She was only satisfied after she¡¯d taken everything that Wazer had. ¡°Now you will see! And I will go sleep! I am going home and sleeping. Should you wake me again¡­ I will sell you at a high price, just as I do to stones on the side of the street!¡± With that, Estella briskly walked away, not even sparing them a glance. Ferris and Ryner just watched her, then turned their eyes to Wazer, who was still unconscious¡­ Ryner was the first to speak. ¡°I guess being a thief¡¯s pretty hard work¡­¡± ¡°Hm. I¡¯m more bothered by the fact that Estella made off with my money along with everything Wazer owns. Though that has nothing to do with me now.¡± ¡°Shit, that¡¯s right! Wazer did have my money, didn¡¯t she!? Ferris, you bastard! You should¡¯ve said so earlier!¡± Ferris was pleased. ¡°Heheh. I am different from the likes of Estella. A divine beauty such as myself, of whom both heaven and earth prostrate themselves before, has no need for petty change.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my money!¡± ¡°Mm? A perverted sex fiend such as yourself would complain about me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point! Ugh, what the hell. What does that prostrating stuff even mean? Like, do people normally say that stuff about themselves?¡± Ferris¡¯ usually expressionless face suddenly reddened. Then her hand moved to her sword. ¡°Uwah! Shit¡­ it¡¯s coming! You shouldn¡¯t attack me just because you¡¯re embarrassed, asshole! It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡­ I won¡¯t lose this time!¡± He squared up on the side of the bridge. Ferris stared at him for a moment, then looked down to the river, then to the horizon. ¡°Hm. Dawn will soon break.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? What? You¡¯re not mad?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get angry. I¡¯m in a good mood.¡± She absolutely did not look like she was in a good mood, talking in monotone with a blank face¡­ but whatever. ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood¡­? Why?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll share a bit of my happiness with you. You see, I heard a hilarious story.¡± Ryner tilted his head. ¡°Really?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°Mm. You¡¯ll die laughing. It begins with a man and a girl. You see, the girl tried to kill herself, and the man said some hilarious things to try to stop her¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s insides iced over. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re talking about earlier¡­¡± Ferris continued, completely ignoring Ryner¡¯s feelings. ¡°If I recall correctly, the embarrassing man said, ¡®Oh, but¡­ I have just one thing to say before I go. My life might be stupid, but¡­¡± ¡°Waaarghwaghwaaghhwwwaaaa!! Wh-wh-wh-why are you saying that out loud!?¡± ¡°Hm? I just felt that I had a duty to properly record history. And history said, ¡®People who always, always thought they had no choice but to be alone¡­¡¯¡± ¡°Gyaaaahhhh keep talking and I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m seriously gonna die! I¡¯m begging you, so please forgive me!!¡± Ryner yelled, his face beet red. ¡°How do you even remember that word-for-word!?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°It was so monumental that I felt the need to record it in my memo.¡± ¡°Throw it ouuuttt!!¡± Ferris moved faster than he¡¯d ever seen before. She seemed to disappear from the world entirely. Then she reappeared on the other side of the bridge. ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s an extremely important matter. I will make sure that it reaches Sion safe and sound¡­¡± A shadow fell over Ryner¡¯s expression. His motivationless face turned serious. ¡°I dedicate the words of our contract - give birth to the beast of malice sleeping within the earth!¡± A spell activated through letters he drew in the air. His body was wrapped in light, and he became far faster than before. ¡°I¡¯m not letting that happeeeennnn!¡± Ryner flew towards Ferris on the other side of the bridge. And then the bridge grew quiet, like the calm after a storm¡­ All that was there was the water moving far below the bridge. The night was giving way to the sun as a new day rose upon the Iyet Republic. --- Wazer finally opened her eyes that afternoon. She used her newfound consciousness to buy a pebble from Estella after being fed lies about it. It cost a month of her salary. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve finally bought the stone of happiness! I can finally be happy!¡± She yelled, having successfully escaped her hard and cold reality. Volume 3 - CH 6 He didn¡¯t want anything in particular. He didn¡¯t need anything luxurious. He didn¡¯t have to be different from other people. All he really wanted was a normal, boring life. But¡­ the average happiness he wanted would never last. He could will it to be all he wanted, but it¡¯d never happen. It was ¡®the unthinkable.¡¯ Even so¡­ even so, even if it only lasted a moment¡­ --- ¡°You who stand before me¡ªall of you¡ªwill become geniuses.¡± Ryner looked around. They were in an inorganic arena, made of some type of stone, and he was surrounded by children of his own age - boys and girls of about five or six years old. They, him included, had just been called ¡®geniuses.¡¯ Geniuses¡­ yeah. Because they were geniuses¡­ they were forced into this military institution. Because they were geniuses. Because they were different from other people. Because they were born with talent. Because they were born blessed. Ryner couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. He stared through his black bangs, which hadn¡¯t been cut in a while¡­ and thought of his own black eyes. Of the strange scarlet pentagram that rose within them. It had only just shown itself to him. The military called it Alpha Stigma¡­ But when his friends and the people who raised him back at the village saw the pentagram in his eyes, they called him¡­ a monster. A monster who lived to slaughter. That¡¯s what¡­ they said. Yeah. A woman in her early twenties had called them geniuses. She had shoulder-length indigo hair and a thin but trained body. She might¡¯ve been pretty¡­ but for the tense, harsh atmosphere surrounding her and the military uniform she was wearing, she was anything but cheerful. She looked at them and spoke again. ¡°Yes. You are geniuses who have been chosen.¡± Genius. Genius. Genius. That might¡¯ve been true. He was a genius of a monster. One who couldn¡¯t save or even connect with others. One who was only capable of causing pain¡­ A worthless genius, without any value whatsoever. He laughed. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke!¡± The woman said. And in the moment he yelled, light flashed around him. The world spun as he flew back. Then he realized he¡¯d been punched. Hard. Her lithe body was capable of far more than it seemed, judging by how far she punched him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± He didn¡¯t make a sound. His head was spinning. He couldn¡¯t move his legs. Blood was steadily escaping from his cut lip¡­ Her sharp gaze settled on Ryner. ¡°You have been called geniuses your whole life. Then you come to train under me¡­ and then you die. So don¡¯t get the wrong idea when I call you a genius. That¡¯ll get you killed sooner than later.¡± Ryner finally found the strength to stand. He kept his eyes locked on her as he did so. ¡°You think you¡¯re so special, laughing like that. Now that you¡¯re back, I need you to listen to me. I won¡¯t say this twice. Let¡¯s start with my name. I¡¯m Jereme Crysler,¡± she said and smiled. ¡°For the next year, that will be the name of your god, so remember it well. My orders are absolute. If you should ignore them, I will kill you.¡± Then she continued. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re lucky. You¡¯d normally be sent to a place where you have to kill other kids, like Special Institution #307, or the Emeril Institution¡­ You¡¯d be dead if you weren¡¯t the last one standing. But you were scouted for talent among the kids in the army, so instead of sending you straight to hell, you were sent to me. I will teach you how to fight. How to last. Of course, if you can¡¯t do that, you¡¯ll still die, though.¡± She laughed. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s time for your introductions, followed by a test. First¡­¡± She dug in her pocket, then removed several pieces of paper to read off of. ¡°Oh, so the kid I just punched was an Alpha Stigma bearer. You were unable to dodge. Basically, you¡¯re a total amature when it comes to hand-to-hand. You may know how to use magic, but you have no real knowledge of magic itself.¡± Jereme sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not useful at all, and yet, the military brought you here when it attacked the village that raised you. The fact that they saw potential in you and brought you here means that you were saved¡­¡± Ryner glared. ¡°Why¡­ do you know¡­?¡± Jereme smiled as if looking down on him. ¡°Do you think that you¡¯re some kind of genius just because you saved the villagers? Do you like being praised? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s stupid?¡± ¡°N-no!¡± Ryner protested. ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about it at all¡­ And no one praised me for it anyway. This power¡­ This monstrous power¡­¡± Jereme snorted. ¡°Haah? Then you¡¯re looking down on their lives? Of course no one praised you and your half-baked power. You¡¯re misunderstanding something. You¡¯re persecuted as a monster, but if you say that you want to save humans knowing that¡­¡± Then Jereme looked to a girl who was about Ryner¡¯s age. She had unusual, long aquamarine-colored hair. ¡°Ryner Lute,¡± Jereme said, ¡°What you just said irritated me. I am going to kill this cute girl with magic right here and now, where you can see.¡± ¡°Wh-what¡­ are you saying?¡± It just didn¡¯t make sense. This was the first time that Ryner had ever met someone like this woman. It was almost like¡­ ¡°If you truly have the power to save people, then stop me from killing her. But if you can¡¯t save this girl¡­ then I will kill another child. So make your decision - will you save her, or will you not? Your timer starts now.¡± Jereme raised her hand and began to draw a magic circle of light before her. Ryner¡¯s eyes widened, then a red pentagram shone from within them. He could see everything. Everything about the magic circle that she had just drawn, from the structure to the words to activate it. He could see it all, down to the letter, down to its depths¡­ Then he began to draw the exact same circle that she had just finished. However¡ª ¡°You¡¯re too late. I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash!¡± Her spell fired overwhelmingly quickly. The army men who he¡¯d fought before absolutely could not compare to her. His spell was only a tenth of the way complete by the time hers was firing towards the girl. ¡°Stooopp!!¡± Ryner screamed. The girl moved back as if seeing the spell before it ever started, dodging it entirely. Then she turned towards Ryner. ¡°What was that ¡®stooop¡¯ supposed to meeean?¡± She asked. ¡°You¡¯re totally misunderstanding something. I am the great Pia Valiere, a true genius. You know that, right? I¡¯m different from the rest of you,¡± the girl with the aquamarine hair - Pia - said, completely unperturbed by this turn of events. Ryner stared, in a daze. ¡°Ugh, looky here,¡± Pia said. ¡°Stop staring like an idiot and get to finishing your spell. Go on and kill that hag.¡± ¡°Huh? What? Huh?¡± Ryner said. Pia put some distance between herself and Jereme, moving fluidly, like she was a wave on the ocean¡¯s surface. ¡°God. Why do those of us with power need to serve Roland¡¯s military, anyway? Sounds like someone hasn¡¯t been thinking. Ummm, if I remember correctlllyy, you¡¯re Ryner, right? You¡¯re not bad if you can use Lightning Flash at your age, but you¡¯re not all that. Okay, look around. That boy¡¯s doing better than you are, see?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner looked around, just like she said to. Sure enough, there was a boy running around with circular motions, putting distance between himself and Jereme. It was a strange sight, since the boy¡¯s eyes were serenely shut. He had soft-looking golden hair that flowed with his movements, and despite his closed eyes, he ran carefully, like he could see everything. Jereme turned the page. ¡°Hmm¡­ So you¡¯re planning on going against me together? That¡¯s fun. And the one looking like an idiot over there, running around me with his eyes closed is Peria Peloura, right?¡± ¡°¡­What does that say about me?¡± The boy with the closed eyes asked calmly. Jereme¡¯s eyes fell to her papers, but Peria took the opportunity to get behind her and fire a punch to her back. Ryner stared, astonished by the sight. It was amazing that a boy the same age as he was could attack her so overwhelmingly fast. Accurately, too. The second she¡¯d looked down, he¡¯d taken the opportunity to catch her off guard. The boy spoke. ¡°I learned this from people who can¡¯t fight with their eyes closed¡­¡± Then Jereme moved to the side, turned back, and grabbed his fist like it was no effort at all. Then she squeezed his wrist. ¡°Uwoh¡­!¡± ¡°Hmph. Peria Peloura. You¡¯re a victim of the ¡®all-boundaries¡¯ experiment, aren¡¯t you. You¡¯ve been tattooed with numerous magical circles that brought your sight and hearing into non-existence, but as compensation, you¡¯ve been bestowed with an abnormal sense of perception, one that allows you to understand what¡¯s going on around you despite everything, but¡­¡± She squeezed his arm even harder. ¡°No matter how well your perception may be, it¡¯s pointless if you¡¯re still this slow. How can you be called a genius like that?¡± Peria raised his face as though he was looking at her, despite his closed eyes. ¡°A genius? To tell you the truth, I¡­ no, I mean, do you really think that I wanted this? The military forced this experiment on me¡­ On my eyes, on my ears¡­ I can¡¯t experience the world now. I can only ¡®sense¡¯ it¡­¡± Jereme frowned, exasperated. ¡°So you want revenge on Roland?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll definitely get revenge on you g¡­ gugh!¡± He never did finish that sentence. Jereme sent him flying with ease. He made a sound as he hit the ground, then rolled across it¡­ ¡°You¡¯re weak!¡± Jereme said. ¡°How do you intend to get revenge when you¡¯re that weak? You¡¯re not persuasive in the slightest. There are people in Roland¡¯s military who are far stronger than I am. How exactly do you plan on getting revenge against them?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®I¡¯ me! If you can¡¯t answer my question, then you¡¯re not qualified to use the word ¡®revenge,¡¯ you brat! Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re special just because you can perceive the world! And¡­¡± She looked to Ryner, ¡°You too, Ryner Lute! You have power, but it¡¯s laughable at best¡­ You can¡¯t even protect yourself, and here you are wanting to protect others? To save them? Don¡¯t be stupid! You all live in a hell where you can¡¯t afford to think about others. From now on, you should only worry about yourselves. If you want to escape, then you need to be strong enough that I can¡¯t kill you!¡± Jereme screamed. Ryner couldn¡¯t move. All it took was her glare to render him immobile. He felt like¡­ like her aura alone was capable of killing him¡­ Even Ryner, who hadn¡¯t undergone any training whatsoever, could understand that she was strong just by that look. Unbelievably so. He couldn¡¯t do anything. Even if he tried, it¡¯d be absolutely pointless. They were in completely different leagues. She might¡¯ve been a lean woman, but that didn¡¯t change the power within her. Peria was the same. His eyes were closed and his ears were deaf, but he still managed to radiate his own kind of power. If he moved. He¡¯d be killed. And yet¡­ ¡°Alright, alrigghht. Is that all the bullshit you have to say, hag?¡± Pia asked. She wasn¡¯t concerned in the slightest. In fact, her chest was puffed out with pride despite the killing intent swirling around them. Then Pia looked at Ryner and Peria. ¡°Godd, I knew that boys were useless, but I can¡¯t believe that you couldn¡¯t even manage to make a gap for me. You can¡¯t move just because she¡¯s hysterical? You¡¯re worse than pathetic, and here I am, a real genius. I¡¯ll finish her up real quick, so after that you have to listen to what I, the great Pia, have to say.¡± Jereme grinned. ¡°Not bad. You can still move despite everything. Let¡¯s see what a self-proclaimed genius can do. Hmm, so¡­¡± She looked back down to her papers. Pia put her hands on her hips. She was far too proud in these circumstances. It was absurd. ¡°Have a good look at my accomplishments and be amazed. I graduated from a top military academy with super duper grades when I was just four years old. I¡¯m different. I¡¯m four times as good as you guys are at magic. I¡¯m finally being recognized for what I am. I¡¯ll be adopted by a noble and on the highway to being an elite in no time¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Jereme said, cutting Pia off. ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s written here. It says that you were a problem child in school. That you¡¯d make it everyone¡¯s problem the second things didn¡¯t go your way¡­ Your noble ¡®parents¡¯ abandoned you because of that, and now you¡¯re here. Well, you have a hereditary magical abnormality, and uncooperativeness seems to be part of that package.¡± Pia bit her lip and wrinkled her nose at Jereme. ¡°What does that mean! What do you mean I¡¯m uncooperative? Normal people just can¡¯t keep up with me!¡± ¡°Hmph. Yep, that¡¯s what we call uncooperative¡­¡± ¡°Shut uuupp! Shut up, shut up, shut uuupp! I don¡¯t have to listen to normies. Ugh, now I¡¯m mad! My number one pet peeve is when people try to look down on me! I¡¯m totally gonna obliterate you!¡± Pia yelled while shaking her arms. ¡°I-it¡¯s like they¡¯re not communicating at all,¡± Peria said, bewildered. ¡°She really is uncooperative¡­¡± ¡°Y, yeah,¡± Ryner agreed with a nod. Pia drew a magic circle with unreal speed as they spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll be shocked when you see my super ultra Lightning Flash! Here we go! I wish for thunder¡ª¡± Light gathered in the center of her magic circle. It was massively bright, and her brightness was several times larger than Jereme¡¯s spell had been. Then she pointed towards her target. ¡°Lightning¡ª¡± She stopped there¡­ no, she was stopped there. At some point, Jereme had appeared behind Pia. She yanked her cyan hair down and pulled her to the ground. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jereme asked as she held Pia¡¯s face to the ground by her hair. ¡°Come on, shock me with your amplified magic. Fire it and surprise me with how good you are.¡± Pia groaned, frustration bubbling on her face. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± ¡°Uuh? What are you uuh-ing about? Are you okay with that being your final word? I¡¯m going to kill you now. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Pia said into the training ground¡¯s stone floor. ¡°And you¡¯re a normie of all things¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m a ¡®normie,¡¯ then what does that make you? A worm? I hate brats who don¡¯t understand anything. Though I guess that doesn¡¯t matter, since I¡¯m killing you now anyway. Or do you want to live just a little longer? I¡¯ll turn a blind eye to this if that¡¯s what you want. But I need you to understand that this is what a human is capable of, worm. And you have to apologize. So? Say you¡¯re sorry. I¡¯ll let this go if you say you¡¯re sorry. So say it. I¡¯ll let you get up, so come on.¡± She loosened her grip on Pia. ¡°You fucking hag!¡± Pia yelled the second she was able. ¡°Get your dirty hand off of¡ªauh!¡± Jereme shoved her face back into the ground. Blood dripped from Pia¡¯s nose. Then Jereme lifted her hand once again. ¡°Uuh¡­ I can¡¯t believe this is happening to me,¡± Pia groaned. ¡°I won¡¯t let this go¡­ uogh!?¡± Jereme slammed her face into the ground again. Then she raised Pia¡¯s head by her hair. ¡°¡­U¡­gh¡­ Sh¡­ I, I¡­ ¡¯m s, sor¡­ ry,¡± Pia whimpered, on the verge of tears. Blood was steadily flowing through her mouth and her nose¡­ Jereme nodded, lifted Pia up by her hair a final time, and tossed her over to where Ryner and Peria stood. ¡°Alright,¡± Jereme said, ¡°That¡¯s it for my exam. I understand where you stand now. Hopefully you¡¯ve grasped your situation by now. Today is the day I became your god. I¡¯ll kill you where you stand if you don¡¯t listen to me. Any objections?¡± No one said a word. Not after everything that¡¯d just transpired. Jereme continued. ¡°Your real training will begin tomorrow, so get some good sleep in before then. This whole building is reserved for our use, so feel free to rest wherever you¡¯d like. There are several rooms here, as well as a cafeteria to eat at. Use the facilities to your benefit. This will be both your home and your training grounds for the next year. At the very least, you¡¯ll survive as long as you do what I say. But if you try to escape, you¡¯ll be chased down and killed faster than you can imagine¡­ Any questions?¡± Everyone shook their heads without uttering a word. The three children deeply understood that they were incapable of winning against this woman. Jereme nodded, satisfied. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you tomorrow, then.¡± With that, she turned and left the arena. The kids¡¯ eyes followed her until she was gone. Pia was the first to speak. ¡°Uuh, we¡¯ve gotten all caught up in something serious¡­ I was the top student in my academy, and that hag still managed to beat me silly¡­ I was holding back, but still. She¡¯s something else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Holding back?¡± Ryner said without thinking. ¡°What! If you have something to say, then say it!¡± ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t, but¡­¡± ¡°What was your name again? Ryner, or something? You didn¡¯t even fight back, so what gives you the right to look down on me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± There she went, putting words in his mouth. Ryner¡¯s expression turned troubled. ¡°Nah, I really don¡¯t think I was looking down on you¡­¡± ¡°Nah?¡± Pia repeated. ¡°You sound too casual. Are you trying to be masculine? That does not suit you. You look like you¡¯re a goodie-two-shoes. Talking like that isn¡¯t going to make you sound strong! You should be going, ¡®I believe¡¯ I wasn¡¯t looking down on you!¡± Ryner was shocked to the point that he couldn¡¯t form words. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± ¡°Now, now,¡± Peria said with his calming voice, ¡°I believe that we can agree to disagree on this¡­¡± ¡°You believe? Uwagh! Did you seriously just say that? Are you trying to sound like a good boy, saying that you believe instead of you think? Nobody thinks you¡¯re cute!¡± ¡°No, I am really not trying to sound like a good boy¡­¡± ¡°Ah! You just said I am instead of I¡¯m! You¡¯re sooo lame.¡± Ryner and Peria exchanged a look. In that moment, their hearts connected and spoke to each other just as clearly as words might have: So it doesn¡¯t matter what we say¡­ ¡°But anyway,¡± Ryner said, ¡°You guys are really strong¡ª¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re just weak,¡± Pia interrupted. ¡°What were you even thinking about as you lived up until now? This is Roland. Normally you would have known that the military would pick you up and work you to the bone for being special sooner than later.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± Peria smiled through unhappiness, then shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re going a bit too far. Just because you have some special power doesn¡¯t matter as long as they don¡¯t find out¡­ Although, some of us had no choice. We were forced into experiments and couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it¡­ I suppose we just have bad luck. I guess we all have bad luck here, though.¡± ¡°Aahn? Could you not lump my luck in with normie luck like yours?¡± ¡°Ah, s-sorry,¡± Peria apologized, a troubled look on his face. ¡°I-I guess you¡¯re different¡­ Anyway, you might have realized it when that Jereme woman said it before, too, but I only have this power because I was ¡®given¡¯ it through an experiment. I¡¯ve been training since then, trying to reverse it. But you, Pia¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lady Pia to you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Lady¡­ Pia¡­ You said that you trained in a special military academy, right?¡± Pia nodded at the critical moment. ¡°Thaaat¡¯s right! I¡¯ve trained in magic and hand-to-hand combat. Even adults can¡¯t compete against me! Whaat? You¡¯re thinking about that Jereme woman!? She¡¯s a monster! I¡¯ll beat that hag up before you know it¡­ But more importantly, Ryner, you¡¯re the problem here! It looks like you can use a little bit of magic, but you¡¯re a dimwit who can¡¯t even do it quickly! And you suck at hand-to-hand! Where did you even train!?¡± ¡°Um¡­ well, I didn¡¯t really¡­ I was living a normal life in the village, and then I was taken here all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a lie!¡± Pia said as she whacked Ryner upside the head. ¡°If that was true, you wouldn¡¯t know how to use Lightning Flash!¡± Ryner pressed a hand to his head. It really hurt. All he could do was mumble a response out. ¡°I¡­¡± Peria spoke from beside him. ¡°No, Ryner is an Alpha Stigma bearer. Wouldn¡¯t he be able to use any magic that people cast in front of him?¡± ¡°Whaat? You¡¯re an Alpha Stigma bearer? Peria, how¡¯d you know that?¡± ¡°I mean, Jereme said it. Did you not catch it?¡± For some reason, Pia puffed out her chest. ¡°Obviously! I don¡¯t care about things that aren¡¯t about me!¡± she declared. Ryner and Peria exchanged another look. An unsaid sigh passed between them. ¡°So that means that you could copy Lightning Flash just because Jereme used it?¡± Ryner nodded. ¡°Mm-hm. But I¡¯m not very good at it. I¡¯m still not used to casting magic.¡± Pia wrinkled her nose. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ By the way, do you know how long it took for me to be able to use magic?¡± Ryner shook his head. ¡°How long?¡± ¡°Six months! And I was exceptional! Superior! My skill and speed was enough to make the world cheer for me! And you¡¯re telling me that you can do that just by looking at it?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± But in the moment that Ryner nodded¡ª¡± ¡°Fucker!¡± Her fist smacked him dead in the face. He didn¡¯t dodge - he just went flying without a fight. He curled into himself on the ground, holding his face in his hand out of pain. Pia completely ignored that pain. She sighed loudly. ¡°Aw, man. Hitting you is really refreshing. This is why I hate normies. The second you find something good about yourselves, you start feeling all good and optimistic about it.¡± Ryner didn¡¯t move his hand from his aching cheek. ¡°I-I¡¯m not really optimistic, though¡­¡± ¡°What!? Are you complaining?¡± She spat as she stared at him with a fierce expression on her face. There it was. No matter what he said, she¡¯d still yell at him. ¡°Uuh, n-no,¡± he answered. Pia looked satisfied. ¡°Good. Anyway, nice to meet you guys. I¡¯m a genius, so you can come to me with anything you don¡¯t know and I¡¯ll show you how to do it! Now let¡¯s get a good night¡¯s sleep so that I can shock that hag into silence tomorrow!¡± With that, she left the training grounds¡­ Ryner and Peria watched her in blank amazement. ¡°S-so this is what we¡¯re dealing with for the next year,¡± Ryner mumbled. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do our best as the guys around here¡­¡± They nodded at each other. That was the first day that Ryner spent in Jereme Crysler¡¯s training facility. --- Their real training started the following day. The three kids were separated for their training, since they all had different power levels. Pia and Peria seemed like they were giving it their best in their own drills. Ryner, meanwhile¡­ He was called into a plain training room. Jereme gazed at him and spoke. ¡°Umm, so, Ryner. You¡¯re the weakest of the three of you. If I were to rank you guys, I¡¯d say that Pia comes out on top, followed by Peria¡­ Then there¡¯s you, who¡¯s definitely lacking in power. Your first goal should be to reach Peria¡¯s level.¡± Ryner grimaced. ¡°But Peria looked like he was really strong yesterday? I don¡¯t think that I can get to his level¡­ I¡¯ve never even trained before.¡± Jereme nodded, then grinned. And then¡­ while smiling, she smacked Ryner hard enough for him to fall to the ground. ¡°Gyah!?¡± He pressed a hand to his hurt cheek as he lay on the ground. ¡°Uuh¡­ This just keeps happening¡­¡± ¡°Did I ask for your opinion? If I tell you to become as strong as Peria, then that¡¯s what you¡¯ll do. Next up will be Pia. That¡¯s your starting point. And you¡¯re telling me that you can¡¯t do it just because you¡¯ve never trained before? Don¡¯t worry about that. If you train three times as hard as Peria from now on, you¡¯ll catch up in no time¡­¡± Ryner shivered. ¡°Th, three times¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ gyaahh!!¡± She kicked him in the face. ¡°In any case, if you can¡¯t dodge my attacks now, then you¡¯re going to end up dead.¡± He groaned, hand back on his aching face, then whispered to himself. ¡°Dying might be better than this¡­¡± His whole body was shivering from being hit in the head. He couldn¡¯t find the will to do anything. But Jereme raised her fist again¡­ Ryner tensed. Jereme smirked. ¡°See? You¡¯ve already grown. You¡¯re prepared to react to my fist. Real life experiences are the best way to improve. This will be your curriculum - the life you will lead from now on.¡± With that, she lowered her fist, dug in her pocket, and handed Ryner a piece of paper. He looked down to read it and was immediately at a loss for words. 5:00 am - Wake up, then immediately begin fighting Jereme. This period lasts for six hours. 11:00 am - Magic research to allow your body time to rest. There will be an assignment, and it will be completed within seven hours. 8:00 pm - You will integrate your research into your battle training. This practical exam will last for nine hours. That makes 22 hours of training. There will be no breaks. You may use the remaining two hours however you would like. It was painfully straightforward. Anyone could understand what it meant. ¡°Tch¡­ What am I even supposed to do in two hours?¡± ¡°I thought that I was pretty clear about that? You can spend it however you like. Though I recommend that you eat and sleep¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy¡­ You won¡¯t be able to sleep either, will you? And people die when they can¡¯t sleep. So this has to be a joke¡­ right?¡± ¡°Sure, people do die if they don¡¯t sleep. My face would lose its natural beauty, too. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll have someone from the government watch you strictly from time to time while I rest¡ª¡± ¡°Why would I be worry about thaaaaat!¡± Ryner shrieked, despair filling his mind. Jereme completely ignored his fever pitch. ¡°Alright, now that that¡¯s all clear, it¡¯s six-thirty in the morning right now. We¡¯ll spar for four and a half hours, until eleven. I¡¯m going to punch you, kick you, strangle you, and attack you until then. Use your head and resist to the best of your ability. You¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t give it your all, so let¡¯s go!¡± Her tone was light, but the fist that swung towards him was anything but. Ryner¡¯s screams echoed through the room. --- Ryner was laying on the ground at the end of those four and a half hours. His elbows and neck were twisted by Jereme¡¯s blood-stained hands. ¡°Ah, augh¡­ uu¡­¡± He was on the verge of losing consciousness for the sixth time that day when her grip wavered. ¡°Alright!¡± Jereme said. ¡°That¡¯s time. You¡¯re still alive. You did well. This is great for your first time, really. Now go to the library and study while I train Peria.¡± But Ryner was long past the point where he could stand. His body felt like it¡¯d been ravaged, and his mind was somewhere far away. She¡¯d punched his face, kicked him in the stomach, and gone all out on his joints more times than he could count in those four and a half hours¡­ Somewhere along the way, he¡¯d managed to dodge some of her attacks¡­ All he could think about was how much it¡¯d hurt if she hit him again. His mind was blank. He just couldn¡¯t move himself to stand¡­ ¡°Hm, what¡¯s that? If you don¡¯t want to go to the library, then that means that you want to keep going, right? Alright, let¡¯s go for another four¡ª¡± Ryner bolted up. Sharp pain shot through his body. ¡°Uuh¡­ shit!¡± But he had to remain calm. He had to stay conscious. He had to stifle the urge to lend himself to nothing. If he closed his eyes, this would never stop. He¡¯d have to repeat this countless times, but he¡¯d definitely die if they kept going. He definitely, definitely, definitely, definitely¡­ He had to do something¡­ so that he wouldn¡¯t die¡­ ¡°Ah, aah, I was just, going to the library¡­¡± He forced himself to stagger away. ¡°Right, exactly,¡± Jereme said. ¡°Let your body rest while you study. The only books there are ones that you¡¯re going to have to work your brain to the limit to understand even the basics of. After that, you have another hour of hand-to-hand combat, then an hour break. That¡¯s how we¡¯re doing this, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What could Ryner even say at this point? --- Researching magic was surprisingly fun. Jereme had left him a bunch of really difficult, highly specialized books on magical theory to read, and he was currently making his way through one. ¡°Hmm, so that¡¯s how magic is made¡­¡± He was half-laying on his desk because his body was beaten to its core, but he was still flipping pages as fast as he could manage. He¡¯d never seen books like this back at the village - there were books, sure, but nothing as full of knowledge as this. Honestly, it was really fun. He could easily grasp what spells were supposed to be just by reading about them. That was all it took for him to learn how to use them. It was almost like what happened when he looked at the real deal. It was strange. All he had to do was read, and he understood it in seconds. Just who¡­ ¡°¡­Gyaaahh!¡± Screaming echoed from the next room over. It was Peria. Ryner grimaced. ¡°Uuh¡­ You can do it, Peria¡ª¡± ¡°Aaaahh!