ã€ŠSenpensekai no Madoushoshiã€‹


 Prologue

    Heavy clouds hung in the sky like a stagnant river, letting loose drizzling rain onto the ground below.

    A wingless dragon bellowed as innumerable raindrops were dyed a dark red by the evening sunset as if it were raining wine.

    Collapsed ramparts, and a burned down mansion. Beyond that, a pearl white castle stretched towards the sky as if rejecting the darkness.

    A red-haired girl straddling a unicorn stepped forward to protect the King and his people from the dragon¡¯s threat.

    Only fifty knights¡­¡­..and one priest stood to protect the girl.

    The pink-haired priest sent out her commands to the other knights while holding up her own silver shield.

    ¡°Shield¡¯s up!¡±

    A dazzling white light illuminated the knights¡¯ shields to signify the Goddess¡¯s blessing in order to stand up against the storm of slashes from the atrocious dragon¡¯s claws.

    ¡°Now unravel the commandments of this world!¡±

    Protected by fifty-one sturdy shields, the red-haired girl red shouted out with a grimly shining grimoire in hand.

    ¡°My life, my name a bridge, now cross over!¡±

    ¨D¨DThus, in response to the Princess¡¯s call, a purple haired knight manifested.

    This knight wore thick, black and grey armor and granted the young girl¡¯s wish¡­¡­¡­joining the line and drawing her sword.

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D

    ¨D¨D¨D¨D

    ¨D¨D

    This is a tale about the everchanging world Van Delucia.

    A world of swords and magic, knights and mages, fairies and dragon.

    Here there are Gods, and there are Demons.

    Here the mysteries are still mysteries, just waiting for someone to find the truth.

    An adventurer setting off on a rainbow to climb the heavens.

    An adventurer who brought a friend on a journey and challenged a dragon living in the sky.

    And another adventurer who challenged a labyrinth in the clouds, defeating an evil mage and rescuing a fair princess.

    In this world, there are many such epic tales grabbing the hearts of the adventurers who hear them.

    However even in a strange and magical world like this, there are still people who are just trying to live their lives.

    A Hero cannot live without bread, and without a people to lead there can be no princesses.

    And without a bard to sing of its tale, how will any know about a dragon¡¯s fearsome power?

    Iris Calvafon.

    The girl in this story is just one of many at first.

    With no glorious honors or dazzling treasures, she is but an ordinary village girl.

    But the stories of natural born heroes and their great feats have begun to grow stale.

    So let¡¯s distract ourselves for a moment and instead turn our eyes to this young girl.

 CH 1

    Opening the window, a pearly snowscape stretched before me. A chilled wind blew into the room, causing my nose to ache with its touch.

    This was a sleepy rural town called Rifront. It is located in the country of Osnell, itself found on the continent of Van Delucia. You would find it after a ten days carriage ride to the west from the capitol Osnell-Tari.

    During the summer the town is covered in lush greenery, complimenting the town¡¯s brickwork that glows under the bright sun. Unfortunately all of that was now covered in snow. There is a lake at the town¡¯s center, and when the weather is nice, you can watch as people sit on the shore, hanging fishing lines through the gaps in the ice.

    Even if they call it a lake, it is still small enough that you could walk around the whole thing in thirty minutes. But the people who live in this town have lovingly come to call it Rif Ront (Fairy¡¯s Tear), which is where the name for the town came from.

    Right now I am on the second floor of the Shining Hen, the only inn in town. I took a deep breath, sucking in and enjoying that cold, fresh air from the window, and stretched.

    ¡°TYAA! TAA!¡±

    From there, an energetic voice could be heard outside. Wondering what was going on, I looked down outside the window where a girl with silver hair was running around in the snow. She happily threw a snowball she had in hand before quickly making up another one and throwing that one too.

    Her name is Carotayle, but I always call her Carol. She is a member of a half beast/half human race called Werewolves. Her fuzzy ears and tail shook this way and that as she frolicked about, using her impressive agility to move from one spot to another in order to dodge some incoming snowballs.

    ¡°You can¡¯t hit me, you can¡¯t hit me! Come oooooooon, you slow footed elf!¡±

    ¡°What did you saaaaay!?¡±

    After that, a really huge snowball soared through the sky as an angry voice cut through the cold air. Carol was caught completely off guard, landing on her back as the snowball hit her in the face.

    ¡°Ahahahah, so lame. Calling me slow footed, but aren¡¯t you the slowest one here? In the head!¡±

    There was another woman who was clutching her stomach, doubled over from laughing. She was tall, slender, and had flowing gold locks. Even as another woman, I have to take a moment to marvel at how beautiful she was.

    Her name is Tosrillon F. Iriburgh, but she prefers to be just called Toslin. Just as Carol had said, Toslin was an elf. Just like how Carol is from the beastman race, Toslin is an elf which bears a slight difference from a Hyurian like me which can be found all over the continent. Long-lived, beautiful white skin, pointed ears, and a staggering beauty¨Cthese are the traits that set elves apart from other people.

    ¡°Wai, that was a foul just now! I just got confused for a moment seeing such a ginormous snowball!¡±

    ¡°Noisy. It¡¯s your bad for getting careless.¡±

    ¡°Muu~! One more! One more round!¡±

    Carol was already in the process of throwing another snowball at Toslin as she spoke.

    ¡°Well well, both of them are full of energy.¡±

    A sudden soft and tender voice made me look beside me. A gaze just as tender as her voice was watching the two below play in the snow.

    ¡°You think so too? Uuu, it¡¯s cold¡­¡­¡­¡­.the kind of day that makes you want to stay inside.¡±

    Although I had only just opened the window to get some fresh air, already the room had grown icy cold.

    Oh yes. The person standing next to me is Rosalith Cuulbacall, another hyurian like me, and the older sister of our group being twenty years old. By the way, Carol is fourteen and Toslin is eighteen.

    Rosalith¡­¡­¡­or Rose as I like to call her, is a priestess who follows the sacred teachings of the Illya Church.

    In order to become a priestess, you must first join a monastery. Every day they must pray to the Goddess and do good deeds in her name. The Goddess sees all that they do, and only those chosen by the Goddess can raise themselves to becoming priestesses. They then gain the ability to perform miracles. That¡¯s why a person with a wicked heart is never able to become a priestess¡­¡­¡­.or so they say.

    Rose was always carrying a gentle smile. It¡¯s been almost half a year since I met her in this town, yet I¡¯ve never seen her without one. As a result, I¡¯ve started smiling all the time too, even when I¡¯m not doing anything. She has long, fluffy pink hair and is a truly lovely person.

    ¡°Is Iris not going to play outside as well?¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t be silly. How can I have fun outside on a cold day like this¡­¡­.and I¡¯m not a little kid anymore. On days like this I¡¯d much rather read a book next to a warm stove.¡±

    ¡°Ufufu. You really do love books, don¡¯t you Iris.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡­¡­ Well, I am the daughter of a bookstore owner. I¡¯ve been a bookworm for as long as I can remember.¡±

    Perhaps it¡¯s a little late, but my name is Iris Calvafon. I¡¯m sixteen years old, and my family have been bookstore owners since our ancient ancestors.

    With that being said, because of a strange turn of events, I¡¯ve been unable to return home for half a year now and have become indebted to the Shining Hen.

    Closing the window, I picked up a book and sat down next to the stove just as a snow covered Carol burst into the room with a loud bang.

    ¡°Ho, Hold on! I give up! I said I surrender!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m shoving it down your back as well, so prepare yourself!¡±

    Toslin appeared next and grabbed the scruff of Carol¡¯s neck with her right hand. She then shoved the large pile of snow she was carrying in her left hand down down Carol¡¯s shirt¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°HYAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    Carol started rolling around on the floor.

    ¡°Hmph. Take this as a lesson to not try and beat me using such cowardly tactics.¡±

    I feel bad for Carol, but it¡¯s a little funny watching this young girl writhe around in agony because of the cold snow.

    ¡°Wai, Iris is laughing right now! Don¡¯t try and hide behind your book! I saw you!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha. N-No way. That¡¯s not true. I just thought it was nice how energetic you are.¡±

    I panicked and hid my face behind my book, but I could still feel Carol¡¯s intense stare. Muu, I can¡¯t lose here. If I look at her now, I won¡¯t be able to hold back my laughter.

    ¡°Well ok¡­¡­¡­¡­. But isn¡¯t Iris going to go outside too? You haven¡¯t left the inn for three days now.¡±

    Carol was talking as she pulled off her wet tunic in front of the wood stove. Oi oi, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t get naked so casually just because it¡¯s only women in here.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I still have the book I borrowed from the library last time.¡±

    Although it was small, this town did have a library. I borrowed this book a couple days ago, and I have to return it once I finish it. It¡¯s natural, but also a bit annoying because I never had to do that with a book when I was home. As you¡¯ve probably already learned, I¡¯m a fundamentally lazy person.

    ¡°You say that, but isn¡¯t an adventurer¡¯s greatest treasure their body? Won¡¯t you ruin yours if you don¡¯t move around regularly?¡±

    ¡°Eh, but¡­¡­¡­.I¡¯m not an adventurer like all of you.¡±

    Yes that¡¯s right. Toslin, Carol, and Rose are all officially recognized adventurers. There are various professions in this world, and there is something like an association or a cooperation for each that spans across a nation¡¯s borders. Adventurers are members of an association that mainly deals with monster exterminations and exploring ancient ruins, usually in a group.

    There wasn¡¯t always a system like this, but now their organization handles different requests for those monster exterminations, ruin explorations, and even bodyguard requests for higher paying individuals. Like this, a system was put in place where an adventurer could complete the requests put forward by the organization in return for a reward.

    Adventurers are issued a license from their organization which has to be renewed regularly. Strictly speaking, the priestess Rose isn¡¯t an adventurer, but becasue the Illya Church has strong ties with most of these organizations, Rose is acting as a de-facto adventurer.

    But I¡¯m different. Not only am I just the daughter of a bookstore owner with no license, I don¡¯t have the physical strength it would take to go on a difficult journey.

    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯ve come out with us so many times now.¡±

    Toslin said with a sigh.

    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right. And Iris is really interested in the outside world.¡±

    ¡°And aren¡¯t you reading a book on adventuring right now? I can¡¯t really tell though since I can¡¯t read.¡±

    As Carol had pointed out, what I was reading right now was a tale about the adventures of Ranroot who traveled the world a thousand years ago until he founded our country Osnell. It¡¯s a famous story about how he received the divine protection of the Goddess Illya and then took the head of a black dragon. This book was loved by everyone in this country, and I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve already read it.

    ¡°Uu, you figured it out¡­¡­¡­. The Adventures of Ranroot, Chapter 5. The Meeting Between the Goddess of Light and the Hero¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Since I had a lot of free time because of the issues with home I mentioned before, I wanted to try and directly experience the life of an adventurer even though I knew I didn¡¯t have the aptitude for it, and these three invited me along. But, rather than being helpful to them, there have been times where I¡¯ve actually been a burden. Yet these three continue to encourage me, and even though it¡¯s difficult, I still have a wonderful time with them. You can¡¯t get the sense of taste, touch, smell, or sound of fresh air from a book. Everything feels so fresh with them, and¡­¡­¡­¡­.to be blunt, it¡¯s fun.

    ¡°Well, alright. Should we have lunch soon? Dealing with Carol has made me hungry.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I agree~ I was just thinking the same thing. There is something we can agree on after all¡±

    ¡°Be quiet, and don¡¯t stick to me¡­¡­¡­and get dressed first.¡±

    It seems like Toslin and Carol had been adventuring together long before they met Rose and me in this town six months ago. Even though they¡¯re of two different races, they act like sisters, and it makes me a little envious since I haven¡¯t been able to see my own sister at home in half a year. There¡¯s also the fact that I¡¯m the older daughter, so I sometimes wish I had a beautiful older sister like Toslin¡­¡­¡­.oops, not good not good.

    ¡°Then, should we go as well?¡±

    I turned towards Rose at her voice only to find her giving me a smile warm enough to melt my heart.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±

    So we headed down towards the dining room on the inn¡¯s first floor.

    ?

    The Sparkling Hen is run by a landlady named Meltaria, and a hyurian part-timer girl named Charlie. We were sitting at a four-person table. Other villagers would come by and drink in the evenings, but because it was still only lunchtime, we were the only customers there. The fire burning in the fireplace lit up the room as the crackle of the wood burning made the room sound as warm as it felt.

    ¡°Heeeeey, Charlie, you here?¡±

    Charlie and I are the same age, so she and I really hit it off when we first met. We¡¯ve been close friends ever since.

    ¡°Yahoo~, a group. What can I get you?¡±

    A girl with red braided hair came out from the kitchen. This girl is Charlie. She has a friendly personality, and even though the person themselves is self-conscious of them, I secretly think her freckles are her charm point.

    ¡°Oi~ Iris. What are you doing blankly staring at a person¡¯s face? It doesn¡¯t matter how much you tell me how cute I am or how much you love me, it¡¯s not going to make me happy.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, sorry. Um, uh¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    I quickly turn my gaze down to the menu. With that being said, there isn¡¯t a wide selection and I have been eating here almost every day for the past six months, so I already have the whole thing memorized anyway.

    ¡°Just kidding. It might not be too bad hearing something like that from a girl as cute as Iris.¡±

    ¡°What is? I¡¯ll have the herb cooked barbato.¡±

    Barbato is a kind of wild boar that is native to the continent of Van Delucia, and its soft meat is delicious. It¡¯s grown to become my usual order, but I just can¡¯t get enough of the herbs and spices that are roasted into this meat. With just a little coarse salt and lemon juice, it becomes a masterpiece. It¡¯s so tasty my mouth starts to drool just thinking about it.

    ¡°So shy. But alright, I¡¯ll have the same as Iris. And give us some bread and drinks too.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? The meal comes with bread and drinks anyway?¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯ll do.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll have the same as well.¡±

    Toslin and Rose put in their own orders as well. Lastly, Carol raised her hand.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have¡­¡­¡­..the herb cooked barbato.¡±

    ¡°Quit ordering the same thing as me. Ah, geez¡­¡­¡­¡­.you¡¯re always trying to be the jokester. It¡¯s getting tiring.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe. I just like messing around with Toslin.¡±

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t.¡±

    Saying so, Toslin flicked Carol¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Okay, okay. So four herb cooked barbatos. Just wait a bit. I¡¯ll make it now and bring them right out. The usual juice for Carol?¡±

    ¡°Boo, Boooooooo! Don¡¯t treat me like a kid. Let me drink some alcohol.¡±

    Carol started pouting in protest.

    ¡°Ahaha, but you really are a kid!¡±

    By the way, the drinking age in this country is sixteen, so the fourteen year old Carol isn¡¯t allowed to have any alcohol. Toslin and I only drink during special occasions, and Rose doesn¡¯t drink any alcohol at all for religious reasons. So while none of us usually drink, this light round of teasing between Charlie and Carol still somehow began a regular occurrence.

    Charlie then disappeared back into the kitchen, the cute frilly hem of her skirt fluttering as she walked.

    ¡°Still though, this snow keeps piling up. I keep playing and playing in it, but it hasn¡¯t gone down at all.¡±

    Carol muttered to herself while looking out the window.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s been snowing almost nonstop for a week now. Well, it¡¯s nice getting a small break like this. We¡¯ve been pretty busy up til now.¡±

    ¡°It might be nice for us, but it¡¯s causing a fair bit of trouble for Iris right?¡±

    Rose looked at me with a worried expression. Those strange circumstances I mentioned earlier is deeply connected with all this snow.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡­¡­.well, it¡¯s not like we can do anything about it¡­¡­¡­¡±

    The town I was born in is only about three days away from here by carriage ride. Unfortunately the only road there has been blocked by all this snow. On top of that, there have been sightings of a ridiculously high leveled monster called a dragon seen in the area which is why I can¡¯t go home.

    ¡°Why did Iris come to this town in the first place? You said something about it before. Was it for a delivery?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was supposed to deliver a book to the landlady here¡­¡­¡­.I¡¯ve already told you this multiple times, so try to remember Carol.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, sorry sorry. Hm, your parents must be worried about you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve managed to keep in contact with them right? Well even if I say that, they must still be feeling anxious after not being able to see you for six months.¡±

    Toslin rested her chin in her hand as she spoke. Toslin surely has parents of her own, but six months probably isn¡¯t a big deal for her with the way she¡¯s traveling.

    ¡°Yes. Before¡­¡­¡­..I asked the landlady to send a letter for me.¡±

    It¡¯s not unusual for villages this far out to have their roadways blocked because of snowfall during the winter. That is why they tame carrier birds to deliver any messages that need to get sent out. I had my letter mixed in with a group that was going out, and my parents and I have exchanged several messages since. Of course I never mentioned to them how I¡¯ve become friends with a group of adventurers, nor have I told them I¡¯ve gone on a couple adventures with them already.

    ¡°Ooh, how about you become an adventurer with us? Let¡¯s go south together. It¡¯s warm down there.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good idea. It never snows down there, so the cold isn¡¯t biting at your hands.¡±

    As they both thought of the same scene at the same time, Toslin and Carol glared at each other while simultaneously thinking about the warm south and sighing. I know that the southern lands are warm, but I¡¯ve never been there myself to confirm. Most of the knowledge I have comes from the books I¡¯ve read.

    ¡°Hmm, is that so. This is the furthest south I¡¯ve ever been¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very warm there. Before meeting you here half a year ago, I was doing missionary work in the port town of Triton. The sun was strong there, and it was like it was summer all year long¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so Rose has been there too. It¡¯s a really nice place. It¡¯s only fault is what it does to your hair.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that was certainly a problem¡­¡­.. After only a day there my hair felt all sticky. I wonder why.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡­¡­I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s because of the salt in the sea¡­¡­¡­.other details are¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Rose and Toslin both started looking at me. This is usually what happens when I start talking about something they don¡¯t really understand.

    ¡°Hey, do you actually know the reason Iris?¡±

    And then it becomes like this.

    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve never been there before so¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°But you know?¡±

    Carol was staring at me with eyes full of expectations. Carol¡¯s eyes are so beautiful, and really, sometimes feel like they were carved out of solidified curiosity.

    ¡°The wind carries salt from the water which takes away moisture from your hair. That¡¯s what the book I read before said at least. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s actually true or not.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see¡±

    ¡°See, you knew about it after all. As expected of a book master. You¡¯re a walking library.¡±

    ¡°I only knew about it by chance. I don¡¯t really know that much.¡±

    ¡°However, I can¡¯t help but to rely on Iris whenever you are around. I feel guilty about it¡­¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything else when I saw Rose¡¯s troubled face. I don¡¯t hate this. If I can help everyone, then that¡¯s good enough. But¡­¡­..I do feel a little lonely. Compared to everyone else I don¡¯t have any strength or stamina, and I can¡¯t see myself as anything else other than an ordinary woman.

    ¡°But, so that place really does exist then. For me who has only ever lived around here since the day I was born, places like that exist only in the realms of the books I¡¯ve read, so they don¡¯t feel very real.¡±

    ¡°What, you interested? Of course you are. Iris is even more curious than I am. You can¡¯t get the sense of a place just from reading about it in a book.¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m interested per se¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Honestly I¡¯m jealous. You¡¯re free to go wherever you feel like and live however you want. But, I can¡¯t help but feel a little sad when I look at Carol.

    ¡°Hey, quit pestering Iris.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡­..¡±

    Toslin flicked Carol¡¯s forehead again, and the girl started pouting. Carol is a cute, albeit slightly cheeky beastman, half beast and half human. Right now they are legally recognized as people, but there was a time in the past when they were treated like monsters. As a result, there are still heartless people out there who discriminate and harass them.

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong Iris? You thinking about something again?¡±

    Carol noticed my gaze and tilted her head. Toslin told me before that Carol¡¯s parents were killed by human hands, and she had no choice but to become an adventurer in order to survive. Whenever I think about that, I¡¯m reminded about how lucky I am to have my parents in my hometown.

    ¡°Order up. Four servings of the Shining Hen¡¯s herb baked barbato special.¡±

    ¡°Yahoooooo! Meat, meat~?¡±

    Carol¡¯s eyes shined when she saw the meat sitting on the plates Charlie was carrying over. For her to be able to laugh like this, just how much hatred must she have buried away?

    ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t get so excited.¡±

    ¡°Eh~. It¡¯s fine. Aren¡¯t you happy that you can eat meat every day like this?¡±

    But Carol would surely laugh at me if I were to tell her all this. Because she¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    All of the sudden there was a knife pointed at my nose.

    ¡°U-UWAaaaa!¡±

    I was so surprised I almost fell out of my chair.

    ¡°Wai, what do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡±

    Toslin smacked the back of Carol¡¯s head.

    ¡°Ow, that huuuuuuurts! It¡¯s because Iris has been daydreaming for a while now. If you don¡¯t start eating soon, your food¡¯s going to get cold.¡±

    ¡°And so you idiotically thrust a knife in her face!? Sorry Iris.¡±

    ¡°Y, Yeah it¡¯s fine¡­¡­¡­ I was just thinking a bit¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    My heart was still about to pound right out of my chest though. Toslin and Carol had started quarreling over the table. Meanwhile Rose was watching them go with a small, quiet smile. I realized what I was thinking before though was strange and started to laugh. That¡¯s right, Carol has the type of personality that wouldn¡¯t let her fret over these kinds of things.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s fine either way, but I put a lot of work into making that food special for you so I¡¯d appreciate it if you ate it soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh ho, once again this place is noisy at noon.¡±

    As Charlie muttered out a mixture of a sigh and a complaint, a woman entered through the front entrance while laughing.

    ¡°Ah~, so cold. Charlie, sorry to ask, but could you go in the back and boil some water?¡±

    ¡°Right right, Landlady. Leave it to me leave~¡±

    Charlie walked back into the kitchen. The woman who had just walked in and was currently brushing the snow off her head and shoulders after taking a deep breath was Meltaria, and she was the landlady of this inn and the proprietress of the pub beneath it. She is an elf with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. I¡¯ve never heard her actual age, but according to fellow elf Toslin, she must be over a hundred years old. The reason why I came to this town in the first place was because this woman ordered a book from the store my family runs. She¡¯s a bit of a mysterious person being able to run a pub like this with a strength that wouldn¡¯t lose out to any man, and yet she is able to read extremely complex books with ease.

    ¡°You¡¯re in luck Toslin, I have a job for you.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡­.but we only just finished the last one.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t complain. You should be grateful you¡¯re getting any work at all during the winter.¡±

    The landlady came over to us while we continued chewing on our meat.

    ¡°So, who the heck is handing out this job?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s from your guild. Since you¡¯re the only warrior in town right now, I suppose you¡¯re the one they have to ask.¡±

    ¡°Ah~. And I thought I was finally going to get a break from all this back breaking work.¡±

    ¡°We should be delighted we get to help others Toslin.¡±

    ¡°Haa, Rose is such a good person. You¡¯re always thinking like that. Well fine. I got it, I got it. Money is important too. We have to earn what we can, when we can.¡±

    ¡°You can hear the details from somebody at the guild later then. Ah, that¡¯s right I almost forgot.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something else?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually related to you Iris. By some chance, it sounds like we might be able to open up the road back to your home soon.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    My brain stopped working for a second when it heard those unexpected words. It seems like that was true for everyone else too, and we all shared a look.

    ¡°H-How? Isn¡¯t there a dragon blocking the way to Iris¡¯s town? Did it go somewhere?¡±

    The landlady puffed out her chest and gave an out of place laugh.

    ¡°I was told a Hero descended from Ranroot himself will be coming to slay the dragon.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡­by Ranroot you mean¡­¡­¡­..the one they say killed a black dragon with the aid of the Goddess Illya¡­¡­¡­¡­..that Ranroot?¡±

    My voice was trembling in awe. A person with the blood of such a legendary figure was coming this way¡­¡­¡­It¡¯s so super awesomely amazing.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but that¡¯s what the guy at the guild told me. It¡¯s already been half a year since you came here, but perhaps you can finally start thinking about getting ready to go home.¡±

    ¡°The landlady gave me a wink.

    ¡°Good for you Iris.¡±

    When our eyes met, Toslin laughed.

    When you think about a descendant of Ranroot, you think about Osnell¡¯s current king. Olivar. There¡¯s also his young seventeen year old son Ashel as well. If they¡¯re sending one of them here, it¡¯d probably be the latter?¡±

    A thousand years ago, there was a time when the power of the Goddess Illya who governs this world weakened. At that time, spirits and animals from ancient times regained their power, and monsters began attacking people. Ranroot was the son of a blacksmith, and with a sword he forged himself, he slew the primordial king who led the other monsters¨Che killed the black dragon. We call this the Illyrian War. After its end, Ranroot established a country around the castle the black dragon had used. The name of this country was Osnell. Ever since, the country, which bears the name of the felled dragon, has been ruled by Ranroot¡¯s descendants.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard the rumors about Ashel. They say that with a single swing of his sword, he cut a mountain that bore into the sky in two, dispersing the clouds over a town that had experienced nothing but rain for the past hundred years. He¡¯s also supposed to be a great beauty too. I heard another story that when he stepped in to save another country, the prince there proposed to him thinking he was a woman.¡±

    ¡°I, think that last one might me made up¡­¡­¡­.hm? If that¡¯s the case, doesn¡¯t that mean the future king is coming here?¡±

    While Carol looked astonished, Rose nodded her head with a gentle expression.

    ¡°Although he¡¯s not coming here specifically, perhaps he might drop in on the way.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like the Goddess gave the Hero a direct order. Seriously, I¡¯m really grateful. The highway has been blocked for such a long time, and business has completely dried up.¡±

    As the landlady gave her thanks, Rose nodded her head once again.

    ¡°Goddess, we thank you for your overwhelmingly compassionate heart.¡±

    ¡°So, well then¡­¡­..wanna go see? How often do you get to see a dragon being slain?¡±

    As Carol said so, Toslin gave her a chop on the head.

    ¡°Come on, weren¡¯t you listening? We have a job to do.¡±

    ¡°She said it was from the guild¡­¡­¡­¡­and Toslin is part of the Warrior¡¯s Guild right?¡±

    A guild is another name for those organizations I mentioned a bit earlier where people with similar occupations work together and help each other out. I forgot to mention it, but Toslin is part of the Warrior¡¯s Guild, and while it¡¯s not something you want to mention too loudly, Carol is a member of the Thieves¡¯ Guild. While I did say that the Illya Church has ties with most of the guilds, the word is that the same can¡¯t be said about the church and the Thieves¡¯ Guild. You wouldn¡¯t be able to guess it when you see how Carol and Rose act around each other every day, but because we are talking about two large organizations, of course there are going to be more complex circumstances to consider.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You¡¯ll never go hungry when you join a guild like that, but the inability to choose when you have to take a job is definitely a minus.¡±

    ¡°Ehhh~ Let¡¯s go see the dragon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still saying that? You really want us to go see a dragon that could blow us away with a single breath? They breath fire you know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if we watch from a distance. I want to see the Hero fight once.¡±

    ¡°And what are you going to do after you¡¯ve seen that? Quit saying selfish things and get back to your food.¡±

    ¡°Stingy Toslin.¡±

    Seeing that Toslin wasn¡¯t going to back down, Carol stuck out her tongue. With her cheeks currently stuffed up and bulging with meat, Toslin frowned.

    ¡°What! We have a job so it can¡¯t be helped!¡±

    ¡°Now now, there¡¯s no need to fight you two.¡±

    As things were just about to get physical between the two, Rose stepped in between them. Well, you wouldn¡¯t really be able to call it a fight if it came down to it. Carol can¡¯t match Toslin¡¯s physical strength, so it would end with Toslin holding Carol down until she gave up.

    ¡°But, Toslin started it!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you won¡¯t listen to me and keep saying selfish things! If you want to go see it that much, then just go by yourself!¡±

    ¡°But if I do that, Toslin will get so lonely you won¡¯t be able to sleep at night!¡±

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t be ridiculous! S-Stop saying such stupid things and hurry up and eat!¡±

    There is one thing I¡¯ve come to understand in the half a year I¡¯ve lived together with everyone. That is the fact that Carol¡¯s words right now were not a joke. Toslin is always right beside Carol, and the two of them go everywhere together.

    Carol has been following after Toslin for such a long time now, but because of that, if Carol ever disappears, Toslin starts to get restless and inevitably starts looking for her. Just like Carol said, I don¡¯t think these two could stand to be separated for a long time. Their relationship is kind of like a cat and its owner.

    ¡°You look like there¡¯s something you want to say Iris.¡±

    ¡°Fue?¡±

    I just realized I was staring at Toslin. Lacking in any prudence, my white cheeks were dyed red. I really do think that Toslin is pretty, but I don¡¯t have the courage to ever tell her that.

    ¡°N-nothing in particular. Really truly.¡±

    I quickly turned my eyes away from her and blocked up my mouth with some meat. Yeah, delicious. This meat is so wonderfully succulent.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­..So? What are you going to do?¡±

    I cleared my throat to try and hide my embarrassment while hearing Toslin out.

    ¡°Going back to those rumors about Ashel, I heard he slew a one-eyed giant out in the west. If he¡¯s really coming here, even if it is a dragon, it¡¯s only a matter of time before it¡¯s defeated.¡±

    ¡°I heard that it¡¯s actually only a lesser dragon. With that being said, it¡¯d still be too strong for us to deal with.¡±

    Lesser dragons are a tinier, weaker species of dragon. Still, they have a level of strength of at least 35. For the record, Carol is level 5. Toslin is 6, and the oldest among us, Rose, is only level 7. Just as Toslin says, a party whose total level combined doesn¡¯t equal half the level of their opponent would never be able to win.

    Levels are used to measure the strength of an adventurer, and you can have yours gauged at a temple. By the way, I¡¯m simply the daughter of a bookstore owner. I am level one. That of course means I have no skill in combat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together Iris. Hey, heeeeeeey~¡±

    Carol started kicking my shin from underneath the table.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡­b, but¡­¡­¡­¡­I might just hold you back like last time¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    I mentioned before that I had gone on a few adventures with them. The last time I went, Toslin and the others undertook a request to subdue some monsters that were attacking livestock, and they brought me with them.

    But, the only thing I could do was run and hide. I really only watched as everyone else fought while being protected by Goldmund. Ah, Goldmund is an animal that Rose trained¡­¡­.but leaving that aside, even though everyone tried encouraging me and said I would grow as time went on, back then I felt like a really huge burden.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all, right? Toslin?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We didn¡¯t mind at all. We knew from the very beginning that Iris wasn¡¯t very good at fighting.¡±

    ¡°Uuu¡­¡­..¡±

    Toslin laughed like she was getting back at me for staring earlier.

    ¡°But really, Iris is a huge help whenever you come with us. None of us can hold a candle to Iris¡¯s knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Right right. If there¡¯s ever a fight, you can leave it to Toslin and Rose, so let¡¯s go together! Otherwise who is going to make my meals?¡±

    ¡°Can you think about anything other than food for once?¡±

    Toslin looked back towards me after sighing.

    ¡°But well, it is true that you are a huge help. Ah, and I don¡¯t mean like with just meals? All sorts of¡­¡­¡­.really, there are so many things you help us with¡­¡­¡­¡­.that¡¯s why¡­¡­¡­.. So if you¡¯d like¡­¡­¡­¡­I want you to come with us.¡±

    ¡°Quit acting shy Toslin and just ask her clearly!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    After being made fun of for how she was trailing off, Toslin hit Carol in the back of the head as hard as she could.

    ¡°KAaaaaaaaa! Ow¡­¡­¡­¡­..OUCH! You violent elf!¡±

    ¡°Shut up you chibi wolf!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a chibi! Even if I look like this, I¡¯m amazing when I take off!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how amazing you are, now stop your boasting and eat your meat.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll eat.¡±

    To be honest, even though I know I¡¯ll end up holding everyone back, my yearning to go on more adventures keeps pushing me back. Even a small adventure like this is something grand for a person like me who has never really left their hometown.

    ¡°R-Really though¡­¡­¡­.is it really alright¡­¡­¡­ Because I¡­¡­¡­I really can¡¯t do much¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go deciding that on your own. I already told you how much of a help you are.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s right. Iris, won¡¯t you come with us again?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go let¡¯s go! It¡¯s settled it¡¯s settled, right? It¡¯s settled then!¡±

    Carol jumped up and down with some meat hanging from her mouth.

    ¡°To start with, you¡¯re like a lucky charm whenever we¡¯re together.¡±

    Toslin grabbed the scruff of Carol¡¯s neck and forced her back into her seat.

    ¡°Hey, what the heck! But well, since Iris doesn¡¯t constantly get mad like Toslin does, it¡¯ll be nice to have you.¡±

    Carol laughed as she continued to eat her delicious-looking meat.

    ¡°Fufu. It sounds like it¡¯s decided then, don¡¯t you think Iris?¡±

    Rose whispered into my ear while giving a smile as radiant as the shining sun, and I unconsciously nodded my head. There¡¯s nobody in the world who could refuse after being asked by this kind of smile.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­.. If I can be of help¡­¡­¡­.then I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Even if I sounded nervous, at that time, my heart was beating with excitement.

 CH 2

    ¡°All right, we¡¯re going out to buy the supplies we need. You two stay here and make sure to properly prepare for the trip.¡±

    Toslin left those words before leaving together with Rose. Carol and I were left behind in our room, and we both got started on packing together. With that being said, I don¡¯t have much in terms of baggage. As long as I have a change of clothes for the trip, that¡¯s good enough for me.

    ¡°Hey, Carol. Is there anything else I should bring with?¡±

    When I asked, Carol sat down in front of the fire.

    ¡°Nn~ Not really? As long as you bring a change of clothes and your equipment, Toslin and Rose will prepare everything else.¡±

    I¡¯m just the ordinary daughter of a bookshop owner, so even if we¡¯re talking about equipment, all I have is a short sword my parents gave me for self-defense and and some old, beat-up leather armor. I have a dagger as well, but because I don¡¯t know how to use it that well, I feel like I¡¯d only be increasing my baggage by bringing it.

    ¡°You really do love that.¡±

    The words just kind of spilled out of my mouth when I saw the comb currently in Carol¡¯s hand. It¡¯s rare to find a tortoiseshell comb in a mountainous region like this, and Carol would sometimes pull hers out and carefully polish it with a clean cloth.

    ¡°Yep. Actually, this is a gift I got from Toslin. You, your hair¡¯s always getting frizzy, so make sure to comb it every day.¡±

    Carol giggled while playfully imitating the way Toslin talks.

    ¡°Toslin is always strict with appearances though. Is it because she¡¯s an elf?¡±

    ¡°Toslin is strict on everything. She¡¯s always scolding me for something.¡±

    In an act of self-awareness, a bitter smile floated across Carol¡¯s face.

    ¡°And yet, the two of you get along so well.¡±

    ¡°Eh~, you think?¡±

    ¡°I do. It¡¯s like you¡¯re sisters.¡±

    As I said so, Carol¡¯s head tilted to the side.

    ¡°Hmm. I wonder. I¡¯ve never had any sisters, so I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I have a younger sister, so I can kind of understand why Toslin is always being so mindful. Carol is like a younger sister¡­¡­¡­.Oh yeah, I could comb your hair for you if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Eh, really? Yes yes, do it do it. I love having my hair combed.¡±

    Every time I ran the comb through her hair, Carol¡¯s ears would twitch and her tail would shake. She probably doesn¡¯t even realize she¡¯s doing it, but the gesture is so cute it makes me want to hug her from behind. But there¡¯s something else I can¡¯t help but to have on my mind while I think about how cute she is. Until now, this small body has been through more hardship than I can imagine.

    ¡°Hey Iris, are you going to be working in a bookstore for now on.¡±

    Carol randomly murmured her question while staring at the fire in the stove.

    ¡°Yes, perhaps I will.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡­.. So you¡¯re not very sure yourself.¡±

    ¡°It is what the Goddess bestowed after all.¡±

    I made a weak smile as I watched the orange flames sway and shake as well. A vast majority of people get baptized in the church when they turn ten years old. At that time the Goddess reveals to you your occupation. This is the future for the majority of people, but there are those who choose not to follow it. There are some people who aren¡¯t baptized to begin with. Such people are left to discover their own path.

    ¡°Besides, I never thought about being anything else. Since long, long ago, my father, grandfather, and his grandfather, there¡¯s always been a bookshop owner from my family in that town.¡±

    ¡°Huh~. Is that so¡±

    ¡°It is. So one day, I just started assuming I would succeed the bookstore as well. My parents surely think the same way.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you hate it?¡±

    ¡°I like books, so I don¡¯t hate it. Now, turn you head forward.¡±

    Carol¡¯s hair is quite fuzzy, so in order to smooth it out, you need light strokes. Every time I comb through, a sweet smell like milk drifts up, and couple that with the warmth from the stove, I was starting to feel sleepy.

    ¡°I want to show Iris a whole bunch of things. Hey, do you know about the sea? It¡¯s so big, and the water just keeps on coming and going, coming and going, coming and going. And when you lick the water, it¡¯s really salty.¡±

    Carol took pride in her stories as she mixed in hand gestures to go along with her words. I kept quiet for the most part, only adding in a word here or there to let her know I was still listening.

    ¡°Hey, does Iris know why sea water is salty?¡±

    ¡°Long ago, back when this world was what we now call the Primal World. The sea is where the tears the Goddess shed dripped into. That was what was written in a book I read once before.¡±

    ¡°Tch, what do they know? Toslin told me it¡¯s because of all the people who are breaking a sweat while playing in the sea.¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha¡­¡­¡­..that, might be just a little disgusting¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Nn, but¡­¡­¡­it was really beautiful. Yeah¡­¡­¡­really very, beautiful.¡±

    Carol¡¯s voice was starting to trail off because of the warmth of the fireplace and the comfort of having her hair combed.

    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯d like to see it someday too.¡±

    ¡°Right. Then at that time¡­¡­¡­I can guide you¡­¡­¡­ We¡¯ll go south¡­¡­.. Toslin and Rose will come¡­¡­¡­..and Iris will¡­¡­¡­¡­.right?¡±

    Carol started leaning into me as her body lost power. I held Carol from behind and started stroking her hair. And soon enough, all I could hear was Carol¡¯s slow, leveled breath.

    ?

    The next day, we left the Shining Hen with the late morning sunrise. We placed our baggage onto a wagon which we attached to a reliable horse-like animal called a dolinp. This child here was Goldmund who I mentioned before.

    Dolinp¡¯s are different from horses in that they¡¯re covered in snugly hair similar to a goat, and they have thicker, sturdier limbs. They also carry some splendidly large antlers. Dolinps are a wonderful all-purpose animal that can not only be used to pull wagons, but also have its hair trimmed for yarn. Cheese made from their milk is also popular and well known for being delicious, but we unfortunately can¡¯t make any from Goldmund since he is a boy.

    ¡°It¡¯s great that we have some nice weather.¡±

    After great pains, we started down a relatively less snowy road and departed from the town of Rifront. In most spots the snow reached up to our waists. However as long as we stick to the highway, we should have significantly less trouble because of how packed down the snow has become from other people walking on it.

    ¡°That¡¯s so. This too must be thanks to the Goddess¡¯s benevolence.¡±

    Rose looked up towards the blue sky while walking with Goldmund¡¯s reins. Unlike back at the inn, Rose was now wearing some leather armor over top a robe knitted from dolinp hair (most likely knitted from yarn made out of Goldmund¡¯s shaved off fur) which has high anti-blade resistance¡­¡­¡­¡­..and finally there was an iron breast plate that really made her look like a warrior priestess.

    She also had a heavy spiked mace hanging from her waist and was carrying a large circular shield on her back. By the way I once tried carrying her mace, but it took all of the strength in my arms just to lift it. I remember then watching as Rose swung that heavy thing with one hand and realized I was looking at a real adventurer right then.

    ¡°Aaaaah~, I wanted to see the dragon¡±

    Walking next to Rose, Carol was mumbling about her disappointment. Carol¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t much different from what it was back at the inn. The differences would be the two daggers visibly resting at her hips and the dark leather armor she was wearing. She also had on a black skirt, black spats, and a worn out dark green cloak. The colors are meant to help blend into the darkness of the night, but they really stand out in this world of white we are in right now.

    ¡°You¡¯re still saying that? Is that the only thing you can say now?¡±

    Toslin called up from her spot in the back, watching the wagon to make sure nothing fell out. Today Toslin is wearing thick silver plate armor with a huge two-handed long sword strapped to her back. It looks a little unusual since elves normally prefer more light-weight equipment, but it seems like that sword and armor are something passed down from her ancestors so it must have something to do with her family. Although the idea is the same, it is a type of inheritance very different from my own.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    Speaking about myself, I¡¯m carrying my simple short sword you can buy anywhere at the small of my back, and I¡¯ve coated my leather armor in the scales of a snow snake to increase fire resistance. I had a strong, thick skirt that was covering most of the lower half of my body. It¡¯s too cold for just that though, so I put on some knee-high socks. I¡¯m also wearing wool underwear, but that¡¯s a secret. I have my rucksack and leather boots as well which are something I always wear during the winter. Right now I¡¯m walking beside Toslin.

    ¡°The neighboring village, Relton. Well, even if we call it a neighbor, you¡¯d have to camp out twice before getting there with all this snow. But we¡¯re putting a rush on this job, so we should only have to stay the one. We just keep following this road east, then turn north at the first fork¡­¡­¡­..I wonder¡±

    Toslin looked down at her map. The road extending east from Rifront is the beginning of the so-called highway, and it extends all the way to Osnell. The legend goes that this was the route the Hero Ranroot led his allies down in order to defeat the Primordial King Osnell during the Illyarian War a thousand years ago.

    Right now we are following the same path that a great hero once took, but whereas he was off to slay a dragon, we are¡­¡­¡­¡­..um, what are we going to do?

    ¡°Hey, Toslin. I know this might be a bad question, but what¡¯s our job?¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, I explained this before we went to bed yesterday. Are we getting another Carol?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that supposed to mean¡±

    Carol turned around to protest, but it might as well have been an inconsequential breeze for Toslin.

    ¡°Relton village specializes in producing drowsy shrooms, but the delivery date¡¯s passed and the goods haven¡¯t come in. So our job this time is to head to Relton and see what¡¯s going on.¡±

    Rose gave me a detailed explanation as I was left slightly troubled with the reaction I got.

    ¡°Well, this is an easy job, and if it wasn¡¯t for all the snow, there¡¯d be no reason to ask us. So let¡¯s get it done quick and head back.¡±

    I see. So that¡¯s it. Drowsy shrooms are a type of mushroom you can find around this area, and the spores apparently have some kind of hypnotic effect. They¡¯re used mainly for medicine when processed, but this can only be done during the arid winter.

    All of the medicine that is to be used over the year has to be made in this two to three month period. Given that fact, I would think our work here would be really important. Toslin is sighing over how easy our job is here, but my heart is pounding.

    Here it is. We might not be facing a dragon, but we are still performing an important job as adventurers with no way of knowing what we¡¯ll face. I¡¯m going to step foot into unfamiliar territory where everything I see will be beautifully shining.

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡­..¡±

    I turned my gaze to our wagon. The wheels were making a heavy rattling noise as they passed over a rut in the road. Goldmund is managing to pull a few days worth of our luggage by himself. I¡¯m surprised how strong he is.

    ¡°Rose¡¯s home must be amazing. They let you bring such an amazing child like this with you.¡±

    Rose had entered a monastery before going off on a journey like this, but before that she was apparently a noble lady whose family owned land farther north of here.

    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not the case. I¡¯ve raised this child ever since I was young, and I brought him with me when I left my home for the monastery.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Really? You never mentioned that before¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin was astonished and looked over at Rose. Carol and I blinked in surprise and waited for what Rose would say next.

    ¡°That¡¯s because nobody ever asked me before. But, I believe Goldmund is very pleased with how things turned out. Right?¡±

    As Rose stroked his head, Goldmund whinnied and nodded.

    ¡°You, are really okay with that? Well, I suppose he does belong to you, so you won¡¯t get arrested.¡±

    For just an instant after Toslin¡¯s question, Rose¡¯s smile clouded over in a way that made me think of early spring.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­..but I¡¯m sure for the people in that house it was a good thing to have him gone, and as a child I was only allowed to keep him as a pet after I promised to take care of him myself. So there was never really a choice to leave him behind¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Rose¡¯s sweet smile returned when she was done. Toslin wiped the end of her nose.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­.things have been hard for you¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°No no, I¡¯m actually quite blessed. By entering the monastery, I was able to come by many things that would have been difficult otherwise, and most important of all, I was allowed to meet all of you. I think, this is something I could have never gotten for myself even if I had stayed in that mansion and kept all my wealth.¡±

    ¡°Is, is that so? It¡¯s fine if that¡¯s how it is then¡­¡­¡­ But to be able to say all that without getting embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Toslin is quite pitiful too right? You¡¯re the only one in your family who can¡¯t use any magic at all, so now you¡¯re on a journey like this. If it wasn¡¯t like that, wouldn¡¯t you be a knight back in your home country right now?¡±

    ¡°Hoh, so Toslin comes from a knight¡¯s lineage.¡±

    This topic had come up several times before, but this was the first time I was hearing this part of it. Is that why she has such a splendid sword and armor?

    ¡°Ah~ well¡­¡­¡­.. More or less, it¡¯s a pretty ancient lineage.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it was only a matter of time before a weirdo like Toslin was born.¡±

    The back of Carol¡¯s head got beamed by a snowball Toslin threw.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a weirdo. I might not have any magic that my family is centered around, but I have a strong body to make up for it.¡±

    ¡°Ouch ouch. But you get what I mean. The loneliness from being the only one who is different. Now come, jump into my breasts and cry as much as you want.¡±

    Carol spun around and held out her arms to accept Toslin, but what she got instead was an oversized snowball right to the face.

    ¡°But hey. I don¡¯t think there are any breasts there for me to jump in to.¡±

    ¡°What was that!? There are, and they¡¯re getting bigger every day.¡±

    Carol threw her own snowball towards the back of the wagon. However, that amount of snow wasn¡¯t any problem at all for the Toslin wearing full plate armor. On the other hand, Toslin was able to throw as many snowballs as she wanted, and on this narrow road, Carol got hit by every single one of them until she was bent over backwards.

    ¡°Wai¡­¡­¡­..ho, wai¡­¡­¡­..I surrender, I give up¡­¡­¡­..pua, wai¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Finally Carol was driven off the highway, and after falling into the deep snow around, Toslin covered her in snow.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come back to pick you up once spring starts, so just hibernate there until then.¡±

    ¡°Wha, am I supposed to be a flower here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll measure how long Carol¡¯s tail has grown once spring is here. Hopefully it will grow better than Iris?¡±

    Toslin looked at me as she joked.

    ¡°Wha, what are you so suddenly saying? Compared to Toslin I¡­¡­¡­¡­..don¡¯t have any¡±

    ¡°Oh, what don¡¯t you have? If I have some extra on hand, I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing some with you¡­¡­.¡±

    Walking ahead of us, Rose turned back and said that to me with a carefree expression, and Carol started laughing while clutching her stomach.

    ¡°AHAHA, Rose that¡­¡­¡­.great, that¡¯s great! Iris, you should definitely accept. Ahaha!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Iris, what is it you are missing? Please feel free to confide in me¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°That, it, it¡¯s fine, really. I¡¯m fine with what I have, huh? No, I¡¯m not satisfied, but, that doesn¡¯t mean¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Quit hesitating and just go for it! Nfufu, Ahahaha!¡±

    Carol burst out into a fit of laughter while rolling around in the snow. Most of our day from now on was probably going to be filled with Carol¡¯s bright laughter.

    ¡°Look¡­¡­¡­.I don¡¯t really care or anything, but¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin turned a pitiful gaze towards Carol and sighed.

    ¡°Carol is the one missing the most here. In that place, do you understand?¡±

    At that time, it should go without saying that Carol¡¯s laughter stopped right there.

    ?

    After about three hours had passed since we started on our way, a fork appeared in the road going north or east. Toslin checked the map and compared it to our current location.

    ¡°Yes. This way is definitely north.¡±

    ¡°Which way which way? Toslin¡¯s words can¡¯t be trusted.¡±

    Carol walked to the back of the wagon and stood next to Toslin.

    ¡°What was that? You¡¯re usually terrible with directions. Even though you¡¯re a thief.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, but I¡¯m better than Toslin.¡±

    The Toslin and Carol duo just had one major weakness, and that was the fact that they weren¡¯t very good at reading maps. After all the entire reason why they both came to Rifront was because they were lost.

    ¡°N-Noisy, shut up. It¡¯ll be fine if Iris takes a look.¡±

    Toslin seems to be self-conscious about her issues with directions and can¡¯t fight Carol on the point too strongly.

    ¡°Ummm, this is, yes¡­¡­¡­..the map definitely shows a big rock causing the road to change¡­¡­¡­but, this way¡¯s north.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡­¡­? Eh, really?¡±

    Toslin looked at me and then back to the map again and again. There was clear laughter in Carol¡¯s eyes as she watched the face Toslin started to make.

    ¡°Toslin¡­¡­¡­you¡¯ve never gotten east and north mixed up before right? Right? I know I¡¯ve never gotten that wrong before.¡±

    Carol was about to burst out into laughter any moment now.

    ¡°Ku¡­¡­¡­.this girl¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin hung her head as it slowly grew into a bright crimson.

    ¡°H, Here. We know the way, so shouldn¡¯t we hurry ahead? It¡¯s stopped snowing, and we have to find a place to camp tonight while the weather¡¯s good¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going then? Which road are we following?¡±

    Rose called back from the front where she had stopped Goldmund from moving while holding onto his reins.

    ¡°Ah, please head to the left.¡±

    At my word, Rose led Goldmund down the northern road. Once again our heavy wagon began to move. The road extending north was slightly narrower than the one going east, but a bigger problem was how much fluffier the snow was. This alone proves there haven¡¯t been any carriages coming through here lately.

    ¡°Hey hey, Toslin? Where was Toslin trying to go? Perhaps you wanted to go to Osnell? Hey but, what were you going to do in the capitol? Is that where our job is?¡±

    Just like that Carol kept frolicking around in a circle acting as if she had seized a demon by its neck¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Knock it off!¡±

    *BAM* until Toslin¡¯s fist was brought down hard on Carol¡¯s crown.

    ¡°KYAaaaaaaa! That hurt, Owwwwwwwwwwww!¡±

    Carol did a somersault through the air and crouched down in the snow.

    ¡°Now stop playing and get walking. We have to get to Relton by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°S, Seriously, stupid Toslin! Violence is wrong!¡±

    Toslin making a mistake and Carol poking fun at her for it¡­¡­¡­¡­. A scene I¡¯ve seen dozens of times over the last six months is now once again unfolding in front of me.

    ¡°Say something to her Iris! Toslin¡¯s awful¡±

    Recently she¡¯s been trying to get me involved, but more often than not Carol isn¡¯t very sympathetic.

    ¡°Mm, yeah. Now let¡¯s stand up and walk.¡±

    ¡°Iris too! Awful, stupid Iris!¡±

    Leaving behind that sharp parting remark, the only person she had left to go to was Rose. And once Rose heard that Toslin and I were bullying her, she replied¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    And since she knows how to handle Carol so well, she then pulled out a piece of candy and handed it over to her.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! Wow, this is delicious.¡±

    All of the anger that had been built up quickly melts away, and Carol¡¯s head is filled with only the sweetness of her candy¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°Wait! I¡¯m not the same Carotayle who is going to do a dance for one piece of candy! Until something is done about Toslin¡¯s tyranny, I¡¯m not moving from this spot!¡±

    That¡¯s how it was supposed to be, but it looks like Carol is learning.

    ¡°That¡¯s troubling. I thought we¡¯d have lunch after we walked a little longer, but¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eh, food? Ah, walking? How much is a little longer? Hey hey, how much?¡±

    But she¡¯s still a child. While tugging on Rose¡¯s sleeve, Carol was once again making merry.

    ¡°That should do. Let¡¯s keep going until we can see the forest¡¯s entrance and then take a break.¡±

    Rose pointed her finger forward, and Carol turned back towards us with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go let¡¯s go, what are you waiting for! The faster we walk, the faster we eat!¡±

    ¡°Yes yes. You don¡¯t have to tell me what I already know.¡±

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s make some sandwiches together for lunch today.¡±

    Toslin and I watched Carol go, and we laughed. Carol was in high-spirits and was now energetically running through the snow.

    ?

    However, the lunch Carol was looking forward to would have to be postponed.

    ¡°Hold on for a moment Rose.¡±

    Having jumped ahead of us in order to arrive at the forest all the quicker, Carol suddenly stopped in her tracks, pausing for a second before running back to us. This forest is called the Swansea Forest, a place where dense greenery grows even during the winter. The farther you delve in, the more the sun gets blocked by the forest ceiling and the darker it gets. That¡¯s how it got its second name, the Pitch Black Forest. Locals carry lamps into the forest even during the daytime¡­¡­¡­.at least that was what was written in the book Safe Travel Near Osnell that I borrowed from the library.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Carol?¡±

    When Rose stopped Goldmund, she suddenly had an index finger put over her lips.

    ¡°Shh, keep quiet. Do you hear something?¡±

    We all started listening when Carol asked. However the only noise I could hear was the sound of the wind brushing past the forest leaves. The snow is absorbing any other noise. I glanced over to Toslin next to me, but she looked like she didn¡¯t hear anything either.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hearing anything.¡±

    At Toslin¡¯s answer, Carol threw her gaze back into the forest, her ears twitching ever-so slightly.

    ¡°There¡¯s something there. People, but no there are too many of them. I wonder¡­¡­¡­.I¡¯m positive they¡¯re running on two legs¡­¡­¡­ There¡¯s a lot of them though, and they don¡¯t weigh much¡­¡­¡­.except for one that is really heavy. There¡¯s something else, it¡¯s¡­¡­¡­.a person¡¯s voice?¡±

    ¡°A person? What do you mean?¡±

    When I asked, Carol placed her hands behind her ears.

    ¡°Just a minute¡­..um, heh¡­¡­..heh¡­¡­..? Heh, they keep repeating the same thing over and over. Heh¡­¡­¡­..heh, me¡­¡­¡­¡­help me, I think?¡±

    ¡°Help me!?¡±

    We all raised a hysteric voice together. Is there someone in the forest asking for help? Maybe they¡¯re being attacked by monsters?

    ¡°Then we go. Goldmund, follow me¡±

    Rose tried to charge forward with her spiked mace in hand.

    ¡°Just wait Rose¡±

    Carol stopped Rose before she could go. When something like this happens, Carol¡¯s expression always becomes terribly calm. She¡¯s staring at the forest with a cool look on her face, completely unlike her usual childishness.

    ¡°But¡±

    On the other hand, Rose always tries taking the initiative and jumping straight into battle. Her usual prudent, caring expression changes into something tougher and more daring. A strong sense of piety and justice causes her to act before she thinks.

    ¡°Now now, we¡¯re not going to be able to save anyone if we recklessly charge into a place where we can¡¯t see anything. So Carol, do you know where?¡±

    Toslin spoke up, acting as if you had added Carol and Rose together and then divided them by two. Pinning down Rose¡¯s urge to immediately run off, she worked to figure out what exactly was going on.

    ¡°I, I I, I should¡­¡­..¡±

    I can¡¯t be the only one standing by myself, clinging to Goldmund¡¯s warm fur.

    ¡°So they¡¯re there. With Goldmund we¡­¡­¡­¡­hm, ah¡­¡­¡­..it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ll have to do anything.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s long ears twitched. I still can¡¯t make anything out, but it seems like Toslin is starting to hear the same things as Carol.

    ¡°What is going on? I still cannot hear anything. Is somebody still asking for help or are they safe?¡±

    ¡°Mm, they¡¯re safe they¡¯re safe. They¡¯re heading right for us at a tremendous speed.¡±

    ¡°Hm, are they really human? So fast¡­¡­¡­¡­.they¡¯re coming right at Rose! From the left!¡±

    Suddenly I was able to hear a person screaming from the direction Toslin was pointing at.

    ¡°He, HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! These, goddamn idiots! What did I ever do to you!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a human! Eh, what is, a fairy?¡±

    I stood and stared when I heard Toslin¡¯s words. I can¡¯t be sure because they¡¯re still so far away, but I¡¯m positive they aren¡¯t human. They¡¯re much too small to be a person. They were also flying above the snow using the wings on their back.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing a fairy at this time of the day¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    As they got closer, I started being able to make out more details about what was coming over here. Emerald hair and wheat colored skin. She was wearing a bright green dress with frills looking almost like her body was wrapped in an assortment of tied together leaves. I never saw one in my hometown, but sometimes I¡¯d catch a glimpse while I was in Rifront. From a distance I had watched as they did a group dance over a frozen spring. This is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard a fairy¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Idiots, you¡¯re so stuuuuuuuupid! I¡¯m seriously going to beat you to death! I¡¯ll beat you to death and use your corpses as compost!¡±

    But, it¡¯s mouth is far worse than what I had imagined it to be. The ones in the book I read had a much more civil tone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Rose, Carol!¡±

    Toslin shouted while drawing the long sword from her back. Afterwards, tons and tons of little black things appeared from behind the fairy. What are they¡­¡­¡­.they¡¯re shaped like people¡­¡­¡­..and they¡¯re certainly running on two legs, but they aren¡¯t human¡­¡­¡­these are¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Goblins!¡±

    I hugged Goldmund and screamed.

 CH 3

    ¡°You stay here! Absolutely do not move!¡±

    Even if Toslin hadn¡¯t told me to, that¡¯s the only thing I can do. Goblins carrying hand-to-hand weapons were coming right for us, each of them with greenish grey skin and wearing a dirty looking hide jacket. I counted more than ten of them at a glance. I¡¯ve seen them several times before now, but even so, that doesn¡¯t make them any less scary.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m saved!¡±

    The fairy whizzed through the air, hiding behind Goldmund¡¯s back. When our eyes met and she found me doing the same, the fairy clicked her tongue and snapped.

    ¡°You, what are you doing!? Get out there and fight!¡±

    The sparkle in my eyes and the excited pounding in my chest at getting to see a rarely viewed fairy up close cooled down all at once. This person, has a really foul mouth.

    ¡°That, saying something like that all of a sudden, I can¡¯t fight!¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Is that magic power of yours just there for decoration!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! It¡¯s a decoration, something wrong with that?¡±

    In truth, I was born with some magical ability. A distant, distant ancestor of mine seems to have been a magician, and a neighborhood magician grandpa told me I had inherited some of that power. But that power is pretty paltry and not very useful for fighting.

    ¡°I guess there is something wrong with that! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m sticking my chest out and boasting about it!¡±

    How happy would I be if I could use this magical power to help everyone, even a little? But, the reality is that a match makes a larger flame than I do.

    ¡°You two are noisy! If you don¡¯t want to die, pay attention to your surroundings!¡±

    When I heard Toslin¡¯s angry yell, I turned my attention back towards them. Toslin and Rose were currently facing off against some of the goblins that were still trying chase the fairy. Toslin¡¯s long sword sliced through the wind, tearing through one goblin¡¯s torso. Blood gushed out and soared through the air, dying the nearby white snow red. The goblin never took another breath.

    ¡°Goddess, purify these corrupt sinners!¡±

    Rose used her large shield to block a goblin¡¯s rusty dagger before slamming her heavy mace down onto its head. I could hear a disgusting squelching noise even from where I hid, and the goblin ended up buried under the snow at Rose¡¯s feet. That goblin never stood back up.

    ¡°Yosh, two nice big people here! Oi pipsqueak! You, you there! The black and white pipsqueak!¡±

    This time the fairy was angrily yelling at Carol. How does she have such a loud voice even though her entire body is only the size of my head?

    ¡°What, I¡¯m busy right now, so don¡¯t talk to me¡±

    Carol responded back a little angry, probably upset because she¡¯s being called a pipsqueak. Right now Carol was hanging back in the wagon, checking the bowstring for the bow she had in hand.

    ¡°What! Quit doing whatever it is you¡¯re doing and just shoot them with it!¡±

    After plucking the bowstring a few more time, Carol nocked an arrow and drew it back.

    ¡°I¡¯d do it even if you didn¡¯t say anything. You¡¯re noisy. It¡¯s like there are two Toslins now.

    ¡°Hey! I heard that!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s voice cut through the clamor of battle after Carol¡¯s senseless jab, immediately followed by a dry snap as the arrow was let loose.

    ¡°Gigi!¡±

    The arrow hit a goblin in the center of its chest, piercing through as if it were being sucked in, and fell to the ground along with the goblin¡¯s lifeless corpse.

    ¡°Bullseye~ So, let¡¯s shoot off a bunch more. Toslin and Rose, watch out behind you.¡±

    ¡°You just watch where you¡¯re shooting!¡±

    While Toslin was fighting in the thick of it, Carol shot off two more arrows in succession, one of which bore itself into a goblin¡¯s head. Rose had already killed five goblins, and Toslin had cleared away almost the same number. As for me, I¡¯ve spent this whole time quivering while hanging on to Goldmund¡¯s warm fur.

    ¡°Ah, shi¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Carol, we missed one!¡±

    However at that time, Toslin turned around while looking like she wanted to swear, and Rose¡¯s voice cut through. Carol had already noticed it as well though, and her bow was already drawn.

    ¡°I see it¡±

    The snap of the bowstring rang out, and the arrow flew forward.

    ¡°Uh, um¡­¡­¡­¡­.Hol, Hold ooooooooooooon!¡±

    But, the arrow narrowly went past the goblin¡¯s body and buried itself in the snow. That means, the goblin is completely unharmed and running right here¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Um, huh? That¡¯s weird¡±

    I could hear Carol¡¯s innocently confused voice behind me, but I only had the time to do one thing. Panic.

    ¡°Kya, KYAaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    I completely forgot to draw the short sword at my back and just clung to Goldmund while screaming. During that time, the goblin continued to rush towards me, the dagger in its hand shining from the light of the sun. Run away, I have to run away, but to where? Where do I run to?

    ¡°Goldmund!¡±

    Rose¡¯s sharp voice flew through the air.

    ¡°Eh!? Wai, hol¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Immediately after that. Goldmund moved his large body and stood over me. With the fine tipped horns jutting from his head, he bent down, scooping up the goblin¡¯s body, and tossed it through air.

    ¡°GUOOoooooooooooooo!¡±

    The air trembled under the normally docile Goldmund¡¯s roar. The volume of his bellow greatly overtook that of the nagging fairy, intimidating the remaining goblins and freezing them in their tracks. There was a wet, dull thud as the thrown goblin landed on its head into the snow and stopped moving.

    ¡°Good job Goldmund! Rose, let¡¯s clear the rest of these guys up all at once!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s. Goddess, grant us your divine protection¡±

    After a few more minutes had passed, Toslin and Rose managed to clean up the rest of the goblins. In the end, the few goblins left alive scattered and ran away in a bunch of different directions. I devoted my time during all of this to clinging onto Goldmund.

    ¡°You performed admirably Goldmund¡±

    Rose walked over and started petting Goldmund¡¯s head. Probably overjoyed to be praised by his master, Goldmund took a step forward, brushing his face against Rose¡¯s.

    ¡°Good job. As expected of the only boy here.¡±

    Carol jumped up on Goldmund¡¯s back and she started patting his head too. I crumpled down into the snow after losing all the strength in my legs, not caring that my butt was getting wet.

    ¡°Haa, I was so scared¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Goldmund swung his head around when he heard me sigh like that and started licking my face. He¡¯s such a brave child with clear, honest eyes. He¡¯s level 9, the highest level among us, so it shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise to me that he isn¡¯t scared of a goblin at all. It¡¯s because he is always with me that I can come out with everyone else like this.

    ¡°Aha, thank you Goldmund.¡±

    We might not be able to speak to one another, but he still thinks of me as a friend. This fact, makes me extremely happy. So in return, I gave Goldmund a kiss on the cheek.

    ¡°Now then, we saved you just like you asked. Miss Fairy.¡±

    Toslin joined us while wiping the blood off of her long sword. At her words, all of our eyes turned to the fairy who was still hiding in Goldmund¡¯s long hair.

    ¡°Well, I never asked for you guys specifically to save me. Don¡¯t misunderstand here.¡±

    The fairy finally popped her head out of Goldmund¡¯s hair when she judged that the danger had finally passed, and she floated over in front of us using the wings on her back. We all exchanged a glance, realizing once again just how bad of a mouth this fairy had on her.

    ¡°But well, I guess your actions did eventually turn out good for me, but since I never actually asked you guys for help, I don¡¯t feel like I need to say thanks or anything.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s with that? You¡¯re a forest fairy aren¡¯t you? What are you acting like this for? Is it fine for you to even leave the forest?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Hold on you¡¯re an elf? You were waving around such a stupidly ginormous sword I thought for sure you were an orc. But this is perfect then. Bring me to the Goddess.¡±

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    Toslin gave an immediate response. I could feel a dangerous glow coming from behind her narrowed eyelids. The Goddess Illya resides in the Castle of Silence, north of Osnell. For the Goddess who enjoys peace and stillness above all else, not even the wind flows freely there. It is a sanctuary where only a chosen few could come and go.

    ¡°Ah? What¡¯s that!? Aren¡¯t elves supposed to friends to fairies!?¡±

    ¡°Supposedly, but you piss me off. If you need to go, go alone. We have a job to do.¡±

    Toslin said as much before turning her back on the fairy. Elves love nature, so they apparently have a strong bond with fairies who live so close to nature.

    ¡°It¡¯s no good, none at all. Toslin might look like this, but she has really high pride, so she¡¯s going to get really irritated if you call her something like an orc.¡±

    The laughing Carol suddenly had a snowball coming her way. Truly, she needs to learn when it¡¯s best to stay quiet.

    ¡°So then, how did you end up being chased by a pack of goblins?¡±

    The fairy frowned a little when she heard Rose¡¯s question.

    ¡°I have no idea. I just left my village for a bit on an errand, and they were there when I came back. All my friends were gone already, and these things started chasing me.¡±

    ¡°Goblins in a fairy village? But nothing should be able to invade your village, not even us humans.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they really shouldn¡¯t have been there. Our village¡¯s magic should¡¯ve kept out any goblins. But there are people who have figured out how to undo that magic.¡±

    ¡°Undo it? Who would¡­¡­¡­.for what purpose?¡±

    The fairy¡¯s eyes turned towards Toslin.

    ¡°A dark elf. A living ghost tied to the past even after a thousand years.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just as I expected then. Really, what a nuisance.¡±

    Dark elves¡­¡­¡­¡­ They were one of the races that turned their blades against the Goddess a thousand years ago. Even now they plan to resurrect the Primordial King Osnell, putting them in direct opposition to people like Rose and the church who have pledged themselves to the Goddess.

    ¡°Anyone who would needlessly disturb order must meet with an appropriate punishment. Where are they now?¡±

    Knowing that somebody you would call a heretic was nearby, Rose¡¯s normally cheerful smile faded and her eyes turned grim.

    ¡°Hold on Rose. We don¡¯t have to mind these guys¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Toslin. I do have to mind. The person or persons responsible for this have committed evil, and they will assuredly do so again. Miss Fairy, would you please guide me to your village?¡±

    ¡°Ha, huuuuuuuh!? You¡¯re joking. After all that effort in running away, why would I¡­¡­¡­¡±

    The fairy plainly refused. However, Rose shook her head not having it.

    ¡°Please. I need your power. Haven¡¯t you also pledged an oath to the Goddess Illya? If so, then you should be familiar with the injustice of allowing evil to fester.¡±

    Subjected to Rose¡¯s powerful gaze, the fairy made an uncomfortable groan.

    ¡°Aaah! This is why priests are so! Fine, I¡¯ll bring you near the village! But I¡¯m running away as soon as I bring you that far!¡±

    Rose gave the fairy a sweet smile as the fairy¡¯s frilly skirt rocked and shook as she spoke.

    ¡°Ah, really¡­¡­¡­.don¡¯t go deciding this on your own. We¡¯ve got work¡­¡­..¡±

    As Toslin¡¯s laments drifted off into the sky, Carol¨Cwho had been completely silent until now¨Copened her mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, there¡¯s something else we have to deal with first.¡±

    Carol¡¯s words made Toslin frown.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Everyone, aren¡¯t you forgetting something? I already told you before there were a lot of light footsteps.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­..speaking of which¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I recalled what Carol had said a short while ago. That¡¯s right. Carol really did say that. There were a bunch of light footsteps and¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..one set of¡­¡­¡­heavy footsteps.¡±

    Toslin and Rose exchanged a look at my murmur. Carol kept her eyes locked on the forest where the goblins had come from, and the fairy once again hid herself in Goldmund¡¯s hair.

    ¡°H, Hear it¡­¡­.I can hear it too!¡±

    *BOOM*¡­¡­..*BOOM*¡­¡­.The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from within the forest. Whole trees were trembling and the snow clinging to their branches plummeted to the ground. And then, it appeared. Something huge peeked out from behind a tree.

    ¡°W-What is¡­¡­..a golem? What¡¯s something like that doing in a place like this!?¡±

    A monster with a body several times larger than a goblin. Its arms were as thick as logs, and its body was nearly three times my height. The entire golem was white because it was covered in snow, no¡­¡­¡­.this golem wasn¡¯t covered in snow, it¡¯s body was made from it.

    ¡°And it¡¯s a snow golem too!? Thankfully it¡¯s not ice but¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding¡­¡­¡­ Are you saying we have to fight this guy?¡±

    Generally, golems are monster made from inorganic matter that at one point gained temporary life. They say that golems are at least level 10, but a snow golem exceeds even that at level 12. From the time they are created, snow golems are always slowly evolving into a level 15 monster called an ice golem. That¡¯s what was recorded in Ranroot¡¯s Adventures: Chapter 3 at least.

    So in other words, the opponent is a famous golem straight out of a fairy tale that a goblin can¡¯t even compare to. I think we have to make a plan for what to do, but since we¡¯re sitting here on the highway, it doesn¡¯t look like we have any choice other than to fight it.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for it. I¡¯ll draw the enemy¡¯s attention, so Toslin and Carol should use that opening to retreat.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! You¡¯d never be able to escape! Carol, Iris, you two take Goldmund and head back first!¡±

    ¡°R-Right. I understand.¡±

    It¡¯s pathetic, but at times like this, all I can do is nod my head.

    ¡°Huuuuh!? What are you saying!? You guys get out there and fight! Aren¡¯t you warriors!?¡±

    The fairy¡¯s head suddenly popped out of Goldmund¡¯s fur, and she started shaking her fist.

    ¡°Noisy! Can¡¯t you be quiet? Then Rose and I will hold him off. Sorry to stick you with the role that sucks.¡±

    ¡°No, if you think about it carefully, this is the right decision. For the sake of our mission, we cannot sacrifice Iris.¡±

    The entire time we were making our plans, we could hear the earth trembling with each step the golem took towards us. Having already noticed us, the golem raised its arms high into the air and let out a roar cry that sounded something like a broken instrument. Goldmund didn¡¯t want to be separated from his master Rose, but I pulled on his reigns and desperately tried getting him back down the way we came. But standing perfectly still beside me was Carol who just kept staring coldly at the fairy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, but isn¡¯t that guy aiming for us because he¡¯s following you?¡±

    ¡°Huh? O, Oi? Wai, sto¡­¡­¡­stay away, oi¡­¡­¡­..oi let go!¡±

    Carol¡¯s hand wrapped around the fairy¡¯s body. The fairy desperately tried holding on to Goldmund¡¯s hair, but no matter how small Carol is, she¡¯d never lose to a tiny little fairy.

    ¡°You, what do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m going to give that thing what it wants.¡±

    Carol just calmly came out and said it, but the rest of us didn¡¯t know what to say in response.

    ¡°Wha, dumbass! What¡¯s going to happen to me if you do that!? Somebody sock this wolf woman! Oi, wai, seriously! Quit it! Oi orc woman! Don¡¯t just stand there and watch! Stop her!¡±

    ¡°Alright great. Let¡¯s do this. You have my approval.¡±

    A vein popped on Toslin¡¯s beautiful forehead, and she moved her thumb across her neck as if we were about to behead her.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s all okay. One~¡­¡­¡­¡­.Two~¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. You¡¯re followers of the Goddess!¡±

    ¡°THREE~!¡±

    Before I could stop her, Carol chucked the fairy as hard as she could.

    ¡°GYAAAAaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    The thrown fairy drew a beautiful parabola through the air in the wrong direction and landed in some snow.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve already run this far, so it¡¯s fine if you just run a little more.¡±

    As Carol clapped her hands together after a job well done and said that much with a nod, the golem really did change course and kept chasing the fairy.

    ¡°Nice, way to go Carol! Right now is the only time I will praise you! Excellent, truly admirable!¡±

    Toslin was rejoicing while happily patting Carol¡¯s head, but Rose and I couldn¡¯t help to feel like we just did something really wrong.

    ¡°Was that, really okay¡­¡­¡­..really¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°W-Well¡­¡­..what could we do¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Our gazes all fixed on the golem¡¯s withdrawing back as it left the highway and headed west. Even though she¡¯s so tiny we can¡¯t see her anymore, I¡¯m sure the fairy is desperately flying away in front of it.

    ¡°I was just thinking, but that girl¡­¡­..she can fly, so why doesn¡¯t she just move upwards into the air?¡±

    Toslin¡¯s whisper reached all of our ears.

    ¡°Ah~¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    We all simultaneously looked towards the clouds and nodded.

 CH 4

    Shortly after entering the Swansea Forest, we found a rocky where we could set up a fire. Unlike the highway outside, the forest bed had very little snow because of just how thick the tree canopy was. The fact that the Swansea Forest¡¯s leaves can hold back the weight of the falling snow even during the middle of winter only proves that the stories I read about this place weren¡¯t exaggerations.

    ¡°Ah~, I¡¯m completely soaked.¡±

    Everyone else gathered around the fire, hanging our wet mittens on some nearby branches to dry. As for me, I was grabbing some ingredients from the back of the wagon to make lunch. I always keep our food in a hemp bag, but this season really helps to keep the food from rotting.

    ¡°Ah~, I¡¯m saved¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin nodded happily while holding her hands close to the flame.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry already. Iris, make it quick.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes. Wait just a moment.¡±

    I used a medium sized rock Toslin had prepared for me as a chair-substitute and set my portable cutting board across my lap. Charlie gave me some bread before we left, so I can easily make up some sandwiches after chopping up the vegetables and slicing off portions of our smoked barbato. But that wouldn¡¯t be very satisfying, so I spread out a mixture of lemon juice and mayonnaise on the bread as well.

    ¡°Nevertheless, it truly is dark in this forest. It¡¯s feels like twilight has already come¡­¡­¡­.the villagers would have to carry torches with them during the middle of the day even.

    I took a good look around us at Rose¡¯s words. It is probably just a little after noon, so the sun would be at its peak. Here and there you would find a pillar of light that managed to cut through the dense foliage, and you would see the blue sky up above. But if this were the middle of the night, then everything here would be covered in inky darkness.

    ¡°By the way, that fairy before said something about Iris having magic didn¡¯t she?¡±

    Carol sat down next to me on the rock, lightly swinging her legs back and forth.

    ¡°Ah, she did say something like that, but I didn¡¯t hear it that well. Rose?¡±

    ¡°Umm, I was absorbed in our battle, so I don¡¯t remember that well.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gazes inevitably fell on me. I did my best to ignore them pretending I was too wrapped up in sandwich preparations to have heard them, but the weight of everyone¡¯s eyes boring into me is too much for me to bear.

    ¡°Actually¡­¡­¡­it¡¯s just a little¡­¡­..but magic power¡­¡­¡­¡­I have some. But it really is just a tiny little bit!¡±

    I unconsciously looked over at Toslin. Isn¡¯t it going to sound like I¡¯m being a little sarcastic towards her since she doesn¡¯t have any magic? This is bad, really bad.

    ¡°Hoh, that¡¯s not a bad thing. Why were you keeping quiet about it? Even having a small amount can be called a magnificent talent.¡±

    But, Toslin looked so happy as if the news was about her. I¡¯m, starting to get a little embarrassed now.

    ¡°It is, especially when there¡¯s somebody nearby who doesn¡¯t even have a drop of it. Right Rose?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, um¡­¡­¡­¡­well, everybody has their strengths and their weakness, and we cannot generally say whether a person is capable over what those are until¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Rose was giving an unusually disorderly reply. Naturally that was because Toslin was there as well. But after Carol had her head hit, Toslin turned back towards me.

    ¡°So, what kind of magic can you do? You were already aware you had some magic power, so does that mean you took a lesson or two?¡±

    ¡°Eh, yes¡­¡­¡­ A few. When I was ten years old, a mage grandpa in my neighborhood taught me some magic.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to betray Toslin¡¯s expectations, so I told the truth. Not that me lying would have been very different from the truth.

    ¡°But well, in the end I wasn¡¯t able to pick anything up. Ahaha, the grandpa told me I could memorize the spells if I worked hard, but¡­¡­¡­.I quit.¡±

    ¡°Eh~. That¡¯s such a waste. If I had magic power, then I definitely would¡¯ve become a mage.¡±

    I finally finished making enough sandwiches for everyone and started handing them out.

    ¡°Back then, I was satisfied just reading books. I never thought I might end up like the characters in them. Of course, even now I¡­¡­¡­¡­.anyways, I quit. So I¡¯m still just the simple daughter of a bookshop owner.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t regret it?¡±

    Seeing Carol looking at me with her sandwich in had, I had to look away.

    ¡°Mm. I don¡¯t. I was able to read all sorts of books every day, learning about various different nations, and came to know about the different worlds out there. I don¡¯t have any regrets. Mm, none.¡±

    I was talking to myself as much as her.

    ¡°Now come come, hurry up and eat. I¡¯m confident in the taste this time.¡±

    ¡°Right. Well then thanks for the meal~. *CHOMP*¡­¡­¡­..*CHEW* *CHEW* *CHEW*¡­¡­¡­Yummy~!¡±

    Probably being really hungry at this point, Carol ended up focusing entirely on her meal as she happily chowed down.

    ¡°Really though, this is extremely delicious. I never knew you could change the taste of bread so much just by adding some mayonnaise.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. And even though this is the same meat we always eat, you¡¯ve made it taste so fresh here.¡±

    It sounds like my sandwiches are going over well with Toslin and Rose as well. Good. Then I can bite into my sandwich with peace of mind. The fragrance of the bread, the sourness of the mayonnaise, and the flavor of the meat spreading through my mouth. This is the kind of information you can¡¯t get from just books. Above all, this is my journey, not someone else¡¯s that I¡¯m just following.

    ¡°Mm, good, good job.¡±

    I go ahead and give myself a little praise as I chew on my hard work. Gazing up, the fantastical scenes of the day began playing out across the black ceiling. I encountered goblins. Met a fairy. Saw a golem in motion. I might have gone my whole life having not seen any of that if I had done nothing but manned the shop¡¯s counter my whole life. Thinking about this, there is one truth I have to admit.

    I have no regrets about living as the daughter of a bookshop owner. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m satisfied.

    ?

    For the next few hours we continued on our way through the forest. Even after the sun had set, we relied on lamps to light our way and kept walking. But then Carol¡¯s stomach started growling, and we had to stop. We decided to set up our tents there and camp in the forest for the night.

    We finished up our dinner quickly, and because of how tired everyone was after the incident with the goblins, we decided the lookout order and got ready for bed. I volunteered to take first watch, but since there wasn¡¯t much to do while on lookout, I sat near the campfire and drew out a map. Well, it¡¯s not so much a genuine map as much as it is a drawing. It¡¯s meant to be a sort-of diary I¡¯m keeping that tells me ¡°This is what happened here, and then this happened here¡±

    ¡°Nn? What¡¯s wrong Carol? Can¡¯t sleep?¡±

    Carol was rubbing her eyes as she crawled out of the tent, but judging by the progress I¡¯ve made on my map, not even four hours should have passed yet.

    ¡°Huh, Iris? Ah¡­¡­¡­I see, it hasn¡¯t been that long¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s still some time before my shift ends. You can sleep for a little longer.¡±

    ¡°Mm, but I can¡¯t sleep. My eyes won¡¯t stay closed.¡±

    Carol came over and sat down on the stone next to me. It¡¯s chilly outside though, and her feet are going to get cold if she stays out here too long. That¡¯s why I lifted up the poncho we kept for whoever was acting as the lookout and invited her in.

    ¡°Uwa, you¡¯re so warm Carol. It feels really great to snuggle up to you~.¡±

    I thought she¡¯d be cold out here, but then she ends up being warmer than I was. As it turns out, Carol¡¯s body is naturally really, really, really warm.

    ¡°Really? I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Carol wrapped her arms around me while dazedly peering up towards the sky. Following Carol¡¯s gaze up, I found a plump, bulging moon peeking through a break in the tree canopy.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­..¡±

    My voice leaked out. It was a beautiful full moon that easily took my breath away. And if a werewolf like Carol were to see a moon like that¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Iris? You just made a funny noise.¡±

    I timidly looked down, and Carol¡¯s unclouded eyes were looking right back at me.

    ¡°Oh, um¡­¡­¡­nothing. But I was just thinking¡­¡­¡­..the moon is really beautiful tonight.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to try and hide it. It looks like you¡¯ve heard some things and were wondering if it was fine for me to be watching the moon.¡±

    Carol¡¯s clever. She might not be that good at counting things, but that doesn¡¯t make her slow. These bright eyes that shine like moonlight are able to easily see through my thoughts.

    ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡­¡­I just¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no reason why you¡¯d be worried. I do get excited when I look at it, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s why I can¡¯t sleep tonight. As a matter of fact, when I saw Iris after looking at the moon¡­¡­¡­¡­..I thought about how delicious you looked.¡±

    I felt something cold run up my back as the corners of Carol¡¯s lips slowly curled upwards into a dubious grin.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡­¡­¡­.you, you¡¯re joking?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m joking. Well, it is true that Iris looks really delicious in another way though.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°Knock it off. Are you a drunk old-timer or something?¡±

    Without even realizing it, Toslin was suddenly next to us and bopped Carol on the head.

    ¡°That hurts dammit¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for saying strange things. Iris, you¡¯ve got to get angry at her too sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡­yes, b-but¡­¡­..sometimes I don¡¯t know what she means and¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that!?¡±

    My words apparently shocked Carol, but I think she¡¯s acting a little too surprised here. Because I really don¡¯t know what she means here.

    ¡°And Toslin¡­¡­¡­sorry. Did we wake you up?¡±

    ¡°No no, I¡¯m already feeling well rested. And I figured it was about time for the shift change. So then, what were you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Whether I was going to be fine after seeing the moon~? was the topic.¡±

    Carol was still rubbing where her head had been hit and was sulking a little when she answered.

    ¡°Ah, that¡­¡­.. Well, in truth she¡¯s as fine looking at it as you are.¡±

    Toslin took a look towards the sky as well and gazed at the beautiful moon.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t affect you at all?¡±

    ¡°Yep yep. A full moon is just like any other moon. For some reason though, it¡¯s just me that feels a little off when I see the moon. I heard that other werewolves don¡¯t have any problem with it. Seriously, why is it just me? Is it because I¡¯m only half werewolf?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because your behavior during the day is so bad. Now Iris, good job as lookout tonight. I¡¯ll take it from here, so get some rest.¡±

    My eyelids were slowly starting to feel heavy for a while now actually, so I decided to take her up on the offer.

    ¡°O, Okay. Thank you. Well then, I¡¯ll do just that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, good night. You too Carol. Go back to bed with Iris.¡±

    ¡°Eh~. But, I¡¯m not sleepy.¡±

    ¡°You say that now, but come noon tomorrow you¡¯re going to start complaining about how tired you are. So go lie down.¡±

    Doing as Toslin told us, Carol¨Calthough grumbling all the way¨Cand I crawled into the tent. Rose was still peacefully sleeping on one side, so we stepped carefully in the narrow space and looked for a spare blanket.

    ¡°Carol, I found one over here. Let¡¯s sleep together.¡±

    I lifted up the blanket I found and beckoned Carol and her cozy, warm body over to me.

    ¡°Uu~. Why do I feel like I¡¯m being used here?¡±

    Dang it, this girl is always really sharp when she doesn¡¯t need to be.

    ¡°You¡¯re paranoid, now come here come here. I¡¯ll pet your head.¡±

    ¡°If, If you think that¡¯s enough to lure me in, then you¡¯re making a huge mistake.¡±

    Despite what she was saying, Carol still slipped in under my blanket. She really is cute.

    ¡°Haa~¡­¡­¡­so warm¡­¡­¡­.. Carol is such a good girl right? I just want to hold you tight from now on.¡±

    ¡°Toslin said that same thing before, but once summer roles around she yells at me to quit sticking close to her. I wonder if Iris is just after my body too.¡±

    ¡°N-Not at all~. Of course that not true. Now now, let¡¯s get some sleep. Good night¡­¡­..¡±

    I started petting Carol¡¯s head as promised. But before I noticed, I had to giggle when I saw that she was already snoozing away.

    ?

    After spending the night in the Swansea Forest, we managed to reach Relton Village the next day just after noon. The whole way here my heart was thumping imagining running into that golem again, but luckily nothing happened.

    Relton isn¡¯t a very large village. Located within the forest, the buildings that are here are tightly packed together to fit in the clearing that was made by cutting down trees. As to be expected, the sunlight blocking green canopy was gone allowing the people who lived here to enjoy a bright, open sky over their heads.

    Heat from the sun was slowly melting some of the snow that had accumulated on the roofs of the log houses causing bits and pieces to drop to the ground. The falling snow exposed the moss covered roofs underneath, creating a vivid contrast between the white and brown worlds. Rifront Village had about a thousand people living in it, so the population here would be around five hundred I¡¯d think. Maybe a little less?

    ¡°Ah~¡­¡­¡­.we¡¯re finally here¡­¡­¡­Let¡¯s find an inn already and take a break.¡±

    Stomach grumbling, that was the first thing Carol had to say when we entered the village. I have to admit my stomach was grumbling a little too, but stepping foot into this new and unusual village, it¡¯s the furthest thought on my mind. The log houses make the village seem as if it were truly a part of the forest, and it¡¯s all so lovely.

    ¡°You¡­¡­¡­.realize already that we came here on a job.¡±

    Toslin took a look at Carol and shook her head. We got a lot of curious looks as we walked to the center of the village, but I had my own questions as well. For some reason the only people around were women and children. There wasn¡¯t a single adult man in sight.

    ¡°The first thing we should do is hear from our client before it gets too late.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s first on our list.¡±

    Toslin nodded at Rose¡¯s words. Well but if I¡¯m being honest¡­¡­¡­my feet feel like sticks after walking all day.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡­.more walking¡­¡­¡­I want to take my boots off already. My feet are soaked.¡±

    Carol unconsciously looked up towards the sky as Toslin¡¯s amazed voice flew.

    ¡°That¡¯s right there¡¯s more walking. Walking is part of being an adventurer, and we¡¯re adventurers. You could say walking is the majority of our job.¡±

    Carol slumped down, so Toslin and Rose took Goldmund¡¯s reins and walked further into the village. Left in the rear, Carol and I looked at each other and sighed.

    ¡°Ah, seriously¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m so hungry I feel like I¡¯m about to die¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°L-Let¡¯s keep doing our best. It¡¯s just a bit more, and then we can rest. I hope.¡±

    I¡¯m able to be more cheerful than usual because of how unique this village is, but the truth is it¡¯s really hard to keep going. What I was saying started sounding fake about halfway through.

 CH 5

    ¡°Oh yes, welcome and thank you for coming. Please allow me to express my gratitude on behalf of everyone in the village.¡±

    The person talking here is Mister Chris, and he is the village head for this Relton village. He had wispy white hair and a thick, overgrown beard. His back was bent, and in one corner of the room you could see the cane he would need in order to walk. He was the perfect sample for what an old grandpa would look like.

    ¡°No no, this is our job, so please raise your head.¡±

    Right now we were in the village head¡¯s reception room in order to hear our client¡¯s, Mister Chris¡¯s, story. While Toslin was discussing things with him looking the most formal I have ever seen her, Carol and I were sitting back on his leather sofa.

    ¡°I am Tosrillon, dispatched here from the Warrior¡¯s Guild. Standing next to me is my companion Rosalith, and over here is¡­¡­¡­¡­.oi¡­¡­.at least sit up straight when you¡¯re being introduced.¡±

    I got flustered hearing Toslin¡¯s exasperation and quickly sat up, straightening my back. But, Carol stubbornly remained limp looking as if her soul had already left her body.

    ¡°Because¡­¡­¡­.we¡¯ve been walking through the snow all day¡­¡­¡­and my stomach keeps grumbling and grumbling¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­..um, this here is Iris, and that exhausted lump is Carotayle. My deepest apologies, we did a forced march through the snow-covered road to get here as quick as we could.¡±

    Toslin turned back towards the village head and made a bitter smile. But I saw it. Just before her line of gaze turned back towards the chief, she was giving Carol a tremendously severe glare.

    ¡°No no, we are already more than grateful that Rifront could send someone at this time of year. You all must be tired and hungry, so sit back and take a load off. I¡¯ll guide you to the inn as soon as we¡¯re done here.¡±

    ¡°Eh, really? Hooray! You get what¡¯s going on Grandpa!¡±

    Carol¡¯s ears perked up, and she sat up with a start. It goes without saying that Toslin¡¯s fist came soaring down on her head.

    ¡°You be quiet for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Agh¡­¡­¡­..gaaaa¡­¡­¡­..Iris¡­¡­. Toslin, Toslin¡­¡­¡­..she attacked me¡±

    ¡°R-Right¡­¡­¡­¡­.she did¡­¡­¡­. But, let¡¯s quiet down for a bit. At least until Toslin finishes with our job¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Still writhing in pain, Carol laid over and set her head on my lap. I couldn¡¯t help but make a wry smile as I started petting her head.

    ¡°Hohoh. A werewolf¡­¡­¡­..right? It¡¯s been a very long time since I laid eyes on one, but she appears to be an energetic girl.¡±

    The wrinkles on the village head¡¯s face deepened as he smiled while watching Carol.

    ¡°Ah, um¡­¡­¡­.Carol is¡­¡­¡­.a half. But everything is okay. She¡¯s a really good girl.¡±

    I unconsciously hugged Carol closer to me as I stumbled over my words. The village head stroked his long beard with his hand for a moment before soon making a gentle smile.

    ¡°Hohohoh. I think so too. When you¡¯ve lived as long as I have, you become an excellent judge of character. And I certainly don¡¯t feel anything bad from any of you. And above all, with a priestess traveling together with you, I can be doubly certain you¡¯re all good people.¡±

    The village chief¡¯s eyes fell on Rose who had yet to open her mouth since entering the chief¡¯s home.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    In spite of his warm smile, Rose refused to look at the headman. Not only that, but she hadn¡¯t even greeted him when we walked in.

    ¡°Um, Rose has taken a vow of chastity, so when it comes to people of the other sex¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Talking aside, she¡¯s not even supposed to look a man in the eyes. One part of Illya¡¯s teachings are that while a priest or priestess is still inexperienced, they are strictly prohibited from interacting with a member of the opposite sex. It¡¯s so that the clergy can listen to the Goddess¡¯s voice without being seduced by temptation¡­¡­¡­¡­.I remember Rose told me about that before.

    ¡°Yes, I am aware. For generations my family has had faith in the Goddess.¡±

    The headman turned to Rose and offered a few words of prayer.

    ¡°Indeed. then if it¡¯s all right with you, I¡¯d like to hear about our job.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Well then¡­¡­..¡±

    Stroking his beard again, the headman started explaining the situation to us.

    ¡°Now as I¡¯m sure you are already aware, this village has a specialty product called drowsy shrooms. This year as always, we send out multiple shipment over to Rifront, but it sounds like our third shipment never made it. A messenger bird came to me just the other day and delivered a letter explaining things.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh. So then the previous two shipments were safely delivered without issue.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The wagon drops off the shipment in Rifront, and it comes back here to get reloaded¡­¡­¡­.and then we repeat the process. But the last shipment left five days ago, and we can¡¯t get ahold of the villager who was in charge of delivering this shipment.¡±

    ¡°If he left five days ago, then they should¡¯ve gotten to Rifront already even with the snow slowing them down. If they still haven¡¯t shown up despite that, then maybe they ran away with the delivery?¡±

    Carol raised her head a bit and came up with an idea. However, the headman solemnly shook his head denying it.

    ¡°No, I highly doubt that. That villager, he¡¯s my son. My son¡­¡­¡­Quinn is not the type of man who would do something like that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well then, something must have happened along the way then.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t carelessly say things like that. Try to have some tact.¡±

    ¡°No, I already know the probability of that being the case is high. I¡¯m hoping that the wagon has only broken down, and he¡¯s trying to get it moving again even as we speak, but¡­¡­ Please, help me find my son¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    The friendly smile that had floated across the headman¡¯s face until now suddenly disappeared, and a grave shadow was cast down.

    ¡°Nn~¡­¡­¡­¡­.you want us to look for him, but¡­¡­¡­¡­..where would we even start¡­¡­..¡±

    Toslin tilted her head to the side, clearly troubled by the request. Even when walking under normal conditions, there is a significant distance between this village and Rifront. Who knows how many days it would take if you were to search everywhere between them in all this snow.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­..if something did happen, I think it would have happened near the village¡­¡­¡­but¡­¡­¡­at the very least, your son should still be in the Swansea Forest.¡±

    Even though I was absolutely certain of this one thing, I could still only manage a shy mumble.

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±

    And suddenly everyone¡¯s gazes, including Toslin¡¯s, were suddenly focused on me.

    ¡°Well, because¡­¡­¡­.didn¡¯t Toslin see it too? When we were on the highway and took the northern path at the crossroads, the snow hadn¡¯t been disturbed at all.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.Ohhh¡­¡­.. Wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t. We didn¡¯t come across any tracks from other wheels having passed through even when we got to the forest. It took us two days to get from Rifront to this village. Take into account that it would have taken him longer because his wagon weighed so much more¡­¡­¡­.maybe three to four days? We haven¡¯t had any snow here during that time. It stopped snowing in Rifront before then at least. Is that true for here too Village Head?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­..it hasn¡¯t. Yes, it definitely hasn¡¯t snowed here since then.¡±

    ¡°I see, good job Iris! If that¡¯s the case, then we should be able to handle it.¡±

    ¡°In short, the tracks the wagon left behind should lead us right to where the delivery is. Easy peasy.¡±

    Carol was laughing about how simple the job was going to be, but I was shivering just thinking about having to step foot back into that forest again. Because, there might be more goblins in there. While my back was quivering and my imagination was running wild, Toslin turned back towards the village chief.

    ¡°Speaking of which, we encountered some goblins and even a golem on our way here, but have there been any reports of monsters in this forest?¡±

    ¡°Gob-Goblins? And a golem you say? No, I¡¯ve never received any kind of news like that before. But, it is a large forest, so it makes sense that monsters would live there¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­actually, we heard from a fairy that her village had been attacked by some goblins, and it seems like a dark elf was behind it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah. That fairy ran away towards us, and a bunch of goblins followed after her¡­¡­.¡±

    I recalled the foulmouthed fairy. She didn¡¯t leave a very good impression, but I still feel sorry for her. Suddenly Rose¡¯s eyes met with mine, and we shared a bitter smile.

    ¡°A fairy¡­¡­¡­and a dark elf? It¡¯s surprising enough there was a fairy village so close by, but for a dark elf to appear here¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Which is why I believe it would be for the best if this village were to be on high alert for a while. If the fairy¡¯s story is to be believed, then the goblins and golem we saw were following the dark elf¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°But right now¡­¡­..that¡¯s going to be difficult¡­¡­..¡±

    The village head ran his hands through his grey hair and let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Um, by right now you mean¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s question got back a weak expression from the headman in response.

    ¡°Ah, that¡­¡­. Didn¡¯t you notice anything out of the ordinary when you walked through the village?¡±

    ¡°Notice something¡­¡­¡­¡­.? What was it¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm~¡­¡­¡­.Nothing really. I thought it was a really small village.¡±

    ¡°Just because you thought it doesn¡¯t mean you have to say it.¡±

    Toslin lightly hit Carol¡¯s head.

    ¡°That¡­¡­¡­.hurts, enough¡­¡­¡­¡­Toslin always resorts to violence right away. Ah, did Rose notice something?¡±

    Carol put her finger to her cheek, but Rose could only give back a troubled look.

    ¡°Rose can¡¯t speak right now, so don¡¯t try dragging her into this. Well I give up. It¡¯s time to hear from our staff officer Iris.¡±

    ¡°S-Staff officer¡­¡­¡­.I¡¯m not such a¡­¡­¡­..maybe, there aren¡¯t enough men to help? I only looked for a bit, but the village square only had women and children there¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite observant. Actually, all of the processing our drowsy shrooms go through are done by our women, so there are almost no men in our village during winter. They all left once winter started, working away from the village, so¡­¡­¡­.in the end, we¡¯re in trouble¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    The village head made a pensive groan. At that time, Rose nudged Toslin¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Even without being able to say a single word, you could still see the extraordinary sense of justice Rose had in her eyes, and we could all tell what she wanted.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible. Goblins are one thing, but a golem as well is just too much.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s opinion was reasonable, and it looks like Rose understands that. However Rose¡¯s personality won¡¯t allow her to leave someone in trouble just as they are. She¡¯s already completely sympathized with the village head which was why she was slowly becoming teary-eyed in front of Toslin.

    ¡°Ah, aaah¡­¡­¡­¡­I got it¡­¡­¡­¡­. I got it, so stop making those eyes at me I¡¯m begging you. We¡¯ll manage somehow. We¡¯ll manage, right Carol?¡±

    ¡°What? I can¡¯t make any promises, but I¡¯ll do my best if the reward¡¯s good. Since we already know what our prey is, we can figure out some way to fight them.¡±

    During times like these, Carol¡¯s composure really is amazing. The fact that she can look so cute and yet be so businesslike gives off a mysterious feeling.

    ¡°Um, I guess we¡¯re in agreement then. How about in addition to searching for Quinn, you tack on clearing up those goblins and the golem onto the request? Of course¡­¡­¡­.the search will be our top priority, so you can just add on any monsters we kill as a bonus reward.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is better than I ever could have asked. So long as you all are okay with it, then please help us as much as you can.¡±

    ?

    So in addition to the regular request we got from the guild, we now also have the job of subjugating any remaining goblins and the golem. Putting the golem aside, goblin extermination is a job that¡¯s been repeated many times over in the last thousand years. What kind of ecology does a goblin have that they haven¡¯t gone extinct yet?

    I often read in books that they come from underneath the soil, but that may not be totally accurate.

    ¡°Well then, that¡¯s how it is. We¡¯ll drop our stuff off at the inn and get everything prepared, so you two go gather what information you can at the workshop.¡±

    Toslin made that announcement several minutes ago before taking Rose over to the inn. Right now Carol and I have intruded into the village¡¯s only workshop where they process the drowsy shrooms. By the way, the workshop is located in the center of the village, and it is by far its largest building.

    ¡°Uwa¡­¡­¡­..this mask is stuffy¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Before entering the workshop, Carol and I were told we had to wear a cloth mask that covered our nose and mouth.

    ¡°Bear with it, it¡¯s just for a little while.¡±

    The woman grinning next to us was Ryland, one of the managers put in charge of this corner of the workshop. However despite the responsibility she holds, she looks pretty young. Around thirty maybe? Like many of the other employees, she¡¯s married, but her husband is working away from the village. ¡°It makes it easy to stretch my wings,¡± she laughed, but the face she made afterwards seemed to be saying, ¡°Well, it is a little lonely on my own.¡±

    ¡°So then, what would you like to hear? I doubt you¡¯ll hear anything useful from me though.¡±

    Ryland turned back towards us with the smile that was clear to see even behind her cloth mask. But in front of us, there was a big¡­¡­¡­¡­I wonder what you¡¯d call it? For those lotteries they hold in shopping districts, somebody would turn a handle, spinning a container around and causing a colored ball to roll out? A single woman was turning the handle to a huge one of those things.1

    This giant contraption was entirely made of wood, and you had to look up to see the whole thing. Yes, the building itself was the size of a chapel, and you could fit about a hundred people in here. And yet it¡¯s still amazing that they managed to fit in three of these machines I just described, and it makes for a spectacular scene watching these machines in the center of the room each spinning around.

    ¡°Umm, these things, what do you use them for?¡±

    I know this probably doesn¡¯t have anything to do with our job, but I¡¯m really curious.

    ¡°Ahh, these things. This is where we put in the drowsy shrooms. Since only the mushroom¡¯s spores are used for medicine, we use these machines to separate them from the rest of the mushroom. They¡¯re pretty big right~?¡±

    As she was explaining things the tumbler stopped its spinning, and a woman opened a door. Then another woman grabbed a shovel, scraping off the spores inside and shoving them into a crate. I see, if I had to guess, then these masks are so that nobody inhales the spores. Breathing in the spores would cause drowsiness, and that would make it difficult to keep working. Once the crate is filled with spores, it is taken away to be stored somewhere in the back.

    ¡°Well then, what¡¯s in this box over here?¡±

    Before I knew it, Carol had scampered off to one corner of the room and had started digging through another crate that was being kept there. This box was big enough that you could fit a whole Carol in there. Looking around there were actually several boxes similar to this scattered in different parts of the warehouse, and it piqued Carol¡¯s curiosity. Mine too of course.

    ¡°Ah, those. They¡¯re mousetraps.¡±

    ¡°Mousetraps? What kind of mice do you get here that you need such a huge trap?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s barely any food for wild animals around this time of year. Hungry mice often sneak in here and try to eat the mushrooms. They aren¡¯t that big, but we get a lot of them.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, hey there¡¯s a bunch of birdlime in here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. By the way the ingredients for this birdlime is made from the spores of the drowsy shrooms as well.¡±

    ¡°Eh, is it really?¡±

    ¡°When you heat these spores up, they melt together and get really sticky. The stuff hardens back up again as soon as it cools down again, but adding in a little beeswax makes it last a long time. We never knew about it until recently when we were trying to make some sleeping pills from the spores. Now that we do know though, we¡¯re trying to commercialize it for extra profit.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that sounds like a good idea.¡±

    ¡°So in this village, we tell any naughty kids who are up to mischief or refuse to listen that we¡¯re throwing them in these crates. That usually settles them down.¡±

    Ryland gave Carol a wink as she talked.

    ¡°Was auntie told that growing up too?¡±

    Ryland had a hearty laugh when Carol asked that with a straight face.

    ¡°Ahahaha. Yeah that¡¯s right. You get it little werewolf girl. That¡¯s why if you do anything bad, I¡¯ll be sure to throw you in here too. Ahahahahaha!¡±

    Somehow looking at Ryland, I can¡¯t help but think that it might not be that she found this really funny so much as she just has a really loud personality.

    ¡°Muu. I never do anything bad!¡±

    I was wondering just whose mouth was saying that, but I buried the urge to say my thoughts out loud deep down.

    ¡°Um, about what you were saying before, when shipping the spores for medicine, do they have to be shipped in much smaller volumes? Do you have to carry them in bags or pouches or something?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, after processing the spores into medicine, we pack and ship them in this.¡±

    Ryland pulled out a small glass bottle that fit in the palm of her hand.

    ¡°In this room we separate the spores from the rest of the mushrooms, and then in another room we shake them again to get rid of any impurities. Then in that room over there we boil down the spores into our medicine and bottle the final product. Simple right?¡±

    The village¡¯s greatest workshop is too big, and it¡¯s impossible to see the whole work process at one time. In addition everyone is wearing a mask making it impossible to tell what their expressions are, but judging by the small talk that was going on while they worked, it seems like a generally friendly and peaceful atmosphere here.

    ¡°Also then¡­¡­¡­how much product is there in one shipment? Specifically, I¡¯d like to know how much was delivered on the third shipment if possible.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Wait just a moment. Let¡¯s see¡­¡­¡­third shipment, third shipment¡±

    Ryland started flipping through a records book she had in hand.

    ¡°The shipment Quinn took five days ago¡­¡­¡­..150 bottles. That wasn¡¯t that much. Usually we ship twice that amount, but we shipped less than normal that time because we weren¡¯t sure what the conditions on the road was going to be with how much it had snowed before he left. One wagon should have been able to deliver this with ease.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­..was the wagon pulled by a donkey then?¡±

    ¡°Ah right. Our village uses horses.¡±

    I write out a small memo of the proximate weight to make sure I don¡¯t forget.

    ¡°Why did you want to hear that?¡±

    Carol was looking over my shoulder, curious about my memo.

    ¡°Oh, I thought if we knew the weight of the wagon, we might be able to tell which wheel tracks carved through the snow were his.¡±

    ¡°I see, so the weight makes it sink into the snowy road? And knowing the weight can tell us how deeply the wagon would¡¯ve sank.¡±

    Although we knew for sure that the wagon was still in the forest and hadn¡¯t made it to the highway, there were tracks all over the forest floor leading up to there. If we can¡¯t narrow down our options even a little, it will be quite difficult figuring out which one we are supposed to be following.

    ¡°There¡¯s just one last question I have to ask. Is there anywhere around this village where you could hide yourself? Ruins, or anything like that?¡±

    This was a question Toslin told me to ask in advance. I didn¡¯t want to dwell on it, but it¡¯s in anticipation that he was attacked by bandits or thieves.

    ¡°Nn~, a place where you could hide¡­¡­..is it? I¡¯ve never heard about any ruins being around here¡­¡­¡­¡­as you can see, it¡¯s all just forest here. Does that have something to do with this incident?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We will be looking for Mister Quinn, but in case somebody attacked him, we were hoping to hear about a place where he¡¯d most likely try to take refuge in.¡±

    ¡°Hmm~. I¡¯ve lived in this village my whole life, but the men would be more likely to have an answer for that¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Ah, but¡­¡­..¡±

    Ryland¡¯s words suddenly cut off as she suddenly fell into thought.

    ¡°But? What is it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I really don¡¯t think it has anything to do with what you¡¯re looking for, but there were rumors that a witch was living near this village. The adults never believed in it¡­¡­¡­.well I¡¯m saying that even though I¡¯ve already become an adult myself, but there were still rumors about it¡­¡­¡­..ever since I was a small kid.¡±

    ¡°A-A witch¡­¡­¡­¡­is it¡­¡­..?¡±

    Someone who appears in many tales of adventure, the witch character. Generally, at least in my imagination, they¡¯re people who set themselves up in a home far away from people, spending all their time studying magic.

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s supposed to be a cave west of here where the witch supposedly lived, but I¡¯ve never seen it myself so I can¡¯t be sure. That being said¡­¡­¡­..I¡¯m pretty sure I heard that story from Quinn¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Ryland suddenly got a far-off look in her eye remembering long gone days.

    ¡°A witch! A cave! I smell treasure Iris!¡±

    ¡°Treasure¡­¡­.but we¡¯re not here as treasure hunters.¡±

    Ryland was laughing while I sighed, but then another employee came over and called out to Ryland.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t be much more help. And sorry, but it¡¯s about time for me to head back.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course. Thank you very much for lending us your time despite how busy you are.¡±

    I bowed to Ryland as she left, but after a few steps, she suddenly stopped and turned back around.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­¡­.also¡­¡­..that thing now¡­¡­¡­.about what happened to Quinn¡­¡­..¡±

    Ryland was inarticulately mumbling, completely unlike how boisterous she was before.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s wrong. Even though my friend is missing, I¡¯m here working like usual instead of looking for him. And moreover we¡¯re entrusting this work with people who have nothing to do with us¡­¡­¡­.truly, I think it¡¯s inexcusable.¡±

    ¡°N-No¡­¡­¡­.you have your own circumstances, and¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. After all¡­¡­.I¡¯m just an ordinary housewife. With no men around, I suppose it is best to leave things to professionals if we think monsters are going to be attacking from the forest.¡±

    Ryland was laughing, but her expression was terribly bitter. When I took a look around at everyone else in the workshop, they all had that same look in their eyes as Ryland had right now.

    ¡°Anyways¡­¡­¡­.thank you for this. And as for Quinn, please help him.¡±

    Saying that much, Ryland bowed her head, and suddenly all of the other women in the workshop followed suit.

    ¡°Ah, y¡­¡­¡­yes. L-Leave it to me!¡±

    My chest hurts, and I can feel my eyes getting hot¡­¡­¡­..but before long I was able to muster up a reply.

    1. If you don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about, imagine a giant raffle drum, and when you spin it, a single ball is supposed to roll down a groove.

 CH 6

    After finishing up at the workshop, I asked some of the villagers for their help in pulling a wagon that would have had the same weight as the one Quinn left in to see how deep the tracks it left were. By the time we finished, the sun had already begun to set, and it was gone completely by the time we finally set foot inside the inn.

    This village only had one inn, so we found it pretty quick. It is a two story building that was relatively large compared to most of the other buildings in the village, but was still nowhere near as big as the workshop. We are the only guests right now because of the winter season, but it apparently gets quite crowded here in the spring and autumn with people who are going on a forest bathing trip and visiting some nearby hot springs.

    ¡°Oh? Thanks for your hard work.¡±

    Toslin and Rose had already changed out of their equipment and were resting in the room by the time we were guided there through the inn.

    ¡°Uwa, what a nice room. It¡¯s so wide.¡±

    As I walked in, the first thing that surprised me was just how tall the ceiling was. I¡¯d say it was at least three meters high. A layer of fur was laid out over the floor, and the already lit fireplace had a generous amount of wood to fuel it. There was also two beds, so we can fit two people per a bed without forcing anyone to spend the night on the floor.

    ¡°Yeah, apparently the village headman arranged the place for us, so we can stay here as long as we¡¯re in the village.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re also free to use the hot springs which has become our own private bath during our stay.¡±

    Unable to speak when the village headman was present, Rose is now allowed to talk without hesitation since it¡¯s just us women here.

    ¡°Ehh, a private bath? It¡¯s really fine for us to use it? Uwaa, amazing. Terrific!¡±

    While I clapped my hands together excitedly, a single Carol had her face turned away as her shoulders slightly shook. I wasn¡¯t going to dare touch it, but Toslin and Rose apparently thought Carol¡¯s behavior was suspicious and tilted their heads.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You haven¡¯t said a word since you got here.¡±

    ¡°Carol? Does it hurt somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah no¡­¡­..it¡¯s not really like that¡­¡­.. Nfufu, Ahahahaha¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Carol burst out into another fit of laughter once she saw my face.

    ¡°Enough, you¡¯re laughing too much Carol. It can¡¯t be helped if they say something like that while making that kind of face¡­¡­¡­anyone would¡¯ve¡­¡­¡­¡±

    My cheeks puff up, and I turned my face away.

    ¡°What are you two talking about? What happened?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s it. Iris¡­¡­¡­.Nfufufu, AHAHAHAHAHA¡±

    Carol couldn¡¯t say anything intelligible between her fits of laughter, and she eventually started rolling around on one of the beds while clutching her stomach.

    ¡°That¡­¡­¡­Iris, what did you do?¡±

    With Rose asking, I (reluctantly) told them about the workshop. About how even though I don¡¯t have any strength of my own, I acted all self-important, pounded on my chest, and told them all to leave things to me

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not true¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin listened to what I had to say intently, and once I was done, she walked over and hit Carol on the top of her head with all her strength.

    ¡°That¡­¡­¡­..hurts! Seriously, what¡¯s that for!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you wouldn¡¯t stop laughing. Anyway, what was it that was so funny?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Was there something strange in what Iris just told us?¡±

    Carol stopped and blinked when she noticed the two criticizing gazes that had locked onto her. I got a little flustered and tried stepping in between them.

    ¡°It, It¡¯s not like that. I¡­¡­..I¡¯m the one who said I can¡¯t do anything¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯ll betray Ryland and the others¡¯ expectations and¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, there¡¯s no way.¡±

    Carol interrupted me to tell me I was wrong. Looking over, she was still slightly laughing even while rubbing the top of her head where Toslin had hit her.

    ¡°Iris, you¡¯re trying to make yourself an outsider, but after what you said there, I won¡¯t let you say you¡¯re not an adventurer anymore, Heheheh¡±

    Carol suddenly grabbed my waste and pulled me onto the bed with her.

    ¡°Uu-Uwa¡­¡­¡­.KYAaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°You see, that¡¯s why I was laughing¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with that. You should say that from the beginning. Then I wouldn¡¯t have had to hit you¡±

    ¡°I request an apology!¡±

    ¡°Request denied. Anyhow, isn¡¯t it only a matter of time before you do something that¡¯ll make me hit you again? I¡¯ll give you a pass at that time to make up for right now. Assuming I remember in time that is.¡±

    ¡°What!? Tyrant!¡±

    ¡°It-It¡¯s fine! Let me go, ahahaha, I¡¯m ticklish! Wai- Carol¡­¡­¡­.stop, Ahahahaha!¡±

    With Carol¡¯s arms still wrapped around my waste, the slight tickling I was getting spread out, and even the slightest touch at this point was enough to get me laughing.

    ¡°Eh? But I haven¡¯t done anything? I¡¯m just touching you.¡±

    ¡°He, ha¡­¡­¡­. No, no good¡­¡­¡­ That¡¯s a little¡­¡­¡­ Forgive me¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Finally I was released, and I could finally start to catch my breath while sitting up on the bed.

    ¡°Fufufu, I¡¯ve been found out. I¡¯m strangely ticklish around my hips.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, is that so? Iris is weak there.¡±

    Rose didn¡¯t mean anything bad by it, but because she said something strange like that, Carol¡¯s mischievous heart was set ablaze. Once again I found myself pinned down by Carol.

    ¡°Ah, Ahahaha! W-Wait! No, really! That spot¡¯s no good! Ticklish¡­¡­¡­Ahahaha! Help, help me Rose, Toslin!¡±

    Even though my body was twisting and turning, unable to withstand Carol¡¯s tickling assault, Rose just stood there and smiled. Toslin had her hand to her chin, and I feel like she was just staring at my feet for some reason. Through my desperation, I managed to follow her gaze, and¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°N- Noooooooooo©`©`©`©`©`£¡Don¡¯t look©`©`©`©`©`£¡¡±

    In the kerfuffle, my skirt had gotten turned over, and my thick pink wool panties were completely exposed.

    ¡°Ah, s-sorry. They seemed really warm, so¡­¡­¡­¡­I just started looking and¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin got flustered and looked away, but that alone doesn¡¯t solve my problem. It wasn¡¯t for another couple minutes before I was finally released, and the secret wool panties could be sealed behind my skirt once again.

    ?

    ¡°I see then¡­¡­.thanks for all the work you put in to gathering information. With this, the range and route of our search has been greatly narrowed down.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. We may may be able to find Quinn rather quickly like this.¡±

    With their backs to the fireplace, Toslin and Rose listened to our report and nodded their heads.

    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s finish quickly so we can hurry up and head back. Then on the way, we might get to meet the future king.¡±

    Carol was sitting on the bed, swinging her legs back and forth.

    ¡°You¡¯re still talking about that? What are you going to do even if you do meet him? Do you just want to brag about it? It¡¯d be pointless.¡±

    ¡°Muu¡­¡­¡­I just want to see for a bit!¡±

    Carol puffed up her cheeks and tried to complain, but it was all hot air to Toslin. While those two were going at it, for some reason Rose was looking at me with her radiant smile.

    ¡°This too is all thanks to Iris.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    While I was sitting next to Carol, Rose suddenly said that to me when our eyes met. And then Carol and Toslin agreed with her.

    ¡°With Iris here, we should be able to quickly find Quinn.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Look look, you can¡¯t sulk forever. It¡¯s a waste of a rare beauty like you.¡±

    ¡°B-Beauty¡­¡­¡­.I¡¯m not that¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Compared to someone as fair as Toslin, I¡¯m just a nameless blade of grass growing on the roadside. I don¡¯t think anything about wearing wool underwear. Even comparing me to a flower would be a little presumptuous.

    ¡°No no, that¡¯s not true at all. You¡¯re so cute Iris.¡±

    While I am still feeling disheartened by the pantie thing, Rose gave me one of her always tender smiles. Ahh, Rose talking like this is a hundred times more cute than I could ever hope to be. She¡¯s beautiful, simply lovely.

    ¡°Mm Mm, wool panties are to keep you from freezing. You don¡¯t need to feel down just because we saw them.¡±

    Carol started patting my back. Such a Carol received a direct hit from a thrown leather glove from Toslin.

    ¡°Quit saying unnecessary things when we¡¯re trying to comfort somebody!¡±

    ¡°B-Because it¡¯s really true! What? Wasn¡¯t Toslin going to say that you want to put on a pair of wool panties just like Iris is wearing? I just want Iris to be confident. About the wool panties!¡±

    ¡°Oh, ohhhhhh! Everyone quit going on about wool this and wool that! This is so embarrassing, ughhhhhh!¡±

    I threw myself back onto the bed and buried my head underneath a pillow.

    ¡°Ah~ seriously¡­¡­¡­.this is your fault Carol.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be told that by Toslin when you were the one who was staring.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, I may have been rudely watching, but I didn¡¯t stare! I looked away almost immediately!¡±

    ¡°So you admit you were looking!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Then why are you being so defiant!?¡±

    ¡°Uh, um, perhaps we should enter the hot springs soon? Since it is reserved for us, I would think we surely could relax there¡­¡­¡­. Would Iris like to come along too?¡±

    Uu, Rose is always taking others into consideration. The magic words ¡®hot spring¡¯ appealed to my bottom of the heart exhaustion, so I dug my head out from the pillow protecting me and sat up.

    ¡°A bath¡­¡­..yes please¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we still have some time until supper starts, so let¡¯s enjoy soaking in the hot water.¡±

    With her hands clasped in front of her chest, Rose looked like she was about to start skipping there with or without us.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­..oh, a bath¡­¡­.. I¡¯m still good. I¡¯ll watch our luggage, so you can go on ahead.¡±

    In contrast, Toslin was acting flustered for some reason.

    ¡°Eh, but¡­¡­¡­. Isn¡¯t it fine to leave it since we¡¯re the only guests here?¡±

    Is what I thought, but for some reason Toslin stubbornly refused to take a bath with us.

    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no helping it. I¡¯ll stay too, so Rose and Iris should go first.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, um¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    When Carol said she would stay behind too, Rose and I shared a look and tilted our heads.

    ¡°Ah, but don¡¯t do anything improper just because you¡¯re alone together.¡±

    ¡°Improper?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We understand. Hehe~? Then we¡¯ll leave the luggage to you.¡±

    Rose seemed fine with it, so I decided to obediently follow after her.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll go on ahead.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes~. Enjoy yourself~¡±

    And so we left the room with a change of clothes and a towel in hand.

    ?

    ¡°Huff¡­¡­¡­..I¡¯m full~¡­¡­..¡±

    I plopped my back onto the bed and took a deep breath. The fluffy duvet smells like the sun, and if I were to close my eyes, I¡¯m confident it would only take a few seconds for me to fall asleep.

    ¡°Yeah, that was really delicious¡­¡­..¡±

    Carol¡¯s head plopped down on the bed same as I did, her hair still a little damp. After that, Rose and I changed before enjoying the hot springs, then sharing supper together afterwards. I can¡¯t stress just how tasty that meal was, and there¡¯s a small part of me that just wants to live here from now on.

    ¡°Hold on you, you¡¯ll catch a cold going to bed like that. Come over here, and I¡¯ll dry your hair.¡±

    Even though she was calling Carol over, Toslin¡¯s long hair was still pretty wet as well.

    ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll dry Toslin¡¯s hair.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s a huge help. Well then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    The three of them gathered in front of the fireplace, Toslin sitting behind Carol and Rose sitting behind Toslin, and they began drying each other¡¯s hair with a towel. Meanwhile I stayed on the bed, and as I watched them, the fairy I met yesterday popped up into my mind.

    ¡°That fairy, I hope she managed to get away all right¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Overhearing my whisper, Carol tilted her head.

    ¡°About that, it¡¯s fine right? I don¡¯t think she¡¯d ever get caught unless something big suddenly got in her way.¡±

    ¡°And if that happens, maybe she¡¯ll finally have the idea of flying up?¡±

    Toslin and Carol started to laugh.

    ¡°But, I heard that goblins can be very persistent, and how long can a fairy fly once it gets tired?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good point. It¡¯s something we can¡¯t do anything but worry about though. The most we can offer her is a prayer for her safety, and it¡¯s not like we have a duty or obligation to offer her that much.¡±

    Each time the towel rubbed against Carol¡¯s head, her eyes narrowed like it was feeling good. Carol gave me a sound argument, but, just because it¡¯s true doesn¡¯t stop me from worrying about her safety. Because I saw it happen.

    ¡°I understand Iris¡¯s feelings. But well¡­¡­..we just have to accept that she had some bad luck. It would¡¯ve been extremely dangerous for us otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­¡­..you¡¯re right¡­¡­..¡±

    In the end, that¡¯s the conclusion that has to be drawn. That¡¯s especially true for someone who couldn¡¯t do anything besides stand there and be scared like me.

    ¡°Speaking of which, fairies are believers in the Goddess right? I only ever thought of them as a bunch of harmless beetles.¡±

    ¡°Mm. You don¡¯t see them too often unless you go visit a temple. And they usually only ever come out at night.¡±

    Just as Toslin said, except for the occasional exception, fairies are known to basically only ever come out at night. You¡¯ll mostly see them around temples, but occasionally you might see one near town or in a small village after the sun has set and most people have gone to bed.

    You can¡¯t normally go out and just see one, but apparently if you place a sugar cube and a cookie out on the railing of a bridge or on a branch of a tree, a fairy will almost assuredly fly by and start a tea party. Then you can illuminate a drab road at night with the light of a fairy without needing any lanterns.

    At Carol and Toslin¡¯s words, Rose, who had been drying Toslin¡¯s hair with a friendly smile, suddenly stopped her hands.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­.. Long ago the fairies were hostile towards the Goddess¡­¡­¡­until a thousand years ago. From then on the fairies have been  loyal, devout believers to the Goddess.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, is that so. Then what about werewolves? I don¡¯t know much about that stuff.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡­.. To explain that, I¡¯d first have to talk about the Primordial World¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s okay. Do it, do it. We can do it while my hair dries.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I would like to hear about it too.¡±

    I lent my ear to Rose while obediently listening on top of the bed.

    ¡°It¡¯s really okay? Well then¡­¡­..*COUGH* We¡¯ll start off with how the world began.¡±

    ¡¾Rose¡¯s tale¡­¡­¡­..The world¡¯s origins as detailed from the bible¡¯s opening¡¿

    Drifting Silence.

    She watched.

    Primoridal¡¯s beginning, but¡­¡­..but

    Souls dance in circles, the beat of life, everything to feel

    Fangs are sharpened, Leaves grow, the Undecided madly dance

    Drifting Silence.

    She wept.

    Primoridal¡¯s beginning, but¡­¡­..but

    Souls resent, life dwindles, everything for the reason of the ring

    Fangs devour everything, Leaves are taken in, the Undecided madly rage

    Persistent obsession with life

    That is the world¡¯s beginning.

    Drifting Silence

    She sings

    She who had remained silent for thousands of years now sat on the branch of a large tree, and she sang.

    The melody galloped through the hills and fields, crossed the sea, and penetrated everything.

    Her song of admonishment

    A spell on everything that is

    Drifting Silence

    She descends

    As the song swells

    The people welcome her, and they begin dancing to her song

    The world is calm

    That is her decision

    Harmonize with others and join hands

    That is the world she wanted

    ¡°And that¡¯s how it has been for the last thousand years. We are living in the world she made for us. Hyurians, elves, dwarves, werewolves, and fairies under Drifting Silence¡­¡­.we are the ones who decided to live in the world the Goddess Illya had desired.¡±

    ¡°So the Goddess Illya and this ¡®Drifting Silence¡¯ are supposed to be the same person? Or the same goddess I guess?¡±

    ¡°Yes that¡¯s right. Our ancestors, along with everyone else who follows the Goddess are the ones who lent their ears to her song. Not her power, but her words. The Goddess preached that the world should be governed by kindness rather than hatred. However, there are those who resisted that message.¡±

    Rose was being quite talkative, and she continued explaining things to us without pause.

    ¡°Dark elves, goblins, orcs. And then¡­¡­..trolls. They are the typical¡­¡­¡­.let¡¯s say inhabitants of the Primordial World. With their leader the Primordial King Osnell, they would often collide with the Goddess¡¯s believers. That all came to an end after the battle¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°The Illyarian War a thousand years ago.¡±

    Toslin whispered while combing her hair.

    ¡°Yes. That is correct. The armies of the Primordial World ruled by fear went into all-out war with the Goddess¡¯s armies who wished to reach a mutual understanding through words. The war was a time of chaos¡­¡­..but we succeeded in breaking apart the Primordial World. Along with the elves, the dwarves, the werewolves, and the fairies.¡±

    ¡°Hoh¡­¡­..what a grand story. It makes it hard to identify with really.¡±

    Once Rose¡¯s story was finished, Toslin let loose a bright laugh.

    ¡°Fufufu, that might certainly be the case. Me as well, I thought the same way until I joined the faith and heard the bishop tell the tale.¡±

    ¡°Then Rose, does that mean even now it¡¯s your duty to defeat goblins and others who stood on the side of the Primordial World?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. To be precise, it¡¯s my duty to correct anyone who would disrupt the Goddess¡¯s rules.¡±

    I always wondered why members of the clergy would travel with adventurers, but I guess I can understand if that¡¯s the reason.

    ¡°Uh, ummm¡­¡­¡­ S-So does that make someone like me Rose¡¯s enemy?¡±

    Carol had remained unusually silent for most of the story, but she now worked up the courage to ask an uneasy question.

    ¡°No no. As I said, whether they be hyurians, elves, or any other race, it is my duty to spank the bottoms of anyone who goes against the Goddess¡¯s teachings. For thou, evil is unforgivable. Thus thou must cleanse evil.¡±

    Rose laughed and tried giving Carol a calm smile to reassure her. On the other hand, Carol timidly pulled out one of the daggers she was keeping in her bag.

    ¡°Uh, um¡­¡­¡­ I swiped this dagger from a grave a while ago¡­¡­..is that evil? Am I?¡±

    Carol was holding one of the two daggers she carries with her. Unlike my own cheap dagger, you could feel the age to this one, and it apparently had magic cast upon it so it would never break. Just like in a story I read a long time ago.

    ¡°Oh my, that was certainly wrong of you.¡±

    With her usual calm smile, Rose grabbed Carol by the nape of her neck and picked her up. She then sat down on the nearby bed, and she placed Carol¡¯s small body over her knee.

    ¡°Eh, huh? What? What are you doing? KYAaaaaaaaa!¡±

    Suddenly, Rose yanked down Carol¡¯s spats and slammed her hand into Carol¡¯s small, round butt.

    ¡°O¡­¡­¡­.OWWWWwwwwwwwww!!¡±

    Even though it wasn¡¯t happening to me, there was such a loud smack that I had to close my eyes. And then Rose¡¯s prayer sounded overtop Carol¡¯s screams.

    ¡°Goddess, forgive this person for their sins. I pray that those who sleep may have peace.¡±

    A tender, kind smile was still floating across Rose¡¯s face as she once again brought a hand down on Carol¡¯s bare bottom.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to disturb the peace of the dead without good reason. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorryyyyyy! I got it! No more! I won¡¯t do it ever again!¡±

    Just as Rose was about to bring her hand down a third time, Carol started shouting out her apology as fast as she could. Rose nodded her head, satisfied with the answer she got, and she let Carol go.

    ¡°Uu, Uuuuu! Iris¡­¡­. Rose, she, to my butt¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol jumped into bed with me nearly about to cry.

    ¡°Ah, um¡­¡­.yeah. I saw¡­¡­. It looked like it hurt¡­¡­¡±

    When Carol put her head down in my lap, I started petting her already dry hair.

    ¡°This is a good opportunity. Iris, you too Toslin. If there is any sin plaguing your conscience, you are more than welcome to confess here. The Goddess and I are merciful in most things.¡±

    Even if she says that¡­¡­.. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll try any confessions after what I just saw. I don¡¯t think I really have any kind of deep sin that I could confess in the first place¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°No, not really, such a thing is¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I, There¡¯s nothing like that for me!¡±

    Toslin hurriedly denied any wrongdoing, but then Carol bolted up from my lap with a twinkle in her eye.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying! When I took the dagger, Toslin swiped a bunch of money that was buried with it!¡±

    ¡°Wha? That much is fine though! What would money in a tomb be¡­¡­¡­. Wait, hold on a minute Rose! Listen, even if you say I stole it, there wasn¡¯t that much!¡±

    Toslin turned her head away and tried desperately to explain things to Rose.

    ¡°Goddess, have mercy on this sinful elf. Now, please stick out your hips Toslin. If you¡¯d rather not, you could always put that money to a noble cause and donate it to the church as an offering?¡±

    ¡°Wha, Why would I! This is how the church gets its donations!? ¡­¡­¡­hold on, with your strength a hit will definitely swell! Wai¡­¡­¡­.Carol, what are you doing!?¡±

    Without noticing, Carol had scraped herself off of the bed and attached herself to Toslin to completely seal off her movements.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be strange if I¡¯m the only one who gets beat? Hihihi, meekly accept your punishment Toslin.¡±

    No matter how much Toslin struggled, she was going to have a hard time when she¡¯s getting double teamed by Carol and Rose. Just like Carol had been, Toslin was brought over Rose¡¯s knee.

    ¡°Wai, WAITWAITWAITWAITWAIT! Don¡¯t strip me stupid Carol! You can¡¯t be serious Rose¡­¡­..wai¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m already 18¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin¡¯s resistance was entirely in vain. Soon her trousers were pulled down, and her pale white butt received two of Rose¡¯s strikes.

 CH 7

    As dawn broke, we finished our breakfast and immediately left the inn. A white glow shined across the blue sky, and every breath we took was like a miniature white cloud. We did leave our bulky baggage back in our room though, so it was much easier to move around now.

    Goldmund no longer had to pull that heavy wagon, so he was light on his feet this morning. But, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the two people walking behind him.

    ¡°Uu, come on Iris. There¡¯s really nothing that you¡¯ve done wrong?¡±

    In complete contrast to the bright blue sky in front of me, a dark, gloomy voice hit my back. Turning my head around, I saw Toslin¡¯s hateful glare.

    ¡°N-Nothing at all!¡±

    ¡°You could still do your confession right now. You¡¯ve lived for 16 years already. It¡¯s perfectly normal to have one or two things you feel guilty about you know? Come out with it; we¡¯re all friends here.¡±

    Unlike Toslin, Carol¡¯s expression was a lot more distant. Her eyes, they were just like a zombie¡¯s. A zombie who only wishes to devour the living and make them just as empty as they are. The illustration of a zombie I had seen in a book I read had eyes just as hollow and depressing.

    ¡°I am a virtuous, ordinary person! So let¡¯s steel ourselves already. Today is all about searching for Quinn.¡±

    Even now the two of them were tottering behind with hurt butts. Ohh, is this really going to be okay¡­¡­¡­..?

    ¡°Maybe you hit them too hard, just a bit¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    As the one responsible for all of this, Rose¡¯s face was naturally clouded over.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m told every day that an adventurer¡¯s greatest tool is their body. That¡¯s why such a small hit to their butts won¡¯t amount to much for them.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then you should be fine hitting Iris¡¯s butt too! Maybe then you¡¯ll see just how much pain you¡¯ve caused!¡±

    ¡°Yeah Rose, things are way too sweet from your eyes. Okay Rose, I¡¯ll forgive you, now spank Iris¡¯s butt too!¡±

    The two of them were screaming together right in the middle of the village during the early morning when the square was full of people who had just gotten up. The stares I was getting from the villagers around us really hurt.

    ¡°Yes, however¡­¡­¡­I cannot pass judgement on a sinless person.¡±

    Rose turned them down with a serious look. Naturally of course, this is the reasonable opinion to have. I nodded my head.

    ¡°Come now, let¡¯s move quickly. A person¡¯s life may hang in the balance.¡±

    The expectations the villagers¡¯ gazes sparked my sense of duty. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have found Quinn before the day is done. I briskly walked out of the village square, Toslin and Carol chuckling about something as they followed closely behind me.

    ?

    After leaving the village, we arrived at a mountain trail that would eventually lead to the highway. Step by step, we slowly made our way down the path while trying to keep an eye on all the numerous tracks that had carved themselves through the set snow. Some of the tracks veered off the mountain path, moving into a thinner road that was probably an animal trail, but we ignored those. You could tell at a glance that the distance between the wheels was much too small, and the depths of the grooves in the snow were too shallow.

    ¡°It was only a little, but you looked like you were enjoying yourself back then, Rose.¡±

    Bent over and observing each set of tracks, Carol suddenly stood up and turned towards Rose with half closed eyes.

    ¡°Think about what you¡¯re saying a little Carol. Rose would never think something like that. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    My back was starting to get sore from being bent over all this time, so I stood up straight and stretched. Rose brushed her long hair behind her ear and turned towards Carol.

    ¡°Umm. In truth, just a little¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey you guys. Come on, let¡¯s quit talking about unimportant things and quickly¡­¡­¡­¡­.um, huh?¡±

    My mind stopped working for a second, and I dumbfoundedly turned towards an embarrassed Rose.

    ¡°Carol and Toslin are just so cute. Fufufu, I am a little embarrassed. So you noticed then?¡±

    Rose was talking as if she had pulled some small prank, but the rest of us were as still and quiet as a rock. Carol kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish on dry land before suddenly pointing an accusatory finger at Rose.

    ¡°If-If you think we¡¯re cute then you should¡¯ve gone easy on us!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Is that the problem here? I really wanted to cut in with a few thoughts of my own, but¡­¡­¡­..um, so¡­¡­¡­¡­.well, it¡¯s fine.

    ¡°So, anyways. We should start with figuring out which of these tracks we¡¯re going to follow.¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s right. Time¡¯s already growing short, and we still haven¡¯t made a guess.¡±

    Toslin decided not to think about it too deeply as well, and we turned back to work. Although our job here is simple, it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that choosing the right tracks to follow here is the difference between success and failure.

    ¡°Ah, how about this one here? It appears to have the same depth as what Iris described. But the width of the wagon¡­¡­¡­.it¡¯s hard to tell with all these other tracks going in the same direction.¡±

    Rose pointed at one set of tracks. Taking a look, they certainly were as deep as the ones I had seen yesterday, and the wheels would¡¯ve been about as thick as the ones on Quinn¡¯s wagon as well.

    ¡°How is it Iris?¡±

    Carol looked over my shoulder interested. We haven¡¯t found any other notable tracks, so I suggested that we start off by following these ones for now at least.

    ¡°Okay. Well then let¡¯s get moving. Carol, you take the lead.¡±

    ¡°Right. Leave it to me.¡±

    Just as you¡¯d expect, with work in front of them, neither Toslin nor Carol would complain about how their butts hurt. And so looking like a proper professional, Carol started walking ahead.

    ?

    Was it about an hour after we started walking? Suddenly, Carol¡¯s feet stopped in the snow.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    Carol pointed off in the distance when Rose asked.

    ¡°Look there, one set of tracks set off the trail. I didn¡¯t mind them at first, but there are some unusual footprints following along with them.¡±

    We all looked to where Carol was pointing, but unfortunately it was so far off I couldn¡¯t see anything. All I could make out were the densely growing trees and the white snow covering the ground. So we started our way down the slope, being careful of the meandering and loose footing.

    ¡°Over there? It¡¯s pretty far off from the road.¡±

    Just as Carol had said, there were a set of tracks that had turned off the mountain trail and descended to the valley below. Well even if I call it a valley, the slope down isn¡¯t steep, and you can walk down it easily.

    ¡°By the look of it, there was a bit of chaos here with the way the footprints spread out.¡±

    ¡°Ah, do you think bandits?¡±

    The footprints were going in the same direction as the wheel tracks.

    ¡°B-Bandits?¡±

    My heart rate jumps up, and I quickly start looking around us. I suddenly feel uneasy, thinking they might be hiding somewhere behind those trees, listening in on everything we¡¯re saying as we speak. My anxiety must have been obvious because Goldmund walked over and licked my face to calm me down.

    ¡°But there aren¡¯t that many of them. One of them¡­¡­¡­.um, who¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Quinn¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right right. There¡¯s that guy¡­¡­.and maybe seven to eight others. I can¡¯t really tell because everything¡¯s been messed up.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to feel worried about Iris. Do you think we¡¯ll lose to a bunch of small-minded bandits who¡¯d hang around a place like this?¡±

    Toslin patted my shoulder with a smile. She looked so kind yet gallant. Just like the main character of a heroic epic. My heart started pounding in a different way.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°See? Then let¡¯s go. Carol, be on full alert.¡±

    ¡°Ah but¡­¡­¡­..I¡¯m hungry¡­¡­¡­..let¡¯s get something to eat as soon as this is done.¡±

    ¡°Fine so take the front. Let¡¯s see, Rose will take the rear and protect Iris. Goldmund too if you would.¡±

    Toslin gave out her directions and moved to join up with Carol in the front, but not before spanking me in the butt first.

    ¡°You, wai¡­¡­¡­.enough Toslin!¡±

    ¡°Come Iris. Let¡¯s teach these nonbelievers about the Goddess¡¯s power.¡±

    Rose¡¯s smile, Goldmund¡¯s reliability, and Toslin¡¯s strong gaze. Add all those together with Carol taking the front and her go-at-your-own-pace attitude, and any anxiety I felt dissipated.

    ¡°R-Right. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    The fact that I¡¯m powerless hasn¡¯t changed. Nevertheless, that¡¯s not going to stop me from trying.

 CH 8

    Following the footprints and descending further into the valley, we soon found a wagon that had been abandoned in the snow. The wagon was toppled over on its side, and while the cargo it was carrying was still there, the animal that had been pulling it was nowhere to be found. The wheel tracks we had been following came to an end here.

    ¡°This¡­¡­¡­.it almost looks like the wagon was suddenly hit by something.¡±

    Toslin picked up something the wagon had been carrying that was scattered around most likely when the wagon toppled over. It was a familiar-looking small bottle filled with a thick, yellowish liquid. Without a doubt, it was the same bottle Carol and I had been shown yesterday at the workshop.

    ¡°Over here. The footprints¡­¡­¡­.they¡¯re still continuing on away from the wagon. Also some bad news. It looks like somebody¡¯s been hurt.¡±

    Carol was pointing at a spot a little bit away from the wagon where a few crimson splotches had splashed over. They continued further away from the wagon alongside the footprints. Anybody would know they were bloodstains only by looking at them.

    ¡°Their wounds would¡¯ve been deep. Would they have been able to walk on their own with such a wound¡­¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    Rose knelt down and scooped up some of the bloody snow.

    ¡°Um, well¡­¡­¡­.doesn¡¯t that mean Quinn is seriously injured? Th-This is awful!¡±

    Not knowing what to do, I start to panic, and all my thoughts start to jumble together. If something has happened to to Quinn, then the village head and Ryland would¡­¡­.. When that thought finally settles in my mind, I immediately start following the footprints away from the wreckage.

    ¡°Hey, hold on a minute.¡±

    Suddenly Carol was holding onto my skirt. I noticed Toslin get flustered and turned her gaze away which definitely means my wool underwear was visible again.

    ¡°Wai¡­¡­¡­.what are you doing Carol!?¡±

    I got flustered myself and tried shaking her hand off, but then I noticed there wasn¡¯t any hint of a joke in the look Carol was giving me.

    ¡°I get why you¡¯re being so impatient, but don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something strange here?¡±

    ¡°Eh, wha- something is? There¡¯s a wagon here, and Quinn¡¯s injured. If that¡¯s the case, then doesn¡¯t he need help as soon as possible!?¡±

    Rose nodded her head at my point.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Looking at these bloodstains, he is deeply wounded, and a good amount of time has already passed. If he is bearing injuries as serious as these, we cannot afford to waste even a single moment.¡±

    ¡°Yeah well, I feel the same way there. If the guy dies, our reward will get reduced. But isn¡¯t there something else? Who are we going to be protecting this guy from?¡±

    Carol was staring at the footprints as she spoke. Her profile was so intellectual it made me start to think that carefree smile of hers back at the inn had been a lie.

    ¡°Aah, I see. What you¡¯re saying then is if a group of thieves has attacked Quinn, then why is all the medicine left behind.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s really strange when you think about it. A thief is a thief because they steal things. But since there are a whole lot of things here left to steal, we have to think something else happened.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­¡±

    My voice unconsciously leaked out. That¡¯s it. Carol¡¯s right. And what I was doing could¡¯ve gotten us killed. This isn¡¯t smart at all. I looked at Carol¡¯s face and took a deep breath. I have to stay calm and keep my wits about me.

    ¡°So then, what in the world¡­¡­.. Something other than a bandit¡­¡­something like a monster attack then?¡±

    ¡°Mm, the chances of it being goblins is high. But judging by the size of the footprints, we might actually be able to rule them out. Perhaps it¡¯s that dark elf. Look, that fairy was afraid for her village. If that is somewhere around here, Quinn might¡¯ve gotten himself wrapped up somehow.¡±

    ¡°A dark elf wouldn¡¯t have attacked a single human if their goal was the fairy village though. So wouldn¡¯t it be a bandit after all? Perhaps rather than the medicine, Quinn was their goal all along? They were aiming for a ransom?¡±

    ¡°If I were the thieves, I wouldn¡¯t do that. That guy¡¯s a village head in name only and doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯d have any money at all. It¡¯d be much better to just take the delivery on the spot and sell it for a high price.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re merciless. You know you absolutely shouldn¡¯t say stuff like that in front of the person themselves right?¡±

    ¡°That kind of stuff is common sense.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. When it comes to you, I¡¯m not so sure. But anyway, we should proceed with caution either way. In the worst case it¡¯s a dark elf, but even if it¡¯s not, that means we¡¯d still have some bandits to deal with at the very least.¡±

    ¡°Right. I-I understand¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    I held back my urge to run forward, staying behind Toslin and the others while trying to stay vigilant of our surroundings. Please, please¡­¡­¡­..let Quinn be safe. While hoping for the safety of a man I¡¯ve never met before, I offered a prayer to a Goddess I¡¯ve never seen before.

    ?

    Some time has passed since then. The crunch of the snow keeps echoing on endlessly with each step we take. The further we go, the thicker the forest gets and the thinner the snow on the ground becomes. It isn¡¯t even noon, yet it has already gotten so dark. I keep turning my head around to try and be aware of my surroundings, but if it¡¯s like this, something could easily be hiding behind the trees without me noticing.

    ¡°Aa¡­¡­.what¡¯s wrong Carol?¡±

    Because Toslin stopped so suddenly, I ended up banging my head against her hard armor.

    ¡°Ow¡­¡­¡­¡­Ouch! What, is something wrong?¡±

    When I peeked around Toslin with both my hands covering my sore, throbbing forehead, I saw Carol with her index finger pressed in front of her lips. Both of my hands shot down and covered my mouth instead. Rose and Toslin both bent low and killed their breathing.

    ¡°A cave¡­¡­¡­.is it. There is something quite ancient about it.¡±

    We hid ourselves behind a nearby tree, stuck so close together I could hear Rose¡¯s breathing. In front of us¡­¡­¡­it looked like there was a cliff jutting up towards the canopy, but now that we were only a couple dozen meters away from it, I was just barely able to make out a hole in the rock that could be a cave if I squinted.

    ¡°It looks like the footprints lead here right?¡±

    Carol stealthily moved forward, and we carefully followed. My heart is already beating so violently I¡¯m afraid it might explode. But, it¡¯s a little strange that even with all that thumping, my heart still catches when I look at Toslin¡¯s back.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡­..what an amazing cliff¡­¡­¡­ How many years would it take for this much ivy to grow this thick¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m thinking about stuff like that even though a bunch of bandits could jump out any minute now, and a battle could start. But I can¡¯t help but to notice how this moss grows on such a steep cliff, and the vigorous growth of these vines. If we really wanted to, maybe we could climb up them? or not.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just stand out there in the open. Come over here.¡±

    Toslin whispered over and started motioning for me to hurry up from the entrance of the cave.

    ¡°Oh, right¡­¡­¡­sorry.¡±

    When I rushed over to where Toslin and the others had gathered, I found Carol staring intently at the ground. This far into the cave there was no more snow on the ground, but the weak sunlight wasn¡¯t making it easy to see the wet leaves scattered across the floor.

    ¡°The blood stains continue in here. Somebody was definitely in here. But¡­¡­I¡¯m not too sure, but it looks like the footprints split in two.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Carol pointed towards her feet and then pointed to the inside of the cave shrouded in darkness.

    ¡°One set of footprints walks into the cave just like this. It¡¯s hard to see because all the snow¡¯s gone, but these ones here, you can see they go back into the forest if you look closely enough. Somebody probably keeps coming and going out of the cave. They¡¯re doing it pretty frequently to boot.¡±

    ¡°The bandits¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°It could still be something else, something not human. Something that could leave footprints similar to a human such as a goblin¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Or, the dark elf?¡±

    ¡°Any of them are a possibility.¡±

    ¡°So in conclusion, we can confirm that the injured person is in this cave. Meanwhile we don¡¯t know if the other set of footprints belongs to some bandits, goblins, or a dark elf, but we do know they¡¯re constantly coming and going from the cave.¡±

    Keeping her voice down, Toslin frowned.

    ¡°In that case, this could prove to be a real nuisance. It will be difficult to mount a rescue if they take him hostage.¡±

    ¡°Honestly we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to come out of this pot until we open the lid. What should we do? Quit? To tell you the truth, I¡¯d like to avoid getting involved with a dark elf. Can¡¯t they use really strong magic?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be the smart thing to do. But we don¡¯t have a choice but to move forward here. Well it¡¯ll only be a dark elf in the worst case scenario, and if it is, just leave it to me.¡±

    Toslin let out a long sigh before drawing the long sword from her back.

    ¡°Oops, it¡¯ll be a bit difficult for Goldmund to follow us in though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s hide him in that thicket near the entrance.¡±

    ¡°Sorry Goldmund. Just wait here for a little bit.¡±

    Goldmund sent a small breath from his nose and sat down on top of a bush, crushing it underneath his weight. The guy who is always protecting me won¡¯t be there, but after I made such a big scene in front of Ryland, I can¡¯t sit back and say I¡¯m scared now.

    ¡°Iris isn¡¯t going to hide here too?¡±

    Toslin could probably sense my anxiety, but I still shook my head.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Me too, I¡¯m going. I have to help Quinn.¡±

    I said so as confidentially as I could while feeling the dagger hanging at my waist.

 CH 9

    It was relatively warmer inside the cave. Of course that¡¯s only when compared to outside, and my hands and feet are still felt numb from the cold. So while sticking close behind Toslin, I placed my hands over my mouth and tried warming them up with my breath.

    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re walking Iris. If you slip and fall, it¡¯s going to hurt.¡±

    Carol walked in front with a torch in hand. Rocks were scattered all over the cave floor, and water was seeping through. As a result puddles were all over the uneven surface making it extremely slippery, especially with the moss that had managed to grow all over the place.

    ¡°R-Right¡­¡­..I¡¯ll be careful¡­¡­¡­awawa¡±

    Just as I was saying I¡¯d watch out, my foot ended up catching on something, and I started to fall backwards. Luckily Rose-san had taken the rear and caught me before I fell on my butt.

    ¡°T-Thank you very much¡­¡­¡­Rose-san.¡±

    ¡°Think nothing of it. As long as you¡¯re not injured.¡±

    Rose-san was wearing her usual smile even during a time like this. Surely she¡¯s experienced all kinds of different things when compared to me. Obviously.

    ¡°Heeeey. Are you all right Iris?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sorry. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    So far the cave has been only a single passageway large enough for three people to walk down shoulder to shoulder. But with these puddles all over, the footprints and bloodstains have completely disappeared.

    ¡°Ah~, that¡¯s how it is. Iris is heavily equipped, so you might get a little wet, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt if you fell on your butt right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d still hurt. Seriously¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Carol is using every opportunity she gets to try and make fun of me and my wool underwear. But it¡¯s fine. Who cares what she thinks as long as I¡¯m warm.¡±

    ¡°Nevertheless, it¡¯s unfortunate we can¡¯t track their footprints anymore.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the smell¡¯s already disappeared too¡­¡­¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine for now since there haven¡¯t been any branching paths yet.¡±

    The second Carol said that, my feet came to a halt.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡­..?¡±

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    Seeing me stop, Rose-san walked next to me and tilted her head.

    ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    Even when Toslin asks, I don¡¯t know why my body had stopped or why an ¡°Ah¡± had escaped my lips as if I had noticed something. There was definitely something¡­¡­¡­something had galloped through my brain forcing me to stop my feet¡­¡­¡­some kind of feeling.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡­¡­hmm sorry. It¡¯s nothing. Or something¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s scary, but everything¡¯s fine. We won¡¯t make the same blunder we did last time. Rest assured we¡¯ll properly protect you this time.¡±

    Toslin was probably talking about that goblin outside of the Swansea Forest the other day. But, that¡¯s not what¡¯s bothering me right now. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m scared, but this is¡­¡­¡­not anxiety, maybe something closer to a premonition.

    ¡°R-Right. Thanks¡­¡­¡­¡±

    But, I hesitate to say that. Since Toslin is trying to comfort me, I should just obediently get comforted.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s keep going. Quinn-san is awaiting our arrival in the cave¡¯s depths.¡±

    Rose-san placed a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±

    Once again we started for the cave¡¯s end with Carol taking the lead.

    ?

    We walked for maybe five hours after that? Suddenly the cave opened into a wide space like a grand hall. A light far stronger than the torch Carol was holding shined down from above. It was so bright my eyes that had gotten used to the darkness started hurting.

    ¡°Uwaa¡­¡­¡­..amazing¡­¡­.¡±

    My voice came out without thinking about it, and I looked up. A deep blue sky was right overhead, and the sun was looking down back at me. It¡¯s like we are in a giant, circular chimney right now. The only real difference from a chimney would be the fact that rather than being colored pitch black from the baked-on soot, it was a vibrant green with the dense ivy and short trees growing everywhere.

    ¡°A place like this exists¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Seeing it like this, even Toslin, Rose-san, and Carol had their eyes opened wide, fascinated by this fantastical sight. This green chimney was probably about twenty meters across. And it was easily at least fifty meters high. The leaves of the thickly growing tress were all wet with dew, reflecting the light of the sun making everything sparkle. I can¡¯t help but think this gleam is more radiant than any gem, even if I usually live a life far away from any kind of jewelry. The broken and rugged surface of the rock we¡¯ve had to deal with until now has been covered with a fluffy carpet of moss.

    ¡°Still, it looks like there¡¯s something in the back.¡±

    We all came back to our senses at Carol¡¯s voice. Turning to where she was looking, I found another wide cavity on the opposite side from where we entered. The sun¡¯s light couldn¡¯t reach that far, so I couldn¡¯t tell what it was.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s move. But be careful. Bandits could still be hiding in here.¡±

    I tighten my focus at Toslin¡¯s warning. Carol took the lead while Toslin and Rose-san followed close behind with their weapons already drawn. Fearfully, I follow them too, albeit a little further back. The moss covered floor completely kills the sound of our footsteps.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­..what, it¡¯s the end?¡±

    Carol muttered to herself after stepping into the darkness and raising her torch. I timidly peeked through the space between Rose-san and Toslin. Sure enough, it really was a dead end. There wasn¡¯t another passageway like I expected, nor were there any bandits like I had feared.

    It was a snug, hollowed out space that¡¯s ceiling you could probably touch if you reached out for it. There was some rubble scattered about inside, but when I looked closely, I realized it was actually the remains of a statue.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Suddenly Rose-san¡¯s hands flew up to her mouth, and she began to grieve.

    ¡°A stone statue of Illya. But what is it doing in a place like this?¡±

    Carol got closer to the rubble. The remains of the statue touched by the torch¡¯s light certainly had features I recognized. Long, straight hair and a somber expression. A robe over its shoulders while it prayed with all its heart. There were statues like this in the town I was born and raised, enshrined in both the church and the city square.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s something else here too. Eh, this¡­¡­.¡±

    There was a clattering as Carol started digging through broken pieces of the statue. Soon she was pulling out a dust-covered box from the pile of rubble.

    ¡°Ooooh, a treasure chest!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s face lit up brighter than the sun, and she ran up next to Carol. The two of them carefully carried out a chest about as tall as our knees out into the light.

    ¡°Uwa, it looks so old¡­¡­¡±

    The framework of the wooden chest was made of rusted iron. There were parts here and there where the wood was rotting to the point that even gently setting it back down on the ground could¡¯ve made the thing collapse.

    ¡°So, is it fine to open it?¡±

    Carol excitedly starting patting the chest¡¯s lid. Enough dust billowed up to make me cough as a result.

    ¡°Do it quickly.¡±

    Although Toslin was trying to rush her, Carol was taking the time to carefully examine the chest. She lightly tapped on the chest again and confirmed an echo before feeling around in the cracks to check inside.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­..¡±

    But that caution only lasted a few seconds. She almost immediately tilted her head and abruptly opened the lid.

    ¡°Wai-¡­..¡±

    Toslin suddenly jumped back a step even though until then she had been practically drooling over the chest. Of course I instinctively pulled back as well. Because, I¡¯ve learned from the hundreds of adventure novels I¡¯ve read that you should always be careful when opening a treasure chest. A monster lurking inside could suddenly eat you, or the thing could explode if you open them carelessly. Seeing Toslin¡¯s reaction only adds on to the authenticity of what I read, but it seems like the treasure chest this time was fine.

    ¡°It¡¯s empty. Unfortunately.¡±

    Carol hit the chest in regret. She always called herself a thief, but to think she¡¯d be able to find out there wasn¡¯t a trap there in such a short amount of time. I wondered how the heck she could do that, but it seems it isn¡¯t something she can explain in words.

    ¡°Well, I figured it¡¯d be like that. But it¡¯s still a shame. The person who did this must¡¯ve gotten it.¡±

    Toslin lifted the head of the smashed statue of Illya and sighed.

    ¡°So, what was in there exactly? I can¡¯t help but wonder.¡±

    The treasure inside that chest must have been set underneath this statue for years. And since such a magnificent statue was charged with protecting it, whatever was in there must have been extremely rare.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­fua?¡±

    While thinking something along those lines, I suddenly felt as if someone was looking at me and raised my head. The only person standing there was Toslin though, so I ended up staring at her.

    ¡°Something wrong Iris? You kinda made a weird sound just now.¡±

    Toslin was staring at me curiously. A gentle breeze made her long hair sway ever so slightly. But, that¡¯s wrong. Someone else¡­¡­..I can¡¯t explain it very well, but it was definitely someone else. Toslin was looking at me because she heard me make a noise. But, I felt like somebody was staring at me before she had looked at me.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know¡­¡­¡­¡±

    It was that same weird feeling I had back in the cave¡¯s passageway. This time, I was feeling it from the broken piece of statue in Toslin¡¯s hands¡­¡­¡­I could sense it. My hands shook as I reached out towards it.

    ¡°This? There¡¯s something wrong with this?¡±

    Toslin passed the broken head over to me. The statue had been mercilessly crushed, and yet, it had a mysterious beauty to it.

    ¡°Something¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I wonder what. This¡­¡­¡­.something¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m feeling exactly, so anything I try to say turns into senseless babble.

    ¡°What¡­¡­I don¡¯t really understand it, but before¡­¡­¡­I sensed something. This feeling¡­¡­.what it is¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m starting to feel uneasy, so I turn towards Rose-san. I thought if I saw Rose-san¡¯s always friendly smile, I could escape from this uneasy feeling I don¡¯t understand. But, Rose-san wasn¡¯t smiling.

    ¡°Heartrending¡­¡­.. Who would do¡­¡­¡­the punishment for something like this¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san was grieving. The feelings of fury and rage she would normally be able to easily hide behind that friendly grin of hers were coming forward clear as day. Rose-san reached out and grasped the fragment of the Goddess¡¯s statue from my hands. And then¡­¡­

    ¡°Wawawawa¡±

    The broken fragment abruptly shown with a bright, golden light, and the hollowed out room lit up like a day at noon. I held my hands in front of my face to block out some of that dazzling light. But, the light was too strong, slipping through the cracks of my fingers and burning me through my shut eyelids.

 CH 10

    ¡°What, hold¡­¡­.what is this!?¡±

    ¡°UWAaaaaaaaaaaa! I¡¯m so sorry, I won¡¯t do it again! I¡¯ll never steal another thing again as long as I live, so please help meeee!¡±

    Toslin and Carol were looking over the broken fragments of the statues as well when this intense, blinding light began, and they were now running around screaming ¡°Kyaa, Kyaa¡± close to me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about that! Nobody is going to burn us to death for stealing such a small sum of money!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about!? We should just obediently apologize here and¡­¡­¡­.Kyaaaaaaa! I can¡¯t see in front of me! Where are you Toslin!? Uwaaaa, this is scaryyyy!¡±

    The two of them were bursting with energy as they kept yelling and screaming, but after a moment the light finally started to dim. I could open my eyes just a little and took the chance to look around the room.

    ¡°What, it¡¯s subsiding¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    I could make out Toslin¡¯s dumbfounded expression as she glanced over towards me while holding on to Carol.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­¡­ M-Maybe¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Is it finally done? Am, am I still alive? Do I still have my tail?¡±

    Carol was half-crying while snuggling up to Toslin¡¯s chest. Like a child that¡¯s suffered through a scolding, Carol¡¯s usually perky ears were hanging low, making it really easy to understand just how scared she was from a glance.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re all alive, and all our limbs are still attached.¡±

    I tried giving Carol some peace of mind, but when I looked around us, I saw it was the broken fragments of the statue that had glowed so brightly and were even now giving off a dim light.

    ¡°H-Huh¡­¡­¡­¡­. The statue¡­¡­¡­¡­.fragments¡­¡­.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing with my own eyes, and my voice came out as a chopped, garbled mess. And then I saw Rose-san, kneeling on the ground. Her eyes were opened wide, and she was holding up both her hands in reverence.

    ¡°It, It changed¡­¡­¡­. Hey, Hey Toslin¡­¡­.that¡­..¡±

    ¡°I, I can tell¡­¡­I¡¯m looking, so I can see¡­¡­¡±

    The broken head Rose-san carried in her hands was wrapped in a golden light, and it began to change. Slowly but surely, what could be described as a miracle was happening before my very eyes.

    ¡°I have heard Your will, My Lord.¡±

    Rose-san bowed deeply as the change came to an abrupt end. There was a crack in the air as if someone had shattered a piece of glasswork, and the light was lost. What remained in the palm of Rose-san¡¯s hands was a single book with a solemn, silver adornments.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I, no¡­¡­..we couldn¡¯t believe the miracle that had taken place as each of us stood in dumbfounded silence. Only Rose-san was any different as she remained kneeling with a mystified expression on her face.

    ¡°This is a fairy village.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s murmur broke the silence.

    ¡°The Goddess Illya told me¡­¡­¡­ No, to be precise, the vision this statue showed me informed me as such.¡±

    She slowly stood up and began stroking the book that had been bestowed to her.

    ¡°Perhaps, that fairy had lived here as well. And then, the dark elf came forcing them all to scatter.¡±

    Rose-san turned towards me, wearing her usual gentle smile.

    ¡°W-What the¡­¡­..why are¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san didn¡¯t bother explaining anything to me, only silently offering me the book. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on though and end up drawing back out of fear.

    ¡°One reason for the seal here was for the fragment of the Grief Sphere that locks Osnell away. The other reason, was for this.¡±

    ¡°What the what? I don¡¯t really understand books, but maybe this is some great treasure?¡±

    Carol was starting to get exciting while looking at the book in Rose-san¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Sweeeet! I don¡¯t get it, but it looks like an old book. If we sell this, wouldn¡¯t it make all of us super rich?¡±

    Carol¡¯s tail was doing a dance, but Rose-san calmly turned her down.

    ¡°No, this is a grimoire from the Goddess Illya. Trading it for money is absurd.¡±

    Saying that much, Rose-san grabbed my hand and forcibly passed along the book. I still don¡¯t know why though and helplessly looked towards Rose-san.

    ¡°Uh, this¡­¡­¡­um¡­.?¡±

    ¡°But it also makes no sense for me to hold onto something I am unable to use. And it is you who responded to the Goddess¡¯s call Iris-san. I was unable to feel anything until it had already happened. Surely the Goddess was calling you, so this was meant for you as well.¡±

    A leather-bound book that¡¯s age was apparent. An old book such as this with such intricate silver decorations is something I¡¯ve never seen before at the bookstore. When I traced the cover with my finger, writing magically appeared on the surface.

    ¡°So this is a grimoire. A-And this, it says Hadion!?¡±

    I was astonished, and Rose-san nodded her head as well.¡±

    ¡°For a thousand years this fairy village has been guarding this book per the Goddess¡¯s request. It seems that while the dark elf was capable of undoing the magic protecting this village, it was impossible for them to break the Goddess¡¯s seal.¡±

    Hadion. Despite being a hyurian, she swore allegiance to the Primordial King Osnell to become a knight with supernatural powers. It¡¯s said she was defeated in battle by the Goddess Illya a thousand years ago and has been imprisoned in darkness ever since. It¡¯s a name that often appears in the books I¡¯ve read. This book is all about summoning that legendary Hadion and having her serve you. Giving such a precious treasure to somebody like me who cannot handle even rudimentary magic is like putting make-up on a pig.

    ¡°This, There¡¯s no way I can keep something this important! Um, I really wasn¡¯t lying when I said I couldn¡¯t use any magic.¡±

    I tried desperately to return the book, but my objections uselessly bounced off of Rose-san¡¯s usual smiling face.

    ¡°Even if you say that, the only one among us who has any magic power to speak of, is Iris-san.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just how it is. It can¡¯t be helped if we can¡¯t sell it. I don¡¯t really get it, but I guess it¡¯s something important? In that case be careful not to lose it.¡±

    Even Toslin was patting my shoulder while laughing.

    ¡°This¡­¡­..but¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re just taking what the Goddess is giving you. I approve too~¡±

    Carol was having fun laughing to herself as she watched me squirm. But her eyes quickly took a turn to the serious.

    ¡°Although, if it¡¯s Osnell, wasn¡¯t he killed in battle to the Hero a thousand years ago? But, he was actually sealed?¡±

    Rose-san nodded meekly when Carol asked.

    ¡°In general, the story is that he was defeated all those years ago. However, the truth is Osnell still lives even now.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡­eh¡­¡­..w-why, how?¡±

    The end of the Illyarian War as I know of it concluded when the Hero Ranroot defeated Osnell with a sword of light.

    ¡°The conclusion of the Illyarian War wasn¡¯t as clean as is told. The Hero managed to weaken Osnell, but he couldn¡¯t beat him completely. And so the Goddess pulled out an orb which we now know as the Grief Sphere, and personally challenged the Primordial King.¡±

    We all listened in mute amazement as Rose-san went on.

    ¡°However their powers were too evenly matched, and as a result, the Goddess could only seal away Osnell in a world of darkness¡­¡­..we call that realm Endura, but apparently even then he couldn¡¯t be sealed away completely. They say even now you can hear the spirit of rampaging madness that still resides in this world sealed away deep below the Goddess¡¯s silent castle.¡±

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin sighed, unable to keep up with the scope of the tale, and brushed her hair behind her ear. Of course I was so surprised as well that I couldn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Yes. After that, the Goddess smashed the Grief Sphere, the only way to open the door to Endura, and scattered the pieces to fairy villages all over the continent to prevent him from returning ever again. A piece would have resided in this place as well.¡±

    ¡°Which means, what happened here could be happening somewhere else.¡±

    Rose-san nodded her head at Carol¡¯s words.

    ¡°Yes, it would be reasonable to think so. All at the hands of the dark elves who wish for the Primordial King Osnell¡¯s revival.¡±

    ¡°B-But, is it really okay for you to be telling us all of this? Wouldn¡¯t this cast a shadow over the Goddess¡¯s religion?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Through this statue, the Goddess must have seen that a dark elf has taken a shard of the Grief Sphere. In that case, the church will already be moving to prevent the resurrection. And I, as a priestess, cannot remain silent on the matter.¡±

    Rose-san started picking up the broken fragments of the statue, getting to work at trying to piece it back together. I tried helping out as well. When our eyes met, Rose-san seemed to have remembered something and made a small laugh.

    ¡°As soon as we¡¯ve wrapped up this matter, I¡¯ll head to the church for instructions. At that time, the church will either charge me with subjugating dark elves or investigating this matter further. That being the case, neither are missions I can handle on my own.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯re already pulling a head count for a job you haven¡¯t even been given yet?¡±

    Carol was laughing, but Rose-san gave a confident nod.

    ¡°Yes. Whether it be now or later, the story won¡¯t change. Is it a bother?¡±

    ¡°Nah she didn¡¯t mean it like that. I hear the church pays really well to boot, so we should be the ones asking you to let us help.¡±

    I simply watched from the side as Toslin lightly laughed and Carol hummed cheerfully to herself. I¡¯m not included in that head count. Even if I did come, I don¡¯t have the strength to join in any fighting. ¡°Leave it to me,¡± or ¡°I want to go too,¡± they¡¯re not something I can say as a joke.

    ¡°Heeey~. Are you all right Iris? Come back to us.¡±

    ¡°Awawawa, wh-what? S-Sorry, I was just thinking about something for a bit.¡±

    While I was thinking about things by myself, Toslin¡¯s face suddenly appeared really close to my own, and I almost fell over from the shock.

    ¡°Are you getting tired? Maybe we should take a short break here.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s okay! I¡¯m completely, utterly fine!¡±

    Worrying everyone is the last thing I want. My reliance on everyone else is what makes me think the way I do in the first place.

    ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t push yourself.¡±

    Rose-san was being kind as always, but I can¡¯t let those words keep spoiling me forever. Even if it¡¯s just this once, somebody else¡¯s life is in my hands.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get looking again. All this talking made me almost forget, we have to go find that guy¡­¡­¡­.um¡±

    ¡°Quinn-san. It¡¯s about time you try and remember it.¡±

    Yes. We still haven¡¯t achieved our objective here.

    ¡°But, this is strange. There doesn¡¯t appear to be any other rooms to this cave. Are we absolutely certain Quinn-san is here?¡±

    Rose-san tilted her head and began to ponder.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be anywhere else. We followed his footsteps here after all.¡±

    Carol had absolute confidence in her tracking skills.

    ¡°Well where is he then? It¡¯s just been a straight road until now right? Were there any other places where a person could hide?¡±

    ¡°Even if you ask¡­¡­.I¡¯m not wrong.¡±

    Toslin was giving a doubtful glance, so Carol puffed out her cheeks. Whenever Carol¡¯s stomach starts rumbling, she loses concentration and gets easily distracted, but she never loses her head when it¡¯s something important. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no question in my mind that the person that bloodstain belongs to is in this cave.

    ¡°Is it possible he was already moved someplace else?¡±

    ¡°Nuh-uh. The injured person walked into the cave but never walked out. That is absolute. If I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯ll do whatever Iris tells me.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m the one asking?¡±

    ¡°Toslin¡¯s no good. I don¡¯t want to get married yet.¡±

    ¡°Wha- What are you saying idiot!? I mean, what, are you lacking in self-confidence?¡±

    ¡°Rude. I have plenty of confidence.¡±

    Carol was pouting again and turned away from Toslin.

    ¡°Look me in the eyes and say it then.¡±

    ¡°No no, that¡¯s impossible, really impossible. If I look at Toslin¡¯s face right now, I¡¯ll start laughing, and we¡¯ll get distracted.¡±

    ¡°Then here you go.¡±

    Toslin picked Carol up and held her body with one arm while digging her fist into Carol¡¯s head.

    ¡°KYAaaaaaa! Ow, wai¡­¡­¡­that hurts! Help, help me Iris!¡±

    Carol¡¯s pained screams resounded in the cave. Meanwhile Rose-san had finished reassembling the Goddess¡¯s statue and prayed for Quinn-san¡¯s safety.

    ¡°Well, that is the way things stand. And we never encountered any kind of hidden door.¡±

    Suddenly raising her head, Toslin stopped noogying Carol for the time being and nodded.

    ¡°I never noticed anything either. I kept an eye out as we walked, but nothing jumped out to me at least¡­¡­.¡±

    Still being held under Toslin¡¯s arm, Carol listlessly shrugged.

    ¡°A hidden door? Mm, yeah.¡±

    And then I remember. Before we got here, there was that strange premonition I felt back in the cave¡¯s straightaway.

    ¡°What is it Iris-san?¡±

    It was the same as that uncomfortable feeling I got when I looked at the Goddess¡¯s statue here. In that case, there must be something there as well.

    ¡°Rose-san, there¡¯s a place I¡¯d like to check for a little bit.¡±

 CH 11

    The moment Rose-san put her hand on the wet stone wall, the dark passageway was filled with light. This was the spot where I had that uncomfortable premonition. The place we wrote off and passed by.

    ¡°This is¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°A hidden door.¡±

    Toslin and Carol let out an amazed voice as Rose-san stood there stunned. Although I had been pretty confident I was right, I¡¯m still amazed at all the miracles taking place before my eyes today.

    ¡°T-This too¡­¡­is this also the Goddess¡¯s grace¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    Rose-san spoke with quivering lips. The wall of rock disappeared before our eyes, replaced with a wooden door. I don¡¯t know what kind of magic is being used here, but it gives off a strange presence that draws our gaze.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Carol, if you would¡±

    Moistening her dry lips, Toslin finally said something. Carol jumped as if she had suddenly remembered something and started checking the door.

    ¡°It looks like there aren¡¯t any traps on it, but I can¡¯t be sure. If there¡¯s a magic trap on it, I won¡¯t be able to find it without any magic power. Does Iris feel anything?¡±

    I was pulled out of my daze in surprise when the matter suddenly turned back to me.

    ¡°R-Right. I already don¡¯t feel¡­¡­¡­I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    That weird feeling I was getting disappeared along with the rock wall.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m opening the door, okay?¡±

    When Carol glanced back, Toslin and Rose-san clenched the hilt of their weapons and nodded. I also held the grimoire Rose-san had entrusted to me close to my chest and swallowed my saliva.

    *Creak¡­¡­.* *Creak¡­¡­¡­*

    The creak of the rotting wooden door echoed as it slowly opened.

    ?

    Beyond the door was a space packed with greenery. Ivy growing on the walls reached down and coated the floor as well. The ceiling actually served as an atrium allowing us to look around the room without having to rely on light from torches.

    ¡°You all¡­¡­.who are you¡­¡­¡­ How did you get in here¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly I hear a voice coming from just out of sight. The noise startles me, and I jump behind Toslin¡¯s back without thinking.

    ¡°Who!¡±

    Toslin shouted out while pointing the tip of her sword towards where the mysterious noise came from. The room was only about ten meters wide. In the far corner of the room a large amount of moss had built up, and a man was currently lying back on it. In this small, quiet space, his strained breathing stood out.

    ¡°By chance¡­¡­.are you Quinn-san?¡±

    I timidly called over to him.

    ¡°Why¡­¡­..my name¡­¡­..?¡±

    We all shared a look between each other. Rose-san and Toslin quickly sheathed their weapons and briskly walked over to him. Carol and I followed after them as a matter of course.

    ¡°We were sent from the Warrior¡¯s Guild. We received a request from Relton¡¯s mayor Chris to come look for you.¡±

    The soft light from the ceiling illuminated Quinn-san revealing an older man with a splendid beard. He also had a solid build, probably from going back and forth through the snow. But, right now he looks like he¡¯s in a lot of pain, and there¡¯s a cold, greasy sweat on his brow.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­..is that so¡­¡­¡­ *Cough* *Cough*¡­¡­. How many days has it been already¡­¡­. I managed to escape here¡­¡­.¡±

    Quinn-san¡¯s face was deathly pale as he laid back on the moss bed, so much so that even an amateur like me could tell he was in a bad way. The stomach portion of his white shirt was stained with blood that had already started turning brown. That was where his wound probably was.

    ¡°Gh, I departed from the village¡­.g-goblins¡­¡­goblins¡­¡­. So many goblins, more than I¡¯ve ever seen¡­¡­.. *Cough* *Cough* *Cough*¡±

    Fresh blood spittled on the corner of Quinn-san¡¯s mouth. I couldn¡¯t bear the sight of it and unconsciously covered my face with my hands. Toslin however calmly ripped off his shirt to examine the wound on his stomach.

    ¡°Avoid talking for now. This is definitely from a knife or something like it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t make out Quinn-san¡¯s wounds that well when I peeked through my fingers because of all the smeared, caked on blood, but I could still tell he was seriously injured. Fresh blood kept dripping out preventing the area around the wound from drying completely.

    ¡°Rose, can you heal him?¡±

    Toslin looked behind her, and Rose-san quietly nodded her head. She then gently held the palm of her hand over Quinn-san¡¯s wound.

    ¡°The adherent Rosalith Cuulbacall offers her prayers. Goddess, heal this person¡¯s wounds.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s palm started emitting a golden light after her solemn prayer that slowly began to wrap around Quinn-san¡¯s wound. This was a miracle only capable by a member of the clergy recognized by the Goddess like Rose-san. Borrowing the Goddess¡¯s power, they can increase a person¡¯s resilience or heal their injuries. Miracles aren¡¯t magic, so they don¡¯t require any magic power. Only a deep reverence for the Goddess.

    ¡°So, warm¡­¡­. I see¡­¡­no wonder¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Quinn-san¡¯s complexion visibly improved. He was turning a healthy color, and his breathing wasn¡¯t nearly as rough.

    ¡°So it seems like this is a fairy village.¡±

    As Rose-san continued with the treatment, Toslin restarted asking her questions, and Quinn-san nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes. It seems like fairies have lived here for a long time, since the battle a thousand years ago probably. Only fairies can come in here. Otherwise, followers of the Goddess that the fairies invite in.¡±

    ¡°I see, and Quinn-san¡¯s family have been followers of the Goddess for generations. So you were able to get in here.¡±

    ¡°Yes. One time when I was a kid, I got lost and found myself here. Back then there was a rumor that a witch lived here, but thinking about it, that was probably just a lie our ancestors cooked up so we wouldn¡¯t come snooping around here. Anyway I knew where this place was. And I knew if I came here, the goblins wouldn¡¯t be able to follow.¡±

    The light from Rose-san¡¯s palm began to dim, and the healing power was lost along with it. However by now Quinn-san¡¯s wound had almost completely vanished. Rose-san bowed her head and took a short breath.

    ¡°Oh Goddess, thank you very much. This priestess offers her gratitude to you¡±

    With his injuries recovered, Quin-san bowed his head just as his father Chris-san had, and offered a few words of prayer towards Rose-san.

    ¡°Thanks Rose. This is a huge relief.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, now our reward won¡¯t get reduced.¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡±

    Carol had been quiet up until now, restlessly looking around not knowing what to do, but once her true feelings leaked out, Toslin naturally hit her head. Of course Rose-san didn¡¯t say anything herself and was now keeping her head down because of her vow of chastity.

    ¡°By the way, you mentioned goblins earlier. Does that mean they were the ones who attacked you?¡±

    Now that Quinn-san had completely regained his energy, Toslin started speaking more politely, wearing her best business smile.

    ¡°Yes, before I knew it, I was surrounded by them¡­¡­.¡±

    I see, so it really was a goblin attack? That explains why all the medicine was still there at least.

    ¡°Was there anything else that attacked you? A dark elf perhaps?¡±

    ¡°A dark elf? N-No¡­¡­I only saw goblins.¡±

    Quinn-san thought about it for a moment, but he inevitably shook his head. Maybe he just didn¡¯t see them? Or had they already left the forest by then, and Quinn-san ended up running into the leftover goblins because of some bad luck?

    ¡°Is that so¡­..because you see, this girl over here is the one who tracked the footprints¡­¡­.and she insists you were attacked by something other than a goblin. If that¡¯s true, whatever it is might still be hiding nearby.¡±

    Toslin grabbed Carol and forced her in front.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­..then perhaps¡­¡­¡±

    When Quinn-san started looking a little embarrassed, the room was suddenly filled with a loud creak, and the only door to this room swung open.

    ?

    What appeared was a huge, bald man. His thick, bronzed muscles bulged underneath his black jacket armor. A huge ax hung at his waist, and as soon as he noticed us, his gaze turned severe. Toslin drew her long sword, a sharp gaze similar to the man¡¯s in her eye.

    ¡°Who are you! What are you doing! I¡¯ll cut you down depending on your answer!¡±

    Toslin roared loud enough to make my eardrums shake.

    ¡°Goddess, forgive this man for his sins! HAaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    However before the man could give a response, Rose-san had lifted her shield and charged with the ferocity of a wild beast. The man quickly pulled out his ax, lowering his body to meet Rose-san head on.

    ¡°Wai¡­¡­¡­hold on a minute!¡±

    However it was Quinn-san who put an end to the confrontation. He peeled his sick body off the wall and jumped in between the two. But while his injuries may have healed, it seems like he is still physically exhausted.

    ¡°Are you all right Quinn-chan?¡±

    Dropping his ax to the ground, the man gently grabbed Quinn-san before he dropped to the floor.

 CH 12

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    We all rubbed our eyes and took another look at the scene playing out in front of us. Rose-san had frozen in place, still holding her mace over her head with an uneasy look on her face. Seeing us like that, Quinn-san let out a small, ¡°Umm,¡± before saying anything else.

    ¡°This here is Lovas-san. They¡¯re the one who carried me here after I was injured.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no good, you shouldn¡¯t be moving. Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay quiet until I came back?¡±

    The man¡­¡­.Lovas-san picked up Quinn-san and sat him back down on the moss bed. I was somewhat overwhelmed by his presence and hurriedly got out of his way.

    ¡°So then? Who are these people here? As far as I can tell, they certainly don¡¯t look like a bunch of village girls who¡¯ve come looking for you.¡±

    The man stood in front of Quinn-san as if he were protecting him and turned a questioning gaze towards us.

    ¡°Ah, right. They¡¯re members of the Warrior Guild who were hired to come looking for me. They healed my wounds, and I already feel a lot better.¡±

    ¡°Greetings. I¡¯m Tosrillon from the Warrior Guild. This here is Carotayle, over here is Iris, and over there is Rosalith.¡±

    After a brief greeting from Toslin, Lovas-san made a large grin showing off his shiny white teeth.

    ¡°Oh my so that¡¯s how it is. What a bunch of cuties. That priestess nee-chan looked especially brave and cool. Honestly you had me quaking in my boots.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure if ¡®quaking in my boots¡¯ would be how I¡¯d describe how he responded to Rose-san attacking him, but I do feel like I know what this man is.

    ¡°Are you a transvestite?¡±

    ¡°Wai, you!¡±

    Toslin started panicking a little when Carol came out and straightforwardly asked.

    ¡°Oh my no. Not a transvestite; I¡¯m a woman born and raised. Although I do suppose my body is a little man-like.¡±

    ¡°How is this a little¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin stared at Lovas-san looking exhausted.

    ¡°Eh? But I always go through the proper care? Twice a day every day I deal with any unwanted hair. Well, I do forget every once in a while and can end up covered in dirt like I am right now, but isn¡¯t it fine if I¡¯m just a slightly hairy woman?¡±

    No, even if you ask me that¡­¡­¡­. I mean, there¡¯s all that chest hair¡­¡­¡­.how can anyone grow that much when they shave twice a day every day¡­¡­¡­¡­. I told myself to drop it thinking there were some things in this world we were better off not knowing.

    ¡°Ah, umm¡­¡­..I¡¯m back.¡±

    Thereupon another voice reached my exhausted ear. A short girl was peeking her head out from behind the doorway where Lovas-san had come in from. The girl had a baby face with big, impressively round eyes and orange, braided hair that cutely swayed down her back.

    She was wearing a dress that seemed a little out of place in a cave like this along with a warm-looking fur coat. I felt a certain affinity with her, but that was because her role was probably the same as mine. After we had shared a bow to welcome each other, Lovas-san walked over.

    ¡°You¡¯re late. Allow me to introduce all of you. This girl is my companion Lutehorn. I¡¯ve taken to calling her Lutey though.¡±

    Lovas-san grabbed a basket of snow Lutehorn-san was carrying and brought it over to Quinn-san.

    ¡°Haaaah¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    From beginning to end, the conversation had worn Toslin out, and behalf of all the rest of us, let out a long sigh.

    ?

    ¡°Hoh, you live in a bookstore? That¡¯s so cool~. I love books. After all if you live in a bookstore, you can read as much as you want right?¡±

    When she found out I was the daughter of a bookstore owner, Lutehorn-san¡¯s eyes started sparkling.

    ¡°Eh, um well¡­¡­.. More or less.¡±

    ¡°Ohh, I¡¯m so jealous. Even though I love books, with the business I¡¯m in, I never have any chances to read.¡±

    ¡°Hey Lutey. What are you doing? It¡¯s almost time for lunch.¡±

    Lovas-san shook the basket while calling over Lutehorn-san.

    ¡°Y-Yes. Right away.¡±

    Apparently Lutehorn-san is in charge of the meals.

    ¡°Ah, let me help out too.¡±

    I was starting to feel more and more similar to this girl as I rushed ahead of Toslin.

    ?

    Lutehorn-san is sixteen just like me, but apparently monsters killed her parents two years ago. Without a single other relative, it seems that Lovas-san picked her up and saved her from having to struggle through life with nothing.

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡­.¡±

    Lutehorn-san laughed brightly while we ate. Even though we¡¯re the same age, her strength is overwhelming for me.

    ¡°No no, stop with the honorifics. We¡¯re the same age after all.¡±

    Lutehorn-san laughed some more while patting me on the back.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. That¡¯s right. But¡­¡­.it¡¯s difficult¡­¡­.. Because Lutehorn-san is so much more put together than I am¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Eeeeh~. What¡¯s with that? You¡¯re talking like I¡¯m some old granny.¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, that too. You¡¯re really good at cooking though.¡±

    ¡°Iris-san is too.¡±

    We started laughing together when our eyes met. Using some water we boiled after melting the snow, the two of us combined the ingredients and seasonings we had to make a tasty stew. The warmth gradually spread through our cold bodies.

    ¡°Well then¡­¡­..is it okay if I call you Iris?¡±

    ¡°Mm, it¡¯s fine. Well, I¡­¡­.oh yeah, Lutey is pretty good.¡±

    ¡°Ehh, that name¡¯s a little different. There are other names you can call me.¡±

    After finishing our food and lying back, satisfied with how stuffed our tummies had gotten, we both laughed together a surprising amount.

    ¡°Indeed. The only person who can call Lutey Lutey is me because we made a sisterly vow together. Sorry about that. But if Iris-chan wants to call her Lutey by any means, I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind becoming your sister as well.¡±

    When I carelessly matched my gaze with hers, Lovas-san mercilessly let fly a thick wink. Oh no, at this rate I really will be made her sister. My brain started chaotically turning around trying to churn out the safest name it could come up with.

    ¡°T-Then it can¡¯t be helped. Just Lutehorn¡­¡­¡­.that¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    The words leap out of my dry, quivering lips the instant they hopped into my head.

    ¡°R-right¡­¡­..that¡¯s fine. Sorry, she¡¯s not a bad person¡­¡­..¡±

    Lutehorn murmured in a small voice.

    ¡°Booooooooo. You two have been getting friendly over here for a while. Iris belongs to me. Stealing is banned.¡±

    Carol broke in between us and started clinging to my arm.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m not¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, sorry Carol-chan. I see. Iris has already been taken by somebody else.¡±

    ¡°Geez, Lutehorn¡­¡­.¡±

    While I started wiping off some of the crumbs that had gotten stuck on Carol¡¯s cheeks, Toslin suddenly lifted her head like she just remembered something.

    ¡°Oh yeah. We forgot to ask the most important question. What was Lovas-san doing here in the first place?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡­.you mentioned earlier you brought Quinn-san here, so does that mean you were providing an escort for the delivery or something?¡±

    I listened in, desperately trying to keep my eyes from unintentionally wandering to her chest.

    ¡°Ah no, it¡¯s something else. Really, your guess is completely off the mark.¡±

    Lovas-san wagged her finger in front of her face.

    ¡°Eh, what were you doing then?¡±

    When Carol asked, Lovas-san flexed her muscles, puffed out her chest, and gave a proud response.

    ¡°We¡¯re bandits. Thievery is our job werewolf-ojouchan.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    I instinctively took a step back as Rose-san jumped to her feet and moved in front of me. She then once again pointed her mace at Lovas-san.

    ¡°So it really was you who attacked Quinn-san and caused the delivery to be delayed?¡±

    ¡°Oh my scary. But yes. It¡¯s true. To be certain, I did attack Quinn-san.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.in that case, I still must defeat you¡­¡­¡­¡±

    As Rose-san¡¯s grip tightened on her spiked mace, Quinn-san yelled out again.

    ¡°H-Hold on a bit! It¡¯s different. Please, listen for a moment!¡±

    ¡°Tch, calm down Rose! Okay? Your opponent isn¡¯t putting up a fight!¡±

    While Rose-san quietly glared down at Lovas-san, Toslin hurriedly grabbed her arm to stop her.

    ¡°¡­¡­.explain everything.¡±

    As expected, not even Rose-san could easily shake off Toslin¡¯s powerful grip. So as the deeply pious Rose-san glared down at her, the unarmed Lovas-san solemnly spoke.

    ¡°Ah, such a gallant figure is wonderful as well. If only you weren¡¯t a woman, I would¡¯ve fallen hard for you already. You¡¯re like a malicious goddess. Not giving me anything I desire.¡±

    ¡°I never asked for your complaints.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, I apologize. But I just had to mention it. When you think you¡¯ve met your soulmate¡­¡­.¡±

    Lovas-san gazed over at Quinn-san¡¯s rugged, masculine face and let out a deep, hot sigh.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡­.I already have a wife and child¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Because, I¡¯ve already gotten used to such things¡­¡­¡­.but I won¡¯t lose hope. I¡¯ll keep trying my best! Until the day I¡¯ve captured my wonderful prince!¡±

    It¡¯s capture rather than meet¡­¡­¡­ Right, well, it¡¯s fine. Other than that¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°U-Umm¡­¡­¡­..I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on Lutehorn.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡­¡­right. Well¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Lutehorn gave me a bitter smile. She then went on to tell the story. We found out the reason why the tanned Lovas-san¡¯s cheeks were turning such a deep crimson.

 CH 13

    ¡°Um¡­¡­..say that again. What are you doing?¡±

    I understand the individual words she¡¯s saying, but I¡¯m ending up lost when they¡¯re all put together to make a complete sentence. Toslin, Carol, and I were all sharing the same, blank look. Rose-san was the only one of us different. With her hands covering her mouth, she kept looking between Quinn-san and Lovas-san as her cheeks blushed a little.

    ¡°We are on a journey, traveling to find the ideal man.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m different¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°I called us bandits earlier because we really are thieves. Thieves who specialize in stealing the hearts of men!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not really what my life is about¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Although we¡¯ve yet to make it off with our prize, we shan¡¯t lose hope! Right Lutey?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡­..we just keep going¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°A bolt went through my heart the moment I saw Quinn-chan. Ah, this man was to be my soulmate. But fate is cruel. Not only was he already married, he already had a child as well.¡±

    Lovas-san received a handkerchief from Lutehorn to wipe away her tears.

    ¡°We were originally on our way to try out the nearby hot springs, but along the way we came across Quinn-san as he was getting attacked by goblins.¡±

    ¡°I fought with everything I had, but I was vastly outnumbered. I couldn¡¯t protect Quinn-chan. So while doing our best to cover him, we brought the injured Quinn-chan here. It was only thanks to our luck that this was a fairy village and we were able to escape the goblins¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t move Quinn-san with how injured he was, and we couldn¡¯t ask the village for any help because we saw a golem wandering around with the goblins. Honestly we were at a loss for what we should do.¡±

    Apparently Lutehorn never noticed any dark elf either. Perhaps they really had already left¡­¡­¡­..as I was thinking that, Rose-san suddenly gave Lovas-san a very deep bow.

    ¡°So that is how it is¡­¡­¡­. Ah, I have fallen to a grave misunderstanding¡­¡­¡­. Please accept my humblest apologies.¡±

    ¡°Oh my it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s by your benevolence Quinn-chan could be saved in the first place. Rather I should be giving you my thanks.¡±

    ¡°That, what I¡¯ve done is nothing compared to your selfless actions. It would be clear to anyone you are the one who saved his life. Ohh, Goddess, please bestow your blessings to these two. Shine your light to illuminate their path.¡±

    Rose-san and Lovas-san were holding each others hands while handing out praise.

    ¡°Hold on Rose. I thought you weren¡¯t allowed to talk to men?¡±

    Toslin asked the very question I was wondering.

    ¡°Of course. That is certainly the case, but as Lovas-san is not a man, there is no issue.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Um, no¡­¡­¡­she certainly says she¡¯s a woman, but no matter how I look at her¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You cannot choose how your body changes any more than we can choose the environment we were born into. Being so, how can I criticize anyone who wishes to change something they never had any control over?¡±

    Rose-san struck an awe-inspiring figure as Lovas-san looked up to her as if she were looking at a goddess made flesh.

    ¡°Rose-chan¡­¡­¡­ Do-Do you really think so?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Loving another and pain go hand in hand together, but it is the greatest experience we can ever have. I may be still young, but I do not believe you are wrong for following your heart and seeking love.¡±

    Tears started to pool in the corner of Lovas-san¡¯s eyes as Rose-san smiled.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I was starting to lose confidence. No matter who I fell in love with, no matter how hard I tried, I could never find my soulmate. But Rose-chan¡¯s words have given me new hope. You¡¯ve reassured me.¡±

    Lovas-san wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and nodded her head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Lutey. Let¡¯s look for new encounters. And this time, we¡¯ll definitely find a love we deserve.¡±

    ¡°Ah, um¡­¡­¡­..okay, let¡¯s do our best.¡±

    ¡°Rose-chan. Thank you once again for your words. And if you¡¯d like, please take this.¡±

    Lovas-san removed a shiny silver ring from her finger and slid it on Rose-san¡¯s index finger. Unfortunately the ring was a bit too big, so it had to go on her thumb instead.

    ¡°This is¡­¡­¡­.?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a ring that connects us sisters and Rose-chan. If you ever find yourself in any trouble, don¡¯t hesitate to write a letter with the seal on that ring attached. It will surely help you.¡±

    Rose-san took a second to observe the ring on her finger, but before long she nodded with a beaming smile.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you very much. I will keep it with the utmost care.¡±

    Lovas-san nodded happily hearing Rose-san¡¯s reply before turning to Quinn-san with a determined expression.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re off. Be sure to live a happy life from now on.¡±

    Quinn-san wrestled himself from his moss bed and bowed.

    ¡°Thank you. I will never forget what you¡¯ve done for me.¡±

    ¡°Stop, feel free to forget. Rather than wasting your time thinking about somebody like me, give that precious time to your wife and child instead.¡±

    Lovas-san put her things away into her leather bag and slung it on her back before moving to leave. Lutehorn chased after her but stopped for a second and turned around.

    ¡°Iris. I¡¯ll write you a letter.¡±

    Lutehorn¡¯s orange pigtails shook as she turned her head and waved.

    ¡°Mm. I¡¯ll write too. Let¡¯s meet again.¡±

    Although our time together was short, Lutehorn and I had talked quite a bit together. We had spoken about all kinds of things, and I¡¯d like to know more about her. She looked as if she truly cherished the note with my home address on it in her breast pocket, and I burned the sight of her smiling face into my brain before she left.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Goodbyes are lonely. But, it would be even lonelier if we had never met to begin with. If I had spent my whole life as a shopkeeper behind a counter in a book store, I¡¯d have never met Lutehorn like this. As I thought, adventures are amazing.

    ¡°Well, should he head back too?¡±

    Toslin placed her hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Mm. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m sure the mayor is worried.¡±

    ¡°But there really weren¡¯t any more goblins. It looks like we killed them all back then. There goes our chance to earn an extra reward.¡±

    ¡°So greedy. How about being happy that we¡¯re escorts with nobody to fight? So then Quinn-san, can you walk? I could lend you a shoulder if you need it.¡±

    Quinn-san shook his head at Toslin¡¯s offer.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m sorry you had to come out all this way to help me, and as a man it would be too pitiful of me if I needed any more help from you young ladies.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I get it. Then let¡¯s go. If we leave now, we should be able to make it back to the village by sunset. Rose, we¡¯re heading out.¡±

    Rose-san nodded while checking how her new ring felt on her finger. So just like that, we were able to safely rescue Quinn-san and could now return back to the village triumphant.

    I couldn¡¯t know that the short time after this moment was actually the calm before the storm.

    ?

    We walked through the snow-covered road with a much lighter step than we had coming through before. I wanted to reassure the mayor and the people of the village as quickly as I could. My feet complain about the pain as they plod through the snow, but right now I hardly even notice it.

    ¡°Hey hey, what¡¯s for dinner tonight?¡±

    Carol had once again taken the lead, and even she was about twenty percent brighter than she had been before we entered the cave. That¡¯s probably why she hasn¡¯t stopped talking over the last hour.

    ¡°Dunno. How about you keep walking without worrying about it. There might still be some goblins lurking around here.¡±

    Toslin was grumbling as if Carol¡¯s liveliness was wearing her down. And yet her pace was steady; at least compared to somebody with an abysmal sense of balance like me.

    ¡°Boo. I know that. But I¡¯m so bored. All we¡¯ve done all this time is walk. Hey, doesn¡¯t Iris think so too?¡±

    Carol turned around and asked for my agreement from the back.

    ¡°Eh? Ah, not at all. Look, how could I be bored when the scenery is so beautiful?¡±

    We¡¯re back on a road, but there¡¯s a gentle slope we have to walk up. When I turn around, I can see the path we¡¯ve walked up is sewn through with winding, twisting trees. Light spills from the green canopy here and there, reflecting off the snowflakes being carried off by the wind to produce a brilliantly sparkling scene.

    ¡°She¡¯s been charmed. Did you hear? Iris is starting to sound more and more like an adventurer.¡±

    Toslin started to laugh, and Carol squinted at her.

    ¡°So Toslin isn¡¯t bored then? You¡¯re satisfied killing time by watching the scenery pass us by?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Wai¡­¡­..¡±

    She¡¯s saying two completely different things here.

    ¡°So? Then it¡¯s fine to hurry it up for the supper we haven¡¯t seen yet.¡±

    ¡°I never said we couldn¡¯t pick up the pace. We just need to be careful not to be taken by any surprises now that we have Quinn-san with us.¡±

    ¡°Right right. So, what does Toslin think it¡¯s going to be?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, let me think¡­¡­.. We had that stew earlier¡­¡­¡­..it¡¯d be nice to have that again. Honestly anything would be fine as long as it¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°In that case, how about some honey glazed barbato? The person who runs the inn is also a beekeeper, so the taste is guaranteed.¡±

    Quinn-san jumped in on the conversation, and all three of them started getting noisy as we walked up the valley.

    ¡°Uwa, tasty! So good, so good, I wish I could eat it already.¡±

    Carol was about ready to start drooling as Toslin smiled evilly.

    ¡°Well anything¡¯s delicious in your opinion so long as it¡¯s meat.¡±

    Rose-san and I walked together while listening to the three of them talk. Rose-san kept her mouth closed because Quinn-san was with us. Although part of her quiet might also be because she kept stealing a glance at the ring she now wore with a gentle smile.

    ¡°I was scared at first, but they were really good people.¡±

    When I brought it up, Rose-san looked out somewhere in the distance.

    ¡°This incident has made me realize just how immature I am.¡±

    Rose-san whispered quietly so that Quinn-san couldn¡¯t hear.

    ¡°But even as I am, I can still help other people. I learned that today as well. So¡­¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m happy.¡±

    I kept walking while watching Rose-san who looked truly overjoyed. As we got closer to the village, more gaps appeared in the green canopy making the area around us brighter. The amount of snow at our feet increased as well, and a fresh crunch could be heard with every step we took.

    ¡°Hm? Hold on a minute.¡±

    Carol held up her hand and stopped our march just like how she had done when we first found the toppled carriage. She was looking at something far off from us and pointed towards the end of the road.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­..¡±

    But this time I noticed what was wrong right away without having to ask Carol any questions. It was the same for Toslin, Rose-san, and Quinn-san as we all blinked and stared off together.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­¡­¡­¡­that¡±

    Toslin¡¯s murmurings turned into a groan halfway through. Carol ran forward, and we all followed after her. Straight towards our destination. We rushed down the hardened snow on our snowy path, weaving around the toppled trees blocking our way.

 CH 14

    ¡°T-This is¡­¡­..¡±

    My mouth hung open as I stood there in mute amazement. Because of the absence of the thick, green canopy, the sun¡¯s rays illuminated the area without issue. And being illuminated by that light was a monster the size of a small mountain, collapsed on the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­¡­the golem¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin muttered aloud to herself while drawing her sword. Rose-san readied her shield and slowly approached the behemoth alongside Toslin. I grabbed on to Carol, trembling while watching the golem that could start moving again at any moment. It looked like the golem was missing an arm. And some parts of its body looked cracked apart.

    Toslin reached out with her sword, pricking the golem¡¯s head with the end of her sword.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s dead¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    It was at that time.

    ¡°No it¡¯s not!! Toslin¡¯s a liar!!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, my bad!! It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a golem!!¡±

    *GOGO*, *GOGOGO*¡­¡­¡­a noise reminiscent of a tremor running through the earth sounded as the golem slowly rose up. At that time, a large amount of snow that must have fallen from the tree canopy and landed on the golem was lifted up with it and was absorbed into its body. Then not only did the cracks running through its body heal up, its missing arm regrew as well.

    ¡°No way!? It¡¯s alive and regenerating!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sneaky you cheater!!¡±

    ¡°Toslin-san¡­¡­..¡±

    Rose-san readied her round shield and lifted her mace.

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I know. This time¡­¡­..it looks like we¡¯re going to have to deal with this.¡±

    ¡°Eh, you serious?¡±

    ¡°Completely. We¡¯re Quinn-san¡¯s escorts right now, so we don¡¯t have a choice. If you understand then hurry up and get serious.¡±

    Toslin took a small kick towards Carol¡¯s butt. Carol managed to jump away and avoid it however.

    ¡°Wait, it still hurts from when Rose spanked me, so watch it!!¡±

    These two, if the enemy in front of them allowed it, they¡¯d keep playing like this forever.

    ¡°B-Both of you¡­¡­¡­the golem¡¯s moving!!¡±

    ¡°Oops, well then¡­¡­.Rose and I will deal with it from the front. Carol, circle around behind it and see if you can spot its core.¡±

    ¡°OK¡±

    ¡°I-I will¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Absolutely do not move from Goldmund¡¯s side. Quinn-san too, please don¡¯t separate yourself from that dolinp.¡±

    ¡°I-I got it.¡±

    Quinn-san squatted down, hiding behind Goldmund¡¯s massive body. But I pulled out my dagger instead. With the way I am, there¡¯s nothing I can do against a golem. But, if there are more goblins nearby, I¡¯ll have to somehow protect Quinn-san on my own. I made a promise to the villagers. I¡¯ll bring you home no matter what.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s shout resounded throughout the Swansea Forest.

    ¡°Ggg¡­¡­Gigaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    The golem raised a rough warcry as well as if to signal the start of the battle. It then lifted up its regenerated right arm and swung it down at Rose-san like a hammer.

    ¡°Rose!!¡±

    ¡°I will take it!!¡±

    Immediately after, there was a loud *GAGONG!* as if a large rock had broken apart. Rose-san is¡­¡­.safe. She parried the golem¡¯s arm with her shield, forcing it to collide only with the ground before lifting her mace and striking the monster¡¯s elbow in turn.

    ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaah!!¡±

    This time there was a loud *GAKIIN!* that comes from iron striking iron. My eardrums screamed in pain, and I unconsciously covered my ears.

    ¡°A lie, it¡¯s not working!?¡±

    ¡°No, it didn¡¯t break, but it still should¡¯ve taken some damage!! We need to keep on just like this¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°G, gigigi¡­¡­¡­.gg,g¡­¡­..Gigiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!¡±

    With its right arm buried into the snow, this time the golem tried swinging its arm upwards. But Rose-san predicted the attack and managed to avoid it. She spun away, using the centrifugal force to strike the golem¡¯s open body with her mace.

    ¡°Kuu¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    But Rose-san was the one who ended up groaning.

    ¡°Get back Rose!!¡±

    ¡°M-My apologies, the golem¡¯s body is tough. My hand is numb¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin rushed forward, taking Rose-san¡¯s place directly in front of the golem.

    ¡°Hooooo, raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Don¡¯t look down on an elf!!¡±

    Swinging down her arms, she decided to attack with her sword instead of dodging the golem¡¯s next attack. There was a crack in the air and something spun up, flying towards the sun. It was the golem¡¯s right arm. The golem had once again lost its arm and its balance with it, falling to its knees.

    ¡°Carol, your turn!!¡±

    ¡°Got it!! Leave it to me!!¡±

    Carol ran forward from behind and jumped onto the golem¡¯s back. She quickly climbed upwards and found herself behind its neck.

    ¡°The core!?¡±

    ¡°Where oh where¡­¡­..um, huhhhhhh!? This, this guy¡­¡­.just maybe¡­¡­.rather than a snow golem, I think this guy¡¯s an ice golem!! The core¡­¡­..it¡¯s completely covered in ice!!¡±

    Most golems are powered by a small gem with a magic word engraved on it¨Cit¡¯s core. So while it¡¯s a bit of a waste, if you destroy the core, you stop the golem from moving.

    ¡°Can you break it!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying, but¡­¡­.my dagger isn¡¯t¡­¡­..¡±

    Carol continuously kept stabbing her knife into the core, but the only effect it was having was creating a high-pitched *KIIIN* as the blade bounced off the thick ice.

    ¡°Then I will¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san jumped on the golem as well, using all her strength to bring her mace down onto the golem¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°Kuu¡­¡­¡­.so hard!!¡±

    I see, the freshly regenerated right arm was relatively fragile because it hadn¡¯t had time to freeze yet, but the rest of its body was frozen solid and hard as a rock.

    ¡°Where had the body been cracked in the beginning!?¡±

    I called out while keeping an eye on the golem from Goldmund¡¯s shadow.

    ¡°No good, I don¡¯t know!! Everything looks completely frozen to me!!¡±

    There was still a possibility that they could break the golem apart if they were to aim for the parts in its body that shouldn¡¯t have been able to freeze yet like its arm, but they can¡¯t aim for those spots if they can¡¯t tell where those spots are. No, even if I understand that¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Uwa, the right arm is already regenerating!! It¡¯s moving, jump down Rose!! It¡¯s going to shake us off!!¡±

    The golem started rampaging as it stood back up with the two of them still on its back. Rose-san and Carol both jumped down, backing away to a point where its arms couldn¡¯t reach them.

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡­. If things were going to turn out like this we should¡¯ve just destroyed the thing when we first met it.¡±

    ¡°But was it not most likely made of ice at that time as well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­..¡±

    The ice protecting the core is too thick, and we can¡¯t reach it with a normal attack. In other words, we can¡¯t beat it. A tool meant to break apart rocks like a pickaxe might be able to do the job, but where are we going to get one of those all the way out here?

    ¡°This is impossible. Should we run?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the village close by? Besides, don¡¯t we have a job to safely escort Quinn-san home?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything if we can¡¯t beat this thing!! A snow golem is one thing, but ice is impossible!! Completely impossible!!¡±

    As Toslin and Carol argued between each other, the golem was stomping through the snow. The golem is absorbing even the snow it steps on, causing it to grow in volume with every step it takes. It¡¯s just like a giant, walking snowman¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­..¡±

    You roll a snowball across the ground to make it bigger, creating the base for a snowman. I¡¯ve made one several times before in the past. My sister and I used to make snow huts together when we were younger. Remembering that time, I started to come up with a plan.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on Iris!? Have some goblins appeared as well!?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s something else Toslin!! I had a small idea¡­¡­¡­but, it might be able to beat that golem¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!!¡±

    ¡°Eeh!? But I haven¡¯t explained anything yet¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I also believe in Iris-san.¡±

    ¡°Right now our only choices are die or run away, so we might as well try Iris¡¯s plan here!!¡±

    I haven¡¯t explained anything, yet everyone trusts me this much. I¡¯m a little scared to explain things, but since this is the only way I can help, I shouldn¡¯t hesitate to say it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but since it¡¯s an emergency, can we rely on your help as well!?¡±

    ¡°Of course!! If there¡¯s anything I can do, just say the word!!¡±

    With Quinn-san¡¯s powerful words backing me up, I started explaining my strategy to knock down this snow golem.

 CH 15

    ¡°Oi over here Carol! You¡¯re really going to hit me!! Be serious about this!!¡±

    ¡°I am being serious!! Isn¡¯t it Toslin¡¯s fault for moving so suddenly!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done Rose-san!! This one too please!! Aim for the arms first if possible!!¡±

    ¡°I understand!! Here it comes Toslin!!¡±

    ¡°There are stones in there right!? That¡¯ll really hurt if you hit me, so please be careful!!¡±

    ¡°No kidding, I feel evil throwing a snowball with a stone in it at something¡¯s face!!¡±

    Toslin repelled the golem¡¯s arm with her long sword. Immediately afterwards the golem¡¯s arm deviated into a different direction and buried itself in the snowy ground.

    ¡°Yosh, you¡¯re clear Rose!!¡±

    ¡°Ei!¡±

    Rose-san made a cute little shout as she threw an oversized snowball (with a few stones buried inside).

    ¡°Here I go too!¡±

    Carol then fired off more snowballs than I could count. By the way, Quinn-san was the one making the snowballs, and even now he was rolling a couple of snowballs towards me. Of course he said he would put in the largest possible stones he could find in them.

    ¡°Yosh, he¡¯s absorbing them!! Keep them coming!!¡±

    The strategy I described to everyone was pretty simple. We would make a bunch of snowballs with stones in them and then throw all of them at the golem. If the golem kept absorbing them, wouldn¡¯t that make the golem grow larger and larger? Rather than a simple snowman, we¡¯re out here making snow golems.

    ¡°Uhya, my hands are getting cold!!¡±

    ¡°Endure!! Don¡¯t you love throwing snowballs!?¡±

    ¡°Toslin too right? Aren¡¯t you going to throw some too?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something stupid! Right now it¡¯s taking everything I have just to handle this guy¡¯s attacks!!¡±

    Just as I expected, the golem is absorbing our snowballs and growing like a weed. The arms especially have grown becoming almost as large as a tree. But because of all the snow and stones it has been absorbing, its speed has decreased significantly.

    ¡°It¡¯s movements have really slowed down!! Like this¡­¡­..it¡¯s a little easier to dodge¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Avoid acting carelessly Toslin-san. Its movements may have slowed, but one direct hit will be enough to blow you away!¡±

    ¡°Huhuhu, yeah Toslin. If you act like you always do, you¡¯re going to get hurt.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s you!¡±

    ¡°Now now, it¡¯s all about earning an easy victory and seeing cool sights. Right, Carol?¡±

    Since I was starting to get used to the work, I threw in my own comment to get some payback for always being teased.

    ¡°Wha-Wha-What are you trying to say?¡±

    Having just finished throwing another snowball, Carol turned towards me with a beet red face while stumbling over her words. So easy~

    ¡°You all really are close.¡±

    Quinn-san threw in his own comment while handing Carol a new snowball.

    ¡°Yes, very?¡±

    ¡°Carol and I are inseparable.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can certainly see the red thread tying your pinkies together.¡±

    Rose-san laughed a little, and this time it was Toslin¡¯s turn to go red in the face.

    ¡°Heh? Red thread? What¡¯s going on with our fingers?¡±

    But Carol apparently didn¡¯t understand the figure of speech and didn¡¯t react. Maybe they don¡¯t have the red thread of fate in werewolf society?

    ¡°Y-Yosh!! It¡¯s already slowed down. I¡¯ll join in on the snowball fight then!!¡±

    The golem was no longer able to lift its arms because of their weight from all that rocky snow. We don¡¯t need to be afraid of it attacking anymore. After that we just need to wrap it up in a large snowball along with a large stone or tree. It doesn¡¯t matter as long as it¡¯s heavy. If we get it so stuck that it can¡¯t move, it¡¯s our victory. In this case, so long as we don¡¯t lose, we win.

    ¡°So then, I suppose we¡¯re finished once Rose-san throws in this one I made? It was a lot of fun making it, but I wonder if you¡¯re going to be able to lift this¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Once the golem¡¯s feet had stopped moving as well and we were feeling confident about the situation, we left it be for a moment and started making an extra-sized snowball. It¡¯s good I was so vigorous about it, but I may have rolled it a bit too much as it had grown to reach my chest. There was a large stone in it as well, so Rose-san isn¡¯t going to be able to lift this.

    ¡°Oi oi, this is way too big Iris.¡±

    With a wry smile Toslin walked over and grabbed the snowball with Rose-san. And then with a grunt like they were putting in their full effort¡­¡­..

    ¡°Wow, amazing amazing!! You¡¯re really lifting it!¡±

    ¡°Fuu fuu fuu, don¡¯t underestimate Toslin¡¯s animal strength. She might look like this, but she actually has some oak blood in her¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Yosh, we¡¯re thrusting your head into this snowball!! You¡¯ll grow nicely from the golem¡¯s feet!!¡±

    ¡°I refuse!!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go Toslin-san. Heave-ho!!¡±

    With Rose-san¡¯s shout, the ginormous snowball leapt from her hands. But it was much too heavy and ended up plopping back down onto the ground immediately afterwards. It did start to roll afterwards however. It might have been for the best actually as the rolling snowball ended up becoming even bigger before stopping right between the golem¡¯s legs. The golem already had a hard time moving, so the absorption began just like that. This monster would never be able to move again.

    ¡°Hooooooray~!! Iris did it!! Great idea!! Honestly I thought we¡¯d have to run away, but we managed somehow!!¡±

    ¡°Aah, I¡¯m worn out. Although I¡¯m feeling pretty good considering we were just attacked by a golem. I felt light-footed at first, but still, I wonder if we would¡¯ve been able to get away without Iris¡¯s plan.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it was the correct choice to follow along. Iris-san¡¯s quick wittedness is truly dependable.¡±

    Rose-san turned a sweet smile my way.

    ¡°No no, it was only because everyone was here¡­¡­..and Quinn-san, I¡¯m sorry to have asked you something so unreasonable even though you just recovered from your injuries. Is your body feeling okay?¡±

    I tore my gaze away from Rose-san who was doing a prayer to report our victory in battle and looked over towards Quinn-san. He was standing to the side of us, his hand resting on his knee.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m all right. It¡¯s just, I used some muscles I don¡¯t normally use and now my body is screaming at me¡­¡­. Goodness, it¡¯s only been a year¡­¡­..¡±

    I really do understand. I don¡¯t usually exercise either, so my arms and legs feel like they¡¯re being weighed down with lead. I¡¯m definitely going to be feeling some muscle pain tomorrow.

    ¡°Hm? There¡­¡­¡­hold on a bit? Is that guy holding something?¡±

    We all turned our eyes towards Carol who mentioned something while climbing over the motionless golem to check its condition.

    ¡°Eh, he¡¯s holding¡­¡­¡­something?¡±

    With the exception of Rose-san who was still doing her prayer, we all took a look with Carol into the golem¡¯s left hand. In it was¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this that nagging fairy?¡±

    She was right. Just as Toslin said, the golem had been holding a limp fairy in his left hand this whole time. That fairy with dark brown skin and plant green clothing just so happened to be that incapable of saying anything nice fairy we had met before.

 CH 16

    ¡°This golem, I thought it was weird that it was always attacking with its right arm, but this was why?¡±

    ¡°But how did she get caught? Is she an idiot?¡±

    Carol was being cold and blunt. But the fairy didn¡¯t react to her insults. She must have fainted. Or worse¡­¡­¡­.died.

    No matter how many times I look at her, her limbs are languidly hanging at her sides from being tossed around in the golem¡¯s huge hands. There wasn¡¯t a response even when Toslin poked her tiny head with her finger.

    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡±

    Suddenly the fairy¡¯s eyes flew open, and that energetic voice of hers once again made our eardrums shake.

    ¡°Damn, just when I was wondering who it was! You¡¯re those bastards who betrayed me that time!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to ruin our reputations by calling us traitors. We saved you once, so just be grateful for that you.¡±

    Carol sighed while Quinn-san confusedly rushed to the fairy from behind us.

    ¡°Lapris? Aren¡¯t you Lapris!?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Ooh, it¡¯s Quinn! What terrible timing. You little, rushing over to these ruffians. Listen here, these guys around us are all terrible people.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what¡­¡­.you and Quinn-san know each other?¡±

    Toslin asked on behalf of all of us. And then, Quinn-san gave a deep nod.

    ¡°Ah, yes. As I mentioned earlier, I got lost as a kid and found myself at the fairy village. It was then that I became acquainted with this child. Ever since, she¡¯s secretly come to visit my village time and time again¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Is that possibly the ¡®important errand¡¯ you were telling us about earlier?¡±

    ¡°You really are an orc. For your information, I didn¡¯t visit the village only to play around, but when I came back, a dark elf was attacking my home. Then in the end after desperately running away for days, I start thinking I¡¯ve finally found some help, and I end up getting treated like that. My life must be cursed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your tongue that¡¯s cursed you stupid bastard¡±

    ¡°What did you say!? You¡¯re the idiot, now hurry up and help me! As you can see I can¡¯t get free because this fucking golem still has a hold on me¡±

    ¡°Hoh, I just heard something nice. Here¡¯s some spit.¡±

    Toslin really did start spitting on Lapris¡¯s cheeks just as she said she was.

    ¡°Hya¡­¡­¡­..Gyaaaaaaaaaa! Wai- seriously knock it off! Help Quinn! Stop, quit standing there watching and help me!¡±

    But, Quinn-san understood this situation cropped up entirely because of Lapris¡¯s foul mouth, so he could only stand by and smile.

    ¡°Toslin hold on¡­¡­¡­.let me in too.¡±

    Just when I was thinking Carol was about to stop Toslin, she started spitting on Lapris as well. It looks like she¡¯s still angry about everything that was said the first time we met the fairy.

    ¡°St-Stop it! Puah! Stop¡­¡­¡­what did I ever do¡­¡­..stop, st-stop¡­¡­¡­Knock it off!¡±

    Lapris tried covering her small face with her even tinier hands, but of course it didn¡¯t make much difference.

    ¡°Stop, damn¡­¡­¡­.Enough already! *Sniffle*¡±

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s crying.¡±

    ¡°She really is.¡±

    With her face completely drenched in spit, large tears finally started streaming down Lapris¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    ¡°Right¡±

    Despite this fact, Toslin and Carol tried to continue their brutish bullying on the defenseless fairy.

    ¡°Wai, let¡¯s leave it alone here.¡±

    Really, I always forget how carried away these two can get when they come together like this. I step forward nervously at first, but I tried my best at getting Lapris out from the golem¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Here, wash yourself up with this.¡±

    Lapris snatched away the canteen when I offered it to her with a tear-stained face and used the tea inside to start washing the spit off from her face.

    ¡°Oh man. That was really funny.¡±

    ¡°¡®Really funny¡¯, you guys really are the worst!¡±

    Lapris used my cloak to finish drying off her face, and after carefully glaring at each of us in turn, she ran away and hid on Quinn-san¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Is that so? Now joking aside could you carefully explain this? The cause of this disaster. Do you know what did all this?¡±

    Toslin stuck her thumb out and pointed behind her. I had forgotten because of the fight with the golem, but a lot of trees had been toppled around here. And even more unusual was the fact that they had all fallen in the same direction. We had a completely straight view as if a road had opened up here.

    ¡°Almost like¡­¡­¡­something left behind a trail.¡±

    When I voiced my thoughts aloud, Lapris snapped at me.

    ¡°Almost like something left behind a trail? What a ridiculous thing to say. Like, really. That¡¯s exactly what happened here. This golem was blown away when that thing came charging through.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Charging through? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s saying ridiculous things here. Nothing could shatter a golem like this in one go. Let alone knocking down all these trees like this.¡±

    That¡¯s what Toslin was saying, but Carol didn¡¯t look so sure.

    ¡°I would agree, but¡­¡­..the golem really was half-broken, and all these trees really are knocked down¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Carol was observing the toppled trees with a mystified look on her face.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­..true but. But what could possibly¡­¡­.¡±

    Not just Toslin, but everyone else turned their eyes towards Lapris. The little fairy made a big show of sighing on top of Quinn-san¡¯s shoulder. She opened her mouth, answering all of us with a face like she didn¡¯t quite believe it herself.