¡± But Peria was screaming again before Ryner could even finish his sentence. His screams repeated, on and on, over and over, filling Ryner¡¯s ears until morning. Depression was sinking through him. He covered his ears, then looked back down at the book he¡¯d been reading. --- After that, it was time to cast the magic he learned to increase his speed and to use it in battle. It was the kind of training where he used both the spells he copied from Jereme alongside the magic he¡¯d just learned. He had to do that while considering the hand-to-hand aspect of battle, too¡­ The day came to a close with him once again laying beaten on the ground. This time, he truly lost consciousness. Everything went white. Nothingness filled his mind. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s morning. Time for some sparring¡ª!¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!?¡± This time, he was the one screaming so loudly that it could be heard inside of the library. --- A month passed in that manner. --- For some reason, they had a break in their training that day. He woke at five in the morning, and was free until seven. Then he was ordered to go to the arena, where Pia and Peria also gathered. Pia furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Ryner, you¡¯re laate! What are you thinking, making me wait like this!?¡± Ryner was already tired. ¡°Umm¡­ I was late? You¡¯re getting mad about that? So, uhh¡­¡± He stopped there. Peria, meanwhile, was concerned. ¡°Ryner, are you alright? You look really, really tired.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Oh, uh, sorry. I was sleepwalking. I¡¯ve been pretty sleep-deprived lately, y¡¯know¡­?¡± Ryner said as he stumbled up to the others. ¡°But you¡¯re sleepwalking even more than usual. Are, are you really okay?¡± Ryner couldn¡¯t even keep his eyes open. Lately, opening them halfway was the best he could do. He laughed as if he was proud. ¡°But think about it like this. If you¡¯re not getting enough sleep, then isn¡¯t sleepwalking actually really efficient? I feel like I¡¯ve been sleeping every extra second I get¡ª¡± Jereme interrupted him. ¡°Enough small-talk. It¡¯s time for your scheduled test on everything you¡¯ve been working on.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®scheduled!?¡¯¡± Pia said. ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°Hm? Since now,¡± Jereme said. ¡°From now on, your abilities will be tested monthly, okay?¡± ¡°Will this be like when we fought back in the beginning?¡± Peria asked. Jereme shook her head. ¡°No, we do that every day, don¡¯t we? This will be an all-out battle between the three of you.¡± Peria gasped. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± Pia said. ¡°Things¡¯ll get real serious if I go all-out on these normies, you know!¡± Ryner was silent. It was like he wasn¡¯t interested in any of this. But that was obvious, wasn¡¯t it? After all, there was no way that he could win against these two. Even so, the conversation continued around him. Jereme continued. ¡°Last time, Pia was the strongest, followed by Peria, and then Ryner was in last place. I wonder who will come out on top this time?¡± Pia shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s no point in even doing this. I¡¯m a genius. It¡¯s impossible for me to lose to these losers.¡± Jereme ignored her. ¡°Let¡¯s get started. Does anyone want to go first?¡± ¡°No,¡± Peria said. ¡°I¡­¡± Ryner was silent. He wasn¡¯t even looking in the right direction. Pia looked between them. ¡°What¡¯s all this about? You guys don¡¯t have any confidence at all, do you? I understand, going up against me is terrifying¡­ But aren¡¯t you guys pathetic? Alright, I¡¯ll fight Peria first. After that, I¡¯ll fight Ryner.¡± Jereme nodded. ¡°That works. Let¡¯s get started, then. By the way, the winner gets a day off of training.¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡°S-seriously!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Not only that, but your free time will change, too. The strongest will get seven hours of free time per day. Ryner, I want you to understand that this past month, Pia has gotten five hours more free time than you per day. Peria has gotten five hours total. You¡¯ve had two. Isn¡¯t that frustrating?¡± Peria was the one to respond to her inflammatory comments. ¡°W, wait, Ryner has only gotten two hours a day? When was he supposed to eat and stuff?¡± Ryner¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°Umm¡­ while reading¡­¡± ¡°Then that leaves you two hours of sleep¡­ Two hours¡­ No wonder you¡¯re always sleepwalking,¡± Peria said, flustered. ¡°Oh, my,¡± Jereme said. ¡°Are you sympathizing with Ryner? So will you let him win today? If you do, then I think you¡¯ll become an expert at sleepwalking, too.¡± Peria grimaced, then patted Ryner on the shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryner. I¡¯m going to do my best, so¡­¡± ¡°Uuh¡­¡± In the end, their solidarity as the only boys here was fragile and easily broken. Ryner could feel tears threatening the corners of his eyes. Anyway. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started,¡± Jereme said. ¡°Pia, Peria, it¡¯s time to fight. Five, four, three, two, one. Go.¡± With that, their match began, far more casually than it probably should have been. ¡°Let¡¯s gooo!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Pia and Peria started to move. Ryner watched in amazement. They were fast. He could immediately see that they¡¯d improved tenfold by the rigorous training that¡¯d been imposed on them all, bringing them to the brink of death time and time again. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Ryner knew at once that he¡¯d never reach their level. ¡°You¡¯re thinking that you¡¯ll never catch up, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jereme asked. ¡°That means that you¡¯ll be stuck with only two hours of sleep forever.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no way I can beat them after just one month.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d better get used to living on two hours of sleep for the next year.¡± Ryner scowled. ¡°There¡¯s no way!!¡± ¡°Then take the time to watch Peria closely. Look, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to win against Pia. You¡¯re right about one thing - the past month hasn¡¯t changed the gap between their abilities.¡± Ryner looked back to Pia and Peria. He watched as Pia casted her amplified magic, and Peria tried to pierce through it and into her chest. Then Pia suddenly stopped her spell with the clap of her hands and grinned. ¡°You''re sooo easy to trick. By the way, that spell was a fake-out. Think you can dodge my fists while you''re focused on my magic?¡± Pia fired her fists towards him at an incredible speed. Peria made to block her. ¡°Don''t look down on me by using a weak attack like that¡­¡± ¡°That was a fake, too! Here¡¯s the winning hit!¡± Pia said as she crouched down, then swept her leg past Peria¡¯s, knocking him over. Then she sat on him, grabbed a fistful of his hair with one hand, and his neck with the other¡ª ¡°That¡¯s time!¡± Jereme said. Pia¡¯s arms moved from Peria. ¡°Whaaat? We¡¯re already done? Laaame. Actually, this competition¡¯s sucked since the beginning. Why does a genius like me have to fight a normie like Peria? Also, girls are superior to boys, so you had me winning against Peria twice before the match even started. It was absolutely impossible for me to lose!¡± Jereme nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t argue that women are superior to men, but Pia, don¡¯t get cocky. If you do, you¡¯re bound to make mistakes.¡± ¡°Cocky?¡± Pia said, then raised her lower lip in a pout. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? I don¡¯t make mistakes.¡± Jereme shook her head. ¡°No. You listened when I told you that amplification magic leaves you with a lot of openings and used that to your advantage with a feint... I can tell that you''re improving, which makes me feel lucky as your teacher.¡± Pia¡¯s mouth dropped in shock. ¡°Huh? Uh, wait, is that a compliment? You¡¯re kidding! I can¡¯t believe¡­ um, I mean, yeah! Your training is easy peasy!¡± Pia said, her happy tone betraying her words. ¡°Also,¡± Jereme continued, ¡°when you said ¡®think you can dodge my fists?¡¯ as another feint? That was pretty good. Your extreme self-confidence lends well to the brute-force approach. Alright, you pass.¡± Then she looked to Peria. ¡°But Peria, you made a mistake. Your All Prohibited power heightens your senses, and yet... Even though you were fighting her from a distance, you let Pia''s trick get to you. I''m disappointed. You get a failing grade, so your daily free time will decrease by one hour daily.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Peria and Ryner both yelled. ¡°W-wait, does that mean that we get even less free time if we don¡¯t do a good job?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°It¡¯s only natural. If you aren¡¯t doing well, then that means you need more training.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that my two hours could get even smaller¡­?¡± Jereme nodded. ¡°It sure can.¡± ¡°I hate thiiisss!¡± Ryner scremed. ¡°Then you have to fight to the utmost of your ability. I¡¯m not saying that winning or losing is the be all, end all. If you fight poorly, that means that you didn¡¯t value your teaching, and your free time will decrease. If you fight well, then it won¡¯t.¡± Ryner gripped his head with his hands. Value your teaching. Those words swirled around in his head, over and over again. Her teachings¡­ what did she teach him, again? What did she teach him over the past month? ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner thought about it. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± His cloudy, sleep-deprived mind frantically struggled to think. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± But all that he could remember was Jereme punching him, kicking him, and choking him¡­ She didn¡¯t teach him a single thing! What could he do but despair? ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for the next match,¡± Jereme said. ¡°Next up is Peria and Ryner. Five, four, three, two, one, go!¡± ¡°Whaaat!? Give me some time here!¡± Ryner yelled. But it was too late. Peria was long gone. ¡°Huh? Where did he¡­¡± Then Ryner heard a voice from behind him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryner.¡± Everything went black. --- ¡°It¡¯s coooollddd!¡± Ryner screamed. But he was already used to this. To closing his eyes, and then opening them like this. He sighed. ¡°This again¡­¡± He¡¯d probably fainted. He couldn¡¯t help but recall the many days he spent fainting, then having cold water splashed on him to wake him up¡­ Ryner¡¯s body stood without his mind, giddy with confusion¡­ ¡°Hey, Jereme, how much longer are we gonna practice? I¡¯ll die¡­ I¡¯ll die die die die die¡­¡± Then Jereme¡­ no, not Jereme, but someone else responded. ¡°No, Ryner. This isn¡¯t practice. This is an exam. Come on, Ryner, come back to us. I just hit you in the back of your neck with my hand.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Everything came rushing back to him. ¡°Oh. Yeah, right. I lost, huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should try a little harder?¡± Jereme asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t, your free time will drop by one hour¡­¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± Ryner said. ¡°One whole hour? But I only get two hours to sleep in the first place, so¡­ it¡¯d become one hour? Just one hour every day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Any complaints?¡± ¡°Duh! I mean, I¡¯d seriously die.¡± Jereme shrugged. ¡°But you¡¯ll die if you¡¯re too weak anyway. So if you can¡¯t even take my training, keep your head up and take death like a man. Now stop your whining and let¡¯s move on. Pia, Ryner, it¡¯s time to go. Five, four¡ª¡± ¡°Gaaah!? We¡¯re already fighting? Uh, so, Pia! Can you go easy on me? If I lose again, I won¡¯t get a single hour of sleep anymore.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about that,¡± Pia said. ¡°But okay. I¡¯ll play nice.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you! Pia, you look like a goddess right now!¡± ¡°¡ªthree, two, one. Go.¡± In an instant, Pia¡¯s shit-eating grin disappeared, and Ryner¡¯s world went black. --- ¡°It¡¯s coooollddd! Pia, you said you¡¯d go easy on me!¡± Ryner yelled. He¡¯d just regained consciousness, but he was already exhausted again. ¡°So whyyy did I faint!?¡± Pia shrugged. ¡°What can I say? When a genius like me fights a normie, anything short of instant death is me going easy.¡± ¡°And what part of that was ¡®going easy¡¯!? You attacked me with all you had!¡± ¡°Well, anyway,¡± Jereme said, ¡°your free time is down again.¡± ¡°And when am I supposed to sleep now!?¡± ¡°Do you really have to sleep, though?¡± Jereme asked. ¡°That¡¯s stupid! Please, please just let me sleep a little bit¡­ It¡¯s a miracle that I managed to survive this past month as is. Please just let me sleep¡­ please, be nice to me and let me sleep¡­¡± ¡°Be nice? Why should I be nice to you? The only time I plan on ever being nice is to my future husband. Everyone else is pretty insignificant to me, just like insects on the ground are insignificant to you.¡± What a thing to say¡­ Peria looked to Ryner and whispered. ¡°A woman who says that everyone but her is like an insect will never find a man.¡± Very true. Ryner nodded his agreement. Then Jereme kicked Peria so hard that he went flying. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± Okay, mistakes were made. Ryner was certain that he¡¯d be next. Jereme tightened her fist. ¡°So, Ryner. Were you just agreeing with Peria? You couldn¡¯t have been, right? But you¡¯re misunderstanding something. Even if my man decided he liked more delicate girls instead and tried to leave me, I¡¯d just kill him!¡± Ryner didn¡¯t really understand what was happening other than that his situation was getting worse by the second. He shivered. Forget sleep deprivation; this was what was really going to kill him. He spoke through his shivering teeth. ¡°I-I think that you¡¯re the best woman out there, J-Jereme¡­¡± Jereme¡¯s face brightened in an instant. ¡°Y, you really think so?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. I don¡¯t know your exact case, but¡­ if it were me, I¡¯d definitely marry a girl like you¡­ That¡¯s what I think, at least¡­¡± Jereme suddenly looked troubled. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how you see me?¡± He saw nothing in her! But this obviously wasn¡¯t the time nor place to scream his true feelings. But then a miracle occurred. ¡°Hm, I see,¡± she said. ¡°So this kid listens to me¡­ Rather, I¡¯ve cultivated an interest in me. Things might be easier if I just married him later in life. Judging by his age, I¡¯d give it ten years. So Ryner, you¡¯re a potential candidate in the running for my husband. So I¡¯ll be a bit nicer to you. You¡¯re right - you¡¯d die if you went a month without sleeping. Okay, I¡¯ll let you sleep.¡± ¡°R-really!?¡± Jereme smiled wide. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 15 minutes. ?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll still dieeee!¡± And so Ryner¡¯s screams echoed through the arena¡­ --- His training was a little different after that. It was hard. Unreasonably hard. To the point where he was certain he¡¯d die time and time again. But he didn¡¯t even care anymore. All he cared about was sleep. He fought like crazy, learned magic like crazy, and read like crazy¡­ and the whole time¡ª ¡°I want to sleep. I want to rest. I want to nap for once. I want to see what it¡¯s like to sleep through the night. I want to sleep in all morning. All that I want is to remember what sleeping was like. I¡¯ll show them. I¡¯ll sleep. I¡¯ll win, and then I¡¯ll sleep. I¡¯m gonna sleep! For real! I¡¯ll sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, until I die¡­ I¡¯ll sleep until I¡¯m dead¡­¡± He chanted that over and over and over again¡­ That month stretched on like it was a year, but in the end, it did pass. --- The fated day came again: exams. Ryner sleepwalked over to the arena. He just couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open. He couldn¡¯t keep his posture straight, either. He was exhausted to his core, and when he staggered up to the arena door, he knew that Jereme, Pia, and Peria were already there. Peria paled. ¡°Wh¡­ Ryner!? Are you okay? Are you alive?¡± All motivation and will to live left Ryner¡¯s body at the sound of Peria¡¯s raised voice. His expression shifted between sleep and wakefulness. ¡°Ask me if I¡¯m okay all you want, but¡­ it¡¯s no good. It hasn¡¯t been for a long time now.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I can tell that you¡¯ve been pushed past your limits,¡± Peria said, his voice shaking. Then there was Pia, as full of energy as always. ¡°What. Look how unmotivated you are. Do you really think you can fight like that?¡± ¡°¡­I obviously can¡¯t,¡± Ryner mumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything but sleep¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sleep in the middle of a conversation with a maiden like me!¡± Pia snapped and slapped at him. ¡°God, you¡¯re rude.¡± But she missed. Because Ryner lolled his head in sleep in the middle of her slap. ¡°Wha¡­¡± Peria¡¯s eyebrows shot up, though he didn¡¯t open his eyes. ¡°Ngh¡­¡±: Ryner¡¯s expression, fuzzy from lack of sleep, didn¡¯t change. ¡°H-how did you dodge me!?¡± Pia asked him. ¡°Huh? I dodged¡­? What¡¯d I dodge?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even realize?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ryner mumbled. Understanding flashed through Pia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh, I get it now. You didn¡¯t dodge me because you didn¡¯t understand that I was attacking you. It was all a coincidence! Still, though, Ryner, you¡¯ve gotten cheeky. To think that you could dodge my attack by accident!¡± ¡°Alright, enough chitter chatter,¡± Jereme said. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you all understand this by now, but today is what we¡¯ve all been waiting for - our regularly scheduled exam.¡± Pia shook her head. ¡°No one¡¯s looking forward to this. I¡¯m a genius, so I¡¯m the strongest here. It¡¯s just boring when I already know I¡¯m the best.¡± Jereme smiled. ¡°How can you be so sure? Peria and Ryner have been working hard in preparation for today.¡± Pia looked at Peria, then Ryner, up and down and left and right to try to get a feel for what Jereme was saying. She came out of it a bit disgruntled. ¡°Peria aside, how on earth is Ryner supposed to fight like this?¡± Pia asked. ¡°He¡¯s basically walking dead.¡± ¡°Hmm. He might have been doing a little too much over the past month,¡± Jereme agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve really been disciplining him. I¡¯d say that stuff like this happened about thirty days this month¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s every day!¡± Peria and Pia yelled in sync. Jereme shrugged. ¡°Anyway, that aside, let¡¯s get started.¡± And that was that. Ryner didn¡¯t really care at this point, though¡­ ¡°Pia and Peria, you¡¯re up. Five, four, three¡ª¡± Pia and Peria stood face to face on opposite sides of the arena, tensed and ready to go. ¡°¡ªtwo, one. Go!¡± Jereme shouted. The atmosphere changed. An unmistakable killing aura sprouted up between them. It was far beyond what had happened last month. Pia smirked. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve improved by a lot.¡± Peria grimaced. ¡°Uuh¡­ I¡¯ve been practicing hard so that I would improve¡­ but you got quite a bit stronger, too. But it¡¯d embarrass me as a man to keep losing to a girl. I¡¯ll show you a better side of me this time¡ª¡± Peria drew a magic circle with incredible speed. ¡°I wish for a burnt prairie - Crimson!¡± Countless fireballs sprung from his magic circle. He didn¡¯t aim for her body. Instead, he aimed below her. His fireballs disturbed the countless pebbles and dust of the arena¡¯s grounds. They seemed to circle her until she disappeared into the dust cloud entirely. Even so, her response entirely lacked tension. ¡°Whaaat? You think you can go easy on me and miss me with your magic just ¡®cause I¡¯m a girl?¡± ¡°Too bad,¡± Peria said, now behind her. ¡°I can¡¯t win by acting like a gentleman. The dust and pebbles only served to hide me.¡± He raised his hand up. ¡°But because of my ability, I can see you just as clearly with or without the dust cloud¡­¡± Just then, a rock from the dust cloud slammed into Peria¡¯s face. ¡°Guah!?¡± He raised his head sharply, but the stones just kept coming. They hit his shoulder, his chest, his stomach¡­ until he couldn¡¯t move at all. The clouds gradually cleared, revealing Pia with a smirk on her face and a bright magic circle forming between her hands. ¡°How can you see my charm points if that cloud¡¯s hiding them?¡± ¡°Kgh¡­¡± Peria forced his body up to correct his fighting stance, but¡­ ¡°By the way,¡± Pia said, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to cast this spell for a while now. What will you do? Surrender?¡± Peria was crestfallen to hear that. Pia only smiled wider. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Is your mood in the gutter? You were mistaken since the very beginning by thinking a boy could win against a girl in battle. So don¡¯t worry about it. A battle is all about playing dirty, right? And girls are obviously better liars than boys. Pia continued after a brief pause. ¡°I saw through your strategy the second you thought of it - ¡®I¡¯ll miss her with my fire magic and go easy on her,¡¯ right? I can¡¯t believe you thought you could trick me with that. A nasty woman is going to take advantage of you someday. You know that, right?¡± Peria¡¯s shoulders slackened. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± Jereme looked to Ryner in the midst of everything. ¡°Be honest with me. What do you think of their fight? Can you tell that these are the same people from last month?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I feel asleep so many times in the middle of their fight that I don¡¯t really know¡ª¡± ¡°Watch them more closely! Ugh, god. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re sleeping through this golden opportunity. Really, though, you kids are geniuses. Peria¡¯s abilities are amazing, and Pia¡­ This is all natural for her. She¡¯s a genius made for the battlefield. Do you understand what she did? She used her words to deceive him. Then she used the stones in the sandstorm to interrupt his All Boundaries ability. The vibrations of their movements distracted him. It¡¯s impressive that she can construct two, three layers of lies at her age. Of course, I saw through everything, but in the future¡­ Ryner, are you listening?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not listening.¡± Jereme smiled derisively at his immediate reply. ¡°I see. That¡¯s fine. You¡¯re less experienced than Peria, so I don¡¯t really expect you to absorb all of this. You¡¯re falling further and further behind.¡± ¡°Ugh, just shut up,¡± Ryner said, his voice so tired that he sounded like death itself. I read The Art of War, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Huh? Because you read about this stuff in a book¡­? Books on strategy weren¡¯t a part of this month¡¯s curriculum¡­¡± Ryner stumbled towards Pia and Peria. ¡°I want to sleep more. So after my study periods, I did my best and researched even more. I¡¯ll sleep. I¡¯ll definitely sleep. I¡¯m going to win today and then sleep seven hours a day just like Pia can do now.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you can win against Pia,¡± Jereme said. ¡°Well, whatever. We¡¯ll see what motivation can do for you¡­¡± Though it was impossible to see said motivation when looking at Ryner - he was slouched over, could hardly keep his eyes open, and stumbled instead of walked¡­ ¡°Alright,¡± Jereme started. ¡°Pia won again, but Peria did a good job too. He just hasn¡¯t reached Pia¡¯s level of ability and experience. Now how should this translate to your training¡­ Okay, let¡¯s move on. Peria and Ryner, let¡¯s go. Five, four¡ª¡± Ryner met eyes with Peria. ¡°Okay, good luck.¡± Peria looked troubled. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t look like your heart is in it at all. I feel bad fighting an opponent who can¡¯t even walk straight¡­¡± ¡°¡ªthree, two, one. Go for it.¡± Peria was behind Ryner in the blink of an eye. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He reached out with his hand and gripped Ryner by the neck. ¡°Auh¡­¡± Ryner once again lost consciousness, and began to crumple to the ground¡­ Peria winced, then looked back to Jereme. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ryner even weaker than last time? I think he should be able to sleep a little more¡­¡± Jereme shrugged. ¡°Hm. So you want to give some of your free time to him? He¡¯ll be able to sleep more then.¡± ¡°Huh? W, well¡­¡± Then Peria suddenly heard a voice from behind. ¡°I¡¯m seriously sorry, Peria. You¡¯ll only be able to sleep for fifteen minutes a day from now on, so¡­ do your best.¡± Peria was in shock. ¡°What!?¡± He turned around. There was Ryner, still on the ground like he was dead. But there was a rock in his hand. ¡°I think if I throw this rock at your head with all that I have, you¡¯ll probably faint,¡± Ryner said. ¡°So I think I won. Don¡¯t you?¡± Pia could hardly believe it. ¡°Huh? Huh!? Wh-why? I mean, I definitely got you by the neck¡­¡± ¡°Peria, he read your attack,¡± Jereme said. ¡°He moved his neck just a little at the last second to keep the damage to a minimum. Then he pretended to faint and waited for the opportunity to strike¡­¡± But Peria could barely acknowledge her. ¡°But, but why? I definitely hit his neck¡­¡± Ryner shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re really nice, so I knew that you¡¯d go for an attack where you knew it¡¯d hurt the least¡­¡± ¡°He read you like a book, so I believe we have a winner,¡± Jereme said. ¡°That means you¡¯re down to fifteen minutes of free time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re k-kidding¡­¡± Jereme ignored Peria¡¯s despair. It was time for the next match. ¡°Pia, Ryner, you¡¯re up!¡± Ryner tensed up for the fight. Pia just smiled. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not going to ask me to go easy on you this time?¡± ¡°¡­Even if I ask, I know that you won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Obviously. I mean, I¡¯m a genius. Do you know what that means? Being called a genius aaalll the time? It means that I¡¯ve been different from normies like you ever since I was born. But also, it¡¯s super rare, but every now and then another prodigy comes along with the potential to beat me. Humiliating, right? Because no one wants to be one-upped! That¡¯s why I¡¯ll never go easy on anyone. I always put a little bit of effort in, even if it¡¯s against normies like you!¡± Pia smiled. ¡°Well, anyway. Too bad for you, Ryner. You won¡¯t get another miracle like the one that let you beat Peria. I¡¯ll never go easy on you. I don¡¯t know what kind of dumb strategy you¡¯ll try to hit me with, but I know that it¡¯s not gonna work. You might as well just give up now.¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I get it. You¡¯re amazing. You¡¯re trying to push me into a box where I can only make a few different choices instead of a bunch. You¡¯re trying to get me riled up so that I get clumsy and make things easy for you. But moving around too much is a pain, so that¡¯s not gonna work on me.¡± ¡°Mrgh.¡± Pia was clearly disappointed with his response. ¡°So you¡¯ve become a nasty fighter under that sleepy expression of yours. But this isn¡¯t about knowledge. It¡¯s about power, and I¡¯m just plain stronger than you are. So that¡¯s enough small talk. Let¡¯s do this. I¡¯ll show you how strong I¡¯ve gotten in this past month!¡± ¡°¡­Go easy on me¡­¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Jereme said. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s some bad blood between you two. Five, four, three, two, one. Go get ¡®em.¡± Pia moved first. She ran towards Ryner with stunning speed. ¡°Can you stop me now that a month has passed?¡± She slammed her fist towards him. ¡°Oof.¡± Ryner calmly made a circular move in preparation to catch her. But Pia adapted to his plan in an instant. Instead of trying to connect with a punch, she moved to grab his arm instead. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this instead.¡± Ryner used his other hand to try to stop her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll switch things up too!¡± Pia said and used her other hand to make a show of wrestling his other hand away, but then¡ª ¡°Just kidding!¡± She changed her course of action entirely. Instead of going for a punch with the gap she made, she launched her leg up in a kick before moving her arms to get him. There was no way that Ryner could dodge that punch. ¡°This is bad¡­ kuagh!¡± Ryner put all of his weight into stepping back. ¡°Ow ow ow ow ow¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Pia said, giddy from their fight. ¡°Is your brain all fuzzy and slow? Your legs move like a turtle!¡± ¡°Umm, well, can¡¯t help it. I knew I couldn¡¯t win against you in hand-to-hand combat,¡± Ryner said as his legs shook from exertion. ¡°What¡¯s the point in stating the obvious?¡± Pia asked. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even win against Peria if you fought him now. What makes you think you can win against me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Ryner agreed. ¡°But I have a little more confidence when it comes to magic. So frustrating that I never got the chance to show it off.¡± Pia¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Magic¡­? So? You think that you can win against me when it comes to magic?¡± Ryner nodded without hesitation. ¡°I mean, your amplification magic is really slow. Even I can follow it.¡± ¡°Hmm. But you only started learning magic what, a month or two ago? And you still think you can cast it faster than me? Say it takes forever all you want. I¡¯m still faster than a so-called magician like you.¡± Ryner shrugged. ¡°But still,¡± he started, looking her dead in the eyes, ¡°I¡¯m still faster than you.¡± Pia¡¯s expression turned dark. Murderous. ¡°Oh, really? Really, now? That¡¯s rich, coming from a normie like you. Fine, then! I¡¯ll take you up on it, so let¡¯s do this! I won¡¯t feel bad even if I blow you to smithereens!¡± With that, Pia began to draw a magic circle. ¡°Got her!¡± Ryner whispered to himself. ¡°Here¡¯s where the real match starts. I¡¯ll definitely win that seven hours of sleep!¡± Ryner¡¯s eyes widened, and a scarlet pentagram rose in the depths of his dark eyes. He could see through the magic circle that Pia was drawing. She didn¡¯t need to finish it. He could already see everything. What kind of spell was it? How long would it take to finish? He could see its construction, how to use it, and what it did. He read it down to its smallest parts¡­ With that knowledge, he chose to cancel it¡ªit was much faster than trying to use the spell himself. So he drew his own magic circle with unreal speed. Pia began to speak. ¡°I wish for thunder¡ª¡± Ryner said his own incantation. ¡°I wish for rain clouds¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªLightning Flash!¡± ¡°¡ªLeveling Rain!¡± At once, a massive thunderbolt shot from Pia¡¯s magic circle. At the same time, white rapids exploded out of Ryner¡¯s. Their two spells clashed. There was no way that Ryner¡¯s would lose. Her electricity would diffuse into the water, then the electrified water would head straight for Pia. It would be impossible to dodge. He could win. He could truly win this. The foundation for his victory was in sight. That was why Ryner got to moving. He began to close the distance between himself and Pia with Leveling Rain¡¯s water as his cover. Then, in the moment that his spell hit hers¡­ Pia¡¯s boastful voice rang past the water. ¡°I¡¯m one step ahead of you, Ryner! Sure, Leveling Rain is supposed to cancel out Lightning Flash in textbooks. However, my Lightning flash¡­¡± Then it happened, right in front of his eyes. His wave disappeared before it connected. All Ryner could do was let out a stupid noise. ¡°Huh?¡± After all, something crazy was happening. Her amplified Lightning Flash was so strong that it evaporated his spell, leaving them both with nothing. Which meant that Pia could see Ryner, since he didn¡¯t have anything to hide behind anymore. That was enough to confuse her, though. ¡°What? No way. Who are you trying to hit¡­? That means that your magic was just a decoy!?¡± Ryner¡¯s punch flew towards her. She took it, then tried to grip at his joints. ¡°Y-you think I¡¯d let you!?¡± Ryner said and managed to stop her. Pia, flustered, attacked him again and again while still keeping her defenses up. She too was fighting with everything she had. ¡°Tch, ugh, you¡­! You¡¯re way faster than before!¡± Pia said. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding how strong you are since the very beginning!¡± Ryner could hardly respond for how much he was focusing on the fight. ¡°Aw, crap, I thought that would work¡­! I thought I could catch you off guard, but now there¡¯s no poooint! You¡¯re cruel, Pia! They didn¡¯t talk about this stuff in the books I read¡­ Awawawa, crap! I can¡¯t win if we keeping goooinnggg!¡± Their fight got more intense the longer it went on. It wasn¡¯t just punches anymore; now they were kicking, headbutting, and doing everything they could to send the other flying. Things got faster and faster, and little by little, the gap between their abilities began to show. A smile started on Pia¡¯s serious expression. ¡°Hah! Ei! Hoh! Mm-hm, I can do this. Heheh, you can¡¯t win, Ryner. I¡¯m starting to get a feel for the way you fight. You¡¯re a little faster than Peria¡­ If I do this, then this, and¡­ Hah!¡± Her attack connected, and she grabbed Ryner¡¯s right arm and twisted. Ryner tried to break free. ¡°Uuh, crap! I need to get out of this¡­ but I can¡¯t. W-wait, okay, I lose! Can you let go before it really starts to hurt? Come on, I acknowledge it, you won. Stooop¡­!¡± When things got bad, he gave in to his exhaustion and declared his loss¡­ Pia grinned. She didn¡¯t stop twisting his arm. ¡°Well, well, well. Looks like I won, just like I knew I would. But that¡¯s only natural, since you only barely got better this month. You had to go up against a genius like me this time, but you need to put in more eff¡­ hey, what are you doing?¡± Instead of letting Pia remove her arm from Ryner¡¯s, he slid it down to hold her hand. Hard. Pia was instantly flustered at his sudden movement. ¡°H-hey, what are you doing? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re into me. Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s where this is going. I guess it¡¯s not surprising that a few normies would fall for my beauty, but¡ª¡± Ryner twisted until Pia¡¯s joint cracked. ¡°H-huh? What? Ow! Oww! What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± Ryner looked at Jereme. She nodded. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s game,¡± she said. ¡°Ryner wins, and Pia loses.¡± Ryner let go in an instant. ¡°Yesss!! I won!! I can sleep now! For seven hours! Seven houuurrss!!¡± Ryner screamed as he danced around the arena like a madman. Pia, meanwhile, was absolutely dumbfounded. ¡°Wh-wh-wh-what!? Wait, Jereme! This isn¡¯t fair!¡± ¡°Unfair? What part of it wasn¡¯t fair?¡± Jereme asked. ¡°What part!? Everything! Ryner already acknowledged his loss! Why would you let it keep going? That¡¯s not fair¡ª!¡± Jereme¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°You¡¯re saying that it¡¯s unfair just because it was possible for you to lose. Isn¡¯t it better that you learn how to lose now rather than later?¡± Pia scowled. ¡°Uuh¡­ But, but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®but¡¯ me! If you try to argue about losing on the battlefield, they¡¯ll just kill you. Besides, you¡¯re the one who said that a battle was about deceiving each other until the end. Take responsibility for what you say. You were deceived, so you lose. Any complaints?¡± Pia¡¯s frustration was palpable. ¡°Uuh¡­ no¡­ I don¡¯t have any¡­¡± Jereme nodded, satisfied. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to dole out your free time for this month. First off is Pia. You¡¯ll have seven hours.¡± Pia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°B, but I lost¡­¡± ¡°You did. Even so, you fought the best.¡± Pia¡¯s face brightened right up. ¡°Y-yeah! A genius like me will always be superior to those boys. You really understand, don¡¯t you, Jereme!¡± It was like she never lost¡­ Then Jereme looked to Peria. ¡°Just like we said before, you¡¯ll be running on fifteen minutes for this month. Any complaints?¡± Peria shook his head meekly. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Finally, it was Ryner¡¯s turn. He could barely contain his excitement. ¡°I-I get seven hours, right? Since I won against both Pia and Peria?¡± Jereme nodded. ¡°True, you did well. Then for the coming month¡­¡± ¡°For this month¡­?¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯ll be doing your best at fifteen minutes again.¡± Ryner nodded real big. ¡°Yay! I can sleep for fifteen minutes every day! I can finally s l e e p¡­ I can sleep¡­ wait¡­ uh, wait. What did you just say? I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think I heard you right. I get seven hours of sleep, right?¡± Jereme shook her head like it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°I said fifteen minutes, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Uh, no, I mean¡­ ¡®fifteen minutes¡¯ is some new code, right? And it means ¡®seven hours¡¯? Right¡­?¡± ¡°Nope. This happened a couple weeks ago, but I got in a fight with my boyfriend of two days.¡± ¡°H-hey, wait, what does that have to do with anything?¡± Ryner asked. Jereme ignored him. ¡°This is what he told me; ¡®I know that I told you that I¡¯d go out with you, but there¡¯s a woman from my past that I just can¡¯t forget. I¡¯ve been thinking that maybe I¡¯ll be able to forget her through you.¡¯ What do you think of that?¡± Peria crossed his arms. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think you can take it at face value. He lost someone who he really loved, but then he fell for you, so now he thinks he¡¯ll be able to forget her¡­ or something.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Peria!¡± Pia said. ¡°You really are just a kid. Don¡¯t be fooled, Jereme! Men who say that stuff are the worst! He¡¯s just a player. ¡®I love you, but I can¡¯t forget her. I know that it may come to hurt you. No, let¡¯s just break up. I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡¯ That¡¯s what he¡¯ll say, and then he¡¯ll go find another girl. He might say that he doesn¡¯t want to hurt you, but actually, he¡¯ll just say whatever he wants to get what he wants. He¡¯s obviously trouble!¡± Peria looked¡­ touched. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s so deep, Pia¡­¡± ¡°¡­No, seriously, why are we talking about this?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°We were talking about my free time¡­¡± Jereme completely ignored him and continued. ¡°I thought so. I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong. That¡¯s why I told him off; ¡®Why the hell did you confess to me if your feelings are half-baked! Come at me fair and square!¡¯ What happened next is so sad that my memories went fuzzy, but¡­ I broke both of his hands and held them until he said, ¡®I¡¯ll never show my face around you ever again, so please, just forgive me.¡¯ I feel like he said something like that¡­ but anyway¡­¡± She looked back to Ryner and nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s that, Ryner.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t understand a single bit of that!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a real slow kid, you know that? Basically, you won, but it wasn¡¯t fair. Also, when you held her hand it really reminded me of him and pissed me off, so yeah.¡± Ryner was getting dizzier by the second. Even his voice was shivering. ¡°But, that means¡­ My free¡­ my free time¡­ that¡¯s all I get¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡®all you get¡¯!? Are you downplaying my tragedy!? Alright, let¡¯s scratch that fifteen out. You get ten minutes.¡± ¡°Wait, ten minutes is impossi¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine on five.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fine at aaaalll!¡± And so Ryner¡¯s screams echoed through the arena again today. --- Anyway, one month passed. Peria, insane on the verge of death, managed to sweep. ¡°Yes, I finally did it!¡± He screamed. Pia twisted Ryner¡¯s shoulder until his arm nearly popped off. ¡°Well? Feel like surrendering?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll surrender! S, so, augh, it hurts¡­ It huuurrrttss! Please, I¡¯m surrendering, so don¡¯t hurt me anymore!¡± Pia just smiled. ¡°Ohh? But how do I know that¡¯s not just a lie? It¡¯s not going to happen. See, someone tricked me recently, and I don¡¯t want that to happen again¡­ I don¡¯t want to become a woman who lets bad men trick her.¡± ¡°But this is just pointless, so c¡¯mon! Time out! Seriously, c¡¯mon, I¡¯m apologizing now, so¡­ it¡¯s pointless¡­¡± ¡°Crack! ?¡± Aaand that was the sound of Ryner¡¯s arm popping right out of his shoulder socket. ¡°Gyaaahhh!¡± As usual, Ryner was screaming. And so their happy days (?) continued to pass¡­ --- Here, one could laugh from the bottom of their heart. Every day was hard but strangely, at some point, it stopped feeling like it was tough. Jereme took her broken heart out on them. Pia took her arrogance out on them. Peria and Ryner had no choice but to sigh and go along with it. Their daily routine involved getting hit and berated. Even so, they seemed to be getting along okay. And so Ryner began to forget. Here he was, surrounded by geniuses, by monsters, in a place where he could forget that he was his own kind of monster. They were called geniuses, and he¡­ he was different from them. They were ¡®human,¡¯ and he was a ¡®monster,¡¯ but he could turn a blind eye to that here and start to forget. He was allowed to be normal here. But nothing lasted forever. Especially not happiness, or anything resembling it. He could wish for it. Beg for it, even. But he¡¯d never be granted a normal life. That alone was impossible for him. But even if it was only for a moment¡­ If he could live without worrying. If he could live without fear. If he could live without death. A perfect battle machine. A monster who invites death, disasters, and tragedy. That was a story inside of Ryner. A dark one, from not too long ago. Volume 4 - CH 1 Volume 4: Bargain Sale on Magic Power --- The Iyet Republic. They say that a hero lives there, and not the kind one finds in fairy tales. No, it¡¯s a living, breathing hero. Everyone knew about him. Just the sound of his name made recognition flash across their faces. Even so, no one talked about him, so learning anything about him was impossible. His legend was dying behind a veil of mystery. This is where that hero was¡ª --- That night, Ryner Lute could be found in a pub filled with dingy faces. Despite it already being nighttime, his black hair was still in full bedhead mode, and his eyes looked like he never quite woke up. He was curled up against the wooden table in a way that¡¯d put an oyster to shame. He didn¡¯t have to open his eyes all the way to acknowledge his surroundings. A bunch of tattooed macho men with bald heads and scarred-up faces were surrounding and staring at a woman who sat next to him. Ryner sighed. ¡°You have some nerve, making every waking moment a pain in the ass like this¡­¡± One of the men began to speak. ¡°Hey, baby. Leave this loser behind and come play with us. We¡¯ll definitely leave you feeling satisfied.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. Men like us are the best fit for beautiful women like you. You¡¯re in the dead center of our territory. You¡¯ll be a lucky girl if you hang out with us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The woman was silent. Then her eyes flicked to Ryner. They shared a look. She really was beautiful, with her pretty face, blonde hair, and almond-shaped blue eyes. It was impossible to find fault in her appearance. It was a little weird how expressionless she was in this situation, but¡­ no one said anything because she was just so beautiful. Ryner grimaced once their eyes met. ¡°Why¡¯re you looking at me, Ferris? Don¡¯t tell me that you want me to save you?¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°A man always saves a woman when she¡¯s threatened by ruffians in novels. If I remember correctly, this is what he says: ¡®I¡¯ll do anything it takes to send my angel back to her home on the moon! If I don¡¯t, then this world will¡­ this world will¡­!¡¯, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, but do scenes like that really happen in pubs? Anyway, I¡¯m not doing that. I¡¯m tired, so do your best.¡± The men around them laughed meanly. ¡°See? Listen to his bullshit. You belong with us. We¡¯ll make you feel pleasure that a worthless man like him could never give you.¡± ¡°Mm. True, a man like him lacks the ability to get anywhere with me. After all, the only thing he uses his power for at night is attacking young girls.¡± The pub¡¯s energy changed to an uproar. ¡°What!? That bastard raises his hand against kids just like he does!?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fucking believe it! That¡¯s a sensitive topic around here. I won¡¯t forgive anyone who raises his hand against a kid!¡± Ryner sighed deeply. ¡°This shit again¡­ I keep telling you, I¡¯ve never done that¡ª¡± Ferris interrupted him. ¡°Hmph. So he says, despite the wretched things he did just recently¡­¡± ¡°Augh!? I don¡¯t want to hear about that kind of horrible thing!¡± Ryner said. ¡°Just stop it!¡± Ryner¡¯s protests fell on deaf ears. The men had murder in their eyes. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll never forgive you,¡± one of them said. Despair was written all over Ryner¡¯s face. ¡°What the hell happened to my life¡­? How can these guys of all people be calling me a villain?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re useless,¡± Ferris said without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± Ryner yelled. ¡°Ugh, this sucks! They¡¯re seriously gonna attack me!¡± The macho men took the table that Ryner was sitting at and broke it easily. ¡°Whoa¡­ We¡¯re really doing this?¡± Ryner asked. ¡°They really believe what that woman¡¯s telling¡ª¡± Ryner didn¡¯t get to finish. His eyes met that of the macho men, and if looks could kill¡­ ¡°Kill the demon who attacks children!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll hurt you just like you hurt them!¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re all bullies,¡± Ryner muttered with tears in his eyes. The men completely ignored Ryner¡¯s fragile mental state. Instead, they let out their own battle cries. Ferris was next to speak. ¡°Playtime is over. Gain control of this pub and force them to tell you everything they know.¡± ¡°¡­Force them?¡± Ryner repeated. ¡°You could¡¯ve just asked them like a normal person¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s too late for that.¡± His motivationless eyes flicked up to the bodybuilders. ¡°Anyway, sorry. Please pass any grievances onto this demon woman.¡± Ryner moved his body with ease. One could hardly see the lazy way he¡¯d been moving from before; now, the best way to describe his movements was ¡®smooth.¡¯ The only thing that didn¡¯t change was his tone of voice. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this¡­¡± And so a battle began. Moments later, the pub was stricken by tragedy. Ryner and Ferris were the only ones left standing. Fifteen men - the macho men and the bartender - were collapsed on the ground, or hanging out of the window, or halfway inside of the wall. Ferris nodded, satisfied. Only one man had somehow managed to stay conscious despite everything. ¡°Now, then,¡± Ferris began. ¡°Any more resistance would be futile. Do you understand that? Then answer my questions.¡± ¡°Huh? Resistance? What are you saying? That man targets children.¡± ¡°I already said that playtime is over. How much longer are you going to keep at that nonsense?¡± ¡°N-nonsense¡­?¡± Ryner sighed. As always, things had veered into territory best known as absurdity. ¡°Ah, so anyway, we¡¯re studying the things you can find in fairy tales and picture books and stuff. We heard that there¡¯s a legend of a hero circulating in this village. We¡¯ve been looking for info on him.¡± The macho man tensed. ¡°H-hero¡­ I don¡¯t know anything. Nothing. Nada.¡± Ryner shrugged. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how everyone reacts when we ask them. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Ferris took over. She unsheathed her sword with alarming speed and held it to the man¡¯s neck. ¡°Enough boasting. Hurry up and tell us everything you know. Or else.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, that¡¯s about it. We couldn¡¯t really pull this sword out in broad daylight,¡± Ryner said. Then he thought about it for a moment. ¡°No, wait, we do that all the time. I¡¯ll pretend like we don¡¯t for now, though, so anyway, tell us what you know. Or else.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡­ ah! Wait! Blood just¡­ my neck¡¯s bleeding, wait, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± All Ryner could do was sigh for the millionth time that day. But hey, it worked. ¡°There¡¯s a massive technical school here in the Iyet Republic,¡± the man said. ¡°It¡¯s called The Hornet Academy.¡± ¡°A technical school?¡± Ryner repeated. ¡°I don¡¯t care. We just want to hear about the hero¡ª¡± ¡°This is about the hero, so shut your mouth and listen,¡± the man interrupted. ¡°Anyway, at first that technical school trained chefs and fishermen and the like¡­ useful stuff. All of its graduates were pretty good at what they did. But then this guy came along and started teaching there, and that''s where things got weird,¡± he said. ¡°He got a bunch of talented people together and made a new course. It was something straight out of a fairy tale. It taught heroes and the people who support them - mages, knights, martial artists and the like - about how to exterminate the Great Demon King''s magical items¡­ It was called the ''Shanni Heroic Development Course.¡¯¡± ¡°Hey, wait, wait,¡± Ryner said. ¡°The Great Demon King? Magical items? Where did that¡­?¡± He totally ignored Ryner¡¯s question. ¡°No one would possibly join a stupid course to make a hero who¡¯d destroy magical items though, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ right. Continue.¡± ¡°But kids did join. Stupid children who loved fairy tales and theater. The children used a simulation to learn how to fight the demon king and learn about cooperation and responsibility. The parents enrolled their bright kids¡­ and then the problems came.¡± He continued. ¡°The professor went rogue. The professor said that they were actually a hero, and in one fell swoop turned the kids into part of an organization ruled by the teacher. It was an operation with the same scope as the Fiurelle Group, which controls all information, or the beautiful master swindler, Holy Estella, who runs the Believers Association. These too can be considered their own type of heroism.¡± All interest suddenly left Ryner¡¯s expression. ¡°The Fiurelle Group and Estella, huh¡­ Just hearing their names makes me lose motivation.