    ¡°A dragon.¡±

    At first I didn¡¯t understand what Lapris had said. I mean, I knew what the word itself meant. But it sounded so unrealistic that I just couldn¡¯t process what it meant.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Speaking of dragons, there was that lesser dragon close to Rifront, but those aren¡¯t exactly that common. A dragon, that creature usually featured in a story¡¯s climax, defeated this golem? And then it walked forward, toppling all these mighty trees? So in other words, there¡¯s a dragon just ahead of us?

    ¡°Haah? I-Is this a joke? Why would a dragon¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°How would I know something like that? Anyways, I value my life, so I¡¯m not going any farther than this.¡±

    Lapris looked right at Rose-san and me as she said so. There wasn¡¯t any sign in her eyes to suggest she was joking about this.

    ¡°That much is obvious. Nobody would follow after a dragon by choice.¡±

    ¡°You said it short stack. But if you and the orc woman want to go get eaten by that dragon, I¡¯ll allow it.¡±

    ¡°Grr, you really do have a foul mouth.¡±

    Toslin scowled, reaching out to try and grab Lapris.

    ¡°Just, hold on a second¡­¡­¡­ Such a ridiculous¡­¡­.and just beyond here¡­¡­.perhaps¡­¡­.¡±

    Quinn-san was muttering to himself as all the blood started draining from his face. His gaze was fixed on the direction the trees were falling, and his feet started staggering forward. Carol and Rose-san shared a look with each other while Toslin tilted her head to the side, but I instantly knew what he was trying to say. I quickly pulled out our map to see where we were and what direction this path would lead. And then my suspicions were cemented into fact.

    ¡°Relton village¡­¡­..th-that direction¡­¡­this is terrible! If the dragon keeps walking in that direction, it¡¯ll be heading straight for the village!¡±

    ¡°D-Damn it! What the hell!?¡±

    Quinn-san forced himself into a run despite his weakened body.

    ¡°Wai- Oi oi! Where are you going!? You can¡¯t do anything even if you do go! Your opponent¡¯s a dragon!¡±

    Clinging to his shoulder, Lapris started screaming to get Quinn-san to calm down, but with his family in the village, there¡¯s no way Quinn-san would stop his feet now.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡°There is no need to ask! We must protect the villagers!¡±

    No sooner did Rose-san voice her determination than she was off chasing after Quinn-san. Goldmund started off as well, chasing after his master.

    ¡°B-But Rose-san! T-Toslin stop her! Rose-san is!¡±

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡­.this is a fairly foul situation we got here¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°What will we do? It¡¯s a job with no pay, but pretending like we didn¡¯t see anything is¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin and Carol had their arms crossed while groaning about something. And while the wheels were turning in their heads, Rose-san was running out of sight. She had jumped on Goldmund¡¯s back and already overtaken Quinn-san. My eyes were swimming in my head, jumping back and forth between Toslin and Rose-san¡¯s shrinking back.

    ¡°Well, if things would end just like this, that¡¯d be the best possible option.¡±

    ¡°Eh, wai¡­¡­..what about Rose-san? If it ends just like this, then Rose-san will be alone and¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I always knew she had a difficult personality, but I never thought she¡¯d rush in head first when her opponent was a dragon.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s an unusual sort.¡±

    Despite the situation being what it was, these two looked terribly calm and nodded to each other.

    ¡°W-What else is there to do? If we don¡¯t hurry, then Rose-san will¡±

    ¡°We know. We¡¯re just preparing our hearts is all. This is a dragon we¡¯re talking about after all, and my legs are refusing to move.¡±

    ¡°That, is¡­¡­¡­¡­is that so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if we were carefreely watching it go, but we might actually end up having to fight it right? Isn¡¯t Iris scared?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course I¡¯m scared! But¡­¡­..¡±

    I¡¯m worried about Rose-san. I¡¯m worried about the villagers. While we¡¯re standing around here, there might already be somebody falling victim to that dragon. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it, but I can¡¯t just look away either.

    ¡°Iris is kind. Yosh, let¡¯s go then.¡±

    Toslin gave me a big smile while patting my head.

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t really care what happens to the village, but I suppose we can¡¯t just leave Rose alone.¡±

    Carol smiled as well while flipping up my skirt for some reason.

    ¡°Wai, come on Carol!¡±

    I got flustered and pushed it back down while Carol ran forward and nimbly climbed over some of the fallen trees.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to leave you behind if you keep absentmindedly standing there Iris.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡­..W-Wait!¡±

    I desperately chased after Toslin. Beyond here¡­¡­.there is a dragon. My body gradually came to recognize that fact¡­¡­¡­and I began to tremble.

    ¡°Haa, Haa¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    As I slipped over the toppled trees, I kept following after Toslin¡¯s back. The dragon had made a path way too conspicuous for me to get lost on. I kept running even as my breathing became hoarse and my sides started to hurt.

    I soon started to see smoke billowing above through the gaps in the canopy. Fear gripped my heart as I continued getting closer. My feet suddenly feel like anvils.

    But I keep running. I don¡¯t lose sight of Toslin¡¯s back. If my feet were to stop, even once, this determination I¡¯m clinging to would surely wither away.

 CH 17

    Just as I had thought, there it was.

    I will surely never forget what I have seen this day. As I ran through the woods and stood at the entrance to the village, a shadow larger than any house jumped into my eyes. As the dragon raised itself up, the sun¡¯s light caught off its scales giving off a reddish tint making it appear as if something truly sinister had risen before us.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Rose!¡±

    Toslin was trying to catch her breath while looking around for Rose-san. There were a number of people in the village square who were trying desperately to escape after being suddenly surprised by an attack from a dragon. Among those people I found a familiar woman with light, curly hair waving down her back.

    ¡°Ah! Over there, right in front of the dragon!¡±

    Rose-san was still mounted on Goldmund, and with her large shield and spiked mace in hand, she was facing off against the dragon. While maintaining a certain distance, Goldmund¡¯s powerful legs allowed him to keep avoiding attacks as Rose-san peppered the dragon with a few strikes from her mace.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me! There¡¯s no way she can win!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s trying to buy time. Carol, have you resolved yourself?¡±

    Toslin slapped Carol¡¯s shoulder while unsheathing her sword and pointing it towards the setting sun.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any other choice than to go get rid of this thing right?¡±

    ¡°I-I will¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You go evacuate the villagers! Grab as many of them as you can and take them away from the village!¡±

    As soon as Toslin had given her orders, she released a powerful warcry and charged at the dragon with sword in hand.

    ¡°B-But then¡­¡­¡­..everyone will¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the way it is. Get out of here with the villagers.¡±

    ¡°Wa-Wait¡­¡­..Carol¡­¡­.¡±

    But, Carol only brushed her hand against the confused me¡¯s cheek before running off just like that while laughing. That¡¯s¡­¡­¡­what does this mean? I¡¯ll run away¡­¡­¡­..but then what¡¯s going to happen to everyone else?

    ¡°What are you doing!? If we don¡¯t hurry up and get out of here, we¡¯re going to be crushed!¡±

    While I was standing there frozen, somebody grabbed onto my arm.

    ¡°R-Ryland-san¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You need to get out of here as quick as you can too Iris-san! The village, is already lost¡±

    I looked behind me when I heard a loud voice, and I found Quinn-san running past while carrying a child in both his arms. There was a woman with him as well lending a shoulder to the village mayor.

    ¡°That¡¯s right you moron! Leave and don¡¯t bother looking back!¡±

    The foul-mouthed fairy Lapris was shouting while still riding on Quinn-san¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°But, But everyone! I¡¯ll be leaving everyone behind¡±

    When I threw my gaze back over, I saw three people risking their lives while I just stood here.

    ¡°W-What¡¯s with that!? It doesn¡¯t matter that they¡¯re adventurers¡­¡­¡­..it¡¯s impossible, their opponent is a dragon!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you all can¡¯t beat an enemy like that!¡±

    ¡°I know that! That¡¯s why everyone¡­¡­¡­to, to buy us time, to let all the villagers escape¡±

    I was getting frustrated with myself, and I didn¡¯t want to cry, but even though I wasn¡¯t actually crying I felt so worn out and tears kept building and

    ¡°Then¡­¡­..Then we have to run away! If we stay here, then those girls will have died for nothing!¡±

    Ryland-san shook my shoulder. Her grip on my arms hurt, but that pain helped me to realize that all of this was real.

    ¡°Died for nothing¡­¡­¡­..D-Die? The three of them¡­¡­¡­¡­will die?¡±

    My lips were quivering. Not because I was afraid of the dragon, but because the thought of those three dying terrified me so completely. Six months is such a short time, but I¡­¡­.it was like I had gotten myself some brand new sisters, and it was so much fun. And now I was going to lose them?

    ¡°We have to go quickly! Those children won¡¯t be able to hold it off for long¡±

    Ryland-san tried forcefully pulling on my arm. But, my feet stayed exactly where they were.

    ¡°Hold on, Iris!¡±

    I gently brushed off Ryland-san¡¯s hand as she started to yell. And then I asked her,

    ¡°Please tell me. The mushrooms, where do you store your mushrooms!?¡±

    ?

    Opening up a hemp bag with one hand, I used the other to jam in as many mushrooms as I could fit.

    ¡°Listen up! Empty out the entire warehouse if you have to! Just keep filling up those bags with mushrooms!¡±

    Ryland-san¡¯s voice echoed across a warehouse filled with people busily coming and going. We all had masks covering our faces, and we all were putting our hearts and souls into filling these hemp bags with mushrooms before carrying them outside. Spores from the drowsy shrooms kept leaking out from the huge pile of bags causing the visibility outside to plummet.

    ¡°Once you¡¯ve packed away as much as you can, carry them up to the nearby roof! Those ojou-chans are risking their lives to buy us time, so don¡¯t any of you dare go and waste it!¡±

    I handed over a full bag to Quinn-san before immediately running back to the warehouse with another empty hemp bag.

    ¡°Dear me, doing work like this really reminds me of my youth.¡±

    Even the mayor was helping out while covered in spores.

    ¡°For this, thank you very much.¡±

    I gave my thanks without stopping my hands. When I said I wanted to save everyone, the village mayor and the others all said they would help me. Now all the adults in the village have stopped trying to escape and started packing away mushrooms.

    ¡°Hahah. Just what are you saying? We¡¯re the ones who should be thanking you.¡±

    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re almost done packing! Now it¡¯s our turn to rescue those ojou-chans!¡±

    The villagers all started to jump out of the warehouse, arms filled with hemp bags.

    ¡°Hey what¡¯s the matter? Let¡¯s go Iris. Don¡¯t you want to rescue your friends?¡±

    Prompted by Ryland-san, I hurriedly nodded my head. I gripped the bag of mushrooms close to my chest with both of my arms and ran off. The fun times, the sad times, and the painful times I¡¯ve had with those three all merged together and played through my head all at once.

    ?

    ¡°Hold¡­¡­¡­.what what!? What are you doing!? I told you to get away from here!¡±

    The dragon raised a roar that sounded an awful lot like an earthquake. I could barely here Toslin¡¯s desperate voice over it even though I was standing almost right behind her. Seeing it up close like this, it really is big. But, under the light of the setting sun, I could see that its body which is said to be harder than any stone was covered in wounds and oozing a large amount of blood. One of its wings extending from its back was bent in a weird direction, and one of its eyes had been completely crushed.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous over here! Run away!¡±

    Rose-san started shouting once she saw us coming.

    ¡°It looks like everybody is holding something¡­¡­.geh, this is bad! That guy¡¯s going to spit fire again! Take cover everyone!¡±

    Before Carol had even finished her sentence, the dragon had opened its mouth wide. Teeth lined a mouth open wide enough to swallow an entire cow, and beyond that¡­¡­I could see a burning flame dancing at the back of its throat, and¡­¡­¡­¡­..and wai-¡­¡­¡­..I shouldn¡¯t just be watching this! B-But¡­¡­.my feet have frozen¡­¡­.

    ¡°What are you doing idiot!? Do you want to be charred and roasted!?¡±

    Toslin grabbed hold of me and jumped to the side.

    ¡°Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!¡±

    A fierce and terrible fire passed over Toslin¡¯s and my heads.

    ¡°Ah man¡­¡­¡­¡­.damn, that bastard! Just drop dead already!¡±

    The hot air burned my cheeks. So the heat for Toslin who is protecting me must be¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°T-Toslin! You¡¯re getting burned!¡±

    The flames had caught part of Toslin¡¯s hair that had been still standing up as it licked past us.

    ¡°Eh, no way! Asshole! What do you think a maiden¡¯s hair is!?¡±

    Fortunately it was just the ends of the hair that had been singed, so it was easy for me to put out. It looks like Rose-san and Carol are both safe, so I can take a relieved breath. Meanwhile the villagers overhead who had fallen into a panic from the previous blast were all still screaming.

    ¡°Quit your screaming! Our opponent¡¯s a dragon! Don¡¯t be surprised just because it¡¯s shooting a little fire! You women should be better prepared than this!¡±

    Ryland-san¡¯s voice carried over the area. I stood back up, tightly held on to my hemp bag, and got ready to throw it at any time. The dragon took a look all around it, threatening all of us with its one remaining eye.

    ¡°Come on everyone! Throw the bags all at once!¡±

    Ryland-san gave a signal from the tallest observation platform, and all of the housewives shouted out while throwing their hemp bags from the roofs of whatever buildings had yet to be destroyed. There were easily well over several dozen of them, and the spores from the mushrooms inside scattered around as the bags made contact with the dragon¡¯s huge body.

    ¡°Hi¡­.yaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    I threw my hemp bag with all my strength right at the dragon. The bag drew an arc through the air, releasing spores all the way through before landing right at the dragon¡¯s feet. The yellow powder plumed up and hung around the dragon.

    ¡°Wh-What is this!? Iris! I told you to run away!¡±

    Toslin turned her head around while still holding onto her sword and started angrily yelling at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m really sorry! But right now you three really need to cover your mouths with these towels!¡±

    After I had thrown my bag, I ran over to Toslin and the others, handing each of them a damp towel. The fatigue was clear on all of their faces, and despite the frowns, they were all already having a hard time catching their breaths. But from the corner of my eye, I could see that the dragon was writhing about from the sudden attack.

    ¡°So that¡¯s it, those were drowsy shrooms.¡±

    As Toslin figured it out, I noticed that her armor was adorned with several new scratches. Rose-san¡¯s large metal shield was also showing many of the same kind of marks. Goldmund was blowing bubbles from his mouth, but as expected of a boy, his eyes still looked determined.

    ¡°R-Right. But perhaps that wasn¡¯t necessary. He¡¯s already covered in all these wound, and if¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. They were already there. This dragon was already injured when we got here. Right, Rose?¡±

    Carol was short on breath as well, but she alone looked like she hadn¡¯t taken any hits.

    ¡°Yes. He was already like this when I first started fighting him as well.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­..w-what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, maybe it screwed up when it was landing? Well it¡¯s thanks to that that we¡¯ve been able to hold on for as long as we have.¡±

    ¡°Either way we¡¯re saved. Maybe the dragon¡¯s going to fall asleep just like this.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully. However, it does not seem like it will be that easy. Iris-san, please take a step back. It is dangerous here.¡±

    Just as Rose-san said, the dragon was still rampaging even as it continued to suck up more spores. It raised another roar just as its tail tore through another home.

 CH 18

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous there Quinn! Jump to another roof!¡±

    The building Quinn-san was standing on happened to be the one the dragon¡¯s tail mowed down. Quinn-san was just barely able to jump to the neighboring roof in time, thankfully meaning that nobody had gotten hurt.

    ¡°No good, it¡¯s not working Iris!¡±

    Ryland-san¡¯s screams came down like rainfall.

    ¡°That¡­¡­.k-keep throwing them anyway! More! Block the dragon¡¯s vision with the spores!¡±

    I screamed back up to her, while amazed at just how tough this dragon was.

    ¡°Wai- you! Didn¡¯t we just say it isn¡¯t working!? So try saying something proper! Otherwise I¡¯m going to send you flying!¡±

    Lapris¡¯s shouting reached me all the way down here while she clung to Quinn-san¡¯s neck. She¡¯s capable of flying off and escaping whenever she wants, but I guess somehow, that fairy must have a good relationship with him.

    ¡°But this is the only way¡­¡­.why won¡¯t it fall asleep?¡±

    The dragon continued to move its giant body, destroying houses without a care in the world. And yet each time fresh blood squirted from one of its many wounds, it raised a pained howl into the air.

    ¡°Perhaps, it¡¯s rampaging because it¡¯s hurt. Right now that dragon is probably so focused on the pain that he¡¯s not minding the spores.¡±

    ¡°Grah! Then why is he rampaging here!? Quit bothering us you, and go die somewhere else!¡±

    As the dragon continued to rampage, the cloud of mushroom spores hanging in the air began to mix with the dust kicked up from all the destroyed homes.

    ¡°This is bad Iris! We¡¯re about to run out of mushrooms!¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do people!? These guys are all fighting instead of running away because you had an idea!¡±

    ¡°Shut up you noisy bug! Nothing¡¯s stopping you from running away now! We¡¯ll buy you the time you need to get away!¡±

    ¡°The orc woman should keep quiet! I¡¯m talking to Iris!¡±

    ¡°Yaaaaah! Get down here! We¡¯ll use you as bait again!¡±

    Shaking her sword upwards, Toslin started shouting at Lapris on the roof. However for a brief moment, the dragon¡¯s single eye focused on us on the ground, and a low growl formed in the back of its throat. Spores swimming through the air were pushed aside by the big, huge breaths from the dragon¡¯s nostrils. What remained of the huge pile of hemp bags could be counted up using two hands at this point.

    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t want to sleep, maybe it¡¯ll suffocate instead. Those thick spores are clogging up its nose, and it looks like he¡¯s having a hard time breathing.¡±

    Carol¡¯s fed up mutterings reached my ears. The spores floating in the air were so thick it looked like the dragon had been painted yellow. I¡¯m really not exaggerating, the dragon¡¯s entire figure was getting hazy through the fog of spores hanging in the air.

    ¡°Iris, that good enough. Thank you for coming to try and help us.¡±

    ¡°We will be fine. Now please run away with everyone.¡±

    ¡°But, but then¡­¡­..everyone¡­¡­..¡±

    I quickly wiped away the tears that started to build up again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll escape too.¡±

    That¡¯s a lie. How can you escape from a dragon when your bodies are already so worn out? I shook my head.

    ¡°E-Everyone¡­¡­. Once more everyone! Please give me one more chance!¡±

    I turned my back to the three of them and ran in the opposite direction. I drew an arc, keeping myself a certain distance from the dragon.

    ¡°W-What are you doing!? Have you lost your mind!? Get back here Iris!?¡±

    Toslin started to chase after me, but I put my hand up and shouted.

    ¡°Stay away! Once more¡­¡­..it needs to breathe fire one more time!¡±

    I¡¯m not sure if she accepted my stubbornness or didn¡¯t understand what I was talking about and was too stunned to move. But either way, Toslin did as I said.

    ¡°Good grief, you¡­¡­.. What, you just need it to shoot fire?¡±

    I nodded. The dragon aimed for me and swung its neck. Each time it stepped firmly with its ginormous feet, I could feel the earth shake in my gut.

    ¡°Over here you stupid dragon! You half dead failure!¡±

    Toslin grabbed a broken off piece of wood lying at her feet and threw it at the dragon. It hit the dragon right on the head diverting his attention away from me.

    ¡°Over here! He~y, you stu ¨C pid ¨C id ¨C iot! You stupid dragon that almost killed itself failing to stick a landing~!¡±

    Carol picked up a nearby stone and fired it right into one of the dragon¡¯s open wounds.

    ¡°Over here too! U-Um¡­¡­.well¡­¡­¡­anyways look over here!¡±

    Rose-san and Goldmund were also running one way, showing off just how unfamiliar she was with provoking somebody while throwing stones and splintered wood.

    ¡°Everyone¡­¡­..¡±

    With the dragon standing in the middle of the village square, the four of us separated in different directions and started provoking the dragon. This way¡­¡­..just like this we¡¯ll keep getting the dragon angrier from a distance where he can¡¯t reach, and surely he¡¯ll start spitting fire. And then¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Ryland-san! When I give the signal, throw all the leftover bags at once! Only then¡­¡­.just a little longer¡­¡­..please follow me¡±

    The plea I made to Ryland-san was drowned out by the dragon¡¯s bellows. And yet she smiled sweetly, her pearly white teeth peeking through.

    ¡°Listen up everyone! These ojou-chans¡¯ bravery is something that should be truly admired! How can any of you say you don¡¯t want to fight anymore when you¡¯ve seen this!? Just as Iris said, when she gives the signal, throw everything you have, so be ready!¡±

    ¡°HOOOOOOH!¡±

    Ryland-san¡¯s voice resounded across the village from the observation platform. Although the majority of the village was made up of women at the moment, voices from men and women both young and old joined together to project a powerful battle cry.

    ¡°Show this idiotic dragon our strength!¡±

    The unity between villagers was amazing, and under Ryland-san¡¯s direction, the remaining hemp bags were passed around the square. Now it was just a matter of waiting for him to fire. Right, just spit it out!

    ¡°Where are you looking, over here!¡±

    The stone I threw sailed through the air and hit the dragon¡¯s eye. With one eye already gone, the dragon got even more irritated than before and roared at me. But it¡¯s useless; still there were no flames bubbling in the back of its throat. The dragon was foaming at the mouth each time it roared, but it couldn¡¯t pick out its prey with our provocation battle causing it to constantly spin itself around. We threw whatever we could get our hands on, all to try and fuel the dragon¡¯s rage.

    ¡°Geh¡­¡­.¡±

    But, this method isn¡¯t enough to make him want to use his flames. Once he¡¯s decided on a prey, he moves closer seemingly intent on pouncing on them instead. And now the dragon has started to slowly close the distance, keeping me in its sight. I froze in place right as I was holding another stone aloft.

    ¡°Get out of there Iris!¡±

    ¡°Iris-san!¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡­.have one of these, dragon!¡±

    Carol beaned the dragon near its eye with another stone, but it had already made its decision, and thus continued advancing on me with drool dripping down its chin.

    ¡°Hurl the bags!¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t! Not yet! You can¡¯t throw them yet!¡±

    I immediately canceled Ryland-san¡¯s instructions. Those are the last of our mushrooms. We can¡¯t waste them on nothing.

    ¡°But Ojou-chan is! Damn, I don¡¯t know what to do!¡±

    Ryland-san looked away towards the heavens while the only sound ringing in my ears was me gulping down my saliva while frozen under the dragon¡¯s icy glare.

    ¡°LAPRISSSSSSSSSS¡­¡­¡­LIGHTNINGGGGGGGGGGG! FULL POWER KICKKKKKKKK!!!¡±

    At first, I didn¡¯t know what had happened. It was only when the dragon¡¯s entire body began to convulse, and it released a blood-curdling scream of agony did I realize that Lapris had flown down from the sky as fast as lightning and delivered a kick with all her might right into the dragon¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Groaaaaaaaaaaaar!!¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s my thanks for bowling over all those trees in our forest. Keep the change.¡±

    Lapris left her taunts while flying back up at the speed of mud compared to when she had flown down.

    ¡°By any chance, is there any reason why you¡¯d think it¡¯s too heavy to jump after you?¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth orc-woman! It¡¯s going to fire! Oi Iris! Do you get it!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­..Yeah! Thank you Lapris!¡±

    It seems that the dragon¡¯s rage had shifted to the escaping Lapris after she smacked its lost eye. It focused all its rage on Lapris¡¯s retreating back, and opening its mouth wide, began to brew some flames in the back of its throat.

    ¡°N-Now everyone!¡±

    ¡°Throw ¡¯em!¡±

    With Ryland-san¡¯s voice echoing outwards, all the villagers threw what hemp bags they had left at the dragon at the same time. A large number of mushroom spores scattered from the bags as each one hit the dragon in the head.

    ¡°W-What do we do after this Iris!?¡±

    I understood that everyone¡¯s gaze had landed on me. But, I don¡¯t have the time to explain everything to them just yet. The dense spores wrapped around the dragon¡¯s head, forming a cloud and completely obscuring its head. I stared and waited, for that moment when the dragon would finally spit out its flames. And finally, the moment when the flames building in the dragon¡¯s throat finally leapt from its lips.

    *Crk*¡­¡­¡­*CrkCrackleCrkCrackleCrkCrackleCrk*

    Tongues of flame spewed forth licking past the cloud of spores. At that instant, the flames explode in the spore fog. And then in the next instant¡­¡­

    *KRAKOOOOOOOM!!*

    An explosive noise burst forward almost knocking me off my feet as a rush of hot air beat itself against us.

    ¡°KYAaaaaaaaa!¡±

    Toslin and the others screamed, but I kept my gaze fixed on the dragon using my arms to shield my face.

    ¡°Hooooooooot!¡±

    Pummeled by the intense heat, Lapris was blown away screaming. I feel really bad for her, but I can¡¯t afford to go check how she¡¯s doing just yet.

    The most important moment is yet to come

 CH 19

    ¡°Gururu, ga¡­¡­¡­¡­GAAAAAAH!?¡±

    Yes, right now is the most important moment. The spores burned by the explosion will melt together into a thick slime. With the spores diffused through the air like they were, the gunk will end up pouring down like rain and cover the dragon¡¯s body like a web. Then once its temperature drops from contact with the cold winter air, the mucus will shrink and harden, depriving the dragon from being able to move freely.

    ¡°Gururururururu, gagah¡­¡­.¡±

    When things turned out exactly as I had hoped, I clenched my fist without bothering to try and hold back the laughter that naturally welled in my chest. I then yelled as loud as I could.

    ¡°TOSLIN!!¡±

    ¡°Oyah!¡±

    Like a drum that reverberates when struck with a stick, Toslin ran forward at the sound of my voice. She jumped up. Long sword already in hand. The blade reflecting the light from the setting sun looked like it was covered in flames as if it were a sacred sword gifted by the divine for a Hero¡¯s specific use. And then, it was brandished towards the dragon¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Ga!? Graaa, ga¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    *Dosun*¡­¡­¡­..*Tp*

    As Toslin¡¯s feet touched ground again, so too did the dragon¡¯s body keel over, causing the very ground to shake as it fell on its side. The still warm air continued to coil around our bodies. After using out tongues to moisten our dry lips, we all shared a look with one another. At first we were all too stunned to say anything, but as some more time passed by, the color of delight bled into everyone¡¯s expressions.

    ¡°H¡­¡­¡­..Hooray, right?¡±

    I made a broad smile and laughed at Carol¡¯s mutter. Even though its head hadn¡¯t been completely chopped off, Toslin¡¯s sword had torn through deeply. Large amounts of blood were gushing out in a wound that looked fatal even for a dragon.

    ¡°Amazing¡­¡­¡­.Amazing amazing Iris!¡±

    Carol sprinted over, jumping up and down as she hugged me. Toslin, Rose-san, and all the villagers gathered around as well.

    ¡°Hey hey, how did you do it? What is that, and why did it blow up?¡±

    Carol¡¯s eyes kept jumping between me and the dragon as she excitedly fired off questions.

    ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡­.¡±

    A dust explosion. An explosion caused by the continuous burning of flammable particles that have saturated the air. A while back I had read a book written about a person who had died from this kind of explosion, but I¡¯m glad it worked as well as it did. And the subsequent restraint that came from the spores being melted down to birdlime from the heat had worked even more wonderfully than I had imagined.

    If I hadn¡¯t read that book in the past or heard about the spores¡¯ other properties from Ryland-san during our interview, it would¡¯ve been impossible to get this result. You could also say we were only able to get this far because of a huge amount of luck, but we just slew a dragon. I¡¯m just going to obediently be delighted about that fact.

    ¡°Heh, you really do know a lot¡­¡­I mean, even though you act really normal, you¡¯re not normal at all.¡±

    Placing a hand on Carol¡¯s head whose eyes had drawn back to two tiny dots showing she didn¡¯t understand anything I just said, Toslin looked at me with some slight surprise in her eyes as well.

    ¡°Eh, Ehh? W-What is it?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu. I believe she wants to compliment you for the courage it took to not run away from that dragon.¡±

    Rose-san spoke up from beside Toslin.

    ¡°C-Courage is, you say that, but everyone else is so much more¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Great job Iris! You really did well!¡±

    As I bashfully took a step back from all the praise, Ryland-san almost tackled me to the ground when she ran at me as fast as she could and brought me in for a hug.

    ¡°A- Agh! R-Ryland-san? W-W-¡­¡­¡­¡­Ku, you¡¯re hurting me.¡±

    I desperately wiggled under her grasp, just barely able to bury my head out of her huge breasts to get some of the air I needed to breath to live.

    ¡°Ahaha, my bad my bad. But I really mean it. You¡¯re a cute little girl no matter how I look at you, so I can¡¯t figure out where you keep all those guts.¡±

    Ryland-san kept patting my back as her hearty laugh echoed out across the village.

    ¡°That part at the end, it was a mousetrap.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I tried utilizing the properties of the spores Ryland-san taught me. I¡¯m really surprised it ended up working even better than I had thought it would though.¡±

    ¡°Then this makes twice that you¡¯ve rescued me. Honestly, how am I ever going to be able to repay you¡­¡­..¡±

    A shy smile crossed Quinn-san¡¯s face as he scratched his cheek. This person, he¡¯s supposed to be about the same age as my dad, but I feel like he¡¯s a little cute when he acts like this. This fact is so shocking I end up not being able to answer him.

    ¡°This¡­¡­¡­you tried to kill meeeeeeeeeeee!¡±

    I suddenly had a grudge peppering me from above. The next moment, something soft collided with the top of my head. Looking back, there was Lapris who had her shoulders raised and was glaring at me while looking angrier than any dragon.

    ¡°Oh, ah, sorry Lapris. I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything other than defeating the dragon back then.¡±

    ¡°Oh sorry, man you¡¯re stupid! I was almost swallowed up by that explosion of yours! That¡¯s twice I was almost killed because of you! That¡¯s the exact opposite of Quinn, oi!¡±

    With a bad mouth and quick hands, Lapris began violently slapping my face. But I¡¯m really sorry to say, it doesn¡¯t hurt at all.

    ¡°Now now, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Toslin plucked Lapris out of the air while she was still brimming with righteous fury.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine you say? You¡¯re saying it¡¯s fine!? Is your head all right!? I almost get killed and you tell me that everything¡¯s all hunky dory!?¡±

    ¡°No well, she means it doesn¡¯t matter because we just would¡¯ve sacrificed you to defeat the dragon.¡±

    ¡°You should just say it¡¯s fine and deny your real meaning with all your might! Learn how to talk to other people! You¡¯re all horrible! A bunch of demons!¡±

    With Carol mixed in, Lapris was left fighting against the reality that she was being tossed aside by two people. I personally feel extraordinarily sorry though¡­¡­.I¡¯ll be sure to apologize again later.

    ¡°Goodness though, on behalf of everyone here, I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±

    The village mayor walked over to us with a cheerful smile and bowed. His fine gray hair was covered in yellow mushroom spores. The mayor might be saying that, but if it wasn¡¯t for everyone¡¯s cooperation, we wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now.

    ¡°No, we were the ones who were saved. Thank you for your help everyone.¡±

    After Toslin threw Lapris away, she disregarded the subsequent onslaught of insults and gave a courteous bow. I hurriedly bowed my head down to everyone several times as well.

    ¡°What are you talking about? What reason do you have to thank us? We were all trying to escape from the village at first.¡±

    Ryland-san once again broke out into a round of boisterous laughter.

    ¡°It must¡¯ve been due to the Goddess¡¯s guidance that a bunch of heroic adventures like you all came to this village during this time of winter¡­¡­.¡±

    It was when the mayor gave his thanks and started murmuring some incomprehensible prayer to Rose-san.

    ¡°KYAaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    I looked back in response to a scream, and there¡­¡­¡­.I saw something unbelievable.

 CH 20

    Several people started screaming near the dragon¡¯s fallen body.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Sometimes when you ¡®see something unbelievable¡¯, people use the expression that it ¡®stole your breath away¡¯. That expression certainly describes me right at this very moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s alive! It¡¯s still alive!¡±

    The villagers who had all cautiously watched the dragon until now scattered outwards like a cluster of fledgling spiders.

    ¡°No, no way¡­¡­..¡±

    I muttered to myself in a daze, not able to accept the reality that the dragon had survived, and yet there it was, raising its massive head. The birdlime holding it down was meaningless as *CRACK* *CRACK* a noise similar to a tree being rent asunder resounded outwards. The dragon¡¯s black, scorched head moved this way and that until its hate-filled gaze finally landed on me, and its pupil narrowed.

    ¡°Tch, Hiyaaaaa! Just die already you doddering old dragon!¡±

    Toslin immediately brandished her sword once again and aimed for the dragon¡¯s remaining eye while it was still in reach. But the dragon managed to dodge, and the slash ended up connecting with its nose instead.

    ¡°Grooooooooooooar!¡±

    The steel blade was able to cut in deep through the charred, brittle skin. Black skin and fresh blood fell away, splattering across Toslin¡¯s face¡­¡­.but it was still coming. It just kept coming.

    ¡°Get back Iris!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s sharp voice flew into my ears, but my feet weren¡¯t getting the message. Because, what am I supposed to do? We¡¯ve already run out of mushroom spores, so how do we defeat the dragon? Toslin, everyone, what are you going to do if you stay here?

    ¡°It is dangerous here Iris-san!¡±

    But, Rose-san is¡­¡­.. Goldmund too, what will you do?

    ¡°Listen up Iris!¡±

    So once again like this, you¡¯ll fight on our own right? To save the people of this village. Even though Carol¡¯s usually always going money, money, money, if she dies¡­¡­¡­what¡¯ll happen if she dies¡­¡­¡­?

    ¡°Me too¡­¡­.I-I¡¯m fighting too!¡±

    I draw my dagger from my waist. Although it¡¯s wounded, a dragon is way too big for a tiny weapon like this to work against it. But I, I still draw it out. To stay together with everyone. Because if I want to stay by their sides, I need to show them that I can fight too!

    ¡°Have you lost your mind you idiot! You can¡¯t win against an opponent like this!¡±

    ¡°But!¡±

    As my trembling hands tighten their grip on my dagger, the dragon abruptly turned its butt to me.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t understand why, so I just kept standing there perplexed. Then an instant later, there was the sharp sound of something cutting through the air.

    ¡°Get down Iris!¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the leeway to hear why. Looking in the direction that the sound was coming from, I saw a tail as thick as a log hurtling through the air right at me.

    ¡°Iris-san!¡±

    Just as the tail was about to mow me down, Rose-san pushed me down.

    ¡°Hii!¡±

    A violent breeze passed over my head as I landed on my back.

    ¡°R-Rose!¡±

    I heard Toslin¡¯s scream. I forget to stand back up, instead following Toslin¡¯s gaze. There, Rose-san was lying on the ground in a heap far away from where she had been. Goldmund was lying there right next to her.

    ¡°R¡­¡­.Rose-san? Goldmund? N-No, No!¡±

    I threw my dagger on the ground and ran over to Rose-san.

    ¡°Rose-san! Rose-san!¡±

    I shook Rose-san¡¯s dust smeared body while desperately calling her name.

    ¡°Ah, Iris¡­¡­¡­san. That is, no good¡­¡­ You have to run from here¡­¡­¡­plea¡­¡­..*COUGH* *COUGH*¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s voice was hoarse as she spoke, and her whole body was shaking as she tried to stand up. But blood was trickling down the corners of her mouth, and it was obvious she was in no condition to fight.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯m so sorry Rose-san! I am¡­¡­.. I am¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Fufu¡­¡­¡­. Fufufu, what do you have to be sorry for? How ridiculous.¡±

    Rose-san was laughing while I was cursing my own helplessness and incompetence.

    ¡°Now then, I¡­¡­.I have to go. I cannot just leave it to those two¡­¡­¡­*COUGH* *COUGH*¡±

    ¡°Impossible, it¡¯s impossible Rose-san! If you try to move now¡­¡­¡­you¡¯ll die, no¡­¡­¡­.I don¡¯t want that!¡±

    I embraced Rose-san as she tried to get up. Tears started to blur my vision. No¡­¡­..not like this. Our adventure¡­¡­.ending like this. Ranroot¡­¡­.the hero slew the dragon. I know its unreasonable to compare myself to the legendary hero, but¡­¡­..

    ¡°KYAaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Another deafening scream tore my eyes away from Rose-san. Even though she was wearing a set of supposedly heavy plate armor, reflected in my gaze was Toslin¡¯s body soaring through the air.

    ¡°Ku, this!¡±

    Carol jumped off the dragon¡¯s foot and rushed up its back, aiming her dagger at the one remaining eye that had yet to bleed. But, the dragon shook its head and threw Carol of its back.

    ¡°Uwa, wawawa!¡±

    Carol twisted her body as she fell and landed like a cat.

    ¡°H-Huh? A, my comb¡±

    Carol moved her hand to her chest and began frantically searching around in the dirt around her. Her important comb must have fallen away from her when she was twisting her body midair.

    ¡°Ah, there!¡±

    The comb had fallen right between Carol and the dragon.

    ¡°Gugaaaaaa!¡±

    The dragon turned its irritated, disoriented gaze towards Carol and charged.

    ¡°Ah, stop!¡±

    Carol let out a short shout before running forward as well, reaching out for her comb. Just as she was able to wrap her fingers around it, a huge, dark shadow passed over her.

    ¡°Ah¡±

    When Carol hastily looked up, the dragon¡¯s blood red open mouth was coming right for her.

    ¡°Idiot! You¡¯re not supposed to come out in the open!¡±

    Before the dragon¡¯s teeth could tear through Carol, Toslin once again swung her sword at the dragon¡¯s face.

    ¡°Gryaaaah!¡±

    An anguished cry leaked from the dragon¡¯s lips at it writhed about in agony. Toslin took a step in front of Carol, seemingly intent on taking on the dragon alone while protecting her, but then the dragon turned around, once again attacking with its whip-like tail.

    ¡°Gah¡±

    Toslin quickly turned around, hugging Carol close right before they were hit.

    ¡°Tosl-¡­¡­¡­..Kyaaaaaa!¡±

    Carol¡¯s shriek echoed across the village square as both of them slammed onto the ground.

    ¡°Groooooooar!¡±

    With nobody left standing, the dragon bellowed. Even with blood still seeping from wounds all over its body, it was still able act composed with a demeanor suitable for a creature usually referred to as a legend.

    ¡°Toslin¡­¡­..Hey, hey are you all right Toslin? Talk to me¡­¡­¡­Toslin? Toslin!¡±

    Carol crawled over to Toslin who had rolled away after they hit the ground. But no matter how much Carol called her name or shook her body, there was no response.

    ¡°N-No¡­¡­she¡¯s not dead¡­¡­.. Rose! Help me Rose! Toslin is¡­¡­¡­.Toslin is¡­¡­¡­. NOOOOOOO!¡±

    ¡°Ku¡­¡­¡­Goddess. Please grant us your divine protection¡­¡­.¡±

    The dragon slowly advanced on Carol as she desperately clung to Toslin and refused to let go. Rose-san tried standing up, but her legs buckled underneath her. In order to protect such a master, Goldmund picked himself up and moved closer while dragging his injured legs behind him.

    ¡°Is, is everyone ready!? If things are going to be like this, then the least we can do here is save those girls!¡±

    Quinn-san¡¯s voice was suddenly right next to me. When I glanced over again, the villagers were all moving to surround the dragon while holding hatchets and spades.

    ¡°Ryland, I¡­¡­.I¡¯ll draw the dragon¡¯s attention¡­¡­¡­ Use that time to gather everyone up and get the girls out of here!¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t, please run away! If you do that¡­¡­¡­then Quinn-san!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay Iris-san. I wouldn¡¯t have this life to start with if you hadn¡¯t saved me. So if I can use it here to return the favor¡­¡­.. I¡¯m sure my family will understand. Ryland!¡±

    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll show them the way out. So you show this dragon what it means to mess with us humans.¡±

    Quinn-san raised his hatchet and slowly closed the distance between himself and the dragon.

    ¡°No¡­¡­.stop¡­¡­¡­.Please stop!¡±

    Gently laying Rose-san back on the ground, I propped myself back up on top of my trembling legs.

    ¡°If you do this¡­¡­¡­.stop¡­¡­¡­. You¡¯ll die, no¡­¡­¡­.. Don¡¯t die¡­¡­¡­nobody¡­¡­..nobody should have to die!¡±

    I pulled out a book from my rucksack. An ancient, leather bound book with silver trimming that gave off a dull glow. I shook off my overflowing tears and glared at the dragon.

    ¡°I¡­..I now¡­¡­..¡±

    Once in a lifetime is written here¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°I now release the bonds on this world¡±

    But if we die here, then our lives will have passed by anyway! I turned over the magnificent cover. The neighborhood magician oji-san had told me. Grimoires are not books¡­¡­. Magic¡­¡­.they¡¯re tools that allow us to invoke some of the most dangerous and powerful magic that exists.

    My name rises to the surface once I open the cover. As the castor, the book is trying to suck me into the abyss to absorb my magic power as fuel.

    ¡°The Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!¡±

    I know this grimoire is something completely out of my ability to control. But if everyone gets a chance to pull out a miracle once in their lives, then maybe I can pull one off right here as we¡¯re about to die! A miracle!!

    ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Annihilation of the coming holy night. Once more the indomitable bell rings and an anthem of agony roars!¡±

    ¡°A, Iris¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Everyone was dumbfoundedly staring at me. I purposely ignored them however, raising my voice towards the heavens.

    ¡°Primordial sword captured by heavenly chains. Deeply wounded dark violet knight!¡±

    Feeling like I was reciting a prayer, her name was burned into my eyes. As I poured in my life, her name etched itself in my consciousness. And then my throat, tongue, and lips moved as one to bring the name of the ancient knight into reality.

    ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forward. Hadion!¡±

    Surprising even myself, my voice cut through the clouds, sucked away into the sky above. But¡­¡­..

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    That was it. Nothing happened. The grimoire didn¡¯t emit some intense light like in the stories. It remained just as it had been before with the wind turning over a couple pages as the book stayed useless in my hands.

    ¡°R-Run away Iris!¡±

    Carol¡¯s voice brought me back to reality. The dragon had changed his aim and was now walking towards me. *THUD* *THUD* Each step it took was a drumbeat that made my body shake as it carried over its hulking mass to put an end to my life. And not just mine. Rose-san was lying down behind me. After it kills me, what would happen to the immobile Rose-san was clearer than any flame. But there¡¯s nothing that can be done. I, I don¡¯t have the strength to slay a dragon.

    ¡°P-Please¡­¡­..I¡¯m begging you¡­¡­¡­¡±

    My knees gave out, and I fell to the ground. A dragon covered in wounds looked down on me as my entire body shook.

    ¡°H-Help¡­¡­.please¡­¡­..¡±

    Holding the grimoire tight, I muttered to myself, so scared I couldn¡¯t even clench my teeth. The dragon¡¯s one remaining eye narrowed. At that moment, I knew this dragon must be a sentient creature. Because¡­¡­.it was laughing at me right now¡­¡­.

    ¡°N, No¡­¡­.stop, no¡­¡­.¡±

    The dragon slowly opened its mouth wide, almost like it wanted to show off its row of fangs and fuel my fears. And then, those sharp teeth lunged forward to take a bite out of me. I shut my eyes and hugged the grimoire close.

    ¡°Help me¡­¡­..Hadion! Hadiooooon!¡±

    My fears overcame me and I cried out, but I kept my eyes shut tight while waiting for my death to come. I bit my lip and tried making my body as small as I could.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    But, no matter how long I waited, my body was never penetrated by a row of teeth.

    ¡°These ears had forgotten what their purpose was after a thousand years of silence, and now the first sound they are to hear in all that time is the prayer of a young maiden?¡±

    A voice like the sound of a koto. It was a woman¡¯s voice I had never heard before. I was shocked when I saw the grimoire was glowing a dark violet and immediately looked up.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­no way¡­¡­¡­¡±

    In front of me was the back of a knight who had pierced the back of the dragon¡¯s throat with their sword. Her whole body was covered in black armor with a thick shield in her left hand. Throwing on a dusk-colored mantle that looked as if someone had cut out a piece of the night sky, the knight slowly pulled out her sword.

    ¡°H-Hadion?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, my name is Hadion. I responded to your call from my dark cell constructed by the Goddess herself. Now, please state your wish. My senses returned to me after being locked away with Osnell, and now that the bonds have been released, I am once again contracted to the Goddess. Here to grant your wish.¡±

    The dragon¡¯s huge body was convulsing from the immense pain of having a hole bored through its head. Nevertheless, the dragon was still alive, and once again turning a hateful glare towards us, flames began bubbling from its throat. I grabbed Hadion¡¯s fluttering mantle and screamed at the top of my lungs.

    ¡°H-Help¡­¡­¡­Help everyone! I¡¯ll do anything! I¡¯ll give you my life! So please help us! Please!¡±

    Hadion held up her shield, guarding against the dragon¡¯s spewing flames. The sweltering inferno that could¡¯ve turned me to ash in an instant dispersed when in contact with the dark violet knight¡¯s bulky shield and disappeared.

    ¡°A simple task. This be a lower class fool. Then at the request of a beautiful maiden¡­¡­.I shall accept your life.¡±

    Her large shield pushed back against the flames and forcefully beat itself against the dragon¡¯s body. Immediately afterwards, a light glistened off of Hadion¡¯s sword as she swung it with all her strength into the dragon¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­..¡±

    It really was over in an instant. The dragon¡¯s head leapt from its neck, spinning in the air before plopping down on the ground a short distance away. A second later, its body fell over, kicking up a cloud of dust as it once again limply collapsed down on its side. I¡­¡­.no, everyone there stared at Hadion. We had no words, no emotions.

    ¡°Maiden, the danger has passed. I swear by my sword it shall never menace you again.¡±

    Hadion turned back towards me, her heavy armor kicking up a noise as she moved.

    ¡°Do you recall your oath, o wise maiden?¡±

    Hadion¡¯s face was covered by a thick helmet1. But her porcelain skin, luscious red lips, and glossy voice revealed Hadion¡¯s appearance and age.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­¡±

    I nodded. Summoning magic requires a price. The more powerful the summon, the greater the cost. And for a legendary figure such as her, I doubt even my life would be enough to pay the tab.

    ¡°I, if I am enough¡­¡­.¡±

    Hadion stood before me. I forced myself to look up to her despite being overwhelmed by her awe-inspiring presence.

    ¡°Then to begin, allow me your hand.¡±

    Saying so Hadion knelt before me and gently took my hand in hers. And then on my left ring finger¡­¡­¡­she kissed me.

    ¡°From this day forth, this finger shall be my sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Her lips touching my finger tickled, and I unintentionally let my voice leak. Meanwhile the grimoire that had continued to glow a dark violet until now suddenly started to change its shape. It wrapped around my finger like a snake where Hadion¡¯s lips had just touched¡­¡­..and then once the glow subsided, I could make out what it had become. A ring, perfectly fitted for my finger.

    ¡°T-This¡­¡­is¡­¡­.?¡±

    My quivering lips somehow managed to form what I wanted to ask. Still kneeling before me, Hadion stared at me for a moment before the corners of her mouth pulled back into a grin.

    ¡°Grimoire Master, pure maiden Iris Calvafon. You have rescued this decaying soul from the darkness, and so I shall raise this sword and shield in your name. This is my oath. Engraved on this dark violet ring is my vow which shall never vanish.¡±

    After making such a solemn yet resolute declaration, Hadion¡¯s body suddenly vanished. There was no sound as if she had simply melted into the wind.

    ¡°A dark violet ring¡­¡­. An oath¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°I, Iris-san!¡±

    And then I lost consciousness. I remember someone supporting my body, but I don¡¯t know much about the rest.

    1. Yes the image doesn¡¯t show Hadion with a helmet. But in the author¡¯s defense, the images were made quite a while after the chapter had originally come out.

 CH 21

    When I woke up, the first thing I saw was a ceiling lit by the light of the sun. The world seemed so bright that I had to narrow my eyes.

    ¡°H-Huh¡­¡­I, why¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Good morning Iris-san¡±

    I turned my head when a voice suddenly called out to me. Rose-san was there, the sunlight beaming across her smiling face. Rose-san was sitting in a chair beside me, and it was then I realized I was lying down in a bed.

    ¡°Lapris-san told me it was almost time for you to awaken. I believe everyone else will arrive here shortly as well.¡±

    ¡°T-This is¡­¡­.a, that¡¯s right¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is the village inn. You slept for well over an entire day after defeating the dragon.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what? ¡­¡­¡­Defeated? The dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You did.¡±

    My half-asleep head suddenly woke all the way up.

    ¡°Ah, is Rose-san okay!? Your body was¡­¡­.your body was¡­¡­¡±

    And at the same time, my anxiety reared its crooked head. Among the torrent of memories that suddenly washed over me were the images of Rose-san coughing up blood and Toslin being blown away by the dragon¡¯s tail. After that, Carol had run up to her and kept shaking her and shaking her, but Toslin¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Toslin, Toslin! What happened to Rose-san and Toslin!?¡±

    ¡°Now now, you should be more worried about yourself.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Rose leaned forward, putting a hand on my back after I jumped up in my bed when I suddenly heard a voice coming from behind me. Turning around, there was Toslin, leaning on the doorframe with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Toslin¡­¡­Toslin¡­¡­Toslin, Toslin!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t hold still, so I jumped out of bed and ran forward, not minding the fact that my feet were yanking the sheets off with me. Toslin caught me in her arms and held me close.

    ¡°Hold on hold on, you¡¯re a nonathletic girl who has been sleeping for a while now, so don¡¯t try doing anything unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°But, I was worried¡­¡­.and I was so scared. Back then, Toslin looked¡±

    ¡°Yeah I know. Well, honestly I thought I was dead back then too, but I guess my body is stronger than even I thought.¡±

    Toslin made a wry smile. She then started to pat my head as the wave of relief caused me to tear up.

    ¡°And now the Toslin orc-blood theory suddenly has some evidence to back it up.¡±

    ¡°Carol¡­¡­.¡±

    One of the room¡¯s two windows had been left open, and Carol poked her head inside while covered in snow.

    ¡°That! By who¡¯s grace are you alive right now? And I told you to stop coming in and out from the window. Appearances, think about appearances.¡±

    ¡°By who¡¯s grace? Iris¡¯s obviously. Without that last spell, all of us along with the whole village would¡¯ve been wiped out.¡±

    Carol walked over to the fireplace, brushing off some of the snow that clung to her as the burning wood crackled next to her.

    ¡°Uu¡­¡­¡­.yeah¡­¡­..well you¡¯re right but¡±

    Toslin got unusually hesitant. So I hurriedly interjected.

    ¡°S-Such a, I really didn¡¯t¡­¡­.. If Rose-san wasn¡¯t there, if everybody wasn¡¯t there then I¡¯d¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡­.I am the one who did nothing worthwhile¡­¡­. Not only that, but I blindly charged ahead, forcing the rest of you into a horribly dangerous situation. How can I possibly apologize?¡±

    All at once the atmosphere in the room got heavy.

    ¡°No, you were right Rose. I would¡¯ve probably abandoned this village if you hadn¡¯t rushed in.¡±

    ¡°No that¡­¡­..I was merely being reckless. Courage, is just stupidity if you do not look where you leap. That is why I hope to one day be as smart and wise as Iris-san.¡±

    ¡°That, I¡¯m really more cowardly than¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°So I don¡¯t really mind, but how many times are we going to repeat this?¡±

    Carol clapped her hands, breaking the gloomy and silent mood that had surrounded us.

    ¡°Everyone did their best. As a result, we were able to save the village from a dragon. I didn¡¯t really do that much, but I¡¯m fine with that. I was joking earlier, but I really am thankful Toslin. My gratitude is deeper than the ocean.¡±

    Carol patted Toslin¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°If¡­¡­if you mean that then you should wipe that smirk off your face. Haa. Why did I bother saving you again?¡±

    ¡°Oh no no. Don¡¯t go saying that.¡±

    Carol got up close and started cuddling up to Toslin. Toslin tried waving her hands to shoo Carol away as if she was getting irritated, but Toslin¡¯s cheeks were as red as an apple. Just as I thought, Toslin really is cute.

    ¡°Fufufu¡±

    Rose-san must have been thinking the same thing I was as when our eyes met, her smile only deepened and she started to laugh.

    ¡°W-What¡¯s so funny Rose!? Wai, you¡¯re laughing too Iris!¡±

    ¡°Because~. Toslin¡¯s just too cute.¡±

    ¡°Right? Ufufu. They truly are two very close friends. I am a little jealous.¡±

    ¡°No, what are you two talking about!? We don¡¯t get along one bit! She¡¯s just keeps sticking to me! They¡¯re misunderstanding things because of you, so say something!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get married!¡±

    ¡°You moron!¡±

    Forcefully ripping Carol off of her, Toslin started to violently brush her hair.

    ¡°Haa, I¡¯m exhausted. Huh? Now that I think of it, are you okay to move around Iris?¡±

    ¡°According to Lapris-san, you fainted because you consumed all of your magical power at once. Does it hurt anywhere?¡±

    Rose-san was anxious, but nothing felt strange or anything.

    ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s fine. I do feel a little stiff and a little sluggish though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s bound to happen after you sleep for nearly two days. Just walk around a bit, and your body will naturally start feeling less dull¡­¡­¡­.ah, unless Iris was like this from the beginning?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin gave me a mean-spirited smile as clear revenge for before.

    ¡°Yeah right. Now that you mention it, her feet and butt are always at the top of her worries.¡±

    Carol chimed in as well, pushing me over the edge. It¡¯s time to make them aware that I¡¯m no longer the same Iris-san that¡¯ll let anything slide without a fight.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s none of your business! It¡¯s fine because¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m not an adventurer like everybody else.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.at least that¡¯s what I thought, but even when I try to fight back, all that comes out is a painful excuse.

    ¡°Aah, right right. I remember. You¡¯re a bookshop girl.¡±

    ¡°Bookshop girls nowadays sure are amazing. They¡¯re able to slay even a dragon if they want.¡±

    Just as I thought, the two of them were now happily having their way with me.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not¡­¡­.it¡¯s a coincidence. It¡¯ll definitely never happen again¡­¡­and that¡¯s it.¡±

    I looked at my left hand, remembering the feeling of Hadion¡¯s hands and lips on mine that somehow still lingered there even now. That was just a fluke. A result brought about by Hadion¡¯s whim. Some good luck combined with a miracle of a lifetime.

    ¡°Well, fluke or no, it¡¯s the entire reason we¡¯re alive like this. No matter who gave it to you, be sure to take care of this.¡±

    Toslin slid the ring onto my ring finger as she said so.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡­..definitely.¡±

    I gently stroked the dark silver ring. As if responding to my touch, the ring radiated a calm violet light.

    ¡°Hadion, a knight who turned her blade against the Goddess Illya during the war a thousand years ago. That knight was released from her prison of darkness and sent to Iris-san most likely in anticipation for the dragon attack¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san knelt down, putting her hands together in front of her chest, and began to pray.

    ¡°We give our thanks Goddess-sama. Our gratitude as now we all may once again enjoy another day laughing together.¡±

    I also thanked the Goddess-sama along with Rose-san. It was her grace that allowed me to perform a miracle even though I have no power and remain together with everyone.

    ¡°Speaking of which, it seems like the dragon blocking Iris¡¯s village is gone.¡±

    Seeing us finish our prayers, Carol chose then to speak up as if she had just suddenly remembered something.

    ¡°Eh? R-Really!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a merchant that stopped by the village yesterday mentioned it. I hear the hero failed to kill it though.¡±

    ¡°Eh, failed¡­¡­..to kill it?¡±

    I doubted what my own ears were hearing, but when I saw Rose-san nod her head, I realized it must be true. Eh¡­¡­..then, the dragon he failed to beat¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°No way¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Right~, that¡¯s what I was thinking. There¡¯s no way that¡¯s related to what happened here.¡±

    When our gazes met, Carol smiled broadly showing off her white teeth.

    ¡°Honestly, it was a real nuisance. But now the road being closed shouldn¡¯t be a problem anymore. And it seems like it¡¯s stopped snowing recently too.¡±

    ¡°G-Good¡­¡­.when are we leaving? I, I¡¯ll be fine you know? I can already walk, and I don¡¯t have very much luggage so I can be ready whenever, and¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ll be able to return home soon though.¡±

    I can finally go home. But while I was off getting excited by myself unable to hide my emotions, Carol let leak some words that sounded like they had a hidden meaning.

    ¡°What Carol? Did you say something?¡±

    Quinn-san had safely found and taken care of the golem. We¡¯ve already finished our work, so all that¡¯s left is to return home.

    ¡°Ufufu. Actually, a festival was held while Iris-san was sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right. Merchants and adventurers have been coming since last night to see the dragon. It¡¯s become like a big field trip. I¡¯m sure everybody¡¯ll be happy to know that Iris, the girl who defeated the dragon, is awake.¡±

    ¡°Eh, um, what do you mean? I don¡¯t really understand what you¡¯re getting at¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°So I, am just going to have to let everybody know.¡±

    Carol ran out of the room, her footsteps echoing as she moved down the hall. Everyone¡¯s smiles have suddenly gotten scary. Bad¡­¡­.I have a really bad feeling about this.

    ¡°U-Um¡­¡­.Rose-san, what exactly is she talking about¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Umm, even if you ask¡­¡­it must be that¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand what it was you did. Regardless of whether it was all luck or not, you still managed to slay a dragon you know? Is the little heroine starting to understand now?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­.heroine? Eh, that¡¯ a little troubling! Actually, that¡¯s absolutely troubling!¡±

    If what they¡¯re saying is true, then what¡¯s going to happen to me in the future? What am I going to do?

    ¡°You might be troubled, but I¡¯m troubled too. But I guess I can eat all the free food I want all thanks to the great Iris-sama. So then, I should go tell everybody you¡¯re up too.¡±

    ¡°Wai¡­¡­what¡¯s that!? I don¡¯t want this!¡±

    Toslin left the room, dodging my outstretched hand.

    ¡°Just hold on a minute! W-What do I do now Rose-san!?¡±

    ¡°Ufufufu. Is this due to the Goddess¡¯s guidance as well? Iris-san is cute, so I am sure Illya shall watch over you.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­¡­..that kind of thing is¡­¡­..ah, no way! I can hear an awful lot of footsteps! W-What should I do!? Rose-san¡±

    I clung to the laughing Rose-san¡¯s waist while shaking in my boots.

    ¡°It will be all right. The food is certainly delicious. I am certain Iris-san will find something that suites your tastes.¡±

    ¡°No, I really wasn¡¯t worried about that¡­¡­ah, UWAaaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    At that moment, an avalanche of women burst through the door into the room. I was so surprised that I was about to evacuate back to my bed, but then my gaze fell on Ryland-san.

    ¡°A, Iris¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°U-Umm¡­¡­.t-there¡¯s really no need to worry, and¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Irissssss!¡±

    Two seconds later. I was knocked down onto my bed after Ryland-san tackled me with a face covered in tears. It was really easy to imagine that my wool panties would¡¯ve just jumped into view for all the other housewives who were in the room.

    Mm, or rather¡­¡­..they almost certainly saw them.

 CH 22

    Evening. The hot water rose all the way up to my shoulders, and I stretched out my legs as far as they¡¯d go. This stone bathtub is huge, big enough to fit maybe twenty people, but right now it¡¯s just me and Rose-san. White, murky hot water is supposed to be a special product of Relton village and can make your skin silky smooth. Some slipperiness aside though I can say I haven¡¯t felt any changes.

    ¡°Fua~¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m worn-out¡­¡­..¡±

    It¡¯s probably bad manners, but I dipped down even further into the hot water and started blowing bubbles with my mouth. With how tired I am and how good this water feels, I might just end up falling asleep if I relax too much.

    ¡°Indeed. However everyone really was worried for Iris-san.¡±

    Rose-san was looking westward at the setting sun with her back resting against the edge of the stone tub. Even as another woman I have to say that the way the red light repels off the beads of water sticking to her skin appears truly divine. It¡¯s almost exactly like the portrait of the Goddess hanging in my hometown¡¯s church.

    ¡°Uuu, I know that. And I¡¯m really grateful¡­¡­.I¡¯m just not used to that sort of thing.¡±

    I pick myself back up to the surface, water dripping off my face as I make a bitter smile. Up til now, I was surrounded by the clamorous revelry of the villagers who had prepared a feast out of the goodness of their hearts. Merchants and adventurers who visited the village crowded around me wanting to hear details about how I defeated the dragon. Since I had gotten out of bed, I was surrounded by people for nearly three hours all while I had completely forgotten about the dismantling of the ice golem.

    ¡°Looking at me, I¡¯m plain, and not the type of character who likes to take the initiative¡­¡­.so I¡¯ve always been more suitable for a supporting role¡­¡­..¡±

    Rose-san calmly listened as I continued to monologue.

    ¡°Back home I¡¯d always stick behind someone and walk¡­¡­..so being the center of attention like that¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to act.¡±

    ¡°Normally¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°What do you have to worry about? No matter when or where you are, if you simply act normally and make the face you always show me, you will be just fine.¡±

    Roes-san tenderly touched my wet hair.

    ¡°Is¡­¡­..that how it is¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is exactly how it is. No matter what kind of face Iris-san makes, you are always so cute and I love it.¡±

    Uwa¡­..jeez, just how is she able to say something like that so boldly? I¡¯m getting embarrassed and I didn¡¯t even say it.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡­¡­huh?¡±

    I could feel my face turning a bright shade of crimson, so I was about to hide my face beneath the water¡¯s surface and hope the hot water might be able to cool my face down a bit when I saw something that made me pause.

    ¡°H-Huh? Toslin?¡±

    Through the billowing steam, I could just make out Toslin¡¯s form coming forward. Since I¡¯ve gotten so used to seeing her in armor, her being naked feels really strange. No, it is really strange. Now that I think of it, until now Toslin¡¯s never taken a bath with me before.

    ¡°My, how unusual.¡±

    Rose-san apparently thought the same as Toslin shyly hid herself behind a towel while we stared.

    ¡°Wh-What? Quit your staring before I start feeling embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Oops, sorry sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    I diverted my gaze away as Toslin dipped her foot into the tub. But, she kind of just kept standing there at the tub¡¯s edge, and I started to get curious.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t enter? Is it too hot?¡±

    ¡°N-Not at all. It¡¯s really¡­¡­not like that.¡±

    Toslin then walked around to where we were. She had asked us not to watch, but my eyes naturally followed her. She had a well-balanced and beautiful body that made me wonder why she wanted to hide it. If she has to hide her body, then what should I be doing with mine?

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    But as she got closer, the reason why Toslin was so hesitant crossed my gaze. Numerous small scars were lined up on her thin, white neck. Not only that, but there were clear cuts running up her arms to her shoulders¡­¡­¡­like someone had started low and dragged a blade upwards.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..how awful¡±

    Toslin pulled off her towel and submerged herself into the hot water. As she dipped down, I saw the scars running this way and that lined up all over her back. All of them looked like old wounds that I wouldn¡¯t think were made over the last couple days.

    ¡°Ah, um¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Even a bundle of curiosity like you can¡¯t find the words at a time like this. Well, it¡¯s fine though.¡±

    After exposing her body to us, Toslin stretched out her limbs and put on her usual bright smile.

    ¡°S-Something like this¡­¡­..but¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°That, I did it.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    To my surprise, Carol walked in with a wisp of a smile, only calming down when she took a seat next to Toslin.

    ¡°I told you before right Iris? How I¡¯m okay when I look at the moon?¡±

    Carol looked up, staring at the lightless moon hanging above. It still wasn¡¯t quite full yet, but once the sun goes down completely, it¡¯ll certainly light up the night sky.

    ¡°The truth is I¡¯m not fine at all. Other werewolves are apparently okay with it, but for some reason I¡¯m not and I end up hurting people.¡±

    Carol brushed her hand against Toslin¡¯s arm. Hot water improves blood circulation, so the blood vessels started to swell making the old wounds even more pronounced.

    ¡°Here, and here too¡­¡­.. This one, and this one¡­¡­. I did all of these. That night, the moon was as big in the sky as it is tonight.¡±

    ¡¾Carol¡¯s story¡­¡­.or events of the past?¡¿

    ¡°Be quiet. You¡¯re growling like a dog.¡±

    Toslin made a fist and punched Carol in the face with all her strength. Carol somersaulted through the air, but Carol staggered back to her feet with deep, anguished breaths.

    ¡°K¡­¡­¡­.Kill¡­¡­¡­.me¡­¡­..kill me!¡±

    The moon glowed gold over Carol as she held back her own trembling body and drool dribbled down her chin.

    ¡°Kill¡­¡­I told you to kill me!¡±

    Carol¡¯s hair was messy and disheveled from her shaking body, and her shouts showed off how her canines had grown long enough to be called fangs.

    ¡°And I told you to shut up.¡±

    However, Toslin remained calm, once again punching Carol in the face without concern.

    ¡°Gr, Graaaaaaaw!¡±

    Carol dexterously twisted her body mid-air to land on her feet, and with a mighty growl, pounced on Toslin. It was at this moment that Carol¡¯s long, extended claws burrowed themselves into Toslin¡¯s neck. It was by Carol¡¯s own hand that the damage wasn¡¯t more sever.

    ¡°G¡­¡­¡­GYAaaaaaaaaa! R, run away¡­¡­¡­please¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Her left hand tightly grasped around her right, Carol gathered together the last dregs of reason left in her to try and suppress the primordial blood that ran through her veins.

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    Toslin¡¯s voice was calm and steady as she looked down on the trembling Carol. Carol nodded her head over and over again. Tears and spit continued to drip down and began to pool at her feet.

    ¡°So¡­¡­k-kill me¡­¡­..Toslin¡­¡­.please¡­¡­. Like this, Toslin I¡¯ll¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you know? If you don¡¯t want to kill anyone, endure.¡±

    With words like ice, Toslin started removing her armor. With every heavy piece she pulled off, more of her milky white skin became exposed. Mystical limbs that dance in the moonlight with nary a scratch on them. Eventually Toslin was completely naked, and then she hugged Carol tight.

    ¡°AGaaaaaaaaa!¡±

    A set of fangs stabbed shallowly into her defenseless neck. And then a row of claws dug themselves into her back.

    ¡°Ku, I¡­¡­..I¡¯ll put up with you. So you do your best to endure a little.¡±

    Toslin bore the pain, showing a confident smile. Carol¡¯s lips were trembling, terrified of turning into a mindless beast, so Toslin plugged them up with her own. That night, Carol straddled the line between man and beast, but by the time morning had come, her feet were firmly planted. And Toslin had dozens of scars carved into her body.

    ¡°And ever since that night, I¡¯ve felt a little funny looking at the moon, but my body has been all right¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi hold on! What was with that ending! When exactly did I take your lips!?¡±

    Toslin grabbed Carol by the neck and started to shake her.

    ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t? Well, ever since that day I¡¯ve thought about how cute Toslin is when I have a moment to myself. Even now fragments of back then still¡­¡­.gah, glubglubglubglubglub¡±

    ¡°Enough already. You don¡¯t need to talk anymore.¡±

    Toslin pushed Carol¡¯s head under the hot water to keep her quiet. For a while Carol quietly took it, but as you¡¯d expect, she eventually needed to breath and started splashing around in the hot water.

    ¡°Puhahah! You, stupid Toslin! I almost died!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating¡±

    ¡°You were trying to take my life, so that¡¯s natural.¡±

    Rose-san and I watched as the usual scene developed and the two of them started splashing each other with the hot water. A werewolf girl and an elf woman. I had always figured they were good friends, but both of them would trust the other with their life. I suppose that makes them extremely good friends. The light from the sunset sparkled in the water spray as the two of them kept playing in the bath and caused a smile to naturally cross my face. As far back as I can remember, whether it be the two of them or Rose-san, they always have a smile on their face. And more than anything, they¡¯re always full of energy as well.

    ¡°I think they¡¯re beautiful.¡±

    I like adventures. But that¡¯s not all. I¡¯m having fun because everyone¡¯s here. I¡¯m laughing like this because everyone is with me.

    ¡°Huh? What is?¡±

    I stared directly at Toslin who had stopped trying to hide her scars.

    ¡°Toslin is. I think you¡¯re very beautiful.¡±

    I felt that way from the bottom of my heart. The people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of another person, Toslin, Rose-san, and Carol, they¡¯re all very beautiful. Mm. There¡¯s no doubting that. I wonder if this was how Rose-san felt a little while ago. If she was looking at me and felt that way, I¡¯d be overjoyed.

    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡­. Thanks¡­¡­.. If, if you suddenly say something like that, I¡¯m going to start feeling shy¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°T-There it is! I¡¯ve been looking for this bashful smile ever since that day!¡±

    Carol gave a thumbs up as Toslin¡¯s cheeks turned the same color as the sunset.

    ¡°Shut up. And keep quiet.¡±

    Really, it would¡¯ve been fine if she¡¯d kept quiet, but this is Carol after all¡­¡­.. Once again her head was pushed underneath the water, but I figured it couldn¡¯t be helped. But at the same time, I also couldn¡¯t help but figure that it was only a little longer before my time with these three was done.

 CH 23

    ¡°For my part, I shall make sure to contact the church after leaving the neighboring village, but are you certain you do not wish to come with us?¡±

    Rose-san was talking to Lapris who was still sitting on Quinn-san¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I thought you wanted us to bring you to the Goddess?¡±

    ¡°According to that priestess, the Goddess should already know the village has been attacked, so it doesn¡¯t make any sense for me to go all the way to her castle. So I¡¯m not doing it. Being with you people has already seriously shortened my life span.¡±

    Lapris kept talking while slapping her hand against Quinn-san¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Instead, this guy is taking me to Osnell since he¡¯s going that way anyway.¡±

    ¡°We cannot afford to leave the dragon as it is. So I was going to go to Osnell and find a skilled craftsman that can dismantle it.¡±

    Between all the buildings destroyed from the dragon that appears to have escaped from the hero and all the drowsy shroom spores which act as their main source of income during the winter used up to fight it off, Relton was facing a major crisis.

    But luckily¡­¡­or the closest thing to it considering the circumstances, we still had the dragon¡¯s remains. If the rumors are true, this is a lower class dragon, but a dragon is still a dragon. They¡¯re a legendary being, and its hide, horns, fangs, and scales should be more than enough to cover the village¡¯s damages and provide a tiny profit.

    ¡°I see. Well in that case good luck to you¡±

    ¡°If possible I¡¯d like to see you two again someday.¡±

    ¡°That goes for the stupid morons too.¡±

    In the end, the dark elf never did reveal themselves. They most likely moved on to their next destination after leading the goblins and golem on an assault against the fairy village and obtaining the fragment of the Grief Sphere. When we came to that conclusion amongst ourselves, Rose-san looked really, immensely disappointed. When I glanced over to her from the side, I did my best to hide it, but I was a little jealous. I don¡¯t have anything I care about enough that could upset me this much.

    ¡°Well then we¡¯ve got what we¡¯re owed, so should we head back?¡±

    Carol spun on her heels with a glowing smile. In addition to the official commission, we also received a reward for beating the golem. We were given the remaining parts of the golem left over after it was broken down. Part of that was a lovely jewel-like sphere, the monster¡¯s so-called core. It could apparently be sold for a hefty sum, and Carol wasn¡¯t doing a good job of hiding her excitement.

    And then as compensation for killing the dragon, the village mayor readily agreed to give us one of the dragon¡¯s horns along with a portion of its hide and scales after the dismantlement was finished.

    ¡°You have all truly helped us over these last couple of days. I cannot thank you enough.¡±

    The village mayor bowed deeply as he spoke. The other villagers gathered around him did so as well.

    ¡°You all definitely have to come visit us again. When that time comes, I¡¯ll put all my skills to the test and whip you up a wonderful meal. And if it¡¯s possible, come by in the summer.¡±

    Ryland-san gave us a large smile alongside a meaningful laugh.

    ¡°Do you have a husband?¡±

    Ryland-san broke out into a hearty laugh, showing off her white teeth at Toslin¡¯s question.

    ¡°Ahahaha. Yep. I really want to introduce you girls to my husband. He¡¯ll definitely be shocked to learn that a bunch of cute ojou-chans like you slew a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely come back. We¡¯d come even if you didn¡¯t ask us to. So until then, be sure to take good care of those dragon parts.¡±

    ¡°Mm, certainly. You¡¯ll have to come back or else carelessly forget your payment.¡±

    ¡°Well with that, shall we go?¡±

    Rose-san gave the people of the village a respectful bow before following after Carol. Goldmund walked beside her pulling along our heavy wagon behind him. Toslin turned to leave as well, meaning I was the only one left to say their farewells.

    ¡°Take care of yourself on your way home, Iris.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes. Ryland-san, everyone, thank you for all your help.¡±

    ¡°Tch, at most I¡¯ll tell you to watch your feet so you don¡¯t go tumbling down into the valley.¡±

    ¡°H-Hey Lapris¡­¡­.sorry. I wish you all a safe journey.¡±

    After the worst-possible encounter, this fairy continued to hate me until the very end. If I had any regrets about this trip, I suppose it would be the fact that I never managed to get along with Lapris?

    ¡°Thank you very much Quinn-san. Lapris, take care.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t have to take care of myself so long as I¡¯m not with all of you¡±

    Lapris spit venom before fluttering her wings and flying in front of my face. I thought she was going to start kicking me in the face again, but instead, she reached her hand back towards her wings and plucked out one of her feathers.1

    ¡°Look, take this. Joking aside, you¡¯re really clumsy. Take this as a good luck charm.¡±

    It was a soft feather that glowed all seven colors of the rainbow and bent over from even the slightest wind.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re still in a better class compared to that pipsqueak and her orc babysitter.¡±

    ¡°T-Thank you¡­..Lapris¡­¡­.¡±

    When I took the feather, I wrapped it up in a handkerchief to make sure I don¡¯t lose it.

    ¡°B-But don¡¯t get the wrong idea! It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve forgiven you! And your group is still the worst! Don¡¯t you forget it!¡±

    A wee-little finger was thrust in front of my nose. But, I was still happy. She¡¯s foul-mouthed and still holds a grudge, but in the end, I feel like this fairy and I have come to understand each other.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I checked up on you while you were sleeping, and¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi~, Iris, we¡¯re going to leave you behind if you don¡¯t hurry up.¡±

    Just as Lapris flew up to my ear to whisper something to me, Toslin¡¯s voice echoed and blocked her out.

    ¡°Ah, right!! I¡¯m coming!! Um, sorry Lapris, what?¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s something you¡¯ll figure out soon enough anyway, so get going.¡±

    Lapris patted me with a hand only slightly bigger than my earlobe as she shooed me away.

    ¡°I-I got it. Well then¡­¡­goodbye. Everyone else too, take care.¡±

    She told me not to mind it when I started to mind it, but as I waved farewell to the villagers of Relton, I still thought it¡¯d probably be better if I knew whatever it was right away.

    ¡°See you, come back whenever you like!¡±

    With the village mayor standing in front, the villagers continued to wave us off until finally we were out of sight.

    ?

    ¡°Welcome back everyone!¡±

    A cheerful voice raised to greet us as we walked through the heavy wooden door. Sitting back, bored in a chair, Charlie jumped to her feet and welcomed us as we walked in.

    ¡°We¡¯re back Charlie¡±

    After leaving Relton village, we headed back home and managed to make it to Rifront by the next morning.

    ¡°Aah, I¡¯m hungry¡±

    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re always hungry.¡±

    ¡°We were in a bit of a hurry though, so it cannot be helped.¡±

    To confirm that the highway really wasn¡¯t closed anymore, the three of them hurried forward without my having to ask them to. On the way down I breathed out a feeble complaint to see if we could walk a little slower, but we still rushed ahead. The pace was certainly physically demanding, but more than anything it meant my time with them was disappearing all the faster, and I was feeling lonely.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s how it is Charlie. It¡¯s probably bad manners, but bring us something to eat. Anything¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    When Toslin patted Charlie on the shoulder, suddenly all four of our stomachs growled loudly at the same time.

    1. It¡¯s really jarring for me imagining a fairy with feather wings instead of bug-like ones. Like, rather than a fairy, Lapris is coming off more as a miniature angel. So she¡¯s the equivalent to one of those yappy chihuahuas that people keep in their purses.

 CH 24

    ¡°Speaking of which, everyone just missed the hero? Up until yesterday, he was staying in this inn.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Seriously?¡±

    Carol¡¯s spoon stopped in mid-air, and a blunt, surprised voice leaked out. Delighted by the reaction she got, Charlie started acting self-important while handing out the barbato meat stew to the rest of us.

    ¡°Mhm, seriously. Ah, he was so cool. He was tall, slim, and very beautiful. In addition to that calm demeanor, I can¡¯t think of a single way he differed from how I imagined him¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No way, we missed him? We even pushed ourselves to get here as fast as possible¡­¡­why, just Charlie getting to meet him is unfair.¡±

    ¡°Nfufufu. But that all-important dragon managed to get away, so he was really depressed. So, I gave him some of our special honey mead, and he told me it was delicious¡­¡­.Haa, his smile at that time¡­¡­so dreamy¡±

    ¡°Then as expected¡­¡­.well, it¡¯s not like there¡¯re that many dragons just flying around after all¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin let out a deep sigh, and this time it was Charlie¡¯s turn to be puzzled.

    ¡°Eh, what do you, did you all see the dragon?¡±

    ¡°Rather than just seen it, we fought it. Right when we thought we¡¯d finished our job, a dragon suddenly flies in our path.¡±

    ¡°Ah, speaking of which, your job was in Relton. The hero headed that way chasing after the dragon as well. So what happened? I mean, you all look like you made it back in one piece.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, all jokes aside, it¡¯s a miracle we made it. If Iris wasn¡¯t there, then the whole entire village would¡¯ve been wiped out. Stupid hero.¡±

    ¡°H-Hold on Toslin¡­¡­. You shouldn¡¯t badmouth¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Hold on, back up, what do you mean? What did Iris do?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­..I-I didn¡¯t¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Iris killed it. With magic like this¡­¡­..first a schlick, and then with a swoosh the dragon was cut in two.¡±

    Carol held out her spoon as if it were Hadion¡¯s sword and started waving it around in the air.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Oi you¡¯re splattering stew all over the place! Quit playing with your food.¡±

    Toslin forced Carol¡¯s butt back into its seat and slapped the back of Carol¡¯s head.

    ¡°Eh? Um, what? What do you mean? Rose-san, do you get it? Iris, you can use magic?¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s wrong! No um, it¡¯s not exactly wrong, but¡­¡­ I¡¯ve always had some magic power, but only a little, and until then I¡¯ve never been able to cast a single spell, so¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°However it is a fact that the spell Iris-san cast was what had finally felled the dragon once and for all.¡±

    ¡°S-Seriously¡­¡­¡­.?¡±

    Charlie obediently believed what Rose-san was telling her. Her jaw dropped as a result, and she began to just silently stare at me.

    ¡°U-Um Charlie, but you see¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that awesome Iris!? You killed a dragon even the hero wasn¡¯t able to beat¡±

    ¡°Wa- You¡¯re wrong! Listen Charlie, it was only because everyone was there that¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s still amazing. Actually yesterday, a merchant passed by the same time the hero was here and said the dragon had already been defeated. He told us a female mage cut off its head in an instant. Nobody believed him at the time¡­¡­but I never would¡¯ve thought that you¡­¡­¡±

    Charlie started clapping her hands together and quickly got this excited look in her eye.

    ¡°I can¡¯t not do this. I have to tell everyone in town right away. Hehehe, when everyone hears that the rumored female mage is here in the Shining Hen, we¡¯ll be sure to get a huge number of customers.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Wai-¡­¡­..stop, please don¡¯t do that¡±

    I dropped my spoon and grabbed Charlie¡¯s fluttering skirt before she could run off.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t grab my skirt like that. But well if it¡¯s Iris¡­¡­..I guess I¡¯m okay with it.¡±

    ¡°With what? B-But anyway hold on¡­¡­if you go, I, I¡¯ll be troubled¡±

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t this a huge honor? Don¡¯t adventurers want their names to spread? Killing a dragon is one of those things you should be bragging about.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡­you¡¯re wrong. I could only use the spell there because of everyone¡¯s help. Because they protected me. It was from the work the hero had done, everyone¡¯s strength, and the villagers hard work that I was able to fight. It¡¯s the only reason I fought instead of just running away.¡±

    My grip on the end of Charlie¡¯s skirt tightened as I spilled out everything that had been accumulating in my heart.

    ¡°I get it. Well, when I think about it, you¡¯ve always been that type of person. Besides, Iris isn¡¯t an adventurer, so even if I told everybody you killed a dragon, those guys probably wouldn¡¯t believe me.¡±

    ¡°Good grief, nevertheless Iris is way too humble.¡±

    Toslin laughed while stuffing another spoonful of soup into her mouth.

    ¡°Fufufu, but I love that part of you.¡±

    ¡°In that case I¡¯d definitely go deliver a complaint to that hero. And then get plenty of compensation¡­¡­¡­¡±

    As usual a fist came soaring down on top of Carol¡¯s head.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we can then get the reward money from the village that originally posted the job of slaying the dragon as well right?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡­¡­Eh? If you understand it, then why did I get hit just now?¡±

    ¡°I just did it without thinking.¡±

    As Toslin quickly took a drink from her juice, Carol suddenly started tickling Toslin¡¯s unguarded sides in revenge.

    ¡°Fuah! This¡­¡­¡­what stupid idiot does that to somebody who¡¯s taking a drink!? Look what you¡¯ve done to Rose!¡±

    Droplets of spit out juice were dripping off of Rose-san¡¯s face since she was sitting directly across from Toslin at the table.

    ¡°Oh dear. I¡¯ve gotten myself a little wet. Charlie-san, I am sorry, but could you grab me something to wipe myself off?¡±

    ¡°O-Okay. Give me a minute.¡±

    Even at a time like this, Rose-san was smiling widely. Even though I think right now is the perfect time to get angry.

    ¡°Enough, you¡¯re both showing some bad manners here. Stop your playing and properly apologize to Rose-san.¡±

    So I got scolded them on her behalf.

    ¡°Eh, but I wasn¡¯t playing around¡­¡­.. Ah, um¡­¡­.sorry Rose¡±

    ¡°Forgive her¡±

    ¡°Hey, you apologize too! Why are you making it seem like I¡¯m the only one in the wrong here!¡±

    ¡°Because Toslin started it when you hit me for no reason!¡±

    Charlie came back with a towel, and Rose-san started using it to wipe her face.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡­which one of you is worse isn¡¯t¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°My¡­¡­¡­this juice is delicious¡­¡­.¡±

    When I got in between the two of them, Rose-san absentminded voice reached all of our ears. All of our gazes gathered on her as her red tongue peeked through her lips, licking up the juice splattered around them.

    ¡°Hii¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s body stiffened as a small squeak escaped her own lips. Carol and Charlie were frozen and staring at the unusual, bewitching aura that was now radiating off of Rose-san.

    ¡°I am really sorry Charlie-san, but could I have some more of that same juice Toslin was having?¡±

    ¡°Ye¡­¡­.Yes I¡¯ll be right back!¡±

    Running back to the kitchen as fast as she could¡­¡­Charlie escaped.

    ¡°My, what¡¯s everyone doing? Your stew is getting cold.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, Ah¡­¡­.right. You¡¯re right¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san innocently tilted her head, and we were all finally able to tear our eyes away and silently focused on moving our spoons instead.

    ¡°S-Sorry to have kept you waiting!¡±

    And then Charlie came back.

    ¡°Yosh, in commemoration for everyone having come back safe and sound after completing your job, everyone¡¯s food and drink are my treat today!¡±

    ¡°Eh, really!?¡±

    Sensing the delicate atmosphere in the store, Charlie laughed out in a loud, bright voice as if to fight against it.

    ¡°Really really. You¡¯ve been staying here for a long time. I¡¯m sure the Landlady would be okay with it too. Now order whatever you want! But I¡¯ll go ahead and drink a little bit with you¡±

 CH 25

    ¡°Fufufun. So~¡­¡­..Nishishishi. The hero was really seriously so cool~.¡±

    With a bottle of alcohol in hand showing just how much she had already drank, Charlie¡¯s lips continued to move even though her articulation wasn¡¯t all there. Meanwhile a mountain of sake dishes were piled over each other and all loaded up on top of the table. All of this was from Charlie as well¡­¡­..

    ¡°Is this girl all right? Shouldn¡¯t we stop her?¡±

    As Charlie continued drowning herself in alcohol, a sober Toslin was starting to look worried. Of course I was looking the same way.

    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s about time we leave it there Charlie. Your face is already bright red.¡±

    ¡°Over where is there? Nihihi, my face is red nyaha¡­¡­..I¡¯m near Iris!¡±

    Dead drunk, Charlie suddenly started clinging to me.

    ¡°Oh, seriously¡­¡­you shouldn¡¯t be this strong after drinking this much¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Just kidding~. But, it sucks¡­¡­.Whyyyyyyyy is Iris a woman¡­¡­¡­.if you were a man then I¡¯d definitely, absolutely¡­¡­¡­snag you¡­¡­*hick*¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°More and more I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡­.hey, everyone should stop watching and help me¡­¡­..¡±

    But, Toslin and Carol were looking like they were having too much fun and were completely useless. Meanwhile Rose-san, who should have only been drinking juice this whole time, has now gone completely red in the face too¡­¡­..

    ¡°The hero too¡­¡­.if she wasn¡¯t a woman¡­¡­.I absolutely would¡¯ve¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    I tried snatching away the bottle of alcohol from the already reeked of booze Charlie, but then her next drunken stammer made me stop.

    ¡°What did you say just now?¡±

    ¡°The hero¡¯s a woman. Is that true?¡±

    Toslin and Carol both leaned over the table, blinking furiously.

    ¡°Do you think this Charlie-san would lie to you~? You wound me¡­¡­.. *hick* Really truly, you can¡¯t fool this Charlie-san¡¯s eyes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, looks like I missed out on the fun.¡±

    We all turned when we heard the landlady¡¯s voice, who after a mixed sigh, irritably swiped the bottle of alcohol from Charlie¡¯s hand. Before I had realized it, it was already almost time for the sun to set. Now that the thing blocking the road has been taken care of, guests could be stopping by the Shining Hen at any time now. But, more importantly¡­¡­

    ¡°Um, Meltaria-san. Just now Charlie told us that¡­¡­apparently the hero is a woman¡­¡­..¡±

    On behalf of everyone¡¯s curiosity, Rose-san opened her mouth. The landlady¡¯s face stiffened for an instant, but a lamenting look soon crossed over instead.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Haa, I give up. I¡¯m going to have to make sure this girl doesn¡¯t drink from now on.¡±

    ¡°So then, it¡¯s really true?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it seems so. She¡¯s really supposed to keep her mouth shut, but¡­¡­..I suppose you girls wouldn¡¯t carelessly spread it around right?¡±

    Even if we did, it¡¯s not like anybody would believe us. His, no, her name has reached even a remote region like this.

    ¡°T-That is really¡­¡­.but, she¡¯s able to perform a job as dangerous as exterminating a dragon, so why¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..why is she hiding the fact she¡¯s a woman? She has a complex about that. When she takes the throne in the future, being a woman will certainly be a huge disadvantage for her. It¡¯ll cause huge problems if other countries were to look down on our king. So she intends on remaining a man until at least a few years after her coronation.¡±

    The landlady then suddenly grabbed Charlie by the scruff of her neck and lifted her up.

    ¡°However, although it may have been just a little extra guesswork because she has a pretty face, that girl ended up getting found out by Charlie here. This girl, she¡¯s only ever sharp-eyed at times like this.¡±

    ¡°U, Woo¡­¡­¡­I¡¯m amazing¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Quit your boasting. Honestly, drinking like a fish in the store without permission. The road¡¯s not closed anymore. Is it any wonder we don¡¯t have any customers here right now? Blatantly slacking off like this, good grief.¡±

    The landlady tried forcing Charlie to her feet while making her drink some water. But Charlie grabbed hold of my clothes and refused to let go.

    ¡°Nooo¡­¡­I don¡¯t wanna do any work today~. I wanna stay together with Iris~.¡±

    ¡°What? Quit saying something so selfish.¡±

    ¡°B, But¡­¡­she¡¯s going to be gone soon¡­..Iris is leaving¡­¡­I¡¯m lonely¡­¡­.*sob*¡­¡­Iris¡­¡­.No way~, no way she¡¯s going home~¡­¡­¡­.Nooo~¡±

    Charlie continued to shake off the landlady¡¯s grip and stuck to me. It was my first time seeing the cheerful, always lively Charlie like this.

    ¡°Charlie¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°*Sniff*, *sob*¡­¡­¡­¡­No~. I¡¯m not ready¡­¡­..don¡¯t gooooo~¡­¡­.¡±

    Charlie kept rubbing the tears out of her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt as she began to bawl. I get it. I know what¡¯s coming. I¡¯ll be leaving here. I¡¯ll be leaving everyone.

    ¡°Sorry about this Iris¡­¡­. It¡¯s selfish, but could I ask you to stay with her tonight?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There, there Charlie. You¡¯re a good girl, so there¡¯s no need to cry. Should we go back to my room? Can you walk?¡±

    I kept stroking Charlie¡¯s head as she slowly nodded.

    ?

    ¡°So then, you¡¯ll soon be heading back. Home.¡±

    I was in my bed, in the room I had been staying in for half a year now. Toslin spoke up after I had managed to get Charlie to stop crying and lulled her to sleep.

    ¡°Mm. Originally, I only came here to deliver a book.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡­.¡±

    But, that¡¯s just my official opinion. If I¡¯m telling the truth, I want to stay here. Stay here, and if they let me, stay with everyone.

    Every day we do something silly and I laugh, or sometimes get angry, and then sometimes we go on adventures. And while I think I¡¯m scared, I also look forward to that same thumping in my chest as we head out¡­¡­¡­..I want to keep my feet planted in a world like that. After this last trip, I became aware of that fact. I realized just how much I long to go on an adventure.

    ¡°H-Hey. Aren¡¯t you already an adventurer? Like this, we could definitely¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If Iris-san were to stay with us, it would certainly be a great deal of fun. However Carol-san. It¡¯s not that easy. There are people waiting for Iris-san to return.¡±

    Yes. I have to go back home. My family is almost certainly worried about me.

    ¡°Sorry Carol. Like Rose-san says, I have to go back. So, I¡¯ll depart tomorrow.¡±

    I need to thank my family for raising me as they have until now. And then with my own lips I want to tell them about how wide the world is and all the different people who live in it.

    They might laugh at me, what I¡¯m saying might be obvious, but I never knew about it. And then I want to think. Once more, I want to think about what I want to do. Once I¡¯m surrounded by my books, knowing what I know now, I want to think about what I want for myself.

    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­.I see. Right, I understand Iris.¡±

    Carol looked up to me and smiled. Toslin and Rose-san both nodded as well.

    ¡°Everyone¡­¡­for everything up to now¡­¡­..t-thank you¡­¡­..and¡­¡­.¡±

    In the end, the emotions pooling in my heart overflowed, and I began to cry without being able to say what I wanted to. That night we joined up our beds and all slept together.

 CH 26

    The sun rises, illuminating a world of glittering silver. Water drips off the end of each icicle hanging low from every rooftop lining the street. Winter is coming to an end, and spring is on the horizon.

    With all my luggage packed away and hanging off my back, I looked back at the Shining Hen where I had been living for the last half year. The view from my window. Will the day ever come where I can look out over town from that angel again? If so, then when?

    ¡°Iris. I¡¯ll definitely, absolutely write to you. And if I ever can, is it all right if I come visit?¡±

    Charlie¡¯s tearful voice really didn¡¯t suit her always sunny personality. I kept nodding over and over again.

    ¡°Yeah. Yeah. I¡¯ll write to you too. I¡¯ll definitely write. And you can visit anytime. Then it¡¯ll be my turn to show you around town.¡±

    I hugged Charlie tight so that I wouldn¡¯t have to say goodbye. I glanced at the landlady over Charlie¡¯s shoulder while wiping away my tears with a finger.

    ¡°Thank you for all your help. Truly, thank you very much.¡±

    As my tears continued to flow, it soon started getting difficult to see in front of me.

    ¡°It was nothing. Come again whenever you want. You¡¯ll always be welcome here.¡±

    The landlady was cheerful and continued to laugh until the very end. I was a little embarrassed at having started to cry, but now I think I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ve made my decision, but sad things are still sad. It¡¯s moments like this that¡¯ll help me endure in the future like the landlady.

    ¡°Hey, hurry it up. You¡¯ve gotta reach the next village before dusk don¡¯t you?¡±

    I looked over my shoulder when somebody patted my back and found Toslin standing there. She had already accepted her next job and was already packed up and ready to move out. And not just Toslin either. Carol and Rose-san were ready to leave town as well.

    ¡°U, Uuuu¡­¡­..everyone¡­¡­¡­¡±

    My capped off tears suddenly burst once again and started rolling down my cheeks.

    ¡°Everyone too¡­¡­¡­stay well everyone¡­¡­. I¡­¡­.I¡¯ll never forget¡­¡­..what everyone¡¯s done for me¡­¡­.. I definitely, absolutely won¡¯t forget¡­¡­..*sob*¡­¡­¡­*sniff*¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    I looked at Toslin, then Carol, and finally Rose-san. All three of them were quietly watching me. I was the only one crying. I see, everyone is an adventurer, so they¡¯re used to this kind of thing. This is a little¡­¡­embarrassing.

    And at the same time, it¡¯s a little saddening. For me, everyone is an unforgettable friend, but for them, this parting is just one of many. In that case it can¡¯t be helped if they were to forget one or two people.

    ¡°W-Well then¡­¡­.I, am going to go. S-So¡­¡­..I¡­¡­..it was good meeting everyone. I know I¡¯m just one of many for all of you, but still I¡­¡­I¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eh? What do you mean? Aren¡¯t Toslin and the others going with you Iris?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Just a¡­¡­.keep it down Charlie!¡±

    Having been completely silent with a wide grin until now, Carol suddenly got flustered and covered Charlie¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­.What, What is going on?¡±

    Completely stunned, I was barely able to speak to Carol.

    ¡°Aah seriously¡­¡­.after all that work to surprise you.¡±

    Surprise? Then that means¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°R, Rose-san?¡±

    ¡°Uh, um¡­¡­that, well¡­¡­..sorry. It was Toslin-san¡¯s idea, but we all decided to go to Iris-san¡¯s hometown. There is a church there, so I can seek out instructions for what to do from now on¡­¡­..¡±

    My¡­¡­.hometown? Everyone is? Well then¡­¡­..

    ¡°But Toslin¡­¡­.your new job?¡±

    ¡°Oh right~¡­¡­¡­well, I lied. It¡¯s a little fun watching you go, so I thought I¡¯d like to tease you a bit more, and¡­¡­..¡±

    My eyes were swimming while Toslin tried explaining things with a sheepish smile.

    ¡°S-So then¡­¡­um, that is to say¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Toslin¡¯s saying she wants be with you for a while longer.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not the only one! You kept going on and on about how lonely you were!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right I did, but I was just repeating what you actually said! Right Rose?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did say those exact words.¡±

    Rose-san nodded with a soft smile. Then that means, then that means¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Good for you Iris¡±

    Charlie spoke up and laughed as well.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! It¡¯s good¡­¡­¡­it¡¯s really good¡±

    I¡¯m so delightfully overjoyed I sprang forward and embraced Toslin. The plate armor I dug my face into was cold and hard, but the hand that was placed on top of my head was kind and warm.

    ¡°S-Sorry. Please don¡¯t cry. I¡±m sorry for keeping quiet about it¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°No no, Toslin doesn¡¯t get it~. Iris isn¡¯t crying like that.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Then what does it mean?¡±

    ¡°Come, if we continue to dally, we will end up having to sleeping outside.¡±

    Rose-san grabbed Goldmund¡¯s reins.

    ¡°Ah, right. Well then landlady and Charlie, see you.¡±

    Toslin suddenly scooped me up in her arms before setting me down on Goldmund¡¯s back.

    ¡°Wawawa, hold on Toslin! It¡¯s really fluffy up here and it tickles¡±

    ¡°So are we leaving?¡±

    ¡°Well then, see ya~¡±

    Carol started moving as if she were gliding over a patch of ice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t play around too much. I don¡¯t want to hear you crying after you slip and fall.¡±

    Just as Toslin had finished warning her, Carol ended up losing her balance, and she hit her head hard on the ice and snow below her. We all started to laugh as Goldmund began moving forward.

    ¡°Thank you very much landlady! Thanks Charlie! I¡¯ll come back and visit!¡±

    Surrounded by this bright laughter, I waved my hand. And I kept waving both my hands above my head until the Shining Hen finally disappeared from view.

    Winter had almost passed in Rifront. The ice covering the village¡¯s lake known as the Fairy¡¯s Tear had begun to break apart creating a beautiful, rippling surface.

    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing the city where Iris was born and raised.¡±

    However the time I¡¯ll spend with the friends I made in this town will continue on for a little longer.

    ¡°It¡¯s an ordinary town, so don¡¯t expect too much.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­..huh, hold on a minute? Whose voice was that just now?

    ¡°Hm? It was pronounced Iris right? My wise maiden.¡±

    Turning around, I saw somebody I¡¯ve never seen before¡­¡­but she was a beautiful woman whose voice sounded familiar to my ear.

    ?

    ¡­¡­.And thus her story ends there for now.

    After this, a new adventure awaits in her hometown alongside a grand opportunity.

    But, maybe I¡¯ve said too much.

    I¡¯ve had quite a bit of alcohol now, yet my tongue continues to run.

    After this I¡¯ll have to bow down to my master¡¯s feet and start begging her for some more wine.

    The only thing I need to be mindful of when I¡¯m having a drink is becoming too engrossed in the flavor.

    If I get lost in thought, I¡¯ll end up poking my nose into the cup as well, and my beautiful white fur will end up being dyed red.

    What, are you surprised to hear I¡¯m not human?

    Can¡¯t you see my beautiful, fluffy coat?

    Can¡¯t you see my four, cute little paws?

    Hmm, well it can¡¯t be helped then.

    If you can¡¯t even see the golden mane wrapped around my neck, then I suppose I should introduce myself.

    I am Gustav.

    Time Narrator Gustav.

    My lord is a faithful servant of that ever fickle silence, so I act as their eloquent mouth.

    No, it¡¯s fine.

    I already know who you are.

    And if you would like to hear the rest of this tale, then I do hope you come back soon.

 CH 27

    Age: ???

    Height: 10 cm

    Race: Fairy

    She likes to talk and loves sweets.

    She lived in a fairy village located in the Swansea Forest, but her friends scattered after a dark elf attacked their home.

    She¡¯s now heading to the capital Osnell in hopes of finding her friends¡­¡­¡­

    Age: 12

    Height: 139 cm

    Iris¡¯s sister.

    Knitting is her strong point, and she often cobbles together sweaters and mufflers for her sister.

    Despite being younger, she often acts as if she¡¯s the older sibling and takes great pride in caring for her older sister.

    Her dream is to one day be her sister¡¯s bride.

    Age: 16

    Height: 155 cm

    Race: Hyurian

    Iris¡¯s (self-proclaimed) best friend.

    He has a lively personality and has been playing with Iris ever since they were both young.

    Currently working under his father as a carpenter¡¯s apprentice.

    His dream is to one day marry the Calvafon sisters.

    Age: 32

    Height: 157 cm

    Race: Hyurian

    Priestess of Solretta Litta, Iris¡¯s hometown.

    About ten years ago after being assigned as a priestess, she became the representative minister from the church in charge of management and maintenance and is essentially the top executive in the city.

    She also acts as an older sister for the city¡¯s children.

 CH 28

    This is a tale about the everchanging world Van Delucia.

    A world of swords and magic, knights and mages, fairies and dragon.

    Here there are Gods, and there are Demons.

    Here the mysteries are still mysteries, just waiting for someone to find the truth.

    An adventurer setting off on a rainbow to climb the heavens.

    An adventurer who brought a friend on a journey and challenged a dragon living in the sky.

    And another adventurer who challenged a labyrinth in the clouds, defeating an evil mage and rescuing a fair princess.

    In this world, there are many such epic tales grabbing the hearts of the adventurers who hear them.

    However even in a strange and magical world like this, there are still people who are just trying to live their lives.

    A Hero cannot live without bread, and without a people to lead there can be no princesses.

    And without a bard to sing of its tale, how will any know about a dragon¡¯s fearsome power?

    The girl in this story was just one of many at first.

    With no glorious honors or dazzling treasures, she is but an ordinary village girl.

    I am Gustav.

    Time Narrator Gustav.

    My lord is a faithful servant of that ever fickle silence, so I act as their eloquent mouthpiece.

    But I have grown tired of repeatedly telling the stories of natural born heroes and their great feats.

    ?

    *Tck Tck Tck*¡­¡­..*Tck*

    Riding on Goldmund¡¯s back, a noise similar to two rocks scraping against each other sounded as I slowly turned my head to look behind me. I wasn¡¯t cold. No, I was certainly cold, but that wasn¡¯t the reason why my body had become petrified and found it hard to move.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Finally a sound managed to escape my lips. But what came out was just an idiotic noise with no meaning, and I couldn¡¯t find any words to go along with it.

    ¡°Ah, indeed. I see what¡¯s going on. I presume¡­¡­.Master is surprised to see me here and wondering how I came to suddenly be holding you.¡±

    *Nod Nod*¡­¡­*Nod*

    I continued nodding my head over and over again from on top of Goldmund¡¯s back. The person who has been monopolizing my gaze since a short time ago calmly nodded back before suddenly dancing forward and grabbing my hands.

    ¡°Wa, whoa whoa!?¡±

    And then as I was about halfway down Goldmund¡¯s saddle and halfway to safety, the woman reached her arms out and hugged me close.

    ¡°Kyaa!?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, Iris. Clever, sweet maiden and my master. Have you already forgotten my face, my voice?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.no way¡­¡­.. You, are you possibly Hadion?¡±1

    Being hugged so close, my head had gone completely blank, so somebody else had to ask on my behalf.

    That person was Tosrillon F. Iriburgh. She was a slightly unusual eighteen year old elf onee-san who wears full plate armor and uses a long sword.

    ¡°Uwa, why did you come out? When did you summon her Iris?¡±

    Meanwhile the girl who fearlessly walked up to the woman who was apparently Hadion and started poking her arm to see if she was really there is Carotayle. She¡¯s a rare half and half werewolf girl and a very cute thief.

    ¡°N-Not me, Not me!! I didn¡¯t do anything!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Ah, release Iris-san!!¡±

    The woman who just called out and is fingering the mace hanging from her waist is Rosalith Cuulbacall-san. She is a priestess warrior, and among us, she is the oldest, strongest, kindest, and maybe possibly also the quickest to anger.

    ¡°You tell me to release her. But if I let go of her now, Iris is going to fall, and her butt will land in the cold snow. Is that okay?¡±

    Ah, I would like to avoid that¡­..but, it¡¯s also really embarrassing getting held by such a beautiful woman with a husky voice like this.

    ¡°I, ah¡­¡­.um, I-I-I¡¯ll stand up myself, s-so I¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    ¡°Really? Personally I¡¯d be fine if we just stayed like this.¡±

    She gave me a wink as my feet touched ground. What? What is this? This¡­¡­resplendent princely aura. But she has long eyelashes, her hair stretches down her back, and the clothes she is wearing are definitely dress-like, so I can¡¯t deny what I see despite this uncomfortable feeling. Perhaps this person is just a little eccentric?

    ¡°U-Um¡­..you¡¯re really¡­¡­.Hadion?¡±

    Slightly flustered, I asked to make sure, and ¡°Yeah,¡± I got a simple answer like that back right away. But the next words I heard came from¡­¡­¡­.right below my head.

    Hadion knelt down on the untouched, hardened snow and bowed her head right at my feet.

    ¡°Eh, wai¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have surprised you. I couldn¡¯t still my heart and became impatient.¡±

    Hadion¡¯s long, violet hair reached down, spreading across the white snow. Again I thought about how prince-like she was, but then I realized that would make me the princess here and gasped.

    ¡°Once again¡­¡­.I am Hadion. I vow to forever be your sword and shield. In order to protect that vow, I shall always remain close and serve you.

    ¡°Eh, serve¡­¡­in other words, you¡¯ll always be together from now on?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Hadion gave a deep, serious nod towards Toslin. But hold on a minute? Back then, I only summoned her for a moment and then fainted afterwards didn¡¯t I?

    If we¡¯re going to be together from now on, then won¡¯t my measly amount of magic power not be nearly enough? If things go wrong, I might just end up dying.

    ¡°Is that fine? Won¡¯t Iris die?¡±

    Nice job Carol. She¡¯s able to straightforwardly ask what I¡¯m too cowardly to ask myself. Her curiosity almost always does nothing but invite trouble, but in times like this it is extremely reliable.

    ¡°As I¡¯m sure you can see, right now I¡¯m not wearing any of my armor. The majority of my power still remains in the other side, so right now I¡¯m only able to transfer my physical body.¡±

    ¡°And so the burden on Iris-san¡¯s body is diminished¡­¡­..is it?¡±

    Rose-san followed up with a stern expression.

    ¡°It is. In order to protect an inexperienced practitioner, I judged this method was the safest and most efficient.¡±

    Hadion turned her gaze back towards me. Receiving that straightforward, honest look, I decided to kneel down in front of her as well.

    ¡°Back then, do you remember what I wished for?¡±

    ¡°I do. Everything I¡¯ve done is born from Iris¡¯s wish. You voice, ¡®Help me¡¯, and your desires reached me clearly. In order to respond to that wish, I come to you now.¡±

    Just as the dragon was about to kill me, I prayed like crazy. And then as one last act, I screamed ¡°Help¡±¡­¡­¡­

    And Hadion responded. She is trying to fulfill my wish, which never specified a specific time or place, with all her might.

    ¡°Will you allow me to remain close to you?¡±

    Hadion¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse. She¡¯s confident, and depending on who hears her, you may even describe her tone as arrogant. However, I felt the opposite in that voice. Anxiety, and perhaps a little impatience. She¡¯s probably more perplexed about the sudden change in her circumstances than I am.

    ¡°¡­¡­.yes.¡±

    Then¡­¡­.this time it was my turn to hold her hands in mine.

    ¡°¡­¡­.please, do. Stay close¡­¡­¡­.please remain by my side.¡±

    And then just like that time, I formed my honest, truest wish, and said it aloud.

    Then for the first time ever, a smile bloomed across Hadion¡¯s face.

 CH 29

    After departing from Rifront we were faced with a surprise event, but after that was sorted out several hours passed by without and further incidents. And then right after lunch, just as the sun had started to descend after reaching its crest, we arrived at the neighboring village.

    ¡°I was planning to spend the night here, but¡­¡­.looking around, does this place even have a place where we can stay at?¡±

    ¡°The inn should have already reopened, or so the story goes.¡±

    Our destination is the town where I was born, Solretta Litta. It¡¯s about a three day carriage ride from Rifront or a five day hike on foot. The road there passes through several villages along the way, so we decided to spend our first night on the road in the village formerly known as Porta.

    Why formerly known? Well that¡¯s because¡­¡­.apparently the village took the unusual step of changing its name just now.

    ¡°Nevertheless, well, they have a very strong commercial spirit¡­¡­..somehow¡­¡­..¡±

    A signboard posted right next to the village entrance had the words {Dragon Litta, the town where the dragon descended} written in huge letters.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t the village practically gone? Aren¡¯t they trying a little too hard to show off?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re describing themselves after the village has been rebuilt right? Well, after the way the dragon messed up these people¡¯s lives, you can¡¯t blame them for trying to use its name to help promote and rebuild the village.¡±

    Porta village¡­¡­.I mean Dragon Litta, has been home to a dragon for over six months. To show that fact, buildings this way and that were either in the process of collapsing or have already been outright reduced to rubble. I was told that the dragon¡¯s fight with the hero had also taken place here, so that may also be a factor in the village¡¯s current state.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t take that dragon very long to get from here to Relton after it ran away. I guess that means it must have still been able to fly at the time.¡±

    Broken timber was piled up in one spot where a line of wooden houses had probably once stood with a small wayside shrine erected next door. According to the small engraving adorned on the front, this was apparently the dragon¡¯s main nest. The dragon also paid a great deal of attention to any rain or morning dew that accumulated.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡­I wonder. This village will probably have a lot of different tourist attractions¡­..whoa!?¡±

    I do feel sorry for the people who live here, but just as I was starting to get into a real sightseeing mood, my foot suddenly slipped on some melted snow on the ground.

    ¡°It seems that my master is unexpectedly careless.¡±

    Just as I had resigned myself to having to spend the rest of the day with a cold, wet butt, Hadion appeared and hugged my body from behind.

    ¡°T-Thank¡­¡­.you¡±

    I turned by gaze away from my still mid-air foot towards Hadion¡¯s face as she smiled wryly back at me. But I mean, this is only the first time today I¡¯ve stumbled, and it¡¯s when my feet met a slippery spot? I guess back in Relton I was a little careless and slipped in the cave. But isn¡¯t it unfair to conclude that I lack self-awareness just because of that?

    ¡°It was my pleasure, my lord. Ah, your hair has become disheveled. Here, allow me to adjust it on your behalf. Please stay still for a moment.¡±

    ¡°F-Fue!?¡±

    Hadion stood me up straight before starting to straighten my hair. Her fingers tickled as the gently ran through my hair, and I inevitably let out a soft squeak after being taken by surprise.

    ¡°First it¡¯s master, and now my lord. You¡¯re talking as if I¡¯m a princess.¡±

    ¡°Is that not the perfect word? In truth Iris stands in a position equivalent to at least that.¡±

    ¡°Princess is¡­¡­. I am just a tried and true commoner.¡±

    A commoner like me suddenly being treated like a princess is enough to leave anyone as perplexed as if a mountain had suddenly started moving in front of them, so I tried convincing Hadion to treat me normally at least once. But, ¡°I cannot treat my master so roughly,¡± was the only response I got back.

    It¡¯s really hard to turn her down when I¡¯m the one who asked her to stay close to me, but just how in the world did it end up like this? I¡¯m really worried about how I¡¯m going to explain this situation to my family.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Speaking of trouble, there¡¯s Rose-san. She hasn¡¯t said a single word since we got to Dragon Litta. There aren¡¯t any men near us, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯s not allowed to talk or anything¡­¡­..

    ¡°Then back to what we were talking about at first, let¡¯s go find the inn.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Carol, run ahead a little and take a look around.¡±

    ¡°What!? Am I your gofer or something!!?¡±

    ¡°Yep. As long you understand that, get running. If you find something that looks good, feel free to buy it.¡±

    Toslin tossed Carol several coins as she spoke.

    ¡°Hyaaha, I like, I love you Toslin!!¡±

    Carol skipped off, quickly disappearing from view as if her grievances from before had all been a lie. Just as I¡¯d expect, Toslin and Carol have been together for a long time, so Toslin knows just how to handle her.

    ¡°¡­¡­..good grief, that girl changes her mood at the drop of a hat.¡±

    ¡­¡­but then Carol too knows just what to say to leave Toslin feeling embarrassed.

    ¡°You two are really close.¡±

    ¡°Not really. We have an unfortunately inseparable relationship. Aah, I really hope that Carol is looking for a blacksmith. I want to get my armor fixed already.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s armor was heavily damaged during the fight with the dragon in Relton. Rifront didn¡¯t have any blacksmiths that could fix her armor though, so she was still wearing the broken and damaged bits even now.

    ¡°I¡¯d also like to swing a sword. I find it difficult to calm myself unarmed as I am.¡±

    ¡°Rose too, isn¡¯t it better to have your armor and shield checked? You took a pretty serious hit from that dragon as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right. I planned on waiting until we arrived at Iris-san¡¯s town, but if this village has a blacksmith, I shall have them take a look.¡±

    Was Toslin also mindful of Rose-san¡¯s silence? But we were both relieved to see Rose-san reply normally.

    ¡°Ah, it looks like Carol is coming back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quick.¡±

    ¡°My my, she looks happy. She must have been incredibly hungry.¡±

    Carol was running back with a skewer in each hand. But the smile that spread across Rose-san¡¯s face when she saw Carol running like that was the same one she had worn over the last six months.

    (¡­..perhaps, it was just by chance?)

    I had thought that, possibly, Rose-san was feeling hostile towards Hadion who had reportedly turned her blade against the Goddess a thousand years ago¡­¡­..

    But perhaps it¡¯s just a coincidence that Rose-san wasn¡¯t talking very much, and she might not actually care.

    At the time¡­¡­..I was still thinking like that.

 CH 30

    The inn Carol found was a little bigger than Rifront¡¯s Shining Hen and was designed more for caravans.

    ¡°Before the sun sets, I¡¯d like to see everyone¡¯s skills.¡±

    And then just when we finally made it to our room and were able to take a breath¡­¡­.Hadion said something like that. She then lowered the sword she had just bought from the blacksmith at her waist.

    ¡°Hm? So you want to fight us?¡±

    This village did have a blacksmith, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t fix Toslin¡¯s armor. The village¡¯s reconstruction had just begun, so they didn¡¯t have much ore to spare. In addition, Toslin¡¯s armor was apparently specially crafted, so they didn¡¯t have the equipment to process it anyway.

    ¡°Eh, f¡­¡­.fight?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. We will be traveling together for at least the next few days, and I¡¯ll be leaving my back to you in the meantime. Once I understand your abilities, I can know just how much I can leave to you.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡­.can¡¯t we just tell you our levels?¡±

    The leveling system that adventurers use to measure each other¡¯s strength only started about a hundred years ago, so the thousand year old Hadion wouldn¡¯t know about that.

    ¡°Yes, such a system wasn¡¯t around back in my era. Besides if I don¡¯t directly see how you handle a sword, I¡¯ll never be able to accurately understand you exact ability.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°U-Um Hadion. Everyone is strong enough to beat a golem¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin and the others had fallen silent. Somehow I started to feel the air start getting tense, so I tried giving an answer that would help her understand everyone¡¯s true abilities. But my words were meaningless. I couldn¡¯t make her relent as she insisted that she needed to fight them to best understand.

    ¡°I also wanted all of you to join our knight order and help guard Iris. For that I need a firm understanding of your abilities. Your weaknesses as well as your strengths.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Hm? Guard? Knight order? Um, what do you¡­¡­.¡±

    A frightfully fresh word reached my ear, and not just me, but everyone else¡¯s eyes were also as round as saucers.

    ¡°Just now, did you say guarding Iris as a knight order?¡±

    ¡°I did half-wolf maiden.¡±

    ¡°Uh, um¡­¡­.so, Hadion? This is the first time I¡¯m hearing anything about making a knight order¡­¡­.¡±

    Moreover a knight order for the express purpose of guarding me. What¡¯s with that? I believe this is what they call, a bolt from the blue.

    ¡°I am a knight. And do knights not wield their swords for the sake of guarding their masters?¡±

    ¡°Um, well¡­¡­I guess so.¡±

    Toslin nodded her head when suddenly asked a question with an obvious answer.

    ¡°But when protecting someone, there are limits to what a person can do on their own. Even in the battle a thousand years ago, I was cut down and suffered defeat. Therefore this time I wish for companions who can protect my master alongside me. People who share my will¡­¡­.¡±

    Today during lunch. I had thought there was something about Hadion that made her like a prince. But that was wrong. She is a knight, through and through.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s not really necessary¡­¡­¡±

    But this and that are two completely different things. What exactly is she going to be protecting me from? Monsters? But even then I wouldn¡¯t think a large knight order would be called for¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­¡­..Do you really think that true?¡±

    ¡­¡­..but, Hadion firmly denied my thoughts with a serious face.

    ¡°Even now I am not fully separated from my dark prison. My soul, my power is still locked there. I still require Iris¡¯s help in order to utilize my full strength. In order to open the gate that leads to that side, you must literally become the bridge.¡±

    ¡°Is that power really necessary to protect Iris? What a dilemma.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why, as long as I¡¯m unable to utilize my full strength, I must take appropriate measures to ensure you are not harmed.¡±

    Hadion took my hands as if it were the natural move. She¡¯s already done this several times in the last half day, so while I am surprised, my voice doesn¡¯t leak out¡­¡­or at least it wasn¡¯t supposed to.

    ¡°Ah, uwa!? Wai-, Hadion!?¡±

    ¡°My dear lord, my princess. Please leave everything to me.¡±

    But this time Hadion didn¡¯t stop at just grabbing my hand, instead also pulling me close and hugging me. She then lifted my chin up with her finger¡­¡­.while bringing her own face closer¡­¡­.. Eh? Eh? This is¡­¡­hey, right now I¡­¡­¡­no matter how I consider it¡­¡­.she¡¯s¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Perhaps it is best to let the games end there?¡±

    Hadion¡¯s lips were getting dangerously close to my own mouth. At that very instant, Rose-san¡¯s hand shot forward between us.

    ¡°There are no games here. I am always serious, o gallant maiden.¡±

    ¡°Then that is even more of a problem. Please try and keep the time and place in mind.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, certainly. Sorry Iris. We can continue this at another time.¡±

    ¡°Fue? Ah, okay¡­¡­¡­okay?¡±

    I nodded without thinking, but what exactly would we be continuing? That was a kiss right? And a serious one too¡­¡­..um, so that is to say that Hadion seriously wanted to kiss me? No, I must be jumping to the wrong conclusion. It wasn¡¯t a kiss. No, it might¡¯ve been a kiss, but a thousand years ago that could have been a custom with a different meaning like a small greeting¡­¡­. Something like what my sister always does to me.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how it is, then a bout may be in order.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m hungry, so let¡¯s end this lickety-split.¡±

    While my head had fallen into a light panic, Toslin and the others had started leaving the room.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­I shall be sure to use everything I have.¡±

    While following after the other two, Rose-san suddenly stopped, turned her head, and said that. So¡­¡­..why does she seem really angry? Her usual cheerful smile had vanished, and her expression suddenly turned as grim as when she had been fighting that dragon¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no point in holding this bout otherwise.¡±

    Giving her response, Hadion looked like she was staring down a mortal enemy as well.

    All I could do was watch as my mind raced around in circles not understanding what in the world just happened.

 CH 31

    The sound of hammers knocking against lumber echoed all over town as the carpenters continued their work rebuilding the village even as Carol continuously slashed away at Hadion over and over again.

    ¡°Oho, what an exchange¡­¡­.although I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll amount to much.¡±

    I¡¯m not being overly dramatic when I use the word slashing. Carol is holding a real dagger in her hand, and she is constantly swinging it at Hadion in the hopes of cutting her.

    ¡°Wa, wa¡­¡­.is this okay? This really is fine, right Toslin?¡±

    Hadion was receiving every one of Carol¡¯s attacks with the one handed sword she had just bought. Fundamentally it looks as if she¡¯s staying completely on the defensive, focused only on receiving the attacks, but then out of nowhere she¡¯ll swing down her sword with all her strength. Carol is able to just barely dodge those strikes, but if one of them were to actually land, the injury she would receive would be gruesome¡­¡­.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, but neither of them are amateurs, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Toslin told me I should just obediently watch, but this is bad for my heart.

    ¡°R-Rose-san~¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°It will be all right Iris-san. Should something go wrong, I will be able to heal them.¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s right. Rose-san is a priestess. Healing injuries is a piece of cake for her. ¡­¡­there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to be satisfied with something like that¡­¡­.

    ¡°Iris-san¡¯s worries are natural. However that person wants to understand our true abilities. That is why we must use the weapons we have grown accustomed to.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I have a general understanding at least. You are next elf maiden. Feel free to come right at me.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re nominating me to be next? Well then Rose. I¡¯ll leave Carol to you.¡±

    ¡°Haa, Haa¡­¡­what was that¡­¡­¡­ None of my attacks would hit¡­¡­¡±

    Carol joined us as Toslin took her place. There were cuts all over her body that hurt just to look at.

    ¡°I will heal you right now, so please do not move.¡±

    While Rose-san began using her healing miracle to heal up all of Carol¡¯s injuries, Toslin¡¯s bout with Hadion began.

    ¡°Ooooooooooooo!!¡±

    Toslin released a gallant war cry as she rushed Hadion. While Carol had her short dagger, Toslin¡¯s weapon of choice was a longsword. Even if they had grown brittle from a previous battle, Toslin¡¯s sword flare was able to cut through a dragon¡¯s scales, so even an amateur like me could tell how sharp that edge was.

    ¡°Your moves lack any hesitation and carry your full strength with each swing. It doesn¡¯t look like you were self-taught.¡±

    ¡°I come from a long line of knights!! I have been training¡­¡­.since childhood!!¡±

    ¡°Hoh, how splendid. Each blow is so heavy I wouldn¡¯t imagine I was really fighting an elf.¡±

    The sound of the carpenter¡¯s mallets striking wood mixed together with the clanging of metal as the two swords repeatedly bounced off of each other. We picked a place a little out of the way, but people still started to gather because of the noise, and by now a good number of people had come after noticing the two of them.

    ¡°However your movements are still rough. You are so focused on delivering a strong strike that you neglect your footing.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..thank you for pointing it out.¡±

    After Hadion parried off Toslin¡¯s sword, she lost her footing and started to stumble. After that the bout came to an end once Hadion had knocked Toslin onto her back.

    ¡°Then the gallant maiden is the only one left.¡±

    With Hadion¡¯s words, Rose-san stood up after finishing Carol¡¯s treatment.

    ¡°Then, here I come.¡±

    Drawing the mace that hung at her side in one hand, Rose-san readied her shield in the other. Hadion also picked up a shield off of the ground where she had set it earlier.

    ¡°My sword is likely to shatter if it receives an attack from your mace. Therefore I will use a shield as well, unless you mind?¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish¡±

    Rose-san kicked off the ground in response. She rushed forward with her mace at the ready and aimed a powerful blow right at Hadion.

    ¡°Aiyah, I lost, I lost. It was my complete defeat.¡±

    *GONG*¡­¡­..a deafening noise cut through the air. As Toslin walked back to join us, just behind her, the shield Hadion was holding reverberated as it took on the blow from Rose-san¡¯s mace.

    ¡°Hadion¡¯s story is told not just in books, but in poems as well right? As you¡¯d expect, I didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±

    Thanks to the plate armor she was wearing, Toslin wasn¡¯t covered in cuts like Carol had been. But after taking Hadion¡¯s sword all those times, it was now in even worse shape than when they had started.

    ¡°And that¡¯s with most of her power sealed away¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a foul right?¡±

    Toslin sat down on a piece of carved out lumber. It was hard for Carol to remain standing as well, so she ended up squatting down right next to Toslin.

    ¡°Hii!? Uwa, wa¡­¡­.right now, dangerous¡­¡­.¡±

    As for me, I was so worried over Hadion and Rose-san¡¯s violent fight that I couldn¡¯t even think about sitting down. I gasped when I saw sparks fly every time the mace pounded away at Hadion¡¯s shield, and each time the sword shaved off a piece of Rose-san¡¯s breast plate, I had to stomp my feet in place to keep myself from running.

    ¡°It looks like even Rose is having a hard time after all¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°But hey, isn¡¯t she really putting everything she has in this?¡±

    ¡°Rather, it¡¯s more like she understands her limits and is moving accordingly. Look, normally you would¡¯ve dodged an attack like that. If I had taken it like she just did, I would definitely be dead.¡±

    ¡°Eh, dead!?¡±

    ¡°Hadion probably understands that which is why this fight is taking a little longer so she can get a better look. That¡¯s why it¡¯s turned out like this?¡±

    ¡°Hold on you two¡­¡­you¡¯re talking about it so carefreely, but isn¡¯t this not okay anymore? Haven¡¯t they obviously been fighting a lot longer than you did!?¡±

    Toslin and Carol¡¯s fights had lasted around five minutes at best, but Rose-san and Hadion¡¯s bout has already easily surpassed ten minutes.

    ¡°Haa, Haa¡­¡­..¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s breathing has gotten ragged, and she¡¯s having trouble standing in place. If they keep going like this, an accident might occur.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it at that. I understand all of your abilities quite well now.¡±

    ¡°I, I can still¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Rose-san, it¡¯s over already!! You have to stop!! Any more is definitely no good!!¡±

    The snow may have started to melt, but it is still cold outside. And yet, Rose-san is drenched in sweat.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Iris-san¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Your body is going to get the chills if you keep going on like this. Let¡¯s quickly head back to the inn and take a bath.¡±

    I snuggled up close to Rose-san in order to help prop up her teetering body. For some reason the current Rose-san isn¡¯t acting like the usual Rose-san. She looks somewhat impatient. Does it have something to do with how irritated she looked before coming out here?

    ¡°I, I understand¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san nodded her head with my persuasion. Thankfully. If she insisted on going on, I¡¯d have tied a rope around her neck and dragged her back home.1 But not really. It¡¯s a figure of speech? Of course there is quite a bit of rope lying around here, so I¡¯m sure I could have convinced a carpenter to lend me some if I asked nicely. I mean I don¡¯t have the strength it would take to drag Rose-san away if it came to that, but then again, maybe if I asked Toslin for some help, she¡¯d¡­¡­

    ¡°I understand, so¡­¡­..could you let me go, just a little? My sweat, I would hate to dirty Iris-san, and¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind though?¡±

    ¡°I, I do mind though. I can walk on my own, so please¡­¡­..¡±

    Seeing Rose-san¡¯s face turn red as she starts looking a slightly troubled makes me feel a little happy. Because, it makes me feel like my usual Rose-san is finally back. It¡¯s definitely not because Rose-san looks cute whenever she¡¯s at a loss on what to do you know?

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought this for a while, but Rose-san smells really nice.¡±

    ¡°I-Iris-san!?¡±

    Ah, I really need to correct what I said earlier. This person is really, super adorable. Well, I¡¯ve known that for a while now though.

    1. Japanese figure of speech which means to force someone to do something they don¡¯t want to do.

 CH 32

    ¡°So, how was it? Were you able to get a good feel for our abilities?¡±

    Toslin picked up a pitcher and poured herself a glass of water. She then downed the entire glass in one gulp before setting the cup back on the table. Carol was sitting down on a bed flutter kicking her legs off the side while Rose-san stood by the window, watching Hadion over her shoulder. As for me, I was the only one here who didn¡¯t do anything, so I sat on the couch and hugged my knees unable to enter the conversation.

    ¡°Yes, I saw more than enough.¡±

    Ah, right. When we returned to the inn, each of us took turns taking a bath. Hadion was the last one to get in, but because of how long each of us spent in there, the sun had already begun to set.

    ¡°Hm? Oi oi¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eh, hey what are you doing Hadion?¡±

    Toslin and Carol both opened their eyes wide in surprise. I think, I might be doing the same thing though. And that was because Hadion abruptly started bowing to everyone. She¡¯s knelt to me before, but never has she done anything like this to Toslin or the others. Honestly her attitude towards other people was usually pretty haughty, so it wouldn¡¯t be weird for others to see her as a little arrogant. And that Hadion was now currently bowing her head.

    ¡°To be honest, I was looking down on all of you. I had thought that was the most you had to offer. But after exchanging blows with all of you, I keenly realize I must change my way of thinking. Please accept my apologies for how little I have made of your abilities.¡±

    ¡°¡­..please raise your head. We do not require an apology.¡±

    Rose-san was unable to hide her bewilderment at Hadion¡¯s sudden change just like the rest of us. Her pink-tinted flushed body still being cooled off by the night breeze traveling through the window, she shook her head at Hadion¡¯s concession and responded as such.

    ¡°She¡¯s right. It¡¯s a fact that you really are stronger than us, so there¡¯s no need to apologize.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to hit you a single time you know.¡±

    ¡°That was because I completely focused my attention on your movements. Werewolf maiden, your agile movements were stunning. And elf maiden, those powerful blows from those stout arms of yours, indeed, it would definitely be enough to break a golem.¡±

    ¡°Stout arms¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, Hadion has also recognized Toslin¡¯s absurd physical strength, so now the theory of her true orc heritage is becoming more and more¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    For the first time in a while, Toslin¡¯s fist came down on Carol¡¯s head.

    ¡°Fu¡­..you two really are good friends.¡±

    But thanks to that, the tense air that had hung around since before this evening had even started finally began to break apart. Perhaps Carol had noticed that feeling, so she made the joke on purpose?

    ¡°Yes, Toslin may claim they have an ¡®unfortunately inseparable¡¯ relationship, but you cannot see that anywhere in how they act.¡±

    Rose-san and Hadion exchanged a glance, and Rose-san covered her mouth as she began to giggle. This is the first time Rose-san has turned one of her smiles towards Hadion.

    ¡°And the gallant maiden. Your technique was wonderful. That moment when your mace hit my shield, it enraptured me as if time had suddenly stood still.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­you honor me with your praise.¡±

    Rose-san grabbed the hem of her robe and did a small curtsy. Her movements were so fluid, carrying the elegance of a daughter from a noble family. If you were to only have seen her as she is right now, you would have never thought that she was the cause of all those dents, cracks, and tears in the shield that¡¯s currently leaning against the wall.

    ¡°I can¡¯t use this shield anymore. I just bought it, and it¡¯s already taken quite the beating.¡±

    ¡°Well when someone continuously uses their full strength to bang against it¡­¡­yeah, now that I think about it, wasn¡¯t Rose and Hadion¡¯s fight a lot more tense than what ours was?¡±

    Speaking of which, Toslin and Carol were talking about that earlier when Rose-san and Hadion were going at it. It was like the two of them could tell what the other was going to do next.

    ¡°It might¡¯ve just been my imagination, but it looked like your two¡¯s movements were mirroring off of each other.¡±

    Hadion nodded her head at Toslin¡¯s words as she remembered the fight. And then walking over, she took a seat on the couch right next to me.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just your imagination. We really were moving in a similar fashion. So since we already knew how the other was going to move, we were able to dial up the fight a bit.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what do you mean? The same movements¡­¡­.why would you go out of your way to do that?¡±

    I, having zero knowledge on swordsmanship, asked the natural question, and Hadion answered with a reserved look on her face. Until recently she had always looked so serious I didn¡¯t think she would even want to join us in the bath.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go out of my way. It happened naturally. I may be a knight and she may be a priestess, but our fighting styles come from the same well.¡±

    ¡°My style of fighting comes straight from the sacred teachings of the Illyan warrior priestess knight corps which has been handed down for a thousand years. The progenitor of these methods was said to be the strongest, the Goddess Knight¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh, then perhaps that Goddess Knight is¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ¡¯tis I o wise maiden. Before I fell to darkness and became known as the Dark Violet Knight, I was known by that name.¡±

    ¡°Seriously. If that¡¯s true then it was like a fight between a teacher and their disciple. Of course their moves were similar.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing that these techniques have been passed down for a thousand years now.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡±

    It really is amazing just as Carol says. The very fact that they¡¯ve continued to thrive for this long means that after all this time, they have yet to lose their worth even as the world continues to change. But, it¡¯s because of that very fact that one question needs to be asked.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­why did you betray the Goddess?¡±

    And Rose-san was the one to ask it. Why would the strongest knight of an age betray the Goddess and turn their blade against humanity? It¡¯s always been a mystery, and not a single history book I¡¯ve ever read has any clue to its answer.

    ¡°The reason for my betrayal¡­¡­¡±

    But the answer is standing right before us. A person who knows the truth to a mystery that has lived on for a thousand years.

    Each of us held our breaths and quietly waited for what Hadion would say next.

 CH 33

    ¡°Well, there wasn¡¯t any kind of line that was crossed or any particular principle I stood by. But my power, compared to him¡­¡­.I was just no match against the evil dragon Osnell.¡±

    Hadion¡¯s voice cut off in a flat tone as if the enthusiasm she had shown earlier was a lie.

    ¡°Back then, I received a secret order from the Goddess and spearheaded an elite unit to subjugate Osnell. We managed to pull off a successful surprise attack and dealt a grievous blow to Osnell¡¯s neck, but his power, it was far greater than I had ever dared to imagine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that Hadion fought Osnell before though?¡±

    ¡°I would imagine that to be the case. We resorted to a surprise attack and still had the tables turned on us. If word of that were to get out, morale amongst our allies would plummet. So my, our fight, was never revealed to the public.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­then, they intentionally made Hadion out to be the bad guy? That¡¯s the reason why everyone says you suddenly threw away your honor and ran? Isn¡¯t that heartless?¡±

    Carol¡¯s cute eyebrows scrunched together as obvious anger started to boil over. Toslin was sitting next to her making a similar face, but she hadn¡¯t said anything yet. Maybe she¡¯s feeling something different from Carol because she and Hadion are both knights?

    ¡°It would be a mistake to jeopardize your position in a war over the future of the world to safeguard a single person¡¯s honor.¡±

    ¡°But look, didn¡¯t Hadion fight because the Goddess told her to? And yet the Goddess still treated Hadion like she was the villain¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°She had to.¡±

    Toslin cut Carol off. Normally a fist would be coming down right around now, but instead she was calmly using her words.

    ¡°Eh, why? Is Toslin on the Goddess¡¯s side too? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m making a mistake here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. The world isn¡¯t so simple that you can divide everything into what¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..I don¡¯t get what Toslin¡¯s saying.¡±

    Carol turned her head away from Toslin.

    ¡°Ugh, enough¡­¡­.my bad Hadion. Sorry to interrupt. It¡¯s fine to ignore this girl, so go ahead and continue.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not wrong!!¡±

    ¡°Haa, of course. You¡¯re right, completely right.¡±

    Toslin wrapped her arm around Carol¡¯s head and started tenderly petting her. Carol looked like she still wanted to say something, but as the head petting continued, her expression gradually eased.

    ¡°For getting angry on our behalf, thank you. Werewolf maiden. However whatever befell my men and me was due to our own weakness. I myself hold no resentment towards the Goddess.¡±

    Hadion once again started to speak, her quiet words affirming what Toslin had said.

    ¡°I was the only survivor. And exposed to Osnell¡¯s wicked influence, I was corrupted by madness. In the end I became little more than a puppet, moving only if he willed it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..and that¡¯s, the real reason behind the betrayal¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°It is as you say. But once again I must say, this is the result born from my own weakness. The blame for what happened does not lie solely on Osnell¡¯s head.¡±

    In that single instant, I was able to read the emotion in Hadion¡¯s eyes. It was regret. That feeling of disgust towards herself over her own weakness has continued to torment her even after a thousand years have passed.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Hadion¡­¡­.¡±

    Perhaps, it might have been a flicker of emotion that only I could see. Maybe because I¡¯m sitting the closest to her, maybe because there¡¯s a special link connecting us together, but I might be the only one who noticed that change in the depths of her eyes. When I thought so, my chest started to hurt. It hurt, and so without thinking, I grabbed her hand.

    ¡°¡­¡­when the Goddess Illya sealed Osnell in the Grief Sphere, I was locked away in that prison of darkness as well. But in hindsight, I now realize this was probably the Goddess showing me mercy.¡±

    Staring at my hand covering hers, Hadion put her other hand on top of mine. Wrapped up in her grasp, I could feel the warmth of her body¡­¡­..and how she was trembling ever so slightly.

    ¡°After spending a thousand years in the darkness, Osnell¡¯s wicked influence gradually disappeared from my body. However, it was a gamble. I managed to regain my lost sanity, but it was only a matter of time before my mind would rot away in the darkness¡­¡­¡±

    Saying that much, Hadion began stroking my hair with her right hand while still holding my hand in her left.

    ¡°That gamble was¡­¡­.almost a loss. At that time, I was about to crumble away. But then suddenly, somebody held out their hand to me.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡­.. M¡­me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. O wise maiden. Lovely damsel. Eloquent princess. You. Iris Calvafon¡­¡­.your name, your voice, your very existence; it is my light, the stairway I have long hoped for.¡±

    The hand gently brushing my hair smoothly slid down and wrapped itself around my shoulder. She moved close enough that I could feel her hot breath on my cheek as her eyes blinked several times as if she were trying to capture my image so that she may see me even with her eyes closed.

    ¡°Iris Calvafon. I will commit your name, your voice, your very being to my memory for all eternity. And once more hear my vow. I shall live only for you.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­..¡±

    My face was buried into the nape of her neck as she hugged me, strongly and firmly close to her. She had just gotten out of the bath, so the scent of the soap still clung to her heavily.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±

    The usual Iris-san might get flustered and cause a commotion, but I didn¡¯t feel that way right now.

    I let her hug me just how she wanted, and just as she asked¡­¡­..I clasped my hand around hers.

 CH 34

    I could feel Hadion¡¯s heart beating against my chest as her breath brushed past my ear. That rhythmic thump soon overlapped with my own, and for one short, incredible moment, it was as if we had melted together into one being.

    ¡°Sorry¡±

    It was none other than Hadion herself who put an end to that moment.

    ¡°I¡¯d hate for someone to get angry again when I was just told to keep the time and place in mind.¡±

    She moved away from me with a wry smile, but not before giving me a small wink. I wonder why. Normally I think about how cool she is, but right now, I¡¯d describe her as more cute than cool.

    Whether it be Rose-san or Hadion, is the reason why I think it¡¯s unfair that the two of them are so cute even though they¡¯re older because of the jealousy that comes from my own small, narrow-minded heart?

    ¡°So¡­¡­that was what happened. And I still¡­¡­.without knowing anything¡­¡­..I have demonstrated to you an unreasonable and unjustified anger. Please, forgive me.¡±

    Rose-san walked over to the couch. And then that Rose-san, suddenly knelt down.

    ¡°It was caused by my own lacking strength. I do not intend to justify my betrayal with the excuse that I was being manipulated. So, you have nothing to apologize for.¡±

    ¡°Still,¡± Rose-san insisted. She¡¯s probably thinking back to the witch¡¯s cave near Relton village. At that time, Lovas-san had saved Quinn-san¡¯s life, but Rose-san mistook her for a bandit and almost started a fight. Remembering that time, Rose-san had come to greatly regret her words and actions.

    ¡°However if you¡¯re going to insist, then I¡¯ll accept your apology and offer my forgiveness.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much Hadion-sama. And I am aware it is incredibly rude to ask this of you after just begging for your forgiveness, but I do have a request.¡±

    Rose-san continued kneeling down just as she was but finally she turned her gaze away from the ground and towards Hadion instead.

    ¡°What is it, gallant maiden?¡±

    ¡°Would you please allow me to become your disciple. I wish to learn from your skills that were able to easily bury even a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Eh, disciple? Rose-san will be, Hadion¡¯s?¡±

    The unexpected development took me by surprise, causing me to suddenly raise a my voice. But I wasn¡¯t the only one. Toslin and Carol may not have said anything, but their eyes were opened wide. However paying our reactions no mind, Haidon nodded her head.

    ¡°Very well. Even after a thousand years, you warrior priestesses still diligently study in order to personify the world that the Goddess envisioned. I am more than willing to extend a hand to a like-minded warrior.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±1

    Hadion picked herself up off the couch and moved in closer to Rose-san. Offering her hand, Rose-san accepted it and stood up as well.

    ¡°Iris, Toslin, Carol. I would like the three of you to bear witness to the oath we will take here and now.¡±

    ¡°O-Oath?¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s, fine but¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°So we just need to watch, and we¡¯ll be fine right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that will suffice.¡±

    Hadion grabbed Rose-san¡¯s left wrist with her right hand. Afterwards Rose-san followed suit, grabbing Hadion¡¯s left wrist with her right hand. From there they brought their hands together, entwining the pinky finger of their left hands.

    ¡°Rosalith Cuulbacall. From the pure moon, the maiden¡¯s outlook, swear to me. I, Saluena Hadion, shall take thou as a sister and lead you down the right path¡±

    S-Sister? Not a disciple? While a large question mark started blooming over the top of my head, Rose-san opened her mouth and carried on with her part of the oath.

    ¡°S-Saluena Hadion-sama. From the pure moon, the maiden¡¯s outlook, I do swear to you. I, Rosalith Cuulbacall, your sister, shall continue to chase your back until the day I may stand by you shoulder to shoulder as a fellow warrior.¡±

    ¡°This vow, I offer to you with a kiss.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..do the same as me.¡±

    ¡°R-Right¡­¡­. This vow, I offer to you, with a kiss.¡±

    I was surprised to hear that Hadion¡¯s name was Saluena, but I was even more surprised by what happened next right in front of my eyes.

    ¡°Eh, ah, eh? Oi, hold¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Wa, waa¡­¡­.eh!? Kiss, a smooch? Hadion and Rose?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s lips and Hadion¡¯s lips drew close. I jumped up to my feet. My hands grasped each other tightly in front of my chest.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    The two¡¯s pinkies still entwined, they leaned in and kissed. Depending on the angle you were standing, their faces were just far enough apart you might wonder if they actually did it.

    ¡°¡­¡­with this, the vows have been exchanged. From now on, you are my sister. As a sign of our intimacy, you may call me Sally. As for you¡­..right, I¡¯ll call you Rosa. It¡¯s the name of a beautiful pink flower that grows on the continent far to the east.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­..Sally-oneesama. I-I may still be inexperienced, but please take care of me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.O-Oneesama? Sisters?¡±

    A faint voice leaked from my mouth. My hands which had been tensely clutching each other in front of my breast fell limply to my sides as I plopped back down onto the couch.

    ¡°In the order of knights I was a part of, veteran knights would exchange a sisterly pledge with newcomers, raising them up. You might refer to them as master and pupil, or senpai and kouhai, but it¡¯s a garden of women. Isn¡¯t it inevitable that we call it something more stylish?¡±

    ¡°I-It is tradition, something present even now among the Illyan priestesses¡­¡­¡­ Until now I have always been an observer giving my blessing, but now that I am one of the parties involved and have other people watching me, it really is quite embarrassing¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s hands covered her reddened cheeks as she bashfully fidgeted in place. Meanwhile Hadion ran her hand through Rose-san¡¯s hair, as if to show her love to the worked up Rose-san. It was a sight I never would¡¯ve imagined from how these two were acting earlier.

    ¡°¡­¡­.I-Is that how it is? It happened so suddenly I didn¡¯t know what to make of it.¡±

    ¡°That kiss at the end really had my heart thumping. And Toslin¡¯s eyes were like plates she was staring so hard.¡±

    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t! Maybe a little¡­¡­..Iris was just as surprised as I was though!!¡±

    ¡°T-That is¡­¡­.um, I was surprised too. I-I knew about the words used in the vow before, but¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that so? It is said the thread of fate extends between two people¡¯s pinky fingers. We connect our pinkies to entangle that thread. And then by sealing the pledge with a kiss, it makes that thread strong and thick¡­¡­..that is the meaning held behind this ceremony.¡±

    ¡°Hee, so the pinky finger had that kind of meaning¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Hm? What what, is something up Toslin? You¡¯ve been staring at my pinky finger since a while ago.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Are you wondering where my pinky string goes? Hey, were you wondering?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said I wasn¡¯t looking at it. I wasn¡¯t wondering at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay!! My pinky string is definitely connected to Toslin!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember tying anything off though?¡±

    ¡°If you hold hands that much, then you¡¯re already connected. How about a kiss? Then our thread will get even thicker. Come here¡±

    ¡°Gah, quit sticking to me!! Why would I want to make an unfortunately inseparable relationship even stronger!!?¡±

    ¡°Ahn~, why are you being so shy? Isn¡¯t this a chance to get even closer to the cute Carol? Don¡¯t run¡±

    Carol and Toslin suddenly started chasing each other around the room. My eyes naturally followed after the two¡¯s pinkies. I¡¯m sure the thread connecting these two is already super thick.

    ¡°¡­¡­..Iris-san? You look dazed. Is there something I can do to help?¡±

    ¡°Eh? O-Oh¡­¡­.no¡­¡­..¡±

    Rose-san had moved next to me without my realizing it. She was squatting down right in front of me, looking up.

    ¡°I-I really am fine. I¡¯m just¡­¡­.really happy that Rose-san and Hadion were able to become friends.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right. I am sorry to have worried Iris-san. But, everything will be fine from now on.¡±

    Rosa. The name of a beautiful flower.

    Certainly her smile is best compared to a flower¡­¡­..I thought so as well.

    1. The phrase Rose uses here is an older one, something usually used between samurai and warriors. Unfortunately english doesn¡¯t have a whole lot of ways to say thanks.

 CH 35

    ¡°All right. This will work. Rosa, I¡¯m naming you deputy commander of my chivalric order.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Hadion¡¯s words brought me back to reality. I sighed inside my head when I realized she was still going on with that while Rose-san turned her head towards Hadion, giving her sister a wide smile.

    ¡°Certainly Sally-oneesama. It is my reverent duty, and I will happily serve. And most importantly, if the mission is protecting Iris-san, I would commit myself even if you never asked.¡±

    ¡°Marvelously caring. Rosa, my sister. Reviving in this era, I am as lucky to have met you as I am to have met Iris.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­your words are more than I deserve Sally-oneesama.¡±

    Hadion pulled Rose-san¡¯s hand right in front of us and brought her into a hug. Until now I was always her target, and Rose-san would put a stop to it. But since Hadion is targeting Rose-san this time, the job of stopping her falls to¡­¡­

    ¡°Hey, how soon before something happens do you think ?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be too far off in the future. Well even if something does happen between women, I doubt anybody will end up hurt, so it¡¯s probably fine.¡±

    ¡­¡­..nobody apparently. Toslin and Carol both look like they¡¯ve decided to remain on the sidelines. In other words, if we¡¯re going to escape this sweet, heartburning situation, I¡¯m going to have to do something about it myself.

    ¡°Oh, can I get a minute Hadion?¡±

    It was right when I was working myself up to breaking in on the two¡¯s little word. That was when Toslin waved her hand and spoke up.

    ¡°This is a good opportunity. How about everyone call me Saluena from now on? My last name sounds rigid, and I don¡¯t really like it.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then Saluena. I was actually hoping to ask a favor¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You want me to instruct you on swordplay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m that obvious huh? But well, yeah. I want to get stronger. My friends were put in danger because I failed to kill the dragon at that vital moment.¡±

    ¡°Me too. If I was just a little stronger back then, I could¡¯ve cut up that dragon¡¯s other eye. Then we could¡¯ve killed it easily.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Sally-oneesama¡­¡­.I would like to request this of you as well. Toslin-san and Carol-san are irreplaceable friends to Iris-san and me. So please¡­¡­¡±

    Hadion brought her hand to her chin for a moment and thought. Meanwhile Rose-san was snuggling up to her with a wishful look in her eye.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s my cute sister¡¯s request, I¡¯d like to help if I could. However, my fighting style exists solely for the Goddess¡¯s benefit. I can¡¯t just suddenly start handing them out to other people, even if they are friends¡­¡­is how I¡¯d originally refuse you. But if you accept my condition, I can make an exception.¡±

    ¡°Condition?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me to become your sister too right?¡±

    ¡°There are exceptions, but fundamentally a person is only able to have one sister at a time. So no, I¡¯m not. I am going to ask you to join my chivalric order however. Then I can put you both through a special training regiment while considering you both subordinates.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that all? I don¡¯t mind. We were planning on traveling together for a while anyway.¡±

    ¡°If nothing¡¯s going to change anyway, I¡¯ll choose the option that gives me the most benefits. Okay, a chivalric order. I¡¯ll join, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Uh, um¡­¡­..Hadion. About that chivalric order you said you were going to make, I¡¯d rather¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, but I won¡¯t be hearing Iris¡¯s opinions on the matter. No matter what you say, I will be establishing this chivalric order. And then we will be sure to protect you.¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­..¡±

    It¡¯s hard turning someone down when you know everything they¡¯re doing is being done from the best of intentions. And it¡¯s already been proven that Hadion won¡¯t listen to any type of rebuttal¡­¡­.in other words, I¡¯ve been checkmated.

    ¡°Also, Saluena. I would like you to call me that.¡±

    Changing the way you refer to someone feels weird after you¡¯ve already gotten used to it. But everyone else has already started calling her Saluena, so it¡¯d be even weirder if I was the only one who still called her Hadion. Plus, the person in question is making the request herself.

    ¡°Eh, ah, right¡­¡­.. I understand, Saluena¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just like that. I¡¯d like you to start calling me Sally someday, but unfortunately I already have a sister.¡±

    ¡°For now¡­..I¡¯d like you to endure with Saluena.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not really just about the name. I¡¯d also like to be able to naturally brush my hand against your cheek.¡±

    You already do that whenever you get the chance. Hadion really likes¡­¡­..I mean Saluena, enjoys getting up close and personal. Moreover, even as another woman I am fascinated by how beautiful she is, so I end up troubled by how I¡¯m supposed to react when she comes on so excessively strong.

    ¡°But if that¡¯s what Iris says, I¡¯ll stop here for now.¡±

    Not for now; from now on. I wanted to raise an appeal, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t listen.

    ¡°But four people then. We¡¯re off to a great start. If we can keep this up, we should be able to reach my goal of a thousand strong unit in no time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen that we need that many people¡­¡­. Haa, why Goddess, why me¡­¡­.¡±

    Until recently I was just the daughter of a bookstore owner. I fought a dragon and summoned the legendary knight Hadion. And now every time I talk face to face with that very knight, I¡¯m thrown into a situation where I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°Perhaps the Goddess knows my taste.¡±

    ¡°Kya, wai-¡­¡­quit making fun of me¡­¡­Saluena¡±

    Saluena suddenly started brushing her hand through my hair while her other hand ran through Rose-san¡¯s as well. For some reason I started feeling guilty and looked over at Rose-san, but her smiling face was the same as always.

    With that being said, don¡¯t suddenly go stroking someone¡¯s head like this. What an unfaithful hand this is. Am I going to be exposed to Saluena¡¯s eccentric behavior like this from now on?

    ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you though. You should think about what you say more.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, Iris-san truly is adorable. Surely the Goddess Illya is pleased as well.¡±

    ¡°G-Geeze, even Rose-san!¡±

    Just as I was wondering about the relationship between the two of them, they suddenly team up and start teasing me together. I¡¯m glad they¡¯re getting along well¡­¡­.but this is troubling in its own right. Just how are you supposed to react when two beautiful women keep calling you cute?

    ¡°Well, we can talk about the details later on.¡±

    That¡¯s how Toslin put it, making it an established fact that they were joining a chivalric order that¡¯s purpose was to protect me from a nonestablished enemy.

    Thus I don¡¯t have any other choice but to accept it. My only hope is that Saluena will stop trying to spread word around when it¡¯s proven that this order has no reason for existing.

    Our night in Dragon Litta continued on just like that.

 CH 36

    The following morning, we managed to buy a carriage, and with the clopping of hooves echoing through the air, we started on our way to my hometown of Solretta Litta.

    It takes three days to get there while driving over the lingering snow. Along the way our horse-drawn carriage stopped by any towns or villages we passed¡­¡­..well strictly speaking, it¡¯s not a horse but a Goldmund-drawn carriage, but either way after a leisurely three day trip, our journey will soon be reaching its end.

    ¡°*Yawn~*¡­¡­..¡±

    Solretta Litta. The city where I was born and raised is just a short ways away. Peeking out through the sliver of light shining through the carriage¡¯s top, I saw a familiar mountain, river, and hut alongside the road, so I pulled open the carriage¡¯s awning and stuck my head outside. Taking a deep breath, I could taste the cold, rural air.

    Are you doing well sister? Mom, Dad? I doubt anything will have changed with them after only six months, but as a prime example of just how much someone can change over time, I¡¯m feeling a little anxious. Especially when it comes to my sister who is much more energetic than I am. I can already imagine her running across the snowy road to greet me only to end up hurting herself instead.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re happy to be returning home after half a year, but don¡¯t fall out of the carriage.¡±

    Toslin, who was supposed to be sleeping while cuddled up underneath a warm blanket, had at some point opened her eyes which were now focused on me.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. No matter how unathletic I am, something like that isn¡¯t going to happen.¡±

    ¡°No, but it is Iris after all¡±

    Right next to Toslin was Carol who was giving me a nasty smile. Toslin and Carol would be working in Solretta for a while. So even when we arrive in town I won¡¯t have to say goodbye. A fact that makes me grin even when I¡¯m being teased.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    At that moment, I heard some voices coming from the coachman seat. The fact that Toslin and Carol are inside the carriage with me inevitably means that Saluena and Rose-san are the ones currently driving the carriage.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    With her whole body wrapped up in a blanket, Carol scooched up like a caterpillar and placed her hand on the awning that lead up to the carriage¡¯s coachman seat.

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t hog the blanket. It¡¯s cold out. Hurry up and get back here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, so? What are the two of you talking about? Did a monster come out?¡±

    Toslin¡¯s whole body was shivering from the cold when she hugged Carol from behind and wrapped herself up in the blanket as well. It looks really warm. Just like the blanket, Carol¡¯s whole body is also pleasantly warm and feels good to snuggle up to. It¡¯s no wonder Toslin was showing a lazy, sluggish face you wouldn¡¯t normally see while letting out a long sigh.

    ¡°Ah, terribly sorry. Did we wake you up?¡±

    It¡¯s almost noon. However a carefree carriage ride is sure to invite some drowsiness, so while Rose-san and Saluena held the reins outside, the rest of us were free to sleep without restraint. That¡¯s how it should be at least, but I was the exact opposite, feeling more ill at ease as we went.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been awake for a while now. Toslin refuses to let go¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? You were the one who crawled into my blanket.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about right now.¡±

    The usual exchange began, and the atmosphere inside the carriage shifted. A miraculous atmosphere that feels so warm despite it being so cold out.

    ¡°So, what were Rose and Saluena making so much noise about?¡±

    Carol threw a question over towards Rose-san just as Toslin was pinning her arms behind her back.

    ¡°Right now, the Water Dragon¡¯s tail is unfurled¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°No way, really!?¡±

    ¡°Where where? Where?¡±

    The cold Toslin remained glued to Carol, and yet they were both able to simultaneously jump to their feet and popped their heads out of the canopy. They then looked up towards the sky.

    ¡°Wow, it always looks so beautiful.¡±

    I stuck my head out near the coachman seat as well, gazing towards the bright blue sky that hung overhead. Right before my eyes was a tremendous river that stretched through the air. The Water Carpet, the Sky¡¯s Royal Road, the Milky Way¡­¡­..and the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail. There were a countless number of names for this wonderful phenomenon that had a countless number of rainbows jettisoning off through it.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen it. The last time I saw it was definitely¡­¡­.half a year ago?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. We kept staring at it while we walked, so we got lost and ended up in Rifront.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail is it? Aptly named.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Saluena, you mean you¡¯ve never heard of it before?¡±

    I was looking up towards the sky with my head sandwiched between Rose-san and Saluena¡¯s bodies, so it was a little painful, and I couldn¡¯t really move.

    ¡°Yes, something like this never existed in the past.¡±

    Saluena was curiously staring up towards the sky. But her expression was much different from the nonchalant me, being much more similar to that of an adventurer, tickled by the prospect of a brand new mystery.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read in a book once that it is apparently constantly flowing all across the world.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard that too. And also if you jump in, the flow will carry you through and throw you out in the other end of the sky.¡±

    ¡°How do you jump into a river that¡¯s running through the air? It¡¯d be impossible to sail a boat through it. And if you pop out the other side, you¡¯ll just end up falling, and it¡¯ll be impossible to come back.¡±

    ¡°Guu¡­¡­.. You don¡¯t have to poke so many holes into it¡­¡­¡­ Toslin has no dreams. Aren¡¯t you an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°I became an adventurer in order to train myself and make money. You can¡¯t fill your belly with dreams and romance.¡±

    ¡°There is a rumor among us priestesses that if you make it to the end of the river¡¯s flow, you will find yourself at the boundary of Endura.¡±

    ¡°Endura¡­¡­the world Osnell was sealed into?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However who started the rumor or from when it began, I do not know¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°But if that rumor is true¡­¡­.I, would have been sealed at the end of this river. No, even now¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I heard you¡¯ll find happiness if you spot a goldfish, but is that really true?¡±

    Right now, almost a third of the sky overhead is covered by the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail. Nearby clouds are split apart, whirled together, and shredded by the water¡¯s current. Because of the way it eats these clouds as it passes through, the Water Dragon is considered a bringer of clear weather, and not only is it said to be the only dragon to act as a divine messenger for the Goddess, but in some areas it is even a figure of worship.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one either. Even if there were any fish swimming in there, would you be able to see one?¡±

    ¡°You might be able to if you had extremely good eyesight.¡±

    For me personally, my eyes aren¡¯t very good at making something out if it is too far away. Maybe it¡¯s because of all the books I¡¯ve read since I was young?

    ¡°I might be able to see one then¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol squinted her eyes and began staring at the sky while mumbling to herself. However just a few minutes after that.

    ¡°Ah, please look everyone. Do you see a town?¡±

    At the foot of a mountain that stands tall as if challenging the sky above. At the end of the long road we were on, I could just make out a red, brickwork roof.

    ¡°¡­¡­Solretta Litta¡±

 CH 37

    ¡°Goldmund, just a little more please.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t control my impatient heart, so jumping out of the carriage, I began walking through the snow on my own two feet. Solretta Litta is a mountain town. A couple hundred years ago it was also a mining town, but the mines have inevitably dried up since.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a river right next to the town. How beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Mhm. It¡¯s called Anne Libretta, and it flows all the way towards the capitol Osnell. The mountain you see over there is St. Noglint, and in the olden days we would mine gems from there. Although now all the mountain gives us is snowmelt.¡±

    ¡°Uhyaaa, cold!!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what she just said? The entire river is melted snow, so of course it¡¯s cold.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but there was a fish swimming close by, so I thought I could grab it¡­..¡±

    ¡°Considering the season, you will freeze if you fall into the water, so perhaps it is better to avoid the river?¡±

    In this time of year the snow makes it hard to tell where the bank ends and the water begins, so the adults in town end up with dry mouths after constantly telling the children over and over again not to go near the river.

    ¡°Hoh, what a splendid gate and wall.¡±

    Sitting on the coachman¡¯s seat and grasping Goldmund¡¯s reins, Saluena raised a voice of admiration as we pulled up to the city.

    ¡°Indeed¡­..impressive stone ramparts.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re remnants from when we were still a mining town. In those days the gems we mined here were an important source of income for the country, so these walls were raised to protect the city from monsters.¡±

    A couple centuries have passed since it was put up, so it¡¯s become dilapidated here and there however the people in town have kept up on regularly repairing it. As a result, even now our wall does its duty of repelling any monsters that might want to attack the town.

    By the time the snow melts completely and summer begins, this whole grassy meadow will be filled with fully-bloomed yellow flowers. Then there¡¯s our historic barrier and red brick tile roofs on each home. Wrap that up with the presence of St. Noglint towering behind it and the crystalline Anne Libretta flowing alongside it, and you¡¯ll find that Solretta Litta is a pretty popular tourist destination. But as one would expect, there are no hot springs here.

    ¡°Incidentally, the gate is closed, so is it fine to continue proceeding as we are?¡±

    By the time the city came into full view, Rose-san tilted her head and voiced a question.

    ¡°Yes, there aren¡¯t very many people coming and going this time of year, so the gate is closed at basically all times. We just need to ask the soldiers to open it for us.¡±

    ¡°There are soldiers permanently stationed here? This town is even bigger than I thought.¡±

    ¡°I can definitely get my armor fixed here.¡±

    ¡°You there, halt!!¡±

    When we reached the foot of the gate, a voice called down over us from above. It should go without saying that the ¡®you there¡¯ was referring to us. Saluena pulled on Goldmund¡¯s reins, bringing him to a stop, and called to the soldier standing above the gate.

    ¡°We have business in this city. Please quickly open the gate.¡±

    ¡°Are you all adventurers? What¡¯s your cargo?¡±

    ¡°Marcus-san, it¡¯s me, Iris!! These people have been protecting me and brought me back from Rifront!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..Oh!?¡±

    When the soldier Marcus-san leaned forward and saw me waving towards him while stroking Goldmund, he raised a loud shout. He then ran off, disappearing somewhere I couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°Oi open the gate!! Iris-chan is back!!¡±

    ¡°Woah, really!? Uwa, she is!!¡±

    ¡°Oi hurry up and get that gate open!! Faster now, faster!!¡±

    The racket of clanking armor continued to sound from beyond the gate. Starting with Marcus-san, a few other soldiers stuck out their faces and waved when they saw me.

    ¡°Iris, is quite the popular person¡­¡­.I mean, you have quite a few acquaintances.¡±

    ¡°Yes. The first man was Marcus-san, the father for one of my friends.¡±

    This town is by no means small, but after living here for sixteen years, you¡¯ll naturally start remembering people¡¯s names and faces even without putting any effort into learning them.

    ¡°Has it been half a year since the snow left you stranded? Then there was news of the dragon too, and I got worried.¡±

    The gate opened with a heavy noise. Marcus-san welcomed me back, standing in the same position and giving the same smile he gave when he saw me off half a year ago. Back then I was on my own, but not anymore. In the last six months, the best thing that¡¯s happened was meeting these people who I can stick out my chest and proudly call my friends.

    ¡°Onee-chan!!¡±

    Then when the gate had lifted up just enough for a person to fit through, a girl rolled across the dirt, slipping through that crack and ran towards me.

    ¡°Eh!? Sarah!?¡±

    Wearing a fluffy coat made from dolinp wool, my sister Sarah jumped into my chest.

    ¡°Ah, it really is Onee-chan!! I wanted to see you, I really wanted to see you!!¡±

    ¡°So you came to welcome me back Sarah. It¡¯s already been half a year, and I was feeling lonely too¡­¡­.¡±

    Just as I was about to tell her about how lonely I was feeling as well, Sarah stood up on her tiptoes while still being held in my arms. She then kissed me right on the cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯m never letting you go on your own again!! The next time you go somewhere, Sarah is following after you!!¡±

    ¡°Sarah-chan has been waiting here every day since she received the letter letting her know that Iris-chan was coming back.¡±

    Marcus-san explained with a laugh.

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡­¡­ Thank you, and sorry to have made you worry so much Sarah.¡±

    I returned the favor, bending down and giving my little sister a peck on the cheek as well.

    ¡°Yeah, Onee-chan¡­¡­..¡±

    Sarah¡¯s cheek was wet with tears and tasted a little salty.

    And then the gate was finally completely open. I haven¡¯t set foot in this city in half a year, yet nothing¡¯s changed. As such I was calmly welcomed inside as if I had only gone out for a stroll.

 CH 38

    ¡°This is my house.¡±

    With Goldmund pulling along our carriage over the paved cobblestone road, it was about a ten minute carriage ride away from the gate. The Calvafon Secondhand Bookstore, a store right off of a main street that is already lined with a long row of trees.

    ¡°Huh, so it really is a bookstore.¡±

    ¡°Eh, did you think it wasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°No no, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. It¡¯s just when it comes to bookstores, we don¡¯t really have anything to do with them. So it¡¯s weird.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lump me together with you. I read books sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Picture books right? Books from a place like this would be filled with words and letters. Can Toslin read one of those?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­d-don¡¯t be an idiot¡­¡­¡­ Even I, could read one if I really wanted to¡­¡­¡­.probably.¡±

    Anytime or anywhere, these two are always going at their own pace. It¡¯d be nice if I could just watch these two keep going at it, but unfortunately we¡¯re in the middle of town where the cold wind is blowing through. If we don¡¯t hurry up and get to someplace warm, my hands and feet are liable to fall off.

    ¡°For now let¡¯s go inside because it¡¯s cold out here.¡±

    ¡°Can I leave the carriage right here?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. This space is reserved for any shipments coming to our store, so if you just tie off the reins to that tree¡­¡­..¡±

    The Solretta tree form which our town got its name. Bushy white leaves grow in during the spring, vibrant red flowers bloom in the summer, bright yellow fruits ripen during autumn, and then everything falls off and scatters during the winter. It is a rare deciduous type tree in this area sometimes referred to as just the White Leaf Tree, and there are many people who visit the town just to see this tree-lined road when everything is in bloom.

    ¡°Are you all right Fluffy-chan? Are you cold?¡±

    Sarah jumped off the carriage one step earlier and started worriedly stroking Goldmund¡¯s back. Goldmund is very pretty, so it seems Sarah took a liking to him after a single glance. But my sister doesn¡¯t know. This child is a fierce fighter who wouldn¡¯t allow a single goblin to get close.

    ¡°Goldmund was born in a place much colder than this, so he will be just fine.¡±

    ¡°Is that right!? Then I can sleep at ease!!¡±

    ¡°Are you certain we are not being a nuisance by visiting Iris¡¯s home all of the sudden?¡±

    I was sitting on the coachman¡¯s seat in order to navigate us through town. As I started to climb down, Saluena offered me her hand. It was just like how a knight would serve a princess, and Sarah had a big question mark hanging over her head as she watched us.

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­.um, Saluena. Just in case, I should tell you¡­¡­could you act normal? As in normal normal. So no hugging me like you always do, or kissing me on the back of my hand. Nothing like that. You might startle my parents.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­heh¡±

    I made sure to whisper so Sarah couldn¡¯t hear me, but for some reason what I got back was a meaningful smile.

    ¡°Eh? Why did you laugh just now? You¡¯re really worrying me, so stop it okay!? I¡¯m serious, don¡¯t do it!?¡±

    ¡°Now now, we won¡¯t get anywhere just standing around and talking in a place like this. How about we go inside and rest?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my line!! Hey, seriously don¡¯t do it!? I¡¯m going to cry if you don¡¯t listen to me!!¡±

    Since Saluena refused to let go of my hand, I inevitably found myself being escorted. I¡¯m entering my own home, so why do I need to be lead by the hand¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°U-Um, Onee-chan and that swordswoman are¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, pay it no mind. They are always like that.¡±

    I could hear Rose-san¡¯s cheerful voice coming from behind.

    That also, stoked my anxiety.

    ?

    The satisfying smell of old books wafted through when the door swung, and a slightly dusty store interior unfolded in front of me. There was another door further in the back that Mom was just about to walk through.

    ¡°I¡¯m home Mom.¡±

    Mom was wearing an apron, so she was probably in the middle of preparing dinner. Her red hair tied back into a ponytail brushed against her shoulder when she turned her head to look back this way.

    ¡°Iris¡­¡­Welcome home Iris!!¡±

    She dropped the vegetables she was going to use for dinner before running up and hugging me. Her reaction was almost exactly like Sarah¡¯s, making me fully appreciate that these two are mother and daughter.

    ¡°You! You!! Iris is really back!!¡±

    After hearing Mom loudly yelling from way back in the living room, Dad came running into the room as well.

    ¡°W¡­¡­.Welcome home Iris¡±

    Dad was much quieter compared to Mom. His hair is usually cleanly combed back, but right now it¡¯s looking a little disheveled. Taking another look, his glasses are crooked and about to fall off his face, and he¡¯s only wearing one shoe.

    ¡°Fufu, Dad, where¡¯s your other shoe?¡±

    ¡°Hahah¡­..I tripped over a chair, and it slipped right off.¡±

    He fixed his misaligned glassed and brushed back his hair with his hand. But he still ends up coming off as a slovenly mess with the missing shoe. He¡¯s such a stylish Dad though right?

    ¡°Leaving that aside, I¡¯m happy you¡¯re home. Are these young ladies the adventurers you wrote about in your letters?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. They¡¯ve taken very good care of me.¡±

    ¡°I see, then feel free to leave your luggage where it is. And show the adventurers over to the guest room. We¡¯ll be having dinner soon, so how about saving the introductions til then?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I understand. Then follow me everyone.¡±

    I wondered if Saluena was going to say something weird, but she remained quiet while standing behind me alongside Toslin and the others. But seeing that meaningful look she was giving me after everything was finished, I knew I couldn¡¯t be careless.

    ¡°Your parents seem really nice.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe, thanks. I¡¯m really proud of them.¡±

    Even though I was smiling at Toslin¡¯s words, my focus was placed squarely on Saluena standing behind her.

 CH 39

    ¡°I¡¯m Iris¡¯s father, Flammel. For taking care of my daughter these past six months, truly, thank you.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m her mother Poatika. I heard you girls even escorted her here all the way from Rifront. I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to be able to repay you¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh no no no, don¡¯t worry about that. We came here of our own accord.¡±

    After a quick change of clothes, we took a quick rest before it was time for dinner. The table was lined with more dishes than there were people, so the Calvafon family living room now looked as if it were hosting a buffet party.

    ¡°No, but that¡¯s why¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Nah, I mean it. We didn¡¯t have any new jobs lined up, so we decided to take a look around the town where Iris grew up.¡±

    ¡°Iris kept telling us how nice a town it is after all. Plus Toslin and Rose had to get their armor fixed.¡±

    ¡°So since that¡¯s the way things are, there¡¯s no need to really thank us¡­¡­.But if you¡¯re going to insist, I¡¯d certainly appreciate being introduced to a skilled blacksmith.¡±

    Toslin gave her most polite smile. And then suddenly bowing down, she changed the subject by giving her self-introduction.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little late, but my name is Tosrillon F. Iriburgh. As you can see I am an elf, yet I¡¯m not that much older than Iris.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m Carotayle. I¡¯m half werewolf. And just like you figured out, the two of us are adventurers.¡±

    ¡°I met the two of them at the inn in Rifront. They¡¯re both really strong and dependable. And this person is¡­¡­.¡±

    When I moved to introduce her, Rose-san put a hand to her chest and quietly bowed. Even though we¡¯re the same gender, I was momentarily entranced by the way her light pink hair flows over her shoulders, so Saluena had to take over.

    ¡°This person is Rosalith Cuulbacall. She is a priestess of Illya, but because of her inexperience, she has taken a vow of chastity. So I appreciate your understanding in that she is unable to speak at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, you even had a priestess with you?¡±

    ¡°For even someone like you to be traveling with our Iris, I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±

    Calvafons aren¡¯t avid believers in the Goddess, but with a priestess standing right in front of them, my parents¡¯ reaction wasn¡¯t that much different from Relton¡¯s mayor. A smile floated on both of their faces as they mumbled a small prayer to Rose-san, bowed their heads, and gave their thanks.

    ¡°Rose-san has helped me a lot. She¡¯s also taught me plenty about the Goddess.¡±

    I leave out the part about what we were doing during those times though. Aside from my adventures, if I told Mom and Dad about how I helped fight a golem and a dragon, they might just faint. No, would they even believe me? I fought a dragon, yet I somehow managed to survive and am now standing before them with all my limbs intact.

    ¡°And then I¡¯m Saluena.¡±

    ¡°Ah!?¡±

    I got wrapped up in my own thoughts and forgot about Saluena. Saluena was the one person I definitely had to introduce myself.

    ¡°Um, she is¡­¡­.¡±

    No, I still have time. I¡¯ll introduce her myself before she says anything weird. Thinking like that, I quickly turned towards my parents and opened my mouth.

    ¡°I am a knight who has sworn her allegiance to Iris.¡±

    Nevermind, it¡¯s over. I knew something like this would happen, yet I still dropped my guard¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Hm?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.to, Iris?¡±

    After a moment of silence, both of my parents blinked at the same time. I¡¯m probably making the exact same face Mom is making right now. However the meaning behind our two reactions is completely different.

    ¡°Eh, Onee-chan¡­¡­..what is she saying?¡±

    ¡°Ah, um¡­¡­..that, well~¡±

    Honestly that is probably the number one thing I want to know too. I was given a grimoire I had no idea how to actually use and then suddenly summoned Hadion. But the how and why are two things I haven¡¯t quite figured out yet. So since there is no way I can answer a question I don¡¯t know the answer to, I end up blankly staring off into space.

    ¡°Saluena is a knight who wanders from place to place. Our destinations just happened to be the same, so while we are travelling together, it was her job to protect Iris¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah yeah!! That¡¯s right!!¡±

    Thanks to the story Carol managed to cook up with her quick thinking, my parents were somehow convinced.

    ¡°A knight? Wow, this is Sarah¡¯s1 first time ever seeing a real life knight.¡±

    ¡°Toslin also left her house in order to train, but a knight is still a knight right? A traveling knight?¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean I suppose? I don¡¯t really know all the rules.¡±

    ¡°So you know two knights and a priestess!? Onee-chan is amazing!!¡±

    Both of my parents shrank back when they realized they were talking to knights and a priestess until now, but there was one person who had enough excitement for all of us. Speaking of which, she¡¯s twelve, so she¡¯s even younger than Carol? When I thought so, I was able to understand all the noise my little sister was making.

    ¡°Tut, Tut, Tut¡­¡­¡­. You don¡¯t get it Sarah. Among all of us, isn¡¯t the rarest person here this Carotayle-san? Not only am I a rare werewolf, but an even rarer half-werewolf!!¡±

    Carol started acting cocky, but Sarah¡¯s response was a little lackluster.

    ¡°Um, sorry. Even if you call yourself a werewolf, Sarah doesn¡¯t understand what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Haa!? How can you not know what a werewolf is!?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re a werewolf, can you transform into a wolf?¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±

    Carol waved her hand and shook her head. And so Sarah¡¯s interest decreased even further, and her attention focused entirely on the knights and priestess.

    ¡°What~? Well that¡¯s not that amazing at all.¡±

    ¡°Grrrrrr¡­¡­.hey Iris-san¡­¡­..sister-san here is lacking a proper education¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t start a fight. A person wouldn¡¯t normally know much about a minor race that¡¯s almost gone extinct.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that!?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡­..s-so since the introductions are over, how about we all dig in?¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed. I had a feeling Iris would be back today, so I cooked up some food and then cooked up some more. So everyone, no need to hold back. Eat as much as you can.¡±

    ¡°Woohoo!! I¡¯ve been smelling something good for a while now. If Iris¡¯s mom made it, then it¡¯s definitely delicious¡±

    ¡°Hey now, watch your manners. Put it on a plate first, then eat it.¡±

    Carol¡¯s fork sunk into the bite-sized slice of barbato meat pickled in homemade spices. It¡¯s one of my favorites, and Mom almost always makes it whenever we¡¯re celebrating something.

    ¡°Mmmmm, delicious!!¡±

    It is, it really is.

    ¡°Ah, here¡¯s some for Rose-san. Here, Saluena too.¡±

    The sun had already started to set outside the window, but it was warm inside my home.

    The sound of firewood crackling inside the fireplace overlapped with the noise of our lighthearted talk. A scene that continued on without incident even after the food had all disappeared.

    1. Every once in a while Sarah refers to herself in the third person.

 CH 40

    When I opened the front door and stepped outside, a cold wind mixed with powdered snow brushed against my cheek.

    ¡°Hey, do you really need to leave?¡±

    The door finally shut behind me. Toslin was putting on her usual mantle. Carol was already inside the carriage, and Rose-san had taken her seat on the coachman¡¯s bench.

    The Water Dragon¡¯s Tail was still flowing through the sky overhead. The moon seen through the clear, flowing water was magnified as if you were looking through a crystal ball. Thanks to that, the road was much brighter than what it usually would have been during the night.

    ¡°Your home¡¯s not an inn, and I¡¯d feel bad packing so many people into it.¡±

    ¡°But, you¡¯re my benefactors¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going down that road, then you¡¯re our benefactors. It¡¯s okay, I already heard from your dad where the inn is, and we shouldn¡¯t have any problem getting a room during this time of year.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°What, Iris. Are you going to feel lonely if we don¡¯t sleep with you? Hyaa, cold!! So cold!!¡±

    Carol stuck her head out from the carriage and laughed. But while winter might be coming to an end, the night air is still freezing. So she immediately jumped back inside.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that¡­¡­.but¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­..we¡¯ll see each other again tomorrow, so there¡¯s no need to look so lonely. Right?¡±

    When it was just the two of us, Toslin smiled, ¡°Right?¡±¡­¡­.and then started gently patting my head. With one hand Toslin managed to calm me down. Meanwhile my hand had grabbed onto the end of Toslin¡¯s mantle so I could keep being selfish. What is the difference between us? Where does that difference come from? Life experience? But she¡¯s only two years older than me, so that¡¯s a little hard to accept.

    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡­sorry I said something so selfish. Well then, I¡¯ll see you¡­¡­tomorrow.¡±

    Tomorrow everyone would be visiting the church. After that they needed to stop by the blacksmith and get their armor fixed. There was also the booty from the golem that needed to be sold.

    That¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t goodbye. We¡¯ll see each other again. Soon even. Thinking that way my heart started to feel a little lighter, and Toslin¡¯s mantle naturally slipped out of my grasp.

    ¡°Right, see you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Then Iris-san, have a good night¡¯s rest.¡±

    ¡°Night Iris¡±

    Rose-san moved Goldmund¡¯s reins, and the carriage started to move. Carol stuck out only her hand from the carriage and waved farewell. And so a new rut was cut through the lightly fallen snow across the cobblestone road.

    ¡°Goodnight everyone¡­¡­¡±

    Taking one last look at the carriage as it disappeared into the dark, I gave them a small wave before heading back inside.

    ?

    *Splash* *Splash*¡­¡­.I scooped up some of the hot water and unloaded it on my shoulders.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­..so warm¡­¡­¡±

    I guess everyone would¡¯ve made it to the inn by now. They¡¯re probably soaking in the tub, staring up at the ceiling while stretching out their legs. Even if I try not to think about them, it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve spent the night away from everyone that it just happens.

    ¡°What are you doing right now¡­¡­..¡±

    What are they talking about? Is Carol still hanging off of Toslin? And if so, has Toslin started poking and prodding Carol to get her to let go?

    ¡°¡­¡­Rose-san¡­¡­.¡±

    And then, what about Rose-san? As far as I can remember, Rose-san was always by my side. When I woke up each morning, she was always the first person I¡¯d see, the morning light streaming through the window reflecting off her face. One time when I was half asleep and couldn¡¯t decide whether to wake all the way up or lie back down, I thought I noticed her watching me.

    (Back then, I felt a little nervous¡­¡­it¡¯s embarrassing having somebody see your sleeping face.)

    But maybe, that was her way of getting back at me since I would always take a peek at her face as she slept. Yet I felt strangely happy about it.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    And then when we faced off against a dragon, she was still right there next to me. And when I was about to eat that tail head-on, Rose-san was the one who saved me.

    In the end, that person, those people have grown to be enormously important to me. And so even though I haven¡¯t been away from them for even a single night yet¡­¡­.I¡¯m lonely.

    ¡°Onee-chan, can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    I was soaking in the bathtub, lost in my memories when a voice suddenly dragged my mind back to the present. When I looked, there was my sister, standing right in front of me. Naturally she was completely naked.

    ¡°Onee-chan, is it okay if I take a bath with you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Come on in.¡±

    I scooched over and made some space for my sister. Thereupon there was a small splash as she fit herself right in. Huh? It¡¯s floating? And my body¡­¡­I¡¯ve never seen any part of me float on top of the water, especially not my chest, and yet right now before my very eyes.

    ¡°Ehehehe, it¡¯s so warm?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it sure is. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve taken a bath with Sarah.¡±

    I didn¡¯t notice because she was wearing a coat, but Sarah, she¡¯s really grown a lot in these last six months. I¡¯m still taller than her of course, but her chest, it¡¯s even bigger than mine¡­¡­..

    ¡°Yeah, six months now right? I really was lonely you know?¡±

    Sarah smashed one of her fingers into my nose while puffing out her cheeks and giving me a criticizing glare.

    ¡°Geez, I¡¯m the older sister here? Quit messing with me Sarah¡±

    ¡°Sorry sorry? I just really love playing with you.¡±

    Sarah glued her body right up next to mine. My sister was getting as close as she could, acting like a spoiled child and badgered me to hug her.

    Fine, we¡¯ll forget about her breasts for now. I¡¯m still growing too. There is still a chance that I can maintain my dignity as the older sibling.

    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped then. But I wonder when Sarah is going to leave her older sister behind.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯ll never happen.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you giving up on your future a little too soon there?¡±

    ¡°Probably, never in my whole life.¡±

    ¡°Your whole life¡­¡­.then I guess Sarah will be taking baths with me from now on and always?¡±

    ¡°Of course? Forever and ever, Onee-chan and I will always be together.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡­no that¡¯d be impossible I would think¡­¡­. It¡¯ll only be a couple years, and Sarah will run off to be somebody¡¯s bride.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..don¡¯t you know? I¡¯m going to be Onee-chan¡¯s bride.¡±

    ¡°Aha, right of course? If I get married to Sarah, I¡¯ll never have to do any housework again.¡±

    ¡°Right? Leave it to me. I¡¯ll take care of Onee-chan and handle everything~¡±

    ¡°Eh~, but if that happens, I¡¯ll stop being the older sister and become a worthless adult. So I should handle at least half of the chores. Right?¡±

    Ah, right then I just said ¡°Right?¡±1 Perhaps I looked just like Toslin right then? Well, I¡¯m not nearly as beautiful though.

    ¡°Mm, if that¡¯s what Onee-chan wants, then that¡¯s how it will be?¡±

    ¡°Sarah really is such a good girl. I love you¡±

    I started fondling my cute little sister¡¯s head. I slowly and gently ran my hand through her red hair, wet from the hot water of the bath and the same color as my own hair.

    ¡°Me too!! I really¡­¡­.love you Onee-chan!!¡±

    Sarah suddenly let out a tearful voice and clung to me even more tightly.

    ¡°Welcome home¡­¡­..welcome home Onee-chan¡­¡­..¡±

    Hearing the sobbing voice in my ear, I realized it once again. Just how lonely I had made my younger sister feel.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­yes, I¡¯m home. Sarah¡±

    With only the echo of the occasional water droplet dripping from the spout to break the silence, us two sisters continued sitting there for a while, confirming each other¡¯s body heat and heartbeat.

 CH 41

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I have to thank you Sarah.¡±

    Getting out of the bath, I started drying off my body in the dressing room. But when i suddenly remembered something, my hands stopped moving.

    ¡°Eh, Onee-chan needs to thank me?¡±

    Looking at her straight on and face-to-face like this, I can fully confirm that my little sister¡¯s growth rate is overtaking mine, albeit only slightly. But I deliberately ignored that fact and continued on.

    ¡°Those wool panties you gave me six months ago turned out to be super helpful.¡±

    ¡°Really? So you actually wore them.¡±

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d use them as much as I did. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d even need them until I got to Rifront.¡±

    When I first left Solretta Litta on my errand, this area was still warm, and it would be a little while before summer would come to an end. But Sarah thought that since we lived in the northern part of the country and it would soon be autumn, it might be cold at night, yet I never would have imagined that the wool panties she gave me would end up being so useful.

    ¡°Autumn had only just started, and we suddenly got that huge blizzard. It caused all sorts of trouble for everyone. I heard the farmers all had to harvest their crops way ahead of schedule.¡±

    I had delivered the book and was just about to return home when somebody suddenly told me, ¡°Carriages can¡¯t travel through this snow.¡± Then on top of that we received reports that there was a dragon in the area, so once my brain finally started working again, I gave up on making it back any time soon.

    ¡°Oh, then they¡¯re probably really worn out by now right?¡±

    But given that I was able to meet Toslin and the others as a result, I wouldn¡¯t say this was a negative turn of events. Although I do feel terrible for worrying my sister like I did.

    ¡°Yeah, I mean¡­¡­they¡¯re decent.¡±

    As a matter of fact, I have one of them with me right at this very moment, and it¡¯s starting to fray here and there. I have a total of five different pairs of wool panties, and they¡¯re all in this condition.

    ¡°Fufufu, then I¡¯ll need to make you some more. I¡¯ll knit them later, so I should probably reconfirm your size.¡±

    ¡°Eh, now? We can save it for later¡­¡­.¡±

    That¡¯s right. Those wool panties of mine were actually all handmade by Sarah. And more than panties, Sarah¡¯s also knit together sweaters, mufflers, and even a pair of sandals once.

    ¡°You¡¯re already naked, so wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to measure you now? Here, I¡¯ll be quick about it, so turn around.¡±

    Sarah was just doing whatever she wanted and forced me to turn my butt towards her.

    ¡°Hyaa!? Come on, this is embarrassing¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t measure you without touching you though? So stay still¡±

    Obviously there isn¡¯t going to be any measuring tape in a room like this. So Sarah¡¯s hands ran around my thighs, measuring out the size of my waist. Because she¡¯s getting a hand measurement, it¡¯s only natural that her hands would need to grab hold of my hips, buttocks, and thighs¡­¡­but this is still extremely embarrassing.

    ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you done yet?¡±

    ¡°Just a little more¡­¡­. Oh, has Onee-chan gotten a little more plump?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, no I haven¡¯t, n-not at all¡­¡­..right? I-I mean maybe, but¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I worded that wrong. I was just thinking your waist has some meat on it now. I¡¯ve always thought Onee-chan was a little thin and should eat more.¡±

    ¡°T-Thin¡­¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s certainly true that I haven¡¯t grown out that well. Although I¡¯m not as slender as Carol, I¡¯m certainly in a more modest group compared to Toslin and Rose-san.

    (Saluena would fall into Toslin¡¯s group as well¡­..)

    ¡°Yosh, I got it. I¡¯ll make them a little bigger this time, so look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Right, thanks Sarah. You¡¯re a big help.¡±

    Even if I get laughed at, I can¡¯t live without them anymore. Sometimes you have to sacrifice shame for the sake of comfort.1

    (But Rose-san told me they looked cute, so maybe they¡¯re unexpectedly fashionable¡­¡­?)

    ¡°Is something wrong Onee-chan? If you don¡¯t hurry up and put on your pajamas, you¡¯re going to catch a cold.¡±

    Without my noticing, Sarah had already put on her underwear and was currently slipping her arm into her pajama¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°O-Oh, yes. Of course.¡±

    I put on my underwear and then slid on my wool panties right over of them. At this point the movement is as natural for my body as breathing.

    ¡°Fufu?¡±

    ¡°Eh, wh¡­¡­..what?¡±

    Sarah giggled while she watched me change my clothes, so I asked why. Buy my sister only shook her head, not saying anything.

    ?

    *Clunk*¡­..the door shut firmly behind me.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡±

    The coldness of the room was just right for my warm body after having just gotten out of the bath. I turned my eyes away from the flickering light of the candle that lit up the room and towards the window where a light snowfall soundlessly struck against the glass¡­¡­before finally looking at Saluena who was sitting on my bed. Her long, beautiful purple hair looked pure white under the moon¡¯s light.

    ¡°That took a while¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because my sister jumped into the bath halfway through. We spent some time talking to each other.¡±

    When I heard that Toslin and the others would be staying at an inn, I thought Saluena would go with them. But Saluena insisted on staying with me. She cannot leave her master, was the reason she gave.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold like that? You could¡¯ve gotten in bed.¡±

    We have stoves in the guest rooms, but there isn¡¯t one in here. If you¡¯re feeling cold, you have to put on some extra clothes or slide under the covers. But Saluena was lightly dressed, and moreover she was sitting right next to the window having apparently been gazing out into the town until now.

    ¡°I need to be able to respond at any moment.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­is that, in order to protect me?¡±

    ¡°Would there be any other reason?¡±

    It¡¯s hard to come up with a follow-up answer when she says it so confidently.

    ¡°R-Right¡­..of course. But this is my house, which is in the middle of Solretta Litta, a city surrounded by a wall that has soldiers performing regular patrols, so there won¡¯t be any monsters attacking us. We¡¯re fine here.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    Now that I think of it, this might be my first time being alone with Saluena. I always imagined she would act pushy and there¡¯d be no use in arguing with her if it was ever just the two of us, but reality is turning out to be a little different.

    Ah, and it¡¯s not like I thought she would be pushy as in she¡¯d push me into bed? I had tried getting her to sleep in the guest room, but I¡¯ve already mentioned the excuse she gave for her firm refusal.

    ¡°Well then¡­..¡±

    ¡°Master¡­..¡±

    Our voices overlapped, cutting off what the other wanted to say.

    ¡°Hm? What?¡±

    I was getting a little worried over how unusually quiet Saluena was being, so I let her go first. Saluena visibly hesitated for a moment before shyly opening her mouth.

    ¡°¡­¡­no, it¡¯s nothing. Rather, you should get in bed. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±

    No, rather than being shy¡­¡­.would it be better to say she¡¯s scared?

    ¡°Ahaha, Sarah just told me something similar.¡±

    It was really warm underneath my comforter, maybe because Saluena was sitting on top.

    ¡°What are you doing Saluena? Get in.¡±

    She was shivering slightly, so I patted on the spot right next to me to invite her in. Her long hair swayed as she finally looked directly at me¡­

    ¡°Is it okay?¡±

    and she asked me that.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t try anything.¡°

    Saluena looked at me for a bit before nodding her head.

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t hold myself back and head to bed.¡±

    ¡°What would you have done if I had said it was no good?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯d be nothing for it. I am your knight, and I serve at your pleasure.¡±

    Saluena got under the covers and placed her head on my pillow.

    ¡°¡­..it¡¯s cold in here.¡±

    ¡°Yes well, it is snowing outside.¡±

    The two of us quietly listened to the wind-blown snow hitting the window. But after a moment, Saluena stopped staring at the ceiling and turned over here.

    ¡°Your¡­¡­.hand¡±

    ¡°Hm? Hand? Is there something wrong with my hand?¡±

    I pulled one of my hands out from under the covers. The ring I had gotten after forming a contract with Saluena dully reflected the moonlight off its smooth surface.

    ¡°Can I¡­¡­hold your hand?¡±

    In my heart, I thought about how she said she wasn¡¯t going to try anything, but I didn¡¯t say it out loud. Because, Saluena looked like she was about to cry. It might be my imagination, a trick of the light. But I couldn¡¯t refuse her when she looks like this¡­¡­.

    ¡°Okay? But what¡¯s wrong? You usually just grab it without saying anything.¡±

    I grabbed Saluena¡¯s hand. But, it was really cold.

    ¡°I thought you might be angry with me.¡±

    ¡°Is this, about what you said earlier?¡±

    At first I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, but I realized soon after she was talking about her self-introduction to my parents.

    ¡°¡­¡­..I¡¯m sorry¡±

    The apology that managed to make its way out of Saluena¡¯s lips left me stunned. I had been thinking this ever since she had bowed and apologized to Toslin and the others, but Saluena is a really honest person.

    ¡°Then why did you say it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..my relationship with you is important, and I didn¡¯t want to lie about it. I wanted to be sincere.¡±

    It¡¯s because she¡¯s so honest that she can say those kinds of things while other people are watching. But even if she tells me that¡­¡­I don¡¯t know what face I¡¯m supposed to make here. Saluena¡¯s deep blue eyes were pointed right at me. It¡¯s a good thing the room was so dark right now. Otherwise she¡¯d probably notice how my eyes were swimming and refused to catch her gaze. At this point my face is probably so red that I can¡¯t even use how I just got out of the bath as an excuse anymore.

    ¡°¡­..what should I do?¡±

    I kept deliberately diverting my gaze while holding Saluena¡¯s hand. I am more than ready to forgive her, but the current Saluena is somehow really cute, so I decided to be a little malicious and make her sweat.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m really sorry. Please forgive me¡­¡­.¡±

    Saluena¡¯s grip around my hand tightened. That always calm and confident voice had fallen to a thin wisp.

    ¡°Sorry sorry. You are forgiven, I forgive you. I mean, I wasn¡¯t actually angry or anything to begin with.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡­.I wanted to see you flustered, so sorry?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Iris is mean.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. And I¡¯ve been feeling even more so lately.¡±

    My real feelings got leaked, and I laughed causing Saluena to get an embarrassed look on her face. That face was fresh in its own right and made me want to tease her even more.

    ¡°Well then, good night.¡±

    ¡°Ah, night. Sweet dreams.¡±

    ¡°Saluena too.¡±

    I closed my eyes with my fingers still entangled with hers. The cold air filling the room went unnoticed with the two of us sticking as close together as we were.

    And so I feel asleep in no time at all.

    1. Put this on a cat poster.

 CH 42

    Even though there¡¯s a beautiful, open blue sky today, I¡¯m currently walking while staring down at my feet.

    ¡°Despite how violently the wind was blowing during the storm last night, we didn¡¯t get that much snow.¡±

    ¡°For sure. But instead the stone road¡¯s been frozen over, and Iris is already covered in bruises.¡±

    ¡°I-I am not!! I¡¯ve already been healed, so there¡¯s no pain, and¡­¡­.and I was just a little careless, so I can walk on my own!!¡±

    It was the day after I returned to my hometown of Solretta Litta. After finishing breakfast, Saluena and I headed to the inn where Toslin and the others were staying.

    This was the town I was born and raised in, so I knew where just about everything was. So I immediately knew where we had to go as soon as I heard the name of the inn they were staying in. We weaved through backstreets and alleys without ever losing our way and made it to our destination in about ten minutes.

    But, things didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°First thing in the morning, and I was laughing. I wonder if we would have been able to hear Iris¡¯s shriek all the way from our room?¡±

    ¡°Uuu¡­¡­forget about that Toslin¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh no no no, that¡¯s impossible. It really was something.¡±

    I was so excited about the city scenery that I hadn¡¯t seen in six months, I failed to notice the puddle that had formed right in front of the inn. Furthermore that puddle was unluckily frozen¡­¡­and as you can imagine I fell flat on my butt.

    ¡°Are you really all right? If any pain remains, please tell me.¡±

    Nothing hurt¡­..anymore. At first it hurt too much to even stand, and I could only raise an anguished voice from off the ground. Rose-san ran over and healed me right away, but in the meantime Toslin and Carol were both howling with laughter. I mean really, are you supposed to laugh that hard when you see me almost crying in pain?

    ¡°Thank you Rose-san¡­¡­..Rose-san is my only ally.¡±

    To my great fortune, my butt was protected by the wool panties my sister had knit for me. If I hadn¡¯t been wearing them, I would have probably died. Yes, that is how hard I hit the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be troubled if you forget about me.¡±

    When I looked up, I saw how Saluena, who was walking right next to me, had a proud expression floating across her face.

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­..Saluena¡­¡­.you did an extremely good job¡­¡­.of rubbing my butt.¡±

    ¡°As your knight, it is vexing that this is all I can do for you.¡±

    As time goes on, my impression of Saluena continues to change. Saluena was so gallant and cool when she slew the dragon, but if you were to ask me now, I¡¯d say she¡¯s a little¡­¡­disappointing. No, I mean she¡¯s still cool enough though? Just so long as she¡¯s not doing or saying anything.

    I think Rose-san has started to understand this too which is why her gaze towards Saluena has started to grow softer.

    ¡°Sally-oneesama. Would you like me to teach you the prayer for a healing miracle? Perhaps the Goddess Illya will hear your words and allow you to utilize the same miracles as a priestess.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Rosa. But the me right now is not qualified for a miracle from the Goddess. And even if I was, I have already dedicated my sword to Iris. I cannot serve two masters.¡±

    I had mentioned that I was walking while staring at my feet, but the truth is that I¡¯m currently being sandwiched with Rose-san and Saluena walking on both sides of me. Both of them have one hand placed on my back while the other holds one of my own hands as we walk. But from the outside looking in, I almost certainly look like a grandmother being assisted after hurting both her legs.

    Funny. I¡¯m already at that sweet sixteen, so why¡­¡­¡­I mean I can walk normally just like everybody else? It¡¯s just that there are a few spots here and there that are frozen and slippery? I¡¯m not scared to walk?

    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that Iris-chan? When did you get back?¡±

    ¡°Haa- Huwah!?¡±

    I looked up when a voice suddenly called out to me, but unfortunately at that very instant my foot hit a patch of ice on the cobblestone road, and I started to slide.

    ?

    ¡°Hee, I see. It must¡¯ve been hard. But well, it¡¯s good that you¡¯ve come back safe and sound. That girl will be delighted when she finds out too.¡±

    The voice that had called out to me belonged to the carpenter Roswald-san. It looks like a door wasn¡¯t fitted correctly, and he was in the middle of fixing it.

    ¡°Ah, yes. I was thinking I should go see Mycena soon, but it would be a huge help if oji-san could tell her for me.¡±

    ¡°Mm, leave it to me. But I¡¯ll see you later. And tell that Flammel to show his face once in a while.¡±

    Roswald-san then went deeper into the building he was working on, his large body sauntering to the left and right.

    ¡°Sorry to make you wait everyone.¡±

    I ran forward to rejoin everyone who were waiting for me a short distance away. When I came to a stop, I didn¡¯t miss the fact that all four of them were standing at the ready.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, quit fooling around.¡±

    ¡°No no, have you forgotten what just happened?¡±

    ¡°I have been severely underestimating Iris. In the opposite way from what you¡¯d think.¡±

    Carol was amazed, and Toslin was looking at me with some admiration in her eyes. The opposite sense of underestimating me¡­¡­in other words, I¡¯m even more clumsy than she thought I was.

    ¡°Guh¡­¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s vexing, but I can¡¯t refute them when I¡¯ve almost fallen on my butt twice in the last thirty minutes. By the way, it¡¯s only ¡®almost twice¡¯ thanks to Rose-san and Saluena¡¯s support.

    ¡°By the way, who was that artisan from before? He seemed like an acquaintance.¡±

    Art-san? Oh, maybe she means carpenter1. Sometimes Saluena¡¯s words get muddled together and are hard to understand. During times like those, I¡¯m always thankful that I¡¯ve read so many books.

    ¡°Well, I have a friend named Mycena, and that was her dad. He¡¯s Roswald-san.¡±

    ¡°That friend, with a name like that, is she a Catail?¡±1

    ¡°No no, she¡¯s a normal hyurian. And she¡¯s a very good girl. Although a bit noisy.¡±

    As the name implies, catails are a race of people who have cat ears and a tail. I suppose they¡¯d be the cat version of a werewolf? Or something like that at least. They¡¯re apparently a very cautious people, and you don¡¯t see them often in towns. To be honest I¡¯ve never seen a catail period.

    ¡°Huh? Iris-chan!?¡±

    ¡°Oh it is, when did you get back?¡±

    The sun had been out for a while now, and as the rest of the city started to wake up, the traffic on the street increased. As a result, the people moving through the city would end up stopping in their tracks, surprised to see me for the first time in six months.

    ¡°Ah, hello, I just came home yesterday and am going to report to the church now.¡±

    It was true. We were all currently making our way over to the church. I was a little surprised when I answered, but as soon as I did, we immediately snuck away before they could draw us into a conversation.

    ¡°My my, what lovely ladies. Are you adventurers? Perhaps you came to this town with Iris-chan?¡±

    But immediately after escaping from those two oba-samas, another oba-sama came up to talk to us.

    ¡°Yep~. We¡¯re staying in this town for a bit, so thanks for having us.¡±

    ¡°Hey, speak politely and use honorifics when talking to your superiors.¡±

    ¡°Ouch!? Don¡¯t hit me stupid Toslin!!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s fist fell on Carol¡¯s head, and the usual exchange began.

    ¡°Hohoh, bright and cheerful girls like you are always welcome. Head to the guild if there¡¯s ever anything you need. They can give you all sorts of help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the considerate information.¡±

    ¡°Thanks oba-chan!!¡±

    ¡°Tch!!¡±

    ¡°Gyaa!!¡±

    Gyaa¡­¡­Carol let out quite the loud, girly shriek. Well, it¡¯s not like I have the room to talk about anyone else.

    After parting with those three oba-samas, we were finally able to resume walking.

    ¡°Fufu, I have thought this since meeting those soldiers yesterday, but everyone in this city truly does love Iris-san.¡±

    ¡°D-Do you think?¡±

    ¡°The people here would not be calling out to you like this if you were not.¡±

    This is the town I was born in, so for me, these people who I talk to are all people I¡¯ve know since I was very young.

    ¡°I-I suppose. I¡­¡­really love the people of this town too.¡±

    It¡¯s a very cold town, but the people who live in it are bright and warm. That¡¯s why I had never really thought of leaving this place before, and if not for that errand, I might have spent my whole life here thinking that this city was all there was of the world.

    Each and every day, surrounded by my favorite books, my eyes focused only on the world that extends from those pages¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    But, now I know. What a real adventure is.

    ¡°Oi~, Iris. Which way should we go?¡±

    ¡°Toslin-sensei, please don¡¯t take the lead. I don¡¯t want us to end up as a bunch of lost children and¡­¡­ka!!¡±

    For the umpteenth time Toslin¡¯s fist came down on Carol¡¯s head, cutting off whatever she was about to say next.

    ¡°Ah, oh yeah. Take a right here¡­..¡±

    What about as I am right now though? Could I spend the rest of my life in this city?

    1. Mycena is a very common name for cats in Japan.

 CH 43

    Song, the vocalization of a prescribed scale.

    Words have power, and that power is carried in every note. A note¡¯s duration, pitch, melody, all of that originated in the world¡¯s first song sung by the Goddess Illya¡­¡­.it all came from the Psalm to All.1

    And there is still a place where you can hear this psalm, or hymn as it¡¯s more commonly referred to today, even though a thousand years have already passed.

    That¡¯s right, the church.

    ¡°Hoh, what an incredibly magnificent church.¡±

    The sound of the harp is both quiet and graceful accompanied by the sweet voice of the soprano which calms the nerves followed by a powerful contralto that carries you through. The sisters weaving their voices together in one unified chorus are fully dressed in deep blue robes. And on the hem, sleeves, and chest of those robes are white, embroidered flowers.

    That flower is called a Tikarodeka. The name is drawn form the old language and translates to ¡°Majestic White¡±.

    The flowers are also a symbol of the church and can be found all over the city. Obviously they are especially abundant here.

    ¡°The church was built when the city was at its most prosperous. You could say it¡¯s the oldest and largest building in the area.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, it is beautiful. Each pillar is adorned with decorations leading all the way to the ceiling¡­¡­.¡±

    The church has three spires, one of which carries a bell at the very top of it. It is equipped with a mechanism that rings the bell once during the morning, once in the afternoon, and again in the evening to tell the city¡¯s inhabitants about the time.

    A white marble floor reflected the light pouring through the prismatic stained-glass windows lined all along the walls. As such the sisters sang their song in a rainbow painted world. No matter how many times I visit, I always feel like I¡¯m visiting another world entirely.

    ¡°Oi Carol. Please don¡¯t do anything unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do anything even if you didn¡¯t tell me. Jeez, there¡¯s no trust here.¡±

    ¡°If you want me to trust you, change your day to day attitude.¡±

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s impossible.¡±

    The heel of our boots echoes with each step we take. And with four of us walking together like this, a loud enough sound resonates throughout the church to start turning some of the sisters¡¯ heads. The reason why I only say four is because I have no idea how Carol is doing that with her feet. She¡¯s wearing the same exact boots the rest of us are, but I¡¯ve never once heard any noise coming from her footsteps.

    ¡°Iris-chan¡±

    That¡¯s how most people in this town refer to me. It¡¯s the same way even in a place I don¡¯t remember visiting that often like this, so I turn my head back to the voice calling out to me.

    ¡°Ah, Aronda-san. Sorry it¡¯s been so long.¡±

    I was met with a white-haired woman wearing glasses. This is Aronda-san. She¡¯s been a kind of town-wide onee-san ever since she was assigned to this church ten years ago, and us younger generation of girls have been able to come to her and talk about whatever problem might be bothering us. She is wearing a dark blue robe just like all the other sisters, but the design of her robe is slightly different. The Tikarodeka embroidered on the chest is also framed with gold thread.

    ¡°Yesterday, I came home for the first time in six months. I¡¯m here today to deliver a report¡­¡­¡±

    I turned around and looked at Rose-san behind me.

    ¡°It is an honor to meet you Priestess Aronda. I am Rosalith Cuulbacall, and I am traveling with these adventurers as part of my training.¡±

    Rose-san stepped forward next to me, and after showing Aronda-san the holy seal on her chest, gave her a polite bow.

    ¡°I come to you this day with a report and request your ear.¡±

    ¡°I have been waiting for you Priestess Rosalith. I was aware Iris-chan was returning, and you would be coming with her.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    From behind her glasses, Aronda-san¡¯s gentle gaze focused on me as a wave of confusion hit me in the head.

    ¡°It must have been hard for you, Iris-chan.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I see. Rose-san had said something similar when we were leaving Relton. The Goddess Illya already knows what happened. And so now Aronda-san knows as well. Which means that right now she is talking about everything that happened in Relton.

    ¡°My friends were there, so no, it wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Yes. In the short while I haven¡¯t seen you, you have become much stronger.¡±

    Aronda-san¡¯s gaze grew soft, narrowing her eyes and stroking my head before turning her eye behind me. Currently the person at my back would be Saluena who has been standing there as if she were my shadow this entire time.

    ¡°And then you¡­..are her correct?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. I am Hadion. The Dark Violet Knight who betrayed humanity and turned her blade against the Goddess.¡±

    ¡°Hold on!? Oh Aronda-san, Hadion is, I mean Saluena is¡­¡­.¡±

    Why is this honest to a fault woman admitting to her own betrayal? Sure it might be technically true, but that¡¯s not what really happened. Hadion only did those things because she was being controlled by Osnell.

    ¡°How wonderful, welcome back. Also, you have my heartfelt gratitude for saving Iris-chan like you did.¡±

    But Aronda-san was reacting like I thought she would. Her calm demeanor hadn¡¯t changed, and she was even smiling.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Rose-san was just as surprised as I was. As a matter of fact, her mouth was left hanging open in shock after she had opened it to try and defend Saluena like I did.

    ¡°¡­¡­.I have done nothing to earn your gratitude. My contributions pale in comparison to that of those here: the elf swordswoman Tosrillon, the half-wolf maiden Carotayle, and my sister Rosa.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so? Then Tosrillon-san, Carotayle-san, and Priestess Rosalith, you each are deserving of my gratitude as well. For returning Iris-chan to us, thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°N-No¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been with Iris for half a year now, so the decision was a no-brainer.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, no-brainer. But if you really want to show your gratitude, then maybe you can show your appreciation with something a little more tangible like mugagumwa!!¡±

    ¡°Hey you, I just told you not to do anything unnecessary. Now keep quiet for an eternity, okay?¡±

    Toslin wrapped her arm around Carol¡¯s neck. She then put her hand over Carol¡¯s mouth, completely cutting off her breath. Well if it was a complete stranger I might try to stop them or call for help, but I can just leave these two alone.

    Aronda-san didn¡¯t seem particularly surprised about the situation either and wrote it off as just a bit of play as well. But that¡¯s not to say she wasn¡¯t surprised at all. It¡¯s just that her curious gaze was instead turned to Rose-san.

    ¡°Priestess Rosalith¡­¡­a little bit ago, did Hadion-sama refer to you as a sister?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­yes. The other day we exchanged a sisterly pledge with each other.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, then congratulations are in order. I must say, as a fellow priestess, I am quite jealous of you.¡±

    ¡°No, as a priestess I am still inexperienced, a novice who is still bound by a vow of chastity. There is still much I need to learn, and every day I am acutely reminded of the experience I lack.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, and yet I still find myself envious. In such a limited amount of time, you have fortuitously met a partner you feel destined with and bound yourselves together.¡±

    Aronda-san broke off Rose-san¡¯s seal right in front of her eyes before bestowing her blessing.

    ¡°May the Goddess bless you and your loved ones.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.thank you very much. And may you be blessed as well, Priestess Aronda.¡±

    Rose-san returned the prayer, but was I the only one who thought she looked depressed as she did so?

    1. Instead of a psalm, the literal translation here would be ¡®curse song¡¯. It¡¯s a type of chant onmyoji would sing to cleanse a place of evil spirits.

 CH 44

    ¡°Well then let¡¯s get back on topic. Seeing as you already knew about me, are we to assume you know about everything else as well?¡±

    Aronda-san nodded at Saluena¡¯s question.

    ¡°¡­¡­yes. There was an oracle a few days ago. The dark elves are trying to revive Osnell. In response, the Pope has ordered us to gather information and stop them. And of course in order to prevent the spread of chaos in the world, we are to keep these activities an absolute secret.¡±

    A secret¡­¡­that¡¯s right. Osnell was supposed to have been completely defeated. If it became known that he might be returning, the turmoil would be unimaginable.

    ¡°The Pope also made another declaration. The Goddess¡¯s apostle Iris Calvafon. She is to be protected with the full power of the church.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.eh?¡±

    I froze. Any thought about how cold it was in here or any recognition of how Carol had started violently tapping against Toslin¡¯s arm was blown from my mind. The church, is going to protect me? This word, protect, I¡¯ve been hearing it an awful lot these last couple of days.

    ¡°Give it up my Master. You¡¯re already in this position whether you like it or not.¡±

    ¡°Iris-san, you have been chosen by the Goddess. An apostle to carry us into the next era.¡±

    My head was blank. Apostle. When you say apostle, you mean the Goddess¡¯s apostle. Anyone living in this world can be considered an apostle of the Goddess. Toslin¡¯s an apostle. So is Carol. Even the fairy Lapris who I said farewell to back in Relton is the Goddess¡¯s apostle. But for some reason I feel like Rose-san means something different when she says it.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­no, I¡­¡­..¡±

    Part of me¡­¡­understood what they meant. The situation I¡¯m in right now is clearly not normal. But my brain can¡¯t catch up. For the past sixteen years I haven¡¯t been anything more than the daughter of a bookshop owner.

    ¡°But, will her life change any even if she is chosen?¡±

    Carol¡¯s words cut straight through my stagnating thoughts. She was out of breath, having just gotten out of Toslin¡¯s strangle hold.

    ¡°Hey you, quit butting your head into anything and everything.¡±

    *Ker-smack*, a nice sound rung out after Toslin karate chopped the top of Carol¡¯s head. But Carol might have taken the blow on purpose as her ears cutely jumped up just as the hand strike fell on her head.

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s important. We have to check it. Don¡¯t you think so too? It¡¯s all good if they say they¡¯re just going to protect her, but depending on the church¡¯s policy, Iris might end up being isolated.¡±

    ¡°Isolated, you¡­¡­choose your words more carefully. But well, I get what you¡¯re trying to say. It¡¯s definitely important. As her friend, depending on your response, there might be some parts I may not be able to accept.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t hit me!! Apologize, apologize to this cute Carol-san!!¡±

    ¡°Just shut up for a bit.¡±

    ¡°No way!? This is way too unfair mugagumwa!?¡±

    Toslin squeezed Carol¡¯s cheeks with both her hands meaning that once again Carol could only let out a few muffled grumblings. Honestly, no matter the time or place these two are always playing with each other.

    But¡­¡­it makes me just a little happy. They were worried about me and referred to me as their friend.1

    ¡°Please rest assured, Tosrillon-san and Carotayle-san. For now, our church has no intentions of limiting Iris-chan¡¯s freedom.¡±

    ¡°Puwa! Oh, is that so? Then I guess it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°But when you say for now, doesn¡¯t that mean you might do just that in the future?¡±

    ¡°What the hell!? Then it¡¯s not fine at all! Sure Iris is a general shut-in, but she¡¯s not some pervert who gets delighted by being locked up!¡±

    ¡°Eh, I wouldn¡¯t really call myself a shut-in per se. And I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re getting angry on my behalf, but we¡¯re in a church, so if you could stop yelling¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry Carol. After all, what do you think we¡¯re here for?¡±

    Saluena placed her hand on Carol¡¯s shoulder while quietly looking down on her.

    ¡°Us? Ah¡­..¡±

    Carol frowned, but after a second she figured out what Saluena was talking about. Seeing Saluena¡¯s calm expression from the side, I could only think of one reason why she¡¯d look like that in a situation like this.

    ¡°Of course, you mean the chivalric order.¡±

    ¡°Quite so Tosrillon.¡±

    ¡°Just Toslin is fine. We¡¯re part of the same party and the same chivalric order after all.¡±

    ¡°Um, my apologies. That chivalric order is¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin returned a wink to Saluena¡¯s small nod. And taking a look between the two of them, this time it was Aronda-san¡¯s turn to have a question mark float overtop her head.

    ¡°As you already know, Sally-oneesama is a knight. So Priestess Aronda, Oneesama has started up a chivalric order which she will be taking command of for the express purpose of protecting Iris-san.¡±

    And for the record Aronda-san, they didn¡¯t ask me for my consent on any of this. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s terrible¡­¡­..is what I would have said if this were just a few minutes ago.

    But more than I had imagined, no, the truth that I¡¯ve been refusing to acknowledge is that at some point in the possibly near future, I might need such a group. After listening to Aronda-san¡¯s story, I¡¯ve finally come to accept that.

    ¡°We had considered summoning a detachment of priestess warriors, but if that is the case, it seems I can leave Iris-chan¡¯s protection to you without concern.¡±

    ¡°Yes, leave it to us. I, the one people call the Dark Violet Knight, and my comrades will protect Iris from any evil that may come for her.¡±

    Standing as a majestic knight, Saluena made her grand declaration. But Aronda-san didn¡¯t know. No, even her younger sister Rose-san wasn¡¯t aware.

    Right now Saluena¡¯s expression is full of vim and vigor, but at night¡­¡­..she¡¯s a woman who makes a lonely face and likes having her hand held.

    ¡°You look happy Iris-chan. But I suppose when a reliable knight comes by, it¡¯s only natural that your expression would relax. You are a young girl after all.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Was I really making a face like that?¡±

    According to Aronda-san, I was wearing my feelings on my sleeve. I hurriedly put my hands to my cheeks and could feel the heat coming off of them.

    ¡°Yes, indeed. You looked just like a maiden in love.¡±

    A maiden in love¡­¡­.I haven¡¯t fallen in love yet, so I would say that me making a face like that is unlikely. Now with that being said, the gap between what Saluena is normally like and what she¡¯s like at night is certainly amusing, so I definitely can¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t grinning at the thought of it¡­¡­.

    ¡°What, Iris, are you in love with Saluena?¡±

    ¡°Hoh, is that so?¡±

    ¡°W-What are you going on about now!! No, it¡¯s different!!¡±

    With Saluena jumping in on this, things are starting to turn in a bothersome direction. This is a church, not some place where we can stand around talking about love, but these girls don¡¯t seem to get that. But with Aronda-san, the person who is supposed to be in charge of this church mixed in, it¡¯s becoming something more than what I can manage on my own.

    ¡°Um, Aronda-sama¡­¡­.¡±

    One sister walked over with her index finger raised in front of her lips, perhaps because the situation had become noisy enough that she couldn¡¯t just let it go anymore.

    ¡°Ah, sorry.¡±

    Aronda-san apologized when she noticed. But then again this person has been like this for as long as I¡¯ve known her. Even in my very first memory of her she was carrying this same charming smile on her face.

    ¡°Um~, ahem. We¡¯ve gotten ourselves in a bit of trouble, so let¡¯s shelve this chat for another time.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s really no need because there¡¯s nothing left to say. But well, does this mean I¡¯m okay to live a normal life?¡±

    When I asked the thing I was most concerned about, Aronda-san took one more look at Saluena and nodded. She then gave her a wink.

    ¡°Yes, that should be all right. This lovely knight will be sure to properly protect you right?¡±

    ¡°R-Right¡­¡­¡±

    Do you really want to continue this? Even though someone just got angry at us.

    ¡°Tosrillon-san, Carotayle-san¡­¡­..¡±

    But as you¡¯d expect, Aronda-san is a priestess, the same as Rose-san, so her expression is able to quickly change into something more calm and peaceful.

    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for helping Iris-chan. If you ever require any help, the church¡¯s doors are always open.¡±

    ¡°Eh, well now that you mention it, we currently don¡¯t have a job¡­¡­.mugagumwa!?¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much. If ever a time such as that comes, we¡¯ll be sure to take you up on your offer.¡±

    Toslin dexterously bowed while holding Carol underneath her arm, preventing her from saying anything else. After giving the both of them a beaming smile, Aronda-san then turned to Rose-san.

    ¡°And Priestess Rosalith. There is one thing I wish to ask for your help on.¡±

    Hm? From Aronda-san to Rose-san? That would mean it¡¯s a command from the church right?

    Rose-san had said she would receive further instructions when she reached town, but perhaps, depending on what the orders are from the church, will this mean that Rose-san might have to leave the city?

    1. Actual word here used is nakama. Anyone who has seen One Piece will know it, but it¡¯s a little more special than just a friend or a comrade. My aunt would call it a sort-of ¡®brother in arms¡¯ or her ¡®buddies¡¯.

 CH 45

    ¡°I would like to ask you to perform an inspection of a certain set of ruins.¡±

    ¡°Ruins?¡±

    Hearing Aronda-san¡¯s words, Carol had a larger reaction than Rose-san. To be precise, her tail was wagging so ferociously it was kicking up a breeze I could feel.

    ¡°Yes, as I¡¯m sure Iris-chan already knows, at one time this town prospered from the gems that were mined here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Iris mentioned something like that before we arrived in this town. You mined them from the mountain St. Noglint right? At least until a couple hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°If you already know that much, this will go quickly. The truth is that the mine shafts dug out from St. Noglint still remain to this day and have become a set of ruins¡­¡­¡±

    As the story progressed, Aronda-san¡¯s expression began to darken.

    ¡°Recently, rumors have started to spread about people hearing strange moans coming from those ruins at night¡­¡­.¡±

    Her voice trailed off there at the end as a shiver ran up her spine. Now that I think about it, Aronda-san was never good at talking about monsters or ghosts. She had the same face now as she did whenever she would scold a child who had gotten caught performing a test of courage in the graveyard behind the church during the summer festival.

    I know that because I was one of those children. I was young at the time. On my way there I invited my friend Mycena to come with me, and she followed me without hesitation. If it was now though I¡¯d definitely be unable to hang around a graveyard at night. So I understand Aronda-san¡¯s feelings quite well.

    ¡°If there¡¯s moaning at night, that probably means something¡¯s settled there. A wolf or a bear. If it¡¯s a sub-human, then it¡¯s a goblin in all likelihood.¡±

    ¡°No, although I¡¯m scared to say it, isn¡¯t it more likely that an undead has sprung up?¡±

    A small pensive look crossed Saluena¡¯s face as she said so. But when I saw Aronda-san¡¯s reaction, the thought of some undead was the first thing that came to my mind.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a cemetery, and you wouldn¡¯t normally get undead inside a tunnel. Moreover you said there was some moaning, so it¡¯d have to be a new undead rather than a skeleton.¡±

    But the active adventurer Toslin had a different opinion. And Carol agreed with her.

    ¡°Even if the undead was a victim of an accident before the mine was closed, that was hundreds of years ago, so all the flesh and meat would have already rotted off.¡±

    ¡°Uu¡­¡­.so Toslin and Carol really have seen stuff like that¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re adventurers after all. People hear moaning coming from a graveyard night after night. So they ask us to go check it out, and eight out of ten times the cause is going to be zombies.¡±

    ¡°Ahh! I don¡¯t want to hear it!! I really don¡¯t want to hear that word especially!!¡±

    I cover my ears with my hands and squat down. I love adventure novels and often read them. But there is one kind of story I am weak against. Those with undead. People who live on even after having died. I still haven¡¯t seen the real thing, but the illustrations in those books were always really~ scary. I¡¯m certain the real things are so dreadful my heart will end up stopping as soon as I see one.

    ¡°Hee, so Iris is weak to them. Well, I figured that was probably the case anyway.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like anybody actually likes them. I¡¯d prefer to not have to deal with a zombie either. But if I do find one, I¡¯ll definitely kill it!! Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°Because they might have some valuables on them~¡±

    ¡°That is correct!! Rings, wallets, and so on are some much more attractive a prize compared to killing ordinary monsters.¡±

    For the second time our group caught the attention of the other sisters working around us as Carol started ranting and raving about the value of hunting zombies.

    I wonder if we shouldn¡¯t change locations. Nobody has come here to pray whom we could be bothering, but it would still make me feel terrible if we have to be cautioned to quiet down multiple times. But while I was thinking about how terrible that would be, the truth was that something far more terrible than what I was imagining was about to happen.

    ¡°I see, so Toslin-san and Carol-san were doing those kinds of things before we met each other.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­oh shit¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s face turned a ghastly pale. Seeing her reaction, Carol¡¯s face turned a deep shade of blue as reality hit her a second later. Her tail which had been furiously waving behind her until now suddenly became as still as death.

    ¡°¡­¡­..that, I can already imagine but¡­¡­..is it going to happen again? My butt¡­..are you going to spank us again?¡±

    ¡°No of course not. There is no need for such a thing.¡±

    Rose-san shook her head while showing a soft smile. Seeing that Carol and especially Toslin looked relieved.

    ¡°Haa, thank goodness¡­¡­. Getting punished like that at my age was really embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°I had to make do with a spank back then, but this time we are already inside a church. There should be a number of tools here I can use to help cleanse your sins.¡±

    Rose-san grabbed Carol and Toslin by the arm. Needless to say, it was so they couldn¡¯t run away.

    ¡°Hyah!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..eh, you¡¯re joking¡­¡­.right?¡±

    ¡°Joking about what?¡±

    Ah, this¡­¡­.it¡¯s definitely hopeless isn¡¯t it? When I turned towards Saluena as a test, I saw just how disappointed she looked.

    ¡°Degrading the dead and robbing them of their possessions¡­¡­.inexcusable. Such vulgar hearts are not worthy of my chivalric order. Cleanse yourselves of your sins and use this opportunity to turn your lives around.¡±

    ¡°The punishment room is currently vacant, so please feel free to use it as you will. In the meantime, I shall prepare the materials needed for the request.¡±

    Just like Rose-san, Aronda-san¡¯s smile hadn¡¯t moved an inch. But look behind those glasses and you wouldn¡¯t find an ounce of goodwill in her eyes.

    ¡°Punishment room, um¡­¡­.Rose-san!? There¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to whip Toslin and Carol¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Yeah, stop!! We were in the wrong!! We¡¯ll never do it again!!¡±

    ¡°M-Me too!! I¡¯m bad!! I¡¯m reflecting!! We haven¡¯t snuck any money like that in a long time, and we¡¯ll never do it again!! We already turned our lives around after the last time Rose punished us!!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. Your words now are the honest truth, and you both are truly wonderful at heart. But a sin is a sin. And since you have committed one, you must be cleansed.¡±

    Rose-san is already determined. While holding Toslin and Carol by the hand, she started dragging the two of them away with a strength I¡¯ve never seen before.

    ¡°R-Rose-san¡­¡­.um, because the two of them are already reflecting, then a severe punishment isn¡¯t¡­¡­.¡±

    At first I thought it would be okay since it was Rose-san, but then I remembered the level of overkill she went to back in Relton village.

    ¡°Fufu? You are so kind Iris-san. Please rest assured, there are rules for this type of situation. We will finish up quickly, so please wait right here.¡±

    ?

    Nearly an hour passed before I saw any of them again.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Rose is a liar¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..stupid Rose¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I could just make out part of the two¡¯s prayers as they knelt down and prayed at a pew.

 CH 46

    ¡°W-What happened¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol and Toslin were both moaning with the same hallowed out eyes they had back in Relton. It was as if they had become the zombies we just talked about.

    ¡°R-Rose, she¡­¡­my butt, again¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Me too¡­.. But this time¡­..it looked like a really big washboard, and she hit us¡­¡­.it¡¯s no good. I¡¯m not going to be able to walk anymore today¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°T-That¡­¡­Rose-san?¡±

    ¡°M-My apologies¡­¡­ I told them to take this opportunity and repent for the other sins they have committed, but there were unexpectedly more sins than I could have possibly imagined¡­.. As a result, I fear we may have taken on a little too much for one time¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san blushed as she apologized and shyly scratched her cheek. Uwa, what an extremely rare Rose-san. In the past six months I¡¯ve seen Rose-san make all sorts of different expressions, but I can only think of three other times that she¡¯s looked this cute. Especially with the way she¡¯s turning red from shame. It really tickles my maternal instinct.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the way it had to be.¡±

    Probably thinking the same thing I was, Saluena nodded her head once while stroking the top of Rose-san¡¯s head.

    ¡°Yeah yeah. You did what you had to. If you¡¯re guilty of other crimes, naturally your punishment would get worse, so Rose-san isn¡¯t in the wrong here.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why is Rose the one being comforted?¡±

    ¡°Uu, Rose should try tasting this pain too¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°What you¡¯re saying is nonsense. Priestesses can only exercise punishment against those tainted by sin. Rosa is as pure as freshly fallen snow, so why would she have to taste pain as well?¡±

    Saluena wrapped her arm around Rose-san¡¯s waist and pulled her close. She then opened her mouth and began whispering sweet words of love into her ear.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong Rosa. Those two are the ones who are bad. There¡¯s no need for your mind to weigh heavy on account of these two caterpillars.¡±

    ¡°Sally-oneesama¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re caterpillars¡­¡­..?¡±

    Toslin and Carol are the bad ones, although you wouldn¡¯t guess it from the way they¡¯re crouching down on the ground and groaning.

    ¡°But well, now that Rose has beat my butt twice now, all of my sins should already be settled.¡±

    ¡°I hope so. If you two are going to be members of the Knights of Iris, then you need to carry the dignity and integrity necessary to be worthy of that name.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ll behave.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve always lived a life away from dignity, so does that mean I can¡¯t join?¡±

    Although unsteady, Carol managed to rise to her feet. But Saluena strongly denied Carol¡¯s worry.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. You certainly have the potential to be worthy as well.¡±

    ¡°Eh~, you¡¯re lying. You just said it yourself Saluena. I¡¯m a caterpillar? At best I can be a little polite.¡±

    ¡°Caterpillars might crawl through the dirt, but one day they will become butterflies and fly through the sky.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.huh? What¡¯s that? That¡¯s not a thing.¡±

    ¡°No, it is. I was surprised too when I first heard it.¡±

    ¡°No way!? This is the biggest surprise of my whole life!¡±

    ¡°Quit being dramatic.¡±

    Having recovered slightly, Toslin managed to rise to her feet as well and flicked Carol¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°I expect you both to become graceful butterflies, elegantly flitting through the air.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, right. Well, I¡¯ll try it. Don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to do it though.¡±

    As Carol answered, all of our gazes naturally turned towards Aronda-san. She had started talking to some of the other sisters when Rose-san took Toslin and Carol to the back room. She was now on her way back over, holding several pieces of parchment in her hand.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve finished.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we interrupted our discussion and made you wait.¡±

    As I apologized, Aronda-san brought her hand to her mouth and began to giggle.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right Iris-chan. After all, now I have a pretty good understanding of how you¡¯ve spent these last six months.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been blessed with wonderful encounters, and as someone who has known you since you were young, I couldn¡¯t be happier.¡±

    An Onee-chan to all the children living in town. If someone like Aronda-san is pleased, then I¡¯m happy as well. At least, I think that was a compliment.

    ¡°So then, where did we leave off?¡±

    ¡°We were talking about caterpillars and butterflies. I remember that much.¡±

    ¡°No you¡¯re wrong!? We were talking about something having settled inside the ruins of the abandoned mine.¡±

    ¡°Right~, sorry sorry. Rose wouldn¡¯t stop hitting my butt, so it all kind of spilled out of my head.¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just joking Rose. There¡¯s no need to mind it. This girl is always operating with the drawers wide open.¡±

    ¡°What was that!?¡±

    ¡°Yes yes. We¡¯ll never be able to finish our discussion if we continue on like this, so let¡¯s keep quiet over here~¡±

    Sitting on a bench, I sat Carol on my lap. She protested at first saying I was treating her like a child, but my lap was so warm that she started dozing off after a moment.

    ¡°Aah, this is nice. It¡¯s so soft and doesn¡¯t hurt my butt. And, somehow¡­..fua, mya¡­¡­.mya¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Yosh, Aronda-san, do it now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Um¡­¡­so naturally we tried to investigate the disturbance when we got word of the rumors, but at this time of year, the roads were all closed due to the snow. There are also only a few adventurers in town at the moment. According to the guild, they¡¯re still inexperienced, so I am worried about leaving it to them¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I saw some soldiers manning the gate, so why not ask them to handle things?¡±

    Saluena crossed her arms, but Aronda-san solemnly shook her head.

    ¡°Those men have been were dispatched from the capitol Osnell in order to maintain security in the city and defend it from any monsters that might attack. So sending them out to investigate some ruins would fall out of their jurisdiction.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. So then¡­..you turn to Rosa.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Was it the will of the Goddess Illya that Priestess Rosalith, a warrior priestess, came to town at this time? So now that you know everything, will you accept our request?¡±

    Aronda-san brought her hands together in prayer and formally asked Rose-san. There¡¯s no way Rose-san would say no to something like that¡­¡­

    ¡°Of course Priestess Aronda. If you tell me the people of this town are in need, there is no way I can leave them alone.¡±

    Just as everyone had thought, Rose-san took Aronda-san¡¯s hands and nodded her head.

 CH 47

    ¡°But if I am to investigate some ruins, it will be a difficult task for me alone.¡±

    Rose-san accepted Aronda-san¡¯s request, but she added on a small caveat afterwards. She turned around after that, pointing her gaze towards Saluena¡­..at least that was where I thought it would go until her eyes continued to move, locking in on Toslin.

    ¡°Toslin-san and Carol-san. May I ask for your cooperation?¡±

    ¡°Of course you may. If it¡¯s Rose-san¡¯s request I¡¯ll be happy to listen. However¡­..¡±

    ¡°However you get what you pay for.¡±

    Having been quietly napping on my lap until now, Carol¡¯s eyes suddenly shot open.

    ¡°Wa, oh my gosh!!¡±

    Her drooping head suddenly jumped up, a hair¡¯s breadth away from clocking me right in the nose. Dangerous, super dangerous.

    ¡°Yes, there is the matter of payment. I am asking you to risk your lives, so of course such a task would not go unrewarded. What say you on the matter Aronda-san?¡±

    ¡°Of course we are more than willing to provide compensation in accordance with your abilities. That goes for Priestess Rosalith as well.¡±

    ¡°Just as I thought. Exactly what I¡¯d expect from a church. They know how these things work.¡±

    In the past Toslin and Carol had told me the church pays very well, and I guess they weren¡¯t lying. Well, they have believers all over the world, so the total amount of donations they get must be incredible¡­¡­is something I probably shouldn¡¯t say out loud too often.

    ¡°Is it fine if we decide on remuneration after we¡¯ve measured everyone¡¯s strength?¡±

    ¡°I do not mind. Honestly, it has been over half a year since I was last measured, so I should be the one asking you.¡±

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a church in Rifront after all. We¡¯ve killed a golem and a dragon, so I bet we¡¯ve leveled up.¡±

    ¡°Although Iris was the one who technically beat them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Aronda-san¡¯s gaze fell on me.

    ¡°Eh, wha¡­¡­..what is it?¡±

    I was startled and quickly looked behind me to see if she was looking at somebody else.

    ¡°I never doubted the oracle, but still, to hear that you¡¯ve slain a dragon¡­¡­.I found it somehow hard to believe.¡±

    You never had a doubt but still doubted, well which is it? That being said, it would normally be impossible to believe that an ordinary bookstore girl like me killed a dragon. I¡¯m still skeptical about it myself. Maybe that was just a dream, and everyone has just been pulling my leg ever since.

    ¡°It is true Priestess Aronda. Iris-san was braver than anyone else there and continued fighting until the very end without ever giving up hope. And as a result, a miracle was born.¡±

    ¡°Yep yep, I really did think a miracle was happening back then.¡±

    ¡°I was unconscious at the time, so I didn¡¯t actually see anything I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Gentle maiden. Your oracle was truth. Iris performed a miracle that night, stopping a dragon¡¯s breath. The fact that I stand before you now is the greatest proof of this.¡±

    ¡°I-I am terribly sorry Hadion-sama. As a priestess, I should not be making remarks that cast doubt on an oracle.¡±

    Every time this gets brought up I end up feeling really uncomfortable and start fidgeting in place.

    ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t really do much though? I could only fight because Rose-san and everyone else was there to help me. If I was on my own, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything because my feet would¡¯ve been rooted to the ground¡­¡­.¡±

    And so I gave Aronda-san the same explanation I¡¯ve repeated how many times until now.

    ¡°Also, if Hadion¡­¡­.if Saluena hadn¡¯t responded to my voice, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now. So if even one person was missing, I never would¡¯ve been able to beat that dragon.¡±

    I desperately tried explaining myself, but whether or not my message got through, Aronda-san gave me a small nod.

    ¡°Yes, I understand. Fufu, Iris-chan killed a dragon right? I¡¯m so proud.¡±

    Saying so, Aronda-san guided us over to an altar.

    ¡°Now then, let us begin the baptismal rites.¡±

    At the end of a red carpet was an altar that had been worn away by the years. Aronda-san took her place at the altar with a ginormous stained glass window located directly behind her. Meanwhile a marble pedestal was brought directly in front of us with an ornate silver cup set upon it.

    ¡°Guardian of the world, ruler of reason. Your servant Aronda Lizea offers a report. The new power of these brave individuals¡±

    As Aronda-san finished her prayer, the holy water placed inside the silver cup began to shine a ghostly white.

    ¡°I figured there was something funny going on, but what just happened?¡±

    Ignorant of the modern world, Saluena came close and whispered her question in my ear.

    ¡°Umm. From now on the baptismal rites that she mentioned will be starting. It¡¯s a simple and easy ceremony used to measure a person¡¯s power.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is that level thing you all mentioned earlier.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. A person dips their hand into that silver cup filled with holy water, and you can measure that person¡¯s strength to a certain extent.¡±

    In the beginning, this ceremony was performed daily as a way of showing appreciation, prayer, and reporting new information to the Goddess. But back then they used magic power instead of a person¡¯s pure life force, and it was eventually discovered that anyone could take part in the prayer so long as a priestess accompanied them.

    That was about 100 years ago. With the use of life force in the prayer, changes in the holy water was observed, and it was determined that you could measure a person¡¯s strength based off of the change that their life force exerted on the holy water. Our ancestors set the levels produced from these changes as a basis for easily visualizing an individual¡¯s power.

    As a side note, I heard from Rose-san that the life force offered in the prayer doesn¡¯t have to be from a hand or foot. A person could add in any part of their body, a snippet of hair for instance, and still get the desired results. Most interestingly¡­¡­although it is slightly frowned upon, the life force you use in the prayer doesn¡¯t even have to be your own. Rose-san had measured Goldmund¡¯s level when she threw in part of his horn that had been chipped off.

    ¡°Hoh, convenient.¡±

    Saluena nodded impressed.

    ¡°Yes, it is convenient. And during your first baptism, assuming you are a believer of the Goddess, a fairy will appear as a divine messenger of the Goddess and whisper onto you what kind of occupation would suit you best so that you don¡¯t lose your way in life.¡±

    ¡°Then during your first time¡­¡­.ah, no, never mind.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but nothing went out of the ordinary. That¡¯s right, this girl belongs in a bookstore. Or maybe the fairy called me a librarian back then.¡±

    I don¡¯t really remember exactly what she said. It was quite a few years ago, and besides being a child, I was also very excited to be doing my first baptismal rites.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s how it is, and because it¡¯s so convenient, it is still used as a ritual to measure a person¡¯s strength and skill after they¡¯ve grown up.¡±

    Adventurers in particular like having their levels measured regularly in churches. That¡¯s because the higher level you are, the more money you can earn from rewards.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go first. So, Toslin-kun. Lift me up for a bit.¡±

    ¡°How have you not gotten any larger with all the meat you eat?¡±

    Carol was having trouble reaching into the silver cup because of how high the pedestal was. Speaking of which, Carol is fourteen years old, so she¡¯s technically still a child. What¡¯s the growth period for werewolves? Just like Toslin says, I¡¯ve been with Carol for the last six months, and I haven¡¯t seen her get any taller.

    ¡°I will be getting bigger soon enough. Just give it a few more years, and I¡¯ll be as big as Rose. Look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°¡­..no, that¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Mou¡­¡­.just where are the two of you looking?¡±

    Mine and Carol¡¯s gazes caused Rose-san to get flustered, and she hurriedly crossed her arms to hide her chest. But this was Rose-san¡¯s chest we were talking about, so there was no hiding it.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still in your growing stage as well. So have no fear. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll someday grow into a woman to be envied by all just like Rosa.¡±

    Was that a hint of desire on her face there? Saluena patted my shoulder while trying to offer me some comfort.

    ¡°¡­¡­do you really think so?¡±

    Speaking of Saluena, there¡¯s quite a bit there as well. I always feel an overbearing pressure whenever she¡¯s standing next to Rose-san. So perhaps this is one of those things where the words are a sham born from a person who has the wiggle room to make those kinds of claims? That¡¯s what I was thinking with eyes half-closed at least, and so Saluena helplessly shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s upsetting that you would doubt me so. I would never lie to you. Iris, you are adorable as you are, but in a few years, I¡¯m sure you will be even more wondrous and beautiful.¡±

    ¡°No, of course I¡¯m going to become more beautiful with maturity. But Saluena isn¡¯t saying anything about how big my breasts will get¡­¡­..¡±

    I mean, of course I would like to grow up to be like Rose-san, but it¡¯s impossible for me to become that feminine in the next four years right? It would take another miracle for me to reach that realm.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­.I¡¯m starting to feel a little empty¡±

    I let out a deep sigh while watching Carol hold her hand out to the holy water.

 CH 48

    Carol stretched out her fingers into the holy water filled silver cup. A number of ripples spread out across the water¡¯s calm surface, hitting the edges of the cup and bouncing back.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s happening.¡±

    ¡°Give it a second. And are you trying to get in the way? Just stand back and watch quietly.¡±

    I stood up and pulled on Saluena¡¯s sleeve as she leaned forward to get as good of a look inside as she could. Why do I suddenly feel like a mother who has to tell off their nosy kid? Saluena probably thought so too as an indescribable expression floated across her face.

    ¡°Hm? The color of the water has started to change.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Like I said before, the holy water reacts to the person¡¯s life force. The stronger a person¡¯s life force is, the darker the water¡¯s color will become.¡±

    I received an explanation about ranks a few years ago during my first rite. They said the color of the water will go from white and change in order of green, yellow, orange, red, blue, and finally purple1. The current king of Osnell, Oliva-sama, was a blue-level adventurer before he took the throne. As for his son¡­¡­er, daughter Ashel-sama, she is supposed to be even more valorous than him having attained a red rank at only seventeen years old.

    As you can guess there aren¡¯t many blue adventurers in the country of Osnell. As a matter of fact you could probably count the number of blue adventurers across the entire Van Delucia continent on two hands. By the time you¡¯ve become the highest tier of a purple ranked adventurer, you¡¯ve officially become a living legend. I don¡¯t know of a single living adventurer who currently holds the rank.

    ¡°Hoh, the fiery color of a sunset. How beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Saluena let our her honest feelings as she watched the color of the water change even as I still held onto her sleeve. Her words caused me to raise my face, and as the full meaning of what she said fully sank in, I immediately followed her gaze.

    ¡°Wha-, oi¡­¡­.Carol. Your water is looking a little reddish to me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.what a strange coincidence. I see it too.¡±

    There was no mistake, the color of the holy water Carol had touched turned a vivid orange. Toslin, Rose-san, and Aronda-san all had the same surprised look on their faces. I was just as surprised as them, but the actual person involved Carol had moved past surprise as a bitter smile crept forward.

    ¡°So there was a mistake in the rite?¡±

    Ordinarily a statement like this would be unthinkable blasphemy. This is a miracle brought forward by the Goddess, so doubting it is the same as doubting the very Goddess herself. But there isn¡¯t anyone here who feels like reproaching her. Because what¡¯s happening right now in front of everyone¡¯s eyes is so unbelievable I¡¯m sure the same thought had crossed everyone else¡¯s minds as well.

    ¡°N-No¡­..that¡­¡­cannot be. I knew you were coming, so I polished the silver a few days ago and procured some specially purified water this morning.¡±

    The insides of the cup were shining with a fire like the setting sun. However over time the water began to change as the color of the water dripped upwards as if someone were somehow spilling paint in reverse. The orange color converged on the waters surface around where Carol¡¯s fingers had made contact with the water, and it¡­¡­grew upwards.

    As the line of color defied gravity and rose into the air, reddish leaves began to spread, continuing to push outwards. The leaves spread further and further out until eventually a small bud began to form.

    ¡°It¡¯s, just like a flower¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Not quite Saluena. It¡¯s not like a flower. It is a flower.¡±

    The bud slowly opened until it was finally in full bloom. The flower was the symbol of the church, a tikarodeka with bright orange petals. These beautifully colored flowers are often likened to a gem, so much so that they were named after one. A topaz tikarodeka.

    Soon one flower became two and then more until finally a bouquet of sixteen flowers had grown. Each of them fully in bloom.

    ¡°¡­¡­..level, 16¡­¡­..¡±

    Your level is determined by the number of flowers that have sprouted. Level 1 will have 1 flower while level 5 has 5.

    ¡°Adventurer Carotayle. Priestess of Illya Aronda Lizea hereby recognizes you as a level 16 adventurer of the orange rank.¡±

    ¡°I, I can¡¯t believe this. I was only level 5 last time¡­¡­.¡±

    The sixteen flowers continued to bloom even after Carol lifted her hands from the silver cup. As such Carol took hold and yanked them from the holy water.

    ¡°Hold¡­¡­.you¡¯re being too rough Carol!!¡±

    I was too caught up in my own head after the mysteriousness I had just witnessed that my voice came out a little louder than I had intended.

    ¡°Ah, sorry sorry. I just thought it¡¯d be better to finish up quickly so the next person can go.¡±

    Nevertheless, you should still try and treat them a bit more courteously, I thought with a sigh.

    ¡°Here you go Iris¡±

    Carol presented me with the lovely bouquet of orange tikarodeka.

    ¡°N-No I¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, just take them. It¡¯s really rare to get a tikarodeka bouquet.¡±

    Resembling a lily, tikarodekas are a mythical flower that don¡¯t naturally grow in the wild, so it is very rare to see a full bouquet of them. And there are few people with a strong enough life force to produce this orange coloring, so the rarity of the bouquet only increases.

    ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin told me to take it without worrying about it. But is it really okay for me to take it? Then again, is there any reason for me to worry if Toslin says it¡¯s okay?

    ¡°They smell nice. Thank you truly Carol.¡±

    Tikarodeka flowers have a fresh and vibrant fragrance. When I brought them to my nose and breathed in, I started to feel a little more energetic as the fresh air filled my chest.

    ¡°Did you know? You can eat these flowers.¡±

    ¡°Even if you can, that doesn¡¯t mean you should. I¡¯ll be sure to use them as proper decorations.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I thought the same thing the first time Toslin told me about it.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. I didn¡¯t have any money back then and was really hungry.¡±

    So you ate some flowers¡­¡­. Ah, no¡­¡­..Toslin is an elf and elves live with nature, so it¡¯s not that weird when I think about it? Although it¡¯s just me assuming things on my own, but I had always pictured elves drinking the nectar from flowers.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m next. Aronda-san, thanks in advance.¡±

    Toslin bowed her head and took her place before the silver cup. Holding out her hand, the holy water which had regained its original white color once again began to change after a second passed¡­¡­¡­

    ?

    By the time everybody was finished, I was holding 51 Tikarodeka Topazes in my arms.

    ¡°S-So this¡­¡­is way too heavy¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Let me take some.¡±

    Even after giving half of them to Saluena, my arms are still filled with a bunch2 of 25 flowers.

    ¡°A-Amazing¡­¡­is this because we killed a dragon?¡±

    Going by the ceremony¡¯s results, Toslin had grown to level 17 while Rose-san had risen to 18. Everyone had managed to gain over ten levels. The effect of a dragon is massive. Ah, I suppose there was also the golem as well.

    ¡°I have been a priestess for many years now, but this is my first time ever awarding someone the orange rank¡­¡­¡±

    Aronda-san¡¯s eyes were open wide after seeing the birth of three vermilion topaz adventurers. The surrounding sisters who had helped with the ceremony were looking upon Toslin with a similar look. Meanwhile the gazes aimed in Rose-san¡¯s direction were a little more passionate.

    A priestess exercising the Goddess¡¯s miracles while journeying through the dangerous wilds, battling against a victorious dragon, emerging victorious, and thusly bestowed by the Goddess¡¯s majesty. If I had heard such a tale while watching Rose-san¡¯s rite, I can¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t be entranced by her as well.

    By the way, the most vivid illustration I have of that battle is a single horseman, riding straight towards a dragon inside a village glowing red while awash with flames. That¡¯s because Rose-san¡¯s back at that time was really cool.

    ¡°Why is everyone so surprised? Although it was just a subspecies, everyone was still able to cross swords with a dragon and live to tell about it. Is that not so? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything miraculous about such an experience polishing your souls until they shine.¡±

    Saluena was in a good mood, enjoying the scent of the tikarodeka she was carrying. I was doing the same thing, but for some reason I can¡¯t help but feel that I don¡¯t look nearly as graceful as she does.

    ¡°Mm, these smell strongly of Rosa.¡±

    ¡°S-Sally-oneesama!? I wish you wouldn¡¯t say stuff like that¡­¡­.that much is already¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s bright red face is really cute. Just seeing it makes me relax. For the record, when I was telling all the sisters about Rose-san¡¯s heroics, her face had turned an even deeper shade of red than it was now.

    Because Rose-san never brags about herself and will often comment about her own inexperience, she was unbearably embarrassed. But I was really happy that they were showing an interest in Rose-san, so I thought I¡¯d promote her a bit.

    I¡¯ll probably never forget Rose-san¡¯s slightly resentful face as she pushed her bouquet into my arms after the ceremony had finished.

    ¡°So, will you hire us?¡±

    Toslin turned the conversation back to work while Aronda-san was still too shocked to say anything more.

    ¡°Y-Yes, of course. Leaving this matter to orange rank adventurers is more than I could ever hope for. And if you choose to accept, I promise you a reward worthy of your rank.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯re in agreement¡­¡­or, it would be if the job wasn¡¯t directed towards Rose this time. So we¡¯re all ready to accept, but are you fine with it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. Thank you for your help.¡±

    ¡°You are most certainly welcome. Hehe, our rank went up and we got some work for the church. There¡¯s been nothing but good news here.¡±

    ¡°But how many times have we almost died to get here?¡±

    Toslin and Carol were given a rank certificate by a couple of sisters. By showing these to the guilds they belong to, both of them can renew and update their adventurer licenses. Rose-san isn¡¯t technically an adventurer, so while she doesn¡¯t need to update any kind of license, she does receive a new holy seal. It serves as a substitute for the license and helps signify her true abilities.

    ¡°My apologies, but¡­¡­.I have a certain attachment to this one, so would you mind leaving it as is?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Rose-san raised her hand, stopping the sister from pulling off her old holy seal.

    ¡°Thank you very much¡±

    Receiving permission, Rose-san hung her new holy seal right next to her old one around her neck.

    ¡°Well then Priestess Aronda. We must stop by the blacksmith and Warrior Guild, so I am afraid we must end things here. I shall be sure to return here tomorrow however to hear the details of the investigation.¡±

    The report was finished and the subsequent instructions have been received, so with this, all of Rose-san¡¯s errands here have come to an end. I just came here to say hello, so I gave my farewells with Rose-san and the others.

    ¡°Well then Aronda-san. Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me. And sorry for any trouble I¡¯ve caused you.¡±

    It¡¯s so comfortable in here I could just sit down and forget myself, but I can¡¯t stay here forever. Just as Rose-san had said, we still have a lot to do today.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s already time for you to be off. But it was still very nice being able to see you again after such a long time. Come again any time.¡±

    ¡°I will. Let¡¯s go Saluena.¡±

    After a big nod, I pulled on Saluena¡¯s sleeve who was busy staring at Rose-san for some reason until now.

    ¡°Yes¡±

    As Saluena started to walk, she seemed somewhat happy. Did something good happen to her too?

    I thought about it for a little bit, but nothing came to mind.

    1. This triggers me. It should go blue to green to yellow to orange to red to purple. Or at least something like that. Red to blue makes no sense!!!

    2. My friend argued with me about this, so I¡¯ll make it clear. A bunch is the correct noun form of a group of flowers. Not a bushel.

 CH 49

    ¡°Rose-san, hey Rose-san¡±

    I chased after Rose-san¡¯s light pink, fluffy, cotton candy like hair. I held the bouquet of flowers that the sisters had tied off for me close to my chest and moved next to her.

    ¡°Um, are you still mad?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.I am not¡±

    Turning her head away, she gave a really easy to understand answer.

    After leaving the church, we moved as planned to the blacksmith and Warrior Guild. Toslin¡¯s armor which she had continued to wear in its half-destroyed state ever since we left Relton will finally be revived. We left behind Rose-san¡¯s shield and armor as well before heading to a tailor to buy everyone some ordinary clothes they can wear around town. As a result, we managed to make it to the Warrior Guild around noon.

    Toslin asked to have a new adventurer¡¯s license based on her rank certificate, but things took a while from there. The receptionist took one look at the certificate before turning around and heading to the back of the building. After a moment the guildmaster came out and began the confirmation work.

    I¡¯ve lived in this city my whole life, but since I¡¯ve never had any use for the guild before, I don¡¯t really know anybody here. But the other side must know me because he gave me a warm greeting.

    ¡°No no, you¡¯re definitely angry. You¡¯re making the same face Sarah always does when she¡¯s sulking.¡±

    After that, Toslin was issued a new license from the guild and was safely inducted as a level 17 vermillion topaz adventurer.

    ¡°¡­..I am not nearly as cute as Sarah-san.¡±

    Rose-san averted her gaze and started to pout. It¡¯s the same expression I¡¯ve seen Sarah make countless time before. There¡¯s only one reason I can think of why the always smiling Rose-san would make a face like that. It must be because I spread word of Rose-san¡¯s heroic saga to all of the sisters.

    ¡°No, you look just like her. There, you lower your eyebrows whenever you feel bothered.¡±

    The sun had fully risen, and with the exception of certain shaded areas, all the snow was melting from the warmer weather. The Water Dragon Tail still soaring through the sky only served to amplify the sun¡¯s rays, causing the snow to melt faster than it would normally. Chances are, all the snow in the city will have completely melted by the time the Tail disappears in two weeks.

    ¡°¡­¡­.really, I am not, angry. Just, very embarrassed.¡±

    ¡­¡­.I see. What a Rose-sanish answer. Understanding so in my heart, I gave her a smile, laughed,

    ¡°Sorry ?¡±

    and finally apologized. Although I really don¡¯t think I¡¯m have the right expression to make that seem sincere.

    ¡°You do not seem to mean that apology.¡±

    ¡°No no, I do apologize. I really do think I¡¯ve been bad.¡±

    ¡°Then if you could, just a little, make a face that looks apologetic¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°But it is true that I¡¯m happy. Rose-san was really wonderful at that time. The way you stood alone against a rampaging dragon, I certainly couldn¡¯t have done that¡­¡­ So after the sisters asked me to tell them about such a Rose-san¡­¡­I¡¯m just really happy other people are holding you in such high-esteem as well.¡±

    Right now we¡¯re headed to the inn where Rose-san and the others are staying for lunch. The cobblestone road is wet from the melted snow and shines from the reflected light. It¡¯s beautiful, like we¡¯re walking across the Anne Libretta right in the middle of town.

    ¡°¡­..is that really what it is?¡±

    Rose-san gave me a sideways glance. There¡¯s about a two apple difference in height between us, so I have to look up whenever I talk to her. But since it¡¯s Rose-san, I don¡¯t feel any sense of intimidation even if she is looking down on me.

    ¡°And, well, maybe there is a part of me that just likes seeing you embarrassed.¡±

    So I have no problems letting little facts like this slip.

    ¡°Then it is just as I thought. Iris-san is being particularly sadistic today!!¡±

    And so Rose-san once again briskly walks ahead of me. We¡¯ve had this same conversation about her being in a bad mood several times now since we left the church, and it ends just like this every time. I know I¡¯m 100 percent in the wrong here, but I just can¡¯t stop myself.

    (They¡¯re the same age, but the reactions are completely different.)

    In my head, I keep comparing Rose-san¡¯s reaction to the reaction I got out of Saluena last night. Saluena sinks into silence when I tease her just a bit while Rose-san gets angry.

    Speaking of which, Saluena called me sadistic last night too. I was having the same thoughts at that time that I¡¯m having now.

    I never had these kinds of thoughts six months ago when I was peacefully living in town, and nobody ever accused me of being sadistic.

    Maybe these kinds of thoughts just naturally crop up for me when I become close to an older woman? If I had grown up with an older sister, maybe I would¡¯ve been a sadistic younger sister.

    ¡°What, did you make her angry again?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Toslin. No, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s actually angry. But that¡¯s why next time¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yeah well, even though Rose is supposed to be older, I can understand why¡¯d you¡¯d want to mess with or tease her.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± is what I want to say, but I hold myself back. I¡¯d certainly hate it if Rose-san were to start ignoring me or something. So I¡¯ll be sure to properly apologize next time.

    ¡°But please do it in moderation? Otherwise you¡¯ll be taken to the punishment room, and it¡¯ll be your turn to have a bad time.¡±

    Remembering that incident, Toslin grimaced while rubbing her butt. It still hurt.

    ¡°Ahaha, ha. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll be sure to apologize.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. But, I was thinking about something¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin scratched the tip of her nose. Whenever she makes this gesture, it¡¯s because she¡¯s working herself up to ask something she finds hard.

    ¡°Is it okay that you didn¡¯t do a baptismal rite?¡±

    I figured that question would come up sooner or later. But even though I knew it was coming, I still didn¡¯t have an answer.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    What would have happened if I went through with the ceremony as well? Did I go through a dramatic change like the others? And if that change did happen¡­¡­.will I be able to accept it?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±

    I¡¯m torn. And I let Toslin know it.

    ¡°I see¡±

    I long for adventure. A life of freedom. I long for it even now. But when my family welcomed me home and I got another taste of my normal, everyday life, I understood that a life like this was also hard to come by.

    ¡°Well think it over carefully. You¡¯ve got plenty of time.¡±

    ¡°Eh, really?¡±

    If I was going to become an adventurer and follow after Toslin and the others, I figured I would have to come to a decision in the next couple of days. Otherwise they¡¯d have to leave for another city¡­¡­.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you paying attention to what Aronda-san said? Aren¡¯t there only a few adventurers in this town right now? If that¡¯s true, then we¡¯re going to be in high demand. Add that to the fact that we¡¯ve formed a connection with the church, and there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to simply throw a situation this sweet away to head to another city.¡±

    There¡¯s also the fact that Toslin and the others are all orange level adventurers now. Aronda-san had mentioned it before, ¡°This is my first time ever awarding someone the orange rank,¡± so there can¡¯t be that many adventurers who surpass level 15 here. Especially in such an out of the way town like this.

    ¡°Oh yeah, there¡¯s that too¡±

    ¡°That?¡±

    ¡°Obviously I¡¯m talking about that Knights of Iris. I¡¯m supposed to be a member. Carol too.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh¡­.that¡­¡­¡±

    I feel like my head is going to explode each time I hear someone call it that. If I¡¯m going to have a chivalric order protecting me no matter what, can¡¯t we at least come up with a better name?

    ¡°I said I¡¯d do it not really thinking much about it at the time, but watching Saluena¡¯s behavior up until now, I¡¯ve realized she¡¯s really serious about this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­serious is one way to put it¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m the closest one to her, so I know Saluena a little better than Toslin does.

    That¡¯s why I would rather use the word earnest here. Saluena is earnestly doing what she can to form a chivalric order. All just to protect me.

    ¡°But, um¡­¡­Toslin. Are you really okay with this? If not, I can talk to Saluena¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin and I both looked in front of us where Carol was throwing a tantrum about how hungry she was and how she couldn¡¯t walk another step all while riding on Saluena¡¯s back.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the other way around. I don¡¯t dislike it. Honestly I¡¯d rather welcome it.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Really?¡±

    What are the advantages of being in a chivalric order where there are only four members including the commander and deputy commander? While I was wondering that, Toslin looked down at me as if she were watching the bumbling assistant to a master detective.

    ¡°Can I call you Iris-kun?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡±

    I rarely ever get addressed with kun, so it feels fresh. Plus the person using it is a beautiful woman like Toslin, so it really made my heart beat.

    ¡°Right now you are in a very important position.¡±

    ¡°I am?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t figured that out yet?¡±

    I looked at her blankly and so a chop fell on my head.

    ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Good. Now didn¡¯t the church send out an order to have you protected no matter what?¡±

    Toslin regained her usual expression and continued on in a whisper so that nobody around us would overhear.

    ¡°They said they were thinking about dispatching the Priestess Senshidan1, you know that¡¯s a big deal right?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­..somehow¡±

    The Priestess Senshidan is a group made up entirely of priestess warriors like Rose-san. With the Goddess¡¯s protection, these warriors have the ability to move between any nation without things like politics to fence them in.

    And according to Aronda-san, the church was about ready to mobilize this powerful force for the sole purpose of protecting me. Even I think it¡¯s amazing. Or maybe terrifying is a better word there.

    ¡°Well I certainly know it¡¯s a big deal. The bigwigs of the church. So if I stay here and help protect you¡­¡­the size of my reward will be enormous.¡±

    Hey, are you aware of this? Toslin? Right now, you¡¯ve got a really evil look on your face.

    ¡°Ahaha, I get it. A proper Toslin-like motive.¡±

    ¡°Well, now you know why. There are also some extra benefits in it for me too. So I don¡¯t have any choice other than to join this chivalric order. At least if I want to get some sword training from Saluena.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­..then you might end up staying here forever.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Personally, I¡¯d have to say I hope I do.¡±

    ¡°Me too¡±

    I nodded.

    Staying together forever. An incredibly sweet thought that brings my mind to ease. But then why¡­..does it also give me a slightly hazy feeling?

    I thought it was something I desperately wanted, but now that it¡¯s in reach, I can¡¯t help but get confused because something feels off.

    The two of us continued down the cobblestone road, absentmindedly watching as the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail made sport of any clouds that got too close.

    1. So this is apparently the name of a group. In English, it literally translates a group of priestess warriors, so I did not know this was supposed to be a proper name. Even as I translate this and read on, I¡¯m still doubting this is an actual name.

 CH 50

    A few days have passed since I returned home to Solretta Litta.

    After being away for six months, I¡¯m finally starting to get used to living in a house again, and while tending the store, I¡¯m currently writing a letter. Two of them to be exact. One for Charlie in Rifront and another for Lutehorn whom I hit it off with when I met her in the Witch¡¯s Cave just outside of Relton.

    It hasn¡¯t been that long since I parted with either of them, but I still wonder if they¡¯re both doing well. I want to find out. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m writing them these letters. I¡¯m a wonderfully diligent pen pal.

    The petals from the tikarodeka everyone gave me peacefully expand outwards at the end of the store counter. I couldn¡¯t fit them all into one vase, so besides here, there¡¯s some laying out in my room, Sarah¡¯s room, and the living room. Mom was especially happy to see such vividly colorful flowers when spring hadn¡¯t even started yet.

    ¡°Heyoo~! Is Iris here?¡±

    Just as I was starting to make some real progress on my letters, the store door burst open. The doorbell mechanically jingled as a black-haired girl walked in. That girl was Mycena, the daughter of the carpenter Roswald-san who I talked to a couple days ago. Her tied up hair swung behind her like a horse¡¯s tail as she walked right up to the counter.

    ¡°What the heck Mycena? How many times do I have to tell you to open the door slowly? You¡¯re going to break it.¡±

    ¡°Eh~ What¡¯s with that reaction? Even though you¡¯re meeting your best friend again for the first time in six months, I can¡¯t hear even a single iota of deep, true emotion from you. For that matter, you¡¯ve been home a couple days now and never even came to see me.¡±

    ¡°Eh~ I said hello to Roswald-san. Isn¡¯t that good enough?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not good enough. Who¡¯s your best friend here? You have to come to see me personally.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re as noisy as always Mycenyan1.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I old enough that we can drop that nickname yet?¡±

    Mycena circled around the counter and sat down next to me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m writing a letter.¡±

    ¡°To who? The grandpa next door?¡±

    ¡°No, if I had something I wanted to say to Ojii-chan, I would just walk next door and tell him.¡±

    The neighbor Mycena is talking about is Ferdinand-san, the mage who told me about my small amount of magic power and taught me what little I know about magic.

    He used to be a magnificent mage who taught magic at a school in a foreign country. He¡¯s retired now though and content living a quiet life with his wife. He¡¯s also a regular here and will often buy a large number of books all at once. He actually came by just yesterday to put in an order.

    ¡°Eh, who then? I don¡¯t think you have any other friends besides me right? Is it for a relative then?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me. I am more than capable of making friends. I mean it is true I don¡¯t have many of them, but isn¡¯t that because Mycena is always dragging me all over the place? I never had the time to play with any of the other kids¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No no, it almost sounds like you¡¯re saying it¡¯s my fault.¡±

    ¡°I am saying it¡¯s your fault.¡±

    Seriously, this girl¡­¡­a warm sense of nostalgia filled my chest as I released a long sigh.

    ¡°I¡¯m back Mycena.¡±

    ¡°Right, welcome back Iris¡±

    There were no other customers in the store. So sharing a chair behind the counter together, we smiled at each other.

    ¡°You must have eaten a bunch of tasty things while you were gone. Have you gained some weight?¡±

    With a smile still on my face, I brought down a hard chop right on top of Mycena¡¯s head.

    ¡°It hurts when you hit me like that!?¡±

    ¡°I hit you like that because I wanted it to hurt.¡±

    ¡°I see!?¡±

    Yeah, she¡¯s no good. Mycena lacks the sensitivity to appreciate a tranquil atmosphere. She¡¯s fundamentally a more noisy Carol¡­¡­.

    ¡°Haa, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Cruel! You¡¯re being absolutely terrible right now!! And didn¡¯t you sound a little too serious when you said it? It feels like it came out naturally!!¡±

    ¡°No not at all, but it is true I wonder if you¡¯re really fine just leaving work like this.¡±

    Mycena might seem like an inherently lazy easy-going girl, but against all expectations, she¡¯s is currently training under her father to be a carpenter.

    This would be her third year now, and it was just before I left six months ago that she was bragging about how she was finally being allowed to take a full-scale job as I felt her emerging abs.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Papa told me to come see you.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s fine then¡±

    ¡°He told me to grab my souvenirs.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, no. It¡¯s not like I was on vacation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine too. Iris¡¯s cheerful face is all the souvenir I need?¡±

    ¡°I see¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s fine if I take my souvenir home with me.¡±

    ¡°My face?¡±

    ¡°Everything of Iris!!¡±

    ¡°You sure are greedy.¡±

    Just as I was about to blankly agree to whatever so that I could get back to writing my letters, I heard a voice coming from behind me.

    ¡°Ah, hi Mycenyan.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always Mycenyan!! But more importantly, you¡¯re looking cute today as well Sarah-chan!! Isn¡¯t it about time for you to become my bride?¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I can¡¯t respond to Mycenyan¡¯s feelings.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­damn¡­¡­but I won¡¯t give up!! I¡¯ll come to see you twice a week!! Until Sarah-chan knits me a sweater!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m almost finished with your sweater. You should be able to take it the next time you stop by.¡±

    ¡°Really!? Thanks, then let¡¯s get married next time I see you!!¡±

    Seeing Mycena embrace Sarah, I couldn¡¯t help but ponder about how extreme my best friend is.

    Saluena walked in right after Sarah, a severe look on her face.

    And as soon as she saw Mycena run up and hug Sarah, she spoke up.

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s more or less an acquaintance, so don¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..okay, got it.¡±

    Right now Saluena is wearing an apron, and her long hair is tied up with a bright pink ribbon. I gave both of them to her after she said she wanted to help out around the store.

    ¡°Is here fine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡±

    Saluena set down a stack of books from our warehouse down on the counter. I picked one of them up while pushing my letters aside. My job right now is to check inventory. Rifling through page after page to make sure there aren¡¯t any stains of smudged lettering.

    ¡°Are you going to read all of these?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not reading, just checking. This is legitimate work as well.¡±

    Well, I¡¯m going through every word, so I end up reading the books while I¡¯m checking them anyway.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s work. Which is why Onee-chan diligently checks every new book that comes in our store.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Saluena¡¯s honest praise makes me feel just a little embarrassed.

    ¡°Hey hey, Iris Iris¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    While I was looking away, Mycena had let go of Sarah and was suddenly standing right next to me, repeatedly poking my arm.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this person here?¡±

    Spinning around, Mycena jabbed a finger towards Saluena.

    ¡°Eeh~, do I have to explain it?¡±

    ¡°Of course! They might be one of my relatives in the future!! If I don¡¯t know her name when that day comes, I¡¯m going to be in serious trouble!!¡±

    Just what kind of future is running through that head of hers¡­¡­.? Despite having been constantly together ever since we were young, I had to give this best friend of mine an oversized look of amazement as she continuously acted in a way outside of normal common sense.

    ¡°So, this is Saluena. She¡¯s been our live-in worker here for the past three days.¡±

    ¡°I am Saluena. It¡¯s good to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Uwoah¡­¡­..she¡¯s so, tall¡­¡­¡±

    Mycena is about as tall as I am, so Saluena is nearly three apples taller than her.

    ¡°And this person here is Mycena. She doesn¡¯t mean any harm despite how noisy she is, so don¡¯t do anything to her if you see her in the store or out on the street.¡±

    ¡°It might be just my imagination, but why does it sound like you¡¯re describing a bug?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true!! Hello, I¡¯m Mycena!! Iris¡¯s best friend!! It¡¯s my absolute pleasure to meet you!!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­..¡±

    Mycena shoved out her hand, leaving Saluena looking unusually taken aback.

    ¡°Yosh!! Since my errands are finished, I¡¯ll head home. I¡¯ll see you later Calvafon sisters! I expect to hear good news next I see you both!¡±

    ¡°News of what?¡±

    While continuing to run her mouth, Mycena dashed through the store, once again opening the door and running outside. I should commend her for taking my orders seriously and gently opening the door this time. Unfortunately we¡¯ll have to call it even since she¡¯s still running through our store despite what I told her six months ago.

    ¡°Sorry my friend was so loud.¡±

    I pulled out some wooden chairs set in one corner of the room and set them down so everyone could take a seat. After this all three of us will be reading¡­¡­I mean checking these books.

    ¡°But, Mycenyan-san is a good person. She¡¯d always come visit me during her spare time when Onee-chan was gone knowing how lonely I was.¡±

    ¡°I see¡±

    If that¡¯s true, I should buy her something to say thanks. Fortunately the core we got from beating the golem sold for quite a bit, so I have some extra money in my purse.

    ¡°If she¡¯s one of Iris¡¯s friends, there¡¯s no way she¡¯s a bad person.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with that confidence?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re right. Onee-chan has the power to bring good people together. Like Saluena-sama for instance.¡±

    Maybe it¡¯s because she has some special feelings for knights or maybe it¡¯s because of Saluena herself, but Sarah is always super polite to Saluena.

    ¡°Hmm, well when you put like that, I¡¯ll have to be careful not to do anything to disappoint you.¡±

    It¡¯s really interesting seeing the difference in how she talks to Saluena and how she talks to Carol. At the same time, I feel bad that she¡¯s gotten the wrong idea here. I think next time I¡¯ll have to teach Sarah about all the things great about Carol.

    1. So I mentioned before that Mycena is usually the name for a cat. The full joke here is that Iris calls her Mike-nyan. Nyan being the sound a cat make in Japanese and ¡®Mike¡¯ being a calico cat. It¡¯s solid wordplay that works on three different levels and the type of joke I¡¯d expect from a book nerd.

 CH 51

    The night of Mycena¡¯s invasion, I traveled over to Solretta Litta¡¯s Warrior Guild. I had to dig my feet in and really push to open that bulky wooden door.

    ¡°W-Wow¡­¡­¡±

    Stepping into the Warrior Guild building at night really feels like I¡¯ve stepped into a world of adults. Unlike the church, this massive wooden building opened directly into a tavern and dining area where adventurers can chat amongst themselves after having finished their jobs.

    I lived a life completely unrelated to this place half a year ago. As a matter of fact, I only learned a couple days ago that there was a counter in the far back of the building where adventurers are supposed to accept jobs from the waiting receptionists.

    ¡°Hm? You here on business jou-chan?¡±

    ¡°Ah, um¡­¡­.yes, I am¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯ve visited this place with Toslin and the others before, so I have already experienced what type of place this is and what type of people hang out here. So after readying myself mentally, I had walked inside. But, I¡¯m still scared. Because I was immediately called out by a man who had a body larger than my dad¡¯s and was carrying a sword. If a man like this suddenly starts glaring at me, of course all the words I had prepared in advance would fly out my head.

    ¡°Hey hey, we got a little one here. Come here for a bit. We¡¯ll listen to ya.¡±

    The knife hanging at another man¡¯s waist quivered as he stood up. That¡¯s when I noticed the large ax strapped to his back. If he were to swing that at me, I¡¯d be cleaved clean in two with one stroke.

    ¡°Come on, quit standing there and come over here already. You¡¯re letting in all the cold air.¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry!¡±

    ¡°Tsk, can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    I shrank back and apologized while the man with the large ax sighed deeply. He then walked my way and extended out his hand.

    ¡°Well then here, fill out your business on this.¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah¡­¡­yes?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®yes?¡¯ supposed to mean? Can you not write? If not, I can write for you.¡±

    ¡°I-I know how to write, I know how to write!!¡±

    The man presented a piece of parchment and a writing brush to me. I took them both in hand before running over to a nearby table that didn¡¯t have any people at it and wrote down my name along with the reason why I was here.

    ¡°Here, tea. Drink up.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes. T-¡­¡­.Thank you very much.¡±

    This time another man came over and set down a steaming cup of tea in front of me. Maybe¡­¡­they think I¡¯m a customer? No perhaps, and I know it¡¯s rude for me to say this, but maybe despite their fierce-looking faces¡­..they¡¯re all just genuinely good people? They went out of their way to get me some tea after all.

    ¡°Was there some kind of dispute?¡±

    Saluena couldn¡¯t get inside because I was blocking the door, so she only has a partial understanding of what just happened. So when she took a seat next to me after finally being able to come into the building, she asked me such.

    ¡°Oh, Saluena. No, not really¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hm? This time it¡¯s¡­..a swordswoman? I¡¯ve never seen you before. Do the two of you know each other?¡±

    The man who served me tea took a look at the sword hanging off Saluena¡¯s back and asked me a question.

    ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. I came here today to meet up with some adventurers I know¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, what¡¯s that? Tell me that sooner. I was starting to think a customer had come by.¡±

    ¡°S-So sorry¡­¡­and you even got me some tea¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hah? I don¡¯t care about that. But you¡¯re going to catch a cold if you sit around waiting in a corner. Come further inside.¡±

    The man beckoned me to follow him as he walked over to a big stove in the middle of the room. There was a big pot sitting on top, steam billowing out.

    ¡°I figured from the beginning you weren¡¯t going to be a customer. You¡¯re, Iris-chan, the girl who works at Flammel-senpai¡¯s place right?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes. My name is Iris Calvafon.¡±

    I lowered my head in greeting towards the surrounding men, but in my heart I was tilting my head to the side in confusion. I mean, senpai? That means this man is one of Dad¡¯s¡­¡­kouhais? ¡­¡­how though? It¡¯s really hard for me to imagine a point where Dad and these men would ever really associate. Perhaps they¡¯re old friends from their school days?

    ¡°Oho, Senpai¡¯s daughter. An even bigger deal than I thought.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? Just a minute ago you saw this kid and were talking about how a little one had shown up!¡±

    A roar of laughter resounded through the guild building. Some of the men were eating bread and meat or drinking alcohol together, probably enjoying a night¡¯s dinner.

    ¡°Um, everyone here is part of the Warrior Guild right? If you don¡¯t mind, I have a small question¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t?¡±

    I never thought they were going to tell me I was wrong, so I tripped up on what I was going to say.

    ¡°Eh? But¡­..this is the Warrior Guild building isn¡¯t it? And everyone is holding an ax¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re woodcutters. This building doubles as a base for both the Warrior Guild and the Carpenter Guild.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh I see. I never knew that.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we ever get any women or children coming in here.¡±

    ¡°So? You said you came here to see an adventurer you know. Is it that beautiful jou-chan behind you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m looking for a party made from an elf, werewolf, and a priestess¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s them, they were brought into the back a while ago.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably hearing the details about their job.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s about that? Those voices people keep hearing from the ruins at night.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, but could you tell me more about that?¡±

    Having remained quiet until now, Saluena suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Mm, yeah it¡¯s fine. But all I know is what I¡¯ve heard from other people.¡±

    The man with an ax on his back spoke up, telling us he heard from a hunter friend of his who had in turn heard a strange moaning coming from the ruins after entering the forest late one night to catch some game. The hunter had walked in the direction where the sound was coming from, but he apparently didn¡¯t find anything.

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not much more than what we heard from Aronda.¡±

    ¡°What jou-chan, you know Aronda-sama? Hold on wait? Addressing her without any honorifics, you aren¡¯t actually some kind of noble¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, just a knight. I currently serve under Iris.¡±

    The looks the men were giving Saluena until now suddenly changed. Up until this point, they were all acting friendly towards her because they thought she was just a young swordswoman. But now that they all knew she was a knight, they started looking rather uncomfortable.

    ¡°Oh, um~. We didn¡¯t know, so, sorry for speaking so rudely to you¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I care not. Thank you for the information.¡±

    ¡°Ha, Hahaha¡±

    Solretta Litta has seen its fair share of soldiers, but knights are rare. The men¡¯s awkwardness is proof of that. A heavy air where nobody knows what to say soon settled. There were some men who had been eating their meals until now who had suddenly frozen with their forks still hanging in their mouths, unsure if they were allowed to just keep eating as they were before. I¡¯m really sorry about this.

    ¡°Iris, Saluena. Sorry, did we make you wait long?¡±

    That was when the light voice of a god brought sweet salvation.

    ¡°No, we just got here.¡±

    It should go without saying that voice belonged to Toslin. Her long, golden hair fluttered behind her back as she walked our way while wearing her recently repaired armor.

    ¡°Wow, so shiny. I¡¯m glad your armor¡¯s fixed.¡±

    ¡°I even told him not to polish it because I¡¯d look like a novice¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m guessing he refused to take any half-measures with any equipment belonging to an orange rank adventurer. According to the blacksmith, Toslin¡¯s armor is apparently imbued with magic that reduces the damage it takes from magic-based attacks. That is why in order to maximize the effect of the enchantment, it¡¯s necessary to keep the patterns etched onto the surface of the armor completely clean. Just what you¡¯d expect from armor she inherited from her ancestors.

    ¡°Rose-san too, your new armor looks very nice.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, thank you very much. I¡¯m happy to hear you say that Iris-san.¡±

    The blacksmith had taken a look at Rose-san¡¯s armor and shield as well, but it was judged that both of them had reached the end of their lives. Even though they had suffered through the assault of a dragon, apparently the series of blows from Saluena afterwards was more than they could handle. Most of the damage was drawn to the breastplate which meant the leather armor was still usable, but Rose-san decided now was a good opportunity to get all brand new equipment.

    ¡°Hmm, you somehow look even more gallant than before while looking just as cute. I knew my eyes weren¡¯t lying to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sally-oneesama¡¯s advice is to thank for this.¡±

    Right now Rose-san is wearing chainmail instead of leather underneath her robe, and her breastplate has been switched out for platemail that protects her stomach and back. The platemail was provided by the church, and a tikarodeka emblem was carved right on the breast.

    Her usual spiked mace hung at her side, and a large, diamond-shaped shield called a kite shield was strapped to her back. She used to always use a circular shield but switched to this because it could protect her feet while riding Goldmund.

    ¡°You look more like a knight than Toslin.¡±

    Carol was the only one who didn¡¯t change any of her equipment.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I use a two-handed sword.¡±

    ¡°Even though Toslin only ever uses one hand to wield it¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, now stop. We¡¯ll annoy people if you two do your usual thing here. Besides, aren¡¯t you leaving tonight?¡±

    The reason why I came here¡­¡­.isn¡¯t to go on an adventure with them and finish this job. I came here to see them off.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. I can¡¯t spend all my time on Carol like always. Aah, that was dangerous, really dangerous.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean like always¡¯!! I demand a retraction!!¡±

    The usual exchange ended up happening anyway. But seeing them like this, my heart began to ache a little.

    ¡°Um, Rose-san¡­..¡±

    I can¡¯t go with them. I talked it over with everyone yesterday over lunch and finally came to a decision.

    This is the town where I was born and raised, where my family and everyone I know lives. To follow after Rose-san and the others also means to walk away from everyone I know. My friends, the people at the church, my family

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear to worry all of them. With that thought in mind, I readied myself.

    ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°I will¡±

    Rose-san showed me her usual smile and patted my head.

    ¡°Well then, Sally-oneesama¡±

    ¡°Mm. See you later.¡±

    Saluena saw Rose-san off with only a short farewell. Toslin and Carol gave out their own superfluous farewells before running off into the city where the cold, night winds had started to pick up.

    ¡°¡­¡­.all right, should we go home?¡±

    For a moment after the three of them left, I quietly stood alone inside the guild building. Then after thanking the woodcutters for the tea they made for me, I moved to go outside myself.

    Saluena nodded, giving me a short, ¡°Yes,¡± before following after me without saying anything else.

 CH 52

    ¡°Ah, Onee-chan. Where have you been?¡±

    The store is closed this time of night, so I had to come in through the back door. That was when I ran into Sarah who had steam rising off her body after having just gotten out of the bath.

    ¡°I was just seeing off Toslin and the others.¡±

    ¡°Toslin-san, you mean that elf knight!?¡±

    I nodded while taking off my coat, and Sarah let out a small whine right on the spot.

    ¡°I wanted to see them off too¡­..¡±

    ¡°Even if you did, they¡¯re just going to complete a job. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re leaving for another city. They¡¯ll be back tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it is. It must be hard for adventurers to have to work at night.¡±

    ¡°Sarah. If you keep standing around like that forever, you¡¯re going to catch a cold.¡±

    Sarah jumped when the other knight in our lives, Saluena, spoke up.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re probably right. I¡¯ll go up to my room then. Saluena-sama, thanks for taking care of Onee-chan for me.¡±

    ¡°That is my job after all.¡±

    Sarah gave a quick bow before skittering off.

    ¡°She¡¯s quite levelheaded for her age.¡±

    ¡°Yep, my pride and joy little sister.¡±

    Just as I was singing her praises, Sarah poked her head back from around the corner of the hallway.

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot Onee-chan, I finished those wool panties you wanted me to make for you and left them on your bed!!¡±

    After she finished saying what she had to say, Sarah¡¯s footsteps echoed loudly as she once again ran off.

    ¡°Hoh¡­¡­so Sarah made those wool undergarments herself. For someone of her age to be that adept with her hands, I¡¯m becoming more and more impressed.¡±

    I know Sarah didn¡¯t mean any harm here. And Saluena just happened to be standing next to me.

    ¡°¡­¡­r-right¡­¡­? She¡¯s even capable of knitting sweaters too. My sister really is amazing.¡±

    But I still really wish she had told me that in secret if it were at all possible. These panties are vital for keeping me warm, but for other people to hear about it¡­¡­is still embarrassing.

    ?

    After having dinner and taking a bath, I slipped into bed and opened up a book. But even with the light of the candle fully illuminating the words scrawled across its pages, I couldn¡¯t find it in me to read any of them.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Right now Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san are all probably still walking through the cold night air. Maybe they ran into some monsters sooner than expected and are already fighting.

    When you think about it normally, they¡¯ve all grown to at least level 15 to become orange rank adventurers, so they should have enough strength to crush even that ice golem if they had to.

    It¡¯s hard to imagine somebody gaining that much strength in such a short amount of time, but adventurers are the type of people who can make that a reality.

    There is a running theory that strong monsters have an ancient power dwelling within them, a vestige of the Primordial World, and when an adventurer slays those monsters, they absorb that power into themselves. Consequently, adventurers are obligated to undertake baptismal rites as a way to have them monitored. That way a second Dark Violet Knight will never manifest as it were.

    It¡¯s a dubious theory at best, but if it were true, that would explain how Toslin and the others got such a dramatic increase in power.

    ¡°Which is all the more reason¡­¡­.why they¡¯ll all be fine.¡±

    Those people are strong. They can keep their cool, and Rose-san has her miracles should anything happen. The only fly in the ointment would be the fact that Carol and Toslin have no sense of direction¡­¡­..huh? Those ruins were originally an old mine system. Don¡¯t they say the tunnels of a mine are like a road that never ends? If so¡­¡­.are they really going to be all right? Do they have a map? Would they be able to read it even if they did?

    ¡°Now I¡¯m really worried.¡±

    I know there¡¯s no use in me worrying at this point, but I don¡¯t feel like reading my book anymore.

    I set my book aside and instead picked up my stuffed animal.

    ¡°Goddess¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry to call you so late at night, but please, protect Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san¡­¡­¡±

    Setting my stuffed animal on my lap, I clasped my hands in front of me and began to pray. It¡¯s a windless, cloudless, moonlit night tonight. Perhaps on a night like this, my prayer might just reach the quiet castle where the Goddess sits.

    ¡°Praying to the Goddess? When did you become so religious?¡±

    My bedroom door rattled halfway through my prayer as Saluena returned after finishing her own bath. But she waited until I was finished praying before saying anything.

    ¡°Hey, have Toslin and the others really gotten stronger?¡±

    Saluena nodded her head slightly while checking to see how comfortable her new pajamas really were.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to say since I don¡¯t know how strong they used to be. But if I had to say whether they¡¯re strong or weak, I¡¯d definitely say they are strong. I¡¯m more worried about these pajamas. The cloth is too thin, and I can¡¯t calm down. Like this, I won¡¯t be able to throw on my armor or strap on my sword if there¡¯s an emergency.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re pajamas. You wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if they were too stiff. They¡¯re fine, and they suit you too.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking whether or not they suit me.¡±

    Saluena is currently wearing the same pink pajamas I am. I bought them at the same time I bought my own when we were shopping for everyday Saluena¡¯s day-to-day clothing a couple days ago. Personally I think the white flower embroidered on the chest looks really cute. For the record, Rose-san picked them out.

    ¡°There¡¯s no use in arguing because you¡¯re the one being odd here Saluena. This is how pajamas are. More importantly, stop standing there and get over here already. Or do you want to catch a cold?¡±

    ¡°Grr¡­¡­¡±

    Saluena still didn¡¯t seem convinced, but she inevitably gave up, setting her sword next to the bed and getting in next to me. Her body was pleasantly warm from her bath, but her hair was still a little cold and damp.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    Saluena took an interest in the stuffed animal I was fiddling with in my hands, poking it while leaning in for a better look.

    ¡°Hm? It¡¯s a stuffed animal.¡±

    Did they not have plush toys a thousand years ago?

    ¡°I know what a stuffed animal is. But I don¡¯t recognize the animal it¡¯s supposed to be.¡±

    Saluena read my mind and instantly shot me down. I keep my stuffed animal close to my window during the day, so tightening my arms around it, it gives off a smell similar to an air-dried comforter.

    ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s called a unicorn. It¡¯s a famous spirit that sided with the Goddess during the Illyarian War.¡±

    ¡°I never saw something like this. Why is there a horn growing out of its head? Wouldn¡¯t that get in the way when it eats grass?¡±

    ¡°Unicorns are supposed to be spirits, so maybe they don¡¯t need to eat grass?¡±

    ¡°I see. But a spirit huh. Most spirits back in the olden days refused to follow the Goddess and had to be cut down because of how violent they were.¡±

    ¡°R-Really? But unicorns are supposed to be good spirits. So if you ever see one, please don¡¯t kill it. Okay? By the way, they say unicorns are supposed to be the guardian spirits of virgin girls.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, a cute guardian spirit like this is going to make me laugh.¡±

    Despite what she was saying, Saluena¡¯s expression relaxed a little as she continued poking the stuffed animal. Maybe she¡¯s the type of person who adores dogs and cats. Uwa, the impression she gives off just keeps getting further from the truth.

    ¡°Sarah made this for me as well. It¡¯s supposed to keep me from having any nightmares.¡±

    ¡°She really is dexterous.¡±

    For a moment, both of us sat there, stroking the stuffed animal. There was no conversation nor howling of the wind. A moment of complete silence. But there wasn¡¯t any awkwardness or discomfort. It was a comfortable moment, like all of this was natural.

    ¡°Did you want to follow them?¡±

    And Saluena¡¯s question shattered it all.

    ¡°¡­¡­..I couldn¡¯t follow them. I¡¯ve worried my family for the past six months already, so to leave again¡­¡­.I just can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Sarah especially, she¡¯s a kid who gets worried so easily.¡±

    Sarah¡¯s face as she clung to me, crying her eyes out popped back into my head. Just thinking about that face causes my chest to tighten in guilt so much that it hurts.

    ¡°It¡¯s natural for her to worry. For Sarah, you¡¯re her one and only sister.¡±

    ¡°¡­..yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Saluena seemed convinced. But, I can¡¯t understand how she could be.

    ¡°Hey, Saluena?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Why did you become a knight?¡±

    What do I want? What do I want to do? Right now I¡¯ve come to a complete stop, unable to answer either of those questions.

    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­..¡±

    Saluena focused a gentle gaze on me and nodded. With the light of the burning candle reflecting off of them, her dark blue eyes glittered like a couple of jewels.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad, but hearing another person¡¯s answer isn¡¯t going to help you. If you¡¯re looking for an answer, you¡¯ll have to think of it yourself.¡±

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t know¡­¡­..¡±

    Saluena put a finger over my mouth just as I was about to ask again for an answer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient maiden. You¡¯re smart. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find your answer in time.¡±

    I sat there with my mouth closed, unable to look away from Saluena¡¯s beautiful eyes. Her sweet-sounding voice soothed my heart with a mysterious persuasive power.

    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I really do. In your eyes I might be ahead of you, but the path you¡¯ll walk is so far beyond me, the day will come where I will be the one following after you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.I see, then¡­¡­.I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±

    ¡°That would be for the best. The troubled look doesn¡¯t suit your face. I much prefer the bright smile you usually make.¡±

    ¡°Do you say that same thing to Rose-san too?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Rosa is the maiden with the greatest smile in the world.¡±

    I got back a prideful boast as an answer. I didn¡¯t even need to ask. I didn¡¯t even need to ask.

    ¡°Yes yes, of course. Then it¡¯s about time we get to sleep, so good night.¡±

    ¡°Ah, night.¡±

    Setting my head down on my pillow, I felt a hand gently brush against my hair. Opening my eyes slightly back up again and glancing next to me, I saw Saluena, praying with the stuffed unicorn sitting on her lap.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t pray to the Goddess?¡±

    I whispered softly¡­¡­.

    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m praying to this one here.¡±

    Indeed, a unicorn is the ideal choice to wish for Rose-san¡¯s safety.

    Chuckling under my breath, I closed my eyes and kept them closed this time.

    I¡¯m going to have a good dream tonight.

 CH 53

    During the morning, the Warrior/Carpenter Guilds building is much busier than it is at night.

    Looking around after walking through the front door, there are a number of people gathered around the tables, discussing the maps spread out in front of them, comparing the requests they¡¯ve accepted, and discussing what jobs they should take alongside their fellow party members.

    ¡°U-Um, hello¡­¡­..¡±

    When I couldn¡¯t find any of the people I was looking for, I headed to the reception desk in the back of the building.

    ¡°Hello and welcome. This is actually the counter for the Warrior Guild, okay?¡±

    The receptionist pointed towards a sign hanging over her head.

    ¡°Y-Yes. Um, an adventurer party left on a job yesterday, and I actually promised to meet them here today¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Meet with them¡­¡­.? Hmm, then is it okay if I ask for the adventurer¡¯s name and rank? I can check to see if they¡¯ve come back yet.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Toslin, orange rank. She¡¯s an elf swordswoman with blond hair¡­¡­. Oh, they might¡¯ve actually registered under the priestess warrior Rosalith. They took a job from the church.¡±

    ¡°A-An orange rank? P-Please wait a moment.¡±

    The receptionist had been giving me a mysterious look like I was some out-of-place countryside girl, but the second I mentioned I was here to see some orange rank adventurers, her eyes shot open.

    ¡°I took a look through my files, and it seems like they haven¡¯t returned yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that right¡­¡­ Then, I¡¯m sorry, but if it¡¯s okay with you, do you mind if I sit in the corner and wait a while?¡±

    I pointed towards Saluena who had already taken a seat in one corner of the building, but the receptionist jumped to her feet and stopped me.

    ¡°No, it would get cold back there, so please take a seat closer to the middle of the building. I shall immediately prepare you some chairs.¡±

    The receptionist rattled off her response before jumping into the back of the building. She was back in the blink of the eye with a couple chairs which she set near the stove.

    ¡°Please wait here. Would you like me to prepare you something to drink?¡±

    ¡°N-No no!! We¡¯re fine¡±

    I already feel bad enough just having her prepare me a seat. I beckoned over Saluena before taking a moment to warm myself by the stove as curious gazes bore themselves into me from all around.

    ¡°Huuuh!? Iris-jan. What are you doing here?¡±

    Suddenly somebody called out my name while beating their hand against my shoulder. Flustered, I hurriedly turned around only to find Mycena standing there.

    ¡°Uwa, you scared me. Don¡¯t just go hitting me out of nowhere. I¡¯m waiting for somebody, what are you doing here Mycena?¡±

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m here to talk to the Carpenter Guild about some work. Not to brag, but I am a full-fledged carpenter now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You did say you were allowed to start taking on your own jobs now.¡±

    ¡°Hahah! Amazing right!? I can make just about anything as I am now, from birdhouses to dog houses.¡±

    ¡°That sure is a limited range for being able to make just about anything.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good morning to you too Saluena-san!! Thank you for all your hard work in protecting Iris today as well!!¡±

    Mycena finally noticed Saluena seated next to me and gave an energetic bow.

    ¡°You look to be working hard as well cheerful maiden.¡±

    ¡°Yes, because it is my dream to quickly become a splendid carpenter just like my father and build a love nest where I can live together with the Calvafon sisters!!¡±

    ¡°I never heard about that dream before.¡±

    ¡°I told Sarah-chan!!¡±

    ¡°Right, I got it. I got it, so can you lower your voice a little? Everyone can hear you.¡±

    Well, nobody is taking her seriously, so it¡¯s probably fine..

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to keep doing my best! So cheer for me! And then wait for me!¡±

    Mycena feverishly waved her hand before running off towards the Carpenter Guild¡¯s reception counter.

    ¡°No, seriously¡­..I¡¯m really sorry. My friend is so noisy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to be energetic. Especially at your age.¡±

    Mycena was only at the counter for a short time before she immediately started running again and left the guild building.

    She was halfway out the door when she turned back around and waved to me, so I waved back.

    She then blew me a kiss, and I pretended not to notice.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve returned it.¡±

    Saluena had a bright smile next to me, but just how many people do you think are in this place?

    ¡°N-No way. It¡¯d be so embarrassing¡­¡­..¡±

    Even if you say the only harm done is drawing other people¡¯s attention, that would still make it too difficult for me to stay here. I only came here to meet up with some people. There¡¯s no need to stand out.

    ¡°M-Maybe we really should move to the corner¡­¡­¡±

    I think it¡¯s fine since I have Saluena with me, but this is still the Warrior Guild. What are people going to think if they¡¯re about to venture out into a potentially dangerous job, and a country girl like me is causing a racket?

    But just as I was about to stand up out of my chair, all of the eyes that had been focusing on us turned towards the entrance at the same time.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    Everyone in the guild focused their gazes on Rose-san, one of the people we had been waiting for.

    With a tikarodeka, the sacred flower, engraved across the front of her armor, it was easy to tell at a simple glance she was a priestess.

    ¡°Oi, it¡¯s a priestess. But I don¡¯t recognize her face.¡±

    ¡°She only arrived in town a few days ago. I¡¯m told she¡¯s an orange rank.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? What¡¯s a high ranking person like her doing in a town like this¡­¡­¡±

    Whispers and muffled voices came from all around me. But another row of admiration sprang up when Toslin and Carol came in right after Rose-san.

    ¡°Whoa, this time it¡¯s an elf. I guess it really is true that forest people are all beauties.¡±

    ¡°That elf and the werewolf girl next to her are all apparently the same rank as the priestess.¡±

    ¡°Orange rank, isn¡¯t that the same rank as the Hero¡¯s companions? Is there another dragon close by?¡±

    At the same time that the surrounding voices started changing from ones of amazement to ones of anxiety, Rose-san managed to find me among the crowd. She immediately started coming right for me, sewing through the tables and onlookers.

    ¡°Sorry, I hope we did not make you wait too long.¡±

    ¡°N-No¡­¡­we just got here ourselves.¡±

    Honestly I should¡¯ve been the one to call out to her, but I missed my chance because it was too hard to say anything with the way all these people were reacting.

    ¡°I have returned Sally-oneesama.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you back safe Rosa.¡±

    Rose-san picked up the ends of her robe performing a small curtsy, and Saluena in turn welcomed her back with a few pats on the shoulder. Rose-san was clearly happy to hear about the care coming from her teacher and sister Saluena. Just how happy would Rose-san be if I told her that Saluena prayed for her safety to a stuffed animal last night? No, maybe she¡¯d be more confused than anything.

    ¡°You two too, welcome back. So how was it? Are the ruins haunted?¡±

    ¡°Haa, before that, I need something to warm me up. Hey, can we get any food here? I want to eat some breakfast, a full breakfast.¡±

    Carol walked right over, each footstep still not making even the slightest noise, and sat down right on my lap. She then leaned back and snuggled her head underneath my chin.

    ¡°Huah¡­¡­..Iris is so warm¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°But Carol is even warmer?¡±

    Carol¡¯s clothes and armor may be cold, but her body was still pleasantly warm to the touch. So rather than being cold, she¡¯s just not as warm as she usually is?

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m pretty tired from all that walking too, so let¡¯s take a minute to rest.¡±

    ¡°Breakfast!!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, I know.¡±

    After making sure that Toslin had left to talk to somebody at the receptionist¡¯s counter, Carol turned her head up to me with an evil grin.

    ¡°Hey hey, listen to this Iris. Can you believe her? That girl ended up getting lost again¡­¡­.¡±

    And she started breathing out her complaints just like that. But Toslin was apparently listening in, expecting this very development to happen¡­¡­.

    ¡°YOU WERE LOST TOO!!¡±

    because a loud tsukkomi echoed through the building a second later.

 CH 54

    After Toslin finished making her report to the receptionist, we all moved over and took a seat at an empty table. And then as soon as a bowl of steaming hot soup was set down in front of her, Carol jumped right in.

    ¡°Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm~!! Hot! Tasty! I am aliveeeee!!¡±

    Draining her soup, Carol reached for some bread. It had apparently only just been baked, because steam rose up after it was broken in half, and the sweet smell of butter drifted over to my nose from across the table.

    ¡°Uu, it looks so good¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat Iris?¡±

    Carol tried sharing some of her bread with me, but I had to turn her down. Saluena and I had breakfast before we came here. No matter how good it smells, if I give in and eat here, my lunch will be completely ruined.

    ¡°Uwa, this meat¡¯s really good too. Iris is losing out by not eating here.¡±

    ¡°How nice. I¡¯ll be sure to let my mom know you said that.¡±

    Carol was currently sinking her teeth into some herb grilled barbato. The Shining Hen in Rifront had a dish with the same name, but while they grilled the meat as is, this place minces the meat before kneading it with the herbs to make something similar to a hamburger. The juices overflow as the knife cuts through the meat making me hungry just looking at it. But, is there something in there besides the herbs?

    ¡°Oh my god, is there an entire sausage packed in here? Woohoo, my excitement is reaching its peak?¡±

    ¡°Rather than exciting, isn¡¯t this dish more like they just took a whole bunch of things that they liked and rolled them all together? I mean, I guess I don¡¯t hate that way of thinking.¡±

    ¡°T-This is¡­¡­perhaps a little too heavy for me¡­¡­¡±

    While Carol was delighted by the dish, Rose-san¡¯s face was a little cramped as she looked at her own hamburger. But that can¡¯t be helped. After all, this is a place with an overwhelmingly high male ratio, so naturally the menu would reflect that.

    ¡°Does that mean I can have your sausage!?¡±

    ¡°Sorry Carol-san, could you please?¡±

    Breakfast finished just like that, and as I was getting started on my second cup of tea, ¡°So about those ruins¡­¡­,¡± Toslin started talking about their job.

    ?

    ¡°Eh, so there weren¡¯t any ghosts?¡±

    With Carol and Rose-san popping in to add on a detail or two, the story goes that after the three of them left the city and entered the mountains, there wasn¡¯t a single undead among the monsters they encountered.

    They had only managed to explore a small part of the ruins for now, but Rose-san could not confirm anything unclean inside either.

    ¡°Like we said though, the mines are a complex maze, and we¡¯ve only been able to investigate about ten percent of the ruins. So, there might still be something there deeper inside.¡±

    Carol patted her bulging belly, and with a relaxed, satisfied look on her face, muttered,

    ¡°If a certain somebody hadn¡¯t lead us down the wrong road, we could¡¯ve gotten more done.¡±

    ¡°You picked the wrong road too though?¡±

    Even together these two have zero sense of direction. But the job takes place in a mine this time, so it can¡¯t be helped if they get lost in there. They showed me the map the church gave them, and it¡¯s as complicated as an ant farm. Plus this map is old and hard to make out. The paper has faded in some areas, and in others, I can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s supposed to symbolize something or if it¡¯s just a stain.

    ¡°You said you did encounter some monsters though. What kind exactly?¡±

    Saluena spoke up while I was looking over the map. Rose-san was sitting right next to her, pouring some more tea into Saluena¡¯s empty cup. She¡¯s so chivalrous.

    ¡°Ents, Sally-oneesama. There were maybe a dozen of them. Despite their numbers, Toslin-san and I managed to defeat them.¡±

    ¡°I just watched.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not much a dagger can do against wood after all. And you might start a forest fire if you tried to burn them.¡±

    Simply put, the monster called an ent is just a moving tree. They¡¯ll stand still pretending to be your average, ordinary tree. Then once their prey carelessly draws near, they¡¯ll wave their branches and attack.

    You might wonder how a tree could possibly start moving, but a tree that gains a ring every year is a vessel that can hold that much power. Ents are supposed to be made once an evil spirit transfers into this vessel and makes use of that built up power.

    ¡°Hey, Iris. Is it normal for an ent to appear around here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there are plenty of mountains around here as you can see, so there are multiple sightings every year. With that being said, I¡¯ve never heard of anyone ever seeing a dozen of them at once.¡±

    Solretta Litta has conifer trees all around, and our lumberjacks go out almost every day year round to chop them down and process them into lumber.

    There have been quite a few cases where a lumberjack would end up attacked by an ent during their work. But thinking back, it wasn¡¯t exactly a frequent occurrence either. If this was such a dangerous area that a dozen ents could attack you in one night, I probably would have never been asked to go to Rifront in the first place.

    ¡°I see. The receptionist was pretty surprised herself when I reported it to the guild.¡±

    But what were they surprised about? Is it because that many ents showed up at once? Or because just three people were enough to kill that many of them?

    ¡°But I¡¯m sure an ent doesn¡¯t moan though?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right about that. Somebody heard the leaves rubbing against each other and mistook that noise for moaning¡­¡­.it¡¯s an explanation that seems a little hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°Then the spirits dwelling inside the ents were moaning?¡±

    ¡°Can spirits moan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°All right, shut up for a bit.¡±

    Toslin stabbed her fork into the last bite of her sausage and shoved it into Carol¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Gack, *Munch* *Munch* *Munch*¡­¡­¡­Delicious!¡±

    ¡°Depending on the power of the spirits themselves, I know there are those spirits that are able to communicate and hold a conversation.¡±

    ¡°Is that really true?¡±

    ¡°Yes, most spirits don¡¯t know what to think or do, but the powerful ones can possess an ego. Powerful spirits like that tend to control and order around the weaker ones.¡±

    ¡°In other words, there¡¯s a powerful spirit nearby, and it¡¯s telling the weaker spirits to rampage around?¡±

    ¡°Considering your story, it¡¯s certainly a possibility. But if all you encountered were ents, then as strange as it is, maybe it really is as simple as you having run into a dozen of them at once?¡±

    Toslin started looking pensive as she mulled over Saluena¡¯s conjectures.

    ¡°Well for now, we¡¯ll carry forward assuming the worst.¡±

    ¡°Nyaaa, I¡¯m getting sleepy¡­..¡±

    Carol opened her mouth wide in a huge yawn, her eyes already almost closed entirely.

    ¡°Indeed. We did not receive any sleep last night¡­¡­¡±

    Having been quietly taking care of Saluena until now, Rose-san caught Carol¡¯s yawn, putting her hand to her mouth and shrinking back a little.

    ¡°Oh, to yawn in front of you onee-sama, my sincerest apologies¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s only natural you would be tired right now.¡±

    Saluena lovingly gripped a tuft of Rose-san¡¯s silky hair and rubbed it between her fingers.

    ¡°Sally-oneesama¡­¡­.ah, don¡¯t. Feeling my hair in a place like this¡­¡­.¡±

    Indeed. Just where do you think you really are right now?

    ¡°Yes yes, let¡¯s save the flirting for later.¡±

    When I hit the table a little harder than I had intended, Rose-san jumped in her seat.

    ¡°Ah, Iris-san? I wasn¡¯t¡­¡­.I mean, that was not our intention.¡±

    ¡°Ohoh, apparently Iris is starting to get jealous. But of which one of us? What do you think Rosa?¡±

    Huh? I¡¯m feeling really irritated right now for some reason. I would usually be a lot more careful with my words. Should I let Rose know here and now about how seriously Saluena prayed to that stuffed animal¡­¡­..no, that¡¯s really pathetic, so let¡¯s stop thinking like that right now.

    ¡°O-Oneesama. Iris-san is actually angry, so let us stop with the playing¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, if that¡¯s what Rosa says, I¡¯ll keep it here.¡±

    Thinking about it, Saluena and Rose-san have started a sisterly relationship with one another, so maybe they¡¯re feeling lonely because they can¡¯t spend any time together. And if I keep thinking about that, maybe that irritation from earlier will change into something else.

    ¡°Once Rose-san¡¯s job is finished, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good idea to go out somewhere together with her, Saluena? You need to take a breather every once in a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­what are you saying all of the sudden Master?¡±

    ¡°I-Indeed. Our mission is to protect you Iris-san¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯ll stay with Iris in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°Rather than just calling yourselves sisters, you should get to know each other in all sorts of ways. Otherwise there might be trouble if an emergency were to ever come up.¡±

    After weighing both options based on which one would bring them the most fun, Toslin and Carol decided to join my side, giving us the majority vote. If I can return the favor to the two people who are always taking care of me, I owe Saluena an especially deep debt, then I¡¯ll be happy.

    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s decided. Oh and sorry to bother you, but could you do me a favor Iris?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡±

    Toslin picked Carol, who was already sleeping like a log, up into her arms.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to head back to the inn and get some shut eye in order to go back out investigating tonight, so could you fill Aronda-san in on everything I just told you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s no problem at all.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Toslin gave a small wave of the hand before leaving the table. Carol was thrown over her shoulder and carried off in a scene similar to a kidnapping.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­.Iris-san? About before¡­¡­..did you really mean that?¡±

    After Rose-san had finished her farewells with Saluena, she came over to me and asked in a small voice.

    ¡°Of course. There¡¯s a theater in this town meant for tourists, so it would be good if you two went and had some fun together.¡±

    And then while you¡¯re together, please pamper Saluena who is surprisingly lonely. I couldn¡¯t say what I really wanted to say in my heart, so I did my best to keep showing a calm smile.

    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡­ I understand. Thank you for your consideration.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if my feelings were transmitted correctly, but if it¡¯s Rose-san, then I¡¯m sure some time alone together will be enough for her to understand and help Saluena heal the wounds on her heart.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Hm? ¡­¡­.but, I wonder why.

    I did something good.

    Right, just a moment ago. I think so, especially after seeing Rose-san¡¯s honeycomb like smile¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Well then, pardon me. I shall see you the same time tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, same time tomorrow.¡±

    And yet, there¡¯s a small pain in my heart.

 CH 55

    When we arrived at the church, one of the sisters called for Aronda-san. She had a mysterious look on her face the entire time while I repeated everything I had heard inside the guild building.

    ¡°So¡­.. Not undead, but ents¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a chance there might be a stronger spirit managing the ents, so they¡¯ll be going back to investigate this evening.¡±

    ¡°I see. If it¡¯s a spirit that can order around a dozen ents, it must be considerably powerful. We are truly fortunate those girls arrived in the city when they did.¡±

    Depending on the individual specimen and the habitat they reside in, ents are at least a level 5 enemy. It¡¯s said that it takes an extreme amount of effort for a newer, less experienced adventurer to handle even one of them. So it¡¯s natural that Aronda-san would think this way upon hearing that a dozen of them were killed in a single night.

    ¡°But the real question is, if there is a spirit with that much power, then why is it here?¡±

    Saluena sat down on a bench and patted the seat right next to her. She¡¯s telling me to sit next to her.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ve identified a large number of ents, and in all likelihood, that moaning didn¡¯t come from an undead or some animal¡­¡­. In that case, I would think it natural to assume we have a spirit capable of thought on our hands¡­¡­but how a spirit like that came to be, I can¡¯t even venture a guess.¡±

    ¡°Um, Aronda-san. I have an idea.¡±

    I timidly raised my hand from next to Saluena.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a library inside the church somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re quite well informed.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I heard about it from a mage who lives in my neighborhood. That¡¯s why I was wondering if there might be a section on the town¡¯s history in there.¡±

    ¡°You want to research if there were any incidents similar to this that happened in the past?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Right now, this is all I can do to help.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­gentle maiden. Certainly it was you who said we could turn to the church if ever there was a time we were in need?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes. I, certainly did.¡±

    ¡°Then, that time has already arrived. If you could please allow Iris access to that library.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Absolutely. If a powerful spirit is involved, this might prove to be a danger to the entire town. I¡¯ll even ask some of the other sisters to lend you their aid.¡±

    ¡°T-Thank you very much Aronda-san.¡±

    I stood back up and gave her a deep bow.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. You¡¯re the one who is saving me here.¡±

    Aronda-san gave me a wry smile before summoning several other sisters for the sake of helping me with my research.

    ?

    In its entirety, the church¡¯s library was about ten times bigger than the Calvafon bookstore. And yet, these shelves were also twice as tall as ours, and the books were tightly fitted next to each other, filling every shelf.

    ¡°Wow, so many books¡­¡­.¡±

    For a short moment after stepping into the church¡¯s library, I was in awe over the forest of books stretched out before me.

    ¡°The section dedicated to books about the history of the area surrounding Solretta is in the back Calvafon-sama.¡±

    ¡°Wah!? Huh!?¡±

    I believe the sister addressing me with sama was called Elzella-san.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard a maiden make that noise before.¡±

    Saluena was criticizing how I responded. But I just couldn¡¯t help it. The only time I¡¯ve ever been addressed with ¡®sama¡¯ were those couple times I was joking around with Mycena.

    ¡°U-Um, you can just call me Iris. There¡¯s no need for you to address me with¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°That is impossible. Because Calvafon-sama is one chosen by the Goddess Illya.¡±

    Saying that much, Elzella-san walked to the back of the room. I decided to give up on changing her mind about what to call me for the moment and quickly trot after her. I¡¯ll talk to Aronda-san later. Maybe she¡¯ll be able to convince her to at least use ¡®san¡¯ for my name instead.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Here¡­..you say, but which ones are you talking about? These shelves are packed to bursting, and I can¡¯t tell which ones are which.¡±

    ¡°My deepest apologies for my lack of an explanation. Everything from this point on contains information about what has happened in Solretta Litta and the surrounding area.¡±

    Everything¡­¡­ This section alone is already twice as big as the Calvafon bookstore.

    ¡°How many books are there¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I would say 3,000. This church has stood within this city for several hundred years now. And we add several books to these shelves each year.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.¡±

    ¡°But it has to be done. Let¡¯s start with the oldest and work our way forward.¡±

    ¡°That would be this shelf here. We shall be as much help to you as we can.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I really appreciate the help.¡±

    I love books, but it¡¯d be impossible to search through everything here with just Saluena to help me. There¡¯s also a time crunch to take into account here. The more hands we have, the better.

    So the seven of us¨Cme, Saluena, Elzella-san, and 4 other sisters¨Cbegan rifling through books, trying to find any information we could about this spirit.

    ?

    ¡­¡­.but our first day failed to produce any results.

    ¡°¡­¡­.sorry Saluena. I¡¯m forcing you to do something you aren¡¯t used to.¡±

    The seven of us started our research in the morning, and continuing on through our lunch break, we kept going until evening was upon us. And yet, we failed to find even a mention of any kind of spirits.

    ¡°My master never need apologize to me. I am your servant. Use me however you wish.¡±

    Similar to last night, I was walking home with Saluena after leaving the church. It¡¯s the same road where I slipped and fell on my butt resulting in Rose-san and Saluena having to walk with me while holding my hands.

    ¡°Use¡­.. I¡¯d never do that, so please don¡¯t talk like that about yourself.¡±

    I¡¯m tired, so my tone was a little harsher than I meant to be.

    ¡°¡­¡­I see, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry too. I¡¯m all worked up, and I took it out on you.¡±

    ¡°So even Iris can get annoyed.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Of course I can get angry. I¡¯m not Rose-san after all. Well, I¡¯m usually just angry at myself though.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re giving her too much credit. Rosa is a human too. She¡¯s still inexperienced as a priestess as well. I¡¯m not saying she¡¯s always angry, but that doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t get frustrated or fed up either.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­now that you mention it, Rose-san did seem to be really angry with you when you two first met.¡±

    Their sisterly pledge had left such a strong impression on me, I kind of forgot about that.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not all. She seemed quite frustrated with herself at the church as well.¡±

    ¡°At the church?¡±

    Saluena has been at my side ever since we returned to the city. So if Saluena is mentioning an incident with Rose-san at the church, I must have been there to see it too. But, I have no idea what she could be talking about.

    ¡°Back then, when I introduced myself to the gentle maiden priestess, I referred to myself as a traitor.¡±

    Oh, I remember that. Back then, I thought of you as an honest to the fault woman for saying something like that out loud.

    ¡°However when that priestess heard me, she did not criticize or blame. She instead generously recognized and accepted me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she did do that.¡±

    ¡°At that time, in my eyes, Rosa looked angry. Angry at herself. Because she compared herself to this priestess in front of her and began to think of herself as intolerant.¡±

    As she talks about Rose-san, the corners of Saluena¡¯s mouth curve upwards into a soft smile.

    ¡°So after that, she made the choice not to rely on me, her sister. I guess¡­¡­she wanted to show off her good points to me. Such a cute girl.¡±

    I though I might be seeing things, a trick from sunset, but apparently not.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you. It¡¯s a good thing you were able to meet Rose-san.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. As I¡¯ve said before, just like Iris, I am truly lucky to have met Rosa in this era.¡±

    Seeing Saluena look so happy as she said that, I realized something.

    To be blunt, I¡¯m jealous.

    (¡­¡­I, never noticed.)

    I never realized until right now that Rose-san was suffering and feeling inferior to Aronda-san. What¡¯s more, I had to be told. Even though I¡¯ve known Rose-san a lot longer than Saluena has.

    ¡°Even if you do look cute sometimes, you are still an adult after all.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    While mumbling something incredibly rude, a pain began forming in my chest as murky jealousy bubbled up.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    But at the same time as I worked through the pain, I found myself thinking something else.

    I wish I was as kind and gentle as Saluena is.

 CH 56

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    Walking in through the store-side entrance, I found Sarah talking with a customer.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back Iris.¡±

    The customer turned around showing a jovial old man whose face was covered in deep wrinkles after a lifetime of smiling and laughter.

    ¡°Huh, Grandpa? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    It was Ferdinand-san, the Calvafon bookstore¡¯s neighbor and the magician ojii-chan who taught me what little I know about magic.

    He put in an order for a new book the day before yesterday, but it hasn¡¯t arrived yet. Grandpa should know that, so did he need to order something else and forgot about it until now?

    ¡°Welcome home Onee-chan. Grandpa and I were just talking about you.¡±

    ¡°I came over to order another book, but Sarah kept badgering me to talk with her some more.¡±

    ¡°Because I had loads of free time. And I didn¡¯t have Onee-chan to keep me company. Oh, Saluena-sama, welcome back.¡±

    Seeing Saluena come in after me, Sarah jumped out of her chair and quickly bowed.

    ¡°I¡¯m back. It¡¯s amazing how you can tend the shop on your own like this.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Whenever Mom and Onee-chan are busy, it falls on me to pick up the slack.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, how admirable. But that reminds me, I never asked what your father does during the day. I only ever see him during the early mornings and at night.¡±

    Saluena asked while quietly throwing some extra firewood into the stove in the middle of the shop.

    ¡°Did we never tell you? Dad is a scholar. He¡¯s writing his next book right now.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, a scholar? So Iris inherited being a book lover from him?¡±

    ¡°Well, who knows? Dad married into the family, so maybe I got my book loving blood from Mom.¡±

    The Calvafon bookstore is mainly manged by Mom. Dad will end up compiling all the research he¡¯s done over the winter, and we¡¯ll end up selling his book out of the shop.

    With that being said, there are quite a few people who look forward to his books, and we get a surge of letters from all over the world every year during this time of the year. Grandpa here is one such person.

    ¡°So what kind of research does he do?¡±

    ¡°Medicinal herbs. The medicine I¡¯m taking right now is something Flammel prepared for me.¡±

    ¡°Dad is amazing!!¡¯

    Sarah stuck out her chest with a *harumph*. But thinking for a bit, I wasn¡¯t looking at her¡­..instead keeping my eye on Grandpa.

    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m researching spirits right now¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­hoh, spirits you say. How strange to hear that word coming from you. Are you interested in learning magic again?¡±

    Grandpa¡¯s face cracked into a large smile, one hand stroking his long, thin beard.

    ¡°Well, sorry. I¡¯m not. The adventurers who escorted me home are currently working out of this city¡­¡­¡±

    It feels weird keeping a secret from Grandpa and Sarah, but I decided to avoid telling them both about what I was doing in the church. I instead focused only about what happened in the guild¨Cabout the investigation into the mysterious moaning and how we currently suspect there might be a powerful spirit nearby.

    ¡°I see¡­..that is certainly strange indeed.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because it goes against an ent¡¯s very nature to gather together in a single spot like what you¡¯ve described.¡±

    Grandpa stuck out one finger as he spoke. Then, a small ball of flames materialized at his fingertip.

    ¡°Wow, amazing Grandpa!¡±

    ¡°Fuahaha, most people would yell at me for starting an open fire while inside. So right now I have to say Sarah is the amazing one.¡±

    *Flit* *Flit*, Grandpa slowly raised each one of his fingers, another fireball flitting into existence at the tip of each one.

    ¡°So I¡¯ve started a fire. Do you know how?¡±

    ¡°The elder is a mage, so you used magic to do it.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s shift the question. Why can a mage start a fire like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­..that¡¯s because¡­..¡±

    Saluena shut her mouth. Mages can use magic. A person is called a mage because they can use magic. But if an ordinary person was asked why a mage can use magic, how were they supposed to answer that?

    ¡°I see. So it¡¯s the same principle?¡±

    ¡°So you understand it Iris? Then please share with the class.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa is making use of the spirits in this room. Spirits are big bundles of magic power all grouped together, like a crystal. So if Grandpa¡¯s magic power is high enough, the spirits should naturally follow you as well.¡±

    ¡°You remember your lessons well Iris. Spot on.¡±

    Grandpa nodded his head in satisfaction before throwing another piece of wood into the stove. The flames devoured the wood, jumping up in intensity and lighting up the room as bright as day.

    ¡°¡­¡­in other words, the elder¡¯s nature is no different from a strong spirit?¡±

    ¡°Fuahaha, I suppose you could say that. Mages use the magic power circulating in our bodies to attract spirits, and we influence those spirits into using their power to best suit our needs.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any clues about the spirit that might be in charge of the ents Grandpa? I¡¯d also like to ask if you know about anything similar to this happening to the town in the past.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­. As a mage, I was never an elementalist who specialized in using powerful spirits. And without sensing its existence, I can¡¯t tell what kind of spirit it is¡­¡­.¡±

    Grandpa started his explanation, and the wrinkles between his eyebrows only deepened as he continued on.

    ¡°Thinking about it normally, I would take a guess at it being a wind, earth, or tree spirit. Wind blows through these mountains endlessly, and the mountains themselves are chock full of minerals. Meanwhile the leaves around here grow thick and green even during the winter. Look at it that way, and we have the possibility for our culprit to be one of three powerful spirits. But like I said, that¡¯s if you think about it normally¡­¡­. What I mean is, there¡¯s nothing to say that it might not be a different spirit entirely.¡±

    A sylph, the spirit of the wind. A gnome, the spirit of earth. Or a dryad, the spirit of trees. In this case, I guess the most likely answer would be a dryad?

    ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll be sure to keep my mind open to any other possibilities as well.¡±

    ¡°Mm, good. This world is filled with the mysterious. Remember that even what you think you see with your eyes could just be an illusion for something else entirely.¡±

    Grandpa has been telling me those same words ever since I was little. They¡¯re like a habit of his. But with the knowledge on magic he passed down to me included as well, and it turns out I¡¯ve learned quite a bit from this ojii-chan. When I confronted the dragon, it was all thanks to Grandpa¡¯s teachings that I was able to understand the grimoire¡¯s nature.

    ¡°And the question you¡¯re probably most curious about¡­¡­.I moved to this city twenty years ago, and not once have I ever heard about an incident like this. Not even so much as a rumor. So if it has happened before, it did so before I ever came to town.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­.thanks Grandpa.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be of more help.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯ve been a huge help. I only had some suspicions about this spirit, so you really saved me.¡±

    While I gave my honest thanks, Grandpa stopped and stared at me for a moment.

    ¡°W-What?¡±

    ¡°No, I was just thinking about how much you¡¯ve changed in the last six months.¡±

    ¡°I-I have?¡±

    Sarah and Mycena both said I¡¯ve gotten fatter, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what Grandpa is talking about. The atmosphere I carry, that¡¯s probably it.

    ¡°Well, various things happened.¡±

    ¡°Fuahaha, of course. How boorish of me to say that to a girl your age. Then I should be going. And should you ever wish to start learning magic again, feel free to stop by any time.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡­yeah, thanks.¡±

    Even if Grandpa says so, I¡¯ve already given up on that kind of life, so it¡¯s hard just nodding my head.

    (Magic training¡­¡­.? Once again¡­¡­.maybe I should do it. If I could cast some proper spells, I might be able to defend myself¡­¡­.)

    I waved Grandpa off with a bitter smile. Then just as the store¡¯s door closed, I heard Mom¡¯s voice coming from the back of the building.

    ¡°Ah, okay~¡±

    Apparently supper was finished.

    ?

    We were having dinner, but my mind was somewhere far off in the distance. Mom¡¯s delicious cooking was having a hard time finding its way to my mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Iris? Are you not hungry?¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling sick?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, nothing¡¯s wrong. Sorry, I was just thinking about something.¡±

    Tonight¡¯s meal was salted chicken soup with ginseng mixed sweet bread. We also had a salad made from vegetables preserved in the snow over winter.

    ¡°Yep, delicious.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. But I can make you something else if you want. You too Saluena. Dig right in, no need to hold back.¡±

    ¡°You have my gratitude.¡±

    Mom was really taken aback when she first learned that Saluena was a knight, but she¡¯s really opened her heart now that the two of them had gotten to know each other. Saluena has also gotten used to living here, even starting to help Mom with the chores around the house.

    ¡°Heh, so that really happened?¡±

    Dad has a huge smile on while listening to one of Sarah¡¯s stories.

    ¡°Yes. Mycenyan is always making me laugh by saying fun things like that.¡±

    Sarah is really enjoying herself getting to talk to Dad who is usually away during the day. Meanwhile Mom is laughing to herself watching the two of them go.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    They¡¯re my family, but I¡¯m keeping a secret from them.

    I¡¯m lying to the people I love most in the world.

    A black muck in my heart continues to grow bigger and bigger with each passing day accompanied by a pain as if there were a million protruding spines growing off of it and cutting me open from the inside out.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, those adventurers haven¡¯t stopped by again. I could barely say two words to that Toslin-san, and I feel like I really need to thank her.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s stop by the guild some time. Or maybe it would be better if we visited the church instead?¡±

    ¡°Hey Iris. Could you tell those girls we want to see them again?¡±

    A vase filled with tikarodeka is sitting right in front of me. The orange flowers are still blooming and serve as a beautiful decoration for the dining room table.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    Is this really okay? Will I spend the rest of my life in this house with a sullen heart?

    ¡°Hey, Iris?¡±

    ¡°Iris. Your venerable mother1 is calling for you.¡±

    ¡°N-No. There¡¯s really no need for you to call me a venerable mother Saluena-san.¡±

    ¡°Oh, s-sorry. What is it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really engrossed in your thoughts tonight. Is there some kind of difficult problem eating away at you? You can talk to us about it if you like.¡±

    Dad gave me the same smile he was giving Sarah. For as long as I can remember, Dad has always been earnest about helping the two of us face our problems head on.

    ¡°¡­¡­..ah, um¡­¡­.. Sorry. I want to try thinking about this on my own for just a little bit longer.¡±

    But I can¡¯t face my problems head on like Dad can. I use words to build walls hoping they¡¯ll hide away my lies and secrets.

    ¡°I see. Just remember that if you can¡¯t figure something out yourself, you always have Poatika and me who you can rely on. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks Dad.¡±

    I forced a smile through the walls so as to not worry them anymore or disturb this peaceful atmosphere.

    ?

    And then¡­¡­.the next day.

    I traveled to the guild with Saluena same as yesterday to hear how things went.

    But¡­¡­Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san never showed up.

 CH 57

    That morning, I arrived at the Warrior Guild¡¯s reception desk the same time I did yesterday.

    ¡°Is that so? Then sorry, but do you mind if we wait for them today too?¡±

    I sat down at a table with Saluena and waited for Toslin and the others to get here as well. But the looks I was getting from my surroundings were far more curious than they had been the day before.

    ¡°Hey. Isn¡¯t that the girl from yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday? Oh, the girl who was friends with those orange rank adventurers.¡±

    It looks like the presence of the orange rank adventurers Toslin and Carol along with the priestess Rose-san has been vividly scorched into the people here¡¯s minds. As such, they did not hesitate to stab me with their questionable gazes as they wondered who I was to them.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s Iris. You know, from that bookstore over in the shopping district¡­¡­.¡±

    One person was able to recognize me, so my name slowly started to spread through the rest of the building. Most of the people muttered a small, ¡°Oh,¡± as an inkling of recollection came to their minds, but there were a couple of other voices mixed in as well.

    ¡°¡­¡­what¡¯s that kid doing here again? She¡¯s probably just trying to get close to those adventurers.¡±

    ¡°If so, then you have to admire how bold she is. There¡¯s no way I could ever do that.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, she can hear you both.¡±

    ¡°She looks like an ordinary village girl who probably doesn¡¯t know any of the finer details about ranks. Somebody should go ahead and give her those details. Those adventurers live in a completely different world than her.¡±

    ¡°I said stop Peachseed1.¡±

    There were three female adventurers sitting at the table next to ours who were currently looking for their next job. Two of them with the same shade of dark brown skin were glaring at me with clear disgust.

    For them, my being here was less than interesting. Since they¡¯re people of the same business, they probably know about other people who¡¯ve tried sucking up to high level adventurers. People who craved a connection more than anything else whether that connection be as fellow party members, friends, or even just getting to know them. So in their eyes, I probably look like a disgusting bug who doesn¡¯t know her place.

    ¡°They¡¯re late. They said they were going to prioritize investigating the inside of the mines today. Did they get lost?¡±

    Saluena moved her body closer to me in an attempt to protect me from those malicious glares.

    ¡°M-Maybe¡­..¡±

    I skipped breakfast today because I wanted to eat with everyone. But nearly two hours have already passed, and none of them have stopped by.

    The gazes of the people around me, especially those three adventurers, keeps becoming more and more severe. I could hear people bad-mouthing me with ridicule mixed mutterings from here and there, but I managed to shrug it off each time.

    ¡°Master, maybe you should get something to eat?¡±

    I¡¯m lucky Saluena is here with me. Without her, I probably wouldn¡¯t have lasted five minutes in this place. Saluena calmly dismissed any ridicule, snide comments, or negative emotions that were thrown our way. Honestly, it was like she didn¡¯t even hear them. Whenever I looked at her, I was able to calm down a bit.

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­..but I think I¡¯ll wait just a little longer. Oh, unless, are you hungry Saluena? If you want to eat something first¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to wait, I¡¯ll wait too. Food tastes better when you eat with someone else. Eating by yourself makes the food taste bland.¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry¡­..Saluena¡­..¡±

    Another hour passed. In the end, they never came. I asked the receptionist again just in case Carol had slipped in without us noticing her, but the answer was the same as it had been before. Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san hadn¡¯t been back to the guild since leaving yesterday morning.

    My stomach was screaming at me, so I ate something suitable along with Saluena. The food¡¯s flavor didn¡¯t leave a strong impression on me with the situation being what it is. However I did get the feeling it was a little heavy, just like what Rose-san had said yesterday.

    And so we continued to wait.

    As it got closer to lunchtime, the number of people along with the number of hateful gazes decreased, but¡­¡­.they still hadn¡¯t returned.

    ¡°Something must have happened out in the field if they still haven¡¯t returned by now. We should head back for now and come back tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡­¡­you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Rose-san said they¡¯d be back today. I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t feeling anxious because Rose-san she hadn¡¯t returned like she said she would, but she¡¯s a priestess and an adventurer with orange rank level skills. Plus Toslin and Carol are there with her, so I shouldn¡¯t have that much to worry about.

    But just as Saluena said, they must have found something or something must have happened to throw a wrench in their plans. Definitely.

    ¡°Oh, so, you couldn¡¯t see them in the end. Those adventurers.¡±

    I was on my way out of the building after leaving a message with the receptionist when an adventurer started talking to me. I don¡¯t remember too well, but I think I recognize her face from the party of adventurers who were sitting at the table next to me this morning.

    ¡°N-No¡­..¡±

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s a shame¡­¡­. Um, I wanted to apologize to you for all the things my companions were saying about you. We¡¯ve been stuck in this city for six months now because of the snow, and they¡¯re just a little on edge.¡±

    I thought she was going to say something mean to me, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any work for us because of all this snow, so we¡¯ve had to eke out a living by acting as lumberjacks. And then those orange rank adventurers arrive in town¡­¡­and I think they feel like their work has been taken from them. But they can¡¯t complain to the adventurers themselves, so they¡¯re trying to vent their frustrations on somebody who knows them¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I, see¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I promise you they aren¡¯t usually like that. So please don¡¯t misunderstand¡­¡­is probably too much for me to ask right? I¡¯m sorry. Really sorry.¡±

    ¡°N-No¡­..everyone has their own circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I could say the same thing about you too. So please, on their behalf, I am honestly, truly sorry.¡±

    The adventurer gave me a deep bow before saying, ¡°I hope you can meet with them,¡± and heading back towards the reception desk.

    A beautiful woman with gray hair, blue eyes, and an overall pale complexion.

    ¡°I see¡­¡­just like how I had to spend half a year in Rifront¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°There are others who had a similar experience in this town.¡±

    If I hadn¡¯t met Toslin, Carol, and then Rose-san in Rifront. If I hadn¡¯t met Charlie and Meltaria-san. What would I have done for the six months I was stuck there?

    I would have spent every night crying to myself, talking about how I wanted to go home. My heart would have definitely grown rough, and I probably would be snapping at people too.

    ¡°However, you shouldn¡¯t let that bother you Master. Other people¡¯s worries are not your own. And in a case like this, naturally you would know nothing about the other person¡¯s circumstances precisely because they are another person.¡±

    Saluena rubbed my back to try and give me some encouragement. I left the guild building with that hand at my back, but there was one thing stuck to my brain that refused to let go.

    ¡°Those adventurers live in a completely different world than her¡±

    I shrugged those words off at first. As time went on though, slowly but surely, they¡¯ve gained weight like a cotton ball taking on water, and they now weigh heavy on my heart.

    ?

    As afternoon rolled in, I made my way to the church and continued the research I had started the day before. Elzella-san and the other sisters had actually continued the search without me and had made some headway through the mountain of books. But still no clues have been found.

    I was still worried about everyone, but I forced those worries out of my mind and focused myself entirely on the words printed out in front of me. But the day inevitably came to an end without finding a single clue.

    I left the church, but before heading home, I returned to the guild one more time to check with the receptionist again. But my answer was the same as it had been before.

    I told the receptionist I would return tomorrow morning before Saluena and I made our way home, dragging our long shadows behind us cast from the setting sun.

    However tomorrow and even the morning after passed with Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san never coming back.

    1. So this girl¡¯s name in Japanese is actually Peachshizu which sounds an awful lot like Peach Seed. There¡¯s another girl in the next chapter whose name is Plumshizu or Plum seed.

 CH 58

    It is now the fourth morning since since Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san left to explore those ruins, and they still haven¡¯t returned.

    My sleepless night was spent praying at my bedside, waiting for the early morning sun to rise. Once light finally began to break over the horizon, I threw on my coat and dashed towards the door.

    ¡°Onee-chan!? Where are you off to in such a hurry!?¡±

    Sarah¡¯s head poked out from a window on the second floor, but I wasn¡¯t going to stop my feet.

    ¡°Guild!! Sorry Sarah!! I¡¯ll explain later!!¡±

    Right now, I¡¯m not worried about whether or not the cobblestone road is slippery from frozen melted snow. I need to get to the guild building right this second and check. Has anyone come back yet?

    ?

    ¡°No, they¡­..still haven¡¯t returned¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­that¡­¡­.¡±

    The receptionist¡¯s words echoed in my ears, and for a moment, everything went black. Saluena grabbed me before I could fall over and helped me over to a stool.

    ¡°No way¡­¡­.it¡¯s already been three days¡­¡­.¡±

    Even Saluena had started looking concerned after yesterday morning. But thinking I hadn¡¯t noticed, she tried to hide that face while continuing to encourage me.

    ¡°¡­.they should be back by now¡±

    But after three days and still no word, she couldn¡¯t even try to hide her worry anymore.

    ¡°The guild is still trying to get confirmation, but most likely they¡¯re still inside the ruins. And unfortunately there are no other adventurers in the city right now who are strong enough to go looking for them¡­¡­so even receiving that confirmation is looking unlikely. I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing more we can do.¡±

    ¡°N-No¡­¡­.I¡¯m sorry for dropping in like this day after day¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m just thankful the guild hasn¡¯t given up on confirming their safety. Of course people are going to shy away when orange rank adventurers suddenly don¡¯t return from some ruins. And the guild itself would be foolish to send in lower rank adventurers to a place they already know is dangerous.

    ¡°Iris. Let¡¯s rest for now. You didn¡¯t get any sleep last night, and are probably tired after running all the way here like that.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­ Y-You¡¯re right¡­..¡±

    Saluena helped me to my feet, supporting my body as we moved to some nearby chairs and allowing me to take a deep breath to try and calm myself down.

    ¡°Hey, you, quit being so thoughtless.¡±

    With those words, the foot of my chair was lightly kicked twice.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You must have a lot of free time coming to the guild day after day. Don¡¯t you have a job?¡±

    Looking up, there was a dark skinned woman with shoulder length black hair wearing leather armor standing in front of me. She looked like she was about my age or else just a little older.

    Standing behind her was another woman with a deep scowl on her face who looked like she was the first woman¡¯s companion. This woman was wearing a robe, but she had the same color skin and hair. The both of them also had the same light pink colored eyes, so they were probably sisters or something.

    ¡°I-I am¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. You¡¯re waiting for those powerful adventurers right?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­but¡­¡­¡±

    The woman wearing armor let out a deep sigh as I nodded my head. Her almond-shaped eyes narrowed even further creating a sharp glare that cut right through me.

    ¡°Your thoughtlessness is seriously an eyesore. I¡¯m an adventurer who has to use this place to do my job. But each and every single day you come in here, sitting there doing nothing, and get in other people¡¯s way¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­I didn¡¯t mean to¡­..¡±

    I quickly tried to stand up, but my knees laughed at my effort as my body started to fully feel the fatigue from my running here. Seeing me, the woman let out another sigh before continuing on with a harsh, reproachful tone.

    ¡°Then what were you trying to do? Do you want to brag to your friends about how you¡¯re close to some powerful adventurers? How shameless. I suggest you quit now because that kind of thing is what adventurers hate the most.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re wrong, I just needed to tell them something¡­¡­¡±

    There¡¯s been a terrible misunderstanding here. But from an objective point of view, I think it¡¯s natural that she would come to this kind of conclusion. So I opened my mouth to clear up the misunderstanding, but considering a weak-willed girl like me has trouble talking at the best of times, I end up tongue-tied and unable to say what I want.

    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll tell them for you. Then you don¡¯t have to come back here anymore. How about it? Doesn¡¯t that sound like a good solution? Or you could even write them a letter. I promise to give it to them. If you don¡¯t know how to write, I could always write it for you instead.¡±

    The woman crossed her arms, not even trying to hide her annoyance. Her companion standing behind her was the same¡­¡­no, she looks a little different. With the way she¡¯s furrowing her brow, rather than being irritated, it looks like she¡¯s embarrassed to be here?

    ¡°¡­¡­.N-No¡±

    I was curious, but I shook my head and banished the thought. If I can¡¯t communicate my thoughts well enough, I need to at least make it clear where I stand on this.

    ¡°Thank you very much for your kind offer. However, I will tell them myself once I see them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re ? not ? getting ? it! I¡¯m saying you need to stop this! You say you understand, but those orange rank adventurers are way more amazing than you think. You and them live in completely different worlds!¡±

    Ah, I remembered. I had heard an adventurer say, ¡± Those adventurers live in a completely different world than her,¡± that first morning when Toslin and the others didn¡¯t return.

    I dredged up the memory from a few days ago and matched the face of that adventurer to the one in front of me. Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s the same person. There aren¡¯t many people with dark colored skin this far north, so her face stands out.

    ¡°Hey¡­..Peachseed!! Didn¡¯t I tell you to apologize!? Then why does it almost sound like you¡¯re threatening her!?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    How should I get these people to understand, no, maybe it¡¯d be better if I just ignored them and moved to a corner rather than try to explain¡­¡­..just as I was thinking that, a voice rose up from a table further in the back.

    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t really threatening her or anything! But she looks really pitiable coming here every day in the cold, so I thought I would offer to pass the message on for her!¡±

    The owner of the voice was the adventurer who spoke to me in front of the guild four days ago. Her gray hair and blue eyes are really striking, so her face stood out to me.

    That person was stomping her way over here. With each step, the two dark skinned women shrank back as if a dragon was advancing upon them.

    ¡°You too Plumseed. I told you this morning. If you don¡¯t apologize to her, I¡¯m not going to party up with you both anymore.¡±

    ¡°P-Please wait!! I-I was going to apologize. But then Peachseed couldn¡¯t keep quiet, and I couldn¡¯t find the moment to say it, and¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s my fault!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s your fault! I¡¯ve been keeping quiet because you said you wanted to apologize before me¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°U-Um¡­..well¡­¡­¡±

    So in other words, the woman in the robe really was embarrassed to be standing there? But she kept standing there because she wanted to apologize to me?

    ¡°Standing here will only serve to inconvenience the other patrons. So we should either wrap up this matter quickly, or move it somewhere else.¡±

    While I was having trouble keeping up with how the situation was developing, Saluena¡¯s voice cut through without any fear.

    ¡°Ah¡­..¡±

    And it was at that moment that both them and I noticed how we were blocking the way. So the woman called Peachseed pointed at a chair next to me.

    ¡°H-Hey¡­¡­can I sit here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, um¡­¡­go ahead. Rather, it¡¯s not my chair, so you and Plumseed-san are free to sit wherever you like¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°R-Right, well then, as long as you¡¯re okay with it¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡­¡­so before I could make heads or tails of what was actually going on here, all five seats at my table were taken up by me, Saluena, and the three adventurers.

 CH 59

    ¡°T-Then if it¡¯s like that, then everything I said until now¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Kutuna-san¡¯s apology hour finally came to an end. In truth it was probably only a couple of minutes, but it definitely feels like they¡¯ve been apologizing to me for an hour. These three¡¯s presence has been that deeply engraved into my mind.

    ¡°But what could have happened in those ruins that¡¯d prevent orange rank adventurers from returning?¡±

    I¡¯ve already explained to them how Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san haven¡¯t yet returned after leaving to investigate those ruins. And Peachseed-san mumbled her thoughts aloud as she tried to figure out why that would be.

    ¡°Asking that right in front of her, being this insensitive again¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no no! It¡¯s fine, it really is fine. Saluena and I were just wondering the same thing¡­¡­.¡±

    I could feel Kutuna-san¡¯s anger flaring up again, so I proactively went out of my way to put out the flames.

    ¡°The only thing of note from their first report was the presence of some ents around the city. There were nearly a dozen of them, but even then they¡¯d be no match for Rosa¡­¡­or so I thought.¡±

    ¡°Heh? But an ent isn¡¯t the kind of enemy you can easily beat¡­¡­¡±

    Plumseed-san looked over towards Kutuna-san for confirmation.

    ¡°The three of us are green rank adventurers, so we should be able to take one on. There are individual differences of course, but by no means are they a weak enemy.¡±

    ¡°And they were able to kill a dozen of them in one night? Orange rank adventurers really are amazing.¡±

    Peachseed-san was amazed after hearing Kutuna-san¡¯s explanation. By the way, the Seed sisters were both level five, and Kutuna-san is level six. They¡¯re all about the same level Toslin and the others were when I first met them.

    ¡°But, then does that meant that request we got was to check up on this?¡±

    ¡°A request?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, two days ago the guild got in contact and had us patrol the area around the ruins.¡±

    ¡°It was the first adventurer-like job we had gotten in so long. Ahh, it was the first time we got to eat meat in such a long time too.¡±

    ¡°Thinking about it now, instead of making sure nothing came from the ruins, our job might have actually been about making sure nobody from the city came to the ruins. That way they could search for this Tosrillon-san without worry.¡±

    ¡°It certainly makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­ If rumor started to spread that some orange rank adventurers had disappeared, people would grow anxious over what¡¯s happening around the city¡­¡­.¡±

    Something almost certainly happened, but it may already be wrapped up. The guild is only looking out for the city¡¯s well-being by not wanting to spread fear when their adventurers might come back at any moment.

    ¡°Yes, but was it really all right for us to eat like that after we were finished?¡±

    Kutuna-san had said the three of them were making a living as lumberjacks before they got this patrol request. And it¡¯s clear from Plumseed¡¯s words that this situation has left their wallet a little on the light side until a few days ago.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. We got a fairly large reward from the guild for it this time.¡±

    ¡°But now that I think about it, since there was a chance that a lot of ents might have ended up jumping us, doesn¡¯t that mean it was a really dangerous job?¡±

    ¡°And the guild knew about it, and they still sent us out there without telling us. How terrible. Well, maybe that¡¯s why the reward was so high?¡±

    ¡°No, they told all three of us about the ents before we left.¡±

    ¡°¡±Eh¡­¡­?¡±¡±

    The Seed sisters had been resting their chins in their palms, spouting out idle complaints for a moment now, but they both sat up when Kutuna-san informed them they were wrong. They told me they weren¡¯t twins, but they reacted in the exact same way. Oh, Peachseed is already seventeen while Plumseed is sixteen. Kutuna-san is the oldest of the three at eighteen, but with her looks and facial features, I would have guessed she was the same age as Rose-san.

    ¡°Why do you two never listen?¡±

    The Seed sisters turned their eyes away, once again trembling underneath Kutuna-san¡¯s quiet fury.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡­.¡±

    It was so funny I accidentally let slip a chuckle.

    ¡°Hold on you! What are you laughing at!?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re so stupid you couldn¡¯t help but to laugh? Are we wrong?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­that¡¯s right, you¡¯re wrong¡­¡­.¡±

    Peachseed had jumped to her feet, but she was immediately sat back down in her chair. Even though she¡¯s older, that sour expression of hers just makes you want to pity her and it is quite cute. I feel a little bad about it, but my mouth loosened up all on its own.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I laughed. But the way you two looked when she got mad reminded me of some people I know¡­¡­¡±

    The reason why I couldn¡¯t help but laugh was because the interaction between these three reminded me so much of Toslin and Carol¡¯s regular exchange.

    ¡°Um, those people are¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re the Tosrillon and Carotayle I told you about. Those two, are close friends just like all of you.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡­.Ku-chan. She says we look like we¡¯re close.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we were raised like sisters after all.¡±

    ¡°Even though I think of you both as strangers. If you two didn¡¯t apologize, I really was going to dissolve our party and leave you both behind in this city.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wha¡­¡­Ku-chan, please don¡¯t go that far!! You promised us we were all going to reach level 10 together and then march around our hometown while wearing a bunch of fancy clothes¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just what you two decided without ever asking me about my opinion right?¡±

    I was talking to somebody who wasn¡¯t Saluena or my family for the first time in a long time, and it felt refreshing. Perhaps that¡¯s the reason why I feel so calm right now.

    ¡°This is the first time you¡¯ve smiled in a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Saluena?¡±

    I saw Saluena¡¯s hand move from the corner of my eye. Her long white fingers brushed against my hair.

    ¡°I was unable to make Iris smile on my own. You have my thanks emerald maidens.¡±

    Saluena continued stroking her hand across my cheeks as if she were physically checking to see if I was really smiling before turning a serious gaze towards the Seed sisters and thanking them both. I was about ready to stop Saluena since she was feeling up my hair in public again, but since I could somehow tell just how concerned she was for me through her touch, I decided to let her go.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­eh, no, I¡­¡­we, that wasn¡¯t¡­¡­¡­..right?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­. We should be apologizing for not being more considerate¡­¡­..¡±

    The Seed sisters were stammering when faced by Saluena¡¯s prince-like aura. Mhmm, I know how you feel. I did the same thing when Saluena first seriously looked at me as well.

    ¡°U-Um¡­..now that you mention it, Saluena¡­..san. You¡¯re a swordswoman right? Are you an adventurer too? Then, you¡¯re relationship with Iris-san is¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    Saluena¡¯s beautiful eyebrows twitched at Kutuna-san¡¯s question. Oh, I need to stop her. But by the time the thought was running through my head, it was already too late¡­¡­.

    ¡°Indeed, I am a swordswoman. But I am also a knight. And Iris Calvafon is the one to whom I have decided to dedicate my sword to.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.wait, a knight?¡±

    ¡°Dedicated, your sword? To¡­¡­¡­Iris-san?¡±

    Saluena said the exact same thing the day she met my parents. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie about our relationship¡±¡­¡­¡­that¡¯s what she had told me in bed that night.

    And now she¡¯s repeating the line to Kutuna-san and the Seed sisters. Of course they¡¯re surprised. Not only is Saluena a knight, but she¡¯s dedicated her sword to me of all people.

    ¡°Eh, you mean¡­¡­..really?¡±

    The reason why I don¡¯t insist that Saluena bend the truth is because I know just how much she values that connection with me. So I¡¯ve decided to keep my objections to myself and roll with it.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She is my knight. A very kind person who protects me.¡±

    I was feeling a little bashful, but I still managed to puff out my chest and say it with confidence. Meanwhile Saluena looked reassured and was smiling.

    I haven¡¯t been able to smile over these last couple of days. As such, Saluena hasn¡¯t been smiling either. But seeing her smiling face now warms my heart.

    But after I said what I needed to say, a wave of embarrassment started bubbling up. It started in my chest before spreading to my face and turning me a bright red. Just as I reached the point when I had to look away because I couldn¡¯t look directly into Saluena¡¯s eyes anymore,

    ¡°Iris-sama!!¡±

    the guild¡¯s door burst open and a woman wearing a robe came running in alongside a cold breeze.

    A white tikarodeka symbol was weaved into the front of her robe.

 CH 60

    The cold wind brushing against my hot, blushing face felt pleasant. Elzella-san had burst into the guild, that wind at her back kicking up her robe. Due to the temperature difference between outside and in here, her normally white cheeks quickly grew to a light pink.

    ¡°¡­¡­.eh? Why is a sister here? And what does she mean by Iris ¡®sama¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Shut up Peachseed.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s right¡­¡­ I usually have a hard time reading the air, but even I understand. We better keep quiet and be as still as a shellfish¡­¡­.¡±

    With the sudden appearance of a sister, not just Kutuna-san, but everyone throughout the guild froze in place.

    They say that a sister¡¯s robe is meant to be a symbol of peace and serenity. Not the kind of thing you would expect to see in a place where the clamor of people never seems to end. Nevertheless, Elzella-san ignored the numerous stares she was getting from all over, weaving through the tables dotting the dining area until she was standing right in front of me.

    ¡°Elzella-san¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Your sister informed me you were here when I visited your home, so I rushed here as fast as I could.¡±

    Elzella-san pinched the ends of her robe and performed a small curtsy just as I had seen Rose-san do before. The remnants of the cold air she had brought with her brushed against my face.

    Does this mean that everyone finally came back? And they stopped by the church first instead of here? No, if that were true, it would be weird that Elzella-san is the one to come summon me.

    Despite appearances, Toslin is quite the attentive person. If they really had stopped by the church first, I¡¯m sure Carol would¡¯ve immediately made her way here to get me.

    Then, why is Elzella-san¡­¡­.why, oh, I see¡­¡­.it must be because of that.

    I rose to my feet as the answer popped into my mind.

    ¡°You found it then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just now. But we were hoping Iris-sama would confirm our results. I have a carriage ready just outside, so would you mind accompanying me to the church?¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you for going out of your way to get me.¡±

    After saying my thanks, I reached for the coat I had hung on the back of my chair¡­¡­only to find that Saluena had already grabbed it and was holding it out so that my arm could pass through the sleeve.

    ¡°T-Thanks.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. You need to stay warm.¡±

    Saluena already had on her own coat with her sword hanging off her waist at the ready.

    ¡°Sorry Kutuna-san. I really have to go¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°R-Right¡­.. Please, don¡¯t mind us¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Peachseed-san and Plumseed-san, thank you for the meal. I¡¯m glad we could talk.¡±

    I thanked them both and bowed.

    The Seed sisters didn¡¯t give off the greatest first impression, but I¡¯m glad I got to meet them. It¡¯s not like all my anxiety and worries have up and disappeared, but I was at least able to calm myself to the point where I could laugh again thanks to them.

    ¡°Ah, sure¡­¡­likewise, but¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Peachseed, now is when you should be keeping quiet. Iris-san, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but please do your best.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you very much.¡±

    Do my best¡­¡­.? Elzella-san and the other sisters are the ones who discovered a description of the spirit in that huge collection of data. Maybe we¡¯ll find the reason why Toslin and the others haven¡¯t returned yet.

    Then after that, it will surely be my turn. I have to think about what it is I can do, and¡­¡­help my party members.

    ¡°Then, Iris-sama¡­..¡±

    ¡°Right. Saluena¡­¡­let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let us go my master.¡±

    The impatience I felt when I ran all the way here was edging its way back into my heart. My feet stepped forward without hesitation and carried me away. Right now, there is only one place I want to be.

    Hearing Saluena and Elzella-san¡¯s footsteps behind me, I walked outside, seeking the only path to get there.

    ?

    Making our way into the church¡¯s library, we found Aronda-san already there waiting for us.

    Her usual cheerful and welcoming smile was now fraught with anxiety and worry.

    ¡°Aronda-san, I heard you found out something about the spirit¡­¡­.¡±

    Elzella-san gave me a few rough details inside the carriage, but there¡¯s no way we could¡¯ve gone over the whole story about the spirit and those ruins in such a short amount of time.

    ¡°Oh, Iris-san¡­¡­.thank you for coming¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who started all this after all.¡±

    ¡°So, gentle maiden. What have you discovered?¡±

    With a book in hand, it looked like Aronda-san had just finished reading. She passed said book over to me before gravely answering.

    ¡°Apparently¡­¡­there is a carbuncle sleeping in those ruins.¡±

    ¡°A carbuncle? I¡¯ve never heard of them.¡±

    As I skimmed through the book I was given, I quickly came across the description of a spirit which dwells inside gems and other jewelry.

    ¡°Carbuncle¡­¡­a spirit that lives inside gems and other jewels. They especially like living in red colored minerals, and in the past were known as burnt coal¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.you mean a carbunculus1?¡±

    ¡°You know about them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re a troublesome opponent whose abilities change depending on the stone they are inhabiting.¡±

    ¡°Then has Hadion-sama fought a carbuncle before?¡±

    ¡°Several times. However each one of them had a different ability. I personally consider a carbunculus to be a more dangerous opponent than a dragon.¡±

    ¡°T-That much¡­..¡±

    The dragon we encountered in Relton village wasn¡¯t just a lesser species, it was already gravely injured as well. Even then though that dragon had the power to easily level a village, so for this to be something beyond that¡­¡­.wouldn¡¯t something like that be seen as a natural disaster at this point?

    ¡°So, what does the book say?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Um¡­¡­..¡±

    There were a couple words I didn¡¯t recognize, but I could infer their meaning. I quickly flipped through the pages, drawing and sorting the information in my mind, only answering after I¡¯ve understood what it all means.

    ¡°Dream Gem. Apparently that¡¯s what they called the jewel that was dug up here three hundred years ago.¡±

    In the past, this city flourished because of the gemstones our mine produced. Numerous high quality gems came from St. Noglint, and this specific jewel was one of them.

    The crystal was processed into a cut gem before being set in a ring and being distributed into human hands. It was from that point on that tragedy unfolded.

    The people acquainted with the ring¡¯s owner began to die one after another, finally ending with the owner¡¯s death as well. The cause of death was a sudden decrease in health, and with several people all withering away at the same time, blame inevitably fell on the ring.

    However, there would always be someone new who was fascinated by the ring¡¯s radiance, so for the next several years, the ring would pass from person to person with each new owner meeting the same fate.

    Each time the person wearing the ring would look as if they had just fallen asleep and would then never wake up again. That was how the jewel came to acquire the name of the Dream Gem.

    The mayor of the city at the time decided to have the ring destroyed. But just as the hammer came down on the gem, a brilliant light suddenly sparked forward, and the gem turned into a carbuncle.

    ¡°The spirit claimed to be a being leftover from the Primordial World. He survived the Illyarian War, hid himself inside St. Noglint, and rested to heal his wounds¡­¡­..is what¡¯s written here¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°So after 700 years, the citizens back then awoke it from its slumber?¡±

    ¡°Seems like it. I wonder if my ancestors had already moved to town back then¡­¡­.. If so, then I¡¯m not uninvolved in this situation.¡±

    The carbuncle¡¯s wounds from the Illyarian War were deep, and even after seven hundred years they hadn¡¯t fully healed. It was further weakened by ¨’¨’¨’¨’¨’, so with the combined efforts of some adventurers and soldiers stationed here, the Primordial World spirit was defeated and sealed deep inside St. Noglint by a priestess once again.

    ¡°¡­¡­.huh? There¡¯s a ¨’¨’¨’¨’¨’ part here that¡¯s completely blacked out.¡±

    ¡°Censored, probably. Most likely the passage originally read, a shard of the Grief Sphere before such information was hidden.¡±

    ¡°The one that was shattered after Osnell was sealed away.¡±

    I heard about it from Rose-san. The official story is that Osnell has been slain, but the truth of the matter is that his body and soul have simply been separated and then sealed away.

    His body has been locked away in another realm known as Endura, and the only way to get there is with the Grief Sphere.

    The Goddess Illya must have smashed it and then scattered the broken shards in fairy villages across the world so that nobody could ever travel there and break the seal¡­¡­was how the story went.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­wait a minute. But a dark elf stole the shard of the Grief Sphere from the fairy village in the Swansea Forest right!?¡±

    ¡°And the disappearance of that shard most likely freed the Carbunculus¡¯s power, allowing it to undo its seal.¡±

    The book goes on to say that the mine was closed after the carbuncle was successfully sealed away. What the hell? You mean Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san walked into this kind of dangerous place without any information?

    ¡°So tell me, what kind of gems did St. Noglint produce?¡±

    I could feel my quivering lips dry out as I answered Saluena¡¯s question.

    ¡°¡­¡­..rubies¡±

    And upon hearing my answer, Saluena quietly closed her eyes.

    And then¡­¡­..

    ¡°Rosa¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡­¡­.a small, grief filled whisper escaped her lips.

    1. So first of all, don¡¯t look up carbuncle in English. It¡¯s a medical term and looks gross. Carbunculus is latin and refers to small red rocks like rubies and garnets. Japanese shortened carbunculus to carbuncle which is the word they usually use.

 CH 61

    ¡°¡­¡­W-We have to go help them!!¡±

    The words spontaneously sprang from my mouth. I shut the book and moved to leave the library. But before I could make it to the door, Aronda-san had moved and now stood in my way.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous Iris-chan.¡±

    ¡°I know, and Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san are in the middle of that danger right now!! It¡¯s already been four days, and they still aren¡¯t back¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hadion-sama¡­¡­ Please tell me something. Have you fought a ruby carbuncle before¡­¡­..¡±

    Aronda-san stayed where she was to keep me from running off and called out to Saluena.

    ¡°Only once. Iris. Gentle maiden. Are you aware of the power red stones such as rubies are said to house?¡±

    It was easy to understand that by asking me as well, Saluena was trying to get me to restrain myself.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I lost my head and was about to dive right into danger just like I did in the Swansea Forest. Back then though it was Carol who stopped me.

    (I want to go help them¡­¡­..right now. But¡­¡­I won¡¯t be any help if I were to go alone. No help¡­¡­.)

    Just like back then, I ordered myself to stay calm. Impatience kills possibility. What I should do now is calm myself down, and think. And then, find a way.

    So I took a deep breath and answered.

    ¡°Red stones like amethysts and rubies¡­¡­. The power they signify is¡­¡­.life.1¡±

    The stones which we call gems are each said to carry a power within them. That power is the result of years of magic power emitted from the earth accumulating into them. And people have tried making that power their own by making and wearing jewelry out of those gems since ancient times.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. However that is only true for the world that the Goddess envisioned. The Primordial World runs invertedly to the Goddess¡¯s, so when a spirit takes in that energy, that power manifests in the inverted position.¡±

    ¡°The inverted position¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°The opposite of life¡­¡­.is death.¡±

    The whole room felt as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees, and a shiver ran up my spine.

    ¡°Death¡­..that¡­¡­.what do you mean death?¡±

    ¡°Death is death Iris. Any carbunculus carrying within it a red gem holds the power of death itself.¡±

    ¡°Now that the fragment of the Grief Sphere has been stolen away, this carbuncle should be even more powerful than it was 300 years ago¡­¡­.. Such a monster was sleeping in the ruins right next to Solretta Litta all this time¡­¡­..¡±

    Aronda-san pulled off her glasses and rubbed her glabella.

    ¡°Shall I send in a request to the central church to have them dispatch a contingent of priestess warriors¡­¡­.¡±

    Aronda-san nodded her head at Elzella-san¡¯s proposal.

    ¡°Y-Yes. Let¡¯s do it. The question is how we will survive the month it will take them to gather the necessary force¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°A-A month¡­¡­..there¡¯s no way we can wait that long!! Even as we speak, everyone is¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I understand that. But, we don¡¯t have any other options. We can¡¯t recklessly send people to some ruins where an orange rank party wasn¡¯t even able to return from.¡±

    ¡°Then Saluena and I will go!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t allow that.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡­W-Why¡¯s that!!?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten? I, we, have been ordered to protect you. Do you think I would just sit back and watch as you run off to a place I know is fraught with danger?¡±

    ¡°B-But if it¡¯s Saluena¡­¡­ If she goes with me¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡­¡­.with your aid Iris, I could surely strike down even a carbunculus that governs over death. However¡­¡­.aren¡¯t you forgetting something else? What happened the last time you summoned the power of the Dark Violet Knight?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°We cannot guarantee that those three are still alive. Rather, it¡¯s far more likely that they have already perished. If so, the battle against the carbunculus would fall to just you and me.¡±

    After I summoned Saluena, she slew the dragon, and I lost consciousness for a few days. While I¡¯m knocked out, Saluena would be unable to stay in this realm during which time I would be left completely alone. Saluena is taking into account the dangers of being left unconscious in the middle of some ruins where you never know when or where an enemy will attack you from.

    ¡°I know that¡­¡­.but still¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Talking as your knight, I cannot allow you to run off as you are now to what is almost assuredly death.¡±

    ¡°Saluena¡­¡­..¡±

    I know I¡¯m being selfish, but I was certain Saluena would agree with me. I thought she would follow me. But, I was wrong. Saluena took a position right next to Aronda-san, and now they were both standing in my way, trying to stop me.

    Stay calm. I keep telling myself this over and over, trying to keep my composure. But, even with a calm mind no good ideas are coming to my head.

    ¡°Saluena, aren¡¯t you¡­¡­.¡±

    So with no good thoughts coming forward, a bad one arose instead.

    (aren¡¯t you worried about Rose-san?)

    My impatience gave way to anger, and I almost blurt out what I was thinking. But I covered my mouth before I could finish that thought and swallowed the words deep inside me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it once more. I can¡¯t let you go as you are right now.¡±

    Of course she¡¯s worried too. This stubborn, old-fashioned knight always looks like she¡¯s having fun whenever she¡¯s talking about Rose-san.

    After coming back to the world a thousand years later, her one and only sister whom she¡¯s formed an ancient bond with.

    Of course she wants to help. She actually has the strength to make a difference, so I¡¯m sure she wants to drop everything and start running right now even more than I do. Run right to Rose-san.

    But, I¡¯m in her way. I¡¯m holding her back. Her options are limited because I¡¯m not strong enough.

    ¡°Uu, Toslin¡­¡­.Carol, Rose-san¡­¡­.¡±

    I, I¡­¡­..what should i do? I can¡¯t find an answer no matter how many times I ask myself. Saluena keeps calling me wise, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth.

    Whenever the important moment arrives, I¡¯m an incompetent who can only run away or crouch down on the ground and hide my head in my arms.

    The proof¡­¡­.isn¡¯t just the fact that I can¡¯t do anything here. I can feel it, deep down, when Aronda-san and Saluena stopped me from going, I was relieved.

    The fact that I can¡¯t do anything to help is just an excuse.

    (The worst¡­¡­..I¡¯m the worst¡­¡­¡­)

    Aronda-san and Elzella-san have gone back to talking about calling for a detachment of priestess warriors.

    ¡°Iris. Can you stand?¡±

    Saluena tried supporting me after I crouched down and buried my face into my legs right there on the floor. But that kind of kindness just hurts all the more right now. You should be yelling at me. Yell, scream, curse me for my weakness. Maybe then some small part of this overwhelming guilt will fade away.

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be best if we went home for today. As far as research goes, we¡¯ve done all that we can for those three. We know our enemy, and it¡¯s all thanks to you. You managed to finish the request Rosa and the others took. Be proud of that.¡±

    ¡°Uu, Uuu¡­¡­..¡±

    Too bad it won¡¯t be of any help to them. Because, it might already be too late. As the thought crossed my mind, I could feel my eyes grow hot¡­¡­.

    ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    so I jumped into Saluena¡¯s chest, and cried.

    1. For clarification, they¡¯re meant to signify love, passion, and a zest for life.

 CH 62

    As my feet touched ground outside of the church, they rooted in place for a moment without yet turning towards home.

    The snow that had once blanketed Solretta Litta¡¯s road had mostly melted, showing off the city¡¯s magnificent cobblestone road. The sun shone bright enough to make someone think it was already the middle of spring as its rays bounced off the damp rock, causing the whole road to shimmer and sparkle. But looking on, it wasn¡¯t as emotionally moving as it had been a few days ago.

    No, it¡¯s probably more accurate to say that I couldn¡¯t be moved.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    A feeling of loss is swirling inside me. I¡¯m frustrated with myself, and my heart refuses to settle. Saluena seems to understand that and hasn¡¯t said a word to me since we left the library. All she¡¯s done since is quietly follow behind me.

    ?

    Before returning home, I took my last shred of hope and headed back to the guild.

    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡­. Sorry to make you keep checking every day¡­¡­¡­¡±

    But the answer I got was the same one I received two hours ago. The others haven¡¯t gotten back yet, and no word has come through about their safety.

    ¡°H-Hold on you¡­¡­¡±

    I dragged my heavy feet and tried making my way back out of the guild, but somebody called out to me from a nearby table.

    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong Peachseed-san?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­¡­¡­that¡¯s what I want to know. What happened? Right now¡­¡­you look terrible.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.really?¡±

    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t a ¡®really?¡¯ moment. Seriously¡­¡­what happened? When you left here before, you were so¡­¡­.¡±

    I vaguely remember. Elzella-san came to get me, and we all headed for the church. It feels like it happened so long ago, but forget a day, it hasn¡¯t even been a few hours since I was last here. I¡¯m sure it must be a huge shock to see how much I¡¯ve changed in such a short amount of time. I can understand that even without Peachseed-san saying anything.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Sorry, I¡­¡­.I can¡¯t think about anything right now¡­¡­ Thanks for your concern.¡±

    Keeping my head down, I managed to at least mumble a response for Peachseed-san as I walked past her and made my way for the door. Saluena was there waiting and silently greeted me.

    ¡°It looks like they still aren¡¯t back yet.¡±

    Saluena spoke very matter-of-factly, not showing any sings of discouragement or impatience.

    ¡°¡­¡­.yup¡­¡­.¡±

    It was hard for me to even look at her, so I hurriedly walked past her as well and escaped out of the guild.

    ?

    After leaving the guild, my feet carried me over to the marketplace. Several people I knew called out to me, but as I am now, a polite wave is the best I could give back to them.

    I kept walking and eventually made my way outside of the market. Finding myself at the water fountain at the center of the city square, I could smell several delicious scents coming from the stalls scattered around. Whenever I ran out to play with Mycena, we always ate lunch together here. Right now though it¡¯s a little too late for lunch and a little too early for dinner, so there aren¡¯t many customers around at the moment.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Saluena¡­¡­.do you want something to eat?¡±

    Saluena should still be right behind me, so without turning around, I asked her if she was hungry.

    ¡°No, I am fine. Please don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Saluena, I should be the one saying¡­¡­.¡±

    you don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. And you don¡¯t need to follow me anymore either. I¡¯m not somebody worth protecting¡­¡­¡­

    I turned around, ready to say everything, but as I turned, I caught something out of the corner of my eye that caused me to lose track of my thought.

    ¡°¡­¡­.is there something wrong with that building?¡±

    My gaze had locked on to the city¡¯s theater, one of the five largest buildings in the city. It doesn¡¯t put on as many plays during the winter months, but they still put on a comedy and tragedy every day for the sake of the tourists and theater lovers.

    ¡°¡­..Rose-san, she was so excited¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°When this job was done, you and her were going to go out together¡­¡­ When I told her there was a theater in this city, she looked so incredibly, happy¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.then this place is, is that so?¡±

    I nodded. But, Rose-san hasn¡¯t come back. Her and Saluena walking through that door together¡­¡­.will probably never happen.

    ?

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that Iris-chan?¡±

    Looking up, I saw Marcus-san calling to me from his position on top of the wall.

    ¡°What did you need coming to a place like this at this time of day?¡±

    It takes ten minutes walking down a slope to get here from the city square. I had found myself at one of the city¡¯s three gates.

    ¡°¡­¡­W-Well¡­¡­.um¡­¡­.has a party of an elf, a werewolf, and a priestess come through here?¡±

    The quickest way to get from the city to the ruins in St. Noglint is through this gate. So I was thinking that if they¡¯ve returned, this is were they would be¡­¡­not that I was holding any kind of expectations.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the party who was escorting you when you came back?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes. They got a job while they were here, and I was just thinking it was about time for them to get back¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, I see. Sorry to say though I haven¡¯t seen them. Have you checked with the guild yet?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Y-Yes. But it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ve returned yet¡­¡­.¡±

    The last part of my sentence tapered off, so I¡¯m not sure if he could here me. But Marcus-san still leaned off the edge of the wall and tried to console me.

    ¡°An adventurer¡¯s job can bring a lot of trouble. Because of that, it¡¯s not uncommon for work to drag on. Don¡¯t worry about it and head home. It¡¯s warm right now, but it¡¯ll get chillier as night draws near.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.right, I understand. I¡¯m sorry to bother you at work like this.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s Iris-chan. When your adventurer friends come back, I¡¯ll be sure to let them know how worried you were.¡±

    After thanking Marcus-san for his consideration, I once again started walking.

    ?

    Having traveled across the city, we found ourselves back on main street where the white leaves of the solretta tree have already started to grow in.

    ¡°Hey, Hey Saluena¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°What is it my master?¡±

    If we keep walking for just another five minutes, we¡¯ll be home. The Calvafon Bookstore. The stage of my normal, unremarkable life for the past sixteen years.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­¡­.angry with me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡±

    My feet which had been moving on their own without me ever even having to think about where I needed to go until now suddenly came to a stop. It¡¯s like, they¡¯re refusing to go any further.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±

    Realizing I wasn¡¯t going to move on my own, Saluena took my hand, stepping in front of me for the first time today. For five minutes we walked without saying anything, Saluena pulling me along, and me being dragged behind her.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡­¡­was relieved, back then¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I made my confession as Saluena¡¯s hand gripped the backdoor¡¯s doorknob. My face twisted bitterly, like a criminal repenting their sins.

 CH 63

    ¡°Oh my, welcome home. You¡¯ve been going out a lot recently.¡±

    Mom¡¯s voice rose to greet me as I walked into the living room through the back door. She was in her usual apron and was busy preparing supper like she always is at this time of the evening.

    ¡°Yeah, a bit¡­¡­.now and then.¡±

    ¡°Sarah was complaining you know? Talking about how her Onee-chan wasn¡¯t helping with the store at all.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right¡­¡­I¡¯ll apologize later.¡±

    Now that I think about it, when I was leaving this morning I did promise to explain things to Sarah when I got back. But how do I explain this? I still haven¡¯t sorted out what I should tell her or how much.

    ¡°Oh, where¡¯s Saluena-san? Didn¡¯t you two leave together?¡±

    Mom propped herself up on her tiptoes and peered behind me when she noticed someone was missing.

    ¡°Saluena said she had some business to take care of, so she left after walking me home.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. I was thinking about cooking whatever she wanted for supper tonight. I suppose you¡¯ll have to do. What would you like me to make tonight?¡±

    Honestly I don¡¯t have an appetite. But in order to not raise any suspicions, I forced a smile and told her stew.

    ¡°Okay, that sounds good. It might be getting warmer out, but a good stew will taste delicious with how cold it¡¯s still getting at night.¡±

    Satisfied with my answer, my mom left me and headed over to the kitchen in a good mood.

    I moved my hand up to my face to make sure I had actually managed to pull off a smile.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡­¡­was relieved, back then¡­¡­..¡±

    Saluena never said anything after that. Looking at me, she gave my head a small pat.

    It always feels like Saluena is holding herself back when she touches me, as if she were handling a fragile doll, but this time her hand was heavier, messier. She then turned on her heels, and after mumbling something along the lines of, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she walked back towards a city died red from the setting sun¡­¡­¡­never turning back.

    ¡°¡­¡­..I¡¯m alone¡±

    How many days has it been since I¡¯ve been able to say that? Saluena has been acting as my shadow since the day I formally met her, and so with her gone, I¡¯m now all alone. A silence I had grown accustomed to working my whole life in a bookstore now wrapped itself around me once again.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I left the living room and made my way over to the store. That was where I found Sarah. There were no other customers here at this time of night, so my little sister was reading a book at the counter just as I had always done in her position.

    ¡°Welcome home Onee-chan.¡±

    Hearing me coming from my footsteps, she raised her head. Meeting my gaze she showed her pearly white teeth in a large smile.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­.I¡¯m home.¡±

    Moving around the counter, I took a seat right next to her.

    Click, Click, Click¡­¡­.the ticking of each second passing filled the room from the clock hanging on our wall. For a short moment, us sisters shared that time together, but then my little sister abruptly shut her book and shattered that silence.

    ¡°¡­¡­.a sister came by today. She said she was looking for you, so I told her you had run over to the guild. Did I do good?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, good, great job.¡±

    I patted her head which had the same shade of red-colored hair as my own. Then, after a little light tickling, she leaned over, resting her head on my shoulder,

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    and released a large sigh. What¡¯s wrong? After I asked, Sarah turned her big, round eyes my way.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be thirteen years old this year.¡±

    ¡°Eh, yeah. I know¡­¡­.¡±

    Sarah¡¯s birthday is a little after spring starts. The sheep, tired from only ever eating hay, will start going out and munching on the green grass which will have just started poking out from beneath the snow.

    ¡°Last year Onee-chan gave me a bookmark.¡±

    Sarah opened the book she had just closed back up, revealing a brass bookmark with a flower print etched on the surface. It was the present I gave her after she and I went walking around town during her birthday last year.

    ¡°You¡¯re using it. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something Onee-chan gave me after all. Of course I¡¯m using it.¡±

    Saying so, Sarah let slip another smile, but this one was different than what she had shown before. She looked more grown up. Maybe it¡¯s just a trick of the light? Or maybe she really has become more of an adult, and I¡¯m only noticing now that I¡¯m sitting right next to her.

    ¡°While you were gone, I was thinking about what I wanted to ask from you this year.¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t really sure why Sarah was talking about this right now, so I gave her a vague answer and let her go on.

    ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯m going to get what I want this year.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I blinked a couple times in surprise, but Sarah¡¯s gaze remained firm.

    ¡°Onee-chan¡­¡­.you¡¯ve been staring off somewhere in the distance ever since you got back. You¡¯re not looking at me. You¡¯re staring off at somebody who isn¡¯t here. It¡¯s probably¡­¡­.those people right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.Sarah? You¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Narrowing her eyes, Sarah stared back at me with an adult-like gaze beyond her years. It wasn¡¯t the usual, innocent Sarah. Her eyes carried more than just their usual warmness; there was a feeling of acceptance as well.

    ¡°At first¡­¡­I just thought you were tired after coming home from your prolonged errand. But Onee-chan, you were having so much fun. Whenever you were with Tosrillon-san, Carol-chan, and Rosalith-sama, you were so animated.¡±

    Saying, ¡°This book is too difficult for me anyway,¡± Sarah pulled her bookmark from the book she was reading and turned it around in her hand. The sun¡¯s rays pouring through the window played off the polished brass, producing a small, golden glow.

    ¡°That night that Tosrillon-san and the others ate with us¡­..I¡¯ve been watching you ever since I was born, and still I¡¯ve never seen you laugh or smile as brightly as you did that night.¡±

    ¡°W-Well, Sarah. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t say anything. To tell you the truth¡­¡­¡±

    I need to explain¡­¡­.opening my mouth with that thought, Sarah suddenly sealed my lips back up again with her bookmark.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I want to know. So, will you tell me? Is Onee-chan leaving this house?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡±

    My mind ends up drawing a blank as it tried to come up with an answer for Sarah¡¯s straightforward question. So Sarah continued on.

    ¡°I want you to stay.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡°But, that¡¯s the selfish part of me talking.¡±

    Sarah continued on without waiting for me to give an answer. And rather than putting it back in her book, Sarah removed the bookmark from my lips and put it in her breast pocket.

    ¡°Onee-chan, I want you to be happy. Because, I love you. You are my Onee-chan¡­¡­..¡±

    I thought she was looking like an adult, but maybe she was just trying to put on a strong front for my sake. The realization hit me when I noticed the tears welling up in her eyes.

    ¡°I hate seeing my favorite sister in the world looking like she¡¯s about to cry every day like this.¡±

    ¡°Sarah¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You want to go with Tosrillon-san and the others right? Onee-chan, you always loved reading adventure novels. After you got a taste of the real thing¡­¡­.I knew I wasn¡¯t going to be enough to tie you down.¡±

    Sarah¡¯s tears finally overflowed, dripping down her cheeks and onto my shoulder.

    ¡°No, Sarah¡­¡­.that¡¯s not it. For me, Sarah is my only most precious little sister¡­¡­ Just the thought of leaving you¡­¡­.even for me is¡­¡­.. That¡¯s why¡­¡­..¡±

    That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t been able to figure out what I want to do.

    I wrapped my arm around Sarah¡¯s head and held her close. She in turn wrapped her arm around my back, and be both took a moment to hold each other close.

    ¡°Really? Me too¡­¡­.you really think of me as someone special to you?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do!! I love you too Sarah!!¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­I see. I¡¯m glad I could hear how you feel¡­¡­.. I love you too. I really, really, really love you Onee-chan.¡±

    A moment of silence passed as we continued to hold each other, experiencing each other¡¯s body heat, hearing each other¡¯s heartbeat, and feeling each other¡¯s breath.

    ¡°That¡¯s why Onee-chan¡­¡­..you should live however you want. I think, it would surely be much more fun to support an Onee-chan like that.¡±

    Sarah showed me a sweet smile before pulling herself away from me.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­Onee-chan¡­¡­..¡±

    I brushed my hand against Sarah¡¯s wet cheek, my fingers wiping away her lingering tears and causing Sarah to let out a small, surprised voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­a terrible older sister.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s not true. Onee-chan is amazingly wonderful. I want to grow up to be just like you Onee-chan. A kind, caring person¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Sarah, is already more than kind enough. Liking an older sister like me¡­¡­.¡±

    In the end, I¡­¡­couldn¡¯t make this decision on my own. Without Sarah to push me forward, I probably would keep hesitating like this for the rest of my life. I would have just kept using the people I love as an excuse to not come up with an answer.

    But¡­¡­.I finally have my answer. The way I want to live my life is clearly stretched out before me.

    ¡°Hey, Sarah. I¡­¡­¡±

    It might already be too late. The people important to me might already be gone. But I quickly toss those negative thoughts from my mind.

    ¡°I¡­¡­want to become an adventurer.¡±

    Sarah smiled broadly.

    ¡°Yeah, I figured you¡¯d say that?.¡±

    Us two sisters laughed and held each others hands.

    ¡°MONSTERS!! EVERYONE RUN TO THE CHURCH!!¡±

    ¡­¡­.and then somebody¡¯s voice broke through from outside the shop.

 CH 64

    Throwing open the door and sticking my head outside the store, I saw a visibly pale Marcus-san running down the street.

    ¡°Marcus-san!? Monsters¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Iris-chan!? You need to evacuate to the church right now!! Oi, Flammel, are you there!? If so, evacuate your family to the church, and hurry!!¡±

    A sudden crash echoed from somewhere in the back of the house followed by a rain of heavy footsteps before Dad and Mom appeared right next to me with ragged, unkempt hair.

    ¡°Did you say monsters!? But the city walls¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s too many of them! They¡¯re holding up for now, but it¡¯s just a matter of time before they break through!!¡±

    ¡°So many¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, just get over to the church, okay!?¡±

    Waiting to make sure Dad understood, Marcus-san once again started running towards Grandpa¡¯s house next door.

    ¡°Dear, grab everything we need!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah. And then¡­¡­.Hm? Iris, what happened to Saluena-san? Isn¡¯t she with you?¡±

    ¡°Saluena said she was going out and hasn¡¯t come back yet¡­¡­.but, she¡¯ll be fine. I think it would be best if we just quickly head to the church.¡±

    Although she¡¯s been stripped of her powers as the Dark Violet Knight, Saluena is still incredibly strong. She was able to overwhelm Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san after they had already become orange rank adventurers. I don¡¯t know what kind of monsters are attacking the city, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯re nothing she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle.

    So running back inside the store, I grab a pen and scribble out a note onto a piece of paper before running back outside with a pin. After shutting the door, I flip over our open sign to closed, and I pin the note to the sign.

    ¡°This will do.¡±

    I wrote down on the paper we would be at the church. This way if Saluena comes back here, she won¡¯t end up running around the entire city looking for us.

    ¡°Dad, Mom, we should go!! Just like Onee-chan said, Saluena-sama will be fine on her own.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She is my knight. Honestly if we stay here, we¡¯ll probably just end up being in her way more than anything else. Let¡¯s head for the church.¡±

    Dad pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Yosh, then follow me. Nobody goes off on their own. Understood?¡±

    Thus the Calvafon family rushed out into the dusk-lit city, running down the solretta tree-lined path towards the church.

    ?

    The church was filled with other people who had already evacuated here, causing a booming ruckus that made this place¡¯s serene silence during the day seem like a lie.

    ¡°Over here Calvafon sisters!!¡±

    Although a number of people had gathered here, the church was more than large enough to accommodate everyone. There were still several benches scattered around where newcomers could find a place to sit. As my family and I walked deeper into the church in order to get away from the cold air coming from the entrance, I suddenly heard a voice calling out to me. I didn¡¯t even have to look to know that it was Mycena.

    ¡°Oh, Flammel. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°Good to see you Roswald. Did you make it here safely?¡±

    ¡°Safe enough. We actually had a job mending the walls today when a huge swarm of monsters suddenly appeared from the forest. The two of us were just able to get away from it all. We managed to escape with our lives, but I won¡¯t be able to take on any work for a while.¡±

    A deep wrinkle formed in Roswald-san¡¯s brow as he poked his daughter Mycena sitting next to him.

    ¡°It could¡¯ve been a lot worse if some nearby soldiers and adventurers hadn¡¯t jumped in to save us. I¡¯ll have to be sure to thank them once this is all over¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­.Mycenyan was attacked? Are you okay? Are you hurt¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. I scraped my knees, but that was when I was running away.¡±

    Ahaha, Mycena laughed with a bright smile. But, her voice and expressions were awkward compared to how she usually is.

    ¡°That¡¯s good then¡­¡­. I¡¯d be sad if anything happened to Mycenyan.¡±

    Saying so, Sarah knelt down at Mycena¡¯s feet and started brushing off some of the dirt from her knees.

    ¡°Sarah-chan¡­¡­..¡±

    Mycena fell to her knees, her usually booming voice barely more than a whisper, and she tightly hugged Sarah.

    ¡°¡­¡­.it was scary¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°It was really, really¡­¡­..scary¡­¡­..¡±

    Apparently her awkward smile wasn¡¯t just my imagination. Mycena is always so lively and exuberant, but right now she¡¯s shaking just like anyone else would be in her situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay now. So long as we¡¯re here, we¡¯re under the Goddess¡¯s protection.¡±

    Sarah returned Mycena¡¯s hug.

    ¡°Really? But I don¡¯t usually¡­¡­.I almost never pray¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve prayed enough to cover Mycena¡¯s portion too.¡±

    ¡°Uuu, Sarah-chan¡­¡­thank you¡­¡­.¡±

    Mycena buried her face in Sarah¡¯s chest as tears started rolling down her cheeks. And then Sarah began stroking the top of Mycena¡¯s head to try and calm her down¡­¡­.. I¡¯m starting to wonder which one of them is the older one here.

    ¡°¡­¡­there¡¯s already a huge number of people here. Will there be more coming?¡±

    ¡°Most likely¡­¡­.I¡¯ve participated in an evacuation order a few times before, but this is my first time seeing this many people gathered together like this.¡±

    Dad and Mom were marveling at the ever increasing number of evacuees. The number of monsters attacking is apparently so great that the entire city is being ordered to move.

    ¡°Roswald, you saw them right? What kind of monsters are attacking us?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ents. But, the numbers were off.¡±

    ¡°It was a huge number of ents. Too many to count. At first I thought the entire forest had stood up and was rushing us¡­¡­.¡±1

    ¡°T-That¡­¡­ No but, that¡¯s much too strange. Even out in the deepest forests ents hate gathering together in a herd.¡±

    Dad started explaining about an ent¡¯s growing habits like the botanist that he is, but Roswald stopped him before he could go into too much detail.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re wrong, but I saw what I saw. Dozens of ents walked out of that forest en masse.¡±

    ¡°M-Me too¡­¡­when it happened, I was in the forest with some of the lumberjacks, picking out what trees would be suitable for the wall¡¯s repairs¡­¡­ We were just about to start working when they attacked us all at once.¡±

    As Mycena passed on what she remembered, but her trembling had yet to stop and her hold around Sarah tightened.

    ¡°Dozens of ents, all at the same time¡­¡­. In that case is somebody manipulating them? No, perhaps they¡¯re following somebody¡¯s orders?¡±

    Dad put his hand to his chin and started to think.

    ¡°Only a stronger spirit or something with comparable magic power could control other spirits like this¡­¡­. This, might be much worse than I initially thought¡­¡­.¡±

    (Yeah, spot on Dad.)

    The fact that dozens of ents have all come together to attack the town like this means that the spirit controlling all of them, the carbuncle, is still alive.

    (So after all, everyone is already¡­¡­.)

    I felt irritated, and instead of feeling any kind of sadness or regret like I thought I would feel, there is an overpowering fury bubbling forth and spreading through my chest.

    ¡°You there, move it!!¡±

    A sharp voice cut through the church¡¯s constant din and interrupted my thoughts as several pairs of footsteps burst through the church¡¯s front door.

    ¡°Go, move it!! We have an injured person here!! Sisters, priestesses!! Anyone¡¯s fine just help Kutuna!!¡±

    ¡°Eh!?¡±

    Suddenly recognizing the voices and hearing a name I recognized, my head snapped around towards the church¡¯s newcomers.

    That was when I saw Peachseed-san carrying a bloody Kutuna-san on her back.

 CH 65

    ¡°The adherent Aronda Lizea offers her prayers. Goddess, heal this person¡¯s wounds.¡±

    Aronda-san completed casting her healing miracle, and a golden light rained down from her outstretched hands.

    The wounds scattered across Kutuna-san¡¯s body slowly started to stitch themselves together as Aronda-san¡¯s golden light wrapped itself around her.

    ¡°Elzella. Go get a clean cloth and some hot water. Wipe away the blood that¡¯s sticking to her body.¡±

    Aronda-san started barking off orders for Elzella-san as she continued healing Kutuna-san¡¯s wounds.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Kutuna¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ku-chan, s-she¡¯s okay right? Ku-chan isn¡¯t going to die or nothing right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go saying something like that!! She¡¯s going to be okay¡­¡­.she has to be okay¡­¡­.¡±

    The Seed sisters¡¯ distinctive brown skin made them stand out from the rest of the gathered crowd as they stood there worriedly watching over Kutuna-san. Right now Kutuna-san has been moved onto a bench looking as if she were just taking a nap with her eyes shut like this. Her chest is ever so slightly moving up and down to show that she¡¯s breathing, but while she always had a pale complexion, she was even moreso now along with a slight purple tinge mixed in. She must have shed a lot of blood before they were able to get her here.

    ¡°You¡­¡­you¡¯re here too.¡±

    Peachseed-san started speaking while keeping her gaze fixed on Kutuna-san.

    I was the ¡®you¡¯ she was referring to. The bench Kutuna-san was resting on just so happened to be the bench Sarah and I were just sitting at. We offered up our spots since she needed to be laid out on a flat surface while Aronda-san healed her.

    ¡°Yes. Is it really ents that are attacking the city?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is. A lot of them. There must¡¯ve been at least a hundred. Thankfully that wall is holding them back, but it¡¯s not going to hold if too many more of them show up.¡±

    ¡°T-That many¡­¡­ Then you three were outside of the city when the attack started?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We were in the forest acting as guards for the lumberjacks. They were supposed to stop going out there sine it¡¯s been getting more dangerous in the forest lately, but the city apparently really needs the wood¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡­..you¡¯re the adventurers from back then?¡±

    I turned around to see Roswald-san standing there.

    ¡°Ah, it really is you. You saved us back then. Without you, my daughter and I would never have been able to make it out of there safely¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank us for it. It¡¯s our job. But, it¡¯s good you managed to get out of there all right.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it really is. It makes the strain Ku-chan put her body through worth it.¡±

    The Seed sisters watched Kutuna-san being healed with their hands clasped together in front of their chests in prayer, and as the golden light slowly faded from Kutuna-san¡¯s body, their grip tightened until the point where their knuckles turned white.

    The healing miracle isn¡¯t some all powerful cure. Rose-san told me before that if a person¡¯s body is unable to withstand their injuries, then in the worst case scenario someone might die while they¡¯re being treated.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Kutuna¡­¡­.please, don¡¯t die¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ku-chan, Ku-chan¡­¡­don¡¯t leave us behind and go on your own¡­¡­ God, Goddess, please, please¡­¡­..Ku-chan¡­¡­.¡±

    I joined them and began praying to the Goddess. Dad and Mom, Sarah, Mycena, Roswald, and everyone else gathered around, we all prayed for the brave adventurer who risked her life to save another¡¯s.

    ¡°¡­¡­Goddess. We thank you for you mercy and benevolent will.¡±

    Aronda-san took a deep breath before a weary smile slowly spread across her face. It was the proof we needed that Kutuna-san had managed to narrowly escape death, and it was all Plumseed-san needed to get her to start joyfully jumping in place.

    ¡°¡­¡­Hooray! Thank you so much Goddess!!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, truly, honestly, thank goodness¡­¡­ Priestess Aronda, really¡­¡­thank you so much¡­¡­¡±

    In stark contrast to her sister, Peachseed-san was standing still, crying in relief. But in either case you could hear their love for Kutuna-san and their appreciation for the miracle.

    ¡°Sorry, but could I please ask you to help me cleanse the body. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know how to remove her armor.¡±

    Having returned with a pail of hot water and a clean cloth, Elzella-san asked for some help, and the Seed sisters immediately moved right next to Kutuna-san¡¯s body.

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    ¡°Of course we¡¯ll help you!!¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness Onee-chan. Are they people you know?¡±

    Sarah walked up next to me, taking the Seed sisters¡¯ place after they left.

    ¡°Mhmm. We talked for a bit before. I¡¯m relieved they¡¯re okay¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°How unusual for Iris to know some adventurers. But then again, you have been spending a lot of time at the guild lately. Did you meet them then?¡±

    Mycena had given a longer prayer than any of us, most likely giving thanks to the Goddess for saving the adventurer who had saved her. However, she still tightly held on to the end of Sarah¡¯s sleeve, showing that she was still shaken from the ent attack.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. They were stranded in this city because of the snow, just like how I was over the winter. So for half a year they¡¯ve been trapped here¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? But because they were here, they were able to save me and the other lumberjacks, so maybe this was all the Goddess¡¯s will.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.that might just be true¡±

    The Goddess¡¯s will. If she really exists and can exert an influence over all things, then why did she bring Toslin and the other to this city?

    (¡­..what a selfish thing to think. Not even the Goddess can see everything. If she could do that, she would¡¯ve just prevented the dark elf attack on the fairy village in the first place¡­..)

    ¡°Iris-chan¡±

    With my mind wandering off, what brought me back to reality was Aronda-san¡¯s voice.

    A tikarodeka with a gold trim border. It¡¯s that symbol adorned on her robe that marks Aronda-san as the highest ranked person here at the church. And now that Aronda-san was singling out me, a simple small town girl. And by name no less.

    With the exception of me and the other sisters, I¡¯m sure such a thing must seem strange in the eyes of everyone else here. Sarah turned a worried gaze my way as a result.

    ¡°Onee-chan¡­..¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Nothing to worry about.¡±

    After stroking my sister¡¯s head to put her at ease, I turned my attention back to Aronda-san. Her eyes drifted to my family standing behind me before forming a determined expression.

    ¡°May I have a moment¡±

 CH 66

    ¡°Yes¡±

    My voice resounded louder than I thought it would through the church, perhaps because of how quiet it was in here still after that previous healing miracle.

    ¡°Soldiers came by just a short moment ago to alert me of our current predicament. A group of more than 100 ents have appeared from the forest, and they are all rushing the city gates even as we speak.

    Aronda-san¡¯s voice resounded just as loudly as mine had, putting everyone who heard her on edge.

    ¡°Our soldiers, adventurers, and volunteers have all joined together to subjugate the monsters, but the people of this city have no experience dealing with this many monsters at once. We also have no idea how long our walls will last against this kind of force.¡±

    ¡°If we send a message to the feudal lord about our current situation, he can send help¡­¡­¡±

    Such suggestions were starting to crop up from the gathered evacuees, but Aronda-san solemnly shook her head.

    ¡°They would never make it. Even if we were to send a messenger bird, it would take a full day for word to reach the city where the feudal lord resides. And then including the time it would take to prepare and dispatch the necessary troops¡­¡­ It would take almost ten days before any help could arrive. It¡¯s for that same reason that we are unable to request aid from the priestess warriors either. And I¡¯m afraid the sisters gathered here, including me, have no knowledge on combat¡­¡­¡±

    Aronda-san¡¯s voice is always warm and eases the hearts of whoever listens to her. That very same voice is now stiffly speaking to the entire town. Anxious¡­¡­no, it¡¯s different. It sounds more frustrated than anything else. That feeling of wanting to be able to do something when there¡¯s nothing you can do. Hearing Aronda-san¡¯s voice and seeing the face she¡¯s making right now, I know how she¡¯s feeling quite well.

    ¡°Given the current situation, our next move is clear. We must protect you by smuggling you out of the city. As for the rest of the citizens¡­..we have no choice but to abandon them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.huh?¡±

    Sarah¡¯s voice leaked out from right next to me.

    ¡°What, did she just say?¡±

    Ignoring Sarah¡¯s question, Aronda-san carried on.

    ¡°But¡­.I can¡¯t. You could say I¡¯m just following orders or threaten to brand me as a heretic, but I live in this town. I¡¯m not prepared to throw away the people who live here with me. And so if I am able, I want to help. I want the people of this city to be saved.¡±

    Not caring that the hem of her robe would be dirtied by Kutuna-san¡¯s blood which had stained the floor, Aronda-san bent her knee and bowed. The sisters gathered behind her followed suit, dropping to one knee and lowering their heads.

    ¡°And so, please forgive our shamelessness. We beg of you, please, lend us your strength. Iris Calvafon-sama.¡±

    A wave of emotion came over me.

    The villagers at Relton asked for help, but from our party, not just me. I¡¯ve never had someone ask me for help so directly before.

    ¡°O-Onee-chan? Um, this¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Sarah. It¡¯s just as I¡¯ve told you before.¡±

    Somebody¡¯s voice spoke out, answering Sarah¡¯s question.

    ¡°I am a knight who has sworn their allegiance to Iris.¡±

    The crowd who had watched all of this until now in mute amazement broke apart left and right so that the owner of the voice, Saleuna, could step forward.

    ¡°Saluena-sama¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°That is to say, this is just how it is. Your sister, Grimoire Master Iris Calvafon, is currently this city¡¯s only hope for salvation.¡±

    Right now she isn¡¯t wearing the dress I had last seen her in but rather a tunic similar to what Toslin always wears. Her metal armor is strapped on overtop of it, and the knee-high boots she¡¯s wearing on her feet echo through the church with each step she takes.

    ¡°You look great Saluena.¡±

    They¡¯re the same clothes Rose-san had recommended for her when we were buying pajamas together. We hadn¡¯t bought them back then because Saluena thought the lace around the collar was a little too flashy.

    ¡°I just bought them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I figured you would need them. Although, I didn¡¯t expect the moment to come this soon.¡±

    Saluena had her sword strapped to her hip and her shield hanging off her back. And she was also carrying a robe in one hand. She spread out the cloth and slipped the robe on over my head.

    It was slightly too big, but the trimming matched with what Saluena was wearing. The fabric was as sturdy as it was cute too, making it sturdy enough to survive over a long journey.

    ¡°You look good as well. As beautiful and charming as Rosa.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that beautiful.¡±

    Sliding my arms through the sleeves, I stared back at Saluena.

    ¡°¡­¡­..I, back then¡­¡­I knew I couldn¡¯t do anything and was looking for a way out, so deep down, I was relieved.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m scared, even now. But what I¡¯m scared of even more¡­¡­..is admitting that this is all there is to me¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Saluena quietly listened to what I had to say, but once I was finished, a large smile came across her face. With her consent, I turned my gaze back towards Aronda-san.

    ¡°Aronda-san. All of the sisters.¡±

    And then with my determination hardened, I turned my gaze towards Sarah, Mom, and Dad who were all looking at me uncertain.

    ¡°Dad, Mom, and Sarah¡­¡­there¡¯s something I need to tell you. I¡­¡­I am an adventurer. I don¡¯t want to be somebody who needs to be protected anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Iris¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­is this what¡¯s been on your mind lately?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I really love everyone, and so I¡­..tried running away from what I feel. But, I¡¯m not going to make anyone happy acting like that. Nobody would¡¯ve been happy that way.¡±

    After wrapping her arms around and giving me a hug, Sarah kissed me on the cheek.

    ¡°¡­¡­okay. If this is what Onee-chan has decided on¡­¡­I will support you.¡±

    Any leftover hesitation in me was blown away as I returned Sarah¡¯s kiss.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. A warrior cannot go into battle without knowing themselves most of all. If they are not prepared, all they¡¯ll accomplish is pointlessly increasing the number of corpses. Once that has been established, everything else can picked up as you go.¡±

    The reason why Saluena refused to let me go at that time was probably because she knew I wasn¡¯t ready. She saw through my trembling heart and did her best to warn me.

    But, I¡¯m not lost anymore. I¡¯ve readied my resolve.

    ¡°Aronda-san, I need your help. I¡­..want to take my baptismal rites.¡±

    I¡¯m going to be the Grimoire Master, and an adventurer.

 CH 67

    A silver cup filled with holy water was set down on a marble pedestal. I stood determined before it, pushing the sleeve of my new robe up my arm.

    ¡°Guardian of the world, ruler of reason. Your servant Aronda Lizea offers a report. The new power of this brave individual¡±

    The holy water began giving off a white glow as Aronda-san completed the chant for her ritual prayer.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it. I haven¡¯t received a baptismal rite in years¨Cnot since my very first one. Back then the water retained its white color, and after a single white flower bloomed, a fairy appeared to whisper to me my future.

    A long time has passed since then, and as hard as it is to remember something that long ago, how nervous I was back then makes it even harder to recall that memory.

    But right now, standing before this silver cup once again, the memories of that day flooded back as clear as if it had only happened yesterday. I remember just how nervous I was and how sweat was oozing from my palm. I wonder what the fairy who whispered my future to me from back then is doing now. Will they appear before me once again? Would they remember me if they did?

    I dipped my fingers into the holy water as everyone watched with such random thoughts as that passing through my mind.

    Several ripples radiated from around my fingers when they first entered, but after a second, the water¡¯s surface settled once again. The holy water remained white¡­¡­.

    No, the color has started to change. From pure white¡­¡­to green.

    ¡°Oh, it¡­¡­it changed? S-Sarah-chan, do you see what¡¯s happening around Iris¡¯s hand!?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­.it¡¯s gradually, turning green¡­¡­ah, but¡­¡­¡±

    From an emerald green to amber yellow.

    ¡°No way¡­¡­look, she¡­¡­the color of the holy water¡­¡­it keeps changing¡­¡­.¡±

    From a brilliant yellow¡­¡­.to a vivid orange.

    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡­I see it. But, what does it mean¡­¡­.. Iris is¡­¡­..an orange rank¡­.no, it¡­..even more¡­¡­.¡±

    Finally it changed from its bright orange to a fiery red. At that moment, the entire church stirred. The astonishment on Aronda-san¡¯s face reflected on the water¡¯s calm surface was the perfect symbol for the surrounding commotion.

    But in the midst of all that noise, I was as calm as the water¡¯s surface. At least, I wasn¡¯t as excited as I had been when I watched Toslin and the others¡¯ ritual.

    ¡°¡­..red¡­..color¡­.. Iris is¡­¡­.a red corundum rank?¡±

    I could hear Dad¡¯s trembling voice behind me as I watched the changes happen.

    The holy water spread out before me in a ruby red color. This red color is the residue of my power. And from the condensed power, tikarodekas began to spread out and grow. The flowers budded and opened, giving me a full bouquet of ruby tikarodekas in full bloom. 25 of them in total.

    But this time¡­¡­no, this time as well, the ceremony did not end there.

    ¡°L-Look Peachseed! A fairy is¡­¡­¡±

    At the very end, as the last, tallest tikarodeka went into bloom, a fairy appeared from within the opened bulb.

    ¡°Ah, y-yeah¡­..I see it¡­.this, what the hell, is going on¡­¡­. I don¡¯t think, something like this, is normal¡­¡­.¡±

    Unlike your first baptismal rite, a fairy appearing during your second rite or any of them further down the line is exceptionally rare. To be precise, it¡¯s completely unheard of outside of an oracle. It is said that the Goddess Illya¡¯s pet cat Gustav will manifest itself whenever the Goddess delivers an oracle, but the truth is that such an event would only ever happen if the fate of the world itself was on the line. Apparently most of the time it is just a fairy playing the role of communicator.

    The fairy danced about throughout the spacious church. Light particles scattered from her airborne dance reflected off the church¡¯s stained glass windows creating a mystical scene dyed in all seven colors of the rainbow.

    ¡°¡­..Iris Calvafon. On behalf of the Goddess Illya, I come to bestow upon you the word of the Goddess.¡±

    The fairy who had flown around the room until now slowly descended before me, stopping mid-air in a spot a little above my head. Aronda-san knelt down once again at the fairy¡¯s words followed by the rest of the sisters and finally everyone else in the church. A fairy has descended as a representative of the Goddess in order to bestow upon the people the Goddess¡¯s word. In other words, this was just like receiving an oracle from the Goddess, so everybody¡¯s reaction was normal. But my hand was still dipped in the silver cup, and for one other reason, my body had frozen making it impossible to move.

    (Huh?)

    My mind had gone completely blank seeing the fairy.

    Green hair and light brown skin. And the frilly green dress she was wearing certainly looked familiar. Incidentally, she also had thin, sharp eyes, a perfect symbol for her confident personality.

    {Iris Calvafon. I pray that you may become our hope.}

    ¡­¡­hope? Me? The Goddess¡¯s?

    ¡°Thus ends the Goddess¡¯s words.¡±

    My head was filled with question marks, but according to the fairy, that was all there was to the oracle.

    ¡°The Goddess¡¯s words, I shall surely engrave them in my heart.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on exactly, but it is true that the Goddess has given me hope. If the Goddess hadn¡¯t given me that grimoire back then, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am right now.

    I¡¯m not sure what it is the Goddess is asking of me exactly, but whatever it is, I¡¯ll give my best in doing it.

    ¡°Ah, Iris Calvafon. Priestess of Illya Aronda Lizea¡­..recognizes you as a level 25 red corundum. And as such, the ceremony is complete.¡±

    Standing there silently until now, Aronda-san broke her silence in order to announce the end of my baptismal rites.

    Me being given a red rank was certainly unexpected, but with this, I¡¯m finally ready.

    I can take my first step towards them.

 CH 68

    ¡°Sarah¡±

    ¡°Ah, y-yes!!¡±

    I gathered together the blooming tikarodeka from the silver cup and handed them to Sarah.

    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t tell you everything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure, you couldn¡¯t say anything even if you wanted to. Onee-chan¡­¡­you¡¯ve always been terrible with secrets.¡±

    Sarah stared at the crimson colored flowers I had given her for a short while before shaking her head. When she finally looked back up towards me, there was a smile on her face.

    ¡°Thank you Sarah¡±

    ¡°But, you don¡¯t have to hide anything anymore. When everything¡¯s done¡­¡­let¡¯s have a proper talk okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay. I promise. This time, we¡¯ll have a proper talk. I¡¯ll tell you what happened when I was in Relton, and everything else I saw these last six months. Dad and Mom too.¡±

    I turned my gaze away from Sarah and towards my parents. The both of them were wearing their amazement on their sleeves.

    But as soon as my eyes met theirs, they smiled and gave me a nod.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    ¡°You can take your time and tell us over that stew I need to finish.¡±

    As I was talking to my mom and dad, something small¨Cabout the size of a cat or a dog¨Cpeeked its head out from between their legs.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    It¡¯s tiny little feet kept moving until it was standing right next to Sarah and raised its head.

    ¡°This¡­..isn¡¯t it the stuffed animal I gave to Onee-chan? Eh, why¡­¡­.¡±

    It really was the stuffed unicorn Sarah had given me for my birthday. It rested its front feet right on Sarah¡¯s foot while wagging its little wool tail.

    A stuffed animal moving on its own is an event ripped straight from a horror story. But we¡¯re in a church, a holy place, so maybe that¡¯s why this doesn¡¯t feel that strange or weird?

    ¡°Are you, looking for a hug?¡±

    Sarah carefully lifted up the stuffed animal into her arm. The stuffed unicorn stretched out its limbs in response before rolling up into a ball as if it were about to go to sleep.

    And then gradually, it began giving off a soft light.

    ¡°Wa, a light¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Do not be afraid. This object embodies your thoughts in regard to your sister, the prayer of a pure maiden. The Goddess Illya is responding to that prayer.¡±

    The fairy¡¯s solemn voice sounded out from the position she had unexpectedly taken on top of my head.

    ¡°The Goddess is¡­¡­.¡±

    Sarah blinked a couple of times upon hearing that before turning her focus back on the stuffed animal in her arms.

    ¡°¡­¡­ah, the stuffed animal¡¯s shape, it¡¯s changing¡­¡­..into a book?¡±

    I¡¯ve seen a scene like this once before. It was that time Rose-san picked up a fragment of the Goddess¡¯s broken statue in the fairy village. At that time, the fragment emitted a golden light before transforming into a grimoire.

    And now that same event is happening once again before my eyes.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.oh, is that so? Onee-chan and Saluena-sama¡¯s wish¡­¡­. Okay, I understand¡­¡­¡±

    Sarah smiled, laughing happily as she tightly embraced the figure which had now completely changed into a book. She then held it out, presenting it to me.

    ¡°The unicorn told me she wants to fulfill Onee-chan and Saluena-sama¡¯s wish. She said she wants to help you save Rosalith-sama and the others. After that, she told me to give this book to Onee-chan¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­okay. All right. I got it. I understand.¡±

    I took the book¡­¡­.the grimoire from Sarah¡¯s hands. A unicorn is featured prominently across the new white cover.

    I never told Sarah about how Saluena and I had prayed to the unicorn together for everyone¡¯s safety. The fact that she knows about it now must mean the unicorn told her about it itself.

    (This unicorn said it wanted to grant me my wish. In other words¡­¡­everyone¡¯s still¡­..)

    ¡°Sarah. I must thank you. Thanks to you¡­¡­.I may allow myself to still hold hope.¡±

    Saluena apparently reached the same conclusion I did. I could hear her voice dance ever-so-slightly.

    (If¡­..)

    ¡°Iris. My master.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!!¡±

    I nodded powerfully in response to Saluena¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Now¡­¡­release the bonds of this world!!¡±

    Turning open the grimoire¡¯s cover, characters began to appear across a blank page.

    A pure light similar to the one given off by the holy water in the silver cup radiated from the grimoire, brightly illuminating every corner of the church. Despite being inside a building where no air should be moving, a gust of wind started blowing around me.

    ¡°The Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!¡±

    Back then, I was desperately hoping for a miracle. So I desperately cast my line, hoping to draw something in.

    ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Holy spirit born from an ancient age, virgin guardian, mare clad in sacred water.¡±

    But now, I can see it somehow. The words I¡¯m running through each have their own meaning showing me a scene of the Goddess undoing the curse that binds this world.

    ¡°Please deliver unto us an age of peace and safety! Fiercely defend us from malice and impurity!¡±

    The grimoire emitted an even brighter light. Blue letters emerged from within the dazzling light, guiding my chant.

    And finally

    With the final words, the summoning is complete.

    ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forward. Unicorn!¡±

    The light quickly converged into a single point, morphing into the shape of a horse. *Clop Clop Clop* I thought I heard the sound of hooves striking against the hard ground when,  a moment later, an ear-splitting neigh shook the entire church.

    Looking just like how I imagined as if it had jumped right out of my mind, a unicorn stood before me, its tail swinging behind as it looked down on me.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­the stuffed unicorn became a real unicorn¡­¡­..¡±

    For once in her life Mycena looked actually surprised, her eyes opened wide in the presence of a holy spirit which had manifested right in front of her.

    ¡°You, Iris is¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡­.yes, I see it as well. Unicorn. A holy spirit that fought on the Goddess¡¯s side a thousand years ago in the Illyarian War¡­¡­ Unbelievable, I never thought the day would come where I would get to see one¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Onee-chan, this unicorn, isn¡¯t it the same color as the stuffed animal I made¡­¡­.?¡±

    The unicorn had a pure white coat, the same fresh snow color as the grimoire¡¯s cover. But then its purple mane and eyes were definitely the same as the original stuffed animal.

    ¡°Yep. Because the only unicorn I¡¯ve ever seen was the one you gave me as a present Sarah.¡±

    ¡°I suppose¡­¡­ Unicorn, please. Won¡¯t you¡­¡­protect Onee-chan?¡±

    Sarah reached out her hand and stroked the unicorn¡¯s long face, and the unicorn let out a small whinny as if to answer.

    ¡°Fufu, thanks¡±

    After Unicorn had been successfully summoned, the grimoire in my hands began emitting light once again. This time though it was the grimoire itself that changed its shape inside the pure white light.

    ¡°Ah, the book¡­¡­now Onee-chan¡¯s finger¡­..is that, a ring?¡±

    The ring finger on my left hand was already occupied by a dark violet ring. So this ring formed from the unicorn¡¯s grimoire settled on my pinky finger right next to it.

    ¡°Indeed. Your sister has been awarded with the Goddess¡¯s divine protection, the Grimoire Master. As the name implies, the Grimoire Master is one who specializes in the use of spellbooks. They are able to unseal and then wield the power that has been bound by holy chains from across the world.¡±

    Saluena was the picture of a knight after straddling the back of the unicorn. Then after she tapped the back of its neck, the unicorn turned its head towards the church¡¯s front doors.

    ¡°So, Master. Let us go together.¡±

    Bending over, Saluena held out her hand to me.

    ¡°Yes. To save everyone.¡±

    I grabbed her hand without hesitation. She lifted me up effortlessly as if I was lighter than a feather and fitted me right between her arms. The fairy resting on my head naturally came with us.

    ¡°Peachseed-san, Plumseed-san. Sorry, but please take care of everyone here.¡±

    ¡°Leave it¡­¡­.I really have no room to talk about my strength, but we¡¯ll fight til we break.¡±

    ¡°Ku-chan already gave it her all, so we¡¯re ready to do the same.¡±

    Kutuna-san was still sleeping, but judging by her complexion, there was nothing to worry about anymore.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Right! Good luck Onee-chan. Saluena-sama too. And Unicorn!!¡±

    ¡°Iris, be careful!!¡±

    With the full support of Sarah, Mycena, and everyone else, Unicorn started running.

 CH 69

    First off we must head to the city¡¯s wall and deal with the ents marching on the city.

    With Saluena¡¯s face at the edge of my vision, I watched the city scenery pass me by while listening to the exhilarating sound of galloping hooves beating against cobblestone.

    ¡°Oi Iris. Long time no see.¡±

    That was when a voice came down from atop my head.

    ¡°Oh, so it really was you Lapris. You had the same face and were wearing the same clothes, but the way you talked was so different I thought you were somebody else. Er, some other fairy I mean?¡±

    ¡°I talk the way I talk because I like talking that way. Hmph, but when appearing on behalf of the Goddess, it wouldn¡¯t be proper if I talked however I wanted.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, yeah, it wouldn¡¯t. But, I¡¯m happy to see you again.¡±

    ¡°If possible I was really hoping I wouldn¡¯t see you again for a long time. But well, I did give you one of my feathers. I didn¡¯t have much other choice than to answer the call.¡±

    Lapris grabbed some of my hair and shimmied her way down to my shoulder. Speaking of which, she did give me a small rainbow-colored feather when we parted ways last time. I figured I would be in a lot of trouble if I lost it, so I¡¯ve been keeping it in a small bag which I¡¯ve been wearing around my neck. Is it because of that feather then that we were able to meet like this?

    ¡°Hoh, Iris. You¡¯ve have a fairy feather?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She gave it to me when I left Relton village.¡±

    ¡°Haah? That reminds me you, I don¡¯t recognize your face. They were calling you Saluena, but who are you to Iris?¡±

    Instead of using her wings to fly, Lapris stood up straight on my shoulder before reaching out and slapping the back of her hand against Saluena¡¯s cheek again and again.

    ¡°Let me tell you, I¡¯ve known Iris longer than you have. In other words, that makes you the newcomer and me the senpai. So whenever speaking to me, be sure to put ¡®san¡¯ after my name, you got it? It¡¯s Lapris-san, capisce?¡±

    ¡°Ah, wai-¡­¡­.Lapris. What are you talking about? You¡¯ve met her before. She¡¯s Hadion.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.huh?¡±

    Lapris¡¯s self-important attitude melted away as the hand she was using to repeatedly slap Saluena¡¯s cheek froze in place. Her face meanwhile had lost all color, and it¡¯s probably not because of the wind whipping past us.

    ¡°No¡­¡­..N-N-N-N-N-No¡­¡­..Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You¡¯re, lying¡­¡­..w-w-w-hy, why¡­¡­.Ha-Ha-Had¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Woah! You¡¯re going to fall if you don¡¯t hold on tight!¡±

    Lapris let go of my hair and almost tumbled right off my shoulder. I managed to grab her out of the air, but because I grabbed her by her feet in a panic, her skirt flipped up revealing her cute underwear underneath. If I don¡¯t hurry up and put her right-side up, I¡¯m going to end up labeled as a complete pervert. By the way, they were light pink with frills, but you didn¡¯t hear that from me. Is it surprising that she has such a girlish side to her?

    ¡°Hold on properly or use your wings to fly. We don¡¯t have the time to stop and pick you up right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry!! I¡¯m also sorry for my impertinence!! So please don¡¯t kill me!!¡±

    Uwa, she changed her tune so fast. She was just ordering Saluena to start using ¡®san¡¯ with her name, and now she¡¯s using that same breath to apologize like a kid who has their hand in the cookie jar.

    ¡°I have no intentions on doing anything that should cause you concern. At least, so long as you bear no ill will to Iris.¡±

    ¡°Of-Of-Of course not!! Iris and I are buds!! I would absolutely never dream about even trying to do her any harm!!¡±

    Lapris dove into my hair, showing only her face as she fearfully looked on towards Saluena.

    ¡°If you¡¯ll be following us from now on, call me Saluena. The name Hadion doesn¡¯t evoke too many warm memories for me.¡±

    ¡°Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes!! S-S-S-S-Saluena-anego!! I, er I mean, you can feel free to call me L-L-Lapris!!¡±

    Anego¡­¡­..it¡¯s a bit of an older, more archaic way of calling someone.

    ¡°I see, well then Lapris. Listen well. In just a moment, we will be wiping out a horde of ents.¡±

    ¡°Hah, ents huh? Eh? Ents? What do you mean a horde of ents?¡±

    Even Lapris knows about the habits of ents. She turned to me, looking for an explanation for why there was a horde of monsters that don¡¯t usually gather together. So I gave her a brief summary of everything that had happened. I did put special focus on the carbuncle inhabiting a red stone however.

    ¡°Uwaa, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­.I showed up at the worst possible moment?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, kinda.¡±

    According to Saluena, the ruby-powered carbuncle is even more dangerous than the dragon we faced in Relton. Our ultimate goal is to slay that spirit which means we¡¯re eventually going to make our way over to the ruins. So it probably really is the worst possible time for Lapris be here.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­and to think Quinn had just brought me to Osnell where I was going to start looking for my friends. Maybe because I gave Iris one of my feathers our deep friendship was transmitted to the Goddess, and she thought she was doing a good thing¡­¡­.¡±

    Lapris let out a long, deep sigh while looking like the life was being slowly drained out of her.

    ¡°And before this, a dark elf attacked my village and a dragon set Relton on fire¡­¡­. Hey, what did I ever do to deserve this?¡±

    ¡°W-Well¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I forgot. Before the dragon, I was chased around by a golem because of that horrible orc/werewolf combo. Honestly¡­¡­back then, I was seriously thinking about beating you to death¡­¡­.¡±

    Just as I was wondering if I saw some light in those lifeless eyes of her, she says something like that in a spiteful tone¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Awawawawawawawa¡­¡­¡±

    Bombarded by Saluena¡¯s silent pressure immediately afterwards, Lapris¡¯s hand shot up to cover her own both to stop her from saying anything beyond an incoherent babble.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Saluena. Don¡¯t scare her so much. We did what we thought we had to back then, but it was really wrong of us, and Rose-san and I did reflect on it.¡±

    Carol and Toslin, didn¡¯t reflect at all and probably haven¡¯t left the best impression after their follow-up prank. If the two of them were here right now, they definitely would¡¯ve started a heated quarrel by now. Although I am feeling nostalgic for one of their rows at the moment.

    ¡°Oh, Iris¡­¡­ You really are¡­¡­.so kind. You heal me. This world is too cruel for someone like me¡­¡­.¡±

    I think that¡¯s probably because of how foul-mouthed you are¡­¡­.I thought about pointing that out, but since she seems like she might actually be depressed, I silently rubbed her back instead.

    ¡°But, I see. Those guys¡­¡­honestly I couldn¡¯t care less about them, but the Goddess¡­¡­and that Gustav bastard said I had to follow you¡­¡­so c¡¯est la vie I guess.¡±

    ¡°Eh, is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yes it is. So the great me will go with you. You¡¯ve made sure to keep that feather I gave you close by right?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah. It¡¯s right here, but what does that have to do with anything?¡±

    ¡°Do you not know Master? It is said that fairy feathers have the power to stave away death.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. I did hear that it was supposed to work as some kind of talisman¡­..from the person herself.¡±

    Now that I think about it, Lapris certainly did say something like that when she gave it to me. Back then I was so pleased that Lapris had given me anything at all that I hadn¡¯t paid much mind to what kind of effect it had.

    ¡°Oi oi, fairies are supposed to be symbols of good luck you know. So of course the feathers from those outstanding fairies would carry a lot of power in them. Ah, but that isn¡¯t the case for any that naturally fall out.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? And you gave me such an amazing thing¡­¡­thank you.¡±

    ¡°Stop that. You and I have that kind of relationship right? We¡¯re buds right? C¡¯mon, right!?¡±

    Wondering why she was so dramatically pushing home this point, I realized she was just putting on a show to try and get Saluena to not hate her. So to speak, this is all part of her strategy to survive.

    As the realization crossed my mind, I started feeling sorry for her and obediently nodded my head.

    ¡°Yep, we are close friends. Best buds. Please take good care of us from here on out Lapris.¡±

    ¡°S-Sure!! Honestly I have no idea what I can do against some ents, but if we¡¯re fighting a carbuncle, I should be able to help a little I think. I¡¯m not sure!!¡±

    I¡¯m not sure is it? Lapris beat her hand against her chest while openly casting doubt on whether she¡¯ll be helpful or not.

    ¡°Master, the gates are coming up.¡±

    I suppose it should be expected that a steed like Unicorn could take us from the church to the edge of the city in only a couple of minutes. But, after getting a little closer to the point where even I with my bad eyesight could make out the situation, I realized how terrible things really were.

    *BANG!!*

    ¡°Eh, no way!? The gate¡¯s open!?¡±

    The heavy, thick, iron doors were bent inwards from the assault.

    ¡°It looks like it was just broken through. There must be some powerful ents mixed in.¡±

    The city walls have huge, ginormous iron gates. We had to go through one of them when we arrived here, so Saluena knows just how big they are.

    ¡°Iris. Hold on tightly to Unicorn¡¯s neck.¡±

    ¡°R-Right!! But Saluena¡­¡­what are you going to do!?¡±

    ¡°What I must of course.¡±

    Ents had just started pouring into the city through the breached gate. I¡¯ve heard people say it before, but they really are huge. They¡¯re nearly the same size as the golem we fought outside of Relton.

    What is Saluena going to do against something like that? There¡¯s no way a sword is going to work against them. Even for Saluena trying to chop down a thick tree with a sword will be too much¡­¡­

    ¡°As a knight, I shall chop them down.¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯d expect from you Saluena-anego!!¡±

    No, I guess it¡¯s not too much at all.

 CH 70

    The bent iron door was evidence enough of an ent¡¯s strength.

    ¡°S-Switch to your axes! We can¡¯t let them further into the city!! We stop them here no matter what!!¡±

    A man looking like a captain started shouting out orders from on top of the wall. Just beneath him, a loud creak was echoing through as the ents continued to pry open the gate. Despite how widely the gate was torn through, the ents hadn¡¯t actually managed to get into the city yet because of how massive their bodies are. But it only took a glance to be able to tell it was only a matter of time.

    ¡°Uwa, eh!? Eh!? Hit!? If we keep going like this, we¡¯re going to run right into them!? Stop, stop!!¡±

    The gate was broken, and the first ent was finally starting to fit its body through the entrance. There were already a number of soldiers with axes at the ready following their captain¡¯s orders. But Unicorn was diving right in the thick of it all despite these facts.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave our master to you Unicorn.¡±

    While I was desperately holding on tight like she told me to, Saluena lightly tapped the back of Unicorn¡¯s neck, and¡­¡­..no way, she jumped.

    After galloping all this way and reaching a heightened speed, Saluena kicked off Unicorn¡¯s back, rocketing her entire body forward through the air.

    She drew her blade from its scabbard on her back as she spun two, three times through the air. And with that momentum, she swung down her sword towards the intruding ent which had finally managed to fully pry open the door.

    *ZWIT!!*

    ¡°Woohoo!! Sweet, right in two! As expected of Anego!!¡±

    The blade flickered white from the reflected moonlight, cutting the ent vertically in half as easily as if she were cutting through the night breeze.

    ¡­¡­.amazing. With Lapris shouting right in my year, all my years of book reading failed me as that was the only word I could think of to describe what I just saw.

    ¡°¡­.so yeah, after this¡­¡­what are we going to do!? Do you even know how to ride a horse by yourself?¡±

    ¡°Eh!?¡±

    Saluena stepped over the ent¡¯s corpse, (actually, would it just be a pile of wood now?) and made her way outside of the city walls on her own.

    ¡°Hii!? Anego went outside on her own!? What do we do!? Is it okay to follow her!?¡±

    ¡°B-B-But how do we do that¡­¡­I¡¯ve never ridden a horse before¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Graah!! Just like I thought damn it!!¡±

    While Lapris and I were busy screaming ¡°Ah!¡± and ¡°Over there¡± from on top of Unicorn¡¯s back, we finally made it to where the city soldiers were stationed.

    ¡°Uwawawawawawa!?¡±

    Crash. That was what I thought was going to happen, but Unicorn flew through the air before we could hit anybody. No, I¡¯m exaggerating a bit. But she did perform one, giant leap that pushed us through the air and allowed us to soar over all the soldiers¡¯ heads as if we really were gliding.

    ¡°Ah, Iris-chan!?¡±

    I guess Marcus-san was mixed in together with those soldiers we jumped over because I suddenly heard him call my name.

    ¡°Marcus-san!! W-W-We¡¯re here to help¡­¡­.kyaaaaAAAAAAAAA!!!¡±

    A tremendous shock radiated through my body as Unicorn landed back down on the ground. For as much as my head was shaking, I¡¯m truly amazed I didn¡¯t bite my tongue.

    Unicorn is going to charge through the bent open iron door and follow Saluena out of the city¡­¡­that¡¯s what I thought we were doing at least¡­¡­..

    *GAGONNNNG!*

    ¡°¡­¡­.eh!?¡±

    ¡°Fua?¡±

    Lapris and I were equally stunned. Because just when we were wondering why Unicorn was vigorously thrusting out its front feet, she kicked the iron door with everything she had and bent it closed again.

    I could hear the soldiers¡¯ cheers coming from behind me. I suppose it is a huge peace of mind to have the gate closed again so no more ents can enter.

    ¡°Wai-¡­¡­Unicorn!?¡±

    I was certainly astonished with Unicorn¡¯s strength that allowed her to easily shut a gate that took an ent so long to break through, but right now I¡¯m much worried about what is happening to Saluena now that she¡¯s cut-off, stuck outside of the city on her own.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡­W-What is this!?¡±

    ¡°That swordswoman, she¡¯s amazing!!¡±

    ¡°No, that girl¡¯s a knight!! I overheard some people in the guild talking about her!!¡±

    I could hear the voices of soldiers still stationed on the wall shouting about her.

    ¡°Oi Iris! There are some stairs over there! Can¡¯t you climb up and see what¡¯s going on!?¡±

    This girl still refuses to fly on her own. Pushing that thought to the back of my mind, I figured Saluena was more important than anything at the moment, so I made to jump off Unicorn¡¯s back so I could run over to the stairs.

    But before I could jump down, Unicorn started running herself. Right towards the stairs I was aiming for.

    ¡°¡­¡­..perhaps¡­¡­..¡±

    This child, can she actually understand what I¡¯m saying?

    ¡°Hurry Unicorn!!¡±

    Tightening my grip around her neck, I gave out an order as a test, and Unicorn immediately picked up speed. *Taka Taka Taka* her hoofs clacked against the stairs as she took them ten steps at a time. This is truly amazing. Even giving it my all I can only go up stairs two steps at a time at most¡­¡­why, I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about something like that right now.

    ¡°Saluena is!?¡±

    There were over a hundred ents outside the city walls. And right now, Saluena is out there probably completely surrounded by that pack of monsters. No matter how incredibly strong she is, she can¡¯t overcome those numbers through brute strength alone. Saluena herself had mentioned about how she had lost during the Illyarian War. That¡¯s why she had talked about forming a chivalric order¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­..wha-¡­¡­..¡±

    But, I arrived at the top of the city walls fully expecting to see some ridiculous scene outside the city that would blow those thoughts away.

    ¡°Anego, she really is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡­she sure is.¡±

    Sometimes adventure novels like to use hyperbole to give action a bit of flare.  A sword cutting a boulder in half¡­¡­a powerful strike that causes the ground to shatter¡­¡­.or something of the sort.

    But Saluena, wasn¡¯t mere hyperbole.

    Right before my eyes Saluena was felling ents, chopping them clean in half with a single swing of her sword and turning them into nothing more than oversized logs.

    But she¡¯s still on her own. With one swing of her sword, she can feel one ent. But if they rush her all at once, it¡¯ll be difficult for her to deal with them¡­¡­I mean, it¡¯ll probably be hard for her, right?

    ¡°Y-You¡­..who are you!?¡±

    With us causing a stir by suddenly appearing out of nowhere, the bewildered captain shouted at us. But what should I answer with? What¡¯s the best answer to convince these people we¡¯re on their side? While I was arranging the words in my head to formulate the best possible answer, Lapris jumped up and used her wings to hover over Unicorn¡¯s head.

    ¡°Please be at ease. I, am an envoy from the Goddess Illya. We have come here to aid you this day.¡±

    ¡°T-The Goddess¡¯s¡­¡­envoy¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s a fairy!! And look closely at the horse, there¡¯s a horn growing from its head!?¡±

    ¡°¡­.is that, a unicorn? I¡¯ve never seen one before¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, you¡¯re really from the Goddess? We, We¡¯re saved!?¡±

    Lapris took on the same poise she had on at the church. When you seal away her terrible way of talking and combine it with her appearance as a fairy, the resulting effect is enormous.

    And apparently the fact that we¡¯ve come in riding on a unicorn has greatly contributed to our authenticity as messengers of the Goddess.

    ¡°S-So the Goddess didn¡¯t abandon us after all¡­¡­.¡±

    The captain gave Lapris a salute followed by every other soldier around him.

    ¡°Ah, Iris-chan. I overheard that you are an envoy from the Goddess¡­¡­.is that really true?¡±

    Marcus-san came running up the steps out of breath in order to report that the gate had been fully closed.

    ¡°¡­¡­..yes, it is.¡±

    It¡¯s true that the Goddess sent Lapris here, and it¡¯s also true that we came here in order to deal with the ents.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to fight too. In order to protect the town I was born and raised.¡±

    So I nodded, answering with conviction in my voice.

 CH 71

    I told them I came here to fight, but¡­¡­¡­

    (So, what am I supposed to do next¡­¡­¡­?)

    Looking around, we have around 100 soldiers stationed here. That isn¡¯t including the additional fifty volunteer adventurers and lumberjacks who are ready to fight as well. We outnumber the ents sure, but unfortunately, ents are powerful monsters. If I were to equate each soldier here to a goblin, victory becomes something hard to imagine.

    At this very moment Saluena is struggling on her own below the wall¡­¡­.no, actually she¡¯s tearing through the ents with constant, unstoppable force.

    But we still can¡¯t just leave her alone. I came here to fight too. I¡¯m, an adventurer too.

    (Well if we¡¯re being technical I guess I¡¯m more of the church-like equivalent like Rose-san than an actual adventurer, but still.)

    ¡°Lapris. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Hey, oi. Go where? Seriously, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re jumping into that mess right?¡±

    Lapris slowly floated over to me, vehemently whispering into my ear while still trying to put up her front as the Goddess¡¯s envoy. I gave her a smile for her efforts.

    ¡°Of course we are.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi oi oi, what¡¯s up? You were always the more prudent, thoughtful type weren¡¯t ya? When we were fighting the dragon, you kept coming up with one strategy after another¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°A full charge is a splendid strategy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­isnt¡¯ that the same as you saying you have no strategy at all? Haven¡¯t you become completely desperate?¡±

    ¡°Definitely¡±

    I glanced down at the white-silver ring on my left hand¡¯s pinky.

    ¡°I can go, assuming I¡¯m not misunderstanding the strength I feel right now. I, should be able to help Saluena.¡±

    Straddling Unicorn¡¯s back, I stroked my left hand against her neck. Just like how Saluena did, gently, gently. Show my appreciation.

    ¡°Please. Lend me your aid Unicorn.¡±

    And at my small whisper, Unicorn released a powerful neigh. Her purple mane gradually began emitting a white light. A glow similar to the one the holy water gave off during the baptismal rite. A faint, gentle, soft as silk white. And yet the light had a power all its own that prevented you from looking away.

    ¡°O-Oi oi oi. What are you thinking about right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about charging right at my enemies.¡±

    ¡°You already said that. Do you just like charging now? Does it tickle your fancy or something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, is sounds good. Makes us seem strong.¡±

    ¡°You sound like an idiot right now.¡±

    ¡°Well~, maybe. But that¡¯s fine too. Even an idiot can do something as simple as a charge.¡±

    I felt calm during my exchange with Lapris. I¡¯m ready and determined.

    ¡°Hoh, a unicorn? Never did I think the day would come when these eyes would get to see one in person.¡±

    Suddenly Grandpa Ferdinand appeared from behind the captain and walked over to me. He was flanked on both sides by a couple of lumberjacks who had called out to me at the guild a few days ago.

    ¡°Oh!? Taking a look, aren¡¯t you that girl from back then?¡±

    ¡°I had my doubts when that knight appeared out of nowhere¡­¡­. And now there¡¯s this unicorn¡­¡­just who are you?¡±

    This is the man who served me some tea that first day I waited for Toslin and the others to get back from their job. He¡¯s carrying a big ax on his back just like back then.

    ¡°This is Iris Calvafon. Grimoire Master and receiver of the Goddess¡¯s blessing. A level 25 red corundum.¡±

    Lapris returned to her solemn demeanor and spoke on my behalf.

    ¡°A-A red corundum rank!? S-Seriously¡­¡­.. That¡¯s the same rank as the hero put in charge of slaying that dragon.¡±

    The lumberjacks were visibly shocked to hear I was red rank, but Grandpa was different. He kept his calm on the battlefield and quietly nodded his head after a moment.

    ¡°Grimoire Master¡­¡­I see. It seems I was not mistaken when I said you had changed since I last saw you.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa, so you came here too.¡±

    ¡°That Marcus came to get me. Well, it is the duty of those who live in the city to keep it safe. I¡¯m happy to cooperate as best I can.¡±

    ¡°In that case Grandpa, is it okay if I ask you a favor?¡±

    What I¡¯m going to do after this is extremely simple. But I¡¯m going to need collaborators in order to make it work.

    ¡°You¡¯re like a granddaughter to me Iris. And there¡¯s no way this old man is going to turn down a request from his cute granddaughter.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, thanks Grandpa.¡±

    After thanking Grandpa, I asked the captain for his help as well.

    ¡°Soldiers, can we ask you for your help in this?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­.. If we can be of help, we¡¯ll do whatever you need.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll help too!! We¡¯re lumberjacks. If the job¡¯s cutting wood, we¡¯re confident we won¡¯t lose to nobody!!¡±

    The motivation for every lumberjack gathered here was set ablaze, and a powerful roar rose from the group as they raised their axes into the air.

    ¡°Iris-sama, leave healing those who get injured to us sisters.¡±

    With morale already on the rise, a small group of sisters dispatched from the church joined our group.

    Soldiers, lumberjacks, and a few adventurers thrown into the mix.

    With a few sisters joining us, there¡¯s nothing else we need to worry about.

    ¡°Hey, with this many people here, there¡¯s no need for us to go out ourselves right? Anego is already out there too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no good. Unicorn is already raring to go, and besides¡­¡­I¡¯m already an adventurer. It doesn¡¯t make any sense for me to stand back and be protected anymore.¡±

    Unicorn¡¯s mane has completely changed from purple to pure white for some reason. Looking behind me, I see that her tail has turned snow white as well.

    The ring on my pinky is flickering light. Almost as if it were waiting for my signal.

    (Yeah, I know. What we should do, and what we can do¡­¡­)

    With everyone¡¯s gazes locked on me, I kissed Unicorn¡¯s ring. At that instant, a huge torrent of light was released from both the ring and Unicorn¡¯s body at the same time.

    ¡°W-Woah!? What!? What did you do Iris!?¡±

    ¡°Made a powerful shield that cannot be broken.¡±

    Lapris was disoriented by the light and jumped into my hair. Several geometrically patterned magic circles of various sizes expanded around me and floated in midair.

    Whether my thoughts were transmitted through the ring or not, *Tak Tak Tak*¡­¡­Unicorn started tapping her hoof against the cobblestone ground. Her breathing was wild, and she impatiently waited for me to finally give my order. For some reason I had gone off and thought she was a good, calm child because she¡¯s a mare, but after that incident with the gate earlier, maybe I need to rework how I think.

    ¡°There¡¯s just one thing I need to ask all of you.¡±

    I gave everyone a general outline of the plan with a wry smile floating in my heart. I felt just like how I had when I faced the dragon in Relton.

 CH 72

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!! Hang on tight Lapris-chan!!¡±

    ¡°H-Hoorah!! I¡¯m ready anytime!! Just don¡¯t fall Iris!! You¡¯re going to look really lame if you end up falling off your horse!!¡±

    The always noisy Lapris excitedly shouted right in my ear. But right now that annoying shrill was bringing me hope, and my mouth naturally curved upwards into a smile.

    I wonder why. I should be scared¡­..and yet for some reason I feel like I am having fun. Uplifted even. This is the first time in my life I¡¯ve felt like this.

    We¡¯re standing at the gates right now. After being breached once by the ents already and then violently bent back in place by Unicorn, this gate won¡¯t withstand a second attack from the enemy.

    ¡°Suu¡­¡­¡±

    I took a long, deep breath and held it there.

    Hanging on to Unicorn¡¯s mane to make sure I don¡¯t fall over, I shouted as loud as I could.

    ¡°CHARGEEEEEEEE!!¡±

    Unicorn thrust forward on my orders. Her hind legs sunk into the ground as she pushed off with all her strength, propelling her front legs into the broken iron gate.

    *GAGONNNNNNG!!*

    A loud noise similar to a cannon being fired off echoed across the city as the gate blew into the air. Our field of vision opened up with nothing else to get in our way. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind came to meet us as a swarm of ents moved this way and that before our eyes. And then just a short distance away, I could see Saluena blocking an attack with her shield just after cutting down another ent.

    ¡°Saluena!! We¡¯re fighting too!!¡±

    The same hooves Unicorn had used to bust open an iron gate now dug themselves into a nearby ent¡¯s thick trunk.

    *Tck* *Crack CRACK* ¡­¡­¡­the ent splintered in half, with each piece accompanied by a million splinters being blown away.

    ¡°Uwa, what tremendous power.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t space out!! One¡¯s coming from the side!!¡±

    Another ent kicked up a violent gust of wind as it swung one of its massive branches our way. However¡­¡­.

    *BONK!!*

    Before the branch could hit us, one of the magic circles swirling around me acted as a shield and completely stopped the attack.

    ¡°Unicorn, I¡¯m holding on, so go wild.¡±

    On my orders, Unicorn kicked out its hind legs, nailing the ent which had just attacked me right in its stomach.

    *CRACK!!*

    The ent¡¯s wide, enormous body floated in air for a second before breaking apart just as the first one had.

    After that, Unicorn continued shattering any ents that got close with a single mighty kick. Any ents that did manage to get close enough to attack me would have their branches stopped by my magic circles without fail, so I hadn¡¯t gotten a single scratch on me yet.

    ¡°Oooh, awesome!! So this is that ¡®powerful shield that can¡¯t be broken¡¯ you were talking about¡±

    ¡°Yep. This is one of the spells Unicorn can use that protects its body from all sorts of attacks.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess he¡¯s not called the virgin guardian for nothing. I wonder if he¡¯s more motivated right now since there¡¯s a virgin nearby.¡±

    I guess you¡¯re not wrong, but if you could stop throwing that word around like that.

    ¡°Hoh, good job. I was just thinking this would take some time if I went it alone.¡±

    Ah, so while it would take a while, I guess Saluena really can beat this number of ents on her own. Knights are amazing.

    ¡°{Gather incandescent memories and burn the spirits from their vessels.}¡±

    Just as I was once again contemplating Saluena¡¯s true strength, about ten ents which were all trying to rush me at once were suddenly engulfed in flames and carbonized on the spot.

    ¡°That old man seems like he¡¯s doing well.¡±

    Those flames are a result of Grandpa¡¯s magical cover fire. The strength and heat of the flames brushing against my cheek really remind of the dragon¡¯s breath that almost cooked me not that long ago. For ten years now he¡¯s been telling me about how he¡¯s getting soft in his old age, but I don¡¯t think the strength of his magic has changed one bit in all that time.