¡± He remembered those names. How could he not? So there was Ferris, right? The absolute queen of sheer audacity. Then there was Milk, his insane pain-in-the-ass childhood friend who wanted to marry him. And then there were these two organizations, too. His painful memories were apparent on his face, but nobody said anything to comfort him. ¡°And the group of so-called heroes did all kinds of horrible things,¡± the man continued. ¡°They said it was for the sake of justice, so it was the peoples'' duty to cooperate to ¡®save the world,¡¯ all while raiding fields and stealing money and land from those who need it. We tried to resist, but the kids were too strong. I don''t know what they did to them. They had dreamy eyes and attacked us, yelling, ¡®We''re going to save the world!¡¯ The worst part is that the professor is a pedoph¡ª¡± Ryner looked to Ferris, exasperated. ¡°So what should we do? It doesn¡¯t sound like this has anything to do with the Heroic Rel¡ª¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Ferris interrupted. ¡°It seems that we¡¯ve finally found the first of this country¡¯s heroic legends.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Seriously?¡± Ryner asked, caught off-guard. Ferris, at least, looked like she was having fun. ¡°It was a joke. I don¡¯t feel the need to get wrapped up with Iyet¡¯s strange organizations any more than strictly necessary.¡± ¡°So you just like bullying me.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Well, arguing is useless at this point, so¡­¡± The man spoke from Ryner¡¯s side. ¡°People as strong as you guys are might be able to crush their so-called heroes! So I¡¯m begging you, please! Save this town¡¯s children!¡± True, it was a massive problem that definitely needed solving. The town was in crisis. The kids were in danger. Even so, Ryner mostly just looked sleepy. ¡°Ahh, man, that sucks. Would be nice if some ally of justice came along to help you out. But see, if I ignore my work, the real evil ruler Ferris would attack m¡ªhey, uh, I lied! That wasn¡¯t true! So if you could kindly remove your sword from my neck¡­¡± ¡°Mm. I still haven¡¯t accomplished my most important task of eating the dango I purchased this afternoon, so I can¡¯t help either.¡± Having said their piece, Ryner and Ferris both turned to leave, even though the town and its children were in danger. The man watched them go. ¡°I knew there was no god in this world¡­¡± --- A few days later. ¡°Yaaaay, look at all these people!¡± Milk Callaud said, looking this way and that as she walked through the town¡¯s bustling shopping district. She had a small figure, big eyes, and a cute flaxen ponytail that waved as she walked. Everything about her was childish¡­ Nobody would think that she was the leader of a Taboo Breaker squadron from Roland, despite being flanked by four men in uniforms. She was only sixteen and had that air of innocence about her, after all. A kind man followed her. He had white hair despite only being twenty-five. ¡°Be careful so you don¡¯t get lost, okay?¡± Milk puffed out her cheeks. ¡°There you go again, Luke! I¡¯m not a kid!¡± ¡°I understand, Chief. You¡¯re a good girl, so you won¡¯t get lost.¡± ¡°Huh? Good girl? I am?¡± Milk asked, perfectly satisfied with his response. ¡°Eheheh!¡± Luke nodded, pleased, as if he was happily watching his own child grow up. Milk¡¯s other three subordinates watched them with the same smiles. Absolutely nothing about this scene betrayed the fact that they were elites working on a job laced with death. ¡°Hey, Luke! Let¡¯s go check that market out!¡± Yup, they were elites alright¡­ ¡°Alright, Lear, since we finally have access to a kitchen for the first time in a while, shall we cook ourselves a meal?¡± Luke asked. A cool man with sharp features responded. ¡°That sounds nice. What do you think of buying some fish? I¡¯ll investigate and find out which fish are in season here in Iyet right now.¡± A boy named Moe who looked like he was just a little older than Milk responded. ¡°Yay! Luke and Lear make the best food!¡± A willful boy about the same age as Moe was next to speak. ¡°So true.They¡¯re on a whole different level than you, Moe.¡± ¡°As if you¡¯re any better, Lach,¡± Moe said, indignant. ¡°Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough of that,¡± Luke said with a motherly tone. ¡°What do you guys want to eat?¡± ¡°Curry!¡± Milk, Lach, and Moe all yelled in unison. Lear pressed his hand to his forehead at their childish outbursts. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys, asking for the same thing every single time.¡± Lately, their complete lack of urgency was nothing short of amazing considering their line of work. ¡°Curry it is,¡± Luke said. ¡°We¡¯ll buy everything we need, so Chief, you should go play and work up a good appetite for dinner.¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m really looking forward to it!¡± Luke nodded. ¡°Lach, Moe, you two are in charge of carrying everyhing.¡± ¡°¡°Okaaay.¡±¡± ¡°I¡¯ll research the best seasonal ingredients,¡± Lear said. ¡°Please do,¡± Luke said. ¡°Alrigh, Chief. We¡¯re off.¡± ¡°See you later!¡± Milk said and waved them an exaggerated goodbye. ¡°Aah, I¡¯m really excited to eat curry today,¡± she said to herself. ¡°Luke and Lear are really good at cooking. I can barely wait. It¡¯s gonna be hard keeping my mind off of it all day¡­ oh, I know! I¡¯ll sing a curry song! Cur, cur, curry¡¯s super good! You get the potatoes all together, and the car¡­ rots¡­ ugh, crap, now I¡¯m even more hungry!¡± She looked a little stupid singing to herself as she walked alone. She left the bustling street and followed a brick road into a residential area, where she saw a sign. ¡°Huh¡­? What¡¯s that?¡± Milk said and tottered on over. ¡°Huh? Wow, amazing! Is this for real!? I have to go see it!¡± Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and she set out in a run. By the way, this is what the sign said¡ª Wait, you. Do you want to save the world? Let¡¯s band together and defeat the great evil! You could be the third savior! ¡ªThe Heroic Organization. We¡¯re located at¡ª --- Time passed, and now it was night. Luke, Lach, and Moe were waiting at a table, tense, with cold curry before them. Silence weighed heavily on their hearts. Luke stared at the clock. It was 7:30 at night, and Milk¡¯s curfew was six o¡¯ clock. Milk was a good kid. She¡¯d never stay out late. Not unless something happened¡­ Lach suddenly stood up fast enough for his chair to fall down with a loud sound. ¡°Shit, Lear¡¯s still not back!¡± Lear was out investigating the situation. Milk had left the market at some point in time, and he was gathering information on when and why she¡¯d disappeared so that he could make the best choice possible for getting her back and offer that up to Luke. Lear was a pro at that kind of thing. They thought that everything would be okay if they left Lear to do his thing while they waited for Milk at the table in case she came back on her own while he was out. This was highly improbable , but it was possible that somehow Milk had lost track of time and was still out there playing. She was only sixteen, the perfect age to play outside. Time to relax was crucial in a line of work as harrowing as theirs. Luke would understand if that was the case, just this once. ¡°It¡¯s okay if that¡¯s what happened, so please just come back¡­¡± The door opened to reveal Lear. ¡°We have a problem,¡± he said. Luke¡¯s expression, normally kind, hardened. --- They moved fast. Abnormally so. Not a single word of their usual banter was uttered. What Lear told them was dangerous indeed. He had found out that Milk had approached a group called the Heroic Organization¡¯s stronghold. Luke groaned the more he heard about the rumors surrounding the organization¡¯s behavior. Their use of children was inexcusable. Then, on top of everything else, he heard that their leader Shanni was a pedophile who targeted young girls. It was no surprise that Luke broke out in a run the second the words left Lear¡¯s mouth. ¡°We¡¯re short for time,¡± he said, his voice steady despite it all. ¡°We have to go before he lays a hand on Milk¡­ We¡¯ll find their stronghold and take everything from them.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± It was the first time in a long time that they let their true power show. --- Their stronghold was on the edge of town. Their grounds were surrounded by a massive wall staffed by a suitable amount of watchmen. The gate itself had a whopping eight people acting as guards. They were muscular with a nasty look in their eyes. And they were all adults. Luke looked to Lear. ¡°What does this mean? I thought that the Heroic Organization was made up of kids that Instructor Shanni was rounding up.¡± Lear nodded, never tearing his cold expression away from the guardsmen. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. But their organization is no longer the small group that it once was. Its focus is the children who completed his special course, but it looks like he also employs ruffians like them for jobs like this.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Luke said with a grave expression on his face. ¡°So that means that the children are stronger than those men¡­¡± That meant that they couldn¡¯t go easy on their foes, children or not. Their chief Milk Callaud was a sixteen year old girl, but despite that, she was strong in a way that Luke and her other subordinates weren¡¯t. Mentally, though¡­ That aside, the wall was thickly coated in black. Luke had no idea what power may lie behind it. It was possible that their leader was many times stronger than they were¡­ no, it was likely that they were. It was one of the most powerful organizations in the entire country, after all. He couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like to get wrapped up with them without knowing what he did¡­ It was even capable of destruction. Luke looked around to his subordinates. Lear, Lach, Moe. They all shared the same information. They were overflowing with resolve, as if they weren¡¯t phased by the prospect of danger at all. Even Lear, normally calm and collected, didn¡¯t seem too bothered. A small smile found its way to Luke¡¯s lips. This organization was holding their precious chief captive. It didn¡¯t matter how dangerous it may be. There simply was no other answer but to save her. Luke raised a hand lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll take the role of Chief Luke for the first time in a while now. Lach, Moe, you¡¯ll take the left. Lear and I will go together. We¡¯ll take the main gate in eight seconds. We¡¯re going to save our princess!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± Lach and Moe shot away from where they stood, effectively disappearing just as their duty required them to. Luke confirmed that they¡¯d left, then took off after them. He took the right side of the gate. They rapidly crossed the distance to the gate. The guardsmen still hadn¡¯t noticed their presence. Lear was counting behind them. ¡°Four, five¡­¡± The guards finally noticed Lach and Moe. ¡°Th, the hell are you¡­?¡± ¡°Seven¡­ and there¡¯s eight on the dot,¡± Lear finished, his voice even until the end. He lightly patted the guardsmen. Somehow they flew up like feathers in the air. ¡°Guah!?¡± ¡°We¡¯re on top!¡± Lach said from afar. Then he whacked a guard with the palm of his hand with a sound, sending him flying with his showy attack. He hit two guards who¡¯d been stationed behind him and they all collapsed in a pile together. Moe was jumping around innocently. ¡°Bam, take that! What do you think? Do I look like Chief Milk right about now?¡± He might have looked like he was dancing, but the reality was that he was swinging punches and kicks¡­ and just like that, the last of the eight guards was defeated. Luke, meanwhile, was drawing with light at his fingertips as he ran. ¡°I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash!¡± Thunder shot from the center of his magic circle. It broke straight through the massive gate with ease¡­ but by the time the dust cleared, they were already gone, having used the dust to hide their entry to the Heroic Organization¡¯s base. They showed extraordinary skill. Chief Luke had his team moving as one and wouldn¡¯t stop until he reached his objective. Lear followed directly after Luke, flanked by Lach and Moe, who took care of guards as they appeared while Lear analyzed the battle as it happened. Nothing could stop them. They¡¯d fought their way through the revolution just like this, too. Suddenly, countless circles of light appeared before them. Then fire shot from the centers and fired towards Luke and the others. ¡°Disperse!¡± The fireballs exploded. They threw themselves down to avoid the aftermath. Moe groaned. ¡°Uwaah. Iyet¡¯s magic is surprisingly scary.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for that,¡± Lach said. ¡°They¡¯re good. Things¡¯ll get rough if there¡¯s a lot of them.¡± ¡°Trueee. So what should we do?¡± Moe asked. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Lach asked. They both looked at Luke. Lear tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear, then turned to Luke as well. ¡°We¡¯re finally here, face-to-face with our foe¡¯s main force. Though we can¡¯t see them yet, since they went for a surprise attack¡­¡± Even so, they could tell that their enemy was strong. They weren¡¯t just foot soldiers. Say there were ten of them - if so, there was a possibility that even Chief Luke may fall. That was Luke¡¯s assessment of the situation after that single attack. His subordinates might not have noticed the presence of their attackers, but Luke had. He¡¯d known that they were there. They¡¯d used magic to warp their perception of light in the area, but they were unmistakably there. Luke faced their enemy. ¡°Will you come out for me? Or should I attack you from where you stand now?¡± The enemy responded. Their magic stopped, and the strange swirling lights stopped to reveal reality; slowly, slowly their enemies appeared before them. Luke balked. ¡°Wh-what¡­?¡± It was unbelievable. Their enemy was¡­ a girl of about seventeen years old, the same as Lach and Moe. She¡¯d dyed her short hair in a pink so hot that all one could think when they saw her was ¡®um, why?¡¯¡­ and no matter how he looked at it, her hair didn¡¯t match her dark black eyes. Her smile was bursting with energy, but instead of looking youthful, it was more like she was a businesswoman who sold her smile. And her clothes¡­ To make things simple, she wore bunny ears. Her clothes were colorful and covered in pom-poms. She was carrying scepters with hearts on them, one in each hand. It was an outfit that¡¯d make even a five year old child feel embarrassed, but here she was, swinging around her scepters with a smile. ¡°Here I am, number one in the Heroic Association¡¯s Magical Girl Branch! Pretty Meruru, at your service! I¡¯ll punish bad kids with my Lovely Miracle Scepter! ¡î¡± And then¡­ she posed! It was all that Luke and the others could do but stare in a daze as Pretty Meruru pointed at them. ¡°Is this¡­ okay?¡± Lach whispered. ¡°Is it really okay for someone to live like that? She¡¯s my age¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Nobody responded. It was silent for quite some time. Then. Pretty Meruru twirled her scepter around a second time. ¡°Umm. I¡¯m Pretty Meruru, at your serv¡­¡± ¡°¡°You don¡¯t need to say it again!¡±¡± Luke shook his head to try to clear it. ¡°Ugh, enough! We don¡¯t have time for this. We h-have to focus on Chief Milk. Where could she¡ª¡± Then, another voice suddenly echoed through the building. ¡°Hey! Looks like you lost little ignorants are in a pinch.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Who¡­?¡± Luke and the others turned around to face a man. He had a handsome face and green hair, but it was impossible to tell what was going on in his head. His smile was confident, and his armor¡­ was rainbow. The Taboo Hunters stared. What else could they do? It was just so gaudy. Moe was the first one to speak. ¡°This is crazy! What¡¯s with these guys? They¡¯re so colorful that I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m supposed to be looking. Wait, is that the whole point of that armor? Like, to distract us?¡± ¡°No fucking way,¡± Lach muttered. The rainbow man¡¯s eyes widened, and he shook a hand at them. ¡°No, no, not another word. I understand what you guys are trying to say with just one look. Your uncertainty. Your sadness. There¡¯s school tomorrow, but you¡¯re exhausted. You don¡¯t want to go. I¡¯m sure that you yourselves have already realized it. It¡¯s a bad omen. The demon king¡¯s coming back. The world is on the verge of ruin once more!¡± ¡°Huh? How are those two things related¡­?¡± The green haired man shook his head and paid no mind to Luke¡¯s question. ¡°Ah-ah, say no more. I see all. Calm your hearts. The hero Shanni, savior of our world, won¡¯t let the bad feelings get to you! Now, you boys who have lived carrying that uneasiness until now! If you join my Heroic Organization, we¡¯ll take care of everything! Let¡¯s save the world together!¡± So said the so-called Shanni as he waved his arm around with a sparkling smile. Luke and the others took a step back. It was Shanni¡¯s eyes that did it for them. He was getting totally carried away, intoxicated on himself and staring off until the distance. There wasn¡¯t a hint of coherence in his words, but even so, they realized one thing. He was dangerous. Very much so. On top of everything else, this man was said to be a pedophile¡­ and he was keeping Milk prisoner¡­ It was enough to make even Luke lose his composure. ¡°So you¡¯re the pedophile Shanni. Where¡¯s Chief Milk!? I¡¯ll never forgive you if anything happened to her! Free her!