    ¡°Yeah. He used to be a magic teacher for some academy. But he said he can¡¯t shoot an attack like that too often, so we shouldn¡¯t rely on it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, in that case I should let Unicorn handle the clean-up. The growing number of nicks on my blade are starting to affect its performance, but well, I believe I should be able to manage.¡±

    Saluena voiced her thoughts aloud while checking the condition of her sword.

    ¡°There it is. Saluena can be weakened to a certain extent after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­..with my sword being worn away, I suppose Lapris intends on delivering the finishing blow then?¡±

    ¡°Anego Anego, that¡¯s completely impossible. I¡¯m just a helpless fairy.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the finishing blow we¡¯re talking about, I think we should leave that kind of thing to the people who specialize in felling timber.¡±

    As I raised my hand high into the air, the city¡¯s lumberjacks rushed out of the open gateway. The soldiers and adventurers followed soon after.

    ¡°Uoooooooooh!! The signal¡¯s here!! Everyone move!!¡±

    ¡°Aim for the injured and weak!! Follow the plan!!¡±

    ¡°Uooh!!¡±

    Climbing over the fallen iron gate and releasing a powerful war cry, a wave of brawny men rushed some ents with their axes and hatchets raised high over their heads. They were like a colony of ants swarming over a fallen piece of food. I hope they don¡¯t get mad at me for the rude analogy.

    ¡°I see. Then allow me to take advantage of your kind offer.¡±

    Saluena¡¯s hair fluttered in the wind as she leaped into another cluster of ents. *Snick Snick* slicing off only the monster¡¯s thinner roots, she moved on to the next monster.

    ¡°Timberrrrrrrrrrrr!! Be careful not to get crushed!!¡±

    ¡°Ten people to a tree!! Take away the branches and leaves, and they¡¯re just another log!!¡±

    The lumberjacks flocked around the fallen ents, using their axes and hatchets to hack away at the branches the monsters used as weapons.

    ¡°Amazing. We¡¯re mass producing logs here.¡±

    Occasionally somebody would get mowed down by a struggling ent¡¯s branch, but with the sisters taking the rear position, we had a system going where those injured could receive immediate treatment. I was a little worried about how this system I thought up would work in practice, but thanks to everyone¡¯s cooperation and coordination, we¡¯re steadily making progress.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to do our best too. Unicorn, please keep it up!!¡±

    Unicorn was still raring to go, and my magic circle defense was up and kicking. As for the number of ents left¡­¡­I guess we¡¯re about halfway done if you include those five Saluena just toppled.

    Just fifty more. With the sound of wood splintering against hatchets echoing behind me, Unicorn charged forward in the opposite direction from Saluena.

    ?

    *CRASH!!*

    The last ent came crashing back to the ground after Unicorn kicked it up into the air.

    I stopped counting halfway through the battle, but I think around ten ents were launched into the air because of Unicorn¡¯s hind legs. Another twenty of them found their end at the end of her front hooves. Grandpa¡¯s magic burned away another ten of them meaning all the rest were either killed directly by Saluena, or executed after she destroyed their footing.

    ¡°I-Is it finally finished¡­¡­? Oh man, I¡¯m going to vomit¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You stayed on my shoulder the entire time after all.¡±

    I was so focused on giving out instructions from on top of Unicorn¡¯s back that I don¡¯t feel even silently motion sick. Speaking of which, would she be feeling motion sick right now if she had just flown herself? Why is this girl so stubbornly refusing to fly? Unless, is the fact that she can fly just constantly slipping her mind?

    ¡°W-We did it!! We beat them!!¡±

    ¡°I thought we were finished when that first ent broke through the gate¡­¡­.haa, haa¡­¡­.but we somehow managed¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this¡­..it¡¯s all thanks to the Goddess and her envoy.¡±

    With all the ents turned to logs, everyone¡¯s gazes naturally gathered on us. One man, the captain in charge of all the soldiers, weaved his way through his men and walked over to me.

    ¡°Oh, oh man¡­¡­. Sorry Iris. I really can¡¯t talk right now. For all kinds of reasons. I¡¯m going to leave this one to you.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? That bad? Are you going to be okay?¡±

    I asked Lapris after she climbed back into my hair, but I didn¡¯t get a response. Apparently it¡¯s really bad.

    ¡°Envoy. It is by your grace we were able to annihilate the ents. You have our utmost gratitude.¡±

    The captain looked at me and gave his thanks. Although to be accurate he was actually looking at my hair where Lapris had dived in head first with only her butt slightly visible. What should I say as her substitute¡­¡­.I have no idea.

    ¡°Haha, yeah.¡±

    I tried answering, but my voice trailed off. What am I supposed to say in the first place? And how should I be talking? If I¡¯m acting as a messenger for the Goddess, I should definitely be using a more solemn tone like Lapris was using right? But I know most of the people here, so wouldn¡¯t it just be weird to change how I talk at this point?

    ¡°We are not the only reason for victory this day.¡±

    With every thought I was having swirling around my head at full speed, Saluena came over and sent me a lifeline.

    ¡°If it were not for your efforts, the ents would have breached the city long before we would have been able to arrive. Be proud of your strength that allowed you to hold out for that long.¡±

    ¡°Yes!!¡±

    Because Saluena is a knight, she¡¯s really good about knowing what to say during situations like this. There¡¯s also the presence and dignity she carries with her. It would have sounded really weird if I had said the same thing she just did.

    After all, Saluena is cool.

    ¡°Sisters¡±

    Saluena called out to the sisters as she mounted Unicorn. It wasn¡¯t until she was sitting next to me that I noticed she wasn¡¯t out breath. She hadn¡¯t even broken a sweat. That¡¯s how large of a gap there is between her physical strength and my own.

    I am still a long ways away from Saluena, both mentally and physically. What do I have to do if I hope to ever be like her one day?

    ¡°Tell Aronda-san. The threat has passed for the time being.¡±

    ¡°By all means. But then¡­¡­you two?¡±

    The sisters shifted their gazes away from Saluena and instead turned a worried look towards me.

    ¡°It is as you think. We will be heading for the ruins.¡±

    ¡°The ruins? By that, do you mean the ruins at St. Noglint? If so then allow us to attach a guide¡±

    The captain doesn¡¯t know about the carbuncle, so he has no idea that this army of ents was its doing.

    ¡°We know the way.¡±

    But, the people of the church know. They know what is happening to this city right now. And why we have to go.

    ¡°According to our duty, we should really be accompanying you¡­¡­..¡±

    It sounds like every member of the church was given the order to protect me. And yet despite that fact, they¡¯re being forced to stay behind and wait in a safe place while I run head-first into some dangerous ancient ruins. It was easy enough to tell just how much the sisters were hurting by the look on their faces.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m going to come back. With everyone.¡±

    But it¡¯s by my own will that I¡¯m going to the ruins. They never asked or told me to go. So if possible, I¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t feel indebted to me for how things are developing. So I tried to make things clear while smiling as much as possible.

    ¡°¡­¡­.right. All of us sisters shall wait at the church for Iris-sama¡¯s return.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure how much of a relief my smiling face was able to give them, but after a moment, each of the sisters folded their hands in front of their chests and began to pray.

    And I already learned in Relton that a prayer can give birth to a miracle.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡±

    To pray for someone is to make a wish.

    (Toslin, Carol, and then Rose-san. Hang on. Right now¡­¡­I¡¯m coming to save you!!)

    And so while reflecting upon the happiness and good fortune we¡¯ve already been gifted, we made our way to St. Noglint.

 CH 73

    Unicorn galloped through the forest.

    Consisting of mostly evergreen trees, this forest wasn¡¯t nearly as closed off as the Swansea Forest was, but it still prevented much of the sunlight during the day from being able to break through. As such, the forest bed was covered in accumulated snow which hadn¡¯t had a chance to melt yet.

    Relying on the few rays of moonlight that managed to break through the forest canopy to see, Unicorn¡¯s hooves brushed past the top of the snow, kicking up a small cloud in our wake. If I were to get off and try to walk normally, the snow would probably bury me up to my waist. And yet her hooves were barely scratching the snow¡¯s surface as if all of us put together weighed little more than a feather.

    ¡°Seriously what¡¯s going on? No, I should just be happy with how comfortable the ride is.¡±

    Lapris was looking down at the ground below while hanging off Unicorn¡¯s mane.

    In truth, this was just a minor application of the ¡®powerful shield that can¡¯t be broken¡¯ magic circles which had protected us from the ents¡¯ attacks.

    ¡°I see. So you are spreading out those barriers from before across the snow and running across them.¡±

    Every time one of Unicorn¡¯s hooves is about to hit the snow, she is deploying one of her magic circles across the ground and galloping across those instead. Afterwards there is a small metallic echo like a hammer smacking an anvil, and the hoof is repelled off of it.

    ¡°Yep. I figured if these shields could hold off those heavy attacks, they should definitely be able to support our weight as well.¡±

    So I asked Unicorn if we could try it out, and it actually worked. She was awfully nervous at first, but she¡¯s gotten used to it as we¡¯ve continued moving. She¡¯s still not going as fast as she can, but it¡¯s still faster than having her trudge through the snow.

    ¡°I see~ But just hold on a sec. Isn¡¯t this the same thing as running on air?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we were to lay out these barriers as if they were stairs, could we not keep climbing upwards until eventually we are running past entire mountains?¡±

    ¡°Yep, I thought about that too, but it¡¯s impossible right now.¡±

    ¡°What, why? Running over the snow and running through the air, we already said it¡¯s the same thing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be way too scary.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you know. Unicorn¡­..is scared of heights. She¡¯s getting used to this little by little, but she¡¯s afraid she might make a mistake. One wrong step and we¡¯d go plummeting to the ground, so she doesn¡¯t want to try it.¡±

    Unicorn gave a small, apologetic neigh.

    ¡°Ah, right well¡­.. Everybody has things they¡¯re good and bad with. Just being able to run across snow is amazing enough.¡±

    Lapris started gently stroking Unicorn¡¯s head.

    ¡°Lapris is surprisingly kind.¡±

    ¡°Haa? Just what are you trying to say? I¡¯m not especially kind or nothing.¡±

    ¡°You think? Just giving me one of your important feathers and coming to me like this is already a huge kindness on your part.¡±

    And most notable of all is the fact that she fought the dragon with us in Relton. She could have easily run away and saved herself, but she was able to work up the courage in that little body of hers to rush in and save me from danger.

    ¡°I¡¯m only here right now because the Goddess told me to be. Otherwise I¡¯d never go out to help those guys.¡±

    But¡­¡­groan. Judging by this reaction I¡¯m guessing Lapris¡¯s opinion on Toslin and Carol has already moved beyond zero and started digging its way into the negatives. I¡¯d really like it if those two could make it up to her for everything they did when we first met. And the stuff they did to her when we met again. Then there was also all that other stuff¡­¡­. Well, but, I mean, Lapris does hold some responsibility for that foul mouth of hers.

    ¡°But, even then, I¡¯m still glad. Thanks Lapris.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.s-sure. What the heck, honestly¡­¡­..you always knock me off balance.¡±

    ¡°Ah, s-sorry¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t really have to apologize. Even though I was summoned, I still chose to come. Because, you and I are pals.¡±

    Lapris¡¯s face turned a bright red as her words overlapped with the sharp smack of Unicorn¡¯s hooves striking the magic circle on the snow. The fact that her face was only about the size of my thumb and that she had the same brown skin tone as the Seed sisters made it difficult to notice. But between the snow and Unicorn¡¯s shining white mane both acting as a backdrop, I was positive she had turned red.

    ¡°Iris, I believe me might be nearing the ruins.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right! Just a little more. Unicorn, slow down and approach as quietly as you can.¡±

    It was about five minutes after I gave Unicorn those instructions.

    Bit by bit the distance between the trees began to increase, and our thick forest turned into woods. The snow covering the ground continued to deepen as we went, but that¡¯s not an obstacle so long as we¡¯re riding Unicorn.

    ¡°Ah, oi look, over there!!¡±

    Lapris climbed on top of Unicorn¡¯s head and pointed out in front of us.

    Our field of vision opened up all at once. With nothing left to block our gazes, we came face to face with a towering wall of rock that rose high into the sky.

    ¡°¡­..the ruin¡¯s, entrance¡­¡­right?¡±

    And right in front of us was a mine shaft bored into that impenetrable looking wall. It looked like just an ordinary tunnel reinforced with wooden beams from where we were standing.

    ¡°This used to be a mine shaft. There¡¯s the railway that leads inside.¡±

    According to the books I¡¯ve read, this was a functioning mine 300 years ago. Remnants from that time period are scattered all over the place. A wooden minecart that¡¯s falling apart after being left to decay. Excavated stones and dirt piled along the side of the mountain. And of course the rail tracks Saluena already mentioned. I¡¯m sure they would¡¯ve been a polished silver color back in the day, but right now they¡¯re so rusted and corroded that one only has to look at them to know they can¡¯t be used anymore.

    ¡°There are traces here where the snow was pushed aside.¡±

    There were several paths cut through the snow that start at the mouth of the mine shaft and go out radially into different portions of the woods all across the clearing.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Toslin and the others?¡±

    ¡°Most likely. I¡¯m guessing some of them are also from the hunters who initially reported the moaning they heard as well.¡±

    ¡°That reported moaning which started this whole investigation was definitely made by the carbuncle then right?¡±

    While keeping an eye on our surroundings, Unicorn slowly approached the mine shaft¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°At first it was hypothesized that an undead was making the noise, but considering the only monsters encountered in the forest were ents, the odds of it coming from the spirit controlling them is very high.¡±

    And so everyone entered the ruins not knowing that what was actually making the moaning was a carbuncle spirit from the time of the Primordial World.

    (Everyone is just inside¡­¡­.)

    I want to help everyone as soon as possible, but I need to bury those feelings and proceed carefully.

    ¡°¡­¡­I see. Well sure, it¡¯s probably in there. The carbuncle. And I can tell from here just how powerful and dreadful it is. His stink is wafting out from the ruin¡¯s entrance.¡±

    Lapris suddenly put on a fed up face.

    ¡°But, you¡¯re making assumptions Iris, and it looks like you¡¯re inference missed the mark.¡±

    And so seeing her look like that, I turned my head once again.

    ¡°Apparently the undead hate it here too.¡±

    Lapris pointed towards the mine¡¯s entrance just like how she did before. But this time there was a shadow that had not been there before.

    ¡°Uu¡­¡­Guuuu¡­¡­Guohhhhhh¡­¡­.¡±

    And my ears picked up a noise immediately afterwards. It was the sound of multiple hoarse, grating moans.

 CH 74

    ¡°Grooooooooo¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Graa, Gra, Gra, Graa¡­¡­.¡±

    Moonlight danced over the trace remains of snow, illuminating over a dozen wolves and even several bears.

    ¡°Undead? They¡¯re moonstruck. The ideal enemy for a deserted place like this.¡±

    Animals around Solretta Litta are bigger with thicker fur coats, most likely as a way to combat the colder climate. As such, their levels are higher than ordinary wolves and bears.

    ¡°Snow wolves are level 3, and snow bears were¡­¡­.level 5 I think?¡±

    Talking about level 5, that¡¯s the same level as those ents we tore through earlier. Not exactly what I would call a formidable enemy all things considered¡­¡­.

    ¡°But that¡¯s no ordinary wolf. That thing is giving off something evil.¡±

    As a fairy, Lapris knew better. Although the fact that these animals all came out together from the ruins should be sign enough. I¡¯ve been feeling the chills for a while now. And it is not because it¡¯s especially cold out tonight. I don¡¯t feel any sign of life coming from these wolves and bears in front of me.

    ¡°Master was certainly weak with undead correct? What do you want to do? You can step back until we get rid of them.¡±

    Saluena looked worried since she remembered how I freaked out about zombies with Aronda-san back at the church.

    ¡°N-No. I¡¯m okay. Even if they are undead, they look normal right now¡­¡­.as far as I can tell.¡±

    Lapris, Saluena, and I have already figured out that these animals are undead, monsters who are no longer members of the living.

    But they aren¡¯t as rotten as I imagined they would be. The illustrations in adventure novels usually have zombies with missing limbs or their eyes popping out of their sockets in a lovely image of something incredibly grotesque¡­¡­..and whether or not the word ¡®lovely¡¯ is appropriate in that context or not, these things aren¡¯t like those zombies at all.

    Maybe it¡¯s because of the fur that I can¡¯t see any kind of decayed, rotting meat, but even with the nighttime conditions adding a spooky backdrop, I have to say that it¡¯s not too scary.

    ¡°Quite right. Zombies are shambling corpses possessed by a spirit. They attack anything whether it be friend or foe which is why their bodies are so battered and damaged¡­..was the popular theory from my time.¡±

    ¡°Now¡¯s not really the time for a carefree lesson Anego!!¡±

    ¡°Groooooo¡­¡­¡­.Graaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    One of the snow bears rushed us with little regard for the snow. The bear¡¯s huge body exposed to the bright moon hanging in a clear night sky cast a long, deep shadow which on its own could cause someone to freeze in place.

    But that¡¯s really only true if you¡¯re a timid person like me.

    ¡°It matters not. My sword will not be stayed by the aura of some beast.¡±

    Saluena was someone who could brush off the attack of a dragon as if it were nothing and then send its head flying with a single stroke of her sword. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to back down from something like a bear.

    On Saluena¡¯s command, Unicorn charged forward to meet the enemy head on. Saluena caught the monster¡¯s heavy swipe with her shield, and as we passed the hulking monster by, its head spun off its neck after a single swing of Saluena¡¯s sword.

    ¡°HyaaaaaAAAAAA!! That¡¯s Anego for you!! Unicorn did good too!! Keep it up!!¡±

    Unicorn pressed on over the snow as Lapris¡¯s cheers filled the air.

    ¡°Groaaaaaaaaah¡­¡­..¡±

    Seeing the bear fall, a dozen snow wolves circled around us. But Unicorn¡¯s powerful legs weren¡¯t going to allow any funny business. A snow wolf approaching us from behind was kicked away, painting a bloody black flower across the white snow. I could see it over Saluena¡¯s shoulder and groaned.

    But, that¡¯s all I did. I¡¯ve already seen scenes like this who knows how many times since the adventures I went on together with Toslin and the others at Rifront and Relton. Back then there was even more blood, and it was better lit as well.

    ¡°Master, you can close your eyes if you feel scared.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay!! But thanks for your concern!!¡±

    Now that I¡¯m an adventurer, I¡¯m going to see these kinds of things over and over again. If I¡¯m going to avert my eyes each and every single time, it won¡¯t matter how many lives I have.

    ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll leave these ones to you.¡±

    Saluena jumped off Unicorn¡¯s back, flying through the air the same way she did back in Solretta.

    This time the victim of her downward swing was one of the snow bears in the distance. Her sword dug into its thick hide right at the shoulder and continued on through, killing the beast by cutting it cleanly in two. Ah, or would you say that she re-killed it?

    ¡°Woah, Anego jumped right into a crowd of enemies!! I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be all right, but are we going to be okay?¡±

    Clinging to Unicorn¡¯s mane, Lapris turned her head back towards me.

    ¡°Keep our composure¡­¡­..I can¡¯t say we¡¯ll be perfect, but since we¡¯ve been given a duty, we have to give it our best. Right Unicorn?¡±

    Five snow wolves came at us all at once from every direction.

    I¡¯ve read in books before that wolves are generally aloof, but they form up into a pack in order to hunt any large prey. So does that mean they still have those instincts despite already being dead?

    ¡°Unicorn, from behind!!¡±

    Unicorn kicked out its hind legs, instantly killing the two snow wolves that were attacking us from our blind spot.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaah! What about the ones in front of us!?¡±

    Right now, Unicorn¡¯s front feet are being used as a fulcrum, so they can¡¯t be used as a weapon. Even if they could, she has two hooves for three enemies. One of them would be able to get through.

    ¡°Hurry up and use your shields!!¡±

    Then just like how Lapris says, I should use the magic circles swirling around us to prevent the attacks¡­¡­.but I had an idea I wanted to try out, so let¡¯s go with that instead.

    I moved three magic circles around me to block the oncoming attacks from the rushing wolves. Then after I knew we were safe, I took the leftover magic circles and then threw them.

    ¡°Gafuo!?¡±

    ¡°Gahin!?¡±

    That¡¯s not to say I had to reach out, grab my magic circles, and then chuck them as hard as I could. All I had to do was picture the approaching enemies in my mind, and they went soaring through the air.

    ¡°Uooh¡­¡­..you instantly cut them in two!?¡±

    After lunging at us, each of the wolves were stopped by my larger magic circles and momentarily held in place. From there my thrown magic circles made contact with the snow wolves¡¯ outstretched paws before continuing on through and bisecting them.

    ¡°I figured it would be effective if I threw them because of how hard they are, but these magic circles are even better for attacking than I thought they would be.¡±

    ¡°Forget that, aren¡¯t these things way sharper than they should be? Even an ax couldn¡¯t cut through bone that cleanly.¡±

    Right now I have a combination of 10 large and small magic circles deployed simultaneously. Could I use even more?

    ¡°{Powerful shield that cannot be broken}¡±

    When I tried repeating my incantation to the ring as a test, Unicorn¡¯s mane began glowing intensely once again, and an additional group of magic circles were deployed.

    ¡°O-Oi¡­¡­the number has doubled. Are sure this is okay? I¡¯m not worried because it looks like your magic power has gone up, but can you control that many? Won¡¯t you hit Anego if you make a mistake?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be careful. But it¡¯ll be a lot easier to attack with twice as many to work with.¡±

    A snow bear was now coming our way alongside a couple more snow wolves.

    ¡°What is the range for these?¡±

    I can¡¯t use this magic unless I¡¯m near Unicorn. So how far away can one of these magic circles travel after they¡¯ve already been activated? To answer this question, I started throwing a couple of magic circles while the undead were still a little ways away.

    *FWOOSH*¡­¡­I could hear my magic circles tearing through the air, and a second later, the snow wolves which were all about ten meters away from me were cut in half.

    ¡°Gryaaaaa! Grooo, oh¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    And then finally, after being hit by two magic circles, the snow bear sank into the snow.

    The snow bear was about twenty meters away from me, twice the distance as the wolves were. Apparently the magic circle¡¯s effective range ends there. The first magic circle managed to cut through the snow bear¡¯s thick fur, but it disappeared about halfway through. Apparently magic circles that have gone further than twenty meters will simply disappear.

    ¡°¡­..with this kind of magic, could you have defeated that dragon by yourself?¡±

    Already these undead snow wolves don¡¯t feel like a threat. But despite seeing their comrades (whether or not they really recognize each other as such is suspect) fall one after another, these undead continue to attack in an attempt to overwhelm us.

    ¡°Do you think these magic circles could¡¯ve prevented that dragon¡¯s breath attack?¡±

    And what about a blow from that tree-trunk of a tail? Could these shields block something that was able to send Rose-san and Goldmund flying into the air?

    ¡°You¡¯d probably be able to manage if you stacked a couple of them on top of each other and eliminated any gaps.¡±

    Lapris gave me her opinion just as one of my magic circles cut down the last wolf which had made a desperate leap to try and turn the tables.

    *Plop* The snow wolf crumpled into the snow. After making sure it wasn¡¯t getting back up, I took a deep breath.

    ¡°Saluena, they¡¯re all¡­¡­¡±

    dead. Just as I was about to say it, the word got stuck in my throat.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­eh?¡±

    To be more accurate, I suddenly realized I couldn¡¯t breathe.

    ¡°Ah, gah!? Ah, Ah¡­¡­.¡±

    This, what? My body, won¡¯t move. I can¡¯t breathe; I can¡¯t even blink.

    Obviously I can¡¯t talk like this, and every time I try I only succeed in leaking out bits of air that refuse to form any kind of comprehensive thought.

    (Air¡­¡­hurts¡­..eh, why¡­¡­.. Why, I¡­¡­.)

    ¡°Eh, o¡­¡­.oi!? You¡¯re going to fall!! What¡¯s going on!?¡±

    What is going on¡­¡­..desperately, trying to breathe¡­¡­.. Oh, so that¡¯s why¡­¡­.I¡¯m falling off Unicorn.

    ¡°Gu, guoooooooh¡­¡­.A-Anego!! Saluena-anego!! Iris is!!¡±

    Lapris grabbed onto my robe and desperately tried keeping me right-side up. But there¡¯s no way her tiny little wings could support my weight, so I knew I was going to fall head-first towards the ground.

    For an instant the thought crossed my mind that the snow would break my fall, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt that much. But I quickly brushed that thought away as pointless because I¡¯m going to die anyway if I can¡¯t breathe. I¡¯m going to die without understanding why. Without being able to do anything to save myself.

    ¡°Iris!?¡±

    For the first time ever, I think I might have just heard Saluena scream. But her voice sounds so far. Maybe it was just my imagination since I can feel my mind slipping away.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    My body, which can no longer be propped up by Lapris¡¯s small hands, falls. The pain of suffocation has spread through every inch of my being, and death is becoming a reality.1

    ¡°Oi bastard. What are you doing to my important friend?¡±

    Somebody¡¯s voice just barely made its way to my ear¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Ah, y-¡­¡­.you!!¡±

    And in the next moment, somebody caught me.

    1. Since it¡¯s April 1st, I thought about ending the chapter here, telling you all that was it and this was the last chapter, then going on vacation for about a week to make you stew. I quickly threw that idea away mostly because that would mean I¡¯d have nothing to do at work. Be that as it may, happy April Fools Day.

 CH 75

    Her voice was cold, yet comforting.

    Her eyes were sharp, yet kind.

    ¡°Ah, Ah¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin. She appeared before me for the first time in almost four days. She laid me on the ground a little roughly before holding up her sword with the blade pointed downwards.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. It hurts right? Right now¡­¡­I¡¯ll make it easier for you.¡±

    She aimed the point of her blade right at me, and she drove her sword down.

    ¡°Ka¡­¡­.ha!?¡±

    Immediately afterwards, my body bounced up off of the snow.

    ¡°Wha- the hell are you doing!!?¡±

    ¡°Lapris, it¡¯s all right. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±

    Saluena stopped Lapris before she could grab Toslin.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, get out here. You useless shitty bastard who can only run and hide.¡±

    Cursing under her breath, Toslin dug her sword even deeper¡­¡­..into my shadow. The further in she dug, the more it felt as if someone were loosening a rope which was binding down my body, and soon I was able to take a breath. Eventually freedom returned fully to my body, and I could take in a long, sweet breath. And then, I finally got my voice back.

    ¡°Toslin!!¡±

    I jumped up to embrace her, but she stuck out her hand and pushed me away.

    ¡°Oh um, sorry. I¡¯d be happy to give you a hug, but I probably smell a little funky.¡±

    ¡°¡­..sure¡­¡­speaking of which, why¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°O-Oi Iris!! Your shadow!! Something¡¯s coming out at your feet!!¡±

    When Lapris told me to look at me feet, I turned towards where the moon was casting my shadow. But this shadow, there¡¯s something strange about it.

    ¡°Wawawa, something¡¯s coming out!?¡±

    Taking a closer look, my shadow is giving off some kind of black smoke.

    ¡°A shadow spirit¡­¡­. Then these things weren¡¯t undead at all. Just corpses being puppeted around.¡±

    Saluena called them shadow spirits, but I can¡¯t remember ever hearing that name before. But Toslin nodded her head while drawing her blade out from the snow.

    ¡°Yeah. These things slip into people¡¯s shadows and act like a parasite, stealing their victim¡¯s freedom. They cant take control of corpses obviously, but in order to save themselves, they can take possession of a living host as well and control their body after killing them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s messed up¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°*Cough Cough*¡­¡­..Haa, haa¡­¡­.. I-I see¡­¡­ So then, that¡¯s why Unicorn¡¯s magic didn¡¯t react¡­¡­.¡±

    My shadow stretches out across the snow-laden ground. And just a short distance away from where my shadow extends to is the wolf I had just cut down. Once they¡¯ve gotten in, not even one of my magic circles would be able to stop them.

    ¡°You¡­¡­.I¡¯m going to make all of you pay for making my little junior suffer like that.¡±

    A deep scowl etched itself across Toslin¡¯s face as the figure of a shadow spirit oozed out from the fallen bodies of every single snow wolf.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have a body to manipulate, then you lot are all a bunch of small fries!!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s grip around her sword visibly tightened before she rushed forward, immediately closing the distance between her and the nearest shadow spirit.

    The moon¡¯s light shone off the blade as she swung her sword horizontally, cutting the spirit in half. No longer able to hold its appearance, the spirit broke apart and faded away, like smoke in the wind.

    ¡°Saluena!! Make sure none of them can step on your shadow as you move!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware. So long as I understand what my enemy is, this battle won¡¯t be a difficult one.¡±

    When Toslin slew one shadow spirit, Saluena would slay her own. And then they moved on to the next one. And then the next one.

    Saluena positioned herself so that the moon would always be in front of her and used her sword to mow down any spirits that would try to jump into her shadow.

    In contrast, Toslin seemed to move around without minding where her shadow was at all. She was like a hurricane wielding her long, thick iron sword, turning shadow spirits into plumes of smoke one after another.

    ¡°As I thought¡­¡­.there¡¯s no way that woman¡¯s an elf.¡±

    ¡°Oi, I can hear you!!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s ears, the defining physical characteristic of her race, twitched as she brought her sword down on the last remaining shadow spirit.

    ¡°¡­¡­.phew, is that the last of them? There aren¡¯t any that might still be hiding in those dead animals?¡±

    ¡°Yes, all the spirits controlling these beasts have vanished. However, that armor seems quite convenient.¡±

    ¡°Right? It doesn¡¯t have much use when you¡¯re going up against a dragon, but it has saved my life several times now during the last couple of days.¡±

    Now that I think about it, Toslin¡¯s armor was specially treated in order to reduce magic damage. Does that mean it also prevented the spirits from possessing her?

    Ah, but¡­¡­there¡¯s something more important than that¡­¡­

    ¡°Toslin¡­¡­fue, Toslin¡­¡­..Toslin!!¡±

    Staggering to my feet, I clumsily walked over as fast as I could, my field of vision getting blurry with the tears welling up in my eyes. And then¡­..I hugged Toslin.

    ¡°Like I said, right now I¡¯m¡­¡­..ah, seriously¡­¡­¡­this kid is¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Thank you for saving me¡­¡­Toslin! I so glad you¡¯re safe¡­¡­.¡±

    One after another, I kept coming up with words that didn¡¯t quite express how I felt. Relief, fear, joy, anxiety, a whirlwind of emotions are circling around in my heart, making it impossible for me to form a complete sentence.

    ¡°¡­¡­..yeah, I¡¯m sorry. I know how worried you must have been. Saluena too, sorry.¡±

    Toslin hugged me back, patting my head to try and get me to calm down. But those head pats felt more nostalgic than anything else, and each time her hand touched my head, the tears pooling over and streaming down my cheeks only increased.

    ¡°You got anything to say to me?¡±

    ¡°Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you going to Osnell?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because¡­¡­..¡±

    I raised my face from Toslin¡¯s chest and wiped away my tears. I then gave her a small summary of everything that had happened over these last four days since she seemed genuinely confused about a couple of things.

 CH 76

    Once I finished explaining everything, Toslin released a long sigh,

    ¡°Honestly though, I really am sorry I worried you.¡±

    and apologized again with a remorseful face.

    ¡°No. I was worried, but¡­¡­that¡¯s not Toslin¡¯s fault.¡±

    Although my tears still hadn¡¯t completely dried, I could clearly make out Toslin¡¯s face.

    ¡°Forget about that. Where did you come from? What happened to Rose? And where¡¯s that noisy pipsqueak?¡±

    Lapris started restlessly looking around us from her seat on top of my head. I¡¯ve been looking for them myself since a short while ago because I was worried, but I couldn¡¯t find them anywhere.

    Perhaps they¡¯re acting on there own? Why though? And in that case, where are they now?

    ¡°¡­..yeah. It¡¯s my turn spin a yarn. But first, do you have any water?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, here.¡±

    I took out a canteen from my bag and handed it over to Toslin. She drank nearly half of it in one go before wiping off her mouth with the back of her hand and handing it back to me with a thanks.

    ¡°Hah¡­¡­..¡±

    And then once again, she took a deep breath. It was like she was doing her best to exhale something that was stuck in her throat.

    ¡°Starting at the end, right now Rose and Carol are in the innermost area of the ruins.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­eh?¡±

    My hands froze as I was fitting my canteen back in my bag, and not understanding what Toslin meant, I raised my face.

    ¡°¡­¡­what, do you mean?¡±

    Toslin frowned, having to squeeze out her voice in order to answer Saluena¡¯s question.

    ¡°It¡¯s just as it sounds. Right now those two are walking on death¡¯s edge, possessed by a spirit that can screw with your head called a carbuncle.¡±

    ¡°!?¡±

    ¡°Oi oi oi oi, are you serious with this carbuncle? You¡¯re really saying it possessed them both? What the hell kind of story is that?¡±

    Toslin looked towards the night sky where the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail still lingers. Travelers like Toslin are able to tell time based on the positioning of the moon and the stars.

    ¡°¡­..three days ago. No, has it already been four? The night we left you, we once again made our way from the city with the plan to focus our investigation on the ruins themselves.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s face was an unreadable mask as she remembered that time.

    ¡°Investigating the ruins themselves wasn¡¯t that difficult. We had the map, and Rose took care of navigating. We made our way down the tunnels easily without ever losing our way, and eventually the mine opened up into a large, open space.¡±

    ¡°Was¡­¡­there something like an altar?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡­¡­thinking about it now, that would¡¯ve been an altar. But the structure we saw there was crumbling, and we had no clue what it was. Anyway, there was a mountain of rubble at the far back of the room, and that was where that thing came out from.¡±

    ¡°A carbunculus possessing a red gem.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It took the appearance of a big rabbit, and there was a red gemstone embedded in its forehead. Carol collapsed shortly after it showed up.¡±

    Toslin looked unconcerned as she thought about back then. There¡¯s still no emotion coming across her beautiful face, but inside, she¡¯s probably tearing herself apart.

    ¡°A carbunculus that inhabits a crimson gem governs over life itself. But since our enemy is a being of the primordial world, its power takes the inverted position. That is to say¡­..death.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it told us the same thing. Of course we tried to kill it, but that thing¡­¡­it took control of all the animals and monsters inside the ruins.¡±

    ¡°All of them¡­¡­which means that place is swarming with more of these things?¡±

    Lapris pointed towards the snow wolves lying dead in the snow.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s swarming with them anymore. Rose, Goldmund, and I managed to thin out their numbers considerably. But as you know, these guys aren¡¯t actually undead. After destroying their original hosts, the shadow spirits crawled out in search of a new body to take over.¡±

    ¡°S-So then¡­¡­.what happened next?¡±

    ¡°We did our best to protect Carol since she was still passed out, but Rose ended up being possessed by a shadow spirit. I immediately drove it from her body, but honestly there were too many for us to handle.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Rosa¡­¡­.is she dead?¡±

    Saluena¡¯s voice was little more than a whisper, yet it made Toslin go quiet for a short while.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Rose told me to run away. And then¡­..I¡¯m not really sure what happened exactly, but it looked like Rose used a miracle to put up some kind of barrier around her and Carol. After that she told Goldmund and me to escape on our own again, and¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin escaped from the hall with the altar in it to get help from Saluena and the church, but she got lost in the vast labyrinth of tunnels that make up the ruins while constantly being chased by the monsters still controlled by shadow spirits.

    ¡°¡­¡­.a barrier? Priestesses have the ability to make use of various different miracles, and among their number is one referred to as the ¡®Serene Seal¡¯ which is capable of preventing interference from the wicked. It engraves the user with the power to protect both their body and mind¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°That power¡­¡­..how long can it last?¡±

    ¡°It would all depend on Rosa¡¯s strength of will¡­¡­¡­but can one person continue praying for four days straight without any sleep?¡±

    Saluena phrased her words as if they were a question, but that question had clear implications.

    So, then Rose and Carol are¡­¡­.already¡­¡­..

    My voice sank, and I could feel my face darkened.

    ¡°U-Unicorn?¡±

    But then Unicorn loudly, boisterously neighed.

    And then rubbed her nose against my cheek.

    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡­I see. Okay then¡­¡­¡±

    Unicorn is here to grant Saluena¡¯s wish and my own. It¡¯s not too late¡­¡­.Unicorn licking my face to encourage me is proof of that fact.

    ¡°It¡¯s still, it¡¯s still okay. Rose-san and Carol are probably still¡­¡­..alive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering this since a moment ago, but is this¡­¡­.a real unicorn?¡±

    Toslin slowly reached out her hand as if to make sure the horn on Unicorn¡¯s head wasn¡¯t glued on. And in response, Unicorn turned and started licking Toslin¡¯s cheek instead.

    ¡°Ah, wai-¡­¡­..c¡¯mon, stop¡­¡­that tickles!!¡±

    ¡°Whatsit, Unicorn¡¯s taken to you pretty quick. You a virgin then?¡±

    ¡°Huh!? You¡­¡­just what are you asking all of the sudden!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a violent guy who spits on people and tosses around golems, so I just figured you were a slutty bitch.¡±

    Lapris was riding on top of Unicorn¡¯s head, looking down on Toslin. She then crossed her arms to look self-important and got cocky.

    ¡°So? We¡¯re just about to go in there, find that damn stupid carbuncle, and knock it down a peg¡­¡­..what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.obviously I¡¯m coming with you.¡±

    ¡°Heh? Despite how easily you abandoned me, you surprisingly think about your comrades.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡±

    ¡°L-Lapris!? Toslin too, let¡¯s all calm down for a bit, and please don¡¯t fight.¡±

    Things looked like they were about to explode at any second, so I quickly tried to break things up between them.

    But, that wasn¡¯t necessary.

    ¡°Here. One of my feathers. Fairy feathers have the power to stave off death, so keep it on you. Got it?¡±

    Lapris plucked out a feather from one of her wings and presented it in front of Toslin¡¯s face.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin stared at it with a surprised look in her eye for a moment before gingerly accepting it.

    ¡°¡­¡­.thanks Lapris.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. There¡¯s still all sorts of things I want to say to you and that pipsqueak, but you¡¯re one of Iris¡¯s friends. And that¡­¡­makes you my friend too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!! A friend of a friend is also a friend! Now let¡¯s all go together and show that carbuncle what for!!¡±

    Overjoyed that everyone was getting along, I clenched my fist and pumped it into the air.

    But, nobody else followed along¡­¡­..

    ¡°E-Eh!? Why is everyone just silently staring at me!? Isn¡¯t this the kind of time where we should all come together and shout, ¡®Ohhhh!¡¯ as loud as we can!?¡±

    ¡°Sorry Iris. That¡¯s kind of embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡±

    Just a moment ago they looked ready to fight like a cat and dog, yet their opinions were suddenly able to match up. No, this is still better than them starting a fight right?

    ¡°S-Saluena¡­¡­..¡±

    I clung to Saluena looking for help, but she silently picked me up and set me back on Unicorn¡¯s back.

    ¡°Sorry for being late in helping you. You¡¯re so lovely I¡¯m sure you will drive me insane someday. Honestly, I am so glad you¡¯re safe.¡±

    You¡¯re saying some really cool lines and look cool while doing it. But, that¡¯s definitely not what I¡¯m asking for right now.

    ¡°Haa, it¡¯s fine already. Unicorn, you¡¯ll go with me right? The others can just follow us from behind when they feel like it.¡±

    So bending forward, I fully mounted Unicorn and the two of us began our way into the ruins.

 CH 77

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­what¡¯s with the air in here¡­¡­¡±

    Lapris fluttered forward through the air, retaking her usual place on top of Unicorn¡¯s head, and was already groaning.

    With barely any wind blowing through, the air inside the ruins had grown stagnant. 300 years have already passed since this was a working mine shaft. Nowadays nobody walks in here, making it a den for animals and monsters.

    The passages are wide enough that three people could walk side by side with their arms outstretched next to them, and it was tall enough that Unicorn could easily pass through. Although the walls and ceilings were reinforced by wooden pillars at regular intervals, the possibility of a cave-in crossed my mind when I saw certain portions of the wall and ceiling crumbling.

    ¡°It¡¯s convenient not needing a torch.¡±

    Taking a position in front, Toslin let out a passing remark while remaining vigilant for any danger.

    ¡°Can you now appreciate the great me then? You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    And Lapris stuck out her chest and answered back. Because of the faint light her body is always giving off, she is able to successfully replace our need for a torch.

    Of course Unicorn is the one doing most of the work. Her body naturally emits a white light just like Lapris that illuminates our surroundings. Her mane and tail give off an especially strong light several times brighter than what Lapris gives off which allows us to see things tens of meters away.

    ¡°Yeah, you really¡­¡­..saved us.¡±

    Toslin obediently thanked the proud Lapris. The fairy feather she received is inside her armor. Ever since she received it, Toslin has been the picture of politeness towards Lapris to the point where it felt like the two¡¯s earlier bickering was just a dream.

    ¡°¡­¡­.what is this? It¡¯s good, but for some reason I can¡¯t calm down like this.¡±

    ¡°What, do you want me to spit in your face again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you next time.¡±

    Taking a glance at Toslin and Lapris¡¯s backs who had both grown a little closer (I think?), I quickly turned my eyes back to the confusing map spread out in front of me.

    ¡°The first fork should be soon.¡±

    I continued checking the map several times over in order to find the shortest path to the hall with the altar in it.

    ¡°Huh? What¡­..is this sound?¡±

    But a short moment later, I heard some kind of howl and jumped in my seat.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    Toslin patted the nose of the alarmed Unicorn to calm her down.

    ¡°So you say, but isn¡¯t that the howl of an animal? Isn¡¯t it an enemy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an enemy. That¡¯s Goldmund.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Goldmund!? But¡­..it sounds like he¡¯s fighting.¡±

    According to Toslin, Goldmund is in a slightly more open area just up ahead. I guess he¡¯s sticking around there waiting for backup to arrive¡­¡­¡­thinking about it, why didn¡¯t he leave with Toslin?

    ¡°There were a few stragglers that needed to be dealt with.¡±

    ¡°Eh, so Goldmund stayed to fight some more? On his own?¡±

    The idea had popped in my head that maybe he had gotten injured and couldn¡¯t walk anymore, but Toslin told me I was wrong. Moreover the real reason was something far beyond what I had thought.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so!? If I had known that I would have hurried more!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. That child is a tough one, a survivor of a fierce battle with a dragon just like the rest of us. He won¡¯t die that easily.¡±

    An extraordinary amount of trust was oozing from Toslin¡¯s words. But my worries weren¡¯t going away that easily. I picked up the pace and rushed forward to see if Goldmund was safe.

    ¡°Guroooooooooh!!¡±

    Illuminating a nearby space where a powerful roar originated from, Unicorn¡¯s light revealed to me Goldmund who was just using his mighty horns to blow away a snow bear.

    There were over a dozen snow wolves and several snow bears scattered around his feet. The snow bear he had just thrown made a sickly crack as it hit a nearby wall and stopped moving. Then a shadow spirit appeared from the corpse¡­¡­.

    ¡°GuuuooooooOOOOOOOOH!!¡±

    and then a quick kick with both of Goldmund¡¯s feet easily caused the shadow spirit to disperse and fade away.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy way more violent than the last time I saw him?¡±

    Yes, I was thinking the same thing just now.

    ¡°I¡¯d say gallant more than anything else.¡±

    ¡°He and I were fighting together right here until a short bit ago. All of the sudden though about half of the enemies we were fighting peeled off and ran somewhere else, so I left these guys to him and followed after the rest.¡±

    ¡°Groooooh¡­¡­.¡±

    After making sure all the enemies had been dealt with, Goldmund turned his face towards us. His huge body swayed back and forth as he walked over to us.

    ¡°Hey, long time no see Goldmund. Do you remember me?¡±

    Lapris hopped on over from the top of Unicorn¡¯s head over to Goldmund¡¯s.

    Apparently Goldmund did remember Lapris as he didn¡¯t seem too concerned when she dived right into his hair.

    ¡°Ah, his hair is filthy again. We¡¯ll have to be sure to wash it when we get back.¡±

    According to Toslin, she would¡¯ve frozen to death with Goldmund. Indeed, it certainly is colder inside this cave than it is outside. Cold air continues to rise up as if there were a blanket of ice and snow at our feet.

    ¡°Goldmund, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay¡­¡­.¡±

    I got down off of Unicorn and and stroked Goldmund¡¯s head. It does feel as if his face has grown more masculine in the last couple of days. The fact that he¡¯s able to beat all these snow bears on his own probably means he¡¯s leveled up as well.

    ¡°Hey Iris, do you have something to tie with?¡±

    ¡°Something to tie? Let¡¯s see¡­¡­.I have a rope here.¡±

    ¡°Not like that. Something thinner.¡±

    ¡°In that case, use this.¡±

    As I was fishing around through my satchel, Saluena untied a ribbon from around her neck and handed it over to Lapris.

    ¡°Oh, thanksies. So then Goldmund, hold still for a bit.¡±

    Saying so, Lapris began wrapping the ribbon around Goldmund¡¯s two horns. She then plucked out another one of her feathers and fitted it inside the knot.

    ¡°Yosh, now we don¡¯t need to worry about him dropping it.¡±

    Lapris happily nodded after observing her hard work. Mm Mm, this certainly does look like it would work. He kind of looks like a girl with the ribbon, but I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s just going to have to put up with it for the time being.

    ¡°Goldmund. We¡¯re off to save your master. Do you want to help us save her too?¡±

    Goldmund is a clever child who always listens to whatever Rose-san tells him. So even if he has a hard time understanding everything, I¡¯m sure he can tell what Saluena is asking of him.

    ¡°Groooooh¡­¡­.¡±

    He released a low voice I¡¯m not used to hearing, as if there was a quake at the pit of his stomach. Goldmund then bent his front knees and lowered his body.

    ¡°Yosh yosh, good boy. Now let¡¯s go beat the boss.¡±

    After Toslin had gotten on his back, Goldmund stood back up.

    A silent flame burning in his eyes.

 CH 78

    Even when it reaches that time of year for winter to fade away and for spring to roll on in, temperatures around Solretta can still fall to frigid levels when night falls. If we¡¯re up in a snowy mountain, then temperatures can fall even further to mid-winter levels.

    However, this place was different.

    ¡°¡­.w-what in the world is this¡­.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡­is where the altar is?¡±

    There was a spacious room just as the map had shown. But I would have never been able to imagine this scene based off a few lines on a piece of paper. Even trying would¡¯ve been a disservice.

    ¡°¡­¡­there are, trees growing¡­¡­¡±

    Deep inside the hall was a pile of rubble which was most likely what remained of the altar. And then beyond even that, were several large trees.

    Solretta. The tree the city was named after stood tall with white leaves that usually only sprout in the spring, red flowers that usually only bloom in the summer, and yellow fruits that usually only ripen in the autumn. Their branches reached upwards, stretching out and covering the entire dome-like ceiling with their leaves and budded flowers.

    Taking a look down, I noticed there were green plants growing at my feet as well. It almost felt like we¡¯d taken a wrong turn and found ourselves deep inside a forest rather than the middle of a mine.

    ¡°Hello and welcome, wayward souls.¡±

    And then sitting atop the rubble, lighting up the rest of the room as brightly as if the sun were out, was the carbuncle who welcomed us in.

    The oldest spirit in the world, surviving a thousand years as a relic from the Primordial World. A reaper who governs over death from within its red gem.

    I knew in advance from Toslin¡¯s description that its physical body took the form of a rabbit. However its appearance was hazy, as if I were looking at it through a frosted piece of glass, and its body was several times larger than that of a normal rabbit. It was crouched over on top of the rubble, its eyes focused squarely on us.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already had enough of your tedious talk. Return our friends.¡±

    Toslin drew her longsword from her back while still mounted on Goldmund.

    There were two people collapsed on top of the thickly grown grass between the carbuncle and us. One was a werewolf girl, and the other, a hyurian priestess. Needless to say, it was Carol and Rose-san.

    ¡°Return? Return? You say some strange things. How can I return something I have not taken?¡±

    Carbuncle stuck out one of its legs off the rubble and started some cat-like stretches.

    ¡°I am merely, saving them. I only wish to free their souls from the pain and suffering of this world.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you we don¡¯t need that kind of help!¡±

    ¡°Wait Toslin.¡±

    Saluena reached out and grabbed Toslin¡¯s shoulder who looked like she was about to charge forward with Goldmund at any moment.

    Saluena and I were both riding Unicorn who was quietly waiting for orders right next to Goldmund.

    ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s a waste of time saying anything to it. It works on a sense of values that are completely incompatible with ordinary people.¡±

    ¡°¡­..yeah, I know. It¡¯s just¡­¡­there¡¯s nothing more annoying than insane good intentions.¡±

    As Toslin clicked her tongue, the red gem embedded in the carbuncle¡¯s forehead lit up like a flame. When it did, Carol¡¯s motionless body began moving in an unnatural way and soon stood up.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡­.Carol is¡­¡­..¡±

    Carol had risen to her feet, but her arms hung limply at her side. The expression on her face morphed, showing not a single fragment of emotion.

    ¡°¡­¡­that girl¡­.. Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s already, dead¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course not!! There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true!!¡±

    Toslin immediately cut down Lapris¡¯s words.

    ¡°She¡­¡­isn¡¯t dead. She¡¯s, still alive. She¡¯s alive, and that¡¯s that!!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­sure¡­¡­. You¡¯re right¡­¡­..¡±

    Carol¡¯s arms lifted up in time with our prayers as if to betray that hope. And she drew her dagger from her waist.

    ¡°Share your salvation with those who would disturb your peaceful slumber.¡±

    Carol¡¯s body sprang forward in time with the carbuncle¡¯s words. And then turning towards me¡­¡­.she attacked.

    That¡¯s when I noticed. There was no light in her opened eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­..just what, DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING!!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s voice echoed across the room as she leapt off Goldmund¡¯s back. Aiming herself right for Carol, she swung her foot down.

    Carol¡¯s body paused in place for an instant before jumping backwards to avoid the attack.

    ¡°¡­¡­oi, Carol. You, what are you doing? Do you even understand¡­¡­what you yourself are doing right now?¡±

    Toslin pointed the end of her longsword right at Carol.

    ¡°You¡¯re turning a blade against your friends. You¡¯re turning a blade¡­¡­against me. Do you really want to carve me up, just like back then?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    But, there was no response from Carol. She only stood there, wobbling in place with dagger in hand, not meeting our gazes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡­can you leave her to me?¡±

    Toslin turned her back to us and spoke with a muffled voice. Her sword was still pointed at Carol, but the tip was shaking ever so slightly.

    ¡°¡­¡­if she can¡¯t hear what I¡¯m saying even after I hit her a couple times, then¡­..I¡¯ll¡­..¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­okay¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°O-Oi, wait. Then¡­¡­.you¡¯ll¡­¡­¡±

    Lapris called out to Toslin¡¯s back to try and force an answer, but Toslin didn¡¯t look back.

    ¡°UoooooOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!¡±

    Sword at the ready, she instead ran straight for Carol.

    ¡°Hold out for just a bit, please.¡±

    For maybe the first time in my life, I can feel a fury towards someone else bubbling in the bottom of my heart, and instead of clearing it away, I¡¯m letting it boil over.

    ¡°Unicorn. Shield us from malice.¡±

    Unicorn neighed in response to my prayer, and so, the battle against the carbuncle began.

 CH 79

    ¡°Saluena!! I¡¯m going to help Rose-san, so please take care of the carbuncle!!¡±

    ¡°I was just in the mood to start swinging my sword too. Leave it to me.¡±

    Unicorn¡¯s hooves tore through the lush green grass as she charged forward. I¡¯d say it¡¯s maybe a 100 meters between here and the altar? And Rose-san is collapsed in the middle of that huge space.

    ¡°Child of man. Why do you resist? Salvation lies right before your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Salvation, isn¡¯t something you impose on somebody else. If it has to be forced, then it¡¯s no different than ordinary violence.¡±

    Closing the distance in one swift gallop, Unicorn placed herself between Rose-san¡¯s body and the carbuncle as if to protect her. Form there, Saluena flew off Unicorn¡¯s back, continuing the approach against the carbuncle on foot.

    ¡°{Powerful shield that cannot be broken}!!¡±

    After seeing her off, I barked out my chant. Unicorn¡¯s mane shone white as ten magic circles of differing sizes both large and small were deployed around us. I then spread them out all around us in order to protect me and Rose-san.

    ¡°Unicorn, hold for just a moment!!¡±

    ¡°Ooooooh, what should I do!?¡±

    ¡°Stay on Unicorn and tell me if anything is coming our way Lapris!! Absolutely do not leave her side!!¡±

    I dropped down off of Unicorn¡¯s back and rushed to Rose-san¡¯s side.

    ¡°Rose-san! Rose-san!? Please hang on!!¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s eyes were peacefully shut as she laid back on the warm ground. I could feel the warmth coming from her body when I lifted her up.

    ¡°S-She¡¯s alive!? Rose-san!! Please open your eyes Rose-san!!¡±

    The ruby the carbuncle resides in is also known as the Dream Gem. Those who came to possess the stone fell asleep, never waking back up again until they eventually perished.

    According to Toslin, Carol has been asleep for four days now. I don¡¯t know when Rose-san collapsed, but she¡¯s definitely in a dangerous state right now.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Sally¡­¡­.oneesama¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Rose-san!?¡±

    As I was shaking her shoulders, Rose-san¡¯s beautiful peach-colored eyebrows twitched in response. And then¡­..she mentioned Saluena¡¯s name.

    When I heard that, there was a moment where it felt like someone was squeezing my heart. Rose-san called out Saluena¡¯s name instead of mine¡­¡­aaaaah, what am I thinking about!?

    I don¡¯t care about that right now!!

    ¡°It¡¯s me! It¡¯s Iris! I came to help!!¡±

    I shouted in her ear. However, Rose-san wasn¡¯t showing any sign that her eyes were about to open. Her face continued to carry a quiet, calm expression as her chest  rhythmically moved up and down alongside her steady breath.

    ¡°Pointless. At this moment, she is rejecting this reality and enjoying the realization of all her hopes inside her happiest dreams. Her soul is already set to depart. You must not destroy her peace. Leave her as she is and allow her to die.¡±

    ¡°Q-Quit letting that idiotic drivel spew from your mouth!! What peace? What salvation!! We don¡¯t want what you¡¯re selling!! Oi Iris, give her one of my feathers already!!¡±

    ¡°R-Right!!¡±

    I picked Rose-san¡¯s hand up off the ground and clasped it with my own while holding the fairy feather. The faint glow of the fairy feather is meant to stave off death. I don¡¯t know how effective it¡¯ll be for Rose-san who is already on the verge of death, but it has to be better than nothing.

    ¡°Is Rosa still alive?¡±

    After taking a few swings with her sword at the carbuncle, Saluena took some distance and called back to us.

    ¡°Yes!! S-She¡¯s still¡­¡­.alive. She muttered Saluena¡¯s name just now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­really?¡±

    Saluena¡¯s battle-hardened expression relaxed a bit.

    ¡°Really¡±

    And then muttering to herself, Saluena¡¯s grip around her sword tightened, and she once again swung down on the carbuncle.

    ¡°Fool¡±

    *Kiiiiiiiiiiii!!*

    Saluena¡¯s sword managed to reach the carbuncle. Her blade was strong enough to cut an ent in two with a single strike, but this time, it gave off a high pitched echo as it bounced off.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­hard.¡±

    Rubies have a hardness that ranks up next to diamonds. The carbuncle looks almost proud of its body which carries over this characteristic and prevents Saluena from easily cutting through.

    If I were to release the seal and allow Saluena to regain her former strength, she should be able to easily cut through. But without knowing how long I can channel Saluena¡¯s power without passing out, it¡¯s a tremendous gamble.

    That¡¯s why I set our main priority to not defeating the carbuncle, but to rescuing Rose-san and Carol.

    ¡°¡­¡­..fufu¡­¡­..if it¡¯s Iris, then¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..R-Rose-san¡­¡­..?¡±

    Right now Rose-san is seeing a dream. According to the carbuncle, it¡¯d be the dream that brings her the most happiness. So¡­¡­Saluena and I are both in that dream? Moreover, just now she¡­¡­called my name without using any honorifics¡­¡­.

    ¡°Will you¡­..come with us too? Is it okay?¡±

    Rose-san never addresses anyone without an honorific no matter who it is. Whether it be Toslin or Carol, she always attaches ¡®san¡¯ to their names. Me too of course.

    But, just now¡­¡­I definitely heard it. With a weak, pale expression, and yet one that was cheerful and laughing, she called for me.

    Iris¡­¡­..

    ¡°¡­¡­no, I¡­¡­won¡¯t go. Rose-san either, you¡¯re not going anywhere¡­¡­¡±

    I gave Rose-san one last tight hug before setting her back down on the ground.

    ¡°Hwoah!? O-O-Oi Iris! Damn it!! That thing¡¯s starting to get serious!!¡±

    ¡°The unsightly. Those who tire of life. Leave yourself in silence, and embrace the final rest.¡±

    The gem embedded in the carbuncle¡¯s forehead glowed a vibrant red. But that light was as terrifying as it was vivid.

    Taking that light at point-blank range, Saluena¡¯s body slowed.

    ¡°¡­¡­.ku¡­¡­this is unexpected¡­¡­..a powerful emotional wave¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Damn, damn it!! My feathers aren¡¯t going to hold out for long!! We¡¯re all going to end up dreaming at this rate!!¡±

    Goldmund looked over worriedly towards his master Rose-san. However, it was clear that it was becoming harder for him to keep his eyes open. His big head kept swaying this way and that as he waited for Rose-san to wake up.

    ¡°Lapris, keep calling Rose-san¡¯s name. Goldmund, stay by your master¡¯s side and protect them both.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I can do that, b-but what are you going to do!?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I could see Toslin fighting Carol a short distance away.

    Right now Toslin is able to dodge or parry all of Carol¡¯s attacks, but who knows when the effects of carbuncle¡¯s light will begin to appear.

    ¡°Because the two of them won¡¯t wake up, we have no choice but to beat the carbuncle.¡±

    ¡°But, not even Anego¡¯s sword could beat it!¡±

    I switched places with Lapris and climbed back on top of Unicorn¡¯s back.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong.¡±

    I shook my head, stroking Unicorn¡¯s glowing white mane.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that Saluena¡¯s sword can¡¯t cut.¡±

 CH 80

    Mounting Unicorn once again, I buried my face in her mane as she rushed forward.

    ¡°{Powerful shield that cannot be broken}!!¡±

    And then casting my chant as I rode, I summoned forth ten additional magic circles for me to use.

    (Just a little more¡­..and we¡¯ll be able to reach!!)

    The effective range of my magic circles is twenty meters. The magic circles I left to protect Rose-san should be dissipating soon, but Golmund is there. He¡¯ll protect his master no matter what comes his way.

    ¡°Tear it to pieces!!¡±

    The minute we came in range, I threw out my left hand and shot off several magic circles. Each of them traveled forward, diverting and cutting corners to take their own unique, irregular flight path to prevent the carbuncle from escaping their mission to shred its body in half.

    *PaKiiiiiiii*

    However, none of them were able to cut into the carbuncle¡¯s tough body. The opposite actually, as each magic circle shattered as if they were made of glass the moment they made contact.

    ¡°No matter who you are, you will be unable to wound me. Now that I have regained my full power from the Primordial World, there is nothing fragile beings such as yourselves can do against me.¡±

    ¡°Saluena, get on!! Let¡¯s grab some distance!!¡±

    Saluena grabbed my outstretched hand and jumped onto Unicorn¡¯s back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He¡¯s even stronger than I thought he would be.¡±

    Safely situated behind me, Saluena shook her head to try and disperse the drowsy effect from the carbuncle.

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­..I forgot about that. His strength three hundred years ago was restrained by the fragment of the Grief Sphere, but now¡­¡­.there¡¯s nothing holding the carbuncle back¡­..¡±

    Already I can feel something trying to worm its way into my head. It¡¯s like a deep haze of sleeping gas is being poured directly into my brain.

    I grab the pouch wrapped around my neck. The small feather Lapris had given me was peacefully giving off a small glow inside. However, the feather was slowly turning black as its light gradually faded away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, give in. To salvation, to your end. Accept your demise and find true peace.¡±

    The stone on the Carbuncle¡¯s forehead burned even brighter causing thoughts and images to rush through my mind in waves.

    ¡°Because all the suffering in the world cannot follow you in death.¡±

    The white leaves of the solretta trees blanketing the ceiling were dyed a vibrant red like the sunset.

    ¡°You must be reborn once again. Die and complete your life¡¯s journey.¡±

    ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡­.something, like that¡­¡­.then, right now we¡¯re¡­¡­.imperfect!? You¡¯re saying there are only mistakes and pains at the end of this road we decided to take!?¡±

    After gaining some distance, I turned back around while seated on Unicorn¡¯s back to glare at the carbuncle. I readjusted my remaining magic circles to try and block out the wave of thoughts being forced into my head which were not my own, but it didn¡¯t feel like it was making much of a difference.

    ¡°Precisely red-haired girl. This world¡­..this annoying world that would tie you down with abominable chains, there is no salvation to be had here. You and your associates are nothing but playthings for a tired and lonely goddess.¡±

    Gu, Guuuh¡­¡­.I keep getting hit by warm, comforting waves. And each time I can feel them sapping my strength while weighing down my eyelids.

    ¡°Do not listen Master. Listening to the mad words of a spirit will only serve to drive your own mind to insanity.¡±

    Even though she¡¯s right behind me, Saluena¡¯s voice sounds like it¡¯s coming a world away.

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­I understand.¡±

    ¡­¡­..I understand, but that¡¯s not stopping my body from feeling like it¡¯s being turned to stone.

    I take another look inside my pouch.

    The white feather had almost turned completely black, and it¡¯s radiance had vanished completely.

    ¡°¡­¡­ah, the feather is¡­..¡±

    The moment I saw it, my consciousness fell as if I was being absorbed into the bag.

    I knew what was happening, but that doesn¡¯t mean I could do anything to stop it.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ?

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°¡­..hey, Oneechan. Oneechan.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Oh¡­¡­.Sarah? Sorry, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®what is it¡¯ me. You¡¯re not allowed to nap when taking care of the store.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­sorry. The stove was so warm, it just happened.¡±

    ¡°Jeez, don¡¯t give me that, ¡®it just happened¡¯ either. Aren¡¯t you heading out tomorrow again anyway? Can¡¯t you sleep as much as you want on the way?¡±

    ¡°No no, there¡¯s no way I can do something like that¡­¡­.¡±

    Although it is certainly true that I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow to investigate a cave found in the neighboring country with everyone.

    But, there¡¯s this nagging tic in the back of my head that¡¯s telling me I¡¯m forgetting something important.

    My joints ache after my little nap on the counter. But as I stretched out my arms and twisted my back, the shop¡¯s front door swung open.

    ¡°Yoohoo~. We¡¯ve come for some food.¡±

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, you shouldn¡¯t say it like that.¡±

    Carol popped her face into the store, and just as quickly as she came in, a fist landed on top of her head.

    ¡°What the heck!!¡±

    Just as Carol started to protest, Toslin forced her further inside by kicking her in the butt before following her inside.

    Oh yeah. Today we were having supper here. I was looking forward to it because Mom is cooking¡­¡­

    ¡°Sorry to intrude¡±

    Suddenly a clear voice cut through the boisterous store.

    ¡°Ah, Rose-san!! Hello. Please please, come on in.¡±

    Rose-san came in after the other two, wearing a white coat instead of her normal robe.

    She apparently bought it two days ago when she went on a sisterly date together with Saluena.

    ¡°Wow, it looks great. Very lovely.¡±

    ¡°Y-You think so? I¡¯ve been thinking it might be a bit too flashy for me¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You keep undervaluing yourself. As I have told you before, you look beautiful. It¡¯s fine for you to be a little prouder of that fact.¡±

    Saluena walked in from the back of the shop wearing an apron.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­thank you¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah~ so sweet. I can feel myself melt from over here. Oi Carol, let¡¯s move further inside.¡±

    ¡°Are we going to eat some snacks? Got it!¡±

    ¡°Stupid, we¡¯re going to go help.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go too. Carol-san, please tell me more about your adventures.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Has Sarah finally come to realize the awesomeness that is me? Fine fine, then i will continue where I left off with the last story.¡±

    Lately Sarah has come to completely admire Carol, probably because I¡¯ve been singing to her praises about Carol every day for a while now.

    Carol was also so happy to have someone like a sister that her ears were happily perked up straight into the air the entire time she was walking towards the back of the store.

    ¡°Um, Iris-san¡±

    Just when I thought she was enthralled in a world just for her and Saluena, Rose-san suddenly called my name.

    ¡°Eh, ah, yes?¡±

    ¡°Um, to tell you the truth¡­¡­when I went out with Sally-oneesama the other day, I bought a present for Iris-san¡­..¡±

    Rose-san offered me a small box with a beautiful ribbon tied around it.

    ¡°Eh, for¡­¡­me?¡±

    ¡°She spent a whole hour in the store, groaning to herself as she picked it out. Please take it.¡±

    ¡°O-Oneesama¡­¡­I told you not to say anything about that¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, my bad. But that¡¯s just one part of your charm. I cannot help but talk about it.¡±

    ¡°J-Jeez¡­¡­Oneesama¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san gave Saluena a small, grudge-filled look before turning back to me.

    ¡°U-Um¡­¡­well, once again¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san once again tried handing me the small box, her face slowly turning a bright shade of red.

    ¡°This is, oh, um, Iris-san¡­¡­¡­no, Iris. I¡¯d like you¡­¡­to have this.¡±

    Rose-san, changed how she said my name.

    ¡°And then, if possible¡­¡­.with me¡­¡­..¡±

    Rose-san said my name¡­¡­.without any honorifics¡­¡­.

    No honorifics, no honorifics? Huh? But, before this too¡­¡­something similar¡­¡­

    ¡°With¡­¡­me¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­hm, sorry Rose-san, I can¡¯t hear you¡­¡­

    With you, what? Me¡­¡­Me and you¡­..become what¡­¡­

    Rose-san, Rose-san¡­¡­.

    ¡°Rosa!?¡±

    ¡°!?¡±

    That voice ripped me away from my nap.

    And when I forced open my eyes, it was Rose-san¡¯s back that jumped into view.

 CH 81

    ¡°Goddess, lend your ear to my voice. Goddess, please save my friends.¡±

    ¡°Rose¡­¡­.san?¡±

    I suddenly found myself sleeping on the ground. Unicorn was laying down right next to me, her inherent glow lost. Picking myself up off the grass, I found Rose-san standing right before my eyes.

    ¡°By your pure name, by your beautiful efforts, by your merciful will!!¡±

    Goldmund was standing next to her. Rose-san¡¯s body would sometimes stagger and sway, so he was offering up his own body as a crutch for his master.

    ¡°Protect my friends, my loved ones, from tainted evil!!¡±

    Rose-san raised her shield as her hoarse voice filled the cave room.

    ¡°I your servant petition for your miracle. {Serene Seal}!¡±

    A bright, luminant shield materialized around us, repainting the vivid red room in white.

    Immediately afterwards, the thick haze cleared away from my head. And then with the ability to fully understand my surroundings returned to me, I jumped to my feet.

    ¡°Rose-san!!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for coming to save us. Iris-san¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s quiet voice reached my ears with her back still turned towards me. I can¡¯t see the face she¡¯s making from here, but judging by her voice, it sounds like she¡¯s in a lot of pain.

    ¡°Oi Iris!! Rose can¡¯t hold out for long!!¡±

    ¡°Eh, w-what do you mean!?¡±

    Can¡¯t hold on for long, depending on how you take those words, that can sound really ominous!!

    ¡°It will be all right¡­.. T-Thanks to the feather you gave me¡­¡­I was able to make my way back.¡±

    I got my own small taste of the dream world¡­¡­ It really was the kind of place you¡¯d want to stay in to keep your mind at ease.

    ¡°I am, already, okay. So¡­¡­will you stand against that spirit, the carbuncle, together with me¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san must have been immersed in her own warm world like my own dream. It sounded like I was there, and if I was there¡­¡­.

    ¡°Yes. Always.¡±

    No, it¡¯s just my imagination.

    Dreams are dreams. Reality is reality. The me inside the dream, isn¡¯t the me I am now.

    And on that same note, the Rose-san in my dream is a bit different from the Rose-san standing in front of me. So what did Rose-san see in her dream, and what was I like in that dream world? Finding the answer isn¡¯t important.

    The only thing I need to know is that I care for Rose-san. That¡¯s enough.

    ¡°Carol!?¡±

    Toslin screamed.

    Carol had collapsed like a broken puppet whose strings had been cut on the spot, most likely because Rose-san¡¯s miracle had cut off the carbuncle¡¯s possession of her.

    Injured and bleeding, Toslin rushed forward and lifted up Carol¡¯s small, limp body.

    ¡°I cannot comprehend it. I really, truly cannot understand. Why do you turn away from peace? Do you not want to be released from the curse of this world?¡±

    ¡°Because everyone is surely thinking about their own happiness.¡±

    If you got everything you ever wanted, I¡¯m sure it would be fun for a bit. You would be happy. But if you¡¯re always happy, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you lose sight of that happiness.

    Things can be hard and painful, but it¡¯s overcoming those difficulties that allow us to truly appreciate our happiness.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a world that¡¯s only meant to be fun!! Saluena!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm, my eyes are clear. And my body is moving perfectly.¡±

    Saluena stepped forward as if to protect both me and Rose-san, her sword and shield in hand.

    ¡°Unicorn¡­¡­thank you. It¡¯s almost over, so you can rest.¡±

    Unicorn is trying to rise to her feet, but my fainting cut off her supply of magic power and severely weakened her. So I stroked her head to let her know that everything is going to be all right. She turned her beautiful eyes towards me in response and gave a small, calm neigh.

    ¡°It does not matter. No matter how fervently you deny me, my words are the truth. I shall continue as I have, rescuing those who continue to struggle through life across this world.¡±

    ¡°Try it if you think you can!! But we¡¯re definitely not going to let things go the way you think they are!!¡±

    Lapris responding with her own provocations is the picture of bravery. It paints a much better picture than the one she¡¯s painting for herself by hiding away inside Unicorn¡¯s mane, only sticking out her head.

    ¡°Pfft, that¡¯s right. From now on and into the future¡­¡­we¡¯re going to live by our wills.¡±

    I raised my left hand in front of me. And then I began pouring magic into the violet stone fitted in a dark silver ring.

    ¡°And if you¡¯re going to get in the way of that, I will never forgive you!!¡±

    The dark violet ring fitted on my ring finger. Proof of my oath with the strongest knight.

    ¡ª¡ªand that ring, was now shining bright.

    ¡°Well then master, to honor the contract, the dark violet ring demands a kiss from a beautiful maiden.¡±

    Without Rose-san¡¯s miracle, our lives would be slowly drained from us. Like a thin shell crafted from a pearl, it is completely blocking out the carbuncle¡¯s death-enthralling light.

    But even so, we can¡¯t know how long it will last.

    So I have to beat it. We have to beat it. Remove the negative dregs that existed a thousand years ago that still haunt the world today like some gruesome ghost.

    ¡°I, Iris Calvafon, offer my kiss to thou as per the contract.¡±

    The dark violet ring on my left ring finger shined. I touched my lips to the violet gem that was the source of that radiance. Immediately after, the gem gave off a torrent of light as the ring gradually changed its shape.

    ¡°¡­¡­.a grimoire master? No¡­..in this era, in a place like this¡­¡­? By chance¡­¡­? No, is someone pulling these threads?¡±

    Seeing what was happening, for the first time ever the carbuncle¡¯s voice cracked.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­is there anyone else in the world capable of this? The Goddess Illya. That wandering god who sealed away my master, Osnell and transformed this world. Absolutely annoying. If you are her apostle, then¡­¡­.¡±

    The red gem embedded in the carbuncle¡¯s forehead glowed even brighter. Shadows grew from all around the carbuncle from the light, and from those shadows, spirits came forth.

    ¡°In accordance with Osnell¡¯s will, I will bestow upon you a painful death!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, Iris!! Shadow spirits are gathering from all around!!¡±

    Just as Lapris said, they were all shadow spirits. Possessing the corpses of snow wolves and snow bears scattered around the room, they surrounded us on all sides under the command of the carbuncle.

    But with the support of the miracle Rose-san continued to hold, not a single one of them could break through.

    ¡°I now, release the bonds on this world¡±

    So I continued my chant without paying them any mind.

    Taking my grimoire with a violet glow in hand, I pulled open the cover.

    ¡°From my left hand library, a sword that cuts twice, a shield that never crumbles. By the powerful contract carved into the absolute sanctuary of all life, the Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!¡±

    Letters and words began to appear across a once blank page.

    Using my magic power as fuel, the grimoire is twisting this world¡¯s reason. Breaking through the dark prison, reaching into Endura where Hadion¡¯s soul is held captive.

    ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Annihilation of the coming holy night. Once more the indomitable bell rings and an anthem of agony roars!!¡±

    A magic circle unfolded at Saluena¡¯s feet. The connection to Endura. A pillar of light shot high into the air, encapsulating Saluena¡¯s body.

    ¡°Primordial sword captured by heavenly chains. Deeply wounded Dark Violet Knight!¡±

    ¡°W-What!? Primordial, sword? Dark Violet Knight? No, that grimoire is¡­¡­¡±

    I could feel my magic power rapidly leaving my body. Summoning Unicorn couldn¡¯t even compare to this rate of consumption.

    ¡°Hurry up and kill that woman!!¡±

    The carbuncle completely abandoned its calm demeanor and began to shout. But it was too late.

    ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forward! Hadion!¡±

    My chant was finished. The grimoire shone with a powerful light after absorbing so much of my magic and completely connecting with the dark prison.

    ¡°¡­¡­.The Dark Violet Knight, Saluena Hadion.¡±

    The violet light eventually converged, morphing into a cloak that wrapped around Saluena¡¯s body.

    ¡°Iris Calvafon¡¯s first knight. Stalwart protector and slayer of her master¡¯s enemies.¡±

    I could see the same black armor she wore back then underneath her fluttering cloak. In her left hand was a massive shield, and in her right, the sword she used to make a dragon¡¯s head fly with a single swing.

    Finally Saluena dropped the visor of her dark silver helmet, completely covering her face.

    Unlike the light clothing I had grown used to seeing her wear, Saluena was now adorned in thick, heavy armor. I could feel nothing but awe the first time I saw her taking on that dragon.

    But now, it¡¯s absolute trust, relief, and overwhelming violence.

    ¡°Iris Calvafon commands you my knight.¡±

    Following along with text, I turned the page.

    Only three words rose to the surface.

    ¡°Destroy my enemy.¡±

    It took less than a second for me to say it.

    ¡°As you command¡±

    And even less time for me to get back a response.

    After regaining her sealed power, Hadion, I mean Saluena, sprinted forward.

    ¡°Stop her!! Don¡¯t let her get any closer!!¡±

    As Saluena stepped outside of the Serene Seal, she was met with the incredible violence capable of an army of shadow spirits that came to meet her.

    But that incredible violence crumbled in the face of some even more overwhelming violence.

    Saluena¡¯s shield was able to repel a dragon¡¯s breath from close range, so naturally the shadows¡¯ countless claws bounced right off.

    ¡°Wha-¡­¡­¡­¡±

    It was like I was watching a recreation of that night. Saluena¡¯s black bladed sword was sucked right into the carbuncle¡¯s neck.

    *Kiiiiiiiiiii*

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    And then, Saluena followed through with my request, and cut through.

    The carbuncle¡¯s rigid body which had managed to effortlessly shake off all of our attacks until now was nothing before the Dark Violet Knight¡¯s sword. The carbuncle¡¯s neck was separated from its torso.

    It¡¯s body began to dissipate, and instead of blood, a thick mist began to spray from the magic crystal. Perhaps the body itself is just a physical representation of the magic?

    ¡°¡­¡­..uwa¡­¡­she actually beat it¡­¡­¡±

    Lapris¡¯s husky voice echoed across the hall.

    But with this, the primordial spirit that has lived for a thousand years¡ª¡ªthe carbuncle¡¯s resurrection after three hundred years was successfully halted by Saluena¡¯s blade.

    But¡­¡­.

    Carol!! Get up Carol!! Get up!!¡±

    The scars it left were more than we could take.

 CH 82

    ¡°Good job Saluena.¡±

    As I whispered to Saluena¡¯s back, the dark violet armor she was wrapped in broke apart into a million particles of light before disappearing completely.

    ¡°Wielding my sword for the sake of my master is my duty.¡±

    The sword Saluena was carrying turned back to normal as well. Will there ever come a day where she can stay in this world without having to give anything up?

    Although I haven¡¯t fainted after releasing the power of the Dark Violet Knight, the effort of keeping her out for less than a minute reduced my magic power much more than I would have imagined.

    If this had resulted in any kind of drawn out battle, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have lasted.

    ¡°Get up!! Open your eyes!! Oi Carol, Carol!!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s grief-filled screams echoed around as she held Carol who had collapsed and was not moving in her arms.

    Toslin is always calm, keeping her eye on the bigger picture, and while she can be impatient at times, she keeps a cool-head whenever moving forward¡­¡­but she doesn¡¯t have the the leeway to act like that right now.

    Hair disheveled and kneeling in the dirt, Toslin holds Carol¡¯s body close while rubbing her own blood caked face against hers.

    ¡°Wake up¡­¡­.please¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin squeezed out a pleading voice. But Carol didn¡¯t respond. Carol¡¯s eyes were still open, but¡­¡­.there was nothing there.

    ¡°Rose, Rose!! Please, you have to save Carol!!¡±

    Toslin suddenly picked up Carol¡¯s limp body and ran over to Rose-san. Then gently laying Carol out on the warm grass, she took a seat beside her while still clinging to her bloody hand.

    ¡°I-I understand¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san had been sleeping for a couple days herself and was clearly not in good shape. So I took a seat next to her and helped prop her up in Goldmund¡¯s place.

    ¡°The adherent Rosalith Cuulbacall offers her prayers. Goddess, heal this person¡¯s wounds.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s hands gave off a pale, golden light once she recited her prayer. That light wrapped around Carol¡¯s body, healing every cut and bruise that marred her arms and face.

    ¡°¡­¡­Carol? R-Rose¡­¡­how is she?¡±

    But that was it. Carol kept staring off into the void without moving a millimeter, without showing any sign of life.

    ¡°¡­¡­I, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re sorry¡­¡­w-what¡¯s that supposed to mean!? Can¡¯t you save Carol!?¡±

    A grave expression grew across Rose-san¡¯s face at Toslin¡¯s question. And then, she shook her head.

    ¡°The healing miracle can only cure¡­¡­physical wounds. At the moment Carol-san has fallen into an extremely debilitated state. Her very life which she carries in her chest, it¡¯s fading away.¡±

    ¡°Then fix it!!¡±

    ¡°¡­..it¡¯s impossible¡­.. There¡¯s, nothing I can do. I¡¯m sorry¡­..¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..huh¡­¡­¡­..huh?¡±

    Toslin broke into a smile.

    But it was a complex smile, showing all kinds of emotions all at once.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.you¡¯re lying¡­¡­¡­. Hey, Carol¡­¡­¡­ Oi Carol!!¡±

    Toslin grabbed Carol¡¯s shoulders and started trying to shake her awake.

    ¡°Quit fucking with us!! Do you think you can just suddenly fall asleep wherever you want to¡­¡­. Huh!? Huh!?¡±

    After glancing between Rose-san and then back to Carol, Toslin¡¯s arms fell limp at her side. *Boomf* and Carol¡¯s body fell to the ground. But we never got a half complaint or even a word back from her in response.

    ¡°Then, then¡­¡­¡­um, what? Then¡­¡­I, she¡­¡­.we¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Finally, the tangled mess of emotions battling across Toslin¡¯s face gave way, and one single emotion came through.

    ¡°¡­¡­.we¡­¡­.can¡¯t be together anymore?¡±

    And the tears poured out.

    ¡°N-No¡­¡­No, that¡¯s¡­¡­.No¡­¡­.. We said we were going to find all the treasure in the world, but we haven¡¯t even found one yet¡­¡­.¡±

    Slowly placing her hand across Carol¡¯s chest, her head drooped down as if she were asking for penitence.

    ¡°If it was going to be like this¡­¡­.I shouldn¡¯t have ran away¡­¡­then I would¡­¡­.still be with you. Sorry¡­¡­..I¡¯m sorry. Were you lonely? I¡¯ve been away from you for days¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°It appears that in one more moment, I will have saved another soul bound to this world after all.¡±

    On the back of Toslin¡¯s grief, a voice sang out that did not belong to me, nor Rose-san, nor Saluena, nor Lapris.

    ¡°Wha-, you¡­¡­.it¡¯s still alive!!¡±

    We all turned our heads at once to find a mass of flames burning in the air.

    Odd ends and pieces of the carbuncle¡¯s body could be found along the outer edge of the flames cluing us in to the monster¡¯s identity.

    ¡°On top of this¡­¡­allow me to act as your pilot, guiding you down a new world completely separate from this one.¡±

    The flames were burning with the dream gem stationed in the middle of it all. But the power of those flames were clearly yet gradually waning.

    ¡°Elf woman. Do not mourn. If you truly wish to see that half wolf girl again, then I¡­¡­can take you to her¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Shut up for a bit.¡±

    The words leapt out of my mouth as soon as its grating voice touched my ears.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Eh, just now¡­¡­.from you?¡±

    Lapris looked up at me honestly surprised.

    I surprised myself, but we don¡¯t have the time right now to politely choose my words. Right now I¡¯m running entirely on intuition, sticking out my right arm as I talk.

    ¡ª¡ªtoward the carbuncle, who is already fading away from this world.

    ¡°Rose-san, you said¡­¡­¡­Carol is still alive right?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­although it¡¯s small, I can still feel the pulse of life.¡±

    ¡°Okay then. If so¡­¡­¡±

    I take one look at Carol.

    She¡¯s always walking behind Toslin with an innocent smile; I don¡¯t want to say goodbye like this.

    I just became a proper adventurer. We¡¯re going to need her smile and her laugh to brighten things up for us for years to come.

    ¡°Iris¡­¡­.¡±

    And Toslin.

    Our always calm and wonderful party leader.

    And yet right now, she¡¯s crying. Her, who pulled my indecisive hand and showed me a world I was only ever able to get a glimpse of through books.

    It¡¯s only natural I would want to do something for them.

    ¡°I now¡­¡­.release the bonds on this world.¡±

    And so, focusing all my magic power into my right hand, I began my chant.

 CH 83

    There are two rings on my left hand.

    Saluena¡¯s dark violet ring, and Unicorn¡¯s white porcelain one. And these rings take the shape of grimoires whenever I intend them to. In other words, at the end of my arm, on my fingers, is a library. And I am the grimoire master, the ruler of that library.

    So if I can pull out a book, then the opposite, must be possible as well!!

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.Aaaah!?¡±

    The ruby known as the dream gem continued to shine redder and redder. The carbuncle¡¯s body which had already dissolved into a fiery mist is being sucked into my right hand.

    The mist folds and condenses together, solidifying into dozens of pieces of paper stacking on top of themselves one after another.

    What emerged from those freshly printed pages were the words I needed most. A powerful incantation to lock the carbuncle in my hand.

    ¡°On behalf of the Goddess Illya, Iris Calvafon wields the chains to shackle you in place.¡±

    Everything the carbuncle is was derived from the red ruby. The power of a ruby is meant to be life itself. That power was inverted to represent death¡­¡­so there¡¯s only one thing I need to do. Force. It. Back.

    ¡°Wha-¡­¡­.I¡¯m being¡­¡­.sucked in? I am, ah¡­¡­my very soul¡­¡­is being rewritten¡­¡­..?¡±

    The carbuncle¡¯s body, which was already nothing more than a pale light, completely disappeared. Every particle of light that made up its existence was transformed into pieces of paper and compiled into a single book.

    ¡°Crimson flames hidden within the pure sphere. Light, bring forth cascading blood into a grand ocean.¡±

    I seized the grimoire with my right hand. In that instant, a red stone embedded itself in the center of the grimoire¡¯s cover.

    That stone was the dream gem encircled by a silver binding. The characters scrawled across the pages wriggled and distorted themselves, as if the book itself was still trying to decide what should be written.

    So I made the choice for it.

    ¡°It is the dawn that illuminates a new world. It is love that bestows grace and envelops everything. It is life which flows through and moves the world!!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as bad as with Saluena, but I could still feel my magic power being sucked in. But, I can¡¯t afford to faint here.

    I had one more page, one more sentence that needed to be read aloud.

    ¡°By the name and power of Iris Calvafon, bestow upon those who would die in obscurity life and sound health once again!!¡±

    I raised my grimoire which shined like the sun at dawn. And then from that light, a spirit emerged.

    ¡°Hiii!? O-Oi¡­¡­the carbuncle is¡­¡­you mean it¡¯s just fine!?¡±

    The spirit was very similar to the carbuncle, so I can¡¯t blame Lapris for screaming when she saw it. But this spirit¡¯s form was still murky, and with each second its form continued to morph more and more.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    I turned my gaze to the spirit whose gem still rested in the middle of its forehead.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°KWAaaaaaaaaaaah!!¡±

    The spirit began to sing. And along with that cry came a ripple of light spreading outwards from its gem, illuminating everything around it.

    That light then converged, wrapping itself around Carol. Each time a new wave of light would wash over her body, and as the light faded away to give way to a new wave, slowly, color returned to her face.

    ¡°T-This¡­..what is this? What¡¯s happening?¡±

    Carol¡¯s lips, which were a light purple until now, returned to their original pink color. Watching all of this in shock, Toslin asked me for an explanation.

    ¡°Iris captured the carbuncle. Rubies are originally stones with the power over life. The spirit inhabiting it was one of the Primordial World, so the effect was altered to reflect death instead¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°But now that spirit has been changed back from its inverted position, so the spirit dwelling within can draw out the proper abilities of the stone.¡±

    ¡°Y-You mean¡­¡­Carol is¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°She saved her. Look, isn¡¯t she already mostly restored? Her hair is looking so glossy she might just wake up any second now.¡±

    Fully accepting that things were finally safe for her, Lapris jumped out from Unicorn¡¯s mane and landed on top of Carol¡¯s stomach. Taking a seat there, she was being slightly lifted up and down with each breath Carol took, offering proof that Carol had been completely revived.

    ¡°U-Uuu¡­..Carol¡­¡­. Iris, thank¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin was just about to thank me when *Shaka Shaka Shaka Shaka*¡­¡­..the ground started trembling at our feet.

    ¡°Eh, Eh!? What!? An earthquake!?¡±

    Toslin grabbed Carol since she wasn¡¯t awake yet and stood up together with her.

    ¡°No, this is¡­¡­different.¡±

    Saluena managed to keep her head, calmly looking around us and denying the earthquake hypothesis.

    And when I glanced around as well, I understood why. Those tremors were actually caused by the solretta trees that were covering this hall suddenly beginning to grow.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ¡®ah¡¯ us!! Hurry up and put that spirit away!! Right now!!¡±

    Branches and leaves of the solretta tree are spread out in a dome-like shape all across the hall¡¯s ceiling. I was wondering at first how foliage could grow so thickly in a cave so deep inside some ruins where the sun never shines, but I figured they most likely grew like this because of the years they were exposed to the light of the dream gem from its altar.

    And right now, all of those trees were going through an explosive growth spurt. Needless to say, the cause is the spirit whose power has been adjusted to its correct position.

    ¡°Ah, right¡­¡­it seems that¡¯s still a bit impossible.¡±

    ¡°Why!?¡±

    After such a strong tsukkomi, I couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.

    ¡°Because¡­..it¡¯s not listening to me yet.¡±

    ¡°WhaaaaaaaAAAAAAT!?¡±

    With the sound of Lapris¡¯s scream echoing around us, the spirit continued releasing it¡¯s power as if it were boasting of its reincarnation or trying to show off what it is capable of.

    *Tck Tck*¡­¡­.*Crackle Crackle*¡­¡­

    And during that time, the massive solretta trees continued to grow, the already complex dome of branches and leaves woven together expanding outwards.

    ¡°O-O-Oi, Oi oi oi oi oi!? Aren¡¯t we going to end up smashed by these roots at this rate¡­¡­¡±

    The earth continued to tremble as the noise of the roots breaking apart rock filled our ears. But thanks to the perfect shell-like dome that had grown through here, not a single pebble had fallen on us easing any worries I had of a cave-in.

    And then that shell suddenly broke.

    Like a dandelion spreading out its petals, the branches that were covering us until now slowly opened outwards. It opening like this means there¡¯s nothing left to hold it in. That is to say¡­¡­.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­somehow¡­¡­the moon has come into view¡­¡­.¡±

    With the solretta¡¯s roots growing underneath and pushing us upwards, we found ourselves above ground before we even realized it.

    ¡°O-Oi! Look over there, the spirit is¡­..there¡¯s something wrong with it!!¡±

    As I was gazing at the suddenly appearing moon, Lapris started to pester me. From how restless she looked, I thought she was likely to faint at this rate. So without kicking up any fuss, I obediently turned around to find that the spirit had formed its own shell around its body.

    ¡°It looked almost exactly like the carbuncle until now, but¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that, an egg?¡±

    Curious, I took another look at the cover of the grimoire I was still holding in my right hand.

    ¡°Ah¡­..yeah, I guess it is.¡±

    *Pik*¡­¡­.*Pik* a spiderweb of cracks soon spread across the shell¡¯s surface, and some strange little object managed to push its way through. Nobody knew what it was at first, but after seeing the name scrawled across the grimoire¡¯s cover, I figured it out. It¡¯s a beak.

    *Crack* *Crackle* the egg started to break apart. Bits of the shell plummeted to the meadow below us and fully revealed the hatchling inside.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡­a bird? And, it¡¯s whole body, is on fire¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Phoenix?¡±

    In response to her name being called, the newborn spirit spread out its wings wide.

    Enough bright red light radiated off of her to make the night sky look as if it were the middle of the day.

    ?

    With her role finished, Phoenix once again broke down into an array of light particles. The grimoire changed shape alongside it, morphing into a ring fitted on my right index finger.

    On the ring¡¯s setting, the ruby known as the dream gem shined with a deep glow from the reflected moonlight.

    There was no longer a spirit from the Primordial World dwelling within. The spirit known as the Phoenix has taken its place, and instead of death, it will bestow life.

    ¡ª¡ªLike with her.

    ¡°¡­¡­Huah, Toslin¡­¡­.good morning.¡±

    That familiar, yet somehow nostalgic, slightly dim voice came from the werewolf girl Carol¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª!? Carol!?¡±

    ¡°Wah¡­¡­hold on, there¡¯s no reason to shout so suddenly. Why are you so surprised?¡±

    She¡¯s brimming with life, as if her weakened state a few minutes ago was just a lie.

    ¡°More importantly, hey hey¡­¡­.hold me tighter.¡±

    ¡°H-¡­¡­.Huh!?¡±

    But, what? She¡¯s kind of different from how she usually is. Her voice and eyes certainly look drowsy, so maybe she¡¯s still half asleep.

    ¡°W-Why would I, to you, and in a place like this!?¡±

    Toslin¡¯s confusion had completely blown away the overwhelming joy she was feeling. We all saw how she was crying, so we already know how she really feels. I personally don¡¯t think there¡¯s any real reason for her to feel shy right now¡­¡­.

    ¡°Eh? What are you saying? You¡¯re the one who told me you liked me and would pet me whenever¡­¡­and so, you said you¡¯d hold me tight every morning when I wake up¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hold on a minute!! You can¡¯t just go around making up stuff like that!! When did I ever say I would¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eeh, but you did~. It was only a month ago right? You even gave me a ring¡­¡­so I, immediately told you I¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol tried explaining things while glancing over at her left hand. But when she looked, she found that there was no ring on her finger.

    ¡°H-Huh? No¡­¡­¡±

    The bubbly smile Carol had been carrying until now froze. She blinked a couple of times, but no, a ring did not magically appear in the few seconds her eyes were closed.

    ¡°Um, Carol-san¡­¡­the same thing happened to me¡­¡­. We faced a carbuncle, so you may be thinking of¡­¡­the dream it showed us¡­¡­.¡±

    Clearly unsure if she should saying anything at all, Rose-san finally offered Carol an explanation.

    ¡°¡­¡­.eh¡­¡­..um, a dream, was it¡­¡­..¡±

    Carol¡¯s head creaked like a rusted iron door as it awkwardly turned towards Toslin who was looking quite uncomfortable herself.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Oh, oh~¡­¡­¡­well¡­¡­.um, um¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Carol, um¡­¡­.¡±

    As their gazes met and they looked into each other¡¯s eyes, both of their cheeks burned with a hot blush.

    ¡°UwaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?¡±

    Followed by Carol releasing an ear-splitting scream before suddenly running away.

    Even though Phoenix had only just restored her vitality, Carol¡¯s feet were moving so fast you would never guess she just woke up from a four day coma.

    ¡°Wai-, where are you going!? Wait, hey come on!! Over there is¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°UhyaaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?¡±

    But Carol had already vanished from sight, her still screaming voice the only clue to where she had gone.

    But of course, right now we¡¯re on a huge solretta tree that¡¯s growing out the side of a mountain. Her voice could end up traveling over kilometers with the echoes up here.

    ¡°She just came back, and now she¡¯s going to scream herself to death.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    With Lapris¡¯s tremendously amazed voice at my back, I left with Toslin to make sure that Carol was still safe.

 CH 84

    Thanks to Phoenix¡¯s light, Carol and Rose-san had managed to regain their energy, but the fact is that neither of them have had anything to eat or drink in the last four days. So with the adrenaline that drove us to this point slowly ebbing away, a chorus of grumblings sang from their stomachs.

    So we hurried and lit a fire at the base of the gigantic solretta tree before sharing all the preserved food we were carrying with everyone.

    Making sure everyone was full and rested took a while because of that, so by the time we made our way down St. Noglint and arrived back at Solretta Litta, the sun had already begun to rise over the horizon.

    After the ents¡¯ invasion, parts of the wall were crumbling here and there while the iron gate had been completely blown away. (That last one was kind of my and Unicorn¡¯s fault.)

    As a stopgap measure, carpenters were using a large amount of lumber to fasten together a temporary gate. Among those carpenters working is Mycena who upon seeing that I returned, ran right over to me while carrying a thick piece of lumber over her shoulder.

    ¡°Welcome back Iris!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m back. Or rather, it¡¯s dangerous running around while carrying that kind of thing.¡±

    I was welcomed home by a friend while riding on Unicorn. And despite Saluena sitting behind me with Carol seated in front, Unicorn looked as if even our combined weight together was no problem for her.

    But then, Goldmund was walking right behind us carrying Rose-san and Toslin.

    That load looked incredibly heavy with the inclusion of their armor and shields. But since saying something like that out loud would be an insult to a maiden¡¯s dignity, none of us were going to touch the topic.

    ¡°I was shocked. While we were in the middle of repairing the gate, a ginormous tree sprouted up from the mountain.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is¡­.¡±

    I was troubled thinking about how I was going to explain that, but Mycena waved her hands a bit to stop me.

    ¡°Ah, I already know. Everyone gathered around to hear about what you did.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what do you mean?¡±

    I was confused for a moment, but then Sarah, Aronda-san, and all the other sisters came running from behind the gate together. And then trailing behind them were both my parents.

    ¡°Onee-chan!!¡±

    As soon as she yelled my name, Sarah tripped, rolling forward in front of me as if we were meeting for the first time in half a year all over again.

    ¡°Sarah. What are you doing so early in the morning? Have you gotten any sleep?¡±

    Saluena lifted me off Unicorn and set me down on the ground while I wondered what everyone was doing here. They should still be taking refuge in the church, and it¡¯s much too far for them to have heard I returned and then rushed back here. Ah, and for the sake of my honor I should say that even if I¡¯m not very athletic, I am still more than capable of dismounting a horse by myself. Saluena is just a little overprotective.

    ¡°Onee-chan, you were absolutely wonderful!!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Sarah jumped into my chest and started to praise me while looking up into my face. I wasn¡¯t all together sure what she was talking about though, so I looked over to Aronda-san for an explanation.

    And so apparently Sarah and Unicorn can share their senses with each other¡­¡­.

    ¡°Huh? Eh, really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sarah-chan knew several details about the carbuncle which she couldn¡¯t have known normally, was able to tell us about the growing solretta tree before it exploded out the side of the mountain, and even accurately guessed the time you all would be returning.¡±

    ¡°When I closed my eyes and thought of you Onee-chan, I was able to see things through Unicorn¡¯s eyes and hear things through her ears.¡±

    Impossible¡­¡­or probably not.

    Unicorn grew from the stuffed animal Sarah had stitched together. She figuratively put her heart and soul into making it, so it¡¯s not too hard to imagine that the miracle which turned that stuffed unicorn into the genuine article would also create a link between the two of them.

    ¡°Surely it was the Goddess granting me my wish. I asked her if I could please stay with Onee-chan always¡­¡­¡±

    So with that being the case¡­¡­does that mean she saw everything right from the beginning? Defeating the ents, defeating the shadow spirits, defeating the carbuncle and turning it into a phoenix before accidentally causing a tree to grow so huge it burst through the side of a mountain¡­¡­.everything?

    ¡°And so, I¡¯ve decided. I will serve the Goddess as well. She granted me my wish, and I need to show her my thanks.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡­¡±

    The way my little sister is looking at me¡­¡­.is a little embarrassing. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s saying some pretty embarrassing things too.

    ¡°I am sure the Goddess will be delighted to welcome an adorable believer like Sarah-san.¡±

    Rose-san praised her with a warm smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s always put a lot of stock in physical beauty.¡±

    Not really sure if what Saluena was saying was meant as a joke or not, her words mostly went through one ear and out the other, but it did help me snap out of my daze.

    (Yeah, what she said was lovely. Nothing out of the ordinary.)

    By the way, Carol and Toslin haven¡¯t said anything for a while now.

    You can tell at a glance the both of them are still beet red.

    Well, the two of them had an extra large bomb drop right on top of their heads, so this is about right.

    I¡¯m honestly happy for the both of them though, and while I am a little envious too, I pull on Sarah¡¯s hand and rush over to my parents.

    And then giving them the absolute brightest smile I can muster,

    ¡°I¡¯m home!!¡±

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    I sat in my room, dazedly watching the branches of the solretta tree swaying in the wind.

    It¡¯s already been three days since the carbuncle¡¯s defeat. Both Rose-san and Carol are being discharged from the hospital today, so I¡¯m supposed to be getting ready to go pick them up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s at least change my clothes for now.¡±

    It¡¯s probably around seven o¡¯clock. That time of the morning when Saluena has already gotten up, but Sarah hasn¡¯t called to let me know breakfast is done.

    I slipped my arms through the robe Saluena had given me. It¡¯s been getting warmer outside, but we¡¯re still a far ways away from saying it isn¡¯t cold outside which makes this thick fabric a reliable partner for me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs Unicorn.¡±

    After I finished changing my clothes, I glanced over towards the still warm, comfortable-looking bed, and the plushy Unicorn was soon following after me while making the most of its short, cotton-filled legs.

    ?

    ¡°Oh, good morning Onee-chan.¡±

    When I walked into the living room, I found Saluena and Sarah setting the table. They were wearing matching aprons, and if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would swear that¡­¡­they don¡¯t look like sisters at all?

    Yeah, I really can¡¯t see it. The general shape of us Calvafon girls¡¯ heads are nothing like Saluena¡¯s.

    ¡°Morning. Anything I can help with?¡±

    I asked even though I know there isn¡¯t. Sarah is a hard-working younger sister who always picks up the slack for her fundamentally lazy older sister.

    ¡°No there¡¯s nothing in particular, so Onee-chan can just take a seat.¡±

    ¡°Okay~¡±

    You see? A really hard working little sister. I can understand why Mycena wants her as a bride.

    ¡°Thinking about it, Sarah will be heading over to the church starting today right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even though I say that, it¡¯ll only be around once a week for a while. I still have to watch over the store.¡±

    ¡°You sure have it hard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something you shouldn¡¯t be saying.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m listening to an old married couple.¡±

    Even though we¡¯ve talked like this ever since we were small children, Saluena thought there was something funny about it.

    Meanwhile Unicorn had climbed up into my lap, so, ¡°Do you want something to eat too?¡± I made a little joke with her.

    This kind of atmosphere has hung around the house for the past three days. Occasionally I would go for a walk to see how Mycena is doing with trying to fix up the wall, or I would visit Rose-san and Carol to see how they are doing in the hospital. For the most part however, I¡¯ve been relaxing at home while feeling like I had just returned home after another long journey.

    It¡¯s really helped clear up my feelings.

    This is the place where my heart can feel most at ease.

    ¡°Hey, Saluena. Let¡¯s go meet up with Rose-san and Carol after we¡¯re done eating.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡±

    And yet, I¡¯ve decided to leave this place behind.

    I¡¯ve hardened my resolve and am ready to talk with Rose-san, Carol, and Toslin about it.

 CH 85

    The hospital is one of the biggest buildings in the city comparable to the church and adventurer guild.

    If you¡¯ve hurt yourself or sustained a wound, people go to the church to have someone heal them. If you¡¯re suffering from an illness or some kind of special condition however, you will be taken care of inside the hospital.

    In this past incident, Rose-san and Carol slept for almost four days because of the carbuncle, and their bodies fell to an extremely weakened state. Summoning Phoenix resulted in their vitality being restored, saving them from any kind of critical condition for the most part, but the two of them were still ordered to spend three days in the hospital to ensure their safety.

    ¡°Fua¡­..this place¡­.. Have we been taken somewhere amazing?¡±

    This is the only hospital in town, but when I walked over to the receptionist the first time I came over for a visit, I was directed towards the top floor.

    The floor reserved for noble guests¡­..in other words each of these rooms were set up for nobles and other important people, and the corridor itself was lined with red carpet sending me into culture shock.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this kind of treatment is unnatural given what we¡¯ve done.¡±

    Standing next to me, Saluena served as a sharp contrast to myself by looking completely calm. I wonder if she¡¯s used to this kind of luxury since she is a knight.

    It¡¯s hard to match this person up with the woman who was just wearing an apron while setting the table at home.

    ¡°Y-You think so?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. If this situation was handled poorly, this city would have been set back 300 years, no¡­¡­in all likelihood the sacrifices would have been even larger than that. We stopped that before it could happen. It¡¯s okay for you to stick out your chest and act self-important.¡±

    ¡°Um, self-important¡­..that is¡­..¡±

    I can¡¯t do it. I am a commoner, born and raised after all.

    But whether I want them to or not, people have been treating us like we¡¯re special. In addition to being the head priestess, Aronda-san is the chief executive of the city, and she practically forced Rose-san and Carol to stay in the hospital until now because they¡¯re seen as two of the heroes who saved the city.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    While the two of us were talking about our newfound fame, we rounded one of the hallway¡¯s corners, and there was Rose-san.

    ¡°Ah Iris-san, Sally-oneesama. Thank you kindly for expressly coming to get us.¡±

    Today Rose-san was wearing ordinary clothes instead of a hospital gown.

    And not ordinary clothes as in the robes or armor that she¡¯s usually wearing, but an ordinary dress. It unexpectedly gives her a real precious feeling. Her soft pink curls went very well with her white dress. It¡¯ll be cold when she goes outside though which is probably why she has what looks like a poncho in hand.

    ¡°Hoh? You look more beautiful than usual today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, you look really amazing. Almost like a genuine noblewoman.¡±

    No, even if she has abandoned her house, Rose-san was still a noble at one point, so it¡¯s not that much of an exaggeration to say that she truly is a genuine noblewoman no matter what she looks like.

    ¡°Ah, even Iris-san. Please quit it with the teasing.¡±

    No, I can¡¯t speak for Saluena, but I am most certainly not kidding in the slightest.

    Walking up to Rose-san who was bashfully squirming in place as her face turned a bright red, Saluena immediately started her sexual harassment by combing her hand through Rose-san¡¯s hair while I excitedly asked the obvious question.

    ¡°So, why are you standing around in the hallway?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is because¡­¡­¡±

    Giggling softly to herself while letting Saluena¡¯s fingers tickle her, Rose-san suddenly raised her head. She then put one of her fingers in front of her mouth.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­is there somebody inside?¡±

    Keeping my voice down to a whisper, Rose-san softly nodded her head.

    ¡°¡­¡­I see. Is it Toslin and Carol?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..yes¡­¡­.¡±

    My guess was right. Time to be considerate.

    ?

    ¡°Oi you, you¡¯re in pretty high spirits for somebody who is supposed to still be in recovery.¡±

    ¡°How can you say that when I¡¯ve been stuck here for three days already? Just the thought that I can finally leave this room makes me so happy I want to cry.¡±

    Somehow, the two of them look normal.

    I quietly waited to hear the first words that would come from that hospital room.

    Ah, obviously I¡¯m not waiting for the room to say anything right? I wanted to hear what Toslin and Carol were saying inside the room.

    After waiting for several moments without hearing anything, Carol opened up the door and stuck her head into the hallway. She looked a little surprised to see us all there, but after saying, ¡°Wait a moment,¡± she turned around and went back into the room.

    That was when that opening exchange began.

    I was expecting some kind of change in their relationship after all that, but so far nothing looks any different between them.

    ¡°Well I am glad to see you healthy.¡±

    Because it¡¯s been nothing but safe comments like this.

    I came here for a visit yesterday, and Carol had wanted to be discharged from the hospital then and there. The reason was because the flavor of the hospital food was too light.

    I can¡¯t really blame her. If I were in Carol¡¯s position, I¡¯d want to get out of here as quick as possible too. Although in my case, it wouldn¡¯t be because of the food so much as the room itself.

    What is with this place? The room alone is about as big as my house. Between the gold decorated lamp and window shades along with the beautiful flowers kept in an expensive looking vase, there¡¯s nothing in here that would be able to calm a patient down.

    And the ceiling, why is it so high? I suppose they¡¯re prepared if a giant ever needs to be hospitalized.

    ¡°That¡¯s all thanks to Iris. I should thank you again. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Truly, thank you. Aiyah, I seriously thought I was going to die this time.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. I never would have imagined a carbuncle would appear before us. If Iris-san had not arrived when she did, we would not be standing here alive like this. Thank you for saving us.¡±

    Ough. Hit by their words and gazes, I couldn¡¯t help but shrink back. Being thanked face to face like this is something I¡¯m never going to get used to, and it always puts me on guard.

    ¡°Ah, sure. But Toslin and Rose-san helped to save me as well, so I would say we¡¯re even.¡±

    Ever since defeating the carbuncle, I¡¯ve been getting thanked left and right. But, naturally I could have never done it by my power alone.

    All the lumberjacks and soldiers lent their aid in order to repel the ent invasion, Toslin swooped in and rescued me when I was caught by a shadow spirit, and we never would have been able to slay the carbuncle itself without Rose-san¡¯s help.

    ¡°So, thank you both so much too.¡±

    That¡¯s why I have to thank them as well. It¡¯s all thanks to you that I can live like this now.

    ¡°Huh!? That means I¡¯m the only one who was rescued!¡±

    ¡°True. Then you¡¯ll have to pay Iris back.¡±

    ¡°Uuu, unfortunately I don¡¯t have anything on hand right now¡­¡­. So is it okay if I pay you back with my body?¡±

    ¡°E-Eh!?¡±

    Carol jumped out of her bed, walked over to where I was sitting, and set her butt right on top of my lap.

    ¡°Now, go ahead!! Go ahead and pet1 me as much as you want!!¡±

    Ah¡­..so that¡¯s what she means when she says her body. In that case¡­¡­I suppose I should pet her until I¡¯m satisfied.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve gotten any time with Carol¡¯s tail. Isn¡¯t your fur incredibly glossy? It¡¯s so fluffy too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I had Toslin comb it some a little while ago.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, is that what you two were doing when we were waiting in the hallway?¡±

    Carol narrowed her eyes as I started petting her tail, either not realizing or not caring that her remarks were driving Toslin into a corner.

    On the other hand, Toslin¡¯s beautiful white face was turning a bright shade of red as words failed her.

    ¡°¡­¡­sorry¡±

    But after a short bit, she grumbled out a response.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for you to apologize. It¡¯s good to get along. Especially when you¡¯re in a relationship where you¡¯re leaving your life in each other¡¯s hands.¡±

    Oh? I took a look next to me at Rose-san who was sitting there with one hand over her mouth and wondered if she was thinking the same thing I was. Her eyes were brimming with curiosity, and looked to be barely hanging on from blurting out, ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    I tried answering her back with my own eyes, ¡°Looks like it,¡± and with our telepathic messaging complete, we both turned towards Toslin.

    ¡°Wai-, what¡¯s with you two!? If you have something you want to say then just say it!¡±

    ¡°No not really? There¡¯s nothing at all? I was just thinking about how normal it is for hearts to change.¡±

    ¡°Me as well. Please be at ease as I have no hidden intentions.¡±

    ¡°You two¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin sullenly turned away in some feeble attempt to hide her embarrassment.

    As she did though, I noticed a small flash of light at the base of her neck.

    (Hm?)

    Taking another closer look, I noticed that Carol is wearing a necklace. It¡¯s strange since I distinctly remember her telling me she doesn¡¯t have any interest in jewelry like this as it would only get in the way of how she moves.

    ¡°¡­¡­hm, what is it Iris? Are you already done?¡±

    Carol raised her head and looked up at me.

    (I see, so it¡¯s that kind of thing.)

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m already feeling fulfilled. But let me feel you up again some time.¡±

    ¡°Okay! It it¡¯s Iris then you can touch me whenever you want!!¡±

    Carol climbed off of my lap, and jumping to the other side of the room, she forcefully planted her butt on Toslin¡¯s lap instead.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to make so much noise in a hospital!!¡±

    ¡°Where is this patient you¡¯re talking about!?¡±

    Toslin picked Carol up and hurled her back onto the bed. The both of them have a point here. But while they are being noisy, it¡¯s a nostalgic din. I¡¯m so glad I was able to protect them.

    ¡°Hey, just for a bit¡­¡­I want you to listen to me.¡±

    I cut into their fight, a fire smoldering in my chest.

    1. The actual word used here is mofumofu which is some intensive petting. It¡¯s like when you hug your dog, roll around with him, and bury your face in his fur. It¡¯s like the word fondle, but fondle tends to have a more sexual innuendo to it.

 CH 86

    ¡°I, am becoming an adventurer.¡±

    My words were expected to a certain extent, and nobody was surprised.

    ¡°Coming home, I realized just how wonderful it is living in this city. A warm home, delicious food, and my favorite books which I can read as much as I want. I think this is the kind of happiness most people only dream about.¡±

    I peer out a nearby large glass window. A bright blue sky spread out overhead. The Water Dragon¡¯s Tail had passed for the most part, yet even today it lingered as if boasting of its grandeur and majesty.

    ¡°It might seem like a waste to leave a place as wonderful as this, but¡­..making the comparison helped me to understand. I¡­..am actually someone who prefers walking outside.¡±

    ¡°Your father is also someone who wears the skin of a scholar yet unexpectedly has an outward-facing personality. Perhaps you inherited a bit of that nature from him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. When I told them both about my six months of playing make-believe as an adventurer in Rifront, Mom was surprised, but Dad just laughed. ¡®You really do take after me,¡¯ is what he said.¡±

    And then they both gave me their consent to becoming an adventurer. That was when Dad told me he used to be an adventurer himself. While using and gathering medicinal herbs however, he gradually shifted his focus to research instead.

    ¡°Hah, you do resemble each other now that you mention it. They both seem like the kind of bungler who looks like they have everything put together and then clumsily comes crashing down.¡±

    Toslin joyfully started teasing me as retribution for a moment ago.

    ¡°Speaking of which didn¡¯t you forget to put on one of your shoes the first time we met?¡±

    ¡°B-Bungler is¡­¡­I mean I guess I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m a little clumsy, but¡­..¡±

    ¡°B-But, that is one of Iris-san¡¯s good points!¡±

    Rose-san, are you perhaps, trying to cover for me with that?

    ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°N-No¡­..please be more confident in yourself. I believe that you being like this is one of your most splendid merits.¡±

    ¡°Being a bungler is a merit?¡±

    ¡°Bungler sounds far worse than it is. Rather than a bungler¡­..perhaps it would be better to say you¡¯re a little absentminded¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Guah¡±

    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡­I¡¯m so sorry! Um, well¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°So in other words, absent-minded people tend to attract one another.¡±

    ¡°T-Toslin-san!! Say what you will about me, but I will not allow you to bad-mouth Iris-san!¡±

    Rose-san jumped out of her chair. I panicked and pulled on her sleeve while Toslin threw her hands up in front of her.

    ¡°Ahaha, sorry sorry. I was just having a little fun. Now we¡¯re even after your bit of teasing a moment ago right?¡±

    ¡°Uu¡­¡­sorry about that. It was just, Toslin-san¡¯s reaction was so cute, I had to¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Woah, stop stop. Let¡¯s get back on topic.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s slight jabs were getting reversed back onto her, so she forcefully steered the conversation back to what I was talking about before.

    ¡°We were talking about Iris becoming an adventurer. Isn¡¯t it fine then? I mean we all figured this might happen.¡±

    Carol spoke up while swinging her legs off the side of her bed.

    ¡°Then as the ones who first pulled you into this world, let me be the first to welcome you to it.¡±

    ¡°Me as well. If Iris-san is determined to do this, I would like to respect your decision.¡±

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re trying to stay composed, but your face is slackening Rosa.¡±

    ¡°O-Oneesama!? We are trying to talk about something important right now, so please don¡¯t try to poke fun.¡±

    Rose-san lightly hit Saluena¡¯s shoulder. Until now Rose-san was the oldest member of the party, so she always tried being the most mature of us. But now with Saluena joining us, she seems happier, as if a weight has come off her shoulders.

    ¡°I should probably ask just in case, but do you want go adventuring with us?¡±

    How many different ways have I thought up to answer this question? I¡¯ve dreamed of this moment. And now that I¡¯m getting to hear the invitation I¡¯ve been looking forward to so much, all I can think about is how very, very happy I am now that the moment is here.

    ¡°Yes! If everyone is okay with it, then please¡­¡­let Saluena and I join the party!!¡±

    I stood up and bowed deeply. But then before I knew it, my body was suddenly lifted up off the ground.

    ¡°Uwa, wawawa!?¡±

    ¡°Well It¡¯s about time! Then from next time on we¡¯ll be traveling together!!¡±

    It was Toslin who had lifted me up. She grabbed me by my waist, lifting me high up into the air and started swinging me around.

    ¡°Hold, Toslin!? Put me down. I¡¯m scared; this is scary!!¡±

    Darn it, I keep getting spun round and round in a room this huge¡­..I¡¯m serious, please stop!! The amount of money I¡¯m going to be billed if I dirty one of these vases is no joke!!

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re being sly Toslin. Me too, I want to do it too!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to say if you want a turn as well Rosa.¡±

    ¡°¡­..Eh? N-No¡­¡­I¡­¡­¡±

    You want to go a round too Rose-san? Or rather, please knock this off already. In another minute I¡¯m going to hit the point of no return and¡­¡­.

    ¡°Ah, Iris is still wearing those wool panties.¡±

    ¡­¡­hey, that¡­..

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Right now, I¡¯m lying dead on a bed in the hospital.

    This bed is probably a bed that¡¯s been used before. For some reason it smells just like Rose-san, but there¡¯s no way to say for sure.

    ¡°W-Well¡­..while it has been quite warm lately, it does still get chilly during the night¡­..¡±

    ¡°They were seen¡­¡­.they were seen again¡­¡­ And today I¡¯m wearing the new pair¡­¡­bear-san¡¯s debut¡­¡­¡±

    Today of all days. Why did it have to be today? I was wearing a plain pair yesterday. If it had happened then, the damage wouldn¡¯t have been this deep.

    ¡°Um, so¡­¡­I heard from Sally-oneesama that your underwear is actually made by Sarah-san.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡­.¡±

    I never thought Sarah¡¯s adeptness in sewing would be revealed in a place like this. Hold on Saluena, just what are you talking about when you¡¯re with Rose-san? Don¡¯t you have anything better to talk about than my underwear?

    ¡°Sarah is very dexterous. She made that stuffed unicorn toy too right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡±

    I abruptly raised my lifeless body.

    ¡°Sarah is amazing. A genius. So terrific there¡¯s a rumor running through her friends that she¡¯ll open up her own workshop in the future.¡±

    At the moment, Unicorn should be with Sarah at the church. By now she¡¯s met up with Lapris and the both of them are being doted on by the sisters.

    ¡°And it¡¯s precisely because these wool panties are made by the genius Sarah that I wear them. It¡¯s a fact of life that I should wear them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­O-Of course¡­¡­ They look warm¡­¡­ So uh, it was really wrong of me to laugh and I¡¯ll be sure to reflect on it, so how about cheering up? Okay?¡±

    I¡¯m really weak to whenever Toslin say, ¡°Okay?¡± to me like that. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t have any older sisters that I like to act spoiled around her.

    ¡°W-Well¡­¡­so long as you understand, then I suppose I can¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Great! Then after this let¡¯s all go out and celebrate me and Rose getting out of the hospital while also holding a welcome party for Iris and Saluena! I say we go get something to eat at the guild.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡°With this, it¡¯ll be easier to move around as the Knights of Iris. While we¡¯re at it, we should discuss our future endeavors as well.¡±

    No, shouldn¡¯t we start off with that name before anything else? I¡¯m not going to say anything about Saluena starting some order of knights anymore, but that name is way too embarrassing.

    ¡°Sometimes you actually say have a decent idea.¡±

    ¡°What was that!? It sounds like you¡¯re saying that most of my ideas are no good when you phrase it like that!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    Carol¡¯s tail lifted up after she got a chop right between the ears.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡­I got to see it again after so long.¡±

    ¡°Fuehehe¡­¡­we do it just to make Iris smile.¡±

    Honestly, Carol is so cute. Just watching her makes any of my worries feel silly.

    ¡°Then what say we get out of this hospital.¡±

    ¡°Uooh, I¡¯ll finally be able to enjoy the outside air again!! I¡¯m going to breath it in, breath it all in, forcefully breathe it out, and then breathe it all in again!!¡±

    Carol dashed out the door and bolted down the hallway. If this were a normal hospital I would tell her not to run in the hall, but since it looks like we¡¯re the only people on this floor, I suppose it¡¯s fine.

    Winter is over, and spring is slowly rolling in. The time of the year where the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail lingers overhead churning up the clouds in a whirlpool for all to see.

    And it¡¯s during this time that we officially became a party.

 CH 87

    ¡°Hyaamph¡ª¡ª¡ª!!! Meat, the scent of meat!! Give me meat!!¡±

    ¡°You just got out of the hospital¡­¡­ah jeez! Honestly, this idiot.¡±

    As soon as we walked into the guild building, Carol got a whiff of some meat cooking on the grill and ran deeper inside. Toslin threw out her hand to try and stop her, but she was too slow. Carol had sewn herself through the throng of people and arrived at the counter before we knew it.

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t want her off on her own just yet, so I¡¯m going ahead for a bit. Can you find us seats in the meantime?¡±

    Toslin followed after Carol shortly after, forcing her way through to the other side of the room filled with pleasant chatter.

    ¡°Despite what she says, Toslin looks pretty happy.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, indeed. Carol-san¡¯s safety has left her in a very good mood.¡±

    I feel the same way, but the nature of my feelings are probably different from hers. Watching Toslin¡¯s retreating figure, that thought becomes keenly apparent.

    ¡°It¡¯s really crowded in here considering the time.¡±

    It is currently just a little past ten am. Most adventurers should already be out working on whatever requests they have, and the city¡¯s carpenters have all been busy lately fixing up the city wall.

    You might have the odd fellow strolling in for lunch here and there, but it¡¯s weird to have this many people coming in this early. At least it¡¯s not so hectic in here that we can¡¯t find a table.

    ¡°Oi, look over there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that the rumored dragon slayer?¡±

    ¡°The story goes that she summoned a knight and chopped off its head with one attack.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard that too. I also heard that the knight she summoned was that Hadion.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­seriously. That Hadion, the Dark Violet Knight straight from the legends? Does she really exist¡­¡­..?¡±

    Hm? I turned my head towards some voices I could hear just outside my field of vision.

    I locked eyes with some adventurer looking people at a nearby table, causing them all to jump in their seats.

    ¡°I see, it seems we¡¯re the reason why it¡¯s so crowded in here.¡±

    ¡°Rumors of the dragon subjugation in Relton have finally spread, and adventurers from the surrounding area have gathered together.¡±

    ¡°R-Rumors¡­¡­.?¡±

    Now that I think about it, adventurers and merchants kept bombarding me with questions at the feast held in Relton after the dragon was defeated, and I ended up having to talk to a lot of different people.

    ¡°I heard she¡¯s constantly coming in and out of this city¡¯s church, and cleared away an army of a thousand ents in an instant.¡±

    ¡°Well I heard she caused the side of an entire mountain to explode. Did you see the strange-looking tree weirdly growing from one side of the mountain? She¡¯s the one who caused that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­um, the story¡¯s getting awfully inflated¡­¡­¡±

    First of all there were only a hundred ents, not a thousand. And the side of the mountain didn¡¯t get blown up.

    ¡°That¡¯s how rumors are.¡±

    ¡°And is the part about you making a giant tree grow from the side of the mountain true?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.yes¡±

    It¡¯s true, but it was just an unseeable side effect. It¡¯s not like I wanted all those trees to suddenly start growing.

    I took off my coat after we found an empty table in one corner of the room. It¡¯s been getting warmer and warmer with each passing day, so I start sweating pretty quickly now when I wear both my robe and a coat. I¡¯m going to have to dig out my spring clothes from my closet before we go adventuring anywhere.

    ¡°Iris¡±

    Somebody suddenly called my name as I was folding up my coat. I wondered if Toslin and Carol were already back when I turned around, but instead I found Peachseed-san standing at the end of the table whose dark skin made her stand out from the rest of the crowd.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while. Are you here for lunch too Peachseed-san?¡±

    She was wearing a plain set of clothes this time instead of her usual armor. I figured she had come here for a quick bite to eat, but she shook her head.

    ¡°No, just taking care of some things for work. The highway isn¡¯t closed anymore, so we were thinking about leaving town soon.¡±

    ¡°Is that, so¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be lonely.¡±

    ¡°You, are seriously a good person. Thinking about how we met, it¡¯d be fine for you to insult me more you know.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡­I was certainly surprised by your harsh words at first, but now I understand that you were just saying what you had to because you were worried for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­R-Right¡­¡­ But, back then I¡­¡­was really awful. I should¡¯ve thought more about what I was saying¡­¡­and I know that now.¡±

    Embarrassed by what she was saying, Peachseed-san turned her head away and tried looking anywhere besides at me. I could feel her sincerity there.

    ¡°You said you were leaving, but where do you plan on heading next?¡±

    ¡°Osnell¡­¡­ That¡¯s where we were originally heading before the heavy snowfall and that dragon left us stranded here while we were passing through¡­¡­. Oh, and speaking of that dragon, I¡¯ve been hearing people say you were the one who slew it, but is that true?¡±

    ¡°If I had to say then yes it¡¯s technically true, but I wasn¡¯t the only person there. Rose-san and Saluena were there, plus Toslin and Carol, and all the villagers in Relton helped fight too. We were all fighting for our lives and beat it together.¡±

    I did my best to set the record straight, but Peachseed-san just laughed.

    ¡°¡­..You¡­..honestly are a good person.¡±

    And then she repeated the same thing she had said before.

    ¡°Well I should get going. Thanks for beating that dragon. Also, excuse me for interrupting your pleasant chat.¡±

    Her first words were geared towards me, but the next part was aimed towards Saluena and Rose-san instead.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. There¡¯s no harm in meeting like this. And your company always proves to be good nourishment for my master. Allow me to offer you my thanks for that.¡±

    ¡°May the Goddess offer her divine protection to you and your comrades.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you very much.¡±

    Peachseed-san bowed her head deeply following Saluena¡¯s words and Rose-san¡¯s prayer.

    ¡°Then, until we meet again.¡±

    ¡°Right, you stand out, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll notice you the next time our paths cross.¡±

    In the end, Peachseed-san and I shared a handshake before she went on her way.

    After watching her head out of the guild building, I pinched a lock of my hair and spun it between my finers in front of my eyes.

    ¡°Does my red hair really stand out that much?¡±

    ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s what that swordsman was talking about.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just like Iris-san to make such a misunderstanding¡­..¡±

    ¡°H-Huh!? W-What do you mean?¡±

    Saluena pulled a slightly exasperated look while Rose-san bemusedly nodded her head for some reason.

    I didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about, and the both of them just took a seat next to me, not saying anything more as I stared on in confusion.

    ?

    ¡°Why are you staring at your hair?¡±

    ¡°Ah, welcome back Carol. And Toslin¡­¡­what, do you have there?¡±

    Carol and Toslin suddenly came back without me noticing, but the both of them returned carrying a leather bag that they didn¡¯t have before. They also had some rolled up parchment underneath their arms as well.

    ¡°Heh heh heh. As the senior adventurers, there¡¯s something we need to teach you Iris.¡±

    ¡°Eh, okay¡­¡­what?¡±

    ¡°As an adventurer, what is the most fun moment you can have!!¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡­.funnest moment? Let¡¯s see¡­¡­.eating a meal together with everyone around the campfire?¡±

    ¡°Sure sure, that¡¯s good too. But it¡¯s not the most fun!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really!! This is the most fun!!¡±

    Carol placed down the leather bag and pieces of parchment onto the table. I could hear several hard objects inside the bag jangling around as they hit the table. There was some text scrawled across the parchment. It was hard for me to read because she set it upside down, but it looked like a list.

    ¡°Sorry for my ignorance, but what is this?¡±

    ¡°No way¡­..how can you not know what this is¡­..¡±

    ¡°Because Iris is a pure soul unlike you. It¡¯s our reward by the way. The one for completely the request.¡±

    ¡°Oh I see¡­¡­¡±

    It finally clicked for me when Toslin called it a reward.

    ¡°That reaction is so thin. Well whatever. Let¡¯s divvy it up before our food gets here!¡±

    Apparently we¡¯ve received our payment for the primordial spirit subjugation quest which was triggered by that moaning.

    And as such, Carol wanted to quickly get to work at splitting up the reward between us¡­¡­.

    Tackararararararara!

    ¡°¡­¡­.eh?¡±

    ¡ª¡ªSo, is there a reason why an enormous amount of jewels came tumbling out of that leather bag?

 CH 88

    ¡°¡­¡­WOOHOO, the table¡¯s gone bright red!! We dyed the whole table red!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t start suddenly spilling your guts in a place like this. Think about the people watching us.¡±

    Toslin whacked Carol in the back of the head to get her to quiet down.

    ¡°But still, it is a grand reward.¡±

    ¡°It really is amazing¡­..I have not seen this many gems in a long time.¡±

    There are so many red gems scattered around that it almost feels stupid to try and count them up by hand.

    ¡°These are¡­¡­rubies aren¡¯t they?¡±

    I timidly tried confirming things, and Carol gave an exuberant nod.

    ¡°Yep. Apparently there aren¡¯t enough coins in the whole entire guild to pay us, so they decided to give us these gems instead.¡±

    Carol grabbed the leather bag and gave it a good shake. There was one last hard clack with one more thing falling onto the table¡­¡­.a rock? That¡¯s what I had to think because the ruby that fell out was just way too big to be anything else.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    My brain can¡¯t keep up with the development, so I stay quiet. My eyes stay locked on the fist-sized ruby rolling around the table for a while, and eventually, I poke it. It should be obvious, but¡­..it¡¯s hard.

    ¡°¡­¡­our reward, is this?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. This certainly is a large amount of money, but Iris is right. It¡¯s much too small considering we saved the city. Okay. I¡¯ll go talk to Aronda right now about increasing the reward.¡±

    ¡°NO! Stop Saluena!! I never said that!!¡±

    ¡°¡­..Iris is just taken aback by how huge our reward is. Honestly, so am I. Where did they even get a rock this huge?¡±

    Toslin picked up the huge ruby, looking the same way I felt.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s just say this big one is shared between the party and divide the smaller ones amongst ourselves.

    ?

    We continued divvying up the rubies and funneling them into our own respective leather bags, but as time went on, the number of rubies scattered across the table didn¡¯t look like it was going down.

    ¡°Um¡­..is it really okay for me to have these?¡±

    Toslin, Carol, and Rose-san were the ones who accepted the request. But the reward ended up being divided between all five of us without anyone saying anything about it.

    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s only natural for you to get a cut too right?¡±

    ¡°But, all this¡­¡­I, it¡¯s just a little¡­..I just don¡¯t have the confidence to be able to handle this much¡­¡­.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how much rubies are going for these days, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯re ridiculously expensive. Just hearing the jangling noise of all these gems shaking in my bag as I walk is going to put me on edge.

    ¡°Ah, in that case it¡¯s fine for you to leave them with the guild or church. If you leave them with the guild especially, you¡¯ll be able to use your license as a check and withdraw money from any branch you visit. The church has the same system set up doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since Iris-san is an adventurer through the church like me, how about we go deposit these together?¡±

    ¡°Ah, s-sure¡­..I appreciate the help¡­..¡±

    I guess Rose-san is more accustomed to large amounts of money since she used to be the daughter of a noble. She did say she had ¡°not seen this many gems in a long time¡± instead of ¡°this is the first time I¡¯ve seen this many gems,¡± after all.

    Toslin has already gotten over her initial trepidation and is greedily separating the reward into five equal parts, but since she¡¯s originally a daughter of a knight household, she¡¯s probably more resistant to money than I am.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going to manage your portion too.¡±

    ¡°What!! This Carol-san is firmly opposed to that!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to end up spending all your money if I leave it with you. Have you forgotten about that weirdo you got involved with the last time we had a big payday?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t treat this Carol-san as if she were a fool!! Of course I still remember!!¡±

    ¡°And yet you still complain?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave my portion to you!!¡±

    In the end Carol¡¯s head flew downwards. Her fervent protests instantly transformed into a polite plea for help. All sorts of things must have happened in the past.

    ¡°So, this is Iris¡¯s portion then.¡±

    A dull, heavy noise bounced off the table as one bag was set in front of me. Taking a peek, the bag really was filled to the brim with rubies¡­¡­enough to the point I had to turn my eyes away.

    ¡°I have to ask¡­¡­.how much would all of this be worth?¡±

    ¡°It really depends on where you redeem them, but if you were to exchange them in say the capitol Osnell Tari for example, you¡¯d probably get at least a hundred million crowns.¡±

    ¡°A hundred million¡­..¡±

    ¡°It should be more than enough to build a house anywhere in Osnell. But if you are looking to exchange them, I¡¯d recommend taking them south instead. You¡¯d probably get twice that amount there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided¡­¡­I am absolutely going to deposit this. I absolutely won¡¯t be carrying this around.¡±

    I sealed the bag shut with trembling hands. But when I went to pick it up, it weighed as heavily in my hands as it did in my heart.

    ¡°S-Saluena, I¡¯m sorry to ask, but I need you to carry this until we leave it behind in the church!!¡±

    So I immediately begged Saluena for her help while tossing the bag over to her.

    ¡°You are the most adorable creature I have ever met. Very well, you can leave it to me.¡±

    Ah, seriously¡­..this is bad for my heart. I will probably never receive a reward this large ever again in my life. With that being said, this is the first reward I¡¯ve received as an adventurer. It¡¯d be really dangerous if I started having any kind of expectations because of it.

    (I am a commoner. I am a commoner. Keep your focus. Keep your focus.)

    An adventurer¡¯s job is to search ruins and unexplored areas. We do also have to subjugate the monsters that naturally come with those investigations, but encountering a legendary monster like we did this time isn¡¯t something that happens very often.

    (I ended up encountering a dragon too¡­..but we didn¡¯t go on any dragon slaying quests. It came to us. Huh? Isn¡¯t that really similar to what happened this time? Thinking about it, didn¡¯t the carbuncle mention something about that? Somebody was pulling the strings of fate¡­¡­.)

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    There was the message the Goddess had bestowed upon me during my baptismal rite.

    {¡­..I pray that you may become our hope.}

    ¡­¡­if this is the reason why the Goddess granted me this power, then that means from now on I¡­..I¡¯m probably going to have to keep fighting monsters like that aren¡¯t I?

    If so¡­..honestly, I¡¯m scared. Even during this past incident it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for me to die at any moment. As a matter of fact, there were two times I really was about to die and had to be saved by Toslin and Rose-san respectively.

    But it¡¯s not like I couldn¡¯t not do it either. Somebody had to go. If not, then this city probably wouldn¡¯t be as lively as it is now. And the people important to me would have surely lost their lives.

    (In that case¡­¡­I¡¯ll do my best. I don¡¯t know why I was chosen, but even if there isn¡¯t any significant reason to it, the fact remains that the Goddess has helped me out a lot. So I¡­..want to help her as well.)

    Glancing down at the three rings adorned on my fingers, I reaffirmed one of the reasons why I decided to become an adventurer.

    ¡°Tut tut Iris. Are you still in a daze over the reward? Well snap out of it because it¡¯s time to eat.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry.¡±

    Looking up from my hand, it seems like our food had arrived without me realizing it. Everyone¡¯s meals had been set out and prepared in front of each of us. Carol picked up a slab of meat from her plate and shoved it into her mouth without bothering to use a fork. She then grabbed another bundle of parchment and passed it my way.

    ¡°This is¡­¡­a list? It has some names written on it¡­¡­.what is this?¡±

    ¡°Beats me. I can¡¯t read. Somebody told me to pass it along to Iris though.¡±

    There were six sheets of parchment in total with one of the sheets being rolled up and held together by a ring.

    ¡°What are these¡­¡­.?¡±

    Names were neatly ordered on the other five pieces of parchment. And each sheet¡­¡­had ten names listed? With five sheets in total, that means someone wanted me to have a list of fifty different people¡¯s names.

    ¡°It appears to be a document issued by the church. Look here, they¡¯re all marked with a tikarodeka stamp.¡±

    Rose-san reached over and pointed to a symbol at the bottom of each piece of parchment. Sure enough, they all had the church¡¯s symbol printed on clearly and neatly.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. But¡­¡­.why?¡±

    ¡°Maybe the details are printed on that sixth sealed document. Well, I already have a rough idea what¡¯s going on though.¡±

    ¡°What what, hurry up and open it Iris.¡±

    ¡°Either talk or chew, don¡¯t do both.¡±

    The area around Carol¡¯s mouth was already soiled with bits of food from how messy an eater she is, so Toslin grabbed a napkin to wipe her clean. Keeping such a scene in the corner of my eye, I pulled the ring off from around the rolled up piece of parchment and unfurled the parchment in my hands.

    ¡°¡­¡­..huh?¡±

    And then, my eyes opened wide as they read the words scrawled across.

    ¡°What is it, what is it? What does it say?¡±

    ¡°¡­..is it about something dangerous?¡±

    I shook my head. No, it¡¯s nothing dangerous¡­..it¡¯d actually be the exact opposite of anything dangerous.

    ¡°¡­¡­.it¡¯s, a certificate¡­..¡±

    ¡°As I thought¡­..then these names written here are our recruits.¡±

    A certificate¡­..there was a huge tikarodeka coat of arms printed at the very center of the parchment. And written just below it,

    {Whosoever holds this mark is recognized as sole owner of Riviera Von Iriana¡¯s Goddess Knights.}

 CH 89

    ¡°Ah, this is¡­..I think it¡¯ll be good for us.¡±

    The corners or Toslin¡¯s mouth twisted upwards as she read what was written on the piece of parchment over my shoulder and then glanced down at the ring that had tied it together.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s going on? Could you explain it so that this Carol-san can understand it too?¡±

    As Carol started asking for an explanation, I decided to focus on my meal for the time being. It¡¯s good to turn your back towards reality every once in awhile.

    ¡°First off, we called it a certificate, but it¡¯s really more of a license or a form of credential showing that you have permission to mobilize an order of knights when you see fit. Rings like these are usually something issued by the king of a country, but this one came directly from the church instead.¡±

    ¡°And all of the names mentioned here are likely warrior priestesses who have sworn loyalty to the church. It appears that as thanks for subjugating the spirit involved in this incident, the church is not only giving Iris-san permission to start her own order of knights, but has also supplied fifty warriors to join her side.¡±

    Oh, this bread is delicious. Is that walnut I taste? The scent of butter mixes together with the taste of the walnut, melting together inside my mouth. I could fill up on just bread and be satisfied with my meal.

    ¡°If they¡¯re warrior priestesses, then they¡¯re allowed to gather wherever the church holds power aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Naturally it would be unreasonable for them to gather in special locations like inside a country¡¯s castle, but otherwise it is mostly as Toslin-san says. Warrior priestesses are allowed to move and gather wheresoever they are needed most.¡±

    This shank meat soup is wonderful. I¡¯m pretty sure this taste is onion based, but I can¡¯t find any onions in here. I¡¯m certain the meat must have been boiled together with the onions over a long period of time, allowing the tastes to melt together. I can also taste some butter, salt, and pepper seasoning as well. And is that a touch of wine I taste?

    When you combine it with that walnut bread from earlier, doesn¡¯t that make this an absolutely splendid lunch?

    ¡°However, what stands out most of all has to be that name.¡±

    ¡°Fwy? Whoth fhat? Hiheria¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Riviera Von Iliana. And I thought I already told you not to talk with your mouth full.¡±

    ¡°There are many chivalric orders in the world, but only one of them has ever been permitted to bear the name of the Goddess. An order of knights that no longer exists. The Goddess¡¯s personal knight company that fought in the Illyarian War a thousand years ago.¡±

    ¡°I was one of their members. Becoming a member meant devoting yourself to the Goddess in both name and substance.¡±

    ¡°Hold on Iris, all of this has to do with you. Are you paying attention?¡±

    I feel like a kid again, getting scolded by my teacher for staring out the window during class.

    ¡°¡­¡­.yes, I¡¯m listening¡­¡­¡±

    I stopped tearing into my walnut bread and nodded. The Knights of Iris was a name that weighed on me heavily. As such, I never thought it was going to get replaced by something even heavier.

    Plus it sounds like I already have 50 warrior priestesses enrolling in this chivalric order. Warrior priestesses are supposed to be servants of the Goddess. Those people who raise their shields to protect the people and capable of bringing forth miracles. They¡¯re a sweet yet daring figure that appears in numerous adventure novels, and just being one will draw you loads of respect from all sorts of people.

    I¡¯m sitting right next to one of those legendary figures. Rose-san is a splendid warrior priestess whose beauty and nobility is as if she had jumped right out of an adventure novel and has caused my heart to throb over and over again.

    But right now, that name is just way too heavy.

    ¡°I suppose you do have that kind of face. But well, I was planning on gathering this number of people anyway, so receiving the backing of such a versatile force is more than I could have ever hoped for.¡±

    ¡°S-Saluena¡­..you think so too?¡±

    My gaze kept shifting between Saluena and the ring I had set down next to my plate.

    ¡°We have no reason to decline. And from the beginning your position was going to be irrevocably tied to the church. If nothing else, it will be a boon that can guarantee your identity.¡±

    Saluena¡¯s words made sense, and I¡¯d have to nod at her logic. And yet, my fingers wouldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°D-Does Rose-san think so too?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have never felt my own weakness as keenly as I did during this incident. I cannot protect you as I am now¡­¡­ And so, I have no other choice than to rely on their power in order to ensure your protection.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m silently sandwiched between Rose-san and Saluena. Nobody had any reason why I shouldn¡¯t accept. Therefore it follows that this ring should inevitably find its way on my finger.

    But accepting this ring is the same thing as agreeing to take those fifty warrior priestess¡¯s lives in my hands. That kind of responsibility makes me hesitate.

    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±

    I emptily stared at the ring, hoping it might just disappear and solve all my problems when Rose-san wrapped her hand around me and began rubbing my back.

    ¡°But you know¡­¡­.that does not mean you will be doing this alone.¡±

    ¡°Rose-san¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I have always¡­¡­wanted to stay with you. I wish to stand by you and support you. And so¡­¡­there is no need for you to carry this burden on your own.¡±

    The dream gem is fitted into the ring on my right finger. It is the same deep red as Rose-san¡¯s eyes peering into my own.

    Her gaze is soft, and her voice gentle. A feeling of silk laced security wrapped around my heart.

    ¡°Quite so Iris, my charming maiden. Have you forgotten? I am the leader of your knights. And Rosa is my second in command. You are a protected princess, and we are your guards.¡±

    Saluena jumped in while sipping on a glass of wine. Her demeanor is as calm as it always is. She cuts the perfect figure of an adult woman you can rely on.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, the princess should just rely on her knights. If things ever get hectic, you can just unleash Saluena¡¯s power like you did at St. Noglint. And then the rest of us will do our best to be as reliable as we can. We can gauge out our own strengths and responsibilities.¡±

    Toslin offered in her own opinions while waving a fried potato in front of Carol¡¯s face.

    ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s a waste of time worrying about things that nothing can be done about. Plus these people are supposed to be the best of the best. I think Iris can rest easy¡­¡­.Hah!¡±

    Carol¡¯s eyes greedily followed after the fried potato like a cat before snapping it out of the air with her teeth.

    ¡°Aha¡­¡­thanks. I¡¯m¡­¡­just a bit overwhelmed. And somewhat embarrassed¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯ve already said numerous times before that I¡¯m just a commoner. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a little ridiculous for me to be thinking about carrying all this responsibility on my own.

    ¡°No, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. It is all because Iris-san has such a strong sense of responsibility.¡±

    Receiving Rose-san¡¯s warm words and kind smile, my arm finally moved.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I picked up the ring. The figure of a tikarodeka flower was carefully etched around the silver, and it fit snugly on the index finger of my left hand.

    The ring looked as if it was fitted to be worn on my ring finger, but my dark violet ring had already taken its place there. The ring finger of my left hand has already been designated as Saluena¡¯s sanctuary, and nothing else is allowed to intrude on that space.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a millennium, but the Goddess¡¯s knight have finally been reformed. From now on, we of the Riviera Von Iliana dedicate ourselves to you.¡±

    ¡°Iris-san, I shall forever lend you my sword¡­¡­and my friendship.¡±

    Saluena and Rose-san lifted up their glasses of wine, followed by Toslin and Carol shortly afterwards. Although it was juice in Carol¡¯s case.

    ¡°I also offer my sword and friendship.¡±

    ¡°Me too me too, umm¡­¡­.I¡¯ll give you my sword and friendship too!!¡±

    Carol brought her glass up into the air while looking slightly disappointed that she couldn¡¯t think of anything more interesting to say. But her raised glass acted as a signal for all of us to smile and raise our voices together.

    ¡°¡±Cheers!!¡±

    ?

    It¡¯s a little late for me to be asking this, but is it okay for us to be drinking even though it¡¯s only noon? Those kinds of doubts soon faded away as I continued eating and drinking, replacing any idle thoughts with a full and satisfied stomach.

    ¡°That ring though, is it another grimoire? You just have to stare at the ring for a bit and it would transform right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, hmm¡­¡­I don¡¯t think it is.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s slightly drunk words got me wondering, so I funneled in a bit of magic power to the ring as a test.

    But as I should have expected, there was no reaction. Unicorn has been acting as my ride whenever I need to go anywhere, so my body has already gotten pretty used to activating my rings. So the fact that this new ring didn¡¯t transform means it really is just a ring.

    (¡­¡­hm? But¡­..did it suck up a bit of my magic power just now?)

    ¡°What? I was really looking forward to you suddenly summoning fifty warrior priestesses here, but I guess it¡¯s impossible after all.¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t do something like that. Even if I could do it, there¡¯s no way I would. That would make a huge fuss.¡±

    I laughed the thought away. But, I should be careful. If this ring is actually a gift from the Goddess, it might actually be able to do that.

    I played the possibility inside my head while rubbing my newly fitted ring underneath the table.

    ¡°Oi, Iris!?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Just as I was about to doze off from how full my belly was, I heard a voice coming from behind me. However when I turned around, I didn¡¯t find anybody there.

    ¡°Huh, I could have sworn someone called my name¡­¡­¡±

    Was it just a dream? Did I actually fall asleep and not realize it? Or maybe I¡¯m drunker than I think am.

    ¡°I heard it too, oh, below us Iris-san¡±

    Rose-san poked my shoulder and pointed down towards the floor.

    ¡°Uwa!! You surprised me!¡±

    Down at the feet of my chair was Lapris, straddling the plush toy Unicorn and looking up towards me. Honestly, she has wings, so it¡¯d be fine for her to fly wherever she needs to go¡­¡­this girl seems to have a ¡°I can¡¯t fly¡± mentality ingrained in her brain. Did something happen to make her like this?

    But then again, Lapris riding around the place on top of a stuffed Unicorn toy is really cute. Just watching them walk around is enough to get me unconsciously smiling.

    ¡°Are you already done eating? Then come by the church for a bit. There¡¯s somebody who wants to see you.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Me?¡±

    Who might that be? Mycena wouldn¡¯t bother calling for me, and Peachseed-san just said farewell to me.

    I tilted my head curiously, but Lapris soon gave me my answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s a messenger from the king.¡±

 CH 90

    ¡°Wow, there are so many soldiers¡­..¡±

    Arriving at the church, I found ten soldiers standing guard outside its entrance. They were all women, and each of them wore armor of a different design from the soldiers usually stationed in Solretta. Somehow, their armor looks less for combat and more ceremonial than anything else.

    ¡°Hey, is it okay for us to go in there?¡±

    They were giving off an air like they¡¯d stop anyone at the entrance without fail which is why that nervous tweet leaked from my lips.

    ¡°They summoned you, so obviously you can. The church is pretty much your base here, so they need to go all out with the grand welcome for ya.¡±

    Lapris riding on stuffed toy Unicorn¡¯s all the way back here caused every single person we passed by to do a double take. Seeing a fairy is rare enough, but seeing a fairy ride on the back of an animated stuffed animal? That¡¯s more than enough to draw the public¡¯s gaze.

    Just as Lapris said though, the soldiers parted ways to make room for us to pass as we got closer to the church. I nervously bowed my head to each of them as we walked by and entered the church.

    ?

    The usual hymn that flows through the church¡¯s halls was nowhere to be heard today.

    Stepping inside, we were welcomed by a host of soldiers lined up against the walls, respectfully saluting us with a bow as we passed by.

    ¡°Uwa¡­..¡±

    There had to be at least fifty of them, standing at the ready on the edges of the red carpet leading all the way over to the church¡¯s altar.

    Each of them wore that ornamental armor with the ceremonial sword at their hip, leaving a vivid impression that left me in awe¡­¡­.huh?

    Hold on, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­maybe these people aren¡¯t really soldiers at all, but actual fully recognized knights? My whole body froze up as I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to act here.

    ¡°My master, take my hand.¡±

    ¡°Fue? Oh, s-sure¡­¡­¡±

    Noticing how I wasn¡¯t moving, a serious looking Saluena took my left hand. She then walked down the carpet towards the altar while pulling me along.

    Rose-san walked next to me on my right side while Toslin and Carol followed close behind. Lapris had hitched a ride on my right shoulder at some point when I wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    The pedestal used for the baptismal ceremonies sat in front of the altar with a table placed in front of that. There were several chairs set up around said table with two of them already occupied. One chair was taken by Aronda-san. The other¡­¡­by a woman I¡¯ve never seen before.

    She looks about the same age as Saluena, but maybe she¡¯s a bit older? She¡¯s wearing a hooded robe that shows off her body¡¯s figure. There¡¯s someone who looks like an attendant standing close by holding a cane, so I¡¯m pretty sure the woman is actually a witch.

    ¡°My apologies for suddenly summoning you like this Iris-sama.¡±

    As I approached the table, Aronda-san stood up to welcome me using a reverent tone that she¡¯s never used with me before. Thereupon the other woman stood up as well and bowed. I saw her face for only a moment, but that moment was all I needed to be able to tell how beautiful a woman she is.

    Aronda-san motioned for me to take the seat closest to the altar. I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for me to take the head seat like this, but with Saluena¡¯s hand pushing my back forward, I was forced to sit down.

    ¡°Shall we start with introductions?¡±

    The idea of letting me take charge is insane, so after taking the seat next to mine, Saluena spoke up. She can be a bit oppressive, but right now I¡¯m thankful for how reliable she is.

    ¡°Then allow me to go first as I am the one who made you all come here. But before that, allow me to give you my thanks. It is truly an honor to meet the hero who slew the dragon. And then I wish to thank Priestess Aronda for facilitating my request for a meeting within the halls of Solretta¡¯s beautiful cathedral.¡±

    The woman in the robe lifted up her chin and turned towards me. Her smile was overflowing with self-confidence that looked as if it were begging for somebody to try and challenge her.

    ¡°I am Yuhanna Rostinell. I am a knight of the great nation of Osnell¡ª¡ªand a member of the Shirayuri Knights.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­.¡±

    My surprised voice leaked out. If you¡¯re talking about the Shirayuri Knights then you¡¯re talking about a famous knight company whose name has reached even a remote town like this. Even though it¡¯s a relatively small order with only about 5,000 members, the fact that all of its members are women makes it stand out.

    (Then, those people lined up outside really were all knights.)

    It¡¯s already too late for me to regret coming to such a ridiculous place. Already the story has begun to progress around me.

    ¡°With that reaction I take it you¡¯ve heard of me?¡±

    Yuhanna-sama¡¯s face relaxed a bit when she noticed my surprise. Her chest also swelled a bit in pride at the fact, and with her tightly fitting robe, it meant a certain two bulges inevitably crossed into my line of sight.

    ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯ve read Rostinell Wanderings which details Yuhanna-sama¡¯s time as an adventurer numerous times before. It was all very interesting. Especially your time journeying through the Valley of the Wind.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡­.Huh!? Well there is still a lot to be seen with the Valley of the Wind far from what was focused on in the book. But I really didn¡¯t like that ¡®Wanderings¡¯ portion of the title. It somehow doesn¡¯t quite capture the elegance of my travels, and¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yuhanna-sama, Yuhanna-sama. We¡¯re getting off topic¡­..¡±

    Aronda-san whispered into Yuhanna-sama¡¯s ear as she took a grand turn off track when I brought up her book.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Forgetting my most important role like this is the greatest mistake I¡¯ve made in my entire life.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama suddenly shoved her hand down her robe and into her chest.

    ¡°!?¡±

    She then pulled out a small letter.

    ¡°Would you mind accepting this?¡±

    ¡°S-Sure¡­..¡±

    Aronda-san took the letter and then passed it over to me. The letter was, as you can probably guess, very warm.

    {The current king of Osnell, Olivar-sama, is most impressed with your defeat of the dragon at the village of Relton. As such he desires a meeting and a chance to speak with you at once.}

    When I unfolded the letter and looked inside, that was the message that greeted my eyes.

    ¡°Hmm, I see. If the king is personally inviting us, we don¡¯t have much choice other than to go.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve been wondering this since you first arrived, but you are?¡±

    ¡°What? Ah, we have yet to perform our part in the introduction. As I¡¯m sure you have already gathered, the maiden next to me is Iris Calvafon. Who, despite being a countryside girl, has gained the title of Grimoire Master after receiving the Goddess¡¯s favor.¡±

    ¡°The numerous rumors I¡¯ve heard allowed me to figure as much. A cute, red-haired girl. The one I am curious about, is you. The fact that you are sitting at the same table as me must mean you carry a suitable status correct?¡±

    Yuhanna-sama frowned, sounding more than a little irritated. I could feel a tenseness circulating in the air around us. I¡¯m heavily reminded of that incident at Dragon Litta¡¯s inn when Saluena first joined us.

    ¡°Myself? I¡¯m sorry to say I hold no official role.¡±

    ¡°If so then would you please keep your mouth shut? I¡¯ve come here to converse with our little heroine.¡±

    ¡°However I do hold a name and a position.¡±

    ¡°And it is?¡±

    ¡°Hadion. The Dark Violet Knight who once served and betrayed the Goddess and has now returned a thousand years later thanks to the power of this girl.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    All emotion vanished from Yuhanna-sama¡¯s face. Her gaze then fell on me in an attempt to confirm that Saluena¡¯s words were the truth.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. She is Saluena Hadion. She bears the title of Dark Violet Knight and is currently acts as my personal knight.¡±

    The title of the Dark Violet Knight is irrevocably associated with betrayal. But it¡¯s only by that title that everyone knows her. The name Saluena means nothing to people. At least, for now it doesn¡¯t.

    ¡°¡­¡­.I¡­¡­..understand.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama looked incredulous at first, but after a moment of silent reflection, she nodded her head.

    ¡°Well, that was all a really long time ago, so let me finish the introductions.¡±

    I tried making my voice sound more chipper in order to alleviate some of the heavy atmosphere that had settled over us and introduced Rose-san and the others.

    First up standing right behind me is Toslin who currently has her hand planted squarely over Carol¡¯s mouth so that Carol can¡¯t say anything unnecessary here. Next up was Carol who, like I already said, had her mouth plugged up by Toslin. Then there¡¯s Lapris who at some point fell asleep after crawling into my hair¡­¡­..haa, well whatever.

    ¡°And then over here we have Rosalith Cuulbacall-san¡­¡­¡±

    Yuhanna-sama squinted her eyes as I motioned towards Rose-san who had taken a position to my right.

    ¡°Yes I know. It¡¯s been a while Rosalith.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.yes, it is a pleasure to see you again, Auntie Yuhanna¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡±

    Yuhanna-sama and Rose-san already know each other? And, did she call her Auntie just now? But it doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s that much of an age difference¡­¡­.

    ¡°Hmm? I had heard you were driven from that house as well, so that¡¯s the name you¡¯ve taken for yourself? Cuulbacall, extending one¡¯s hand. Fufufu¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a name you¡¯ve given yourself or if someone else passed it on to you, but either way, it really doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±

    ¡°It looks as though you¡¯ve found a good name for yourself though Auntie.¡±

    An ephemeral smile showed itself across Rose-san¡¯s face.

    ¡°You¡­¡­.are quite different from how you used to be.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama rose up from her seat, accepting the cane from the attendant who had been waiting behind her and put up her hood.

    ¡°Sorry for the impoliteness, but with this, our business should be finished. My subordinates need time to rest, so plan on leaving here in three days. Well then, until we next meet!¡±

    Yuhanna-sama turned away from us, leaving the church with her knights following after her single file while carrying the majesty of a knight commander on her back.

    ?

    ¡°Puah¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!¡±

    Once all the knights had finally left, Toslin moved her hand, and Carol¡¯s mouth was finally unleashed.

    ¡°C¡¯mon!! I thought I was going to die!!¡±

    ¡°Would you have rather been executed for l¨¨se-majest¨¦?¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t even done anything yet!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be too late if you had.¡±

    Just as usual another lively exchange was kicked up, and the tense atmosphere disappeared all at once.

    ¡°Hm? Oof, I fell asleep. Are you guys already done?¡±

    Lapris popped her head out from my hair and drowsily looked around her.

    ¡°Yeah, we finished. Just now actually.¡±

    ¡°Okay. So, did Carol get arrested for l¨¨se-majest¨¦?¡±

    ¡°Arrested!? I¡¯m more than capable of reading the air you know!!¡±

    ¡°Tch¡­..so you didn¡¯t get arrested. I guess even you aren¡¯t that stupid.¡±

    ¡°Yosh, hand over those fairy feathers. I¡¯m selling them.¡±

    When Carol reached out her hand, Lapris jumped out of my hair and flew towards Rose-san. She then wormed her way into Rose-san¡¯s fluffy locks.

    ¡°Kyaa!? Wait, um¡­¡­.Lapris-san?¡±

    ¡°Endure for my sake!!¡±

    Saying whatever you want to say whether it makes people angry or not and then telling an unrelated third party to endure it after you get them involved to cover for you. What an evil fairy.

    But I kind of want to bury my face into Rose-san¡¯s hair too. We¡¯ve been sleeping in different places ever since we came to Solretta, so I haven¡¯t been able to enjoy that soft, fluffy feeling.

    ¡°Tch¡­¡­.only ever flying during times like this.¡±

    Carol regretfully grumbled to herself. But she usually ends up continuing the chase until Lapris starts crying, so maybe she¡¯s actually taking the fact that we¡¯re in a church into consideration.

    No, maybe not. Maybe they both realized that Rose-san has been a little off ever since talking with Yuhanna-sama. So Lapris and Carol put on a little act¡­¡­.at least, that¡¯s how I¡¯d like to think of it.

    ¡°We should head back ourselves. Rosa, you can stay with us tonight. Are you okay with that Iris?¡±

    Worried about Rose-san herself, Saluena came out with her own suggestion. Obviously there¡¯s no way I¡¯d say no, so I nodded my head.

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, then, sorry to intrude.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª? Then I¡¯m going to be all alone with Toslin tonight?¡±

    ¡°Buh! Quit saying those kind of strange things!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Strange how? What is? Aren¡¯t I just stating the facts? Hey hey, what¡¯s so strange about it? C¡¯mon, hey. Hey¡±

    Carol put her hand to her mouth and started teasingly giggling aloud just like Rose-san and I had done a few hours ago. Watching on as an objective third party now, I realize just how irritating a face it really is.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I thought it was a given that a fist would fall on top of Carol¡¯s head, but to my surprise, it didn¡¯t.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡­. If you really have a problem being alone with me, you can go ahead and stay somewhere else tonight¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Bwah!?¡±

    Carol¡¯s body began to tremble when she saw Toslin lonelily looking away.  But that lasted for only an instant. She then immediately grabbed Toslin¡¯s hand with one of her own while waving farewell to us with her other hand.

    ¡°When did I ever say I had a problem with it!? Sorry everyone!! We¡¯re done for today!! Thanks for everything!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, wai-, oi, quit pulling my hand!! Even if we don¡¯t stick so close together, I¡¯d¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°We made a ton of money, so we¡¯re going off to have a bunch of fun todaaaaaaaaaaay!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.jeez, loud no matter where they are.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I really don¡¯t think you¡¯re allowed to say that Lapris.¡±

    ¡°Eh, why not?¡±

    If she wants the world to be nicer to her, she¡¯s going to have to work on her self-awareness.

    ¡°So then Aronda-san. Thank you for letting us use the church today. Oh, and thank you for the very generous reward.¡±

    Aronda-san shook her head while looking at the ring I now wore on the index finger of my left hand.

    ¡°No, that was more than just a reward. It was me passing on what you¡¯ll need going forward.¡±

    She then softly held my hand.

    ¡°From now on you will most likely be made to walk down a road no one has ever traversed before. And that road will almost certainly be steep.¡±

    I could see my face behind her glasses, reflected in those gentle, light colored eyes.

    ¡°But never forget. You are never alone. Always remember that you have comrades who are willing to grab your hand by your side, and friends at your back who are willing to support you.¡±

    ¡°I will¡±

    Three days from now I will be departing from the town where I was born and raised. I will have to say farewell to the people who have always been watching over me.

    But what I have gained from this town will never disappear. They will always remain in my hands, and my heart.

    That¡¯s why¡­¡­I¡¯m not lonely.

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll have to be sure to return home as well. We¡¯ll be looking forward to hearing all sorts of fun tales from you.¡±

    I lied¡­¡­I really am lonely after all.

    ¡°Yes, of course¡­¡­¡±

    For a long, long time I embraced Aronda-san who has always been the closest thing to an older sister I¡¯ve ever had, and unable to hold back all my overflowing emotions, I began to cry.

    She tightly hugged me back the same way she had always done when I was a kid. And then began patting my head.

    When I was young, I never knew just how precious this warmth is. And I just assumed it would always be there for me.

    But, the current me knows better.

    I¡¯m an adult now. And yet¡­¡­.even now I will go looking for it. And that¡¯s why¡­¡­I have to leave this warmth behind.

    In order to not lose sight of just how important it is.

 CH 91

    Right now, I¡¯m watching a dream.

    There I am, curled up into a ball inside a hollowed out cavity of a tree hugging my tail close to my chest.

    But in this dream, I emerge from the hollow without realizing it¡¯s a dream and start wandering the forest while holding back my grumbling stomach.

    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had this dream. For a long time, this past has been collecting dust in the back of my head.

    And the one who should be coming out about now to change all of that¡­¡­.

    ¡°Oi you over there, what are you doing in my garden?¡±

    Golden hair that falls to her shoulders. A woman with bright green eyes that remind me of leaves covered in morning dew¡ª¡ªI must have fallen asleep while thinking about Tosrillon F. Iriburgh.

    ?

    ¡°Fuga?¡±

    Waking up, I found Toslin right there in front of me. She had brought a chair next to my bed and is sitting down with her legs crossed next to me. It looks like she was reading a book while I was sleeping. I gave her a glance over.

    She¡¯s different from how she was in my dream. She¡¯s taller, has longer hair, and on the topic of things that have grown, her chest is certainly up there. And yet she has the same hair color, eye color, and name.

    ¡°¡­¡­you¡¯re hair has gotten longer.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with the sudden¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s hair now reaches all the way to her waist.

    She¡¯s also so much taller than she used to be. It¡¯s to the point where my neck starts hurting because of how high up I constantly have to look in order to see her.

    Meanwhile I¡¯ve barely changed at all since we met.

    ¡°¡­..ah, here¡­..a hospital bed¡­..¡±

    ¡°What, are you all right? Are your memories turbid?¡±

    Turbid? What¡¯s that? Toslin shouldn¡¯t be using any hard words like Saluena does. I can¡¯t even read or write.

    ¡°¡­¡­I was dreaming¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­..r-right¡­¡­¡±

    A night has already passed since I was admitted to this hospital.

    Last night was the first time in a long time since I¡¯ve spent the night away from Toslin.

    I was lonely, but at the same time you could say I was saved by that.

    Sleeping in the same bed or even the same room¡­¡­will be tough for a while.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°What was your dream about?¡±

    Dream¡­¡­dream¡­¡­why did I have to go and say that back then? Just remembering that time where I senselessly let slip about the dream that carbuncle had shown me makes me want to bite my tongue and die.

    ¡°A-About¡­¡­the past. It was, the first time, I met you, Toslin¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°O-Oh¡­.. How many years has it already been since then? Ten? I never thought we¡¯d be together for so long like this back then.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I did.

    I¡¯ve always, always planned on staying together with Toslin. It¡¯s why I¡¯ve spent years trying to make up for the difference in our strides. It¡¯s why I¡¯m here now.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Rose¡¯s bed is right next to mine with a curtain acting as a partition between us. Iris and Saluena are visiting, and the three of them have been talking about something for a long time.

    Meanwhile Toslin and I have stopped talking entirely.

    Even if we do try talking about something the conversation ends almost immediately, and silence settles back in between me and Toslin.

    ¡°Hurry up and get better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already fine. I¡¯m being forced into staying here.¡±

    ¡°Well, that might be true¡­¡­but it¡¯s best to be safe. Lie back and rest for now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.okay¡±

    Words rise up between us like bubbles, eventually popping and breaking apart. But that¡¯s not to say it¡¯s unpleasant or anything. I¡¯m actually rather comfortable with it, but right now the both of us are just trying to find the right words for each other.

    We already know the reason why.

    We can¡¯t measure the distance between us.

    Ever since my dream got exposed.

    ?

    ¡­¡­..Damn it.

    I don¡¯t know what to say.

    I¡¯ve never had any problems with Carol until now, so I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do.

    What do we usually talk about?

    I feel embarrassed just walking or breathing next to her, and it¡¯s leaving my brain in a tizzy.

    She¡¯s always been energetic, and she even told me she¡¯s feeling fine, but I just had to go and say something troublesome back to her. I knew it before I even said it. But I was feeling so anxious to say something that the words just flew out of my mouth.

    Right now I can¡¯t measure the distance between me and Carol. All I can feel is this growing sense of danger and frustration that almost makes me want to run away and get out of here.

    ¡°¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­¡±

    You could hear the ring of the church¡¯s bell signalling the sun¡¯s setting through the window.

    Visiting hours go on until the evening.

    Iris and Saluena are already waving goodbye to Rose and making their way out of the room. Which means it¡¯s time for me to go too¡­¡­.

    ¡°So, um¡­¡­I¡¯ll see you tomorrow?¡±

    My voice came out a timid mess towards Carol¡¯s downturned head. I could barely understand what I was saying.

    ¡°Yeah, see you¡­¡­tomorrow.¡±

    And yet my words still managed to reach Carol¡¯s ears.

    That fact alone is an enormous relief for me even if her words drive on my anxiety all the more.

    ?

    The new day rolled in after the second night of my hospitalization. Ever since that day I¡¯ve been using each morning to try and organize my feelings.

    And then I wonder just how far my feelings have been transmitted to Toslin.

    ¡°Uuu¡­¡­.¡±

    After thinking and thinking and thinking some more, I somehow ended up with a fever. My head is all light and hazy. Is this because I didn¡¯t get much sleep last night?

    ¡°What the hell are you doing? You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve ever met who¡¯s gotten sick after entering the hospital.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­because¡­..¡±

    Hurry up and realize I can¡¯t explain that. My head has overheated, so it can¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°¡­¡­what is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I pull my sheets over my head and avoid answering.

    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯ve been a troublesome kid ever since the beginning. Come on, come out of there so I can take your temperature.¡±

    Toslin placed her hand on my forehead.

    ¡°¡­..cold¡­..¡±

    ¡°Bear with it¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    When I refused to say anything more, Toslin sighed softly.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me doing something, just say so.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.okay, sorry¡±

    As an apology, Toslin gently brushed my hair with her hand.

    ?

    I¡¯ve been stroking Carol¡¯s head for a while now.

    After thinking and thinking and thinking some more, my first words to her today were ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± as if I¡¯m trying to blame her for something.

    Am I in a bad mood? Or maybe I¡¯m just feeling depressed.

    ¡°Fufu¡­¡­.¡±

    But then Carol started laughing out of nowhere.

    ¡°Oi, what are you laughing at? Is there something funny here?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing like that¡­¡­.¡±

    And yet Carol was still giggling to herself.

    She once again threw herself underneath her covers, curled up, and just started to laugh. I had to stop myself from reaching out and petting her again.

    I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s laughing about though.

    ¡°¡­¡­.what a weirdo.¡±

    But, isn¡¯t it okay if she¡¯s laughing? When I thought like that, a smile eventually spread across my face.

    And then I got a little reminiscent.

    We¡¯ve only ever had conversations and exchanges like this. And that¡¯s why we¡¯ve been together for a decade without ever getting tired of each other.

    And once again, the ring of the church¡¯s bell signaled the end of the day.

    Looking up, the sun outside the window was set further than it had been yesterday.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll see you again tomorrow. It doesn¡¯t look like your fever is that big a deal, but take it easy just to be safe okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±

    Carol¡¯s reply is a lot clearer than yesterday¡¯s was.

    I¡¯m very happy about that.

    ?

    ¡ª¡ªI¡¯ve been thinking about it since last night. What are my own feelings, and how well have those feelings been exposed to Toslin?

    I thought about it even while I was eating my lightly seasoned food. I also talked with Rose about our preferences with food, but I spent most of my time thinking.

    ¡°Ugu¡­¡­.¡±

    And in the end, I came to a decision.

    ¡°Hey hey¡­..hold me¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a ring¡­¡­.and I want an immediate answer¡­¡­¡±

    The fact that I was half-asleep isn¡¯t an excuse. My dream is proof enough for how I really feel.

    ¡°Ah, uuu¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°What is it today? Are you regressing into a baby?¡±

    Even though she knows how I feel, Toslin keeps turning her eyes away from me¡­¡­..I hate it. But it¡¯d be even worse if she tried keeping her distance from me.

    ¡°You come here every day.¡±

    ¡°Huh? That¡­¡­.of course I¡¯m coming. You¡¯ve been hospitalized.¡±

    Just what kind of obvious think is this pipsqueak making me say? is the response Toslin muttered underneath her breath.

    ¡°Right¡­¡­¡±

    But if she really thinks her coming to visit me is only natural, then that is more than enough to make me smile.

    ¡°I want to eat an apple.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Ah¡­¡­here¡±

    There¡¯s a basket of apples sitting next to my bed that Iris brought over. She gave them to me since I¡¯ve been complaining about how lightly seasoned the food here is. Honestly, Iris is such a good girl. I love her.

    ¡°¡­¡­..Haa¡±

    In comparison, Toslin is a lot more thick-headed. I ask for an apple, and she tries to just give me one. I¡¯m the patient here, yet you¡¯re trying to shove an entire apple into my mouth.

    What is this? I think it¡¯s okay to treat the other person a little more kindly when they¡¯ve been admitted to a hospital. You¡¯re supposed to peel the apple, cut it up into bites, and finally feed me.

    It was a full minute before Toslin was able to read my sour expression and understood what I wanted. She reached down, pulling out a knife from her belt in order to start peeling it.

    ¡°Has that knife been washed properly?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­of course.¡±

    What was with that pause just now?

    ¡°Here¡¯s your food.¡±

    ¡°Aaaah¡±

    Toslin grabbed one of the slices and brought it close to my mouth. I bit it like a squirrel with my teeth and lied back down.

    *MunchMunchMunch*¡­¡­¡­ah, this is really sweet and tasty.

    ¡°You look like a squirrel.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be praise right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­yeah, right.¡±

    She hesitated again.

    ¡°¡­¡­.I see¡±

    But I never expected her to agree with me, so I¡¯m a little flustered.

    Toslin has been pretty kind to me these past couple of days.

    Maybe it¡¯s okay to be hospitalized every now and then.

    ?

    Is this the first time I¡¯ve ever peeled an apple?

    I used this same knife to spread some butter on my morning bread, but it probably won¡¯t make a difference. No¡­¡­this girl has a sharp nose, so she might actually notice.

    ¡°You look like a squirrel¡±

    Carol¡¯s cheeks swelled as she took the entire apple slice into her mouth and started to chew. I voiced my thoughts aloud, but I regretted my words as soon as I said them.

    I¡¯ve been feeling weirdly happy lately, and it¡¯s causing my thoughts to get all muddy.

    ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be praise right?¡±

    Carol squinted her eyes and tilted her head. Tormented by a sense of guilt, I paused for a moment before nodding my head.

    ¡°¡­¡­yeah, right.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I see¡±

    This happiness could¡¯ve slipped through my fingers. I could¡¯ve lost everything up at that altar in St. Noglint.

    That¡¯s why I can¡¯t just sit back and watch everything fall apart.

    ¡°Does it taste good?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s sweet and tasty.¡±

    Every slice of the apple I peeled ended up fitting into Carol¡¯s gluttonous stomach. She looks to be overjoyed to have had some non-hospital food in so many days. And now her eyes are narrowing like she¡¯s getting sleepy.

    ¡°So tomorrow you¡¯ll finally be discharged.¡±

    ¡°Yep. I wanted to be let out right away when I first got here, but with how things have been, I wouldn¡¯t mind staying for a little longer.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is that so¡±

    ¡­¡­I, hate it though. I want this hospitalization to end as soon as possible.

    It¡¯s cold and lonely sleeping by myself.

    ¡°¡­¡­.That was a lie. I want to hurry up and get out of here.¡±

    Carol turned her head up towards me and said so. Outside the window, the town of Solretta is once again dyed red as dusk approaches. That very same bright red light shines into the room, filtering across Carol¡¯s face and making her cheeks look flushed.

    ¡°¡­¡­.even if it¡¯s on a small, stiff bed, I prefer sleeping with Toslin.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­yeah, you¡¯re right. Me too¡±

    She slid out from underneath her sheets, bringing her head closer to me. Does she want me to pet her like I did yesterday?

    This girl, is so cute.

    ¡°Thinking about it, what kind of gift do you want to commemorate you being discharged?¡±

    The thought crossed my mind while my hand ran through her hair.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡­.I don¡¯t need one.¡±

    Does she know how hard it was to work up the courage to ask her that? But well, I expected her to give me that kind of answer.

    This girl has always been passionate to the point of it almost becoming an obsession when it comes to food, but she barely gives a thought to anything else.

    She stubbornly refused the tortoiseshell comb I gave her a long time ago too. Back then I had to use it to comb her hair and tail every single day in order to ingrain how comfortable it is to her. It¡¯s because of that incident that she badgers me to comb her so often nowadays. Well, not to say I mind it.

    ¡°No, but isn¡¯t there anything? How about some clothes or¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Not needed.¡±

    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to hold yourself back right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.I¡¯m not holding myself back. Honestly, I just don¡¯t need it. I¡¯m fine with the clothes I have¡­¡­¡±

    I moved my hand and only now noticed how Carol looked as if she were about to cry. Her long eyelashes trembled while her eyes teared up. I know she doesn¡¯t usually want things, but where is this stubbornness coming from? Is there a reason for it?

    We¡¯ve been together all this time, but there are still so many things I don¡¯t understand about her.

    ¡°¡­¡­.then, I won¡¯t force anything on you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡­¡±

    Carol¡¯s gaze fell down and clammed up. Silence fell around us as we ran out of things to talk about. But right now, that silence didn¡¯t feel like a problem.

    ¡°?¡±

    Carol¡¯s fingers peeked out from underneath her sheets. They moved over and poked my knee. A voice in my head tells me she wants to hold hands.

    She¡¯s someone who basically doesn¡¯t want anything besides food since she¡¯s constantly starving. So in this case¡­¡­what? Is she cold? Or maybe¡­¡­

    ¡°I really like the view out the window during this time of day.¡±

    ¡°I see¡±

    So the two of us kept holding each other¡¯s hands until visitation hours ended.

    ?

    The last day for visitation is over, and Carol is going to be discharged tomorrow.

    On the way back from the hospital. After saying good night and separating from Iris and Saluena, a store along the way to the inn caught my eye.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol said she didn¡¯t need anything. But, I want to give her something. A miracle saved Carol¡¯s life. I want to do something to celebrate that fact.

    So I changed direction and entered the store.

 CH 92

    Morning¡­¡­

    My own body¡¯s shivering caused me to wake up.

    ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s too cold¡­¡­¡±

    According to Iris, it¡¯s been getting a bit warmer outside as each day passes. But I haven¡¯t been able to get that feeling. I still need Carol¡¯s warmth.

    ?

    After combing my hair and getting dressed, I walked down to the dining room on the first floor. Iris¡¯s father introduced us to this inn the first night I stayed in Solretta Litta. It¡¯s a lovely and spacious inn for as low as the rate is.

    There aren¡¯t any loud guests here causing a racket at night, nor are there any bothersome guys who feel the need to constantly call out to me. The only thing I would have to complain about is how the stove inside the rooms are a little weak.

    ¡°So then, we¡¯re all set for tomorrow¡¯s departure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah but, are you really okay Kutuna? It was a pretty deep wound.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s right. You don¡¯t need to push yourself. Osnell isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡±

    Most mornings I¡¯ve found a group of three adventurers who look like they¡¯ve been staying here a lot longer than I have gathered together in the dining room talking amongst themselves.

    There aren¡¯t many dark-skinned adventurers in this city, and when I see these two almost every morning, it¡¯s only natural that I would come to recognize their faces.

    But it sounds like they¡¯ll be heading off to Osnell soon. This inn is about to get even quieter.

    ¡°¡­¡­ah, g-good morning.¡±

    After ordering my breakfast, I glanced over towards the trio and met the gaze of the one wearing a robe. She greeted me with a small bow, so I replied in turn.

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    But, that¡¯s where my relationship with them ends. We don¡¯t know each other¡¯s names, where we come from, or even how old each of us is.

    After a while my order came in, and I focused on my breakfast.

    I finished my food by myself in silence, and when I finally finished, I looked up to find there was nobody else in the dining room other than me.

    ?

    I know today is the day they¡¯re discharged from the hospital, but I don¡¯t know what time they¡¯re supposed to leave.

    So after finishing my breakfast, I headed straight for the hospital.

    I ended up arriving too early though, and when I got to the room, I saw that Iris and Saluena hadn¡¯t stopped by yet.

    ¡°I am going ahead to handle the discharge process.¡±

    Already ready to depart, Rose said so and left the room.

    Which inevitably means that it was just me¡­¡­

    ¡°Morning Toslin¡±

    and Carol left.

    ¡°Yeah, did you sleep all right last night?¡±

    ¡°Mm~, not too well. The beds here are way too soft. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I was shivering all night from how cold it was.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s still that cold out.¡±

    Carol was sitting at the edge of her bed, kicking her legs back and forth. It feels like forever since I¡¯ve seen her wear her adventurer gear instead of some hospital loungewear. Although, I guess it¡¯s only been a couple of days.

    ¡°¡­¡­I suppose I should give it now?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Once we leave the hospital, I have no idea when we¡¯ll get a chance to be alone again. So with that thought in mind, I pulled out a small box from the pouch hanging at my waist.

    There are two pendants inside said small box. The both of them use silver chains with a small ruby affixed in the setting.

    I picked out one of them and tried hanging it around Carol¡¯s neck. But¡­¡­

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t need it!¡±

    Carol drew back her body and refused it.

    ¡°I know. But I want to give it to you.¡±

    ¡°W-Why!? We don¡¯t need to celebrate my discharge as¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I was only using your discharge as an excuse. I could¡¯ve used any number of reasons to justify this.¡±

    She always turns it down at first. It was the same way with that comb. Actually, you could say I¡¯m doing better this time around since she hasn¡¯t knocked it out of my hand yet.

    ¡°W-Why? Why¡­¡­do you want to give me that?¡±

    ¡°Let me ask you, why do you hate it so much? Is it that annoying to get a present from me?¡±

    ¡°N-No you¡¯re wrong!! It¡¯s just¡­¡­no¡­¡­but¡­¡­¡±

    Carol gave me that same teary-eyed look she had yesterday. I didn¡¯t ask what was wrong back then, but things are different now. This is the only thing I need her to accept.

    ¡°Why then? Why are you so against it?¡±

    ¡°¡­..b-because¡­..it¡¯s scary¡­..¡±

    I never expected to hear those words come from Carol¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Scary? What do you mean?¡±

    Carol¡¯s gaze fell to her feet when I asked. Her always perked up ears were now drooping down.

    ¡°When you accept something from someone¡­¡­then it becomes¡­¡­a memento of that person¡­¡­¡±

    Carol¡¯s words were broken and faint, making it hard to understand her. I wasn¡¯t able to pick out everything, but I could figure out what she was trying to say from the bits I could make out.

    ¡°¡­¡­.you¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°B-But!! But I¡¯m right!! It could happen!! We have no idea when we¡¯re going to be separated from each other!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°When we were fighting the dragon, I thought¡­¡­I thought Toslin was dead¡­¡­ And just before this, you¡­¡­thought I was dead¡­¡­right? Isn¡¯t that so?¡±

    I nodded at Carol¡¯s desperate questioning.

    ¡°Yes, but this and that have nothing to do with each other.¡±

    ¡°You, You don¡¯t get it¡­¡­ We¡¯ve been lucky until now, but next time¡­¡­.Toslin might die¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hey hey, don¡¯t go killing me off all of the sudden.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡­.but¡­¡­¡±

    Carol¡¯s tear-stained face looked just like that of a child¡¯s. No¡­¡­she really is still a child.

    Whenever we¡¯re around Iris and the others, she always does her best to look as big as she can while avoiding needing to cry as much as possible. It¡¯s only when she¡¯s with me, when we¡¯re alone together, that she starts acting her age.

    ¡°Then think about it this way. You already accepted the comb I gave you, yet we¡¯re still together like this. Saluena said it before. The red thread of fate ties our pinkies together. So couldn¡¯t accepting this gift just make that thread grow stronger?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°But nothing. Where did you hear about this kind of jinx in the first place?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know who they were. I overheard someone talking about it in a dining area¡­..¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re willing to believe the words of some guy you don¡¯t know over what I¡¯m telling you now?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡­.no, but¡­¡­.¡±

    People who live while relying on their senses have a bad habit of putting too much faith in luck and superstitions. And once they¡¯ve become ingrained, it¡¯s difficult to change those habits.

    So then what should I do? How do I get her to accept this?

    ¡°These pendants are adorned with a rubies, and rubies are said to give their owners eternal life. That¡¯s what Iris said¡­¡­I¡¯m pretty sure. Probably.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­eternal¡­..life¡­..¡±

    After thinking for a bit, I decided the only way to go is to give Carol a new superstition to believe in.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ll be sure to see good luck come our way if we believe the same?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol clammed up for a moment.

    ¡°Why¡­.are you giving me one though? You said the discharge was just an excuse. Then¡­..why is it so important to you that I accept this?¡±

    Carol looked up, her gaze probing my expression, begging for an answer.

    I took that gaze head on.

    ¡°Because there¡¯s something I had to tell you.¡±

    And I gave her the answer I found within myself.

    ¡°These stones apparently have another meaning. One that I believe in. And one I want you to believe in as well.¡±

    I reached out once again, sliding the pendant around Carol¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I love you¡±

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Something, completely unbelievable just came from Toslin¡¯s mouth.

    At that moment, every thought running through my head was whisked away, leaving behind nothing but an empty white space.

    A pendant appeared around my neck before I knew it. My eyes kept jumping back and forth between its beautiful red stone and Toslin¡¯s face.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re usually supposed to give a ring at times like these. And it sounds like that¡¯s what you wanted in your dream. But if we were to wear matching rings¡­¡­I thought they might get in the way?¡±

    Toslin¡¯s face is redder than the apple I ate yesterday. But right now, I think my face is probably the same color.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.huh? Um, just now¡­¡­.¡±

    I blinked over and over again. I thought I might be dreaming again, but the moment kept going on as my heart beat like an alarm bell.

    ¡°Would you give me mine?¡±

    Toslin held out the other pendant.

    And I¡­¡­took it.

    ¡°H-Hey¡­¡­what did you just say¡­¡­..?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m not saying it again.¡±

    Toslin was obviously extremely embarrassed, but not once did she ever turn her eyes away from mine.

    And so I made sure to stare right back at her. And then I said

    ¡°I want to hear it. One more time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­seriously¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin scratched her cheek. And then she took a deep breath. My breath caught in my throat as she did.

    ¡°¡­¡­I love you. That, is what this stone is supposed to represent. That¡­¡­is what I wanted to tell you. I knew I would always regret it if you were to die without me ever getting to tell you that. And you Carol?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I-I¡­¡­I¡­¡­¡±

    My voice trembled. These hands that had once permanently scarred Toslin¡¯s neck¡­¡­.were now slipping a pendant around it.

    The red glow of the ruby looked wonderful against Toslin¡¯s beautiful white skin.

    ¡°Me too¡­¡­I like you too! I-I love you!!¡±

    I love you. It¡¯s a phrase that doesn¡¯t suit me. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve only ever said as a joke until now and seemed like the words furthest away from me.

    I¡¯ve lived on my own, thinking that everyone, everyone will someday die. Ever since my parents were killed. That¡¯s why I never thought the day would come where these kinds of thoughts would become buried in my heart. And because of that, I felt like my words wouldn¡¯t be enough to get Toslin to believe me.

    So I kissed her.

    I jumped up, threw my arms around her neck, and lost myself in a kiss.

    ¡°¡­¡­.ah, um¡­¡­.s-sorry¡­¡­.¡±

    I pulled away from her after my head had cooled down a bit. I might have bothered her just now. Thinking about it, Toslin¡¯s ¡°I love you¡± might have meant something different from mine.

    When that thought crossed my mind, I got scared again.

    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±

    ¡°B-Because¡­¡­I¡¯ve caused all sorts of problems for Toslin before¡­¡­. Even now, all on my own I¡­¡­I get annoying¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, of course you get extremely annoying once in a while.¡±

    Toslin let out a sigh before suddenly starting to laugh. She then grabbed the scared me, and this time¡­¡­.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡­¡­.she kissed me.

    ¡°¡­¡­do you get it yet? We¡¯ve been together for half our lives already, so of course there are times where we¡¯re going to annoy each other.¡±

    ¡°R-Right¡­¡­¡±

    The feel of Toslin¡¯s lips on my own lingered as tears ran down my cheek from the uncontrollable surge of emotions rising in my chest.

    ¡°So don¡¯t apologize anymore okay? And just like we promised back then, we¡¯ll keep on laughing. Do you still have any doubts?¡±

    Toslin looked right into my eyes and asked.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sor-¡­¡­.¡±

    I swallowed my words before I could apologize again. I wracked my brain for something else to say, but I didn¡¯t have to look that hard. They were right there waiting for me.

    ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡­for finding me¡­¡­ I¡¯m, really, happy¡­¡­happy that I got to meet Toslin¡­¡­and happy I got to tell you I love you¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­.we didn¡¯t need to say anything after that.

    Just like in that dream, I was overcome with the happiness of Toslin¡¯s tight embrace.

    ?

    I asked Toslin to brush my hair with my comb after that, but just as I was about to doze off, I noticed how long it had been since Rose had left and quickly ran to the door where I was sure she was waiting.

    From there we went on to celebrate our discharge from the hospital while also hosting a welcome party for Iris and Saluena since they had now formally joined us. I got to eat a lot of food.

    Just as my tummy was getting full, Lapris showed up and told Iris she had a guest at the church, so we had to head over there right away. But honestly, Lapris really does stand out.

    So Toslin and I hung back and followed from behind, holding hands as we walked there together.

    I was really happy because it looked like we were a pair of lovers.

    Ah, that¡¯s wrong¡­¡­ It¡¯s not that we look like a pair of lovers. We already are¡­¡­.

    ?

    ¡­¡­..and now, my mouth is being blocked up.

    Just as I was thinking that some self-important looking people had shown up at the church, this is how it ended up.

    Does Toslin have this little faith in me?

    Or maybe it¡¯s the opposite, and this goes to show just how much confidence she has in me? Maybe this is something to be happy about?

    Thinking that way, my tail naturally started wagging behind me.

    For some reason though, Toslin started making a strange face when she thought I enjoyed having my mouth blocked up.

    ¡°Rosa, you can stay with us tonight. Are you okay with that Iris?¡±

    Saluena came up with the idea when she saw that Rose was looking down after we met one of her relatives.

    Saluena is the oldest person of our group, so she¡¯s usually looking out for the rest of us.

    I thought she was a nasty person at first, but she¡¯s been kind to me and even lets me ride on her shoulders, so I like her now.

    ¡°Eh¡ª? Then I¡¯m going to be all alone with Toslin tonight?¡±

    ¡°Buh! Quit saying those kind of strange things!¡±

    While I was getting excited, I received those words back as an answer. Eh, does she hate it?

    ¡°Eh? Strange how? What is? Aren¡¯t I just stating the facts? Hey hey, what¡¯s so strange about it? C¡¯mon, hey. Hey¡±

    Is there something about being alone with me that she doesn¡¯t like? I¡¯m feeling anxious. I¡¯m still not confident on whether or not I¡¯m loved. It¡¯s scary.

    That¡¯s why I joke around. I don¡¯t have the courage to meet my problems head on like Toslin does.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡­. If you really have a problem being alone with me, you can go ahead and stay somewhere else tonight¡­¡­.¡±

    But after hearing Toslin¡¯s response, I realized I needed to repent. Even if I am an idiot, I should already understand.

    I don¡¯t have any reason to feel anxious.

    ¡°When did I ever say I had a problem with it!? Sorry everyone!! We¡¯re done for today!! Thanks for everything!!¡±

    I grabbed Toslin¡¯s hand and started to run.

    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this way, but I really want to cause a ruckus like we always did when it was just the two of us. We¡¯re going to eat, drink, and be merry in a place where nobody can stop us. Where nobody can bother us.

    ¡°Ah, wai-, oi, quit pulling my hand!! Even if we don¡¯t stick so close together, I¡¯d¡­¡­¡±

    I could see a small yet radiant ruby sitting on Toslin¡¯s chest.

    That same radiance is hanging around my neck right now.

    It¡¯s my first time wearing something that matches like this. And it¡¯s my first time ever knowing I could be this happy.

    ¡°We made a ton of money, so we¡¯re going off to have a bunch of fun todaaaaaaaaaaay!!¡±

    Mom. Dad. I can¡¯t remember what you look like, but thank you for giving birth to me.

    I will do everything I can to live as long as I can. Because I have my friends and my beloved Toslin here in this world.

    So if you can, please watch over me.

    And if you could help during the difficult times of my life, just a little, I¡¯d appreciate it.

 CH 93

    This afternoon, I had an unexpected reunion with Aunt Yuhanna at Solretta¡¯s church.

    Afterwards, I asked Sally-oneesama if she could train with me in Iris-san¡¯s backyard.

    Currently I¡¯m using a wooden training sword, trying to work through my sluggish body¡¯s movements after spending three days in the hospital. I was perplexed at first because of the severe difference in weight between it and my warhammer, but as I continued to move, my body slowly got used to it.

    However, it shouldn¡¯t take me this long to adjust myself.

    ¡°¡­¡­.Ah!?¡±

    Saluena-oneesama parried my wooden sword with her shield and shattered my positioning. She thrust forward as I stumbled¡­¡­and stopped the tip of her blade at my chest.

    ¡°I-I yield.¡±

    Even if I¡¯m wearing armor and she¡¯s using a wooden sword, Sally-oneesama¡¯s attack would be devastating.

    Oneesama¡¯s sword is delicate yet powerful and easily capable of breaking through my shield. And then once I¡¯ve lost my balance, she¡¯ll easily let a powerful thrust fly through.

    ¡°¡­¡­let¡¯s end it here for today.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­? Already?¡±

    Ten minutes have yet to pass since our lesson started. That is why I spoke up without thinking.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t any strength in your strikes. I thought it was because you¡¯re still recovering at first, but it has become clear to me how distracted you really are. At this point, we can¡¯t even refer to this as training. Continuing on like this would only result in you injuring yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    So Oneesama noticed after all. That my heart is in chaos. That my mind has flown to the past and is not here at the moment.

    But Oneesama never asked me why. She chides me with a slightly harsh tone, but she avoids stepping into my heart.

    She just stands there, smiling like she always does.

    ¡°M-My sincerest apologies. You went through all this trouble to grant me your time¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. If it¡¯s for your sake, you may take as much of my time as you wish. However this is where we must stop. For now, you are supposed to be recuperating. If you continue fervently practicing, you will only cause worry to those who are watching.¡±

    Sally-oneesama turned her line of sight somewhere behind me. Following her gaze, I turned my head and found that the back door of the bookstore was slightly ajar, and Sarah-san was peeking her head out from the crack.

    She has been like this ever since we came back from St. Noglint. The two of us have not exchanged too many words with each other, but the impression that she is a clever child has been etched into my mind since she is Iris-san¡¯s younger sister.

    ¡°My apologies for worrying you.¡±

    ¡°N-No! Rosalith-sama, if it isn¡¯t a bother, please use this!!¡±

    Sarah-san jumped out of the doorway, jogging over to me with a towel in her hand.

    ¡°Here you go too Saluena-sama!¡±

    ¡°Thank you Sarah¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much Sarah-san¡±

    My eyes met with Sarah-san¡¯s as she passed me the towel. Her eyes were sparkling like beautiful gems.

    ¡°Rosalith-sama. If you have any concerns, please let me know. I¡¯ll take good care of you!¡±

    Sarah-san ran back to the house with a somewhat shy look on her face.

    ¡°It seems Sarah has a deep admiration for priestesses.¡±

    ¡°¡­..it, would seem so¡­..¡±

    Even if I am a priestess, I am still immature. I have not yet become someone who deserves her admiration.

    In a way, I am betraying her, and the realization of that caused a shot of pain to run through my heart.

    ¡°Incidentally Rosa. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­tomorrow? No, I need to perform my prayers at the church, but I am otherwise free.¡±

    ¡°I see. In that case, let¡¯s go out together.¡±

    Iris-san will be departing this town in three days. We will be going with her of course, but since Aunt Yuhanna¡¯s knights will be coming with us as well this time, there is no need for us to prepare for the trip. So everyone has ample free time until the day of departure, but I never expected to have Sally-oneesama invite me out like this.

    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡­certainly. Then, I will confirm our schedule with Iris-san and¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. It¡¯ll be just the two of us tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°T-Two, but¡­¡­.¡±

    As rude as it is, I could not help but think I had heard Oneesama wrong. After all, in all the time since we first made our sisterly pledge, I have not once spent any significant amount of time alone with her.

    ¡°Are you against it?¡±

    ¡°Eh? N-No! There is no way that would be true!¡±

    Perhaps¡­¡­..

    Perhaps Oneesama only ever asked me to be her sister because I was close by, and she never had any interest in me personally.

    Such a disrespectful thought would cross my mind at times, leading me to believe that Sally-oneesama would never feel the need to get too close to me.

    ¡°Iris said it before. It¡¯ll be good for the two of us to go out together every now and then.¡±

    And now that very same Oneesama, is asking me out.

    ¡°So, in other words¡­¡­I believe the people of this era refer to it as a date.¡±

    I was a little embarrassed which is why I thought about hiding that embarrassment with a joke. But I couldn¡¯t make out the words, making myself feel even more embarrassed and causing my cheeks to run hot¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Respect, admiration, and perhaps even a touch of fear. Those are the type of feelings I hold for my oneesama. But looking at her face right now, I had doubts and wondered if I had made some kind of ridiculous mistake.

    ¡°Fufu¡­¡­¡±

    This lady, is even more mischievous than I had thought.

    There was such a large difference between the impression I had of my oneesama and the one standing before me now that the sound of the word ¡®date¡¯ caused me to unconsciously laugh.

    ¡°Ah, m-my deepest apologies!¡±

    But I realized how rude it must seem to laugh at her like that, so I immediately apologized.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯re beautiful when you smile. I hope to see it tomorrow as well.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes. For tomorrow, please treat me well.¡±

    Which is how my first ever date between sisters came to be.

    ?

    ¡°Ah, a sisterly date. Won¡¯t that be nice? I know I said this before, but I recommend visiting the opera house.¡±

    Supper is being prepared at the moment. It is my job to help Iris-san set the table while we wait for the food to be finished.

    Since I am technically a guest, Sally-oneesama forbid me from helping out in the kitchen. Speaking of Oneesama, she is currently wearing an apron and helping Sarah-san arrange each dish.

    With a light pink ribbon tying back her hair, Oneesama gives off a feeling different from the norm¡­¡­seeming almost graceful in a way. There is a beauty there I cannot imitate because of my curly hair, but when I see her like this, I end up forgetting about that jealousy.

    ¡°Oh, would you like to try out some pickles I made? They¡¯re tasty.¡±

    Iris-san pinched out something from a small bottle she had been holding for a bit now. It looked to be pickled radish, and taking one¡­¡­.indeed, the fresh sourness spread through my mouth.

    ¡°It really is delicious. I never knew Iris-san had a hobby for pickling vegetables though1.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to call it a hobby. Oh yeah. Back to what we were talking about¡­¡­.¡±

    According to Iris-san, the opera house is made with the general public in mind unlike the more prestigious one in the capital, so there is no dress code. I do not own that many different outfits as a priestess-in-training, so this helps me quite a bit.

    ¡°Haa, I¡¯m hungry~. Isn¡¯t supper done yet?¡±

    Chewing on one of her pickled radishes, Iris-san tightened the lid back onto her jar before spreading her body out across the top of the table.

    I have always seen Iris-san as a more strong-willed person, but apparently she acts differently when she is at home.

    But this kind of Iris-san is also cute.

    I have discovered all sorts of new things about Oneesama and Iris-san tonight.

    I am truly lucky to have come to this house.

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    The next morning¡­¡­.

    Iris-san is standing at the Calvafon Bookstore¡¯s front entrance with a red bird sitting on top of her head.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading out.¡±

    ¡°Right, have fun. You too Rose-san. Take care.¡±

    However, neither Sally-oneesama nor Iris-san are paying it any mind.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­see you later¡±

    It must be a pet of some sorts. I was so convinced of that fact that I waved farewell to Iris-san without saying anything about it and followed Oneesama down the solretta lined street.

    ¡°¡­¡­I wonder what was up with that bird. It looked awfully fond of Iris.¡±

    ¡­¡­..but when we finally started on our way towards the church, Oneesama suddenly mumbled her thoughts allowed.

    Apparently she had no idea what it was either.

    ¡°¡­¡­r-right¡­¡­¡±

    I am suddenly extremely curious.

    ?

    So, I¡¯ve taken Rosa out for a walk about town¡­¡­..and I have no idea what to do.

    To tell you the truth, I have zero experience when it comes to leisurely spending your time playing around town.

    A thousand years ago, when I was still a member of the Goddess¡¯s knights, the battle against the demons of the Primordial World was so fierce I didn¡¯t have time for any kind of merrymaking.

    Thinking about it that way, this era is so peaceful. Back then Van Delucia was full of demons. Since then, the Illyarian War ended, and the territory controlled by humans spread bit by bit, resulting in the creation of multiple nations starting besides Osnell.

    But even though a thousand years have already passed, there is apparently still a place in this world beyond the Goddess¡¯s control. It¡¯s the Dark Continent, also known as the Soundless Land. It¡¯s there that dark elves, goblins, and ferocious spirits that have rejected the Goddess¡¯s world dwell.

    ¡°Sally-oneesama?¡±

    While my thoughts continued tumbling about inside my head, I suddenly heard Rosa¡¯s clear voice come from right next to me.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something.¡±

    When I said that, Rosa hesitated for a moment. Her face made it clear how she was wondering whether or not it was okay to ask me something.

    ¡°Are you still worried about Iris-san?¡±

    But it looks like she decided to ask me about it after all.

    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡­.it¡¯s not about that.¡±

    For today, I had planned to have Toslin and Carol guard Iris while I was gone. But when morning rolled around, Carol came by to inform us that Toslin couldn¡¯t move because of how severe her hangover was.

    It was a rare outing¡­¡­..a date with Rosa, but I was wondering whether or not we would have to cancel. Iris said no though.

    ¡°The two of you are going on a proper date today. That¡¯s an order.¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    Iris is my master along with the leader of the Riviera Von Iliana. Rosa and I were both worried about whether or not something would happen, but when Iris summoned Unicorn and covered her entire house with a massive barrier, even I had no choice but to relent.

    ¡°Iris has become strong. She cannot summon a large flame like that old neighbor of hers, but the strength of a grimoire master is dependent on the number and quality of the grimoires in their possession. With several grimoires already hers, my master is more than capable of protecting herself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­I have always been meaning to ask¡­¡­¡±

    Rosa was acting even more reserved than she had been before. If the goal for today is for the two of us to get closer as sisters, I should answer any question she might have.

    ¡°What is it? Ask whatever¡¯s on your mind.¡±

    ¡°Does Sally-oneesama know a grimoire master other than Iris-san?¡±

    But the only answer I could give for her question was incomplete.

    ¡°Yes, I did. She was¡­¡­also a wise woman who had earned the Goddess¡¯s favor. And she¡­¡­was a friend.¡±

    I reached back, grabbing the threads of memory that remained and said what I could.

    1. They¡¯re called tsukemono in Japan. Maybe I¡¯m just ignorant, but pickles in the US usually just refers to pickled cucumbers. In Japan at least though, pickles refer to any type of vegetable that have been pickled.

 CH 94

    With the peaceful air of the church flowing around me, I offered my thanks through prayer to the Goddess for everything she has done for me.

    For sending me to Iris-san. And then for allowing me to meet Sally-oneesama.

    Carol-san asked me once.

    ¡°Why do you pray so much every day?¡±

    What answer did I give her back then? I fear I may have evaded the question with an ambiguous answer.

    My prayers are always of a personal nature. Never for more grand designs such as world peace.

    And that is why whenever I pray, there is one thought that will always run through my mind.

    I, am a selfish person.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    It is because of my own personal feelings that I feel the need to thank the Goddess for allowing me to meet Sally-oneesama. I do not wish to lose this connection. I do not wish to be separated from this comfortable spot. So please watch over me.

    I carry no sublime convictions. I need her so that I might fulfill my goal, so that I might become a priestess.

    You could call it a kind of obsession.

    And yet the Goddess would accept even someone like me. So please watch over me.

    ¡°Oh deep and merciful Goddess, to you¡­¡­I offer my eternal loyalty.¡±

    And so¡­¡­.I bet my life as one of the Goddess¡¯s followers.

    ¡°That was a long prayer.¡±

    I heard a voice calling out to me as I stood up.

    Turning around, I found Aunt Yuhanna standing behind me.

    ¡°How do you do Rosalith? I see you are ever the ardent believer. I am relieved.¡±

    ¡°How do you do Aunt Yuhanna. Are you here to pray as well Auntie?¡±

    ¡°Could you stop calling me that? I am only seven years older than you.¡±

    She knit her brows together when I called her Auntie. Unfortunately that is how I have always referred to her as, so trying to think up a new way at this point leaves me a tad bewildered.

    ¡°Do you understand what it did to my heart to have been called ¡®Auntie¡¯ in front of other nobles when I was only fifteen years old?¡±

    Auntie and I used to play together all the time whenever our parents had a meeting with each other.

    I cannot remember any specific incident, but I am sure it has happened more than once.

    ¡°I apologize for back then. Um¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Oneesama¡­¡­should be good enough right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡ª¡ªhypothetically

    If I had never met Sally-oneesama, I would probably not have hesitated to call her in that way.

    But now, I have a splendid oneesama in Saluena. I understand that Aunt Yuhanna isn¡¯t using ¡®oneesama¡¯ in the same way, but I still feel some resistance to the idea.

    ¡°Unfortunately, Rosa already refers to me as her sister. It¡¯s too bad, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to think of something else.¡±

    As I was having difficulties, Sally-oneesama walked over and spoke up¡­¡­.which I did appreciate, but since she wrapped her hand around my waist at the same time, I was also feeling surprised and embarrassed at the same time.

    ¡°¡­¡­.hm? W-What is the meaning of this? Why is the Dark Violet Knight your sister?¡±

    Sally-oneesama¡¯s words and presence caused Auntie to show a rare, befuddled look. However if you know the name and legend of the Dark Violet Knight, that kind of reaction would be normal.

    I was like that at first as well.

    ¡°Umm, that is¡­¡­well¡­..¡±

    But that only makes it even more difficult to describe my and Sally-oneesama¡¯s relationship.

    The relationship created between two people when they perform a sisterly pledge is one deeper than a normal bond between master and apprentice. It is a traditional ceremony with a thousand year history behind it, but it is unfortunately a tradition held only with the church and monasteries, so there are not many people who know of its existence.

    As I was trying to find the right words though, Auntie patted my shoulder.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.I see how it is. I¡¯ve asked a rather boorish question of you. Truly the greatest mistake of my life.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­um, Auntie? Sally-oneesama and I are¡­¡­.¡±

    There was something about that ¡°I see¡± that caused me to panic and my mouth to drop open¡­¡­but Auntie blocked my mouth with her hand.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to say it. Even if I look like this, I am a person with a wide understanding of love.¡±

    ¡°L-Love¡­¡­?¡±

    I think there is a sharp difference between my and Aunt Yuhanna¡¯s perception of things.

    ¡°Um, please wait Auntie. Sally-oneesama and I are¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°S-Speaking of which, I was wondering why that small red-headed Hero-chan isn¡¯t with you today~!?¡±

    As I was trying to explain, Auntie gave me a wink as if to say, ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me the official explanation. I understand,¡± and then forcefully changed the subject.

    ¡°No, please, before that Auntie. We¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re asking about Iris, she isn¡¯t with us today. Around now she is probably reading a book in her room.¡±

    ¡°O-Oneesama?¡±

    And then out of nowhere, Sally-oneesama interrupted me as I tried to give an explanation and went forward with the misunderstanding.

    ¡°Oh my, is that how it is? Wait, hold on a second.¡±

    That last part is something I would really like to say aloud as well Auntie.

    ¡°Who is acting as the Hero-chan¡¯s escort right now? That elf knight?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s moaning in bed with a hangover.¡±

    ¡°T-Then that young werewolf girl?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s playing nurse for our drunkard.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­then, who is guarding her?¡±

    ¡°Right now, nobody.¡±

    It is impossible for me to block this person¡¯s mouth. So Auntie¡¯s eyes opened wide after receiving Sally-oneesama¡¯s answer.

    ¡°What¡¯s that!? What¡¯s that!? What are you going to do if something happens to Hero-chan and nobody is around to protect her!?¡±

    ¡°Iris is no longer a weak, bookish girl. Nothing is going to happen even if she is left alone in the city for a while.¡±

    So Sally-oneesama says, but Auntie does not look like she is in a ¡°Oh, okay then¡± mood.

    ¡°Oh so there¡¯s no problem then!! Well what if right at this moment, a huge dragon is dropping down on that girl¡¯s head!?¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t think something like that is going to happen.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah!? Oh yeah!? So you know everything that¡¯s ever going to happen in this world!? Then why didn¡¯t you tell me that the bread I left out to have for breakfast in the morning was going to have mold grow on it overnight!?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I, have never seen this before.

    Sally-oneesama has been left completely speechless.

    In the depths of my mind, I wholeheartedly apologize for my aunt who is saying such strange things.

    ¡°I have been charged with safely escorting that child to the royal capital!! I figured I was lucky and didn¡¯t have to assign her a guard with you around, but your weak sense of crisis is a clear miscalculation on my part!! Clearly the greatest mistake of my life!!¡±

    Having originally come here to offer a prayer, Auntie spun on her heel and ran out of the church at full speed.

    ¡°¡­¡­your aunt has quite the amusing personality.¡±

    ¡°She always has been a bit boisterous. But she is still a good person?¡±

    ¡°I can tell. Well she¡¯ll understand once she sees for herself. Her worries are just needless anxiety.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡±

    With my prayer finished, I started on my way out of the church. But along the way, Oneesama leaned over and whispered in my ear.

    ¡°Did it bother you that your aunt misunderstood our relationship?¡±

    I spun around on the spot. It was there that my eyes met with a beautiful, sculpted face and a pair of beautiful blue eyes as deep as the night sky.

    ¡°¡­¡­n-no¡­¡­ Nothing of the sort¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°She is an interesting person. And I thought it would be even more interesting if she were to continue her misunderstanding. Although whether she was misunderstanding things or not, I would be happy if she were right.¡±

    ¡°J-Jeez, Oneesama¡­¡­ Please don¡¯t tease me.¡±

    I am unsure of how serious Oneesama¡¯s words were. Any conclusion I would try to draw from them would be unreliable and a source of embarrassment either way.

    Rude as it was, I quickly made my way out of the cathedral with my head held down, knowing full well how red my face must be.

 CH 95

    There was an unexpected incident along the way, but with my prayer finished, I started walking around Solretta alongside Sally-oneesama.

    Snow peaked mountains in the distance served as a beautiful backdrop for the red brick homes with thatched roofs. I had heard this town used to mine rubies, but right now it looks as if the entire town were in fact one huge ruby vein.

    I do not usually walk around without a purpose in mind, so seeing the sights like this is quite enjoyable for me.

    Even moreso since I am alone with Oneesama today. It certainly is nerve-wracking having it be just the two of us, but it feels refreshing more than anything else.

    We walked through shops where accessories lined the walls, glanced through outfits, and Oneesama gave her impressions for any clothes I tried on¡­¡­.

    I am happy for the praise and consideration, and I am deeply grateful to Iris-san for suggesting all of this in the first place.

    ?

    After a quick lunch, we both went to visit the opera house Iris-san had recommended to us.

    Today¡¯s performance is The Goddess Illya and the Hero of Light.

    It is a dramatic adaptation of probably the most famous story in Van Delucia and focuses on the Illyarian War.

    I read the novel several times when I was little. Iris-san just so happened to be reading it at the inn in Rifront, so I borrowed it once she was finished and read it again.

    The story was still fresh in my mind because of this, so I was able to easily follow along as each scene changed and could genuinely enjoy myself. Oneesama on the other hand could not keep up with the sudden developments that unfolded as each scene switched to another and had to ask me to clarify some things for her several times throughout the play.

    Each time I had to offer an explanation, a question ran through my head.

    What must she be thinking while watching this right now when she actually fought in the Illyarian War?

    As the performance rolled to an end and the final curtain call unfolded, Sally-oneesama gave them a rounding applause and laughing towards me,

    ¡°Illya isn¡¯t nearly that well-mannered¡±¡­¡­¡­is what she said.

    ?

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re finally starting to relax.¡±

    We headed to a cafe after leaving the theater to grab a cup of tea, and after taking a seat at our table, Sally-oneesama spoke up with a smile.

    ¡°I noticed you¡¯ve been rather tough on yourself ever since we first met Aronda at the church.¡±

    ¡°¡­..is, that so¡­¡­¡±

    So Oneesama noticed after all.

    And on top of that, she continued watching over me through it all.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to force yourself into a corner. While I will say it is part of your charm, narrowing your view too much can cause you to lose everything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.yes. I am keenly aware of my own immaturity.¡±

    Back then, I did not want to have to rely on my quiet, disinterestedly speaking oneesama. So I swallowed my words just like I had done when Priestess Aronda had requested we investigate the ruins.

    But now¡­..I think differently.

    I think it is okay for me to rely on her.

    The person sitting before me is my oneesama.

    So I told her the truth. I confided in her just how frustrated my own immaturity makes me feel.

    ¡°When Priestess Aronda heard Sally-oneesama call yourself a traitor, she quietly listened until the end.¡±

    Meanwhile I could not see you as anything other than a betrayer and let anger overtake me.

    ¡°Aunt Yuhanna left home when she was just fifteen, and by displaying her magical talent at the capital, she was allowed to start up her own knight order by the time she was twenty three.¡±

    Whereas while I also left home at the age of fifteen, I entered the monastery and showed no such talent.

    I was only ever able to become a priestess because the Goddess listened to my prayers and granted me the ability to conjure miracles.

    ¡°So, I have always wondered. Why did Oneesama decide to take me in as your sister?¡±

    There are plenty of people out there better than me.

    I could not bring myself to say that part of my question though.

    ¡­¡­¡­I would make myself feel much too miserable if I did.

    ¡°I had someone very special to me once upon a time.¡±

    But Oneesama started talking about something else without answering my question.

    ¡°Are you referring to the previous Grimoire Master you mentioned this morning?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°May I ask that person¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..eh?¡±

    I blinked a couple of times unable to believe what I had heard.

    She cannot remember her friend¡¯s name? Is such a thing possible?

    ¡°Her name has been erased.¡±

    ¡°¡­..erased?¡±

    Oneesama gave herself a self-derisive laugh, saying I was right to doubt her. But I did not laugh with her. I neglected my cooled off tea and waited for Oneesama¡¯s next words.

    ¡°¡­¡­it was before what we now call the Illyarian War began, when I was still sane. She was eaten by Osnell.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Devil, the evil dragon, the Primordial Dragon King. That guy had all sorts of names, but there was really only one thing we ever called him. The Suffering Thirst.¡±

    ¡°The Suffering, Thirst¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°He devours human souls and absorbs them into him. And once somebody has had their soul devoured¡­¡­.their very being is erased. The world becomes as if the person had never existed.¡±

    Sally-oneesama¡¯s gaze dropped down and she stroked her pinky finger. A pained look came into her eyes as if she were desperately trying to hold on to a thread that was tied around her finger, but it continued to slip through her grasp.

    ¡°I have been able to hang on to a wisp and remember she used to be here¡­¡­perhaps because a thread connected our fingers together.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.you were sisters¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and she was very kind. But, that is all I can remember. Her name, face, and everything else are already gone.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡­.That¡¯s so, sad¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Sad¡­¡­? Yes. I suppose it is.¡±

    Sally-oneesama¡¯s long eyelashes shook. However her expression, rather than sad, it more looked like she had given up.

    ¡°But, as cold as it might make me seem, I have never felt sad about it. I¡¯ve never once shed any tears over her. It¡¯s too difficult to cry for someone you barely remember.¡±

    Oneesama took a sip of her tea and muttered, ¡°Bitter¡± underneath her breath with a scrunched up face.

    ¡°Sorry Rosa, but you could pass the¡­¡­¡±

    Pointing to the small bottle of sugar I had in my hand, Oneesama¡¯s voice stalled in the middle of her sentence. So stunned it was like she had forgotten what she was going to say.

    ¡°Why, are you crying?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­because it¡¯s sad¡±

    Oneesama reached out her hand and clumsily wiped away my tears. But that only made my eyes grow hotter and caused even more tears to flow down my cheek.

    ¡°I will cry¡­¡­in your place. For Oneesama, for Oneesama¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡­really are kind.¡±

    Watching as my tears dripped down into my cup, Sally-oneesama gently brushed her hand against my cheek.

    ¡°The answer to your question from before, is because of that kindness. Rosa, when I saw you¡­¡­I saw the image of the sister I lost.¡±

    Wiping away my tears with her handkerchief, Oneesama quietly sighed. She then looked towards me with an anxious look slightly different from before.

    ¡°Are you disappointed, Rosa?¡±

    And I shook my head.

    ¡°Something like that¡­¡­.Something like that, would never happen.¡±

    I placed my right hand over my chest and pressed down on my hot, beating heart.

    ¡°I am honored. If my presence can be of any comfort to my Oneesama, then there is no greater joy for me.¡±

    And then I reached out my left hand, gently placing it over hers.

    ¡°¡­¡­.I said it once before, but I am as fortunate to have met you as I am to have gotten to meet Iris.¡±

    Oneesama seemed a bit bashful as she looked down at my hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re adorable. And the way you always strive to be strong is truly admirable.¡±

    Oneesama flipped her hand around, entwining her fingers with my own.

    ¡°But don¡¯t be impatient. Don¡¯t overthink things. That kind of anxiety will only cloud your judgement.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­yes. Oneesama. I, am no longer in a hurry. Because I know there are people close-by who are watching over me.¡±

    It was nice getting to go out with Oneesama today. I have gotten to learn a lot about her.

    However at the same time, I am shocked at how shallow my own thoughts are.

    I was calling you my sister despite how ignorant I was of your feelings.

    But, even if I reflect on it now, it would accomplish little other than belittling myself.

    ¡°Um, if you like¡­¡­.we could go out together like this again some time?¡±

    So instead of hanging my head, I looked up and smiled. I chose to believe her when she calls me adorable. I want to get rid of Oneesama¡¯s sadness if only a little.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s. We¡¯re sisters, so it¡¯s not like we need a particular reason to spend any time together.¡±

    The entire town of Solretta sparkled like a ruby as the sun began to fall and dyed everything in a reddish hue.

    Oneesama and I tightened our grasp around each other¡¯s hands as if we were confirming the thread that tied our two pinkies together. As if we were confirming our relationship that differed from what it was the day before.

 CH 96

    *Chirp Chirp. Cheep Cheep Cheep Cheep*

    I opened my eyes today to the sound of a bird¡¯s song.

    There was a small layer of dirt coating the other side of my window from the thawing snow. The fact that migratory birds are already returning to their homes in the solretta trees is evidence enough that spring is rolling in quick¡­¡­.with that being said,

    *Chirp Chirp. Chirp Chirp Chirp Chirp Chirp*

    Huh? But this song¡­¡­it sounds like it¡¯s closeby.

    ¡°¡­¡­.eh?¡±

    I stirred from my slumber and forced open my heavy eyelids to find a small, vividly crimson bird lit by the light filtering through my window.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    The bird was staring at me with its rear end plopped down on my pillow as if it were warming an egg. I stopped for a moment wondering if maybe I wasn¡¯t really awake at all and this was still a dream.

    But I could feel a chill in the air, and there was a lingering warmth and aroma from the spot in bed next to me where Saluena would have been. All of this added up together told me that this scene was unmistakably reality.

    ¡°¡­¡­w-why?¡±

    My windows are shut tight. My house does have a bit of a draft because of how old it is, but it doesn¡¯t have any holes in it large enough for a bird to fit through though.

    *Chirp Chirp*

    Completely oblivious to my confusion, the little bird that looked like it took a quick dip in red paint was happily chirping away.

    ¡°Just where did you come from¡­¡­.¡±

    *Chirp Chirp*

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯d get a response even if I ask. The crimson bird simply continued singing with its cute voice.

    ?

    ¡°We¡¯re heading out.¡±

    ¡°Right, have fun. You too Rose-san. Take care.¡±

    Today is Rose-san and Saluena¡¯s date. Well, even if we¡¯re calling it a date, it¡¯s a date between sisters which means it isn¡¯t any different from the kinds of dates I go on with Sarah¡­¡­is how I¡¯m choosing to think of it.

    For some reason that small bird from this morning has attached itself to me, settling itself on either my shoulder or the top of my head ever since we got out of bed.

    At the moment she is sitting on my head, cheerfully chirping away as if to welcome the bright morning sun.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­.see you later.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s gaze was affixed to the top of my head for a while.

    I understand. You¡¯re curious about the bird right? But sorry. I don¡¯t know either. Honestly, what is up with this child?

    I waved my hand while seeing the two of them off, but when I set my hand down¡­¡­I felt a little muddy.

    I was the one who suggested Rose-san and Saluena go out together. I still think it¡¯s a good idea, and I¡¯m glad the both of them are taking my advice.

    We will be going to Osnell-Tari in a few days. I heard before that it takes almost two weeks to get to the capitol by carriage. During that time we won¡¯t have anything to do other than sit back and relax.

    Rose-san needs someone she can rely on.

    Someone she can pass the time with instead of withering away on her own.

    Saluena is the only one who can fill that role. On that day, she was the only one who noticed Rose-san¡¯s subtle mood change at the church, and the current Rose-san needs that.

    ¡°¡­¡­..haa¡­¡­¡­¡±

    But, it really is a bit unamusing to think about Rose-san being alone with someone else¡­¡­

    And that is the current state of my mind at the moment. It¡¯s that kind of hazy feeling you get when you see a good friend hanging out with other people¡­¡­.? The other person is Saluena, so it¡¯s still fine but¡­¡­.

    *Chirp Chirp*

    Whether she understood my feelings or not, the little bird continued chirping away with an uplifting voice.

    ?

    ¡°Ah? What¡¯s with that guy? That¡¯s my special seat!!¡±

    ¡°Wa, you surprised me!¡±

    I was in the middle of packing a suitcase with some spring clothes and other necessities for the trip in a few days when Lapris came in while straddling Uni and suddenly started shouting. As always this girl has something against flying herself.

    ¡°Hold on a minute. My head isn¡¯t a seat?¡±

    Lapris jumped from Unicorn¡¯s back at my question. Her wings fluttered for a bit, just long enough for her to be able to grab my hair before climbing the rest of the way up.

    Surprised by the sudden invader, the little bird gave a short squeak before retreating to my bed for safety.

    ¡°Hold on, you¡¯re messing up my hair, so stop that.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up with this bird? Is it a pet? If it¡¯s a pet, discipline it properly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re first in line in need of disciplining. Things get complicated when you randomly start talking belligerently.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Oh¡­¡­really? But, that thing was in my spot¡­¡­¡±

    Lapris snapped her finger towards the small bird. I could tell by her voice she was getting frustrated.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you my head isn¡¯t a seat.¡±

    Yosh, my clothes should be good like this. I can¡¯t bring my entire wardrobe with me, so I stuck with whatever looked durable while also being cute. We will be going to the royal capitol after this after all. I will surely end up standing out if I¡¯m careless.

    ¡°No, huh? This thing¡¯s no ordinary bird. It has a little magic power to it.¡±

    While I was tightly stuffing my bag together like a sandwich to try and get everything to fit, Lapris spoke up again.

    ¡°Heh? Magic power?¡±

    ¡°This thing here. It¡¯s the phoenix.¡±

    Lapris once again pointed at the small bird. Certainly when you think of a phoenix you picture a reddish, burning image. And the little bird¡¯s wings are red.

    ¡°¡­..Oh. Ooooooh!? I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t realize.¡±

    ¡°No really, how didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re this thing¡¯s master.¡±

    Even if you ask me how, I don¡¯t remember ever summoning her.

    Ah, but Saluena came out on her own, and I suppose Unicorn usually walks around as a stuffed animal.

    I guess it¡¯s the same way for Phoenix, and this small bird is her usual form.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why she keeps sticking so close to me.¡±

    ¡°Is it putting on airs and acting like your knight or something? Impertinent. I wonder if it¡¯ll understand that it¡¯s no better than a henchman after I make it realize I¡¯m the senior here.¡±

    ¡°Henchman¡­¡­what should I do with her?¡±

    ¡°Well you¡­¡­.should build an army. We could have the strongest army ever.¡±

    An army¡­¡­ It¡¯s not the kind of answer you¡¯d expect to get back, and it¡¯s certainly not the kind of answer you would think to cause a girl¡¯s eyes to sparkle.

    ¡°Lapris, you¡¯re like a boy in how you think about things. And with how you talk too I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Hah? I¡¯m a woman though.¡±

    Lapris slid down to my shoulder and glared at me.

    ¡°I know. You wear such cute panties after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.Hah? H-Hah!? W-What are you looking at you pervert!¡±

    She slapped my cheek. But it didn¡¯t hurt at all.

    ¡°N-No but, when you wander around like you do, of course I¡¯m going to end up seeing them right!?¡±

    Lapris turned a much brighter shade of red than I had expected making me feel embarrassed as well.

    After an awkward air hung around us for a moment, our gazes naturally turned towards the small bird on my bed who was curiously looking back at us.

    ¡°S-So about this thing then.¡±

    ¡°R-Right.¡±

    I see, it¡¯s Phoenix. I haven¡¯t seen her since I summoned her to save Carol at St. Noglint.

    ¡°I thought after that¡­¡­¡±

    Lapris was making a rare, troubled face.

    ¡°This thing might be the original dweller of that gem.¡±

    That ¡®gem¡¯ is the dream gem from the pedestal that was now fitted into the ring I¡¯m wearing on my right index finger.

    ¡°Before the carbuncle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, carbuncles aren¡¯t the only type of spirits that live in jewels. And sometimes those spirits will fight each other over a spot in those stones. It seems like Phoenix was a spirit on Illya¡¯s side like Unicorn, but after it lost to the carbuncle, its power was added to the stone.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­so when the carbuncle was weakened and disappeared, Phoenix was able to come back to life?¡±

    ¡°Something like that. Which makes you this thing¡¯s lifesaver. Which is probably why it¡¯s so attached to you.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡­¡±

    The small bird-sized Phoenix flapped its wings and perched itself on my right hand before starting to chirp away once again. The longer I listen to its refreshing, cute voice, the happier I get. I rub my fingers against its cheek because it¡¯s just too cute.

    ¡°Uhu, cute ?¡±

    ¡°¡­..you¡¯re making a pudding face.¡±

    ¡°S-Shut up, leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°Well, you managed to score two spirits that sided with the hyurians in the Illyarian War by chance. Quite the accomplishment.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah, I suppose it is.¡±

    I never could have gone out to help Rose-san without Unicorn. And without Phoenix, Coral couldn¡¯t have been saved.

    Doesn¡¯t that make Unicorn and Phoenix my benefactors?

    ¡°Oh yeah, you said this child had some magic power in her when you looked at her. You were able to detect that I had some too when we first met¡­¡­¡±

    As I continued stroking Phoenix¡¯s cheek with my finger, Lapris proudly stuck out her chest from where she had perched herself on my shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah, we fairies can see that kind of a thing. We can see not just living organisms, but the magic power that lives inside them as well. It¡¯s why I¡¯ve heard that there are some fairies who appraise magic items in the capitol.¡±

    ¡°Heh, in that case, can you see what my magic power is right now? I didn¡¯t faint when I summoned Saluena¡¯s full power the other day. I was wondering what that means for me.¡±

    ¡°Hm~¡±

    Lapris opened her eyes wide and started looking at me seriously. For a short while my face was reflected in her beautiful, emerald-like eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re a completely different person compared to what you were like before. So I figure you would be fine summoning Anego now. Although you¡¯ll probably collapse if you do it for too long.¡±

    ¡°So it really is increasing. Is it because I defeated the dragon?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it is? Everything that lives in this world is under the Goddess¡¯s spell¡­¡­oh, I guess it¡¯s called the hymn now? It suppresses the power of the Primordial World when you hear it.¡±

    A thousand years ago, before the Goddess¡¯s wish came about. It seems like the world was filled with violence under the will of the Evil Dragon Osnell. Hyurians were no exception, constantly fighting among themselves with the strong prospering as the weak were culled. But, that was when the Goddess came forth, preaching creation instead of destruction. Harmony rather than conflict. Those who were tired of violence listened to her words and worked towards ending Osnell¡¯s rule and the world where they needed to kill one another.

    That is the general history of this world before the Illyarian War, but if this was all true, it means that the blood of the Primordial World flows through our bodies.

    ¡°The chains tying you down were bound to get broken when you fought that dragon and touched the dense primordial energy it carried. So you¡¯ve gotten stronger, and your magic power increased accordingly. Well but, of course something like that is going to happen when you beat a dragon. Otherwise, perhaps it¡¯s the Goddess¡¯s blessing at work?¡±

    Lapris stared at me as she talked.

    ¡°I knew there was theory about that out there, but that means if my level continues to rise¡­¡­.does that mean I¡¯m going to become like a dragon?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no way. You are who you are, for better or worse. Have you ever thought about blowing everything up since becoming a red rank?¡±

    ¡°No, never¡±

    ¡°See? The effect of the chant only applies to people¡¯s physical bodies, not their souls. If that were the case, we would have seen the second Illyarian War ages ago.¡±

    ¡°I-I suppose so¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡±

    Lapris jumped off my shoulder and landed on my left hand. With Phoenix still perched on my right, I became incapable of moving either of my arms.

    ¡°Anego already reserved your left ring finger as her sanctuary.¡±

    Lapris tapped the dark violet ring with her foot. It was the beautiful dark silver ring that served as the proof of the contract I made with Saluena.

    ¡°Yes, she said something like that when I first read the grimoire, but what does it being her sanctuary mean?¡±

    ¡°A sanctuary is literally their holy place. It means their affinity with you will be higher, and your magic efficiency will increase whenever you summon her. Anego is trying to reduce the burden on you as much as possible by designating the finger where you wear this ring as a sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°S-So that¡¯s what it was.¡±

    I figured it had some kind of meaning since Saluena was the one who was saying it, but it was a lot more important than I thought it would be.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s something only a high level magician could ever do.¡±

    ¡°Eh, so Saluena is a magician?¡±

    ¡°No, Anego has zero magic powers.¡±

    Hm? If Lapris is the one saying it, it¡¯s probably true. She¡¯s not the type of child to start randomly telling lies. But what she¡¯s saying now isn¡¯t matching up with what she was saying before.

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I know everything you know? But well, it¡¯s probably that right? You said you¡¯d make a contract with the Goddess, and the Goddess made you two a sanctuary. I can¡¯t know for sure though.¡±

    There was a glossed over part there at the end, but I feel like everything else has firmly settled in my brain.

    ¡°Lapris really does know a lot. Thanks for telling me everything.¡±

    Tired of just sitting there on my hand, Phoenix flew over to my window. So I had a free hand available to pat Lapris¡¯s head in thanks.

    ¡°Ah? Y-Yeah¡­¡­.! W-Well!? The great me really is smart!? The last hundred years of my life haven¡¯t all been sugar and rainbows you know.¡±

    I thought she was going to get annoyed with me, but she suddenly started looking happy with herself instead.

    ¡°Hoh¡­¡­..a hundred years? You¡¯re a hundred years old? Lapris is a grandma¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hey you, don¡¯t go thinking your hyurian measurements apply to us fairies. We fairies are a long-lived race that don¡¯t die unless we¡¯re killed.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. I¡¯m jealous.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve spent more than half my life inside the village, so it¡¯s not like I know that much.¡±

    ¡°But you know enough. I¡¯ll have to rethink how I see Lapris.¡±

    ¡°R-Really? Then could you subtly pass that along to Anego when you get a chance?¡±

    It looks like Lapris is still busy trying to earn points with Saluena.

    She¡¯s still a little uncomfortable around her since their reunion wasn¡¯t that great.

    I don¡¯t think Saluena has anything against Lapris though. As a matter of fact, I¡¯m pretty sure Saluena already sees her as a comrade since we fought against the carbuncle together.

    ¡°Ah, it looks like Phoenix wants to head out for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Then let¡¯s go for a walk! We¡¯ve got ourselves a long vacation, and it¡¯d be unhealthy to stay in our room like this the whole time.¡±

    Lapris quickly jumped up to the top of my head as she spoke.

    ¡°If that¡¯s really how you think, then how about flying by yourself every once in a while.¡±

    I think Lapris is developing a rivalry with Phoenix.

    She was tightly hanging on to my hair like she refused to hand her special seat on top of my head to anyone.

 CH 97

    Phoenix flew above the city¡¯s morning streets as if she were leading us along.

    Lapris hitched a ride on top of my head, and Unicorn trotted along at me feet.

    Needless to say, the gazes of people walking to work, shopping, and various others all gathered on us as we continued through the city.

    ¡°Thinking about it, was there something Lapris wanted?¡±

    But lately, I¡¯ve gotten used to being stared at, so I don¡¯t mind it as much anymore.

    ¡°Hm? Nothing really.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°What, am I not allowed to come without a reason?¡±

    I could hear a frustrated voice coming from the top of my head. Oh, did she misunderstand something?

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m happy to have you along if you have the time. I just thought I¡¯d ask if there was anywhere you wanted to go before I forget.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Lapris murmured. Apparently the misunderstanding was solved.

    ¡°This town is close to the fairy village, so I thought maybe some of my friends might have made their way here. It doesn¡¯t seem like it though.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m¡­¡­sorry to hear that.¡±

    Lapris¡¯s hometown is the fairy village in the middle of the Swansea Forest which was destroyed by a dark elf looking to resurrect the evil dragon Osnell. She originally went to the capitol Osnell in hope of finding her friends who dispersed after the attack, but she was brought to this town instead as soon as she arrived there.

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my fault. You might have already found your friends by now if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±

    ¡°What? N-Nah, it¡¯s nothing you need to apologize about specifically. I can always see my friends when we end up in Osnell later. Besides¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Lapris¡¯s grip around my hair suddenly tightened.

    ¡°Getting to see you again made me happy¡­¡­.¡±

    Oh my. I never thought words like that would pop out from Lapris¡¯s mouth. I can¡¯t tease her if this is how she¡¯s going to be.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m happy I got to see Lapris again too.¡±

    ¡°R-Really? Really? Hehe¡­¡­.well the great me is pretty cute, and I am a relatively rare fairy. It only makes sense you would feel that way.¡±

    I can¡¯t see her face, but I can imagine what it looks like from the sound of her voice. Right now Lapris is probably lying on her back, hands behind her head, with a nose a meter long.

    But it isn¡¯t a bother. I already know she¡¯s that kind of girl, and honestly, these days it¡¯s starting to become pretty cute when she acts like this.

    ¡°Anyway, just how far is that thing planning to go?¡±

    That ¡®thing¡¯ is her referring to Phoenix who is still flying through the air just ahead of us.

    She occasionally turns her head back to make sure we¡¯re still following behind her. The gesture is so cute I can feel my cheeks loosen whenever she does it.

    This birdie really is too adorable.

    We continued walking while absentmindedly thinking about things like that for a while. Phoenix did eventually stop. Right outside of Solretta Litta¡¯s protective wall.

    We were at the entrance to the forest, a little ways off from the highway where the snow was still in the process of melting, but tufts of lush, green grass were starting to poke through.

    Phoenix was happily singing away, perched on top of a branch where the snow had slipped off and green leaves were growing back in.

    ¡°We¡¯re a pretty long way from the city.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡±

    ¡°I know it was my idea for you to go for a walk, but is it really okay for us to be here? You¡¯re supposed to be a super important person to the church now right?¡±

    ¡°Hm~, you¡¯re probably right, but Unicorn is with us, so it¡¯ll be fine. The soldiers never said anything in particular when we came out here either.¡±

    Oh, but the soldiers are dispatched from the country and not the church, so maybe that¡¯s why they never said anything? Now that i¡¯m thinking about it, they did look a bit troubled when I told them I was heading outside.

    ¡°More importantly, is there something over on that branch next to Phoenix¡¯s?¡±

    I pointed to a branch slightly further into the forest, where the trees grew so thickly together that there was still some snow mixed together with the canopy.

    ¡°Hmm, is that a ribbon? But why is it in a place like this?¡±

    I had to squint my eyes to get a good look at it¨Cprobably because of how many books I read¨Cbut it certainly did look like a ribbon. It was the same light green as Lapris¡¯s clothes and gently swung with the wind blowing through.

    ¡°Huh, did the wind carry it here?¡±

    We¡¯re quite a distance away from the city at this point, but I suppose it¡¯s not so far that it¡¯d be impossible.

    ¡°Hmm? Hold on a minute. That ribbon is filled with magic power.¡±

    ¡°Eh, you¡¯re sure? You mean it¡¯s a magic item? But why is something like that in a place like this¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You already asked that. And I have no idea.¡±

    Quite right.

    ¡°Hey, big sister. Are you looking to take that ribbon?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.!?¡±

    Agreeing with Lapris¡¯s words and continuing to wonder what the answer could be in my head, a voice suddenly calling out from behind me caused me to spin around.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­.?¡±

    A girl had come up to us without us ever noticing. She looked like a proper aristocrat wearing leather boots, a shirt, skirt, and a thick coat overtop it all. But that¡¯s weird. Why is a girl like this standing here by herself in a place where nobody should be?

    (Eh, no way, it can¡¯t be¡­¡­)

    My mind immediately jumped to the very real possibility that this girl was a ghost. But when I looked, her feet were definitely firmly rooted to the ground. And taking a glance behind her, I could make out some footprints carved through the leftover snow that proved she had indeed walked this way.

    Although as far as I can tell, she came from a completely different direction than where we had.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­is that, yours?¡±

    We¡¯re not going to get anywhere if I stay perpetually surprised. I forced the gears in my head to start turning once again and forced out an, albeit trivial, question.

    ¡°Yep. That¡¯s Litzreich¡¯s important ribbon. It came untied, and the wind carried it away.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it happened.¡±

    I guess this ribbon belongs to this sleepy-looking little girl called Litzreich.

    There¡¯s a purplish tint here and there to her otherwise glossy white hair that extends down her back. I heard from Carol that werewolf pups have this kind of hair when they¡¯re young, but this girl doesn¡¯t have the ears or tail that a werewolf would.

    ¡°Lapris, can you grab it for her?¡±

    ¡°Ah? Why me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be easy for you since you can fly right? Come come, do it quickly. Her parents might get worried if she doesn¡¯t get back soon.¡±

    ¡°Wow, a fairy¡­¡­ Cute. I¡¯ve never seen one up close before.¡±

    ¡°Fua. Oi, did you hear that? She called me cute. She¡¯s pretty honest for a brat.¡±

    Pleased at being called cute, Lapris¡¯s wings lightly fluttered as she glid over towards the branch.

    It was a simple task for Lapris to fetch the ribbon, and she quickly floated back down with it in her hands.

    ¡°Here you are. Be sure to use a tighter knot this time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Miss Fairy. Big Sister too, thanks.¡±

    Litzreich-chan gave us a big smile as Lapris returned her ribbon and thanked us both.

    ¡°No no, it was our pleasure. Do you want me to tie it for you?¡±

    I¡¯ve been tying Sarah¡¯s hair since we were little, so I¡¯m pretty good at it. That¡¯s why I offered to help, but Litzreich-chan shook her head no.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good. Here, Big Sister can have it.¡±

    She then presented the ribbon to me.

    ¡°Eh¡­¡­are you sure? Didn¡¯t you say it was important to you?¡±

    ¡°Big Sister is kind. So, here you go.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, aren¡¯t I the one who got it for you?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Miss Fairy is nice too. Usually you¡¯d be more cautious if you suddenly met a girl in an out of the way place like this.¡±

    At that moment, Litzreich¡¯s smile morphed into something ominous, like foam bubbling out of a swamp.

    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s that ruby sitting on Big Sister¡¯s finger. It¡¯s very beautiful. I¡­¡­want it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.!?¡±

    ¡°O-Oi. Isn¡¯t this girl¡­..kind of dangerous?¡±

    I threw up my guard without even having to hear Lapris¡¯s warning. Unicorn must have felt something ominous coming off of her as well because she jumped in front of my legs as if to guard me.

    ¡°So, with this ribbon¡­¡­.let¡¯s trade?¡±

    But Litzreich-chan took another step forward, her foot sinking into the snow as if completely ignorant to our concern.

    ¡°N-No deal. This is very important to me.¡±

    I covered my right hand with my left, and Phoenix let out her own sharp cry as if to object to the offer as well.

    ¡°Hihi¡­¡­..Hihihihihihihii ?¡±

    Eh, whose laughter was that just now?

    Litzreich-chan?

    I was left dumbfounded hearing laughter that was just much too out of place considering who it was coming from. But there¡¯s no doubt that it really was  the small girl standing in front of me who had started laughing.

    ¡°I had heard there was a fine quality ruby sleeping here, but I thought I had gone and wasted my time when I found it wasn¡¯t there anymore¡­¡­.I never thought I¡¯d stumble upon it in a place like this.¡±

    Her voice still sounds like that of a little girl. But but, the tone was that of some wise, old woman.

    ¡°My ribbon was taken away by the wind only for your bird to find it and lead you here. Feels like destiny no?1¡±

    A strong feeling of discomfort crawled its way down my back.

    ¡°That jewel on your right hand¡­¡­tis the dream ruby yes? If you please¡­¡­.hand it over to me!!¡±

    Litzreich-chan¡­¡­..no, Litzreich reached her hand out towards me.

    ¡ª¡ªTing!!

    But before her hand could reach me, Unicorn¡¯s barrier shot up and repelled her touch.

    ¡°Nu? A barrier is it?¡±

    ¡°T-Thank you Unicorn!!¡±

    Unicorn recognized Litzreich as an enemy and automatically switched from defense to offense. A disk-shaped barrier with an edge sharp enough to easily chop down an ent went flying towards Litzreich.

    ¡°Hoh? I assumed it was no ordinary plush toy¡­¡­.¡±

    Litzreich pulled back the hand she had stretched out towards me and threw her arms in front of her body.

    *Gakiin!!*

    But this time, Litzreich managed to repel Unicorn¡¯s attack.

    ¡°Geh, what just happened!?¡±

    ¡°Kukuku¡­¡­.that¡¯s my line. That unicorn, is it the real deal?¡±

    Litzreich stood straight up, laughing fearlessly as some kind of black shadow squirmed and wriggled at her back. Just as I noticed it, it began twisting and morphing into a brand new shape¡­¡­..

    ¡°I-Iron¡­¡­.golem?¡±

    The shadow transformed into a piece of massive metal armor. If we¡¯re talking about golems, the ice golem we encountered outside of Relton Village would be the example freshest in my mind. But this thing has no legs. Nor does it seem to be able to move on its own. Its huge arms, thicker than tree trunks, appear to be moving alongside Litzreich¡¯s own hands. As she unfolds her arms out from in front of her chest, the golem¡¯s arms move in the exact same way.

    ¡°Kuhihi, my masterpiece. I would have been in trouble if my Magic Shell was cobbled together with mere scrap iron no?¡±

    ¡°M-Magic Shell?¡±

    This is what had actually repelled Unicorn¡¯s attack.

    The bulky, dark grey lump of metal doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯d be torn apart that easily.

    ¡°Bringing out something like this makes you a coward!!¡±

    ¡°Coward? What are you saying? What difference is there in being either fair or dastardly in combat? Kukuku, with that ruby in my grasp, I will become even closer to completing my Magic Shell. Now, hand it over. Give it to me!!¡±

    ¡°T-There¡­¡­.is no way I¡¯m doing that!!¡±

    The ring on my right index finger has already become part of my collection. And after being locked away for the past thousand years, I want to show Phoenix everything the present has to offer.

    ¡°Unicorn, please protect us for a short while!!¡±

    Unicorn is still in her stuffed toy state, but she is still able to create a single defensive barrier for us. So long as she can maintain that one barrier, there is no way for us to lose in a one-on-one fight.

    So what I should release right now isn¡¯t Unicorn¡­¡­

    ¡°Phoenix¡­¡­.let¡¯s go.¡±

    but her.

    1. Litzreich uses some older pronouns like washi which is usually only used by the elderly along with a couple other words not really used anymore.

 CH 98

    ¡°I now release the bonds on this world!!¡±

    I raise my right hand, kissing the red ring fitted onto my index finger.

    ¡°Mu? An aria?¡±

    ¡°The Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!!¡±

    And as my magic power flowed into the ring, it immediately transformed into a grimoire.

    ¡°A grimoire!? Who¡­¡­are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah!? Feeling scared now!? Nice, let¡¯s do this Iris!!¡±

    Pulling open the grimoire¡¯s cover, red lettering written in flames emerged from the sea of blank pages.

    The chilly air cut my throat as I took a deep breath in before I began spinning the spell that presented itself to me.

    ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Long forgotten tower perched atop the solitary island of a distant sea. Princess of Life who illuminates the world, spread your wings to the summit.¡±

    ¡°Hoh? Hoh!? This is interesting. Do you¡­¡­use a summoning technique?¡±

    Litzreich stayed in place without looking away. The Magic Shell developed to protect her had stalled in place as well, yet its intimidating appearance still held fast.

    ¡°Subjugate those who would disrupt the peace with your sweltering flames! Grant us the divine protection of rekindled ash!!¡±

    In contrast, Phoenix¡¯s appearance was changing before our very eyes.

    Its body which had been the size of a small bird but a moment ago had grown huge as it threw its wings and head up towards the sky to intimidate the enemy.

    ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forward¡­¡­.Phoenix!¡±

    And as my words came to an end, Phoenix descended.

    Satisfied at having her original body filled with power again after so long, she grandly flapped her wings overhead. Waves of heat spread outwards with each beat of her wings, pounding Litzreich¡¯s armor and burning away the leftover snow around her.

    ¡°Gu¡­..it can¡¯t be an illusion with this kind of heat. There¡¯s no doubt this is the genuine article.¡±

    The heat emanating from Phoenix¡¯s body caused the surrounding snow to rapidly sublimate, filling the area with a rising steam.

    ¡°¡­¡­.leave this place immediately. I¡¯m warning you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­and if I say no?¡±

    A daring smile spread across Litzreich¡¯s lips as she began to run forward, her Magic Shell coiling around her in protection.

    ¡°¡ª¡ª!?¡±

    Even with the remaining snow melted away, she advanced on us faster than I would have imagined possible.

    ¡°Snap out of it!! Enough with the warnings and just do it!!¡±

    ¡°¡­..Iris Calvafon commands my winged one.¡±

    Turning over my newest grimoire, a set of letters immediately appeared.

    It was a good order for Phoenix who had just gotten a chance to unfurl her wings.

    Words that would destroy the enemy with her sharp beak and burning talons.

    ¡°Reduce it to embers.¡±

    Phoenix¡¯s high-pitched crow caused the ground to shake. Her whole body lighting aflame, she stuck her talons out towards the approaching Litzreich.

    ¡°Nuhh!?¡±

    Phoenix¡¯s razor sharp talons dug into the arm of Litzreich¡¯s Magic Shell. Then the armor that had been able to even block one of Unicorn¡¯s barriers instantly changed from its normal dark grey to a vibrant red as it melted in place.

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°Ooh!? Keep it up Phoenix!! A henchman of the great me should be able to do at least this much!!¡±

    *Bong*¡­¡­.there was a low thud as the Magic Shell¡¯s arm collapsed to the ground.

    Litzreich stopped her advance upon seeing her mighty armor so easily lose an arm. She then quickly jumped back to try and get some distance away from Phoenix.

    ¡°Fuhaha, Fuhahahahahaha!! Magnificent!! A gem housing a summoned beast with this much power¡­¡­. I definitely want it!!¡±

    Despite being at a clear disadvantage, Litzreich¡¯s fearless smile did not waver.

    ¡°Hihihii, although¡­¡­I must say I am even more interested in its owner. Iris Calvafon was it? A wonderful name.¡±

    My name passed through Litzreich¡¯s lips as if she were savoring some delectable meal.

    ¡°¡­¡­..hm? Iris?¡±

    But, a second later she froze in place. She had so suddenly left herself defenseless that any tension that had hung in the air from our battle was completely lifted.

    ¡°Iris¡­¡­..Iris? Hmm, I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name before¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­oi? She suddenly looks really worried about something? What is up with this guy?¡±

    ¡°No, even if you ask me¡­¡­¡±

    This would certainly be the time for us to press the attack, but Litzreich right now¡­¡­it¡¯s like she¡¯s completely lost her fighting spirit. What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?

    ¡°Get down!!¡±

    It was just as Litzreich and I were both standing there uselessly with Phoenix hanging between the both of us.

    A loud shout echoed from somewhere nearby, and immediately after that, a deafening explosion split through the air.

    ?

    KRAKOOM¡ª¡ª!!

    Eh, what, what¡¯s going on? Everything before my eyes was dyed a blinding white as a powerful roar liable to split my eardrums rang all around me.

    It took several seconds for me to regain my senses and realize that a bolt of lightning had come down and struck the ground between me and Phoenix.

    ¡°Hero-chan, are you safe!? Rest assured that everything will be okay now that I am here!¡±

    A shrill voice cut through just as the ringing in my ears was starting to subside.

    I can only think of one woman who likes to call me Hero-chan like that.

    ¡°R-Rose-san¡­¡­.¡¯s relative, um, Yuhanna-sama?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, commander of the Shirayuri Knights, Yuhanna Rostinell. Splendidly coming to your rescue.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama is wearing her usual tight-fitting robe that requires courage and self-confidence to be able to pull off along with a fur coat draped over her shoulders. And a cane in hand. The tip of said cane was slightly alight, showing that the powerful lightning strike had come from her.

    ¡°Amazing power. I doubt a single hair on your head would be left if you got hit by something like that.¡±

    Lapris had moved to hide behind my head without me realizing and grumbled that into my ear. I can¡¯t say she was exaggerating though. You could fit a house into the large hole drilled into the ground where the lightning had struck, and the surrounding soil was burnt black and scorched. I¡¯ve never seen Grandpa perform powerful magic like this before.

    ¡°Hero-chan, you must get down!¡±

    Yuhanna-sama once again told me to take cover¡­¡­.and then for some reason pointed her cane towards Phoenix.

    ¡°Eh!?¡±

    ¡°I intentionally missed before, but now that I have properly introduced myself, we can have ourselves a proper duel. Let us have a fair fight, putting our lives and honor on the line¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Wai-, wai-, wai-, wai-!! Wait just a moment please Yuhanna-sama!! This child is my ally!!¡±

    Phoenix is going to get attacked if I leave things like this. As the realization hit me, my legs moved on their own and I jumped in Yuhanna-sama¡¯s line of sight.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    This time it was Yuhanna-sama¡¯s turn to be surprised as she blinked a couple times in confusion. She lowered her cane which was just about to throw out some more lightning when she happened to turn her gaze away from me¡­¡­.towards Litzreich.

    ¡°W-What is going on here Litzreich?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    I feel like me, Lapris, and Yuhanna-sama have only been saying ¡°Eh?¡± for a while now.

    But it can¡¯t be helped.

    Because I really have no idea what¡¯s going on here.

    ?

    ¡°W-What the hell were you doing~~~~~~~~!!?¡±

    In a space close to the forest where the snow had mostly melted and the lush spring fields had begun to surface, Yuhanna-sama¡¯s voice echoed throughout.

    ¡°You understand that the entire reason why we came to this town was to protect this girl right!? The aforementioned Hero-chan!? So how, in what possible way, did you take what I said and decide to attack her!?¡±

    ¡°Because, she has a dream ruby gem. I wanted it.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama¡¯s face was as red as the aforementioned ruby as she continued to shout at Litzreich who was standing there pouting with her arms crossed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before not to attack someone just because they have something you want!? How many times do I need to tell you that if you want something, you pay for it, or ask for it, or any one of the many, many, many options available to you that doesn¡¯t involve starting a fight¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I did what you said and offered something in compensation though? You nagging old hag.¡±

    ¡°Who is an old hag!? I¡¯m still only 27!! I¡¯m still young enough to meet somebody and get married any time I want!!¡±

    Um, what is this? All of the sudden Yuhanna-sama started screaming while looking like the world was ending and marched on Litzreich even though her Magic Shell was still out. And that brings us to the current situation.

    ¡°Um, sorry¡­¡­ I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going, but I take it Litzreich¡­¡­.san and Yuhanna-sama know each other?¡±

    ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know this person. Is what I want to say, but yes, Litzreich is a friend.¡±

    As soon as it had become apparent that the situation was in my favor, Lapris jumped out from where she had been hiding for a while now from behind me.

    ¡°Oi oi oi oi oi! That friend of yours suddenly attacked us and mmhmph mmphmm¡­¡­¡­.!¡±

    I figured she would only make the situation even more complex, so I immediately shut her mouth.

    ¡°Yes yes. Let¡¯s be quiet for a bit Lapris.¡±

    ¡°Recently you¡¯ve been treating me roughly¡­¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s times like these I wish Toslin was here, but unfortunately she¡¯s in critical condition wrestling with a severe hangover. I can¡¯t count on her to rush in.

    ¡°You¡¯re usually a shut-in, so I was excited when you said you wanted to go out, but I never thought it was so you could attack Hero-chan¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go out with the express purpose of attacking her. I was just trying to get her ring. I never had any plans to hurt her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to say something like that when you have already pulled out your weapon!?¡±

    ¡°I released my Magic Shell to protect myself from the attack of that stuffed animal over there. I only ever reached out my hand. And I don¡¯t even know the reason why I was attacked in the first place. That¡¯s the truth. It matters not to me how I was interpreted.¡±

    It almost looks like I¡¯m watching a fight between Toslin and Carol right now. Maybe that¡¯s how Lapris thought too because when I took my finger away from her mouth, she only let out a sigh without adding on any new complaints.

    ¡°¡­¡­haa¡­¡­¡±

    Yuhanna-sama gave her own deep sigh as well before turning away from Litzreich towards me. She then gave me a deep, apologetic bow.

    ¡°Litzreich has been unthinkably rude to you at this time. An apology is owed before anything else.¡±

    ¡°Uh, um¡­¡­yes, well¡­..nobody was injured¡­¡­ I don¡¯t especially mind¡­.. Also, we were technically the ones who attacked first, so we should be the ones saying sorry.¡±

    ¡°No no no, anyone would misunderstand with her. Didn¡¯t she look like she was about to leap at us? Then there¡¯s no way she can complain even if we did attack back.¡±

    ¡°I am in no way defending Litzreich, but I truly do not believe she had any intention of hurting you. I can guarantee that much at least on my name.¡±

    Bowing once again, Yuhanna-sama slapped the back of Litzreich¡¯s head.

    ¡°Hey, Litzreich. Use your own mouth to apologize.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, any sane person knows that much without having to be told. I will admit that the fault here lies with me. I shall also introduce myself as thanks for showing me such an unusual sight. I am Litzreich Rinrin. The devil.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Hah?¡±

    Somehow I feel like I¡¯ve been giving the same insipid reply all day today. I¡¯m sure Lapris is thinking the same thing right now.

    ¡°Um, the devil¡­¡­the one who came from another world and almost ripped out the Hero¡¯s soul, that devil?¡±

    In my favorite novel Adventures of Ranroot there is a being known as the devil. Said to have power that rivals the Goddess¡¯s, it is a being described in the Illyarian Scriptures as having a will contrary to the Goddess¡¯s and is often regarded as the ultimate enemy of humankind.1

    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Litzreich likes to call herself that for some reason. She is actually my lieutenant, the deputy commander of the Shirayuri Knights. She¡¯s also an instructor for an academy in Osnell-Tari.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe this person; I really am the devil. Research is my purpose. I am here to investigate this world of Van Delucia. However, I have resided in this world for ten years now and still know almost nothing. Currently I am focusing my efforts on investigating any strange and mysterious gems.¡±

    ¡°Oh, like this jewel?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. So give it to me. Once you¡¯ve given it to me I shall compensate you with whatever it is you so desire.¡±

    ¡°T-That is definitely impossible! This is basically Phoenix¡¯s house.¡±

    Ah, I forgot to mention that Phoenix had already returned to her diminutive stature. The magic power it was taking to keep her out was nothing to laugh about, and more importantly, it was getting much too hot around here.

    ¡°I believe it is better to not take what Litzreich says seriously? Well, she is fairly knowledgeable and the part about her studying gems is true.¡±

    ¡°So rude. That¡¯s what you have to say about me after everything I¡¯ve done for you?¡±

    ¡°Right, so basically, you aren¡¯t our enemy?¡±

    Lapris dragged things back to the root of the matter before the conversation was derailed again. Litzreich nodded her head though with a serious look.

    ¡°I truly am a devil, but while I do call myself the devil, it is only because it was the most appropriate word to describe my existence upon arriving in this world. Different from your traditional devil as I hold no animosity towards your goddess.¡±

    ¡°Okay, s-so that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Well from the viewpoint of a goddess who manages this world, an existence such as mine who comes from another world and does whatever she wants may be seen as a nuisance.¡±

    So she really did come from another world then?

    Osnell¡¯s body and Saluena¡¯s power as the Dark Violet Knight are sealed away in the world of darkness Endura.

    With another world like that out there, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised there are worlds beyond just these two.

    ¡°Hmph. It seems you and the gem are inexorably linked. So pulling you apart¡­¡­would not be pragmatic?¡±

    Ah, it seems like she¡¯s finally going to give up.

    I will be in Yuhanna-sama¡¯s care for the foreseeable future, so the real reason is most likely because she doesn¡¯t want to cause more work for her friend.

    I¡¯m relieved this person has more common sense than I gave her credit for though.

    ¡­¡­.is what I thought¡­¡­

    ¡°Then Iris. Why don¡¯t you become mine instead?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­..Yes?¡±

    ¡°To be frank, after this incident I have become more interested in you than that gem. Grimoire Master? What is that? What can you do? What can you accomplish? I want to study you? I need to study you? How about it? Trust me with your time and body for just a short while? Let¡¯s see, a simple hundred years should be all I need.¡±

    ¡­¡­.I take everything back. This person is dangerous.

    Let¡¯s do everything we can to not get close to this person.

    Seeing Litzreich¡¯s insane smile, I hardened my resolve.

    ?

    Yuhanna-sama offered to present me with a formal apology when we arrived at the royal capitol.

    I declined at first because I wanted this whole affair to be over and done with, but I relented when she insisted such an apology was absolutely necessary.

    And so, we finished up with a few words about the royal capitol before everyone returned to town.

    Right before we parted, Litzreich handed me the ribbon that had started the whole affair. It seemed like it was meant as an apology, so I accepted it. Taking it in hand though made me recall what Lapris had said earlier.

    This ribbon is a magic item.

    So of course I had to ask.

    ¡°What kind of magic is infused in it?¡±

    Litzreich responded with an overly proud expression.

    ¡°This ribbon contains magic that gets cats to like you.¡±

    I carefully folded up the ribbon as her answer bounced around in my head.

    I then slid the ribbon into the same bag where I keep the new fairy feather Lapris had given me.

    ?

    Saluena and Rose-san returned home shortly after the sun had begun to dip below the horizon.

    ¡°Ah, welcome home.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re home.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to be back so late.¡±

    It was almost time for supper. Toslin and Carol are here along with the rest of us sitting in the living room as a good scent from the kitchen slowly flows through the rest of the house.

    The two of them came over for a visit this afternoon, and we had a quiet chat over a cup of tea.

    Lapris is currently in the kitchen by the way. She¡¯s using her role as taste tester to justify herself snacking away before the food is done. Phoenix is nestled on top of Unicorn¡¯s back, singing cheep cheep to welcome the two of them home as well.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay the night?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking the two of us? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we returned to the inn, and you two can have some more alone time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that certainly does sound attractive as well, but I am afraid Rosa has already told me she is returning to the inn tonight.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better for two sisters to spend whatever time they can have together Rose?¡±

    Realizing that it was pointless for her to try and tease Saluena, Carol moved her focus over to Rose-san.

    ¡°I have already been greatly spoiled by Oneesama today.¡±

    But Rose-san answered the tease with a warm smile, not showing any sign of being shaken.

    ¡°¡­¡­..Gu, not what I was expecting¡­¡­¡±

    Carol wanted to enjoy herself by making fun of others, but the happy aura Rose-san was giving off purified her wicked soul and caused her to collapse on top of the table.

    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Saluena slipped on her apron, tied back her hair, and disappeared into the kitchen like she always does.

    After seeing off Saluena¡¯s back, Rose-san moved beside me.

    ¡°¡­¡­Iris-san, are you¡­¡­.okay?¡±

    ¡°Fua? Y-Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Of course.¡±

    I hurriedly jumped to my feet and pulled out a chair. Rose-san politely brushed off the winkles in her skirt before setting herself down into it.

    ¡°Thank you¡±

    ¡°No no¡±

    Rose-san looks more refreshed than she was this morning.

    Seeing that, I was happy.

    I wasn¡¯t able to notice Rose-san¡¯s troubles, so I¡¯m glad Saluena could be there for her.

    But¡­¡­.

    ¡°Rose-san~¡±

    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±

    Rose-san looked me in the eyes with an elegant smile on her lips.

    A hazy feeling rose in my chest when I saw that smile.

    ¡°Was it fun?¡±

    ¡°Yes, very much so? I am grateful to you Iris-san. For making those suggestions¡­¡­for my and Oneesama¡¯s¡­¡­date.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good then.¡±

    This hazy feeling is jealousy, and it¡¯s because I¡¯m currently feeling jealous. I already know there is nothing to be gained from me being jealous.

    But what makes me feel gloomy, makes me feel gloomy.

    I want Rose-san to always be next to me with that same smile always turned my way.

    Just like how we are right now. When she smiles, I want to be the first one she turns towards. I want Rose-san to see me as her number one.

    ¡°Next time we have some time off, let¡¯s go on a date together?¡±

    So, I worked up my courage.

    No, perhaps it would be better to call this selfishness than courage.

    I calculate my invitation in the exact way to make it impossible for Rose-san to refuse.

    ¡°Is it¡­¡­no good?¡±

    There was a little obstinance mixed in a with a bit of jealousy, but I still laughed as I asked.

    My question was enough to make Rose-san¡¯s eyes shoot open. I got a little nervous feeling an adult atmosphere come off from those long eyelashes of hers. And then my heartbeat picked up. What am I going to do if she says no?

    ¡°Yes. If you are fine with me, it would be my pleasure?¡±

    But, my worries were needless. A sweet smile blossomed across her face like a flower in bloom,

    ¡°Yippee?¡±

    and I unintentionally let my excitement pass through my lips. I took her smile as a sign of our promise and hugged Rose-san¡¯s arm. She smells like a slice of sweet cake.

    ¡°Fufu, today¡¯s Iris-san is in high spirits. Did something good happen?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s got you looking like that?¡±

    If there¡¯s something that has me in a good mood, it would be this moment right here. Everything else that happened today¡­¡­makes me want to groan.

    ¡°Please listen Rose-san. All sorts of things happened today.¡±

    I put my thoughts in order and started to tell the story.

    First thing in the morning I found a red bird sitting on my pillow. That was Phoenix. Then I met a self-proclaimed devil outside the city walls. And that devil¡­¡­was actually a friend of Yuhanna-sama.

    Lapris came in and threw her own bits here and there causing the story to derail several times, but the night is long and we have plenty of time.

    The day is rolling towards it end. So we had a leisurely, quiet conversation together over our supper.

    ?

    ¡°Yosh~, did we forget anything? Then it¡¯s time for us to head out.¡±

    And then the final day rolled around.

    The day I would be leaving my hometown and set out for the royal capitol of Osnell-Tari.

    1. Just for clarity¡¯s sake, hyurians refer to people like you and me while ¡®humans¡¯ would refer to any race including elves, werewolves, etc.

 CH 99

    This is a tale about the everchanging world Van Delucia.

    A world of swords and magic, knights and mages, fairies and dragon.

    Here there are Gods, and there are Demons.

    Here the mysteries are still mysteries, just waiting for someone to find the truth.

    An adventurer setting off on a rainbow to climb the heavens.

    An adventurer who brought a friend on a journey and challenged a dragon living in the sky.

    And another adventurer who challenged a labyrinth in the clouds, defeating an evil mage and rescuing a fair princess.

    In this world, there are many such epic tales grabbing the hearts of the adventurers who hear them.

    However even in a strange and magical world like this, there are still people who are just trying to live their lives.

    A Hero cannot live without bread, and without a people to lead there can be no princesses.

    And without a bard to sing of its tale, how will any know about a dragon¡¯s fearsome power?

    The girl in this story was just one of many at first.

    With no glorious honors or dazzling treasures, she is but an ordinary village girl.

    I am Gustav.

    Time Narrator Gustav.

    My lord is a faithful servant of that ever fickle silence, so I act as their eloquent mouthpiece.

    Momentous deeds done by those born to be a hero do not need to be polished in order to shine.

    With that being the case, I shall regale you with the tale of an innocent young girl.

    The tale of an inheritor whose growth into being a hero is only just beginning.

    ?

    The morning of our departure was blessed with fine weather.

    It was a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight.

    The Water Dragon¡¯s Tail no longer hangs over our heads. By now it should be leisurely streaming over some other traveler¡¯s head.

    (Speaking of which, I never did get to see any goldfish swimming through. Well, not that I would be able to see that far even if there were any fish swimming through the sky.)

    So then, we have been in Solretta Litta for about three weeks now?

    When we got here, it was still very cold, and it snowed. I slipped on some ice, my butt landed on the frozen cobblestone, and it really hurt.

    The gate Unicorn had sent flying stood before me. Restoration is still being performed on it even now as we perform the final confirmation of supplies needed before we leave.

    ¡°Unicorn. Please take care of Onee-chan.¡±

    My little sister Sarah¡¯s red hair caught the wind as she picked up the stuffed toy Unicorn into her arms and spoke to her.

    Three weeks ago I had to wear a fluffy coat when I was outside, but now that things have started to warm up, I can get by with just a sweater. Well, my sweater is pretty fluffy as well.

    ¡°You too Sarah, take care.¡±

    Sarah looked up as I brushed my hand through her hair. And this time, she reached up and held my hand against her cheek.

    ¡°I will be all right. I¡¯m more worried about you Onee-chan. Are you going to eat properly when I¡¯m not there with you? You¡¯re not going to have trouble eating or sleeping in?¡±

    ¡°No no, of course I am going to be okay. Even if I say it¡¯s gotten warmer, it¡¯s still getting cold at night, so I won¡¯t do anything reckless.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m talking to Onee-chan that I have to¡­¡­. Well, it¡¯s okay. If I¡¯m ever worried, I can just see how you¡¯re doing through Unicorn.¡±

    ¡°Oh, now that you mention it, you can do that.¡±

    ¡°I sure can! I won¡¯t be able to cook you anything, but I can at least wake you up in the morning!¡±

    My little sister struck her chest with her fist in pride, and in the end I hugged her close once again.

    ¡°¡­¡­Onee-chan¡­¡­come home again.¡±

    ¡°Of course. This is where I belong.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Yep. That¡¯s right. I, will be waiting. Sarah-chan and I will be waiting for you to get back!!¡±

    Walking up from behind us, Mycena showed up out of nowhere and hugged both me and Sarah while we were already hugging each other.

    A single leaf from a solretta tree clung to her darkened and dirty hair. It¡¯s just like Mycena to have not noticed.

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    ¡°That reaction¡­¡­isn¡¯t it a little thin?¡±

    ¡°No, but¡­¡­even if you say you¡¯re waiting for me, I¡¯m not your child.¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re going to be family after this!! Right, Sarah-chan!¡±

    ¡°Mycenyan is energetic as always. Well you always make me feel lively as well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I always love it whenever I¡¯m with you Sarah-chan.¡±

    ¡°Where does that level of self-confidence come from?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I love being with you too Mycenyan.¡±

    Even though Sarah doesn¡¯t have to humor her, she still says things like that¡­¡­

    ¡°L-L-¡­¡­.Love! Did you hear that? Just now, did you hear her?¡±

    and puts Mycena up on cloud nine.

    ¡°Yes yes, I heard I heard. You¡¯ve been repeating this same exchange for the past couple of days you know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how deep our love goes! That¡¯s why when Iris comes back home next time, you¡¯re going to have a brand new sister in the family. Please treat me well Onee-san!¡±

    ¡°I can see nothing but a noisy future with you being part of my family. I refuse.¡±

    ¡°Fufufufu, Iris is still saying things like that. But, I will become your sister. And then someday I will marry Iris too, and both you sisters will be mine!!¡±

    Never happening. Talking to this girl causes any solemn atmosphere that hung in the air because I was about to leave off on a journey to rapidly dissipate. Right up until it was gone altogether.

    ¡°Yes yes, go for it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will go for it!! So you go for it too Iris!! Until then!!¡±

    Planting a kiss on my and Sarah¡¯s cheeks, Mycena waved farewell before running off again.

    ¡°¡­¡­honestly, so noisy¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°But, you look happy. Onee-chan.¡±

    Sarah spoke up beside me as I watched the shrinking back of my best friend.

    ¡°Well, maybe. But she is my friend. Could you tell Mycena something for me since she ran off before I got a chance to say it? Thank you for coming to see me off. Also, I¡¯ll remember to buy you a souvenir this time, so look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Sure? And bring me one too.¡±

    Unashamedly asking me for a souvenir of her own, Sarah kissed me in the same place Mycena had before.

    I returned her kiss, and the farewell for now with my sister came to an end.

    ?

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to track down the elf that appeared near Relton village, but we will contact you through the church as soon as we pick up a trail.¡±

    Aronda-san is talking to Rose-san a short distance away. Needless to say, the elf they¡¯re referring to is the dark elf.

    ¡°Yes, of course. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at any time Priestess Aronda.¡±

    The church and us are still the only ones who know that a dark elf has attacked a fairy village and stolen a shard of the Grief Sphere¡­¡­.at least that¡¯s how it should be.

    I¡¯ve done a good job of keeping my lips sealed and not telling my parents about it either¡­¡­.I think. My memory gets a little fuzzy whenever alcohol is involved.

    ¡°Right when I think you¡¯ve come back to us you¡¯re running off once again. Moreover this time you¡¯re heading to the royal capitol¡­¡­.that¡¯s a long way.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa! You came¡±

    ¡°Fuo fo fo. It¡¯s only natural that I see off my cute disciple.¡±

    Ferdinand-san, my magic teacher and the oji-san who lives next door.

    I told him beforehand I would be leaving today, but the walk here causes his knees to hurt, so I wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be able to make it.

    ¡°That¡¯s my official reason at least.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Official reason?¡±

    ¡°Fuo fo fo. Actually, I wanted to give you this since you¡¯re headed to the capitol.¡±

    Grandpa pulled out a letter from his pocket as he spoke and passed it over to me.

    ¡°I send out a letter every year when the snow begins to thaw. Can I have you deliver it for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course I can.¡±

    I accepted the letter and took a look at the address. Scrawled write across the front was Osnell¡¯s Magic Guild. It¡¯s the royal capitol, so I always figured there would be guilds like this there in the back of my head.

    ¡°Should I just hand it to one of the guild¡¯s receptionists?¡±

    ¡°Mm. Give them my name, and it will make its way to the right person. And for compensation, take this.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­a book?¡±

    ¡°The culmination of my hard work. All the experience I¡¯ve gained living and fighting as a sorcerer is written down in those pages.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­eh, Grandpa, something so important¡­..¡±

    ¡°Iris, I have been teaching you how to be a witch since you were small. Although you have a meager portion of magic power and have difficulties getting it to manifest, you have the knowledge. That is why you will be more than capable of understanding the information inscribed in this book. Your magic is different from my own. But I believe there are similarities in how they are used. This book will definitely be of great help to you.¡±

    Grandpa passed me the book while making the same smile he gave me ten years ago.

    ¡°Passing this on to you will be my last lesson as a teacher.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Grandpa¡­¡­¡±

    I hugged the book close.

    It¡¯s brand new, freshly bound, and still smells of ink.

    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Stay healthy Iris. The next time we meet, I expect to see a beautiful woman I will barely recognize.¡±

    ¡°Jeez, it¡¯s going to be a problem if you expect something that unreasonable to happen.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? You¡¯re already beautiful enough.¡±

    ¡°Ugyah!?¡±

    Just when I heard her voice come from right next to me, Saluena brushed her hand against my cheek.

    It was really sudden and felt cold, so I got surprised and jumped up in place.

    Uu, the stares I¡¯m getting hurt¡­¡­

    ¡°Knight, Saluena-dono. I entrust this child to you.¡±

    ¡°Iris is my master. Should my sword break and my shield shatter, I vow to continue defending her for as long as this body continues to draw breath.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.if so, I can rest easy. Then, it¡¯s fine for you to go. This town is too small for you now.¡±

    Grandpa¡¯s wrinkled hand patted my head one last time.

    As a child, and even now, it¡¯s the hand of the sorcerer I admire.

    ¡°I will, definitely come home. So stay healthy until then.¡±

    ?

    ¡°Yosh, are we forgetting anything? If not, then let¡¯s head out.¡±

    After one final inventory check, Toslin gave the word to move out, and Goldmund began pulling our carriage with its top down.

    Carol was currently sitting at the driver¡¯s seat, and Lapris had found herself on top of Carol¡¯s head at some point. I had to stop and marvel at how quiet they were being.

    Are they trying to be mindful since I¡¯m parting from my family and the town I grew up in? I turned towards my parents while thinking that.

    ¡°So then. Dad, Mom¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re off.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, okay?¡±

    I talked with Dad and Mom a lot last night.

    Dad gave me an assortment of different medicines, and Mom prepared me some books to read during the trip.

    That¡¯s why we were done after such a short exchange. Next time I come home, I will have to make sure to give them back what I have received a hundred fold.

    I jumped into the carriage that had already started to roll away¡­¡­.is how it was supposed to happen, but the carriage was moving faster than I thought, and my hand missed where I was aiming.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m falling¡­¡­.the realization ran through my head, but one jump ahead on top of the carriage, Rose-san threw out her hand and grabbed mine.

    ¡°I shall pull you in.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    One quick pull of the arm, and I was brought safely into the carriage. At the very last moment I ended up showing everyone who came to see me off something completely uncool. Uu, so embarrassing.

    ¡°They¡¯re waving.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right!¡±

    Rose-san gestured behind me to where Sarah, Mom, Dad, and Grandpa were all waving farewell. Along with Aronda-san, Elzella-san, and all the other sisters. The soldiers, the carpenters, the lumberjacks, everyone who had taken care of us these last three weeks came to celebrate our journey.

    I leaned off the side of the carriage and waved back. The wind was still a bit chilly, but all the blood rushing to my head made the breeze feel pleasant.

    My journey begins from this point on.

    My desire, my adventure.

    Into the same world the characters from my books traveled through, I will now¡­¡­.take the first step by my own will.

 CH 100

    Over a hundred knights were lined up and waiting for us after we passed through the gate.

    The spectacle of an army of female knights clad in silver armor lined up at attention is nothing short of mind-boggling.

    There was enough food and fuel for us and the hundred others. We had all sorts of goods loaded onto the carriages, but this was still a tremendous amount.

    ¡°We¡¯re already a caravan at this point.¡±

    Coachman Carol laughed from up front. That¡¯s right, surely anyone would think that to be true if they were to see all the stuff we¡¯re carrying with us. But, with a hundred knights acting as its guard, there is no way any bandits would be stupid enough to try and attack.

    ¡°It will take us two weeks to reach Osnell-Tari. If we consider it a round trip, it will be at least a month before you are able to return home. Have you properly said your farewells?¡±

    Straddling her horse at the front of the line was Yuhanna-sama, the leader of the Shirayuri Knights who welcomed us with a smile as we approached.

    ¡°Yes. Sorry to have kept you waiting.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I was only able to speak with them for a short while, but they seemed like wonderful parents.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡±

    Yuhanna-sama peered over her horse¡¯s neck as we came close and gave Goldmund a quick look over.

    ¡°My, this child¡­¡­.is this Goldmund?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Why¡­¡­.oh¡­..I see.¡±

    ¡°I still remember the day Rosalith brought this mud-covered child home. She tried to keep him a secret and smuggled him into her room. She ended up being found out immediately though when the unexplained noises scared me awake in the middle of the night.¡±

    ¡°A-About that¡­¡­I apologize for the trouble Auntie¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san shrank back in one corner of our carriage. An apologetic Rose-san whose face is slightly red from embarrassment is too precious for words.

    Anyway, a mud-caked Goldmund huh? Rose-san might have been an unexpectedly mischievous child when she was younger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it. But to think, together with this child¡­¡­.fufufu, you never know what¡¯s going to happen in life. For this dolinp who had been so small and even injured to grow so strong and even assist you in your journey¡±

    For a small moment, Yuhanna-sama sat there and gazed deeply at Goldmund.

    ¡°It would be great if the same could be said of our meeting.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what else to say. The first time we met, Yuhanna-sama left a rather severe first impression. So I clammed up, not wanting to say anything that would sour the mood. And then she said it was okay for me to use just ¡®-san¡¯ with her name as well. For just a bit, I couldn¡¯t help but think she¡¯s a little like Saluena.

    ¡°¡­¡­perhaps I seemed a bit smug at first? I admit I was somewhat stressed at the time in anticipation for our departure.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama then suddenly clapped her hands together as her expression changed.

    ¡°Now then, the Shirayuri Knights shall depart. Our mission, to escort the dragon slaying hero Iris Calvafon to the royal capitol of Osnell-Tari. Without a scratch on her of course! Is that understood!?¡±

    All one hundred knights responded to Yuhanna-sama¡¯s call as a loud, ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am!¡± rang through the air.

    The line of knights broke in two, sandwiching our carriage between then, and our long march began.

    ?

    The journey was more comfortable than I expected it to be.

    I¡¯m enjoying three square meals a day even without having to do anything. They¡¯re really tasty meals to boot. Yuhanna-sama told me later that the knights hired their own personal cook who travels with them.

    So I end up lying back and lazing around several times each day. That¡¯s all I do actually.

    Oh, sometimes I go up to the coachman¡¯s seat so that Toslin or whoever else is driving can have someone to talk to. We work in shifts holding Goldmund¡¯s reins, but Goldmund is so clever that it¡¯s almost meaningless. If we want him to walk, we tell him to walk, and if he needs to stop, we only need to tell him to stop.

    So in other words, everyone has nothing but free time.

    Hmm? Isn¡¯t this somewhat too different from how I imagined my grand adventure going?

    Then again, if I think about how rare it would be to travel while guarded by a squadron of knights, I could see this as being a valuable experience.

    ¡°Oh, so the sky is blue today too¡­¡­¡±

    What I¡¯m trying to say is that I¡¯ve spent the last three days bored out of my mind. I¡¯ve gotten used to the vibrations from the swaying carriage to the point where it is actually comfortable. Like I¡¯m resting inside a cradle.

    Ah, I¡¯m sleepy.

    Just when I felt like my consciousness was going to be sucked up into the wide open sky, somebody suddenly shook my shoulders.

    ¡°Hey¡±

    ¡°Mmmra?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re completely out of it Iris. A worse person would¡¯ve doodled something on your forehead.¡±

    ¡°Doodled¡­..¡±

    Carol was looking into my face with her hand still on my shoulder. I blinked a couple of times before sitting up.

    ¡°Hafu¡­¡­.so, what¡¯s going on? Is it already time for lunch?¡±

    Carol was giving me an amazed look as I did my best to stifle a yawn.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like our positions should be reversed here?¡±

    The way she¡¯s saying that, I¡¯m guessing she doesn¡¯t mean it as a compliment. But it can¡¯t be helped right? I don¡¯t having anything else to do.

    ¡°Rude. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t feel like doing anything.¡±

    By the way, right now Toslin and Saluena are stationed at the coachman¡¯s seat.

    As for Rose-san, she is sitting back next to the luggage with Lapris and Phoenix resting on her lap. The two of them were making a racket a short while ago and tired themselves out. So now the both of them are peacefully napping away and using Rose-san¡¯s thighs as their personal pillows.

    ¡°But I feel sick whenever I read on a moving carriage. That means my only options left are to eat, sleep, or talk to someone.¡±

    Of course I would like to spend my time more productively.

    I would love to read the book Grandpa gave me, and if possible, spend some time testing out what¡¯s written in there.

    But most of our day is spent on the move which means I have little time to practice my magic.

    ¡°No, I understand that. Food as the best way to kill time? I can relate. But I might also end up wondering how well my clothes are going to fit if I lived idly like this for two whole weeks.¡±

    ¡°No stop, that is¡­¡­.¡±

    Impossible¡­¡­.is what I really want to say, but I¡¯ve been worried about that a lot myself lately. I¡¯ve caught myself rubbing my tummy every morning to check.

    ¡°¡­¡­.maybe.¡±

    ¡°See~? So you shouldn¡¯t lie down so much. If you¡¯d like, I could teach you a time killing game you can play when riding in a carriage, but¡±

    ¡°Eh, really? That would be a great help.¡±

    ¡°But, in return¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol¡¯s voice dropped low as she slowly brought her face closer to mine.

    She¡¯s going to kiss me¡­¡­.a thought like that crossing my mind shows just how much my mind has been poisoned because of my time with Mycena. And how excessively self-conscious I am.

    Obviously Carol would never ask for something like that as a¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°What, letters?¡±

    Surprisingly, Carol¡¯s request was for me to teach her the alphabet instead.

    ¡°Yep. Is it no good though?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. Rather, if you wanted to learn, I would¡¯ve been happy to teach you even without getting something in return.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. But that¡¯s a bit¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol¡¯s eyes momentarily turned towards the coachman¡¯s seat. I followed her gaze, but it was just Saluena and Toslin up there like they had been before.

    It looked like the two of them were talking about something between themselves and weren¡¯t paying the two of us any mind.

    ¡°I, want to keep it a secret from Toslin¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­a secret too.¡±

    Carol smiled shyly as she replied.

    A secret though?

    Well if Carol is looking to learn the alphabet, then there is no way I can afford to miss this opportunity. If I can teach her how to read, I should be able to get her interested in books as well. Then I can recommend my favorite books to her, and the two of us can talk about what we think of them when we¡¯re done.

    ¡°OK, got it.¡±

    Pushing my curiosity over the secret to the back of my mind, I nodded my head at the opportunity to increase my book friends by one.

 CH 101

    A few days after departing from Solretta Litta. Our carriage safely found its way to Rifront.

    ¡°Rifront, the Fairy¡¯s Tear. A name not completely unrelated to us.¡±

    Apparently a knight ran ahead of us to secure lodgings in advance. So we can sleep in an actual bed for the first time since starting our journey.

    ¡°Right. But, even though I stayed here for six months, I never once saw a fairy here. Although I suppose I never did go out during the night.¡±

    There are a couple of places you can stay the night in Rifront, but of course our group is going to be staying at the Shining Hen, the place that has already taken care of us for over half a year.

    And so now, we¡¯re going to return the favor by supplying this town with the business of a hundred traveling knights.

    ¡°Unload the luggage from Solretta here. Litzreich. I¡¯ll leave transporting the cargo to you.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama quickly started handing out instructions the moment we entered town. She really gives off the air of a woman who can do anything. So cool.

    ¡°Oh jeez¡­¡­whatever. I suppose I can help out every now and then.¡±

    ¡°Trade as much as you can with anyone who comes seeking to do business. And remember, we are here representing His Majesty. Never do anything that would sully his name. Make sure your subordinates understand that as well.¡±

    ¡°I got it. I¡¯m going. See you later Iris.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Do your best.¡±

    ¡°You weirdo!¡±

    Seen off by me and Lapris, Litzreich walked over to her subordinate knights who had already begun unloading the carriages. From the perspective of a stranger, she looked like a child being protected by a group of knights.

    But during our time on the way here, I have seen her interacting with the surrounding knights on multiple occasions. During those times she was always cool, calm, and composed¨Cproving her status as the vice commander of the knights to be real.

    ¡°Haa, she¡¯s the vice commander of some knights even though she¡¯s smaller than I am. Amazing.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡±

    Toslin questioned Carol after overhearing her mumbling.

    ¡°No, I was just saying she¡¯s amazing¡±

    I began teaching Carol the alphabet just as I said I would.

    We started off by going over how to write everyone¡¯s names since that seemed the most useful, and she is really into it.

    During those lessons this Iris-san didn¡¯t miss how intently Carol would stare whenever we got to Toslin¡¯s name though.

    It was during those moments that I figured the reason why Carol wanted to learn the alphabet had something to do with Toslin.

    ¡°¡­..I think you¡¯re amazing enough as you are though.¡±

    ¡°Hwah? R-Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re still just fourteen, yet you¡¯ve become a cheeky orange rank adventurer. You¡¯ll gain foresight as you get older. And besides, Litzreich¡¯s age probably doesn¡¯t match up with how she looks anyway. She¡¯s a devil or some kind of race similar to it at least.¡±

    ¡°Fue¡­¡­how did you know that?¡±

    Toslin shrugged her shoulders at my amazement.

    ¡°Intuition I guess.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. I received confirmation from the landlady, so we are okay to head over now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Anego and Rose are back Iris.¡±

    Lapris spoke up from on top of my head, letting me know that Saluena and Rose-san are back after checking in at the Shining Hen.

    ¡°Rather, they told us to hurry up and check in since the food is getting cold. Charlie-san especially is looking forward to seeing Iris-san again. As such, I believe it would be for the best if we headed over there straight away.¡±

    ¡°Right! Well then, Yuhanna-sama. We will be at the Shining Hen if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I shall send a guard over later on.¡±

    Separating from Yuhanna-sama, we rushed over to the Shining Hen¨Ca place that had been my home for over half a year.

    ?

    ¡°Iris~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!! I wanted to see you so so so so so so much~!!¡±

    ¡°Uwah! Who¡¯s this girl!?¡±

    Charlie flew towards me as soon as I opened the door before I even had the chance to say hello. Lapris was so caught off guard that she dove into my hair on instinct.

    ¡°Yeah, I wanted to see you too. Has it already been three weeks since I left? I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well.¡±

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m doing well. Super well. The landlady has been getting angry at me every day lately though, so I have been feeling a bit dispirited that I have no free time.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s getting her so upset.¡±

    ¡°First Mycena and now this girl. Your friends sure do like being touchy feely with you.¡±

    ¡°Hm!? Who¡­¡­tha-, no way, a fairy? Wha-, what what? Why is there a fairy with Iris? ¡­..are you real?¡±

    Charlie¡¯s hair is loosely braided and slightly redder than mine. Any smile from her freckle covered face is always cute no matter how many times I see it.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Charlie. People can¡¯t get in if you keep standing there. It¡¯s still cold out too, so hurry up and let them in so the door can be closed.¡±

    The owner of the inn Meltaria came up from the back of the kitchen and started scolding Charlie.

    ¡°Oops. Right right. Toslin, Carol, long time no see. Rose-san and, Saluena-san was it? Come on, come in.¡±

    By the way, this will be Saluena¡¯s first time staying here since she joined up with us after we had just left town last time.

    ¡°This place is as noisy as ever.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more Charlie than anything else.¡±

    Toslin and Carol walked in with a wry smile on their faces.

    ¡°The noise just so happens to be the Shining Hen¡¯s special product.¡±

    ¡°When did you become my inn¡¯s specialty? If you¡¯re finished, how about taking their orders after showing them to their seats.¡±

    ¡°Roger~. Then this way everyone. Although, the entire place has been pretty much reserved for you guys, so you could sit wherever you want.¡±

    ¡°Then, our usual table please.¡±

    ¡°Kay kay~¡±

    We scuttled towards the table we ate at almost every single day when the road was blocked off by snow and dragons.

    ¡°So what are we having?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this. I¡¯ll have the herb cooked barbato.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me. Solretta had herb cooked barbato as well, but it was almost a completely different dish. I will have the same.¡±

    ¡°Oneesama. I recommend this place¡¯s herb cooked barbato, the same as them.¡±

    ¡°I see, then let¡¯s go with that. We will have two of the same as well Braided Maiden.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.M-Maiden? And did Rose-san just call you Oneesama? Are you two sisters?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san stiffened as her face turned a shade of red beneath Charlie¡¯s gaze. Meanwhile Saluena is looking pleased with herself¨Cthe wrong kind of face to be making if you¡¯re looking to clear up a misunderstanding.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it later.¡±

    I pitched in to help Rose-san out a bit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that!! You can¡¯t back out now!! So, are the usual drinks fine too? And some juice for Carol of course?¡±

    ¡°Boo! Booooo! Give me some alcohol too! Quit treating me like a kid! I¡¯m an adventurer!!¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, what a thing for an actual child to be saying.¡±

    Charlie¡¯s skirt fluttered behind her as she disappeared into the kitchen.

    ¡°Just now¡­¡­what a nostalgic exchange.¡±

    ¡°Was it? You know we¡¯ve only been gone for three weeks right?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want any alcohol Oneesama?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it makes no difference. I wish to have whatever you¡¯re having today.¡±

    Saluena and Rose-san have been closer than ever since their sister date in Solretta.

    Rose-san has been starting up more conversations with Saluena, and Saluena has been doting on Rose-san in turn.

    It¡¯s the end result I had hoped for when I originally proposed the idea¡­¡­but it is a little regrettable that the amount of time Rose-san spends fussing over me has decreased.

    Well those are just my own selfish thoughts, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯d ever say it out loud.

    ¡°Even so, oi Iris¡±

    While absentmindedly lost in my own thoughts with my mouth hanging half open, there was a sudden kick to the side of my neck.

    ¡°Hey, that kind of hurt.¡±

    ¡°You hug people too much. Sarah is kind of small and your sister, so it¡¯s fine with her I guess. But for people like Mycena, who are clearly coming at you with hidden intentions, it¡¯s okay to kick them into the air.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯re all women, so there¡¯s nothing particularly wrong with it. Besides, despite how she acts Mycena is a good girl. The same goes for Charlie too. She¡¯s hard-working and cheerful too.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m the one who gets startled and put in danger. I would¡¯ve been crushed if I had been sitting on your shoulder.¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve flown away?¡±

    ¡°I refuse!!¡±

    Refuse? Eeh? That¡¯s troubling. I wasn¡¯t expecting that answer.

    ¡°Then I guess our only other option is to have you obediently get crushed?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that!? Then you¡¯re fine with recklessly embracing anyone!¡±

    Lapris started slapping me. Yeah, it doesn¡¯t hurt when she does it like this.

    ¡°Speaking of Mycena, Iris is abnormally liked by people of the same sex.¡±

    ¡°She is cute after all. Although thinking about it, there was that girl Lutehorn-san whom we met in the cave outside of Relton Village. She and Iris-san became close to each other almost immediately.¡±

    Ah Lutehorn. How nostalgic.

    ¡°I wonder if my letter has already arrived.¡±

    No, I sent it to a place pretty far from here, so it¡¯s probably still on the way.

    ¡°Really, Iris is the diligent pen pal.¡±

    ¡°Yep. I like letters. You can keep them with you and read them as many times as you wish.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I get you. I still have all the letters I got from my parents.¡±

    ¡°H-Hmm? Toslin, you get letters too?¡±

    Carol¡¯s face jerked up towards Toslin¡¯s who was sitting right next to her.

    ¡°Hm? Well sure. Although I never send any replies. Too bothersome.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so Toslin can read but can¡¯t write anything.¡±

    ¡°Hah? That¡¯s not what I was saying. I grew up in a knight household.¡±

    And thus began Carol and Toslin¡¯s quarreling, finally completing the reproduction of the past six months.

    I sat back and watched the lively yet comforting scene unfold in front of me, but I could still feel the changing times crawling across my skin.

 CH 102

    After rushing through supper a little bit, taking a bath, and talking with Meltaria-san about what are plans are going forward, it was time for my sleepover with Charlie.

    ¡°I was surprised when I heard there were a bunch of knights passing through town. But I was shocked when they told me their job was escorting Iris to the capitol.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t know what to think about it when I heard it either.¡±

    Slipping into our pajamas and preparing some hot milk, we both slid into bed. Obviously we weren¡¯t going to be going to sleep just yet though. We still had a lot to talk about.

    ¡°Iris is the hero who slew the dragon¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°No, but well, believe is a strong word, but I didn¡¯t think you would lie to me either. I just found it hard to imagine. Because the only thing the Iris I know does is eat, sleep, and read.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how you see me? No, well¡­..you¡¯re not wrong?¡±

    I suppose when I was living here my life was a bit cyclical. I only ever went outside to visit the village¡¯s library, so I rarely ever left the inn.

    ¡°So I doubted my ears when I heard you were coming back to town alongside some knights. By the way, I heard a rumor that you blew open a huge hole out the side of St. Noglint. Is that true?¡±

    Charlie and I were sitting on the same bed, carefully holding our cups of warm milk in both hands while facing each other.

    ¡°No it wasn¡¯t a big hole. It was a tree. It¡¯s hard to explain, but basically there was a solretta tree that grew under special circumstances inside the mountain. I just caused it to grow even more until it ended up breaking through the side of the mountain.¡±

    ¡°What the? I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    I came by myself to Charlie¡¯s room since she invited me over. She said there was something she wanted to give me. There was something I wanted to give her as well though, so things worked out quite nicely. I decided to go first.

    ¡°Here, I wrote about everything I could think of.¡±

    ¡°What? Is this, a letter? Isn¡¯t it kind of thick?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about sending it out, but when I heard we were going to be passing through town anyway, I figured I could just hand it over in person.¡±

    ¡°I love that off the handle way of thinking you have.¡±

    Charlie got out of bed for a moment and pulled out a stack of papers from her desk drawer.

    ¡°Here. Your return letter. I¡¯ve never written a letter before though, so it might be hard to read.¡±

    ¡°Wow, Yay! Thank you Charlie.¡±

    ¡°Your welcome. Now, let¡¯s read ¡¯em.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Right now? In front of each other?¡±

    ¡°You already gave it to me, so of course I¡¯m going to read it. Now let¡¯s see. ¡®Dear, Charlie-sama. How do you do?''¡±1

    ¡°Hold-, you¡¯re actually reading it!? Stop reading aloud!¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, Iris¡¯s letter is so stiff! You sound like my mother!¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to laugh at me? Fine, I¡¯ll get started on your letter then.¡±

    ¡°Eh~, stop stop! I¡¯ll die from embarrassment!¡±

    ¡°Hi~, Iris. How are you doing? I¡¯m doing great. I¡¯m not sure how you¡¯re supposed to write a letter though, so I¡¯ll do this like I¡¯m writing a diary.¡±

    ¡°Hold on¡­¡­.seriously stop!!¡±

    ¡°Heh, this¡¯ll be good. Now I can find out what Meltaria-san is getting angry at Charlie for every day.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she gets mad at me every day, but there¡¯s no way I would write about that.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then what did you write about¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°And¡ªThat¡¯s¡ªWhy¡ª! You can¡¯t read it right now. I¡¯ll end up dying. Seriously!¡±

    And just like that, the two of us were able to come together and enjoy our reunion after such a long absence.

    ?

    ¡°¡­¡­but¡­¡­it really is amazing. A whole bunch of knights dispatched from the royal capitol all for the sake of escorting Iris.¡±

    Two hours after we made the sacred pact to not read our letters in front of each other, Charlie and I had started to get a little worn-out from talking and were now staring up at the ceiling with each of our heads taking up one half of a pillow.

    ¡°Tomorrow those knights will be taking you down Origin Highway towards the capitol? Aren¡¯t you just like Ranroot then?¡±

    The road that extends from Rifront to the royal capitol is known as Origin Highway.

    It is said it gained that name a thousand years ago, when the Hero marched down this very road with his comrades at his side to confront the Primordial Dragon King Osnell during the Illyarian War, subjugating him and bringing forth our current world.

    ¡°Ranroot¡­¡­¡±

    To think that request we took at the guild to check the delivery status of those drowsy shrooms would be the turning point of my life. Back then, it was just the four of us.

    But now we have the reliable knight Saluena with us, making it five. After that we gained the fairy Lapris, Phoenix, and Unicorn making every day a noisy one for me.

    And then, we added on all one hundred members of the Shirayuri Knights.

    Picturing it¡­¡­it sounds like something straight out of an epic. And the knowledge that that very scene would be unfolding for me starting tomorrow has left me shocked beyond words.

    ¡°Haa. For some reason, it feels like Iris is going somewhere far away from me.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t say that. A single day hasn¡¯t gone by where I haven¡¯t thought about you Charlie.¡±

    ¡°Eh~, really? I mean, stop. You almost sound like you¡¯re confessing, and it¡¯s making me feel a little self-conscious.¡±

    ¡°What, confessing¡­¡­Oh, Ooh¡­¡­¡­Oh, so that¡¯s it.¡±

    Now that she mentions it, I suppose it does sound like that.

    ¡°But it¡¯s true. Isn¡¯t it the same for you Charlie?¡±

    I set the letter from Charlie down near the bed.

    I haven¡¯t ready everything yet, but it looks like it really is made up of the normal things she did every day. Which means, even if it was only for a few minutes, Charlie thought about me every day I was gone. It makes me feel very fortunate, and awfully happy.

    ¡°W-Well¡­¡­.sure, but¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ll never be very far away. No matter how great the distance, I will always be there for you.¡±

    I clasped Charlie¡¯s hand as I spoke and stared directly into her surprised eyes.

    ¡°¡­..okay. I¡­..want to be with you too. If it¡¯s Iris¡­¡­I want that kind of relationship.¡±

    Charlie smiled as she squeezed my hand back.

    ¡°Thank you for hearing my selfish request and staying the night with me. And, be sure to come back again Iris. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll come back. And I¡¯ll write you another letter. This time I¡¯ll be sure to properly send it though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­I¡¯ll be looking forward to it. Well then, good night Iris.¡±

    For a moment, Charlie looked different than how she normally does. More grown up.

    ¡°Good night Charlie.¡±

    But even after we turned off all the lights, Charlie continued staring at my face using the light from the moon that shone through the window.

    ¡°¡­¡­.what?¡±

    I was curious if there was something wrong, but there was a moment where Charlie didn¡¯t say anything, instead running her fingers through my hair.

    ¡°No, I was just thinking about how lovely your hair is.¡±

    ¡°You think? Charlie¡¯s hair is much prettier.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­this is why Iris is so popular with women.¡±

    ¡°What? Where did that come from?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere? Just a passing thought.¡±

    Charlie¡¯s head sank into the pillow as if that was the end of it and shut her eyes.

    ¡°Eh, Ehh¡­¡­..seriously, what? Why?¡±

    I still have no idea why she would suddenly say something like that though and tried prodding her for an answer. Unfortunately Charlie just kept lying there with a smile on her face and refused to answer me.

    ¡°Ah jeez¡­¡­..now Charlie feels like the one who has gone far away¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Haha, let¡¯s go to sleep already. You have to get up early tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Uuu¡­¡­can you tell me why next time?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­.yeah, sure. I¡¯ll tell you next time.¡±

    ¡°I see, in that case¡­¡­fuwa¡­¡­.that¡¯s good enough. Good night¡­..¡±

    ¡°Night¡±

    This time, we really did fall asleep. And when tomorrow comes, we¡¯ll have to head our separate ways once again.

    But that night¡­¡­.I had a kind of peculiar dream.

    1. Anything is italics is them reading from the other person¡¯s letter.

 CH 103

    (This is¡­¡­..Rifront?)

    My dream was short but vivid.

    In my dream, I am standing at the edge of the Fairy¡¯s Tear¨Cthe lake from which this town got its name.

    After a moment passed, the lake¡¯s surface broke, and a fairy appeared. That fairy began fluttering about, dancing across the water as if she knew I had been standing there from the very beginning.

    And then after taking a deep breath, the fairy came close, and smiled. A soft smile, no different from the one Rose-san always turns my way.

    The fairy kept smiling, never saying anything.

    The dream me never said anything either. I just stood there, staring down at her confused.

    After some time had passed, the fairy pointed at my left hand. I nervously held it out to her, and the fairy touched the dark violet ring on my ring finger.

    After that¡­¡­.the fairy turned to leave. She once again began to dance, slowly making her way back towards the center of the lake.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The dream me finally managed to ask a question, but I never got a response back.

    The fairy slowly melted into a thin fog cast on the other side of the lake¡­¡­.until disappearing completely as if she had never been there to begin with.

    ?

    ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡±

    And then, I woke up.

    Lifting myself up, I glanced out the window. It was still kind of dark outside, but the first rays of the sun were starting to break across the horizon. It would just be a little longer before the sun would rise and shine across the nearby lake.

    The memory of my dream rushed back to me all at once suddenly, and I immediately looked down at my left hand.

    My dark violent ring was there just as it always is. So was Unicorn¡¯s porcelain white ring and the silver ring with the flower etched into it that I got from the church.

    ¡°Mm¡­¡­morning already?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still some time. Sorry, did I wake you?¡±

    ¡°Mm~m. I¡¯m happy about it though. Hey hey, could you keep me warm until the sun is up?¡±

    Her hair a little disheveled, Charlie threw her arms around me and pulled me back down into bed.

    ¡°Wawaaaaah!?¡±

    ¡°Haa, Iris¡­¡­you¡¯re so warm.¡±

    ¡°Charlie sure gets lonely easily.¡±

    ¡°Yes well, I¡¯m an only child.¡±

    Now that I think about it, Lapris said yesterday I hug my friends a little too much.

    ¡°Fua¡­¡­Iris. You¡¯re definitely coming back to see me again right? It¡¯s a promise?¡±

    But, I can¡¯t just bluntly push away someone who is so sincere with me. And it¡¯s Charlie, so it¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Yep. Definitely. I promise. It¡¯s all right. There¡¯s no need to worry Charlie.¡±

    I held her close, burying my face into her sweet smelling hair and kissed the top of her head.

    This always helped to calm Sarah down whenever she wants me to spoil her.

    ?

    ¡°Iris~~~~~~~~~!! See you soon~~~~~~~~~~!!!¡±

    It was time for us to depart Rifront.

    Charlie pushed her way to the front of the crowd that had gathered to see off our company of knights and started shouting my name.

    Iris? Who¡¯s Iris?

    Look, that girl who lived in the inn for half a year¡­¡­

    Oh, her? But why is that girl with all those knights?

    ¡­¡­¡­.beats me.

    Charlie and Meltaria-san waved us off with a smile on their faces as a number of confused people whispered among themselves around them.

    We returned their waves just as we had done back at Solretta.

    Oh right, after prying myself away from Charlie who had kept saying, ¡°Just five more minutes,¡± for about an hour, I changed my clothes and had breakfast.

    I couldn¡¯t get the dream I had last night out of my head, so I decided to take a look at the lake. A dream is just a dream, but there was no harm in sating my curiosity.

    With two knights who insisted on acting as my guards accompanying me, I kept walking along the lake¡¯s edge until coming across the spot I had stood in my dream. But no matter how much time passed, nothing ever happened.

    The lake¡¯s surface never broke, nor did any fairy ever appear.

    However, the view of the sun reflecting off the lake¡¯s rippling surface was very beautiful.

    After taking some time to enjoy the scenery, I thanked the knights for their help and returned to the inn.

    ?

    ¡°Solretta had Mycena. And then Rifront was Charlie. As for Relton¡­¡­who was it again? Lute¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Her name was Lutehorn.¡±

    ¡°Yeah right, her. What, is Iris challenging herself to pick up a girl at every town we stop at?¡±

    Currently I am advancing down Origin Highway with my companions and the other knights.

    My heart began beating with excitement as I recalled what Charlie and I had talked about last night when Carol suddenly started talking.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, isn¡¯t it inevitable at this rate that Iris picks up another port girl when we get to the capitol?¡±

    ¡°What kind of girl will it be this time though? The last two have been pretty cheerful, so maybe some more quiet and reserved this time?¡±

    ¡°It is the capitol after all.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re rooting for you Iris.¡±

    Finding it funny, Toslin jumped into the conversation, and the both of them continued to get worked up and kept teasing me more and more.

    ¡°Come on, stop it.¡±

    If they¡¯re talking about port girls, then they must be talking about that thing with sailors. About the various women they¡¯ll pick up at the ports they visit and continue to fornicate with whenever their ship stops by again.

    ¡°Indeed. Iris-san is just a person who takes good care of her friends. It is extremely rude of you to make fun of her for that.¡±

    ¡°But it is true that Iris is easy to get along with. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Toslin is right, and she has just such an encounter when we reach the capitol.¡±

    Even Saluena, who is currently out of sight at the front of the carriage manning the coachman¡¯s seat, gave her two cents.

    ¡°I agree with them. Good grief, try and keep it down out here though. I can¡¯t sleep like this.¡±

    Is there a reason why Lapris has to sleep on top of my head though?

    While all of this is going on, Lapris has once again buried herself inside my hair. Because she can fly whenever she wants though, it¡¯d be fine for her to leisurely soar through the air with Phoenix.

    ¡°U-Um¡­¡­.Oneesama.¡±

    ¡°After all, isn¡¯t that how it was with you? After meeting her half a year ago, hasn¡¯t Iris become your favorite?¡±

    ¡°O¡­¡­..Oneesama!?¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s eyes shot open, and she was at a loss for words after being betrayed from an unexpected source.

    ¡°Now now. I¡¯m not trying to tease or anything. All I am saying is that Iris is a good person. So there¡¯s no need to get angry Rosa.¡±

    ¡°Now that she mentions it, Iris met Rose at Rifront too.¡±

    ¡°So in other words, Rosa is one of Iris¡¯s port women as well.¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡±

    Preoccupied with Lapris, I was only half listening to what everyone else was saying until Saluena¡¯s words forcefully pulled me back into the conversation. Because of that a strange noise escaped my lips.

    ¡°Ah, au¡­¡­..jeez, I don¡¯t know anymore!! Rotten Oneesama! Iris-san. Nothing good can come from hanging around these people. Come over here with me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s face turned a bright red as she grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me to the back of the carriage in a huff. She then turned her back to Saluena and the others before plopping her butt down on the floor.

    Back in Solretta Litta, I once teased Rose-san until the point that she became angry.

    Rose-san is really cute whenever she¡¯s mad. So I do apologize, but I can understand why Saluena would want to poke fun.

    ¡°Okay, Iris-san? Someone like Oneesama is a bad role model, and you should never ever try to take after her.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m sorry Rose-san. There¡¯s a possibility, no, almost a certainty, that Saluena is the one taking after me.

    Seeing Rose-san¡¯s pure heart as she ignored the words Saluena and the others threw at her back, a feeling of intense guilt wormed its way inside me.

    (I¡¯m really sorry)

    I continued to watch her, apologizing a single time inside my heart.

 CH 104

    ¡°Hm? What are you doing Iris?¡±

    It¡¯s still early in the morning, at a time when the breeze still feels chilly.

    After happening to wake up this early, I decided to add on to my diary map, using the light radiating off of Lapris¡¯s sleeping body to brighten my work area.

    ¡°Oh, right, I was thinking of adding on to my map.¡±

    So what was Toslin doing up this early? According to her, she had also woken up early and decided to use the free time to get in some extra exercise since her body has been feeling dull. While she¡¯s out there forging her body, I¡¯m over here forging my body into a ball on the ground and drawing out a picture. I¡¯m a little surprised that the difference in our personalities can lead to such hugely different results even though we got up at the same time.

    ¡°A map, the one you were drawing in the Swansea Forest?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that one. I could make a diary, but that is kind of dull. Besides, you can tell what¡¯s going on at a glance if I make it as a picture right?¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­. So when the time comes that you¡¯re a successful adventurer, you can include it in your autobiography which depicts your journey in detail.¡±

    ¡°Eh, no no, I wasn¡¯t thinking that far¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hm, why aren¡¯t I on there?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Toslin glanced over the parchment I spread out on the ground and started complaining.

    ¡°You have Carol there in the corner. What about me?¡±

    ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡±

    There isn¡¯t any special reason. I was just drawing what I wanted to, and things just kind of¡­¡­.

    ¡°Make me cute.¡±

    In the end she pushed me to keep drawing.

    ¡°Eh, cute?¡±

    ¡°What, can¡¯t you make me cute in your drawing?¡±

    ¡°Um, it¡¯s not that, but¡­¡­¡±

    If I¡¯m thinking about Toslin, I¡¯d sooner use words like cool or beautiful before cute¡­¡­

    ¡°About your autobiography, I hope it sells well. Remember to pay me my performer¡¯s fee for appearing in it when it¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not going to write one.¡±

    It was just about time for the sun to start rising.

    We scrunched together shoulder to shoulder, comparing what the both of us remembered from our journey so far¡­¡­.

    ¡°Hey, my ears are nowhere near that short. Draw them longer and cuter too.¡±

    (I never knew drawing was this hard¡­¡­seriously¡­¡­)

    ¡­¡­..things may have ended up exaggerated in some places as we worked to completely fill up the map.

 CH 105

    It¡¯s been four days since we left Rifront. That means a whole week has passed since leaving Soletta Ritta meaning we are officially halfway to Oshunel-Tari.

    ¡°Oh jeez, the road¡¯s a mess.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡±

    And it must have rained last night while we were sleeping last night because puddles of water had pooled together all over the road.

    Goldmund¡¯s hooves are larger than a horse¡¯s, so he is less likely to get stuck in the quagmire. But while our carriage can continue on with relative ease, the other carriages with their heavy loads cannot.

    The poor condition of the road slowed our entire caravan down, forcing us to take detours around the worst areas.

    If things continue on like this, we might not be able to make it to the village we were planning to stay at before night falls. Yuhanna-sama was grumbling about it when she came to see how we were doing.

    ¡°Something like this is no problem for Unicorn. She can remain nimble no matter the terrain.¡±

    Toslin was manning the coachman¡¯s seat with Carol on her lap when she glanced over at me and said so.

    No matter how powerful Goldmund is, it¡¯s going to be hard for him to pull all of us through the mud all day long. That¡¯s what Saluena thought a little bit ago at least, so she recommended that I get off the carriage.

    ¡°Yep, and her nimbleness is a huge help. Thanks to her, I only have to ride along.¡±

    Is she asking me to get down and trudge through the mud on foot? That¡¯s what I thought she was telling me to do at first, but I soon realized she was telling me to summon Unicorn and ride alongside the carriage.

    So right now I¡¯m straddling Unicorn. She is forming barriers on top of the ground and using those as stepping stones to prevent her hooves from sinking into the mud just as she had done when we rode through snow. So no matter how much of a swamp the road becomes, Unicorn can effortlessly pass across.

    Lapris and Saluena both think we can use this technique to gallop through the air, but Unicorn has a fear of heights, so we have yet to test it out.

    I¡¯d like to give it a whirl if we ever find a place where we can practice safely, but right now that seems like something far off in the distance.

    ¡°Unicorn. The Virgin Guardian. Thinking about it, that means Iris is¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Stop asking stupid questions you dirty old man.¡±

    ¡°Gyaa!¡±

    Did Carol look happy when she received that chop to the head? Despite the scream.

    The interaction itself is no different from that snowball fight they had outside of Relton. Back then Carol was making fun of Toslin for being unable to read a map, so Toslin buried her in the snow.

    But right now Carol is between Toslin¡¯s arms, happily humming to herself after eating that chop to the top of her head. There are times where she¡¯ll repeat her little antics with Toslin, but she¡¯s always in high spirits afterwards.

    The two of them were always super close to each other to the point where their fights never really even felt like fights.

    But as they are now¡­¡­.

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up Iris?¡±

    Toslin turned her head towards me having felt me staring at her.

    ¡°Um, no, nothing really.¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling cold or something? Are you looking to request this Carol-san to warm you up?¡±

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s a rather rare and fancy word for you to be using Carol.¡±

    It¡¯s certainly true that Carol¡¯s body is warm. How many times was I saved by that over the winter?

    ¡°You really want to use this thing?¡±

    Toslin suddenly picked Carol up by the scruff of her neck. For someone like Toslin who wields a behemoth of a sword with one hand, lifting up someone as small as Carol is no problem at all.

    ¡°What¡¯d you say!? What¡¯s the ¡®this thing?¡¯ supposed to mean!! You should treat this Carol-san with more respect!!¡±

    Naturally Carol took offense and started wildly swinging her limbs around in the air. But what stood out the most had to be her tail. It was like a fluffy broom, happily swinging to the left and right behind her. Too cute.

    ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m fine if it¡¯s just this. I grew up in a snowy region, so I¡¯m pretty resistant to the cold.¡±

    ¡°Really? Well then, I won¡¯t force you.¡±

    Toslin plopped Carol back down onto her lap after just lifting her up.

    ¡°Hmph, are you sure it¡¯s fine to leave me like this after just ruining my good mood?¡±

    ¡°Ah, my bad my bad. I¡¯ll give you one of my side dishes at dinner, so cheer up.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be satisfied with just one?¡±

    ¡°Two then.¡±

    ¡°I forgive you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too easy. So easy it makes me worry. If someone offers you food, you know not to follow after them right?¡±

    The two of them are always having fun with each other, but things feel different from how they were.

    They feel closer than ever before.

    Toslin looks happy hugging Carol, and Carol looks happy being hugged by Toslin.

    ¡°They call it the Origin Highway, but I am willing to bet it is a lot bigger than what it was back then.¡±

    While I was watching these two go at it, Rose-san and Saluena were riding a couple of horses slightly behind the carriage.

    The two horses are ones we borrowed to help lighten the load on Goldmund even more.

    ¡°I heard about it from Rosa before. This is apparently the road that Ranroot and his comrades took in their quest to slay Oshunel.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­yes, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡±

    Saluena challenged Oshunel a thousand years ago. But she wasn¡¯t strong enough and was ultimately defeated. That was when she was subjected to the evil dragon¡¯s malefic aura and driven insane.

    Saluena became like a puppet, betraying mankind and becoming known as the Dark Violet Knight to the Goddess¡¯s forces.

    We¡¯ve never talked too much about her past before¡­¡­

    ¡°Has Oneesama never been here before?¡±

    While I was too preoccupied with my own worries, Rose-san readily hopped in.

    ¡°No, I was defeated by Oshunel in a land far to the west of here. And of course that¡¯s also the place where I became the Dark Violet Knight and turned my back on the Goddess. It was only afterwards that Oshunel traveled to this land and settled here. That is why I never had the pleasure of meeting this Ranroot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­so that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change despite touching on what I would call a sore subject.

    It was more like she was curious, and her question was just a way of satiating that curiosity. That was it. I couldn¡¯t feel any kind of reluctance from Saluena for her part, but she did seem a little, no, very surprised.

    ¡°Then, just like Iris-san, this will be your first time visiting the capitol.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so. It¡¯s always exciting when it feels like you¡¯re stepping into a new land.¡±

    ¡°Ranroot. The great hero who slew Oshunel and laid the groundwork for the nation as we know it today. As a fellow dragon slaying hero, how miraculous that Iris-chan is following in that very same Ranroot¡¯s footsteps.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama came up behind Rose-san and Saluena. Litzreich was seated right behind her, her eyes focused on me like always with obvious interest.

    ¡°Are you really a dragon slayer? The title doesn¡¯t quite match up to your appearance.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡­I already know that even if you don¡¯t say anything¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°No no, I¡¯m trying to praise you. I like strong people, especially when they¡¯re beautiful women to boot. It makes me want to discover the strength held within your weak body. Iris. You truly have captured my interest. Just watching you piques me inquisitive mind. Won¡¯t you become mine from now on?¡±

    ¡°No, even if you ask¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°That voice, definitely belongs to a perverted bastard!!¡±

    Since I always have trouble responding to situations like this, Lapris activated her automatic defense mode, popping her head out from my hair and immediately beginning her verbal assault.

    ¡°I am in no way a bastard. My age may not quite match up with my appearance, but I am a respectable girl at my center.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you get any closer to Iris!! Anego won¡¯t hesitate to kick your ass!!¡±

    ¡°Me? Well, Iris is my lord. I¡¯d certainly be troubled if someone were to try and arbitrarily do something to her of their own accord.¡±

    Litzreich brought her hand to her chin, making a troubled face as Saluena smiled at her.

    ¡°Hmm, the Dark Violet Knight as my opponent¡­¡­.a poor match no matter how I think of it. It can¡¯t be helped. I will have to ensnare Iris at a later date.¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯t happening in the future either!! Iris belongs to me, so don¡¯t think you can make a pass at her whenever you damn well please!!¡±

    No no, I don¡¯t remember ever becoming yours either?

    Lapris¡¯s fists were wrapped tightly around two bundles of my hair, locking her firmly in place. Honestly though, she¡¯s capable of making such a loud fuss despite her size to the point where it¡¯s honestly impressive. I can only imagine what kind of damage I¡¯d receive if she were yelling right next to my ear.

    It was right when I was starting to get a headache from the buzzing in my ears that another, different noise made its way to me.

    ¡°¡­¡­..eh?¡±

    It sounded like the short chirping of a bird, and when I blinked, I was able to see something.

    I shouldn¡¯t have been able to see anything since my eyes were closed, but, I¡¯m certain¡­¡­

    ¡°L-Lapris, keep quiet for a minute!¡±

    ¡°Hah? But that girl¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I appreciate your help! But for just a moment please¡­¡­..I can¡­¡­.hear something¡­¡­..¡±

    Closing my eyes again, I listen carefully while focusing on the back of my eyelids.

    Then I heard it again. More clearly this time. It was the sound of a bird all right. As a matter of fact¡­¡­.

    ¡°Phoenix?¡±

    An image floated across my still closed eyes. It took me a moment to realize what it was, but I eventually understood I was looking down at the ground from somewhere high up in the air.

    Right now I was seeing whatever Phoenix could see.

    And this image, it must be coming from further up the road, a couple kilometres away from here. It looks like a merchant caravan is getting attacked by a group of monsters.

    ¡°There are a bunch of monsters ahead of us!! A merchant caravan is getting attacked!!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡±

    There is an escort for the caravan that is bravely pushing back against the swarm of monsters. But they¡¯re vastly outnumbered. Everyone¡¯s going to be killed if things keep up like they are. And, and, I recognize one of the people there.

    It was Peachseed-san from the Soletta Ritta guild building.

    My eyes shot open as soon as Phoenix had caught sight of her.

    ¡°I have to save them!!¡±

    With no time to waste, Unicorn shot down the road like an arrow.

 CH 106

    ¡°Oi Iris!! Don¡¯t run off by yourself!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Did you forget we¡¯re supposed to be guarding you!?¡±

    Toslin and Yuhanna-sama¡¯s voice echoed out from behind. But, I didn¡¯t stop Unicorn.

    ¡°Carol!!¡±

    ¡°Litzreich!!¡±

    And then a second later, the both of them started shouting something else.

    The landscape running alongside the highway flew past me like the wind. We were already a week away from Soletta, and as such, nearly all the snow had disappeared.

    On my right was a vast, grassy plain stretching out as far as the eye can see. On my left was the Anne Libretta, the clear stream flowing through the countryside all the way from St. Noglint.

    The both of them race past from just outside my field of vision as I continued to rush straight through, the other Shirayuri knights popping their heads outside their carriages while trying to see what was going on.

    ¡°So we just keep following the road like this then?¡±

    And then just as I passed the carriage at the very front of the line, I heard Carol¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Carol!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Carol-san. And that¡¯s a bad Iris. Don¡¯t go running off on your own.¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry, but! Peachseed-san is being attacked!¡±

    ¡°Peach? Oh~, it must be someone you know. Well then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Carol was talking to me while running alongside Unicorn, but with the way she was talking, it sounded like she could easily run even faster if she wanted to.

    Each step she took was completely silent, and she wasn¡¯t leaving behind any footprints in the mud either. Carol is still as amazing as ever, but I¡¯m a little relieved that she isn¡¯t angry with me. It¡¯s definitely not good for me to try and do things on my own. We¡¯re a party after all.

    ¡°A cute face and an unexpectedly passionate demeanor. Not a bad combination by any means.¡±

    This time, it was Litzreich¡¯s voice that popped out from beside me.

    ¡°Aah!? You scared me! Litzreich!? You¡­¡­what¡¯s going on!?¡±

    She was wearing the same set of magical armor she had brought out at the forest outside of Soletta Ritta. The only difference was that last time she had brought out the arms while this time it was the legs.

    ¡°With my masterpiece the Magic Shell, traversing something as mundane as a bad road couldn¡¯t be easier!¡±

    She looked to be telling the truth. I don¡¯t know what the principle behind it is, but Litzreich was gliding through the air with her feet slightly off the ground.

    ¡°So this is the kind of stuff a witch can do? I¡¯m so jealous. I wish I could use magic like that too.¡±

    ¡°I would already think of you as relatively otherwordly already. Also, I am only capable of flying like this for a short period of time. So scooch over Iris. I¡¯m hopping on.¡±

    Litzreich jumped, straddling Unicorn¡¯s back as her Magic Shell dissipated in thin air.

    ¡°Ah, you¡­¡­I told you not to get close to Iris!¡±

    ¡°These are special circumstances. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Tch¡­¡­.fine. I¡¯ll forgive you this time. But don¡¯t think that means you¡¯re free to do anything weird!¡±

    ¡°So untrusting. Sure I¡¯m interested in Iris, but I am not lacking in reason. I am fully capable of understanding that this is neither the time nor place. Although¡­¡­..hohoho, so very fast. Unicorn, was it? She might be faster than our knight company¡¯s fastest horses.¡±

    ¡°You might accidentally bite your tongue if you don¡¯t close your mouth!¡±

    Our line of carriages is already far off behind us. I no longer have to worry about anyone accidentally stepping out in front of us. So after giving Litzreich a word of warning as she began happily muttering something to herself, Unicorn sped up, racing down the road faster than ever before.

    ?

    The tumultuous sound of clanging swords still rang through the air by the time we got there, a din only overshadowed by the occasional screams of the people.

    ¡°Ah, this is¡­¡­it might get dangerous if we drop our guard.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, water slimes and cavalry fish? And a large number of them both.¡±

    The fight was taking place on a bridge, at a spot where the road extended across the Anne Libretta.

    Dozens of silver scaled fish were flying out of the water and landing on a bridge big enough for several carriages to easily cross at the same time. Each of these fish had a hard outer shell around their torso and teeth as sharp as the spears they carried were lined up inside their open maws. These dozens of monsters were forming up, jumping out from the river for the express purpose of assaulting the merchant caravan. Their formation and attack really did resemble the charge of a cavalry unit. Hence why they¡¯re known as cavalry fish.

    But, they weren¡¯t the only monsters present. A number of colorless, jelly-like creatures were gathered along the parapet of the bridge. Their bodies were twisting and wriggling as each of them tried to make their way towards the injured horses and broken carriages.

    These slimes live inside the river. They¡¯re a relatively common monster for this area that usually subsist off of fish that unknowingly swim into them because of their transparent bodies.

    These slimes hibernate in the nearby grasslands during the winter when the river freezes over. Usually villagers in the nearby towns use the opportunity to thin out their numbers and kill them in their sleep, but because of how heavy the snowfall was this year plus the added fear of the dragon, I¡¯m guessing a lot of them were left alone.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Peachseed-san!?¡±

    Most unusual here would have to be how big these water slimes are though. The ones I¡¯ve seen before were all about as big as a bucket of water, but these are all at least three times that size. Moreover, there was one slime in particular that stood out from the rest, with a body twice the size of a horse.

    ¡°Hey, what do you want me to do?¡±

    I heard Carol¡¯s voice coming from right next to me, drawing back my attention after it had been absorbed in the battle unfolding in front of us.

    ¡°And what would you have me do?¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s voice came from behind, asking me the same question. That¡¯s right, Carol and Litzreich are here with me. It¡¯s be much too inefficient if we each recklessly charged ahead without any form of cooperation. But, I don¡¯t have very much experience when it comes to battle. I have no idea what the best course of action to take here is.

    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know. What do you think we should do?¡±

    I fought back against my instincts to immediately jump in and decided to ask for their opinions. And Carol came back with an immediate answer as a result.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take me too much time to kill any of those slimes. But I might be able to do something about all the fishies.¡±

    ¡°Then leave dealing with those slimes to moi.¡±

    Litzreich had descended down Unicorn¡¯s back without me noticing. She had also already brought out her Magic Shell although it was the arms this time instead of the legs.

    ¡°T-Then I¡¯ll protect the injured and the rest of the carriages!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Will you watch me Iris? I shall you show you the results of my research, the power of my Magic Shell!¡±

    Carol and Litzreich ran as fast as they could to the center of the bridge. An orange rank theif, Carol moved a few dozen meters in the blink of the eye, skewering one cavalry fish with her dagger while kicking some others away before they could kill a horse.

    Although Litzreich loses to Carol in terms of speed, the destructive power of her arms was capable of delivering crippling shockwaves, one of which had blown one water slime to bits before it could completely swallow another horse.

    ¡°All right, me too¡­¡­¡±

    Unicorn kicked its hooves off the ground, propelling us to the center of the bridge as well.

    ¡°Are you hurt Peachseed-san!?¡±

    ¡°What, Iris!? Why are you here!?¡±

    Peachseed-san had her shield raised, protecting a male merchant sitting behind her who had injured his leg. But as she turned to look at me, a cavalry fish that Carol had kicked away rolled across the ground and leapt at her feet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose your focus Peachseed!!¡±

    Kutuna-san came from behind, driving the tip of her sword downwards into the cavalry fish¡¯s head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come to help! Where¡¯s Plumseed-san!?¡±

    ¡°Gather together scorching memories, spirits, burn away their very shadows!!¡±

    ¡°Over there¡±

    I could hear someone chanting a spell from the direction Peachseed-san pointed at with her sword.

    A water slime creeping across the bridge¡¯s parapet was immediately swallowed by flames afterwards. A white film spread across the water slime¡¯s outer layer as the dancing flames burned it away. Right now isn¡¯t the time for this kind of thing, but I just couldn¡¯t stop myself from thinking about fried squid from its smell.

    ¡°Thank goodness. You¡¯re all three safe. There is a group of knights nearby. We just need to hold on until help arrives.¡±

    At that moment, there was a loud splash from further upstream.

    ¡°No way, they¡¯re coming from the other side too!? That¡¯s unfair!¡±

    ¡°Make a powerful shield that cannot be broken!!¡±

    Unicorn¡¯s mane lit up, transforming form purple to white as magic power coursed through each strand of hair.

    The porcelain white ring on my pinky finger shone with bright, white light at the same time, transforming into a grimoire as a magic circle barrier formed between Carol and the newly appeared cavalry fish.

    *Kiiiiiiiin*

    A hard sound rang in my ear as the cavalry fish¡¯s spear broke in half after smacking against my barrier and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Fu, you saved me. Thanks Iris.¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯ve already done a great job thinning them out Carol. Kill as many of them as you can.¡±

    ¡°You got it. The princess¡¯s wish is my command.¡±

    ¡°Hey Iris! Are you watching my great efforts?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, of course. Keep up the good work Litzreich¡±

    Litzreich is being so flashy in her fighting that I couldn¡¯t not see her if I wanted to. Ordinarily physical attacks aren¡¯t very effective against slimes because weapons will start to deteriorate as soon as they¡¯re exposed to the slime¡¯s inner acid after breaking through the outer membrane. Litzreich¡¯s arms aren¡¯t breaking the outer membrane though so much as they¡¯re just squashing the whole slime with a single punch. Occasionally a group of cavalry fish will try and rush her, but the splatter of each crushed slime is throwing acid all over the place, dealing with the fish before they can get too close.

    ¡°Hohoho! The words of a lovely maiden are all this knight needs to fight on!¡±

    ¡°I refuse to recognize you as a knight.¡±

    ¡°Ku-chan, Peachseed!? There¡¯s a girl who keeps killing those fish, and I think she¡¯s¡­¡­.Iris-san!?¡±

    ¡°Good to see you Plumseed-san. Let¡¯s talk more later.¡±

    I took a deep breath. Starting with those goblins, I¡¯ve experienced a few intense battles with the golem, dragon, ents, shadow spirits, and the carbuncle. Even after all that, I¡¯m still not used to that tingle in the air when there¡¯s a fight.

    No, I shouldn¡¯t get used to it. The second I ignore this tension is the second I get killed. I learned that lesson all too well during the fight with the shadow spirits.

    ¡°Okay. Then we should prioritize clearing the area.¡±

    ¡°Lapris, watch our backs. Kutuna-san, are there any injured here other than the merchant?¡±

    ¡°N-No, everyone else has escaped, so he¡¯s the last one left.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡±

    I raised my right hand towards the sky.

    A bright red bird hovered above us in the cloudless blue sky. Phoenix was patiently waiting for her orders.

 CH 107

    ¡°Now, release the bonds of this world!!¡±

    Plumseed-san already proved with her magic that fire is an effective weapon against the slimes. In that case, there¡¯s something I can do too.

    ¡°The Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!¡±

    I¡¯ve been learning the basics of magic from Grandpa Ferdinand since I was young. So I know how to picture the flow of magic power and how to alter that stream.

    I set my lips upon my ruby, pouring magic power into the ring through my kiss. And so my ring instantly transformed into a grimoire.

    ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Long forgotten tower perched atop the solitary island of a distant sea. Princess of Life who illuminates the world, spread your wings to the summit!!¡±

    Their numbers had been reduced, but there were still a few cavalry fish that remained, and all of them turned their attention towards me. They were hungry after a long winter, and so now that fresh prey had finally shown itself with the advent of spring, they charged forward to ensure it would not get away.

    However with their reduced numbers and sporadic attacks, it was impossible for them to get past the twenty barriers I had set up. Whether they were throwing their spears or their own bodies, it was all repelled by my magic circles.

    ¡°W-What is this¡­¡­. Magic, shields?¡±

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t move from that spot. And shut your mouth. Iris will protect you.¡±

    Lapris cut Plumseed-san off before she could cast another spell, letting me continue my aria uninterrupted.

    ¡°Subjugate those who would disrupt the peace with your sweltering flames! Grant us the divine protection of rekindled ash!!¡±

    As I continued to recite the words that swam across the grimoire¡¯s pages, a brilliant second sun began to form overtop our heads.

    ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forward¡­¡­.Phoenix!!¡±

    At the call of her name, Phoenix¡¯s temporarily tiny body morphed into something with the solemn grace worthy of a princess. Elegant and refined, she calmly hovered up in the air, waiting for my command.

    So I turned my eyes downwards and pointed my finger.

    ¡°¡­¡­Iris Calvafon commands my winged one. Reduce it to embers.¡±

    The target was the exceptionally large water slime. It was an especially greedy specimen, having already swallowed dozens of boxes of food and was still making its way over to the next carriage.

    Phoenix¡¯s cry shook the air as she spread out her wings. Waves of heat reached us all the way down here, toasting the surface of our skin.

    The massive water slime also noticed the intense heat and switched its focus away from the carriage. The top of the slime began to swirl and open up like a flower in bloom before several ivy-like tentacles shot out from the top in an attempt to snatch Phoenix out from the air.

    But the heat wore away at the tentacles as they extended farther and farther into the air, thinning them out more and more as the liquid they were made up of evaporated away. Ultimately, what was left burned up, reduced to white charcoal before crumbling away in the wind.

    Victory between Phoenix and the slime was decided the moment the battle began.

    Phoenix swooped down, finishing the fight as soon as her sharp claws broke through the slime¡¯s outer membrane. The burning hot scales around her legs protected her from harm as the radiating flames burned away the acid in the blink of the eye.

    ¡°A-Amaz¡­¡­. That huge slime, in an instant¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, yep yep yep. This is how things turn out when Iris gets serious.¡±

    ¡°Lapris, it¡¯s still not over. We have to remain diligent.¡±

    I could imagine Lapris lying on her back, cockily making a smug grin on top of my head, but as I was giving her a warning, I heard the sound of hoofsteps making their way towards us. Moreover, there were a lot of them.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s already over. Iris dealt with the big guy, so you can leave the clean-up to the knights.¡±

    ¡°Right right. Besides, I¡¯m going to catch a cold if I don¡¯t change out of these wet clothes.¡±

    Shoving her dagger into one of the few remaining cavalry fish, Carol called back to us while simultaneous kicking off the fish¡¯s shell and somersaulting through the air. As she came back down, her feet touched ground as her dagger dug itself into another cavalry fish¡¯s head. I was fascinated by her elegant movements that made it feel like I was watching an acrobat at work.

    ¡°Hoh, impressive. Just what I should expect from an orange rank adventurer.¡±

    ¡°You think so? My body¡¯s felt light ever since that fight with the dragon. Well, I¡¯m soaked with water right now, so I am feeling a little heavier.¡±

    It was true. Carol¡¯s normally poofy tail had lost most its volume, her fur so soaked with water that it was completely matted down.

    ¡°Knights¡­..hey, when we were leaving Soletta, weren¡¯t the Shirayuri Knights just getting to town?¡±

    Peachseed-san¡¯s face was a strange mixture of fatigue and wonder. Litzreich answered her question while once again mounting Unicorn.

    ¡°Indeed. I am Litzreich, deputy commander of the Shirayuri Knights. We have taken upon ourselves a mission to escort the hero Iris Calvafon to the royal capitol. And then per the hero¡¯s request, we came to help.¡±

    ¡°Iris-san!!¡±

    ¡°It seems the worst of it is already finished.¡±

    Almost as if on cue, the rest of the knights arrived at the bridge with Rose-san and Saluena at the front of the line. Their horses and armor were caked in mud after rushing down the road like they did.

    ¡°Everyone stay alert!! This is still a battlefield!! We¡¯re going to cross over to the other shore! Spread out, keep Iris-chan and the injured between us, and protect them with your lives!!¡±

    ?

    ¡°Aahahahahahaha!¡±

    Once the tension in the air had dissipated after we had safely crossed the bridge, Toslin let out all the laughter she had been holding back.

    ¡°Hey, hey now Toslin. Is now the time to be laughing like that? I mean, I went and did my best this time. Isn¡¯t this usually the part where you¡¯re supposed to praise me?¡±

    Toslin had broken down after meeting Carol¡¯s gaze, so Carol was making an extremely dissatisfied face as a result.

    ¡°Ahaha, my bad. Sorry. It¡¯s just¡­¡­.you¡¯re really¡­¡­so puny when you¡¯re wet!¡±

    Right now I¡¯m trying to light a fire using some of the wood a couple of knights had gotten me. Obviously it was for the sake of drying off our wet bodies.

    I gently set the miniature Phoenix into the center of the stacked wood, and at my request, a powerful flame shot up, marking the start of a roaring bonfire. Oh jeez, this is amazing Phoenix. We¡¯ll never need a pilot light as long as we have you. I might even go so far as to say we won¡¯t need to make a bonfire at all. Her body alone is enough to make the area around us nice and toasty.

    After confirming that the fire was all set to go, I turned around and walked away for a moment. We had put up our carriage¡¯s canopy before this, turning it into a makeshift changing room.

    ¡°Hey Lapris. Shouldn¡¯t you be getting angry right alongside me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s fine isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll wait to see what Toslin does to you first.¡±

    ¡°Unreasonable!!¡±

    I took off my wet clothes, listening to Lapris and Carol go at it outside the carriage while putting on a fresh shirt.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished changing~. You should hurry up and change too Carol. You¡¯ll need to wring out your tail while you¡¯re at it.¡±

    With no allies on her side, Carol ran up to me as soon as I jumped down from the carriage.

    ¡°Iris!! Toslin took one look at me and started laughing¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard.¡±

    But now that I¡¯m getting a closer look at her, it¡¯s not just her tail. All of her hair is matted down with water, greatly reducing her overall volume. Seeing as Carol is usually really fluffy fluffy like cotton candy, if feels out of place having her like this. And that out of place feeling slowly turned to laughter inside my mind, but I tried my hardest to hold that in.

    ¡°She¡¯s terrible right? Toslin didn¡¯t do anything at all, and she¡¯s laughing at all my hard work¡±

    ¡°Hey now, who are you calling terrible? Get over here. Even you¡¯ll catch a cold if you stay like this too much longer.¡±

    ¡°Grr¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin picked Carol up, carrying her away under one arm while gathering up a towel and a change of clothes. Carol had a dissatisfied look on her face from beginning to end but, she let her arms and legs hang limply in the air without bothering to put up a fight. Between the dissatisfaction at being laughed at and the joy of being with Toslin, it looks like the latter won out.

    ¡°I¡¯m back. Are you hurt anywhere Iris-san?¡±

    Rose-san was the only priestess here with the ability to use a healing miracle, so it was all up to her to treat the wounded. But after doing all that work herself, she still had the energy to immediate worry about me upon returning.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I just got a little wet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good then. You surprised me when you suddenly ran off like that. I know somebody you know was in danger and you wanted to rush to their side as quickly as possible, but next time, please take one of us with you. You should never go off alone.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Carol told me the same thing, and¡­¡­I¡¯ll reflect. I¡¯m terribly sorry for any worry I caused you.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s worry came through loud and clear, so I bowed my head and apologized.

    ¡°Ah, um¡­..I¡¯m not mad at you. It¡¯s just, we are, companions¡­¡­.right? You can¡¯t forget to rely on us as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    ¡°W-Well¡­¡­I know I don¡¯t sound very convincing considering I ran off on my own during the battle with the dragon¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all! Rose-san looked really cool back then, like a warrior priestess straight from a storybook!¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡­? Thank you. I personally think I used poor judgement there¡­¡­ But, hearing Iris-san say that¡­¡­.makes me feel a sense of pride. And a little embarrassed.¡±

    Rose-san with a honey sweet smile and a shy voice that trails off as she speaks. Just seeing her like that is enough to wake up the mischievous Iris-san in my heart and coax her out of bed. She¡¯s usually comfortably sleeping away, but during times like this, all she wants to do is tease Rose-san with all her might. Honestly, Rose-san¡¯s cuteness is not good for my social well-being. It¡¯s really not.

    While I was preoccupied with all that, the fire I had started picked up, producing some comfortable and pleasnat flames. Rose-san and I gathered around the fire just as Saluena came back after talking with Yuhanna-sama about what we would be doing from now on.

    ¡°Iris¡±

    ¡°Oh, welcome back Saluena. What¡¯s the plan starting tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Before that, there are some people here who have some business with you.¡±

    ¡°Business?¡±

    Saluena pointed towards someone standing on the other side of the bonfire. I could tell who it was when I looked through the flames.

    Because I don¡¯t know any other dark skinned women who would be in this region.

    ¡°S-Sorry to bother you. It¡¯s just, um¡­¡­there¡¯s something I have to say.¡±

    Looking down on me as I sat by the fire, Peachseed-san started talking for the first time since we reunited at the bridge.

 CH 108

    ¡°I never thought we¡¯d see each other again so soon¡±

    I¡¯m relieved I could help¡­¡­.did it sound arrogant when I said that?

    But I was so happy to see Peachseed-san standing in front of me when I got there I wasn¡¯t thinking about what was coming out of my mouth.

    ¡°R-Right. I wouldn¡¯t have had to act so awkwardly back at the guild if I had known.¡±

    Peachseed-san¡¯s hair was still wet. I¡¯m sure she would have had plenty of time to dry out her clothes after getting her wounds treated though.

    ¡°Here, use this if you want. It¡¯s still mostly dry.¡±

    I tried giving Peachseed-san the towel I had taken with me from the carriage¡­¡­

    ¡°Ah, thanks¡­..¡±

    and she nodded once, applying it to her hair. Almost immediately afterwards though, she shook her head and brought the towel back down.

    ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not what I came over here for. I wanted to¡­¡­you know, say thanks.¡±

    ¡°Thanks?¡±

    Between how wet and cold I was currently feeling, my blood circulation wasn¡¯t the best, and my head had a hard time processing words. So while I stupidly repeated what she just said back to her like a parrot, Kutuna-san and Plumseed-san walked over and took a stand beside Peachseed-san.

    ¡°We heard about it from the knight commander. Iris-san was the one who found us.¡±

    ¡°I think if Iris-san had never come to rescue us, we would certainly have all died. My magic power¡­¡­.was almost completely gone.¡±

    ¡°So, thank you. We will definitely return the favor someday.¡±

    ¡°N-No, there¡¯s no need for you to bother. I, I mean we, only did what anybody else would¡¯ve done in our position.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­that might be true for you, but it¡¯s most certainly not the case for everyone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­it¡¯s normal to hesitate if you¡¯re faced with a monster attack of that scale.¡±

    ¡°There were actually other adventurers hired as escorts as well¡­¡­.but everyone else ran away. If you hadn¡¯t come, we would¡­¡­..definitely¡­¡­..¡±

    Plumseed-san leaked out a weak sob as she crouched down where she stood. Thinking about it, I always think of Plumseed-san and Peachseed-san as twins, but they aren¡¯t.

    Plumseed-san is the same age as me. That difficult age where you¡¯re overcoming your childishness but are still not at the level to be called an adult.

    Scary things are scary whether you¡¯re an adventurer or not. So of course you¡¯d feel like crying if you are a hair¡¯s breadth away from death.

    ¡°So it might not be a big thing to you, but it is for us. You saved us, and we will return this favor without fail. I swear by my sword.¡±

    ¡°A swordswoman who has sworn by their sword has made a promise that cannot be broken. Iris. You should accept their feelings.¡±

    Saluena set her hand on Peachseed-san¡¯s shoulder and nodded. She¡¯s making a face like a just and righteous knight, but I know better.

    Whenever Saluena makes a face like that, it¡¯s because she¡¯s thinking about something no good.

    ¡°Modesty is a virtue, but it can also be a blade that hurts those close to you. Saving their lives and then refusing to let them pay you back would be a huge blow to these girls¡¯ pride.¡±

    Saluena can be set aside, but Rose-san¡¯s words took me aback.

    Certainly, if somebody had saved my life and then called it ¡°no big deal¡±, I might feel like my life wasn¡¯t worth that much.

    ¡°I-I understand. I will happily accept Peachseed-san, Kutuna-san, and Plumseed-san¡¯s gratitude.¡±

    I straightened my back to make myself seem more formal as I answered, and a relieved look spread across their faces.

    ¡°Thank you very much. From now on we have a clear goal ahead of us.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you two say you were going to make a grand, triumphant return home when you reached level ten?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes. But since Iris-san is a red rank, yellow¡­¡­.no, we¡¯ll have to keep working until we become at least orange rank adventurers.¡±

    The nearby fire is devouring the food we fed into it, growing to a roaring flame that felt great on our cold, wet bodies.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to call me just Iris. Actually Plumseed-san, since we¡¯re the same age, maybe you¡¯d prefer if neither of us used any honorifics?¡±

    I smiled and told Plumseed-san we could be a little less formal with each other, but she immediately flew backwards faster than I thought possible for her. She ducked back behind Kutuna-san, peeking out only a small part of her head.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I could do something that discourteous!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    I know I¡¯m not a beautiful woman like Rose-san, nor do I have a handsome face that can instantly melt a maiden¡¯s heart like Saluena.

    So I understand there¡¯s always a chance somebody would refuse to become friends with me.

    But, to be refused because it¡¯d be too rude? Nobody¡¯s ever said that to me before.

    ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t have a beautiful heart like Iris-san does. I have an abject, pitch black, quick to anger, deeply envious heart!¡±

    ¡°Eh, um¡­¡­Plumseed-san?¡±

    ¡°I s-s-simply can¡¯t, addressing an angel like Iris-san without an honorific¡­¡­or casually speaking with you is i-impossible. Absolutely super duper mega impossible! I should just die! I have no choice but to look directly at my filthy self and die of despair!¡±1

    ¡°H-Huh¡­¡­.? This is¡­¡­¡±

    I turned towards her sister Peachseed-san for help, but instead of an explanation, she simply shook her head.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s just her usual fit. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    No no, even if you tell me not to worry about it, that¡¯s kind of impossible in a situation like this.

    ¡°It¡¯s just how this girl gets when she¡¯s too nervous.¡±

    ¡°S-S-Someone like me¡­¡­.a rotten sludge woman like me, aah, talk, talking to Iris-san¡­¡­..oh, OHH!? Corrupting, polluting Iris-san! I need to stop breathing!! Yeah, die, I¡¯ll just do that!¡±

    Plumseed-san squatted down behind Kutuna-san and tightly wrapped her hands over her mouth.

    ¡°Hoh, she¡¯s even more talented than I had expected.¡±

    ¡°Hold on? What did you say Saluena?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just a little excited to be meeting a race I never encountered a thousand years ago.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there and watch! I mean Peachseed-san! Your younger sister is dying!?¡±

    This is how the life I just saved gets used up? Didn¡¯t you just say you were going to pay me back for saving you!?

    That¡¯s what was running through my mind as I tried prying Plumseed-san¡¯s hands away from her mouth by myself¡­¡­.but seriously, wow¡­¡­.Plumseed-san is way stronger than she looks! I¡¯m putting my back into it, but nothing¡¯s happening!

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the courage to go through with it. She¡¯ll become submissive if you leave her alone for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Kutuna-san!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just like Peachseed said. Plumseed gets like this sometimes when she sees me. It¡¯ll be fine if it¡¯s still only at this level.¡±

    No, it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to be okay at all¡­¡­hold on what? She can get worse than this? What, What¡¯s that like?

    ¡°Looks like something interesting is going on.¡±

    ¡°She looked like an ordinary girl back at the inn, but I guess I never really talked to her much.¡±

    Toslin and Carol came back from the carriage now that Carol had changed her clothes and her tail had regained most of its fluffiness. Why is it the one time Lapris isn¡¯t on top of my head, I¡¯m the one having to make a bunch of noise.

    It took a long time after Plumseed-san shook me off of her before she quieted down and stopped trying to hold her breath back with her hands.

    This person, might be the most dangerous woman I have ever met¡­¡­.

    I silently changed my perception of Plumseed-san as I watched her stare into the bonfire¡¯s flames.

    ?

    A man came over to us as the bonfire began to die down.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re¡­¡­¡±

    It was the merchant whose leg had been injured on the bridge. Since Peachseed-san was protecting him, he must be one of the members of the caravan.

    ¡°Yes. I wanted to thank you all for saving me. My name is Gorby, a merchant.¡±

    ¡°Oh, um, I¡¯m Iris Calvafon. Has your leg been healed?¡±

    Gorby-san was wearing a coat overtop a loose shirt with a bag draped over his left shoulder. He looked like a merchant in almost every way with the exception of the few bloodstains splattered across his clothes from his previous injuries.

    ¡°Yes. The priestess healed my injuries with her divine miracle, and I can already walk on my own just fine. It¡¯s thanks to her making the rounds to all of us who were injured in that attack that everyone was able to make it out alive. Honestly, thank you.¡±

    Gorby-san continued to thank each of us again and again before eventually pivoting on with a, ¡°however¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Goodness me, for us to be attacked by that many monsters at once on a main highway¡­¡­.I never would have thought it possible.¡±

    According to Gorby-san, the vast number of slimes there was most likely because the nearby villagers weren¡¯t able to thin out the herd during the winter. The same conclusion I had come up with.

    But the real mystery here is why there was such a large outbreak of cavalry fish.

    ¡°Moreover, each of them were ridiculously large. It¡¯s because of that and their repeated charges that they were able to get past my shield and injure Gorby-san¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°N-No no no. You shouldn¡¯t worry about that Peachseed-san. Unlike those other adventurers, you continued to protect me and my cargo until the very end. You did everything you could.¡±

    Peachseed-san¡¯s group apparently received the escort request from Gorby-san directly when they were passing through Dragon Ritta, a town between Soletta Ritta and Rifront. Then they were attacked not too long afterwards. Moreover by a large number of frenzied monsters.

    (¡­..is it because of the stolen Grief Sphere fragment again?)

    The carbuncle was able to reawaken because of the Goddess¡¯s diminishing power in the region after the Grief Sphere shard was stolen. If something as big as that could happen, it¡¯s no wonder that other areas are being affected as well.

    ¡°Calvafon-sama¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah¡­¡­yes!?¡±

    My brain thought he might¡¯ve been talking to someone else since he suddenly started using -sama.

    ¡°I spoke a bit with the knight commander. You¡¯re on your way to the capital to have an audience with the king.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the dragon slaying hero who rescued me, it¡¯s only proper that I thank you accordingly. So when you arrive in the capital, how about stopping by my store for a visit?¡±

    T-This is just like before right? I¡¯m in the wrong if I tell him not to worry about it right?

    When I looked over towards Saluena and Rose-san, the both of them nodded their heads with a look that made it seem like they were parents watching over their child¡¯s growth.

    Apparently my answer is the correct one. So with newfound confidence, I smiled as brightly as I could and responded.

    ¡°Yes. I understand. We will definitely stop by.¡±

    After that, Yuhanna-sama decided it was too dangerous to camp out where we were, so following her instructions, we decided to spend the rest of the day at a nearby hilly area.

    The remains of Gorby-san¡¯s caravan and Kutuna-san¡¯s escort group were integrated into the Shirayuri Knights¡¯ convoy, and our groups together continued on towards the royal capital.

    ¡ª ¡ªAnd then a week later

    We arrived at Oshunel-Tari, capital of the country of Oshunel.

 CH 109

    [Iris]: ¡°W-Wow¡­¡­.amazing¡­¡­¡±

    I was overwhelmed by the majesty of the capital as we got closer.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Fufu, yes indeed. We¡¯re talking about the royal capital after all. Even if you search across the entirety of the Van Delucia continent, you won¡¯t find a city on the same scale as Oshunel-Tari.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama boasted about the city from right next to me.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Why are you acting like you¡¯re the one she complimented?¡±

    Litzreich mumbled aloud while watching Yuhanna-sama amazed. Mounted on a horse, she rode ahead of hundreds of carriages alongside Yuhanna-sama.

    Our carriage pulled by Goldmund was directly behind them. This was because I was the first one to notice the monster attack a week ago¡­¡­although with that being said, it was really only because Phoenix happened to fly over the attack as it was happening.

    The higher Phoenix flies, the further she can see. Unfortunately the farther she flies away from me, the greater the drain on my magic power. So we decided to bring me, the main body, to the front of the convoy.

    Since the original purpose of this caravan was to act as my escort, Yuhanna-sama was extremely concerned about putting me near the front, but my carriage is also carrying Saluena plus the orange rank adventurers Rose-san, Toslin, and Carol.

    And then there¡¯s Unicorn who can form a defensive barrier in case of an emergency even in her stuffed animal form.

    ¡­¡­.even then it still took hours of work to to convince her though, but she finally relented on the condition that she and Litzreich remain close-by.

    (So this is the capital¡¯s defensive wall¡­¡­.so immensely tall¡­¡­.)

    Grasslands dotted with a few scattered trees had stretched out all around the highway for days now, but all of the sudden there was a gigantic wall soaring into the air. The white walls looked almost divine beneath the cloudless sky¡¯s sun.

    (It has to be at least three times taller than Soletta Ritta¡¯s¡­¡­.)

    It¡¯s mostly used as a tourist attraction at this point, but back in the day, my hometown¡¯s wall was a fully functioning defensive barrier used to keep out monsters. The capital¡¯s wall makes that one look like a sandcastle built by children in comparison.

    We continued down the road, making our way towards the capital¡¯s largest gate of its four entrances.

    [Iris]: ¡°At any rate, the area around the capitol is warm.¡±

    The scent of fresh grass and trees is being carried by the wind as it blows around us. There wasn¡¯t any snow to be found anywhere across the vast plains, and grass rippled across like the surface of a lake beneath the wind¡¯s touch. I¡¯m sure Soletta Ritta¡¯s sheep would be ecstatic if they were able to graze out here.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Your hometown is just way too cold. I thought I was going to die my first night there.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°That¡¯s because you insist on sleeping naked.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I cannot fall asleep unless I¡¯m naked.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°And the fact that you never got a cold proves you¡¯re an idiot.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°What was that!?¡±

    Just listening to their conversation, you would never think these two people were the two leaders of one of the most famous knight companies in the country. I thought the both of them were scary when we first met, but that feeling has all but completely disappeared over these past two weeks. Rather, we¡¯ve gotten so close that I¡¯m afraid I might get in trouble later for saying something rude.

    [Rose]: ¡°Auntie. It looks like somebody is coming to meet us.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Seeing a soldier ride out from the gate on a horse, Yuhanna-sama raised her hand to signal the rest of the knights to halt.

    Oh yes, I mentioned before how there were hundreds of carriages behind us, but I wasn¡¯t exaggerating.

    Most of the carriages stopped alongside the road belonged to merchants who were all now waiting to enter the capital.

    Gorby-san¡¯s caravan had to head to the end of that line, so we went our separate ways there. I promised Peachseed-san¡¯s group we could meet up again after we got settled, and we said our farewells as well.

    Despite this huge line though, we have been able to advance through directly to the castle¡¯s gate because our caravan consists entirely of the Shirayuri Knights. As you can guess, knights are able enter the city without having to wait in line.

    [Carol]: ¡°No need to guess which horse-drawn carriage is ours though.¡±

    Carol absent-mindlessly stared off into the distance while leaning back on our carriage with the canopy pulled down.

    [Toslin]: ¡°What are you bring up now? It¡¯s too late at this point.¡±

    The carriages belonging to the knights had their crests engraved on the sides and were obviously expensive.

    Meanwhile our horse-drawn carriage being pulled along by Goldmund was a mass-produced product we purchased our first time through Dragon Ritta. I heard it was used as a hay wagon before we bought it.

    It was a carriage that fulfilled the bare necessities of being comfortable enough to ride in. Obviously we don¡¯t have any kind of coat of arms printed along the side, and the only engravings we have are some scratches and cracks etched into the wood.

    [Carol]: ¡°Strictly speaking, it isn¡¯t really a horse-drawn carriage to begin with.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Because we have a dolinp pulling it?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re getting hung up about? This carriage stands out so much it hurts. Seriously, I bet Yuhanna would change it out for you if you asked. Why not get this thing replaced?¡±

    Lapris gave us all an amazed look before adding in there at the end.

    [Iris]: ¡°But, it¡¯d be a shame to not use it after we bought it¡­¡­..¡±

    That being said, we really do stand out mixed together with all these knights, and the gazes gathered on us are intense. And then the soldier from the city got to Yuhanna-sama¡­¡­..guh, and he¡¯s started staring strangely at our old carriage as well.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Yuhanna Rostinell, commander of the Shirayuri Knights. By royal decree, we have brought the hero Iris Calvafon and her companions to the capital.¡±

    [Soldier]: ¡°We¡¯ve already received word. Don¡¯t keep the hero waiting. The audience will take place tomorrow morning.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Yes! Understood!¡±

    Pulling on his horse¡¯s reins, the soldier circled around and took the lead. Yuhanna-sama and Litzreich followed closely behind him with our carriage and with everyone else pulling up the rear.

    ?

    What can I say, passing through the castle gates¡­¡­.it was like a world straight from a storybook.

    It was a city made up entirely of bricks just like my own hometown, but the color was different.

    Every wall was crafted with satin white brick. Every roof was made with blue tiles that made you wonder how they were forged to begin with.

    If Soletta Ritta is the ruby city, then the capital is a sapphire. And with every building decorated with these splendorous roofs¡­¡­the entire city looked like a huge jewelry box.

    And those jewels are made only more beautiful with the flowers that decorate them.

    Planters and flowerbeds filled with multicolored flowers are located everywhere from building balconies to the front of stores.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­amazing¡­¡­so this is the capital¡­¡­.¡±

    The beautiful homes and flowers catch the eyes, but there was something else in the air that caught the ear.

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s music! Is somebody singing?¡±

    I could hear a cheerful voice singing in tune with the sound of a stringed instrument. I stuck my head out the side of our carriage and started looking around to find where that music was coming from. Eventually I found somebody playing a violin at an intersection where two roads meet a little further up ahead. They softly sang along with each swipe of the bow against the violin¡¯s strings. And now that I¡¯m getting a closer look, it looks like they¡¯re using their feet to tap away at some drums on the ground as well.

    [Iris]: ¡°W-Wow¡­..is that a bard? So cool, this is my first time seeing one!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°No, at this point they¡¯d be closer to a street performer than a bard.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Just like those people who breath fire.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, fire? H-How do they do that?¡±

    By the way, I promised myself before leaving home I would do my best to not come across as some girl fresh from the countryside.

    But it¡¯s impossible. Everything I¡¯m seeing is so new and exciting I can¡¯t help but be taken in by it all.

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, so there are things even Iris-san does not know.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°So this, is the world after a thousand years? It truly is peaceful.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Clearly we made the right choice in bringing you here if this is how happy you are after only entering through the gates.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°A starry-eyed Iris showing an innocence appropriate for her age. So cute.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi you, don¡¯t use the confusion to slip in your strange perversions.¡±

    I was so taken with the surrounding scenery that I didn¡¯t even notice Lapris snapping at Litzreich right behind me.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Then, I would like to take the time to show you around the city, but first we should head straight for the castle.¡±

    And I would soon learn¡­¡­.this was only a single part of the capital¡¯s charm.

 CH 110

    This was my first time ever getting to see a real life castle.

    I¡¯ve read many adventure novels in my lifetime, and almost all of them had at least one illustration of a castle in them.

    But this was the real deal. An actual building made from stone instead of ink. There were several other city walls further inside from the first, causing the whole city to resemble the rings inside a tree. How many gates have we already been forced to pass through? How many gatekeepers have I said hello to? And yet I still can¡¯t see the castle¡¯s entrance. I could see a number of high spires high overhead looking down on us, but it didn¡¯t look like they were getting any closer no matter how far in we moved.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­that¡¯s a big castle¡­¡­¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Well, it is where this country¡¯s king lives.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Was this the fifth gate we passed through? Then there are just two more.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°That many!?¡±

    We¡¯re still riding in the same old rickety hay wagon.

    Only now, the knights have all disembarked from their own carriages, mounting horses and riding along to our left and right. Yuhanna-sama and Litzreich are still in the lead of course and doing all of the talking whenever we come upon another gate.

    It¡¯s already been thirty minutes since we first entered the city, but I¡¯ve been spending that entire time in complete wonderment.

    Tonight¡¯s diary entry is probably, definitely going to be very long. I could write a whole letter based only on the things I¡¯ve seen so far.

    [Rose]: ¡°In all, Oshunel-Tari has seven defensive ramparts.¡±

    Perhaps mistaking my open mouth and vacant stare as boredom instead of the speechlessness that it was, Rose-san scooched next to me and began explaining a few things for my sake.

    [Rose]: ¡°The first wall, said to be the strongest in the kingdom, is seventy meters tall. Then counting from the outermost walls in, the second to fifth ramparts are each thirty meters high. The area from the first wall to the fifth is a residential area for the general public, and any Oshunal citizen can pass through the city¡¯s gates freely.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I see¡­¡­¡±

    In that case, Toslin was probably right, and we just passed through the fifth gate.

    [Iris]: ¡°Then from this point on¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Correct. From here on we shall be traveling through the aristocratic area. No one is allowed to be here unless they have been granted a permit or a title from the state. In general, the closer you get to the center of the city, the higher in rank the nobles who live there are.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Now that I think about it, Rose was the daughter of one of this country¡¯s nobles weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Rose-san nodded her head yes at Lapris. I thought a shadow might cross Rose-san¡¯s expression if someone had brought up this specific topic, but for some reason it didn¡¯t. If anything, it looked like her smile only deepened.

    [Rose]: ¡°Since you already know, I will let you know that the name of my house is Auroll.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­..eh?¡±

    Toslin was the only one to react towards Rose-san¡¯s words.

    Carol sat unchanged on top of Toslin¡¯s lap, and Lapris was giving Toslin a confused, ¡°Why?¡± look.

    Saluena was completely disinterested in the entire conversation and remained unmoved, leaning back on some of our luggage with her eyes closed.

    At the moment, my reaction is about the same as Lapris¡¯s. The noble in charge of governing Soletta Ritta lives in another city. That¡¯s why I have never had any kind of contact with any kind of noble since the day I was born. So overall, I¡¯m rather lacking when it comes to information on nobles.

    [Toslin]: ¡°The Aurolls are an earl house aren¡¯t they?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°An earl!?¡±

    But, even with my limited knowledge, I can still understand how big of a deal an earl household would be. Although I¡¯m not entirely sure why they would be.

    [Lapris]: ¡°An earl? Is that something awesome?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Definitely. Moreover, the Aurolls act as margraves, entrusted with protecting the remote areas far to the north of the capital. They¡¯re basically the direct representatives of the royal family, and any daughter of theirs would be something like a princess.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Heh, that¡¯s amazing Rose.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°But my house has no power here in the capital. And even if they did, I abandoned the name Auroll when I became a priestess.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°And yet that name will follow you closely so long as you are here. For better or worse.¡±

    Having quietly listened to us until now, Yuhanna-sama chose then to turn around in her saddle and say so. Her expression was slightly more constrained than what it usually is as well.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­yes. I am aware.¡±

    And Rose-san returned a small nod,

    [Rose]: ¡°However, the fact remains that I have nothing to do with them. My last name is Cuulbacall. A knight of the Riviera Von Iliana¡­¡­.someone who will protect Iris-san.¡±

    before turning to look at me and smiling softly.

    [Rose]: ¡°I am still inexperienced though. It is irritating how my body is still unable to keep pace with my will.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san¡­¡­¡±

    I see. I was a bit taken aback when I heard her family were earls, but Rose-san is still Rose-san. If Rose-san says she has nothing to do with them, then that¡¯s just how it is.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um¡­¡­I¡¯m, counting on you. Rose-san.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you Iris-san.¡±

    The carriage shook as its wheels ran across the white cobblestone road. As we passed through the sixth and finally the seventh gate, we managed to arrive at our destination.

    The same place where the hero Ranroot was said to have slain the evil dragon Oshunel a thousand years ago. The castle where the current king Olivar resides.

    [Iris]: ¡°This is Oshunel Castle¡­¡­¡±

    The chalk white castle spires extended further upward than any of the city¡¯s ramparts¡­¡­.carrying with them a beauty, majesty, and might suitable for the largest nation on the Van Delucia continent.

 CH 111

    Seeing the castle from the outside was amazing, but seeing it from the inside was spectacular.

    The floor was inlaid with red velvet carpet that reached up to your ankles, and the walls were decorated with a countless number of paintings stretching from one end to the other.

    Glancing upwards, there were a number of huge chandeliers hanging down at equal intervals, making the whole ceiling resemble a star-studded night sky.

    [Iris]: ¡°Somehow, I can¡¯t come up with any words to describe this.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Me either¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Why do you need such a grandiose place if all you¡¯re going to do is eat and sleep in here? You humans make no sense.¡±

    Riding on the plush toy Unicorn¡¯s back, Lapris scoffed at what she saw as Carol and I absentmindedly looked all around us with our mouths hanging wide open.

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s all to save face. Otherwise diplomats from other countries would look down on them. If they¡¯re giving off this much wealth and strength, only an idiot would want to pick a fight with them right?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hmm, so it¡¯s that kind of thing?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s that kind of thing.¡±

    It¡¯s all because of the wonderfully luxurious castle interior that Toslin and Lapris could come to an agreement without starting an argument for once.

    If the day ever comes that they start a quarrel, go wild, and smash up some of these paintings and vases, we¡¯re probably going to end up with a bill we¡¯d have no hope of ever paying off.

    (Just one of these paintings would surely cost all of the gems I received¡­¡­)

    I have no artistic sense nor any knowledge on the finer arts, but these paintings are giving off such a powerful opulent aura that even someone as uneducated as I could feel it.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Got it Carol? You¡¯re not allowed to run around so long as we¡¯re here.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I got it. I¡¯m not an idiot you know.¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°And over here, shall be your room for the duration of your stay.¡±

    With that as an introduction, the maid Noelia-san walked aside a huge door and pushed it open to show us what laid inside.

    [Carol]: ¡°Uuooooh! This room¡¯s huge!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Dang it, I just told you not to run around anywhere!! You really are an idiot!¡±

    Carol completely forgot the promise she had made just a moment ago and leapt into the room.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Wow, what¡¯s with this? This room alone is about the size of Iris¡¯s house.¡±

    Toslin went chasing after Carol while Lapris leisurely looked around as plush toy Unicorn trotted behind them.

    [Noelia]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Noelia-san silently watched their backs without showing any sign of emotion on her face.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Well then, if you¡¯ll excuse us, we must report our return to His Majesty.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, okay. Thank you for seeing us all the way.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Think nothing of it. I only wished to know where you and Rosalith were staying¡­¡­. And Rosalith¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes?¡±

    Rose-san turned towards her aunt puzzled after her name had been called.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°If you ever need anything, you can always ask me for help. Okay?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes. Thank you for your concern Aun¡­¡­.Yuhanna-sama¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°¡­¡­.all right, that¡¯s better. ¡®Auntie¡¯ is off limits when we¡¯re around other people.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama carefully made sure that last point was properly conveyed.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I¡¯ll slip into your bed later tonight. I know you¡¯ll be lonely without me until then, but please wait patiently Iris.¡±

    While my attention was focused on Yuhanna-sama, Litzreich grabbed my hand and started on with sweet words.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, m-my bed¡­¡­.!?¡±

    [Salunea]: ¡°If you even try it, you¡¯ll quickly find your head parted from your neck. As long as you¡¯re fine with the consequences, then please stop by.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Grr, how sly of you Saluena. Are you just saying that because you want the other half of Iris¡¯s pillow all for yourself?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I must be able to serve and protect her no matter what time of day it is. That is the duty of a knight.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Then the answer is simple. I¡¯ll leave the Shirayuri Knights and join up with your knight order instead.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°What kind of idiotic things are you prattling on about now!? Do you think there¡¯s any chance I would allow that!? Come on, get over here.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna! I want to sleep with Iris too!¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Noelia. I shall leave the hero¡¯s well-being to you while she stays here. Prioritize her care over any other orders you may receive. Understood?¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°Certainly yes, Yuhanna-sama¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Good. In that case, pardon us for now. Farewell.¡±

    Contrary to the elegance of her words, Yuhanna-sama left us with her hand wrapped firmly around Litzreich¡¯s neck like a vice as she dragged her second-in-command behind her. Noelia-san watched the both of them go, but her expression had still yet to change.

    Is she one of those taciturn maids who feel it¡¯s poor manners to show any more emotion than necessary?

    [Noelia]: ¡°Come on in then if you¡¯d please Calvafon-sama¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, um¡­¡­..o-okay¡­¡­..¡±

    I¡¯m still not used to people using sama with my name, so my reply came out more forced than I meant it to.

    But Noelia-san didn¡¯t laugh at my anxiousness. She didn¡¯t look like she was interested in me to begin with. She simply remained standing where she was, blankly staring at me while waiting for me to come in.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°Wow¡­¡­.it really is big in here¡­¡­.¡±

    Lapris said before that this room was bigger than my whole house, and for once she wasn¡¯t exaggerating.

    [Noelia]: ¡°We had originally prepared everyone their own rooms, but after listening to Calvafon-sama¡¯s request, we quickly threw this together. If you see anything not to your liking, please let me know.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°N-No no no, no complaints at all!¡±

    What kind of complaints can I come up with for a room several times more gorgeous than what I could have ever expected.

    [Rose]: ¡°If I remember correctly, Yuhanna-sama said our audience with His Majesty would be in three days time correct?¡±

    As I took a seat on our room¡¯s cushy couch, my butt and back sinking into the super fluffy cushions, Rose-san continued on with business.

    But she¡¯s right. We came all the way to this city to have an audience with the king, so it¡¯s important to confirm that before anything else.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Yes, that is correct. We shall prepare your wardrobe for the event, so we would like to take your measurements tomorrow morning.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Ah, there¡¯s no need for me. As a knight, my armor will do for the occasion won¡¯t it?¡±

    Noelia-san calmly turned her gaze towards Toslin and quickly gave the armor she was wearing a once over with her eyes.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Yes, it will do. Then Rosalith-sama¡­¡­.will you be wearing your armor as well?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I will. For priestesses, our armor acts as our formal wear, so there is no need to have anything tailored for my sake.¡±

    Formal wear¡­¡­.formal wear? Of course. I¡¯m going to be meeting the actual king, so I¡¯m going to need to dress up. I¡­¡­do I though? Is the way I¡¯m dressed discourteous in some way?

    I¡¯m wearing a short flared skirt and a button up collared shirt. Lapris said if I put on a mantle I¡¯ll look like a witch which means this is pretty much already the formal wear for witches¡­¡­.so I¡¯m not entirely sure what more I need.

    [Saluena]: ¡°So me, Iris, and then Carol will need to get measured.¡±

    As I was mulling the question over in my head, Saluena spoke up on my behalf. I guess there is something wrong with what I¡¯m wearing after all.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Very good. Then we will send someone to pick up the three of you in the morning if you¡¯d please wait for us here.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes! We¡¯ll leave it to you¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°¡­¡­..then, I shall alert you to when dinner is ready, so please enjoy yourselves until then.¡±

    Noelia-san gave us all a deep bow before leaving the room.

    [Iris]: ¡°Puwhaaaa¡­¡­¡­¡±

    And all of my strength suddenly drained from my body when she did. The same thing happened to everyone else as well, and it felt like the tension hanging in the air was broken apart all at once.

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh man~, I was so nervous.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Liar. You were the same as always.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°That¡¯s not true. I was just fooling around to help the rest of you relax.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we all got to stay together in one room.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Indeed. Although, the size of the rooms cannot even be compared.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I said I wanted to stay together with everyone, and¡­¡­.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Haa? You don¡¯t need to apologize for something like that.¡±

    Lapris dove off of plush toy Unicorn¡¯s back, bouncing up and down on top of the bed.

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah, I like being with everyone too. Wouldn¡¯t it just be boring if you had a room all by yourself?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°And we are supposed to be your bodyguards after all, so it¡¯s probably better if we all share a room anyway.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­.hmph, big words coming from someone who complained about how lonely they were feeling when I was in the hospital with Rose!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Gah, what are you talking about!?¡±

    Toslin jumped from her seat next to me on the couch and grabbed Carol by the scruff of her neck.

    [Carol]: ¡°It¡¯s about that you know? All those things you said when we were in that hotel room alone together?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Y-You don¡¯t really need to remind me about any of that. And I didn¡¯t¡­¡­.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I was just discharged from the hospital, we had the room all to ourselves, and aiya, Toslin came out and said the cutest things¡­¡­.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Uwooooooooooooo!!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s face turned a vibrant shade of red as she threw Carol towards the bed.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Auuuuuuuuugh!? That was dangerous you shitty bastards!! You almost killed me!¡±

    Carol safely landed on the bed, but the problem was that Lapris was there first, and she was none too happy about almost becoming a red stain on the bed sheets.

    [Carol]: ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. Toslin¡¯s the one who suddenly¡­¡­¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­.it¡¯s your fault for going around spouting nonsense.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°No no, it¡¯s not nonsense. It really¡­¡­¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit whose fault it is! Apologize! Prostrate yourselves before the great me!! Right now!! Oi what¡¯s the matter pipsqueak! Orc woman! Can¡¯t you hear me!!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    As Lapris continued to inflate the value on her own life, Rose-san turned towards me with an expression that said all of that had nothing to do with her.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san. For tomorrow afternoon¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes? What is it?¡±

    Honestly, those three haven¡¯t changed at all since meeting each other in front of the Swansea Forest. But it feels like it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt this noisy atmosphere. It helps calm my nerves, making me feel almost stupid for feeling nervous over our audience with the king in a few days.

    [Rose]: ¡°If it is all right with you, I was wondering if you could come with us.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not a problem¡­¡­¡±

    Not just Rose-san, but Saluena too? I wonder what¡¯s up.

    I had a storm of question marks swirling in my head, but with no reason to refuse, I immediately agreed to it.

 CH 112

    I spent my first night in the capital sleeping in the same room as everyone else.

    Getting to talk and play together with everyone before conking out in bed once we¡¯re finally feeling tired. It¡¯s a bliss I became aware of during our time in Rifront and how I always imagined a journey together with everyone would go.

    We pushed two king sized beds next to each other so we could all sleep together, but because I ended up sleeping in the middle where the crack between the two beds was, my back hurt just a little when I woke up the next morning.

    And so the sun rose on my first morning at the royal capital. After we finished our breakfast, Noelia-san stopped by to bring me, Saluena, and Carol to another room.

    There had to have been nearly fifty seamstresses waiting for us on the other side of that door, and they recorded everything from our shoulder width to arm length to bust and hip size and even the size of our feet.

    Once our body measurements had been taken, it was time to choose what kind of clothes and what kind of fabric would suit me best.

    No, ¡®choose¡¯ isn¡¯t quite the right word. I¡¯ve never had any kind of clothes tailored for myself before, so I spent the entire time dumbly nodding my head as the seamstresses opinions and arguments flew in one ear and out the other.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..why am I suddenly so worn-out¡­¡­..?¡±

    As I plodded through the castle¡¯s vast grand hall, my voice came out like a dead tree blowing in the wind.

    [Carol]: ¡°Me too¡­¡­. Hey, should we just go back to our room and sleep for the rest of the day?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°What are you saying? You¡¯ve only just finished lunch, and we have to visit the church next.¡±

    Carol was walking right next to me with the same vacant stare on her face.

    I¡¯ve seen her like this once before. Back in Relton village. Having confessed an old sin of hers, Rose-san spanked her butt in punishment. The next morning she woke up with a swollen butt and spent most of the day with this exact same look.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Carol and Iris were used like toys by those seamstresses.¡±

    Ah, she¡¯s right. They used me like some display model and kept forcing me to change from one outfit to another.

    Saluena was finished relatively quickly while Noelia-san spent the whole time gracefully drinking tea while silently watching us change clothes. I thought it was strange. Halfway through, it seemed more like the seamstresses were putting in their own personal requests instead of getting us ready for our meeting with the king.

    [Rose]: ¡°Please stay strong Iris-san, Carol-san. We have a carriage waiting for us at the entrance. If you can make it there, you can sleep on our way to the church.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°O-Okay¡­¡­.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Uuu, Toslin, carry me¡­¡­..¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Pfft, you¡¯re both a couple of weaklings.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from Lapris, the fairy who rides on Unicorn¡¯s back wherever she goes.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s have someone play dress-up with you for three hours like you¡¯re some kind of doll. Then you can know our pain.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°I¡¯m fine with what I have on. Besides, I doubt human hands could make fairy clothes.¡±

    Well, I guess what Lapris says is true. The clothes she¡¯s wearing now has a lot of lace and frills, and it¡¯d probably be impossible to knit something like that with any tools that a human could handle.

    After walking through the castle¡¯s front doors, we found our carriage, right where Rose-san said it would be.

    I mean, it¡¯s not so much a carriage as the wagon that Goldmund always pulls for us, but still.

    [Carol]: ¡°Finally, our carriage. I don¡¯t want to walk anymore~. Goldmund, I leave the rest to you¡­¡­.*bleh*¡±

    Carol collapsed, setting her head down on Toslin¡¯s lap who had boarded before her.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hey now, you¡¯re making a scene.¡±

    Toslin lightly poked her head, but Carol continued to lie there as if she were already a corpse.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Seriously¡­¡­. It¡¯s just until we get to the church.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Mmm¡±

    So in the end, Toslin decided to give Carol a lap pillow after all. How nice.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­.W-What? It can¡¯t be helped right? What do you want me to do, toss her out of the carriage?¡±

    Toslin hurriedly started firing off excuses when she noticed my gaze. Even though I hadn¡¯t said anything yet.

    [Iris]: ¡°No, I was just thinking how nice it is that you two get along so well.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°That¡¯s right. Carol worked really hard this morning, so I¡¯m just giving her the chance to rest up.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Fuaa¡­¡­..Toslin¡­¡­.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Wai-, oi¡­¡­.you idiot, that tickles, stop rubbing your face in!¡±

    The carriage began to move as I watched Toslin and Carol play with each other.

    [Rose]: ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make you drive Noelia-san.¡±

    It was apparently Noelia-san who grabbed Goldmund from his spot at the castle¡¯s stable, and she was now taking the coachman¡¯s seat to bring us to the church.

    [Noelia]: ¡°No, this is also part of my job. There¡¯s nothing for you to be sorry for.¡±

    There was a short clopping of hooves ringing in the air as the carriage continued over the city¡¯s cobblestone roads.

    Lapris was placed right next to Noelia-san while still straddling Unicorn. She told me before that she enjoys have the wind run through her hair.

    As expected, even a reticent woman like Noelia-san couldn¡¯t hide her surprise at a fairy and moving stuffed animal combo, and I occasionally caught her stealing a glance to her side as Lapris leisurely hummed by herself.

    [Iris]: ¡°Have you ever been to this church before Rose-san? What¡¯s it like there?¡±

    After finishing up lunch, Rose-san and Saluena asked me to visit the church with them.

    I had already promised to spend the afternoon with them last night, but it wasn¡¯t until then that I found out where we would be going.

    All I know about the church in the capital is that it¡¯s even bigger than the one in Soletta Ritta.

    Also that it¡¯s located somewhere between the city¡¯s fourth and fifth wall.

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, once before. It is a solemn yet sublime building you would not believe was built almost a thousand years ago.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hmm, is that right¡­¡­.fuaa¡­¡­.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stifle my yawn at the end.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry! I asked you a question, and now I¡¯m¡­¡­.¡±

    I hurriedly threw my hands over my mouth, but it was too late. My huge yawn was clear as day for both Rose-san and Saluena to see.

    [Rose]: ¡°You must be tired. Would Iris-san like to take a rest until we arrive like Carol-san?¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­.like Carol?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    That means resting my head on someone¡¯s lap doesn¡¯t it?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.um¡­¡­.¡±

    Saluena laughed happily as my eyes darted between Toslin and Rose-san¡¯s laps.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa, does that mean you¡¯re willing to lend your lap to Iris?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..huh? Ah¡­¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until Saluena said something that Rose-san noticed anything, and then just as I had done before, Rose-san¡¯s eyes jumped between Toslin¡¯s and her own lap.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, no no, you don¡¯t have to do that. I can sleep just about anywhere¡­¡­.¡±

    To be frank, I would love to rest my head on Rose-san¡¯s lap. But, there is a certain part of me that is hesitant.

    That part of me emerged victorious from my inner conflict, so I bent over to rest my head on the wagon¡¯s wooden seat. But before my head could touch wood, someone grabbed my sleeve.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ah, Iris-san!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes!?¡±

    I immediately sat back up. Rose-san was the one who was holding on to me.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.W-Well¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s white cheeks were dyed a slight pink as she shyly gazed down at me.

    [Rose]: ¡°I-If you¡¯d like¡­¡­. You could rest on my lap?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­.lap¡­¡­.oh, um¡­¡­¡±

    I was at a loss for words for the second time in how many minutes.

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh¡­¡­.sorry, I did not mean to sound like I was forcing you¡­¡­.¡±

    My gaze traveled over to Rose-san¡¯s lap. It looked soft wrapped up in her robes.

    Until now Rose-san and I have slept in the same bed together, taken baths together, and done all kinds of other things together, but has she ever given me a lap pillow before? No, never.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-You¡¯re not forcing me at all!¡±

    My voice was louder than I had meant it to be. Rose-san is sitting right next to me, so I could¡¯ve whispered and still gotten my message across.

    [Rose]: ¡°R-Really¡­¡­¡­? T-Then¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san gently patted the top of her lap.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..f-feel free.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°T-Thanks¡±

    Hm? For some reason¡­¡­.my heart is beating really fast.

    A lap pillow should be a much shorter bar than sleeping together or taking a bath together.

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh!?¡±

    As I slowly lowered my head, I caught Saluena¡¯s gaze.

    She was hiding her mouth with her hand, but it was clear from her eyes that she was trying not to laugh. Apparently she thinks it¡¯s funny to see me flustered like this.

    Acting nasty here even though she easily gets lonely and loves to be spoiled when it¡¯s just the two of us.

    [Iris]: ¡°W-What is it?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Oh no¡­¡­it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I twisted my body to the other side and set my head down in Rose-san¡¯s lap.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ah, Iris-san!?¡±

    Rose-san raised a panicked voice as my head was wrapped up in something soft.

    Thinking about it, I should probably have my head be facing up. But the thought of Saluena being able to see my face was way too embarrassing, so I buried my face in Rose-san¡¯s stomach instead.

    [Iris]: ¡°Fuaa¡­¡­.¡±

    I know I caused Rose-san some panic, but I didn¡¯t move.

    Hold on. With my face so close to Rose-san¡¯s stomach, all I can smell is Rose-san.

    A subtle, sweet smell like a sunny field.

    The scent only became more intense when I buried my nose further into her stomach.

    So this is why Carol kept rubbing her face in Toslin¡¯s legs.

    [Rose]: ¡°Um, Iris-san¡­¡­.?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh¡­¡­s-sorry¡­¡­..Rose-san. I¡­¡­¡±

    My heart, which had been ringing like a dinner bell until now, gradually steadied itself.

    And that sleepiness, which had been all but blown away a second ago, now began to creep back.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..hau¡±

    My eyelids grew heavy, and my mind rapidly began separating itself from the rest of my body.

    It felt like I was sleeping on a bed made from cotton candy.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    And then I fell asleep, just like that.

 CH 113

    I woke up to someone lightly nudging my shoulder.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­.Mm¡­¡­Mmm?¡±

    My head was still in a daze as I slowly opened my eyes. And then there was someone¡¯s face, looking right back at me.

    [Rose]: ¡°We¡¯ve arrived Iris-san¡±

    It was a soothing voice that comforts my soul. And then, I remember.

    ¨D¨DRight now, my head is resting on a certain someone¡¯s lap.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah! Sorry.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the one who invited you out despite how tired you are feeling.¡±

    Was I rolling around while I was sleeping? I¡¯m lying on my back now.

    As the fog slowly lifted from my brain, I was able to fully open my eyes and came to understood why I was able to see Rose-san¡¯s face as soon as I opened them.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    And not just her face. Right before my eyes were Rose-san¡¯s breasts. Two powerful bulges that mine couldn¡¯t even compare to that actually covered half of Rose-san¡¯s face from where I was laying. Who can blame me for not realizing who was talking to until I saw Rose-san¡¯s peach-colored hair.

    [Rose]: ¡°Can I help you with something Iris-san?¡±

    Rose-san looked down at me with a cheerful face. But when she bent down to see me better, her chest got even closer as well. It felt like she was showing off the overwhelming difference in strength between us. I moved my body to avoid it, but I still felt a little depressed.

    I¡¯m already worried enough about my own chest as it is.

    As I left the carriage behind, it felt like I was leaving some small part of me behind as well.

    ?

    *Tuu! Tutututuu! Tututuu! Tuu! Tuu!*

    [Iris]: ¡°Uhyaaaa!?¡±

    I screamed after something that sounded a lot like a trumpet suddenly echoed around me.

    [Iris]: ¡°E-Eh!? What!? Uwa, a red¡­¡­.carpet? Fue!?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Compose yourself Iris.¡±

    Taking a step forward and expecting a hard stone floor, my expectations were betrayed when my feet met with a cushy, fluffy carpet similar to the one in the castle corridors.

    It turns out that noise that caused me to scream really did come from a trumpet. Or trumpets. Dozens of musicians held their instruments aloft, standing on either side of a carpet laid out on the ground leading to the church¡¯s front door.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..t-this¡­¡­what?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°There are people waiting for us inside. Come, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Saluena took my hand and together, we started on our way inside.

    The constantly ringing noise ringing around scared me, so I clung back to Saluena and let her lead me forward.

    [Iris]: ¡°W-Wow¡­¡­.amazing. So this is the capital¡¯s church¡­¡­..¡±

    Soletta Ritta¡¯s church had three steeples built into it, and in one of those was a bell that rang each hour of the day to keep the townspeople running on the same clock.

    But this church has three bell towers jutting high in the air. Intricate etchings were carved into the slightly grayish walls making the entire building a finely crafted work of art despite its aged rock.

    No, it¡¯s probably meant to be that way. The church has been here for a thousand years, since the capital was first taken from the Dragon King Oshunel. It is said that the tomb of Ranroot, our country¡¯s first king, rests in the catacombs beneath it.

    As for the number of steeples¡­¡­.just how many are there? Counting those big and small, I can see at least a dozen of them from where I¡¯m standing. I would later learn that a statue of the current king would be placed on top of the church¡¯s highest tower, and there is a rule that no building is allowed to be built higher than that tower.

    Not knowing that at the time though, I could only stop and stare with my mouth wide open at the sheer number of towers coming off this one building.

    *GroGro¡­¡­KoKoKoKoKoKo* The church¡¯s front doors swung open as we got close, the red carpet continuing all the way inside. Saluena continued to take the lead, pulling on my hand and guiding me into the church while I clumsily followed along.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.H-Hey¡­¡­.Saluena?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°What is it?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°So, who is it that¡¯s waiting for me¡­¡­?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°You¡¯ll understand when we get there.¡±

    We found ourselves inside a massive chapel as soon as we passed through the doorway. The room was dyed a soft shade of blue because of the sun¡¯s light passing through a large blue-tinted stained glass window with the image of a tikarodeka flower planted in the middle.

    The floor was crafted out of white marble, the same as Soletta¡¯s church. But that white mixed together with the sun¡¯s blue light to make serene sky blue.

    We slowly walked forward as the church¡¯s hymn sounded all around us.

    A large number of wooden pews were arranged on either side of an aisle for worshipers to sit, and at the very front row were a number of people wearing metal armor over a robe sitting still. On closer inspection, all of them were women. Although she didn¡¯t have it with her right now for me to compare, each of the women were carrying the same large shield that Rose-san usually carries around. And on those shields was a tikarodeka emblem.

    (Warrior priestesses? And so many of them¡­¡­)

    As we reached the front altar, the singing came to a stop.

    [???]: ¡°We welcome you, Iris Calvafon-sama.¡±

    Somebody spoke from behind a lit candle standing on top of the altar. With a bishop¡¯s staff in one hand, she wore a robe with the sacred flower emblazoned on the chest. Unlike the other sisters and priestesses however, the border of the tikarodeka was sewn with seven different brightly colored threads around the border indicating that she was a woman of high status in the church.

    [Marie Arone]: ¡°I am Marie Arone1, the bishop in charge of this church.¡±

    Bishop¡­¡­.bishop? If you¡¯re talking about a bishop, then doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s ranked even higher than Aronda-san? Actually, isn¡¯t a bishop the highest rank you can normally obtain in the church? There are some countries where a bishop might be the most important member of the church there.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, it¡¯s nice to meet you Marie Arone-sama. As you already know, my name is Iris Calvafon.¡±

    [Marie]: ¡°Fufu, there¡¯s no need for you to be so formal. Marie will do just fine.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­Marie-sama. I-I am Iris, and¡­¡­¡±

    Long, blue hair flowed down the thin veil Marie-sama wore on top of her head. Long eyelashes covered wistful eyes. She looked¡­¡­.maybe around thirty? She definitely appeared to be younger than my mom at least.

    [Marie]: ¡°Fufu, a charming girl, just as you told me Priestess Rosalith¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It is good to see you again Highbishop Marie. Yes, as you can see she is a very pure-hearted girl.¡±

    Highbishop? Did Rose-san just call Marie-san a highbishop? For a second I thought it was because Marie-san is the bishop for the capital¡¯s church, but it turns out Marie-san is actually an archbishop.

    I know little to nothing about aristocrats, but Aronda-san taught me a bit about the church¡¯s social structure, so I have at least some knowledge on the subject.

    The archbishop is an honorary rank among bishops, seen as the bishop in charge of uniting the churches spread across the continent. There are only a few across the world. You could count all of them using the fingers on both hands. With only the pope and the Goddess ranked above them, you could say they¡¯re the real leaders of the church.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­eh¡­¡­..¡±

    My surprise leaked out in the form of a strange sound squeaking past my lips. As the seriousness of this situation started sinking in, I found myself seriously wishing I had gone to the bathroom before coming here.

    *Katoooooon!!!*

    Marie-sama struck the bottom of her staff against the ground, and all of the warrior priestesses who had been silently sitting on the frontmost pew rose up all at once.

    [Marie]: ¡°Now that I have imparted my greeting, my role for today has come to an end. From here on, it¡¯s up to you. I shall closely watch over the work of the Goddess¡¯s miracle.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh?¡±

    The sisters who had recited the church¡¯s hymn as we entered descended from the chancel and lined up behind Marie-sama. There was easily over a hundred of them in all.

    Saluena leaned over, whispering into my ear as I tried to cope with so many people¡¯s eyes trained solely on me.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Iris. Do you remember the reward you received from the guild in Soletta after slaying the carbuncle primordial spirit at St. Noglint?¡±

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen next or what I¡¯m supposed to do, and I¡¯m sure my anxiety was clear to see on my face. That¡¯s why Saluena gently rubbed my back and softly guided me to the answer.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­¡±

    The reward for subjugating the carbuncle was a whole bunch of gems. After that was¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡±

    My head connected the dots leading from my past memories to the current situation.

    I had counted the number of priestess warriors when I came in. There were twenty-five of them sitting on each pew on either side of the aisle. In other words, fifty in total.

    The same number as in the reward.

    [Iris]: ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­.the warrior priestesses here are¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°That¡¯s right. I had Aronda send word ahead before we left Soletta Ritta.¡±

    Saluena put her hands on my shoulders and slowly turned me around. I was met face to face with fifty warrior priestesses who all had their gazes squarely focused on me.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Thank you for coming here today. Riviera Von Iliana. Our name notched on her forefinger!¡±

    As Saluena¡¯s booming voice spread throughout the church, the warrior priestesses raised each of their shields all together, holding them directly over their chests.

    The tikarodeka flowers emblazoned on their shields¡¯ surface began to emit a faint¡­¡­no, a powerful white light.

    And then as if in response, the ring on my left index began to shine with the exact same light.

    1. Marie Arone is all one name. It was all connected in Japanese, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to call her something like Mariarone or anything else that sounds like I¡¯m saying macaroni with a bunch of food stuffed in my mouth.

 CH 114

    [Saluena]: ¡°My name is Saluena. Saluena Hadion. A thousand years ago I was a knight in the Goddess¡¯s order and at the end of my service I became known as the Dark Violet Knight.¡±

    Saluena¡¯s dignified voice replaced the church¡¯s hymn and filled the room.

    [Saluena]: ¡°You already know the story. Standing here is Iris Calvafon. A modern day grimoire master picked by the Goddess Illya¡­¡­..¡±

    I¡­¡­stood there and watched. She¡¯s talking about me, I¡¯m at the center of all this, but I¡¯m not really involved.

    It feels like I¡¯m occupying a separate space¡­¡­.yes, like I¡¯m sitting at a distance, watching a drama unfold on stage. It¡¯s happening right there in front of me, but it¡¯s like there¡¯s an invisible wall standing between us.

    [Saluena]: ¡°And so, our knight order shall bear the name of the Goddess!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    But, that¡¯s wrong. This isn¡¯t a drama.

    Saluena turned, her eyes focusing on me. It wasn¡¯t the gaze of an actor looking out towards her audience. It was an intense look that pierced through my very being.

    (The ring¡­¡­.is shining.)

    I remembered that strange feeling I had back at Soletta¡¯s Warrior Guild. It wasn¡¯t just my imagination after all.

    The engravings of the sacred flower on my silver ring shone with a bright white light before slowly beginning to change shape. And right before my eyes was of course¡­¡­

    [Marie]: ¡°¡­¡­.the ring¡­¡­changed shape?¡±

    Marie-sama, the sisters, and all the warrior priestesses keenly watched the change taking place in my left hand.

    [Marie]: ¡°¡­¡­.is that¡­¡­.a grimoire?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°It is indeed.¡±

    Lapris answered Marie-sama¡¯s question as she jumped off Unicorn¡¯s back and fluttered over to my shoulder.

    [Lapris]: ¡°The Goddess Illya placed her wish to Iris at the church in Soletta Ritta. That wish¡­..to become our hope. I¡¯m the one who received that wish, and I¡¯m the one who passed it on. So there¡¯s no mistake you hear?¡±

    Lapris was acting differently than she had at the church back then, using the same tone she always uses when she¡¯s around us.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Come on Iris. Open up. And then, let it out. The Goddess¡¯s wish.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..okay.¡±

    What is it I can do? Is it really okay for me to be here to begin with? Those questions are still smoldering in the back of my mind.

    But, if it wasn¡¯t for the Goddess¡¯s power¡­¡­.I wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now. She¡¯s helped me so many times, both directly and indirectly, so I want to meet her expectations. If my strength can help even a little, then I want to return the favor.

    I get it now. This is how Peachseed-san and the others felt back then. I can¡¯t sit still. It¡¯s like there¡¯s an itch on my back that needs to be scratched.

    The thought of saying no never even crossed my mind. I understand that the option is there for me, but I¡¯m a stubborn child who still has a lot of growing up to do.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Riviera Von Iliana.¡±

    I traced the grimoire¡¯s title with my finger before flipping open the cover. A huge burst of light spilled from its opened pages, pushing back the church¡¯s blue hue and dying everything in white.

    [Iris]: ¡°On behalf of the Goddess Illya, I Iris Calvafon bestow upon you your name, the strength of your blades¡­¡­..and your honor.¡±

    A stream of letters rise to the surface from that blinding sea. I take a deep breath, spinning out the text verbatim as each new word comes froward.

    [Iris]: ¡°Warrior priestess Grimm Lanselva¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°Yes!¡±

    As I repeated a name aloud, one of the warrior priestesses responded with a brief call.

    A strong-willed looking woman with golden hair tied in the back.

    [Iris]: ¡°Milius Luotung¡±

    [Milius]: ¡°Yes!¡±

    A beautiful woman with raven black hair who had to be about the same age as Saluena.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ruruka Ruruka¡±1

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Yes!¡±

    A cheerful girl with short hair a shade of green I¡¯ve never seen before.

    One by one, I kept reciting names until I had called fifty of them.

    [Iris]: ¡°With the words of your oath, a contract is formed. Choose your answer carefully. Do you have the mind to offer your swords to me?¡±

    With each of their names called, each woman proudly stuck out their chests, answering my call to arms in unison.

    [Riviera Von Iliana]: {¡°We offer to you our eternal loyalty¡±}

    It was the same promise priestesses and sisters often give to the Goddess at the end of their prayers. And now those very same words were being aimed my way.

    Fifty warrior priestesses¡­¡­.oh jeez, my body is trembling under the weight of having to take responsibility for the lives of fifty of the Goddess¡¯s knights. But, I don¡¯t buckle.

    Because I have my comrades. People who will stand next to me and help lift that weight off.

    I took my eyes off the grimoire for an instant. And then, I glanced towards Rose-san. She had her hands folded in front of her chest as if she were in prayer as she watched me from the side. She was a bit surprised at first when our gazes met, but she quickly got past it and gave me a smile.

    [Iris]: ¡°In that case¡­¡­.¡±

    The knights of the Goddess now belong to me. But that¡¯s a burden I¡¯m not carrying alone. Knowing that for sure, I turned to the last page of my grimoire without any hesitation.

    [Iris]: ¡°In that case! Bear a new name from now on!! You are knights. You are the Riviera Von Iliana. You are, one of us!!¡±

    [Riviera Von Iliana]: {¡°Ooooh!!¡±}

    I quietly closed my grimoire while listening to the cheers of my knights. Immediately after that, there was a small click like a door being locked before the book transformed back into a ring. It spun around in the air, falling so slowly that even a nonathletic girl with zero reflexes like me was able to catch it.

    I grabbed the ring from the air and refitted it back on my left index finger. It used to be a little loose on me, but now it fits perfectly.

    On this day, under the watchful eye of an archbishop, I became the owner of the Goddess¡¯s knights in both name and now, reality.

    1. So for any Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ fans out there, this woman¡¯s name is spelled the same as Roux Louka. Why didn¡¯t I have that be her name? Because the name Ruruka Ruruka seemed more plausible than Roux Louka Roux Louka.

 CH 115

    [Grimm]: ¡°Then, Calvafon-sama is of the red rank, which means you are a red corundum adventurer?¡±

    After that, we were guided to the church¡¯s rear where the dining room for the sisters is located. It¡¯s a room where over a hundred sisters might be eating together all at once, so it¡¯s extremely large to make room for them.

    I¡¯m currently seated at one of the dozens of rectangular polished wooden tables all neatly lined up throughout the room. Tea and various confections are set at each table, giving the room a sweet yet refreshing aroma.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes. In Soletta Ritta, oh, that¡¯s my hometown. It¡¯s west of here, about a two week ride by carriage. So when I received my baptismal rites there, I was given the red rank.¡±

    I¡¯ve been answering people¡¯s questions for thirty minutes now. In order to keep my mouth from drying out, I grabbed a sweet shaped like pink flower petals and washed it down with a cup of tea.

    Woah, this candy¡­¡­it¡¯s really sweet. But there¡¯s more to it than just that; it smells like a real flower. The tea is causing the candy to melt in my mouth, filling me with a flowery aroma. Meanwhile as I was left astonished by the gentle aroma that had made its way up to my nose, somebody immediately refilled my cup of tea as soon as I had set it back down on its saucer.

    [Grimm]: ¡°Pardon my rudeness, but you don¡¯t look the type. As far as my eyes can tell, you seem like a perfectly ordinary girl.¡±

    One of the warrior priestess with blonde hair tied back into a ponytail was sitting in the seat across from me at the table, er, I suppose she¡¯s no longer a warrior priestess now that she¡¯s a member of the Goddess Knights1. Her name was definitely¡­¡­.

    [Iris]: ¡°Grimm Lanselva¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°Oh!? For you to remember my name, how fortuitous.¡±

    She rose to her feet, giving me a dramatic bow while speaking in a playful tone.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, um¡­¡­well, whenever you¡¯re talking with me Lanselva-sama, you don¡¯t really have to use a sama honorific¡­¡­.¡±

    [Milius]: ¡°We can¡¯t do that Calvafon-sama.¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°Hey, Milius. I¡¯m in the middle of a conversation here with Calvafon-sama. Don¡¯t butt in.¡±

    A beautiful woman with long black hair called Milius spoke up. I remember her last name was, Luotung.

    [Milius]: ¡°We know you were born and raised as a commoner. However, that was then. You are now the one whom the Goddess Knights serve. The one whom the Goddess Illya has entrusted her wish to.¡±

    [Ruruka]: ¡°So lightly speaking with you-sama2 is something we absolutely must not do!¡±

    It was a woman with short green hair who picked up where Luotung-sama dropped off. She had a unique name, so I remember it quite clearly. Ruruka Ruruka-sama. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s the youngest member of the Goddess¡¯s Knights. Maybe around Toslin¡¯s age?

    [Grimm]: ¡°Oi, Ruruka. You¡¯re being too over-familiar with your words.¡±

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Eh!? What part did I screw up?¡±

    [Milius]: ¡°My apologies Calvafon-sama. Ruruka was born on a continent far from this one, so she still has some difficulties with our language. I shall punish her severely for this later, so please, forgive her rudeness.¡±

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Aww, I messed up my words again¡­¡­.¡±

    Ruruka-sama sunk on top of the table and began to mope.

    Between all the adventure novels I¡¯ve read and the half a year I¡¯ve spent together with Rose-san, I imagined that all warrior priestesses would be intense, rigid people.

    But Ruruka-sama is a little outside of that warrior priestess image.

    [Iris]: ¡°U-Um, I really don¡¯t mind at all¡­¡­¡±

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Calvafon-sama is so kind. However, you-sama are my lord, and I cannot take advantage of your kindness.¡±

    At that moment, after making the same mistake a second time when Luotung-sama had already warned her, Ruruka¡¯s punishment was set in stone.

    The talks bounced around after that, and I got a chance to have some of my questions answered as well.

    Apparently all fifty knights are of the yellow rank and are level ten or higher.

    Peachseed-san and I talked a couple times when we were traveling down the highway together, and during one of those conversations, she explained to me that level ten is a huge milestone for adventurers.

    Rank and file soldiers are around level three, and you can be considered a veteran once you reach level five. Captains would be level seven. And then once you¡¯ve reached level ten, a yellow rank, you become qualified to be hired by the country as a knight.

    Fifty of these amazing people joined our knight order, all to protect me¡­¡­.and I can¡¯t fully express my gratitude.

    For the next several hours the knights continued switching places, taking turns talking with me and giving me a chance to thank all of them.

    We continued talking until the sun turned down and the sunset became visible out the window.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°Aah, my tummy is all flabby!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Because you kept on eating like an idiot.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But those sweets were so good.¡±

    Mmm, they really were so tasty. Marie-sama gave us a bunch extra to take back as snacks for later, but I¡¯m positive we¡¯ll have them all finished within a couple of days.

    We are currently riding in our carriage, running down a road that had gone completely dark. We¡¯ve already passed through the sixth wall and are making our way to the seventh.

    Carol and Lapris might¡¯ve partied a little too hard because the both of them fell asleep almost immediately after we boarded the carriage on my and Toslin¡¯s laps respectively.

    A bout of drowsiness started creeping on me as well amidst the quiet cabin. But then Rose-san started speaking from her seat next to me.

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you for today Iris-san.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°We wanted to give you a warm welcome at the church prior to your audience with the king is what she¡¯s saying.¡±

    Saluena interjected in order to explain Rose-san¡¯s words.

    [Iris]: ¡°Is that how it is? I¡¯m happy for the gesture, but why didn¡¯t you say anything about it? I was really surprised.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Good, then our two week plan was a rousing success. Right Rosa?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°O-Oneesama!?¡±

    Toslin and Carol are right across from me. And then Rose-san and Saluena are sitting on either side of me. Rose-san¡¯s outburst caused Lapris to stir and drowsily raise her head with a grunt. But almost immediately afterwards she set her head back down again before going right back to sleep.

    [Saluena]: ¡°I told Rosa we¡¯d get to see you surprised if we kept quiet about it. Honestly though, you¡¯re reaction was even better than what I expected. I¡¯m feeling very satisfied with how things turned out. I wanted to laugh every time talk of the capital was brought up, so I¡¯m really glad all my struggling was worth the effort.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..hoh? So that means Rose-san was having a grand time watching me struggle out there as well?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°N-No Iris-san. Y-You¡¯re wrong. I was, Onee-sama said you would have fun, so I¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san looked like she was about to cry after I showed just a little resentment.

    [Iris]: ¡°Aha, kidding, I¡¯m kidding. You really did surprise me, but I had a lot of fun too.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s long eyelashes fluttered a few times after I hugged her arm.

    [Rose]: ¡°I-Is that so?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yep. I was really excited when we got to the church because it was just like the world in the books I¡¯ve read. Thank you for the wonderful present Rose-san.¡±

    Sitting next to each other, I turned my gaze downwards. When I finally looked back up, I tried looking a bit like a child with my naturally upturned eyes.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san, I love you¡±

    If you¡¯re a child, it¡¯s okay to act spoiled every now and then. I¡¯m still only sixteen, so this is me trying to take advantage of the fact that I haven¡¯t reached full adulthood just quite yet.

    [Rose]: ¡°S-So long as you¡¯re happy, that is all that matters.¡±

    But when our eyes met, Rose-san turned away from me. Maybe I was being too direct?

    But, thinking about it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever told Rose-san how I feel about her. We¡¯ve always been together, and I¡¯ve always loved being with her, so there¡¯s never been a need before.

    I¡¯m sure she knows¡­¡­is what I¡¯d assume, but that might not be the case. So even if this is all from me going with the flow and taking advantage of the moment, I¡¯m still glad I was able to voice my feelings aloud.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san? Um¡­..¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa¡¯s just embarrassed. She probably never expected to hear something that pleasing come out of your mouth.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°O-Oneesama¡­¡­.¡±

    Hwah, Rose-san looks like she really is going to cry now.

    [Saluena]: ¡°I was just explaining things on your behalf. You should be thanking me instead of holding a grudge.

    Joy and embarrassed, and just a little bit of resent for her sister who went spilling all her secrets like that.

    Rose-san¡¯s face was filled with a mixture of emotions when she finally turned back to look at me.

    [Rose]: ¡°I-I¡­¡­love you too, Iris-san.¡±

    Rose-san has already told me that numerous times before now. As for me, I¡¯ve been too negligent in conveying my feelings.

    I¡¯ll have to be sure to tell her properly from now on. And if my prize is getting to see her wonderful smiling face, then all the more reason.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Iris. So then, where¡¯s my thank you?¡±

    While I was preoccupied with Rose-san, Saluena cut in from my other side.

    [Iris]: ¡°Obviously I¡¯m grateful to you too Saluena.¡±

    Leaving one of my arms wrapped around Rose-san¡¯s arm, I leaned over and clung to Saluena¡¯s arm as well.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thanks. I love you too Saluena.¡±

    While gazing up at her moonlit face, I voiced aloud the words I¡¯m always thinking but never say.

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh my, Oneesama. Is your face turning red?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­is this you trying to get your revenge?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh no, I am merely expressing what I see, Sally-oneesama?¡±

    I¡¯m sandwiched between two people I truly care for, able to feel not just the warmth of their bodies, but the beating of their hearts as well.

    Saluena is Rose-san¡¯s sister.

    And then Rose-san is my¡­¡­.

    (¡­¡­.Oneesama)

    ¡­¡­..I tried imagining it for just a bit.

    A scene of the three of us, gathered around a table and sharing a cup of tea.

    (¡­¡­.hold on, it¡¯s really nice?)

    The scene I drew in my head was even more dazzling than I had expected.

    But, as I am right now¡­¡­¡­I still don¡¯t have the courage to voice those kinds of thoughts.

    1. I didn¡¯t originally translate it too well in English, but whenever someone says the ¡®Goddess¡¯s Knights¡¯ that¡¯s referring to Iris¡¯s knight company. ¡®Riviera Von Iliana¡¯ and ¡®Goddess¡¯s Knights¡¯ are used interchangeably. They represented that with furigana, and coding that is a lot of work, so I left it alone.

    2. So when speaking in Japanese, you¡¯re supposed to drop the subject whenever you can. So you don¡¯t use the word ¡®you¡¯ very often. Even if you are going to use the word ¡®you¡¯, it¡¯s more proper to use the person¡¯s name instead. So she¡¯s not wrong in saying you, but it¡¯s generally considered rude. She also attaches sama to the you which is just wrong although it does show she¡¯s not being rude on purpose.

 CH 116

    After returning to the castle and sharing a bath together, we all sat back and relaxed in our room with steam still rising off our freshly washed bodies.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Thank you for all the work you put in today Calvafon-sama¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Aah, uuh¡­¡­uwaah¡­¡­¡±

    When I opened my mouth to respond, a sloppy kind of noise I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to hear me make in public was all that would come out.

    I had already slipped on my pajamas before slouching down on our room¡¯s sofa. As the cushions sucked me in, burying half of me, Noelia walked over and began massaging my feet.

    And it feels soooooooooooo good.

    She¡¯s pressing her fingers into the soles of my feet, rubbing down my soles, and kneading my swollen calves. My god¡­¡­.I¡¯m in heaven.

    [Carol]: ¡°Should we be worried if Iris is making a noise like that?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°A massage won¡¯t kill her, so it¡¯s probably fine.¡±

    I¡¯ve had this and that done to me for almost twenty minutes now while Carol and the others watched from the side while having their fun.

    [Iris]: ¡°Auu, ohhooo¡­..okay, I¡¯m good, that¡¯s enough¡­¡­.¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°No, I still have your upper body¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Everywhere further up from there is A-OK!¡±

    Her working on my legs already feels good enough. If she keeps making her way upwards, I really might end up getting sent to heaven.

    Besides, I¡¯d feel bad having her do all this for me just because she was ordered to take care of us.

    [Noelia]: ¡°If that is what you wish. In that case, would you like me to bring you something to drink?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°N-No, you¡¯ve already taken such good care of us Noelia-san, you should take a break.¡±

    Noelia-san has been tagging along with us all day today. She should be just as tired¡­..no, she should be even more fatigued than me. I can¡¯t force her to keep going like this.

    [Noelia]: ¡°No, that is wholly unnecessary. It is a maid¡¯s duty to tend to their master from the moment their master wakes up to the moment they return to their beds.¡±

    Noelia-san¡¯s response was a stubborn one though. I already knew it, but¡­¡­she really does have a strong sense of professionalism.

    It¡¯s really cool when you¡¯re watching someone say that and it has nothing to do with you, but as the person she¡¯s saying it to, I think it¡¯s more perplexing than anything else.

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you very much Noelia-san. However Iris-san is not used to this kind of treatment, so would you mind pulling back for tonight?¡±

    Having been busy playing cards with Toslin and the others at the table, Rose-san was unable to ignore my plight any longer and sent out a lifeboat.

    [Noelia]: ¡°¡­..as you wish Auroll-sama.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Please call me by my name or Cuulbacall.¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°My deepest apologies, Cuulbacall-sama.¡±

    Having given up on continuing the massage, Noelia-san quickly rose up to her feet and gave all of us a deep bow.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Then I shall stop here for tonight. However, should you have any concerns throughout the night, do not hesitate to summon me no matter the time. That is the duty of us maids.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes. Thank you Noelia-san.¡±

    I felt like a newborn deer trying to get up on my feet, but after forcing myself into a position that some people would describe as standing, I returned the bow.

    But after the door quietly closed and Noelia-san was gone, I immediately collapsed back down onto the couch.

    [Iris]: ¡°Fua¡­¡­my legs, they feel so light and fluffy and weird.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°She¡¯s a maid enthusiastic about her duties. Yuhanna-san has some good people working under her.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°I wanted a massage too.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°If you were to get a massage, I can¡¯t see any other future than you getting squished and dying.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hmm, yeah. Yosh, okay. I¡¯ll help you out.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°You saying, ¡°Yosh, okay,¡± after hearing that is way scary.¡±

    Lapris slowly backed away as Carol merrily advanced on her.

    [Carol]: ¡°Don¡¯t run!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Obviously I¡¯m going to run!! Who¡¯s going to let you do what you want after hearing something like that!?¡±

    And so begins the chase. But no matter how big the room is, we¡¯re still inside. And there¡¯s no escaping Carol when you¡¯re locked in an enclosed space with her.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Lapris desperately struggled inside Carol¡¯s grasp after being immediately caught.

    [Rose]: ¡°Hm? Did you hear a knock just now Onee-sama?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­..how could I hear anything over this racket?¡±

    After losing multiple games in a row, Saluena was focusing a glare solely on the cards in her hand.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeek!! Stupid dumbass!! That tickles¡­¡­Ahahahahahahahahahaha!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Sorry, could you quiet down a bit Lapris?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Me!? What am I doing wrong!? The one at fault here is clearly the tickler themselves, Carol!!¡±

    *Knock Knock*

    Through the breaks between Lapris¡¯s laughter I managed to just make out the sound of someone knocking.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, yes. Come in!!¡±

    But the knob didn¡¯t turn even after a minute had passed since I had called to them.

    I could feel a sense of confusion coming from the person on the other side of the door as to whether it would really be fine for them to come inside.

    [???]: ¡°My apologies to bother you so late.¡±

    (Huh? Is that Noelia-san¡¯s voice?)

    Sure enough, when the door finally opened, it was Noelia-san, the person who had only just left us a few minutes ago that walked in.

    [Iris]: ¡°Is something the matter? Did you leave something behind?¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°No, nothing of the sort. I met someone who wished to speak with you all on my way out, so is it all right for me to let them through?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Us¡­¡­? Um¡­¡­¡±

    I glanced back at everyone else.

    I wondered what they thought since we had just gotten out of the bath and were already dressed for bed, but that apparently didn¡¯t bother Saluena.

    [Saluena]: ¡°It would be better to let them in.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I agree. Carol-san, Lapris-san, could you please settle down for a moment.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°I already said I haven¡¯t done anything wrong¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, I know I know. I shall treat you to something delicious next time, so please keep it down just for now.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Is it some kind of big shot coming?¡±

    Carol agreed with a simple, ¡°Okay¡­¡­¡± and didn¡¯t bother kicking up a fuss about it.

    Somebody who would want to meet us this late at night. Who could get Noelia-san to turn back and knock on our door after just leaving us. It would have to be someone pretty important to convince her that us meeting couldn¡¯t wait until morning.

    Mulling it over in my head though, I can¡¯t think of too many people who would meet that criteria.

    [Rose]: ¡°Please let them in Noelia-san¡±

    After Rose-san had formally given our permission, Noelia-san slid out from in front of our door, politely bowing to our guest.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Certainly. Then please make your way in, Oshunel-sama.¡±

    ¡­¡­.as expected.

    I understood as soon as I heard that name.

    Ashel Lu Aude Oshunel.

    The oldest son, er, daughter, of the current king Olivar.

    In other words, the hero.

 CH 117

    The relaxed atmosphere we had going completely changed as soon as that person stepped into the room.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Pardon me. My apologies for the sudden visit, and thank you for seeing me despite how late at night it is.¡±

    Short, golden hair. Soft, misty eyes as blue as sapphires. A body thin even while wearing armor, yet it looked in no way delicate.

    Taller than me, but probably a little shorter than Toslin? I heard they were seventeen years old, so I guess this would be about right for their age.

    [Iris]: ¡°N-No¡­..um¡­..¡±

    I froze. Obviously I¡¯ve never once in my entire life met royalty before, and now suddenly there¡¯s a prince standing right in front of me, and I have no idea what I¡¯m supposed to do right now.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Just as I heard, a party full of only women. Allow me to apologize once again as a man for finding myself in your quarters like this.¡±

    There¡¯s nothing to be forgiven. We¡¯re already aware you¡¯re actually a woman, so it doesn¡¯t really bother us in the first place.

    I thought about saying that out loud, but since I figured her knowing that her secret had been leaked might cause some unnecessary worry, I decided we should keep a tight lip on that little detail¡­¡­

    [Lapris]: ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? Anyway I look atcha you¡¯re a¡­¡­¡±

    ¨D¨Ddang it.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi oi, you¡¯re supposed to be keeping quiet when we have a guest with us Lapris.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Puha!? You, what the hell Toslin, let me go! You trying to kill me!?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­..wow, a fairy. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen one¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m sorry the first fairy you¡¯ve seen in so long has to be this foul-mouthed girl. And I¡¯m especially sorry to spoil the mood by having said fairy desperately struggling in the grip of an elf trying to keep that very same fairy quiet.

    I continued repeating several apologies like those from inside my heart¡­¡­

    [Ashel]: ¡°You are, Iris Calvafon-san¡­¡­yes?¡±

    Ashel-sama came further into the room, stopping in front of me and smiling.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes. I am Iris Calvafon. It¡¯s very nice to meet you.¡±

    Oh, this¡­¡­I can understand why Charlie was so taken.

    Her well-ordered looks on their own could draw someone in. But those soft eyes of hers create an ephemeral air that would make anyone who saw them overcome with the urge to protect her.

    That¡¯s how I feel, and I already know she¡¯s a woman. If the prince were to show that smile to any girl who still believed her to be a man, it would be like an arrow straight through the heart.

    Honestly I think it¡¯s only because I spend so much time with other beautiful and cool women like Toslin and Saluena that my heart is able to hold up and resist.

    [Iris]: ¡°At this time, um¡­¡­it is a great honor to be allowed this audience with royalty after being escorted all the way from Soletta Ritta.¡±

    It was a little belated, but I tried bending the knee and bowing, but Ashel-sama put up her hand to stop me.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m here as a personal call, so there¡¯s no need for any frivolous formalities. Rather, I should be the one bending the knee to you.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh?¡±

    As I looked back up confused, Ashel-sama gave herself a self-depreciating laugh.

    [Ashel]: ¡°My apologies for the late introductions. I am Ashel Lu Aude Oshunel. The first prince of this country. I only just returned to the castle, but I knew I had to come see you right away when I heard you were already here. I wanted to apologize to all of you no matter what.¡±

    Ashel-sama bowed her head low as she spoke.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ashel-sama!?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Despite confronting it directly, I was unable to finish off that dragon completely, putting you and the rest of the villagers at Relton in grave danger¡­¡­I am truly sorry.¡±

    (¡­..awawawawawa¡­..)

    The crown prince showed up out of nowhere, and now she¡¯s suddenly bowing her head. How could I not panic in a situation like this?

    I was barely able to keep my composure¨Cif you could call it that¨C, but the direct apology from royalty had stopped any and all thought processes going on in my brain.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I had wanted to follow after the dragon as soon as it had escaped, but the damage on my party had been severe as well¡­¡­ Even so, we made our way to Rifront as fast as we could, but when we made it there, a traveler gave us word. The dragon had already been slain¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..i-is that how it was?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°After that, I received an urgent summons at the worst possible time, and I have been away from Oshunel until now. That is why my apology has been so delayed. My deepest apologies.¡±

    Ashel-sama kept her head down the entire time she was apologizing. I have no idea what I¡¯m supposed to do here, so I turned towards the others in a silent plea for help. Toslin and Rose-san answered that plea, calling out to Ashel-sama on my behalf.

    [Rose]: ¡°Please raise your head Ashel-sama.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°We are not bothered by something like that.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°You are¡­..¡±

    She finally raised her head, and I could take a breath in relief.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Tosrillon F. Iriburgh. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Rosalith Cuulbacall.¡±

    As expected, unlike me who can only bow her head and grovel, the current knight and former noble are capable of smoothly introducing themselves and providing a polite greeting.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Rosalith¡­.. I see, you are¡­¡­ I heard about you from Yuhanna. She¡¯s always worried about you. Of course, I was too.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Sorry to worry you.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°I would ask if you had any plans on returning to the earl house¡­¡­but something tells me your resolve is firm on that matter.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°My apologies.¡±

    That¡¯s the second time Rose-san has given an apology.

    The hidden meaning within this conversation does worry me, but there¡¯s something else here that worries me even more. Rose-san spoke with Ashel-sama as if it were normal, but is that really okay? Ashel-sama is supposed to be a man right now which means Rose-san¡¯s vow of chastity would¡­¡­..

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I stole a glance towards Rose-san face during the moment. She had fallen silent, blinking a couple times with a clearly restless look on her face.

    ¡­¡­.judging by her reaction, it looks like she¡¯s realized her mistake as well. Rose-san already knows Ashel-sama is actually a woman, so she answered as if it were nothing¡­¡­

    [Ashel]: ¡°By the way, did you say Iriburgh just now? Are you perhaps related to the viscount family of the holy forest nation of Laforia?¡±

    Fortunately despite Rose-san and my worries, Ashel-sama didn¡¯t seem to notice, instead turning her gaze to Toslin.

    I guess Ashel-sama doesn¡¯t know about the vow of chastity Rose-san took. Thank goodness.

    [Toslin]: ¡°It is the highest honor to have the prince of the great nation of Oshunel know our name. As you have surmised, I am indeed the third daughter of my house. Currently I am traveling across the continent to perfect my sword skills and broaden my insight.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°I see, a traveling knight then? How envious.¡±

    The holy forest nation of Laforia. A country of elves that has been on friendly relations with Oshunel since the country was first founded.

    I already knew Toslin was from a knight household, so that wasn¡¯t too surprising, but hearing she was from a family of viscounts made me go, ¡°Woah¡­¡­¡± inside my head.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I received help from a group of Laforian elves during my first cyclopes subjugation, and during that time, I heard the Iriburgh name pass through their lips many a time.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Is that so? My humblest apologies that they dirtied your ears so.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Nonsense. It was fun listening to them all.¡±

    Toslin gave her a wry smile while Ashel-sama gave a beaming, radiant smile in turn.

    Good looks and a sterling reputation, Charlie¡¯s evaluation is looking more and more on the mark.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­hm? Is something wrong Carol?¡±

    I was thinking things were a little quiet, so I turned towards Carol who was watching as Ashel-sama and Toslin laughed together.

    [Carol]: ¡°No, nothing at all?¡±

    Carol looked back at me and shook her head.

    [Noelia]: ¡°I brewed some tea. Everyone, please enjoy.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, thank you Noelia-san.¡±

    Noelia-san had somehow set up some tea on the table without me noticing.

    Her deft hand and attention to detail really is that of a pro. I can see why Yuhanna-sama selected her to take care of us during our stay.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Should I grab the sweets Maria-sama gave us?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°A wonderful idea. Sally-oneesama, would you mind grabbing the sweets I have in my luggage?¡±

    Saluena nodded quietly underneath Ashel-sama¡¯s gaze as Rose-san began arranging the chairs.

    [Rose]: ¡°Hmm, that should do.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Ah, I like it.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Honestly I¡¯m not sure if my stomach can handle another round¡­¡­hey. There¡¯s a chair right here. Sit there.¡±

    As soon as Toslin sat down, Carol placed herself right on top her lap.

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh, no way.¡±

    And then, with her tail wagging behind her, Carol turned her down as naturally as she breathed.

    [Toslin]: ¡°You little¡­¡­. My apologies. Please don¡¯t pay this girl any mind.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing for barging in here in the middle of the night and now taking part in some of your treats.¡±

    After shyly taking a seat in one of the chairs Rose-san prepared, Ashel-sama looked curiously at Carol.

    [Ashel]: ¡°A werewolf¡­..it¡¯s my first time seeing one. Does that make you Carotayle-san?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°What? How do you know me?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Come on, be polite.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Oh, I really don¡¯t mind. There are rumors floating around all throughout the capital, and I just happened to hear your name through those. Carotayle the werewolf girl. The one who confronted the evil dragon alongside the elf knight. With your ferocious claws and sharp blade, you managed to cut through the dragon¡¯s thick scales and cause it to raise a horrendous roar in agony¡­¡­is how the story goes.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hogwash. It¡¯s all a big lie. I wasn¡¯t able to deal a single wound to that dragon.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°That¡¯s how epics are. It¡¯s not like the poets were actually there to see or hear anything that actually happened. There¡¯s also always the bit of dramatic flare to make things more appealing.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It is true that Carol-san fought hard to rescue the village and its people, so it¡¯s fine for you to not mind it that much.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hmm, maybe. But, it¡¯s still surprising. There are people out there singing about us.¡±

    Carol was lightly kicking her legs back and forth from off the edge of Toslin¡¯s lap with her cheeks puffed out from all the treats she had stuffed in there.

    [Ashel]: ¡°The effect of the dragon has already made its way into the capital. And as the people who slew it, you are all regarded as heroes.¡±

    Ashel-sama¡¯s bright expression grew muddled after saying that last word, and her soft eyes turned towards her feet.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Heroes?¡±

    Saluena threw one of the treats into her mouth, allowing the sweetness to roll over her tongue before washing it down with some of her tea.

    And then, as the conversation broke and a moment of silence fell down upon us, Ashel-sama repeated that word aloud.

 CH 118

    [Ashel]: ¡°I heard from Yuhanna. You¡¯re the Dark Violet Knight, Hadion correct?¡±

    Ashel-sama¡¯s back straightened in her seat as she turned towards Saluena.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Indeed. But that was a thousand years ago. Now I wield my sword for the Goddess¡¯s promised one, Iris. And you may call Iris and the others heroes, but one of the dragon¡¯s eyes had already been taken when they arrived, and that is not including the numerous other wounds the dragon had already suffered through. I assume that was your doing was it not? You were capable of weakening a dragon to that point, an act worthy of praise, so why are you so filled with regret?¡±

    Ashel-sama¡¯s posture stiffened all the more beneath Saluena¡¯s sharp gaze. I could see her hands tighten into balls on top of her lap from my seat as she bit her bottom lip.

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­..I was supposed to slay that dragon. At that time, at that place. If I had been able to accomplish that simple directive, nobody else need have suffered¡­¡­¡±

    Each word that passed through Ashel-sama¡¯s quivering lips was smeared in her agony-inducing remorse.

    [Carol]: ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything you need to bother yourself over. I mean, I did wonder why you couldn¡¯t kill that thing right away. But Toslin told me that was incredibly slanderous of me.¡±

    But what ended up coming out in response to that remorse was Carol¡¯s energetic yet sluggish voice.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Cripes! Stop that! Are you trying to bring ruin to me and my house!? Do you even know who you¡¯re talking to!?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Huh? Of course I know. It¡¯s this country¡¯s pri-¡­¡­.prince right?¡±

    ¡­¡­.were you about to say princess just now Carol?

    [Carol]: ¡°But, whether you¡¯re a hero or not, it¡¯s impossible for anybody to be able to take care of everything.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°That¡¯s right. Thinking that everything that goes wrong is your fault is only arrogance. If you continue to trouble yourself like this, the only thing you will accomplish is crushing yourself with that remorse of yours.¡±

    Saluena was talking with a much more serious look than usual.

    (¡­..I see, even someone as powerful as Saluena wasn¡¯t able to beat Oshunel.)

    Nobody is all-powerful. It¡¯s because Saluena knows that better than anyone else that she can¡¯t stay quiet here.

    [Saluena]: ¡°And besides¡­¡­I should be thanking you. It¡¯s because you failed to slay the dragon that I can be here together with Iris like this.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. We were all shocked, and it was a hard fight, but nobody died¡­¡­¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Even though Iris almost killed me.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°A-And Relton¡¯s villagers seemed pleased with how things turned out. I heard them talking about how much money they would make from selling the dragon¡¯s meat and its scales.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Ah, that reminds me, the dismantling of that dragon should be starting around now. We should be able to pick up our share of the materials if we head over in the summer. It should be lots of fun!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°And I hear the hot springs that open up during the summer are nice and refined.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, indeed.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, don¡¯t just ignore me.¡±

    Ashel-sama¡¯s expression softened a bit as she watched all of us laugh over our cups of tea.

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­¡­if that¡¯s all true, then it¡¯s a relief. And at the same time, I will be counting on you¡­¡­¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°If there¡¯s ever a monster you want us to beat, just say the word no matter what the time. As long as you have the gold for it, we¡¯ll go anywhere to fight anything.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Ahaha, I appreciate that.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Carol-san, we are not mercenaries.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I know. We¡¯re adventurers.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°No, please keep in mind that before even that, you are a member of a knight order.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hiii!? Rose is angry!? Help me Toslin. She¡¯s going to beat my butt again!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I-I would not do something like that! I was merely trying to warn you¡­¡­¡±

    Carol is making merry while Rose-san tries to rebuke her. I opened my mouth wide and laughed hard while watching a scene that seemed so natural despite it rarely ever happening before.

    Ah, isn¡¯t that a little improper of me though? That¡¯s when I noticed Ashel-sama¡¯s incessant blinking with her gaze locked on me.

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­..is it always like this between you?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, y-yes. That¡¯s right. Eat together, raise a racket together, and sleep together. It¡¯s just like that.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°It¡¯s nice. It looks really¡­¡­.fun.¡±

    Ashel-sama turned an admiring look back towards Carol and the others while thinking aloud to herself.

    [Iris]: ¡°Does the Prince not have any comrades?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Comrades¡­..comrades? If you mean a companion who will stick by me, traveling on multiple adventures together, then I suppose no, I don¡¯t. But depending on the occasion, I will recruit others to aid me in a fight.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hmph, as the hero shouldn¡¯t you have your pick of the litter for comrades?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­..haha, I¡¯m afraid that isn¡¯t quite the case for me¡­..¡±

    A bitter smile spread across Ashel-sama¡¯s face in response to Lapris¡¯s words.

    [Toslin]: ¡°What are you, drunk or something? Why not head out and cool your head for a bit?¡±

    And in response to that, Toslin opened up a window and threw Lapris out of it.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!? What are you, I¡¯ll fall, I¡¯ll fall, what floor do you think we¡¯re on!?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Then just fly.¡±

    Lock the windows closed and then pull the curtains shut.

    There were a couple bangs on the glass for a moment, but everything went quiet after that. Hey, you didn¡¯t actually fall right?

    [Ashel]: ¡°I-Is that really okay?¡±

    Ashel-sama was clearly worried, alternating her gaze between the window and Toslin again and again.

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s fine. That cockroach won¡¯t die even if you kill her.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡­honestly, that makes me even more jealous. You all trust each other that much.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­um, well¡­¡­I suppose that¡¯s one way of looking at it.¡±

    Toslin turned a shade of red. Seeing those blushed cheeks, Ashel-sama started looking a little lonely¡­..so maybe that¡¯s why I called out to her without thinking.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, if it¡¯s not a bother¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Hm?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°How about we continue to meet up and have some tea together in the future as well?¡±

    Ashel-sama blinked a couple times, clearly confused by what I was asking.

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­..me? With you all?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not too knowledgeable on etiquette inside a castle, so if I said anything impolite¡­¡­¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. But¡­..I was just wondering if it¡¯s really okay. I¡¯m a man after all.¡±

    Oh, right. I completely forgot since she doesn¡¯t really look the part. Certainly, a ton of rumors would be sure to quickly spread if Ashel-sama, someone everyone believes to be a man, continuously comes to visit a room filled with ladies.

    [Toslin]: ¡°In that case, how about meeting at the church instead of here. If anyone asks, oh yeah. We can just say it is for sword practice.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, that might work. How about it Ashel-sama?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°I-If it¡¯s sword practice¡­¡­then rather than just an excuse, I would like to ask you for some serious instruction as well.¡±

    Looking first at me and then at Saluena, Ashel-sama put forward a serious request.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Other than Rosalith, the only people I instruct in the ways of the sword are my subordinates.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Onee-sama¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­..however, I would make my sister angry with me if I were to simply reject you for that reason. So I shall agree on one condition.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°So long as it is within my power, I shall see it done. Some form of compensation is expected if I wish to gain the guidance of the founder of modern swordplay and who is said to be, even to this day, the strongest warrior the world has ever seen.¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me. Saluena, you¡¯re not about to tell her to join our knight order are you? You know I would reject that proposal no matter what don¡¯t you?

    [Saluena]: ¡°In that case, I wish for you to become Iris¡¯s friend. At the moment, the only allies she has in the capital are the Shirayuri Knights led by Yuhanna and the church.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if she was able to decipher the heartfelt prayers I was transmitting to her through my eyes, but the proposal Saluena eventually handed out wasn¡¯t that outlandish.

    No wait, having a hero for a friend is a tremendous honor.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re satisfied with something like that? I had originally intended on becoming friends anyway, so if there¡¯s something else¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°This is all I shall request. However, it is precisely because this is the only requirement that this promise carries such a weight to it. As long as you agree, I shall agree to teach you the sword.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­¡­I understand.¡±

    Ashel-sama turned and gave me a big, almost comical grin.

    [Ashel]: ¡°So with that said, I know it might sound a bit selfish on my part, but would you be my friend?¡±

    I remember the first time my parents brought me to the park so I could play with another child. The person at that time was, of course, Mycena.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­ I would be delighted.¡±

    Recalling those days long gone, I accepted the hand Ashel-sama offered me.

    And just like that, under the gaze of a priestess and a knight, we became friends.

    ?

    And then, the next day.

    It was the morning before we were to have our audience with the king, and I was waiting for Rose-san at the castle¡¯s front entrance.

    I had been waiting for about five minutes with my back leaning against a stone column beneath the suspicious gazes of the patrolmen who would walk past.

    [Rose]: ¡°I-I am sorry to have kept you waiting.¡±

    Rose-san walked down the castle¡¯s front steps not wearing her usual armor and robe. Instead she had on a pure white dress with a comfy-looking cardigan and a light green stole. As well as a pair of enamel pumps.

    [Iris]: ¡°Wow, that dress¡­¡­it¡¯s incredibly cute.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°D-Do you think so? Oh, Iris-san too, is very cute.¡±

    No no, compared to Rose-san¡¯s cuteness, I am but a pebble you¡¯d find alongside the road. The fact is that Rose-san in plain clothes is almost criminally cute.

    So I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering why it is that we¡¯re meeting here, almost like we are about to go out on a date.

    [Rose]: ¡°W-Well then, shall we be off?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, on my date with Rose-san. I¡¯ve been looking forward to it.¡±

    That¡¯s because it¡¯s not like anything. We really are going on a date together.

 CH 119

    All of this began one hour ago.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hufffff¡­¡­.¡±

    After finishing off breakfast, I sat down on a fluffy chair so criminally comfy, it would turn any normal person into a sluggified bum.

    But that¡¯s just me making excuses. No matter how slovenly I become, I refuse to be done in from sitting in a chair alone.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Calvafon-sama, would you like another cup of tea?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°F-Fwee, yes please¡±

    The real reason why my body is growing limper than a stick of melted butter is all thanks to Noelia-san¡¯s tender care¡­¡­.I mean, all the service she¡¯s doing. For me. As a maid.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hwah¡­¡­this tea smells so good, and it tastes delicious.¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°I am honored by your praise.¡±

    Speaking of butter, the honey lemon butter cream toast we had for breakfast this morning was positively divine.

    A work of art no ordinary person could ever hope to replicate. Sticky bread soaked in a mixture of honey and lemon butter before being fried to a crisp, golden brown and then topped with a few grains of silver dragee. On Noelia-san¡¯s recommendation, I took two of them.

    My stomach already feels a little heavier because of it, but¡­¡­but, it was s~uch a good time.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ouch¡­..¡±

    Just as I was about to drift off into blissful sleep, a light pain ran through my shin that tore my consciousness back to cruel reality.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, what?¡±

    After propping myself up in my chair, I looked down to find Unicorn in her plushie form down at my feet repeatedly kicking my shins with her hind legs.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hang on, Unicorn? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Normally she would be running around this way or that with Lapris or Phoenix riding on her back. But since she¡¯s alone right now, is Plushie Unicorn looking to sleep with me like she always used to?

    [Toslin]: ¡°What did you do Iris?¡±

    After finishing her after meal break, Toslin glanced over towards me while making some maintanence to Carol¡¯s armor.

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. I was just drinking some tea when¡­..¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Maybe Sarah is burning with jealousy.¡±

    Saluena was similarly making some adjustments to Rose-san¡¯s armor.

    [Iris]: ¡°Heh? Sarah?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, perhaps seeing Noelia-san briskly taking such extensive care of Iris-san has made her a tad green with envy.¡±

    Ah, I forgot. Sarah can hear and see anything Plushie Unicorn can.

    Which means, right now I might as well be face to face with the real Sarah.

    [Sarah]: ¡°Can¡¯t you at least try to keep yourself together when you¡¯re not at home?¡±

    Groan~, I¡¯m positive that¡¯s what Sarah is saying right now.

    [Iris]: ¡°Uuu, sorry Sarah.¡±

    When I picked her up into my arms and apologized, Plushie Unicorn turned her head away from me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Aah, don¡¯t be mad. Your onee-chan will shape up. I promise my slovenly days are over, okay?¡±

    I tightly hugged Plushie Unicorn to my chest for a minute before she finally rubbed her cheek against mine.

    [Iris]: ¡°Haha, so you forgive me? Thank you Sarah. I love you.¡±

    *Nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle.* After we finished rubbing our cheeks together, Plushie Unicorn¡¯s tail began wagging like an excited puppie.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­..isn¡¯t Sarah just looking to get spoiled by Iris?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Yeah¡­¡­it¡¯s already been more than two weeks since we left Soletta. Well, not that it feels like it for us.¡±

    I see, time¡¯s flying by whether I realize it or not.

    How has Sarah been spending the last two weeks at home? Have the sisters and Aronda-sama been doting on her at the church all this time?

    I started to feel a little sentimental, but I threw off that nostalgia when I jumped to my feet.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yosh, I¡¯m going to do my best today as well! Hey hey, what should we do today?¡±

    I¡¯ve finally become an adventurer. So I want to do something an adventurer would do. No, I have to. Otherwise, what was the point of me becoming an adventurer?

    Actually, just two weeks ago I was still an ordinary bookstore girl, so I have no idea what the fundamentals of being an adventurer would be.

    So what I¡¯m asking is, what does an adventurer do when they¡¯re not out adventuring?

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oh yeah. We¡¯ve always taken care of things until now, so how about learning the basics of adventuring Iris?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes!! Thank you very much Instructor Toslin!!¡±

    After having started working on her own armor, Toslin stood up and picked out a piece of parchment from the rucksack she¡¯s always carrying with her. She then handed the parchment over to me.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Here, I¡¯ll have you go out shopping for today. I¡¯ve written everything we need on this piece of parchment, so it¡¯ll be your job to gather up our supplies.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    Taking a quick glance through, I found a list of consumables like oil and rope listed one after another.

    [Toslin]: ¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to carry that all on your own, so how about you take Rose or Saluena with you?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Sorry, but I have to head to the church today. I promised I would train Ashel and our knights.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re doing that thing again are you? Those bouts¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Of course. It¡¯d be impossible for me to adequately instruct them if I do not know their current skill levels.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m still kind of traumatized. It¡¯s the first time anyone¡¯s ever completely sealed off my movements like that.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°And when you think about it now, we would¡¯ve already been orange rank adventurers when that fight took place. Yet we weren¡¯t even a challenge. Saluena¡¯s just that strong.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°If it¡¯s Anego, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she was actually a blue rank. Heck, she might just be the highest rank there is.¡±

    Staggering to her feet on top of the table with her swollen stomach after continuing to lapp up honey since breakfast ended, Lapris skittered over and plopped down on Plushie Unicorn¡¯s back at my feet.

    [Carol]: ¡°You should get baptized next time you have a chance.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°If it¡¯s necessary.¡±

    Saluena brushed away Carol¡¯s words while checking up on the arm guard of her armor.

    [Saluena]: ¡°And so Rose¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Enjoy your date with Iris today.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°O-Oneesama? We are going out for errands not to play¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°If it¡¯s just that much, you should be finished quickly enough. And there¡¯s no need for you to come back as soon as you¡¯ve finished up your errands.¡±

    Saluena laughed while giving me a furtive glance. Maybe she¡¯s¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°Saluena, did you overhear?¡±

    Back at my parents¡¯ house, when I asked Rose-san for that date.

    [Saluena]: ¡°It just happened to pass through my ear. Rosa, you have a feel for the land do you not? We came all the way to the capital, it would be a shame to keep ourselves locked inside the castle for our entire stay. You should show Iris around.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Y-Yes¡­.. W-When you put it like that¡­..¡±

    ?

    ¨D¨DAnd with that, we ventured forward on our errands date.

    I¡¯ll admit, I was a little flustered over this opportunity that had presented itself faster than I would have imagined, but I was excited more than anything else.