¡± Luke,¡± Lear said from behind him, ¡°he doesn¡¯t seem like someone who will listen to words.¡± So he said, but they had to do something. He could lay his evil hands on Milk at any time¡­ ¡°Hm? You know Milk?¡± Shanni asked. ¡°Also, pedophiles are disgraceful. I¡¯m not going to touch her. And she came of her own free will.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true,¡± Lach said. ¡°Chief didn¡¯t say anything about this to us. She¡¯d never come to a place like this all by herself.¡± Shanni raised his eyebrows. ¡°Ah, I see. So you¡¯re the subordinates she was talking about. But that¡¯s weird. You should¡¯ve gotten our message. ¡®Milk will be with the Heroic Organization for a while, so I wonder if you¡¯d be kind enough to come here to see her?¡¯ Our resident witch actually took that message. So, Meruru. What¡¯s going on?¡± Meruru had never stopped posing. Only now did her expression break. ¡°What!? I did deliver it! I gave it to Mew Mew, our magic alley cat, and he meowed and ran off with it! I¡¯m sure he delivered it¡­¡± ¡°¡°You call that delivering!?¡±¡± Meruru didn¡¯t even get the chance to finish before Luke and the others¡¯ voices drowned hers out. Shanni alone nodded, deep in thought. ¡°I see. You definitely delivered it, then. Something must have happened to our magic alley cat¡­¡± ¡°To Mew Mew!? Don¡¯t tell me that the demon king got to him!¡± ¡°Anyone could come to that conclusion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Who exactly was the so-called demon king? Everyone was thinking it, but no one had the energy left to ask¡­ ¡°Still, it sounds like Chief Milk is okay,¡± Lear said. ¡°Yeah, when I think about it, there¡¯s no way that Chief Milk would get kidnapped that easily,¡± Moe said. Lach sighed. ¡°We spent way too much time worrying about her and yelling about how we had to save her before it was too late.¡± Everyone looked relieved. Even Luke finally smiled when he looked around at his team. ¡°Still, I¡¯m worried that we weren¡¯t too late. Ahh, we got really worked up about this. There is just one thing, though - we¡¯ll have to scold Milk for this.¡± ¡°Wow, Luke, you can do that? I think you¡¯ll go soft on her before anything gets done.¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ that is a problem. She¡¯s just too sweet¡­¡± Everyone nodded in understanding. In the end, they were all doting fathers¡­ ¡°In any case, we¡¯d best go meet her n¡­¡± Lear¡¯s words trailed off as someone stepped onto the scene. Luke¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I-it can¡¯t be,¡± he whispered. A girl of sixteen. An expression brimming with confidence. Fluffy bunny ears, a flaxen ponytail. Big, sparkly eyes¡­ and a petite body dressed up with frills and pom-poms. She had a scepter with a star on the end, and waved it around as she spoke. ¡°Ta-da! Look, look, everyone! I¡¯m Magical Girl Pretty Milk! Yay! I¡¯m a pretty girl from a ma-ma-maaagic land! Pretty ¡î Lovely! Yaaay! ?¡± Somehow, she had even more energy than Meruru. Shanni nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally ready. My vision¡¯s perfect, and I could see that you¡¯d be great at this. Your expression is natural - you¡¯re a girl trying to act more mature than you really are. Not just that, but you¡¯re a professional poser. It¡¯s like you¡¯re not embarrassed at all. She¡¯s a magical girl that only comes around once every thousand years!¡± Meruru was sad, yet happy all the same. ¡°I lost. Badly. A washed-up magical girl like me could never change the world. I¡¯m counting on you, Pretty Milk.¡± ¡°Yeah, Milk will do her best! Because she¡¯s from a magical place!¡± Milk said and broke into song. Luke crumpled to the ground. ¡°We were too late¡­¡± For some reason, the hero Shanni¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Anyway, Milk. I¡¯m so glad to see that you¡¯ve successfully made the career change to a magical girl, safe and sound. Now will you tell me about that man you mentioned before?¡± Milk¡¯s expression changed to match his. ¡°Huh? You mean, about Ryner? Eheheh. So, um, see, we said that we¡¯d get married back when we were kids¡­ but then he suddenly started running away from me! He¡¯s running around with a girl who¡¯s got beauty for brains! But she¡¯s definitely deceiving him, so I¡¯ll use my magic to put his head on straight!¡± Shanni looked to Meruru with a grave look in his eyes. ¡°What do you think? This man promised to marry Milk, who is still a child, then turned around and ran off with a beautiful woman instead¡­ that means¡­¡± Meruru nodded. ¡°He¡¯s the demon king. He¡¯s seducing women and children, and keeps his hands full with every type of girl.¡± ¡°Exactly! W-well, I feel like an actual demon king would be keeping preteens around, but anyway, agreeing to marry fourteen or fifteen year olds like Milk¡­ if we let an enviable guy like that live, the whole world would fall into darkness! This is the second coming of the demon king, so come on! It¡¯s time to stand up and fight, Meruru, Milk!¡± ¡°Yeah!!¡± With that, Shanni, Milk, and Meruru ran off. It was all that Luke and the others could do to stare on after them, too shocked to do a thing¡­ Next up: Demon King Ryner¡¯s Revival! --- Speaking of the Demon King Ryner¡­ ¡°Uwah, I understand! Just put your sword away, c¡¯mon, I¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll really die.¡± ¡°Mm. And I intend to kill you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t kill me! Ugh, I just¡­ I hate my life¡­¡± Why did he have to die to be revived¡­? Volume 4 - CH 2 Volume 4: Bargain Sale on Magic Power --- Dazzling light. The hustle and bustle of the tavern. Ryner Lute was, as usual, collapsed on a table in the corner. He was also, as usual, messy from sleep and dead inside. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± He always said that. It was like he didn¡¯t even know what it was like to sleep. ¡°Hey, you,¡± a woman said. She sounded saucy. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve got some extra time on your hands.¡± Ryner looked up without moving an inch from where he lay with his head on the table. ¡°Hmm?¡± A woman with overly revealing clothes stood above him. Her breasts were practically spilling out of her red dress, which barely covered anything. Her blonde hair was shoulder length and frayed as if she¡¯d dyed it over and over again. She¡¯d applied red blush to her cheeks. Agewise, she was probably around twenty years old. ¡°My name¡¯s Leisha,¡± she said. ¡°You look like you¡¯re a pretty good guy. What do you think about me? I can give you some services. After all, sleeping alone is lonely¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ I guess I kinda expected that,¡± Ryner mumbled. Leisha smiled, big and bright. ¡°What else are a man and a woman supposed to do together? I have to say, though. I¡¯m not cheap. But we¡¯re young, and that¡¯s why I think we could have a good time, you know?¡± So that¡¯s what that was about. Sure enough, when Ryner looked around at all the other men in the tavern, big and rowdy, he could kind of see why she came to him. She didn¡¯t really fit in here with her pretty face. But Ryner didn¡¯t care about that kind of thing, and it showed in his voice. ¡°Sorry. You¡¯ll have to look elsewhere.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun. So you wouldn¡¯t be able to get into it with a girl like me?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the probl¡­¡± Ryner¡¯s voice trailed off. Everyone in the building had gone quiet. How could he continue? The door opened, and a woman stepped in. She had blonde hair that seemed to sparkle, and perfect features, especially when one looked into her clear blue eyes. She was a peerless beauty. Nobody could find fault in heer appearance. She was hardly even human. The only problem was that her expression entirely lacked warmth. Even so, at her level, that made her mysterious, not off-putting. She made a beeline towards Ryner. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Once she was closer her blue eyes focused on Leisha, who shivered, but soon recovered with a confident smile. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be seen with a woman of the night since you have such a pretty girlfriend, right?¡± The beauty¡¯s eyes narrowed and she shook her head as if the thought itself was ridiculous. ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? I have no such relationship with this man. Do you know what kind of person he is?¡± Just then, Ryner realized what she was about to say. ¡°Hey, Ferris. Enough with your half-truths and half-lies¡­ wait, no¡ªenough of your full lies. You¡¯re starting rumors¡­¡± As usual, Ferris completely ignored him and launched straight into it. ¡°This man comes here often and takes girls home every time he does. He then locks them up in his personal torture chamber, and does this and that¡­ and even that!?¡± Ferris¡¯ expression stayed blank, but even so, she turned bright red. She used her hands to cutely cover her face, and continued in a state of emotionless excitement. ¡°In any case, he does a number of lawless things on his victim, so bad that even I cannot imagine it¡­ As you surely understand by now, he is a legendary deviant. And yet you believe that we¡¯re lovers?¡± She didn¡¯t hesitate to spread lies. Not even for a second. ¡°I should really be used to this by now, but how can you be so¡­ unreserved about all this?¡± Ryner asked, sick of her bullshit. ¡°Whatever though. It¡¯s not like anyone would actually believe¡ª¡± Leisha was pale as a ghost. She held onto her own shivering arms and stared. ¡°N-no¡­ to think that a miserable looking man like this would do that! I, I really do hate working like this¡­ I wish I could go against my patron, but I¡­ I¡¯m going back to my hometown! I¡¯ll start from square one!¡± Ferris nodded, satisfied. ¡°Mm. That¡¯s good. She¡¯ll never forget this fear. And so the legend of the fiendish deviant Ryner Lute continues¡­¡± Leisha nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll pass this onto my children. My whole family will be careful from now on.¡± ¡°Of course. Now go.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, ma¡¯am,¡± Leisha said. She bowed deeply, then ran off. The tavern erupted in applause. ¡°¡­What kind of conclusion is that¡­?¡± Ryner whispered at the hard-to-understand scene before him. He felt deeply alone. Ferris turned to him. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®so¡¯ me!¡± ¡°Mm? Did you want to spend more time with her? I see. So your indifferent act was to negotiate her price down¡­¡± ¡°¡­No. Why did it turn out like this¡­¡± ¡°Hm. I see. You¡¯re right. Price means nothing when you plan on killing her in the end anyway.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, okay. That¡¯s enough of that.¡± And that was indeed enough. The tavern¡¯s owner brought them their food and drinks. He set them on the table next to the one that Ryner was collapsed on. ¡°Ah, um, don¡¯t worry about the price - it¡¯s on the house. Eat up.¡± They¡¯d been eating dinner here every day for a while now. This was the same place where they knocked everyone out a few days ago actually, which probably had something to do with why the owner was terrified of them and their food was free¡­ Ryner looked a bit troubled. ¡°Getting free food like this is dangerous.¡± ¡°Hm? Do you have a problem with it?¡± ¡°I mean, this is basically extortion,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make you feel a little bad for him? Like, don¡¯t you have a guilty conscience?¡± ¡°I see. I understand your perspective. What flavor is that chicken you¡¯re holding?¡± ¡°This? I dunno. It¡¯s pretty good, though. Just like everything else here.¡± ¡°Mm. If they only carried dango, I wouldn¡¯t have a single complaint.¡± ¡°Oh, and I want to eat meat and potato stew. I haven¡¯t had home cooking like that ever since Kiefer left. Isn¡¯t there any stew here?¡± So¡­ about that guilty conscience? No one there had the heart to say it, but seriously, where was it? But anyway. The door opened as they were eating, and men in black suits poured in, with a boy of twelve or thirteen at their center. He had straight black hair and intelligent black eyes. He wore a shrine maiden¡¯s outfit tailored to his tastes. Ryner knew him. His name was Vois Fiurelle, and he led one of the two major organizations in the Iyet Republic known as the Fiurelle Group. ¡°Ugh, what the hell does he want from us this time?¡± Ryner muttered. Vois didn¡¯t seem to notice Ryner and Ferris at all. Instead, his eyes focused on the tavern¡¯s owner. ¡°Hey, Mr. Pourna. How¡¯s your health?¡± ¡°A-ah, I¡¯m managing, somehow¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± Vois said. ¡°That means that the thing we talked about before is going well, right?¡± ¡°I, err¡­ it¡¯s tough,¡± he said, tears in his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t keep paying that much money every month. Please, have mercy¡­¡± Vois¡¯ expression was kind. ¡°What are you saying, Mr. Pourna? Our motto is that we have nothing but fraternity and charity, you know? We are, above all else, a charitable and merciful organization, so you don¡¯t need to beg us for mercy. By the way, do you know what our motto means?¡± ¡°Huh? Of course I do,¡± Pourna said. ¡°The ¡®charity¡¯ part is about having compassion for other people. As for ¡®fraternity,¡¯ it¡¯s like¡­ the feelings you have for your friends. I don¡¯t have a dictionary on hand, though, so I could be wrong¡­¡± Vois¡¯ expression suddenly changed. He grimaced, then shook his head as if pitying the tavern¡¯s owner. ¡°This is rather troubling, Mr. Pourna. It seems that you don¡¯t understand what our motto really means.¡± ¡°Aah¡­ so I was wrong?¡± Vois nodded gravely. ¡°It¡¯s all about the nuance. When you mess that up, it ruins the delicacy of it all. There are more and more people who don¡¯t understand what words really mean nowadays. I truly believe that slang is proof of the corruption of kids these days.¡± And yet there he was, all of thirteen years old¡­ For some reason or other, the owner was moved by Vois¡¯ speech. ¡°You¡¯re exactly right. The youth of today can¡¯t even speak well. My son is almost fifteen, and he calls me ¡®lame¡¯ of all things.¡± ¡°Right? You must have manners before you have order,¡± Vois said. ¡°That¡¯s why I urge everyone to understand the true meaning of our motto. Adults like us have to be there to show the youth how to act in this disorderly age, no matter how strict we have to be about it.¡± ¡°Y-yes, of course. Would you please tell me the true meaning of your motto?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve intended to do so since the beginning,¡± Vois said. A macho man whose pecs were basically exploding through his black suit stepped up. ¡°Okay, Borcas. Please enlighten this man on the true meaning of our motto of fraternity and charity.¡± Borcas readied a punch, and then¡­ Wham! ¡­a section of the wooden bar was nothing but splinters. It was clear that he had superhuman strength. ¡°Stop your yammering and give us da money, or we¡¯ll fold you three times and chop you up!¡± Borcas roared, his voice rumbling loud from his entire body. The tavern went silent. Everyone just watched to see what Vois and the macho man would do next. Vois smiled sweetly now that everyone¡¯s attention was on him. ¡°Everyone here understands the meaning of ¡®fraternity and charity¡¯ now, correct? We are now passing a bag around. Please show us your endless ¡®fraternity and charity¡¯ by placing your money within the bag!¡± Only then did Vois¡¯ expression change. His smile turned dark. ¡°We can ensure the safety of everyone here when the bag is full.¡± His smile was that of a demon¡¯s¡­ Meanwhile, Ryner was absolutely fed up with his nonsense. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say.¡± The demon boy began to pass the bag in question around. Everyone, despair-stricken as they were, emptied their pockets into it out of fear. The bag eventually reached Ryner and Ferris. ¡°So I¡¯m supposed to put money in this?¡± Ryner asked. His eyes hadn¡¯t widened at all despite the situation. He looked exactly as tired as always. ¡°It¡¯s really quite a small request considering your safety is at stake,¡± Vois said before recognition set in. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re¡­¡± Vois¡¯ surprise was palpable. He looked away from Ryner, then suddenly threw the bag he was holding away and smiled. ¡°Oh my, you saw that, Mr. Ryner?¡± Vois asked, sweet as could be. ¡°I¡¯m so embarrassed. You see, as our Fiurelle Group practices nothing short of fraternity and charity, we just couldn¡¯t leave these people in need alone.¡± Same shit, different day. Ryner was absolutely fed up with him. ¡°You say that no matter what you¡¯re doing,¡± he said. ¡°But no matter how I look at it, what¡¯s really going on here is that an evil organization is threatening the weak to line their own pockets.¡± Vois¡¯ perfect smile was unaffected by Ryner¡¯s comment. ¡°No, no, I believe that you¡¯re misunderstanding the situation. We¡¯re saving them. You see, we are nothing short of emotionally liberating them through removing their materialism. It¡¯s all for their personal development. People these days are overly bound by their meaningless material possessions, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re stealing from them?