    [Iris]: ¡°Woah, so many people¡­¡­.¡±

    After passing through the third gate, we descended from the carriage, and my jaw dropped as soon as my foot touched ground. Oh, we don¡¯t have Goldmund with us. This time we rode in an ordinary carriage pulled by an ordinary horse. Well, even if I call it ordinary, it¡¯s the carriage Noelia-san prepared for us, so I¡¯m sure it was very expensive.

    The most bustling street in the city is Sanz Wanz. The name comes from one of Evil Dragon Oshunel¡¯s four Pterosaurs1, who was slain by the hero Ranroot on this very spot.

    Numerous carriages weaved past each other down the spacious road. Florists, restaurants, boutiques, and curio shops were lined up from end to end. Over there is an armor shop. So many different kinds of shops, I¡¯m not sure how anyone can make any choices with all these different options to pick from. Ah, a bookstore. Amazing, amazing. As expected of the capital.

    [Rose]: ¡°Then, shall we start with the lighter items?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    I quickly followed after Rose-san when she started walking. It¡¯s currently slightly past 10  AM. In other words, from now until the sun begins to fall, I will be left completely alone with Rose-san.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ah, but before that¡­..Iris-san¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±

    Rose-san suddenly stopped in place and turned to look back at me.

    [Rose]: ¡°Taking a look around, there are quite a few people here, so I was thinking¡­¡­you might end up getting lost.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    I anxiously held my hands in front of my chest and mumbled to myself a bit.

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, so¡­..if you are fine with it, I was thinking¡­..¡±

    Rose-san was rapidly firing off words only to then abruptly stop in the middle of her sentence, shyly turning her gaze away from me.

    [Rose]: ¡°I thought, we could hold hands. That way, the risk of us getting separated disappears.¡±

    I was a little surprised by her unexpected offer.

    This is our first time going out together, and we¡¯re already holding hands. I had to go out with Carol a couple of times before we started doing that with each other.

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh¡­¡­of course, if it bothers you¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh, i-it doesn¡¯t bother me in the slightest!!¡±

    I grabbed Rose-san¡¯s hand without a second thought before she could pull it away, causing her to raise her head once again and locking eyes with me a second time.

    [Rose]: ¡°R-Really?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes! I¡¯m in your hands from here on.¡±

    I could feel my face slowly growing red from embarrassment.

    [Rose]: ¡°Today is, I mean, it is another, um¡­¡­..it is very nice and sunny out today.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I-It is. Thankfully so. We¡¯d have no choice but to get wet if it were to start raining while we run our errands¡­¡­¡±

    But I could say the same thing about Rose-san, who is pulling my hand along while walking slightly ahead of me.

    [Iris]: ¡°But then again, it might be fun shopping with Rose-san in the rain.¡±

    We should be able to finish our errands before the morning is up.

    We¡¯ll have lunch after that, and then¡­¡­what should we do?

    [Rose]: ¡°Ah, uuh¡­¡­you think so? Thank you for thinking so.¡±

    Blue skies, white clouds.

    [Rose]: ¡°If Iris-san and I are together, then I am sure¡­..¡±

    The two of us continued on, talking about much of nothing down a city street that glittered like a jewelry box filled of gems.

    1. So the kanji for dinosaurs include the kanji dragon in it, and pterosaurs are specifically ¡®winged dragons¡¯

 CH 120

    As we went through the list, Rose-san courteously taught me why we needed each item as we bought them and how to use them appropriately.

    But even with her doing all that, we still finished our errands in only a little more than an hour.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, before I forget. Rose-san, I have something for the guild¡­..would you mind if we stop by for a bit?¡±

    I slung my now heavier knapsack over my shoulder while talking to Rose-san next to me.

    [Rose]: ¡°I do not mind. However, which guild are we visiting?¡±

    Oh right. There¡¯s more than one guild inside the capital.

    [Iris]: ¡°The Magicians Guild. The grandpa who lived next door to me asked that I deliver a letter for him.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I see. Then shall we head back to the carriage?¡±

    According to Rose-san, the Magicians Guild is in the next section over, between the third and fourth walls. Which means it¡¯s not too far off from where the church we visited yesterday was. I should¡¯ve tried delivering this letter back then.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, excuse me¡±

    [Receptionist]: ¡°Yes?¡±

    It was my first time ever entering a Magicians Guild, and it was a lot different from how I pictured it being.

    Maybe it¡¯s because the only guild back in my hometown was the dual purpose Warrior/Carpenter Guild, but there was a moment after I passed through the Magicians Guild door that I was left completely speechless. In a good way.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a letter.¡±

    The whole building was a giant library. There was a waiting room just past the front door, and a receptionist¡¯s desk sat front and center as I¡¯m sure anyone would have guessed there would be.

    But, beyond that. Books were tightly packed together inside bookcases that covered the entirety of the walls¡¯ surface, wrapping around and forming an enormous atrium similar to the one I saw in the chapel of the church. The archives in Soletta Ritta were large enough, but this had to be at least five times bigger. The other numerous bookcases scattered throughout the building stood tall as if each one of them were a sturdy tree. Making the Magicians Guild which is packed to the brim with them a forest of books.

    [Receptionist]: ¡°Okay, who is it from?¡±

    I pulled out Grandpa¡¯s letter from my knapsack and slid it across the counter towards the receptionist.

    [Iris]: ¡°An older man named Ferdinand who currently lives in Soletta Ritta.¡±

    [Receptionist]: ¡°¡­¡­.p-please hold on for a moment.¡±

    The receptionist woman never even bothered to look at the letter, instead running to the back of the building for some reason with a bright smile on her face.

    In a matter of no time she had disappeared within the shadows of the bookshelves.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..amazing. Are these all spellbooks?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°If so, then I must wonder about how many different kinds of magic are out there in the world.¡±

    With the receptionist having left us on our own, Rose-san and I began whispering back and forth between each other about the majestic sight stretched out before us.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san is a witch¡­¡­aren¡¯t you?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hmm~. I wonder. I¡¯m pretty sure I mentioned this before, but I trained an awful lot as a kid underneath Grandpa to be a witch, but no matter how much practice I put in, I couldn¡¯t really cast any spells.¡±

    I started my magic training at the age of five, and over the years, I consistently repeated my training exercises in order to further develop my magic.

    But even after all of that, I could barely conjure a flame and eventually decided that the path of a witch wasn¡¯t meant for me.

    [Rose]: ¡°However, didn¡¯t Lapris-san mention you have an extraordinary amount of magic power now? You might be able to cast a wider variety of spells now.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I, was thinking the same thing. If my lack of magic power was my main obstacle against using magic, perhaps now I could¡­¡­.

    [Iris]: ¡°I wonder.¡±

    I gave her the same answer I gave before.

    I want to be able to use magic. If I could, I would want to use fire magic to charbroil huge crowds of enemies in an instant like Grandpa Ferdinand.

    I want to be like the witches I saw in picture books. The ones who would summon ice to encase their enemies, create footholds, and erect walls. Or maybe call forth the wind to fly through the air and blow away monsters.

    That way, I could be even more helpful to everyone.

    [Receptionist]: ¡°S-Sorry to make you wait. I will take that letter.¡±

    The receptionist came running back to the counter out of breath.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, okay. In that case, here you go.¡±

    I handed over the letter for a second time, and the receptionist gratefully accepted it with trembling hands before immediately slipping it into a sturdy wooden box.

    [Receptionist]: ¡°T-Thank you. Here is your confirmation slip if you would take a look at it.¡±

    The receptionist then passed me a piece of paper in turn. It had the Magicians Guild¡¯s crest stamped up top and a receipt scrawled down the rest of it.

    [Iris]: ¡°Woah¡­¡­a written oath.¡±

    [Receptionist]: ¡°If the letter is not delivered to its intended recipient for any reason, this paper guarantees that the guild shall indemnify the aggrieved party and releases you from all liability. Please do not lose it. We strongly recommend holding on to it for at least one month.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I understand¡­..¡±

    I¡¯ve had to use written oaths before back at the store whenever we had a special order and needed to have a high-value book delivered.

    But I never thought I¡¯d be issued one over a simple letter. I slid my written oath to the bottom of my knapsack just to make sure there was no chance it would slip out and get carried off by the wind.

    [???]: ¡°Hm? Well well well, just when I was thinking I heard a voice I recognized, I come to find Iris here waiting for me.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh? Oh¡­¡­Litzreich.¡±

    Putting the issue aside, I was relieved that for the moment at least, I managed to safely deliver the letter. It was at that exact moment though that Litzreich emerged from the back of the building, carrying her own pack on her back.

    [Lizreich]: ¡°And Rosalith is with you? What are you two doing in a place like this?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°We came to deliver a letter.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°So you aren¡¯t here to see me?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, we didn¡¯t even know you were here.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Goodness, then it¡¯s fate?¡±

    I used one of my fingers to push back against Litzreich¡¯s forehead when she tried to run up and hug me.

    [Iris]: ¡°I remember hearing you were involved with the school.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh, to think you would take such a keen interest in my personal life. There are all sorts of books here that are academically valuable. So I occasionally stop by and rifle through the texts.¡±

    Undeterred, Litzreich once again tried wrapping her arms around me, and once again I used my finger to push back against her forehead.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Since you¡¯re a witch too Iris, you should try reading through some of these books. You might find a useful spell you can use.¡±

    Once again, again, Litzreich tried coming up and hugging me only to have my finger push against her forehead and reject her advances.

    [Iris]: ¡°Mm, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll take a look around the next time I visit.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Guuh, aren¡¯t your defenses a little too rock solid today? You always let me hug you before¡­¡­¡±

    That was before Lapris told me I let other people hug me too much. And besides, I¡¯m on a date with Rose-san today. Getting a hug from me won¡¯t be that easy.

    [Receptionist]: ¡°Um, Litzreich-sama? Do you happen to be acquainted with these people?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hm? What, so you weren¡¯t just pretending to not recognize them? This is the tiny hero, Iris the Dragon Slayer.¡±

    [Receptionist]: ¡°Huh? HUH!?¡±

    The receptionist lady¡¯s eyes grew to the size of saucers as her hands shot in front of her mouth.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°She¡¯s also my future bride.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Don¡¯t go deciding that on your own.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? There aren¡¯t any laws in this country that say we can¡¯t get married even though we¡¯re both girls. And if it¡¯s because you want kids, my magic can fix that problem. Is there anything else? Everything good? I¡¯m not going in this half-hearted, so if you could just nod your head a bit.¡±

    Litzreich once again tried giving me a hug, but this time she did so with a hot and heavy breath, wearing her true intentions on her sleeve.

    So clearly in fact that I was left too perplexed on what exactly she was doing to know what I was supposed to say.

    [Rose]: ¡°Please pardon me.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Kyaa!?¡±

    That was when Rose-san wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me next to her. Obviously I fit snugly beneath Rose-san¡¯s arm.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san does not belong to anyone.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°R-Rose-san¡­¡­¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­..hoh? Nobody¡­¡­is it?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­excuse us, but there were other errands that required our attention. Since our business here is finished, we must be getting on our way.¡±

    W-Wow¡­..so strong. I don¡¯t hate it, and I¡¯m certainly not going to try and escape however I still have to marvel at the strength in Rose-san¡¯s arm.

    Like this, it feels like she¡¯ll never let me go.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Grr, I see. Then it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll step back for today.¡±

    Rose-san is being a bit violent, unlike how gentle she was when we were holding hands earlier.

    (She¡¯s trying to help me isn¡¯t she¡­¡­?)

    I reflexively thought about how cool Rose-san is. And when I fully realized I was wrapped in Rose-san¡¯s arm, my heartbeat shot right up.

    [Rose]: ¡°Then let us be off Iris-san.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh, y-¡­¡­..yes!¡±

    My voice was only a little more than a squeak. I could barely keep up with her pace when she grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the exit.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Ah, right. Do you have any plans for tomorrow after the audience with His Majesty?¡±

    But when we heard Litzreich¡¯s voice calling to us from behind, we stopped in our tracks, and I looked up towards Rose-san face ahead of me.

    [Iris]: ¡°After the audience¡­¡­um, Rose-san, is there anything?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°No, nothing that we have discussed at least.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Excellent. Then stop by my room tomorrow afternoon. Bring everyone if possible. The location is a little out of the way since it¡¯s inside the school, but Noelia can give you directions.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Okay. That should be fine¡­¡­.right Rose-san?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes. I see no issues with it.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Fantastic. Then I shall see you tomorrow.¡±

    Litzreich waved her hand, watching the both of us off as we left.

    ?

    Once we had finally made our way out of the Magicians Guild, Rose-san stopped in the middle of the street and looked back at me.

    [Rose]: ¡°Um, I am sorry about that. Did I hurt you?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hm? Oh, that? Yes, I¡¯m fine. I was just a bit¡­¡­surprised.¡±

    Even Saluena has only ever pulled on my waist like that a few times before. So then for Rose-san to do it, the person I would imagine to be the least likely to ever grab me like that, it was more than a little shocking to be sure.

    Just remembering it is making me blush.

    [Iris]: ¡°But just because it surprised me doesn¡¯t mean I hated it.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­really?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes. I was pretty happy you would help me like that. Thank you Rose-san.¡±

    When I graciously bowed my head, expressing my sincere thanks to her, Rose-san turned away from me.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..n-no¡­.. C-Come, we should go get lunch. Oh jeez, it¡¯s already past noon. If there is anything in particular you wish to eat, just say so. This is the capital, so you can find food from just about anywhere. The mountains, the sea¡­..¡±

    And then, in a feeble effort to hide her embarrassment, Rose-san began running her mouth as she walked off on her own.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m fine with whatever Rose-san recommends.¡±

    I jogged forward a bit, not stopping until I was right next to her and entwined my arm with hers.

    Just a small objection from me for her having just walked off without me like that.

    [Rose]: ¡°R-Recommend¡­¡­?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yep. I want to know what kind of food Rose-san loves to eat.¡±

    After considering things for a second, Rose-san tangled her fingers together with mine.

    [Rose]: ¡°Then, follow me.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Thanks in advance. I¡¯m really looking forward to it?¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s grip around my hand tightened, and once again we started walking. This time though she was just a bit slower, to match my stride.

    The fact that she noticed made me really happy, and I followed after her like a puppy.

    The people we passed by keep glancing over at us. How must we look to them?

    Do we look like sisters, or maybe close friends? Or maybe even lovers¡­¡­.this is all Litzreich¡¯s fault. The only reason I¡¯m thinking about all this is because she went and said something strange like becoming her wife.

    It¡¯s noon right now. We still have more than half of our date left. Just that thought alone is enough to get my heart beating.

    Hopefully, Rose-san is going through the same thing. While praying for that to be true, I tightened my own grip around Rose-san¡¯s hand as well.

 CH 121

    The royal capital is amazing.

    What¡¯s so amazing about it you ask? No matter how far you walk, there continues to be new stores and businesses as far as the eye can see. And there are people all over no matter where we go.

    We stopped for lunch, visited a couple stores, and it¡¯s now around 3pm. It was at this time that my eyes were forced open as I was brought face to face with more shops and people in this one district than in the entirety of Soletta Ritta.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ah¡­¡­this is¡­..¡±

    Rose-san stopped her feet and looked up at a sign for a certain shop.

    The signboard read, Gorby and Flammie¡¯s Antique Dealership.

    A blue roof coupled with white walls. It¡¯s a store that looks almost identical to all the other buildings around it, but the signboard hanging off the eaves certainly stands out.

    It wasn¡¯t until I noticed the picture of the fairy flying over a couple miscellaneous items like a sword, shield, old books and bottles of medicine painted on the sign that I remembered the man I met before we reached the capital.

    [Rose]: ¡°Could this possibly be Gorby-san¡¯s shop?¡±

    The merchant we became acquainted with after helping to repel the monster attack on the bridge. If this is his shop, Kutuna-san and the others might be here.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hmm, I have that memo with Gorby-san¡¯s address somewhere on me¡­¡­¡±

    I managed to dig out the memo Gorby-san gave me from my knapsack.

    [Iris]: ¡°No doubt about it, this is it. What should we do? Want to go inside?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Why not? I did not want to bother them by visiting too soon after entering the city, but it would be a shame to turn back when his store is right in front of us.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You¡¯re right. In that case, sorry to intrude.¡±

    The store¡¯s walls were covered in flowers the same as all the other buildings in the capital. The door, half buried in ivy, swung open easily. And as it did, a soft murmur of music leaked out into the street.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°Wow, so beautiful¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Is that a music box I am hearing?¡±

    The store¡¯s interior was dimly lit compared to the bright spring day going on outside its doors.

    It seems that the ivy growing across the door had also made its way over to the windows, blocking the light outside and painting the inside of the store in darkness.

    Lamps were scattered throughout the store and suspended from the ceiling to make up for the fact. It shrouded the room in a soft light, creating a calm atmosphere that was in stark contrast to the hectic hustle and bustle of the outside world.

    [Iris]: ¡°There¡¯s a nice atmosphere in here.¡±

    Don¡¯t tell him about this, but I pictured Gorby-san¡¯s store being a bit cluttered.

    But the store we stepped into was nothing of the sort, sporting a much more polished style. I forgot to blink as I looked around a store as well-ordered as the highest end jewelry stores.

    [Rose]: ¡°Did Gorby-san sell charms and small accessories?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Maybe, but there are swords hanging off the walls and sitting in display cases too. Shouldn¡¯t they mostly be selling more antiques and other works of art?¡±

    The signboard outside did call them an antique shop.

    [Iris]: ¡°But whatever the case, I don¡¯t see any sales staff here.¡±

    Looking around, I couldn¡¯t find any employees, Gorby-san or otherwise.

    I was a bit excited because I thought I¡¯d get to see Kutuna-san¡¯s party, but it seems my guess was off the mark.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san, come look at this.¡±

    Rose-san waved her hand and beckoned me over to her. It was obvious how excited she was just from her gestures, a secret I kept hidden to myself behind a small smile.

    Rose-san is a woman too, so if she finds an accessory she thinks she likes¡­..

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.what is it?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Glasses.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Glasses?¡±

    I took a second look at the display case Roes-san was pointing to. But even on the second look, those things didn¡¯t look like any type of glasses I¡¯ve ever seen before.

    [Iris]: ¡°But look, they don¡¯t have any lens to them.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°These are¡­¡­¡±

    [???]: ¡°Oh my, hello there. Let me see¡­¡­it appears I have some unusual customers gracing my doorstep.¡±

    A voice came from the back of the shop, cutting Rose-san off before she could say what she wanted. When I turned around to see who it was though¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, a fairy?¡±

    Yep, it was a fairy. Hovering in midair, she slowly drifted down onto a cushion that was resting on top of the front counter.

    [???]: ¡°Indeed it is. Do you find something distasteful with a shopkeeper fairy?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, no¡­¡­ Um, the signboard said¡­¡­. So, are you Flammie-san then?¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°I am indeed. Flammie, the owner of this fine establishment. Of the fairy race and female gender. Unfortunately my age is a guarded business secret if you would be so kind as to refrain from asking.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, I¡¯m Iris Calvafon. Sorry to bother you, but Gorby-san invited me to visit.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°My name is Rosalith Cuulbacall. A moment ago you called yourself the owner, but I thought Gorby-san ran this store.¡±

    Flammie-san muttered a gruff yes at Rose-san¡¯s question.

    [Flammie]: ¡°The two of us run this shop together. I appraise, buy, and sell magic items. He stocks up and sells items he gathers from other cities¡­¡­and is also in charge of our more charitable venture, delivering food to the surrounding villages.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I see, how kind of you.¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°And so I must apologize. Despite you coming all the this way, I do regret to inform you Gorby is not here. I¡¯m afraid there was a rush job, and he had to head out immediately.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Is that so¡­..¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°But I did hear from him before he left. He told me you saved his life.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡­¡­yes.¡±

    I was just doing what anybody else would¡¯ve. I stopped myself just before I said it.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m just glad I could help.¡±

    Choosing to go with that instead.

    [Flammie]: ¡°Calvafon-sama. No, perhaps it would be more apt to simply address you as Hero.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, why do you¡­¡­¡±

    Before I could ask, I recalled the conversation we had with Ashel-sama last night.

    Apparently songs of the dragon slaying heroine have been popular in the capital lately. They¡¯re songs about me, so of course my name would be included in there.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, um¡­..I would prefer if you would address me normally.¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°Fufu, as modest as the rumors say. Then as the shopkeeper, allow me to interject in your previous discussion.¡±

    Flammie-san flew out of sight into the back of the store, returning a moment later with a key in hand.

    She then inserted it into the display case¡¯s keyhole and unlocked it.

    [Flammie]: ¡°As Cuulbacall-san stated, these are a pair of glasses.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But¡­..¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°Yes, yes, I know what you wish to say. Glasses ordinarily have lenses to them, yet this pair has none.¡±

    Flammie-san grabbed the lensless glasses with both her hands, lifting it up with a grunt, and presented them to me.

    [Flammie]: ¡°Please, try them on.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°O-Okay¡­¡­¡±

    Dad wears glasses, and I¡¯ve tried his on a couple of times before. That¡¯s why when I first held this lensless pair, I noticed right away¡­..they¡¯re incredibly light.

    Of course they¡¯re going to be lighter than normal since they don¡¯t have the lenses in them, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the only reason why.

    [Iris]: ¡°What is the frame made out of?¡±

    I slid on the silver colored glasses and lightly shook my head. They¡¯re so light I barely notice they¡¯re even there.

    [Flammie]: ¡°Hoho? Just what one would expect from a hero to notice in so little time.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh, no, I mean¡­..¡±

    She¡¯s a merchant. I can¡¯t get caught up in a merchant¡¯s flattery.

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh, w-¡­¡­wha-!? Somehow, everything looks so¡­..¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°¡­..hmm, they must have been activated. Those glasses are in truth a magic item. It creates a lens with the users magic power that is capable of enhancing their eyesight.¡±

    Years of book reading have left me with less than perfect eyesight. It doesn¡¯t hamper my daily life in any significant way, but if I¡¯m trying to see things a certain distance away, I have to squint my eyes.

    But with these glasses, I can see even far away things as if they were right in front of me.

    When I looked out one of the windows to test it out, my vision was so clear I could count the number of spires on the castle way off in the distance.

    [Iris]: ¡°Amazing, this is absolutely amazing Rose-san!! I can see things far, far off in the distance!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Is that right? It sounds wonderful.¡±

    While I was dancing in place, Rose-san had been watching me with her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her giggling.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.ahem. Um¡­¡­uh, so how much would these cost?¡±

    Dad told me once before that even an ordinary pair of glasses are incredibly expensive. And as a magic tool, this one will probably cost tens of millions¡­¡­.no, it¡¯s safe to say its price will exceed a hundred million cronells.

    Doing the math in my head, the light pair of glasses I¡¯m wearing suddenly felt a lot heavier.

    [Flammie]: ¡°100,000 cronells.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..eh?¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°100,000 cronells.¡±

    A hundred thousand? I mean, that¡¯s still pretty pricey, but an ordinary pair of glasses costs more than that. There¡¯s no way this magic tool is that cheap.

    [Iris]: ¡°I-Isn¡¯t that too cheap? It¡¯s so light with such a useful effect, I¡¯m sure people would gladly pay more for it if you asked¡­¡­¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°They¡¯d collapse.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh?¡±

    What is this person suddenly saying?

    Perhaps my thoughts were clear on my face because Flammie-san added on an explanation with a bitter smile.

    [Flammie]: ¡°The glasses have an excellent ability, but they were crafted with complete disregard to the rate of magic power being consumed. Even if a magician with reasonable confidence in their skills were to try and make use of it, it is no exaggeration to say their magic power would be instantly sucked away, causing them to faint. There is even a possibility of death.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hold on!? Don¡¯t recommend such a dangerous item to me! oh no I already turned them on!?¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°Yes you did. And it would appear you are capable of fully utilizing them despite the burden.¡±

    I hurriedly yanked the glasses off, but when I checked, my head wasn¡¯t shaking nor were my legs wobbling. A perfectly normal condition.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, now that I think about it¡­¡­fairies can see the amount of magic power a person has¡­..¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°Yes, I could sense a bit of magic power rising off of you. You might be able to wear those glasses all day and be just fine.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Those glasses suit you very well.¡±

    Rose-san spoke up with a voice as gentle as the atmosphere within the store.

    [Iris]: ¡°But, you were laughing before¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I, am sorry. Iris-san was just so cute having fun on her own that I¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, uu¡­¡­i-is that so¡­¡­¡±

    There¡¯s nothing else I can say if Rose-san is going to go that far.

    [Rose]: ¡°Flammie-san, would you mind selling those glasses to me?¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°Take them. I cannot accept payment from the people who saved Gorby¡¯s life.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°That, I cannot.¡±

    Rose-san shook her head towards Flammie-san¡¯s offer.

    [Rose]: ¡°I¡­..wish to purchase them.¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°Ah¡­.Hah? Okay¡­..¡±

    Making a strange face at first which then morphed into an even weirder face afterwards, Flammie-san eventually managed to gather her thoughts and clapped her hands.

    [Flammie]: ¡°Then, I shall wrap it up for you right away.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    [Flammie]: ¡°No no, providing a cute wrapping is the least I can do.¡±

    Flammie-san disappeared into the back of the store once again with the glasses after leaving those words behind.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, Rose-san¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Y-Yes, what is it?¡±

    Is Rose-san, looking to give those glasses to me as a present? That¡¯s the only reason I can think of for why she¡¯d insist on paying for something being offered for free.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m incredibly happy.¡±

    Rose-san bought and gave these to me, so they¡¯re not just some tool for me to use.

    It is an important keepsake that will make me think of Rose-san whenever I see them from now on.

    That makes these glasses worth twice as much¡­¡­no, it makes it so much more valuable to me you can¡¯t even compare them.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m so happy we came to this store today. It¡¯s nice being together with Rose-san.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san wrapped her arms around me, narrowing her gaze and quietly stared at me for a moment. She brought up one of her fingers, brushing a tuft of hair out of my eyes.

    [Rose]: ¡°I feel the same way, Iris-san.¡±

    We continued to browse the other merchandise displayed in the store until Flammie-san returned.

    In a dim world made for two, we walked while holding hands, our faces illuminated only by the soft light of the magical lamps around with only a few words having to be shared between us¡­¡­.peaceful bliss.

 CH 122

    Side by side with Rose-san, we walked along the canal that cut through the royal capital.

    Even if I call it a canal, it¡¯s not nearly as thin as the one that flowed through my hometown. This one is wide enough to allow multiple ships carrying cargo to sail past each other. The sun had begun to fall, meaning the incessant rain of rays falling from the sky came at an angle, distorting the reflection on the water¡¯s surface.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san, do you need a short break?¡±

    Rose-san glanced at me next to her with a slightly worried look.

    [Iris]: ¡°N-No, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    I say that, but my feet are starting to hurt.

    But, that¡¯s just a testament to all the time we¡¯ve spent together today. I was determined to ignore the pain, but the fact she asked me that at all means my face isn¡¯t doing a very good job of it.

    [Rose]: ¡°No need to overdo things. We walked quite a bit today. Let¡¯s take a rest on that next bench, okay?¡±

    Rose-san made a point to look directly into my eyes and smiled.

    Her light, peach colored hair shone a bright white beneath the sun¡¯s light. A tuft of that hair slid off her ear, brushing against her cheek and hiding half of her beautiful face.

    [Iris]: ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san brought her finger up, hooking her hair back behind her ear.

    It was a gesture that completely captured my fascination. An adult atmosphere and charm I lacked capable of drawing me in. I released a hot sigh without even thinking about it.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, sorry.¡±

    I apologized on reflex and diverted my eyes away from her hair. Of course that meant I was staring directly into her deep, burgundy eyes instead.

    [Rose]: ¡°Did something happen? Are you feeling tired after all?¡±

    I turned away my gaze once again. Noticing my eyes swimming in my head, Rose-san tilted her head.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, no, I was just, thinking how beautiful Rose-san¡¯s hair is¡­¡­.¡±

    I might make her genuinely worried for me if I keep acting suspicious. So I commented on her fluffy hair.

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh, y-¡­¡­.you were? It is getting a bit long, so I was thinking of having it cut¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh~? It would be such a waste to cut such beautiful hair. It looks great how it is.¡±

    When I raised my head, my gaze once again locked with Rose-san¡¯s. Ephemeral eyes and long eyelashes that shook ever so slightly.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­does Iris-san, like long hair?¡±

    Rose-san pulled on my hand a bit as she asked. I sat down on a bench sitting next to the road so that we can talk without getting in the way of any other passersby. Rose-san took a seat right next to me.

    The bench had a flower box positioned next to it for the enjoyment of anyone who would want to take a seat such as ourselves. It was filled with beautiful sweet peas in bloom that came in pink, white, and violet colors. They smelled really good too.

    [Iris]: ¡°I suppose so. Although it wouldn¡¯t suit me very well, whenever I see someone with long hair, I always think it looks nice.¡±

    Now that I¡¯m mentioning it, Toslin, Carol, Saluena, and Rose-san all have long hair.

    It¡¯s just Lapris and me who don¡¯t. Mine doesn¡¯t even reach my shoulders.

    Clear water gently flowed down the canal, carrying away some petals from flowers that had fallen in somewhere upstream. The water¡¯s surface ripples as boats pass through, forming a consistent clap as the waves strike against the shore.

    [Rose]: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say it does not suit you though? An Iris-san with her hair grown out¡­¡­fufu, I imagine it would look very nice.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You think so¡­¡­? When I try to imagine it though, the only thing that comes to mind is me with a head full of frizzly hair¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°My hair can be a bit unruly as well, but it is okay so long as I brush it every day.¡±

    The bench is a bit on the smaller side, so we have to sit close enough that our shoulders and waists are touching if we are going to both fit.

    A gentle breeze carrying the sweet scent of flowers unique to the spring season brushed through our hair.

    [Iris]: ¡°Then¡­..should I try growing mine out too?¡±

    I pinched my bangs between my fingers and pulled my hair down.

    It would probably take a while for it to grow as long as Rose-san¡¯s and having to take care of it every single day sounds bothersome. But when I think about how wonderful Rose-san¡¯s hair is¡­¡­I start thinking that maybe it¡¯s worth a try.

    [Rose]: ¡°Then I won¡¯t cut my hair either. Iris-san did say it was wonderful after all.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..r-right¡­¡­.¡±

    *Badump*

    The voice I¡¯m always listening to. The smile I¡¯m always looking for. They¡¯re capable of reaching deep into my chest and shaking my heart.

    Who is this¡­¡­.adorable person?

    Isn¡¯t it too unfair that she¡¯s older than me? It should almost be a foul to be this beautiful and cute.

    Adorableness is the privilege of the young while beauty comes with age. Putting aside whether or not I qualify as cute, Rose-san, who is infringing on the rights of us younger people¡­¡­is incredibly sly.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Out of nowhere, a moment of complete silence fell between us. Now that I think about it, this is the first long, continued silence between us since the day began.

    I could feel Rose-san¡¯s warmth through our shoulders.

    Although it¡¯s finally spring, the wind can still feel chilly as evening rolls in. I was feeling cold, so that¡¯s why, for just a little longer, I got a bit closer, and leaned against Rose-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I watched as the water¡¯s rippling surface expanded and contracted.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Then, out the corner of my eye, I noticed that Rose-san had turned towards me. Her slightly swaying hair gave off a good scent comparable to flowers in bloom.

    [Rose]: ¡°Are you cold?¡±

    I responded with, ¡°A bit¡­..¡± when she asked.

    So Rose-san pulled one of her arms out of her cardigan and wrapped it around my back.

    She then leaned more into me, wrapping the cardigan back around our shoulders as if it were a stole.

    [Rose]: ¡°How is this then?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes. It¡¯s¡­¡­very warm¡­¡­¡±

    While wrapped in Rose-san¡¯s warmth and aroma, I nodded.

    I could feel my heart rate gradually rising.

    Today¡¯s Rose-san somehow feels more adult-like. No, I mean she is an adult, but she feels more so than usual right now.

    She has escorted me, protected me, and now¡­¡­worried for me.

    If it was Saluena¡­¡­I¡¯m not sure if my heart would be beating like this. No, maybe it would? I¡¯m not sure.

    All of my blood has rushed to my head, and it¡¯s making it difficult for me to think. This really is all Litzreich¡¯s fault. Making me feel intentionally self-conscious by bringing up marriage and it being fine even between women, ah¡­¡­.I¡¯ve forced myself into a pretty terrible way of thinking.

    Rose-san is a reliable companion. And someone I see as an older sister.

    I want to be the person she searches for before everyone else. The person she watches more than anyone else. I want her to be more careful with me than anybody else. The only reason why I¡¯m thinking such bothersome thoughts is because I want Rose-san to play the role of the older sister I¡¯ve never had before.

    Maybe it¡¯s because we¡¯ve spent so much time together today that I was able to so openly express my wish.

    [Iris]: ¡°Today¡¯s Rose-san seemed just like an older sister.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    I deliberately said it like a joke so she wouldn¡¯t notice how hard my heart is beating.

    Thereupon Rose-san¡¯s shoulder quivered.

    [Rose]: ¡°Me, Iris-san¡¯s¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san looked down at me, and I looked up at Rose-san.

    Our gazes remained locked for a long time.

    Before I knew it, the light of the sun had gained a reddish tinge. Slowly Rose-san¡¯s pinkish cheeks darkened.

    How must my face look? I¡¯m positive it¡¯s red because of my real motives here and embarrassment, but maybe there¡¯s a backlight there from the sun.

    [Iris]: ¡°Is it okay if¡­¡­I ask to be spoiled a bit?¡±

    With my true feelings revealed, I decided to take things a step further. To take advantage of the situation and my status as her temporary younger sister and satisfy my wish.

    [Rose]: ¡°Eh, yes¡­¡­yes, I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Just as I thought, Rose-san didn¡¯t turn me down. She accepted me. She¡¯s, always so kind to me. Sometimes she¡¯ll get angry and chide me, but¡­¡­she¡¯s always kind in the end.

    It¡¯s why I like her.

    [Iris]: ¡°This is why I like you Rose-san.¡±

    Today¡¯s Iris-san is a very naughty girl. But I can¡¯t stop myself. Even if I do get branded as naughty, I want Rose-san to spoil me. I want to be closer to you. I want to feel like I¡¯m special to you. I want you to think of me as special.

    [Rose]: ¡°I, like you too.¡±

    After I rested my head on Rose-san¡¯s shoulder, she wrapped her arm around me, hugging me close to her while patting the top of my head.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.Iris-san¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes?¡±

    Rose-san brought her free hand to her chest.

    But after hesitating for an instant, she reached out for me. And grabbed the hand that was resting on my lap.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Ehehe, we¡¯ve been holding hands all day long.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­do you hate it?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, Rose-san¡¯s hand is¡­¡­really warm.¡±

    I entwined my fingers around her and held her hand back.

    [Iris]: ¡°Could you¡­¡­.pat my head a little more?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Of course.¡±

    Rose-san quietly nodded¡­¡­¡­and kissed my hair.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ehehe, I do the same thing for Sarah.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    The sun gradually fell, and the city¡¯s blue roofs were dyed red.

    The two of us watched the water glitter from the light bouncing off of it with few words shared between us.

    [Iris]: ¡°Nn¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    A short sigh escaped my throat as Rose-san patted my head and kissed my hair, causing her to embrace my head even tighter.

    That just caused me to squeak again as my body squirmed further into her hold.

    And then, she stroked my head again. My hair was kissed. Her grip tightens, and it¡¯s a little painful. The same process, over and over again.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.yes?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.can we go on another date sometime?¡±

    The only thing protecting us both from the chilly wind is a thin piece of cloth draped over both our shoulders.

    [Rose]: ¡°If you are fine with it then, no¡­¡­¡±

    The sun setting on the horizon.

    The wind grows even chillier as the city evolves from a deep red to a faded black.

    [Rose]: ¡°I would love to.¡±

    Yet it¡¯s still warm.

    In this one spot¡­¡­together with Rose-san.

 CH 123

    The breeze drifting through the window carried a faint floral scent to it.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Nngh¡­¡­¡±

    Slowly I opened my eyes and found a hand resting in front of my face.

    My head was half sunk into a cushy feather pillow, so I could only really see anything out of the one eye.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I recognized my own hand, but I couldn¡¯t understand why I¡¯d go so far as to move it right in front of my face so it¡¯d be the first thing I see in the morning.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Rose-san¡­..?¡±

    It took me a moment to remember that I had gone to bed holding Rose-san¡¯s hand.

    We went to bed facing each other, and our hands¡­¡­were overlapping on top of the white sheets.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A tinge of regret crept into my heart after I called her name.

    After all if Rose-san were to wake up, things might get embarrassing, and I¡¯d lose out on valuable time I could have spent watching Rose-san sleep during this blessed morning.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I held my breath and watched carefully.

    There were times Rose-san¡¯s hand would stir, but each time it was just by a bit.

    The sweet scent of the shampoo she used for her hair mixed with the floral aroma in the wind and almost carried me off to the world of dreams once again.

    If I remember right, it should be Saluena sleeping behind Rose-san¡¯s back.

    She received a decisive defeat in cards last night which is how she ended up being the one to sleep on the seam between the two beds.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    The sun is shining, but I guess it¡¯s still a bit early for people to be getting up.

    Raising my head as quietly as i could, I took a look at the other side of Saluena.

    Carol was there with an arm wrapped around her neck. It was like someone had come up from behind and tried to strangle her.

    Needless to say, the arm strangling Carol belonged to Toslin.

    Mornings are still chilly, so I¡¯m guessing she unconsciously went looking for Carol¡¯s warm body. This inevitably led to Carol unconsciously trying to escape.

    Apparently a life or death struggle has been taking place throughout the night between these two as they slept.

    *Cheep Cheep*

    [Iris]: ¡°?¡±

    I looked behind me when I heard a bird chirping.

    The semi-transparent, possibly silk, curtains swayed with the breeze. And a single red bird stood among them.

    [Phoenix]: ¡°Cheep¡±

    Phoenix tilted her head when I put a finger up to my lips. However she did stop her chirping, so maybe she understood what I was trying to say.

    As for Lapris and Plushie Unicorn¡­¡­where are they? They always kind of sleep wherever they drop, so it¡¯s impossible to know where exactly they could have ended up.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.Iris¡­¡­san?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    Shoot. Did I shake the bed too much?

    [Iris]: ¡°Sorry to wake you.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..no, it¡¯s fine¡­¡­.¡±

    Not yet awake enough to realize she was holding my hand, Rose-san tried moving her arm.

    So I chased after it. Tangling my fingers around hers, I kept her hand locked into mine.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­good morning.¡±

    It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t see more of Rose-san¡¯s sleeping face. But if we can talk just like this¡­..that¡¯ll be just as good.

    [Rose]: ¡°G-Good morning¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san greeted me with a smile, but as a thought crossed her mind, she suddenly looked resentful.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..h-hold on¡­..were you watching me sleep again?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°O-Our hands¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san was holding my hand when I first woke up.¡±

    Her voice little more than a whisper, Rose-san tried pulling her hand away once again. So I tightened my grip and refused to let her escape.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..Uuu, Iris-san is always getting a peek at my sleeping face. And I¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s right. But you got to see mine, so we¡¯re even.¡±

    We¡¯re whispering as quietly as we can to avoid waking anyone else up. It¡¯s a little exciting, almost like we¡¯re sharing a secret with each other.

    [Rose]: ¡°The number of times I¡¯ve been peeked at is overwhelmingly higher¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You¡¯re cute, so isn¡¯t it fine?¡±

    Whenever I say that, Rose-san will usually say I¡¯m exaggerating.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­really?¡±

    But this morning was different. With teary eyes while looking like she was still holding a grudge, she asked me if I was telling the truth.

    [Rose]: ¡°Do you, really think so?¡±

    And then, she asked again. This time while tightening her own grip around my hand.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Rose-san is incredibly cute. Enough to make me jealous.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.can I believe you? You aren¡¯t secretly thinking in your heart¡­¡­.I look strange when I¡¯m sleeping?¡±

    Eeh¡­¡­what¡¯s going on? Was I making a face that made her think I thought that way? I know I can¡¯t stop myself from grinning whenever I see her sleeping face, but¡­¡­.oh, maybe that¡¯s why.

    [Iris]: ¡°Not at all. Rose-san is cute. And beautiful to boot.¡±

    Your red eyes, long eyelashes, level nose, well-featured face, and the sound of your voice.

    Everything about you is beautiful and cute. I¡¯m a woman¡­¡­and my heart still won¡¯t settle down.

    [Iris]: ¡°So please believe me.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­okay. I understand. I¡¯m happy Iris-san thinks so.¡±

    Rose-san was finally smiling again.

    A quiet morning. A time meant only for us two. Right now, Rose-san smile is just for me. Rose-san¡¯s eyes are only looking at me.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m happy too. Yesterday was a lot of fun.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, indeed.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Guah!?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Huh!?¡±

    Rose-san jumped up in bed after Carol began gagging out of nowhere and surprised us both.

    [Carol]: ¡°H-Hold on Toslin! Too tight, too tight!!¡±

    Carol was desperately beating her hands against the arm wrapped around her throat. But Toslin slept through it all with a peaceful smile on her sleeping face.

    [Carol]: ¡°Dying, Dying! Saluena, hey!!¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Playing this early in the morning?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Are you seeing something different than I am!? I¡¯m about to die here!!¡±

    Saluena is apparently up too. And judging by how much she¡¯s stretching right now, her body must have gotten tied up into knots from sleeping on the seam as well. Who will end up getting stuck sleeping there tonight?

    [Lapris]: ¡°Gaaaah, shuuuut uuuuuup. It¡¯s too early in the morning for this.¡±

    I heard Lapris¡¯s voice coming from an outrageous spot. She was tucked away in the chest pocket of Saluena¡¯s pajamas, using it like a blanket. Apparently that¡¯s where she decided to sleep last night. And when I take a closer look, I see that Saluena had been using Plushie Unicorn as a pillow.

    *Cheep Cheep. Cheep Pipipipipipipi* Soon even Phoenix was taking advantage of the noise to start singing after meekly keeping quiet like I asked until now.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Mm, shut up Carol. Keep quiet in the morning.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Whose fault do you think that is!? Saluena please¡­¡­geh¡­¡­Rose too, don¡¯t just sit there and watch. Help me!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Ah, my apologies. I couldn¡¯t tell the difference between this and your usual flirting.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Fuaa¡­¡­.I guess I don¡¯t have any other choice than to get up.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°How about a little concern for the person dying over here!!¡±

    Well you did ruin my alone time with Rose-san¡­¡­..not that I¡¯d think something like that.

    [Iris]: ¡°Sorry sorry. Yosh, let¡¯s go. Sayonara lazybones Iris-san.¡±

    My feet sunk into the fluffy carpet after jumping out of bed.

    I stuck out my chest, taking a deep breath inside a bustling room that made the tranquility seem like a complete lie.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yosh, let¡¯s do our best today too!!¡±

    A knock rang out from the door at that exact moment almost as if on cue. Or maybe they were waiting behind the door this whole time, just waiting for their moment to come in.

    After I answered the door, Noelia-san walked into the room.

    She then bowed deeply and said,

    [Noelia]: ¡°Good morning everyone. Today is your audience with His Majesty.¡±

 CH 124

    In front of a ginormously huge door. I stood up straight, staring at the lavish gold decorations adorning it.

    This appears to be a waiting room for people who have come to the castle for an audience with His Majesty. Noelia-san dropped us off here, and we¡¯ve been patiently waiting ever since.

    We are the only ones here, so I¡¯m guessing nobody else is scheduled for an audience today.

    (My heart feels like it¡¯s going to pop out of my mouth.)

    In just a little bit, we¡¯ll be entering the throne room.

    We will be greeting the king of an entire country. I just went to the bathroom, but I¡¯m so nervous I think I might have to go again.

    [Carol]: ¡°Are you feeling all right Iris?¡±

    Carol was the one who ended up calling out to me and convinced me to take a deep breath.

    She had changed out of her usual dark black adventurer equipment and into a pretty pink dress complete with poofy ruffles and intricate lace.

    As a beastman with fluffy ears and a tail, Carol was especially loved by the seamstresses.

    There were about fifty of them. This right here is the end result when those women get serious.

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. But I¡¯m not used to stuff like this, so it¡¯s hard for me to settle down¡­¡­¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I know what you mean. I¡¯ve been taking deep breaths this entire time to try and keep the edge off.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, yet you look absolutely wonderful. The both of you. Don¡¯t you think so as well Sally-oneesama?¡±

    Rose-san had returned to her usual appearance compared to yesterday. Armor firmly wrapped around her upper body draped over a priestess robe. She doesn¡¯t have any weapons with her though since none are allowed in the throne room.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Of course. I knew frills would match well with their childish frames. My eyes are never wrong with things like this.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Child¡­¡­¡±

    Not even just petite, but going straight for child-like. A massive shock ran through my brain.

    Sure we might have a bit less mass compared to Saluena and the others, but¡­¡­ Putting Carol aside, I wouldn¡¯t say I¡­¡­

    I blankly stared down at my own meager chest out of shock when Toslin spoke up.

    [Toslin]: ¡°It looks like it might start soon¡­¡­.what are you doing Iris?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, just¡­¡­trying to hang on to what little self-confidence I have left.¡±

    I almost forgot, Sarah¡¯s were bigger than mine in the bath¡­¡­ Maybe Saluena is perfectly justified here?

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hah? You¡¯re cute, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Toslin flicked my forehead with her finger.

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh? What about me? Am I cute too?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Huh? Hmm¡­¡­well, I guess you¡¯re cute?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hooray~! Hey hey, did you hear did you hear? Toslin thinks I¡¯m cute. Ehehe?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, I did hear. Good for you Carol-san?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Mhmm? Maybe I should keep wearing this dress from now.¡±

    Carol had been cut off completely from the earlier tension that had hung over us, breaking into a wide smile as she spun around in her dress. The skirt spread out like a blossoming flower, showing off the craftsmen¡¯s powerful sense of commitment.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Are you stupid? If an adventurer went out wearing something like that, you¡¯d get laughed out of the guild.¡±

    Toslin is wearing her usual suit of armor, just as she said she would. I thought Saluena was supposed to wear a dress like us as well, but instead she was given a waistcoat with a pair of tight-fitting breeches.

    She looks so good I almost mistook her for a prince the first time I saw her like that.

    [Toslin]: ¡°However you two look like sisters when you stand next to each other like that.¡±

    By the way, as I was saying and as you may have guessed from Toslin¡¯s words, Carol and I are wearing the same dress.

    A childish dress with plenty of frills.

    It¡¯s white, but otherwise the design is completely the same. According to the seamstresses, the concept they were going for was ¡®sisters¡¯¡­¡­..

    So the fact that Toslin would say that at all means the dresses are doing exactly as the seamstresses as intended. Pros are amazing. And kind of scary.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Calvafon-sama. His Majesty will see you shortly. Once the door opens, there will be a knight who will lead you inside.¡±

    Noelia-san materialized from the door we were to be entering and handed out instructions.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    So, it¡¯s finally almost time? Mom, Dad. Sarah¡­¡­are you watching me through Plushie Unicorn¡¯s eyes right now? Today I will be meeting with a king.

    I doubt I¡¯ll ever be graced with an honor like this ever again, so I will etch everything said in there into my mind for when I return home.

    I shut my eyes tight, making a promise to my parents in my heart before opening them again.

    [Herald]: ¡°Your attention everyone!! The Hero who slew the dragon!! The mighty witch!! Iris Calvafon-sama!! Now entering!!¡±

    *Bum Bum~~~~~~~~~~!! Bum Bum Bum Bum~~~~~~~~~~~!!*

    I could hear the sound of a trumpet blaring behind the door the same way as what I heard at the church.

    It was then that the door began to swing open, showing off its weight and the years behind it through the heavy creak it made as it did.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Then, shall we go?¡±

    Saluena reached out her hand to me.

    I can understand what she¡¯s getting at without having to be told. She means to take my hand.

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes. Iris-san. We are all here for you, so there¡¯s no need for worry. If you ever have trouble answering, remain silent. We will handle it for you.¡±

    What a reliable promise.

    So with Rose-san at my back and under Saluena¡¯s escort, I took my first step into the throne room, and my audience with the king began.

    ?

    It¡¯s just like the pictures in my storybooks.

    A large velvet red carpet stretches down the middle of a grand hall, leading to a couple of steps where a majestic throne is perched on high.

    And on that throne, a single man sat upright.

    A person with a golden crown resting atop wavy, shoulder-length hair. This was Olivar-sama, the current king who governs over a country with a thousand year history.

    I normally wouldn¡¯t have been able to see his face from this far away, but I now have the glasses Rose-san bought for me.

    After putting just a little magic power into them, my field of vision expanded greatly and gave me a clear view of their face.

    (An awfully kind-looking face¡­¡­.and an amazingly prominent beard.)

    He looks a lot like Ashel-sama to the point where it¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re blood related.

    As we slowly made our way further into the room, I moved my gaze towards the knights standing at attention around the red carpet. Each of their faces were familiar. They were all members of the Shirayuri Knights.

    Ashel-sama was standing near the throne with Yuhanna-sama right next to her.

    Apart from the orderly knights was a person draped in luxuriously embellished clothing who I could tell right away was a noble.

    They were watching us with great interest while whispering something to a person standing beside them.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Marie-sama¡±

    Looking further, I found a familiar face standing in a spot opposite of Yuhanna-sama.

    Marie Arone-sama, the bishop of the capital¡¯s church who administers every other church on the continent.

    [Marie]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Whether she heard my muttering or simply read my lips, Marie-sama rose her hand slightly and gave me a small wave. She might be an unexpectedly playful person when outside of the church.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ridiculous. Is there any reason to make a room this big when it¡¯s only used for greeting people?¡±

    A small little voice chirped in my ear. I didn¡¯t need to look to see who would be saying something like that in a situation like this. It was obviously from Lapris who rode into the room on my shoulder.

    [Iris]: ¡°Shh, keep quiet.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Yeah yeah¡±

    Incidentally, Lapris was wearing the same thing she always wears. I thought she should at least put on a ribbon, but it was rejected because she didn¡¯t like the color. So the ribbon was instead tied off around Plushie Unicorn¡¯s neck who is walking directly in front of me.

    The distance between me and the king keeps shrinking.

    We¡¯ve already hit the halfway point, but the knight leading us in hasn¡¯t stopped walking yet.

    Ten steps, and then another ten steps.

    The knight didn¡¯t divert to the side until we were so close to the king that I could clearly see his face even without the use of my glasses.

    The spot where the throne is situated is several steps higher than anywhere else in the room. I figured I should stop right before those steps, where the red carpet comes to an end.

    [Olivar]: ¡°We thank you for coming. The dragon slaying hero, Iris Calvafon-dono.¡±

    And a voice called down from the platform in front of me after my feet came to a stop. It was from Olivar-sama.

    (Um, I¡¯m wearing a dress, so this is the part where I curtsy right?)

    I didn¡¯t think Olivar-sama himself would be the first one to say anything, so I was a little thrown off. Still, I managed to keep my wits about me just enough to replicate what Rose-san had taught me in advance. I pinched the ends of my skirt with my fingers and bent one leg.

    [Iris]: ¡°I am extremely pleased to be granted the great honor of an audience.¡±

    But, after I raised my face and finished my greeting, I heard something I really wasn¡¯t prepared for¡­¡­another one of Lapris¡¯s bemused mutterings.

    [Lapris]: ¡°What the, this one¡¯s a woman too.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Bwah!?¡±

    And then in the middle of an audience where everyone in the room¡¯s attention is focused squarely on me, I made a grand fool of myself.

 CH 125

    *Cough, Cough Cough Cough¡­¡­..*

    [Toslin]: ¡°Our deepest apologies Olivar-sama. I¡¯m afraid Iris became a bit careless because of the warm spring breeze in the capital and caught a small cold.¡±

    Toslin stepped forward, rubbing my back as I broke out into a violent coughing fit.

    [Iris]: ¡°S-Sorry, Toslin¡­..¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s okay. Leave the rest to us.¡±

    Come on Lapris!? is what I was thinking, but when I shot a glare towards her on my shoulder, she was giving me a incredulous, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± look.

    [Lapris]: ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±

    And then she whispered to me the exact question her expression was suggesting.

    [Olivar]: ¡°Oh, just as the rumors said, a fairy friend of the hero. I heard the fairy carries a message straight from the Goddess Illya herself.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Yes. I was summoned to the church in Soletta Ritta during Iris¡¯s baptism where she was awarded the red rank, and I delivered onto her an oracle.¡±

    [Olivar]: ¡°I see. The story goes that my ancestor Ranroot had a fairy companion at his side as well.¡±

    The king turned the same blue eyes as Ashel-sama my way.

    [Olivar]: ¡°So you were chosen by the Goddess. You might just be the Hero responsible for the next generation¡­¡­¡±

    Thanks to Toslin rubbing my back, I somehow managed to control my breathing.

    But I was still a long ways away from being able to say anything.

    I could hear some laughter coming from the group of nobles standing in the room once my coughing had died down to the point where I could think about anything other than that.

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­..Your Majesty. Before anything else, allow us to introduce ourselves.¡±

    Thereupon Saluena took a step forward. She set one hand upon her chest and offered a small bow.

    She was the most beautiful person in the room, yet she still carries such a dominating presence over those around her.

    Even Olivar-sama, the king who had reached the blue rank before being enthroned, was reduced to silence.

    Saluena raised her head amidst that silence, turning towards the direction where that laughter had come from, and opened her mouth.

    [Saluena]: ¡°I¡­..am Hadion.¡±

    In an instant, the relaxed air that had filled the room after my little disruption was swept away, and the audience returned to the tense state at which it had begun.

    [Saluena]: ¡°I was once known as the Dark Violet Knight. I was defeated by the Goddess Illya and sealed away in a prison of darkness¡­¡­a thousand years ago. Now under compact with the Goddess, I have dedicated my sword to Iris Calvafon here.¡±

    Whispers began to leak from our surroundings, but a single glance from Saluena was all it took to silence the lot of them once again.

    [Saluena]: ¡°And this is my younger sister. The priestess with whom I have exchanged the Mira Antulla, the sisterly pledge, with. Rosalith Cuulbacall.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    With her vow of chastity preventing her from saying anything on her own, Rose-san made due with a silent bow of her own.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Your Majesty has already exchanged words with this one¡­..¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°My apologies for the late introductions. I am Tosrillon F. Iriburgh. The third daughter of a viscount family from the holy forest nation of Laforia.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­.mugu¡±

    Carol started to introduce herself as well, but Rose-san wrapped her hands around Carol¡¯s mouth to keep her quiet without Toslin having to do anything herself. Toslin went on to finish Carol¡¯s introduction while I was impressed with how harmonious these two¡¯s coordination is.

    [Toslin]: ¡°The werewolf lacks a family name, but her given name is Carotayle. It is an honor for her to be here.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°And then¡­¡­the red-haired maiden, is Iris Calvafon¡­¡­¡±

    Saluena turned towards me and extended out her hand.

    Since it¡¯s something I¡¯ve already done many times before, I reached out my hand, letting her take mine into hers without pause.

    She pulled on my hand, bringing me a few steps closer to the king.

    And I silently let her, like a puppy on a leash.

    [Saluena]: ¡°A millennia has passed, and a grimoire master has appeared in the world once again. And she has me, Rosalith, Tosrillon, Carotayle, and 50 strong knights blessed by the Goddess behind her.¡±

    Her voice was quiet, but it carried a sense of intimidation that refused to allow you to breathe.

    It spread and settled throughout the room for a while.

    [Ashel]: ¡°As well as¡­¡­¡±

    Ashel-sama walked down from the raised platform away from the throne, wearing a bright, beaming smile in stark contrast to Saluena.

    He¡­¡­no, she stood next to me, sandwiching me between her and Saluena.

    [Ashel]: ¡°my friend, Father.¡±

    [Olivar]: ¡°Hoh¡­¡­is that so? You¡¯re already that close.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Iris-dono and Carotayle-dono also rescued a caravan of merchants who were traveling down the road to the capital a few kilometres ahead of my knights from a vicious monster assault. Casualties could have been significant.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama spoke up as well following Ashel-sama¡¯s remarks. The king listened to her with an admiring look.

    [Olivar]: ¡°Hoh, I see. Then thanks is owed beyond just the dragon subjugation.¡±

    [Marie]: ¡°Your Majesty. We of the church witnessed Calvafon-sama receive the Goddess¡¯s blessing and power. It is why after a thousand years, we allowed the knight company dedicated to her to become only the second in history to bear the Goddess¡¯s name. It is why I recommend taking a special level of discretion when dealing with her, like one would do with foreign royalty.¡±

    Marie-sama then stepped forward and put out that suggestion. But the reception I¡¯ve received until now has been more than warm enough. Honestly I¡¯d only feel troubled if they tried treating me even more courteously than they already have.

    [Olivar]: ¡°Very well then. If she is one chosen by the Goddess, we must receive her with the utmost respect possible. The hero is of common birth, but she shall make a special exception and have her treated as an earl. Everyone, do not forget to show her your sincere gratitude¡­¡­.¡±

    [???]: ¡°P-Please wait Your Royal Majesty!!¡±

    After Ashel-sama, Yuhanna-sama, and Marie-sama had managed to calm the mood in the room, an older, middle-aged man who had been standing near Marie-sama until now stepped forward and addressed the king.

    [Olivar]: ¡°What, Prime Minister? You were here?¡±

    [Minister]: ¡°I am!! I have been standing here since the beginning! Rather, I have serious concerns as to why you would think the prime minister wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place!!¡±

    The elderly man is apparently the prime minister. In simple terms, the most powerful man in the country outside of the royal family.

    He looks a bit similar to my dad with his glasses and the swept back hair, but beyond that¡­¡­his body does lean more on the thicker side. I would say about the same weight as three Dads put together.

    [Minister]: ¡°Your Royal Highness, as I was saying¡­¡­I believe you are handling the situation with this hero much too lightly!!¡±

    [Olivar]: ¡°You¡¯re really noisy. Don¡¯t mind each and everything I say.¡±

    [Minister]: ¡°It is the Prime Minister¡¯s duty to correct the king¡¯s mistakes!! S-So I would have you reconsider!! It is the duty of the king to deliver a level of hospitality fitting of an individual¡¯s accomplishments! Failure of such is an irrevocable stain on a nation¡¯s reputation!!¡±

    [Olivar]: ¡°And a bestowal of the rank of earl is sufficient enough. And before you say anything else, I shall be sure to bestow an additional reward to the hero fitting of her achievements at a later date. Honestly, you worry too much. This is why you went bald.¡±

    [Minister]: ¡°I am not bald!!¡±

    [Olivar]: ¡°You¡¯ve also grown quite fat.¡±

    [Minister]: ¡°I¡¯m not fat!!¡±

    [Olivar]: ¡°¡­¡­.have you not seen yourself?¡±

    I¡¯m sure the Prime Minister would think me extremely rude if I were to say this aloud, but¡­¡­he seems like a very amusing person.

    [???]: ¡°I¡¯m afred I must object as well.¡±

    It was while I was absentmindedly staring at the Prime Minister¡¯s belly.

    A woman came from the same direction as the prime minister, that is to say from where the nobles had been standing, and said that.  Her stomach swaying as she walked the same way as the Prime Minister¡¯s¡­¡­.

    (Afred? Um, does she mean afraid¡­¡­.?)

    She spoke so fast I had trouble understanding what she was saying. It took me a moment to break down what I¡¯d heard and reconstrue it into something I could comprehend.

    [Olivar]: ¡°You too Marchioness Maculis?¡±

    [Maculis]: ¡°Yes yes, naturally it is. Calvafon-sama is a precious lady hand-picked by the Goddess Illya. Even if she is of commoner blood, she is deserving of respect wouldn¡¯t you not disagree with¡­¡­.¡±

    Marchioness Maculis looked right at me. A gaudy fan completely covered in glittering gems hid the lower half of her face. But her eyes were clearly trying to appraise me.

    [Maculis]: ¡°¡­¡­me! Too great, is the gap between achievements and the treatment she is to be receiving. Forget about being an earl, it is only right we treat her with the same reverence as one would treat a marquis¡±

    (A-A marquis is¡­¡­)

    The marchioness loudly closed her fan and swung back around to the king. Her presence was a thing to behold, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be a terrible thing to be dissected by her gaze. The king certainly looked troubled enough.

    [Olivar]: ¡°Who was it that invited the madam here?¡±

    [Maculis]: ¡°I come even without being called!! Someone as important as I would never miss out!¡±

    [Olivar]: ¡°You two are so stuffy together. Fine, I understand. Then the hero shall be received as an honored state guest and as a marquis. Will you be satisfied with that?¡±

    [Minister]: ¡°Haha! That will do!! That will do nicely!! Yes, yes!!¡±

    [Maculis]: ¡°I too have no~ objections.¡±

    Both the Prime Minister and the marchioness were satisfied with the arrangement while my opinion was left completely at the wayside.

    (Eh¡­¡­they¡¯re kidding right¡­¡­..? I¡¯m a marquis¡­¡­.I have to be dreaming right?)

    I can¡¯t keep up with what¡¯s going on, and my mind refuses to process the words. Meanwhile Saluena, who had been silently watching as things unfolded, had her hand covering her mouth as she desperately tried to hold in her laughter. Haa, I¡¯m sure this is a load of fun for her. Watching me struggle from outside the lion¡¯s den.

    [Olivar]: ¡°Then, let us wrap up the audience here for now. A more concrete reward for slaying the dragon shall be decided upon at a later date. And Ashel. Take great care in your friendship with Calvafon-dono.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Yes Father¡±

    [Olivar]: ¡°Hero, I wish to expressly thank you for coming all this way. I shall have a luncheon prepared so that we might converse more intimately. I would love to hear the story of how you subjugated that dragon when that time comes.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes! It would be my pleasure.¡±

    And so, my audience with His Majesty came to a peaceful(?) conclusion.

    [Maculis]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Marchioness Maculis looked like she was about to leave as well, but she stopped just before turning to me and smiling.

    W-What is it? Should I smile back at her?

    But, I had accrued so much mental fatigue up until now that I couldn¡¯t manage to return the smile. It took everything I had just to give her a small bow.

    (Haa¡­¡­.so tired¡­¡­)

    We¡¯ve passed the climax. Now we just need to meet the king for that luncheon, and we¡¯ll be home free.

    Soon, soon, I will be able to go back to my room. And then, I have a nagging question in the back of my head that needs to be answered.

    [Lapris]: ¡°So when are we going to get something to eat?¡±

    ¨D¨DThis girl needs to answer for her mutterings.

 CH 126

    We shared a table with the king right after the audience was released, and other than the food being completely tasteless because of how stressed I was, the luncheon ended without incident. Afterwards though¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°LAPRIS©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Uoh, what is it!? Has the stress finally driven you insane!?¡±

    As soon as we came back to our room, I wrapped my hands around Lapris and rushed over to one corner of the room. I then brought my nose right in front of hers and dropped my voice down to a whisper.

    [Iris]: ¡°T-The king being a woman¡­¡­is that true?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hah? You think I¡¯m lying?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, that¡­..I wasn¡¯t thinking¡­¡­¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°I don¡¯t know about the other fairies, but I can tell with one look whether someone¡¯s a man or a woman. It¡¯s like the color of their magic power is different or something? It¡¯s more vivid.¡±

    Lapris proudly explained something I didn¡¯t understand. Or rather, something I didn¡¯t want to understand.

    Olivar-sama is a woman¡­¡­. The king, is actually a queen¡­¡­.

    Suddenly feeling dizzy, I unsteadily took a couple steps back before sitting down on the bed.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, if you get it already then let me go.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­so what were you two talking about?¡±

    Carol inserted herself into the conversation by waving her hand between my and Lapris¡¯s locked gazes.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, to be so innocent. How I wish I could go back to that time. When I was ignorant and knew nothing of the world.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Um¡­¡­did somebody break Iris?¡±

    Carol shook my shoulders as my soul left my mouth alongside my fragile voice.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san? Has something happened?¡±

    Rose-san walked over and sat down next to me.

    I could feel the warmth of her body through my arm and remembered the moment we shared in front of the canal yesterday. And just like that, I realized I needed to keep this secret to myself no matter what¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°ROSE-SAN!! WHAT DO I DO!? I LEARNED SOMETHING OUTRAGEOUS!! AND THEY¡­¡­.THEY¡¯RE GOING TO THROW ME IN JAILLLLLL!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Eh, EH!!?¡±

    I clung to Rose-san¡¯s waist as I sobbed.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°*Sniff*¡­¡­¡­.*hic*¡­¡­..uuu¡­¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all right. You have us here with you Iris-san.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san~¡­¡­..¡±

    I was still crying with my arms wrapped around Rose-san¡¯s hips. My heart overflowing with guilt.

    Because of my own weakness, I dragged Rose-san and everybody else down with me.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Heavens above, not just Ashel-sama but even Olivar-sama is a woman¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin was sunk down into the sofa with a face almost as pale as mine.

    [Carol]: ¡°But he had that thick, shaggy beard right? He¡¯s almost certainly a man.¡±

    Carol gave Lapris a quizzical look from her seat next to me.

    [Lapris]: ¡°What, are you doubting the great me¡¯s eyes?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°If Lapris says it¡¯s true, then it¡¯s almost certainly true.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oh, just what I¡¯d expect from you Anego. You get it unlike a certain dog around here.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°What was that!? I¡¯m not a dog!! I¡¯m a wolf!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Geez, don¡¯t go yapping right in my ear.¡±

    Toslin threw out her hand, grabbing Carol by the head just as she was about to leap at Lapris and buried her face into the sofa cushions.

    [Carol]: ¡°Ugu¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Heheheh, serves you right~.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°You keep it down too Lapris.¡±

    Saluena plucked Lapris out of the air by her neck and stuffed the little fairy into her chest pocket.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Right. Shutting up.¡±

    Lapris was so terrified of Saluena when they first met, but they¡¯ve been getting a lot closer lately. Of course, it was always just Lapris¡¯s one-sided fear, and Saluena never showed any kind of hostility towards her to begin with.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­.geez, you got it all twisted.¡±

    Carol was messing around with the ribbon in her hair while sitting on the sofa next to Toslin.

    Toslin sat there and watched her go for a moment. Eventually she did let out a long, drawn-out sigh and reached out her hand. This time though instead of burying Carol¡¯s face into the cushions, it was to fix the ribbon.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Here, turn around. I¡¯ll fix it for you.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Mm, thanks.¡±

    A beautiful elf older sister and a small werewolf girl.

    One decked out in armor ready for battle and the other draped in a dress. Just like a princess and their knight from the illustrations in my fairy tale books.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­..hm? Hold on, what¡¯s everyone staring at?¡±

    Rose-san and I were both watching them. Me with my cheek dazedly resting on Rose-san¡¯s lap as she stroked my head and Rose-san with her ever large, bright smile. Although Rose-san¡¯s smile may have been a bit brighter than usual at the moment.

    [Iris]: ¡°No, nothing. I was just thinking I should apologize for the grave atmosphere. I dragged everyone into this¡­¡­.but then you both started flirting like you always do, and I began wondering what I was feeling guilty for.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°H-Huh!? We weren¡¯t really flirting or anything!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°My my, so Iris-san has figured it all out? Yes, Toslin and I are actually in lo-¡­¡­.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Shut up!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Gya!?¡±

    Toslin¡¯s fist came down hard on Carol¡¯s head, completely messing up the ribbon she had just finished fixing.

    [Carol]: ¡°Ku, owwwwwww!! C¡¯mon, what was that for!? That hurt!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s because you were talking about stuff you know nothing about.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Huh? You know what I was going to say? Even though I hadn¡¯t said anything yet?¡±

    Carol twisted around in her seat, turning her teary eyes up towards Toslin.

    [Toslin]: ¡°What¡­..do you mean?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hey, are you sure you know what I was going to say? If you¡¯re wrong, don¡¯t you deserve this Carol-san an apology? Come on, tell us. What comes after lo-? Come, come¡±

    Carol placed her hands on Toslin¡¯s knees and swung her face up right in front of Toslin¡¯s. The light coming from the window shone against the red stone pendant hanging from around Carol¡¯s neck.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Lo¡­..Love¡­¡­.probably?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Eeh? I can¡¯t hear you. What was it? Can you say it again?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi, back up. Don¡¯t stick to me!! Your face is too close!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°But isn¡¯t it all your fault for being so quiet? I need to be this close in order to hear you. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    Have they forgotten we¡¯re here or do they just not care¡­¡­..?

    Carol was being unusually pushy as she closed the gap more and more between her and Toslin.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Love love¡­¡­right!? That¡¯s what you were going for!?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­Uhihi, correct? I was going to give you a kiss as a punishment if you got it wrong, but since you managed to guess right, I guess I¡¯ll let you off.¡±

    Carol pulled her face away, leaving Toslin bright red and clutching her chest as she began to shout.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Wha-¡­¡­.you, what the hell are you saying!? Are you stupid!? Ahh, you¡¯re so stupid!! Stupid!! Think about the time and place!! Stupid!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Right right. Since I¡¯m done playing with Toslin, I have to give my answer.¡±

    Ignoring the furious Toslin, Carol suddenly turned a nonchalant look my way.

    [Carol]: ¡°You really don¡¯t have to apologize for getting us involved or anything.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Carol¡­¡­.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°We all like Iris and want to stay together, so it¡¯d be fine if you relied on us even more. Right Toslin?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°That¡­¡­.right. I can agree with that, but¡­¡­you better remember this later.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yep, I sure will?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­..damn, what is with¡­¡­¡±

    Carol had Toslin wrapped around her finger from beginning to end. Probably because Toslin didn¡¯t know how to handle Carol when she¡¯s in dress-mode.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Lately Carol has been the one with all the good lines.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Saluena¡±

    She turned to me with a bitter smile.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Just as you care about us, always remember that we deeply care about you as well. It¡¯s much more preferable to just be bothered a bit than to see you looking depressed on your own. Isn¡¯t that true for you as well?¡±

    I thought about Saluena¡¯s words in silence for a moment before nodding my head.

    [Iris]: ¡°Mm, right¡­¡­ Sorry Saluena. Sorry everyone.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It¡¯s okay. It must have been hard, Iris-san¡±

    At the end, Rose-san¡¯s gentle voice tickled my ear as she continued gently brushing her hand through my hair.

    Sandwiched between her soft thighs and the warmth of her hand, I could feel my body quickly losing strength.

    [Lapris]: ¡°You are so weak-minded.¡±

    But Lapris¡¯s head poking out of Saluena¡¯s pocket made all my emotions surge forth once again.

    [Iris]: ¡°Lapris is just too strong!! And while we¡¯re at it, quit mumbling things to me when we¡¯re standing right in front of the king!!¡±

    Who does she think caused all this trouble in the first place?

    Muu honestly, Lapris¡¯s mouth is as big as her tongue is sharp!!

 CH 127

    Whatever amount of displeasure I could muster was piled squarely on Lapris¡¯s head, but she couldn¡¯t understand what she had done to make me so angry.

    But since I can¡¯t stay angry forever, I had to move on, and after a quick change of outfits, we were headed to the academy as per Litzreich¡¯s request.

    Noelia-san is holding the reins at the coachman¡¯s seat in front, and right now we¡¯re¡­¡­um, I think this is the sixth gate we¡¯re passing through.

    It was completely different from the bustling Sanz Wanz street. As a district reserved solely for the nobility, it was very rare to see anybody walking past us. If anyone had anywhere they needed to go here, they would usually do so while riding in a carriage like we are now.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Nevertheless, they¡¯re all talking about us. We stand out.¡±

    A neatly laid cobblestone road without a speck of dust or trash to be found. The occasional streetside trees with thick, lush foliage pass us by.

    All the noble mansions are surrounded by huge, long fences completely destroying any kind of ¡®neighborly¡¯ notion between their residents.

    In a place like this, carriages are a necessity more to keep up appearances and pretensions rather than any utilitarian purpose.

    [Rose]: ¡°There is nothing we can do about it. Iris-san is a national hero and regarded as someone very important to the church.¡±

    But even in a noble district as prestigious as this, not a single noble has ten mounted knights protecting the carriage they¡¯re riding in.

    Rose-san and I were seen as nobles by the people we passed by because we were traveling by carriage before, but now I¡¯m attracting a whole bunch of attention in another way.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Iris is meant to be treated as a marquis-level state guest. I can only imagine how many knights they would¡¯ve insisted on if we weren¡¯t going with her.¡±

    Just as Toslin says, originally there were meant to be a hundred Shirayuri Knights who were to be acting as my guards. I respectfully declined the offer to have a hundred knights following me around wherever I go during my stay in the capital, but it was only thanks to me having Saluena, the others, and the Goddess¡¯s Knights that I was able to talk them down.

    Of course after that a couple members of the Goddess¡¯s Knights heard we were leaving and wanted to come along with as well.

    Grimm Lanselva-sama and Milius Luotung-sama. The both of them were already mounted up, reins in hand, and waiting by the carriage when we walked out of the castle.

    There was no reason to turn them down when they¡¯re already ready to go. I¡¯m meant to be the owner of the Goddess¡¯s Knights, so if some of my knights are coming forward to offer me their protection, it doesn¡¯t make any sense for me to decline.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Things could¡¯ve been so much easier if that uncle and auntie hadn¡¯t said nothing during the audience.¡±

    And that brings us back to now and the peaceful trip we¡¯re taking through the noble district with ten of the Goddess¡¯s Knights acting as our escort.

    I¡¯m truly grateful for their kindness. However the resulting scene is just so outside my realm of understanding that neither my mind nor my emotions can keep up, and I¡¯ve been left a cast-off empty shell in the meantime.

    [Carol]: ¡°I know that uncle was supposed to be the prime minister, but who was that auntie? Was she really someone that great?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°In this country, the progression of peerage goes from barons, to burgraves, to viscounts, to earls, to marquises, and finally the family members of the king including the dukes and prince. That is to say that a marquis is the most powerful of all the non-royal nobles.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Rose comes from a family of earls, but because they¡¯re also margraves in charge of a large swath of land, they¡¯re treated like a marquis as well.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Then in that case Iris has some bigwigs on her side. Are they good people though?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I wonder. It¡¯s impossible to know what a noble is really thinking. It¡¯s probably for the best that we be careful when around them. It could be that they insisted Iris be treated as a marquis in order to make it harder for her to move.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Were Rosa¡¯s parents there among the gathered nobles?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh!? Rose-san¡¯s parents!?¡±

    But when Saluena brought up Rose-san¡¯s name, my attention snapped back to the present. And when her parents got mentioned as well, my eyes immediately turned away from the road floating past outside the window and back inside the carriage.

    [Rose]: ¡°No, the Auroll earldom is quite far from the capital. My parents would only ever visit once every couple of years as far as I can remember. They have a mansion in the noble district, but nobody should be there at the moment.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh, a whole house with no one living in it? What a waste!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°The duty of a margrave is to protect the nation¡¯s border. They would be unable to do their job if they shut themselves away in the capital.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°H-Hoh¡­¡­Rose-san¡¯s parents sound like wonderful people.¡±

    I put in my own two cents when I found a gap in the conversation, causing Rose-san to turn to me and smile.

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, indeed they are. It might sound disingenuous coming from someone who left them, but I do think they are good parents with a strong sense of responsibility. They always think about what¡¯s best for the people they rule over.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Then, why did you leave your house behind?

    It¡¯s the question that naturally came to the front of my mind, but I stopped myself since I didn¡¯t think I had the right to ask .

    I want to know everything there is to know about Rose-san. But I don¡¯t want to bother Rose-san either.

    I absolutely won¡¯t dig into another person¡¯s past just to satisfy my own curiosity.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..I¡¯ll tell you about it, someday.¡±

    Were my thoughts that obvious? After a minute passed, Rose-san added that part at the end.

    This is assuredly a heavy topic for Rose-san.

    That¡¯s why she¡¯s never talked about it until now.

    Yet she said that to me. Nobody else, just me.

    I¡¯m happy, but if I¡¯m being honest, there¡¯s another part of me that isn¡¯t¡­¡­I don¡¯t understand my emotions either.

    But after hesitating for a moment, I smiled.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    I¡¯m sure Rose-san just doesn¡¯t want me to worry.

    But I like what I like, and what makes me happy makes me happy.

    I should just be honest with her.

    [Rose]: ¡°Look Iris-san. You can see it from here. The school.¡±

    Rose-san pointed out the window with a beaming smile.

    [Iris]: ¡°Wow¡­¡­amazing¡­¡­¡±

    The carriage had moved into an open square without my noticing.

    I could see a large gate on the other side of the square surrounded by huge fencing all around. Is that the school¡¯s entrance?

    [Rose]: ¡°The school was built 500 years ago under the twenty-fifth king, His Majesty Rafmaere, ultimately being finished under the twenty-sixth king, His Majesty Stelvio. It is known as Eleonora Academy. It¡¯s named after Queen Eleonora, King Rafmaere¡¯s wife. Currently there are over three hundred young noble girls learning to act as ladies of the kingdom.¡±

    Noelia-san came to a stop in front of the gate as Rose-san finished her explanation.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Everyone will have to descend from the carriage here and walk the rest of the way into the school building. And I¡¯m afraid only those with prior permission may enter the school building, so the escorting knights will have to wait in a separate building for your business to be finished.¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°Understood.¡±

    [Milius]: ¡°Okay then Calvafon-sama. We¡¯ll see you when you come back.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes. Thank you for seeing us all this way.¡±

    Grimm-sama, Milius-sama, and the other eight knights all saw me off as I walked through the gate with Saluena.

    A school for aristocratic young ladies, attended by aristocratic young ladies¨CEleonora Academy.

    A place completely different from the castle, and a world I know nothing about.

 CH 128

    The main school building sits at the center of campus with two other lab buildings standing to its left and right.

    If I were to peer down on the campus from above, would it look like a bird stretching out its wings? I can¡¯t tell for sure looking right at it because of how huge the buildings are.

    [Lapris]: ¡°But is it really fine for someone as morally bankrupt as that to be a professor for a school like this?¡±

    Lapris was mumbling that to herself while eating sweets inside my hair.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m sure even someone like Litzreich wouldn¡¯t want to hear that from Lapris.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ah? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m just saying someone like Lapris who can leisurely eat a bunch of sugary sweets while resting in someone else¡¯s hair could be considered rather peculiar as well.¡±

    Under Noelia-san¡¯s guidance, we traveled through a beautiful garden on a road laid with polished white marble.

    The garden that spread out from both sides of the road were so vast you couldn¡¯t really even call them gardens anymore. They might as well have both been their own estates at this point.

    According to Noelia-san, the academy has ten gardeners under exclusive contract to maintain the landscape.

    [Toslin]: ¡°I heard there are about three hundred students here, but I don¡¯t see any of them around.¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°They would all be in class at the moment. Once classes break for a recess, you will find ladies here and there throughout the garden enjoying a pleasant chat.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh~, what is it Toslin? Are you interested in some schoolgirls?¡±

    Toslin raised an eyebrow and sighed after Carol¡¯s small joke.

    [Toslin]: ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. Just wondering why you need a school as big as this for only three hundred students.¡±

    ¡­¡­.right. Three hundred sounds like quite a lot to a country bumpkin like me, but it¡¯s still disproportionate to the vast size of the school.

    The central school building would be more than enough to meet the needs of that many people.

    It was right when I was thinking that, glancing around at the school around me, when it happened.

    *KRA-KOOOOOOOOOOM!!!*

    An explosion rang out from the right building which Noelia-san had told us was one of the school¡¯s labs.

    [Iris]: ¡°Waaaaah! W-What¡¯s!?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Get behind me Iris-san.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    I immediately shuffled to the right and hid behind Rose-san¡¯s back for protection.

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s another, flashy crater.¡±

    It¡¯s probably about 200 meters between here and the lab building.

    With the huge estate-like garden between me and the building¡­¡­.I can¡¯t see the whole building because the plants are in the way, but just from where I was standing I could tell that the roof had been blown clean off.

    Fragments of debris tumbled out of the sky, crushing the marble around our feet.

    I was close enough to Rose-san for her to be able to protect me, but I realized a second later how far off Noelia-san was from the rest of us.

    I looked down at me feet, about to ask Plushie Unicorn to throw up a defensive barrier to protect her, but Saluena was a breath faster than me.

    She closed the distance between us and Noelia-san in the blink of an eye, and with a single swipe of her sword, she smacked away the rubble hurtling towards them.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Are you unhurt?¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­. I apologize, for the inconvenience¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Ah, I think this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen Noelia-san change her expression. It was just a flicker, but she definitely looked shy there for a moment.

    [Saluena]: ¡°After all you have done for us until now? This much can barely be considered a hassle.¡±

    Just as you¡¯d expect, Saluena¡¯s prince-like smile is capable of moving even the taciturn Noelia-san¡¯s heart.

    But it can¡¯t be helped. I was the same way at first. My heart always felt like it would burst each time she brushed her hand through my hair or even just when our eyes would meet.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi oi, did something just explode out here? It¡¯s noisy.¡±

    Lapris peeked her head out from my hair and started to yell. A few crumbs came out along with her as a bonus which I had to silently clean up after they collected on my shoulder.

    [Toslin]: ¡°But it¡¯s strange.¡±

    Toslin murmured something aloud while she watched as the building slowly began crumbling after having been just blown apart.

    [Carol]: ¡°Strange how?¡±

    But when Carol asked, she simply shrugged.

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s been a couple minutes since that explosion hit, yet nobody else seems to be making a fuss about it.¡±

    Ah¡­¡­now that she mentions it, she¡¯s right.

    [Noelia]: ¡°I am sure that is because everyone else has already become accustomed to it.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°They¡¯re used to it? What is that supposed to mean?¡±

    Noelia-san averted her eyes as she answered Saluena¡¯s question.

    [Noelia]: ¡°That explosion was almost certainly Litzreich-sama¡¯s doing.¡±

    ?

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh jeez, that was quite the shock.¡±

    The second floor of the main school building was constructed entirely of white marble, same as the road.

    And at the end of a long corridor on this floor, we found Litzreich¡¯s room.

    [Iris]: ¡°What were you trying to do?¡±

    Her room was filled with books, appropriate considering she¡¯s meant to be a professor.

    It¡¯s probably a fairly spacious room, but other than a bed, a desk, and a table, the entire room is almost entirely filled with bookshelves.

    What¡¯s not taken up by furniture is a mess with notes scattered all around our feet filled on both sides with formulas I can¡¯t make heads or tails of.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°It was a magic experiment. I wanted to develop a magic formula to counter the phoenix you summoned before, but it¡¯s not going well.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hmm, I was wondering what you were doing out in town yesterday, but it looks like you¡¯re acting like a proper professor.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°And then once it¡¯s finished, I can finally make Iris mine¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But your motives are extremely impure.¡±

    Speaking of which, we had cleared away some of the scattered papers and were now having some tea prepared by Noelia-san in a few chairs we prepared.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°So the audience is finished then? You met the king of this country?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Mm, he seemed like a very kind person.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°To be sure. I hear most of the kings of this country have been mild-mannered, and while Olivar is no different, he¡¯s also quite down to earth. He can be quite stubborn when it comes to bowing though.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°It sounds like Litzreich is pretty close to His Majesty.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Olivar is the reason I settled down in this country. We had our ups and downs in the beginning, but I guess you could consider me as a counselor to him.¡±

    Then perhaps you know then¡­¡­..that Olivar-sama is a woman?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    While I was watching Litzreich and thinking that to myself, she shifted in her seat and quietly looked back at me.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­then you¡¯ve already met Ashel as well yes?¡±

    But it was for so short a time, I almost missed it before she was back to her usual smile.

    [Carol]: ¡°We met the prince the night we got here. Or rather, he came straight to us.¡±

    Toslin cut in after Carol¡¯s remark.

    [Toslin]: ¡°That was nerve-wracking. This country¡¯s prince is quick to move.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s part of what makes him such a fine man? After traveling all over the continent, he rushed back here immediately when somebody told him Iris would be having an audience with the king.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Hmm, did he now? In that case he¡¯ll probably want to be heading out again sometime in the near future. I should pack in as much training as I can in the meantime.¡±

    Saluena mulled over the thought to herself, but Litzreich turned to her disappointedly.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Mm~ I wouldn¡¯t mind it. Chances are he¡¯ll be made to retire as an adventurer here soon.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Why is that?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Talks about him getting engaged have been circulating around. He¡¯s already seventeen you know. It¡¯s inevitable that people would start talking.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°The same age as Toslin then.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Except I don¡¯t have any plans on getting married anytime soon.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Come now Toslin, aren¡¯t you a noble too? The daughter of a viscount even. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for you to hear about something like that as well soon.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Carol¡¯s tail which had been leisurely swaying back and forth until now froze in place after what Litzreich had just said.

    [Toslin]: ¡°No chance. I¡¯d squash anyone who¡¯d try. But let¡¯s talk about why we¡¯re here.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­yes, indeed. Could you explain more on that? Why did you call us here?¡±

    Rose-san was the one sitting in the seat next to me.

    Maybe it¡¯s because of yesterday, but her voice and facial expressions seem a bit stiff.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    My mind naturally wanders to yesterday whenever I look at her.

    I remember how she grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close, how we ate together, went shopping, and took a break on a bench, sticking close together until it turned dark.

    Ah, I need to stop. I¡¯m suddenly really embarrassed and can feel my face heating up. It¡¯s probably definitely bright red right now. Rose-san is going to think I¡¯m strange if she sees me acting like this in a place like this.

    I patted my face a couple times to try and mitigate the problem I caused myself.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I actually called you all here because I had a request.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°A¡­¡­.request?¡±

    Fortunately Rose-san was focused on Litzreich and completely oblivious to my eccentricities.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Umu. Are you aware that before it was the capital, this city was the stronghold for the Evil Dragon Oshunel?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­that¡¯s common knowledge.¡±

    Litzreich smiled as I nodded.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Then this should be quick. Could you dive underground for me?¡±

    And then she naturally added that on.

 CH 129

    [Toslin]: ¡°Like, a request for us as adventurers?¡±

    Toslin leaned forward with a bemused smile.

    Ah, it¡¯s suddenly becoming more adventure-like in here.

    Yeah, this is it.

    She has a request, and we¡¯re the adventurers receiving it.

    The atmosphere I¡¯ve been longing for for so long is finally here.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmm, something of the sort.¡±

    And that¡¯s where Toslin our party¡¯s leader and main negotiator comes into play.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hoh? Are you sure? Just a warning in advance, but, we¡¯re expensive.¡±

    Toslin is getting bullish.

    We¡¯re getting a request from somebody with a high social status. And an orange rank party like ours is exceedingly rare. These two facts are probably the two reasons why Toslin decided to play hardball.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Of course I¡¯m already aware. But your client this time will be the academy itself. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll stiff you on your remuneration, so if you take this request, you can do so without worry.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Heh? The¡­¡­academy¡­¡­?¡±

    Just from what I¡¯ve seen of the gardens and these buildings tells me all I need to know about the kind of funds the academy has access to.

    It¡¯s a place where noble families can leave their important young daughters, so I guess it¡¯s to be expected?

    [Carol]: ¡°What do you want us to go underground for?¡±

    Probably calculating the potential reward the same way I was, Toslin had fallen dumbly silent. To make up for it, Carol popped in and asked a follow up question.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Mm, you should take a look at this before I explain.¡±

    Litzreich unfurled a large piece of parchment in the middle of the table as she spoke.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°This is a map of the dungeon that stretches out below this academy. The reason why I was visiting the Magicians Guild yesterday was actually to grab this.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Woah, amazing¡­¡­ Oshunel was defeated right here a thousand years ago¡­¡­¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°That¡¯s correct. Oshunel constructed a castle on the lowest floor of this dungeon where he waited for the Hero Ranroot.¡±

    The final battle with the evil dragon Oshunel. It happened right here, in the royal capital Oshunel. And the most famous spot of the entire capital city would be this underground dungeon.

    It¡¯s supposed to be huge with an overtly complicated structure. Moreover, traps litter the floors throughout, and there are more than a couple anecdotes about how difficult it was for Ranroot to make his way through.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°The dungeon remained active even after Oshunel¡¯s death. It¡¯s level of difficulty has fallen dramatically since, but even now low-level monsters will boil over and leave the dungeon if it¡¯s left alone¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh? I never heard about that before¡­¡­¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°If you heard that a school of noble girls were testing out their spells against a bunch of low level monsters from a dungeon, what would you think?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, well¡­¡­I¡¯d probably think you were joking¡­¡­¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Naturally. Even if someone were to try and spread word, nobody would believe them. So any rumors die before they can become widespread. And it¡¯s not like a monster from the dungeon has ever managed to get far enough to cause any damage to the town.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I see. Well you¡¯re killing two birds with one stone by tying monster exterminations in with their studies I guess.¡±

    Toslin had regained her focus and jumped back into the conversation.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­and until now it was working just fine.¡±

    But Litzreich returned with a vague response.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°The dungeon¡¯s monsters have been becoming stronger lately. The worst monsters you¡¯d find in there were on the level of a goblin, but lately we¡¯ve been experiencing whole nests of level 5 monsters. Although we¡¯ve encountered even more powerful monsters like golems in there at times.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°That¡¯s no good. There¡¯s no way a student could manage if something like that were to spring out at them.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Yes, no good indeed. It¡¯s just as you say, the girls¡¯ magic can¡¯t compete with these kinds of enemies. And worst of all, the monsters¡¯ strength is only increasing. The other day, a group of knights were sent down to investigate and later reported that they encountered a type of monster they had never seen before.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°A new species? That¡¯s troubling.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Mm. Ten knights challenged it, and while they did emerge victorious, one of the knights was wounded during the battle. Fortunately they were able to return without suffering any casualties, but we must remain cautious. Our school is one for well-off noble girls, and if monsters that can compete with a group of knights are wandering around, we will have no choice but to shut down.¡±

    At present, an order of knights stands at the ready at the dungeon¡¯s entrance in preparation for any unexpected situations.

    [Toslin]: ¡°The brave1 has returned, why not ask him for help?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°As you may have already heard, Ashel doesn¡¯t have an adventuring party he regularly travels with. Even if he is a red rank, I can¡¯t have him investigate a situation we know almost nothing about by himself.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Why don¡¯t you go with?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°The situation won¡¯t change just by adding me on. On the other hand, you all are always together. And then two knights, a priestess, and a witch? That¡¯s a well balanced party right there. And most important of all, your thief.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Me?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Correct. This mission is one of research above all else, and the location is that of a dungeon. What¡¯s the point of even going if you don¡¯t have a thief with you?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hmhmm? I guess Litzreich knows a good thing when she sees it after all. Okay, we¡¯ll take the case.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi, don¡¯t decide that on your own.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°But, we¡¯re doing it anyway right? Even Iris said she wanted to do something adventure-like. So we¡¯ll take the case.¡±

    Carol¡¯s already eager, looking up towards Toslin with bright, sparkling eyes.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Uu, that, well¡­¡­.okay, but¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You remembered Carol? Thank you.¡±

    The place is the original fortress of the evil dragon Oshunel. The situation, a mysterious monster no one knows about has appeared.

    This if an adventurer-like job.

    I want to take it no matter what.

    I¡¯m a little scared, but that¡¯s just part of being an adventurer. I need to learn how to live with my fear because that will always be part of the job.

    [Toslin]: ¡°What does Saluena and Rose think?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I have no objections. If dangers lurk beneath the school, we must get rid of them for the students¡¯ sake as well.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I would also like to accept the request. Iris must be protected, but it¡¯s also important for her to gain experience and become stronger.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°If Iris is going then I¡¯m going too. The Goddess entrusted me with babysitting her after all.¡±

    Lapris confidently patted my cheek as she declared her intent to come with us.

    Her words make me happy, but then the incident with the king flashes through my mind and I become anxious again.

    [Carol]: ¡°Speaking of babysitting, Lapris knows not to make too much noise in the dungeon right? We don¡¯t know where the enemies might be waiting for us.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°You!!¡±

    Despite things starting to get a bit off track, this means that everyone is in agreement and we¡¯ve officially taken the request.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°My thanks everyone. Then if you could just wait 2~3 days while I finish the preparations for the dungeon.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Three days¡­¡­..? It won¡¯t take us that long to prepare. Or do you need to get permission for us to enter the dungeon or something?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°It¡¯s nothing in particular really. I would just rather give the school some extra time to prepare in case we¡¯re about to poke a hornet¡¯s nest.¡±

    Litzreich waved off Toslin¡¯s question, but she then quickly clapped her hands as if a thought had suddenly struck her.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh yes. Everyone, Iris especially, how would you like to become students here?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, student? Me?¡±

    That came out of nowhere. I had to clean my ears to make sure I was hearing her right.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Indeed. You¡¯ll have ample free time while you¡¯re waiting anyway right? And with our excellent staff, wouldn¡¯t you be able to learn as much about magic as you want while you¡¯re here? And if you ever need them, we will give you priority for any spellbooks you might wish to read or any training space you wish to use. How about it?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? You were just telling me how you wished to practice more of your magic which makes this a well-timed offer.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Right. And I can guarantee that our facilities are all well-equipped. So how about it?¡±

    Certainly, there were more than a few spells I wanted to try out while I was reading the book Grandpa gave me.

    And it would be most helpful if I could borrow a place where I could practice.

    [Iris]: ¡°B-But¡­¡­only nobles are allowed to attend here¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°His Majesty himself said Iris-san was to be treated as an esteemed guest, so I would imagine that would not be a problem.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hoh, did he now? Well, even if he hadn¡¯t, I¡¯m still a professor here. It¡¯d be no sweat for me to squeeze Iris in.¡±

    Eh¡­¡­¡­wait? Why does it feel like things are naturally flowing to me attending the academy?

    [Saluena]: ¡°So long as it¡¯s something my master wishes then I have no issue with it. I will watch over you regardless.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I think it¡¯s a fine idea as well.¡±

    Neither Saluena nor Rose-san are against me entering the academy.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Well I object. We¡¯re talking about a school here right? Where humans all gather around like they¡¯re part of a bargain sale? I won¡¯t be able to get any sleep it¡¯ll be so noisy.¡±

    I¡¯ll just ignore Lapris for now¡­¡­.

    [Iris]: ¡°W-Well then¡­¡­.I suppose, for just a little while, I could take a quick peek?¡±

    Thrown off by the unexpected show of support, I joined this country¡¯s¡­¡­..I enrolled in Eleonora Academy.

    1. Brave is a Japanese term that is synonymous to hero even though they¡¯re different words. So to keep things straight, Ashel is the brave while Iris is the hero.

 CH 130

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Ah, just a second Iris¡±

    Now that the issue of our request and me attending school had gotten worked out, we were just about to head back to the castle.

    But as Rose-san and I were about to leave the room, Litzreich called out to me once again.

    [Iris]: ¡°What?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°They really suit you well.¡±

    She poked her temple while giving me a bewitching smile. I wondered what she was talking about at first, but after a little thought, I realized she was talking about my glasses.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yeah. Thank you. Rose-san bought them for me yesterday.¡±

    I pushed up the frame with both my hands as I answered.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Did she now?¡±

    And so Litzreich¡¯s gaze turned towards Rose-san, this time though with a slightly more mischievous look on her face.

    [Rose]: ¡°What? Is there something you find interesting about one person giving another a gift?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hihihi, I never said anything of the sort. And I have no plans of doing anything to Iris here and now, so there¡¯s no need to glare.¡±

    After saying that much, Litzreich turned her attention back to my glasses, inspecting them from various different angels.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmm, just as I thought.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°And what thought would that be?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°These glasses are something I made five years ago. One of the young noble girls who had been a student here back then asked me to make her a magic tool that would correct her eyesight. These were one of the prototypes I made.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Wow, really? That¡¯s pretty amazing.¡±

    Litzreich is able to make her Magic Shell, something almost like a golem, using just her magic power. I never really thought about it before, but that¡¯s actually very impressive. If she¡¯s able to do that, then it¡¯s not surprising that she can manufacture other magic accessories like my glasses.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°No, what¡¯s truly amazing is the amount of magic power you must have in order to use those things regularly. When I think about what your body structure must look like, hihihi, I simply must take a look sometime.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­have you forgotten what you just promised me?¡±

    Rose-san slowly pulled my hand as Litzreich¡¯s curiosity bubbled up.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah¡­¡­.um¡±

    I staggered a bit from the movement, but Rose-san was standing there to catch me. I could feel her warmth both from my hand which she held and my shoulders which now leaned back into her.

    [Rose]: ¡°Was that all you wished to confirm? If so, I am sorry to say that our comrades are waiting for us outside at the moment.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Ah, wait wait. I just meant I was looking forward to doing it in the future.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It will not happen in the future either. Iris-san does not belong to you.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Muu, you¡¯re being so stingy. You can lend her to me for just a little bit.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°L-Lend her¡­¡­Iris-san doesn¡¯t belong to me either!!¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s head sat right above mine as she sputtered out an answer while holding me close.

    I¡¯ll admit I did feel a bit fuzzy when I heard her words though.

    I might just be acting excessively self-conscious here, but I was hoping she would affirm it here¡­¡­.

    ¡°Iris-san is mine!¡± or something of the sort.

    I know I¡¯m the one who wants to monopolize her, and the feeling isn¡¯t mutual, but it does make me feel lonely.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hoh, is that so? Then I still have a chance. Iris, let me borrow those glasses.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh, what for?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Repairs of course. The frame has become distorted during the long time it¡¯s been away from my workshop. It also requires a bit of maintenance. I¡¯m sure I already told you I built those glasses five years ago yes? If you wish to keep using them regularly, I will have to swap out the stone I used for its core.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°O-Oh¡­¡­that makes sense.¡±

    I moved to take off my glasses, but as my fingers touched the frame, I stopped.

    I turned my face up and looked towards Rose-san. Wow, her eyelashes are so long.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, Rose-san. That¡¯s what she says, so is it okay for me to have her repair them?¡±

    Personally, I¡¯m fine leaving them as is. Even if they do break and become unusable, the fact that Rose-san gave them to me as a gift won¡¯t change.

    So if I¡¯m going to send them out to get repaired, I have to get her permission before anything else.

    It would be incredibly rude to leave a gift I received with somebody else.

    [Rose]: ¡°Y-Yes, of course it is. Litzreich-san. I will pay for it, so thank you for your help.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I don¡¯t need any money.¡±

    When Litzreich said that, I figured Rose-san would tell her, ¡°No, I¡¯ll pay you,¡± the same way she did yesterday.

    [Rose]: ¡°Really? Thank you very much then.¡±

    (¡­¡­huh?)

    But that was all she had to say. Rose-san gave me a short, ¡°Pardon,¡± as she took off my glasses before passing them over to Litzreich.

    I was more than a little surprised and ended up just staring at Rose-san¡¯s face.

    [Rose]: ¡°?¡±

    But while I stared up at her like a chick waiting to be fed, Rose-san just tilted her head slightly and gave me a wry smile.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh, before I forget. How about trying out some new features for these glasses?¡±

    Then suddenly the tension in Litzreich¡¯s voice jumped up several degrees.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, new features?¡±

    I gave Litzreich a suspicious look, but she ignored my distrust, sticking out her chest and putting on an air of importance.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°You know, something like¡­¡­. How about being able to shoot laser beams out of your eyes?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Don¡¯t want it.¡±

    I felt a little bad turning her down when she was clearly this excited about it, but that¡¯s just the way it is.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Why?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s not cute.¡±

    After I mercilessly cut her suggestion down, Litzreich fell back into thought.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.then how about x-ray vision? You¡¯ll be going down to the dungeon in a couple days after all. It would be convenient to be able to see what¡¯s on the other side of a door or some wall. It¡¯s a function I abandoned because of how much magic power it cost, but it should be possible if you¡¯re the one wearing them. The glasses themselves will be a bit heavier though.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°It certainly sounds convenient, but I¡¯d prefer not to make them any heavier. Lighter is better since I¡¯ll be wearing them regularly, so you don¡¯t have to do that.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmm, are you sure? With an x-ray function, you could see what a person looks like when they¡¯re not wearing any clothes whenever you want.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡±

    What did she just say?

    I did an immediate about-face with my thoughts plain to see on my face as soon as I heard Litzreich¡¯s suggestion. My gaze landed squarely on Rose-san. Instinctually moving¡­¡­..to a very certain spot.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ah, Iris-san!? W-Why are you looking at me!?¡±

    Rose-san lifted her arms up to cover her chest.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, sorry. I didn¡¯t really mean anything special about it, but¡­¡­.it just, kind of happened on its own.¡±

    Honestly though? I really don¡¯t have any special kind of interest on seeing Rose-san naked. I mean, we¡¯ve already taken a bath together more times than I can count, and I will probably see it again any number of times going forward even without a function like that¡­¡­..hm?

    I¡¯m not sure how, but I feel like my thoughts were turning in a weird direction there at the end, so I forcibly shut them down before they could go too far.

    [Iris]: ¡°A-Anyways. I don¡¯t need that kind of function either.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Darn. I was really hoping to try out a couple of new things, but I suppose there¡¯s no use in trying to force it. For now, I¡¯ll just fix the frame, reduce the amount of magic power it takes to activate, and replace the core. We can add the x-ray function another time.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I don¡¯t need it~!!¡±

    It would take a few days for Litzreich to finish the maintenance, so for now we left the glasses with her before leaving the room.

    ?

    Before we met back up with Saluena and the others in the courtyard, I decided to ask Rose-san a question that had been stirring in the back of my mind.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, how come you didn¡¯t insist on paying this time?¡±

    And Rose-san answered,

    [Rose]: ¡°When I thought about how much it would hurt to be forced to accept money from somebody who they knew had just been out with the girl they like, I couldn¡¯t press it any further.¡±

    ¡­¡­.oh.

    When I heard her say that, I wondered what it must feel like to be someone like Rose-san.

    It makes me the happiest person in the world to know that I received a gift from a person like her.

    With a warmth in my chest, I hugged Rose-san¡¯s arm close to my heart and gave her a shy smile.

 CH 131

    The next day I was back at Eleonora Academy.

    Grimm-sama and the others could once again only follow me up to the gate, but this time unlike yesterday, Rose-san and the others didn¡¯t follow me inside.

    Litzreich followed through with her offer, and I¡¯m now officially a student here in this academy. There was a teacher near the front entrance already waiting for me when I arrived who would guide me to my classroom.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Even the hallways in this place are excessive. And what¡¯s with that? Everyone¡¯s walking all nice and proper.¡±

    Lapris kept shooting off questions from her spot on my shoulder.

    [Odette]: ¡°Since the academy¡¯s inception, we have focused on nurturing the fine young ladies responsible for the future of this country. As such, we encourage all of our students to maintain a proper and modest demeanor at all times.¡±

    The teacher in charge of guiding me to my classroom and answering Lapris¡¯s questions is Odette-sama. I¡¯m not sure if it is her given name or family name, but considering this is our first time meeting, I¡¯ll just assume it¡¯s her family name.

    She is an intelligent looking woman with glasses and is probably just over thirty I think?

    She wore a black robe with gold trim, and her cut black hair fell down to her shoulders.

    [Odette]: ¡°Calvafon-sama will also be considered a student during your time here. There will be no special treatment. As such, I will be referring to you as Calvafon-san from this point forward.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, I really don¡¯t mind¡­¡­.¡±

    Rather, I¡¯d feel much more comfortable having people refer to me more casually like that.

    [Odette]: ¡°You are not to cause a disturbance, remain modest, and always act with the awareness of a lady.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°A short, graceful yes is enough as a response.¡±

    G-Graceful¡­¡­.. Never in my whole life have I ever been called that before¡­¡­.

    It¡¯s just that a sama honorific suits someone like Rose-san, but when they¡¯re talking about me, I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to react.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes¡±

    But since an answer like that is probably best left unsaid, I decided to just agree with her instead.

    [Odette]: ¡°¡­¡­.fufu, I wondered what kind of person you¡¯d be when I heard you described as a hero¡­¡­.I¡¯m relieved to see what an incredibly serious person you are.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi oi, you¡¯re going to be in trouble if you underestimate Iris too much. As soon as this girl gets back to the castle, she¡¯ll sink down into a couch and¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Lapris, some things are better left unsaid.¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°Be quiet in the halls.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°A short, graceful yes is enough as a response.¡±

    U-Uuu¡­¡­of course. Sorry teacher¡­¡­..

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes?¡°

    What was that? I was going for something short and graceful, but what I got instead was a response that made me feel like a ridiculous idiot.

    But, I don¡¯t know what the correct answer would be here.

    [Odette]: ¡°Fufu, we have arrived Calvafon-sama.¡±

    My only salvation is that Odette-sensei doesn¡¯t seem like the strict type.

    Actually, she seems like a very kind person considering all she did was giggle at my response.

    [Iris]: ¡°Then this¡­¡­.is magic class¡­¡­..¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°Yes. At Rinrin-sama¡¯s request, we have altered circumstances to allow Calvafon-san the opportunity to attend the most advanced magic classes this country has to offer.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Who¡¯s this Rinrin person?¡±

    I had to think about it for a moment as well, but eventually I remembered that Rinrin was Litzreich¡¯s last name.

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s Litzreich.¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°!?¡±

    And since I remembered, I reminded Lapris about it.

    But at the same time, the refreshing, warm smile Odette-sensei had until now suddenly disappeared as her complexion morphed into a pale, sickly white.

    [Odette]: ¡°¡­¡­something I never asked¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes?¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°What kind of relationship does Calvafon-sama have with Rinrin-sama¡­¡­..?¡±

    What kind? And I might be imagining it, but is Odette-sensei¡¯s voice trembling?

    And besides, why did she switch back to using sama?

    [Lapris]: ¡°She¡¯s an enemy. A criminal who attacked Iris a few seconds after meeting her.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Enemy is¡­¡­ Hah, she¡¯s just joking. Litzreich is¡­¡­well there certainly were a few things going on at first, but now I¡¯d say¡­¡­..we¡¯re friends? Something like it at least.¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°F-Friends¡­¡­.did you say?¡±

    Ah, there it is again. Her voice really is trembling. Odette-sensei, are you perhaps scared of Litzreich?

    Maybe there¡¯s a chance that Litzreich suddenly attacked her for some reason¡­¡­..no wait, that¡¯s actually totally possible?

    Litzreich already declared quite loudly how excited she gets around women. And besides, Odette-sensei is quite beautiful.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, I¡¯m just guessing, but¡­¡­.did Litzreich do something to you?¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°O-Of course not! Nothing of the sort, but¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡­¡­.but?

    [Odette]: ¡°Ahem. My apologies. Despite being a teacher I raised my voice. I have served as a terrible example and ask that you do not imitate me.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes.¡±

    But, Odette-sensei wouldn¡¯t say any more on the subject.

    [Odette]: ¡°¡±A short, graceful yes is enough as a response.¡±

    Then without skipping a beat, she repeated the same correction for the third time now with the same smile she wore the first time she said it.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes?¡°

    Half scared, I gave her the answer she wanted.

    [Odette]: ¡°Splendid. Now then, let¡¯s head inside. Everyone, eyes to the front. The transfer student I informed you of yesterday has arrived.¡±

    Pulling open the classroom door, Odette-sensei grabbed the class¡¯s attention as she walked in.

    [Odette]: ¡°Come now, come in.¡±

    Litzreich gave me the chance, but it¡¯s by my own decision that I find myself here.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yosh. Here I go.¡±

    So despite the butterflies tumbling around in my stomach, I took a step forward into my new classroom.

 CH 132

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, I know it¡¯s sudden, but I¡¯m Iris Calvafon, and I will be a student here from now on. Thank you for having me everyone.¡±

    Yosh. I was able to say the whole thing without biting me tongue.

    (Will Lapris say anything unnecessary this time around too though? She¡¯s staying quiet in my hair for now.)

    Maybe I should¡¯ve gently asked her to keep quiet before I walked into the classroom.

    [Odette]: ¡°Then, please take a seat in an empty chair.¡±

    But so far it seems like my silent wish had made its way to Lapris as other than the quiet sound of her breathing, she hasn¡¯t made so much as a peep from up there.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes¡±

    Whether I¡¯m able to pull it off or not, I did my best to answer Odette-sensei in the most ladylike way possible.

    The classroom floor was built within wooden floorboards in stark contrast to the marble bricks in the hallway. However these old, black floorboards were extensively polished down, creating a different kind of beauty that shined despite their age.

    Now then, she said to take an empty seat, but taking a look around, that refers to most of the seats in the room.

    I¡¯ve been ignoring them until now to stop myself from feeling nervous, but now that my greeting is finished, I have to face my classmates.

    There are fifteen students in this class. Sixteen if you count me.

    Everyone is wearing matching uniforms, and obviously they are all women. And currently, they¡¯re all curiously staring at me and my lack of a uniform.

    The age range is all over the place from some who look younger than Carol and a couple who would already be a few years older than me.

    I think I fall in the medium? Thank goodness. I¡¯m not too young or too old.

    (Ah, the sun¡¯s shining over there, so maybe I¡¯ll take the seat next to the window.)

    It¡¯s not as if I particularly like window seats. But I noticed that the sun had managed to break through the numerous branches and leaves of the trees planted outside and thought it would be nice.

    [Iris]: ¡°Is this spot taken?¡±

    I still called out to the girl sitting at the desk next to it though. Even if the spot is empty, it¡¯s possible  the person who normally sits here is absent from school today.

    [Classmate]: ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­ You are fine¡­¡­..¡±

    My classmate with loose green hair spilling down her shoulders gave me small, inarticulate answer as she avoided meeting my gaze with her own droopy eyes.

    [Iris]: ¡°Okay? Then¡­¡­.¡±

    (Huh, what is it this time?)

    If I had to describe the girl sitting next to me based off this one interaction, I think I would say, ¡°She¡¯s the exact opposite of Charlie and Mycena.¡±

    Of everyone that I¡¯ve met in my life, hmm~¡­¡­perhaps Plumrose-san would be the closest in comparison? Quiet and a bit squirrelly¡­¡­.. Well, that doesn¡¯t completely summarize Plumrose-san¡¯s character, but I¡¯m not sensing those same eccentricities from my new neighbor.

    [Iris]: ¡°I know I said this before, but I¡¯m Iris Calvafon. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Ah, M-Mmm. I-I am Lu Voux Konfiks. N-Nice to meet you¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°There¡¯s still a lot I don¡¯t know about this school, so I would be happy if you could teach me about all the various things I need to learn yet.¡±

    I¡¯m talking to a noble right now, but Odette-sensei and Litzreich both told me in advance that I didn¡¯t have to treat any of my classmates special.

    [Iris]: ¡°Lu¡­..um, Lu¡­¡­.¡±

    Lu? Hold on a minute, what should I call her then? She¡¯s either the same age as me or maybe a little younger, so Lou-chan? Or should I combine the first and second part and call her Luvoux-chan?

    [Lou]: ¡°Oh, if you would call me Lou, that would make me happy¡­¡­. It¡¯s what Papa and Mama call me, so¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Really? Lou-chan then. And you can call me whatever you¡¯d like.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°A-Are you sure? T-Then¡­¡­.Airi¡­¡­¡­chan. Or maybe not?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Haha, how fresh. Mm, Airi-chan, I like it. Thank you.¡±

    Now that I think about it¡­¡­.isn¡¯t this the first time someone¡¯s ever given me a nickname? My family and friends have only ever called me Iris, and I never got a nickname from Toslin and the others either¡­¡­

    Saluena has Sally. Rosalith has Rose. Tosrillon has Toslin. Carotayle has Carol¡­¡­.

    I¡¯m the only one who¡­¡­..okay, Lapris too technically, but I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t have a nickname.

    [Lou]: ¡°I-Is something wrong?¡±

    The formerly known as Lu Voux Konfiks Lou-chan worriedly touched my shoulder after I had suddenly fallen face first into my desk out of despair.

    [Iris]: ¡°No¡­¡­.it¡¯s nothing. I was just a bit shocked over a realization six months in the making.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°I-I see¡­¡­.what?¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°Excellent, now that our new student has found her seat, let us begin with today¡¯s class.¡±

    While I was coming to terms with the heartbreak of loneliness, Odette-sensei took her spot at her podium and immediately began the lecture.

    ?

    The lecture consisted mostly of magic, probably because this is meant to be a magic class.

    I hadn¡¯t received a textbook yet, so I asked Lou-chan to share hers with me. By the time the lesson was over though, I hadn¡¯t needed the textbook once throughout the whole class.

    That was because everything we learned today were things Grandpa Ferdinand had already taught me years ago.

    [Classmate D]: ¡°Hey hey, when you say Calvafon-san, does that mean you¡¯re that Calvafon-san!?¡±

    [Classmate N]: ¡°Is it really true you slew a dragon?¡±

    [Classmate J]: ¡°I heard you reduced an entire mountain to a vacant lot. What kind of spell did you use to accomplish that?¡±

    And now that class has come to an end, I¡¯m being pelted by a barrage of questions.

    The relatively empty space around my desk was quickly filled up as nearly everyone in class gathered around my desk to fire off the questions simmering in their brains.

    [Classmate I]: ¡°How was your audience with the king?¡±

    [Classmate A]: ¡°I heard he bestowed a peerage unto you¡±

    [Classmate H]: ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be an earldom? I¡¯m so jealous.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Um¡­¡­..that, well¡­¡­¡­¡±

    A torrential vortex. That was the image that rose to the surface of my mind. Words keep flying into one ear and out the other causing my eardrums to quake and my brain to throb¡­¡­¡­for five whole minutes.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hold on a moment, I can¡¯t give any answers if everyone is asking everything all at once.¡±

    I finally gave up. I threw up both my hands and forcibly cut off their endless stream of questions.

    [Everyone]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±

    And it became surprisingly quiet as a result. Perhaps I yelled that a little more forcibly than I thought.

    It would be incredibly lonely if the whole class were to hate and ignore me because of this.

    I was hoping to get along with everyone since we will all be going to the same school together. I waited to see how everyone was going to react while thinking thoughts like that, and¡­¡­.

    [Classmate B]: ¡°Right, of course. We came over and just started asking Calvafon-san whatever we pleased.¡±

    [Classmate F]: ¡°Fufu, to think we wouldn¡¯t notice until being told to stop.¡±

    Each of the noble girls began giggling with cheerful smiles on their faces.

    [Classmate C]: ¡°My apologies Calvafon-san. We became a bit too excited upon hearing that the famous dragon slaying hero would be in the same class as us.¡±

    [Classmate E]: ¡°Please forgive us.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°O-Oh¡­¡­.yes, if everyone understands then I don¡¯t¡­¡­..¡±

    [Classmate G]: ¡°Well, just what I would expect from Calvafon-san. So broadminded.¡±

    [Classmate M]: ¡°Mm, indeed. And speaking of being broadminded, just the other day¡­¡­..¡±

    [Classmate K]: ¡°Aah, that¡¯s right. I was just wondering about that as well. I happened to hear from Father that¡­¡­..¡±

    Oi oi, now all of the sudden the conversation¡¯s taken a complete turn towards something I don¡¯t understand?

    Weren¡¯t you just asking me a ton of questions? Were you looking for any answers to go along with those questions?

    My mind was thrown into complete disarray because I couldn¡¯t keep up with these noble ladies¡¯ unique tempos.

    [Lou]: ¡°Airi-chan¡­¡­¡­sorry? Everyone, that is¡­¡­..they all like to go at their own pace.¡±

    Lou-chan tugged on my sleeve with a bitter smile.

    (I¡¯m glad I chose to sit next to Lou-chan.)

    While seriously praising my luck inside my head, I also thanked the Goddess for granting me classmates who seemed like they were going to be a lot more fun to be with than I had expected.

    The first day of my new school life ended peacefully just like that.

    ¨D¨DBut then the second day came. It was decided that my class would join up with another class, and we would all practice our magic together at one of the lab buildings.

    It was then that I would be faced with my first and greatest obstacle as a witch.

 CH 133

    My second morning after enrolling in Eleonora Academy.

    I put on the school uniform custom tailored by the castle¡¯s fifty seamstresses and traveled to the school¡¯s gate with Rose-san and the others seeing me through the gate.

    [Classmate A]: ¡°Good morning¡±

    [Classmates B]: ¡°Good morning?¡°

    Unlike yesterday where I came to school later on in the day, this morning the school¡¯s front courtyard was fill with young ladies.

    Just like Noelia-san had said, the benches and pavilions scattered across the school¡¯s garden were filled with bright smiling girls all waiting for their classes to begin.

    Then as I walked along, giving a sideways glance as these young ladies broke into friendly conversation like flowers in bloom,

    ¡°Ah, Calvafon-san¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Uwaa!?¡±

    that was when out of nowhere, a voice suddenly called my name from a bed of sweet peas on my left.

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    The classmate gave me the same polite greeting I¡¯d been hearing all over the place since I got here.

    Like a lady, like a lady¡­¡­..

    After returning to my room last night, I asked everyone what I should do to act more ladylike.

    [Saluena]: ¡°You¡¯re already lovely enough as you are.¡±

    I expected that response from Saluena.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hm~. I¡¯m not exactly a good person to be asking¡­¡­¡­¡±

    That one was from Toslin.

    [Carol]: ¡°Ladylike? Iris? Pufufufufu¡±

    The slightly rude response came from Carol.

    [Lapris]: ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you, so just give up.¡±

    The extremely rude response came from Lapris.

    [Rose]: ¡°Let me see. Straighten your back, lift your chin up, and lean your face forward a little when looking at another person. Do not bow your head at that point. Stay firm and look directly at the other person while smiling without showing your teeth. Yes, just like that. Very cute.¡±

    And that was Rose-san¡¯s advice. But, I¡¯m aiming to be ladylike, not cute right? There was one point there that had me worried, but since Rose-san was the only one to give me any useful advice on being a lady, I had nothing to compare it with.

    Afterwards though, I had Rose-san and Noelia-san spend a whole hour with me last night drilling ladylike behavior into my head.

    That¡¯s why I should be able to do it now. Ladylike behavior is within my grasp!!

    [Iris]: ¡°G-Good morning¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Pwah!?¡±

    Somewhere behind me, I heard somebody¨Cprobably Carol¨Cburst into laughter.

    [Lapris]: ¡°So unnatural¡±

    Followed by Lapris muttering that in my ear.

    ¡°Ara, what a beautiful uniform. The quality of the fabric appears to be much higher than our own. Where did you have it made?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, indeed. Your uniform suits you so well Calvafon-san.¡±

    But, where¡¯s the but? Surprisingly, the other girls kept talking without saying anything about it. It seems that Carol and Lapris¡¯s laughter is just them being them.

    One, two, three, four.

    One after another after another¡­¡­.it might not be appropriate to describe a gathering of ladies like that, but they really were all gathering around me like that.

    ¡°Well, who are these people with you Calvafon-san?¡±

    ¡°Are the fellows behind you the comrades mentioned in the songs?¡±

    And then their attention naturally fell on Rose-san and the others.

    Like a swarm of ravenous locusts descending on a field of crops¡­¡­..no, this metaphor isn¡¯t quite appropriate for a group of ladies either.

    Hmm, yet after watching them brazenly pour one question after another onto Rose-san, Toslin, and Saluena while surrounding Carol to admire her bushy tail, I can¡¯t say that my metaphor isn¡¯t correct either.

    [Grides]: ¡°I-It is an honor to meet you, Rosalith Auroll-sama. I am the youngest child of the Montifi earls, Grides.¡±

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s an honor for me too. My name is Moria, the third daughter of the Antino viscounts. I hope we can get along well from now on!!¡±

    Over a dozen students gathered around Rose-san specifically in the blink of an eye, and suddenly a battle of self-introductions began before me.

    ¡°Golden hair, eyes like emeralds¡­¡­.and an elf¡­¡­p-pardon, but m-might you be Tosrillon Iriburgh?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Huh? Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡­..¡±

    Soon students began gathering around Toslin as well, and after she answered that first girl¡¯s question, a row of self-introductions began around her as well.

    ¡°I-I¡­¡­.I¡¯m Azillia of the Miacis earl house!! I invited a bard to my home and have listened to their song about you over and over again! Did you really confront the dragon with a sword bathed in flames!? I w-would love to hear how you tell the story¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°S-So sly! I want to hear it too!¡±

    ¡°Please tell me about it too Tosrillon-sama!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, Carotayle¡¯s tail is so fluffy!¡±

    ¡°I-I want to feel it too!¡±

    ¡°Ahhn, amazing! It¡¯s as fluffy as the puppy I keep at home!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°H-Hold on¡­¡­.I said you could touch it, but this is a little much. It¡¯s already pretty¡­¡­.¡±

    Unable to hold themselves back, the students continued cuddling up and petting Carol¡¯s tail.

    It¡¯s the kind of frenzy that makes me wonder where the school¡¯s motto ¡®Thou shalt act as a lady¡¯ went.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Hoh, is that so? Then next time, let¡¯s talk more just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Saluena-sama¡­¡­.I¡¯m so happy I feel faint¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Saluena¡­¡­has brought a lone student over to an arbor with her somehow without me noticing.

    Her finger is under the girl¡¯s chin, lifting up her face before whispering something into the girl¡¯s ear.

    The whispered student has a bright red face, and I don¡¯t need to watch her for too long to see that she¡¯s been fooled by Saluena¡¯s sweet mask.

    And while her Oneesama is doing that¡­¡­.I glanced at Rose-san.

    However Rose-san is conversing with the students gathered around her while wearing a gentle smile as if whatever Saluena is doing has nothing to do with her.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Watching her, my heart started feeling murky.

    I figured out the reason quick enough. It makes me feel uncomfortable seeing girls other than me right beside Rose-san.

    (It looks like, Rose-san is having a lot of fun.)

    Once I¡¯ve figured out why I¡¯m feeling like this, it didn¡¯t take much work for me to realize what that feeling was. I¡¯m jealous.

    I couldn¡¯t stop my chest from twisting itself into knots.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-s¡­¡­.¡±

    So I tried moving next to Rose-san.

    To gently insist that the spot next to her belonged to me.

    [Lou]: ¡°Airi-chan¡±

    But at that moment, I heard a voice call out behind me. In the whole world, there¡¯s only one person who calls me by that name.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, Lou-chan. Hel¡­¡­¡­Good morning.¡±

    When I turned around, there was the green haired girl I had been expecting. Her front bangs hung low, hiding her forehead but stopping short of covering her eyes.

    [Lou]: Mm, good morning. T-There are so many people here though¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°These people¡­¡­..are you perhaps your comrades?¡±

    I nodded, introducing each of my friends by pointing them out from within the gathered crowds.

    [Lou]: ¡°R-Rosalith-san¡­¡­.would she perhaps be the daughter of the Auroll earls?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    For me, this is the only Rose-san I¡¯ve ever known, so her title has nothing to do with me.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t think much about it when I answered, but Lou-chan had a very different reaction.

    [Lou]: ¡°A-Airi-chan is truly an amazing person¡­¡­.. I¡¯m from a lowly baron¡¯s house, so we¡¯re not very balanced¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­.what are you talking about Lou-chan? We¡¯re friends, so stuff like balance and titles don¡¯t matter right?¡±

    Even if the king and everyone else is treating me like a marquis, that doesn¡¯t make me any less of a commoner. Ms. Odette told me when I first came to school that a student¡¯s status didn¡¯t matter here, but I still probably wouldn¡¯t have any right to complain if some aristocrat punished me for being too familiar with them. At least, that¡¯s how the book I read a long time ago made it sound.

    [Lou]: ¡°M-Mmn¡­¡­. Y-You¡¯re¡­¡­.right. Sorry, for saying something strange¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s fine it¡¯s fine. We have magic practice today don¡¯t we?¡±

    I wanted Lou-chan to smile, so I changed my tone and tried getting her to raise her head.

    [Lou]: ¡°Ah¡­¡­..¡±

    But when Lou-chan looked at me¡­¡­¡­no, when she looked behind me, she froze.

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong Lou-chan?¡±

    Following her gaze, I turned around and found Rose-san standing right behind me.

    [Rose]: ¡°You are speaking to her so intimately Iris-san. Who is this?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, Rose-san. Let me introduce you. This girl is Lou-chan, but her full name is¡­¡­..¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°L-Lu Voux Konfiks! I¡¯m, the eldest daughter of the Konfiks barony¡­¡­. A-Airi-chan has been incredibly kind to me, and¡­¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..Airi-chan?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°My nickname. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever gotten one. It feels so fresh, and I¡¯m already glad I came to this school.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..is that so?¡±

    Rose-san watched me gush about my new friend before turning back to Lou-chan.

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you for becoming Iris-san¡¯s friend.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°T-There¡¯s no need to thank me! I¡¯m the one who should be giving my thanks¡­¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°My name is Rosalith Cuulbacall. I look forward to getting to know you better in the future.

    [Lou]: ¡°Ye-, YeYeYeYeyE¡­.Yesh¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san was giving her trademark sweet smile, but for some reason Lou-chan went as pale as if she had seen the end of the world.

    Is the difference between an earl and a baron really that great?

    I¡¯m not too familiar with noble structure, so I pondered on it for a bit while watching two reactions on complete opposite sides of the spectrum.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..um, Rose-san?¡±

    With that being said, Lou-chan looks awful, and I¡¯m starting to feel bad for her.

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes? What is it?¡±

    As she turned her eyes towards me, I noticed the dozens of students standing behind her.

    In a school of three hundred, a couple dozen students is a huge number.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, are you okay? Coming this far in¡­¡­.¡±

    The flames of jealousy were smoldering in my heart, so it made me incredibly happy to have Rose-san leave that gaggle of girls and come over to me. I wanted to jump up and hug her here and now.

    Doing that though would probably buy the ire of each of the dozen students who gathered here. In fact, I can already pick out a couple girls giving me dirty looks just from my hogging her like I have.

    [Rose]: ¡°I was wondering if Iris-san would notice before reaching your classroom¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°?¡±

    Did I forget something? My textbook¡­¡­..is in my bag, right where I left it. Writing utensils? I thought I grabbed those too. Yep, they¡¯re in there.

    I untied my bag and took a quick peek inside to confirm I had everything. It was when my attention was drawn away that¡­¡­.

    [Rose]: ¡°Your ribbon has come undone.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.eh?¡±

    my hand froze as it rifled through my bag.

    Rose-san reached out, grasping the white ribbon hanging around my chest.

    A smooth, graceful sound reached my ears as my silk ribbon completely unraveled itself after Rose-san pulled on one end.

    Rose-san immediately got to work retying it for me. Her nimble hands moved and wound together like magic¡­¡­..soon pulling away to reveal a beautifully completed bow.

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, that should do.¡±

    As a finishing touch, Rose-san waved her finger like it were a magic wand and lightly poked the ribbon.

    Ah, just now¡­¡­.it felt so natural.

    It was like an invisible wall that was always standing between us had disappeared, and it made me feel so incredibly¡­¡­¡­close to Rose-san.

    [Rose]: ¡°And I almost forgot to tell you how good you look in your new uniform. It is incredibly cute.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°T¡­¡­Thank you¡­¡­..¡±

    I immediately turned my head up and found Rose-san¡¯s face close to my own.

    But my voice as I thanked her shook a tiny bit.

    Because my heart was thumping the entire time she was fixing my ribbon.

    Rose-san straightened out her back, looking down on me with her head tilted and a finger resting on her chin.

    I see, this is¡­¡­..so that¡¯s why then?

    With Rose-san standing right in front of me, her genuine sweet smile on full display, I think I can understand why Lou-chan might have felt overwhelmed.

    DING DONG BING BONG

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah!¡±

    The clock tower on the school grounds rang out through the air, signaling the start of the morning assembly.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh no, I have to go!! Rose-san, um, I¡¯ll see you later¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, have a good day at school. And be careful not to trip.¡±

    Again.

    I felt closer to Rose-san than usual as she waved me off.

    [Iris]: ¡°Lou-chan, hurry!! We¡¯re going to be late!!¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°R-Right!!¡±

    I¡¯m happy, but I really have to go.

    With my hair flowing in the wind, I bolted towards the school building with Rose-san seeing me off.

 CH 134

    The second day of my new school life had magic training as its afternoon period.

    The explanation for our lesson was simple enough. Read the spellbook and cast the assigned spell.

    Normally each class would be doing this inside one of the labs, but since Litzreich blew one of them up the other day, we were having a joint lesson with another class in the only lab still standing.

    [Iris]: ¡°Woah, it¡¯s so huge¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I found a huge, empty space when I went inside the lab.

    Thick metal sheets lining the building walls would make it easy for people¡¯s voices to echo across the room. As a matter of fact my little exclamation earlier bounced back and met my ears two, three times.

    [Iris]: ¡°However. Was the one Litzreich blew up built the same way as this one? Are we going to be okay?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    I already received permission beforehand to use as much magic as I like. But if I were to summon Phoenix here and have her unleash her full power¡­¡­¡­

    (Everything will begin to melt and crumble.)

    I found some sturdy-looking metal when I raised my head towards the ceiling as well. However Phoenix¡¯s claws were capable of melting Litzreich¡¯s Magic Shell, so it was small comfort.

    [Lou]: ¡°I-It will be all right. Litzreich-sama¡¯s magic power is exceptional, so she was able to break through. Students like us would never be able to scratch these walls.¡±

    Lou-chan tried abating my worries. She was carrying a spellbook in her arms. I¡¯m carrying the same book myself since we will be practicing the same spells together.

    [Odette]: ¡°All right then everyone. Do you all have your spellbooks?¡±

    Odette-sensei clapped her hands together from a spot in front of both groups of students.

    [Lou]: ¡°Y-Yes! This is so nerve wracking¡­¡­.Airi-chan.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Although I feel like my apprehension might be a bit different from Lou-chan¡¯s.

    From what I hear, Lou-chan is a fairly high performer in magic. So her anxiety is more from her own innate reserved nature.

    Meanwhile I¡¯m more concerned on whether or not I can use magic in the first place, and honestly, the anxiety is starting to make my stomach hurt.

    [Odette]: ¡°Then let¡¯s see, how about Grides-san. Please provide the class with an example.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Yes? Certainly.¡±

    Huh? That girl is¡­¡­.

    (Yeah, that¡¯s the girl who was talking with Rose-san this morning. I think she was from an earl family?)

    She¡¯s about as tall as me, but she looks a bit older¡­¡­.or maybe we¡¯re the same age? With a head full of hair like gold thread spilling down both sides of her neck, the girl responded confidentially and made her way to the center of the lab.

    [Lou]: ¡°Grides-sama is the best magic user in the whole school. It¡¯s already been decided that she¡¯ll join Yuhanna Rostinell-sama¡¯s Shirayuri Knights after she graduates.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hmm¡­¡­Yuhanna-sama¡¯s¡­¡­..¡±

    After hearing Yuhanna-sama¡¯s name brought up suddenly, I began wondering what she was doing right now.

    [Grides]: ¡°Continuously tranquil, who quickens the stream into a raging river?¡±

    Grides-san began chanting without bothering to open her spellbook.

    At the same time, a wind blew through the flat room and jostled our hair.

    [Grides]: ¡°Ooh, will you abandon thy name and memories of the past? Then give them to me. That precious name¡­¡­..shall be called to life!!¡±

    Spellbooks are fundamentally different in nature from a grimoire. As long as you have the magic power and skills to pull it off, you can activate any spell just by speaking the incantation written on the pages. So for all intents on purposes, a spellbook isn¡¯t any different from a regular book.

    So as long as you can recite the spell from memory like Grides-san is doing, you can use magic even without opening the book.

    [Grides]: ¡°Connected with rusted chains, wind¡¯s sharpened blades, mince my enemies!!¡±

    And the spell was cast. In the next moment, all the air in the room moved at once in response to the wind magic she had just cast.

    [Lou]: ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Lou-chan!¡±

    Lou-chan fell forward as if somebody had pushed her from behind.

    So I threw out my hand and supported Lou-chan¡¯s body.

    [Lou]: ¡°Uu, Uuuuu!¡±

    *FWOOOOOOOO!!* The wind kept howling by. Occasionally a small pop, pop would sound near my ears like a cowherd cracking a whip. That sound comes from the whip causing a vacuum to form which means this spell is creating its own small, locally generated vacuums around us.

    [Odette]: ¡°That¡¯s enough, you pass!!¡±

    Odette-sensei shouted over the roaring gales, and Grides-san slowly began pulling back on her spell. The wind gradually died down as did the noise that came with it until the room finally grew as still as when we first entered.

    [Lou]: ¡°T-Thanks¡­¡­Airi-chan.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡­.. That was powerful.¡±

    I pulled my hand away from Lou-chan and turned my gaze over to Grides-san.

    Only to find that she was looking right back at me.

    And then she opened her mouth.

    [Grides]: ¡°Sensei, if it¡¯s all right¡­¡­.I wanted to see what kind of magic the hero could do.¡±

    Compared to the girlish smile she was giving Rose-san this morning, the look she is giving me is¡­¡­much more aggresive.

    (Ah¡­¡­..)

    Now I remember.

    This morning¨D¨Dwhen Rose-san was fixing my ribbon, there were a couple of students with less than favorable looks for me.

    One of them had golden hair that split in two and rolled down her shoulders¡­¡­..that was her.

 CH 135

    [Grides]: ¡°The hero is also a witch yes? Then I imagine she would also be considerably proficient at handling magic.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, no¡­¡­I wouldn¡¯t say considerably.¡±

    Is Grides-san¡­¡­trying to pick a fight with me? If so then she¡¯s probably not going to be satisfied with my noncommittal answer.

    [Grides]: ¡°So modest. I simply must bear witness to the magic said to have been able to instantly separate a dragon¡¯s head from his neck though.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh¡­¡­um¡­¡­¡±

    Trouble. I¡¯m in trouble. This is a turn for the worst for my already upset stomach.

    I still don¡¯t know if I can use ordinary magic¡­¡­..that is to say magic you find inside a spellbook. So far all I¡¯ve used is magic from my grimoires, and those are all special cases.

    If I believe Lapris, then with how much my mana¡¯s increased, I might end up accidentally creating an inferno when all I want is a spark. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been too afraid to give it a try until now.

    If I can¡¯t cast any spells, I¡¯m going to end up embarrassed in front of a group of thirty students.

    No, it¡¯d be fine if I embarrassed myself in front of a hundred students, but what if the spell goes out of control. What if I end up blowing up the entire lab like Litzreich did?

    I¡¯ll end up injuring all of my classmates. In the worst case scenario I might kill someone.

    [Iris]: ¡°No, I¡­¡­¡±

    I had to put a stop to this.

    [Grides]: ¡°Ara, you can¡¯t show us? Does the hero hate the idea of showing us her skills?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.you¡¯re wrong, that¡¯s not what I¡­¡­.¡±

    This person keeps doing her darnedest to needle me. Is it because of what happened this morning? If the person I admire left me to speak with someone else¡­¡­in this case they were also speaking to that other person quite intimately. And she even retied their ribbon¡­¡­..

    (¡­¡­¡­¡­..)

    Yeah~. I think I can understand her feelings a bit. I was feeling the same way just before.

    [Grides]: ¡°Then, could you please show me? I want to improve my magic. If I were to see the hero¡¯s spellwork in person, I am positive it would inspire me.  I am sure of it.¡±

    The atmosphere is gradually shifting that way with Grides-san¡¯s words hanging in the air. Expectant gazes were shifting my way, and Ms. Odette wasn¡¯t doing anything to stop it. Actually, she was one of the first people to get excited about it.

    [Grides]: ¡°Unless¡­¡­is there a reason you cannot show us? For instance¡­..you were a tagalong to Rosalith-sama and just lucky enough to get labeled as a hero¡­¡­or something of the sort?¡±

    [Ms. Odette]: ¡°That is enough Grides-san. Your words are an insult to Calvafon-san. Apologize. You are meant to be a lady.¡±

    Ms. Odette¡¯s expression quickly soured as she issued a warning to Grides-san. For her part, Grides-san pinched the ends of her skirt and immediately offered a smooth curtsy. But the smile she gave me was no less challenging.

    [Grides]: ¡°My sincerest apologies hero. I was so excited to see your abilities that I¡¯ve said something incredibly rude to you on accident. Allow me to apologize here.¡±

    [Ms. Odette]: ¡°Calvafon-san. Do you accept her apology? Or do you refuse it and seek reparations? You have the right to restore your honor and the freedom to choose the means.¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s head was turned down. But it didn¡¯t feel like she was apologizing at all.

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m particularly angry about it though. What she said was true after all.

    [Iris]: ¡°I accept the apology. She never said anything wrong, so it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s expression changed for the first time after what I said.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­..what do you mean?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Exactly what I said. I didn¡¯t do anything noteworthy enough to be called a hero.¡±

    I defeated the dragon in Relton.

    But Rose-san, Toslin, and Carol are the ones who were truly amazing back then. They took on the full brunt of the dragon¡¯s attacks and gave their utmost to save the villagers.

    And then Saluena. Without her, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now.

    Apart from that, I¡¯m not going to demean myself anymore. I don¡¯t think, ¡°Someone like me¡­¡­..¡± anymore either. It¡¯s rude to the people who love me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ms. Odette, can I give it a try?¡±

    [Ms. Odette]: ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­then, Calvafon-san, if you would.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°D-Do your best Airi-chan¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Mm, here I go.¡±

    With Airi-chan¡¯s encouragement, I moved to the center of the lab.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, is this going to be okay? You¡¯re not going to spontaneously blow anything up?¡±

    Lapris whispered down into my ear.

    [Iris]: ¡°If it happens, I¡¯ll summon Unicorn and create a barrier.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Aah, you have her on hand? Then whatever. I don¡¯t know if you can do it, but this is the whole reason you pushed past my objections and entered this school in the first place. So do your best.¡±

    In a rare display of affection, Lapris offered me some encouragement while tapping my ear.

    [Iris]: ¡°Mm¡­¡­okay, here I go.¡±

    I flipped through my spellbook. The smell of crisp paper and fresh ink spread out, calming my tense mind.

    [Iris]: ¡°Continuously tranquil, who quickens the stream into a raging river?¡±

    I¡¯ve been learning how to use magic from Grandpa Ferdinand since I was a kid.

    As long as you have mana and the technique to mold it as needed, you can borrow the power of the spirits and cast a spell by reciting the chant.

    I barely had any mana back then, so I poured all my focus into the technique. Under Grandpa¡¯s tutelage, hundreds, thousands¡­¡­..I¡¯ve practiced reciting spells tens of thousands of times.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ooh, will you abandon thy name and memories of the past? Then give them to me. That precious name¡­¡­..shall be called to life!!¡±

    I could feel my mana rising up in my body.

    Swirling in my chest and spreading out through the rest of my limbs. It¡¯s not a good analogy, but the closest comparison I can think of is like warm, viscous honey dripping out of a jar.

    That mana now fully enveloped my body. It used to be like thinly laced sugar water, but now, it was thick and sweet. I could actually taste it on my tongue.

    It took three years of lessons before I managed to fill my body with mana like this. My single-minded pursuit of being able to cast a single spell left me capable of completely controlling the flow. But, this time I was able to do it in an instant. Didn¡¯t Grandpa tell me I had some talent for magic back then?

    All I have to do now is mold that magic into a spell and release it. Bait my mana and command the spirits to feed off it.

    [Iris]: ¡°Connected with rusted chains, wind¡¯s sharpened blades, mince my enemies!!¡±

    Visualize my mana as a vast whirlpool.

    But, my mana remained inside my body after I finished reciting my chant. It wasn¡¯t going anywhere.

    [Lou]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.huh? Airi-chan¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh, a misfire?¡±

    ¡°What happened? Did it fail?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she slay a dragon? That person is the hero right?¡±

    The people behind me started getting antsy.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    It looks like no magic is going to materialize after all. Once I accepted that, I embarked on the paradoxical task of carefully unfocusing. My gathered mana slowly dispersed without accumulating into any kind of spell.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­fuu¡­..¡±

    Nothing happened. But, I certainly felt a response. I was able to manipulate my mana, just as I was taught. As for why no magic came out, I¡¯m not sure.

    (Thanks Grandpa)

    Once I was finally able to relax my shoulders, I thanked Grandpa Ferdinand in my heart.

    [Grides]: ¡°Hmph, as I thought.¡±

    While everyone else silently watched me, there was just one person from amongst the crowd who spoke up.

    Turning around, I found Grides-san glaring right at me.

    [Grides]: ¡°I thought it was strange. For a mere commoner would never have enough mana to successfully slay a dragon.¡±

    I rejoined my class while listening to Grides-san speak.

    All of my classmates, but especially Lou-chan, were watching me with the same anxious look.

    [Grides]: ¡°Outstanding mana is tied to outstanding blood. A domain that commoners and miscellaneous mixed bloods dare not hope to reach. That is what defines an aristocrat!!¡±

    Each step Grides-san took echoed inside the lab as she advanced on me with an overwhelming aura wrapped around her. And yet there was an elegance about her that awed my classmates, forcing them to bow out and open a path so she could make her way through.

    [Grides]: ¡°And this is an aristocratic school. Someone shameless enough to have allowed themselves to be brought along with a true hero out of pity, moreover impudent enough to stick out despite being a mere commoner, does not belong here!! This is not an idle playground for people of your class!! If you wish to not get hurt then leave this place immediately!!¡±

    Shooting off words at a rapid pace, she snapped her finger towards the exit.

    [Lou]: ¡°Y-You¡¯ve said too much!!¡±

    Just as I was wondering how I should argue back, I was surprised to hear a voice jump to my defense from right next to me.

    And the owner of that voice was the usually timid Lou-chan. While everyone else was pushed back by Grides-san¡¯s tirade, she was the only one to stay by me and stand up for me.

    [Lou]: ¡°M-Maybe she¡¯s just not feeling well today¡­¡­.I have times like that too¡­¡­..¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­.ara, so the baron¡¯s daughter has something to say. Speaking of a baron, you¡¯re not that much different from a commoner, so what are you saying to an earl like me?¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Auu, uuh¡­¡­¡­i-in this school¡­¡­.that kind of thing, doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡­..¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Isn¡¯t that simply their official stance? Have I said anything wrong? This is why commoners feel they can rise up and¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..hey, you can talk bad about me all you want, but could you not talk down to Lou-chan?¡±

    Oh no, this time I¡¯m the one getting angry. You can say whatever you want about me, but talking bad about a friend who cares for me is something I won¡¯t forgive.

    I mean, what¡¯s up with this person? Isn¡¯t she way too rude to be a daughter of an earl? What in the world is Yuhanna-sama thinking accepting someone like this into the Shirayuri Knights?

    [Grides]: ¡°Ara, I am simply stating facts. If you disagree, then perhaps we should settle this in a duel? I can drill into you the rigors of the aristocratic world before you get seriously injured.¡±

    [Ms. Odette]: ¡°Enough.¡±

    It was as the sparks began to fly between me and Grides-san that Ms. Odette intervened.

    [Ms. Odette]: ¡°Need I remind you that we are currently in class Grides-san?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°M-My apologies Ms. Odette¡±

    Grides-san offered an apology, but she didn¡¯t try walking back her previous remarks.

    I continued to glare at her while Ms. Odette sighed. She then passed on these words.

    [Ms. Odette]: ¡°Re-think those words and your attitude until now. And if you find something you feel you must reconsider, correct it. No matter how skilled you are in magic, do you believe this school sweet enough to allow anyone who is not a true lady to graduate from its halls?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­certainly. If there is anything I must reflect upon, I shall correct it. However on a second thought, I cannot consider anything I¡¯ve said as anything other than the utmost truth.¡±

    Grides-san then turned a challenging gaze towards me.

    I was wondering if all nobles were the same since everyone in my class had been so kind, but apparently not.

    On the afternoon of my second day at school, I realized that.

 CH 136

    [Carol]: ¡°Hmm. So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so mopey?¡±

    Carol poked my cheek as I buried myself in couch cushions.

    [Lapris]: ¡°You should¡¯ve summoned Phoenix and rubbed her right in that pompous girl¡¯s nose. That would¡¯ve shut her up.¡±

    Lapris was lying back ready to sleep on my stomach while looking a little bloated after the supper we just had.

    [Iris]: ¡°Uh-uh, it would¡¯ve felt like I cheated.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°It¡¯s still your power.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But it¡¯s true that I couldn¡¯t use any magic when the time came. Urgh, I would¡¯ve practiced more if I knew this was how things were going to turn out¡­¡­ If I was able to cast any kind of spell then Lou-chan wouldn¡¯t have been insulted¡­¡­..¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°What the, that¡¯s the part that got you so angry?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s right. But more than anything, I¡¯m lamenting my own worthlessness¡­¡­.and I¡¯m also incredibly full, so if you could not lay right there.¡±

    I tried peeling Lapris off my stomach, but she dug her fingers into my shirt. When I was younger, Mycena dragged me up to the mountains so we could pick up some stag beetles for fun. Even back then I was amazed at the strength that could come from such tiny bodies.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Pull yourselves together. Have you forgotten that we will be dungeon diving tomorrow?¡±

    Toslin scolded us both while I wrestled with Lapris who continued to stubbornly cling to me without bothering to try and justify her being there.

    She had just gotten out of the bath and was currently drying her hair.

    It¡¯s at times like this that I think about how bothersome it must be to have long hair.

    Would it take me one, no, two years to get my hair that long? The thought that it¡¯ll take that long before Rose-san will tell me how beautiful I look just makes me even more depressed.

    [Iris]: ¡°Uuu, Rose-san~¡±

    It¡¯s time like this when I want to be spoiled and called Rose-san¡¯s name, but it was Saluena who answered back.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa is washing off her sweat right now. She is worn-out from how much moving around she did today. Let her relax in the bath for a bit.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, of course¡­¡­.¡±

    We usually take our bath together, but because we returned at different times today, we¡¯re taking them separately.

    [Saluena]: ¡°I could console you instead.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­no thanks. There¡¯s something unpleasant about the way you move your hands.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°You wound me. I am simply showing you my love.¡±

    Saluena gave an overreactive sigh. But I won¡¯t be fooled. The innocent Iris-san who would turn red just because you pet her head or stare into her eyes no longer exists.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..hm? Now that you mention it, what were all of you doing while I was in class?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I was teaching a couple of students some swordplay.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I just watched.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa, the knights, and I spent the day training.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ohh, is that right?¡±

    I kind of figured for Saluena and Rose-san, but it¡¯s a bit surprising to think of Toslin as a teacher.

    [Carol]: ¡°Listen to this Iris. Can you believe that Toslin spent the whole day flirting with other women when I was right there?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Geez, you¡¯re talking crazy again. Has the inside of your head finally gone completely rotten?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°We weren¡¯t flirting. I was just answering some of their questions?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°And eating lunch with them?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°They offered.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Mmmhmm? So you¡¯ll blindly follow after anyone who offers you an invitation?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°What are you so angry about? You were there too. You ate with us.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about! Stupid Toslin!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Who¡¯s stupid? Then tell me what I should have done.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Can¡¯t you figure it out yourself!? Stupid, stupid idiot Toslin!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Enough you! The person calling other people idiot is the true idiot!¡±

    Toslin picked up Carol and threw her at the bed.

    [Carol]: ¡°Kyaaa! Nice try.¡±

    With as small as she is, Carol flew through the air, but she¡¯s still a thief. She made a perfect landing upright on top of the bed.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oops, my hand slipped!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Gack!?¡±

    Already figuring that would happen though, Toslin immediately threw a tightly wound together bath towel and hit Carol square in the face.

    [Carol]: ¡°That hurt©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    Carol threw it right back¡­¡­.so queue the usual brawl.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ara ara, so it has started once again already?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi what the heck Iris!! Don¡¯t suddenly stand up!!¡±

    I jumped into Rose-san¡¯s chest as soon as she got out of the bath and returned to our room.

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh, my, is something the matter?¡±

    Rose-san is already wearing her pajamas, and smells, as you could guess, like soap.

    [Iris]: ¡°School didn¡¯t go too well today.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I told her I¡¯d comfort her, but she insisted it had to be you Rosa.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°H-Hold on Saluena! You don¡¯t have to tell her that!!¡±

    I peeled my face out of Rose-san¡¯s chest to yell at Saluena. But she just laughed at me with a smile on her face and didn¡¯t look like she had any plans to repent.

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, you don¡¯t say. Then I¡¯ll take responsibility and listen.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Let me listen in too. I need to properly keep tabs on the troubles facing my lord.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Then let¡¯s do it together. We can have Iris-san sleep between us tonight.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi dumbasses!! Are you going to be making that racket all night!? You¡¯re noisy! Shut your traps!¡±

    Lapris charged towards Carol and Toslin, yelling at them to knock it off now that they¡¯ve started throwing pillows instead of towels.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Huh? Huuuh!? Wait, I¡¯m not a pill-¡­¡­¡­KYAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Sure enough, almost predictably, she was scooped out of the air by Toslin and launched across the room.

    [Rose]: ¡°Now, Iris-san, over here.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes!!¡±

    Rose-san tapped the center of the bed. For the record, the pillow fight¡¯s main battlefield is the other bed. Rose-san laid down on the edge of our spacious bed, and I dove in right next to her.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Hold on Rosa. Wouldn¡¯t this mean that I¡¯ll end up sleeping on the edge of the beds again?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes I suppose so. Is there something wrong with that?¡±

    Rose-san was looking directly into Saluena¡¯s eyes with a bright smile on her face.

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­.are you¡­¡­still upset because I joined that student in the gazebo this morning? I should have already apologized for that.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever receiving any such apology.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­Hm? Oh no, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­..is there a quarrel going on over here as well?

    [Saluena]: ¡°All right Rosa. Listen to me one more time.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Listen to your excuses? I don¡¯t have the ears for something like that. Isn¡¯t Oneesama interested in that student? If so then shouldn¡¯t you quickly go join her?¡±

    But well, I saw her do it with my own eyes, so I can¡¯t say I sympathize with Saluena here.

    [Rose]: ¡°Come, Iris-san. What happened today? Tell me everything.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°R-Right. Um¡­¡­.I actually had practical magic training today, and¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡­¡­.but, what is this?

    I¡¯ve been wondering about this since a while ago.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa, I¡¯m begging you. Listen to me¡­¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, that sounds fun. So, how did it go?¡±

    On one side we have a couple of girls having a pillow fight where the pillow has been replaced with Lapris, and on the other we have a couple of sisters in the middle of a tense, cagey quarrel.

    Is it really okay for us to be entering a dungeon tomorrow morning?

 CH 137

    We found ourselves beneath the castle early the next morning before the sun even had a chance to rise up.

    Oh, even if I say we¡¯re underground, it¡¯s not like Larpis¡¯s foul mouth has gotten us tossed into prison okay?

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Then if you¡¯d please.¡±

    At the request of Eleonora Academy, we will be stepping forth into the vast dungeon beneath the city.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Since it is a request we have voluntarily taken on, we will put all our strength into seeing it done.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to hear that from the Dark Violet Knight.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I was once called as such, but I am a member of the Goddess¡¯s Knights now. Please call me Saluena.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°It would be an honor. Then Saluena-sama, you may call me Yuhanna¡­¡­.no, I suppose you have been addressing me by my first name since we met. Fufu¡­¡­¡±

    We¡¯re three floors down a fort-like building in the middle of the castle¡¯s huge backyard. We passed through a pair of sturdy iron doors closely guarded by knights around the clock. We then traveled further down a long stairway located in the back of the building.

    We eventually came to a room about as big as the one we are using inside the castle with a plain yet thick door resting at the very far back.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°You be careful too all right Rosalith? It wasn¡¯t that long ago that this was a low rank dungeon where the worst you¡¯d find is a couple goblins. As it is now though the place has become a den for higher level monsters.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I will watch myself Auntie.¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°¡­¡­.well despite what I said, you are an orange rank adventurer party, so I¡¯m not too worried about it.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama¡¯s laughter rose up above the crackling of our lit torches.

    [Ashel]: ¡°If what they say is true, then I shouldn¡¯t be not going as well¡­¡­.I am sorry to have to leave all this to you.¡±

    The next person to speak up was Ashel-sama.

    Maybe it¡¯s just a trick from the torch¡¯s light, but it looked like she had that same sorrowful look on her face that she had on when we first met.

    [Carol]: ¡°There¡¯s not much you¡¯d be able to do by yourself.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Why can¡¯t you think about what you¡¯re going to say before you say it!!¡±

    Toslin quickly threw her hand over Carol¡¯s mouth.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Ahaha¡­¡­..it¡¯s really okay. I would prefer if you spoke with me without reservation. Because, we¡¯re already friends. Right?¡±

    However contrary to her morose expression, Ashel-sama¡¯s tone was much lighter and friendlier. It must be difficult being a member of the royal family. Couple that with her having to pretend to be a gender she¡¯s not, and that kind of expression kind of ends up being set as the default.

    I hope we can help alleviate as much of that burden as possible.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡­I mean sure¡­¡­.. But this girl will run a mile if given an inch, so it¡¯s probably for the best that we draw a line.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Iris¡±

    Ashel-sama laughed while watching the usual quarrel unfold between Carol and Toslin. That was when Litzreich suddenly popped her head out from behind Ashel-sama¡¯s back.

    [Iris]: ¡°Woah, what? You came too?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°That should be obvious.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°You¡¯re here too you perverted bastard?¡±

    Lapris popped out of my hair, welcoming Litzreich with her patented crude insults.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°No need to be so on guard. I wouldn¡¯t push Iris down in a place with no bed like this.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°So you would push her down if there was a bed here? How does that not make you a perverted bastard?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Such a fine how do you do. Even though I came all this way to deliver these to you.¡±

    Reaching into her pocket, Litzreich pulled out the pair of magic glasses I gave to her.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve already finished repairing them?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmhmm. I have fixed the distorted frames and replaced the old core. With this, the massive amount of magic power needed to use them should have been mitigated to a point. With that being said, it does still take an awful lot of mana to use, so keep them out of reach from other people okay?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I will. Thank you Litzreich.¡±

    I accepted my glasses from Litzreich and immediately tried them on.

    It used to take a moment for them to boot up, but these modified pair instantly formed up their lens giving me a clear field of vision.

    [Iris]: ¡°Wow, amazing, this is really amazing!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°The glasses have been fixed? Thank you Litzreich-san.¡±

    Rose-san came over while I was glancing all around the room marveling over my glasses.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°No thanks are necessary. Nothing is more meaningless than a tool nobody can use. I¡¯m sure Iris being able to use them like this is the happiest thing for the tool as well. It also allowed me to try out a new feature.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, are you talking about the x-ray function!? Did you put it in?¡±

    For reasons completely outside of my control, my gaze naturally moved towards Rose-san.

    [Rose]: ¡°If so then why are you looking at me Iris-san!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! But I didn¡¯t see anything, so it¡¯s okay!¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re misunderstanding here, but the glasses now have a special cat search function.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­cat¡­¡­¡­?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Cat?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Indeed, cats. Put on those glasses, and with a thought, you will be able to sense any nearby cats. Convenient, no?¡±

    Litzreich crossed her arms and stuck out her chest with a proud expression.

    Now that I think about it, she gave me a ribbon that makes cats like you when we first met in Soletta Ritta, so perhaps¡­¡­..

    [Iris]: ¡°Do you like cats Litzreich?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Mm, I love them!¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­.right.

    ?

    The place where the hero Ranroot and the Evil Dragon Osnell had their climatic final battle a thousand years ago. That is where we are now stepping in to.

    The dungeon, said to be the oldest in the country, is wider than I thought it would be. I can walk side by side with Goldmund in here.

    The walls are made of stone, but they look polished and brand new. You wouldn¡¯t know this place was built almost a thousand years ago.

    Carol told me dungeons usually have mildew with moss growing all over the place, but I can¡¯t find anything of the sort here.

    The air is fresh and not nearly as stifling as what the mine was. However¡­¡­.

    [Iris]: ¡°S-So cold¡­¡­.¡±

    Spring is here, and the temperature has been going up and up with each passing day. The cold down here however is probably like this year round regardless of what the outside world is like.

    [Carol]: ¡°What floor are we on now?¡±

    Carol is wearing as light of equipment as ever, but she doesn¡¯t look particularly cold. I¡¯m relatively strong to the cold and shivering, but she¡¯s moving forward with a firm step.

    [Rose]: ¡°The fifth floor. If we turn right here and continue on for a while, we should come across the stairs going down to the sixth.¡±

    Rose-san glanced down towards the map we received from Litzreich before turning back towards me right behind her.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san, if you are feeling cold, would you like to borrow my coat?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. No need to worry about me. I¡¯ll warm up as we keep walking.¡±

    After Ashel-sama and the others saw us off, we entered the dungeon that stretches out below Osnell.

    My very first genuine dungeon crawl as an adventurer began inside a surprisingly easy-going atmosphere, and so far the biggest enemy I¡¯ve come to face is this cold.

    [Rose]: ¡°Are you sure? You don¡¯t have to push yourself.¡±

    A bright smile crossed her face as she spoke to me. Meanwhile her spiked mace was already dripping with a red liquid.

    It¡¯s blood obviously. Specifically, the goblins¡¯ that we came across on our way here.

    We¡¯ve been attacked by monsters five times so far, but they¡¯ve all been low ranked monsters no tougher than a goblin.

    There would always be several of them in a group, but these guys wouldn¡¯t have been much of a threat to Rose-san and the others two months ago let alone now when they¡¯ve become orange rank adventurers.

    Because of that, I haven¡¯t done much of anything besides stand back and watch.

    (¡­¡­if I could use magic without my grimoires, I could be more helpful to everyone¡­¡­)

    Phoenix was in her small bird form, something Carol had decided to name Feniko, and was flying overhead. Her body shone a bit brighter, raising the heat around us a few degrees.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oh, that feels nice. A bright and warm light. Much more useful than a certain fairy we have with us.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°What¡¯s that!? You mocking my light!!¡±

    Lapris was dozing off while riding on Plushie Unicorn¡¯s back, but after hearing Toslin¡¯s light jab, she woke right up. And then like you¡¯d imagine, she started barking.

    While Lapris rushed Plushie Unicorn forward, forcing her to gallop between Toslin¡¯s feet so that the little fairy yap some more, Saluena quietly muttered something aloud.

    [Saluena]: ¡°However, these monsters are more docile than we heard.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, now that you mention it¡­¡­.¡±

    Litzreich and Yuhanna-sama both told us this place had become a den for high level monsters, but so far the only monsters we¡¯ve seen are goblins.

    [Carol]: ¡°Maybe we just haven¡¯t run into any of the high level monsters yet? Well we¡¯ll get our reward no matter what happens.¡±

    We continued down another ten floors.

    It wasn¡¯t until around then that Carol¡¯s words started to have some weight behind them.

    [Carol]: ¡°Hm? Wait. Everybody stop.¡±

    Carol brought us to a halt from her spot at the front.

    [Carol]: ¡°Apparently, our work starts here.¡±

    She then pointed forward.

    Following her gaze, I saw two knights in full-body armor standing at attention as if to block our path.

 CH 138

    Bold Loire.

    The simple description for these kinds of monsters is a kind of giant moving knight statue.

    They¡¯re a mysterious kind of monster. Despite technically being golems they have no core, and it is still unknown how they function.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa, destroy the legs first.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Roger Oneesama.¡±

    Standing by my side, Saluena pointed towards the feet of the colossal knight.

    In response, Rose-san sprang forth like a deer towards the Bold Loire.

    [Rose]: ¡°Hah!¡±

    The spiked mace still dripping with the blood of goblins swung down towards the slow-moving statue¡¯s legs.

    *Dong!!*

    However the statue was fast enough to move its shield down and block the mace¡¯s strike.

    [Saluena]: ¡°I see. So one wields a shield and the other a sword.¡±

    There are two bold loires here. One is holding a huge tower shield while the other wields a longsword.

    The two knights looked perfectly in sync, skillfully delegating their roles between offense and defense.

    [Carol]: ¡°What level is this guy?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s a pretty rare monster. From what I here though, they¡¯re around level fifteen. Give or take individual differences.¡±

    Toslin and Carol followed after Rose-san, jumping in front of the enemy. The other bold loire brandished its steel longsword towards the two newcomers.

    [Carol]: ¡°So they¡¯re the same level as that ice golem? Then this will be an easy win.¡±

    However both of them evaded the attack with room to spare.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Well, probably yeah. Rose, you have that one?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    Rose-san readied her shield, and to my amazement, met the bold loire head on.

    Rose-san wasn¡¯t budging despite her enemy being three times her size. She completely suppressed her enemy¡¯s attack while simultaneously throwing in her own.

    Her spiked mace moved like a flash of light, scraping off bits and pieces of the knight statue until finally breaking off its leg entirely.

    [Iris]: ¡°She did it!¡±

    Rose-san is amazing! While giving a round of applause in my heart, the arm of the other colossus fell to the ground as well.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Ah man~. The blade¡¯s gone dull. I¡¯m going to need to grind it again when we get back.¡±

    Toslin was grumbling to herself, looking over her sword with the knight¡¯s arm at her feet.

    [Carol]: ¡°Just buy a new sword with the money from your reward?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°This one¡¯s still usable. It¡¯d be a waste to just toss it.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Toslin¡¯s stinginess won¡¯t change no matter how much money she has.¡±

    Carol darted through the bold loire¡¯s legs. She then jumped unto its back, hooking a rope around its neck.

    (Oh, that rope. It¡¯s the one I bought together with Rose-san.)

    That rope is tied together with threads of silk from spiders that live in a special region call the Quartz Crown. While the rope is more flammable as a result, it is also lighter and supposedly so sturdy that it¡¯s impossible to tear apart.

    Once the rope was knotted off, Carol leapt off the monster¡¯s back with one end of the rope still in hand. She ran back towards us before tying off the other end of the rope around Goldmund¡¯s horn.

    [Carol]: ¡°Goldmund-san~, show them what you got!!¡±

    Goldmund immediately understood what his role was here and charged back the way we came.

    The rope was pulled taut and yanked the bold loire¡¯s head forward.

    [Goldmund]: ¡°GUOOooooooo!!¡±

    The colossus struggled to keep standing while Goldmund was determined to drag it down. It was a competition of brute strength, but the end result was easy to guess.

    Goldmund is a comrade who has battled together with us against a dragon and the carbuncle. His strength has naturally grown as a result, and at this point he is far stronger than the bold loire. He planted just one of his muscular legs firmly down onto the ground, and with one tug, the knight statue¡¯s head shook as its entire body leaned forward.

    *CraCrash!!*

    [Iris]: ¡°Whoa¡­¡­so strong¡­¡­¡±

    The knight statue crashed down on the hard floor, shattering into pieces that scattered across the ground.

    *Clunk!!*

    At almost the same time, Rose-san¡¯s spiked mace came crashing down, splintering the head of the bold loire that had already lost one of its legs.

    That merciless blow caused the colossus to cease functioning outright and collapse right where it stood.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Wonderful.¡±

    Saluena clapped her hands together and called out.

    [Iris]: ¡°So amazing¡­¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s incredible. Just one of these bold loires are supposed to be as strong as the ice golem we fought outside of Relton, and they just killed them so easily.

    Plus, there were two of them this time. And Rose-san beat one of them all by herself. It¡¯s just way too incredible. I mean, they didn¡¯t even break a sweat¡­¡­how cool is that!?

    Watching Rose-san, it really feels like I¡¯m looking at one of the warrior priestesses I read about in my books come to life.

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh, look look! If you look closely, this guy¡¯s got gems all over his body!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hey, this sword is pretty good. It¡¯s a bit rusty, but maybe I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°The shield too!? There are gems embedded in the shield!¡±

    In the second that I had looked away, moved by the performance I had just seen, Toslin and Carol had naturally begun fishing for loot.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    No, I mean¡­..I guess I can understand how they feel? I was wondering what kind of fabulous loot we were going to be able to get back when we defeated that ice golem too.

    It¡¯s just¡­..I really would have liked to enjoy the afterglow of victory for a little while longer.

    [Iris]: ¡°Good job out there Rose-san.¡±

    When I offered Rose-san a word of congratulations, she returned a soft smile you wouldn¡¯t think could come from a war goddess who had just mercilessly lay waste to her foe.

    [Rose]: ¡°Did any shrapnel hurt you?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I¡¯m fine! Saluena protected me¡­¡­.. But, I¡­¡­I feel bad I couldn¡¯t help you any in there.¡±

    I scratched my cheek and gave her a bitter smile, but Rose-san looked a bit puzzled in return.

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh my, are you worried about that?¡±

    She then looked back towards the two party members happily hunting for loot.

    [Rose]: ¡°Do you know what the two of them are thinking about right now?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Toslin and Carol? Um¡­¡­..I wonder¡­¡­.¡±

    After thinking about it for a second, I confidently mumble.

    [Iris]: ¡°H-Hooray?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, indeed. I believe that to be exactly what they are thinking.¡±

    Rose-san burst into a fit of giggles at my answer.

    [Rose]: ¡°At the moment, I am pretty sure¡­¡­there is nothing else going through their heads.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.?¡±

    So what exactly is Rose-san trying to say here? My head hung to my side as I waited for her to continue.

    Thereupon Rose-san turned towards me as she brushed her hair behind her ear.

    [Rose]: ¡°We are all friends here. There is no need for any of us to be thinking something as pointless as who may or may not be helpful. We like Iris-san, and we want to stay together with you.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    So, that¡¯s how it is. Just like I¡¯m happy to be with everyone, everyone else¡­¡­.is thinking the same thing.

    I don¡¯t want anything special from any of them¡­¡­.and they aren¡¯t asking anything special from me.

    ¡°Just be here¡±

    Those words were all I needed to hear from Rose-san to make all the impatience and frustration in my heart disappear.

    [Rose]: ¡°Understand?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I do!¡±

    When I straightened my back to give my answer, Rose-san nodded with a laugh.

    She then slowly extended her hand outwards as if she were afraid she would hurt me, and¡­¡­

    [Rose]: ¡°Good girl, good girl¡±

    she patted my head as if she were trying to directly feed those words into my brain.

 CH 139

    Yosh, I¡¯m going to do my best. Not that I wasn¡¯t going to do my best in the first place.

    Since Rose-san told me I was a good girl, I had no other choice than to become an even better girl.

    ¡°Just be here¡±

    Maybe what she said is true, and everybody really does want to stay with me. But, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m content with doing nothing. That¡¯s not how I¡¯m built.

    If I don¡¯t have anything to do, I need to look for something to do. And if there isn¡¯t anything for me to do, I should create something to do.

    We continued our way further down after we finished looting the bold loires¡¯ bodies.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Whatcha doing Iris? Shouldn¡¯t you be watching where you¡¯re going?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, yeah. Just¡­¡­¡±

    I slid my bag over my shoulder and fished out a book. It wasn¡¯t a grimoire or a spellbook. However there was no other book like it in all the world. It was the book Grandpa gave me.

    [Lapris]: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your head that you would want to do some light reading in a place like this?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hey now¡­¡­.¡±

    No, I know. Lapris isn¡¯t trying to be rude here. Maybe. She¡¯s simply worried for me. Probably.  It¡¯s just that she¡¯s not very good at getting her point across. Definitely.

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s not that. There¡¯s just something I needed to check.¡±

    I flipped through the pages until I came across the part I was looking for.

    I¡¯ve already read this section a number of times before, so I had a pretty good idea of where it was at and what was written there already.

    I skimmed through the open page, making sure what was written matched up with what I remembered.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.okay.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­..?¡±

    ?

    [Carol]: ¡°Okay, time out.¡±

    Carol gave the same signal she had given tens of times before today and brought our march to a halt.

    [Carol]: ¡°Then I¡¯m going to take a quick look ahead, so wait here for a bit.¡±

    It¡¯s been two hours since we defeated those bold loires. We continued down the next set of stairs and have been alternating between fights and breaks the whole time.

    Whenever Carol makes the sign she just gave us, it means there is some kind of trap set further ahead.

    [Toslin]: ¡°What kind of trap was it this time?¡±

    Toslin nibbled on a cookie while listening to Carol¡¯s voice echoing back from a little further ahead.

    [Carol]: ¡°Mm~? I¡¯ve already cancelled it, but I¡¯m pretty sure it was a teleporter.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oof, a deadly one. It probably would have delivered us straight to the evil dragon¡¯s throne room.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Teleporters are the ones that send you off somewhere else right?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    They¡¯re a common trap in adventure novels.

    Magic circles are drawn into the floor or wall, and when you touch them or get too close, the spell is activated and forcefully transport you somewhere else.

    It¡¯s not too bad so long as the destination is somewhere nearby or at least on the same floor.

    However in most novels, the destination was always inside a monster¡¯s den, a room filled with traps, or in the absolute worst cases, high up into the sky or at the bottom of the sea.

    The heroes inside adventure novels are always able to save themselves through a miraculous stroke of inspiration, but if one of us were to be sent away like that in real life, there is no way we would be able to survive.

    [Carol]: ¡°Yosh, it¡¯s safe to cross. Oh, but don¡¯t step on the tile to the right. A needle will come shooting out of the wall.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hii!? Say those kind of things earlier!!¡±

    My foot was just about to come down on that exact tile, so I hurriedly jumped to the left.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, sorry!!¡±

    Causing me to bump directly into Saluena.

    Saluena, who is twenty centimeters taller than me, adorned in armor, and carrying a sword and shield. She isn¡¯t going to budge at all from me bumping into her. On the contrary, I ended up bouncing off her.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Oops, our princess is rather careless. Did you bump your nose just now?¡±

    Saluena caught my hand and pulled me in close.

    [Iris]: ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡­ I did, but it¡¯s okay.¡±

    My nose hurts, but not enough to make me cry. Because I¡¯m an adventurer.

    [Rose]: ¡°Are you sure? Let me see.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°U-Umm¡­¡­.¡±

    While I was holding back my tears from leaking out, Rose-san came over and touched my nose.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Use a healing miracle just in case.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Right. Hold still please Iris-san.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh? No no, I just bumped my nose a bit you know?¡±

    Lately I¡¯ve been wondering. Aren¡¯t they spoiling me a little too much? I¡¯m really happy that both of them would worry about me, and if this was our room instead of a dungeon, I would enjoy their goodwill to the fullest.

    But unfortunately this is a dungeon. And we¡¯re already quite far down. We¡¯re on the 35th basement floor, and in a dungeon that is supposed to be 50 floors deep, that means we are over halfway down.

    We might encounter some exceptionally powerful monsters in the future, so I would rather not waste Rose-san¡¯s miracles on something like this.

    [Iris]: ¡°I really am okay!! So let¡¯s hurry and move on. We still haven¡¯t found the monster we¡¯re looking for.¡±

    The dungeon beneath Osnell is famous for how enormous it is. Despite having a map that has allowed us to travel down the shortest routes possible without having to explore any, it is still taking us hours to travel through one way.

    [Rose]: ¡°If Iris-san insists¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Shall we move on?¡±

    I managed to persuade them both, and so we rejoined Toslin and Carol who were waiting for us up ahead.

    And when it came time to explain why the delay¡­¡­..

    [Carol]: ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I brought some painkillers with me. Did you want one?¡±

    the two of them were worried to the point of overprotectiveness as well.

    Am I supposed to be the team mascot or something? No, if we¡¯re talking about mascot-like cuteness, Carol is a hundred times better¡­¡­

    [Lapris]: ¡°It ain¡¯t nothing that won¡¯t heal if you just spit on it.¡±

    Yeah, there we go. It¡¯s usually pretty irritating, but it is during times like this that I appreciate Lapris¡¯s straightforward personality.

    [Carol]: ¡°Maybe we should spit on you then?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Didn¡¯t we spit on her until she cried in the Swansea Forest? That¡¯s a good memory.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°I¡¯ll kill you both!!¡±

    Lapris immediately tried escaping despite her aggressive words.

    Her direction, further down the passageway. Right into a hall built like a semi-circular dome.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hm? Oi you guys, what¡¯s that up ahead?¡±

    Lapris pointed further into the darkness where our lights couldn¡¯t reach.

    Inside there were two flickering lights bouncing around inside the darkness as if performing a dance.

 CH 140

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    The longer I looked at them, the more they looked like sparks.

    Mycena showed me once before what happens when you strike a red hot iron with a hammer.

    I remember how proudly she declared that she was making her own nails to build up the skeletal frame for the house we were going to live in together.

    Well, putting that second part aside, the two red lights I¡¯m seeing in the darkness are exactly like the sparks I saw splattering off the hot iron after it was struck.

    [Iris]: ¡°What is¡­..?¡±

    When I voiced my curiosity, Lapris quickly replied.

    [Lapris]: ¡°I¡¯ll be damned, they¡¯re gnomes.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Gnomes? The earth spirits? That¡¯s what you mean?¡±

    The two red lights continued to bounce around at the center of the dome-shaped hall.

    Gnomes. I haven¡¯t heard that word since I ran into Grandpa when he was buying that book from my family¡¯s store.

    As spirits of the earth, you can find gnomes anywhere you would find a lot of soil, stones, or rocks. It is rare to find one because of how quick they are to hide themselves, but they¡¯re supposed to be a relatively friendly spirit.

    And yet, here they are. Bouncing around in the darkness while emitting a light I¡¯ve never seen before.

    Gnomes are always depicted as young girls in my adventure novels, but it¡¯s too dark for me to check and make sure.

    [Lapris]: ¡°It feels like there¡¯s something wrong with them. They aren¡¯t normal.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I feel the same. I smell the Primordial World coming off of them.¡±

    When not just Lapris is saying it, but Saluena as well, the credibility of the information skyrockets.

    [Iris]: ¡°Primordial¡­¡­could that mean something is controlling them like the shadow spirits at St. Noglint?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Perhaps. Or perhaps the gnomes themselves strayed from the Goddess¡¯s law and regained their Primordial power.¡±

    Saluena drew her sword from her hip.

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    [Saluena]: ¡°They¡¯re coming. Take the front Rosa. Leave Iris¡¯s protection to me.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes Oneesama.¡±

    Rose-san raised her mace and readied her shield. She then took a stance directly in front to protect us.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Carol¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Right, I got it. I¡¯ll watch from here, so hang in there.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°You get up there and fight with Rose!! It¡¯s our job!!¡±

    Toslin walked to the front as well, but not before kicking Carol¡¯s butt to get her moving too.

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    As the two lights rolled closer, they became bigger and more intense. It wasn¡¯t until the sound grew so deafening that it made not just my eardrums but my entire body quake that it became impossible for me to look directly at them.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Come on seriously, isn¡¯t this way too bright!? My eyes were just getting used to the darkness, and now this¡­¡­.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°If you just squint, it¡¯s not really a problem?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I¡¯m an elf!! Don¡¯t lump me in with a werewolf like you!!¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°How are you handling it Rosa?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°My apologies. Like Toslin-san, the light is too strong¡­¡­¡±

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    That eerie, inorganic sound continued to grow louder and louder as it approached even as we tried to adjust our eyes to the light. Whether you are an orange rank adventurer or not, if you can¡¯t see your opponent, you won¡¯t know what it¡¯s doing. And if you don¡¯t know what it¡¯s doing, you won¡¯t know how to counter it.

    [Iris]: ¡°I now¡­¡­.release the bonds of this world!!¡±

    In that case, I just need to make our enemies visible.

    If our enemies are using a bright light to block our vision, we¡¯ll do the same.

    [Iris]: ¡°The Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!!¡±

    I raise my left hand to my mouth.

    I bring my little finger to my lips. A pale light burst forth from the white porcelain ring, soon giving way to a strange grimoire materializing in my grasp.

    [Iris]: ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Holy spirit born from an ancient age, virgin guardian, mare clad in sacred water.¡±

    A pure, blessed white grimoire. Pulling open the cover, I vigorously recite the pale lettering that floated off of its pages.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Carol! Buy us some time until Iris has finished her chant!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeppers~. Woah, what¡¯s with these guys? They¡¯re huge!¡±

    Carol was the only one who could see anything with this blinding light, so she jumped to the front.

    But to my eyes, it looked like she had simply jumped into a world of white and disappeared completely.

    [Iris]: ¡°Please deliver unto us an age of peace and safety! Fiercely defend us from malice and impurity!¡±

    The grimoire was white, and so it began to shine with its own powerful white light.

    [Iris]: ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forth. Unicorn!¡±

    The light spilling from the grimoire¡¯s pages converged, and the stuffed unicorn Lapris was riding morphed into a fully grown Unicorn.

    [Iris]: ¡°Get ready to move!! And no matter what you do, don¡¯t look this way!!¡±

    I instantly spread my magic power throughout my body like I had done in the lab¡¯s gym and transferred it over to Unicorn.

    When I did, Unicorn¡¯s mane transformed from its usual violet color to a brilliant, glittering white.

    [Lapris]: ¡°GyaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡±

    A shrill scream filled the room¡­¡­¡­unfortunately, it was Lapris¡¯s.

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s why I said not to look!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°She¡¯s literally right in front of me!? Even if I close my eyes it¡¯s going to blind me!!¡±

    Unicorn¡¯s body shined like the sun, illuminating the dome-shaped room as bright as a sunny day at noon.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oh? I can see.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Me too. Thank you Iris-san.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Really? If you can see now, how about getting over here and helping me out? These guys are kinda¡­¡­.really annoying.¡±

    Carol¡¯s voice called out as she fought the gnomes, bringing our attention back to the front.

    Our light offset there¡¯s, so I looked around for Carol and the gnomes inside the now lit room.

    No, ¡®look around¡¯ probably isn¡¯t the right term when they¡¯re pretty much right there in front of me.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­wait, what¡­¡­those are gnomes?¡±

    Carol made a grand jump backwards.

    Then, a second later, a big, boulder-like fist came down hard where she had just been standing.

    [Iris]: ¡°Those are gnomes¡­¡­.are you sure they aren¡¯t golems? Why does this dungeon have so many golems?¡±

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    That noise we¡¯ve been hearing was probably coming from their footsteps.

    Their bodies are huge, and they have these thick arms. It looks like they are made of¡­¡­stone?

    Their legs look too thin and unreliable to be carrying all that weight though.

    They taper off the further down you go, coming to a point like a needle. It created a light clanging noise each time it touched the ground.

    That light was coming from the golem¡¯s abdomen. A round window-like lens was fixed in the center, and the light was pouring out from it.

    [Saluena]: ¡°No, they¡¯re certainly gnomes. I remember seeing some a thousand years ago.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh? Really? But, it¡¯s a well-established theory that gnomes are all cute girls¡­¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°They¡¯re in there. Be careful. A gnome that has regained its primordial power would be incredibly hard.¡±

    Just as Saluena said that though¡­¡­

    *Gakiiiiin!!*

    [Toslin]: ¡°Uwoah!?¡±

    Toslin¡¯s sorrowful bawl rang out.

    I hurriedly turned my gaze back towards the action where I found the sword-wielding Toslin dumbly standing there stunned.

    Immediately afterwards, I heard something hard hitting the floor and rolling away.

    [Iris]: ¡°No way¡­¡­¡±

    It was Toslin¡¯s sword¡­¡­.or the blade at least.

    Her favorite sword, which had been able to cut through a dragon¡¯s scales, had snapped in half.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, her sword¡­¡­it¡¯s broken!!¡±

 CH 141

    [Lapris]: You¡¯re not supposed to break those things you know. What are you going to do without your weapon?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I¡¯m thinking about that now!! Damn it! Was it already cracked? There was the ice golem, the dragon, the carbuncle, those stone statues earlier, and now for these gnome golems to be the ones finishing it off? Hold on those are way too many enemies!! Obviously this is going to happen now that I think about it!!¡±

    Toslin didn¡¯t pull away despite her sword being broke.

    She continued to voice her irritation aloud while still trying to keep one of the gnome golems preoccupied.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, that¡¯s dangerous Toslin!!¡±

    The gnome golem brought its column-like arm down towards Toslin.

    It was just as I threw out my hand to have Unicorn throw up a defensive barrier,

    [Toslin]: ¡°HYAaaaaah!!¡±

    *CraCrash!!*

    that Toslin kicked the gnome.

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh?¡±

    The golem lost its balance, crashing down on its back.

    While I dumbfoundedly stared at her, she shouted at Carol.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi Carol!! Get over to Goldmund and give me that sword we took off those stone statues!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, you¡¯re going to use that thing? There¡¯s no way right?¡±

    Those statues we fought are at least twice as tall as Toslin. And they aren¡¯t even close to being the same weight class.

    Does Toslin intend to push through that weight difference by simply gritting her teeth and pushing through?

    There¡¯s no way¡­¡­unless¡­¡­she really is part orc¡­¡­..

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh jeez, you¡¯ve been a real slave driver today.¡±

    Carol magically appeared right by Goldmund without me ever seeing her coming while lazily saying something rude like that. She unfastened the looted sword off his back and grabbed the hilt.

    [Carol]: ¡°Hwoh! No, it¡¯s impossible!! Unreasonably impossible, this thing is going to crush me!! Come here Saluena! I need your help!¡±

    Carol managed to pull it down, but lifting it up was too much for her. She couldn¡¯t support the weight and looked like she was about to be crushed.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Her broken sword was heavy enough, but this one is at least twice the weight. Can she wield it?¡±

    That¡¯s what Saluena says, but she¡¯s still holding the looted sword up with one hand. Rose-san included, these people able to fight with these kind of weapons are amazing.

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah I¡¯m not sure. But we should probably give it to her anyway.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.. Well, I suppose we¡¯ll see.¡±

    Saluena was suspiciously looking over the sword for a moment, but she soon tossed it over to Toslin anyway.

    They kept talking about how heavy it was, yet the sword still flew in a perfect parabola as it spun through the air.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Thanks. You saved me.¡±

    *ShaShing!* The sword fell point down, digging it straight into the ground.

    Toslin reached out towards the sword¡¯s hilt without taking her eyes off the gnome golem. She then easily, and I mean seriously without any effort at all, pulled it out.

    [Toslin]: ¡°O~kay! I¡¯m going to start by smashing in those puny little legs of yours.¡±

    She immediately got to work on her threat. Toslin charged forward, swinging down the huge, blunt sword.

    Her body didn¡¯t give out from under her despite the increased weight. She swung it like it was her usual sword, with both feet firmly planted on the ground.

    *CraCraCrack!!!*

    The gnome golem had risen back to its feet and met Toslin head-on.

    However its thin needle-like legs were immediately snapped in half from Toslin¡¯s strike, and its body slammed back down onto the ground once again.

    *Badish!!*

    The ground shook as a loud crash split through the air.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hooooooooo-raaaaaaaaah!!¡±

    *BaBum!!*

    Unable to stand up with its legs gone, the golem had no chance of winning. Then, with a massive battle cry, Toslin crushed the golem¡¯s head with a lump of iron and silenced it completely.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Step by step she¡¯s becoming less and less like an elf.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oh, so you think so too Anego?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I can hear you Lapris and Saluena!!¡±

    No but, I mean it¡¯s kind of¡­¡­.I saw the same thing they did, and I sorta had the same impression.

    I mean, the impression given off by somebody easily swinging around a giant chunk of iron over their heads is just so far off from the image I have of an elf.

    *Gagong!!*

    [Rose]: ¡°It seems both of us managed to make due somehow.¡±

    Ah, I was so preoccupied with Toslin that I forgot Rose-san was dealing with the other gnome golem.

    My gaze darted over just in time to see Rose-san about to deal the finishing blow on the fallen gnome golem.

    *Baaak!!*

    Rose-san did as Toslin had done before and shattered the golem¡¯s head with her mace.

    [Iris]: ¡°Woah, that¡¯s kind of amazing¡­¡­.¡±

    The golem Rose-san had dealt with was in much worse condition than what the other one was.

    Its torso was covered in cracks along with its limbs.

    It was clear that her spiked mace was driven into its body over and over again.

    [Iris]: ¡°Good job out there Rose-san.¡±

    Rose-san held her hand out to me as I trotted over.

    [Rose]: ¡°Do not get too close. The gnome itself is still in there. Is that right Oneesama?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Mm, that¡¯s right. These attacks mean they¡¯ve regained their primordial power. It¡¯s best if we stay on guard.¡±

    There are spirits pretty much all over the world, and the reason why they never attack anybody is because of the restrictions the Goddess has imposed on the world.

    In the Goddess¡¯s world, spirits are unable to use their own power when they want.

    It¡¯s only when spirits are supplied with a person¡¯s mana that their power can be used. And even then, it manifests itself in the form we want and with the limitations that the Goddess set.

    That is the effect of the still-binding chains imposed on them a thousand years ago during the Illyarian War. It is the reason of this world.

    [Carol]: ¡°Is it okay to open this glass window-like thing then?¡±

    Carol moved close to the golem¡¯s still body.

    Those lenses had emitted so much light before, but now all that was left was a light flicker.

    [Carol]: ¡°Is it unlocked? I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s something we can even open.¡±

    It happened as Carol said such and touched the lens.

    The golem¡¯s entire body began rattling around as a plume of smoke erupted from the body.

    [Iris]: ¡°Carol!?¡±

    And in the next instant, *KABOOM!!*, the whole thing blew apart.

    [Carol]: ¡°Fuwaaaaaah!?¡±

    I managed to keep her safe by throwing one of Unicorn¡¯s defensive barriers between her and the exploding body.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ah, hey! The gnomes are getting away!!¡±

    But the gnomes, who would have been at the center of the explosion, spun through the air and fell to the floor¨Ctheir bodies melting into the ground just like that.

    [Iris]: ¡°T-They disappeared¡­¡­.¡±

    For just an instant, I managed to get my first look at a gnome.

    She was a small and very cute girl, just like stories say.

    [Carol]: ¡°*Cough* *Cough*¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Carol managed to walk out from the cloud of dust kicked up by the explosion with just a light cough.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi, are you okay Carol?¡±

    Toslin rushed over to check, but it didn¡¯t look like she was injured.

    [Carol]: ¡°I dropped my guard there a bit. Thanks Iris.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I-It¡¯s okay! As long as you¡¯re safe.¡±

    Bits and pieces of the debris remaining from the golem bodies rolled across the floor.

    The gnomes themselves are gone, so was this just their ride? The broken bits of the golem bodies aren¡¯t disappearing and just sitting there in the dirt.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Toslin. We still have a ways to go, but it¡¯s better for us to turn back for now. These gnomes are almost certainly that new type of monster we were looking for.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, it matches the description we received before coming here. I agree with Sally-oneesama Toslin-san. Whether we wish to continue further later on or not, we should bring this information back to Litzreich-san at the very least.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Yeah, sure. I got it. You¡¯re right. We¡¯re here for an investigation, not to conquer the whole dungeon. Bringing back these things¡¯ bodies will be good enough.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Plus you broke your weapon.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Haa~, you don¡¯t need to remind me. Can I even fix this¡­¡­..?¡±

    Toslin held up the hilt of her former sword in one hand and the broken off blade in the other. Her shoulders drooped down as a helpless sigh passed her lips.

    She¡¯s had the sword ever since she left home. It¡¯s like her partner. I hope it can be fixed¡­¡­.

    After loading up the more intact fragments of the golem bodies onto Goldmund¡¯s back, we began the hours-long journey back the way we came.

 CH 142

    Heading out of the dungeon, we made our way straight to where Litzreich was waiting for us inside the school.

    The sun had already set and the time for students to head home had long passed.

    Despite there being no students at the school, Litzreich was still in her office, banging some kind of weird tool against a couple of parts resting in front of her.

    [Toslin]: ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Toslin was the first of us to say anything as we all watched the smoke wafting off those parts.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh ho, back already? I thought for sure I wouldn¡¯t be seeing you for at least a day, but I suppose this is what I should¡¯ve expected from the party that slew a dragon.¡±

    Litzreich pulled off her lab coat, darkened black with soot and dirt, replacing it with the frilled jacket she usually like to wear.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°No need to worry about any of that. It¡¯s a failure anyway. So? I take it your investigation bore fruit?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Yeah, we think so. Rose, could you set it there?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, just a moment.¡±

    After Toslin pointed at the table, Rose-san walked up from behind and dropped the pieces of the gnome golem we had brought with us. Everything from the lens, to the larger bits of armor we scavenged together, to the core-like crystal fragments we found inside.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Ooh!? What is this? A lens? No, it¡¯s somehow¡­¡­some kind of transparent stone¡­¡­.and is this the core to a golem? It has crumbled a bit, but where did you get your hands on something like this?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°This, of course we got it from the dungeon. It was¡­¡­.um¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°The 35th floor. It was right here on the map.¡±

    Rose-san spread out our map across the little empty space left on the table. Litzreich¡¯s gaze continued to move between it and the pieces we brought back before stifling a groan.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­so in other words, this is what remains from that new type of monsters our knights had reported¡­¡­.is this all that¡¯s left?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°We did what we could. They were tough, so we broke ¡¯em.¡±

    Carol gave a brief summary of what exactly happened down there.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hoh, I see¡­¡­ Gnomes? You¡¯re telling me they were riding inside this golem¡­¡­.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yep. And there were a couple of bold loire before that? They were these statues of knights that could move and attacked us. What floor was that again?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Why are you asking me? I¡¯m the one who asked you to investigate.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Those gnomes probably created the bold loire as well. They then told them to attack any intruders¡­¡­.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Wait wait wait. When you say gnomes, you mean the spirits beaten during the Illyarian War right? But the curse placed on them afterwards¡­¡­.er, and by that I of course mean the blessing, I mean, they shouldn¡¯t be able to attack people right?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°The Goddess¡¯s blessing certainly prevent spirits from becoming hostile against others, but there are cases where some regain their primordial power and attack.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Sure, I heard that things like that happen from time to time, but¡­¡­.why? Why are these gnomes rampaging now? I have examined every abnormal incident ever recorded that has happened in that dungeon, yet not once has the word ¡®gnome¡¯ ever appeared. Let alone one of them having gone wild like this.¡±

    A pensive look crossed Litzreich¡¯s face as she slumped down onto the arm of her chair in thought.

    Seeing her like that, Saluena reached out an empathetic olive branch.

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­for that matter, just how informed are you?¡±

    ¡­¡­..oh.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°W-What do you mean by that?¡±

    Saluena¡¯s narrow gaze caused Litzreich to actually shrink back for once.

    We brainstormed together as to why these gnomes would be causing such a ruckus while we were making our way out of the dungeon, and we all settled on a certain hypothesis.

    However a national secret would have to be known in order to formulate that hypothesis. And that secret isn¡¯t something we are allowed to repeat aloud.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa, how much am I allowed to tell her?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..I hold no position inside the temple¡­¡­my apologies. It is impossible for me to say for sure.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°But she¡¯s our client, so there isn¡¯t really any other choice than to tell her.¡±

    With Toslin chipping in, Rose-san took a moment to think before nodding.

    [Rose]: ¡°Litzreich-san. Could you lend us some of your time and join us at the church?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmm, right now? W-Well, I don¡¯t really mind¡­.. Unless, no way¡­¡­you¡¯re secretly trying to isolate me so you can dispose of your rival in love!?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°When did we become rivals? I have no intention of doing anything of the sort, so please just quietly follow.¡±

    ?

    [Marie]: ¡°I see¡­¡­ Which is why you have come to me.¡±

    Once we had arrived at the church, we were escorted to Archbishop Marie Arone¡­¡­or Marie-sama¡¯s private office.

    It was a simple room without any kind of decorative furnishings despite how large it was. It kind of reminded me of our room at the Shining Hen.

    Marie-sama beckoned me over while I was lost in my feelings of d¨¦j¨¤ vu despite this being my first time in the room.

    [Marie]: ¡°Come here Iris-chan.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes! What is it?¡±

    Marie-sama pulled out a small box from her drawer as I sprinted over.

    [Marie]: ¡°Here, have some candy? I hear you are attending school now. Do your best in your studies.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Woah, so beautiful¡­¡­.¡±

    When I opened the box¡¯s lid, I found rows of beautiful pieces of candy as radiant as gems. There was a rainbow of colors, and each of them had their own sweet aroma.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you very much Marie-sama.¡±

    I brought both my hands together in front of my chest, bent my knees, and gave Marie-sama a small bow.

    [Marie]: ¡°Fufufu, my my. How elegant. Did you learn how to bow while you were at school?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°N-No, it was Rose-san who¡­..¡±

    I practiced all sorts things on etiquette including how to bow with Rose-san and Noelia-san when I was preparing for my audience.

    I wasn¡¯t able to do it right away, but I feel like I¡¯m getting better at it little by little as time goes on.

    [Marie]: ¡°Priestess Rosalith¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes¡±

    Marie-sama turned to Rose-san after patting my head.

    [Marie]: ¡°It is a tad informal, but¡­..¡±

    Marie-sama pressed her middle and index finger to the spot right above Rose-san¡¯s chest where the tikarodeka coat of arms was inscribed on her armor.

    [Marie]: ¡°By my authority as an archbishop, I recognize you as a priestess of the highest caliber and hereby name you high priestess.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­you honor me Marie Arone-sama.¡±

    With those short words, Rose-san performed a bow much more elegant than mine had been.

    Woah, is that a promotion? Or, I suppose they would rather call this an advance in rank right?

    I¡¯m not sure what rank Rose-san was before, (or that there even were ranks to be honest), but this is a good thing right?

    [Marie]: ¡°I pray that you continue to serve as her sword and shield from now on.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I will. I swear to protect Calvafon-sama even if it costs me my life.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡­¡­..but, somehow, this makes me feel a bit lonely.

    Rose-san is referring to me by my last name, and it almost sounds like she¡¯s saying she is only protecting me because she¡¯s a priestess.

    No, I know that¡¯s not how it really is. Rose-san has been kind to me and has been protecting me from before I ever received this grimoire.

    But, I¡¯ve been feeling close to Rose-san lately, so her acting like that is strangely worrisome to me.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°So, is everything all right then? Can I find out why you needed me here?¡±

    Litzreich had been on pins and needles the entire time over here, and she was finally unable to stop herself.

    [Marie]: ¡°High Priestess Rosalith. You now have the authority to confer our secrets. I would ask you to explain things to Rinrin-sama.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Certainly.¡±

    Rose-san turned towards Litzreich with a nod.

    [Litzeich]: ¡°What? You mean¡­..this is something so secret, you needed the archbishop¡¯s permission to tell me about it?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°That is correct. And with my newly appointed power and authority, I must forbid you from ever repeating anything you are about to hear aloud.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­..I must admit I tend to be a tad loose-lipped. What happens if I break that ban?¡±

    Litzreich responded with her usual gall.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..then you will come to regret those loose lips.¡±

    Yet Rose-san answered with her usual smile.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­so be it. Then I, Litzreich Rinrin, vow to never disclose what I am about to hear.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Good enough. Now, listen up. You ask why the gnomes have suddenly appeared and begun to rampage after a thousand years? What I am about to tell you is the most likely reason.¡±

 CH 143

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­Osnell, is still alive?¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s eyes opened wide after Rose-san revealed the church¡¯s most heavily guarded secret.

    [Rose]: ¡°To be precise, his soul has been separated from his body and sealed away. The first lies beneath the Goddess Illya¡¯s Castle of Silence. The second is locked away in Endura, the boundary between worlds.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­that¡­¡­unbelievable¡­¡­¡±

    [Marie]: ¡°It¡¯s true Rinrin-sama. The Goddess Illya sealed Osnell away at the end of the war with the Grief Sphere a thousand years ago. Afterwards, the jewel was shattered, and its fragments were spread across the world.¡±

    Marie-sama took control of the conversation and affirmed Rose-san¡¯s words, forcing Litzreich to believe.

    [Saluena]: ¡°One of the fragments was with Lapris. It was located in the fairy village located not too far off from where my master lived.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Yeah, right. I went out that day, and when I came back, I found my village under attack from a dark elf.¡±

    After that, Lapris began searching for her friends, but she ended up finding a golem and some goblins instead and had to play a game of hide and seek for the next couple of days.

    [Toslin]: ¡°And then, she had her fateful encounter with us!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Lucky her!!¡±

    As Toslin and Carol wrapped their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, Lapris glared at them both with half-open eyes.

    [Lapris]: ¡°I hate you both, so much. Just remembering back then pisses me off beyond words.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Now now, there was nothing for it. We were just a flock of young chicks back then.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah yeah. We could take on one or two ice golems with room to spare now, so we would definitely save you if it came down to it. We¡¯re comrades after all. So how about giving us a fairy feather?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°There is no way I am going to do that. They¡¯re for Iris, Rose, and Anego, and that is it. You guys go off and die on your own.¡±

    These two were trying to suck up to Lapris using smiles filled with greed and selfishness while Litzreich was about to burst from what she just heard on her own.

    [Saluena]: ¡°The carbuncle, a spirit still in control of its primordial power, awoke not too far off from Soletta Ritta when the Grief Sphere shard was taken¡­¡­so it is not too unreasonable to think that these gnomes beneath the capital have awoken for the same reason¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It is just speculation, but we cannot discount the possibility that it is not just the gnomes that have been awoken. There could be something even more dangerous commanding them in the dungeon¡¯s depths.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­..ah, that¡¯s¡­¡­can I report this to Olivar? I don¡¯t think this is just the school¡¯s problem.¡±

    [Marie]: ¡°Of course you can Rinrin-sama. As a matter of fact, I will make my own report as well.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I would appreciate that Marie Arone-dono. Although¡­¡­¡±

    Litzreich brushed her hair away from her sleepy face and looked towards us.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°So, you didn¡¯t just take care of a dragon but a primordial spirit as well?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hehehe, amazing right?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°You slept through the whole thing.¡±

    Toslin brought her fist down on Carol¡¯s head.

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh¡­¡­y-yeah¡­¡­.I was¡­..¡±

    But Toslin¡¯s little comeback caused Carol to remember the dream she was having during the fight which caused her to divert her eyes towards the ground as her face turned a bright red.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­no, don¡¯t just fall silent¡­..¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh, but¡­¡­you know¡­¡­you¡¯re right¡­¡­.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin stared at Carol for a while¡­¡­

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oh, right¡±

    and then suddenly clapping her hands together, she grabbed Carol¡¯s hand.

    [Toslin]: ¡°I need to send my sword in to get repaired before the day ends, so please excuse me. Sorry Rose, but you can take care of everything else?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Y-yes, I can manage¡­..¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hold on Toslin? Are you really leaving right now?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°You aren¡¯t going to be able to help any even if you stay here, so come with me.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°That¡¯s too sudden¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin left just like that, practically dragging Carol behind her.

    Shock left us unable to do anything as we watched them go, but after a moment passed, we slowly came back to ourselves.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°So those two. They¡¯re like that?¡±

    Litzreich was the first of us to speak up. She had clearly sensed the subtly sweet air flowing between the two of them and asked the first question that would have popped into her mind.

    [Iris]: ¡°N-No that¡¯s, how would¡­¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s true that the two of them have been especially close since the fight with the carbuncle, but it¡¯s not like either of them have said anything about it to us yet.

    Well, even if Litzreich¡¯s right, and they are like that, Toslin probably wouldn¡¯t voluntarily tell us though.

    [Saluena]: ¡°For now at least, our job is finished. The request was to investigate our mystery monsters which has thankfully been accomplished.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But, we haven¡¯t reached the bottom of the dungeon yet? Rose-san might be right, and there could be something else down there.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°My main reason for thinking as such is because the carbuncle in Soletta Ritta used shadow spirits to fight. I suspect this incident is most likely going to be the same.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Mu¡­..we should definitely consider the possibility at least. For now I will investigate the wreckage you brought back to me and make my report to Olivar. I¡¯m sorry, but for the next four or five days¡­¡­.no, could I ask you to hold off on going back for another week? I would like to issue another quest to investigate the dungeon when I¡¯m finished, and I hope you will accept.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Of course. When you are ready, contact Toslin-san and me about it, and we can go over the details then.¡±

    [Marie]: ¡°Is that everything then?¡±

    Marie-sama¡¯s cheerful voice rang out, reminding us that she had been left patiently waiting with her fingers interlocked together.

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, thank you. My apologies for disturbing you suddenly.¡±

    Rose-san apologized, but Marie-sama shook her head.

    [Marie]: ¡°Oh my, think nothing of it. After all, this is the church. I would hope that Iris-chan and priestesses like you would consider this place as home.¡±

    Marie-sama spoke with a solemn expression that made her the spitting image of the holy mother.

    [Marie]: ¡°¡­¡­.with ? that ? being ? said, Iris-chan?¡±

    But a second later, she turned towards me with a wide, cat-like smile.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes? What is it?¡±

    [Marie]: ¡°Are you feeling hungry? All the sisters have been wanting to see you again. Grimm-sama¡¯s group and I are the only ones who ever get to talk to you, so they often call me sly.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°O-Oh¡­¡­¡±

    [Marie]: ¡°So, how about it? Would you consider helping me out and having a meal here? Won¡¯t you let the girls take care of you?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°T-Take care of¡­¡­..?¡±

    At the castle, you will find the strongest maid in history, Noelia-san.

    At the church, there are the sisters.

    [Marie]: ¡°Hey? Please. Help me out¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m surrounded by people working to drag me further down the corrupted path.

    The royal capital. What kind of terrifying place is this? If things keep going on like this, I might really end up becoming a bad child.

    Sarah might end up scolding me through Plushie Unicorn again.

    [Iris]: ¡°Okay. Please take good care of me.¡±

    But I couldn¡¯t withstand those tempestuous eyes and nodded my head almost immediately.

    Sarah, I¡¯m sorry.

    I¡¯m a bad sister.

 CH 144

    [Lapris]: ¡°The dragon¡¯s sharp fangs were hurtling towards Iris¡¯s helpless body. When suddenly! With the setting sun at my back, I soared down out of the sky and delivered a powerful kick right into the dragon¡¯s face!¡±

    ¡°Wow, how brave you are!¡±

    ¡°Just what you expect from Lapris-sama, the fairy chosen by the Goddess!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°It was then that the dragon sensed the tremendous latent power sleeping within me. His focus shifted towards me as he pulled back his lips and showed me his uneven teeth¡­¡­¡­¡±

    It was the third morning after our dive into the dungeon.

    Lapris was addressing the rest of my classmates inside my classroom and telling them all about what happened in Relton. She was really getting into it by giving a full-blown demonstration instead of just a few arm gestures.

    [Lapris]: ¡°The elf knight Toslin swung her blade, the cold metal digging itself into the dragon¡¯s neck!! The monstrous lizard¡¯s body spasmed in place before collapsing into the dirt. Seeing that, we all thought victory was ours¡­¡­.but then, the dragon sprang back to life!!¡±

    Lapris kept pacing around on top of my head. Maybe it¡¯s because of how worked up she had made herself, but her feet were constantly getting tangled in my hair, yanking it around and hurting me a bit.

    ¡°Woah, dragons are really strong after all aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Even the brave Ashel wasn¡¯t able to kill it. It couldn¡¯t be that easy.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hey Lapris, you¡¯re hurting me. Could you get off my head?¡±

    Neither Lapris nor my classmates paid me any mind even after I fell prostrate on top of my desk. Even Lou-chan was engrossed in Lapris¡¯s story with her eyes sparkling like diamonds.

    [Lapris]: ¡°The dragon managed to lift its head even as blood spurted from its gaping wounds. The wounded beast had worked itself into a frenzy. The werewolf thief Carol quickly ran up the dragon¡¯s back, aiming for its eyes, but the dragon twisted its head away and out of her reach. The dragon then swung it tree trunk-like tail at the spot where Carol would have landed after jumping away!!¡±

    It¡¯s been three days since the rest of the class found out about Lapris. In other words, the morning after the dungeon exploration.

    The reason why they found out was because Lapris had forgotten to hide and was just leisurely lounging on top of my head like it was normal. She was caught as soon as I stepped foot into the classroom.

    I knew it would be impossible to have her always hiding inside my hair the entire time I was at school, so I told her that morning she didn¡¯t have to come with me¡­¡­.

    I didn¡¯t notice that she had come along anyway until I opened the classroom door and everyone¡¯s gazes jumped straight towards my head.

    When we had a moment alone I asked her what she was doing here. Her response was, ¡°I wanted to be with you.¡±

    (Even though she¡¯s usually so foul-mouthed, every now and then she says some cute things.)

    [Lapris]: ¡°Iris rose to her feet and pulled out a book. It was the Hadion Grimoire gifted to her directly from the Goddess¡±

    ¡°Hadion¡­¡­.the one sung about in the Hero¡¯s epic. The knight who betrayed the Goddess a thousand years ago.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°The very same. Hadion was imprisoned in a world of darkness a thousand years ago for her sins, and Iris was opening that very knight¡¯s grimoire. Her brave, sonorous voice was dripping with magic power as she read from it, and finally Hadion, the Dark Violet Knight, the strongest warrior humanity has ever seen, appeared before the dragon!!¡±

    (Uuu, so embarrassing¡­¡­..)

    Lapris keeps breaking up her story with dramatic pauses. And during each of those breaks, my body was left writhing in embarrassment at my desk. I wanted to at least pretend like I was anywhere else but here however since this is pretty much the exact same thing I did to Rose-san before, I figured that this was my comeuppance and tried bearing through it.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hadion appeared in response to the maiden¡¯s prayer. She held out her thick shield in one hand to brush away the dragon¡¯s flames, and in the other, she brandished her sword and beheaded the dragon with a single swing!! Its head fell to the ground followed by its enormous body before Hadion turned back around and knelt at Iris¡¯s feet. She then kissed the back of Iris¡¯s hand and said:

    ¡°Grimoire Master, pure maiden Iris Calvafon. You have rescued this decaying soul from the darkness, and so I shall raise this sword and shield in your name. This is my oath. Engraved on this dark violet ring is my vow which shall never vanish.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Lapris managed to repeat back word for word what Saluena had said to me without making a single mistake.

    I know that because I remember what she said back then as well. Even now those words act as a radiant light inside my mind.

    ¡°Kyaaa!! That¡¯s so cool Calvafon-sama!!¡±

    ¡°Just like a knight swearing their allegiance to a princess!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hey now, Iris isn¡¯t like a princess. She¡¯s the genuine article.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard about that!! She has an entire knight company bearing the Goddess¡¯s name at her beck and call!!¡±

    The story of Saluena and me was kicking up a fuss with the rest of the class. Even Lou-chan was enraptured with Lapris¡¯s amazing storytelling ability and staring at me in awe. There¡¯s no way I would be able to pull someone in with my words like she is.

    [Lapris]: ¡°The ring fitted on Iris¡¯s left hand is proof of that knightly vow. The Dark Violet ring!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on her ring finger!!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaa!! A ring from a knight placed on her ring finger¡­¡­and they¡¯re both women!¡±

    ¡°Beautiful!! It hastens the heart!!¡±

    As a group of noble girls starved for any kind of stimulation, my classmates were sensitive to this kind of topic.

    One person was drawn deeply into Lapris¡¯s story and began begging for more. Another girl was clutching her chest while ruminating over what she had heard so far. There were a couple of girls mimicking what they heard in the story and kissing the back of each others¡¯ hands. Among them¡­¡­there was one girl so overwhelmed with emotion they actually started crying.

    (Why¡­¡­are these nobles so pure?)

    It wasn¡¯t like this with Mycena. After I told her about the fight with with dragon, the first thing she asked me was, ¡°So how much is dragon meat worth?¡± I guess it just goes to show,

    commoners prefer to think in profit rather than dreams.

    Well, I guess that doesn¡¯t apply to everyone.

    As I reminisced about someone who wasn¡¯t here, I allowed Lapris to keep traipsing on top of my head for a little while longer.

    ?

    Lunch break between classes.

    I was eating in the courtyard with the other girls in my class.

    [Iris]: ¡°Haa¡­¡­.I¡¯m so warm and full it¡¯s making me want to take a nap~¡­¡­..¡±

    I let out a long yawn while slouching down on the bench at the pavilion.

    Afterwards, Lou-chan smiled from her seat next to me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, sorry. My manners are kind of bad huh.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re quite fascinating Airi-chan.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, you think so?¡±

    I¡¯ve been called a lazybones and told that I like to do things at my own pace before, but I think this is the first time anyone¡¯s called me fascinating.

    [Lou]: ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone like you before.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s just because I come from a tried and true commoner family. Of course you aren¡¯t going to meet someone like me when you were born a noble Lou-chan.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Which is why I was thinking¡­¡­how lucky I am.¡±

    Lou-chan was beaming at first, but after her eyes met with mine, she quickly turned her gaze downwards.

    Her voice quieted down, and it was difficult to tell what she was saying as she went on. I couldn¡¯t even hear the last bit she said over the sound of the rest of our classmates¡¯ voices.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, watch yourself. Iris is the type who picks up girls wherever she goes. If you get too close, you¡¯re going to get burned.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°B-Burned?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°What are you telling her Lapris!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Am I wrong? Whether it be Soletta or Rifront, you became close friends to the women there right away.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°S-She did?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. Even if she says we¡¯re close friends, we¡¯re really just friends and¡­¡­.that really isn¡¯t much of an explanation, is it? For that matter why am I even bothering to explain? You¡¯re not wrong. And there¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°B-But¡­¡­.Airi-chan does seem like the type who would be popular with women¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..what?¡±

    I feel like Charlie said something similar the last time I saw her.

    Like, really though? Is that the impression I give off?

    [Lapris]: ¡°And now Iris has set her sights on you.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Wha-, EHHhhhh!? You mean, me¡­¡­Airi-chan is!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°T-There¡¯s no way right? But, um¡­¡­.¡±

    Am I supposed to give a strong denial here?

    But, I don¡¯t want to say anything that¡¯ll make Lou-chan think she isn¡¯t charming.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, or maybe so? I think Lou-chan is a cute and incredibly charming girl.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°See? This is how Iris scores with women who¡¯ve caught her eye. Be careful.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Grrrrrr, GEEZ!! Keep quiet Lapris!!¡±

    Lapris was cackling aloud on top of my head. I was fuming.

    [Lou]: ¡°Uh, um¡­¡­well¡­¡­¡±

    And Lou-chan¡¯s confusion had broken her.

    [Iris]: ¡°Sorry Lou-chan. Lapris has a penchant for mischief.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°R-Right¡­¡­. You and Lapris-sama seem close.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, oh, well¡­¡­I guess you could say we get along.¡±

    So long as I¡¯m ignoring her foul mouth and mischievous spirit.

    I glanced up towards my ostentatious little fairy and sighed.

    [Lou]: ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    That was when Lou-chan reacted to something she saw behind me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hm?¡±

    Turning around to look myself, I found Rose-san walking across the campus while chatting with a couple students who were following her.

    [Iris]: ¡°Recognizing one of them, I unconsciously jumped to my feet.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hey, that girl¡­¡­.isn¡¯t she the one who was picking a fight with you during that practice session?¡±

    A girl with golden locks draped down her clavicle swaying in the wind¡­¡­..

    Grides-san, the only student here who has met me with clear hostility.

 CH 145

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Grides-san, is walking right next to Rose-san.

    There are four, no, five other people as well? Each of them are students about the same age as her all crowding around Rose-san.

    Rose-san is wearing her usual smile while taking the time to address each of them in turn. At this distance, I can¡¯t tell what they¡¯re all saying.

    But, it¡¯s clear to see that they are having fun.

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­oi, what are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to go talk to her? You usually run straight over to her while wagging your tail like a dog.¡±

    Lapris gave me a strange look.

    All of the sudden, being able to see long distances like I can now has become inconvenient.

    I have learned today that being able to see things clearly can make your heart ache.

    I moved to take off the pair off glasses I was wearing, but just as my fingers brushed up against the frame, Grides-san¨Cnot Rose-san¨Cnoticed me.

    She looked at us for only a second before turning back towards Rose-san, but she wrapped her arms around Rose-san¡¯s arm and clung to her as if to show off as she did.

    Rose-san was clearly surprised at Grides-san for suddenly sticking to her, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind it.

    She has been and always will be kind to everyone equally. The proof was in how she simply turned to Grides-san and gave her the same smile she gave the other girls.

    I told Rose-san about what happened with Grides-san during magic practice the night that it happened.

    And yet, here she was, having fun with that very same Grides-san. It was shocking to say the least, but more than that¡­¡­

    [Lapris]: ¡°And there they go. Hey, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been quiet for awhile now.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Are you okay Airi-chan? You look pale.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯m fine. They looked like they were having so much fun I just figured me running over there might dampen the mood¡­¡­..that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¨D¨Dit felt like Rose-san had betrayed me.

    ?

    That night.

    Rose-san and I were alone together, walking down the castle hallway on our way to the bath after finishing dinner.

    I was walking right beside her as I normally do, but what I saw earlier today during lunch keeps flickering through my mind.

    [Iris]: ¡°About Litzreich, it sounds like her talk with the king is dragging on.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I thought it would. We do not know how many gnomes have awakened in the dungeon, so a cautious strategy is our best option moving forward.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Our conversation ended there and the silence set in.

    This kind of thing happens often when I¡¯m alone with Rose-san.

    I¡¯ve always felt comfortable with the silence and never felt like I had to think of something to fill it in. Until now that is. Compared to the other times, this silence feels¡­¡­..heavy.

    I could hear some kind of music coming from a place I couldn¡¯t see, but I didn¡¯t feel like enjoying it right now.

    [Rose]: ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    Whether she knew what was going on in my heart or not, Rose-san asked the question.

    ¨D¨Dwith the same smile she gives to everyone.

    [Iris]: ¡°N-No¡­..nothing at all.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    It¡¯s just that something I thought was special turned out to be¡­¡­.

    ¡°What if it¡¯s all perfectly normal, the kind of thing she¡¯d show anyone?¡±

    I might have been making a terrible misunderstanding until now.

    I got conceited and asked her for a date. And when she said yes, I got excited and became even more conceited¡­¡­.

    And now that I¡¯m realizing that I went and misunderstood things all on my own, I¡¯m feeling hurt and betrayed.

    What a troublesome woman I am! When did I become such a creep?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    No, that¡¯s not it.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san?¡±

    I surprised Rose-san a bit when I suddenly looked up after spending so much time with my head hanging down.

    Ever since I was a little kid, I¡¯ve been yanked around by Mycena and constantly getting dragged into her tomfoolery.

    We were always getting in trouble. And that¡¯s the reason why Mycena was always my only friend and all the other kids ostracized the both of us.

    After growing up in that kind of harsh environment, it takes more than a couple of snide comments to make me lose heart.

    No matter how much someone criticizes me or feels the need to brag about themselves in front of me, their words would be nothing more than a summer breeze to my ears.

    So, being wishy washy like this doesn¡¯t suit me.

    I like Toslin.

    I like Carol.

    I like Saluena.

    And Lapris, of course I like her too.

    And if someone were to ask me if I loved Rose-san, I, I wouldn¡¯t be able to deny it.

    Mycena doesn¡¯t sit around and just think about it if she thinks someone is special.

    That¡¯s the one thing I respect about her.

    Her aggressiveness.

    If you want to be special to someone else, you can¡¯t afford to hesitate. You need to step up and claim them yourself.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san, Rose-san. Today I will wash your hair for you.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s no trouble?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Of course not. It has been a while since we took a bath together. I will make your hair so clean it¡¯ll sparkle.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, then I will leave it to you.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You won¡¯t regret it?¡°

    I then cheerfully hugged Rose-san¡¯s arm.

    I¡¯m greedy.

    And although it¡¯s probably wrong for me to say this about myself, but I am quite spoiled.

    Don¡¯t underestimate my desire to monopolize someone after all the years I spent being spoiled by Sarah.

    You aren¡¯t taking away what¡¯s mine without a fight.

    And this spot at Rose-san¡¯s side is private property.

 CH 146

    Eleonora Academy is a prestigious school.

    All of my classmates are good people, and I managed to become friends with Lou-chan on my first day. Lunch is delicious, and I get to eat as much as I want.

    Most of the lessons involve me reviewing things Grandpa already taught me, but every once in a while I come across something I don¡¯t know, and it¡¯s fun.

    It¡¯s fun getting to learn new things. It feels like my world is expanding.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..mumu¡±

    So far the only black spot in my school life would be magic practice.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hey, so¡­¡­. What have you been doing since a while ago?¡±

    I¡¯ve been moaning to myself in a corner of the lab since practice started.

    Lapris was sprawled out on the floor, yawning from how bored she was, but now that I¡¯m finally focused, I don¡¯t have the leeway to answer her.

    [Iris]: ¡°Mumu, Muu¡­¡­.¡±

    My body is currently filled with magic power. It¡¯s like I¡¯m a leather bag filled to the brim with water. All it would take is a little poke, and the little bag would crack and burst open. Well, metaphorically speaking. It¡¯s not like my whole body is going to explode if someone touches me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Fu¡­¡­¡±

    Taking in a deep breath, I circulated my magic power through my body. I move it through my entire body and focus it into my arms. From there it flows down into my fingers, and from my fingers¡­¡­it moves outwards.

    The magic power that was full to bursting flowed out of my body.

    It wasn¡¯t something you could see, but I could feel it happening.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I continued slowly spitting out magic power.

    I provided my magic power a direction to flow in, having it move straight outwards from my fingers¡­¡­or that was the idea at least.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oh? What is that?¡±

    Unlike me, Lapris is actually able to see magic power. So as I continued pushing my mana out of my fingers, she jumped to her feet shocked at what she was seeing.

    [Iris]: ¡°Magic power¡­¡­.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hoh¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m pushing it out¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°No, I can see that¡±

    After I managed to push everything out, I took another deep breath.

    [Iris]: ¡°Fu¡­..but, that¡¯s all I¡¯m doing. It¡¯s pretty difficult just releasing magic power without turning it into a spell.¡±

    There is an already established method for transforming magic power into a spell, so it is actually much easier than simply releasing magic power without any kind of purpose.

    What I¡¯m doing is like cooking without a recipe and expecting what I create to still be delicious.

    [Iris]: ¡°I need to keep increasing the things I can do.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Did you learn that from your grandpa¡¯s book? You were reading it in the dungeon.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°He wrote down a lot of interesting things, and it¡¯s fun reading through them.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hmph¡­.. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re supposed to be a lazybones or a hard-worker.¡±

    Lapris gave me something that was either a compliment or an insult, (I¡¯m not sure which), as I once again began gathering my magic power inside my body.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hey, Lapris? Why can¡¯t I use any magic?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Who knows.¡±

    She waved her hand as if it were a boring subject and gave me a cold answer.

    [Lapris]: ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue, but the sanctuary probably has something to do with it.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Sanctuary¡­..Saluena¡¯s?¡±

    My gaze fell on the ring fitted onto my left ring finger.

    [Lapris]: ¡°That sanctuary was originally meant to increase the efficiency of converting your magic power, but it means your mana had to change as a consequence. In fact, your magic power is darker that ordinary people¡¯s. It¡¯s subtle but definitely there.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hee, I see.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°So even if you have a ton more mana and know how to give it away, it¡¯s not going to mean much if no ordinary spirit is willing to take it. Although I¡¯m a fairy, not a spirit, so I can¡¯t really say for certain.¡±

    Lapris is the one speaking, but her explanation was very informative.

    [Iris]: ¡°You¡¯re really smart Lapris.¡±

    She just has an incredibly foul mouth.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Y-You think?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah. It makes sense, and honestly I¡¯m relieved to hear that the problem isn¡¯t me, just my magic power.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re the best person here at handling your mana.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Really?¡±

    I once again began releasing my mana. Maybe it¡¯s because this is my second time doing it, but it was easier this time around.

    [Iris]: ¡°Better than Grides-san?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hm? Oh~. Yeah.¡±

    Lapris looked over towards Grides-san. Right now she is practicing her spellwork with a partner. Lou-chan happens to also be practicing with our other classmates.

    It¡¯s just me, who is unable to cast any spells, who is quietly practicing in a corner by herself.

    [Lapris]: ¡°She¡¯s pretty good, but she¡¯s still rough around the edges. There¡¯s too much magic power being wasted there.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Fantastic.¡±

    For now, it looks like I win when it comes to magic technique.

    (If you¡¯re really looking to take Rose-san, try it only after you manage to beat me. Fufufufu¡­¡­.)

    Grides-san is firing off one brilliant spell after another in the center of the room. Meanwhile I¡¯m repeating the same seemingly meaningless exercise over and over again far off in the corner.

    You probably couldn¡¯t even call this a match at this point, but I¡¯m going to completely ignore that fact and continue practicing my magic.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hey, Lapris?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Yeah?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Thanks¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Yeah¡­..Yeah? For what?¡±

    Lapris tore her eyes away from Grandpa¡¯s notebook which she had been flipping through and look up at me.

    [Iris]: ¡°For being with me.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Haa? The Goddess asked me to protect you, so you don¡¯t¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You were afraid that everyone would laugh at me since I can¡¯t cast any spells right?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s why you keep coming to school with me every day right? And why you keep telling my classmates those stories¡­¡­.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°H-Haa!? None of that¡¯s for you. It¡¯s just because I would be bored if¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°So thank you Lapris. I love you.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    Considering how we first met each other, it¡¯s a bit of a miracle that we can be together like this now.

    That¡¯s why I wanted to tell her my honest feelings no matter what.

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­.don¡¯t you feel embarrassed saying stuff like that?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, what¡¯s that?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°That¡¯s what I should be asking¡­¡­.¡±

    It was difficult to tell because of Lapris¡¯s darker colored skin and her smaller face, but I understood what was wrong even without being able to see.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh ho, are you blushing?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Haa!? I¡¯m not blushing! Actually, aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s blushing!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°And? I¡¯m incredibly embarrassed, but what¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    I don¡¯t need to see my face to know it has gone a bright red. It¡¯s so hot I can almost see the steam rising off of me.

    [Lapris]: ¡°So you chose to self-destruct.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Because, I figured I had to properly tell you¡­¡­.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Uuu¡­¡­I can¡¯t deny that¡­¡­¡±

    My shoulders fell, and my head drooped down.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Me too¡­¡­¡±

    But after a moment passed, Lapris said something else.

    [Iris]: ¡°?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Damn it. I¡¯m only going to say this once, got it? So clean out those ears and listen carefully.¡±

    Lapris flapped her wings and fluttered up right in front of my face.

    She then folded her hands together and looked straight into my eyes while looking a little resentful.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Me too, towards you¡­..I¡­..l-like¡­.you¡­¡­.¡±

    Her words trailed off partway through, so it was difficult to pick up everything she said however the word like definitely reached my ears.

    [Lapris]: ¡°There, I said it and you heard it!! I¡¯m not going to say it ever again!! Okay, you got it!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    Hearing Lapris say something like that was so unexpected for me that I ended up forgetting I was in class.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Tch, what happened to your practice? Don¡¯t get a big head just because I told you you were the best among these girly girls here! You¡¯re still nothing more than a tiny little chick compared to that old man who lived next door to you! Check yourself! Remember that you baby chick! You¡¯re going to make me ask what you even came to this school for!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Okay~?¡°

    [Lapris]: ¡°What¡¯s with that stupid sounding response!? I¡¯ll beat you down! If you don¡¯t want to get your ass kicked and cry like the baby chick you are then concentrate!!¡±

    Honestly¡­¡­so foul-mouthed.

    But I don¡¯t care what she says.

    Because I told her I like her, and I got a like back.

    So no matter what she says, it isn¡¯t going to bring me down.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yosh! I¡¯m going to do my best!!¡±

    There is a thousand year old dungeon spread out below this school.

    Litzreich said before we were probably going to dive in again eventually.

    So I kept up my practice with Lapris in order to make myself stronger for when that time comes.

 CH 147

    The area around the school gate becomes crowded with carriages when it is time for school to let out.

    The time a student is let out depends entirely on their grade and what class they¡¯re in, yet despite this staggered release schedule, the fact remains that all of these girls are noble daughters. That means that all of them have carriages coming by to pick them up, so the area ends up filled up no matter what.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°You all¡­¡­.have you mistaken my room for some kind of hang-out?¡±

    And that¡¯s why we¡¯re killing some time in Litzreich¡¯s private lab. Everyone came to pick me up today, so we decided to wait here until our carriage could break through the traffic jam.

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Our carriage wasn¡¯t going anywhere, so we had to wait somewhere, and I wanted to check up on my sword. How is it faring?¡±

    Our gazes turned towards a lab table in one corner of the room. Lying on top of it was Toslin¡¯s beloved sword.

    Five days ago Toslin went around town with Carol trying to find a blacksmith who could repair her broken sword.

    However, when they saw how the sword had been cleanly broken through, every single blacksmith she asked told her it would be better to just buy a new one.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s in the middle of being joined back together. Don¡¯t touch it though? Unless you want the metal to fuse together with your skin.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hold on what? Scary¡­¡­.¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s warning came just in time for Carol to immediately draw her finger back before she touched the metal.

    [Toslin]: ¡°I left it to you because you told me you could fix it, but is this really going to fix it?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Of course it will. Who do you think I am?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°A pervert trying to get close to Iris?¡±

    Lapris didn¡¯t miss a beat in trying to cut down Litzreich.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Heheheh. That is just one of my many faces.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°So you aren¡¯t going to deny the pervert part then?¡±

    While Toslin drank her tea, Litzreich slipped on her lab coat while approaching the sword.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°This sword is really wonderful though. It was used well and broke well. It lived well as a sword and died a fitting death.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Is it made of some kind of special material? Or is it some kind of magic weapon like my dagger?¡±

    Now that I think about it, wasn¡¯t this sword handed down across the years in Toslin¡¯s family like her armor was?

    [Litzreich]: ¡°No? It¡¯s just an ordinary sword. Actually, the quality of the metal used for it is pretty poor.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Seriously. Just why did my ancestors insist on passing this thing down so religiously over the years?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Then there¡¯s no point in me fixing it. Connecting the two halves together will make it good for ornamental purposes at best.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not what you told me before. I asked you to fix it because I¡¯m going to need to use it.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Now hold on, listen to what I have to say to the end.¡±

    Litzreich calmed Toslin down before picking up a random jewel she had sitting next to her lab table.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I¡¯m not a blacksmith; I¡¯m a a witch who makes magic tools. I have my own way of doing things.¡±

    The room filled with the echo of Litzreich¡¯s joy-filled voice.

    Meanwhile I was sitting alone by the window and turned my gaze towards the scenery of the courtyard laying outside.

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­is something wrong Iris? You¡¯ve been looking a bit off for some time now.¡±

    It was Saluena who walked over and began talking to me. She was carrying a small bundle in her hand. It wasn¡¯t until she took a bite that I realized there were cookies inside.

    [Iris]: ¡°Did you get another present?¡±

    After making Rose-san angry over it just the other day, has Saluena been flirting with girls once again?

    [Saluena]: ¡°No, they¡¯re something I made myself. I get hungry around this time of day and thought they would make a good snack. Would you like one?¡±

    ¡­¡­is what I was thinking, but to my surprise, she actually made them herself. Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t she spend a lot of time in the kitchen with Sarah? This is probably something she learned.

    I gratefully accept one. Oh, is this chamomile? It seems like she mixed in some herbs into the dough giving them a refreshing taste alongside the sweetness.

    [Iris]: ¡°They¡¯re delicious.¡±

    Another minute passed with me listening to Litzreich¡¯s explanations while munching on my cookie.

    [Saluena]: ¡°So? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been awfully quiet lately.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You really do notice everything Saluena.¡±

    Saluena was the one who noticed the troubles plaguing Rose-san back in Soletta Ritta too. While I do admire her deep perceptiveness, it makes me feel just a bit jealous at the same time.

    [Saluena]: ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m always watching you.¡±

    Saluena shoved a second cookie into my mouth.

    [Saluena]: ¡°But to tell you the truth, I wasn¡¯t the first one to notice.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh?¡±

    Saluena used her fingers to wipe away some crumbs from the corner of my mouth and put them into hers. And then with those same fingers, she pointed behind her. Towards Rose-san who was anxiously sneaking glances my way.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa¡¯s been sneaking glances over here this entire time worried because she thought you¡¯ve been acting weird. I told her she should just ask you if something¡¯s wrong, but she said she¡¯d be too embarrassed if it was just her imagination. That¡¯s why I came over instead.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san¡­¡­¡±

    When our gazes met, Rose-san straightened her back and bent her neck. She then scampered across the room to where we were standing.

    [Rose]: ¡°H-Has something happened? Is there anything I can do to help?¡±

    I wanted to pretend like there was nothing wrong at all, but Rose-san¡¯s innocent, dewy eyes made me look away.

    [Iris]: ¡°No, well¡­¡­¡±

    ¨D¨DThree hours ago, something really did happen in the practice labs though.

    ?

    It was while Lapris and I were chatting away in the corner while practicing various things.

    [Grides]: ¡°My, just when I was thinking I wasn¡¯t going to see you anymore, I find you stuffed away in the corner.¡±

    Grides-san, a girl with blonde hair tied up on both sides of her head came over and started talking to me.

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a student here after all.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­..You mean you intend on staying?¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s smile morphed into an abnormally serious expression.

    [Grides]: ¡°I had heard you were absent from school the day after our first magic training class together. I was relieved to hear it because I thought you finally understood your position in life.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°There was something I had to do that day.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Oh, and what would that be? If you are a student here shouldn¡¯t there be nothing more important to you than your studies?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Iris just so happened to be¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Lapris¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Aah?¡±

    I appreciate you jumping in to defend me, but our investigation into the underground dungeon is supposed to be a secret.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Tch¡­¡­.yeah I know.¡±

    Lapris clicked her tongue and turned away from us. It makes me feel just a bit lonely considering how good it was between us a minute ago.

    [Lou]: ¡°Grides-san. W-What is going on?¡±

    Apparently, my regret at having Lapris turn away from me showed on my face because a second later, Lou-chan came to my rescue.

    [Grides]: ¡°My, you were¡­¡­the baron¡¯s daughter.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°My name is Lu Voux Konfiks. B-But that doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡­you¡¯re not saying anything strange to Airi-chan, are you?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Strange? No, I am simply stating the obvious. The venerable Eleonora Academy is not the kind of place meant for some ordinary commoner who can¡¯t even use magic.¡±

    Lou-chan knit her brows together once she had heard Grides-san¡¯s response.

    I¡¯ve been coming to this school for almost a full week now, but this was my first time ever seeing her make a face like that.

    [Lou]: ¡°T-That¡¯s not, That¡¯s not something for Grides-san to decide! I think.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°I wonder? I at the very least know the dreadfulness of magic. If someone thinks this is some pleasurable jaunt, they should vacate the premises right away. If Calvafon-san cannot use magic, she cannot defend herself right? It would be too late to regret her choices after she has already been hurt.¡±

    Grides-san glared down on me while jabbing a finger in my direction.

    [Grides]: ¡°This is a world where only real aristocrats should stand. If you understand that then tomorrow¡­..no, leave here today. The unvarnished truth here is that you are a nuisance.¡±

    The world of nobles is far beyond me. So honestly speaking, I can¡¯t understand why it is she hates me so much.

    [Lou]: ¡°¡­¡­.Um¡­¡­.¡±

    But I eventually decided that it was okay.

    If me being here is making somebody uncomfortable, it¡¯s better to just have me leave quietly.

    I can practice my magic even if I¡¯m not here. It¡¯ll be a little inconvenient, but I shouldn¡¯t bother anyone if I were to practice in the middle of the grasslands outside the capital instead.

    It¡¯s a bit of a pity since I was able to become friends with Lou-chan, but it¡¯s not like we aren¡¯t going to be able to see each other just because we don¡¯t go to the same school anymore.

    Thinking about it, there is no real reason why I have to stay at this school.

    [Lou]: ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying not to decide that on your own!!¡±

    But it was Lou-chan, not me, who took the brunt of Grides-san¡¯s glare.

    And she was the one getting angry on my behalf.

    [Lou]: ¡°Airi-chan is¡­..my friend. If you keep talking down to her¡­¡­I, I, I¡­¡­I¡¯ll never forgive you!!¡±

    Grides-san stared straight at Lou-chan after being yelled at.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­Hmph. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. And don¡¯t blame me if you end up hurt by a stray spell.¡±

    But after a moment of mutual glares, Grides-san turned on her heels. She then left us there with her hair and skirt fluttering in the wind.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­and something like that happened. I made Lou-chan go through a bad time again¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.I see. ¡­¡­so something like that happened again¡­¡­.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°There is still some time before your peerage is officially conferred upon you. It is only natural that a few people raise their objections until then. Although, you told them you are unable to use any magic?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°If so, then half of this is from the seeds you sowed. The only way to resolve this is for you to do something yourself.¡±

    If it was that easy, I wouldn¡¯t be having such a hard time.

    I¡¯m sure if I summoned Unicorn or Phoenix in front of Grides-san I would be able to convince her one way or another.

    But it wouldn¡¯t feel right. That power is something I received from the Goddess. It¡¯s not something I can just whip out to show off.

    (¡­..that being said, it¡¯s a different story if she¡¯s going to bother Lou-chan¡­¡­ Maybe I really should drop out¡­¡­ It¡¯s not like I was originally planning to enroll here anyway¡­¡­.)

    It was when I absentmindedly turned my gaze towards Litzreich again.

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh?¡±

    My eyes swept past the window and by extension, the courtyard that stretched out from it. For some reason there were a group of students gathering together between the school buildings.

    What are they doing when school has already been let out? With that question on my mind, I opened the window.

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a duel!!¡±

    I called out to someone who was running past, and that was the answer I got back.

    (What?)

    ¡°Apparently Konfiks-san challenged Montifi-sama to a duel!!¡±

    Duel? Konfiks? Konfiks¡­¡­it¡¯s not a very common name, so she¡¯s probably talking about Lou-chan right? Which means Montifi is probably referring to¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Grides-san¡±

    So Lou-chan and Grides-san are going to have a duel?

    [Iris]: ¡°E-Excuse me!! I need to head out for a minute!!¡±

    I did the polite thing and closed Litzreich¡¯s window first, but as soon as that was done, I sped out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me.

 CH 148

    I pushed the other students who had gathered around the sports grounds aside and forced my way to the front of the pack.

    [Iris]: ¡°E-Excuse me!! Please let me through! Pardon me!!¡±

    I could just barely make it out from Litzreich¡¯s room. Two people were standing at the center of the grounds. That was definitely Lou-chan and Grides-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°Excuse me! That¡¯s my friend in there!¡±

    These girls had been listening to Lapris¡¯s stories so zealously. Now that somebody was having a duel, they couldn¡¯t help but to rush over so they could watch.

    (Aren¡¯t noble ladies meant to have more graceful hobbies than this!?)

    My image of what an aristocratic lady is has undergone a tremendous evolution since I first started attending this school.

    [Iris]: ¡°L-Lou-chan!!¡±

    After forcing my way through the crowd, I finally managed to see Lou-chan standing at the center of the circle. She was holding a book underneath her arm and was staring at Grides-san who stood about a dozen meters away.

    A wind blowing through the field brushed through her hair as she stood straight up.

    ¡°Ah, Calvafon-san! You came.¡±

    Turning next to me I found some of the girls from my class standing nearby. They all looked about as worried as I was.

    [Iris]: ¡°Haa, Haa¡­¡­. What¡­¡­is going on? Why is Lou-chan dueling Grides-san¡­¡­.?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. Just as I was about to board my carriage, I heard Konfiks-san start yelling in the courtyard¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°It seems like Grides-san insulted Konfiks-san. She is from a baron¡¯s family, and apparently Grides-san was ridiculing her for it.¡±

    ¡°I heard it was Calvafon-san that was insulted, and it made Konfiks-san furious.¡±

    Yeah, I can¡¯t really understand what everyone is saying if you all talk at once. But I could tell that they were all sincerely worried for Lou-chan. Honestly, everyone is so kind.

    [Odette]: ¡°From here on, we shall commence with the duel between Lu Voux Konfiks and Grides Montifi. I, Eleonora Academy teacher Odette, will bear witness.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­..Sensei? She isn¡¯t going to stop this?¡±

    I thought Odette-sensei would surely come and put an end to this, but she seemed more than happy to stand at the side and officiate their duel.

    ¡°Once a duel has begun, nobody, not even the people themselves, have the right to stop it.¡±

    ¡°Once a duel has been declared, if the other party accepts, it cannot end until a conclusion has been reached.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­.¡±

    What is that? Is this kind of thing normal in the world of nobles? As the daughter of a bookstore owner, it¡¯s a world I cannot understand.

    And yet that world is now spread out before me now. And one of the people involved is my friend. There is no way I can walk away and pretend this has nothing to do with me.

    [Odette]: ¡°The reason for the duel is because of disparaging comments Grides Montifi made about Iris Calvafon¡¯s birth. After demanding she retract those statements, Lu Voux Konfiks applied for a duel which Grides Montifi accepted. Does either party wish to refute these circumstances?¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°No¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°It is all as you say.¡±

    So I really was the cause of all this. That timid Lou-chan is now staring down Grides-san. She no longer looks like the small animal I met my first day here.

    [Odette]: ¡°If Lu Voux Konfiks wins, Grides Montifi will withdraw her previous comments and apologize.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Agreed¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°And in return¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, but as your teacher, I must ask you again Konfiks-san¡­¡­are you sure about this?¡±

    Odette-sensei looked to get confirmation from Lou-chan.

    [Lou]: ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    And Lou-chan nodded her head without hesitation.

    [Odette]: ¡°¡­¡­.I understand¡­¡­ Then, should Grides Montifi win this duel¡­¡­.¡±

    Odette-sensei on the other hand looked at a loss over what to do. However after a moment passed, she finally finished what she was going to say.

    The condition that would make the referee Odette-sensei hesitate and even ask for secondary confirmation is¡­¡­

    [Odette]: ¡°Then Lu Voux Konfiks will leave this school.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°What¡­¡­..¡±

    The same exact word passed through my and my upset classmates¡¯ mouths.

    [Grides]: ¡°For you, a mere baron to be trying to get an earl like me to bow my head. I would call you insane if you weren¡¯t prepared for at least this level of risk. I will confirm it one more time, but you are prepared for this yes?¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Of course. There is no point in me staying in this school if I can¡¯t stop someone from making fun of my friend.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­Hmph. Odette-sensei. You heard her. Now, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    Grides-san was also holding a book in her hand. The both of them are witches. It¡¯s easy to guess that they¡¯re spellbooks.

    [Odette]: ¡°¡­¡­this duel is not to the death. If one of you surrenders, the other will immediately stop. Also, as the duel¡¯s witness, I will reserve the right to decide when it becomes meaningless to continue further. In that case, you will both immediately stop fighting as well. You understand?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Yes¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°I do¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°¡­¡­well then, fight on with no regrets, putting your sense of justice and pride on the line.¡±

    Odette-sensei raised her hand into the air.

    From this point forward, the duel between these two will begin. Everything is moving forward so fast I can barely comprehend it. All I could do was stand there and watch together with my other classmates.

    [Odette]: ¡°Begin!¡±

    Both of them moved as the signal went off.

    [Lou]: ¡°Awe-inspiring knight of wind who overlooks the world. Penetrate my foes upon your proud spear!!¡±

    Lou-chan was the first one to make a move.

    Quickly reciting her aria, Lou-chan raised her spellbook and shot out a bolt of purple lightning from her hand towards Grides-san.

    [Grides]: ¡°Hard and tall rock castle walls, rise up and protect me from harm.¡±

    But after Grides-san finished her own aria, a mound of rock and soil rose up in front of her and broke the lightning apart.

    The rock wall quickly crumbled away after it had done its job. And this time, Grides-san began casting her own spell first.

    [Grides]: ¡°Continuously tranquil, who quickens the stream into a raging river?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    I know that spell. It¡¯s the wind spell I failed to cast during my very first day of magic training.

    [Lou]: ¡°Hard and tall rock castle walls, rise up and protect me from harm.¡±

    Noticing the same thing as me, Lou-chan cast a spell and created her own earthen barrier.

    [Grides]: ¡°Ooh, will you abandon thy name and memories of the past? Then give them to me. That precious name¡­¡­..shall be called to life!!¡±

    Lou-chan always scores highly in her magic classes. According to Lapris, she has more mana than most other hyurians and is very skilled at handling it.

    In fact, the barrier she just made looked perfectly crafted. It surrounded her on all sides, and it would be difficult to break through.

    [Grides]: ¡°Connected with rusted chains, wind¡¯s sharpened blades, mince my enemies!!¡±

    But, Grides-san continued her aria and put even more magic power into her spell. Then, after finishing her chant, a storm of wind blades blew through the air the same way it did during class.

    ¡°KYAaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°T-This wind¡­¡­is so strong!!¡±

    Even us, who were standing a distance away from the fighting, felt like we were about to be blown away from the wind.

    And that wind was now chipping away at the wall Lou-chan built.

    I turned my gaze towards Odette-sensei.

    She was silently watching as the duel continued on. She didn¡¯t have any intentions on stopping this just yet.

    [Lou]: ¡°Awe-inspiring knight of wind who overlooks the world. Penetrate my foes upon your proud spear!!¡±

    Lou-chan wasn¡¯t out of this fight yet.

    Opening her spellbook for the first time, she repeated the same spell she had started off with.

    [Lou]: ¡°Reach out to me from the far off sky. Lend me your brave and noble spirit¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Grides-san looked at her and frowned. She then opened her own spellbook and turned a couple of pages.

    ¡°Konfiks-san and Grides-san are fond of using wind and earth element spells. So Grides-san¡¯s spellbook must consist of one of those elements.¡±

    Each spellbook holds a dozen different spells inside its pages. We all waited with bated breath to see what kind of spell Grides-san would choose.

    [Grides]: ¡°O wild progenitor of life. That what comes forth from you.¡±

    ¡°Fire!?¡±

    One of my classmates shouted out their surprise. And it wasn¡¯t just her, but even Odette-sensei looked as if she couldn¡¯t believe what was happening.

    [Grides]: ¡°Heh, I can¡¯t have you thinking I¡¯m only able to use two magical attributes forever now.¡±

    We only had to hear Grides-san¡¯s voice in response to our amazement to know that she was smiling right now.

    [Grides]: ¡°Cross the far off seas to where humans dwell and grant us our small desire.¡±

    Flames began mixing together with the still howling wind that had already worked itself up into a tornado.

    ¡°Konfiks-san!! Hurry!! Before Grides-san is able to finish her spell!!¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Uu¡­¡­with hundreds of your courageous spears, my enemies.¡­¡­¡±

    Casting a powerful spell means dealing with a longer aria and increasing the quality and quantity of the mana you are putting in to the spell.

    Lou-chan is an excellent witch. However, Grides-san is better at increasing and kneading together her magic power.

    [Grides]: ¡°Too late¡±

    Grides-san finished casting her spell. Her mana was converted into flames, and those flames literally exploded outwards.

    The sweltering flames coiled around and whipped outwards along with the violent winds and accelerated the rate at which Lou-chan¡¯s wall was being chipped away.

    [Lou]: ¡°Aa¡­¡­Aaa¡­¡­¡±

    Until now, Lou-chan had continued trying to mold together her mana without ever breaking her concentration. But at the very end, a flicker of hesitation crossed her face.

    Maybe she was trying to decide whether she should continue forward with her attack or rebuild her barrier.

    Either way that hesitation delayed the completion of her spell.

    And the result¡­..

    [Odette]: ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    Just as the fire and wind burst through the wall completely, Odette-sensei shouted out.

    In that instant, the pillar of flames was snuffed out. Grides-san herself had managed to completely erase her spell.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­it is my win.¡±

    Grides-san declared her victory.

    [Lou]: ¡°Aah, uu¡­..¡±

    It was in stark contrast to Lou-chan who had fallen to her knees.

    I couldn¡¯t stand by any longer, so I ran toward her.

 CH 149

    [Iris]: ¡°Lou-chan!!¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Airi-chan¡­¡­¡±

    Lou-chan¡¯s breath was haggard, probably because she had almost exhausted her magic power in such a short amount of time.

    Trails of sweat trickled down her forehead and flowed down her cheeks.

    [Lou]: ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­..I¡­..couldn¡¯t win¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°What are you talking about!? I¡¯m so sorry for all of this. Because of me¡­¡­.¡±

    I pulled out my handkerchief and began wiping down her face.

    [Lou]: ¡°No, Airi-chan is¡­¡­my friend. If someone tries making fun of you¡­¡­I, I¡­¡­can¡¯t stand by¡­¡­¡±

    Lou-chan¡¯s face twisted in regret. Tears overflowed from the corners of her eyes, mixing together with the sweat already dripping down her chin.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­you aren¡¯t here to make friends.¡±

    I could feel Grides-san¡¯s glare on my back. I turned around when I heard her footsteps behind me and found her looking down on us both.

    Her forehead was wet with sweat as well. Her breathing was rough, and her usually neatly tied hair had become a bit ruffled.

    But her eyes were full of fire. I saw it and felt as if I were staring into something divine.

    [Grides]: ¡°You are here to strengthen yourself. To learn and increase your power in preparation for your future decades of life as a noble. To come to this sacred school just so you can play with friends; you make me sick.¡±

    Grides-san kept up her demanding stature as she looked down on both of us.

    [Grides]: ¡°The weak have no place in this school. Konfiks-san. As promised, you will leave this place¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­hold on.¡±

    But I, spoke up and stopped her from saying whatever she wanted. I glared back at her just as strongly as she was glaring at us.

    [Iris]: ¡°Grides-san. I challenge you to a duel.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­..what?¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Airi-chan, you mustn¡¯t!¡±

    I pressed a finger to Lou-chan¡¯s mouth. I know it¡¯ll just be a poor imitation, but I did my best to replicate Saluena¡¯s smile. The one that always lets me know everything will be all right.

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. I won¡¯t lose.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°¡­¡­.Airi-chan¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Grides-san. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like being a noble. So I can¡¯t say for sure whether what you¡¯re saying is right or wrong.¡±

    I lent Lou-chan my shoulder and helped her to her feet. She kept anxiously giving me looks, but I consciously ignored them.

    [Iris]: ¡°But, that doesn¡¯t mean I can just sit back and watch a friend willing to fight for me suffer.¡±

    So I repeated myself. In the open where nearly half the school could see us both.

    [Iris]: ¡°Grides Montifi-san. Duel me.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­how do you intend to fight me when you cannot use any magic?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have my own way of fighting.¡±

    Grides-san remained quiet for a moment, giving me a puzzled look. I wondered if she was trying to figure out the reason why I am so confident when she narrowed her eyes.

    The only way for me to overturn the results of this duel is with a duel of my own. I will beat Grides-san and cancel Lou-chan¡¯s expulsion.

    There¡¯s one hole in this plan though. That is the fact that it will only work if Grides-san agrees to the duel in the first place.

    But I was confident that wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    Grides-san won¡¯t refuse my challenge. No, she can¡¯t refuse. Because she just called this school a ¡°place for the strong¡±.

    [Grides]: ¡°Supposing that I agree, I assume you will wish to make it so Konfiks-san will not have to drop out as your reward should you win¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°It¡¯s okay Airi-chan! I¡¯m okay! I¡¯m the one who ran off on my own and did something rash!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s nothing about this that¡¯s okay Lou-chan. If I let this happen, I will regret it for the rest of my life. I want to be friends with you forever.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°U, Uu¡­¡­Airi-chan¡­¡­¡±

    Lou-chan is my first friend to have given me a nickname. If I abandon her here now, I will feel this pain every single time I remember that name.

    I will never get over that.

    [Grides]: ¡°So, what happens if I win?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.oh¡±

    Shoot, my bad. I didn¡¯t think about that. It¡¯s not fair for me to be asking something without risking anything in turn. Something, something¡­¡­.what in the world could possibly be worth as much as cancelling Lou-chan¡¯s withdrawal?

    [Iris]: ¡°Is there anything you want?¡±

    Unable to think of anything myself, Grides-san came up with an answer as soon as I asked.

    [Grides]: ¡°When I win, you will refrain from having any kind of relationship with Rosaltih Auroll-sama ever again.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D¨D!?¡±

    My body froze up the moment Rose-san¡¯s name came out of her mouth.

    [Grides]: ¡°I have always thought you were not right for that person.¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s eyes drifted to the side. When I followed her gaze, I found Rose-san standing close by. Toslin and the others had made their way through the crowd sometime without me noticing, but Rose-san stood in front of everyone else, sternly staring right at Grides-san.

    [Grides]: ¡°The daughter of a margrave stands in a key position that could decide the future of the country. Allowing somebody with dubious origins like you to hang around someone like her will accomplish nothing but staining her honor.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Montifi-san, we already discussed this.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°We did, but that does not mean I gave up Auroll-sama. You must know it as well. Your name and blood is that of a noble, and there is no escaping that. You are no different than me. So I shall do you a favor and remove this stain for your benefit. I know how kind you are, so as a fellow noble, allow me to do you this kindness.¡±

    With that, Grides-san once again turned to me. And this time her glare was colder than it had ever been before.

    [Grides]: ¡°Now it is your turn to answer me. If you lose the duel, you shall quietly leave Rosalith Auroll-sama alone and never bother her again. As long as you accept these terms¡­¡­then I will use all of my strength to crush you in this duel!!¡±

    If I win, Lou-chan doesn¡¯t have to drop out.

    But if I lose, I won¡¯t be able to stay with Rose-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°I accept¡±

    I didn¡¯t even have to think about it.

    Turning her down was never an option.

    If I were to abandon Lou-chan like this, I wouldn¡¯t deserve to see Rose-san to begin with.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­splendid. Odette-sensei, with that being the case¡­¡­¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°I understand. Then I shall bear witness. The duel shall be held here, tomorrow morning.¡±

    I enrolled in the world-renowned Eleonora Academy, got to know a bunch of well-to-do noble ladies, made friends, and now I¡¯m even participating in a duel.

    I turned my head to Lou-chan and said, ¡°You know, this is probably one of those valuable once in a lifetime experiences.¡±

    Then while still crying, she angrily shot back, ¡°Stupid Airi-chan¡­¡­¡±

    And that¡¯s fair. From Lou-chan¡¯s perspective, I¡¯m just an ordinary person who can¡¯t cast any spells. Yet here I am, challenging Grides-san, somebody who has already been accepted to join the Shirayuri Knights when she graduates, to a duel.

    I¡¯m like a child who just picked up a stick and thinks they¡¯ll be able to fell a fully suited knight.

    But¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°I definitely won¡¯t lose. I promise.¡±

    I stroked Lou-chan¡¯s back, reassuringly whispering into her ear that everything would be okay as she cried into my chest.

 CH 150

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh man~, that was amazing.¡±

    Carol was the first of us to say anything inside the carriage on our way back to the castle.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Why are you laughing? It¡¯s a duel? Iris is wrapped up in a duel you know?¡±

    Toslin naturally rebuked her while chopping her head before turning towards me.

    [Toslin]: ¡°That Montifi girl used some powerful magic. Is there any chance of you winning this?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°There is.¡±

    I sat back in my plush seat, flipping through my book and nodded my head.

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh, you actually look really smart when you are reading a book with glasses on¡­¡­.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but to smile wryly after Carol¡¯s slightly rude comment.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I have good grades in school. Outside of practical training.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°In a duel, the results of that practical training are what matters. Is there a reason you seem so confident in this?¡±

    Saluena unwrapped a cookie and shoved it inside my mouth. Saluena, how many cookies did you end up making¡­¡­?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hyamwamonosha¡­¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Onee-sama, Iris cannot answer you if her mouth is blocked up with cookies.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Rose-san pulled out a thermos and poured out a cup of tea for me as I tried to hurriedly chew through the cookie. The sun had begun to set, and a chill grew in the air. The steam rising up from the cup coiled around my face and pleasantly warmed my cheeks.

    [Iris]: ¡°Nothing in particular.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Wait what? Nothing?¡±

    Lapris stopped nibbling her own cookie on top of Saluena¡¯s lap and gave me a shocked look.

    [Carol]: ¡°Is that okay? You do know you aren¡¯t going to be able to see Rose anymore if you lose right? I mean, normally that¡¯d mean the party would be dissolved¡­¡­.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Eh, that can¡¯t happen. I want to stay with everyone¡­¡­.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Iris¡¯s magic is powerful, but it takes a long time to activate. Due to the nature of a duel, she won¡¯t be allowed to bring in Unicorn from the beginning. So she will have to endure her opponent¡¯s spells until she can activate her grimoire¡­¡­.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Then couldn¡¯t Saluena fight for her? You¡¯re allowed to have a representative fight for you in a duel. Or is it different in this country?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It is allowed, but you must declare you are doing so when you propose the duel. It will be difficult to hire a representative after the duel has already been accepted.¡±

    After Rose-san shot down Toslin¡¯s idea, everyone¡¯s gazes once again turned towards me.

    [Carol]: ¡°Then what are you planning? Are you going to fight with a sword?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, there¡¯s no way I could do that.¡±

    I have been carrying a short sword for self-defense all this time, but I¡¯d sooner be able to pluck a cloud out of the air with my bare hands than to beat a witch with it.

    I closed my book and turned my palm towards Carol who was sitting directly across from me.

    [Iris]: ¡°I might not be able to use any magic from a spellbook¡­¡­but all that means is that I will have to try something else.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°?¡±

    She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head.

    [Iris]: ¡°So I¡¯m not going to lose. Especially if it¡¯s a one-on-one fight.¡±

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡­¡­.I was talking big to Carol, but I¡¯m incredibly nervous right now.

    (A duel with a noble¡­¡­)

    I laid back in the tub, soaking my shoulders in the hot water while I stared up at the high ceiling.

    Apparently this large, spacious marble bath inside the castle is currently reserved entirely for us, and the castle maids prepare fresh hot water for it every day.

    As the warmth from the water ran down my back causing me to reflexively sigh in comfort, I heard someone else slip into the water.

    [Rose]: ¡°Do you mind if I come in?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, no. Of course not.¡±

    Purple and white flowers¨D¨Dthe amorous scent of the dendrobiums floating on top of the water hung in the air with the splash of the water as Rose-san slipped into the bath next to me.

    Her cotton candy-like hair became wet and matted down as it sunk into hot water.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­Iris-san¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.I must apologize to you.¡±

    I quickly shook my head after receiving an apology out of nowhere.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, what for?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­Auntie¡­¡­.Yuhanna-sama told me from the very beginning. The Auroll name will follow me no matter what my wishes are.¡±

    ¡­¡­.oh yeah, I do remember Yuhanna-sama saying something like that the first day we arrived in the capital.

    [Rose]: ¡°In this place, I am still considered an Auroll. No matter how much I tell people my name is Cuulbacall, they will not listen to me.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Aah¡­¡­¡­¡±

    My mind drifted back into the school¡¯s courtyard when Rose-san was surrounded by other students.

    [Rose]: ¡°The people around me go so far as to insist that I be an Auroll. And for the sake of seeing that happen, there are those who take action to see it done. They believe it to be for the best, but they are doing things of their own accord, apathetic to my own wants.¡±

    Rose-san sighed and scooped up a cup of hot water into her palms.

    A single purple flower floated in the palm of her hands like a ship out at sea.

    [Rose]: ¡°I went to see Montifi-san yesterday afternoon.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°D-Did you?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, in order to challenge her to a duel.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Heh?¡±

    Wait, pull it back. What did Rose-san just¡­¡­.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did you¡­¡­.just say duel?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I did¡±

    So I really wasn¡¯t hearing things. Rose-san nodded and looked right at me. With the same smile she always has on.

    [Rose]: ¡°I¡­¡­could not let it go. I wanted her to apologize for making you depressed.¡±

    Then when I saw the two of them together during my lunch break with Lou-chan¡­¡­.they were applying for a duel?

    [Rose]: ¡°However, Montifi-san refused to accept. She did not wish to fight against an Auroll.¡±

    Of course. Rose-san¡¯s house is a margrave which ranks higher than the Montifi earls. It¡¯s only natural she would refuse.

    [Rose]: ¡°As unbelievable as it might seem, everything she has done is for what she perceives to be my benefit. She sees you as being in the way of my future, and so she was trying to get rid of you. No, I suppose¡­¡­¡¯is¡¯ would be the right word.¡±

    There is an aristocratic bond there between Rose-san and Grides-san, and since we are talking about the world of nobles, there isn¡¯t much else she could do besides accept that this is the way it would be.

    Hence the apology.

    [Iris]: ¡°I don¡¯t think of it as that troublesome. Originally it¡¯s my fault anyway for letting Grides-san think I¡¯m a sketchy person to begin with.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°But¡­..there was nothing I could do. She caused you so much distress¡­¡­.and I could not extract a single apology from her.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s smile had disappeared before I realized it.

    [Rose]: ¡°And now¡­¡­to my utmost regret, she has unleashed a flood of abuse directly to your face. I should have expressed myself more clearly to her when I had the chance. That you are, my companion.¡±

    Rose-san raised the palms of her hands up to her face like a child about to cry.

    [Iris]: ¡°There¡¯s nothing else you could have done. When I had complaints, you listened to me didn¡¯t you? I would have had no other choice than to bear through it if I were on my own, but because you were there for me, I could relax.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­so, please cheer up. It is depressing to see you sad.¡±

    Rose-san was thinking about me back then.

    It was me behind that smile.

    I¡¯m happy understanding that alone. That alone makes me feel a step ahead of the others.

    We were sitting close enough that our shoulders could touch, so I could feel Rose-san take a deep breath next to me. And then she plucked a single dendrobium from the water¡¯s surface, and placed it in my hair.

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu, so cute.¡±

    And a smile finally returned to Rose-san¡¯s face.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, you think so? Well then, I guess I¡¯ll decorate Rose-san¡¯s hair too.¡±

    Rose-san has hair a lot longer than mine. That means I can garnish her with as many flowers as I like.

    [Iris]: ¡°Whoa, so beautiful. You look just like a bride.¡±

    I ran out of flowers to work with after I fitted her with over twenty of them. I figured I could fit even more in, so I started glancing around the bath when¡­¡­.

    [Rose]: ¡°A¡­¡­bride?¡±

    a shocked expression flew across Rose-san¡¯s face.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes. If you were wearing a dress and a veil, you would be the picture perfect bride.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like in the capital, but back in Soletta Ritta, it is customary to decorate a bride¡¯s hair with flowers. That¡¯s why there are rarely any weddings in the winter when there aren¡¯t that many flowers available.

    [Rose]: ¡°If I am a bride, who am I being wed to?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hmm~?¡±

    A few candidates come to mind.

    The first pick would obviously be Saluena. She has a nice face personality aside, and most of all, she¡¯s Rose-san¡¯s sister. As far as my imagination can figure it, she would be the one who looks best at Rose-san¡¯s side.

    Next up would be Toslin. She can be a bit stingy with money sure, but she carries an elegance and grace from growing up in a knight¡¯s household. There¡¯s nothing really jarring by having her placed next to Rose-san who is also a noble.

    I tried pairing her up with Ashel-sama after that, but it didn¡¯t quite fit in my head.

    [Iris]: ¡°I can¡¯t really say since I don¡¯t really know many men that well, but if gender isn¡¯t a problem, it would have to be Saluena. I think you and her look best together.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°O-Oh¡­¡­.really?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes. Oh, can we borrow a dress and have you two stand side by side? Saluena still has what she wore for the audience, and I¡¯m sure if we asked the seamstresses, they could quickly whip something¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I-Is there anyone else? Onee-sama and I are sisters, so it is a bit difficult for me to picture it¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Then maybe Toslin? No, something feels a little off there. Rose-san is kind and tolerant while she is more rambunctious¡­¡­..yeah, like a dog¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­sorry, nobody else. There¡¯s Mycena, but I can¡¯t let her have you. That absolutely will not happen. It¡¯s much too wasteful.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­i-is that so¡­¡­¡±

    Huh? Why does Rose-san suddenly look really disappointed? Her smile looks somewhat cloudy¡­¡­.

    Did she want to give Mycena a chance? But I¡¯ve never seen them talk to each other before.

    And even if that were the case, it would be a definite no go. I would like Rose-san to stay a bit closer if at all possible.

    I don¡¯t want to think about her going off to be someone¡¯s wife right now.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, how about me then?¡±

    The hot water splashed around me as I was struck with a sudden idea.

    [Rose]: ¡°With Iris-san¡­¡­..?¡±

    I surprised Rose-san. But she smiled immediately afterwards. My brute force approach has caused the cloudiness in her smile to clear away.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yep yep. It¡¯d be perfect. I have enough pamper power to take anything Rose-san throws at me.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Pfft. And what is pamper power supposed to be?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Pamper power is pamper power. Sarah has been training me my whole life, so I would say I have at least ten times the amount of pamper power as an ordinary person. You can spoil me as much as you want whenever you want. It¡¯s a pretty great deal no matter how you think about it.¡±

    I rubbed my cheek against Rose-san¡¯s shoulder, and she responded by turning towards me and tickling my sides.

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufufu, you really believe it would be a good idea? You say that, but¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san soon stopped her tickling assault and wrapped both her hands around my head.

    Both our cheeks were flushed from the hot water, but while my eyes were watery from having laughed so much a second before, her eyes¡­¡­.struck me as if she were looking into the eyes of a lover. It struck my heart like a bolt from the blue.

    [Rose]: ¡°do you really mean it?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­..where did the fun flirting until now run off to?

    It was as if time had stopped, and my whole body was frozen in place.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san¡±

    Rose-san looked deep into my eyes.

    [Iris]: ¡°What¡­¡­.¡±

    And I couldn¡¯t look away.

    The strength in her grip around my head¡­¡­reminds me of back then.

    Rose-san slowly drew her face closer to mine without ever breaking her gaze away from my eyes.

    When our faces got close enough that I could hear her eyes blinking, she lifted up my chin with one of her fingers.

    (Hold¡­¡­.on? This¡­¡­is that? Perhaps¡­¡­no no, there¡¯s no way. She¡¯s not Saluena. But¡­¡­if we keep going like this, my and Rose-san¡¯s lips are going to¡­¡­..)

    ¨D¨DChu

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­ah¡±

    Just when I thought our lips were about to touch, Rose-san moved her head slightly to the side.

    I could feel Rose-san¡¯s soft lips press against my cheek before it finally dawned on me that Rose-san had kissed me there.

    A k-kiss¡­¡­..what? What kiss? Why now¡­¡­.kiss? Maybe Rose-san got swept up in the talk of marriage, and this kiss¡­¡­is a proposal¡­¡­..

    [Rose]: ¡°I-I¡­.that, yeah¡­.. Today¡­¡­seeing Iris-san¡­¡­.made me sad.¡±

    ¡­¡­.and it wasn¡¯t a proposal. I suppose there¡¯s nothing surprising about that. There¡¯s no way she is going to start calling me Iris after a single bath.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­.sad? What do you mean¡­¡­.?¡±

    But what about the kiss? There¡¯s no way I can bask in the afterglow of a kiss when she comes out and says something like that.

    [Rose]: ¡°W-We might never be able to see each other again, yet you didn¡¯t hesitate to¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°O-Oh¡­..but that¡¯s because¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I know. You are confident you will win¡­¡­right? No, you probably would not have hesitated to say yes even if you were not confident. Because it is for your friend. But even if my brain knows that, my heart¡­¡­.ached.¡±

    All of the power left Rose-san¡¯s hands. I was able to freely move my head again¡­..but I didn¡¯t turn away from Rose-san.

    [Rose]: ¡°Give me your word. Tell me you will fight for me as well. Tell me you will win for my sake as well. Otherwise¡­¡­.I will not forgive you. And I will not sleep with you either.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°E-Eh¡­..that would be unfortunate.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­fufu, is it not? Then, say it. Look me in my eyes. And then, to seal our oath¡­¡­kiss me back.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s smile was even softer than what it usually was.

    [Iris]: ¡°Wha-, M-Me!?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I made a prayer for your victory. So please give me a kiss in return.¡±

    I see, so that¡¯s what the kiss meant?

    [Iris]: ¡°O-Okay¡­¡­¡±

    Huh, Huh¡­..? I kind of just went with the flow, but somehow this led to me kissing Rose-san. No, even if you say I¡¯m kissing her, it¡¯s just on the cheek right? I¡¯ve done it before to Sarah and Mycena, so it¡¯s normal between good friends, and it¡¯s not that special, and why am I so nervous!?

    Here we go, use the momentum. It¡¯s embarrassing because I feel embarrassed. If I simply think of it as not embarrassing¡­¡­.it¡¯s still embarrassing, but I still have to do it!

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I¡­..I¡¯ll fight for Rose-san¡­¡­. I¡¯ll definitely win¡­..so, uh¡­¡­please watch over me!¡±

    I kissed Rose-san¡¯s cheek, getting as close to her mouth as possible without touching her lips.

    [Rose]: ¡°I will. You have my support. So please be sure you come back to me.¡±

    Rose-san had a gentle smile in stark contrast to my excitedly beating heart.

    And then she held me as gently as if she were holding a bouquet of flowers¡­¡­.before then hugging me tightly.

 CH 151

    It was still early in the morning, yet a large crowd had gathered on the school grounds that day.

    There were even adults I¡¯ve never seen before who were obviously not students mixed in.

    I heard from Lou-chan that graduates and parents of current students heard word about my duel with Earl Montifi and decided to stop by.

    The fact that Grides-san is dueling someone who has had rumors abound inside the capital seems to have piqued their curiosity.

    [Lou]: ¡°¡­¡­Airi-chan¡­..um¡­..hold on. I¡­..after all¡­..¡±

    Lou-chan alone stood by me on the sports field.

    Her eyes were red and puffy. She probably cried by herself all last night, and now here she was, trying to figure out what she should say.

    [Iris]: ¡°The duel has already been accepted. There¡¯s no way to stop it now.¡±

    She feels responsible for everything that¡¯s happening, but there¡¯s no need for her to beat herself up about it.

    Rather, she got angry for my sake, so all I have for her is gratitude.

    [Lou]: ¡°But, But¡­¡­Airi-chan could get hurt¡­¡­.and¡­¡­I don¡¯t want to see¡­¡­..¡±

    Lou-chan used her cuffs to try and wipe away the newly shed tears leaking down her cheeks. It got to the point she was completely messing up her beautifully trimmed hair.

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s okay. I meant what I said yesterday. I won¡¯t lose.¡±

    I pulled out my handkerchief and used it to wipe away the tears staining her cheeks.

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡­¡­right? Be at ease.¡±

    I wonder if I should be thinking about this right now, but it feels like I¡¯m cradling a younger sister.

    [Lou]: ¡°But, But¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°There is nothing to worry about Konfiks-san.¡±

    Lou-chan wouldn¡¯t stop crying, and I was doing my best to comfort her when Rose-san came over and began patting Lou-chan¡¯s back.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san will not lose.¡±

    Rose-san was looking towards Grides-san who was standing a little ways away from us as she spoke.

    [Rose]: ¡°She is unmistakably a hero. The one who ran towards a rampaging dragon, who refused to back down, and who kept thinking up new solutions until the battle was won.¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s usual warmth was nowhere to be found in her voice or expression.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.Montifi-san¡±

    She was speaking plainly, as if she were simply stating facts, before calling out to my duel partner Grides-san.

    [Grides]: ¡°What can I do for you Auroll-sama?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°You are a high minded lady. The picture of what the noble world expects. With that being said, perhaps you are a tad too strong.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­.I am not sure I understand.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Then you should take this opportunity to learn. The world of nobles is but one of the many worlds that exist. If you wish to become a truly wonderful lady, you will have to learn this fact and broaden your horizons.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­.I will take your advice to heart.¡±

    Grides-san pinched the ends of her skirt and bowed. Graceful and composed as ever.

    [Rose]: ¡°Then, let us join the crowd Konfiks-san.¡±

    Although reluctantly, Lou-chan eventually did join Rose-san and began moving away from me.

    [Lou]: ¡°Airi-chan¡­.. W-Win¡­.. You must definitely win!! I¡¯m rooting for you!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I will. Thank you Lou-chan.¡±

    I waved my hand and saw her off. I made my smile as reassuring as possible to try and calm her nerves if only a little.

    [Grides]: ¡°You¡¯re being quite calm are you not? Even though you will be soon crawling through the dirt after I am finished with you.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Panicking gets me nothing.¡±

    That¡¯s what my experiences in actual battle taught me.

    [Odette]: ¡°Calvafon-san. I wish to confirm one more time, is this truly okay?¡±

    Playing the role of witness once again, Odette-sensei asked me with a clearly worried face.

    [Grides]: ¡°If you wish to give up, now¡¯s the time. Surrender now, and you will have lost nothing.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But then Lou-chan would still have to leave the school wouldn¡¯t she?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Yes, but if all she can ever do is speak about friendship, she would not have lasted long in the noble world anyway. With that being the case, would she not live a happier life returning to her own territory now?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Actually, it is. The strong rule and the weak obey. That is the world she¡­¡­and you, have stepped into.¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s tone dropped several steps.

    Her glare sharpened to a razor point and stabbed through me.

    [Iris]: ¡°I see. I understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Then quietly¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I won¡¯t withdraw. Rather, I feel like losing even less after hearing what you have to say. Lou-chan courageously stood up to you. She took the first step to joining the outside world, and I¡­¡­.want to help push her forward. Because that¡¯s a feeling I understand all too well.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Wha-¡­¡­..¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s face turned a bright vermillion. Her beautiful eyebrows scrunched together, and her glare finally reached the point where I thought she might be trying to kill me with her mind.

    [Grides]: ¡°My apologies if you get hurt.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you for your concern. But as I said before, it¡¯s unnecessary. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to lose to you.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­Odette-sensei. As promised, I did my best to peacefully end this. I believe it to be a waste of my time to discuss this any further.¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°¡­¡­.I have seen her resolve. Thank you Grides-san. That will be enough.¡±

    I guess Odette-sensei asked Grides-san to try and get me to give up.

    I¡¯m sure as a teacher there are all kinds of things running through her mind as she stands to the side and watches all of this unfold. When it¡¯s all over, I will have to remember to apologize for the extra worries I¡¯ve caused her.

    [Odette]: ¡°Then¡­..¡±

    Odette-sensei stood between us and slowly raised her hand.

    [Odette]: ¡°From here on, we shall commence with the duel between Grides Montifi and Iris Calvafon!!¡±

    The gathered crowd which at this point had to number of at least a thousand people all fell silent as Odette-sensei¡¯s voice rang out to explain the duel. The whole field felt eerily quiet after all those people stopped talking at the exact same time.

    [Odette]: ¡°Should Montifi win, Calvafon will be banned from any further involvement with Rosalith Auroll-sama of the Auroll margraves. Do you accept these conditions?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes¡±

    After confirming my agreement, Odette-sensei turned her eyes towards Grides-san.

    [Odette]: ¡°Conversely, should Calvafon win, Lu Voux Konfiks will no longer be expected to drop out of school. Additionally, Montifi will withdraw her earlier remarks and apologize.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°I agree¡±

    After Grides-san acknowledged her part in the duel as well, the tension around us hit its peak.

    Grides-san picked up her spellbook and prepared herself. As for me, I didn¡¯t have anything in my hands, so all I could do to prepare was take a half step forward with my left foot.

    There was around 20 meters between me and Grides-san. Close enough that I would be able to clearly make out her expression even if I weren¡¯t wearing glasses.

    [Odette]:  ¡°¡­¡­this duel is not to the death. If one of you surrenders, the other will immediately stop. Also, as the duel¡¯s witness, I will reserve the right to decide when it becomes meaningless to continue further. In that case, you will both immediately stop fighting as well.¡±

    Odette-sensei took a step back, and then another.

    [Odette]: ¡°¡­¡­fight on with no regrets, putting your sense of justice and pride on the line.¡±

    After sensei had backed far enough away, she finally swung her hand down.

    [Odette]: ¡°Then¡­¡­BEGIN!!¡±

    And so began the duel between Grides-san and me.

 CH 152

    [Grides]: ¡°Awe-inspiring knight of wind who overlooks the world.¡±

    Grides-san immediately began weaving her spell.

    It was the same spell Lou-chan had started off with during yesterday¡¯s duel.

    (Yeah, that¡¯s about right.)

    [Grides]: ¡°Penetrate my foes upon your proud spear!!¡±

    Grides-san shoved out her hand towards me, and a surge of purple lightning leapt out of her open palm.

    It¡¯s a type of wind magic I¡¯ve read about time and time again in adventure novels. It is supposed to be faster than any kind of sword flash, and it¡¯s said to be impossible to dodge once you¡¯ve already seen the spell rocketing towards you.

    (This should do)

    That¡¯s why while I was busy thinking I was looking at a bright light, the spell was already upon me.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    And then, *Krakoom!!* there was a violent explosion that shook my eardrums.

    ¡°¡­¡­eh, it missed?¡±

    However the spell¡¯s course deviated away from me, creating a small crater in the dirt behind me, but nothing else otherwise.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­Awe-inspiring knight of wind who overlooks the world.¡±

    Grides-san stood there and frowned for a moment, but soon she was rechanneling the same spell as before.

    She still thinks she isn¡¯t going to have to open her spellbook if she wants to beat me.

    (As long as I know where it¡¯s coming from, I just need to focus my magic power.)

    [Grides]: ¡°Penetrate my foes upon your proud spear!!¡±

    This time Grides-san took a little extra time to fold more mana into her spell.

    The lightning this time was more concentrated together, increasing its speed and accuracy¡­¡­.

    (¡­..stay calm, do it like before.)

    It looked like it was going to pierce me. But just before it hit me, the lightning drew an unnatural curve and created an even larger hole further back behind me.

    (Great, great. Thank goodness Lapris is able to see magic power. Thanks to her, I know my mana is spreading out just how I imagine it.)

    ¡°¡­¡­.w-what¡¯s going on? Her magic¡­¡­can¡¯t hit?¡±

    My feet were firmly planted where I stood. I haven¡¯t moved even a bit from where I was standing when this all started.

    (She¡¯s using high speed, high accuracy magic just like I thought)

    Studying the second hole behind me for a moment, Grides-san focused a suspicious glare on me.

    (Her pride won¡¯t let her use her strongest magic right off the bat. She¡¯s going into this assuming she would win, so she¡¯s focusing on ending this as quickly and easily as possible instead.)

    The thousand people gathered around us were all asking the same things, surprised by what they were seeing. None of them could explain what was happening.

    [Grides]: ¡°What did you do?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Why would I tell you that? Aren¡¯t we enemies right now?¡±

    Grides-san bit her lower lip.

    [Grides]: ¡°Enemy¡­¡­.did you say enemies? You think someone like you who can¡¯t use any magic¡­¡­could qualify as my enemy? You can only fool around so much!! Someone like you could never become an enemy to me!!¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s furious voice rose above the din of the spectators as she began casting her next spell.

    [Grides]: ¡°Continuously tranquil, who quickens the stream into a raging river!?¡±

    It¡¯s that tornado creating spell she used the first day of training.

    If simple aim and shoot spells aren¡¯t going to work, she¡¯ll use some magic to completely mow me down. That¡¯s probably what she¡¯s thinking.

    (I¡¯ve been doing thought exercises about this kind of thing since I first read Grandpa¡¯s book. The only thing I need¡­¡­is to have courage!)

    [Grides]: ¡°Ooh, will you abandon thy name and memories of the past? Then give them to me. That precious name¡­¡­..shall be called to life! Connected with rusted chains, wind¡¯s sharpened blades, mince my enemies!!¡±

    A violent gale swept across the field as Grides-san finished her aria. Her beautiful golden locks lifted off her shoulders and waved in the breeze.

    Up and down, left to right, the whipped up wind blew all around. There was no need for her to aim as the circulating air currents swallowed the entire field with me stuck in the middle.

    [Lou]: ¡°Airi-chan!!¡±

    I could just barely hear Lou-chan¡¯s voice over the sound of the wind whipping around me.

    My body lifted off the ground and thrown through the air like a leaf in the wind because of Grides-san¡¯s magic¡­¡­that is what is supposed to be happening.

    [Grides]: ¡°Wh-¡­¡­.Why¡­¡­.WHY!?¡±

    But my feet remained glued in place. As a matter of fact, there wasn¡¯t any wind within a one meter radius around me.

    I¡¯m guessing Grides-san planned on magically lifting me high in the air and leaving me there until I finally surrendered. Instead I got treated to my first time ever seeing Grides-san¡¯s startled face as the reality that this wasn¡¯t going to work set in for her.

    [Grides]: ¡°Why can¡¯t I lift you!?¡±

    Grides-san increased the amount of mana she was pouring into the wind in an effort to make the swirling gales even stronger.

    Bits and pieces of the dirt were torn away from the ground and flew up into the air. Pebbles flew, rocks floated, and even boulders buried underground were dug up and teetered under the forceful whirlwind. Even the ribbon that had tied her hair back was ripped away and carried off into the wind.

    Yet I did not move. There was not a single follicle of hair on my head moved out of place.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­tch¡­¡­if wind won¡¯t work¡­..¡±

    Grides-san had completely run out of patience. Her position as a noble won¡¯t allow her to be humiliated like this in front of a large crowd any longer.

    [Grides]: ¡°O wild progenitor of life. That what comes forth from you!?¡±

    For the first time today, Grides-san opened her spellbook.

    I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s looking to recreate the fire/wind combo spell she used yesterday to break through Lou-chan¡¯s barrier.

    [Grides]: ¡°Cross the far off seas to where humans dwell and grant us our small desire!!¡±

    Several flickering flames popped and faded around Grides-san¡¯s body.

    However just as I figured her aria was ended, she turned a page in her spellbook.

    [Odette]: ¡°¨D¨D!? Don¡¯t do it Montifi-san!! The complete spell is too dangerous!¡±

    Odette-sensei raised her voice over the still howling winds in an effort to get Grides-san to stop.

    [Grides]: ¡°I have but one desire. The restoration of all things. Rebirth from death¡­¡­¡±

    But Grides-san¡¯s unwavering gaze remained straight on me.

    Her own wind was blocking sensei¡¯s voice from reaching her.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    So I moved for the first time.

    Lifting my hand up, I pointed it towards Grides-san.

    [Grides]: ¡°One to nothing. Thus, endless oblivion!!¡±

    The surrounding flames swelled as her aria came to an end.

    What was about to arise was a much larger pillar of flames compared to the one during the duel with Lou-chan.

    [Iris]: ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡±

    Magic power filled my body. A technique that allows me to completely invalidate an opponent¡¯s spells by releasing all my magic power at once to form a shield. A non-spell that utilizes mana.

    In Grandpa¡¯s book, he called it his Deceit Shield.

    [Grides]: ¡°Surrender, or else!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    He also wrote about what would happen if I instead focused down that magic power and launched it against my opponent.

    [Grides]: ¡°Ku¡­¡­.what!? Why!?¡±

    A technique that allows me to use my own mana to blow away the enemy¡¯s magic power, forcibly cutting off their connection with the spirits.

    Grandpa¡¯s book called this one the Probe Spear.

    [Grides]: ¡°M-My magic power¡­¡­..it¡¯s gone¡­¡­..what!? H-How is this happening!? Why all of the sudden¡­¡­.¡±

    A technique to craft a shield and spear out of your own mana that could crush any magic your enemy might use.

    Grandpa collectively referred to this as the Irma technique. Or his Irma La Area. Grandpa¡¯s wife is actually named Irma-san, so I¡¯m guessing it has something to do with that?

    [Grides]: ¡°You¡­¡­.again¡­¡­what did¡­¡­¡±

    The tornado Grides-san had ripping through the field quickly died down until it had disappeared entirely. A silence flowed through the now still air and as peace replaced the howling winds.

    [Iris]: ¡°I can¡¯t cast any spells. So, I won¡¯t let you use any spells against me. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t beat me.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Me¡­¡­can¡¯t win? Me¡­¡­.Me!? Me¡­..against you!? There¡¯s no way I¡¯d lose to you!!¡±

    Grides-san threw open her spellbook and once again began reciting a spell.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Won¡¯t you pass out if you try and cast an even bigger spell?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°I won¡¯t lose¡­..I can¡¯t lose!! I¡¯m¡­¡­a great noble, the Montifi earl¡¯s Grides!! I have to be stronger than everyone else!!¡±

    ¡­¡­But her next spell never came.

    After she finished reciting her aria, she squeezed out all the mana she had left to release it¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m the same. I can¡¯t lose this fight either.¡±

    and I ran her through with a long spear crafted from my mana.

 CH 153

    Grides-san¡¯s knees fell to the ground.

    Her complexion has turned a ghastly pale after using up all her mana, but she¡¯s somehow still able to stay conscious. Is this because of her pride as a noble too?

    [Grides]: ¡°Haa, Haa¡­¡­.my magic¡­¡­.why isn¡¯t it working¡­¡­¡±

    Grides-san tried to rise up. To stand on her own two feet and continue the duel. But she could barely lift her head. Once she fell back to the ground, both her knees and hands were planted into the dirt. At that moment¡­..this match became officially decided.

    [Odette]: ¡°T-That¡¯s it!¡±

    Odette-sensei broke in between us and formally declared the duel over.

    [Odette]: ¡°It is my personal judgement that continuing the battle would be dangerous for Grides Montifi. Therefore, this duel is Iris Calvafon¡¯s victory!¡±

    A hush had fallen over the crowd. However as our teacher¡¯s echoing voice faded into the distance, all my classmates rushed over to me.

    ¡°Kyaa¡ª¡ª! Calvafon-san~!!¡±

    ¡°Amazing, spectacular!! You beat Montifi-san!! What in the world did you do!?¡±

    ¡°What was up with that thing at the end? It mas like all her magic power suddenly disappeared¡­¡­¡±

    My classmates still haven¡¯t gotten over their habit of bombarding me with a dozen questions all at once.

    But for the time being, I shared in their excitement and high fived each and every single one of them.

    [Lou]: ¡°Airi-chan!!¡±

    Lou-chan rushed through the crowd and threw her arms around me. I had raised my arms to give her a high five as well, but with nowhere else for my hands to go, I hugged her back.

    [Lou]: ¡°I¡¯m so glad you didn¡¯t get hurt¡­..¡±

    Lou-chan is more worried about my well-being than my win. I tightened my hold around her, rubbing my hands against her back.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah. I told you I would be alright. I had to keep my promise.¡±

    Lou-chan¡¯s body felt delicate in my arms. She¡¯s smaller than she looks.

    [Lou]: ¡°Um, Airi-chan¡­¡­thank you, for fighting for me. And thank you for winning!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°If I¡¯m going to fight, I¡¯m going to aim for victory. I didn¡¯t want to have to see you leave.¡±

    Perhaps only now realizing she was hugging me, Lou-chan suddenly jumped back away from me.

    [Lou]: ¡°Ah, s-sorry¡­¡­ I hugged you¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You don¡¯t need to be sorry. Do you want to borrow my handkerchief?¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°Au, I¡¯m okay! I have my own!¡±

    Realizing she was crying again, Lou-chan hurriedly waved both her hands in front of her face after I offered her a handkerchief.

    And despite claiming to already have one, she immediately began wiping her eyes with her cuffs.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­Calvafon-san¡±

    When the voice came to our ears, my classmates naturally broke to the left and right to make a path.

    Once everyone had moved out of the way, there stood Grides-san standing just outside the crowd.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Grides-san¡±

    Slowly she approached me with an unsteady gait.

    Her gaze was focused solely on me, not offering Lou-chan or any of my other classmates a passing glance. So I stared back at her. In my head I was trying to come up with all kinds of responses I could use to counter her.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­.it is my defeat.¡±

    ¡­¡­but all of those lines went to waste. Once she had managed to make her way directly in front of me, she admitted to her defeat with her own mouth.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..then Lou-chan can stay at school?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Yes, just as we agreed.¡±

    Grides-san then raised one hand into the air near her face as if she were taking an oath.

    [Grides]: ¡°I, Grides Montifi take back and apologize for all my previous statements concerning Lu Voux Konfiks. I hereby also swear that I shall hold no objections to her enrollment here.¡±

    She then bowed her head to Lou-chan.

    [Grides]: ¡°Konfiks-san, I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused you with my past remarks. If words are not enough to settle any grievances you have against me, I can compensate with money or physical punishment as well.¡±

    [Lou]: ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. Lu Voux Konfiks accepts your apology.¡±

    Lou-chan raised up her own hand, mirroring Grides-san¡¯s posture.

    [Lou]: ¡°Instead, cancel your previous remarks about Airi-chan.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Despite the obvious pain she was in, Grides-san shifted in place to turn back to me.

    [Grides]: ¡°I apologize for any and all disrespect I have shown you.¡±

    Lou-chan was so relieved to hear Grides-san say she let out a long sigh and deflated like a balloon. Her arm fell out of the air before stroking her chest.

    The unspoken tension hanging over my classmates¡¯ heads unraveled with her sigh, and many of them began holding each others¡¯ hands with smiles on their faces.

    [Iris]: ¡°I forgive you.¡±

    I was never angry about the things Grides-san said about me to begin with, so I readily forgave her.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    But Grides-san didn¡¯t take her eyes off me as if she were waiting for me to say something else.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­hm? Was there something else Grides-san? Oh, am I supposed to raise my hand up like you did?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­.No, that won¡¯t be necessary. You may not know this, so I will explain¡­..¡±

    According to Grides-san, I¡¯m now in a position where I can make various kinds of requests from her. Stuff like asking her for money, forcing her to cooperate with me, et cetera. So it seems like she¡¯s stuck on the question of whether it is really okay for me to forgive her so easily without asking for anything in return.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    I still haven¡¯t touched the mountain of money I made from beating the carbuncle, and there¡¯s nothing I really need any help on.

    [Iris]: ¡°But, if there is one thing I could ask¡­¡­¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°What is it?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­I would like it if we could get along from now on.¡±

    I doubt we¡¯d ever reach the point where we would have another duel, but it is draining and not any fun getting into a quarrel with one another every time we see each other.

    So if it¡¯s at all possible, I would like it if I could get along with her, and she could get along with me.

    That¡¯s what I asked of Grides-san¡­..

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­I refuse. The fact remains that I have come to this school to better myself, not make friends.¡±

    and I was firmly turned down.

    [Grides]: ¡°However I will no longer interfere with you. You have proven to me that you are not weak. As such, I have nothing else to say to you. Do as you like as much as you wish. Enjoy your time at this school.¡±

    I could hear the resolve in Grides-san¡¯s voice as she bowed to me once again.

    [Grides]: ¡°Now if you would please excuse me. Now that I am aware of my own immaturity, I cannot afford to waste another second.¡±

    She then spun on her heels and tried to make her way off the field.

    [Grides]: ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    However as she did, Grides-san staggered in place, maybe because she tried turning around so suddenly she tripped herself, maybe because she¡¯s still so low on mana, or maybe both.

    [Iris]: ¡°Whoa! Are you okay?¡±

    I reached out just in time and caught her body before she could fall.

    [Iris]: ¡°Do you want to borrow my shoulder?¡±

    I then wrapped my arm around her waist while moving her arm over my shoulders.

    [Grides]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s face spun towards mine, and her eyes darted open.

    ¡­¡­..huh? Wasn¡¯t Grides-san older than me? Nobody ever told me how old she was, but I assumed she was about a year older than me based off the first impression she gave off.

    [Grides]: ¡°T-¡­¡­.There is no need!! Please let go!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, but¡­..you can¡¯t put a lot of weight on your legs at the moment right?¡±

    But now that I¡¯m looking at her up close, it doesn¡¯t feel like she¡¯s older. The same age¡­¡­.no, she might be a year younger than me. She looks so young. Maybe it¡¯s because that look in her eyes is different?

    [Grides]: ¡°They¡¯re just a little fuzzy is all!! There is no need for any of this!! Please let me go!!¡±

    Maybe it¡¯s her makeup? I wonder if her sweat washed off what she was wearing and now I¡¯m getting a good look at her real face.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh ho, you have guts to be so blatantly flirting with Iris right in front of me.¡±

    At some point while I was trying to figure out the mystery of Grides-san¡¯s real age, Litzreich appeared all of the sudden.

    [Iris]: ¡°Flirting¡­.. I wonder if Litzreich and I are seeing the same thing. We only just finished a duel a few minutes ago.¡±

    But when I weakly responded back to her,

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­..Li¡­¡­¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s body stiffened in my hands, and she gave me this amazingly strange look.

 CH 154

    [Grides]: ¡°Li?¡±

    Grides-san had frozen in my arms, repeating that same mysterious word.

    She finally snapped out of it after I waved a hand in front of her face, but that only lead to her turning a crazed look onto me.

    [Grides]: ¡°Y-You¡­¡­.who do you think you are speaking to Rinrin-sama like that!?¡±

    ¡­¡­..and just when I was wondering what was wrong, that was the first thing she had to say.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­even if you ask me that¡­¡­¡±

    I almost forgot, Odette-sensei seemed pretty surprised when I brought up Litzreich my first day here as well.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°It¡¯s fine. Iris is the woman who will become my wife in the future. I would be troubled if she felt too stiff around me.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever agreeing to that.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°How could you say that? Don¡¯t you remember that day you dug your nails into my unblemished skin?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°You, what¡­¡­..nails!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Quit saying misleading things. And don¡¯t believe everything she says Grides-san.¡±

    Sure Litzreich was technically right however it wasn¡¯t so much her skin as her magic armor, and it wasn¡¯t my nails but Phoenix¡¯s claws.1

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Kukuku, sorry sorry. Grides-san¡¯s reactions were more meek than yours, so I had a little fun teasing her.¡±

    Do you two know each other? is what I was about to ask, but then I suddenly remembered that Litzreich is actually a teacher here and the deputy head of the Shirayuri Knights.

    With Grides-san being a student and someone who is looking to join the Shirayuri Knights after she graduates, I suppose it¡¯s only natural they would be at least acquaintances.

    [Iris]: ¡°Which means, since you knew her, couldn¡¯t you have stepped in and talked things down?¡±

    Litzreich laughed and blew me a kiss in response to my simmering resentment.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I thought it would be a good time to measure Grides-san¡¯s power.¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s eyes slipped from me to Grides-san.

    In response, Grides-san immediately shook off my arm and fell to her knees right on the spot.

    [Grides]: ¡°I have shown you an unsightly battle, and I have no excuse¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Woah, that Grides-san is suddenly acting quiet and meek.

    I know Litzreich is one of the school¡¯s professors and the deputy head of the Shirayuri Knights, but I wonder if she has some other kinds of titles that make her important.

    Well, I doubt anything can change my impression of her at this point.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Not at all. You performed admirably, but unfortunately it was a poor match-up for you.¡±

    Litzreich narrowed her eyes and gently patted Grides-san¡¯s shoulders as she continued kneeling down.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°It was a one-on-one battle with the restrictive rules of the duel in place¡­¡­there are probably only five witches in the country who could beat Iris in that situation.¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s head shot up and stared at Litzreich in disbelief before turning towards me. She seems to hold Litzreich in high regard, so what she said must have surely shocked her.

    Of course, they had the same effect on me.

    [Iris]: ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Kukuku, am I? What is a witch to do if none of their spells will hit and their mana is continuously disrupted? You are too funny.¡±

    For most of my life I¡¯ve lived outside the public eye. I was forced to take center stage here in the duel for Lou-chan¡¯s sake, but now that it¡¯s over, I would really like to leave this place as soon as possible.

    [Iris]: ¡°So what did you come here for then? Was there something you had to do?¡±

    I¡¯m keeping Rose-san and the others waiting as it is, so I tried hurrying Litzreich up a little.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh, thank you for reminding me. I¡¯m sorry, but could you come up to my room for now? It¡¯s about the matter we previously discussed.¡±

    Which means it has to do with our dungeon exploration. The investigation was temporarily suspended until the king made a decision on what was to be done after we encountered those gnomes, but I guess we finally have a plan on what to do from now on.

    [Iris]: ¡°Okay, I understand. Can you stand on your own Grides-san?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­I can stand! There is no need for you to worry!!¡±

    Grides-san clumsily rose to her feet and brushed away my outstretched hand.

    It still doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s fully recovered, but she is too stubborn to accept any help.

    Well, if she¡¯s feeling well enough to act like that then I suppose I can relax.

    [Iris]: ¡°See you later then.¡±

    She seemed a little lost after I waved goodbye to her.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­.thank you for your concern.¡±

    But immediately afterwards she straightened out her back and began looking like she normally did.

    [Grides]: ¡°And I look forward to our eventual rematch. If there are only to be five witches in the nation better than you, then Grides Montifi will see that she is one of them.¡±

    And with her dignified way of speaking returned back to her, she offered a new challenge while staring directly back at me.

    Somehow she started seeing me as someone to beat instead of as a friend. Although personally I¡¯d like to refrain from a second duel.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, sure. That might happen if we ever become friends.¡±

    So I responded as such. If she really wants a rematch, she¡¯ll have to start trying to get along with me.

    I then waved my hand once again and ran away before anyone could say anything else.

    To where? To where everyone is waiting for me of course.

    [Iris]: ¡°Everyone~! I won!¡±

    With the duel over, people had started leaving the field in groups of twos and threes. With the crowds thinned out, I managed to immediately find Toslin and Carol who welcomed me back with open arms.

    [Toslin]: ¡°I was wondering what you were going to do, and here it was a complete blowout.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hey hey, what¡¯d you do? Her magic kept spinning to the side, not working, or stopping halfway through didn¡¯t it?¡±

    Toslin ruffled my hair as she congratulated me, making my already messy hair even messier.

    Meanwhile Carol excitedly bounced around me with her curiosity on full display.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯ll explain it later.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Well, the great me knew what was going on just by looking.¡±

    True, whereas everyone else would probably think of what I did as some magic trick, Lapris could see magic power, so it definitely didn¡¯t have to be spelled out to her.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Well done. It was a good, dignified battle worthy of the Goddess Knight¡¯s princess.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Thanks Saluena.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Although, I was far more proud to see you hold out your hand in the end than anything else.¡±

    Saluena reached out her hand as she praised me.

    I figured she was going to clean up my mop of a hairstyle after Toslin completely messed it up¡­¡­

    [Saluena]: ¡°Your kindness is what I respect about you the most.¡±

    But in the end she decided to tousle it up more than it already was. Whatever, I don¡¯t care anymore.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san¡±

    Rose-san was the last person to say something after everyone else had rushed me.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa was praying throughout the whole match.¡±

    Saluena pushed my back.

    Standing in front of Rose-san with my messed up, I looked up into her eyes.

    [Iris]: ¡°I guess I worried you.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.Yes. You did.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But I won.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I was watching.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°And now I¡¯m here.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san set her hand on top of my head just like everyone else. But she didn¡¯t add on to the ruffleness.

    Slowly and with great care she worked to straighten it out.

    And¡­¡­..

    [Rose]: ¡°Welcome back¡±

    There were tears in the corner of her eyes¡­¡­just a bit, but they were there.

    And yet her voice was warm and filled with kindness.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m back!¡±

    So I cheerfully responded back and gave her a hug.

    I need to make sure the place I put all my strength into protecting is comfortable.

    1. ×¦ means both nails and claws in Japanese.

 CH 155

    Nine women had gathered inside Litzreich¡¯s room.

    Isn¡¯t it a little unreasonable to have this many people gathered here when as it is there is almost no floor space because of the tools and research materials scattered all over the place? Well, Lapris is so small you could say there are basically only eight people here, but it¡¯s still a tight fit.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Thank you all for gathering. Also, I witnessed your duel Iris. Earl Montifi¡¯s daughter is a well known talent among the nobility, and the fact you were able to overwhelm her is amazing. Just what I would expect from the hero.¡±

    Ashel was already in there when we arrived, and she greeted me right away.

    She was dressed as a refreshing young man as she always was and had a bright smile. Meanwhile I was a complete mess after my duel and the subsequent ruffling from everyone else.

    [Iris]: ¡°You honor me, Ashel-sama.¡±

    I pinched the edges of my skirt and tried bowing the same way I had seen Grides-san do. With the sheer number of times I¡¯ve repeated this simple movement since I came to the capital, I feel like I¡¯m finally getting used to it. Whether the movement suits me or not.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Well then, summoning us here means we will be heading back correct? Down into the dungeon.¡±

    After inviting us all to find some place to sit, Ashel replied to Saluena¡¯s question.

    [Ashel]: ¡°It is just as you said Saluena-sama. However this time I would ask that you bring me along.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Whoa, partying with the prince? That makes us the brave party. Awesome! We can charge even more for our services!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Quit being so flirty. You¡¯re heavy.¡±

    Carol had plopped her butt down on Toslin¡¯s lap since there was nowhere else to sit.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°On that note, I will be coming as well.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Haa? Why are you following along? You made the quest.¡±

    And Lapris is lying back on my lap. She¡¯s lazing about as if we were back in our own room. If there were any sweets here, she would definitely be nibbling on them while we talk.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°If something were to happen, wouldn¡¯t it be better to have someone there who could make an immediate judgement? That is what Ashel and I will be there for.¡±

    Litzreich then turned to Odette-sensei who had been awkwardly standing by the door since she came in.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°That is why, although it is sudden, the school will be closed until such time that the investigation is finished. Spread the word Odette. Renovations shall be performed on the main school building to commemorate the anniversary of the school¡¯s founding.¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°Y-Yes! I will see it done, Rinrin-sama.¡±

    Odette-sensei replied nervously like a fresh recruit being stared down by the knight captain, yet she was able to fight against the pressure to turn her eyes towards me.

    [Odette]: ¡°U-Um, Calvafon-san¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes?¡±

    [Odette]: ¡°I was informed of the details on the way here. Something strange is happening inside the dungeon. And you came here for the sake of investigating those happenings.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t talk about it¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Since the suspicious incidents occurring in the dungeon were being kept hush hush, I couldn¡¯t tell anyone about our investigation. It still felt like I was somehow tricking Odette-sensei though, and because of all the help she¡¯s given me, I wanted to apologize.

    [Odette]: ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. The other students have been enjoying themselves immensely since the day you joined our class. Once your investigation is finished, I hope to see you back in class.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Of course.¡±

    It¡¯s thanks to this school I learned that what Grandpa taught me wasn¡¯t all about magic. I would like Odette-sensei to teach me even more.

    [Odette]: ¡°Then until our next class.¡±

    My teacher gave a directed bow towards Ashel, the crown prince of this country, before leaving the room.

    I¡¯ve met all number of people since coming to the capital, but I am especially grateful to have met Odette-sensei.

    If there was ever something I didn¡¯t understand about magic until now, I would have needed to ask Grandpa, but there is no Grandpa all the way out here.

    In a way, Odette-sensei became a spiritual pillar for my life in the capital simply by making herself available for any questions or consultations I might have needed.

    [Carol]: ¡°Hee, so do you think that teacher is Iris¡¯s favorite from this town?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh?¡±

    What is Carol talking about when I¡¯m just giving my honest, heartfelt thanks?

    [Litzreich]: ¡°What the hell!? Even though she already has me¡­¡­.Iris, for Odette¡­¡­.¡±

    See Carol? Now Litzreich is getting worked up all because you opened your mouth and started saying strange things.

    [Iris]: ¡°There¡¯s nothing of the sort. I am simply thanking my teacher.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Then who is your favorite?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Ah, that must be¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°We don¡¯t need to talk about this!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Quite. We are not here to play around. Time is finite. When would you have us re-enter the dungeon? And what is our goal this time? Would you please quickly explain everything?¡±

    Having been silently watching things unfold until now, when Rose-san did finally say something, her tone was blunt as if she had lost her patience for some reason.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°S-Sure¡­¡­ Rosalith is as irritable as always¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I am nothing of the sort. I am as even-tempered as always.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Then why are you always glaring at me¡­¡­..¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°All right, it¡¯s just like Rose said. Tell us when we have to go, and please tell us about the reward this time around as well. since our previous investigation was a rousing success, I assume it¡¯s fine to treat this second dive as its own separate matter?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°The request this time will come from the country itself, so there will be no issue on that front.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°YAHOO~~! First the church through the school, and now the government itself. We¡¯re never going to have to worry about our next meal ever again.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Although it will be payment in kind for one of you, aye Toslin?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Uuu¡­¡­..I-I know¡­¡­.¡±

    Oh yeah. Toslin has her sword with her today, so I guess it must¡¯ve finally been fixed. So I guess Toslin¡¯s portion of the reward went to that then?

    [Ashel]: ¡°The plan is to dive into the dungeon early tomorrow morning. The goal is twofold: reach the dungeon¡¯s bottom floor and find out what is going on.¡±

    I sharpened my mind as Ashel-sama explained to us the request.

    I¡¯ve gotten a bit lax since the duel ended, but as an adventurer, this is the real deal.

    However with Toslin and Carol doing all the work negotiating content and rewards, there isn¡¯t much for me to do at this point.

    So in order to not forget that feeling I had from the duel, I spun a thread of magic power from my finger and traced out Lapris¡¯s face into the air.

    She got really~ annoyed after I did that though.

    ?

    Once the meeting was finished, we immediately left the school to prepare for tomorrow.

    There were still a couple people who had come to see the duel mingling in the courtyard that we passed by on our way to the carriages. Most of them looked to be nobles, and I recognized a couple of them from the audience I had with the king.

    They were having tea and chatting amongst themselves at the eastern pavilions and tables usually used by students, but all of them fell silent and turned their gazes on us as we walked past.

    ¡°Xcuus moi~!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°???¡±

    I heard a voice coming from somewhere in the distance. But we just kept walking thinking it had nothing to do with us¡­¡­

    ¡°Cusea me!¡±

    I heard the voice once again, but this time I was able to just barely understand what they were trying to say.

    She was surely trying to say the words, ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    I know of only one person with a habit of slurring their words together like that.

    I met them only once before, during my audience.

    [Iris]: ¡°Maculis-sama.¡±

    A woman with a plump body wearing an overly gaudy dress and a loud laugh.

    The marchioness, one of the highest ranking nobles in the country.

    She walked right over to us with a couple maids trailing behind her.

    She stopped in front of us and looked down on me with the same grin she wore back then.

 CH 156

    [Maculis]: ¡°Well well, my oh my!! For you, to remember my name, I am all too honored!¡±

    My brain wasn¡¯t quite working right after unexpectedly being contacted by a high ranking noble.

    Umm, since she¡¯s higher ranked than me, this is the part where I¡¯m supposed to bow right? Somehow everything I learned about how to do this properly slipped out my mind even though I just did it with Ashel-sama a moment ago.

    [Rose]: ¡°Good day to you Maculis-sama.¡±

    While I was doing my best to knit back together the memories of something I had just done, Rose-san took a step next to me and greeted the marchioness.

    (Ah, I see)

    I remembered everything after seeing it performed in front of me. I imitated Rose-san¡¯s bow in turn, but for some reason, it set off a round of laughter from Madam Maculis that made her whole plump body shake.

    [Maculis]: ¡°Well oh my, born a commoner, yet you remain this elegant! I will have to make sure my child follows suit! Ohohohohoho!!¡±

    This¡­¡­.am I supposed to be laughing with her, or¡­¡­.?

    My brain was once again overtaken by doubts and questions.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I was unaware you were coming Madam Maculis.¡±

    Ashel-sama had been hanging back and walking with Saluena, but she quickly moved up to the front after seeing the marchioness.

    [Maculis]: ¡°Oh~ my, if it isn¡¯t Prince Ashel.¡±

    Thanks to the appearance of the prince, the marchioness¡¯s gaze finally deviated off of me.

    (I-I¡¯m saved¡­..)

    I thanked Ashel-sama in my heart, but not a minute had passed before Madam Maculis¡¯s sharp eyes and purple eyeshadow were focused back on me.

    [Maculis]: ¡°My house and the Montifi earls are quite close. Grides-chan¡¯s mother is my sister. I have doted on her since she was a little thing. So as her aunt, when I heard she had involved herself in a duel I knew I had to come and cheer her on no matter what!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, of course you would.¡±

    So I¡¯m the person who beat up your cute niece right in front of you. I have a real bad feeling for why you¡¯d want to expressly call out to me.

    [Maculis]: ¡°Calvafon-sama. I was very impressed. Without lifting a finger you managed to completely shut-down Grides-chan¡¯s hard-earned skills!! And without getting a scratch on you as well!! It was as if I were watching art in motion!! Calvafon-sama, you are just what I would expect from the dragon-slaying hero and the witch chosen by the Goddess!!¡±

    Uwah, amazing. The pressure is amazing. Words keep flying out of her mouth so quickly there isn¡¯t any room for me to say anything back.

    [Maculis]: ¡°You simply must stop by my home the next time you have an opportunity!! I would be more than happy to welcome you and all your friends!! Ohohohohoho!!¡±

    As soon as she was finished saying what she wanted Madam Maculis spun on her heels and left as if it were a matter of course.

    The other nobles spread out around us were stunned, but it didn¡¯t look like she cared at all.

    [Carol]: ¡°Was that a declaration of war?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡­.nobles are weird. At the very least, if we do as she says and visit her, there is a non-zero chance we¡¯ll end up stuffed into sacks and beaten with bats.¡±

    I let out the breath I had been holding in, and after overhearing Toslin and Carol whisper behind me, my shoulders fell as well. It was a conversation that only lasted a minute, yet I feel way more tired now than I did after the duel.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Madam Maculis is a considerably shrewd noble. You should be careful not to be alone with her Iris.¡±

    I obediently agreed to Ashel-sama¡¯s advice for the time being. Not that I think such a situation would ever come up of course. I am fortunate in that everyone is almost always by my side.

    [Ashel]: ¡°She is also a noble outside of my father¡¯s faction. If she ever says anything to you, come to me or my father straight away. Okay?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°A-All right¡­¡­¡±

    Ashel-sama¡¯s eyes were warily watching Madam Maculis¡¯s back as she left.

    I feel like I¡¯m getting my first glimpse into that noble word Grides-san was talking about.

    ?

    [Milius]: ¡°I saw your duel this morning Princess.¡±

    The light from a lamp hanging down in the church¡¯s dining room shone off a knight¡¯s beautiful and long black hair. The name of this black-haired knight was Milius Luotung.

    [Grimm]: ¡°I saw it as well. It was a splendid battle with all the danger taken right out of it. I was truly impressed by our princess.¡±

    Next up was Grimm Lanselva whose golden ponytail shook alongside her playful tone.

    [Iris]: ¡°T-Thank you very much¡­¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m currently sitting inside the church¡¯s dining rom. It is around 8 o¡¯clock at night. After leaving school and finishing our preparations for tomorrow, I decided it would be best to eat with the Goddess Knights who are always spending their days escorting me.

    However the number of places that can fit fifty people for a meal is limited, so Marie-sama was gracious enough to allow us to eat at the church.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hey, can I ask you something?¡±

    [Milius]: ¡°What is it Princess?¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°Ask away Princess.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°What¡¯s with all the princess talk?¡±

    It¡¯s something I noticed this afternoon.

    My mind went blank for a moment when I suddenly realized Luotung-sama had started calling me princess.

    At first I just figured my mind was playing tricks on me, but a little later, Lanselva-sama did the same thing.

    It¡¯s been bugging me ever since.

    [Milius]: ¡°What do you mean Princess?¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°Princess means Princess, Princess.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No no, wait wait, please wait. That¡¯s not an answer.¡±

    Today¡¯s meal prepared for us by the church sisters¨D¨Da mixed seafood platter made from fish called hatapani brought up from a southern region. And instead of enjoying it, I am currently trying to nip an embarrassing bud before it sprouts.

    [Milius]: ¡°By the way Princess, you will be diving into the dungeon beneath the castle again tomorrow right?¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°May we come with you Princess?¡±

    Oh, this is¡­¡­that. They¡¯re trying to change the subject to distract me and force through the name change.

    Since they¡¯re my knights, I held myself back and didn¡¯t object to them using ¡®sama¡¯ with my name, but I¡¯m confident that being called princess will be more than I can handle.

    [Saluena]: ¡°That¡¯s no good¡±

    While I was trying to figure out the best way to put a stop to this once and for all, Saluena¡¯s voice cut into our conversation from the other side of the table.

    [Saluena]: ¡°You both are still lacking in ability. Our destination this time is what was once Oshunel¡¯s stronghold. We have already confirmed the presence of several spirits who have regained their primordial power, and it is quite likely there are other more powerful enemies further down. We cannot bring you to such a place.¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°But Captain Saluena, what about the rest of us¡­¡­¡±

    Lanselva-sama¡¯s face twisted with regret at being turned down.

    [Milius]: ¡°That¡¯s right Captain. We became knights in order to protect our princess. The fact that Princess is heading straight for danger while the rest of us remain up here in safety¡­¡­¡±

    Luotung-sama had the same regretful look on her face as Lanselva-sama. But I¡¯m sorry. I know this is really important for them, but I¡¯m still stuck on the fact that they keep casually calling me Princess even during a time like this.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Your loyalty and feelings towards protecting Iris, our princess, are to be commended.¡±

    [Milius]: ¡°¡­¡­Captain¡­¡­¡±

    Hey¡­¡­.Saluena? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the one giving Lanselva-sama and the others funny ideas?

    No, I¡¯m sure of it. Because the knights were respectful at first, but they always used ¡®sama¡¯ for my name at most. Until now, Saluena has been the only person to ever call me Princess!!

    [Saluena]: ¡°But that is why you must endure. Never forget how you are feeling at this exact moment, and use that regret to further sharpen your blades and hone your abilities. Do that, and I truly believe you will all one day climb to the same height as me.¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°Captain Saluena¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hey Saluena. I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but there was something I really wanted to ask you too.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°What is it? You know you may ask me anything.¡±

    As Saluena opened her mouth, a fork came in from beside her. Hanging onto that fork was a cut of a hatapani¡¯s white meat soaked in salt and lemon.

    Saluena leaned over, gracefully accepted the offering, and chewed her food.

    [Iris]: ¡°I have come to believe it was you who convinced the knights to start calling me Princess, and there are a number of other questions I feel the need to ask. There is one thing I am more concerned about than anything else at the moment however.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes towards the person sitting beside Saluena.

    [Iris]: ¡°What are you making the knights do?¡±

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Uu, uuu¡­¡­Princess¡­¡­please don¡¯t look at me¡­¡­.¡±

    There was a knight sitting on either side of Saluena, and for some reason, they were both wearing maid uniforms. And compared to what Noelia-san wears, I feel like the chest area is a lot more open.

    Moreover, now that I¡¯m taking a second look, one of them is Ruruka. The cheery knight whose trimmed green hair is her trademark¡­¡­.now had a bright red face and was sticking to Saluena¡¯s arm. No, she¡¯s being held?

    [Saluena]: ¡°You can¡¯t tell by looking?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°It¡¯s service.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t clear anything up.¡±

    She gave me a concise, self-evidential answer that I could have guessed just by looking, but that in no way cleared anything up.

    [Carol]: ¡°It¡¯s apparently part of a punishment game. Anybody who loses in a practice bout has to spend some time wearing those clothes.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s a tradition for the Goddess Knights which was been around for a thousand years.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Terrifying.¡±

    Toslin and Carol nodded. Carol was actually wearing a maid uniform as well, but hers was a lot more childish compared to the other knights. That¡¯s why she was much more pretty than sexy.

    [Iris]: ¡°I could have gone without knowing about that kind of knightly tradition.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I was often beaten by my seniors and made to dress like this years ago. The embarrassment and regret does well to sharpen one¡¯s will. It¡¯s about diligence.¡±

    For the sake of argument, I wouldn¡¯t have too much problem with this even if it wasn¡¯t a tradition. Maid clothes are cute. I know this isn¡¯t the point, but Ruruka looks great here too.

    But why are you having other women feed you in front of Rose-san? She just forgave you flirting with other girls a couple days ago. Hey Saluena, what are you thinking?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­well, um¡­¡­Rose-san?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Rose-san was silently sitting next to me. She tore off a piece of bread, soaked it in her soup, and tossed it in her mouth.

    Yeah¡­¡­.she¡¯s pissed. The face she¡¯s making right now¡­¡­¡­is absolutely terrifying.

    [Iris]: ¡°Saluena, I think you should apologize¡­¡­¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°It¡¯s already too late. But I respect Anego. Look at her face. It is only natural a face like that would be served. Not just anyone could compare to her.¡±

    R-Right¡­¡­.I wonder?

    [Carol]: ¡°Here Toslin. Ah~n?¡°

    Carol ripped off her own piece of bread and brought it up to Toslin¡¯s mouth.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Aah¡­¡­.Aah? Y-You dumbass! Doing weird things!¡±

    And so Toslin hit Carol¡¯s head.

    [Carol]: ¡°What? Ordinary people do ¡®Aah¡¯ too.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­.aah, mm¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­they argue but¡­¡­weren¡¯t you a heartbeat away from accepting the bread without thinking about it Toslin? Did I just imagine it?

    [Grimm]: ¡°Oi Luotung¡±

    [Milius]: ¡°I know Lanselva. How thoughtless of us.¡±

    Lanselva-sama and Luotung-sama stood up and beckoned over a couple other knights. And those knights were¡­..

    ¡°Uuu, P-Princess¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Tonight¡­¡­we¡¯ll be the ones servicing you¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­.irresistible in their maid uniforms.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hol-¡­¡­.No I um, I really appreciate the offer, but it¡¯s not necessary.¡±

    My head creaked like an old iron door as I twisted my neck to glance over at Rose-san. Her eyes were as cold as ice water, and her smile was so devoid of humor I couldn¡¯t tell if she was purposefully trying to look scary or if she was trying to cover up her fury and was just doing that bad a job of it.

    [Rose]: ¡°Everyone is so incredibly beautiful, don¡¯t you think? After the long day Iris-san had, I would ask everyone to take extra special care of her?¡°

    Oh this is absolutely not going to be okay. If I say yes, I will turn into a no-good woman. At this rate, I¡¯m going to end up looking like a disappointment in Rose-san¡¯s eyes as well.

    [Iris]: ¡°N-No!! I really am fine! E-Excuse me, I will be in the washroom for a while©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    Tomorrow we will be diving into the depths of the dungeon were Oshunel once dwelled. And yet we¡¯re acting like we always do with no sense of tension hanging over our heads.

    Did Saluena do this on purpose because she was worried I would be feeling nervous?

    I glanced behind me just as I was about to run out of the dining room, and Saluena was happily flirting with the knights around her.

    (No, it¡¯s just how she is.)

    I decided to hum a song to myself while running to the bathroom inside the church I had already become well accustomed to.

 CH 157

    The next morning. It was just before the rest of the city would be rising from their beds.

    I once again stepped into the castle¡¯s basement.

    Stone floors and walls. The ceiling was high and wide, giving me almost no sense of claustrophobia at all. I once again took another look around, but just like before, it was a beautiful room that wouldn¡¯t make you feel that it had been around for a thousand years. It¡¯s weird that no moss is growing down here.

    It was colder down this far. Every breath I took came out a little white however I learned from my previous experience and took appropriate measures to combat the cold.

    I am wearing an extra layer compared to before, and this time, I¡¯m equipped with the strongest armor I own: Sarah¡¯s handmade wool panties.

    It would be no exaggeration to say that the current Iris-san has become an iron fortress that boasts an unrivaled strength against the cold.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Carol and Toslin will take the front. Ashel and Litzreich will be next. Finally Rosa and I will pull up the rear while protecting Iris.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Ready and roger~¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s almost the same formation we used last time. Oh~, I hope some monsters pop out soon enough. I¡¯ve been itching to try out this sword since I got it back yesterday.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Uwa, a fitting remark from a meathead elf.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I could always test it out on you instead.¡±

    Toslin was now giddily holding her favorite sword after Litzreich had fixed it. I got a glimpse of it yesterday, but getting a second look at it now, the blade was so beautifully pieced back together after being broken in two that you couldn¡¯t even tell where it had cracked. A jewel had been fitted into the handle¡¯s pommel which Litzreich claimed was the cornerstone of her remodeling efforts. She refused to tell me what it was used for though.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I know it is my first time teaming up with everyone however I will do my best not to slow you down, so thank you for your patience.¡±

    Ashel sounded a bit nervous as she spoke.

    She was wearing a full breast plate like the one Rose-san is wearing over her normal men¡¯s clothing. She also had two slender swords hanging from her waist. One on each side.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I fought together with everyone several times before we reached the capital.¡±

    Litzreich was no different from the usual. If a battle ever ensues, she will end up crushing the enemy with her magic shell while still looking like a prim, young lady.

    [Lapris]: ¡°You look like a kid who left for a picnic and accidentally got lost in a dungeon.¡±

    Lapris was hanging on top of Goldmund¡¯s head. This was to keep her in a high place for maximum use of her body¡¯s natural illumination.

    Goldmund¡¯s back is loaded up with enough food and water for seven people as well as different tools needed for exploration. It was an amount of equipment that would crush me into paste. However even with all that weight, Goldmund moved with a light gait.

    Walking next to him was Plushie Unicorn.

    If Lapris¡¯s light was supposed to illuminate overhead, Plushie Unicorn¡¯s light was meant to illuminate our feet.

    Since we are able to move without needing any torches or lanterns, the amount of luggage we needed to bring was reduced by that much. And most importantly, this meant Carol¡¯s nose wouldn¡¯t be inhibited by the use of any oil.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    And pulling up the rear was Rose-san and Saluena who were walking side by side.

    It felt like there was an amaaaaaaaaaaaazingly heavy air hanging between them, but that was definitely just my imagination. So I kept proceeding forward without worrying about it.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­huh? Hold on.¡±

    Had only five minutes passed since we walked through the entrance? Carol raised her hand from her position at the front and brought the rest of us to a stop.

    [Carol]: ¡°Phoeniko. Can you run ahead and light up the hallway for a bit?¡±

    Phoeniko, Phoenix in her tiny bird-like form, was circling over our heads, and after receiving Carol¡¯s orders, she gave a few chirps before flying on ahead.

    [Carol]: ¡°Hey Rose. The last time we came through, did the road turn to the right first?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Hmm, yes. It does.¡±

    Rose-san nodded after double checking our map.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.huh? But there wasn¡¯t anywhere for us to turn right before was there?¡±

    Phoeniko melted away the darkness as she continued to press forward, and our field of vision expanded.

    [Carol]: ¡°Hmm~? Weird. I don¡¯t think we encountered any teleport traps anywhere, and I can still see the entrance behind us.¡±

    Carol¡¯s eyes are capable of seeing long distances far beyond what any of the rest of us are capable of whether we have light or not. I can¡¯t see even an outline of the entrance at this point, but if Carol says it¡¯s there, I believe her.

    [Saluena]: ¡°It couldn¡¯t be a different entrance from before.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Right. There is only one entrance that leads from the castle to the dungeon. I wonder if we made some kind of mistake¡­¡­.¡±

    Ashel nodded with a thoughtful expression at Saluena¡¯s comment.

    [Rose]: ¡°Then what does all this mean?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Beats me.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of something like this happening before either.¡±

    Rose-san continued pouring over the map time and time again to the point that she started to look irritated.

    Lapris gave up on thinking about it early on with Toslin joining her soon after.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°What does our expert, Carotayle, think about this then?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Hmm~. I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    When asked by Litzreich, Carol readily shrugged her shoulders.

    [Carol]: ¡°But, possibly¡­¡­¡±

    However she continued on nonetheless.

    [Carol]: ¡°The entrance is there, the map is real, and we never encountered any traps. And yet, what we¡¯re seeing now is completely different from our map. So I can only think of one answer.¡±

    Carol lowered her hand and once again began walking forward.

    [Carol]: ¡°Rose, you can put the map away. It¡¯s useless to us now.¡±

    She raised her nose up into the air, more intensely sniffing the hallway as she moved.

    [Rose]: ¡°Eh, what do you mean Carol-san?¡±

    We quickly followed after Carol. When Rose-san asked what the rest of us were thinking, she replied without turning her eyes away from the front.

    [Carol]: ¡°Parts of the dungeon have changed since we were last here. Possibly everything.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Heh?¡±

    It took all of us a few seconds to understand what she said.

 CH 158

    [Iris]: ¡°The layout¡¯s changed¡­¡­is that even possible?¡±

    Abusing my position as the daughter of a bookstore, I have read hundreds of adventure novels. It would be an overstatement to claim I¡¯m the most well-read person in the world on the topic, but I¡¯m proud of the fact that I¡¯ve read more books than most people will read in a lifetime.

    Yet not a single one of those stories has ever included a dungeon that was capable of altering itself.

    [Carol]: ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve been a part of the Thieves Guild for a while now, but I¡¯ve never heard of even a rumor about something like this happening before.¡±

    Carol would occasionally come to a stop, but whenever she did start walking again, she did so without any hesitation.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­but this one did? Its structure has changed?¡±

    With her keen hearing, Carol was able to pick up my soft murmurs.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­yeah, it¡¯s changed. The trap I removed last time we were here has been restored¡­¡­no, rather than restored, it¡¯s like¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol once again stopped and crawled down onto the floor. She then closed one of her eyes and carefully examined one part of the floor.

    Pulling out a metal rod from the pouch hanging at her waist, she began tapping different points of the floor.

    [Carol]: ¡°It almost feels like someone brought in a completely different trap. It¡¯s too blended into the rest of the floor to be a simple restoration. Oh, don¡¯t step right there. The floor will either explode or give out from under you.¡±

    Carol spoke as if it were no big deal before setting down a coin on the floor to act as a landmark.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Brought? How could someone bring in a trap?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Beats me.¡±

    Carol shrugged her shoulders at Toslin¡¯s question.

    She then returned her tools to her pouch before rising to her feet and continuing forward once again.

    [Carol]: ¡°But that¡¯s what¡¯s happened, so there¡¯s no point in denying it. An adventurer has to believe what they¡¯re seeing no matter what it is. They can think about the why¡¯s after that.¡±

    That was probably Carol¡¯s personal philosophy as an adventurer. It was her straightforward declaration as she continued forward with the same pace as before.

    My mentor had the exact opposite opinion. Grandpa Ferdinand told me it was important to always doubt everything as even what I see for myself could be a trick.

    I¡¯m sure both of them are right though.

    Carol¡¯s is the correct answer based off of Carol¡¯s experience, and Grandpa¡¯s answer is correct based off of Grandpa¡¯s experience.

    Honestly, there could be a bunch of correct answers besides theirs as well. We are a party, so everyone should be able to rely on each other and do what they can.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s unusual for you to say something decent.¡±

    After Toslin shrugged her own shoulders and muttered out a compliment under her breath, Carol once again came to a stop.

    She then turned around with a wide smile and slightly blushed face.

    [Carol]: ¡°Fufu, did you think I was cool right then? Is it love? Have you fallen in love with me all over again? Hm? Hmm??¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Haa. This is what I get for giving you a small amount of praise. You did great, so why don¡¯t you go take a look ahead?¡±

    Toslin shot off a kick capable of breaking a huge golem straight into Carol¡¯s butt.

    [Carol]: ¡°GYAAaaaaaaaaAAAAAA!!¡±

    Carol flew through the air in an arc.

    [Carol]: ¡°Just kidding! Marvel at this Carol-san¡¯s brilliant landing!!¡±

    But she managed to adjust her position in mid-air to pull off a beautiful landing.

    It¡¯s just like Toslin to send out a strong kick without any hesitation, and Carol pretending to be blown away when she actually managed to dodge it is part of their usual routine. They¡¯re both weirdos. Not in a good or bad way. It¡¯s just a fact.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Something similar happened inside the castle, but so you act like this even inside a dungeon I see.¡±

    Ashel-sama pulled a wry smile, the same one she wore back when we first properly met each other.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Their ability to always remain cheerful is its own special kind of talent. It would be nice if the Shirayuri Knights had at least one member like Carol. Everyone is so serious all the time that it tires me out.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ah, you¡¯re always acting like an idiot when you¡¯re around us, but I guess even you have to act serious whenever you¡¯re with your followers.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I¡¯m originally a cheerful, playful, and loveable woman, but that Yuhanna is so stubborn. Oh if only I could forget about the Shirayuri Knights and the school so I could completely immerse myself in my research. Although, how happy would I be if I could spend the whole day relaxing with Iris without having to think about a thing¡­¡­.¡±

    Litzreich threw back a couple glances my way. She released an overly suggestive sigh as a pink aura began permeating her entire body.

    If she was as young as she looks I would happily pat her head, but this person is older than me.

    [Lapris]: ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to leave Iris alone with a walking obscenity. Go get yourself checked into a hospital and have your head replaced.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°A-Ahaha¡­¡­y-you two get along quite well.¡±

    Ashel-sama¡­¡­. Despite being one of the most esteemed people in the country, currently she is stuck between Litzreich and Lapris and forced to play arbitrator.

    If you leave them alone, they will probably continue on like that endlessly. Ashel might end up suffering from stomach pain by the time we reach the dungeon¡¯s depths.

    [Saluena]: ¡°By the way Carol. Are you sure we¡¯re going the right way?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I was wondering the same thing. Will we be okay without the map?¡±

    After the two sisters pulling up our rear brought the discussion back to the matter at hand, Carol pulling up the front called back to them.

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be fine. The layout might¡¯ve changed, but our scent from the last time we were here lingers.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi oi. Following our scent? You really are a dog.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°What did you, I¡¯m a wolf!¡±

    Lapris and Carol repeated a similar exchange as to what they¡¯ve done before.

    [Carol]: ¡°There¡¯s no wind or rain here, so it¡¯s easy for me to just follow the smell. So you can follow me with confidence. Honestly, you should be glad I¡¯m here. If not, you would have to thoroughly search this whole place from here to the depths. It¡¯d take you at least a week just to get there.¡±

    [Lapris]: Hearing you telling me to be relieved just makes me more anxious.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Yeah, I get that.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Why!?¡±

    With Toslin joining in, the conversation looped between the three of them.

    Upon seeing and hearing them like that, Ashel-sama put a hand over her mouth, but despite her best efforts, I could still see how brightly she was smiling.

    ?

    We continued on our way down further and further into the dungeon for about two hours without incident.

    If there was anything of note, it would be that Carol¡¯s tail was singed after it accidentally set off a trap. Also, we encountered a fresh bold loire, (I¡¯m not entirely sure what ¡®fresh¡¯ means here, it¡¯s just what Carol called it) but Carol and Toslin¡¯s eyes changed as soon as it appeared and was quickly crushed.

    We¡¯ve encountered six bold loires so far, and all of them were quickly dealt with by Toslin followed by Carol deftly picking apart the gems studded inside the armor.

    So far we haven¡¯t seen any significant changes in Toslin¡¯s sword after its remodeling. I¡¯m curious about what the jewel embedded in the pommel is for, but so far all it has done is reflect some light.

    [Carol]: ¡°Aiya~, big catch big catch. If we can keep getting a steady stream of gems like this why not just leave the dungeon as is?¡±

    Carol was happily juggling the bag full of gems she had gathered.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Don¡¯t say anything crazy. There is a school and a city above here right? If they find out a bunch of high-ranking monsters like bold loires are under their feet, it will inevitably cause a panic.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°And there won¡¯t always be high-ranking adventurers like you in the capital to deal with them.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. It still hasn¡¯t really sunk in that I¡¯m a high rank yet.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long ago that we were strapped for cash and celebrated every time we got even a little bit of money¡­¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°For some reason I feel like Toslin-san might have been the only one doing that¡­¡­.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Everyone was already orange rank by the time I met you. I wish I could have you seen you before then Rosa. I¡¯m certain you must have been cute.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh my, Sally-oneesama. Are you trying to say I am not cute now then?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Saluena tried to fix the terrible mood between them, but the cold response and terrifying smile she got back from Rose-san made her eyes swim.

    As far as I know, Rose-san is the only person who can make Saluena act like this. After all, she is a very special person to Saluena.

    [Saluena]: ¡°O-Of course that¡¯s not the case. You are a stunning combination of both beauty and cuteness. Rosa. Just like the flower.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you very much. If only you did not say the same thing to every woman you meet, I might have taken your words seriously. A shame.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Is there no land here where Saluena can anchor herself?

    [Iris]: ¡°Uh, um¡­¡­Rose-san, Saluena, well, pretty soon¡­¡­..right?¡±

    Two hours have already passed inside the dungeon. I think it¡¯s about time I threw Saluena a lifeline.

    I¡¯ve tried ignoring it until now, but in the same way that Ashel-sama is sandwiched between Lapris and Litzreich, I¡¯m stuck between these two, and my stomach is about to scream from the stress.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Rose-san, um¡­¡­.isn¡¯t it about time to forgive Saluena?¡±

    Rose-san is usually terribly kind, but once she gets angry, it¡¯s scary. I know because she got mad at me once in Soletta Ritta. I think the best way to describe the current situation is to say that while your body may be fine, your spirit is slowly being frozen solid.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.Iris-san? No, but¡­¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, I understand. Saluena is a fast-talking womanizer, and it¡¯s natural you would get angry when you see her like that.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Do you have any room to talk?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°No, nevermind.¡±

    Lapris might say that, but isn¡¯t Saluena fundamentally different from me? I don¡¯t kiss the back of the hand of every cute girl I meet, nor do I pull them in close and whisper sweet nothings into their ear.

    At most I¡¯ll hold hands or hug somebody, and I¡¯m not always the person initiating those.

    That¡¯s why Saluena and I are different.

    [Iris]: ¡°But as for yesterday, I believe Saluena was thinking about us. Saluena used some old tradition to help all of us relax before we headed down for a dangerous exploration¡­¡­.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°No, that is a legitimate tradition practiced by the Goddess Knights for a millennia.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Shut up¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Sorry¡±

    With a quick glance Saluena zipped her lips closed and defensively put up her hands.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­haa, I understand. I cannot allow such frivolous things to bother Iris-san.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa? Then¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes. It is true that the tension of last night was alleviated thanks to Onee-sama¡¯s actions, so I will forgive you this time.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Ooh, Rosa¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°But from now on, whenever you are in front of Iris-san or Carol-san¡­¡­.please refrain from any lewd acts.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Umu, in that case, I shall take the utmost caution. I will stop at the point of simply sharing a drink together.¡±

    Saluena, do you comprehend the reason why Rose-san was upset with you?

    Rose-san was angry because you kept flirting with other women right in front of her. You get that, don¡¯t you?

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.haa, that will suffice. Then please do so from now on.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I will. The world without your smile is equivalent to an abyss that has lost its light. I swear here and now that I shall do what I must to ensure that such a beautiful smile will always be turned my way.¡±

    Saluena took Rose-san¡¯s hand and kissed the armor covering the back.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.Onee-sama is hopeless.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I will take that as a compliment.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­¡­.wa, wa¡­¡­ Somehow the back line has become amazing¡­¡­. I, I¡­¡­.should I be averting my eyes?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°First time?¡±

    Ashel-sama had developed a deep blush after seeing how sweet and pink our backrow had fallen. Lapris threw the usual rough language her way, but before anyone could say anything else, carol raised her hand from the front of the group.

    [Carol]: ¡°It¡¯s time to pay our attention forward. We¡¯ve got some enthusiastic fans up there waiting for us.¡±

    Carol pointed towards the darkness.

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    There, from somewhere deep in the dungeon and out of sight, I heard a familiar noise.

 CH 159

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    Like a dance beat, the sound of metallic heels passing over the stone floor echoed around us. Compared to last time though, the sound was a bit more disorderly.

    Judging from the reverberation of the sound, I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re in a fairly large room. I looked around us, but our light wasn¡¯t capable of reaching the walls. In that case the room is likely to be more than a 100 meters long from end to end.

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi Carol. This sound¡­¡­is it terribly familiar to you too?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Mm, there are two gnome golems . They¡¯re slowly walking this way, but they don¡¯t have those lights in their chests this time.

    Last time the battle started after a bright light suddenly pierced the darkness and made it so we couldn¡¯t see anything from the front.

    Back then, I managed to fight light with light by summoning Unicorn, but I guess that won¡¯t be necessary this time around?

    [Saluena]: ¡°Then, will we have enough light?¡±

    Our current sources of light are Phoeniko, Plushie Unicorn, and Lapris. In total we could probably light up about 50 meters around us¨Cmore than enough to deal with two gnome golems.

    [Rose]: ¡°Let us leave it to Iris-san, Sally-oneesama.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, I have this.¡±

    Toslin and Rose-san took the front with Toslin drawing her sword and Rose-san raising her shield.

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­.no, wait for a bit¡±

    But that was when Lapris stopped us from getting a preemptive strike.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Eh, what¡¯s with you Lapris? Wait? Wait for what?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah~, there¡¯s something weird going on. Like Lapris says, we should wait and see.¡±

    Kakon. Kakon. Kakon. Kakon.

    ¡­¡­¡­on! Gashon!!

    [Iris]: ¡°¨C¨C!?¡±

    Eh, what¡­¡­.was that sound?

    I could hear something else mixed in with the footsteps, but I couldn¡¯t see anything yet.

    However Carol wasn¡¯t hampered by that particular problem.

    [Carol]: ¡°The golems¡­¡­are both broken and tattered.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°These things had a ton of mana the last time we were here, but this time I can barely see anything.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Then, they¡¯re dying?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Looks like it¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°How did they get like that?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Can¡¯t tell¡±

    Rose-san and Toslin tilted their heads, but in response to their questions, all Carol could do was tilt her head as well.

    Kakon. Kak¡­¡­.Gasha¡­¡­.

    Kakon¡­¡­.Kasha, Kon, Kreeeeeeeeeee¡­¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    The noise kept getting closer and closer to us until finally the gnome golems stepped into the light.

    However as soon as they did, one of the golem¡¯s legs snapped in half, and the entire thing came crashing forward.

    CRACRASH!!

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­.what is going on? Did they accidentally trigger one of the dungeons traps?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°That is a possibility, but¡­¡­..both of them?¡±

    Litzreich and Ashel kept a close eye on the situation while being prepared to move at any time.

    The other gnome golem turned to its fallen sister. It reached out a hand as if to help it up, but that golem¡¯s leg broke in half as well.

    Crack¡­¡­¡­CRACRASH!! BumBumBumBum¡­¡­..

    Once the body hit the ground, its arm snapped off as well and rolled a short distance away.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, the gnome is coming out!¡±

    As I wondered what would happen, the lens over the golem¡¯s stomach swung out and a little gnome crawled out.

    Last time we were here the gnomes were able to escape right away, so I wasn¡¯t able to get a good look at them. This time though they were in center view.

    Her body was about the same size as Lapris¡¯s. It was a young-looking girl who was wearing an old-fashioned dress and had shoulder length black hair.

    The first thought in my head when I saw her was that I wanted to give her a hug.

    The little gnome rushed over to the other golem and began hitting her hand against the lens in its torso. The entire time, she kept looking back, concerned about something further in the dungeon.

    [Carol]: ¡°So, uh¡­¡­..what should we do?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Whatever the situation¡­¡­.they¡¯re our enemies, and we have to beat them¡­¡­..¡±

    Toslin scratched her cheek while answering Carol. However whatever she says, you could tell from her voice that she was hesitating.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Yosh, then get to it!¡±

    Needless to say it was Lapris who was arrogantly giving out orders despite the current situation.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­hey, what do you think Saluena?¡±

    Toslin swiped Lapris off of Goldmund¡¯s head before asking Saluena¡¯s opinion.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Wha-, hey¡­¡­.you, put me down, let go! You want to fight, you trying to start a fight!?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Right. Normally we would defeat any spirits as soon as we come across them¡­¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°But Oneesama. The situation certainly seems different compared to last time.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°You are right. And the fact that the golems have been destroyed worries me. Therefore, I would like to recommend a wait and see approach as well.¡±

    Waiting¡­¡­in other words, sit back and watch. I¡¯m very reluctant to attack a girl who isn¡¯t threatening me, so I can agree with that.

    [Carol]: ¡°That¡¯s not going to work. We don¡¯t have the time to wait and see.¡±

    Carol¡¯s ears were twitching.

    [Carol]: ¡°There¡¯s something else coming from further in. Something incredibly heavy. Golems probably? There¡¯s¡­¡­one, two, three, four¡­¡­..a lot of them.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi. Can¡¯t you do a proper count?¡±

    Still struggling in Toslin¡¯s grip, Lapris sounded a bit scared.

    [Carol]: ¡°No, I tried. But halfway through it got to the point where it felt pointless to keep counting. That¡¯s how many of them there are.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­.seriously?¡±

    The one gnome kept beating her fist against the other fallen golem¡¯s lens. However, when the sound of the approaching golems reached her ears, she froze in place and stared at the back of the dungeon.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Perhaps¡­¡­.they¡¯re being attacked?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°It seems so.¡±

    Litzreich formed a hypothesis, and Ashel nodded her head.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, the gnome is coming over here!!¡±

    Eventually the gnome pursed her lips and began running towards us. She desperately pumped her short legs to try and get close to us.

    Tep, Tep, Tep, Tep, Tep, Tep¡­¡­..

    [Saluena]: ¡°Stay alert, Rosa¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes!!¡±

    We didn¡¯t drop our guards.

    However after getting within a certain distance, a message carved from light larger than the gnome¡¯s body appeared above her head. Standing on her tiptoes, the gnome began frantically waving her hands towards us.

    ?Help?

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    I immediately turned to Saluena after reading her message.

    [Iris]: ¡°Let¡¯s help!!¡±

 CH 160

    [Saluena]: ¡°If that is the princess¡¯s wish then as your knight, I shall see it done.¡±

    Saluena took my hand, and with her superficially polite attitude, kissed the back of it.

    [Iris]: ¡°Geez, enough with the princess stuff already!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Well, if Iris is saying it I suppose I can help.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I would be a sham of a priestess if I were to turn away those seeking salvation. Please guide my way.¡±

    Both Toslin and Rose-san agreed, and so the party¡¯s policy was decided upon. Carol immediately jumped forward because she acknowledged that fact.

    [Carol]: ¡°I¡¯m going to scout out ahead for now.¡±

    Leaving those words behind, she jumped over the small gnome, stepped around the wreckage of the two golems, and disappeared into the inky darkness ahead.

    [Saluena]: ¡°We¡¯ll give rescue efforts priority for now. Rosa, retrieve the other gnome from the golem.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Certainly. Toslin-san, would you assist me?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°The other one kept banging on the glass, but nothing came out. Isn¡¯t it already dead?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Don¡¯t say anything unnecessary. Just do us a favor and light up our feet.¡±

    Toslin threw Lapris towards the floor before cooperating with Rose-san to turn over the fallen golem.

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I¡¯ll¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Wait¡±

    I was just about to rush over and help when Saluena grabbed the end of my cloak and pulled me back.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Leave that to Toslin and Rosa for now. We should do something about that one.¡±

    Saluena pointed at the other gnome who had managed to leave her golem.

    ?You¡¯ll help??

    The gnome happily jumped up and down with her lithograph sign hanging above her head.

    ?Thank you!?

    As one word disappears, a new one rises to take its place.

    [Iris]: ¡°They were always able to communicate in adventure novels, but are gnomes unable to speak in real life?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°It depends on the area. They might all be considered gnomes, but one gnome can be drastically different from another depending on where they were born and raised. This might be something unique to these girls.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°This may be imprudent of me to say after they already attacked you once, but she¡¯s cute isn¡¯t she?¡±

    The gnome suddenly turned her stone slab after Ashel-sama stooped down in front of her.

    ?Thanks!?

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmm, judging by what we¡¯ve seen, it seems she is able to understand what we are saying. Communication may be possible.¡±

    ?I can!?

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­very good. Then perhaps you can shed some light on what is happening?¡±

    But in response to Litzreich¡¯s question, the gnome suddenly began to shake.

    Again and again she raised and lowered her slate, and after going through the motions several times, tears began welling up in the corners of her eyes.

    ?©d(¡£>©n<¡£)¥Î?

    And finally, instead of words, a picture came up.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, perhaps¡­¡­she is only able to display a certain number of characters at one time.¡±

    ?Correct!?

    The gnome happily affirmed my deduction.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°How inconvenient¡­¡­. In that case, we¡¯ll have to limit our questions to those that would have little more than a yes/no answer.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Then getting straight to business, are you a gnome?¡±

    ?Gnome?

    [Saluena]: ¡°The ones that attacked us a few days ago?¡±

    ?Sorry!?

    [Saluena]: ¡°But you hold no further hostilities towards us¡­¡­.right?¡±

    ?Yeah!?

    The gnome desperately nodded her head after Saluena¡¯s voice dropped a few octaves. However the entire time, she kept stealing glances behind her.

    Rose-san and Toslin had managed to turn over the broken golem.

    ?Little sister!?

    [Iris]: ¡°The other gnome is your sister?¡±

    ?Yes!?

    The next word the gnome had scrawled across her slate was sloppily drawn.

    ?Worried?

    Seeing that word and the look on her face¡­¡­.any amount of vigilance I held towards her disappeared.

    I know that as an adventurer, I must always remain cautious, but¡­¡­but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at her that way. Is it the feeling shared by us sisters?

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re going to help you. It¡¯s fine already, right Saluena?¡±

    I pointed towards the golem that the little sister gnome was still riding in and asked.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Okay, but remember that if I see any suspicious movements, I will not hesitate to cut you down with my sword.¡±

    ?(¡®¥î¡¯*)?

    That probably meant she understood. The gnome then tossed aside the slate with the face drawn on it and rushed over to the golem wreckage.

    We followed after her and called out to Toslin who was currently trying to pry open the lens.

    [Iris]: ¡°How is it? Won¡¯t it open?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°No, it¡¯s stuck shut¡­¡­.woah!?¡±

    The older sister gnome climbed on top of the golem and once again hit her hand against the lens. I¡¯m not sure how it works, but it looked like the glass faded out of existence. With a small hole opened in the glass, the gnome quickly dove in and disappeared inside the golem.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Whoa, hold on!! Is it really okay for her to go in!? Won¡¯t it start moving again!?¡±

    Toslin hadn¡¯t taken part of our conversation with the gnome, so she immediately jumped away from the golem and drew her sword.

    [Iris]: ¡°She said her sister is in there.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Iris decided to help her. Although I, would like to believe her as well.¡±

    Toslin¡¯s expression turned doubtful when she saw that even Ashel-sama was saying that.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Haa¡­¡­..well then I guess we just stand here and wait?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t she already coming out?¡±

    The older sister gnome was the first to crawl up back into view and reached her hand out to the hole¡¯s edge. She looked at me a bit surprised when I grabbed her arm to prevent her from slipping down, but soon after she jumped back down into the hole and motioned for me to follow.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, you want me to lift you?¡±

    I¡¯m probably the weakest person here physically speaking, but even I can pull up two little girls like these.

    When I lifted them both up, the older sister gnome was tightly hugging her little sister.

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    But the little sister gnome¡¯s body¡­¡­had already begun to crumble away.

 CH 161

    She had the same black hair as her sister, but her¡¯s was braided. And her body was gradually turning into sand.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡±

    My mind went blank when I saw her, and my body stiffened in place. It wasn¡¯t until Saluena nudged my shoulder that I was able to reboot myself.

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­.she¡¯s disappearing. Iris, gently set her down. Take care.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°R-Right!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, put her over here!¡±

    Before I realized it, Lapris had unloaded a towel from our luggage on Goldmund¡¯s back and laid it out on the ground.

    [Iris]: ¡°T-Thanks Lapris!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°It¡¯s fine, so just be gentle!?¡±

    The two gnomes together weigh less than a set of silverware. I took a deep breath to steady my hands and slowly lowered their bodies onto the towel. The older gnome sister immediately tried lifting up her younger sister after they were back on the ground,

    [Lapris]: ¡°Don¡¯t move her!! She¡¯ll crumble away!!¡±

    but Lapris stopped her. Tears were welling up in the gnome¡¯s eyes as she watched her younger sister crumble away.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa, we need a healing miracle.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Understood¡±

    Rose-san immediately rushed to the gnome¡¯s side and knelt down. She folded her hands together before beginning to pray.

    [Rose]: ¡°The adherent Rosalith Cuulbacall offers her prayers. Goddess, heal this person¡¯s wounds.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Is that going to work on a spirit?¡±

    Toslin asked the question I was thinking.

    [Saluena]: ¡°So long as the spirit is a believer in the Goddess. The Goddess¡¯s miracle is capable of healing any of her followers¡­¡­supposedly at least.¡±

    Almost as if it were waiting for Saluena¡¯s cue, the palms of Rose-san¡¯s hands began emitting a warm light and wrapped around the little sister gnome¡¯s body.

    Rose-san¡¯s healing miracle won¡¯t work on someone if they¡¯re too injured or if their vitality is too low like how Carol was on St. Noglint.

    But apparently my worries were groundless.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ooh, she¡¯s healing¡­¡­. It¡¯s certainly a miracle.¡±

    The younger sister¡¯s body gradually began piecing itself back together, the cracks in her body slowly fading away. After seeing her improved health, Lapris let the older sister go. She rushed back over to her younger sister¡¯s side, her eyes welling up with tears of joy this time around.

    [Iris]: ¡°Haa, I¡¯m glad she could be saved¡­¡­.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t actually done anything, but the relief still made me sink to my butt.

    [Ashel]: ¡°No, stay standing Iris¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Fue?¡±

    Ashel grabbed my arm and pulled me back to my feet, not letting me expel the tension that was hanging in my body.

    [Ashel]: ¡°It looks as if the reason why these two were so injured will soon be upon us.¡±

    The reason¡­¡­oh, right. Something else should be coming here from further in the dungeon. Carol had left to go check up on it.

    [Carol]: ¡°Oi~, I¡¯m back~¡±

    Carol¡¯s voice from inside the darkness didn¡¯t sound any different from normal.

    She lightly scampered out of the shadows a second later. She then immediately made her way over to Goldmund and began rifling through our luggage.

    [Carol]: ¡°Let¡¯s see, there are around a hundred or more bold loires making their way over here right now.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­.hya¡­¡­.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°A hundred!?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh, there was some kind of strange ball floating above them too. They¡¯re almost here, so we should get ready.¡±

    Carol threw a large bundle of rope over her shoulder.

    *Badum* *Badum* *Badum*¡­¡­¡­now that she mentions it, I can certainly feel something through the ground. It feels as if it¡¯s trembling, and with each second the tremors become more and more intense. Soon pieces of stone began falling down from the ceiling.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa cannot move for a while. I¡¯m sorry Ashel, Litzreich. We must request our clients¡¯ assistance.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Of course¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°This is my chance to show off my good points to Iris¡±

    Ashel drew her slender sword and Litzreich activated her magic shell and made it envelop her arms.

    [Saluena]: ¡°There are over a hundred level 15 monsters in the capital¡¯s basement? This is most definitely a job for an order of knights.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Good thing there happens to be one here at the ready.¡±

    Any anger Rose-san felt towards Saluena had long since dissipated.

    And when Saluena pulls out her sword, she becomes the strongest swordswoman in the history of mankind.

    [Toslin]: ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s fine to call a handful of women a knight¡¯s order¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin drew her sword out with a side, and Carol walked up next to her.

    [Carol]: ¡°You¡¯re the one who said we¡¯d join. So we have to do, what we have to do.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°And our princess says we¡¯re saving the gnome.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Geez, not you two too¡­¡­..¡±

    I tried protesting to the princess-talk, but it made me feel reassured all the same.

    But I¡¯m not just someone to be protected anymore. I¡¯m an adventurer and a companion to everyone here.

    [Iris]: ¡°All right, first off we¡¯ll need some light. Phoenix!!¡±

    I funneled some of my magic power into Phoenix who was flying overhead to have her light burn even more violently.

    The line between our light and the darkness moved outwards as Phoenix transformed into a massive fireball stronger than a hundred torches.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­they¡¯re here.¡±

    There was a passageway at the far back of the room where multiple bodies¡­¡­.no, an army of bold loires sprung forth.

 CH 162

    It was an army.

    Equipped with an array of weaponry, the bold loires marched forward in orderly lines. It was as if a long, massive wall was slowly pressing towards us.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Magnificent, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°So those are the enemies.¡±

    Lined up in order¡­¡­.I¡¯d guess there are about 150 of them. The only one of them that sticks out from the rest is a large sphere floating above the army. The bold loires raised their weapons as if they were aiming to protect that sphere.

    [Carol]: ¡°It looks like that floating ball is their queen or something.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°In that case, our main goal should be destroying it. It¡¯s an enemy I¡¯ve never heard of before, but well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out somehow.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°I hope so¡­¡­¡±

    Litzreich sounded optimistic about the whole affair in stark contrast to Ashel-sama¡¯s more worried demeanor. Carol was standing next to them, nodding her head.

    [Carol]: ¡°Well, I¡¯ll stop as many of them as I can, so everyone else should kill them while you can. We don¡¯t know what the big ball thing is, so we should leave it for later. How about everyone moves the way they think best for now?¡±

    It was Carol¡¯s idea to have everyone do their own thing without thinking about it too deeply, but to my surprise, everyone else seemed to agree with her. Certainly, we don¡¯t  have the time to hold an in-depth strategy meeting, so I guess having everyone rely on their personal experience might be the natural solution.

    [Carol]: ¡°Well, I¡¯m heading out.¡±

    Carol plunged into the front line of the enemy horde with the length of rope she took in hand.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Then the rest of us should head in as well.¡±

    150 to 6, in terms of numbers, we are at an overwhelming disadvantage, but Saluena and the others looked neither anxious nor perturbed.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Carol will reduce their numbers¡­¡­.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Iris, watch me okay! My remodeled magic shell will tear through our enemies!!¡±

    With Carol already in the middle of the bold loire platoon, Saluena, Toslin, and Litzreich charged ahead.

    Ashel-sama was the only one to hesitate, sending a worried gaze back to me.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯ll be okay Ashel-sama.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Ahaha, am I that obvious?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Did you forget that Iris is a red rank adventurer just like you? She won¡¯t die even if a dragon jumps out.¡±

    No, if a dragon were to suddenly show up, I really don¡¯t think I¡¯d survive on my own¡­¡­.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. In that case, I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, do your best?¡°

    I made the biggest smile I could to encourage Ashel-sama since she was about to head into battle.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Y-Yeah!¡±

    She looked a bit surprised at first, but she then quickly nodded before following after Saluena and the others.

    [Iris]: ¡°I wanted to smile and see her off¡­..but wasn¡¯t her reaction a little weird? Ashel-sama almost looked shocked for some reason.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°She was scared of your face.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Isn¡¯t that cruel?¡±

    Even if Lapris is right, it¡¯s probably because of the way we¡¯re lighting this room causing some scary shadows to form.

    I glanced behind me.

    Rose-san is still casting her healing miracle. She isn¡¯t just healing a person¡¯s injury this time. Since her patient is a spirit, it¡¯s like she¡¯s having to restore the gnome¡¯s entire state of being, so it will probably take some time.

    [Iris]: ¡°Lapris. We¡¯re going to hunker down here. We aren¡¯t going to allow anything to get past us.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Fine. Then, you should hurry up and summon Unicorn to shore up our defense.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Mm!¡±

    I gently pressed my lips up against the white porcelain ring on my left pinky finger. It instantly transformed into a grimoire after I poured in my magic power.

    [Iris]: ¡°Now¡­¡­release the bonds of this world!!¡±

    Carol was in front of my eyes. She dashed around and through the knights¡¯ feet so quickly and so erratically that it was hard for me to follow her.

    [Iris]: ¡°The Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!¡±

    Litzreich was close by. Her magic shell was about as thick as a bold loire¡¯s, and she was swinging those arms around with reckless abandon. She said she had made improvements, but I can¡¯t tell where or what they are.

    What I can see is the tremendous destructive power they are able to exhibit. Each swing looks to have the same explosive effect as an attack from Rose-san¡¯s mace. Every bold loire she hit was flung up into the air, broken apart into a tattered mess.

    [Iris]: ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Holy spirit born from an ancient age, virgin guardian, mare clad in sacred water.¡±

    As for Ashel-sama¡­¡­she seems to be moving separate from everyone else. Both of her hands were firmly grasped around the hilt of her sword, and she moved through the thick crowd of enemies as if she were dancing.

    Despite how thin her sword is, it cuts through the stone statues like hot butter. She is the Brave after all, so it¡¯s probably some kind of magic sword.

    [Iris]: ¡°Please deliver unto us an age of peace and safety! Fiercely defend us from malice and impurity!¡±

    Saluena and Toslin were standing on either ends of the line, using their bodies to prevent any of the knight statues from advancing further.

    Toslin would smash the legs of the nearest bold loire with her sword in one swing before then smashing its head with the second.

    Saluena¡¯s fighting style was as insane as it was during the battle with the ents. Her sword swept through multiple statues¡¯ legs, and with a single sword stroke, their helmets shattered and scattered across the ground.

    Ashel-sama¡¯s way of fighting is wonderfully elegant, but Saluena is on a different level.

    [Iris]: ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forth. Unicorn!¡±

    Blue letters floated over glimmering white pages. Following along, I finished my chant.

    Emitting the same light as my grimoire, Plushie Unicorn grew and morphed, changing into the familiar Unicorn.

    [Iris]: ¡°Make a powerful shield that cannot be broken.¡±

    I immediately cast my spell afterwards, and Unicorn¡¯s mane shined white. Twenty defensive barriers materialized around us.

    One of these shields was able to perfectly deflect an ent¡¯s attack, but it¡¯s still unclear how well they will do against a bold loire¡¯s attack.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hm?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°What¡¯s wrong Iris?¡±

    I glanced down to my ring after forming my barriers, and Lapris looked towards me curiously. By the way, as soon as Unicorn was summoned, Lapris flew over and jumped into her usual spot in Unicorn¡¯s mane.

    [Iris]: ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Okay? Then hurry up and get on. Unicorn¡¯s not going to be able to do anything unless you stay close.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, right.¡±

    Unicorn took the trouble to kneel down to let me climb on her back.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you Unicorn. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±

    As I stroked her mane, she released a powerful neigh.

    [Iris]: ¡°It feels like they¡¯re totally locked down.¡±

    In a large dome-shaped room, 5 girls are going toe to toe with over a hundred golems.

    The mysterious sphere wasn¡¯t doing anything besides floating there in the back. It did occasionally flash a kind of light, but it didn¡¯t look like it was any kind of attack.

    [Lapris]: ¡°I wonder about that. Right now they¡¯re concentrating on those five, but if they were to shift their attention here¡­¡­..ah, look. Some of them are heading this way.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Carol!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°On it!¡±

    The enemies began to move, so Carol and Toslin responded.

    Carol took a page from our last adventure and tied off one end of the rope she had grabbed onto Goldmund. It was actually that quartz laden rope mixed with spider silk that is supposed to be impossible to snap.

    Meanwhile Toslin was holding on to the other end of the rope.

    [Carol]: ¡°Then, fight on.¡±

    Carol patted Goldmund¡¯s back and gave him a thumbs up.

    [Goldmund]: ¡°GUOOOOO©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    Then with a mighty roar comparable to a dragon, Goldmund ran away from the golems. At the same time, Toslin pulled on her end of the rope, causing it to go taut.

    Carol had managed to pull down the first bold loire we encountered in much the same way, but this time¡­¡­.

    [Carol]: ¡°Ahahahaha!! Big catch!!¡±

    Carol had been running through the bold loires¡¯ legs with that very rope.

    Nearly twenty of them had their legs tripped up and collapsed onto the ground. The knight statues who had started towards me were included in that group and inevitably had their advance stopped. Their arms were unable to support their weight and cracked from the impact while a few of them had their entire bodies splinter apart as well.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hey, I¡­¡­.Goldmund makes sense. He¡¯s always been tough, and now¡­¡­¡­he¡¯s like level 18 right? And I get that that idiot is an orange rank and has the strength to back it up. But. It¡¯s still strange right? She¡¯s an elf, right? Elves are supposed to be the race that never lifts up anything heavier than a knife, right?¡±

    Goldmund had managed to pull down 20 knight statues with his rope. What stood out to Lapris though was that despite the characterization of her race, Toslin had managed to hold her ground and put enough force into the rope to act as a counterweight.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hey, you think it¡¯s weird too right?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, huh? No, I¡­¡­besides¡­¡­.¡±

    Please don¡¯t ask me any questions I would prefer to not answer. Toslin¡¯s ears are longer than a hyurians and were sharper as a result. She would hear whatever I say.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Tosrillon, Carotayle!! Incoming magic!!¡±

    Eh, magic?

    Of everyone here, Litzreich and I are the only two people you could consider witches. So does that mean Litzreich is going to cast a spell?

    [Carol]: ¡°Geh!? Oh man, please no!! This rope is all wrapped around these things! It was really expensive!!¡±

    But I was wrong.

    The mysterious sphere the bold loires were protecting was lighting up brighter than it was before.

    The ground in front of us suddenly began to glow red and slowly melted into magma. The molten liquid spurted upwards, landing on the knight statues and the rope tying them down.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Take care!! The next one is probably going to be aimed at us!!¡±

    (Somebody has to do something¡­¡­right?)

    So the mysterious sphere is capable of using magic. Then I should be more than qualified to solve this problem.

    (I won¡¯t let you release another shot!!)

 CH 163

    Magic can roughly be divided into three different types.

    Magic that is exercised with the help of spirits.

    Magic that calls a spirit to you and then utilizes the spirit.

    And then the type of magic that spirits themselves use.

    [Iris]: ¡°Carol!! I need to get closer to that ball!!¡±

    The Deceit Shield is less effective against magic that produces a physical effect. So whatever spell this sphere is using to melt the stone floor and turn it into magma, I can¡¯t divert it.

    So I¡¯ll have to use some other means to prevent it from using magic.

    [Carol]: ¡°Okay~¡­¡­.¡±

    I called out to Carol who was the closest person standing to me before checking behind me again.

    The older sister gnome was holding her sister¡¯s hand while kneeling next to her on the towel we had laid out. Rose-san was still using her prayer with a serious expression, pouring all her focus into healing her patient.

    It¡¯s clearly going to take a little longer for the little sister gnome to be healed completely. So I can¡¯t ask Rose-san to accompany me yet.

    [Carol]: ¡°It¡¯s okay. Goldmund and I will handle things here. Saluena and Toslin are busy holding back the enemies though, so take Litzreich and Ashel with you.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Got it¡±

    I nod and take a deep breath.

    I¡¯m about to plunge into a crowd of a hundred bold loires. This is a genuine, life-threatening assault, and I do not know how well Unicorn¡¯s defensive barriers will hold up.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    But I can¡¯t not go. There is no way I can stay still when I see a sister so desperately praying for her little sister¡¯s recovery.

    [Iris]: ¡°Then let¡¯s move Lapris!! Don¡¯t fall off!¡±

    I wrapped my hands around Unicorn¡¯s mane as she powered forward. Her hooves hit the hard floor, creating a pleasant sounding echo.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ah, geez. If I knew this was going to happen, I would¡¯ve stuck with Goldmund.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re the only person here able to see magic power.¡±

    Concerning the type of magic this sphere is using, it¡¯s extremely unlikely that it consists of the first type.

    There is almost zero chance that this is a person we¡¯re dealing with. It would be one thing if it was like Litzreich¡¯s magic shell and a person was wearing it, but it is a bit unreasonable to argue that even a single person could fit in that thing.

    [Iris]: ¡°Litzreich!! Ashel-sama!!¡±

    Jumping over a fallen bold loire and slipping through a few of them that were still on their feet, we immediately made our way to Litzreich and Ashel-sama¡¯s vicinity.

    They were standing a short distance away from each other, haphazardly bashing or slashing the nearby enemies. Knight statues swung down their weapons from all directions, but the girls managed to parry or sidestep every attack thrown their way. It was as if they had eyes on the back of their heads.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Iris!? Were you that worried about my body!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°No fucking way!! Iris has to get closer to that ball!!¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­¡­.I see, we must prevent it from using magic.¡±

    Despite being stuck in the middle of an intense melee, they both seem like they have ample room to spare. Just what you would expect from the Brave and the deputy leader of the Shirayuri Knights.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, sorry about¡­¡­..¡±

    *Gakin!* A loud noise from the side of my head cut me off. A giant sword swung by a bold loire had crashed against one of Unicorn¡¯s defensive barriers.

    I knew the barrier would catch the attack, but that one attack¡­¡­left a crack in it.

    [Lapris]: ¡°It won¡¯t be able to take too many of those.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Indeed. Well, Iris is relying on me. I must live up to her expectations¡­¡­¡­.Hah!¡±

    When Litzreich reached our her hand, the magic shell hanging over her mimicked her movements. The thick metal fingers wrapped around the attacking bold loire¡¯s head, tearing it clean off.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Tearing someone¡¯s head off with a smile on her face. Seriously, this woman¡±

    Surrounded by these huge knight statues on all sides, I suddenly started feeling real small.

    The bright light shining above our heads and at the knights¡¯ backs caused deep shadows to become engraved on their fronts, making them all look even more powerful. If I were on my own, I would probably roll up into a ball out of fear and be unable to do anything.

    The reason why I can just barely bury that fear is because I have my friends with me. Because there are people here who I have to protect.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°There¡¯s no need to kill them Ashel. Break their legs and leave them on the ground.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Understood.¡±

    Litzreich directed and Ashel-sama followed. I¡¯m still unsure what kind of relationship these two have, but I know I can rely on them both which is good enough.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Do you know its location?¡±

    Litzreich knows I can borrow Phoeniko¡¯s sight which is why she turned to me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, that way.¡±

    When I have eyes in the sky, it doesn¡¯t matter that there is a wave of colossi as far as the eye can see. I won¡¯t lose sight of my target.

    After I pointed out the sphere¡¯s direction, Litzreich began running.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±

    She bashed one of the tree-like knight¡¯s legs out from under it and slipped into the crowd.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°You¡¯ll be crushed if you fall behind, so stick close to me!¡±

    *Thud*, *Thud*, a flood of knight statues bore down on us as we cut our way towards the sphere. However their big bodies got in the way, and they were too slow to corner us.

    [Iris]: ¡°It moved to the right!! Turn a bit left!!¡±

    I sometimes gave Litzreich directions as she pushed on and dug us a path forward.

    The floor felt like it was trembling under the weight of the giants. It would probably be hard for me to stand on my own, yet Litzreich and Ashel-sama were proceeding with zero trouble.

    Unicorn is forming barriers parallel to the floor and galloping on those which is why she isn¡¯t being affected by the shaking. Although this does mean we have less barriers to defend us, this doesn¡¯t seem like it will be a problem because of how fast Litzreich is blowing the knights in front of us away.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Ooh, I see it. Up close, it¡¯s a lot bigger than I expected.¡±

    We could see the sphere floating several meters above the floor through the gaps in the forest of colossi. It looked black from a distance, but beneath Phoeniko and Unicorn¡¯s natural light, it turned out to be a real dark indigo with a brick-like structure. And yet, the surface still had a nice, polished luster.

    I can¡¯t know its exact size for sure, but I would say it¡¯s about a meter in diameter. Like I thought, there¡¯s no way a person could be in there.

    [Iris]: ¡°How about it Lapris?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hm, it has so much accumulated mana it could fire off another spell at any time. Anego and the others aside, it¡¯d be bad if it aimed for those gnomes. The sooner we take care of this thing, the better.¡±

    The gnomes can¡¯t move right now because of their injuries, so if that spell is pointed towards them once again, they will be swallowed up. The distance between us and the dark blue sphere is still a couple dozen meters still, but my magic power can reach it.

    [Iris]: ¡°Litzreich, here is good enough!!¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Roger. Leave breaking that sphere to me. However we¡¯re in the middle of a tremendous crowd of enemies. If you ever require your wife¡¯s help, I will come running back and immediately disperse these monsters for you.¡±

    Litzreich is taking advantage of the moment to make a joke when I don¡¯t have the leeway to make a comeback, so I just ignored her and turned to Ashel-sama.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ashel-sama, but please stay close to me.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°We are friends. Friends are people who help each other, so don¡¯t feel that you must apologize to me.¡±

    She gave me a refreshing smile and even winked at me. What a noble gesture. If I were Charlie, I would have hearts in my eyes right now.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I surrounded us with my defensive barriers to prevent any bold loires from getting closer to us. Obviously the enemy will try to break through, but it will buy us some time at least.

    In the meantime, I have to focus on destroying that blue sphere. That is the surest way to save the injured gnomes right now.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, its mana is swelling again! Iris, you¡¯ve got to hurry up and stop it!!¡±

    As I said earlier, it is difficult to cancel physical magic using the Deceit Shield.

    As for the Probe Spear, it is flat out impossible to counteract any magic that doesn¡¯t require the connection to a spirit.

    So how do you counter any spells cast by elementals or spirits themselves?

    [Iris]: ¡°Mm, got it¡±

    That technique was also described in the book Grandpa gave me.

 CH 164

    A lesson by Grandpa¨D¨D

    ¡°The bottom line is that the Deceit Shield and Probe Spear are ineffective when dealing with spirits like gnomes and undines or on spells with a physical component to it. As stated earlier on, the Deceit Shield can, at best, temper some of the strength behind a physically altering spell. The Probe Spear meanwhile is meant to sever the link between magician and spirit. So it follows that if the opponent is a spirit itself, there is nothing there for the Probe Spear to cut.¡±

    I stuck out my arms and pressed my index fingers and thumbs together. I made a triangle shape just like that with the sphere floating in the middle.

    ¡°There is however¡­¡­..an alternative.¡±

    As if added in as an afterthought, the letters etched in ink had continued on.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Iris, not yet!?¡±

    ¡°You can hit it as hard as you can.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°And, now¡±

    (For those children¡¯s sake¡­¡­.fall!!)

    Gathering up all the mana inside my body, I released it out of my hands without bothering to hold anything back. Needless to say, I aimed it directly at the floating sphere.

    My mana slowly made its way out of my body and traveled across the room.

    As a direct result, the sphere disappeared from the triangular frame I had set up with my fingers. Pulled down by gravity, it was quietly inching closer and closer to the ground.

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­Hah? Oi you, did you just¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Iris. With the skill I have cultivated from my long years of study and sufficient enough magic power, I hypothesis that it is possible to temporarily restrain a spirit. Pour enough mana into the spirit¡¯s body, and it will enter into a drunk-like state. Irma la Area¡¯s third technique¡­¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨DUsury Mallet¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hihihi, I¡¯m not sure what you did¡­¡­it¡¯s moving!? Or did you move it!? Either way, I¡¯ll crush it!!¡±

    Litzreich ran towards the falling sphere. Swinging her arm around, she combined centrifugal force with the weight of her magic shell and brought her fist down hard on the sphere.

    This wasn¡¯t like my little magic mallet. This was a genuine, bone-breaking hammer.

    *GAGON!!* A loud bang like a gong being hit filled the room.

    The sphere¡¯s gradual descent accelerated, and it slammed down onto the ground. The stone floor gave away, splinters flying into the air as the sphere sunk down.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°What!?¡±

    However to Litzreich¡¯s great surprise, the sphere itself managed to escape without any damage being inflicted on its surface. Rather, it was her magic shell that ended up with cracks running up its arm. Pieces of it scattered after the initial impact, falling to the floor among the other slivers of broken rock.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Rinrin-sama, I¡¯m up!¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Guu!?¡±

    Litzreich was clearly dissatisfied, yet she still obediently kicked off the buried sphere and flew backwards away from it, surrendering her spot to Ashel-sama.

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­..!!¡±

    Ashel-sama drove her sword through the gaps of the ornately designed, puzzle-like sphere.

    *Gakin!!*

    No, it was repelled. It just looked like it pierced the sphere because her blade bent inwards like a spring plate.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi Oi Oi Oi!! Those bold loires ain¡¯t got nothing on that hardness!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°This is a little¡­¡­unexpected.¡±

    The plan was for me to seal the sphere¡¯s magic and then have Litzreich and Ashel-sama destroy it while it is unable to do anything.

    If the bold loires were still moving even after we broke it, we would have retreated from the center of the army and taken our time wiping up the rest.

    But if we¡¯re unable to destroy it, the story changes completely.

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    Taking a quick glance around me, the bold loires are madly waving their weapons and fists. They¡¯ve already broken through several of my barriers, and the rest all have cracks running through them.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, build some new barriers already! Those statues are about to break through and swarm us!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I do just that and bring up a new set of barriers, but the bold loires have turned frantic in an attempt to protect their queen. They¡¯re desperately trying to get at me, so much so that my second round of barriers is clearly not going to last as long as my first.

    In the meantime, that sphere is likely to finish casting its spell towards my friends, and in all likelihood, the gnomes specifically.

    (¡­¡­in that case)

    I ran my finger down a page of my grimoire. Then as I turned the page,

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hihihi¡­¡­troublesome, truly troublesome. Won¡¯t I end up disappointing Iris if I carry on like this?¡±

    Litzreich cut through the tense atmosphere with an out of place smile.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°This is supposed to be the moment where I get to show off in front of Iris. Followed immediately after by her falling madly in love with me. Even so, you are trying to imply that I can¡¯t win?¡±

    Litzreich reached out towards the back of her gauntlet¨D¨Dand removed a gem that was embedded in the metal. The gem itself was dull and looked little different from a stone you would find on the side of the road.

    [Lapris]: ¡°No. Not happening. Absolutely impossible.¡±

    She pocketed the dull gem, and moving her hand over to her other pocket, she pulled out a gem that glowed with a bright blue light. She snapped that gem into place where the previous gem had been set.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I¡¯m a woman who always does as she says. So I¡¯m sorry, but would you kindly get crushed Ms. Thing Whose Name I Don¡¯t Know¡±

    The dark grey shell shimmered and bent like a mirage in the desert, but after a second, it reconstructed itself.

    The cracked fist had regenerated, and the pale blue metal turned dark, becoming almost as black as the dungeon¡¯s shadows.

 CH 165

    *CRA-CRACK!!* My ears were suddenly met with the sound of multiple barriers shattering.

    The bold loires standing between us and the sphere broke down my barrier, and several of them quickly swarmed through the hole punctured in my defense.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Iris! Put ¡¯em up already!!¡±

    Lapris was shouting in my ear, but Litzreich waved away her worries.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°They won¡¯t reach you anyway.¡±

    Litzreich rushed towards the swarming knight statues who were standing in the way of her and the sphere.

    The nearest statue wildly swung its sword down to greet her, and Litzreich met the greeting head on with her fist.

    The sound of shattering metal caused my eardrums to shake, and I had to stop myself from throwing my hands over my ears. It wasn¡¯t the bold loire¡¯s sword that had broken. It was its sword and both of its arms. Litzreich¡¯s punch had caused the bold loire¡¯s arms to shatter followed by the rest of its body a second later.

    Litzreich didn¡¯t lose any of her momentum, continuing to rush forward while crushing every enemy that came within an arm¡¯s reach of her. A trail of rubble was being left in her wake.

    Crushing her tenth statue after she leapt into its chest, Litzreich had opened a massive hole into the enemy lines and had finally made her way to the sphere once again.

    However at the same time, the sphere had regained, (would you say consciousness? ), consciousness and once again began floating up into the air.

    *GAGONG!! Litzreich slammed her fist into the sphere forcing it back into the ground once again. This time however, her fist did not crack.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Did you think you could embarrass me in front of Iris¡­¡­and get away with it?¡±

    At the point where the light met the darkness, Litzreich¡¯s fist looked like it was shining like a clear blue sky. No wait, it really is glowing. With a clear, sapphire light hanging over her like a veil, Litzreich wore a ferocious smile I had never seen from her.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Here¡¯s my remuneration, now take it!!¡±

    Firmly stomping her foot on the ground, Litzreich put her entire body into the swing as she once again slammed her fist into the top of the sphere.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t have the time or words to accurately describe what came after Litzreich¡¯s full power hit, so I stood there stunned and simply watched.

    [Lapris]: ¡°It¡¯s like¡­¡­.a starry sky¡±

    The always noisy Lapris had the same look on her face I did, but she was actually able to find something to say, and I blankly nodded my head in agreement.

    The moment Litzreich¡¯s shining fist clashed with the sphere¡¯s shell, a bright blue light had spilled out. There was an overwhelming brilliance to it, and inside were a number of white lights scattered throughout. So while Lapris¡¯s ¡®starry sky¡¯ descriptor might not be entirely accurate, it was the most accurate comparison I could think of to describe the phenomenon unfolding in front of us.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­.seriously? I didn¡¯t think anything could be this hard.¡±

    The sphere had cracked like an egg. There was a dent where Litzreich¡¯s fist had bashed into it, and cracks spread out radially from that point all the way down its side.

    However cracks had formed in Litzreich¡¯s fist as well.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Even though I gave it all I had¡­¡­I¡¯m losing confidence here.¡±

    When Litzreich pulled away her fist, the sphere began kicking up a noise as it started to crumble.

    As if on cue, the surrounding bold loires¡¯ movements ceased.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Woah!? Those statues stopped moving!?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°So that sphere really was controlling all these bold loire remotely.¡±

    Ashel was carefully examining our surroundings without dropping her guard. I would like to do the same, but right now I¡¯m worried about Litzreich and that reticent sphere.

    I asked Unicorn to re-establish our defensive barrier before rushing over to her.

    [Iris]: ¡°Litzreich! Is your arm okay!?¡±

    Although it wasn¡¯t her own fist that had broken, there was nothing I could do but worry when I saw the pained look on her face.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh, Iris¡­¡­. Sorry. I showed you something really uncool there.¡±

    From what I could tell, it didn¡¯t seem like that damage to her magic shell was super extensive. And yet, Litzreich kept morosely staring down at the sphere¡¯s remains.

    [Iris]: ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. That was amazingly cool. You saved us.¡±

    Litzreich tore her gaze away from the sphere and looked towards me surprised.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Y-You really think so?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hm? Yeah. There¡¯s no way I could¡¯ve done something like that. And you looked beautiful doing it too.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­.Haha, beautiful? Is that so¡­¡­. Mm, I see, I see.¡±

    The corners of Litzreich¡¯s mouth slowly yet steadily curved upwards as she kept murmuring something to herself.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay then!! It really was worth using up my spare. If my cool self is finally getting your heart racing, I will allow you to formally finalize our companionship with the intent of one day exchanging vows.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, um¡­¡­¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Nobody said anything about doing any of that. Have your delusions spread to the point you¡¯re hearing things now?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Rinrin-sama. I have confirmed that all bold loires have ceased functioning.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmm, great. I¡¯d really like to take this thing back with us so I can study it, but for safety¡¯s sake, we should destroy it completely here.¡±

    The cracks in the sphere¡¯s shell had become widespread at this point. If Litzreich were to hit it with the same force she had done earlier, it would almost certainly shatter.

    Litzreich lifted her non-cracked arm into the air and got ready to deliver the final blow.

    [Rose]: ¡°Please wait!!¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hm?¡±

    Litzreich was pulled to a stop by Rose-san¡¯s voice. A second later, she appeared from within the forest of motionless knight statues with two gnomes tumbling after¡­¡­.no, I suppose this was how they ran. It was the two gnome sisters.

    (Thank goodness she¡¯s okay.)

    I released a heavy sigh of relief when I saw that the younger gnome sister was already on her feet. The two sister gnomes ran past us though, and when they were standing in front of the crumbling sphere, they raised their stone slabs into the air.

    ?Help!?

    ?Please£¡?

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­help?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°We¡¯re already helping you. Isn¡¯t that why beat this thing into the ground?¡±

    ?(¡£>§Õ<¡£)?

    ?(¡£>©n<¡£)?

    [Carol]: ¡°Rose found out a couple things talking to the older sister while she healed the younger one.¡±

    Carol came up from behind Rose-san and pointed towards the cracked sphere.

    [Carol]: ¡°Their older sister is inside that thing.¡±

 CH 166

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..The older sister¡¯s, older sister? ¡­¡­..In here?¡±

    I know it¡¯s rude to point, but I had to confirm with the older gnome sister what was being claimed here. I pointed at the gnome sister before then tracing my finger through the air and towards the cold, crushed sphere in the ground.

    ?Yeah£¡?

    ?(¡£>£ö<¡£)?

    The two gnomes were bouncing around while nodding their heads.

    ?Our?

    ?Big Sister?

    ?Immensely kind?

    ?Kind!?

    ?Love her?

    ?Me too?

    One word after another flitted across their stone slabs, disappearing after a second before being replaced by a new one.

    ?But now?

    ?Little strange?

    ?Something happened?

    ?Hurt?

    They were taking turns throwing up their stone slabs, trying to work together to form a coherent sentence with their limited character space. All the while tears and snot trickling down their faces.

    ?Sister?

    ?(¡£>§Õ<¡£)?

    *Crack, Cra-Cra-Cra-Cra-Crack¡­¡­..*

    Out of nowhere, the sphere began crumbling away.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Nu!? This thing¡¯s breaking on its own¡­¡­¡±

    The cracks running down the sphere were growing deeper, and chunks of its outer shell were collapsing onto the ground.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Get back Litzreich!¡±

    As the sphere¡¯s self-destruction progressed onto the point where everything had been completely broken down, a single gnome stepped up and stood on top of the wreckage.

    No, it might look like it¡¯s standing at first glance, but she is actually floating slightly off the ground.

    Her body is swaying through the air like a leaf that had fallen to the surface of a gently flowing stream.

    ?Big Sister!?

    ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    Although she was wearing an old-fashioned dress just like her younger sisters, her face is much more mature than those two¡¯s.

    The two sisters rushed ahead of Litzreich. The word ?Sister? scrawled across both their slabs as they ran up to the gnome that had just appeared from inside the sphere.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Wait!!¡±

    Lapris tried grabbing their hands to stop them, but her own short little arms got nothing but air.

    *Grogogogogogogogogo!!*

    A second later, a huge crack appeared in the ground where the two sisters were standing.

    Neither of them were able to react in time to the sudden hole that had split open underneath them, and they were about to fall in just like that.

    Since they¡¯re gnomes, I¡¯m sure they would be fine even if they did get swallowed up into the ground, but who knows what kind of state they would be in the next time we meet.

    That one gnome golem was incredibly more sturdy than any of these bold loires, and we were barely able to destroy it. We would be in big trouble if something were to happen to the sisters and we had to fight more of them.

    [Carol]: ¡°Oops. It¡¯d be troubling if you two were to get caught after we just saved you.¡±

    But Carol moved before I could. Just before the sisters were swallowed up by the huge hole, she came sprinting in from the side and scooped them up.

    *Grogogogogogogogo-gon!!* The cave was filled with the sound of rock breaking and scraping against itself as the hole closed back up.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you Carol!!¡±

    I rushed to Carol¡¯s side who, after safely landing back on her feet, was setting the two gnome sisters back on the ground.

    [Carol]: ¡°You can¡¯t go getting lost after all the help we¡¯ve given. You still need paid me back for having saved you and everything.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Geez, Carol¡±

    Even though she doesn¡¯t actually think like that. No wait, Carol might actually think that way? Her way of thinking does tend to fall in the more severe category compared to our other party members. Hmm, which is it? I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s joking or not just by looking at her face.

    ?You saved us?

    ?Thanks?

    ?(¡®¥î¡¯*)?

    ?©d(¡£>£ö<¡£)¥Î?

    Anyways, I¡¯m glad they¡¯re safe. I relaxed my shoulders when I saw that the two sisters were going to be okay, but Lapris¡¯s voice pulled me back to the more pressing problem.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, where¡¯d that other gnome go!?¡±

    I turned back towards the pile of rubble that was once the sphere and found that the oldest gnome sister was nowhere to be found.

    [Saluena]: ¡°She must have jumped into the hole she created while we were focused on the other two and ran away.¡±

    Saluena voiced her thoughts aloud while brushing her hand across the floor.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Tch, I got careless because I didn¡¯t sense any more mana from her. We broke the pod, but she must have had some power in reserve without me noticing.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­..so that means?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­..perhaps?¡±

    While Lapris was kicking herself with regret, Toslin and Carol were looking strangely joyous.

    The only thing reflected in their eyes was the forest of stationary bold loires that had their power cut off.

    Ah, I get it. It took them but a second to roll out.

    [Carol]: ¡°It¡¯s finally time to strip off the jewels!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Let¡¯s go Carol!! Don¡¯t leave a single one behind!!¡±

    [Carol & Toslin]: ¡°¡±Wahoo©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    Yeah, just like I figured.

    For some reason these bold loires are bedazzled with gems all over their body. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s so they look more like decorative statues and can catch people off guard.

 CH 167

    [Rose]: ¡°It appears as if these gnomes were brought here long ago. I cannot say this with the utmost certainty, but if I had to take a guess, Oshunel may have brought them here to help build the dungeon itself.¡±

    Rose-san presented me with a cup of tea. I carefully took it with both hands and gently blew away the steam wafting off the surface. Ah, it¡¯s delicious.

    The farther down we descend into the dungeon the colder it gets. Even with the light bit of exercise we just went through, my body is still craving some extra warmth.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hm? But that would¡¯ve been a thousand years ago!?¡±

    Hearing Rose-san¡¯s impressions a little after the battle ended had left me surprised. The gnome sisters were sitting right beside me, and it made even them jump.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Is it true?¡±

    When Saluena asked the gnome sisters to confirm Rose-san¡¯s theory, their stone boards popped up like usual.

    ?Don¡¯t know?

    ?Long ago?

    ?Brought here?

    They raised and lowered their stone plates as if they were semaphoring.

    With the fighting done for now, we gathered together for a break. We broke out Saluena¡¯s cookies to have together with Rose-san¡¯s tea, and we talked about the current situation. Or well, I just listened.

    Anyways, we managed to reach the following conclusions.

    ? There are three gnome sisters, and they were brought here a thousand(estimated) years ago.

    ? As for who brought them here, ¡°Bird,¡± is the best we got from them.

    ? The eldest sister is Linzflare, the second sister is Mippo, and the youngest sister is Moppo.

    ? Somebody magically imbued them with Primordial energy. They don¡¯t have many memories after that.

    ? The three of them made this dungeon together, but soon after it was finished, they were sealed away.

    ? They¡¯ve been floating in darkness for a thousand(estimated) years now, but they recently woke up.

    ? Their minds remained murky even after they woke up which is why they ended up attacking us before.

    ? Afterwards, for some reason they weren¡¯t sure about, they began regaining their sense of self.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.is there anything else that needs answering?¡±

    We were all sitting in a circle with Phoenix resting in the middle. She was doing us the favor of acting as a makeshift bonfire, and it was only thanks to her that we were able to boil up some water.

    Lapris was lying on her back, enjoying the warmth of the fire as she kept a watchful eye on the gnome sisters sitting next to her.

    ?Love?

    ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    [Lapris]: ¡°What¡¯s with the difference between your names and the older one? Aren¡¯t you three sisters?¡±

    ?Name?

    ?Sister?

    ?Took?

    ?But she?

    ?No taste?

    ?These names?

    ?Like£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    Mippo and Moppo were sharing a cookie between the two of them. They kept taking turns throwing up messages on their stone slabs while the other one took another bite of it.

    ?What is this?

    ?Delicious!?

    ? (¡£>£ö<¡£) ?

    ? ( ¡®?¡¯¡£ ) ?

    Just from their expressions you could tell how much they cared for their older sister Linzflare-san.

    (And yet, she tried to kill them both¡­¡­)

    Mippo and Moppo went to see their sister as soon as their minds had returned to them.

    However Linzflare-san was still a primordial spirit and attacked them as soon as they got too close.

    They would return to see her after escaping day after day, but it always ended with them being attacked. Until today when their luck finally ran out.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Good thing we happened to be passing by.¡±

    Thank goodness.

    If not, then by now they¡¯d be¡­¡­

    ?Yum~©d(¡£>£ö<¡£)¥Î©a?

    ?Munch Munch Munch£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    It was the girls¡¯ first time eating cookies, and they were really being taken in by them. Their eyes were shining brighter than any star.

    Mippo was wiping off the crumbs clinging to the side of her sister Moppo¡¯s mouth and eating them herself.

    She was also taking the time to wipe off the crumbs that were falling down and dirtying Moppo¡¯s clothes. She was doing a great job taking care of her little sister.

    [Iris]: ¡°Here. If you like them so much, you can have my portion too.¡±

    I broke my cookie in half and handed each part over to the sisters. They stared at the cookie for a moment before turning their wide eyes up towards me.

    ?Are you sure??

    ?Thanks!!?

    ?£¨>¥î?*£©?

    ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    After accepting the cookie from me, Mippo gave the larger half to her little sister.

    Honestly, they¡¯re so adorable it hurts. If we had come by a little later, or if Moppo hadn¡¯t made it, I would be a tear-stained mess right now.

    Then again, I¡¯m still worried about Linzflare-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°Uuu, *sniffle*¡­¡­.¡±

    ?What¡¯s wrong£¿?

    ?Stomachache£¿?

    When I spontaneously began to weep, the two of them rushed over to me.

    But seeing them like that just makes it even more painful. I try to fight them back, but I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from oozing out of the corner of my eyes and pooling around my feet after falling to the ground.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san!?¡±

    Rose-san almost dropped her cup of tea when she saw.

    [Iris]: ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡­. Mippo and Moppo were¡­..hurt, but they kept worrying about their sister, went to see her again and again, their love, so I¡­¡­.I¡¯m a big sister too, and¡­¡­to have those three together again, Uuu, Uuu~¡±

    I couldn¡¯t get a good grasp on my emotions, and words kept randomly spilling from my mouth as easily as the tears fell down my cheeks.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Ah¡­..Of course.¡±

    Saluena came up beside me and silently nodded. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders as I continued wailing aloud.

    She stroked her hand down my back as if she were pacifying a small child.

    [Saluena]: ¡°You have your own little sister. It¡¯s only natural you would feel more strongly for these gnomes.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Here, please use this Iris-san¡±

    I gratefully accept a handkerchief Rose-san held out for me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you¡­¡­*sniffle*¡­¡­.¡±

    The rush of emotions that overcame me gradually subsided as I wiped away my tears. My sadness didn¡¯t disappear completely, but as it faded away, it was eclipsed by the rising shame.

    [Iris]: ¡°U-Uu, s-sorry about that¡­¡­.I just suddenly, *sniffle*, started crying out of nowhere¡±

    I have Saluena hugging me and Rose-san helping me with the handkerchief. Meanwhile everyone else is staring at me from their spots around the campfire.

    [Ashel]: ¡°There is nothing to apologize for. It is simply a sign of your pure heart.¡±

    P-Pure!? My embarrassment exceeded the max levels after being praised like that by a prince.

    [Iris]: ¡°R-Right¡­¡­.thanks¡­¡­.¡±

    There was steam coming out of my ears my face felt so hot. Thereafter the two gnome sisters popped up right in front of my face. I guess I really did worry them.

    ?What¡¯s wrong£¿?

    ?What¡¯s wrong£¿?

    They looked confused, probably completely clueless as to why I was crying in the first place.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­No. It¡¯s nothing. But, I want to help you both see your sister again.¡±

    ?£¡£¿£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    ?Thanks£¡?

    After saying(?) that much, Mippo and Moppo broke out into a pair of large smiles.

    It was the first time they had smiled since we met, and they looked far purer than I could ever be.

 CH 168

    While we were filling up our tummies with tea and cookies, Toslin and Carol eventually came back with a large, leather bag filled to bursting. That was five minutes ago already.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Haha~, another profitable venture.¡±

    Toslin had dragged over the broken remains of one of the bold loires and used it as a chair. She has been longingly stealing glances towards the leather bag she hitched on Goldmund¡¯s back ever since as if she were afraid it would get up and run away.

    [Carol]: ¡°Combine all that with what we got before and won¡¯t we be able to build a nice house in the capital?¡±

    Carol was sitting next to her, kicking her feet back and forth while sipping the cup of tea Rose-san had passed over to her.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Why would an adventurer have any need for a house like that?¡±

    Toslin glanced towards Carol while clearly not understanding what she was talking about.

    [Carol]: ¡°Well¡­¡­to settle down and live in obviously.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Live in¡­¡­.you? By yourself?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­oh, um¡­¡­a-all of us?¡±

    Carol spoke softly as her face turned a bright shade of red.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hah? What are you talking about? You realize we¡¯re adventurers right? Traveling around the world is our job, so having a house like that is only going to be a burden.¡±

    Toslin waved her hand while biting into one of Saluena¡¯s cookies. A small, ¡°Delicious,¡± murmur continued on a second later.

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh, oh¡­¡­yeah, you¡¯re right¡­¡­¡±

    Carol¡¯s face sank down into her tea cup, and her tail drooped further down than it had been a second before.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    I had noticed it, so there was no way Toslin hadn¡¯t as well. She sat there and frowned, wiping away a spatter of crumbs clinging to her lips. Then after a moment, she finally opened her mouth.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­..Hey, Carol¡­..¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh shoot, I almost forgot! I had something important I needed to report! From this point forward¡­¡­¡±

    Just as Toslin was about to say something, Carol cut her off and changed the subject. She then jumped from her seat on top of the broken bold loire and hurriedly began explaining what she had discovered.

    It was as if she hadn¡¯t wanted to hear what Toslin was going to say next.

    ?

    According to Carol, this was the 35th floor, the same floor we had managed to reach the last time we were here. This dome-like room is apparently the same room we had fought Mippo and Moppo in before as well. In other words, Carol won¡¯t be able to advance through the dungeon using just her scent from this point forward.

    The dungeon beneath Oshunel city is supposed to have fifty floors total. That was before the dungeon went under major structural changes however. So in summation, we have at least fifteen more floors to go with no map to help us through.

    ?Know the way?

    ?Lead the way?

    [Carol]: ¡°What, really? That¡¯d be a huge help.¡±

    Just when I was wondering how long this next leg of our journey would take, Mippo and Moppo offered to act as guides.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin reacted to Carol¡¯s jubilant reaction with a stern look.

    But whether Carol was aware of that fact or just pretending not to be, she kept her eyes locked on the gnomes and didn¡¯t turn away.

    ?Shortcut?

    ?Teach you?

    ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    ?©d(¡£>£ö<¡£)¥Î©a?

    According to Mippo and Moppo, this dungeon was littered with shortcuts that only the sisters knew about.

    Considering we were determined to head to the dungeon¡¯s depths no matter what, this revelation was a saving grace, a gift straight from the Goddess.

    [Rose]: ¡°Um, Sally-oneesama. Could I have a word with you?¡±

    Just when I thought we had a game plan set up, Rose-san looked really seriously towards Saluena who was standing on the other side of me.

    [Saluena]: ¡°What is it Rosa?¡±

    Rose-san was a bit restless, stroking her hand against my back while hesitating for a second.

    [Rose]: ¡°I was thinking these children may be the same as you.¡±

    ¡­¡­.Oh.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Hmm¡±

    On our way to Oshunel, Rose-san and Saluena would sometimes talk amongst themselves quietly enough that I couldn¡¯t heart them.

    I waited for Saluena¡¯s answer, my heart racing in a way different from the norm.

    The ¡®children¡¯ Rose-san mentioned were most certainly the gnome sisters, and now that she¡¯s bringing it up, I suddenly recalled Saluena¡¯s story.

    She fought Oshunel once before but was defeated. She was then exposed to the negative aura of the evil dragon, brainwashed, and forced to become the enemy of all humankind.

    Rose-san was comparing that story to the gnomes¡¯ current circumstances and came to the conclusion that they were the same.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Yes actually, I was thinking the same thing. These sisters were most likely taken over by Oshunel¡¯s negative aura, putting them under his control after being transformed into primordial spirits. Their situations are most probably the same as mine. That¡¯s why after a thousand years, that negative energy has naturally dissipated from their bodies.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Yet the oldest sister¡¯s brainwashing hasn¡¯t been relieved yet¡­¡­?¡±

    Litzreich muttered her thoughts aloud while working on her previously cracked gauntlet using some strange tool I¡¯d never seen before.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Then, hypothetically speaking¡­¡­.no, I suppose this is me asking in advance since it is certainly possible, but¡­¡­¡±

    She then turned her focus away from her gauntlet and set it squarely on me.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°What will we do if her brainwashing doesn¡¯t come off?¡±

    ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    ? ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯£©?

    Mippo and Moppo¡¯s eyes fell on me as well after Litzreich asked her question. I wonder, do they really understand what she means by that question?

    [Saluena]: ¡°Iris¡¯s goal is to help the gnomes.¡±

    Saluena answered in my stead, but Litzreich simply shook her head.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh I understand that quite well. And I am aware of how cruel this is to ask in front of her sisters, but it is something that must be asked all the same. It is a knight¡¯s duty to listen to their princess¡¯s wishes, but it is not their ultimate mission. Keeping the princess safe should come before all else¡­¡­¡±

    Litzreich was staring directly into my eyes.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­.So, I will ask you again.¡±

    She was serious. Completely different from her usual joke self.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­..What then?¡±

    There was a weight hanging on my shoulders as if the end of a sword was being pointed directly at my chest.

    And it felt as if my heart were doing its best to leap out of the way.

 CH 169

    If I¡¯m going by just my feelings, then I want to help the oldest gnome sister.

    However there is no guarantee that her brainwashing will wear off. For all we know, Mippo and Moppo returning to their senses after we beat them could be the exceptions to the rule.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    The strategy of sitting back and enduring Linzflare-san¡¯s assault if her brainwashing were to continue without attacking back¡­¡­.I can¡¯t indulge that thought lightly.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­I know I¡¯m repeating myself, but I¡­¡­.I want to save Mippo and Moppo¡¯s older sister Linzflare-san.¡±

    So steeling my resolve, I raised my face and took the challenge head-on. I won¡¯t kill her no matter what.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hmm, is that so? You really are kind. I¡¯m falling even deeper in love with you. However¡­..¡±

    Litzreich, however, didn¡¯t look convinced. Storing away her tools, she asked me once again.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°You understand then that depending on how the situation develops, you may as well be telling your comrades to go die?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡­¡­.yes, I do¡±

    This choice of mine could put my comrades¡­¡­..and Litzreich¡¯s and Ashel-sama¡¯s lives in jeopardy. I understand that.

    The first time I saw that ring for the Goddess Knights inside Soletta¡¯s guild, I was struck by the weight of the lives that were now my responsibility.

    That same pressure now hung on my shoulders at this very moment.

    (It¡¯s a dangerous gamble¡­¡­I know that very well. But, I still want to help. Everyone should already know I¡¯m that kind of person. And yet, they stand by me¡­¡­. So¡­¡­this feeling of mine¡­¡­.)

    Sure of myself, I opened my mouth to answer.

    [Rose]: ¡°You¡¯re mistaken Litzreich-san¡±

    But Rose-san spoke up before I could say anything myself.

    [Carol]: ¡°Yep yep. Litzreich is making a basic misunderstanding.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°For your information, it¡¯s not like we blindly listen to whatever Iris says, sacrificing our lives, or anything of the like.¡±

    A beat later, Carol and Toslin followed after Rose-san.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­..What are you saying? The Goddess Knights are in service to Iris, of which all of you are members. Her commands should be absolute.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Oh, no not quite. That may apply to me, but these two have been with Iris long before our knight order was formed. They might be formal members of the Goddess Knights, but if there¡¯s an order they don¡¯t like, they will definitely disregard it and run away.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hey, are you trying to make us sound like the bad guys? But well, obviously it¡¯s better to run away rather than getting killed¡­¡­.. But if it came to that, I¡¯d drag Iris with me? I¡¯m not heartless. Probably.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Iris¡¯s request, but I hate what I hate and I won¡¯t do what I don¡¯t want to do. The reason why we¡¯re going along with what she says without saying anything ourselves is because we¡¯re confident we¡¯ll be able to do something about it.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°That¡¯s easy enough to say, but if everything the gnomes have said is true, that older sister is a primordial spirit. And if she¡¯s capable of altering this entire dungeon like this, she¡¯s definitely a greater spirit. You already fought a greater spirit, the carbuncle, in Soletta Ritta, so you should already understand the horror that carries don¡¯t you? And yet still¡­¡­.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°And yet still, despite everything you¡¯ve said Litzreich. We are different from the ordinary knight order in both form and structure. Each of us are here because of her own decisions. So everything you are worried about does not apply to us.¡±

    Saluena brushed off Litzreich¡¯s worries.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Rinrin-sama. It¡¯s up to them as to how they conduct themselves in the dungeon. We¡¯re the ones who followed them here.¡±

    Litzreich frowned when she saw even Ashel-sama was against her. It almost looked like she was about to start crying.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°W-What¡­¡­I¡¯m just trying to say I¡¯m worried about you all¡­¡­.it¡¯s like I¡¯m the bad guy here¡­¡­..¡±

    Coupled with the frilly clothes that make her look like a little girl and I¡¯m starting to feel bad, like we¡¯re bullying her.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Moreover, Moreover!! Why does it feel like you¡¯re rubbing in the fact of how well you all understand each other! How enviable, how annoying! Like this, it looks like I¡¯m the only one here who doesn¡¯t understand Iris! Sure compared to you lot!! Of course I don¡¯t, but©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    Litzreich began rolling around on the dirty ground, her arms and legs flailing around her as she threw a fit.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Me too!! I wanna be close to Iris too!! I wanna watch her all the time!! I wanna be Iris¡¯s friend too!! I wanna, I wanna, I wanna©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°R-Rinrin-sama¡­¡­..¡±

    Ashel-sama was speechless as she watched Litzreich throw a tantrum like a small child, dirtying her clothes on the dirty dungeon floor.

    It¡¯s well within expectations for us, but this is probably a pretty shocking sight for her.

    [Lapris]: ¡°What was that part about wanting to ¡®watch¡¯ her all the time¡­¡­..?¡±

    ?Insane£¿?

    ??£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    [Iris]: ¡°I know you¡¯re just concerned for our well-being. Thank you Litzreich¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Oh, Iris¡­¡­ You¡¯re the only one who understands me¡­¡­. My loneliness..¡±

    Litzreich climbed to her feet, running over to me to give me a hug. I bent over and knelt down on the ground to return it. Litzreich is pretty tiny without her Magic Shell. I wonder who¡¯s bigger, her or Sarah?

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, I understand. Litzreich is really weird, but deep down, you¡¯re also a serious and gentle girl.¡±

    While stroking the top of Litzreich¡¯s head, I glanced over to the gnome sisters who were looking back up at me. Even after being driven to the brink of death, they were still desperately trying to help their older sister. Seeing those girls, there¡¯s no way I could ever consider defeating Linzflare-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°We can do it. We will be able to help.¡±

    I glance down at my right hand as it strokes Litzreich¡¯s head. There is a ring there resting on my index finger. Phoenix¡¯s resting place.

    In the depths of the mines stretching out inside St. Noglint, I took the carbuncle into my right hand. By doing so, I was able to correct the power of the jewel, turning it into the correct position and releasing Phoenix from inside the gem.

    If it was possible once¡­¡­..yeah. I¡¯ll be able to pull this off.

    [Iris]: ¡°If it looks like we won¡¯t be able to help her¡­¡­I¡¯ll do something about it. So, I would like it if you could work with us. Please¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Litzreich was quiet with her head turned down at her feet.

    But after a moment passed, she gave a small nod.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Nothing for it. I can¡¯t rightly turn down a request from my future bride. At this point let¡¯s cut to the chase and start going steady.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Who is a future bride? You¡¯re just a pervert after all. Back away from Iris!!¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Never! Iris¡¯s lap is for my exclusive use right now!! And I will absolutely make use of that right!!¡±

    Litzreich collapsed back down onto the ground, rubbing her cheeks against my lap.

    [Iris]: ¡°Aha! Hold on Litzreich, that tickles¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°My deepest apologies!! However if I don¡¯t do at least this much, my broken heart will be unable to heal!! Iris, please understand!! This lap and my¡­¡­..huh?¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s head which had been violently moving up and down my legs came to an abrupt stop.

    Her sentence cut off in the middle when her head caught the edge of my skirt, causing it to roll up as her head pushed back up my legs.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­..?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°O-Oh!? I was just thinking that Iris¡¯s stomach was strangely soft whenever my head hit it¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°W-What do you think you¡¯re doing Litzreich-san!?¡±

    Since my head was still devoid of any thought, Rose-san spoke up on my behalf. However even that went completely over my head. More importantly, they¡¯re in plain view. Once again¡­¡­they¡¯re

    ?Wool?

    ?Panties?

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh ho, it¡¯s been a while since they appeared.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°You¡¯re still wearing them¡­¡­.well, I guess it is a little cold down here?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Ah, s-sorry¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t see anything!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Are you wearing two pairs of them this time?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Hoh, a cat? I didn¡¯t know you were keeping such a sweet critter inside your skirt.¡±

    Father, Mother, Grandpa, Sarah, Mycena

    I am currently in the dungeon where the Hero fought the Evil Dragon Oshunel a thousand years ago.

    [Toslin]: ¡°You wore them during the dragon and carbuncle battles too right?¡±

    And yet for some reason, my panties are in full display for everyone.

    [Saluena]: ¡°When you put it like that, they start to sound like an amazing piece of equipment.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah, maybe they¡¯re blessed by the Goddess too? Maybe we should start praying to them?¡±

    And now it sound like they¡¯re going to start being worshipped?

    But I¡¯m fine. This is a road I have traveled down several times before in the past. It isn¡¯t something to be embarrassed about¡­¡­.

    [Iris]: ¡°It¡¯s totally something to be embarrassed about!! C¡¯mon, quit looking at them!! No, more importantly¡­¡­.¡±

    I had lost my cool. My voice echoed off the cavern¡¯s walls as I held down my skirt.

    [Iris]: ¡°Don¡¯t worship them©`©`©`!!¡±

 CH 170

    ?Here?

    ?This way?

    After finishing our break, Mippo and Moppo guided us over to an ordinary-looking wall.

    A stone wall no different from anywhere else in this cave that you would be guaranteed to walk past without a second thought. However if the gnome sisters are to be believed, it was made to look that way through magic.

    Mippo told us this was actually a shortcut that would give us a direct route down to the lowest level.

    [Carol]: ¡°Oh c¡¯mon. I was wondering why is was darker only in this hallway. I noticed none of us had any shadows, but I never noticed this.¡±

    Carol pressed her face into her hands, groaning out her regrets as the party scout.

    [Iris]: ¡°Was this possibly here the first time we came through the dungeon as well?¡±

    ?Yep?

    Mippo popped her head out from the illusory wall after passing through earlier.

    ?And others?

    Imitating her older sister, Moppo popped her head out from the wall as well.

    It¡¯s cute, but if I hadn¡¯t known they were back there ahead of time, I probably would have screamed. Because right now it looks like there are a pair of heads floating in the air.

    [Carol]: ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Which means I¡¯ve overlooked all of them. Haa, that¡¯s a confidence killer. If I had magic power, I would¡¯ve noticed these somehow, but¡­¡­.¡±

    As I¡¯ve said before, Carol has zero sense for anything magical. In exchange, she says she has a perfect record when it comes to locating pitfalls or physical triggers for traps.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s not like any of us are going to hold it against you, and you found all the other traps.¡±

    Toslin stepped next to Carol and looked up at the wall as Carol¡¯s shoulders drooped down. She slowly raised up her hand, and sure enough, it easily passed through the wall.

    It¡¯s a hidden passageway that is relatively common in adventure novels, but considering the present circumstances, I watched on with a more serious expression than I would normally.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­it doesn¡¯t matter if you care or not. What if it was a trap that could have killed us?¡±

    Carol is usually our moodmaker, but this time she was having a hard time putting on a smile.

    She frowned at Toslin, brushing away her attempt to cheer her up, and walked through the wall.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­Oi, hold on. Don¡¯t go off on your own.¡±

    Toslin disappeared through the wall herself while chasing after Carol.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Those two were horsing around a minute ago, and now they¡¯re fighting all of the sudden?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°We aren¡¯t fighting. Hey, it¡¯s safe to enter. You can follow us in.¡±

    I could hear Carol¡¯s voice coming out from the other side of the wall. It¡¯s kind of weird.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Then let us follow. Iris, are you all right? If you are feeling scared, I could hold your hand.¡±

    Glancing over the wall and growing worried over my shock over the illusion, Ashel-sama held out her hand for me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, no¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡­¡­I stopped myself before I said anything else. It might be considered rude for me to turn down a prince, so I obediently held out my hand.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯ve seen something like this before, so I was more surprised than scared really¡­¡­.but I would be happy to accept your offer.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Surprised you say? To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve mostly grown used to such things. I have seen them many times across my travels.¡±

    Ashel-sama pulled on my hand and passed through the wall. As I was about to head in after her though, a voice called my name from behind.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°W-Wait¡­¡­Iris. M-Me too¡­..hands¡­¡­¡±

    A weak, hoarse voice. I could tell from the tone that it belonged to Litzreich, but it was much weaker than what I had grown accustomed to.

    [Rose]: ¡°I will support Litzreich-san, so please feel free to go ahead.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hii¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°What, it¡¯s just a swollen butt. No reason to fret.¡±

    Looking back, there was Litzreich whose arms were being firmly held onto by Rose-san and Saluena.

    ?Criminal?

    ?Escort?

    Without my noticing, the gnome sisters had moved past me and were now standing on top of Litzreich¡¯s shoulders. Their signboards¡­¡­.stone boards, marked the scene for what it was.

    Earlier, Rose-san had given Litzreich a good spanking as punishment for flipping up my skirt. Toslin and Carol¡¯s smiles grew with each successive spank, and even though Litzreich was only spanked five times in total, the two of them had looked oddly satisfied afterwards.

    Ever since, Litzreich has been moving with Rose-san and Saluena at her sides, being practically drug through the dungeon to this point. ¡­¡­.With that being said, we¡¯re more than likely about to head into battle here, so¡­¡­can¡¯t we let her off already?

    To be honest, I¡¯m a little jealous of her for getting to be carried by Rose-san and Saluena together. Obviously I absolutely don¡¯t want to get spanked by Rose-san though.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Honestly, careless fool.¡±

    Lapris was lying back on Litzreich¡¯s head, sending a resentful glare downwards this whole time.

    But when my skirt was rolled up, didn¡¯t you take the opportunity to get a good look? If my memory is right, you were the one who noticed I was wearing two pairs of wool panties.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, Litzreich. Hang in there?¡±

    With that being said, my feelings really only go that far, so after wishing her well, I made up my mind and jumped through the wall.

    Even if I know it¡¯s an illusion, it still looks like I¡¯m jumping towards a solid stone wall. I unintentionally closed my eyes, and when my feet touched ground again, my body leaned forward.

    Now that I think about it, I really didn¡¯t have to jump through did I? Just as I began regretting my shortsighted move, Ashel-sama hugged me.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Careful. Are you all right Iris?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­sorry. I closed my eyes¡­¡­.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Ah, I understand. It is only natural you would shut your eyes with a wall accelerating towards your¡­¡­.f-, S-S-Sorry!!¡±

    Ashel-sama jumped back when she noticed she was still hugging me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, oh¡­¡­right. It¡¯s okay. Rather, thank you for saving me from falling.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure exactly why Ashel-sama was so flustered at first, but after thinking about it for a minute, I finally remembered that Ashel-sama is supposed to be acting as a man. So from that point of view, ¡®he¡¯ was hugging a young woman and should¡¯ve immediately let go.

    How could I forget something like that? That should always be at the center of my mind whenever I¡¯m with her.

    (Ashel-sama is a man. Ashel-sama is a man.)

    It¡¯d be one thing if she looked more masculine, but Ashel-sama is so slender I cannot see her as anything other than a woman. This is really hard.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°W-Woah¡­..there was a place like this here¡­¡­¡±

    ?Escort?

    ?No solo?

    Rose-san and Saluena dragged Litzreich in a second later with the gnome sisters still resting on her shoulders.

    [Rose]: ¡°Impressive¡­¡­¡±

    On the other side of the hidden door was a wide open room with a large magic circle inscribed across the center of the floor. It looked very similar to the transfer circle traps Carol released as we advanced through the dungeon.

    Similar circles were drawn on the ceiling and each of the walls as well.

    [Carol]: ¡°These are a little different from the usual transfer magic circles.¡±

    Having been the first person to enter the room, Carol was on her hands and knees when the rest of us came in, carefully inspecting the area around the magic circle.

    Her butt was shoved into the air, and her tail swayed slowly from outside her spats. Her tail always gets like this whenever she¡¯s happy or if something¡¯s caught her interest.

    ?Ours?

    ?Exclusive?

    [Iris]: ¡°I see. So only the gnomes who made the dungeon to begin with can use them.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°It makes sense. Otherwise you might have an enemy discover one of these entrances, and they would have a direct path straight to the heart of your territory.¡±

    Interested in the magic circle as well, Litzreich tried staggering over to get a better look.

    ?To Big Sister?

    ?Ready to go??

    [Toslin]: ¡°Just to make sure, you¡¯re older sister isn¡¯t going to be on the other side of this thing waiting for us right?¡±

    Toslin pulled Goldmund¡¯s reins and brought him to the center of the magic circle.

    We all gathered close around him, but the magic circle was so big we could have a fully transformed Unicorn here with us and still have some elbow room.

    ?Fine¡ª?

    ?Front of castle?

    The gnome sisters climbed off Litzreich¡¯s shoulders and held each other¡¯s hands inside the magic circle.

    They then began performing a small dance.

    It was so sweet and magical that it easily drew the gaze.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hmm? Castle?¡±

    But something they said clung to the corner of my mind.

    By the time I noticed though, the magic circle had already activated¡­¡­

    *WHOOSH!!*

    The scene before my eyes changed completely.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­W-What is this¡­¡­¡±

    Toslin¡¯s grip on Goldmund¡¯s reins tightened as her voice leaked from her agape mouth.

    [Carol]: ¡°We¡¯re still underground, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Carol¡¯s feet mechanically stepped out from the magic circle.

    And her boots¡­..trampled on the fresh, green grass.

    ?Little different?

    ?Here?

    ?Sky?

    ?Enclave?

    [Iris]: ¡°Sky, enclave?¡±

    There was an endless blue sky all around us.

    The blue light was so strong, my eyes winced in pain after having grown accustomed to the darkness of the dungeon.

    The ground was carpeted in lush green grass¡­¡­and clouds? In a sea of green, wisps of white cloud were floating just above.

    And standing at the center of my gaze.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­.everyone, there¡­..¡±

    Rose-san pointed and drew our focus there.

    To a castle as white as chalk.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Oshunel castle?¡±

    The same castle as what stood at the center of the capital that we visit every day.

 CH 171

    [Ashel]: ¡°I see, this is where we were transported?¡±

    Ashel-sama glanced around us to confirm our position. She didn¡¯t look surprised about this development in the least. Her question was entirely rhetorical, having completely accepted everything that had happened.

    ?Bright sun?

    ?Great weather?

    Mippo and Moppo were still holding each other¡¯s hands as they followed Carol off the magic circle.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ashel-sama, were you perhaps already aware that there was another castle buried underneath your own castle?¡±

    I timidly extended my toes from the magic circle to check the feel of the ground. Before I could take a real step though, Ashel-sama came up from behind me and walked onto the grass. She then turned around and assured me it was fine to walk on.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I did. This would be my third time here I believe? Originally it was customary for someone to come down here about once a year to see if anything has changed.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Then, did you know too Litzreich?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Let¡¯s see, I think this is my fifth time here? For the record, if you follow the ordinary path, you will come out onto this enclave through a door erected in these plains facing front of the castle over there.¡±

    A vast grassland spread out in front of where Litzreich pointed.

    But on the other side of that grassland was an erect door standing before the castle¡¯s front entrance. Assuming the structure of this castle is the same as Oshunel Castle, that would be the spot where we always park our carriage after a day in town. There¡¯s this feeling of disconnect seeing this huge, manmade structure sitting in the middle of some pristine grasslands.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Sky enclaves like this are rare. No matter how deep underground or how far down in the ocean it is, they are special spaces that somehow connect to the sky above them. They¡¯re also known as air veins, heaven fragments, et cetera, et cetera.¡±

    Litzreich knows her stuff. Just what I¡¯d expect of a professor from the most prestigious school in the country. I¡¯d be impressed if I hadn¡¯t seen her dragged here like a prisoner a minute ago¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°Hold on, wait. Are you saying we¡¯re actually floating in the air right now?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°We are, and we aren¡¯t. We¡¯re still beneath the castle. It¡¯s more like the sky has been buried with us.¡±

    So what Litzreich is saying is that we are currently on an island floating in the air buried underground. Apparently Oshunel had the gnomes build the castle along with this island all for the sake of greeting the hero Ranroot.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Oh, I get it. We didn¡¯t move to the sky, but rather the sky was moved here.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Something like that. Unfortunately I¡¯m not too certain on how such a phenomenon occurs. There is one theory that posits the spaces are like footprints from the Goddess Illya, her mere presence having distorted the space¡­..I¡¯m not interested in the subject though, so you will have to do some research if you want to learn more.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Isn¡¯t researching your hobby?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I am going to go out of my way to research things I don¡¯t care about.¡±

    By the way, currently we are on the left side of the castle. From our point of view, the castle is a ways away on our right while the door we normally would¡¯ve entered to get here was on our left.

    [Carol]: ¡°Well if you know this place was going to be like this, you should¡¯ve told us.¡±

    Carol climbed up into a nearby tree and laid back on one of the branches. She looked comfortable soaking up the sun and using the leaves as a pillow, but the edge in her voice showed how annoyed she really was.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I do apologize for that. Only members of the royal family and those close to it know about this ground-buried sky and castle resting on a floating island. The school¡¯s students may use this dungeon for magic training, but they are forbidden from venturing this far down.¡±

    I¡¯ve read all sorts of adventure novels, but I¡¯ve never heard of this place before. Even in The Adventures of Ranroot, which depicts the battle between Ranroot and the Evil Dragon Oshunel during the Illyarian War never mentioned any of these structures.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°What do you think when you see this castle?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It looks just like Oshunel Castle.¡±

    Rose-san had to narrow her eyes to get a good look at the castle because of how brightly white it shined beneath the sun¡¯s light.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Exactly right. Although, this castle isn¡¯t similar to Oshunel Castle. Oshunel Castle is the copy here. I never understood why the kingdom would model its castle after this thing buried underground. Until a couple days ago that is¡­..¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°The Evil Dragon Oshunel¡¯s body is sealed away in Endura while its soul rests beneath the Goddess¡¯s silent castle. He should be sealed for the rest of time however in the unlikely event that he is ever resurrected, he will most likely retake this castle and use it as his base of operations. Thus our soldiers will have an easier time taking the castle if they already know its layout¡­¡­.¡±

    Oshunel wasn¡¯t overthrown; he was sealed away by the Goddess. Litzreich hadn¡¯t known about that fact, but it looks like as the descendent to the hero Ranroot, Ashel-sama did.

    And according to her, the reason why this castle has been kept secret is for the sake of hiding the royal family¡¯s preparations for Oshunel¡¯s possible resurrection.

    Oshunel is supposed to be dead and gone however if it becomes known that Oshunel Castle is modelled after the one underground, someone might figure out the reason. To avoid that from ever happening, any knowledge about this original castle has been limited to a select few people over the past thousand years.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­..so what you¡¯re saying is, you¡¯ve been been testing us until now.¡±

    Toslin had been silently listening as she watched Carol climb up the tree, but after everything had been said, she turned to Ashel-sama while holding her hair from fluttering in the wind.

    In response, the prince looked apologetic.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I have no excuse. My apologies.¡±

    And she bowed her head.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Then is that why you came with us today? Or perhaps that has been the case all along, ever since that first night you came to visit us.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­¡­Yes. I heard about everyone from Yuhanna and Rinrin-sama, but I had to meet you for myself. I had to make sure you were trustworthy enough to be privy to the royal family¡¯s secrets.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°If he decided you were unfit, I promise you I was intending to change his mind. Well, he didn¡¯t trust me when we first met each other either. But I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you!! Please, believe me!!¡±

    Litzreich stormed over to me like a force of wind, throwing her arms around my waist and clung to me while running her mouth like a husband who was just caught cheating.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hey, you bitch!! Where do you get off hugging Iris!?¡±

    ?Escort£¿?

    ?Guard£¿?

    ?Arrest, Arrest?

    ?©d(¡£>£ö<¡£)¥Î©a?

    It was the same old fight¨Calthough it¡¯s always just Lapris snapping at Litzreich on her own¨Cwhen Goldmund suddenly began neighing.

    All at once, our eyes turned towards him.

    [Carol]: ¡°What¡¯s the matter Goldmund?¡±

    Carol was the only one whose attention wasn¡¯t stolen away, her eyes still focused straight ahead. Naturally we raised our faces as well to see what she was looking at, but it was a exactly what you would expect. A clear blue sky. The sun was kind of intense though. And the¡­¡­.what¡¯s that?

    ¡°Hwaa!?¡±

    I¡¯m not sure who did it, but somebody couldn¡¯t keep their surprise contained.

    Because there was a river flowing through the sky up there. The reason why the light was so bright was because it was being diffused through the clear, flowing water.

    [Iris]: ¡°The Water Dragon¡¯s Tail¡­¡­¡±

    I saw it just month ago over Soletta Ritta.

    The Water Carpet, the Sky¡¯s Royal Road, the Milky Way. The river with many names that somehow flows through the sky was now hanging overhead.

    [Iris]: ¡°How close is it? I assumed I was looking at the sky with how close it is.¡±

    In Soletta Ritta, the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail took up around thirty percent of the sky when you looked up. And yet even with just that, the power of the tail is more than enough to overwhelm you.

    But right now I would say it covers at least seventy percent of the space above our heads. You could climb to the peak of the tallest mountain, and you would still not be able to get this close to it.

    We completely forgot we were in a dungeon for a moment and simply watched the water flow through the air in mute amazement.

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh? Just now¡­¡­.over there¡­¡­¡±

    Suddenly, something flashed in the corner of my eye. At first I thought it was a trick of the light playing off the surface of the water, but I quickly realized that couldn¡¯t have been it. The shape was too dark and well-defined.

    Everyone else turned to where I was pointing, and soon, I realized what it was.

    [Carol]: ¡°Wha-, that¡­¡­..That¡¯s!!¡±

    A tail swayed through the clear stream as it flowed through the sky¡­¡­.and a giant goldfish just kept swimming along.

 CH 172

    Giant goldfish live in the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail, and good luck comes to anyone who can catch a glimpse of them.

    This was a story all of the children born in Oshunel, if not the entire continent of Van Delucia, heard while growing up.

    [Carol]: ¡°It¡­¡­It¡¯s my first time seeing one¡­¡­¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Me too¡­¡­¡±

    However almost nobody has ever seen one.

    Grandpa has lived several times longer than anyone else in my family, and according to him, even he¡¯s never seen one before.

    And now one of those goldfish are swimming right before my eyes.

    No, I suppose it¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration to say they¡¯re right in front of me. No matter how hard I stretch out my arm, I¡¯m not going to be able to reach them, but if this is an illusion¡­¡­.it¡¯s a pretty big one.

    *Splash*¡­¡­¡­.*Splish Splash*¡­¡­..I feel like I can hear the water flowing past us.

    Like a huge cloud that would overwhelm its audience. And now to follow up that oppressive power with a goldfish peacefully flying¡­¡­..swimming through a river in the sky.

    [Carol & Lapris]: ¡°So huge¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol and Lapris¡¯s amazed voices overlapped.

    It took a couple minutes at most for the goldfish to swim in and out of our view, but it felt like much longer.

    I hadn¡¯t noticed until it was done and gone how badly my legs were shaking from the majesty of what I had just experienced.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Wow, I saw it¡­¡­after a hundred years I¡¯ve finally¡­¡­..¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°No way. You¡¯re a hundred years old¡­¡­.that¡¯s amazing¡­¡­but this is even more amazing¡­¡­..¡±

    Like Lapris, Carol¡¯s thoughts were leaking from her agape mouth.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Quite the unusual sight.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh yeah, you didn¡¯t even know what the Water Dragon¡¯s Tail was let alone the myth of the goldfish.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Whatever it is, it didn¡¯t exist before I was sealed a thousand years ago.¡±

    ?Did not exist?

    ?Looks yummy?

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hoh, how interesting. Saluena. Once this matter has been cleared up, would you lend me a small portion of your time.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°What will you give me in compensation?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Grr, compensation¡­¡­..aren¡¯t you and I close enough to do away with such things? I wish you¡¯d be a little more flexible¡­¡­. Hey, isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s fine isn¡¯t it? Hey, hey?¡±

    Litzreich voiced her complaints while her cheeks swelled up.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Flexible¡­¡­? Then I¡¯ll allow you a single meal.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Ooh!? That would do quite nicely. As a matter of fact, it is a great help.¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s expression did a complete one-eighty as she clapped her hands together.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Why don¡¯t you come over to my mansion? Obviously I¡¯ll serve the food.¡±

    (Heh~, so Litzreich can cook)

    Considering what her laboratory was like, I¡¯m surprised to hear that she¡¯s capable of that kind of home living.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Then let¡¯s go with that. Let¡¯s decide the date and time once this is finished, okay?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Mm. You¡¯re surely busy most of the time. I can make time for whenever works best for you.¡±

    Litzreich hadn¡¯t reacted even when she found out Saluena was the Dark Violet Knight.

    We met Yuhanna-sama a day before, and while she was certainly surprised, there was something terrifying bleeding into her expression at the same time.

    Litzreich on the other hand has always kept the same attitude towards Saluena from beginning to end.

    I had wondered if she wasn¡¯t very good at adjusting her attitude to the status of the other party, but she acted just fine as a deputy leader around her subordinate knights.

    What¡¯s the difference? Where is the line for her?

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Now then, we¡¯ve enjoyed an unusual sight, but I think it is about time for us to get going.¡±

    Without noticing my gaze, Litzreich turned her eyes towards the giant white castle that towered in front of us.

    [Rose]: ¡°Indeed. It is said that those who see the goldfish will be blessed with excellent luck. I hope that luck will protect us going forward.¡±

    Rose-san confirmed the condition of her shield fastener before securing the leather belt around her left arm.

    I have seen the figure of a warrior priestess right before they head into battle many times over in the illustrations of the adventure novels I¡¯ve read.

    They were all great images, but Rose-san looked exceptional.

    The reality that illustrations cannot fully encapsulate¡­¡­¡­.that was part of it, but it wasn¡¯t all. Rose-san¡¯s dignity and beauty¡­¡­..she¡¯s just exceptional.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, let me help you.¡±

    I ran over and helped hold up her shield with both my hands.

    It¡¯s made of steel, and it is so big and thick I couldn¡¯t lift it up even with both of my stick arms giving it their best. Yet after the belt was securely fastened, Rose-san easily lifted it up with one arm.

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you¡±

    She might not have needed my help, but Rose-san thanked me for trying anyway.

    A callback to when I was just an ordinary daughter of a bookstore owner, before I found the grimoire.

    I couldn¡¯t do anything to help during the adventure itself, but my need to do something wouldn¡¯t allow me to sit idle. This kind of help was born from that desire.

    It¡¯s become a habit that has carried on even after I became the grimoire master.

    [Rose]: ¡°Let us do our best Iris-san. We shall rid this place of Oshunel¡¯s ghost that has hung over these children¡¯s heads for a millennia.¡±

    Her smile was bright, and her words hung heavy on my shoulders.

    But things have changed. I¡¯m not the girl who can only sit back and watch anymore.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes!¡±

    My friends are trusting me with their lives, and I trust mine with them.

    ?Sister?

    ?Big chair?

    Mippo and Moppo were riding on Unicorn¡¯s head, guiding us along as we walked forward.

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡®Big chair¡¯ is most likely referring to the throne room.¡±

    We turned our eyes towards the castle¡¯s spire after Ashel-sama¡¯s musings.

    *Don©`©`©`©`©`!! BaDon!! Don©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­.Huh? Hey that¡­¡­.What¡¯s with that sound?¡±

    We were taking a roundabout path and circling to the front of the castle with Carol taking the lead. But suddenly there was this deafening clang, and we stopped in our tracks.

    *Hyurururururururu!!*

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­¡­..!? This sound¡­¡­.everyone!! Get down!!¡±

    Ashel-sama ran straight towards me. She threw her arms around my shoulders and pushed me to the ground.

    [Iris]: ¡°Heh?¡±

    My head went blank, and my eyes shook¡­¡­..

    *BADOOM©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    The ground shook as a tremendous explosive noise rocked my ears. The bright blue sky was blocked out by something black¡­¡­..no, brown.

    [Toslin]: ¡°A bombardment!? Impossible! Is somebody shooting from the castle!? *Ptui! Ptui!*¡±

    A short distance away from me Toslin picked herself off the ground completely covered in dirt and spitting bits of it out of her mouth. Carol was right underneath her. Toslin must¡¯ve covered for her the same way Ashel-sama did me.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­.!?¡±

    Carol stared after Toslin for a short minute, but when she realized I was watching, she quickly scrambled to her feet.

    [Rose]: ¡°Are you hurt Oneesama?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I never thought the day would come where you would be the one covering me.¡±

    When I turned around, I found Rose-san holding out her big shield, covering herself and Saluena.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°How come nobody tried covering for me? I¡¯m going to cry?¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s voice was trembling further back. She had summoned her Magic Shell and crossed her arms in front of her body to protect herself.

    *Don©`©`©`©`©`!! BaDon!! Don©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Another shot is coming our way!! We need to move, now!! Run to the vacant plain at the front of the castle!! If we move over there, the cannonballs shouldn¡¯t be able to reach us!! I hope!!¡±

    Toslin began belting out orders, and we all decided to leave this spot.

    Unicorn was on its knees, resting in front of me in a heartbeat. I can say with the utmost confidence that I am the slowest one here, so I straddled her back without hesitation.

 CH 173

    *Dogan©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!*

    A series of cannonballs fell where we had been standing a moment before.

    This is my first time getting a taste of an artillery bombardment, but the impact is way too huge. Unicorn¡¯s barriers are protecting us from the debris flying through the air, but they wouldn¡¯t even slow down one of those shells if we were to take a direct hit.

    [Ashel]: ¡°M-My apologies. I wasn¡¯t sure if Rinrin-sama would require¡­¡­.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I¡¯m a weak little girl too you know¡­¡­. But well, you made the right call. It would be a serious matter if Iris were to get injured.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi Toslin. Someone¡¯s shooting at us aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Lapris popped her head out of Unicorn¡¯s mane along with the gnome sisters. All three of them had evacuated there when things started exploding.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Yeah, seems like it. The sound of something being fired. The ground exploding around us. The only thing missing is the smell of gunpowder.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°We can keep running, but the castle gates are closed. I could try and scale the walls on my own, but what do you think I should do?¡±

    Carol had somehow split off to do some reconnaissance and returned without me even realizing she had gone. With the information she had gathered, she suggested a plan.

    Surrounding the chalk white castle was a tall, thick stone wall that rose nearly thirty meters into the air. The two bombardments from before probably came from somewhere up there.

    I took a moment to look beyond the castle gates through Phoeniko¡¯s eyes as she flew overhead. From a glance I counted more than ten cannons with smoke billowing out of the tips.

    [Toslin]: ¡°You can ask me what to do¡­¡­.but all I can do back is ask, what the hell are we going to do? I might be from a family of knights, but it¡¯s not like they taught me how to storm a castle. Especially with such a small number of people.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°But if we¡¯re going to save the gnomes¡¯ sister, we have no choice but to get back there.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Yeah I know. Grr, all this dirt in my hair is making me feel gross.¡±

    The ring of the bombardment never died out of the air. One explosion after another continued to rock the ground, causing a shower of dirt to spray around us immediately afterwards.

    The defensive barriers were constantly on the move to block out any of the debris from hitting us.

    I had several barriers overlap each other and tried to catch one of the shells once. However just as I expected, the strength of the fired cannonballs was too tremendous and shattered the barriers without slowing down.

    ?

    [Toslin]: ¡°Fuu¡­¡­finally. We should be safe for the time being this far out.¡±

    I had to sacrifice almost all of my barriers, but we managed to get far enough away from the castle that we were out of the cannons¡¯ range.

    We repositioned ourselves to in front of the castle. We were near the door we would probably have come through if we had made our way here through the ordinary route.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ashel-sama, how do we enter the castle?¡±

    Even though she had to run here with such a heavy shield, Rose-san¡¯s breathing was almost undisturbed. Even though I¡¯m practically wheezing after riding Unicorn here.

    Ashel-sama was pensive when Rose-san asked.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Assuming this is the same as Oshunel castle, the walls are solid, and it¡¯ll be almost impossible for us to destroy them. Carotayle-san, would you really be able to scale the walls?¡±

    Carol nodded after taking a long drink from her canteen.

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll be impossible for me to carry anyone with, but I could do it on my own.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Now just hold on a minute. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­you¡¯re thinking of having Carol open the gate on her own¡­¡­.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°I¡¯m sorry Toslin-san. We have only a few people here and no large weapons¡­¡­.I am only making a plan based off what we have on hand.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­.you seriously¡­¡­.¡±

    Toslin wasn¡¯t acting like herself, ignoring the status of the person she was speaking to and clicking her tongue.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­..okay. I will open it up. But since I don¡¯t know how to do that, you¡¯ll have to tell me¡­¡­¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Stop. It¡¯s too dangerous. We¡¯ll think of something else.¡±

    Toslin waved her hand, cutting off Carol¡¯s words.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m more than able of climbing it though?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Even if she can climb it, there¡¯s no guarantee she will be able to open the gate. And do you know how many enemies there will be guarding the gate even if she did know how to open it? What is she going to do if it breaks out into a fight and she is all on her own?¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°That is¡­¡­¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say anything about your judgement in the dungeon, but this is different.¡±

    Despite Carol¡¯s dissatisfied protests, Toslin¡¯s gaze was focused solely on Ashel-sama¨Cseemingly intent on ignoring any objections.

    [Toslin]: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I am rejecting that plan as party leader.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°I understand. It is indeed risky, and if there is another option available to us, we should most certainly do that.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Iris. Sorry, but could you take another look at the castle gates from the air? You should be able to see through Phoeniko¡¯s eyes still right?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, I can. Actually, I¡¯m already doing it¡­¡­.ah, there are some golems down there.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Are they bold loires?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°They¡¯re¡­¡­too small I think? They might be about the size of a person, maybe a little bigger.¡±

    Past the castle¡¯s ramparts, there was a group of golem shaped knights facing the castle¡¯s main gate as if at the ready for some kind of breach. The reason why I managed to pick them out as golems was because their skin was a bright white. Their faces were exposed beneath their armor, and they were blank, white palettes like statues carved from marble. There were a couple of them riding horses, but the horses were all made from a pure white granite as well. And none of them were moving at all.

    [Iris]: ¡°I think there are¡­¡­.a hundred, maybe two? Almost a third of them are on horseback. I guess they would be the cavalry? But so far none of them are moving. I count twenty cannons as well. There are golems manning them. It doesn¡¯t seem like any of them are going to be moving either.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­so around two hundred enemies and sixty steeds. We might be able to handle those numbers, but we¡¯d be in trouble if they managed to separate us.¡±

    Cannons, thick walls, and a huge castle gate. Then around 300 enemies to top things off. There are too many obstacles we need to clear if we are going to reach the throne room where Linzflare-san will be waiting for us.

    Should I fully summon Phoenix and have her destroy the castle gate? But it¡¯s too big for her to be able to immediately destroy it, and during that time, she will be subjected to a rain of cannon fire. I don¡¯t want her to get hurt.

    (Actually, what does happen when Unicorn or Phoenix gets injured¡­¡­¡­?)

    ?Us too?

    ?Assist?

    It was right as I started getting distracted by my stray thoughts.

    ?For our sister?

    ?Do our best?

    ?£¨¡£>£ö<¡££©?

    ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    Mippo and Moppo jumped down from Unicorn¡¯s mane and began shuffling around the soil.

    ?What should we make??

    ?What should we make??

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh? Can you use the soil to make something?¡±

    ?We can?

    ?Just tell us?

    The biggest barrier standing in our way would be that gate. If it really is the same as the one in Oshunel Castle, it is over thirty meters tall and several tens of centimeters thick.

    We can¡¯t realistically expect a sword or hammer to be able to break through that. If there¡¯s something that could, it would be¡­¡­¡­that.

    [Iris]: ¡°Then¡­¡­a cannon?¡±

    One of our own to use as we wish.

    That group of cannons on the castle walls easily smashed through Unicorn¡¯s defensive barriers. There¡¯s been one thing tugging at the back of my mind ever since the initial shock of that first bombardment faded away.

    Who made them?

    ?Got it?

    ?Make it?

    My mind naturally drifted to a certain two little girls. And it looks like my intuition was spot on.

    ?Cannon?

    ?Make?

    ?Strong?

    ?£¨¡£>£ö<¡££©?

    [Lapris]: ¡°Woah, are you serious!? Make it huge!! So huge that¡¯ll bust open that stupid gate into a million little splinters!!¡±

    ?

    Thus, it was completed.

    In five minutes. In less time than it would take me to get ready in the morning, two cannon barrels large enough for me to fit a whole me inside were standing before us.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­..T-These¡­¡­.what is the principle behind them? From soil to iron¡­¡­and even gunpowder¡­¡­¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s excitement was oozing out of her as she looked the newly-built cannons over.

    [Ashel]: ¡°And in such short time. A truly tremendous ability.¡±

    Ashel-sama¡¯s stunned expression paired with Litzreich¡¯s jubilant excitement.

    [Carol]: ¡°Can all gnomes do this?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If they could, we would be able to put every blacksmith and carpenter on the continent out of business.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Oneesama, this is¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°It could be an ability unique to their species or it might be an ability they obtained after living for over a millennia. Either way, it is something to behold.

    ?Heheh?

    ?Impressed? Impressed??

    Mippo and Moppo were doing a celebratory jig on top of the barrel. They look like they¡¯re having fun. Actually, these two always look like they are having fun.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Go, Fire Fire!! Blow that gate to smithereens!!¡±

    There was electricity in the air as Lapris pointed towards the castle gate, and the gnome sisters gave her a salute while snapping their feet together like a good pair of soldiers.

    ?Affirmative?

    ?Roger!?

    Spinning on their heels, Mippo and Moppo stuck out their clenched fists towards the castle.

    [???]: ¡°¨D¨D!? Close your ears!!¡±

    I¡¯m not sure who figured out what was about to happen, but their voice rang out just in time for me to cover my hands over my ears.

    Because a second later,

    *BOOM, BADOOM©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!*

    [Iris]: ¡°Hyaa!?¡±

    Fire spewed from the cannon¡¯s end, and the sound of thunder shook my very bones. At the same time, Mippo and Moppo were thrown backwards through the air from the impact.

    *FWOOooooooooo¡­¡­..*

    A red hot cannonball flew almost parallel to the ground.