¡± ¡°Oh, no, we weren¡¯t stealing. We planned to give it back shortly.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ so you¡¯re telling me that the macho man Borcas over there stuffing the money into his pockets is all in my imagination?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all your imagination.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ so I¡¯m just imagining that his pockets are getting so big that he looks pregnant?¡± ¡°You¡¯re having full-blown hallucinations? Mr. Ryner, you need to use drugs in moderation from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What could he even say to that? A long silence passed between them¡­ Then Vois groaned and covered his mouth with both hands in a distinctly girlish gesture. ¡°Mr. Ryner, I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯d misunderstand things to that extent¡­ Vois is sad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s gross. Knock it off.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how you talk to me? I¡¯m a thirteen year old boy trying something out for the first time, and you¡¯re going to talk to me like that? I see how it is. It¡¯s that adult-like selfishness of yours that makes kids like me greedy.¡± ¡°Augh, god, just shut up already! You have absolutely no intention of returning their money!¡± ¡°You know me so well. It is unwise to keep money in the hands of the ignorant. It¡¯s better if it belongs to the respectable Fiurelle Group, which will use it with fraternity and charity in mind to save the masses,¡± Vois said, carefree as ever. ¡°¡­Ah¡­ umm¡­¡± As much as Ryner wanted to say something, he was at the verge of giving up. He settled with a sigh. ¡°Whatever. Just¡­ whatever. Take the money and go. I know you¡¯re not gonna do a single respectable thing with it, though.¡± Vois¡¯ smile returned to his face. ¡°Speaking of which, Mr. Ryner, I have a favor to ask¡ª¡± ¡°Auughhh you have some fucking nerve! I¡¯m not doing shit for you this time! You¡¯ll never trick me again. Ferris, don¡¯t let him lure you in with dango. Ferris. He hasn¡¯t actually given you any dango at all, right?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ferris took a moment to think. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re right. He never paid us for the last job we did for him.¡± ¡°Yes! I knew it! See, Vois! You can¡¯t scare me into doing anything, so if you can¡¯t persuade Ferris either, then it¡¯s settled. We¡¯re never doing anything for you ever again.¡± ¡°Of course, we aren¡¯t forcing you,¡± Vois said, radiating innocence. ¡°Why not? Well, we¡¯re an organization based on fraternity and charity. Will you at least hear me out?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Ryner said without a shred of hesitation. ¡°We¡¯re not doing it, so there¡¯s no point in hearing it either.¡± ¡°I see, so you¡¯ll listen to me. I knew you were kind beyond words, Mr. Ryner.¡± ¡°I said that we¡¯re not listening¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I really want - your full attention.¡± ¡°I just said¡ª¡± ¡°If I recall correctly, it was a rainy day¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, whatever¡­¡± That was the story of how Ryner ended up hearing Vois out yet again. ¡°Mr. Ryner, have you ever heard of the Heroic Organization?¡± Ryner and Ferris exchanged a look. ¡°Yeah, we have,¡± Ryner said. The ¡®Heroic Organization¡¯ was a group whose name Ryner and Ferris had run into while searching for heroic legends. That was actually why they¡¯d started coming to this tavern in the first place¡­ It was an organization that advertised defeating the demon king and becoming heroes to collect children and train them. They¡¯d secured a place as one of the Iyet Republic¡¯s most influential organizations as a result. The more Ryner heard about them, the less it sounded like they had anything to do with his and Ferris¡¯ quest, but anyway¡­ Vois continued. ¡°This Heroic Organization is a problem, particularly their founder and head Shanni Maribel. The Fiurelle Group¡¯s Talent Training Program spent a long time developing his leadership and manipulation skills, and now he¡¯s an expert. Eventually, he took over managing Fiurelle behind the scenes. He and my father got along so well that my father asked him to ¡®take care of Fiurelle¡­ no, to take care of Vois!¡¯ as he was dying.¡± Ryner showed absolutely no sign of caring. He picked his drink up and sipped. ¡°You can tell us whatever you want, but we¡¯re not helping you.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. You¡¯re doing enough just by hearing me out,¡± Vois said. ¡°Now, if I may continue, it was¡­ I believe a rainy day. There was a voluptuous girl that I liked. She was ten.¡± ¡°The hell kind of ten year old¡­¡± ¡°I used my political power to make her mine,¡± Vois continued. ¡°Aah, those were the good ol¡¯ days¡­ We played so many games of tag and hide-and-seek. I was quite the playboy, see¡­¡± ¡°Pretty cutesy shit for a playboy.¡± As usual, Ryner¡¯s comment was so ignored that he might as well have just stayed quiet. ¡°But you see,¡± Vois said, ¡°Shanni also liked her.¡± ¡°Ahh, a love triangle¡­ I¡¯ve heard a lot about those. So she was ten, right? That means that this Shanni guy is about your age. What¡¯s with the kids here? Is there something in the water?¡± Vois shook his head. ¡°No, Shanni is twenty-five this year.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Shanni has always been like that. He always likes the same girls I do. He said he doesn¡¯t feel anything for girls over fourteen. I heard him yelling that in the streets once. ¡®I¡¯ll pretend to be a doctor for an eight year old girl! That¡¯d be the bomb!¡¯ but if you ask me, older women have their own charms, and besides, younger girls don¡¯t have the same charm at the doctor¡¯s as they do when they¡¯re out playing. In any case, the Heroic Organization is actually a way for him to find girls who he likes.¡± ¡°¡­So basically he¡¯s a real life degenerate.¡± Ferris, who had pulled dango out of somewhere or other and was now chewing on some, spoke. ¡°Mm. It seems like that Shanni character is cut from the same material as you, Ryner.¡± ¡°How!?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He¡¯s a master pervert - a sex fiend and criminal that only you could rival,¡± she said, just as calmly as always. ¡°Uh, so¡­ umm¡­ shit. Just¡­ continue. I don¡¯t even care anymore,¡± Ryner said, then turned his attention back to Vois. ¡°So I¡¯m gonna say this one more time to make sure that you understand. I literally don¡¯t give a shit about that guy.¡± ¡°I understand that. However, we cannot leave him alone,¡± Vois said. ¡°It¡¯s an insider issue, so to speak - he was originally one of ours, after all, and now he¡¯s gone rogue. His Heroic Organization and my sister¡¯s Saint Estella¡¯s Believers Association are all infringing on our Fiurelle Group¡¯s territory. We cannot allow this to continue.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys just as much of a pain in the ass though¡­¡± Dot dot dot. ¡°Anyway, I was thinking about it, and I believe that you two, who defeated those thieves on your first night in Iyet, would be perfect for the job of decimating the Heroic Organization¡­ Won¡¯t you two please accept this request of mine?¡± ¡°No way in hell,¡± Ryner said. ¡°Mm. I¡¯m busy with this dango today.¡± Vois nodded. ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ve been investigating the Heroic Organization in preparation of your answer.¡± ¡°Oh, how thoughtful.¡± ¡°Yes. But you see, I came across something strange. It appears that the Heroic Organization is searching for you, Mr. Ryner.¡± ¡°Haah!? Wh-why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Who knows. Even I¡¯m not privy to that information¡­ which I find very troubling. After all, you¡¯re very important to me, Mr. Ryner, as we are nothing less than the closest of friends. As you know, I¡¯m an expert in information management and manipulation. I spread a rumor about you. ¡®Ryner Lute is a pedophile that puts Shanni to shame. He makes the girls of this town his one after another¡­,¡¯ and the rest is history. You, angry beyond words, and Shanni, who was already on a manhunt for you, clash. Weird how things work out like that, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡®Weird¡¯ is all you have to say about it!?¡± ¡°In any case, even if you don¡¯t accept my request, Shanni will come to kill you anyway,¡± Vois said. ¡°Really, what difference does it make at that point?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m gonna murder you one of th¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, and Ms. Ferris, what do you think about the dango payment for helping me spread that rumor?¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s delicious. I will continue to do business with you if this is my reward.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Anger had already run its course. Now all that Ryner could do was stare. ¡°God, please forgive me,¡± he whispered, despair-stricken. But then! The door to the tavern opened once more. A single man stood at the entrance. Ryner¡¯s mouth hung open in astonishment. ¡°What¡­ the hell.¡± An unbelievable sight lay before them. The first thing Ryner noticed was that his hair was green, and not a natural green. It was like he¡¯d dyed it with a field of grass in mind. Also, his armor was rainbow. Rainbow. Once Ryner saw it, he couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away. It was dizzyingly colorful. He wasn¡¯t a bad looking guy, but it was hard to see that behind the obnoxious confidence written all over his face. He looked around the tavern, and¡­ saw Ryner¡­ ¡°Youuu!!¡± With that, he unsheathed his sword and swung. ¡°Huh?¡± Ryner jumped around the tavern to dodge. ¡°Wh¡­ what¡­ wait, why me!?¡± ¡°Hmph. Play dumb all you want but I, the heroic Shanni, savior of this country, see all! I heard all about how you''re taking innocent girls to town one by one and sinking your fangs into them by taking them to teahouses and eating dango with them! I heard all about your diabolic ways!¡± Ryner''s eyes widened as if he were a monk reaching enlightenment. So that was who this gaudy sword-swinging guy was. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re Shanni¡­ And about the teahouse and dango stuff¡­¡± Ryner turned to look at Ferris. She looked very satisfied with herself. ¡°Mm.¡± Ryner was tired. So, so tired. ¡°Don¡¯t just ¡®mm¡¯ me¡­! Is that an appropriate response, ma¡¯am? Huh? What do you say to that?¡± He was actually pretty pissed off about this. For some reason, Shanni was the one who winced. ¡°H-hey, there¡¯s no need to get so mad. Are you low on calcium? Alright, then. I, the heroic Shanni, savior of this country, will fight you. I knew that wasn¡¯t really you since the beginning. ¡°So how about you look back on your life and take a deep breath before you blow your fuse?¡± Shanni continued. ¡°Maybe you did make a wrong move somewhere. Maybe now you¡¯re a degenerate. But it¡¯s not too late. Your mom back home would be so sad¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from youuu!¡± Ryner yelled and swung with his tightly-clenched fist. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s mad,¡± Vois said. ¡°Mm. He¡¯s mad,¡± Ferris agreed from his side. ¡°Do you think that we bullied him too much?¡± Vois asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not the problem. You see, he¡¯s a masochist by nature. He must be shivering from pleasure from being bullied this much¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m done with you, too!¡± Ferris unsheathed her sword. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Ryner? Do you have a problem with me?¡± That was all it took for Ryner to pale. ¡°A-ah, no¡­ No problem at all, ma¡¯am¡­ So will you put your sword away for me? Will you? See, I don¡¯t want to die, and¡­¡± Vois was impressed. ¡°Wow, you have him trained like a dog.¡± Meanwhile, Shanni had finally recovered enough to speak. ¡°Hmph. So that¡¯s what you¡¯re into. I once taught an innocent eight year old girl to say ¡®come mend my clothes at night, Shanni,¡¯ you see¡­ Not bad! Knew I could count on Vois. He¡¯s always had great taste. I¡¯m glad he succeeded my Fiurelle Group.¡± ¡°No, I should be saying the same of you,¡± Vois said. ¡°You did a great job capturing the sheer maternal love contained in mending clothes.¡± ¡°Hm. You flatter me.¡± Ryner cradled his head in his hands as he listened to their conversation. It was like they lived in a different dimension entirely. ¡°Ugh, what even is happening anymore¡­ I can¡¯t understand what these people say in the slightest¡­ What are you guys trying to accomplish? I¡¯m leaving if it has nothing to do with me.¡± Ferris nodded. ¡°I see. I don¡¯t quite understand them, but¡­ do you want me to mend your clothes, Ryner?¡± ¡°¡­So you don¡¯t get it either. Just now, I felt kinship with you for the first time.¡± ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± Ferris asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s actually the highest form of compliment.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ferris looked a little happy. ¡°I see¡­ heheh.¡± And then! The door to the tavern opened¡­ again! ¡°Ta-daaa! I¡¯m the messenger of love, courage, and energy! The witchy Pretty Milk has arrived! I return smiles to everyone¡¯s faces even when the world is shrouded in darkness¡­ augh, ow!? I bit my tongue! Auh¡­ I knew I should have picked a shorter intro¡­¡± And so a girl covering her mouth appeared in the doorway. ¡°¡­What? Why did Milk come, too?¡± Ryner wondered. He was getting dizzy. ¡°Today is so unlucky¡­¡± He wished he didn¡¯t know this girl as well as he did. Milk Callaud, leader of a squadron of Taboo Hunters out to get him¡­ or so she should have been, but she was actually chasing him because she loved bringing up the ghost of their promise to marry back when they were kids. For some reason, Milk wasn¡¯t wearing her usual military uniform. Instead, she was wearing bunny ears and a colorful dress with pom-poms. She even had a staff with a star on it¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ryner was way too tired to say anything at this point. Milk¡¯s subordinates were hiding behind her. Ryner was pretty sure their names were Luke, Lach, Moe, and Lear. They were wearing flamboyant rainbow armor just like Shanni was. They also had pink hats and greenish yellow robes. It was horrible. ¡°Ch-chief, let¡¯s just go home¡­¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ I hate wearing this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so embarrassing¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much¡­ I¡¯m going to die now¡­¡± ¡°No! Lear! Lach, Moe, stop him!¡± Milk, meanwhile, was the same as always. ¡°Alright, Ryner! Today will be the day that you go out with me! I even brought a cute outfit for you to wear!¡± ¡°Uwah¡­ spare me,¡± Ryner groaned. Milk didn¡¯t care about what Ryner had to say. Instead, she pointed at Ferris. ¡°I won¡¯t lose to you, Beauty for Brains!¡± ¡°But Miss Milk,¡± Vois started, ¡°don¡¯t you know about how high level their play is?¡± ¡°She even fixes the clothes he messes up while he grovels, Milk,¡± Shanni added. ¡°Nooooo! Why did I have to hate sewiiinnngggg!¡± Milk yelled, then twisted her staff around. ¡°I wish for thunder¡ª¡± That was the start of her powerful magic. Ryner didn¡¯t have it in him to get flustered about this strange turn of events. ¡°Ahh¡­ no matter how it starts, this is always how it ends, isn¡¯t it¡­¡± ¡°I wish for thunder - Lightning Flash!¡± The counter was blown to pieces. The windows broke. The tables danced in the air. The people scrambled to get away. Shanni didn¡¯t seem to mind the electricity zapping him to the core. ¡°But, Mr. Pedo, I¡¯d say that this was worth it. What do you think of coming with me to save the world? I was thinking about bringing a pediatrician on board, but they¡¯re hard to find. But I think you¡¯d be good at faking it, so I¡¯ll leave that field to you!¡± Shanni held out his hand and smiled with his sparkling teeth. ¡°I think a real pervert like you should drop dead from the electricity, actually!¡± Ryner yelled as he was zapped. Even Vois was being zapped. ¡°Ah, you can¡¯t do that, Shanni. Mr. Ryner is my precious errand boy.¡± ¡°Augh!? Shut it! Who¡¯s your errand boy, now!? You need to die, too!¡± Then there was Ferris, calmly eating dango as if the tavern wasn¡¯t falling apart around her. ¡°This dango is delicious. Today is a good day.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that look in your eyes!? You¡¯re dying first¡ª¡± Ferris gently placed her hand on her sword. ¡°Hm? Do you have a problem with me?¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ I hate this¡­¡± Vois and Shanni exchanged a look, and in that moments, they were in perfect unison. ¡®She really does have him trained like a dog.¡¯ By then, Milk¡¯s magic had fried Ryner enough that his vision flashed white. He laughed dryly. ¡°Ah, ahaha¡­ I can¡¯t see a thing¡­¡± Then he disappeared amidst the explosion. --- This probably went without saying, but the tavern was blown to smithereens. Another day, another building destroyed by Milk. How long would it be until she leveled all of Iyet? It might be sooner than you think¡­