    But after closing almost half the distance, the shell started to stall and its distance away from the ground began to dwindle.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, the ground¡­¡­.¡±

    It touched ground, and I was certain it would explode immediately after.

    I was proven wrong when the cannonball bounced off the ground and began rocketing forward instead.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Woah!? It bounced, so if it continues on like this¡­¡­..¡±

    *KRAKOOM©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!*

    Both of the fired cannonballs made contact with the gate, and in the next instant, a huge explosion rocked the castle wall.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Amazing¡±

    Mippo and Moppo climbed back on top of the cannon¡¯s barrel in response to Saluena¡¯s praise and struck a pose.

    ?We did it?

    ?©d(¡£>£ö<¡£)¥Î©a?

    Plumes of smoke rose into the air. After enough time passed that the wind could blow it away, a large hole in the gate came into plain view.

 CH 174

    The stones that make up the castle wall cracked and crumbled away.

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­..I have mixed feelings considering this is meant to be built the same as Oshunel Castle¡­¡­¡±

    Ashel-sama looked over the destruction with a sullen smile and voiced her thoughts aloud.

    [Toslin]: ¡°It¡¯s nothing to get depressed over Ashel-sama¡±

    Toslin picked up another iron cannonball off the ground and packed it away into the cannon¡¯s barrel.

    [Saluena]: ¡°With the gate in ruins, there¡¯s no longer any reason to shut yourself away.¡±

    Understanding the meaning behind Saluena¡¯s words, Ashel-sama turned a more alert gaze back towards the castle.

    The dust had all but settled, revealing fully the pile of rock and rubble that had been left behind. From behind that destruction, a golem in the shape of a knight rose up, taking his place on top of the rubble. Agitated, Lapris began to yell when she saw it.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, they¡¯re coming, they¡¯re coming!! The faceless dolls are here! But well, we¡¯ve got a cannon, so¡­¡­.¡±

    *Bagon* There was a light thud as Litzreich loaded the ammunition into the second cannon.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Indeed. All right Mippo, Moppo. We¡¯ve loaded in the balls. We¡¯re all set for the bang bang!!¡±

    ?Let¡¯s go¡ª£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    ?Woo¡ª (¡£>£ö<¡£)¥Î©a?

    The sisters coordinated their responses and struck out their fists towards the approaching golem knights at the same time.

    *Boom, BaBOO¨D¨D¨D¨DM!!*

    Once again the gnome sisters were thrown backwards from the blowback of cannon fire.

    A violent roar split through the air as the cannonball erupted from the gunhead. The cannonballs eventually fell and slammed against the ground, but once again they playfully bounced upwards, only exploding when they came in contact with the crowds of golems trying to pass through the collapsed gate.

    *CRACK©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!*

    The iron shells had already proven their strength when they tore through that massive gate, so as you can imagine, the golems shattered when the cannonballs made contact.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Woah, super amazingly powerful.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°And are they really listening to their orders? The cannonballs worked their way into a narrow space, and the amount of damage they dealt is huge.¡±

    Lapris was excitedly jumping up and down while Carol more calmly analyzed the situation with a nod.

    *Thud, Thud¡­¡­..*

    As Carol said, there were maybe 200 golems funneling through the hole formed in the gate, yet as far as I could confirm through Phoeniko¡¯s eyes, thirty of them had already been destroyed from that one bombardment. And we still have a lot more cannonballs that can be fired off.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Cannonball loaded!!¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°We¡¯re good here too!!¡±

    ?Kaboom?

    ?Heave-ho!?

    Mippo and Moppo climbed onto the edge of the cannon barrels and struck out their fists for the third time. I can¡¯t tell if this is how they fire the cannons or if they¡¯re just playing to the audience¡­¡­..

    *Boom, BaBOO¨D¨D¨D¨DM!!*

    Fire exploded from the muzzle as the air trembled around us.

    ?

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi, how is it over there?¡±

    *Clack*¡­¡­..*Clack, Clack*¡­¡­..bits of rubble fell from overhead.

    [Carol]: ¡°All clear over here. I¡¯m not finding anything.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Perfect. Then let¡¯s head this way.¡±

    Toslin was the first of us to take a step beyond the way and beckoned us to follow.

    Carol was searching around a little further beyond, checking to see if any enemies were lying in wait for us in our blind spots such as inside the buildings.

    [Ashel]: ¡°However¡­¡­it¡¯s all been completely smashed to pieces.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, the cannon¡¯s destructive power was tremendous.¡±

    Ashel-sama¡¯s eyes kept scanning the destruction and rubble around us with Rose-san marching next to her.

    Saluena, Litzreich, and I were pulling up the rear, treading across the broken ground. There was still smoke rising upwards in places, and the hot smell of gunpowder burnt my nose.

    [Iris]: ¡°The ability to create almost anything out of the ground¡­¡­I might not know the details, but that¡¯s significant right? Putting the canon aside, that¡¯s probably how they built this entire castle. What do you think Saluena?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Indeed. For someone like me whose only redeeming quality is her ability to swing a sword, it is an enviable ability.¡±

    Saluena¡¯s eyes were locked on the gnome sisters ahead of us as we walked.

    After all the advancing golems were turned to dust, Mippo and Moppo returned their cannons back to the soil. The sisters would then inform us that those cannons were actually defective products. The ground on this floating island is not suitable for making cannons.

    (Like they¡¯re vegetables¡­¡­.)

    I almost wanted to ask them what kind of soil did produce good cannons, but at the time, I held myself back because we have a job to do. But I¡¯ve been thinking about it ever since. Maybe I should have just asked.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°What are you saying? You can make sweets too. Those cookies were delicious.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°You think so?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Of course. I can cook, but only a few bare bones dishes. That¡¯s why the cookies are a welcome change. The next time you visit my place, could you teach me how to make them?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but I have to get Sarah¡¯s approval to spread the recipe around first.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°This Sarah, she is Iris¡¯s younger sister yes? Grr¡­¡­.I could¡¯ve met her too if I wasn¡¯t too busy with my deputy commander duties¡­¡­.¡±

    Somehow, Saluena seems pretty carefree.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    I thought about it for a minute, but this is probably a good sign.

    Saluena is fundamentally not an emotional person, and people tend to think of her as cold after first meeting her.

    There is also the fact that a thousand years have passed since she was sealed away in that dark prison. She has no real friends or acquaintances she can speak with¡­¡­nobody she is close with.

    Not including us of course.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hey hey, Iris¡±

    Just as I was beginning to draw up plans to score Saluena a hundred friends, Litzreich tugged on the cuff of my sleeve and stole away my attention.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hm? What?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°The next time you return home, please take me with you.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, oh¡­..sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°You mean it!? It¡¯s a promise!? You aren¡¯t going to take it back later are you!? I will seriously start crying if you say no when you actually do it you know!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that¡­¡­¡±

    For someone who always charges towards things with all her energy, Litzreich can be strangely pessimistic in the weirdest of places.

    [Carol]: ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t sense anymore enemies, so I¡¯m heading into the castle.¡±

    Carol shouted back towards us from nearly a hundred meters away.

    That was quite loud. I guess that means we don¡¯t need to be stealthy anymore, but it still seems bold to me.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Perfect. Mippo, Moppo, guide us to the throne room.¡±

    ?Right?

    ?Will do?

    With the gate at our backs, nothing stood between us and the chalk white castle.

    It shone like a jewel beneath the sun¡¯s radiant light.

    (Finally¡­¡­.)

    The scene of the Illyarian War¡¯s final battle, where the evil dragon Oshunel fought and was defeated by the hero Ranroot. That is where we are about to set foot.

    The Hero Ranroot probably passed through these very doors a thousand years ago. And now I¡¯m following those same steps alongside Ashel-sama, Ranroot¡¯s descendent.

    It is because of the fact that I was a mere daughter of a bookstore owner a few months ago that I feel as if I am stepping into an entirely new world.

    If I had thought to myself that I would ever be portrayed in some kind of ¡®important role¡¯ in an adventure novel back then, I would only have thought how impudent I was.

    But now that I¡¯m here, living an adventure like those I have read, I find myself much calmer than I ever would have guessed. The gravity of the situation isn¡¯t really hitting me.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Iris¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Hm?¡±

    But, the look Ashel-sama is giving me is the real deal.

    She is looking at the me here and now.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I¡­..respect you¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.eh?¡±

    The sudden confession made my eyes snap open.

    Ashel-sama was cautiously walking beside Rose-san.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I know this is rude for me to say, but¡­¡­.the fact that you, who was but a bookstore girl a short while ago, now find yourself here, I cannot help but to admire all you have achieved.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Um, but that¡¯s¡­¡­.it¡¯s all because of the Goddess¡¯s gift¡­¡­.and before that, I had everyone else¡­¡­.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Yes, I know about the details, but¡­¡­it¡¯s still amazing. Which is why I respect you. I¡¯m truly grateful to have been given the opportunity to get to know you and your companions.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Ashel-sama¡­¡­.¡±

    She was glancing back towards me while she walked and gave me a shy smile.

    [Ashel]: ¡°So, please continue to be my friend¡­¡­Aha, sorry. I¡¯m¡­¡­not really sure why I¡¯m saying all this.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No¡­¡­.¡±

    Ashel-sama scratched the back of her head, the tips of her ears a bright red. Seeing her like that, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear you say that Ashel-sama.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­¡­Mm. If my feelings got through, then that¡¯s fine.¡±

    It might just me misunderstanding, but I think because Ashel-sama was raised as a man her whole life, she was never allowed to get too close to any other women.

    That is why she was so flustered when I fell in her arms before, and why she is having so much trouble gauging the distance between us right now.

    (¡­¡­If that really is how it is, then I have a serious responsibility before me.)

    Depending on how I act, the way Ashel-sama sees and thinks of other women could change drastically.

    (What if I tried acting more like Saluena?)

    While I entered a splendorous castle spoken of in legend, I was too preoccupied with a few out-of-place thoughts to appreciate the gravity what I had just done.

    ?

    ¡­¡­And now, here we are.

    *Creak, Creak¡­¡­¡­*

    The door leading to the audience room swung open on squeaky hinges and revealed to us a majestic space reminiscent of a holy shrine erected in a church.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­even the insides are the same¡­¡­.¡±

    A bright red carpet went from our feet and lead all the way to a mighty throne standing at the far wall, and a forest of pillars stretched to the ceiling dotted the room. It gave me a powerful sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as I remembered back to the day of my audience with the king.

    The only difference here is the eerie lack of sound to be heard. That room had been filled with a flood of music to mark our entrance.

    But there was nothing here. Even the sound of our footsteps were absorbed by the carpet, creating a dominating silence that sat heavily on our shoulders.

    [???]: ¡°Welcome, to this silent stage.¡±

    But then, from the depths of that silence, an echo sounded from all around us.

    Once born, the echo spread and reverberated outwards like a ripple across the water¡¯s surface and rolled across our eardrums.

    [Carol]: ¡°Who?¡±

    The hairs on Carol¡¯s tail were all standing on end.

    Assuming she is like her sisters, Linzflare-san can¡¯t speak. And that voice, it doesn¡¯t belong to any of us.

    Out feet became glued to the ground once we were around halfway in the room, and for the first time, my eyes focused on the throne.

    Sitting there relaxed, her shoulders slumped back into the seat, was a silver-haired woman brushing her hand against Linzflare-san¡¯s head as the gnome sat in her lap.

 CH 175

    [???]: ¡°I never thought you would arrive here so quickly.¡±

    The woman was sitting back on the throne, her head resting on one hand. Her silver hair shined white under the light that spilled forth through the window fitted high above in the solid stone wall.

    ?Who£¿?

    ?Who£¿?

    Mippo and Moppo stood at the front of our band, and with half their bodies buried in the fluffy carpet, they both simultaneously tilted their heads in front of the new, strange woman.

    ?Sister?

    ?Talk?

    ?To us?

    ?Sister?

    [???]: ¡°¡­..ah, you are referring to this one?¡±

    The woman then grabbed Linzflare-san by the hair and forced her to her feet.

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    I almost yelled for her to stop when I saw what she was doing, but Saluena¡¯s hand came up from behind and blocked my mouth before I could say anything.

    [Saluena]: ¡°We¡¯ve come here for the sake of that gnome. I would ask that you release her.¡±

    She then gave a more proper response on my behalf.

    [???]: ¡°Is that so? I personally have no further use for it, so I wouldn¡¯t lose anything by allowing you to take it¡­¡­.¡±

    Despite her words, the woman still had Linzflare-sans¡¯ hair pinched between her fingers. She had even begun shaking her back and forth as if she were some doll to be played with.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°The girl, she couldn¡¯t already be¡­¡­.¡±

    I could hear Litzreich muttering underneath her breath.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Carol. If Mippo or Moppo try to make a move, I want you to grab them. They¡¯re giving off a dangerous aura. I definitely don¡¯t want them getting too close.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Mm. Got it¡±

    Linzflare-san isn¡¯t moving even though her hair is being yanked on like that.

    Her limbs are just hanging at her sides, and she isn¡¯t flinching from the pain.

    (It¡¯s a lie¡­¡­isn¡¯t it? Linzflare-san is a spirit isn¡¯t she? No, she¡¯s a great spirit which means she should have an enormous amount of power right? And yet¡­¡­.)

    [Toslin]: ¡°Ashel-sama, we¡¯ll leave guarding Iris to you.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°I understand¡±

    In the face of a senseless scene, Toslin managed to stay calm, but her voice as she slowly passed out orders was as dry as sand.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Saluena. Litzreich. Give it everything you¡¯ve got right from the very beginning. When I give the signal, rush in.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Roger¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±

    Toslin drew the longsword hanging off her back followed shortly after by Saluena.

    Litzreich slid a new gem into her gauntlet, and the dull light of her Magic Shell shone around her body.

    [Rose]: ¡°And me, Toslin-san?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hold on. I want to hear something first.¡±

    Toslin glared at the woman in the throne with a kind of blatant anger I¡¯d never seen her show before.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi, you¡­¡­. I hate to ask, but, that spirit¡­¡­.is she dead?¡±

    [???]: ¡°¡­¡­.fufu¡­¡­well, perhaps? I honestly cannot say for sure.¡±

    The woman broke into a smug smile as she lifted Linzflare-san further up by her hair so that her feet were dangling in air,

    [???]: ¡°Here, take a look for yourself.¡±

    and then casually tossed her away.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¨D¨D!? Catch her Carol!! Don¡¯t let her hit the ground!! Bring her to Rose so she can be healed!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Right!!¡±

    Linzflare-san¡¯s body had ragdolled as it flew through the air, her limbs swaying in the wind as the rest of her lifelessly arced through the air.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah¡­¡­Ah¡­¡­¡±

    It¡¯s not my first time seeing someone like that. It was actually just a few hours ago, on the 35th floor.

    She looked the same as Moppo did when we rescued her from her wrecked golem, moments away from death.

    [Toslin]: ¡°That¡­¡­.Damn woman©`©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    Seeing Toslin rush forward, Saluena and Litzreich quickly followed after her.

    [???]: ¡°Teehee? Damn woman? ¡­¡­.How crude. Have elves truly changed this much after a thousand years?¡±

    Carol jumped up and caught Linzflare-san out of the air. Her movements looked slow and cautious, as if she were cradling a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest.

    And yet despite her delicate touch¡­¡­.*CRACK*, one of Linzflare-san¡¯s arms broke off and turned to dust in the wind.

    At the same time, Mippo and Moppo raced over, silently crying with big tears in their eyes.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Who¡­¡­the hell are you!?¡±

    Toslin shouted out even though she was already in the middle of her attack.

    Her sword came down hard on the woman¡¯s shoulder with zero hesitation behind the strike.

    *CRUMBLE*¡­¡­.the blade carved through nearly half the woman¡¯s body, but it eventually ground to a halt.

    [Toslin]: ¡°What the¡­¡­it¡¯s like I¡¯m cutting¡­¡­..¡±

    What¡¯s more, the sound the sword made as it carved through was strange. Obviously not the kind of thing you would expect to hear after cutting through a person¡¯s body at least.

    [???]: ¡°Oh, you actually managed to cut me. Even though I had to rip away all the energy that girl had in order to make this body.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Stand aside!! I¡¯m¡­¡­going to crush her!!¡±

    Toslin yanked her sword from the woman¡¯s body and smoothly ducked away. Saluena and Litzreich were on the mystery woman a second later with a new sword coming down on her neck and a giant fist crashing into her head.

    *KaKAKON©`©`©`! Two consecutive hard clangs echoed in the room. If any more evidence was needed that she wasn¡¯t human, we now had it.

    Saluena¡¯s sword bounced off the woman¡¯s neck, but Litzreich¡¯s fist completely crushed her head into the back of the throne.

    [???]: ¡°¡­¡­.Kukuku¡­¡­.¡±

    And yet, the woman¡¯s voice continued to echo off the walls.

    [???]: ¡°Who am I¡­¡­.If you truly wish to know that badly, I suppose I could oblige your curiosity.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°H-Hey? Is it just me¡­¡­or did everything just start shaking?¡±

    Lapris popped her head out of my hair. And certainly, things have started shaking. The body of the woman with the crushed head, the floor, the walls, the ceiling, everything around us was trembling as if the earth itself was splitting apart.

    [???]: ¡°I¡¯m sure my answer will bring you nothing but untold despair, but you are the ones who trounced upon this stage uninvited. Hold no grudge against me for what is about to happen.¡±

    *CRACK*¡­¡­.*CRACK*, *CRA-CRACK*, *CRACK*¡­¡­..

    The headless woman¡¯s body broke apart and stitched itself back together from on top of the throne. Again and again, it broke apart and repaired itself, absorbing bits and sections of the surrounding walls all the while to make itself grow bigger and bigger.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Wha-¡­¡­this is¡­¡­.what¡¯s happening to her body¡­¡­..¡±

    From my side, I could hear Ashel-sama¡¯s stifled murmurs as she pulled out her sword.

    [???]: ¡°My name is¡­¡­¡±

    And finally, her body stopped growing.

    There was nothing left of the woman who had sat in the throne, the sound of her voice being the only clue that what we were seeing now was indeed the same being.

    [Carol]: ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol squeezed out her shock as she slowly lowered Linzflare-san¡¯s body onto the carpet.

    It¡­¡­

    What now stood before us was a giant dragon with four mighty wings raised off its back.

    And then¡­..

    [???]: ¡°Sanz Wanz¡±

    ¡­¡­.the truth was thrust into our faces.

 CH 176

    [Ashel]: ¡°Impossible¡­¡­Sanz Wanz!?¡±

    Ashel-sama¡¯s face morphed into something unintelligible.

    Sanz Wanz. I doubt there is a single person in the entire country who doesn¡¯t know that name.

    It is a name that permeates fear across the Van Delucia continent and has gained infamy across other continents as well.

    The Evil Dragon Oshunel.

    One of the ancient king¡¯s generals, a dragon with four wings on its back.

    It was said to have a cunning yet brutal personality with a breath attack far beyond anything any normal dragon could muster. Entire cities were supposedly reduced to ash in seconds in the face of its might.

    Scores of soldiers were killed by Sanz Wanz a thousand years ago during the Illyarian War.

    However at the end of the war, its heart was pierced by the sword of the hero Ranroot and the dragon fell.

    When I was on my date with Rose-san, we visited the place where it fell. Sanz Wanz is the busiest boulevard in the capital and bears the dragon¡¯s name because of its historical significance.

    [Iris]: ¡°Sanz Wanz should have been killed a thousand years ago¡­..so why¡­¡­.¡±

    The dragon calling itself Sanz Wans squinted its eyes at me after overhearing my squeaking.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°True, I was beaten by that Ranroot, follower of the evil goddess Illya all those years ago. However, that was just my body. My soul continued to live on, and by the effects of the Grief Sphere, I was put to rest.¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes moved from me to the gnome sisters.

    Rose-san had already begun performing her healing miracle on Linzflare-san. Mippo and Moppo were sitting a short distance away, holding each other as they worriedly watched on.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°A thousand years have passed since then. Although I do not know the cause, my seal was broken, and I returned to this world once again. That was just my soul though. With my body still gone, I had little choice other than sit here and slowly waste away into nothing. But then, those gnomes awoke as well. Fate was truly on my side. So I gave them a simple order. To sacrifice all their mana and build me a new body¡­¡­.¡±

    A wide grin spread across Sanz Wanz¡¯s maw. Rows of razor sharp teeth peeked out from beneath its lips, and a flickering red tongue slid out from between the gaps.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Rose!! How¡¯s Linzflare!?¡±

    Despite the overwhelming difference in their sizes, Toslin held her ground in front of Sanz Wanz.

    Assuming this is the real Sanz Wanz and its power is undiminished, its strength will be far beyond that of the dragon we faced before.

    Level 40 at least. It could possibly be higher than level 50.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..It¡¯s all right¡­.. I can feel a heartbeat. This one¡­¡­¡±

    I had prepared myself for the worst when I saw Linzflare-san¡¯s body. And when I heard Sanz Wanz¡¯s story, my doubts had almost swallowed me whole.

    But we can still help her. That fact alone fills me with relief.

    ?£¿£¿£¿?

    ?What¡¯s that mean£¿?

    Mippo and Moppo didn¡¯t understand what that meant though and pulled on Rose-san¡¯s pants. In return, they got back a warm smile.

    [Rose]: ¡°It means she will be okay. I will save your sister.¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Grrr¡­¡­Kukuku, so, she still lives? Yet I ordered her to use up everything she had¡­¡­.good soldiers are meant to follow orders.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°First the dragon in Relton, then the carbuncle, and now this thing. Why is it that everything we fight always has to have such a horrible personality. Oh, I suppose that¡¯s what makes them our enemies in the first place.¡±

    Carol glanced down at Linzflare-san¡¯s body and took a step forward.

    She then pulled out her daggers and locked her gaze at Sanz Wanz.

    [Carol]: ¡°Irritating. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been this irritated.¡±

    Those last words came from further inside the room, leaps and bounds away from where Carol stood.

    Carol had vanished for a single beat, and in the next, she reappeared at the side of Sanz Wanz¡¯s face in a flash of silver light.

    *Swoosh!!*

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­.!? Guah©`©`©`©`©`©`!?¡±

    Carol brought down her knives, slicing through one of Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes in one clean motion.

    [Carol]: ¡°Woohoo. I wasn¡¯t able to pull it off against the dragon in Relton, but you¡¯re wide open. Hey, are you really a dragon? Were you serious about being Sanz Wanz? Aren¡¯t you way too weak?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Nice job Carol!! Now here comes the follow-up!!¡±

    Toslin used the opening Carol created to rush in, swerving through Sanz Wanz¡¯s legs as it writhed in agony.

    *Gakin!!* There was a loud clang as her sword hit scale, but a deep gash was gouged out of Sanz Wanz¡¯s leg by the end of her assault.

    [Saluena]: ¡°It isn¡¯t that bright, but things will become troublesome if it gets into the air. Aim for the wings first.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Right behind you!!¡±¡®

    Saluena and Litzreich wrapped around the left and right respectively, focusing their attacks on the four wings on Sanz Wanz¡¯s back.

    *Gakin!!* *CrkBlck!!* The sound of steel tearing through flesh and fists crushing bone echoed in the hall.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Geh!? Gah©`©`©`©`!?¡±

    The fight had only just begun and Sanz Wanz was already down one set of wings, an eye, and one of its legs.

    A loud scream reverberated from deep within its throat and shook the walls around us.

    [Carol]: ¡°And now for the other side¡­¡­¡±

    Carol disappeared from sight once again, obviously aiming for the other remaining eye.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¨D¨D!? Stop, get down Carol!!¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Kukuku¡­¡­what an energetic werewolf.¡±

    A faint light leaked out of Sanz Wanz¡¯s mouth immediately after Toslin threw out her warning.

    The one eye which should have already been sliced and crushed snapped back to its original state as if it had never been injured in the first place and both eyes focused in on Carol when she reappeared in front of its face.

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh, seriously?¡±

    Sanz Wanz opened its mouth faster than Carol¡¯s daggers could cut through its eye.

    The true identity of the light leaking out of the back of its throat was glowing hot magma. Moreover, it was a terrifying blue glow, far beyond any kind of red, yellow, or white heat.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Guoo©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Shit¡­¡­that¡¯ll kill¡­¡­.¡±

    Carol twisted her body in mid-air, shoving one of her daggers into Sanz Wanz¡¯s chin to pull herself out of the way of the attack,

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­.you guys down below©`©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°{Powerful shield that cannot be broken}¡±

    but Rose-san and the gnome sisters were still in the line of fire for the magma breath.

    Unicorn¡¯s defensive barriers can only be deployed within a range of twenty meters. I stacked all twenty sheets on top of each other and had them materialize in front of Rose-san and the others. And then, I prayed.

    [Iris]: ¡°Please hold!!¡±

    The strength of the blue magma breath was beyond imagination, erasing ten of my defensive barriers in an instant. Although I was able to dampen some of the attack¡¯s momentum, my remaining ten barriers were soon melted away as well.

    [Carol]: ¡°Jerk!! Who gave you permission to spread this filthy crap all over the place!?¡±

    *Schlick!!*

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Guah©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!?¡±

    Carol jumped up while avoiding the breath attack and once again shoved her knife into Sanz Wanz¡¯s eye.

    The dragon howled in agony, changing its line of sight and the direction of its breath attack.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank goodness, thanks Carol!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°You¡¯re©`©`©`©`©`©`Welcome©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz jerked his head around, and Carol was tossed through the air back towards us.

    But, I don¡¯t have the leeway to just be happy right now. Rose-san and the gnome sisters have been saved, but now the blue magma is heading towards me.

    It is only a small amount, but I know if I get hit by that, I am going to need more than an icepack to soothe those burns.

    I also already deployed my defensive barriers to protect Rose-san, and there isn¡¯t enough time for me to redeploy them.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Iris!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san!!¡±

    Rose-san and¡­¡­.is that Saluena? In the distance, I could hear a chorus of voices calling my name.

    ¡°Stay where you are and crouch down.¡±

    But the next voice I heard was very, very close.

    And it continued on.

    ¡°Be at ease. I will protect you.¡±

 CH 177

    The next moment, a back slipped inside my gaze.

    Their shoulders weren¡¯t as broad as Saluena¡¯s, and they didn¡¯t exude that same level of strength as Rose-san¡¯s did.

    [Ashel]: ¡°If you truly are Sanz Wanz¡­¡­I should be your first target.¡±

    At a glance, it looked thin, almost delicate.

    [Ashel]: ¡°High and sturdy wall of rock, castle keep that wards me from harm.¡±

    Ashel-sama drew out her sword and swung upwards, tracing a line through the open air.

    *Whoosh*¡­¡­.a soft sound passed through my ear as the steel cut through the air.

    And then immediately afterwards¡­¡­.*ZUO*!! The stone floor at our feet shot out of the ground and formed a solid wall in front of us. It acted as a barrier, and the blue magma breath split to the left and right around us.

    The powerful stone wall stood its ground, not breaking apart until after Sanz Wanz¡¯s breath had subsided and an extra second had passed.

    [Ashel]: ¡°¡­¡­..My name is Ashel. Ashel Lu Aude¡­¡­.Oshunel. Descendant of Ranroot, the mighty king who drove you back and sealed you away all those years ago¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¨D¨D!? Ranroot¡­¡­? Ran, root¡­¡­.. Hoh?¡±

    Both of Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes refocused, a steady glare focusing squarely on Ashel-sama¡¯s figure.

    [Carol]: ¡°This bastard¡­¡­.how does it keep regrowing its eyes after I keep smashing them!?¡±

    Carol deftly landed on her feet after being blown away from earlier.

    [Carol]: ¡°Iris, you¡¯re not hurt are you?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡­ Ashel-sama is capable of using magic too¡­¡­. I never knew.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Well, I intended to hide it, so I would be worried if you did know. In truth, I am better at using magic than wielding a sword.¡±

    The leftover blue magma blocked by the wall is flowing at our backs, moving away from us.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Anyhow, Carotayle-san, let us shift positions. I will take the front and seal away its breath.¡±

    Ashel-sama didn¡¯t wait to hear Carol¡¯s reply and immediately charged towards Sanz Wanz.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Come, if you resent the blood of the hero¡­¡­then just try and defeat me!¡±

    Descendent to the hero Ranroot and child to the current king King Olivar, people praise Ashel-sama as a ¡°hero¡± herself.

    So why does she carry the title of Brave instead?

    Supposedly it has something to do with her temperament.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Uoooooooooooooh!¡±

    A fierce roar far beyond anything I could imagine coming from that usual melancholy smile rose up from the pit of her stomach.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Ranroot¡­.. I haven¡¯t forgotten¡­¡­ You penetrated through my scales¡­¡­left me for dead¡­¡­.you puny human!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz lifted up one of its thick arms and brought down its razor sharp claws crashing down towards Ashel-sama.

    However instead of trying to avoid the attack, Ashel-sama leapt forward into Sanz Wanz¡¯s chest.

    [Carol]: ¡°Woah, this prince is pretty insane.¡±

    In the heat of battle, Ashel-sama likes to take the initiative, hoping that fighting up front in the thick of danger will keep the enemy¡¯s attention squarely on her rather than anyone else.

    People noticed this and began calling her a Brave instead of a Hero as a result.

    Although, it sounds like fighting like that has resulted in a couple of serious injuries over the years.

    That¡¯s probably why Toslin insisted on keeping Ashel-sama out of the front lines as much as possible.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Haaaaaaah!!¡±

    Ashel-sama slid under Sanz Wanz¡¯s belly and leapt right for its throat.

    Her rapier tapered to a point like a sharp needle and shot through the air like a released arrow.

    But, when we fought Linzflare-san before, it wasn¡¯t able to break through her shell.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¨D¨DKu!?¡±

    However when the blade scraped against the scales lining the dragon¡¯s throat, sparks flew off and scattered around the blade.

    If Sanz Wanz had tilted its head away a second later, the tip of the rapier would have ripped through and sliced open its throat.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Certainly¡­¡­you and that person are so very similar!! Fufu, Fuwahaha, Fuwahahahahahahaha!!¡±

    A low rumble reverberated from the back of Sanz Wanz¡¯s throat, foreshadowing the incoming breath attack as its bloody gaze focused on Ashel-sama alone.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°If that¡¯s what you really want, I am happy to oblige!! I shall kill you first!¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Can you though? You were not able to lift a tooth or talon against my ancestor.¡±

    Ashel-sama kicked off Sanz Wanz¡¯s neck and wrapped around him just like that.

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s head followed closely after, its neck twisting and coiling around itself so it could see behind it.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Grrgaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    And then the same breath attack as before came exploding out of its mouth.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ashel-sama!?¡±

    For a second it appeared as if Ashel-sama had been swallowed by the breath attack, but a second later I found her soaring through the air sideways after a successful dodge. Sanz Wanz pressed the attack however, moving its head to the side in an effort to catch up with her.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Everyone, now!¡±

    As a descendant of Ranroot, Ashel-sama had focused all of Sanz Wanz¡¯s hatred, and attention, on herself.

    In that moment, the dragon had created an enormous blind spot for itself, and we were given our greatest chance to attack.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°As absurd as ever¡­¡­. Though her gamble has created a chance¡­¡­..one I will be taking!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°If it¡¯s just going to keep regrowing its eyes every time I smash them¡­¡­¡­then this time I¡¯ll aim for its neck!¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¨D¨D!? Shrewd!!¡±

    With its mouth still needing time to recover after its breath attack, Sanz Wanz struck out with its whip-like tail towards Toslin and the others as if it were trying to swat away a group of insects.

    [Saluena]: ¡°In that case, I shall take the tail.¡±

    However without its noticing, Saluena had already moved to its rear. Holding up her sword, she swung down towards the tail¡¯s base.

    *Kck¡­¡­..CrCrack!!* My ear caught the sound of cracking stone as Saluena¡¯s sword broke through the dragon¡¯s scales. But, her blade did not stop there. Continuing forward, the sword cut all the way through, completely severing the tail.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaa!?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hihihi, an ordinary sword is all it takes to cut through!!¡±

    The tail writhed around the stone floor like a snake with its head cut off.

    Litzreich glanced over and laughed. Then using the dragon¡¯s body as a foothold, she ran up its back and slammed her clenched fists into Sanz Wanz¡¯s neck.

    *Bakkin!!* The hard scales cracked and splintered from the impact, scattering debris around the dragon¡¯s feet.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Gah! ¡­¡­.you lowly worms¡­¡­.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Tosrillon!! Do it now! Now is the time to use the power of that sword I gave you!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Uoooooooooh!!¡±

    Following the same path Litzreich had taken, Toslin firmly planted her feet on the scales lining the dragon¡¯s back and readied her blade.

    Toslin hardened her stance and swung her sword with all her might towards the area of Sanz Wanz¡¯s neck that had cracked under Litzreich¡¯s strike a second before.

    [Toslin]: ¡°That would be¡­¡­.a colossal waaaaaaaste!!¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°What the hell!? And after I put in all that work to build in a magic circuit for you!!¡±

    *Gakin*¡­¡­the blade dug into the dragon¡¯s neck. An ominous sound echoed outwards, and I couldn¡¯t help but remember the time it snapped in two.

    [Toslin]: ¡°5 million cronells for a single swing trump card, I can¡¯t use something like that©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    However this time, it felt like the sound was coming from Sanz Wanz¡¯s neck rather than Toslin¡¯s sword.

    [Toslin]: ¡°UWOAHhhhhhhhhhhh!! For the sake of my wallet!! Let this end here and now!!¡±

    Toslin¡¯s sword continued forward with as she raised an unusual battle cry.

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s neck was forcefully separated from its torso, spinning around in the air as it arced over Toslin, Litzreich, and the others.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­.Gah!? It¡­¡­impossible? For me¡­¡­.by these small fish¡­¡­.?¡±

    Realizing its mistake, Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes rolled around from inside its sockets and focused on Toslin and the others.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Huff, if I¡¯m a small fish¡­¡­that puts you lower than a dung fish.¡±

    *Gon*¡­¡­.and just like that, Sanz Wanz¡¯s head crashed to the ground.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Ah, is¡­¡­..those¡­¡­insects¡­¡­.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hoh, you mentioned the gnome built your body, but to think you fitted yourself entirely into this golem? Did you enjoy playing with your doll? In that case¡­¡­..it is time for you to die again.¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°W-Wait¡­¡­ S-Stop¡­¡­.¡±

    Litzreich ignored the dragon¡¯s pleas as she apathetically brought down her fists.

    *CraCrakoom!!* There was a loud crunch as the head was crushed and pieces of rubble scattered across the floor.

    [Carol]: ¡°Despite acting all high and mighty when it first showed up, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°In terms of strength, I would put it at the kind of average, ordinary dragon you could find on the side of the road.¡±

    *BaBum*¡­¡­with its head gone, the rest of Sanz Wanz¡¯s body leaned forward and eventually collapsed in a heap on itself.

    Between the crushed head, severed tail, and broken wings, everyone was convinced that we had effortlessly taken victory.

    I was no different.

    [Rose]: ¡°L-Linzflare-san!? Stop, do not move! Your body is still¡­¡­.¡±

    But when I heard Rose-san¡¯s worried scream, I knew the fight was still going strong.

 CH 178

    When I turned around, Linzflare-san was standing up.

    Her open, empty gaze was fixed on Sanz Wanz¡¯s fallen body.

    ?Sister!?

    ?Stop! Not yet!?

    Linzflare-san¡¯s two sisters stood in front of her, jumping up and down while wildly waving their arms to try and get her to stop.

    However their elder sister ignored their pleas and did her best to try and approach the dead dragon.

    ?You must rest?

    ?Rest!?

    The injuries caused by Sanz Wanz had yet to heal with her left arm still being broken off.

    Yet with her right arm, Linzflare-san brushed away Mippo and Moppo and stepped forward.

    [Iris]: ¡°R-Rose-san!? This¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I-I do not know! She should not be able to move yet¡­¡­¡±

    [???]: ¡°Kuku¡­¡­.Kukukukuku¡­¡­¡­. Why is everyone besides me acting so confused? ¡­¡­.So fascinating¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°That voice¡­¡­Sanz Wanz. So you still live?¡±

    Saluena drew up her sword, ready to bring it down on Sanz Wanz¡¯s decapitated head. However the dragon¡¯s cheerful words made her hold.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Strike me down, and that spirit will perish as well. Are you fine with that?¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°¡­..What do you mean?¡±

    Litzreich raised up her fist as well. However just like Saluena, she stayed her hand in response to what Sanz Wanz was saying.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­Kukuku, it¡¯s simple. I had that spirit build my body. Perhaps Oshunel¡¯s brainwashing is weakening as she failed to use all her energy in doing it¡­¡­.however, it is clear to see between her will and her duty, which is superior.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­So, you are responsible for this after all.¡±

    After taking a sideways glance towards Linzflare-san¡¯s injured body, a tinge of anger emerged in Saluena¡¯s voice.

    She then readied her blade to plunge it into Sanz Wanz¡¯s body again.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Fufufu¡­..it would be wise to stop. Do you wish to save that spirit? But if you destroy my body, that spirit will inevitably attempt to save me. To fix my body once again, kukuku, she will literally sacrifice her own body to see it done!!¡±

    The area above Sanz Wanz¡¯s neck where Toslin had cut through began rapidly regenerating.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Oh no!! Iris! Cut the connection between Sanz Wanz and that spirit!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°!? Y-Yes!!¡±

    I jumped at Ashel-sama¡¯s words and raised my hand. Then with the Irma La Area techinque¡ª¡ªI tried cutting off the magical connection between Sanz Wanz and Linzflare-san by using the Probe Spear.

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­Oi¡­¡­it¡¯s no good!! The magical connection is too thick¡­¡­it won¡¯t break!!¡±

    Lapris cried out, able to clearly see the magic power in the air.

    [Iris]: ¡°Such a¡­¡­.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Give it everything you¡¯ve got! The spirit¡­¡­she¡¯s in danger. Her mana¡­¡­.it¡¯s all being drained away!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san!!¡±

    I know. I¡­..want to help too. After coming all this way, I am going to make sure Mippo and Moppo get their sister back!!

    [Iris]: ¡°Ku¡­¡­.Aaah©`©`©`©`©`©`©`!!¡±

    Digging my feet into the ground, I gave it everything I had and released as much mana as I could in one go.

    I pictured the scene in my mind. A powerful spear forged from my mana capable of cutting the magical binding that is chaining down Linzflare-san.

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­.I-It¡¯s no good¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    But Lapris shook her head.

    Immediately afterwards¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah¡­..¡±

    Linzflare-san collapsed directly in front of Mippo and Moppo.

    Her remaining arm fell apart, her legs broke at the knees, and finally¡­¡­.her body was reduced to sand, scattering across the cold, hard floor.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Me, Rose-san, and everyone else.

    Nobody said anything¡­¡­.No, I couldn¡¯t.

    I couldn¡¯t believe what I had seen with my own eyes, so I just kept absentmindedly stare at the pile of sand that was once Linzflare-san.

    Meanwhile Mippo and Moppo ran right up to it. Particles of sand were being blown away from the breeze coming out of a broken window, and I watched on through gushing tears, useless, at the backs of the two sisters as they desperately tried scraping the sand up in their arms.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Kukuku¡­¡­..Fuwahahahahahaha!!¡±

    What disrupted that moment of silence was an eerie and unpleasant laugh that reverberated around us like a stone mortar rubbing against itself.

    It was Sanz Wanz. After absorbing all the mana of a great spirit, it had come back even bigger than before¡­¡­a four-winged¡­¡­giant stone white dragon.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°My my, how intoxicating. I should have done this from the beginning. Alas, the great Sanz Wanz was almost extinguished by a pack of insignificant rodents.¡±

    *Whoosh!* Sanz Wanz stretched out its wings and flapped them forward.

    A strong wind blew out, completely blowing away all the sand Mippo and Moppo had gathered together.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°You bastard¡­¡­how rotten can one person be!?¡±

    Litzreich raged and struck out against Sanz Wanz¡¯s body.

    [Saluena]: ¡°This kind of garbage didn¡¯t exist a thousand years ago.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Your revolting misdeeds will not go unpunished!!¡±

    At the same time, Saluena and Toslin made their moves with Ashel-sama following close behind.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Everyone, aim for the wings first!!¡±

    They came from all sides, making simultaneous strikes.

    *Gakiin!!*

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Gu¡­¡­¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°What!?¡±

    But Litzreich¡¯s fist, which had been able to smash apart the dragon¡¯s scales, and Saluena¡¯s sword, which had been able to slice through its tail, uselessly bounced off.

    The same thing happened to Toslin and Ashel-sama¡¯s swords as well. Sanz Wanz had regrown its scales, and their blades were unable to leave the tiniest scratch.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Kukuku¡­..this body was crafted with the very life of a great spirit as a source¡­..it won¡¯t be so broken easily. And when supplemented by my own power¡­¡­¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¨D¨D!? Oh no!! Iris, avoid it!!¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°It¡¯s useless Rosa!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz turned its head upwards, and a low rumble began sounding from the back of its throat.

    It was clear that Sanz Wanz was about to release another breath attack, and with its new body being twice as large as its last one, it could be guessed what was about to come.

    The larger the mouth, the larger the breath attack and the larger the destructive power behind those flames. Even if I were to layer together all twenty of Unicorn¡¯s barriers together, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it.

    [Rose]: ¡°Goddess Illya!! Bestow upon me¡­¡­your great blessing!!¡±

    Rose-san moved in front of me, slamming down a large shield that was taller than I was into the floor.

    The steel end split through the stone floor and stood as a sturdy wall for us.

    [Rose]: ¡°Run!!¡±

    Rose-san shouted back at me, but shortly thereafter, Sanz Wanz spat out an oversized breath.

    The blue magma that was capable of melting rocks instantly made the shield grow a red hot color.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ku, Guaaaaaaah!!¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s arm was burning. Yet she refused to move from that spot, instead going so far as to press her entire body forward to support the shield and resist the torrent of the breath attack.

    [Iris]: ¡°R-Rose-san¡­¡­.Stop Rose-san!!¡±

    An unpleasant memory floated in my mind.

    Back in Relton village, Rose-san was injured trying to save me from a dragon attack back then too.

    *Crack, CraCrack CraCrack!!*

    At that time, a thick stone wall rose up in front of Rose-san¡¯s shield. At some point without me noticing, Mippo and Moppo had climbed up on Rose-san¡¯s shoulders.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ku¡­¡­Ugh!¡±

    Despite having a dragon¡¯s breath attack aimed straight at me, I was able to survive without a single injury thanks to Rose-san and the gnome sisters. But Rose-san was bleeding and had suffered severe burns all along her left arm.

    [Iris]: ¡°T-Thank you both!! Rose-san, are you okay!?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Guh¡­¡­. I-I will¡­¡­be okay¡­¡­. A burn like this can be healed quick enough¡­¡­.¡±

    ?Iris?

    ?Rose?

    Mippo and Moppo jumped down from Rose-san¡¯s shoulders after she crouched down to take a look at her arm. They then raised their stone boards towards us.

    ?¡­¡­Thank you?

    ?Thanks?

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh¡­¡­why are you thanking us? You¡¯re the ones who saved¡­¡­.¡±

    ?The cookies?

    ?Delicious?

    [Iris]: ¡°H-Hold on¡­¡­? You two¡­¡­what are you talking about? This isn¡¯t the time to¡­¡­¡±

    ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    ?(¡£>£ö<¡£)?

    Mippo and Moppo suddenly began to run. Straight for Sanz Wanz.

    The stone wall they crafted to stop the breath attack broke apart, and the fragments wrapped themselves around their bodies.

    Then in the blink of the eye, two golems like the ones we encountered on the 35th floor had been formed.

    [Iris]: ¡°A-Ah¡­¡­stop, don¡¯t!! Wait, no, if you go that way¡­¡­..STOP!!¡±

    Someone, anyone¡­¡­please stop them.

    However, regardless of what the two spirits may ordinarily look like, nobody could easily stop them when they¡¯re wearing those two massive golems.

    [Toslin]: ¡°What are you two doing!? Wait a minute!!¡±

    The gnome golems continued moving towards Sanz Wanz, ignoring Toslin¡¯s calls to stop after jumping over her back.

    Their arms grew and expanded like a pair of giant hammers. Spinning around in midair, they used centrifugal force to strike at Sanz Wanz with all their strength.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°You are in the way¡±

    But no matter how big they made their arms, Sanz Wanz¡¯s was bigger.

    *Whoosh!!* A horrendous noise you would never describe as the roar of the wind filled the audience chamber.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Ah¡­..no¡­¡­stop¡­¡­.¡±

    *Creak!!*

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s arm tore through the air, and with a single strike, it ripped apart bits and pieces of the gnome golems and stripped off the armor.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°You are not qualified to stand on this stage¡±

    Mippo and Moppo were tossed out of their golems. And then, a bright blue light leaked from Sanz Wanz¡¯s mouth.

    [Iris]: ¡°STOPPPPPPP!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi Carol! Do something!¡±

    Lapris shouted towards Carol¡­¡­

    [Carol]: ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me!¡±

    but there was no way Carol would be able to make it in time.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s already too late¡­¡­¡±

    Because, they had already been swallowed by the terrifying blue glow of the magma.

    ?

    A large hole had formed in the stone floor.

    Inside the hole was a pool of magma which had turned from a bright blue to a glowing red as it cooled off.

    [Iris]: ¡°Mippo¡­¡­Moppo¡­¡­¡±

    During the Illyarian War, the three sister were forcibly brought here and used by Oshunel.

    And then, they had to spend the next thousand years out of their minds and trapped in darkness.

    The seal broke though¡­¡­and they could finally be together again, as sisters¡­..

    [Iris]: ¡°Unforgivable¡­¡­.¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­..Hm?¡±

    They never turned back, always thinking about how to save their sister.

    That¡¯s right¡­¡­.

    [Iris]: ¡°Unacceptable. I refuse¡­¡­to accept this!¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°This is a stage only a select few may walk. A venerable place where that silent fiend and my lord Oshunel did battle to decide what path the world traveled.¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s voice trembled with joy as its expression distorted and curved upwards. A perfect representation for its twisted personality.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­Redheaded girl. You are powerless. You are not qualified to stand on this stage either. If you do not wish to share the same fate as those bugs, I suggest you¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Everyone¡­¡­please¡­¡­¡±

    I spared a moment to look over Rose-san¡¯s burnt arm.

    But I just as quickly turned my gaze forward again.

    And I shouted,

    [Iris]: ¡°Protect me!!¡±

    I threw out my right arm.

    For the sorrowful sisters who disappeared before my eyes.

 CH 179

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Unforgivable? Fufu, what makes you say that? Have you not been watching? If so, what do you plan on doing about it?¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes focused on me as its body towered above.

    Right now I am opposing a dragon whose name is etched in myth as a legendary beast that fought against the hero Ranroot a thousand years ago.

    To be honest, I¡¯m scared. My legs want to shake and buckle underneath me every time it glares at me. But, I can¡¯t allow myself to be frightened.

    There¡¯s something I have to do here and now. And to do that, I¡­¡­I won¡¯t be scared away!

    I already failed Linzflare-san when I couldn¡¯t cut the connection between her and Sanz Wanz. I won¡¯t fail again!!

    [Iris]: ¡°I now release the bonds on this world!!¡±

    I shouted out while focusing my mana in my right arm. I reached out, gathering the particles of magic in the air while allowing the words of my spell to rise up from the depths of my mind.

    [Iris]: ¡°On behalf of the Goddess Illya, Iris Calvafon provides thou with binding shackles¡­¡­.¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°The Goddess¡­¡­Illya? What do you intend, invoking that name here?¡±

    My mind is being drawn in as if I am staring into a pool of water at night. The deep dark color of Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes narrow as it glares down on me.

    Those steely eyes were probing me, but I continued my aria without minding it.

    Particles of light were materializing in the air and gathering around my hand.

    Each particle bent and folded in on itself, morphing into pieces paper with words and characters scrawled across the surface.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Impossible¡­¡­is that, a book? A grimoire? There should be only one who can exercise the Nameless though¡­¡­¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s thoughts restlessly tumbled out of its mouth.

    (The, Nameless?)

    My ears just barely caught hold of a strange word before my mind sank into the grimoire¡¯s abyss.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°You, who are you!? Why do you have that grimoire!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Of course she¡¯s got one!! This girl is Iris! She¡¯s the master of grimoires!!¡±

    Lapris popped out of my hair and answered for me. And so the huge Sanz Wanz fixated his gaze on the small woman.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­.I see. Then that unicorn¡­¡­fairy, I assumed it was your servant¡­¡­.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hah? Unicorn is my servant, but I¡¯m not the one who calls her out.¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s face distorted into a warped grimace the more Lapris spoke.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°The architect of this abominable world drawn by the Goddess Illya¡­¡­ Administrator of Reason¡­¡­ Impossible, there¡¯s no way it could exist in this era!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes popped open.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°You¡­¡­must be erased!! Immediately, no matter the cost!!¡±

    And so it charged forward, looking to use its massive stone body to crush me where I stand.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Rosa, can you fight?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, of course Onee-sama!!¡±

    Asked by Saluena, Rose-san nodded.

    That breath attack had severely burned Rose-san¡¯s arm, but thanks to her healing miracle, she had already managed to recover.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Your orders are to protect our princess¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°At your will. Allow me to show you a strength in battle worthy of a warrior priestess!!¡±

    Rose-san mounted Goldmund, held up her shield, and tightened her grip around her mace.

    [Rose]: ¡°Haaaaaaaah!!¡±

    She bravely charged forward, rushing into the dragon¡¯s bosom just as she had done in Relton.

    [Rose]: ¡°Goddess Illya!! Bestow upon me your grand power!!¡±

    And then a second later, my ear met the sound of two hard objects colliding against each other.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Wha-!?¡±

    The shield Rose-san held aloft had met Sanz Wanz¡¯s body head-on and stopped its advance. The tikarodeka etched on the metal was shining a brilliant white.

    Just like in the church, when the fifty warrior priestesses joined the Goddess Knights.

    *Rumble*¡­¡­.Soon the outcome of their clash became apparent. Sanz Wanz¡¯s body trembled and faltered back.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°I was outpushed¡­¡­even as I am¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Haaaaaaaah!!¡±

    Rose-san wouldn¡¯t let that opportunity pass her by, using the forward momentum of her charge to brandish her mace.

    *Crack!*, a loud crunch echoed outwards as the mace sank deep into the front of the dragon¡¯s thick leg.

    [Goldmund]: ¡°Grooooooooah!!¡±

    Goldmund then swung around with Rose-san still on his back and kicked the area Rose-san had just hit with his hind legs.

    *Bagoon!!* The sound of something akin to a battering ram slamming against a city gate came out as Sanz Wanz¡¯s leg shattered in the face of Goldmund¡¯s hooves.

    Sanz Wanz spared a second to look over his now shattered limb before moving his glare on Rose-san.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­.So. You have a bit of skill in your arm. But such a tiny wound can be repaired in but an instant. You hyurians really are no better than cattle. Capable of nothing else besides scurrying across the dirt like the insects you are. Not worthy to be my enemy.¡±

    The crushed arm reconstituted itself in an instant, looking no different than it had a moment before. After confirming that, Sanz Wanz came to the conclusion that Rose-san was no real threat and swiped at her with his tail as if it were swatting away a fly.

    *Whoosh!!* There was a violent din as the tail cut through the wind and careened towards Rose-san.

    The image of the incident with the dragon¡¯s tail in Relton crossed my mind for an instant, but I let it pass to keep focusing on my right hand.

    *CrashCrckCrckCrckCrck!!*

    Once again, the air in the room trembled as two solid objects clashed against each other.

    Goldmund crushed the stone floor beneath him and dug his hooves into the ground while Rose-san readied her thick shield to catch Sanz Wanz¡¯s tail. The stone rubbed against the metal, creating sparks as they scraped across. But, the shield stood strong. The light of the engraved tikarodeka shone even brighter, giving an awe-inspiring moment for any who were watching.

    [Rose]: ¡°How does it feel to know you are unable to crush those wriggling insects?¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­.this little¡­¡­.¡±

    Sanz Wanz pulled back its lips, showing off rows of sharp teeth as it sneered down on Rose-san.

    [Carol]: ¡°Agitating isn¡¯t it? Well¡­..I know how that feels!!¡±

    A voice ran in from the left to the right.

    *Shiin!!*

    And then a second later, sparks broke out all along Sanz Wanz¡¯s face.

    [Carol]: ¡°Tch¡­¡­.I suppose it¡¯s natural it would cover its eyes after the number of times I¡¯ve tried blinding it?¡±

    Carol clicked her tongue and grumbled before disappearing again.

    [Toslin]: ¡°That¡¯s good!! Keep aiming for the eyes even if it can block you!! Keep its focus on you!! And then¡­¡­¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°We¡¯ll crush it underneath!!¡±

    Toslin brandished her sword while darting through Sanz Wanz¡¯s legs. Meanwhile Litzreich swung her hammer-like fists down from the other side.

    There was a dull sound as pieces of debris and rubble fell to the ground.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hohoh!! The wings are tough, but otherwise it¡¯s body is nothing special!!¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Um, it¡¯s tough enough.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Then I will assist Carotayle-san¡±

    Ashel-sama spun through the air, making her way up towards Sanz Wanz¡¯s face.

    She then drew her sword and shoved it into Sanz Wanz¡¯s nose before dragging it up along its face and slicing through the eye. Once again the dragon lost half of its sight.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Where is your reverse scale? Is it still here even now that your body is made from stone?¡±

    Saluena¡¯s voice sounded much colder than usual.

    [Saluena]: ¡°If you survive even after having your head removed, I must put a little more thought into where I cut.¡±

    Saluena lightly stepped forward like she was doing a dance and ran up just like Ashel-sama.

    And then as if it were a matter of course, she took her sword and pushed it in Sanz Wanz¡¯s neck.

    *Gchk!¡­¡­..Greeeeeeeeeek!* A terrible screech like nails on a chalkboard was drawn out as Saluena¡¯s sword slowly slid between the dragon¡¯s scales and dug into its body.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Gyaaaaaa!?¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­¡­.Hmph. A much different reaction than what we¡¯ve seen before.¡±

    A small smirk came across Saluena¡¯s face even as the chill in her voice grew colder.

    And a small shiver ran up my spine when she looked back at me.

    But I wasn¡¯t scared. I have never felt scared of her.

    She is someone I trust wholeheartedly, and the fact that she is swinging her sword for my sake is something that makes my chest well up with joy.

    Her sword technique that has earned her the title of Dark Violet Knight is already something beyond human.

    The sword in her hand should be an ordinary iron blade, yet it has dealt out more pain and instilled more fear in Sanz Wanz than anyone else.

    The time our eyes met was very short, and she immediately turned her back to me again and pointed her sword towards Sanz Wanz.

    (Thank you Saluena. Thank you, everyone¡­¡­)

    Offering my gratitude inside my heart as the particles of light gathered in front of me finally solidified into pieces of paper, completing my book.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi Iris¡­¡­are you okay?¡±

    Lapris looked at me with a rare worried look.

    She¡¯s probably asking because I haven¡¯t stopped crying this entire time.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Thank you for worrying Lapris.¡±

    I took my new grimoire in hand while answering. The book¡¯s cover was an earthen color. No, it was as if it were really crafted from the soil. It had a rough texture and tufts of green moss were growing here and there.

    When I traced the cover with my finger, small bulges rose up in response to my touch.

    It was the name of the grimoire.

    ¨D¨DOr more accurately, the name of the spirits who dwelled inside.

 CH 180

    Mippo and Moppo were deprived of their egos, sealed away for a thousand years, and ultimately¡­¡­.killed.

    Despite all the pain they had already endured, when they thought about how their sister was still in trouble¡­¡­they never once thought about escaping by themselves.

    That¡¯s why¡­¡­.I will never forgive you.

    That¡¯s why, I won¡¯t accept this.

    (If this is how their story is meant to end, I will write them a new one!!)

    I slid my finger across the cover and opened the pages of my new grimoire.

    A light poured out from the fluttering pages as characters appeared before my eyes.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rick, Rick, Ton, Ton¡­¡­Who are you? Who be you? I am in the green garden covered with shadows¡­¡­¡±

    A song with a unique rhythm.

    A cheerful melody reflective of Mippo and Moppo¡¯s personalities.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hey, won¡¯t you dance with us? Isn¡¯t it fine? Dance on and on¡­¡­until the sun goes down. Isn¡¯t dancing so much fun, fun, fun? Can¡¯t everyone have fun, dancing and smiling together?¡±

    I could feel those girls¡¯ thoughts and emotions in each and every word.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hand in hand we¡¯ll spin around, look, aren¡¯t we already friends?¡±

    Their honest wishes for something they haven¡¯t been able to do in the last thousand years.

    Those empty years of nothingness when it was impossible to laugh, play, or talk.

    As if to make up for all that lost time, a huge ray of joyous light spilled from my grimoire.

    And all of it was flowing into me.

    (Yeah. Okay, let¡¯s dance! Lots, with everyone together! Together with your sisters¡­¡­.all together!!)

    [Iris]: ¡°Rick, Rick, Ton, Ton. Rick, Rick, Ton, Ton¡­¡­.¡±

    With each page I turned, the golden light converged further towards me.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°I do not know what you are looking to summon, but I will not allow you to finish!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz was growing agitated over the light that now filled the room and began flapping its four wings.

    A strong pull hit my back as the wings were brought up, and then a strong wind meant to blow us away came crashing back down.

    But before I was hit by the full brunt of the attack, a shadow passed over me.

    [Rose]: ¡°Goddess, hear my plea. Goddess, save my friend!!¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s solemn voice rang out as she rode Goldmund.

    [Rose]: ¡°Holy white flower!! With your authority at our backs, let your virtue thwart those who would do harm to our allies!!¡±

    She held out her arm and wrapped it around my waste¡­¡­snatching me off the ground.

    [Rose]: ¡°Here now, offer us your well known miracle! Stout Seal!!¡±

    Rose-san raised her shield with her left hand while strongly holding me in her right.

    *Kiiiiiiiii* And then something akin to a ringing of bells began playing in my ear. Shards of beautiful crystals like diamonds appeared around the center of the shield.

    The wind whipped past us, but a second later, a loud *Crack* rose over the roaring zephyr.

    It was the walls. They and the pillars dotting the room had already been worn down by the magma breath earlier, and now they were being beaten down by these winds.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, the ceiling¡¯s gonna fall!!¡±

    Lapris was mistaken; it wasn¡¯t just the ceiling that would fall. The entire castle roof including several spires would end up collapsing right on top of us.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Kukuku¡­¡­be crushed and die!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Over here everyone!! Inside the light!!¡±

    Everyone moved at Rose-san¡¯s word.

    Toslin and Carol looked a little uneasy.

    Ashel-sama was cautiously chanting some of her own magic.

    Litzreich looked curious.

    And Saluena, had a face that showed she already knew what was about to happen.

    [Rose]: ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    When I was about to slip off Goldmund, Rose-san adjusted her grip around me.

    Her left hand held up my feet while her right hand rested on my back. The kind of hold a knight would use to carry a princess.

    [Iris]: ¡°No¡­¡­not one bit.¡±

    My entire field of vision was taken up by pink hair.

    With Rose-san¡¯s gentle smile and her powerful arms supporting me, there is nothing in the world that could scare me.

    *Gagon*¡­¡­large chunks of rubble crashed down from overhead.

    However their own weight caused the rocks to break apart the moment they touched the veil of light emitted from the shield.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Hahah, that was awesome¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m just being protected today¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°We¡¯re all just thinking about what¡¯s best for you Iris-san¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Woahwoahwoahwoahwoah¡­¡­..is it really fine for us to be acting like everything¡¯s hunky dory right now?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Beats me, but, well, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything for us to do other than trust Rose and Iris on this one.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be okay Toslin, Carol¡±

    The golden light of my grimoire mixed together with the pink veil of Rose-san¡¯s shield. Without any fear, I moved to finish my chant.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..Then, let us begin¡±

    I pressed the grimoire closed and shouted out the rest of the passage. Raising my voice so it would travel beyond the rubble, so Sanz Wanz could experience all of my anger.

    [Iris]: ¡°To the furthest lands of this world, a joyous dance that will never end!!¡±

    The light of the grimoire split off into three separate sections, each section morphing into a ball and rotating in the air.

    [Iris]: ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forth.¡±

    Finally¡­¡­.you can be together again.

    At last, those frozen moments will begin to pass.

    I poured all my emotions into the words.

    [Iris]: ¡°Three Lovely Sisters!!¡±

    ?

    The castle¡¯s collapse came to a close after around a minute.

    The graceful spires, noble walls, and glittering roof that shined under the sun were all reduced to rubble.

    But while we were buried under all this rock, we had survived.

    ¡°Rin, Ranrun ?¡°

    ¡°Ran, Ranrun ?¡°

    Rose-san¡¯s Stout Seal managed to hold back the overwhelming physical cascade from above.

    And the rubble that now covers our heads and blocks our movements¡­¡­was melting away and dispersing like snow in spring thanks to the three sisters.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Rose-san. Mippo and Moppo¡­¡­.they¡¯re finally¡­¡­..with Linzflare-san¡­¡­..¡±

    Three sisters danced in a circle, hand in hand, while twirling around our feet.

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, at last¡­¡­they have regained their lives from a thousand years ago.¡±

    The sisters danced happily with full-sized smiles spread on their faces and tears pooling in the corner of their eyes.

    Turn and turn and turn again, with each rotation, more and more of the surrounding rubble broke down into light and faded away.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°To have survived this far and still stand before me¡­¡­I see. You are not some unnamed spectator but rather a fully recognized actor meant for the stage.¡±

    Seeing us unscathed, Sanz Wanz groaned with a clear astonished expression.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°You remain but an annoyance, but I shall admit that much.¡±

    The castle¡¯s ceiling and walls had collapsed, and with the debris removed, we were surrounded by rolling hills as Sanz Wanz spread out its four wings and barked out.

    The rays of the sun reflected off the stone body causing it to shine like a polished diamond.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°However!! Because I have admitted such, I will now use all my strength to crush you!! I will not leave a single shard of bone left in this world once I am finished with you!!¡±

    ¡°Rin, Ranrun ?¡°

    ¡°Ran, Ranrun ?¡°

    Even as Sanz Wanz¡¯s roar shook the air around us, the sisters continued their joyful song.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s dance? Everyone together?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s dance a fun dance together with me and you¡±

    A golden magic circle formed around the three sisters and spread outwards.

    [Lapris]: ¡°H-Hey, hold on? Somehow¡­¡­our bodies¡­¡­.they¡¯re shining¡±

    ¡°That would be our blessing. Gospel of the Earth¡±

    A slightly mature voice rose from the song.

    If Mippo and Moppo¡¯s voices are rolling bells, this one would be something more akin to a wind chime swaying in a gentle breeze.

    The owner of the voice, Linzflare-san, looked up to me with tears still in her eyes as she continued to dance with her sisters.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°Iris Calvafon. Grimoire Master of the present day. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude, deeper than the Patternvist Valley, for reuniting me with my sisters.¡±

    [Mippo]: ¡°Thanks, thanks, so many thanks¡±

    [Moppo]: ¡°I like you, love you so much. Thank you, thank you for all your help¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°In short, would you like our help beating that thing?¡±

    Carol¡¯s silver hair and lithe body was now wrapped in pale gold.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°To the furthest lands of this world, a joyous dance that will never end¡±

    Linzflare-san laughed and repeated aloud the passage written in the grimoire.

    She was having fun dancing with her sisters.

    Her joy and delight was clear to see for us all¡­¡­

    [Ashel]: ¡°In that case, may we dance with you?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°I feel like my body is lighter than normal¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s like I have wings.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Grimoires, and the Grimoire Master who governs them¡­¡­.? After all, it¡¯s interesting. I¡¯m curious. I want to know more¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°There is something we must tidy up first Litzreich¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Anego, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too kind to this pervert?¡±

    Everyone is the same, even in front of a legendary dragon like Sanz Wanz.

    [Rose]: ¡°Then Iris-san. No, Princess.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Would you do me the honor of accompanying me for this dance¡±

    ¡­¡­..What?

    Rose-san started talking like Saluena out of nowhere.

    ?Surprising~?

    ?Surprising??

    ?Let¡¯s dance?

    Riding on Goldmund¡¯s head, the sisters were each doing steps while still holding each others¡¯ hands.

    My heart is ready to pound out of my chest from the princess hold, and now with this surprise attack coming from nowhere, my mind is blank.

    [Iris]: ¡°S-Sure¡­¡­treat me well¡­¡­¡±

    The words kind of fell out of my lips without any real thought behind them¡­¡­. Dance? How does one, dance?

    While my head filled up with more and more question marks, Rose-san grabbed Goldmund¡¯s reins and spurred him into a light gallop and pressed me into her chest.

    [Rose]: ¡°Forward, Goldmund¡±

 CH 181

    Dressage.

    It¡¯s a kind of equestrian competition held all throughout the Van Delucia continent.

    The jockey communicates with their stead to have them dance together. In a grassland nation like Oshunel, the relationship between its people and horses is especially close, so we hold regular competitions every year.

    [Rose]: ¡°Skutua¡±1

    Rose-san was firmly seated in Goldmund¡¯s saddle. Her short command sounded above the echo of hooves kicking off the soil.

    And then, Goldmund sped up.

    [Rose]: ¡°Maeria, Maeria¡±

    Words I didn¡¯t recognize kept leaving Rose-san¡¯s mouth, and each time, Goldmund¡¯s stride lengthened.

    The majestic white castle is already no more, and the only thing spreading before my eyes now are green meadows and reddish-brown ground.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Whether you are a chosen performer or not is irrelevant!! This stage is dedicated to Lord Oshunel alone. Therefore, you will disappear!¡±

    And just beyond that was Sanz Wanz, its four wings raised up high.

    The pair of wings each reached up as high as the castle wall, and when they were brought crashing down, a massive gust of wind came hurdling towards us.

    [Mippo]: ¡°Fly away?¡±

    [Moppo]: ¡°I wonder?¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°Even if we can, we shouldn¡¯t¡±

    Immensely curious over the oncoming wind, Mippo and Moppo popped their heads out of the hair on Goldmund¡¯s head. Linzflare-san gently set her hand on top of their heads, reminding them to not run off on their own.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san!!¡±

    A thick wind-like wall gouged out the soil as it came crashing down towards us. My anxiety got the better of me, and I cried out Rose-san¡¯s name and looked up at her face.

    [Rose]: ¡°Sadgege¡±

    But Rose-san was still calm.

    She pulled on the reins and Goldmund made a sharp turn to the right.

    [Mippo]: ¡°Hyaa!¡±

    [Moppo]: ¡°Uwaa!¡±

    We weaved through the gaps between the gusts of wind, saving us from the worst of the blasts.

    Even then Mippo and Moppo were almost blown away, but they managed to grab hold of Goldmund¡¯s hair and hung on as their legs dangled in the air behind them.

    And yet, neither of them looked scared. Rather, I¡¯ve never seen them having this much fun.

    [Rose]: ¡°Quidgege¡±

    Goldmund¡¯s large hooves dug into the soil and kicked to the side.

    The giant leapt to the left, and we once again were darting straight for Sanz Wanz like an arrow.

    [Iris]: ¡°Wow, so fast!!¡±

    I always knew Goldmund was strong, but I never knew he was so quick on his feet. He might just be as fast as Unicorn if not faster.

    The wall of wind flew behind us. The stray vegetation and crumbled bits of the rock wall littering the ground were catapulted into the air.

    Saluena was close behind us riding Unicorn.

    Behind her were Toslin and the others riding a group of unfamiliar white horses. When I took a look, they were the stone horses the knight golems we blew up with the cannon had been riding.

    Dozens of meters around where we stepped, or around where the gnomes were moving more specifically, golden stalks of wheat sprouted up from the ground. This must be the range of Linzflare-san¡¯s power.

    [Rose]: ¡°Perhaps it is because of the gnomes¡¯ blessing. Just like us, he is receiving a surge of power. Is that not so, Goldmund?¡±

    [Goldmund]: ¡°Guoooo!!¡±

    Goldmund barked loudly as if to confirm Rose-san¡¯s conjecture.

    A bright light shone around Goldmund¡¯s body as his hair fell away, shedding off his winter coat to make way for a summer one. His hair was now thin and smooth like a horse¡¯s.

    The bright sunlight showed his bulging muscles in great detail, and a long, dark shadow trailed far behind us.

    Strong features, dynamic muscles, and a pair of thick horns. If a statue were to be made of him as he currently stood, it would be lauded the world over as a high-standing piece of art.

    [Rose]: ¡°Skutua¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Uwoah!?¡±

    And there, Goldmund accelerated even further.

    He was dashing towards Sanz Wanz at a speed that made it difficult for me to keep my eyes open.

    [Rose]: ¡°Maeria, Maeria¡­¡­..Maeria, Maeria¡­¡­.Maeria!¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Disappear!! Along with Illya, the one who curses this world!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz took our charge as a provocation and swung at us with his claws. His thick arms were bigger than an adult man¡¯s body, and his sharpened claws were like scythes ready to reap our lives.

    [Rose]: ¡°Quidgege¡±

    But rather than trying to avoid it, Rose-san turned and charged straight forward.

    With a manipulation of the reins, Goldmund diverted his direction just a bit and ran perpendicular to Sanz Wanz¡¯s arm.

    And then¡­..

    [Rose]: ¡°Yaa!!¡±

    [Goldmund]: ¡°Guooooooo!!¡±

    Rose-san and Goldmund¡¯s voices overlapped.

    And a second later, we were sailing through the air.

    To be more precise, Goldmund leapt up and over Sanz Wanz¡¯s sweeping arm.

    While landing, Goldmund kicked his hind legs off the ground and sprinted forward without losing any of his speed.

    [Rose]: ¡°Fufu¡­¡­to be honest with you, I was quite the tomboy when I was young. Sadgege¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh!?¡±

    My jaw dropped at Rose-san¡¯s sudden confession.

    With as close to her face as mine was, the slight pink tinge in her cheeks were plain for me to see.

    [Rose]: ¡°I disregarded my lessons, snuck out of the mansion, and spent all my time learning how to ride a horse. Yaa!!¡±

    Another wave of wind from Sanz Wanz¡¯s wings rushed along and cut through the earth and sand.

    Once again Goldmund brilliantly weaved through the gusts and avoided the worst of the attack.

    [Iris]: ¡°I never would have guessed¡­..¡±

    I remember Yuhanna-sama saying something about that when we first met. How the air around Rose-san had changed since they were young.

    Actually thinking about it, it makes sense though. Rose-san did pick up Goldmund when he was covered in mud and hid him in Yuhanna-sama¡¯s room.

    [Rose]: ¡°Heheh, I know right? But, it is the truth. I was a rowdy tomboy and an incorrigible child.¡±

    It¡¯s possible her past as a tomboy may be the reason why she so confidently charged towards the dragon when Relton was under attack.

    [Rose]: ¡°And even now¡±

    Rose-san had an unexpectedly cheerful smile on her face as she readied her mace in her right hand.

    [Rose]: ¡°Honestly, I am excited.¡±

    With her left hand, she held fast on Goldmund¡¯s reins while hugging me tight so I didn¡¯t fall off.

    [Rose]: ¡°I know that is imprudent. It is something I should try to rectify. However¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san had Goldmund keep charging straight ahead.

    At this point, Sanz Wanz¡¯s massive body took up our entire field of vision.

    The legendary giant dragon¡¯s throat glowed a hot blow, and as we spoke, hot magma that had accumulated in its body was now slowly spewing outwards.

    [Rose]: ¡°I can fight with you¡­¡­no, simply being at your side brings me nothing but joy.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Wha-, R¡­¡­Rose-san?¡±

    Hey, is it just me or is Rose-san extremely talkative and in very high spirits!?

    Ah¡­¡­maybe this is a side effect of Mippo and the others¡¯ buff?

    Perhaps our emotions are being amped up along with our bodies.

    [Rose]: ¡°How happy would I be if I could spend all my time together with you? How brilliant would it be if I could simply look to my side and see your smile whenever I want?¡±

    *BOOM!!* *KABOOM!!*

    Dozens of cannonballs flew over our heads.

    Far back, behind Toslin and the others were rows of cannons lined up one by one, side by side. Smoke rose into the air from the end of their muzzles.

    *CRASH!! KRA-CRASH!!¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Guah!? Ah!? A bombardment!? You insignificant pests¡­¡­dare to stand in my way!?¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°I improvised and threw some cannons together. It¡¯s as glorious as I thought it would be. Constructing thick walls and raining fire on huge beasts is the flower of the battlefield.¡±

    [Mippo]: ¡°I made one too¡±

    [Moppo]: ¡°And I made the cannonballs!¡±

    The fired off cannon shells exploded as soon as they landed.

    Each shot had a tremendous amount of power to it, and in seconds, Sanz Wanz¡¯s scales that shone like diamonds before were scraped off and soiled.

    [Rose]: ¡°Be that as it is, I cannot forgive¡­¡­.the brute who made you cry!!¡±

    The heavy bombardment forced Sanz Wanz to lean harshly to one side.

    [Saluena]: ¡°This is a good opportunity Rosa. We will strike as one and crush its arms. Supposedly Toslin has a trump card she wishes to use as well. We will finish our work first as she prepares from afar.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes Oneesama!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°{Powerful shield that cannot be broken}¡±

    I arranged all my defensive barriers ahead of us to ward off any unforeseen attacks.

    The three gnome sisters began singing a small song, and the pale golden glow surrounding Rose-san¡¯s body brightened.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san is the flower of my heart. I will not forgive anyone who tries to pluck her away!!¡±

    Goldmund was in a full gallop heading straight for Sanz Wanz.

    This is how Rose-san always sees things. The scenery I could never be part of because I was always left to watch her back.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san¡­¡­¡±

    Please always stay with me.

    Please always protect me.

    Please always be kind with me.

    Please¡­¡­always bleed only for my sake.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you¡±

    I tried transmitting as much of my gratitude as I could fit into those small words.

    And I wrapped my arms around Rose-san¡¯s neck.

    It¡¯s possible that Mippo, Moppo, and Linzflare-san¡¯s aura is, just slightly, affecting me as well.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Because before I noticed what I was doing, I had pressed my lips against her nape.

    1. I tried doing my research, but if any of these words are real dressage terms, I could not find them.

 CH 182

    [Rose]: ¡°Yaa¡ª!¡±

    *Clop*¡­¡­Goldmund¡¯s hooves trampled over the fragments of Sanz Wanz¡¯s body broken off from the cannon bombardment and used them as a springboard to leap forward.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­idiots¡­¡­ Fools. I¡­..am Sanz Wanz!! The unrivaled Pterosaur who once shook the world!!¡±

    In desperation Sanz Wanz lashed out with pieces of its own broken body and fired off several large rock projectiles our way. However not a single one of them managed to get past Unicorn¡¯s defensive barrier.

    [Rose]: ¡°Something like that¡­¡­is useless against me¡­..¡±

    Rose-san flew towards the left arm while Saluena moved to the right, each of them bringing their weapons down like a lightning bolt.

    *Kra¡­¡­.*

    Rose-san¡¯s thorny mace sank into Sanz Wanz¡¯s left arm,

    *CRACK!!*

    and cracks running all the way up and down the arm spread out, shattering the sturdy scales to pieces.

    Next to us, Saluena¡¯s sword had cut clean through the right arm.

    The cut surface was as flat and smooth as a mirror, giving me a nice reflection of my own face for the second I was passing it by.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Guh!?¡±

    With both his front legs taken simultaneously, Sanz Wanz¡¯s body inevitably lurched forward.

    Our second wave, Litzreich and Ashel-sama, took the chance to strike.

    Litzreich was standing on the stone horse¡¯s back, hanging on to Ashel-sama¡¯s shoulders while she steered the horse through the settled rubble.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°I know your head is not a vital area, but I will crush it all the same.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Indeed. The breath attack could still prove to be trouble if we do not seal it away.¡±

    Litzreich¡¯s magic shell had already transformed to its bright blue hue sometime I wasn¡¯t looking.

    It shone beautifully under the sun¡¯s rays like a crystal clear sky in the middle of summer.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°You dare to hang your head before me!? It is as if you are begging me to strike you!!¡±

    Litzreich kicked off the back of her horse.

    She soared through the air, kicking off shards of falling broken rubble from the crumbling arms to maneuver herself in front of Sanz Wanz¡¯s face.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Tch, Guah!!¡±

    But Sanz Wanz wasn¡¯t just going to watch. It tried opening its huge mouth in an attempt to blow Litzreich away with a breath attack.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Slow¡±

    But Litzreich didn¡¯t falter.

    *Gakiin!!*

    Litzreich drew back her fist and threw all her weight into striking between Sanz Wanz¡¯s brow.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°The forehead is hard, but¡­¡­¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Awe-inspiring knight of wind who overlooks the world.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°Once cracked, even a diamond is easily shattered.¡±

    Ashel-sama appeared from behind and thrust her sword in the exact place Litzreich had just hit.

    [Ashel]: ¡°Penetrate my foes upon your proud spear!!¡±

    And rather than her arm, she cast her spell from the end of her sword.

    The sword itself dug into the cracks Litzreich¡¯s strike had caused before an explosion of wind caused Sanz Wanz¡¯s head to shatter apart.

    The wind spread outwards from the explosion, spraying clouds of dust and bits of debris all around the surrounding area.

    [Ashel]: ¡°I shall leave the rest to you!!¡±

    Ashel-sama rode the wind and flew backwards.

    Carol and Toslin had been entrusted with the rear, and with Ashel-sama pulling back, they pulled up.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°It¡¯s all you!! And I mean you Toslin!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi! How come you¡¯re acting all carefree while I¡¯m seriously about ready to cry!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°But won¡¯t this thing keep healing itself if we leave it alone? If we have to kill it once and for all, it¡¯ll have to be you Toslin.¡±

    Carol was mimicking Litzreich, hanging on to Toslin¡¯s back while Toslin steered the horse.

    And at the moment, Carol, Toslin, and Litzreich were all looking at the sword Toslin now carried into battle.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­are you sure? Because the price for that stone is coming out of the party treasury okay!? Even if it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯re going to split the cost!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yeah yeah. I got it, so let¡¯s hurry up and beat this thing. I¡¯m getting hungry.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Damn it!! Sanz Wanz¡­¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for you, I never would¡¯ve had to¡­¡­ I will definitely, absolutely never forgive youuuuuuuu!!¡±

    Toslin was screaming with tears rolling down her face.

    There were bits and pieces of what she was saying that I couldn¡¯t pick up, but her deep hatred for Sanz Wanz was clear enough.

    [Carol]: ¡°Then fight your hardest. I¡¯ll back you up.¡±

    Carol leaned over Toslin¡¯s shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­.you¡¯ve been spending too much time with that Litzreich.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°There¡¯s a chance you¡¯d lose your head if I didn¡¯t do this, so there¡¯s nothing for it.¡±

    And immediately after Carol kissed Toslin, the sword began to shine.

    To be more precise, an intricate pattern was born on the flat of the blade that made the metal glow a bright red.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Get some distance¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Yep yep¡±

    Carol jumped off the horses back and saw Toslin off.

    Toslin leaned forward on her horse, picking up the pace and charging straight for Sanz Wanz¡¯s defenseless figure.

    The longsword glowed as bright as day¡­..just like when it was swung to defeat the dragon that had attacked Relton.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Here it comes!! An attack that costs 5 million cronells¡­¡­have a taste of the great Toslin¡¯s ace in the hooooooooole!!¡±

    While still straddling the horse, Toslin set the sword at her hip.

    Time felt as if it had slowed down as all of us watched her every movement¡­¡­..

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hoorahhhhhhhhh!!¡±

    And then with a scream¡­¡­.she swung her sword.

    The blade looked like little more than a beam of light at this point, waving in the air as the horse ran past Sanz Wanz¡¯s massive body.

    [Rose]: ¡°My¡­..¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Hoh?¡±

    Rose-san unconsciously covered her mouth with her hand at the sight while Saluena raised a finger to her chin.

    The blade carved into Sanz Wanz¡¯s body with ease, leaving a red hot streak through the stone after the blade had long since passed through.

    [Litzreich]: ¡°The blade is now capable of utilizing a different power depending on the gem inserted in the pommel. I had a ruby inserted beforehand granting it the power of fire.¡±

    The area of rock touched by Toslin¡¯s sword had melted away into lava.

    The energy from the blade extended far longer than what the blade could reach. Far enough that Sanz Wanz¡¯s body had effectively been cut in half. Moreover, the area around the cut was oozing over and collecting on the ground like a stick of butter cut with a warm knife.

    And with half its body now gone, Sanz Wanz¡­¡­.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Hihi¡­¡­.HIHIHIHIHIHIHI!!¡±

    unleashed a shrill fit of laughter reminiscent of a clanging bell.

    ?

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­Like a marker resting on top of a tomb, two of Sanz Wanz¡¯s wings were raised high above the rest of its body.

    ¡­¡­Even with most of its body cut, crushed, or otherwise obliterated, that part alone shone with a beautiful luster under the sun completely devoid of any nick or scratch.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°HIHIHIHIHYAHYAHYAHYAHYA!!¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°God, what¡¯s with this thing¡­¡­.how is it still alive? Why can¡¯t you just die already.¡±

    Carol groaned with a frown.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me I just spent 5 million cronells for nothing.¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­worry not, I shall soon rot away and disappear.¡±

    The remaining two wings slowly began flapping up and down.

    Thereupon, it steadily floated off the ground.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°I have been waiting for a moment such as this. The moment I could abandon this burdensome body, raise my perfect wings, and once again soar through the air!!¡±

    The wings¡¯ flapping quickened.

    Chunks of the stone body untouched by Toslin¡¯s sword began melting away like the rest, but what came from underneath was the figure of an untouched Sanz Wanz.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Since the beginning I have held no interest in you lot. The sole thought that has dominated my mind all this while was how I would once again take to the heavens with these wings.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°It preserved only the wings and constructed a new body out of its soul¡­¡­? It spiritualized itself¡­¡­such a thing was possible?¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°It is still up above, is it not? Those human dwellings. After a thousand years, surely there are plenty of people there living free of strife?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!!¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°I wonder¡­¡­how many do you think I could kill before I disappear? Fufufufu, I¡¯m looking forward to finding out.¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s spiritual form lifted in the air and soared up above before any of us could react.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Now, open a path!!¡±

    At Sanz Wanz¡¯s word, a black vortex opened in the clouds. It was as if a crack had formed in the area¡¯s stained glass sky, and after the crack had expanded to a large enough size, Sanz Wanz squeezed through like a rat into its hole.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Wha-¡­¡­What was that!? What did that guy just do!?¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°This whole underground dungeon was built by me.¡±

    Linzflare-san¡¯s apologetic gaze was focused on the sky above just like ours were.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°And now my power is flowing through Sanz Wanz¡¯s being.¡±

    [Litzreich]: ¡°In other words, Sanz Wanz has acquired the ability to alter the dungeon¡¯s structure as well now? That fellow has been keeping one hand tied behind its back this whole time so we wouldn¡¯t realize¡­..an abominable enemy.¡±

    With no way for any of us to fly ourselves, we could only watch as the dragon flew away.

    [Carol]: ¡°So it¡¯s just going to fly up¡­¡­why though?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°This is still the bottom floor of the dungeon. So if it keeps flying upwards through the floors like this, it¡¯ll eventually wind up¡­¡­.¡±

    [Ashel]: ¡°Right in the middle of the city¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!! Unicorn!!¡±

    I jumped off Goldmund¡¯s back and began to run.

    Unicorn was at my side in a matter of seconds, immediately kneeling down to make it easier for me to get on her back.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi Iris, what do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡±

    Lapris hurriedly flew after me and wrapped her arms around Unicorn¡¯s horn.

    [Iris]: ¡°What¡­¡­I¡¯m leaving. To beat Sanz Wanz¡±

    It¡¯s the royal capital. They¡¯ll have knights, soldiers, and adventurers at the ready. But even if it is in its death throes, it is still the legendary Sanz Wanz. If anything, it is precisely because it is about to die that the danger here is all the more serious.

    [Lapris]: ¡°What are you going to do? Even with the transfer magic circle, you¡¯ll never make it back in time going the way we came!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I will take the same path Sanz Wanz took.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°H-Hah!?¡¯

    [Toslin]: ¡°Hold on a second. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re planning, but you aren¡¯t telling me you are thinking about running off on your own? Don¡¯t you remember what you promised us Iris?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I remember. I will never run ahead by myself. So¡­¡­¡±

    There¡¯s only enough room for one other person to ride on Unicorn¡¯s back.

    I¡¯ll have to nominate one of them.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Rose-san. I have a request. Would you entrust your life to me, no questions asked?¡±

    There¡¯s not enough time to explain everything I¡¯m thinking. While we¡¯re here talking, Sanz Wanz is getting closer and closer to the capital.

    [Rose]: ¡°An encore dance. I would be honored to be your partner.¡±

    Rose-san didn¡¯t hesitate to climb up Unicorn¡¯s back and take a seat behind me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Saluena. Please don¡¯t be upset because I didn¡¯t pick you.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Is that how I look?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you later.¡±

    I grabbed hold of Unicorn¡¯s mane.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    I turned my gaze upwards while receiving Saluena¡¯s happy voice on my back.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, really though¡­..what are you planning?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Unicorn, please¡±

    I brought my face close and spoke softly into Unicorn¡¯s ear.

    [Iris]: ¡°Run¡­..through the air¡±

 CH 183

    *Kiiin*¡­..Unicorn¡¯s hooves bounced off the barrier panels laid out like a rising spiral staircase.

    [Rose]: ¡°This shaft is running through each of the dungeon¡¯s floors. Seeing these different layers lying on top of each other is making me think of mille-feuille.¡±

    Rose-san murmured her thoughts aloud right behind my ear.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Stop that. You¡¯re going to make me hungry.¡±

    And Lapris snapped at her. She was currently sitting on top of Unicorn¡¯s head alongside Linzflare-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°When this is over, let¡¯s get some to celebrate.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Eh, really? It was worth bringing it up then.¡±

    Sanz Wanz is trying to break through the ceiling and rise to the open world above.

    We¡¯re following after, meaning we¡¯re earnestly aiming for the top of the dungeon.

    [Iris]: ¡°And Linzflare-san will be joining us right?¡±

    When I asked, Linzflare-san turned around towards me and blinked a couple times.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°¡­¡­is that okay?¡±

    Linzflare-san is accompanying us just in case Sanz Wanz thinks to close the hole behind it. She is a great earth spirit, so even if we do run into some kind of blockage, she¡¯ll be able to pry it open again.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Of course. At this point, you¡¯re already one of Iris¡¯s companions.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Mippo and Moppo seemed to really like sweets, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be happy too.¡±

    They both absolutely loved the cookies Saluena made and completely devoured them. It¡¯s easy to imagine what their reaction would be to mille-feuille.

    Side note, Mippo and Moppo were told to stay with Toslin and the others so they could return to the surface through the transporter.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°¡­¡­Okay. Once I have finished cleaning away my mistake, I shall accompany you.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Too stiff, you. You¡¯ve gotta loosen up. Oh, but keep in mind I¡¯m the senpai here. Whenever you address me, you better add either ¡®senpai¡¯ or at least ¡®san¡¯ to my name.¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°Understood, Lapris-senpai.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Stop, don¡¯t make Linzflare-san say something weird.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°What are you talking about? A party is essentially a mini-organization, and in an organization, hierarchy is very important.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Or in your case, you just want to act big.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Yeah, so? I just want a child who will smile at me unconditionally. What¡¯s so bad about that?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to feel so strongly about this.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°The outside world is just too harsh for me. Well, these last few days have been better¡­¡­.¡±

    Lapris sighed loudly.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Haa, I wonder what those kids from the village are doing now¡­.. Maybe that dark elf really did kill all of them¡­¡­¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°There are still dark elves?¡±

    Lapris nodded at Linzflare-san¡¯s question.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ah, yeah. I saw them. When they were attacking my village.¡±

    Seeing the two of them sit across from each other on Unicorn¡¯s head, Lapris looked almost like an older sister to Linzflare-san.

    I know fairies and spirits are different species, but they don¡¯t look that different.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Anyways¡­..¡±

    Lapris looked back up towards me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hold it. Don¡¯t say it.¡±

    Does Lapris really understand what we¡¯re doing here right now to make that face at me?

    [Lapris]: ¡°No, but. How much farther is it? Aren¡¯t we at least halfway through?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°That¡¯s why I said©`©`©`©`©`! I told you not to say anything! You idiot, why would you bring up how high we are right now!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Huh? Oh¡­..well, whatever. I can fly anyway, so I don¡¯t really mind.¡±

    I glanced down. Below us was an unending darkness with nothing else in sight.

    My legs are shaking while my lips quiver.

    [Rose]: ¡°I have been keeping count, and we have already passed the twentieth floor. So we have already passed through over half the dungeon. Let us keep going just like this.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes!!¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°I wish there was something I could do to help¡­¡­¡±

    Normally, even if we were to screw up and fall head over heels, you shouldn¡¯t die as long as we have Linzflare-san close by to shut the hole right away.

    But right now Toslin and the others are traveling through the dungeon by way of a separate route.

    If we were to change the dungeon¡¯s structure, at worst, we might end up trapping them in the walls.

    When Linzflare-san told me that, I made the decision not to resort to that no matter what. And as a result, I¡¯m doing everything I can to not look down.

    But¡­..that stupid Lapris¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry about it Linzflare-san. Please stay on alert in case of an emergency though.¡±

    Twenty thin barriers that looked like they were made of ice kept appearing and disappearing before my eyes.

    This indescribable instability of our scaffolding is gradually chipping away at my nerves.

    (Sorry for this Unicorn. Just a little farther¡­¡­)

    But the one suffering the most here is Unicorn. She¡¯s is worse with heights than I am. I¡¯m sure her legs are shaking right now too. And yet, she has continued facing this danger head on and climbing to new heights.

    After that, we reached the tenth floor.

    A few more minutes of bravery and we¡¯ll reach solid ground again.

    *Kiiin, Kiin, Kiin¡­¡­.*

    The rhythmic sound of her hooves continued plucking away at the barrier.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ooh!? Look, is that light up ahead!?¡±

    A beacon of light pierced through the darkness.

    It was a good, clear indicator that tells us the earth is nearby.

    *Kiiin, Kiin, Kiin¡­¡­.*

    Unicorn continued up even higher. Each step forward without any shortness of breath.

    [Iris]: ¡°A little more, just a little further¡­¡­ Keep it up Unicorn¡­¡­. Do your best¡­¡­.¡±

    I accidentally let my thoughts slip out. That probably only put even more pressure on Unicorn. It¡¯s me, not Lapris, who¡¯s the idiot.

    *Whoosh¡­¡­.*

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡±

    The barriers we¡¯ve been using as footholds were late to deploy by half a beat. That alone caused us to stumble through the air and upset the balance.

    [Iris]: ¡°Kyaa!?¡±

    Rose-san and I were thrown forward and began to fall.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°I will¡­¡­¡±

    Linzflare-san flew after us and hurriedly began morphing the dungeon¡¯s walls to close the hole.

    [Iris]: ¡°Stop!! Toslin and the others!!¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°But!!¡±

    ¡­¡­Suddenly, something grabbed my hand and pulled me close.

    As she fell with me, Rose-san had scooped me into her arms and held me to her chest.

    [Rose]: ¡°Please calm yourself. There is still time before we reach the bottom.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san¡­..¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°It will be fine. We will simply have to climb up once again.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    That¡¯s right. As Rose-san says, there¡¯s no reason to panic. If we fall down, we just need to climb back up again.

    [Iris]: ¡°Unicorn!!¡±

    When I called her name, Unicorn came galloping to our sides while trotting over her barriers.

    [Unicorn]: ¡°¡­..Onee-chan¡±

    And as my eyes met hers, a voice reached my ears.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­heh?¡±

    [Unicorn]: ¡°Onee-chan!! I¡¯ll save you right now!!¡±

    I have no idea what¡¯s going on.

    But Unicorn slipped underneath us and caught Rose-san and me on her back.

    And after making sure I had a tight grip on her mane, she began racing upwards once again to regain the height we had just lost.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Impossible, that voice¡­..Sarah?¡±

    [Sarah]: ¡°Impossible nothing, is there anyone besides me who calls Onee-chan Onee-chan? Or did you get another little sister while I wasn¡¯t looking? If you did¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Wel-, that¡¯s¡­¡­.no of course not!! There¡¯s no way that¡¯d happen!! I¡¯m just confused because I can suddenly hear your voice¡­¡­¡±

    Sarah¡¯s voice is echoing inside my head. I thought I was the only one who could hear her, but judging by their expressions, Rose-san, Lapris, and Linzflare-san can hear her too.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Explain things later!! Sarah!! Carry Iris to the surface as fast as you can!!¡±

    [Sarah]: ¡°Right, OK. Is everyone holding on properly?¡±

    *Kiiin, Kiiin, Kiin, Kiiin¡­¡­¡±

    *Taka, Taka, Taka, Taka, Taka*

    Without any hesitation, Unicorn¡¯s hooves lightly played across the barriers as if she were dancing across a piano.

    [Sarah]: ¡°Onee-chan¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yes? What is it Sarah?¡±

    [Sarah]: ¡°You absolutely have to beat that bad dragon.¡±

    At that, I understood the approximate reason as to how this miracle occurred.

    Sarah was watching too.

    She saw everything that had happened underground.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, I promise. If I let that thing run free, Sarah might end up in danger.¡±

    [Sarah]: ¡°Fufu, thank you. Now, we¡¯re coming up on the surface Onee-chan¡±

    Unicorn¡¯s front hooves finally touched ground at the end of the long tunnel.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°This is¡­..the noble district?¡±

    The hole Sanz Wanz made led straight to a section dotted with noble mansions between the fifth and sixth walls.

    Fortunately it doesn¡¯t look like anyone fell in when this gaping space suddenly formed in the middle of the street.

    [Iris]: ¡°Sanz Wanz!?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have time to feel relieved over my feet finally touching ground, so I immediately began scanning my surroundings. I didn¡¯t see anything in the sky when I looked above us. However the thin clouds dotting the blue sky were slowly turning dark which did worry me. The capital might see rain today.

    Sanz Wanz has had more than enough time to reach the surface after flying from that empty enclave. At least five minutes have already passed since it took flight.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san, there!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..so it really did¡­..¡±

    Where the sixth wall once stood there was now a pile of rubble. I could see black smoke and flames rising from places along with the sound of people screaming. And there at the center of all that destruction was Sanz Wanz.

    Its wings were spread out wide to show off its majesty, and with a single flap, it created a tornado capable of blowing away buildings that helped to spread the fire at the same time.

    [Iris]: ¡°Sarah!! Quickly!!¡±

    Unicorn took to the sky once again.

    Scores of knights and soldiers had gathered on the seventh wall. They were using bows, cannons, magic, and everything else available to hold Sanz Wanz there at the last fort and keep it away from the castle.

    Meanwhile tufts of fire continued to sprout here and there, destroying buildings and collapsing houses. It looks like the nobles and servants who would have lived nearby had already been evacuated to the castle for the time being.

    Sanz Wanz mercilessly attacked the knights and soldiers who were desperately trying to protect people and save civilians. It¡¯s like it was enjoying the hunt.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, look over there Iris!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..eh¡­..¡±

    And in the midst of that terrible situation, I found a familiar face.

    Nearby an already collapsed mansion. A girl stood in front of a group of injured and scared people who had most likely been late to escape.

    With torn spellbook in hand, the girl tried casting magic while protecting the people behind her.

    That girl¡¯s name¡­¡­Grides Montifi.

 CH 184

    [Iris]: ¡°Sarah!! That girl!! Descend near where that blonde-haired girl is!!¡±

    [Sarah]: ¡°Got it!¡±

    Unicorn¡¯s sky running took a steep turn downwards as we headed straight for Grides-san.

    Grides-san is currently about halfway between the still standing seventh wall and the collapsed sixth. Among the pattern of noble mansions, this one was especially large with a grand presence to it¡­¡­and it¡¯s already partially collapsed while being swallowed by flames.

    There were still people running towards the open seventh gate. But not everyone could run. Some people couldn¡¯t even walk. There were injured crouched down or others who were doing their best to crawl away from some wreckage.

    In order to protect such people from the flames, Grides-san was continually creating barriers from the dirt to provide cover from Sanz Wanz.

    A line of cannons on top of the seventh wall let out a rain of fire. The shells flew high above Grides-san and the other citizens towards the approaching dragon.

    However, perhaps because they were less powerful than the ones created by the gnome sisters, not a single one of them were able to break through Sanz Wanz¡¯s wings.

    Other than the cannons, there were dozens of these giant structures called ballistae that resembled giant crossbows shooting large, lance-like arrows at Sanz Wanz¡¯s wings, but they weren¡¯t having any effect either. The only reason Sanz Wanz hadn¡¯t made it further than it had was because of a magic barrier woven out of the wind that multiple magicians were working together to create.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san, please help the injured as soon as we land!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I understand¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi oi, wait! Then whose going to take on Sanz Wanz!?¡±

    Lapris turned to me and frowned.

    [Iris]: ¡°That should be clear.¡±

    At the end of my gaze was a small red bird, flying a ways ahead of us and leading the way.

    Her burning tail feathers drew a streak of red light across the sky.

    [Iris]: ¡°Tit for tat. If it¡¯s air combat, there¡¯s nobody better than her.¡±

    Phoeniko plunged down and soared past Sanz Wanz¡¯s line of sight.

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes chased after her, diverting her attention away from Grides-san.

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­O-Ooh¡­¡­.¡±

    A shiver ran up Lapris¡¯s back. I figured she would evacuate to inside my hair like usual¡­¡­

    [Lapris]: ¡°T-T-Then¡­¡­I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll do my best too! I¡¯m her senior after all!!¡±

    But instead she puffed out her chest, looking towards Phoeniko while talking as if she were her minion.

    [Iris]: ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave guiding Sarah and Unicorn to you. I know you¡¯ll be able to handle this.¡±

    Unicorn got a little closer to Grides-san and the other townspeople.

    Lapris grabbed hold of Unicorn¡¯s horn and turned back to me.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Y-Yeah, leave it to me! I can come through in a fight. I¡¯ll manage somehow until you unleash Phoeniko¡¯s power!! But¡­¡­oi, you¡¯re helping out here too Linzflare, right!?¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°Yes, of course Lapris-senpai.¡±

    Linzflare-san seemed to take a liking to the ¡®senpai¡¯ and replied with a large smile.

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you everyone. Then I¡¯ll leave it to you!!¡±

    After jumping over the ruins of the sixth wall, Unicorn touched down on the ground. Then we rushed like the wind to where Grides-san and the injured were waiting.

    [Rose]: ¡°Ha!!¡±

    Rose-san held on to me and disembarked. Rose-san¡¯s feet skidded across the ground, digging into the exposed soil where the cobblestone street had been turned over by Sanz Wanz¡¯s rampage. By my honor, I am not a heavy person. The weight of Rose-san¡¯s equipment is why it took so much time for her to come to a stop. When you take into account the weight of her armor, shield, and mace, my weight is negligible. The same as me not weighing anything at all.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Y-Yo!! Keep this momentum and charge in!! Charge forward and kick it!! Avoid the cannon fire!! The arrows¡­¡­do something so those don¡¯t hit us either!!¡±

    Lapris held fast to Unicorn¡¯s horn while throwing out orders while Sarah controlled Unicorn and rushed towards Sanz Wanz. Following Lapris¡¯s overly rough instructions, Unicorn got in close and kicked Sanz Wanz¡¯s wings with her front legs. Meanwhile Linzflare-san created a magical barrier out of stone to protect them from the oncoming cannonballs.

    [Iris]: ¡°Grides-san!!¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¨D¨D!?¡±

    Spinning around, Grides-san looked shocked to see us.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­Y-You are¡­¡­Calvafon-san¡­¡­? And Auroll-sama!?¡±

    Grides-san¡¯s proud, curly locks had become unkempt beneath the soil barrier and one of her ribbons had come unraveled. Her gorgeous clothes were covered in dirt, almost unrecognizable from what they were before.

    [Grides]: ¡°It¡­..It¡¯s dangerous here! Quickly evacuate to the castle!! The gates should still be open for the time being!!¡±

    Grides-san was looking at us, but I soon realized there was more to what she was saying.

    Her words were definitely aimed at us, but they weren¡¯t for just us.

    There are still people around with no way to defend themselves who are trying to escape to the castle.

    She is standing here now as a decoy, a leader, and a shield for those who remain to try and buy them the time to reach safety.

    [Grides]: ¡°Hurry, hurry and run away if you can!! Crawl if that is what it takes!! Everyone else, gather around¡­¡­I will protect you until reinforcements arrive!!¡±

    She then flipped through some pages of her torn spellbook to begin casting a spell.

    [Grides]: ¡°O wild¡­..ancestor¡­..of life. That¡­¡­That comes only¡­..from the deviation!!¡±

    However, her magic power¡¯s already run out. If she pushes herself any further than this, she will end up collapsing just like she did during her duel with me.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san. I will attend to the seriously injured.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, thank you¡±

    After nodding towards Rose-san, I turned my attention back towards Grides-san. And then I set my hand on her shoulder.

    [Iris]: ¡°Grides-san, you should run too.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­Eh, what moronic drivel is spilling out of your lips!? Are you blind!? Do you not see all the people here who have yet to escape!?¡±

    She slapped away my hand and tried returning to her chant. Right now there is only one, definitive enemy in her sights, Sanz Wanz, and she looks ready to do anything if it means giving a chance for other people to flee.

    And that, probably includes sacrificing her own life.

    [Grides]: ¡°You too¡­¡­have some recognition of your status as a noble. Fight for your nation, serve your king, and protect the weak. That is what a noble¡¯s duty is!!¡±

    Grides-san pushed a fist against my chest.

    [Grides]: ¡°Fine, go ahead and run. You are not technically a noble as of yet. There is no need for you to feel obligated to sacrifice yourself for anyone else¡¯s well being.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±

    Grides-san tried pulling her hand away from me.

    But I grabbed hold and held her hand tight.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­W-What are you doing!? Let go¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You are misunderstanding me a little Grides¡±

    I forced her to quit her chant and lower her spellbook.

    [Grides]: ¡°Wha-, you dare to suddenly address someone without honorifics completely of your own accord!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Then, Grides-chan?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Even more unacceptable!! You will properly refer to me with the proper san!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But isn¡¯t it fine since we go to the same school together? Besides, I can tell now. You¡¯re younger than me.¡±

    I brought the ring on my right index finger closer to my lips.

    [Iris]: ¡°You usually wear makeup don¡¯t you. That¡¯s why you look a little younger than me right now.¡±

    A strong light began emitting from the ring. The scarlet red of the dream gem ruby was like the setting sun, dying the sky and everything underneath its glow in a gentle vermillion.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­..Y-You¡­..that¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°It is just like Rose-san said. You are an incredibly noble person. But there was something else Rose-san said too. You are strong, too strong. And when I see you like this¡­¡­I can¡¯t help but agree.¡±

    When I transferred more magic power to the ring, it transformed into a grimoire. The name Phoenix was scrawled across the fiery red cover.

    [Iris]: ¡°You are too quick to decide to die.¡±

    She swooped down in front of me and eagerly waited to be let loose.

    [Iris]: ¡°Leave the rest to us Grides¡±

 CH 185

    [Iris]: ¡°The Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!!¡±

    The grimoire burned a bright red in my hand. When I turned the page, the flames burned even brighter as words rose to the surface.

    [Iris]: ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Long forgotten tower perched atop the solitary island of a distant sea. Princess of Life who illuminates the world, spread your wings to the summit!!¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­..Calvafon-san? You, aren¡¯t supposed to be able to use magic¡­¡­¡±

    Grides¡¯s line of sight kept shifting between me and the fiery red bird in front of me. A color of astonishment was dyed in her eyes. I didn¡¯t have the leeway to give her an answer, my tongue too preoccupied with the words emerging from the sea of light.

    [Iris]: ¡°Subjugate those who would disrupt the peace with your sweltering flames! Grant us the divine protection of rekindled ash!!¡±

    My mana was being sucked out of me while the flames swelled and expanded more and more.

    The red flames eventually grew white and burned like the sun.

    [Iris]: ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forward¡­¡­.Phoenix!¡±

    Phoenix had curled herself into a ball when I first began my chant, but she now threw out her wings as if she were breaking out of a shell.

    In that moment, a violent wave of heat spread outwards burning our skin and throats.

    [Grides]: ¡°A¡­..Phoenix?¡±

    The light of the glowing grimoire continued funneling my mana into Phoenix.

    Taking it all in, Phoenix unleashed a wave of light that restored life to all those it touched while simultaneously raising a merciless killing intent towards the enemy before her.

    [Grides]: ¡°A-An elementalist? No¡­..I¡¯ve never heard of an elementalist being able to summon a phoenix before¡­¡­¡±

    Fully released as she is, Phoenix¡¯s size rivals that of Sanz Wanz¡¯s. The sight of her caused Grides-san to lose her sense of balance and stagger backwards.

    [Rose]: ¡°Are you all right Grides-san?¡±

    Luckily Rose-san was close enough to catch her before she fell over.

    [Grides]: ¡°A-Auroll-sama¡­¡­.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san. Treatment for the injured is finished. I will be assisting some knights who arrived to help escort these people to the castle.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Got it. Thank you¡±

    Going tete-a-tete with Unicorn, Sanz Wanz made a huge leap backwards.

    It then extended out its wings and took to the sky.

    [Iris]: ¡°All that¡¯s left is to beat Sanz Wanz.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Sanz Wanz!? That¡­..she means that dragon Auroll-sama!?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, she does. A ghost laid to rest a thousand years ago walks the world once more. But after today, its existence will disappear completely.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, Iris!! It¡¯s escaping into the air!! Is Phoenix ready yet!?¡±

    Lapris was yelling at me from a distance.

    Phoenix is fully motivated. She taken in enough magic power.

    And now that Rose-san has treated the injured and escorted them a safe enough distance away¡­..

    Phoneix can stretch her wings worry-free.

    ¨D¨DAnd take to the sky!!

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Iris Calvafon commands my winged one!! Reduce it to ash!!¡±

    With my words at her back, Phoenix flapped her wings a single time. The large breath of air pushed out from that one movement was enough to lift her body high above my head.

    Phoenix arced upwards, darting straight up to where Sanz Wanz had moved to, inside the clouds. The dragon moved its two pair of wings, diving through the air like a shooting star to shake the bird that had moved on its tail.

    But Phoenix couldn¡¯t be shaken off. With a blaze of ample magic power all around her, she slipped and slid through the air like a fish in the water to keep chasing after Sanz Wanz.

    [Grides]: ¡°Y-You¡­..who are you?¡±

    Eventually Sanz Wanz gave up on trying to escape and turned to confront its pursuer. Then aiming for Phoenix as she flew up, it unleashed a blade of wind with a beat of its wings. Phoenix saw it coming, but rather than changing course, she continued to shoot straight into it like a loosed arrow.

    *Gakiiin!* It was as if two blades had collided against each other in mid-air. Phoenix had pierced through the wind, and her claws collided with the sides of Sanz Wanz¡¯s wings.

    There was a twinkle of light up in the clouds that soon quickly fell to the ground below.

    They were fragments of Sanz Wanz¡¯s wings that had been chipped off. Each of them were crystal-shaped shards illuminated red by the flames given off Phoenix¡¯s body.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡ª¡ªMe?¡±

    I turned my focus away from battle unfolding in the air and towards Grides after she asked me a question.

    She refused to let Rose-san keep propping her up and now stood straight up through her own efforts.

    [Iris]: ¡°I¡¯m the Grimoire Master¡­¡­¡±

    *Krakoom!!* A loud explosion rumbled through the air as something fell on the collapsed wall.

    A cloud of dust plumed high above, but from within I could just make out the red glow of Phoenix¡¯s talons.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°G-Guu¡­¡­damn¡­¡­damn you, Damn You, DAMN YOUUUUUUUU!!¡±

    And then as the dust parted, I managed to make out two pairs of stone wings being pinned to the ground by those talons.

    [Iris]: ¡°She who manages the world¡¯s reason, or so I¡¯m told.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°The¡­.world¡­..¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°No matter where I am, no matter where I go¡­..you insist on being a hindrance to me¡­¡­ Unforgivable¡­..Unforgivable! You all who dare to take everything from me, unforgivable!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s stone wings were crushed in Phoenix¡¯s grip.

    But the broken pieces of rock scattered and took root in the ground like seeds to soil.

    [Lapris]: ¡°O-Oi!!Golems will grow from the fragments!! A lot of them!! That¡¯s what Linzflare says!!¡±

    The roots pierced into the ground and the fragments began to grow as if they were really sucking nutrients out of the street. Each fragment soon took on the form of a dragon-like construct, each looking more and more lifelike by the second.

    What¡¯s more, seemingly having given up on flying, Sanz Wanz had coated its body in stone once again.

    [Grides]: ¡°A-Ahh¡­¡­golems, coming to life¡­¡­from the ground¡±

    The golems were scattered on the castle side of the collapsed sixth wall. When I glanced behind me, there was still a flood of people at the seventh wall¡¯s gate. It looks like it will still take some time for everyone to get through.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Rose-san, I have another request¡±

    I faced forward once again and took a deep breath.

    [Rose]: ¡°Whatever you need¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I want to end things here. Neither Sanz Wanz or its golems can get close to the gates.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I was thinking the same thing¡±

    Only tragedy will follow if Sanz Wanz makes it to that crowd. That goes for the dragon-style golems as well.

    [Iris]: ¡°So, would you stand here as a shield?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes¡±

    Rose-san stood in front of me and raised her shield.

    And then she nailed her shield into the ground just as she had done at the castle in the sky enclave.

    [Grides]: ¡°W-What are you making her do!? Auroll-sama, you intend on fighting this alone!?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°No, I am sure that will not occur.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, it won¡¯t¡±

    I opened up the two grimoires in my hands.

    Then with the pages slowly fluttering open, the books rose into the air and began spinning around me.

    [Iris]: ¡°I know you¡¯re worried Grides, but I have another grimoire I haven¡¯t used yet.¡±

    I looked at the ring resting on the index finger of my left hand. The silver tikarodeka etched onto the ring was now softly glowing.

    When I pressed my lips to it, a brilliant shine swelled up. And then with the accompaniment of a high-pitched bell, a third grimoire materialized in front of me.

    With a tikarodeka etched on the cover, I¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°Names engraved on my forefinger¡±

 CH 186

    [Iris]: ¡°Names born before me.¡±

    Sanz Wanz was flat on the ground with tears in its wings from where Phoenix attacked it.

    For some reason, those were the only part of it that did not regenerate, instead falling to pieces and crumbling on the ground.

    [Iris]: ¡°Forged in steel. Mothered by the Holy Peak Mills Daetta!¡±

    Has it already given up on flying since it was dragged back to the ground? Or does Sanz Wanz simply feel like it no longer needs its wings since it has already reached the surface? I can¡¯t tell either way.

    What I can tell is that a hard outer shell was now wrapping around its body.

    Phoenix reached back and continued to attack Sanz Wanz with her sharp talons.

    However, while she was still able to rip apart and tear through the outer body, unlike with the wings, Sanz Wanz was able to regenerate this rock. And the big problem facing us is that the regenerative speed was even faster than it was before Phoenix beat it down.

    [Iris]: ¡°Strike out with clear and polished steel! Change your form and protect us all!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Iris!! The golems¡­..are making their move!!¡±

    Dozens of small white golems in the shape of wingless dragons were raised from the broken pieces of Sanz Wanz¡¯s wings. Even if I say small, that¡¯s only in comparison to Sanz Wanz¡¯s main body. They would definitely prove to be a huge threat for anybody unfortunate enough to come across them.

    The ground shook beneath our feet as a tsunami of them rushed towards us.

    [Iris]: ¡°Step forward if you would take up the call! Temper your steel as you would train your arms and legs!! Stand with pride! Through the darkness!!¡±

    A white light spilled out of the grimoire¡¯s pages. And from within that light, pale pink characters rose to the surface.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­..w-what is¡­..this time it¡­¡­¡±

    Those characters formed words in my mind, creating possibilities and phenomena in the world¡­¡­until the space around me became distorted and twisted about.

    [Iris]: ¡°Now, cross over across the name and power of Iris Calvafon!! Riviera Von Iliana!!¡±

    Cracks in space formed and spread out as soon as the last word of my chant left my lips.

    Those cracks¡­¡­numbered fifty in total.

    Each crack spread open in an instant, and a pillar of light shot into the ground.

    [Rose]: ¡°Wall formation!! Vault Oath!¡±

    A flock of dragon golems was descending upon us.

    And Rose-san stood her ground, barking out an order.

    ¡°¡±¡±HAH!!¡±¡±¡±

    And a chorus of shouts responded in turn and violently skipped across my eardrum.

    There was a loud clang of metal on stone as one shield broke into the ground followed by a cascade of the same as if that first shield had caused a domino of other shields to fall. Fifty large shields were lined up side by side, creating a solid wall with nary a gap.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­..Eh¡­¡­warrior, priestesses?¡±

    Grides muttered aloud when the women in armor holding shields appeared in front of us.

    [Grides]: ¡°This, what¡­..where¡­¡­.? Why¡­¡­? How¡­¡­¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Warrior priestesses carry the privilege of being allowed to assemble anywhere. Although currently, we act as members of the Goddess Knights rather than as warrior priestesses.¡±

    [Grimm]: ¡°Thank you for calling upon me Princess¡±

    Grimm Lanselva-sama stood next to Rose-san with her shield at the ready. It was nearly twice as large as Rose-san¡¯s, and her double edged sword gleaned with a golden light thanks to the reflection of her long, golden hair tied off at her back.

    [Milius]: ¡°Your knights have eagerly awaited the time you would call upon us like this, Princess¡±

    Milius Luotung-sama was standing on the other side of Rose-san, opposite Lanselva-sama. Her jet black hair fluttered gracefully in the wind. It was a bit of a surreal sight when paired with the sturdy shield and finely decorated battle ax she carried.

    [Grimm]: ¡°Ruruka, you should remain next to our Princess just in case.¡±

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Will do Grimm. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll stay by and protect you Princess.¡±

    And the one standing directly in front of me was Ruruka Ruruka-sama. Her short, bob cut green hair shifted in place as she readjusted her spear over her own shield.

    [Rose]: ¡°They come!! Ready yourselves!!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±HAH!¡±¡±¡±

    The dragon-shaped golems dragged themselves along the ground, but Rose-san and the other knights had made themselves into a mighty wall and met the enemy head-on.

    *Gck!* Gaki!* *Grch* Grnd!* All around I could hear it¡­¡­.claws, fangs, and horns of stone scraping across shields.

    Yet¡­..the wall did not collapse. Instead, the fifty shields each bearing the sacred tikarodeka pattern actually pressed forward, crushing the fangs as they came down on them.

    [Rose]: ¡°Push forward!!¡±

    Rose-san unleashed her third order,

    ¡°¡±¡±HAH!¡±¡±¡±

    with Lanselva-sama and the other knights responding accordingly.

    The Goddess Knights pulled their shields back, giving the dragon golems a little ground before then slamming their shields forward and pushing the giant stone monsters back.

    Seeing the frontline dragon golems falter, Rose-san stepped forward out of line from the other knights,

    [Rose]: ¡°Break them!!¡±

    and brought her mace crashing downwards.

    ¡°¡±¡±HAH!¡±¡±¡±

    The other knights brandished their weapons without any hesitation and struck outwards in line with her.

    Each of them delivered only a single blow with their weapons.

    However that was a single blow from fifty powerful knights.

    The line of dragon golems were pierced, slashed, and beaten down. After fifty strikes, the enemy line already looked like it was about to crumble to rubble.

    [Rose]: ¡°Vault Oath!!¡±

    However Rose-san did not press the attack.

    She held her position and once again slammed her shield into the ground,

    ¡°¡±¡±HAH!¡±¡±¡±

    and the other Goddess Knights followed suit, recreating the long defensive line.

    Each member of the Goddess Knights moved as one under Rose-san¡¯s whim and order.

    *Gck!* Gaki!* *Grch* Grnd!* The second wave of dragon golems came and crashed against the wall of shields like a wave breaking across the coast.

    [Rose]: ¡°Push forward!!¡±

    Not a single member of the Goddess Knights buckled under the weight of the enemies¡¯ attacks nor did they let a single claw get past.

    ¡°¡±¡±HAH!¡±¡±¡±

    Everyone moved as one beating the golems back with their shields under Rose-san¡¯s command.

    [Rose]: ¡°Break them!!¡±

    *BaGOON!!* *KraKOOM!!*

    With Rose-san¡¯s singular voice rising above the chorus of battle, the fifty knights tore against the sharpened fangs of our foes. Countless bits of rocks scattered all around as chunks of statues smashed into the ground.

    However the Goddess Knights did not take the opportunity to press the attack, once again only taking a step forward with a gaze aimed straight ahead.

    [Rose]: ¡°Advance!¡±

    And then with another step forward,

    [Rose]: ¡°Shields!¡±

    they raised their shields and reformed their mighty wall.

    The unified movements of a powerful army.

    [Lapris]: ¡°I was wondering how this¡¯d turn out, but the Goddess Knights might actually be able to pull this off.¡±

    Lapris slipped out of her hiding spot on top of Unicorn and immediately began with her condescending bluster. She¡¯s not thinking of Lanselva-sama and the others as her minions now is she?

    [Lapris]: ¡°It¡¯s probably because Big Sis put them through the wringer. We¡¯re already seeing the results.¡±

    The Goddess Knights were gradually pushing the enemy back towards the hole in the city wall.

    The dragon golems flung themselves against petite women again and again in some effort to break through, but every rush futilely broke apart against the shields blessed by the Goddess.

    [Rose]: ¡°Then again, I never thought they would be summoned with that chant.¡±

    My ears caught Rose-san¡¯s bright voice from behind her shield.

    [Iris]: ¡°Me neither. I doubted my eyes a bit when I first opened the grimoire.¡±

    I was able to summon Lanselva-sama and the rest of the Goddess Knights.

    But the chant I used to do it was actually an ancient song tied closely with the warrior priestesses.

    It appears in many different adventure novels, and I practically have the whole thing memorized. I used to recite it aloud when I was little and played adventurer with Mycena.

    [Rose]: ¡°No matter the obstacle, we stand tall!¡±

    Rose-san raised her voice as another wave of dragon golems rushed in.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±¡±Our impregnable shields stand against the steel onslaught!!¡±¡±¡±

    *Crack, Cra, Crackin!!*

    This rush was larger than any other before it, yet the Goddess Knight buried their heels into the ground and accepted the attack like any other.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±¡±We shall remain unbroken no matter what bares its fangs against us!!¡±¡±¡±

    Following Rose-san¡¯s lead, the voices of the knights rose in unison, turning the chant into a chorus as their weapons dug into the golems.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±¡±Strong, stronger than anything else!! Our armor, light of our lives!!¡±¡±¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Then raise them high!! Dig in your heels and press forward with courage in your hearts!! An indestructible barrier!!¡±

    *Pat, Pat*¡­¡­fifty knights bravely singing their anthem as they raise their shields, stepping over the bodies of their crushed enemies: a legend straight from the picture books now unfolded for all to see.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±¡±Vault Oath!¡±¡±¡±

    But more than anything else, it was the figure of Rose-san¡¯s back that kept my gaze locked in place.

    The kind woman who always offered me a soft smile¡­..

    had become a magnificent warrior priestess of legend.

 CH 187

    The head of a dragon golem splattered like a watermelon when a giant, heavy mace came crashing down on its crown.

    The resulting debris crumbled apart and returned to the soil.

    The Goddess Knights have already slayed well over a hundred dragon golems under Rose-san¡¯s command.

    Scattered cheers and cries rose up from the seventh wall.

    Knights, soldiers, and random citizens who were evacuating towards the castle had stopped to clap and marvel at the battle.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ah, they¡¯re cheering.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yeah¡­..they really are. It, doesn¡¯t feel real.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­..why do you say that? If you have this kind of power, you should already be used to a response like this.¡±

    There were various kinds of emotions mixing together on Grides¡¯s face when she spoke.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Nah, Iris¡¯s only ever fought in remote areas until now, so this kind of thing is completely new to her.¡±

    Oh yeah¡­..Lapris is right. And when I silently nodded at that fact, Grides looked like she didn¡¯t know how to react.

    [Grides]: ¡°Is¡­..that how it is. Then, rest assured you should be proud. You have, done so much here.¡±

    Grides pursed her lips and turned her gaze towards the ground. And then after a moment of hesitation, she bowed her head.

    [Iris]: ¡°Grides?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Allow me to offer my gratitude, for both myself, and the injured who were saved thanks to your intervention.¡±

    It felt like the distance between me and Grides shortened a bit after that duel. So I hope we can continue to close that distance one step at a time from now on.

    I left my hometown and jumped into the world of adventurers that I¡¯ve always longed for. I think I¡¯m allowed the selfishness to hope that all my experiences and encounters will be wonderful.

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Princess. We have completely cleared the area in front of the sixth wall of all enemies. Please give us any follow-up orders you have.¡±

    Ruruka-sama¡¯s courteous voice brought my attention back to the situation at hand, and I had to stop myself from immediately rushing over to Rose-san and the others.

    [Iris]: ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ll head over right away. Grides¡­¡­¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°I am the daughter of a count family. As long as there are people at my back who require my protection, I have a duty to keep fighting.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..I understand. Sorry for the trouble Ruruka-sama. Please protect her as well.¡±

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Hold¡­..I-I do not believe I necessarily require your protection. I am on my own, and I will be cautious so¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°But no matter how careful you are, it doesn¡¯t guarantee you will be okay.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    So I hurried over to Rose-san while under Ruruka-sama¡¯s protection.

    And as I sped through the broken rubble that once belonged to an army of golems, I could hear a pair of footsteps following along from behind.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­¡­thank you for the warning. And the kindness.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Of course. We should do what we together and protect as many people as possible.¡±

    There was about a 50 meter long hole ripped into the 30 meter tall wall.

    Rose-san and the other knights had hunkered themselves down on the broken fragments of that wall, stopping any dragon golem from moving further inside the city.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san. We have managed to reclaim the sixth wall. However we cannot afford to relax until Sanz Wanz no longer lives.¡±

    I could just make out the fifth wall from over the broken ruins of the sixth. Right in front of it was the large hole that Sanz Wanz had emerged from, and the amount of destruction between here and there was enormous.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi oi, is it still growing new golems from its broken wings?¡±

    Sanz Wanz was currently still embroiled in a deadly battle with Phoenix.

    The two mighty wings, which could be called the mark of a true dragon, had been dealt with, but in turn, its body had become covered in thick, sturdy scales of rock. No, as time has passed those rocks have smoothed out and become shiny and transparent, so perhaps it would be more accurate to call them crystals at this point.

    *Kiin Kiin!!*

    Although surprisingly, Phoenix¡¯s talons had begun tearing apart that outer shell as well.

    Phoenix had been on top of Sanz Wanz ever since she knocked it out of the air. From beginning to end, she has been completely on the offensive.

    [Lanselva]: ¡°Rosalith-sama. We should crush this mob and move to join that brave phoenix.¡±

    Luotung-sama shook her head at Lanselva-sama¡¯s suggestion.

    [Luotung]: ¡°If we abandon this position to focus our efforts on Sanz Wanz, who will protect the citizens still working to evacuate?¡±

    [Ruruka]: ¡°The dragon golems would flood the sixth wall, and we¡¯d be right back where we started.¡±

    With Ruruka-sama backing up Luotung-sama¡¯s point, it seemed like we would have to pass on Lanselva-sama¡¯s idea.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°Then allow me to restore the wall.¡±

    But with Linzflare-san with us, we are in a completely different situation.

    [Grides]: ¡°Is a fairy capable of that?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ah? She¡¯s a gnome, not a fairy. And a great spirit to boot. One that¡¯s lived for over a thousand years.¡±

    Lapris offhandedly answered Grides¡¯s question while waving her arm towards the wall. She was ordering Linzflare-san around as if she were her subordinate again.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Allrighty Linzflare. Fix ¡®er up!¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°Right away, Lapris-senpai.¡±

    Linzflare-san hopped off the top of Unicorn¡¯s head and placed the palms of her hands on the ground in front of her hooves.

    And after a second had passed, the rubble beneath our feet began to rise.

    [Lanselva]: ¡°W-Woah! Is this¡­..magic?¡±

    [Luotung]: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a group of gnome could cause natural disasters if they a group gathers together. Considering that, something such as this must be child¡¯s play for her.¡±

    Lanselva-sama and the other knights were in awe at what they were seeing. Grides and I were unfortunately too busy propping each other up so as to not fall over from the ground shifting under our feet to really appreciate the sight.

    [Iris]: ¡°Woahwoahwoahwoah, High, HIGH!!¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Wait, don¡¯t cling onto me! We¡¯ll both fall!!¡±

    The rubble twisted and morphed like soft clay. When Linzflare-san finally stood upright once again, the collapsed wall had been brilliantly rebuilt.

    It was thirty meters high, the same height as all the rest of the wall. More than enough to make me shake at the knees.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°I crafted it to be as dense and solid as possible. Even Sanz Wanz would not be able to easily break through.¡±

    Rose-san nodded at Linzflare-san¡¯s words.

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you. This will greatly increase the options available to us.¡±

    [Lanselva]: ¡°Ah, then¡­..Rosalith-sama¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°I know Lanselva-sama. I agree, we must focus on the greatest threat here.¡±

    [Lanselva]: ¡°Just what I¡¯ve been waiting for!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san¡±

    Rose-san turned back towards me.

    [Lanselva]: ¡°Princess¡±

    And Lanselva-sama¡¯s gaze quickly followed.

    [Ruruka]: ¡°Princess¡­..your orders.¡±

    Fifty knights were all waiting for my orders.

    Far below us, Phoenix skated through the air, diving and weaving to keep Sanz Wanz in place.

    By now she must have already taken several intense attacks. The traces of such could be seen up and down her body from where her feathers had been scattered about.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I took a deep breath and let the tension leave my shoulders.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Knights, I, Iris Calvafon, lord of your order, do thus petition your aid.¡±

    With my left hand clutching the grimoire to my chest, I pointed towards Sanz Wanz with my right.

    [Iris]: ¡°By the virtue of the Goddess Illya, purify the phantom who has slept beneath the capital for this past thousand years!¡±

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±¡±Yes!!¡±¡±¡±

    Each of the knights raised their shields while responding to my wishes in a single breath.

    The courageous and noble warrior priestesses that everyone in this kingdom knows of and envisions¡­.

    are on the attack.

 CH 188

    Lanselva-sama and the other knights set their feet on the reconstructed merlon and slipped down to the ground 30 meters below.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san¡±

    Rose-san turned back towards me with a refreshing smile that blew away all my fatigue.

    [Rose]: ¡°You have become more used to your role as princess as of late¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°W-What!?¡±

    Rose-san said something beyond my imagination, and it completely threw me off. She then turned forward with a calm expression and murmured,

    [Rose]: ¡°Then, let us be off¡±

    And she followed after the others, leaping off the top of the wall.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Huh, wai-, oi¡­¡­we¡¯re going too?¡±

    Lapris¡¯s head popped out from inside Unicorn¡¯s mane. Linzflare-san¡¯s head was positioned right next to hers and making the exact same expression.

    Linzflare-san has always carried herself more maturely than her sisters, but she is always addressing Lapris as senpai. And it looks like she has her childish moments as well. You can definitely tell she is related to Mippo and Moppo.

    [Iris]: ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡±

    Unicorn bent her front knees when I got close.

    [Iris]: ¡°Unicorn, Sarah¡­..could you lend us your strength, for just a little longer?¡±

    She¡¯s the one who I¡¯ve had summoned this entire time, from the very beginning. I heard a small, happy neigh as I straddled her back and brushed some of the dust out of her mane.

    [Sarah]: ¡°Obviously. I¡¯m not running away after all this.¡±

    Sarah¡¯s voice sprang forth from Unicorn¡¯s heart.

    [Iris]: ¡°I see. Thanks.¡±

    This time I pet the side of Unicorn¡¯s neck with my hand in thanks, and she forcefully rose to her feet.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi Linzflare. Captain¡¯s orders. You stay here and guard the wall. If this thing gets even a crack in it, you¡¯re gonna fix it up lickety split.¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°Roger Lapris-senpai!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°I¡¯m your captain right now! Call me Captain Lapris!¡±

    [Linzflare]: ¡°Roger Captain Lapris!¡±

    Linzflare-san straightened her back and quickly corrected herself. She then hopped off of Unicorn¡¯s head.

    [Iris]: ¡°What will you do Grides? Will you stay here? Or¡­..would you like to come with me?¡±

    I twisted my waist and looked down on my classmate.

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­..That, of course I¡¯m going with! It would be reprehensible for an aristocrat like me to silently watch while you are out there fighting!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah, I figured you would say that.¡±

    Grides grabbed my held out and swung her leg around Unicorn¡¯s back.

    [Lapris]: ¡°You, are way too damn serious.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Shut it!! All sorts of stuff keeps happening, so my head got overloaded!! So don¡¯t you mock me!¡±

    Grides¡¯s voice sounded like the barking of a small puppy dog behind my back. Until very recently, I never would¡¯ve thought we would fight together like this.

    (But, I could say the same thing about Ashel-sama as well.)

    She¡¯s the descendant of the hero and a hero in her own right. There¡¯s no way I would have thought a day would come when we¡¯d fight side by side together.

    I chose, on my own initiative, to become a spellcaster, an adventurer, and to leave my hometown of Soletta Ritta.

    The confrontation with Carbuncle could be attributed to the will of the Goddess.

    Sanz Wanz called us performers on a stage.

    But even if that is true¡­¡­what¡¯s so wrong about it?

    *Taka*¡­..*Taka*¡­..*Taka*¡­..Unicorn flew up to the top of the merlon.

    Below us was Rose-san and the other knights who had formed a platoon to orderly and thoroughly trample the advancing dragon golems.

    And further beyond the advancing army was Sanz Wanz, who was repelling Phoenix¡¯s onslaught of attacks after gaining a mountainous body from sacrificing his ability to fly.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Grides. Don¡¯t bite your tongue.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Huh¡­..? Um, Calvafon-san? What are you about to do? Because, you¡¯re not seriously about to just jump off¡­¡­¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t see how we got up here?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I don¡¯t have the courage to do something like that Grides¡±

    At my signal, Unicorn stepped out into the open air.

    ?

    [Grides]: ¡°KYyyaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Whoosh¡­¡­the wind whipped around us as Unicorn charged through the air.

    Our aim was Sanz Wanz. We were only slightly higher than the heads of the Knights of the Goddess and the dragon golems they pummeled.

    [Lapris]: ¡°SHUT UPPPPPPPP!!!¡±

    Grides was screaming right behind me while Lapris had begun shouting at her right next to my ear.

    [Iris]: ¡°You¡¯re both noisy.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°It¡¯s because of you!!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°I¡¯m not the one in the wrong here!! Oi curly hair!! You won¡¯t die even if you fall off, so shut up for a bit!!¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°W-Who has curly hair!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°You do!! You¡¯re the only one here who does!!¡±

    We ran through the air for several seconds while listening to the two¡¯s duet before catching up to the backs of my knights.

    Unicorn¡¯s hooves touched ground and dug into the soil.

    Just as we landed, some kind of black ball passed overhead.

    *BOOM!!* *KABOOM!!*

    A second later, an explosion rocked Sanz Wanz¡¯s upper body.

    [Grides]: ¡°W-W-What is it this time!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Cannon fire. Linzflare must¡¯ve built a couple on top of the wall and set ¡¯em off.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°What is that spirit thinking!? What would¡¯ve happened if that had hit us!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°No minion of mine is going to make that kind of mistake.¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: *Grrrooooaaarrrrrr!!!*

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s head, which reached higher than any of the city¡¯s walls, directed a mighty grudge-filled roar our way.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Well¡­..it didn¡¯t do crap anyways. What¡¯s going on with this guy?¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°That twin card pattern on those shields¡­¡­. How could I ever forget. That Ranroot had the same pattern on their shield as well.¡±

    Despite being peppered with Linzflare-san¡¯s bombardment, Sanz Wanz¡¯s outer shell was very much intact.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°The Goddess Knights¡­..How awful to be hearing that name once again after a thousand years!!¡±

    *Tap*¡­¡­*Tap*¡­¡­water began dripping from the cloudy sky.

    The smell of the rain came in strong as it mixed in with the dirt, dust, and ash hanging in the air.

    The thinly hanging clouds from before had grown thick, filtering the light from the setting sun and dying the royal capital red and black.

    [Rose]: ¡°Smash!!¡±

    On Rose-san¡¯s command, all the remaining dragon golems were reduced to rubble.

    [Rose]: ¡°Vault Oath!!¡±

    As the city fell into darkness with the slow growing intensity of the rain, only shields of the Goddess Knights shone brightly, forming a wall of light as the warrior priestesses stood side by side in a row.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°But, how serendipitous to have you save me the hassle and come to get slaughtered on your own.¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s neck shot forward, and sunk its fangs into Phoenix¡¯s leg.

    [Iris]: ¡°Phoenix!?¡±

    But she didn¡¯t flinch. Hovering in the air, Phoenix used her other leg and began trying to claw out Sanz Wanz¡¯s eye.

    The heat radiating off her claws instantly evaporated the falling rain, causing a thin white mist to form around Phoenix¡¯s body. However even that heat wasn¡¯t enough to crush Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°And you, you dared to touch my precious wings.¡±

    Sanz Wanz shook its head back and forth, waving Phoenix around in the air with its fangs sinking further into her flank. And at the end, it was about to slam Phoenix into the ground.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, that¡¯s not good! Call her back!!¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¨D¨D!¡±

    I shut Phoenix¡¯s grimoire just before her body collided with the stone street.

    At that moment, Phoenix¡¯s body shrunk down, and with her diminutive stature, she was able to yank her foot free from between Sanz Wanz¡¯s teeth.

    The grimoire transformed back into a ring and fitted itself on my right index finger.

    *Cheep peep*¡­¡­.

    Little Phoeniko glid over, softly chirping when she reached me.

    [Iris]: ¡°A-Are you okay? Thank you. You can take a rest.¡±

    I gently stroked the top of her head after she landed in the palm of my hand. I then placed her in my chest pocket to keep her from getting wet in the rain.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Fufufu, it¡¯s already impossible for anything to befall this body of mine. Next¡­.it will be your turns to be crushed.¡±

    Sanz Wanz slowly swept its gaze over each of us in turn.

    Lifting a leg which had reached the size of a castle spire by this point, he stepped down towards Rose-san and the other knights.

    [Rose]: ¡°Disperse!¡±

    Rose-san gave out immediate instructions, and so the knights raised their shields and stepped back.

    A second later, *CraKoom¡­¡­.!!* Sanz Wanz¡¯s feet sank into the ground where Rose-san had been standing just before.

    [Rose]: ¡°Smash!!¡±

    On Rose-san¡¯s signal, several knights swung their weapons at the base of Sanz Wanz¡¯s foot.

    *Gakiin!!*

    But with even Phoenix¡¯s claws unable to break through, the blades uselessly bounced off Sanz Wanz¡¯s outer shell.

    Only Rose-san¡¯s mace was able to cause any damage, but it was such a minor crack compared to the dragon¡¯s now massive body.

    But that wasn¡¯t all.

    [Lapris]: ¡°O-Oi¡­..is he still growing?¡±

    All of us stared at Sanz Wanz after hearing Lapris¡¯s leaked impression.

    And sure enough, the legs, body, and neck¡­..each was growing thicker like a tree planted in the dirt.

    [Lanselva]: ¡°What a monster¡­..¡±

    [Luotung]: ¡°How do you kill a thing like that¡­¡­?¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Heheh, MuWaHahahahahahahaha!! No, this body will soon be unable to withstand its own weight and collapse on itself¡­¡­but, will this country still stand by the time that happens?¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s gleeful laughter mixed together with the pounding rain.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°I will lose my body¡­¡­and once again fall into my slumber. For one hundred, two hundred years. And when I rise again, into a world where all of you are dead and gone, I can fulfil Oshunel-sama¡¯s long held wish¡­..and sink this world into oblivion.¡±

    The sound of thunder rolled in from the distance. My hair was getting matted down from the heavy rain, and droplets started falling off the ends of my bangs.

    [???]: ¡°¡­¡­.No, you¡­¡­you won¡¯t!!¡±

    Seeing Phoenix beaten and Sanz Wanz¡¯s growing majesty had left all of us speechless.

    But, I snapped out of my trance when a loud voice pierced my eardrum from at my back.

    [???]: ¡°If it is Sanz Wanz, it must be the Pterosaur of old. There are few in this world who would not recognize that name. Especially if you are one who has grown up here in Oshunel, it is a name that inspires fear and awe¡­.but even so!!¡±

    Grides jumped off Unicorn¡¯s back.

    [Grides]: ¡°You are making a big mistake if you think we are all going to cower away just because of that!! I am Grides Montifi, and I¡¯m, a member of the Goddess Knights!! And we will stop you¡­..here and now!!¡±

    And while glaring down Sanz Wanz, she opened her torn spellbook.

 CH 189

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hoh, you say some good things sometimes curly hair. But you haven¡¯t joined the knights yet, so don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Silence!! Even if you are a fairy sent by the Goddess, I will forgive nobody who would dare make fun of me!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Nothing of the sort. I¡¯m honestly praising you here. Right Iris?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yeah. Just like Grides said, we¡¯re going to beat you here Sanz Wanz. I personally cannot forgive you.¡±

    Killing Linzflare-san right in front of Mippo and Moppo before directly killing the two sisters as well. I can¡¯t forgive them, no matter who they are.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Kukuku¡­..this will be my second time hearing those words. The first was when I crushed those pathetic insects underground. They were enthusiastic at the time as well¡­..but forget a battle, this is simply a game of my¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°What are you talking about? Whether it¡¯s a battle or a game, we¡¯re going to win. Absolutely.¡±

    When I interrupted their words, Sanz Wanz¡¯s stone eyes that gave off a jet-black light narrowed.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­then, you will all learn the truth of the matter, once I¡¯ve turned all of you to charcoal. You will see once and for all the difference between you and I!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz yanked out the leg that had deeply sunk into the ground and this time tried directly trampling me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san, if you could?¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes, leave it to me.¡±

    A reliable voice sounded back to my question. I entrusted my life to Rose-san without any hesitation. I then took a deep breath to calm the agitation in my heart that had grown from seeing Phoenix hurt.

    [Rose]: ¡°Oh Goddess, hear my prayer. Oh Goddess, protect my friend!!¡±

    Rose-san¡¯s dignified tone cut through the intermittent pouring rain.

    [Rose]: ¡°Holy white flower!! Virtue and authority at our backs, guard against those who spurn your teachings!!¡±

    A black shadow covered my head. Even if I were to try and sprint away now, it would be too late. I will be trampled under Sanz Wanz¡¯s foot and die.

    [Rose]: ¡°I pray for this miracle now! Stalwart seal!!¡±

    But that would never come to pass. Because, I have Rose-san to protect me.

    A white light shone from the shield in Rose-san¡¯s hand. The terrifying black and red the sunset had dyed the city was repainted in a flash.

    *Kiiin!!* And with a sound similar to the chime of a bell, a radiant barrier bloomed around her like a blossoming flower.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Another clever trick!!¡±

    Now, just as it had stood against all the collapsing rubble of a broken castle¡­..Rose-san¡¯s shield stood against Sanz Wanz¡¯s stomping foot.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°But in the end, it is still just the pointless struggle of a child¡­..¡±

    The ground shook as Sanz Wanz¡¯s long tail wrapped around and came at us from the side.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°No matter how strong the shield, it¡¯s pointless if it doesn¡¯t guard what you need it to!!¡±

    The tail drew an arc and wrapped around the shield. The spear-like pointed tip managed to completely avoid the shield like this and thrust itself towards me.

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­..yes, that much is true.¡±

    But Rose-san remained calm. The reason for that became apparent a second later.

    [Ruruka]: ¡°I pray for this miracle now! Stalwart seal!!¡±

    Ruruka-sama, who was standing by near me, thrust out her shield. And then performed the same miracle Rose-san had done a moment before.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡ª¡ª!?¡±

    *GaKiiiin!!* The sharp tail collided with the shield one second, and it was repelled back the next.

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s grinding fangs embodied its growing murderous intent. It made neither squeak nor moan, but its frustration was apparent enough inside the gleam of its eyes.

    [Rose]: ¡°All who stand before you now are able to offer their prayers to the Goddess Illya who you so hate. No matter who you target, our shields will not break.¡±

    Two large flowers were now giving off a tranquil and transparent light. Seeing that both of them could stand up to Sanz Wanz¡¯s giant body, I addressed my fifty knights.

    [Iris]: ¡°With me, my knights. I have one final request. Block off Sanz Wanz¡¯s movements.¡±

    [Luotung]: ¡°Everyone, did you hear?¡±

    [Lanselva]: ¡°Ha, of course¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°If that is our princess¡¯s wish, we shall see it through to completion even if it costs us our lives!!¡±

    Luotung-sama and Lanselva-sama spoke up first with Rose-san enthusiastically answering their words.

    [Rose]: ¡°Leave it to us, Iris-san. Besides, if you did not summon them, they would surely feel lonely after. You know how she can be.¡±

    With my simple request, Rose-san correctly understood was I was trying to do.

    And so she turned back and ordered the knights.

    [Rose]: ¡°Siege formation!!¡±

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±Ooh!!¡±¡±

    Lanselva-sama and the other knights moved quickly under Rose-san¡¯s command, switching their formation.

    The fifty Goddess Knights encircled Sanz Wanz and began their prayers to the Goddess all together.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±Oh Goddess, hear my prayer. Oh Goddess, protect my friend!!¡±¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Noisy insects¡­.. Enough¡­..be crushed and disappear!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz tried trampling the some of the surrounding knights.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±Holy white flower!! Virtue and authority at our backs, guard against those who spurn your teachings!!¡±¡±

    It was as simple as lifting one of its feet, and stomping down.

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s limbs had grown so big their weight alone made them devastating weapons.

    One of its arms was coming against three knights, including Luotung-sama.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±I pray for this miracle now! Stalwart seal!!¡±¡±

    But their shields carry a strength far greater than some lump of stone. They bloom in place, rejecting all forms of aggression.

    *GaKiiin!!* *Brtch¡­..* A loud drag roared over the rain as stone rubbed against the hardened light. Sparks snapped in the air, mixing together with white particles that scattered about like pollen¡­¡­but that was it.

    The flowers did not buckle.

    Fifty of such flowers formed around Sanz Wanz, erecting a continuous transparent barrier. Movement would now be difficult, just as I wished.

    *Boom,* *KaBoom!* Cannon fire from Linzflare-san¡¯s ramparts shot through the sky and exploded against Sanz Wanz¡¯s head and shoulders.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Gu¡­¡­ga¡­..how far will you worms go to get in my way!!¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­.to the ends of the world. As long as I catch it in my eye, I will never allow you to do what you want.¡±

    Rose-san replied with a cold voice and an even colder expression.

    As if to back up her words, the miracles cast by the fifty Goddess Knights kept Sanz Wanz isolated in the middle of a large flower garden.

    But our opponent was still that Sanz Wanz, a legend whose name had been carved into history.

    Albeit only a little, the continuous strikes from its bloated arms were still gradually beginning to push away the barriers of the blooming sacred flowers.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Unicorn and the gnome sisters.

    Phoenix. The Goddess Knights.

    In one day, I had opened every grimoire I hold on my fingers.

    If on top of that, I were to draw the power of the ring on my left ring ringer¡­..the ring finger designated as a sanctuary, my time would be limited to a single moment.

    A gigantic opponent. Hard scales even Phoenix¡¯s claws could not scratch. A dragon that has abandoned its chance to fly through the air.

    I am certain that person¡¯s sword will be able to cut through. However whether or not she can end the battle completely depends on how many uncertain elements I can remove beforehand.

    [Rose]: ¡°Push forward!!¡±

    The sacred flower engraved on the knights¡¯ shields shone brightly. At Rose-san¡¯s command, each knight pushed towards Sanz Wanz in unison.

    One more step, a little further. With that singular thought in their minds, they step forward with the determination to use themselves as stepping stones and ensure that person¡¯s strike is delivered.

    [Grides]: ¡°O wild progenitor of life. That what comes forth from you!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡ª¡ª!?¡±

    Turning my head around, Grides had her torn spellbook in hand and had begun to cast magic.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Curly hair!? Are you okay to be using magic!?¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°That¡¯s why I said my name is Grides!! You are too rude!!¡±

    Grides¡¯s chant was for fire magic. It was that spell that wraps the target in a pillar of fire and and thoroughly incinerates them.

    [Grides]: ¡°If I don¡¯t use it here, I won¡¯t know what I ever learned for. Or why I ever became a witch in the first place!!¡±

    The air around us churned and fluctuated as the temperature slowly began to rise.

    [Grides]: ¡°Cross the far off seas to where humans dwell and grant us our small desire!! I have but one desire. The restoration of all things. Rebirth from death¡­¡­¡±

    A spell so dangerous Odette-sensei had warned her against using it during our duel. She was showing no hesitation in using it now and continued gathering magic power inside her body.

    [Grides]: ¡°One to nothing. Thus, endless oblivion!!¡±

    And once the gathered magic power reached its peak, Grides threw out her right fist. A huge pillar of fire exploded upwards in junction with her movements and swallowed half of the stone dragon¡¯s body.

    *BWoooooooosh!* Our surroundings were died a bright red under the magic¡¯s light. Our elongated shadows flickered and danced in time with the movement of the flames.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Fufufufu, you truly believe magic of this level can do anything to me as I am now?¡±

    However while the flames of Grides¡¯s magic engulfed a good portion of Sanz Wanz¡¯s body, none of it had any effect.

    [Lapris]: ¡°No, it didn¡¯t do nothing!!¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°Shut up!! We can¡¯t know that until I¡¯ve pushed it to the limit!! Those who push their limits beyond their ordinary potential¡­¡­only those kinds of people deserve to call themselves witches!!¡±

    Grides began gathering even more magic power.

    Her rain soaked body was soon wrapped in a pale red glow. The fist she pointed towards Sanz Wanz¡¯s body especially blazed like burning charcoal.

    [Grides]: ¡°Not yet, not yet¡­..my limits are still far ahead!! More, more¡­¡­my magic power¡­..is surging forth!!¡±

    Grides squeezed out her voice from the bottom of her stomach as she continued pouring out magic power.

    [Grides]: ¡°HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡±

    The density of the flame pillar continued to increase as the color shifted from red to yellow.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Fufufufu¡­¡­push your limits, but after it all, you are still merely human. Even supposing you were to reach that far, what do you think you would be able to accomplish?¡±

    Even with the increased flames, Sanz Wanz wasn¡¯t even baring its teeth.

    It had already begun ignoring them completely in fact, striking out with its arms and legs once more in an effort to clear a path through the knights¡¯ shields.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Iris!? What are you doing!? You can¡¯t beat it just by staring at it you know!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­I know!¡±

    I know, but¡­..I only have one chance to use my trump card and defeat Sanz Wanz.

    And so, I wait.

    Believing in Rose-san and everyone else, believing that the best moment will soon come, I wait.

    [???]: ¡°Only those who push their limits beyond their potential may call themselves witches? Well said! Well, I am the one who originally said those words though!!¡±

    In that moment, a voice rose up from the city¡¯s fifth wall on the other side of Sanz Wanz. It came in clear as a bell despite the patter of the rain.

    [???]: ¡°¡­..You have been happily doing whatever you wanted while I was away haven¡¯t you!! You lizard bastard!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oh, there! Over there!!¡±

    At the end of Lapris¡¯s small finger, I could just make out a calm and steady figure standing at the very top of the fifth wall. And on that wall that had managed to withstand Sanz Wanz¡¯s wave of destruction was¡­..

    [Grides]: ¡°Yuhanna¡­..sama?¡±

    Yes, the leader of the Shirayuri Knights¡­¡­Yuhanna Rostinell stood proud with her subordinate knights at her back.

 CH 190

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°My apologies for the tardiness!! The Shirayuri Knights, have arrived!!¡±

    When Yuhanna-sama threw out her hand, the gates for the fifth wall were flung open, and the air was filled with a thunderous quake as scores of knights straddling white horses surged forth from the opening.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°We dedicate these five thousand knights in support to our brave rookie!!¡±

    Five thousand knights would mean every single member of the Shirayuri Knights. Those knights fanned out as they moved, and those in the front row held up their shields while drawing their swords. The sound is extremely pleasing to the ear.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Sanz Wanz!! The price for your ignorance in attacking the royal capital shall be your life!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hey, they¡¯re not thinking about charging in there are they? Even with five thousand of them, they aren¡¯t going to be able to scratch that stone!¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°¡­..You, don¡¯t know?¡±

    Grides¡¯s hair was stuck to her face from the rain and sweat, yet her smile radiated through it all.

    [Grides]: ¡°Half the members of the Shirayuri Knights are wizards you know? And Yuhanna-sama who stands at the very top of those knights¡­..is the best witch and best conductor I know.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­conductor?¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Ohohohoho!! Now, in dedication to His Majesty, a plutowald1¡­¡­¡±

    Yuhanna-sama raised a staff into the air, and on cue, half of the deployed knights raised their own staffs high above their heads as well.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Let¡¯s begin¡±

    2,500 women cheerily raised their voices.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±Oh, wild progenitor of life. What only derives from you!?¡±¡®

    The ground shook as a tsunami of sound and voices formed together in a single chant.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±Cross over from faraway seas to this place where people reside and fulfil your small wish!!¡±¡±

    At first, it was faint. A small candle-like light formed on the tip of each knight¡¯s staff.

    But eventually those candles became torches, and the flames grew.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°When a swarm of insects gathers in the dirt, it is only natural to squish them. The price for me teaching you this lesson¡­..will be your lives!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz¡¯s body grew even larger. Its strength seemed to grow in proportion as Rose-san and the knights¡¯ barriers were being pushed back more and more.

    [Rose]: ¡°Auntie!!¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°I told you to call me Yuhanna-sama!! No matter how many times I tell you this, you never listen you brat!!¡±

    Yuhanna-sama shook one hand while the other continued to hold up the staff. Immediately after, a flash of magic shot out from a portion of the staves held by her knights.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Gu, huh!?¡±

    While trying to continue to push back against the barriers, suddenly a myriad of chains extending out of the ground wrapped themselves around Sanz Wanz¡¯s limbs. Those chains creeped up its arms, wrapping themselves around its body and neck as well to pit it in place.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Is, that magic too? The color¡¯s kind of the same as Linzflare¡¯s.¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Don¡¯t think you can halt your destruction with magic of this level!!¡±

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Oh my, you think so? Even if the magic itself is not very powerful, don¡¯t underestimate the effect it can have when you cast it enough.¡±

    Yuhanna-sama waved her arm around over and over again. And each time, the light coming from the staves would come and go as magic would continue being cast.

    I¡¯m starting to understand what Grides meant when she said conductor.

    In their own way, the Shirayuri knights are their own orchestra. The multitude of different sounds were being played at Yuhanna-sama¡¯s will¡ª¡ªor magic in this case.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°What are you doing!? You are the the main star of this performance rookie!! Play your part with confidence and lead the other sounds!!¡±

    Grides suddenly received some loud encouragement from Yuhanna-sama.

    [Grides]: ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    A few drops of sweat fell from the ends of Grides¡¯s eyelashes as she took a deep breath, and the pillar of flame relentlessly burning Sanz Wanz began growing even more intense.

    Then, as if she were the one following along, Yuhanna-sama grandly waved her staff.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±I hold but a single hope. The resurrection of all things. Rebirth from destruction¡­¡­¡±¡±

    The chanting resumed, and the fully gathered magic power connected to the spirits gathered in the area.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°A maiden is extravagant yet elegant. However, there are times where they need to scream fiercely as well. So don¡¯t hold back, thinking it¡¯s something that should never be done.¡±

    The light coming from the staves grew even more intense. Soon the entire city would be covered in the light, releasing it from the darkness brought in by the thick rainclouds.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±One to nothing. Countless to oblivion!!¡±¡±

    The chants of over a thousand knight finished, and their spell was activated.

    *Ping*¡­..and the ground beneath Sanz Wanz¡¯s feet began to shine.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Hu¡­¡­¡±

    At that moment, all the sound around me suddenly gave way, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of the legendary dragon breathing.

    But that silence lasted only a moment.

    After, *do-*¡­¡­.*FWOOSH!!* A solid white fire blew up from Sanz Wanz¡¯s feet, coiling around its enormous body.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡ª¡ª!?¡±

    Sanz Wanz was being silently burned alive.

    The Shirayuri Knights had put all their might into these flames, and it was melting the outer shell that even Phoenix¡¯s claws couldn¡¯t break.

    [Yuhanna]: ¡°Ohohohohoho!! Don¡¯t look down on us humans!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz tried desperately to escape the pillar of flames, dragging around its limbs that were melting away like candy.

    But Rose-san¡¯s flower cage was alive and well, and they would never let Sanz Wanz slip past to spread its destruction.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡ª¡ª!! ¡ª¡ª!!¡±

    The pillar of flames rose up higher and higher, piercing the clouds far above our heads and drowning out Sanz Wanz¡¯s screams as its body melted and evaporated away.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°¡­¡­.Gah¡­¡­Ah. Gu¡­¡­Oshunel, sama¡­¡­ I-I¡­..p-power¡­.. Grant me¡­¡­your, blessing¡­¡­¡±

    And yet when the fire subsided, Sanz Wanz was still alive.

    Just as we pray to the Goddess, it sought salvation from its lord, Oshunel.

    [Rose]: ¡°Iris-san. Now is the time.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Yes!¡±

    Sanz Wanz is still alive. But that doesn¡¯t matter. Rather, this is that moment I¡¯ve been waiting for.

    (Right now, with this opportunity everyone has given everything to create, I am betting everything on you!!)

    A dark silver ring was perfectly fitted on the ring finger of my left hand.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Saluena¡±

    The purple jewel shined. This was the beginning of everything I am now. All my power and the precious memories I¡¯ve formed.

    [Iris]: ¡°I, Iris Calvafon, offer my kiss to thou as per the contract.¡±

    I touched the ring with my lips while reciting my name.

    (Please, Saluena. Once more¡­¡­lend me your strength.)

    I poured all the magic power I had left into the dark violet ring.

    [Iris]: ¡°I now¡­..release the bonds on this world¡±

    Then, in order to finally put an end to the long battle with Sanz Wanz, I spun the prayer given to me by the Goddess.

    1. The kanji here translates to ¡°multiple ensembles¡±

 CH 191

    [Iris]: ¡°From my left hand library, a sword that cuts twice, a shield that never crumbles. By the powerful contract carved into the absolute sanctuary of all life, the Goddess Illya overwrites reason as commanded by Iris Calvafon!¡±

    My dark violet ring transformed into a grimoire in a flash of purple light.

    Each time I see this light with this change, I remember back to that time.

    That desperate situation when a dragon war ready to swallow the village of Relton.

    I called, and she saved me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Absolute law established in the name of the Almighty. Annihilation of the coming holy night. Once more the indomitable bell rings and an anthem of agony roars!!¡±

    With each turn of the grimoire¡¯s pages, I can see the magic power in my body decrease more.

    Unicorn and Phoenix; Linzflare-san and the Goddess Knights.

    Even if I were to summon all four of them at once, the amount of magic power required is still far below what I need to bring the dark violet knight.

    [Iris]: ¡°Primordial sword captured by heavenly chains. Deeply wounded Dark Violet Knight!¡±

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°D-Dark, violet? Dark violet, k-knight? Impossible, that, thing¡­.. The dark violet knight was¡­..by Oshunel¡­.sama¡­.¡±

    Genuine astonishment was in Sanz Wanz¡¯s eyes when its gaze fell on me. And then its eyes changed color and formed into a glare so powerful it was like it hoped that that alone would be enough to kill me.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Kill¡­..you. Even if it kills me!¡±

    *Gurorororo*¡­¡­I saw a pale light form in the back of Sanz Wanz¡¯s throat.

    Almost half of Sanz Wanz¡¯s body had already been lost because of the multiple spells from the Shirayuri Knights. There was a single spot on its body that wasn¡¯t crumbling away.

    Blue magma leaked out of its cracked throat. The inordinate temperature was melting through the rock, hastening its own destruction.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Iris! Hurry it up with Anego!!¡±

    Lapris shouted in my ear. But rather than respond to her, I instead turned another page in my grimoire and finished my chant.

    [Iris]: ¡°My life, my name as a step, come forward¡­¡­..Hadion!¡±

    Once my chant was over, the grimoire shone with a powerful light after sucking up most of my magic power.

    Between Rose-san and me, a magic circle formed on the ground. It was the connection point between here and the realm between worlds, the dark prison Endura.

    A pillar of solid purple light reached high, high up into the air.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Gu, GAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡±

    Sanz Wanz fired its breath attack. A reckless attack with abandon that had no idea of self-preservation behind it.

    [???]: ¡°On Steer¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°¡ª¡ª!? On steer!! Step forward!!¡±

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±OH!!!¡±¡±

    I could hear someone¡¯s voice, and Rose-san reacted to it.

    She repeated the words as a command, and every knight took a step forward.

    A huge ball of magma that looked like it could melt an entire castle wall with a touch swallowed the shields of more than a dozen knights who had moved to protect me, including Rose-san.

    [???]: ¡°Vault Oath¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Vault Oath!! Push it back!!¡±

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±OH!!!¡±¡±

    However the dozens of shields blessed by the Goddess were capable of accepting even the dreadful strength of the breath attack and bounced it back.

    The giant ball of magma burst and splattered against Sanz Wanz¡¯s body.

    A roar of anguish escaped the old dragon¡¯s throat. The four wings it was historically famous for are gone, exposing the cracked and melting body underneath.

    [???]: ¡°Good work¡±

    The owner of the quiet praise stepped forward and stood side by side with Rose-san.

    A knight in jet black heavy armor with a thick shield in one hand and a longsword in the other.

    [Iris]: ¡°The dark violet knight. Saluena¡­¡­Hadion.¡±

    Looking straight at Sanz Wanz, Saluena flipped her cloak over her shoulder and dropped her visor.

    [Saluena]: ¡°The first knight to dedicate her sword to our princess. I am the one to cut down all enemies who dare come forward.¡±

    The letters rising up in my grimoire had all been spun.

    [Iris]: ¡°If so¡­..then I¡¯ll ask you to say it again!!¡±

    So I turned towards Saluena, and I threw out my own words at her back.

    [Iris]: ¡°What is the name of what you wield?¡±

    It was a warrior verse. This was one part. And then the continuation.

    [Saluena]: ¡°¡­..That is a sword. A figure of steel of which I control!!¡±

    Saluena replied to my verse with one of her own.

    A reply to the command I gave her¡­¡­no, my princess order.

    Saluena ran towards Sanz Wanz.

    [Rose]: ¡°Forward!!¡±

    On Rose-san¡¯s command, fifty knights stuck out their shields and moved to strike Sanz Wanz alongside Saluena.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±Persist, there is nothing we cannot cut through!!¡±¡±

    And each of them picked up with their own warrior verse.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±Elegant and sharp!! We bury our enemies!!¡±¡±

    Saluena kicked off the ground and made a huge leap into the air.

    [Iris]: ¡°So then swing!! Until you¡¯ve used up everything you have, be heroic!!¡±

    Drawn in by the verse, I sang the closing section as if to push the backs of those who fought for me.

    Rose-san, Lanselva-sama, Luotung-sama, and Ruruka-sama as well, each of them moved with weapon in hand, striking with all their might against against Sanz Wanz¡¯s arms, legs, and body.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Bring them down with pride!! Fatal sword!!¡±

    Saluena swung her sword down as if tracing the end of Sanz Wanz¡¯s face.

    A second afterwards, the ringing of a glass bell could be heard echoing throughout the city.

    Rose-san¡¯s mace crashed through the broken arm while Lanselva-sama and the others¡¯ swords and axes pierced its cracked torso.

    *Tap*¡­..Saluena nimbly landed on her feet.

    Her armor and shield disappeared as if they had finished their role. Only the sword remained for some reason. I¡¯m not sure if that means something or not.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Ga¡­..body, my, body, is¡­¡­ Nothing, not, yet¡­¡­nothing, done¡­..¡±

    *CrackCrackCrackCrackCrack*¡­¡­.there was a vertical slice through the center of Sanz Wanz¡¯s body.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°O-Oshunel¡­..sama¡­.. Next¡­¡­ You, are¡­¡­always, lord¡­..¡±

    And its huge body began to shift apart like the collapse of a mountain wall.

    The body crafted from the earth was now being sucked back into the ground from where it came. Everything will be over once it disappears¡­¡­but I can¡¯t let it go.

    [Iris]: ¡°No. There is no next time for you.¡±

    I raised my right hand towards Sanz Wanz, who cause the earth to quake one final time with its deconstructing body.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡­wait¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Sanz Wanz. You told us, once you lost your body, you would fall asleep again. And someday you would wake up once again, resurrected to fulfil Oshunel¡¯s ¡®long-cherished wish¡¯. The destruction of the world¡­..¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell we¡¯re letting you get away!!¡±

    Lapris proactively through out a challenge on behalf. Like always, she¡¯s acting bullish when the other person is weak. Honestly this girl.

    But, she isn¡¯t wrong.

    [Iris]: ¡°I now¡­¡­.release the bonds on this world.¡±

    I won¡¯t allow it. Something like this is something I cannot overlook.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Wait, wait!! Anything, but that¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°On behalf of the Goddess Illya, Iris Calvafon wields the chains to shackle you in place!!¡±

    My arm, is a library.

    And I am the spellcaster who manages this library.

    It is by my will that the existences described in these grimoires may make their way into the world.

    And in that same way, it is by my will that one can be stored as well.

    [Sanz Wanz]: ¡°Stoooop!! M-My, existence¡­..rewritten¡­..A-AHHHH!!¡±

    The wings and body that formed Sanz Wanz¡¯s being were no longer there.

    Floating in front of me was the same translucent ghost I had seen in the sky enclave screaming in agony.

    And at the center of that hazy spirit was some fragment of a jewel, blinking with a remarkably strong light.

    That was a fragment of Sanz Wanz¡¯s being shattered in the battle with Ranroot a thousand years ago. And the dispersing spirit surrounding that fragment transformed into pages as the words that would decorate those pages rose in my mind.

    [Iris]: ¡°Four winged dragon who once strode through the sky to produce mourners by the millions. Do you see the white cloth? No, there is no white cloth.¡±1

    The brilliance of life that once made up Sanz Wanz was torn apart piece by piece, transforming into a pile of paper in the palm of my hand.

    [Iris]: ¡°That is jet. A mass of malice polished in a whirlpool of disaster.¡±2

    Words are engraved on each page fluttering through the air like leaves in the wind which make up the story.

    It began in black. It began in black, and it now ends in black.

    Nowhere was there any room for light, nor was any of it desired.

    [Iris]: ¡°Then I will polish it with my own strength. From a black bead to pure white. The blithe strength of misfortune in a white cloth!!¡±

    Pieces of paper continued to pile up until eventually forming a completed book.

    A grimoire composed by an innocent soul with absolute malice.

    The title of that grimoire continued to emit a terrible light without any sign of fading¡­..

    [Iris]: ¡°Sanz Wanz(Unwanted Wings).¡±3

    When I traced the name engraved on the cover with my finger, the grimoire changed into a ring and bounced around in the palm of my hand as if objecting to its own existence.

    Twice, thrice, the silver ring spun around. The dark sunset played off the metal, creating a dull red light.

    [Iris]: ¡°By the name of the grimoire master Iris Calvafon¡­..¡±

    But the ring soon settled in the center of my left hand. It still put in some small effort to roll away, but I seized it¡­..

    [Iris]: ¡°Someday, I hope.¡±

    While spinning my very last words, I slipped the ring onto the ring finger of my right hand.

    It is too early to call it night yet too late to be the afternoon.

    The falling rain calms the flames still rising from the abandoned houses.

    [Knight]: ¡°What is the name of those we sing?¡±

    A thousand years ago to now.

    There is no longer a Sanz Wanz to scatter calamity across the world.

    Standing here are the Goddess Knights.

    Exceptional and brave warriors who have been allowed to bear the name of the Goddess Illya who has ruled this world for a thousand years.

    [Knight]: ¡°It is the Goddess Knights. Those who have received the blessing of the swaying silence, the Goddess Illya.¡±

    A warrior¡¯s verse once sang and has been passed down ever since.

    We sing this poem, also inherited from a thousand years ago, loudly into the air. The joy of victory comes on slow, but it washes over everyone gathered together.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±In reverence we hold your esteemed heart in our chests¡±¡±

    Someone¡¯s hand fell on top of my head.

    Turning back, Rose-san was there, smiling at me while singing with the other knights.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±With decorum and love as our proposition, we offer our loyalty to our comrades and Goddess.¡±¡±

    Saluena, Lanselva-sama, and the other knights all gathered around as well, joining in on the song.

    And when Saluena raised her sword into the air, each of them responded accordingly and raised their own weapons as well.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±So sing. Raise the name of Illya up high!¡±¡±

    Everyone, including me, is soaked to the bone from the rain and covered in mud. Yet our expressions shine brighter than the sun.

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±Walk with the name of our lord!! Riviera Von Iliana!!¡±

    The points of the swords were raised to the heavens, and the poem came to an end.

    But these knights¡­¡­

    My, our knights¡­¡­

    It¡¯s our beginning.

    1. I tried looking to see if there was a symbolic meaning here and couldn¡¯t find anything special. White is meant to represent purity and be the color of the gods, so this whole chant is more a condemnation and pointing out that Sanz Wanz did not worship a god but rather a devil.

    2. I for one did not know that ¡®jet black¡¯ was referring to an actual rock called jet. Here is a picture of it.

    3. It is spelled as ¡®Unwanted Wings¡¯ but read as ¡®Sanz Wanz¡¯. WordPress changed their systems, so I don¡¯t know how to write that out anymore.

 CH 192

    What do we name that which gives birth

    Tis steel.

    Mother of the holy peaks Mills Daetta

    Pound away the blur from polished steel

    Change its shape until it can protect us all

    Then forge your arms and legs to match the steel

    Pull together with pride and dull light

    What do we name that which we raise up high

    Tis a shield

    Form of steel that governs us

    Hold it high and nothing can break us

    Hard, tougher than anything else, armor that is the light of our lives

    Raise your leg, stick out your foot, and march forward

    Move out with courage, an impenetrable bulwark

    What do we name that which we wield

    Tis a sword

    Form of steel that governs us

    Elegant and sharp, we bury our enemies

    Swing, until you¡¯ve used everything you have, be heroic

    Bring them down with pride o¡¯ fatal sword

    What do we name those who sing

    They will be knights

    Those who have received the blessing of the swaying silence, the Goddess Illya

    In reverence we hold your esteemed heart in our chests

    With decorum and love as our proposition, we offer our loyalty to our comrades and Goddess

    So sing, raise the name of Illya up high

    Walk with the name of our lord, Riviera Von Iliana

    ?

    Four days have passed since Sanz Wanz¡¯s attack on the capital.

    According to Yuhanna-sama, the capital is now filled with the echoes of people singing the warrior¡¯s verse.

    There is a group of knights who, engraved in a heroic poem passed down over the centuries to now, has existed in legend for the people of this country.

    The fact that those legendary knights have been reborn in the modern era has been spread far and wide thanks to King Olivar-sama and Archbishop Marie Arone-sama¡¯s efforts.

    The deep depression that had overcome the city because of the damage was blown away all at once when word was made.

    Apparently people crowd around the church every morning hoping to catch a glimpse of the knights who slew the legendary dragon Sanz Wanz just as it was resurrected.

    There was another reason why the capital managed to regain its brightness so quickly.

    The destruction from Sanz Wanz was mainly concentrated between the fifth and seventh walls, meaning most of the damage was done to people¡¯s homes.

    Fortunately though that area consisted of mostly noble mansions, so the damage to humans was much lower than what the devastation would have suggested.

    I heard there were some who were burned from the fires or broke bones from escaping, but nobody died.

    When I heard that, my mind immediately turned to Grides.

    If she hadn¡¯t been there, if she wasn¡¯t a noble woman, if she wasn¡¯t a true aristocrat, there would have been those who had been caught in the fires and lost their lives.

    The fact that there were no fatalities hung on the people¡¯s mouths as a miracle brought on by the Goddess and created smiles among the citizenry.

    ¡°The Goddess protects us,¡± has created a sense of relief in the city.

    The name Sanz Wanz which once inspired fear and awe has gained new meaning in the minds of the populace, becoming surprisingly light and associated with bright, fun memories.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..¡±

    For everyone except me alone.

    [Iris]: ¡°So cruel¡­..it¡¯s not true¡­¡­¡±

    I¡¯m currently inside a room in the castle.

    A large room the king grants to his guests, the one we always sleep in.

    I¡¯m in my usual spot, my butt sinking into the sofa capable of ruining lives with its softness, staring at the ceiling while my soul escapes out of my mouth.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Are you still saying that? Just give up already.¡±

    That was the armor wearing Toslin.

    Her long golden hair shined white like raw silk from the setting sun.

    [Iris]: ¡°But¡­..like this, I will¡­..¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s Iris-ish.¡±

    And that was Carol. She¡¯s moving to the right and left of Toslin, fixing her armor fasteners with a deft hand.

    [Iris]: ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of personality!!¡±

    I kicked my legs while sinking further into the sofa. My feet feel warmer than usual after Noelia-san massaged them.

    [Carol]: ¡°Hah¡­..I don¡¯t really get it since I wasn¡¯t there, but how did this happen again?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You¡¯ll listen to me Carol?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Because if I don¡¯t ask, you aren¡¯t going to stop sighing.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°No, it won¡¯t stop until you listen and then comfort me afterwards.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­..hah, well I already asked, so let¡¯s talk¡±

    I¡¯m getting a clear ¡®how annoying¡¯ coming from these two.

    But I love them because they¡¯re still willing to listen.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Okay, I¡¯ll talk. It all started after we beat Sanz Wanz and finished singing the warrior verse afterwards¡­..¡±

    I set my head back against the sofa as I began to talk, looking up at the ceiling with my hollowed out eyes.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­heh? Eh? Ah, wait!? Eh!?¡±

    I don¡¯t know who said it or if there was some kind of unspoken consensus, but Lanselva-sama and the other knights rushed towards me all at once to pick me up.

    And then¡­¡­they threw me up into the air as if I weighed nothing.

    Look, this is, that? Doh-age?1 Was that that guy¡¯s name? It¡¯s a guy I¡¯ve had absolutely no connection to even once in my entire life.

    [Iris]: ¡°K-KYAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡±

    My light body danced high up in the sky.

    I spun around like a ring back down towards the ground, landing in the knights¡¯ arm. There was a single second where I felt weightless before being thrown back up into the air.

    I¡¯ve seen someone get tossed into the air before, but having it done to you is actually really scary.

    My line of sight is constantly changing, I can¡¯t tell which way is up or down, and my stomach is starting to get queasy from the floating and falling.

    I doubt it¡¯d ever actually happen, but I¡¯m confident I would die if I ever fell on my face after the knights failed to catch me.

    [Iris]: ¡°Hey, high, no good, impossibleimpossibleimpossible, stop, please stoppppppppppp!¡±

    I desperately begged them to bring this to an end, but my please were ignored by them all.

    Worst of all, even Rose-san, the one person I thought I could rely on no matter what, was giving her all to throwing me alongside everyone else.

    She¡¯s having an awful lot of fun with this.

    [Grides]: ¡°Heh, so even you make a face like that sometimes. That¡¯s kind of a relief.¡±

    Grides was standing in the middle of the knight crowd and messily smiling up at me in the air.

    [Iris]: ¡°Put me down, put me downnnnnnnn!!¡±

    But I didn¡¯t have the leeway to give her an answer at that time since I was too busy screaming through my tears.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Any trace of our brave maiden is nowhere to be seen.¡±

    Saluena is the one who felt the need to say something as people continued to fling up into the air over and over again.

    I swear, Saluena is the most unreliable person during times like this. Rather, she¡¯s a pro at taking a situation like this and making it even more complicated.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Oh look, her underwear.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Fue!? Hold on Saluena!! What are you talking about!?¡±

    You see? She¡¯s saying something completely outrageous here of all places.

    [Grides]: ¡°Eh, h-her¡­..underwear?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Don¡¯t go honestly taking a look stupid Grides!!¡±

    My skirt had completely failed at its one job, rolling up after the constant up and down movement, so I hurriedly pulled them down.

    But this meant Grides would naturally catch an eye full of wool whether she wanted to see or not.

    [Saluena]: ¡°They are a supreme item granted to her by a goddess that has served to protect through two different battles against dragons at this point.¡±

    [Grides]: ¡°From the G-Goddess!?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Wrong!! My sister!! Well, she¡¯s certainly a goddess from a certain sense! But it¡¯s not¡­¡­Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!

    But thinking about it, I¡¯m sure Saluena was feeling lonely.

    I promised to call her, but I was late to summon her.

    It¡¯s not my fault though. Summoning Saluena takes up way too much of my magic power.

    I have to be careful when I call her.

    [Iris]: ¡°Um, really¡­..you can put me down now¡­.¡±

    My fate had already been determined the second Rose-san became my enemy.

    I am destined to become a toy to be laughed at by everyone around.

    Once I realized that, I didn¡¯t feel like resisting anymore.

    I had become a dead fish, the victim of the joyful knights celebrating their victory.

    ?

    [Iris]: ¡°That day, the dragon country of Oshunel faced the greatest crisis in its thousand year history.¡±

    I stretched out both my legs while sitting on the sofa while resting an elbow on the armrest. It¡¯s the kind of sitting posture you expect of an evil boss from a story who is about to give a grand speech.

    [Iris]: ¡°However there was the Goddess Knights and the Shirayuri Knights. Those two knight companies made all the difference, and our enemies gained nothing from their attack. Rumors quickly spread throughout the capital, and by the next day, everyone knew the tale¡­..¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Did a weird switch get flipped in Iris¡¯s head?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Well, let¡¯s just listen for now.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°The Goddess Knights who raised their shields and faced the enemy head on. The Shirayuri Knights who appeared when things looks bleak and unleashed grand magic. The poets have already crafted their poems from the tale and sung them across the city¡­¡­ But!!¡±

    I squeezed my clenched fist.

    [Iris]: ¡°There is one other rumor floating around the capital city. Something that sounds weirdly plausible even though it would normally be seen as some stupid joke! Apparently there is an ordinary girl out there who was given a pair of holy wool panties and gained the powers of the Goddess as a result. That girl then became a hero, slaying a dragon to save Relton Village before then defeating the four-winged dragon to protect the capital¡­..¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°You mean you?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°That¡¯s Iris right?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me!¡±

    Once I¡¯d told the whole story, my heart was overcome with pure embarrassment.

    [Iris]: ¡°Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez!! How did this happen!? Doesn¡¯t this mean it¡¯s only a matter of time before everyone in the city knows I wear wool panties!? What do you think Toslin, Carol!?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Too late. It¡¯s a question of time now.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Just give up.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Noooooooo!!¡±

    I got up off the sofa and dove into the bed. I pushed my face into the pillow and screamed while swinging my limbs around.

    [Iris]: ¡°The story will soon make its way to Rifront and Soletta¡­¡­ If things keep going like this, then when I go to other countries¡­..¡±

    Strangers are going to meet me, and the first thing they will say to me is¡­..

    ¡°Oh, Iris of the Wool Panties¡±¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°I can¡¯t. If that were to somehow become my title, I¡­..I¡¯m going to have to retire as an adventurer.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Too quick!! It¡¯s still only been two months since you started¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Well, people¡¯s interests change every day. Even if you don¡¯t worry about it so much, the rumors will disappear on their own.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­Really? It¡¯ll be really soon?¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­¡­maybe¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ugh¡±

    I buried my head into my pillow again and sighed.

    [Carol]: ¡°Well, it¡¯s about that time.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It is. It¡¯ll be bad if we¡¯re late. Come on Iris. Up and at ¡¯em.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..yes¡±

    Carol dragged me out of bed and slowly got me up.

    Toslin tied a ceremonial sword to the waste of her ceremonial armor as I slumped out of bed.

    Speaking of Carol, she¡¯s wearing the same dress the maid-oneesans made her for our audience with the king.

    I¡¯m wearing what I usually wear, but I at least slipped on a cloak overtop of my clothes.

    As you might have guessed, I have something I need to do outside today.

    We aren¡¯t going out especially to have a meal? Well, there will be food at the end, but that isn¡¯t the express purpose.

    [Noelia]: ¡°Calvafon-sama, Tosrillon-sama, Carotayle-sama. The carriage is ready.¡±

    Noelia-san opened the door and entered the room.

    She gave a firm bow as a maid like she always does to greet us before giving us an update.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Yosh, we aren¡¯t forgetting anything?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°No¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Mm, good¡±

    Seeing us both nod, Toslin answered on our behalf. I slapped my cheeks with both hands to force myself to change my mood.

    [Iris]: ¡°Then Noelia-san, we¡¯re in your care.¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°Yes, understood.¡±

    Leaving the room, we walked down the hallway with Noelia-san in the lead.

    Our destination is the church.

    After some healthy procrastination, today is the day of Rose-san¡¯s investiture ceremony.

    1. Doh-age is what Japanese people call it when you throw someone into the air to celebrate. I could¡¯ve translated it, but I kept it as is because of the joke immediately after.

 CH 193

    In truth, this will be my first time leaving the castle since the battle with Sanz Wanz.

    The fight had drained my energy¡­..my myalgia was the main reason I couldn¡¯t move, but the King was the one who directly banned me from going out.

    It was during dinner my second night when I was having a meal with the King. They praised me for my hard work and voiced their gratitude, but at the same time they asked I go outside as little as possible.

    Everywhere is so busy right now that it¡¯s dangerous.

    The only reason I got out of the castle today was because I got special permission to attend Rose-san¡¯s investiture ceremony, but it is proving to be an amazing affair.

    I was traveling to the church by carriage, but the standard cart was predictably rejected. That¡¯s why a thick iron covered carriage was prepared instead.

    According to Noelia-san, the sturdy and brilliantly decorated carriage is reserved for members of the royal family or other greatly important people, so it is rarely used.

    Its weight is tremendous because the whole thing is crafted in iron, so it takes ten horses to pull it along.

    A tremendous number of knights were hired as guards too as if they were escorting a high profile noble.

    [Noelia]: ¡°We have arrived at the church.¡±

    I could see Noelia-san¡¯s face through the window sitting in the coachman¡¯s seat.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, yes! Thank you very much!!¡±

    After a while the carriage came to a stop, and the heavy door swung open. The simple movement created a mighty crashing sound¡­.I don¡¯t know if I can call this a carriage anymore.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, sorry¡±

    When I tried climbing off the carriage, a female knight who was standing guard offered me her hand to support me.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi, hurry it up¡±

    Following after me, Toslin called back to Carol still inside.

    [Carol]: ¡°I-I got it. I¡¯m not used to wearing heels¡­..¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Here, give me your hand.¡±

    Toslin put her arm back into the carriage and held Carol¡¯s hand.

    [Carol]: ¡°Wa, don¡¯t pull.¡±

    Carol walked out afterwards, but because of her unfamiliarity with heels and how fluffy the carpet she¡¯s stepping onto is, she was unsteady and looked about ready to fall over.

    Ah, I was about to say something when things looked dangerous, but before I did, Toslin tugged Carol back and hugged her.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°Are you okay? Did you sprain your leg?¡±

    Toslin looked into Carol¡¯s face while asking.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­there was no response from Carol.

    But the tail sticking out the end of her skirt was puffed out like dandelion fluff.

    Months of research have found that Carol¡¯s tail swells like that whenever she is surprised, happy, or excited, and the results of that research have already been logged at the Iris Intracerebral Institute.

    Pain can cause it to swell too, but those times it always quickly returns to normal.

    So given the data, this case should correspond to one of the three emotions¡­..

    While I observed the scene while pushing up my glasses, Toslin got worried because Carol wasn¡¯t saying anything and grabbed her shoulder.

    [Toslin]: ¡°Oi?¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡±

    Carol stomped her heels into the carpet a couple of times to get a feel for things.

    [Carol]: ¡°The floor in the castle¡¯s hallway is a lot different from outside, so I just lost my balance a little.¡±

    Carol quickly spouted out an excuse while trying to create some distance from Toslin.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­..we¡¯re the ones who are going to end up embarrassed if you fall down, so hold onto my hand.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°Eh, I-I¡¯m good!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°We aren¡¯t¡±

    The two of them started arguing in front of the carriage while still holding each other¡¯s hand.

    As for Toslin¡¯s point, I¡¯m already feeling embarrassed because the people around us are laughing over their arguing, but the two kept going on without paying anyone else any mind.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Why are you two quarrelling as soon as you arrive?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, Saluena¡±

    Turning around, there was Saluena in a long waistcoat. It looked similar to the one she wore during the audience, but there weren¡¯t nearly as many decorations as back then. Perhaps there is some kind of dress code here that nobody told me about. Oh, there is also a ritual sword hanging at her waist as well.

    When she arrived, all the knights saluted her at the same time. You could feel a tension running through those knights who had all been smiling until now.

    [Toslin]: ¡°This isn¡¯t a quarrel. This girl is just being stubborn and insisting she¡¯s okay.¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°I¡¯m not stubborn. I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m okay because I¡¯m okay!!¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°And I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s completely unconvincing coming from someone who already almost fell over once. It¡¯s fine, so just hold my hand.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°Carol. Follow Toslin¡¯s lead here. It isn¡¯t strange to be escorted by a knight here.¡±

    Saluena said so while taking hold of my hand.

    [Saluena]: ¡°It is completely normal.¡±

    And she even kissed the back of my hand on top of that.

    [Saluena]: ¡°I have come to pick you up, my princess.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, mm¡­..¡±

    Thinking about it, Saluena is the leader of the Goddess Knights.

    If you are a knight, it is natural to be nervous if your leader is standing in front of you.

    [Saluena]: ¡°You have all done well as her escorts. Tonight our princess will stay here. You may all return¡­..except Noelia. Yuhanna wishes to speak with you.¡±

    [Noelia]: ¡°Yes I understand¡±

    Noelia-san descended from the coachman¡¯s seat, passing the reins to one of the knights to drive away.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Then shall we be off? Rosa is waiting inside.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Mm¡±

    Saluena pulled my hand like always and slowed her pace to match my stride.

    [Toslin]: ¡°¡­..Oi, give up already and hold my hand. Or what? Do you not like it that much? Then I can ask another knight¡­..¡±

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­¡­fine.¡±

    Glancing over my shoulder, Carol was holding Toslin¡¯s hand. With a bright red face and a fluffy tail.

    [Carol]: ¡°¡­..Toslin is fine. It isn¡¯t unwelcome¡­¡­Toslin and my hand¡­¡­connected¡±

    Both of them were shyly avoiding looking at each other¡¯s face¡­..

    [Carol]: ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡­thank you¡±

    Carol snuggled up to Toslin¡¯s side.

    [Toslin]: ¡°A-Ah¡­..¡±

    Toslin¡¯s face turned a little¡­..no, extremely red too as she gave a short answer.

    Since they were trying so hard not to look at each other, their gazes kept wandering all around them until they naturally gathered on my.

    [Carol]: ¡°Hey, Iris¡¯s face is really annoying me for some reason.¡±

    [Toslin]: ¡°How strange. I was just thinking the very same thing.¡±

    Oops, they noticed me?

    Strange, I hid my mouth my hand, but I guess my eyes gave away what I was thinking?

    [Iris]: ¡°Eh, really? I was just thinking about how well you two get along is all.¡±

    These days those two have been especially close. To the point that even I¡¯m surprised.

    But it¡¯s nothing but great that the relationship between two friends is so good.

    Feeling warmth in my heart, I stepped into the church alongside Saluena.

 CH 194

    Rose-san is being awarded a new rank as a priestess.

    Technically she has already achieved this new rank, but today is going to serve as the offical ceremony that¡¯ll work as a public announcement.

    When I entered the cathedral, I was quickly brought to an adjacent room near the church.

    Walking up a set of stairs next to the central alter, the room is on a mezzanine floor where priests and priestesses wait before mass.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oh, you¡¯re late.¡±

    Lapris waved at me as soon as I entered the room. She¡¯s supposed to be an angel sent on a mission by the Goddess, so she has her own personal space next to my chair.

    She is currently enjoying that space by leaning over on Plushy Unicorn like she is a couch while munching on sweets.

    The best way to describe that pose would be with what Toslin calls it: the ¡°Does she think this is her parents¡¯ house¡± pose.

    Next to Lapris was Linzflare-san who was busy brushing Lapris¡¯s green hair.

    Mippo and Moppo were nearby, combing each other¡¯s black hair¨Cprobably trying to imitate their older sister.

    Phoeniko was perched on one end of Plushy Unicorn, singing freely. The whole scene made for a friendly picture that was relaxing to see.

    [Iris]: ¡°Don¡¯t eat so much that you¡¯ll have trouble flying later. This is an important ceremony for Rose-san.¡±

    Almost forgot. Phoeniko was injured during the battle with Sanz Wanz, but when I woke up the next morning, she was standing their at my pillow, greeting me with a chirp.

    Apparently she is formed almost entirely out of magic power, so as long as she gets a steady stream of mana from me, her injuries will completely heal after a single night.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Got it. But well, even if that did happen, it¡¯d be fine if I just rode on your head.¡±

    Linzflare-san looked happy playing with Lapris¡¯s hair. After she finished combing it, she began tying it up as well. She is the oldest of the gnome sisters, so maybe she enjoys taking care of other people?

    [Iris]: ¡°Geez¡­..I know I¡¯ve said this before, but my head isn¡¯t Lapris¡¯s bed¡­..oh, it¡¯s starting.¡±

    Rather than a door, there is a thick curtain that separates this room from the rest of the church.

    That¡¯s why any noise coming from the church can be generally overheard from in here.

    [Lapris]: ¡°So Rose is going to become a Grand Priestess?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°I believe so¡±

    You can hear a hymn through the curtains.

    A solemn tone like a work of art played by more than a hundred priestesses.

    Even though I was sure it was bad manners, I slipped my head through the curtain to take a look at the chapel.

    [Iris]: ¡°Woah, amazing¡­..so many people¡­..¡±

    The cathedral is meant to act as emergency shelter when need and is as large as the castle hall. In fact, thousands of people fled here during Sanz Wanz¡¯s attack.

    Now that very building was filled with people like nobles and priests who you could tell held a high status just by looking at them.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oh, is that Rose walking down the middle?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Hey, don¡¯t stand there.¡±

    I heard a voice at my feel, so I turned around and found Plushy Unicorn. And there was Lapris, clinging to her neck while looking across the curtain.

    Mippo and Moppo were also there, looking up at me and holding their stone slabs.

    ?Lots of people?

    ?What¡¯s going on??

    Short letters came across the slabs before magically fading away.

    I could hear their voices immediately after I re-edited their beings and summoned them my grimoire.

    But things seem to have gone back to normal now, so since they can¡¯t say anything, we¡¯ve gone back to the stone slabs like when we first met.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°It is an important ritual. Can you two behave?¡±

    Linzflare-san was the only exception to that, so she put on her big sister face to speak with her little siblings.

    ?Yes?

    ?£¨¡®¥î¡¯*£©?

    Just as Unicorn is usually a stuffed animal and Phoenix is usually a small bird, this is probably what is normal for the gnome sisters.

    Convinced of that fact, I turned my gaze towards Rose-san again.

    Rose-san was wearing a pure white cloak over her usual armor, probably for ceremonial purposes. The cloak shimmered in the light with each step she took, and I couldn¡¯t help but think¡­..it looked like a wedding dress.

    There is no one there who is holding Rose-san¡¯s hand and escorting her down the aisle¡­..for now.

    She walked straight towards the majestic altar with the hymn rising in volume around her.

    [Rose]: ¡°Believer, Rosalith Cuulbacall¡±

    Having reached the end of the red carpet, Rose-san greeted Marie Arone-sama, the head of this church as well as the archbishop who unites all the different churches on the continent.

    Mari-sama with her rich blue hair addressed Rose-san from the other side of the altar while wearing a long robe embroidered with the sacred flowers colored in seven differed hues.

    [Marie]: ¡°You have protected the people from the threat of a dragon in Relton Village, and in just a few days past, bravely fought and destroyed Sanz Wanz after its resurrection.¡±

    Rose-san knelt down and quietly listened to Marie-sama¡¯s words.

    [Marie]: ¡°Your achievements are great, and it is acknowledged by all that your brave actions have saved the lives of tens of thousands of people.¡±

    Marie-sama cut off her words once and lifted up her chin. What she said next was more cheerful than the solemn tone she had been carrying until now.

    [Marie]: ¡°Tonight¡­..by my authority as archbishop, I shall bestow upon you a new rank in recognition of these achievements.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°My thanks for the honor¡±

    After Rose-san responded with her head held down, two priestesses carrying a large jar walked over from both sides of the altar.

    Then the contents of that jar¡­..holy water was poured into the silver cup placed between Rose-san and the altar.

    (Oh, this is¡­.)

    I understood what was about to begin as soon as I saw it. No, not just me, but everyone here.

    Baptismal rites.

    Originally it was meant to be a way to thank and pray to the Goddess while reporting the day¡¯s events.

    But now it is meant to show people the way as well as to help them.

    Once the surface of the water stilled, the holy water in the silver cup reflected the orange light coming from the altar off its surface.

    [Marie]: ¡°Guardian of the world, ruler of reason. Your servant Marie Arone Escriva offers a report. The new power of these brave individuals¡±

    Once Marie-sama finished her prayer, the holy water began to shine with a ghostly white light.

    [Marie]: ¡°Rosalith Cuulbacall. Softly¡­..put your hand on the water¡¯s surface.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°Yes¡±

    Rose-san stood up to the pedestal and raised her hand towards the cup. And then softly, dipped the tips of her fingers into the water.

    The holy water rippled outwards as all those gathered watched on in silence. Hoewver as the water gradually settled and returned to its mirror-like surface,

    the light¡­..gradually gained color.

 CH 195

    People¡­..no, all living things are under the influence of the Goddess¡¯s first song, The Hymn to All. This song acted as a curse that greatly reduces our strength.

    However I already heard from Lapris back in my room at my parents¡¯ house that by defeating a violent monster, that commandment would be gradually released and your strength would increase as a result.

    Presently Rose-san was considered an orange rank adventurer.

    She received her topaz coloring from Aronda-san¡¯s certification in Soletta Ritta¡¯s church.

    That was early spring when you could still feel the chill of winter. Since then, Rose-san has fought against the Carbuncle great spirit and now the ancient dragon Sanz Wanz.

    Both were inhabitants of the ¡®primordial world¡¯, the world that existed before the current one the Goddess had brought about.

    So with those results, how would Rose-san¡¯s color change? Everyone gathered here in the chapel, including myself, strained our eyes to make out the results.

    [Iris]: ¡°White to green, green to yellow. Well, obviously.¡±

    The holy water inside the silver cup changed color little by little.

    From yellow to orange.

    At that moment, a quiet murmur ran through the temple. I almost forgot. Not many people have ever managed to reach the orange rank.

    Many of the adventure novels I like to read feature orange rank adventurers, so you might think they¡¯re more common than they are. In truth though, if they¡¯re playing an active part in an adventure novel, it would be pretty reasonable to assume they¡¯re strong.

    *Dong* Marie-sama hit the base of her scepter against the floor. That tiny little noise had a ripple effect that silenced the rest of the noise in the room.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Lapris, what color does that look like to you?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Red, definitely.¡±

    With the chant of the priestesses remaining as the only noise in the room, the water continued to change color¡­..to a deep and vivid red.

    Once again a murmur, louder than the one before, filled the quiet temple. That was the proof that our eyes were not playing any tricks on us.

    The sound of the scepter hitting the floor sounded twice this time. Yet the din of those gathered here did not subside. The people¡¯s turmoil permeated across the building like the ripples spreading inside the silver cup.

    It had been a long time since that red color, like the deepest shade of wine, had filled that cup. And that red color now converged in the center.

    Keeping its vivid shade, the water gathered together and grew upwards. A tiny ball formed at the top of the stream, and as it continued to grow, leaves spread out from the side. Finally that tiny ball formed into a bulb, and¡­¡­a bouquet of red flowers bloomed.

    Tikarodeka, the holy flower.

    The symbol of the Illyrian church and the sacred flower etched onto Rose-san¡¯s shield.

    There were thirty of them in all. Immediately after the ruby tikarodeka came into full bloom, the cheers of the public rose to a volume that drowned out the chants of the priestesses.

    Each and every single person celebrated the birth of a new red corundum adventurer.

    For a while, the cheers and applause of those gathered continued on without stopping. Even Marie-sama, the priestess in charge of the ritual, clapped her hands and congratulated Rose-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°The reaction for red rank is amazing¡­..¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hah? Duh. It¡¯s the same level as Ashel who these people all call a hero. Be more aware of your rarity.¡±

    (I see¡­..that means Rose-san will become even more famous from now on. She will play a more active role in the world and become a name everyone knows¡­..)

    Feeling Lapris¡¯s gaze on me, I looked at Rose-san.

    Then Rose-san turned towards me.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    For a short instant, I felt embarrassed because I had been caught peeping. But then, the knowledge that Rose-san had been thinking about me at that moment made me so happy I thought my heart would soar into the air.

    So I leaned a little further outside the curtain so I could stick out my hand and give her a wave.

    Then Rose-san waved her own hand, which had just been soaked inside the silver cup, back at me. She had a shy smile on like a flower.

    [Iris]: ¡°Wow, did you see? Hey, did you see that Lapris? Rose-san just turned around towards us.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hah? Oh, y-yeah I saw¡­..what are you so happy about? You see her every single day.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Well, true. But¡­.so what? It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s how it is, right?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°My god you like Rose¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Of course I like her. Rose-san is so kind. You like her too right?¡±

    Rose-san pulled one of the ruby tikarodeka out of the silver cup and pinned it to her chest.

    Silver armor with peach-colored hair. A single red flower blooming on her chest. What a picture! An appearance like that with each gesture reeking of sophistication, this is what we call an extremely natural beauty!

    [Lapris]: ¡°Well, Rose is definitely better than that damn Taso/Caro pair of devils. I sure like her, but¡­.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Of course you do. She¡¯s an incredibly nice person. She¡¯s kind, beautiful, cute, strong¡­..an amazing person you can¡¯t find any fault in.¡±

    My gaze fell on the sacred flowers still blooming inside the silver cup.

    [Iris]: ¡°Those surplus tikarodeka¡­..what is going to happen to them? I wonder if I could get one for myself.¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°¡­¡­But I don¡¯t think she¡¯s any more amazing than you.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Did you say something just now?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Nothing. Just that the ritual¡¯s going to be continuing.¡±

    The cheers and applause finally died away, and a melodious voice swept over everyone in the church.

    [Marie]: ¡°Priestess Rosalith Cuulbacall. Archbishop Marie Arone Escriva hereby recognizes you as a level thirty adventurer of the red corundum rank.¡±

    Those words echoed clearly throughout the cathedral, overshadowing the priestess¡¯s chant to reach every corner of every shadow in the room. This is where the ritual would usually come to an end. But this is not meant to be a baptismal rite.

    This is Rose-san¡¯s investiture ceremony. And Marie-sama continued speaking as a matter of course.

    [Marie]: ¡°¡­..and so I promote you to the highest rank of priesthood. You who have already been approved to become a grand priestess and who has now gained the additional achievement of subduing Sanz Wanz. I hereby grant you the title of paladin.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Wha-, eh!? Did you hear that Lapris!? A paladin! Rose-san is a paladin, so amazing!!¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Oi, hol-¡­¡­stop hitting me!! Even if you¡¯re trying to hold back it still hurts!!¡±

    Lapris starting slapping my finger because I kept poking her head. Ouchie.

    [Iris]: ¡°Ah, sorry sorry!! But¡­..it¡¯s just so amazing!! Somehow¡­¡­I¡¯m not dreaming am I¡­¡­?¡±

    The pain in my finger let me know I was in fact not dreaming as I watched Rose-san get blessed by Marie-sama.

    Paladin. It is an honorary rank in the church similar to archbishop.

    It is a priest/bishop¡¯s job to hold ceremonies and perform rituals, and an archbishop is an honorary rank given to one of those priests. In the same way, a paladin is meant to be an honorary rank for warrior priestesses whose job it is to spread the word of the Goddess to the people while also protecting her believers.

    It is a title only bestowed upon those warrior priestesses who are said to perfectly embody the Goddess¡¯s teachings while also making a great contribution to the church.

    A warrior priestess that people around the world, including myself, adore and respect. It is the end goal all warrior priestesses long for and look up to.

    Rose-san is now that paladin.

    The eyes of the Goddess Knights including Lanselva-sama, Milius-sama, and Ruruka-sama who are all in attendance have their eyes focused on Rose-san¡¯s back.

    I could feel my chest getting hot, and I couldn¡¯t stand still, so I started jumping up and down where I was.

    [Rose]: ¡°Thank you. I shall continue to devote myself to acting as a knight worthy of the honor.¡±

    Rose-san put her hand on her chest and gave a deep bow.

    With a new position and title bestowed, the investiture ceremony came to a quiet end, but each individual attendee had a raging excitement burning in their chests.

    [Marie]: ¡°¡­..now then, to each and everyone in attendance today. Let us recognize the name and countenance of someone we all wish to know.¡±

    (¡­..Hm?)

    But while that underlying energy still permeated the air, Marie-sama once again raised her voice.

    [Marie]: ¡°She who was chosen by the Goddess Illya to become a mage and granted ownership of the Goddess Knights.¡±

    (Hmm?)

    [Marie]: ¡°She who only recently arrived at the capital. She who received the greatest merits in the slaying of the dragon in Relton Village and in the battle against the ancient dragon Sanz Wanz.¡±

    (Hmmm?)

    [Marie]: ¡°The dragon slayer. The red-haired mage. Our little hero¡­..¡±

    (Hmmmm?)

    [Marie]: ¡°The one who stands at the top of all who serve Illya!!¡±

    [Priestesses]: ¡°¡±IRIS CALVAFON-SAMA, PLEASE APPEAR!!¡±¡±

    Dozens of priestesses took over to yell out the last part of Marie-sama¡¯s words.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.Eh?¡±

    The thousands of people inside the chapel naturally heard the words of the chant, and soon a thunderous round of cheers and applause rose to the highest peak.

    [Iris]: ¡°EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!?¡±

    But in sharp contrast, the only thing I could raise from my mouth was a shrill scream.

 CH 196

    [Iris]: ¡°E-EH!? Wait, what¡¯s with this timing!? Please tell me it¡¯s a lie!¡±

    Before Rose-san¡¯s investiture ceremony began, I greeted Marie-sama, and she said something along these lines to me:

    [Marie]: ¡°Ah, welcome Iris-chan. There are a few people I would like to introduce you to after the ceremony, so would you mind waiting for me in this room for now~?¡±

    She sounded innocent enough, so I came here without thinking much about it. If anything, I was excited that I would get to watch Rose-san¡¯s ceremony from my own special seat.

    But when I first came here, I noticed there were no windows in the room from which I could conveniently watch over the cathedral.

    That was the moment I should have checked with the sisters. But Lapris and the others were there, so I once again shrugged my shoulders and let it go without thinking about it.

    ¡ª¡ªI have made a terrible mistake.

    [Lapris]: ¡°All right then. Shall we get to work?¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°W-Work!? What work!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°What, if there¡¯s a fairy in a church, that should be obvious. Putting on a production. Don¡¯t you remember us doing it in Soletta¡¯s church too?¡±

    Lapris answered while doing warm up stretches on Unicorn¡¯s head. She didn¡¯t look surprised about this turn in the slightest.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..Don¡¯t tell me! You knew this was going to happen from the beginning?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°Hah? Obviously. We¡¯ve already decided on payment and everything.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You should have told me!!¡±

    Ah, I can hear them. Singing something with a nice rhythm different from their hymn.

    Each word of that exultant melody, is a kick thrown against my back and butt. A silent pressure to have me hurry up and come out is bearing down on my shoulders.

    [Lapris]: ¡°I was told not to by Anego and Marie. Stopping you from escaping out of this room until this exact moment. That was also part of my job.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-You traitor!! I always thought Lapris would take my side!! Are you telling me that time we exchanged friendships was all a lie!?¡±

    [Lapris]: ¡°How pitiful. The only side I take is the side of the strong and those with sweets! I¡¯ll wag my tail with all my strength for Saluena-anego who falls into both!! Enough talk!! Quit stalling and throw yourself to the masses!! For the sake of my sweets!!¡±

    Throwing out those refreshingly honest yet horrible parting words, Lapris flew away.

    Even though she usually hates flying herself, she is able to glide through the air as if gravity were a foreign concept.

    Ugh, the cheers got louder. With the sun mostly down, the mystical light given off by a lone fairy would be an eye-catching mystery in a chapel faintly illuminated with only a few candles and torches.

    [Iris]: ¡°Uuu¡­.if it¡¯s like this¡­..¡±

    The thought that I shouldn¡¯t have ever come here crossed my mind. But if I had never come, I would have never gotten to see Rose-san¡¯s sublime appearance from my special seat¡­..

    If I think about it like that, I could think of this situation as a sort of admissions fee.

    [Iris]: ¡°Y-Yosh¡­.. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m out to fight anything¡­.. I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m okay¡­..¡±

    There were three, no, five times the number of people here compared to my audience with the king.

    All those eyes are going to be focused on me alone from this point forward. That thought alone is enough to overwhelm me.

    But Rose-san is out there as well. I would get to congratulate her with my own words.

    [Iris]: ¡°Well then, everyone¡­..let¡¯s go¡±

    If you give yourself a goal, your way of thinking can change.

    I addressed everyone that was with me.

    [Linzflare]: ¡°A lot of work went into this, so have fun¡±

    [Mippo]: ?Enjoy?

    [Moppo]: ?Surprise??

    [Mippo]: ?£¨>¥î?*£©?

    [Moppo]: ?£¨>¥î?*£©?

    The three sisters were dancing around in a circle to the light song flowing into the room.

    Plushy Unicorn was also stepping in time to the rhythm with her short legs.

    Then, Phoeniko released a short chirp before flapping her wings in front of my face as if to lead the way.

    [Iris]: ¡°Aha? Yeah, I understand. I don¡¯t know much about etiquette, but if nobody¡¯s taught me it, I guess I don¡¯t really need it.¡±

    This music might be Marie-sama doing her best to relieve my tension.

    The gnome sisters flung open the curtains. They¡¯re velvet, like a curtain hanging across a stage. Then the three of them danced down the stairs, one step at a time.

    As if she were trying to act as my escort, Plushy Unicorn stood at my side, stepping in rhythm with the music.

    [Iris]: ¡°Yosh, there¡¯s no glossing over my faults, so I might as well be cheerful going out!!¡±

    And so I walked out right alongside Plushy Unicorn.

    ?

    Phoeniko shone brightly above my head.

    Plushy Unicorn¡¯s mane released its own bright white light, putting in the care to ensure I could see the stairs as I walked down.

    A little ways in front of us, the gnome sisters were still dancing round and round.

    Watching them made me feel as if I were participating in a parade.

    That feeling swept through the room, and everyone who saw them, including myself, seemed to be enjoying themselves.

    Saluena and Marie-sama were the first to greet me as I descended down with my procession of miniature girls.

    I whispered to Saluena with a large smile on my face.

    The hymn coninued, and the gnome sisters continued their dance along with it.

    Aristocrats and priests alike watched them curiously.

    Even if I raised my voice a little, nobody would be able to overhear me with all the noise and music resonating off the walls in here.

    [Saluena]: ¡°If you wish to ask someone out for a date, perhaps avoid sounding so murderous.¡±

    [Marie]: ¡°My apologies, Iris-chan. It was important those involved got to know you as soon as possible.¡±

    [Saluena]: ¡°But with this many people, I knew you¡¯d feel nervous. So I gave Marie a bit of advice. Feed Rosa as bait, and you¡¯d jump.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°You¡­¡­I can¡¯t deny any of that, but you still should have told me. I was shocked. I¡¯m not a child who needs things hidden from her.¡±

    I straightened my back and poked a finger into Saluena¡¯s chest.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Fu, is that so? Then I¡¯ll make sure to keep that in mind for next time.¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..um, what? By any chance, are you saying I¡¯m going to have to keep doing stuff like this from now on?¡±

    Saluena raised her hand without answering my question. Then, the hymn being played until now suddenly came to an end all at once.

    Too suddenly in fact as Mippo fell over onto her face because she wasn¡¯t expecting it.

    Just like with the audience room, the area near the altar where I am standing is raised up several steps so everyone in the chapel can see.

    Standing in the middle there was Rose-san with Toslin and Carol, who Lapris had just described as devils, standing a step below. Besides them¡­..

    [Saluena]: ¡°Align!!¡±

    Saluena barked a sharp command. There, at the bottom of the steps, fifty knights including Lanselva-sama and the others stood fully armed in line with their backs to us.

    They used both their hands to lift up their shields and hit them against the ground all together.

    *Gagoon* The hard sound of iron bouncing off stone resounded in the now silent church.

    [Marie]: ¡°This girl is our little hero, Iris Calvafon-sama. Our Goddess Illya has positioned her as our hope.¡±

    Marie-sama guided me to the center and introduced me to all those gathered here.

    [Lapris]: ¡°Ha~, I¡¯m tired.¡±

    After flying around the cathedral, Lapris landed on my shoulder.

    (Why don¡¯t you sit on Saluena¡¯s shoulder since you two get along so well?)

    As I tried appealing to the traitor with my eyes, she simply tilted her head.

    [Lapris]: ¡°I was worried you might lose your footing, so I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t end up tripping down the steps.¡±

    And she smiled. Without any idea over what I¡¯m thinking¡­¡­

    (Ah, geez¡­..)

    [Iris]: ¡°Thank you. Good job Lapris.¡±

    Seeing that kind of smile on her face just makes me feel like an idiot for being angry at her.

    I stroked the top of Lapris¡¯s head gently this time.

    [Lapris]: ¡°A-Ah?¡±

    She looked somewhat confused, but since it wasn¡¯t anything bad, she didn¡¯t mind it.

    [Marie]: ¡°Calvafon-sama. These people before you are those who deeply worship the Goddess and will make for reassuring allies. They are the ones who will support you, in the sun or from the shadows. And so, please offer a few words to them.¡±

    That¡¯s what Marie-sama said to me. Making unreasonable requests seems to be her specialty. But Saluena didn¡¯t stop her, nor did she offer me a lifeboat.

    Rose-san only gave me a smile when I looked at her. Toslin and Carol were smirking as if they were about to watch something interesting. This must be their revenge for what happened before the investiture ceremony.

    This is how deeply I¡¯m trusted. They all seem to think it will all work out somehow or another.

    They are all making a terrible mistake. Until very recently, I was just an ordinary commoner. Have they all forgotten I¡¯m just the daughter of a bookshop owner? To say something in front of so many people¡­¡­

    [Iris]: ¡°I understand¡±

    But I swallowed the word impossible before it could leave my lips. And instead, I kept murmuring inside my heart that I want to respond. Marie-sama and Saluena both thought of me and prepared this stage.

    This place, this performance, this moment, is what is needed from now on.

    I don¡¯t know why or what good will come from it.

    But if someone I trust and love feels that way and makes the decision, then there¡¯s no place for doubt in my mind.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    I took a deep breath.

    My body was still trembling¡­¡­but I forced myself to speak loud enough that everyone here could my voice.

 CH 197

    [Iris]: ¡°Until a short time ago¡­..I was just a storekeeper for a bookstore.¡±

    Even though there are supposed to be thousands of people inside the cathedral, it was utterly silent.

    [Iris]: ¡°Our family¡¯s home is a second-hand bookshop, and I was asked to deliver a book from Soletta to Rifront. When I arrived, snowfall blocked the road and a dragon even appeared, so I was unable to return home for almost half a year.¡±

    Other than the occasional crackling of a torch or some candlesticks, there was nothing else. Nothing besides the sound of my voice.

    [Iris]: ¡°But in that half a year, a new path presented itself to me.¡±

    The smell of oil and fire danced across my nose. The flickering flames reflected off Rose-san, Toslin, Lanselva-sama, and all the other knights¡¯ armor, shining brightly in the darkness.

    [Iris]: ¡°I met Toslin, an elf adventurer, in the inn¡¯s dining room, and she introduced me to the werewolf Carol. And then¡­.¡±

    My gaze slowly shifted towards Rose-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..we met Rose-san as well. She had come over and asked if she could sit with us.¡±

    From that moment on, another path opened in front of me. A way to become an adventurer, an existence I had always longed for.

    [Iris]: ¡°At that time, at that place, we were accidentally stuck in place by the snow and gathered together at that table¡­..and little by little, we became friends. Before we knew it, we were even sleeping together in the same room¡­..¡±

    Remembering that time made me laugh. Carol and Toslin would run outside every single day and come home covered in sweat because snow was so rare for them. Rose-san would sit next to me, reading whatever book I recommended for her while I read my own copy.

    We would share our impressions together once we were finished, and in turn, Rose-san would recommend the next book for us to read together¡­..I remember us having a lot of fun like that.

    A series of encounters I would never have experienced if I had lived my life like always. The first day was like a dream, and yet that dream became my every day.

    What woke me up from that dream, would obviously have to be that.

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­..and after a few times playing at being an adventurer with everyone like that¡­¡­I came to a village ignited by an attacking dragon¡­..¡±

    When I looked up, I could see the face of one of the attendees. A woman somewhere in her forties or fifties, probably older than my mother. She seemed to be a noble and was wearing a beautiful dress.

    Such a person was intently listening to my words right now.

    [Iris]: ¡°In order to save the people of that village, Rose-san was the first to charge forward to confront that dragon. Toslin and Carol followed, and I¡­..chased after them.¡±

    Remembering the sunset of that day still bring a cold sweat to my back.

    [Iris]: ¡°At the time, I was incredibly scared. Because the truth is, back then I¡­..was just an ordinary girl who loved reading books.¡±

    There are all kinds of people out there even if we try to group them all together in that single, ¡®adventurer,¡¯ word. An adventurer could be someone who dives into dungeons in search of treasure. They could be someone who hunts down monsters, someone who acts as a bodyguard to protect people, or even someone who is only looking to make themselves famous.

    When I decided to become an adventurer, what ideal would I have strove for? Whenever I ask myself that question now, I think about Rose-san¡¯s back from that time.

    I want to be like Rose-san. Since that day, I¡¯ve always been following her back.

    That¡¯s probably why I said what I did when Sanz Wanz fled above ground.

    [Iris]: ¡°The dragon was powerful. All three of my friends fought with all their might, but their power wasn¡¯t enough. I was grasping at straws, so I opened Hadion¡­..Saluena¡¯s grimoire which I had in my hand at the time.¡±

    I looked towards Saluena. She returned my gaze with her usual calm gaze. No, did she seem a little happy right now? Is it because I¡¯m talking about her? I can¡¯t tell for sure.

    [Iris]: ¡°Saluena answered my call, slew the dragon, and¡­..the village was saved. Everyone was able to survive.¡±

    Speaking so quickly, I took a deep breath to quell the heat in my chest. I¡¯m able to feel comfortable right now because despite it already being past spring, the air inside the stone church feels cold.

    [Iris]: ¡°As you have probably already figured out by listening to this, I¡­..am unable to do anything by myself.¡±

    I shrugged my shoulders and forced out a smile.

    [Iris]: ¡°Even during the battle with Sanz Wanz. I had everyone there, plus the Goddess Knights, and they simply listened to my request¡­.¡±

    My gaze swept from the right to the left.

    These are the people I love. The people I rely on.

    [Iris]: ¡°I am able to stand here before you thanks to the help of Yuhanna-sama, Grides, and the members of the Shirayuri Knights.¡±

    I suddenly felt a gaze coming from my feet, so I looked down and found Mippo and Moppo there.

    [Mippo]: ?Scolded??

    [Moppo]: ?Scrutiny??

    I barely managed to keep myself from giggling. When I quietly answered with a ¡°No,¡± they looked relieved and returned to Linzflare-san.

    [Iris]: ¡°So, Saluena, Lanselva-sama, and the other knights refer to me as ¡®Princess¡¯¡­..though they might not necessarily be wrong referring to me like that.¡±

    My nervousness was eased thanks to those two¡¯s innocence. My voice lost some of its trembling and was a little louder than before¡­..I think.

    [Iris]: ¡°I still do not understand what the Goddess means when she says I am the ¡®hope¡¯. Nor do I understand why I was the one chosen. But with all due respect¡­..I hope I can meet her expectations. To return the favor for the grace I have received from the Goddess.¡±

    What was it like for the Hero Ranroot? I wonder if he would be able to tell me why he was chosen by the Goddess. I have poured myself over the heroic tale, but the answer was nowhere written.

    [Iris]: ¡°I have been speaking for a long time now, but this is the kind of person I am. Like most people I get scared, angry, and even jealous¡­..¡±

    A fleeting glance flew towards Rose-san. Rose-san looked towards me at that very moment, and our gazes met again.

    [Iris]: ¡°I am¡­..a very normal human. So if you wouldn¡¯t mind, I would appreciate it if you could watch over me from now on.¡±

    There was an accident there at the end that involved me hurriedly turning my eyes away from everyone, but I think I managed to say what I wanted to say.

    This might be too lackadaisical a way to wrap things up, but I did my best and those are my honest feelings.

    My gaze once again fell on that elderly lady.

    Thereupon she removed her gloves, and she began to clap. A gentle smile spread across her face as she looked back at me.

    After that, the applause quickly grew and spread. Although I¡¯d never seen the real thing myself, I thought it looked like a rising ocean wave.

    [Saluena]: ¡°That was a good story.¡±

    I turned around when I felt a sudden tapping on my shoulder. Saluena was there, and she moved her mouth close to my ear.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Especially the part where you didn¡¯t forget about me.¡±

    She moved her hand across my shoulder and stroked my cheek with the back of her hand.

    (Ah, so that happy look at the time really was about that after all.)

    You might not be able to tell usually, but Saluena often feels lonely. I¡¯ve known that since she often slept with me when we were staying at my parents house in Soletta Ritta.

    [Saluena]: ¡°Our princess is truly humble.¡±

    Saluena took my place on stage and laughed.

    [Saluena]: ¡°But that¡¯s what makes you worth protecting. Isn¡¯t that right, Goddess Knights!?¡±

    [Knights]: ¡°¡±OH!! We all offer our eternal loyalty to you!!¡±¡±

    The Goddess Knights each focused their gaze on me and proclaimed thusly as they raised their shields.

    In the midst of thunderous applause and their thunderous voices¡­..

    [Rose]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°Rose-san¡­..¡±

    Rose-san stepped in front of me.

    Rose-san, who had become a high priestess and received the title of holy knight.

    That Rose-san had now, gone down on one knee in front of me.

    [Rose]: ¡°Calvafon-sama¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    My face stiffened, and my shoulders trembled. This is the second time Rose-san has called me by my last name while adding a sama to the end of it. The first was when we were in Marie-sama¡¯s room together. I remember feeling just as lonely then as I do now.

    [Rose]: ¡°I do solemnly vow¡­..to dedicate my strength and being to you.¡±

    Rose-san respectfully took my left hand and kissed my ring finger. On Saluena¡¯s sanctuary, where the dark violet ring is fitted.

    [Marie]: ¡°In this, the oath has been made. Many blessings to the princess and our holy knight.¡±

    Marie-sama cut a mark on us with her finger. It is a standard ritual priests, priestesses, and bishops perform do confer a blessing.

    I know brides and grooms have it performed on them several times throughout their wedding.

    [Marie]: ¡°Fufu, I am not sure it is appropriate for the person herself to say it, but giving a blessing to two people on a stage in front of such a large crowd truly makes it look like a wedding ceremony.¡±

    Marie-sama covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

    [Rose]: ¡°Eh¡­..¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°A-A¡­..wedding?¡±

    Naturally Rose-san and I were surprised at her words and shared a look with each other.

    [Marie]: ¡°Now that the ceremony is finished, let¡¯s have the sisters sing a congratulatory song for some entertainment.¡±

    [Rose]: ¡°M-Marie Arone-sama!? Please keep the jokes in moderation¡±

    [Iris]: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Rose-san panicked and tried to stop Marie-sama, so I¡­¡­almost opened my mouth to say something as well. But before I could, a flash of inspiration ran through my brain¡­.

    [Iris]: ¡°That sounds great! Please do!!¡±

    Those were the words to come out of my mouth instead.

    As I grabbed onto Rose-san¡¯s arm.