《I, the Sacrifice, Somehow Killed the Evil God》 CH 1 Chapter Title: Sacrificed in place of my childhood friend. ¡ºKukuku, I¡¯ve waited a whole year just for this moment.¡» In front of me was an expensive looking cloak and a jeweled crown. There is a skeleton wearing a staff with a magic stone. He is carrying a cross on his back and seems to have a very difficult time moving. ¡º Are you this year¡¯s sacrifice?¡» The skeleton¡¯s eyes glowed red as it looked at me. ¡¸Yes, my evil god. I¡¯m the sacrifice that was chosen this year.¡¹ I was already on the verge of giving up, but my voice still slipped out. ¡ºKukuku, foolish humans. The only reason I want these offerings is so that I can gain power by by taking in a talented human once a year.¡» Not particularly interested in me, the evil god was politely talking to himself about why he needed a sacrifice. ¡ºMmm¡­¡­?¡» The evil god¡¯s glare was dazzling because he had no real eyes. ¡ºAre you¡­ really the sacrifice chosen this year?¡» ¡ºI don¡¯t feel the aura of a talented human being from you!¡» A screen is projected in front of my eyes. This screen is called ¡¾Status¡¿, a magic that anyone in this world can use to find out their status and strength. Name: Eito Title: Citizen Level: 1 Health: 5 MP: 5 Strength: 5 Agility: 5 Defense: 5 Skill: Agriculture Lv. 2 Unique Skill: Stock (0/1) ¡ºWhat are these garbage numbers. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡» The evil god saw my numbers. The lax mood he had displayed just a few minutes ago disappeared. He showed his anger at my low stats. ¡¸I¡¯m quite serious. I also have an unique skill.¡¹ Unique skills are rare skills that no ordinary person can have. Alicia¡¯s one is called ¡¾Healer of all¡¿ and has healing powers that are perfect for her heart. In comparison, my unique skill was left unused because I didn¡¯t know how to use it. ¡ºYou humans¡­. You¡¯ve spared the best and brightest from me, haven¡¯t you? How dare you send me this garbage¡­¡» I was slightly hurt by being called trash. But I¡¯m sure they felt the same way about me in town, so I quickly recovered. I remembered how this happened. ¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï A few hours ago. The entire country was holding a ceremony to sacrifice Alicia. Alicia had completed her purification ceremony and was dressed in a pure white dress, like a wedding one. She was going to be sacrificed to the evil god, so she had dressed herself in a way so that the evil god would like her. When I visited her the day before. She cried into my chest saying ¡¸I don¡¯t want to die¡¹. But that¡¯s impossible. If she runs away, someone else will have to be sacrified. She wiped her tears and said to me ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s okay now¡¹. My eyes met hers, the one who was going to be sacrificed to the evil god. She smiled. She looked at me with a smile, as if she was about to go on a picnic. At that moment, my decision was made. There are many people who will mourn over her sacrifice. After all, many people have been saved by her healing magic. I, on the other hand, have never saved anyone, and as you can see, I¡¯m useless. It¡¯s obvious which one is more needed in this world. ¡¸What? Elt!¡¹ I took advantage of the gap between the guards and rushed towards the magic circle. I knew that by activating this, I would be sent as the sacrifice to the evil god. ¡ï¡î¡ï¡î¡ï ¡ºI can¡¯t have this garbage as my only meal of the year. I will come down myself and I¡¯ll go around killing people.¡» It seems that the blood completely rushed to his head. The evil god turned to me and said. ¡ºYou. I¡¯m uncomfortable just by looking at you. I will erase you!¡» The evil god¡¯s staff was pointed at me. ¡ºEvil beam.¡» A black wave was coming out from the tip of his staff. When I saw it spreading across my field of vision, I prepared myself to die. But¡­ ¡¸Hm?¡¹ Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something glowing. Without really thinking about it, I pressed it and¡­ ¡ºWhat the hell?!¡» The Evil Beam disappeared in front of my eyes. (TL: wow, rip evil god?) CH 2 Chapter title: The Evil God Perished ¡ºHey, you. What the hell did you do?¡» ¡¸Eh?¡¹ This is the first time the evil god had shown caution in front of me. ¡ºMy Evil Beam is the most powerful skill. Even ancient dragons, phoenixes, and gods will perish if they¡¯re hit by it.¡» That being said, I don¡¯t really understand the situation either. ¡ºI¡¯m going to shoot them in rapid succession. Even if you dodged the first one on a whim, you wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge these many shots.¡» Apparently, in the evil god¡¯s mind, I had dodged the beam earlier. Countless beams are rushing towards me¡­ ¡ºNo! It can¡¯t be!¡» There wasn¡¯t even a gap to avoid it, and they just disappeared. I don¡¯t know what the hell is going on. I looked at the status, trying to figure out why. Name: Eito Title: Citizen Level: 1 HP: 5 MP: 5 Strength: 5 Agility: 5 Defense: 5 Skill: Agriculture Lv.2 Unique Skill: Inventory (1/1) ¡¾Inventory¡¿ ?Evil Beam¡Á9999 Apparently, my status had changed¡­ I didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡ºCurse you, curse you! I¡¯m going to tear you apart directly!¡» The evil god threw down his staff and came at me. An image somehow flew into my mind. Just as my body had moved unconsciously earlier, I knew what I had to do now. ¡ºI¡¯m going to tear your fragile body apart and pull out your guts. I will take your head as a souvenir and descend on your country so that they will never be able to do such a foolish thing again!¡» ¡¸¡¾Evil Beam¡¿¡¹ ¡ºWh, whaaaaat?¡» A black wave was released from my hand and it hit the evil god. ¡ºIm¡­ impossible, you¡­ can¡­ use¡­ my most powerful skill?¡» The evil god looked astonished, as if he saw something unbelievable. ¡ºIm¡­.po¡­¡» He made a noise, and fell down to the ground. A few moments later, I approached him. The bones then turned to ashes and scattered, carried away by the wind. All that was left in the end was a crown, a cloak, and a staff. In addition, there were a number of other ornaments that the evil god wore. ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­. has the evil god been killed?¡¹ Apparently, the Evil God was not lying when he said that. What I shot was an Evil Beam. It¡¯s a ray of light that can destroy ancient dragons, phoenixes and even gods. ¡¸I never thought my unique skill would have such an effect.¡¹ Did it wake up just before my death? Now I can clearly see how to use the skills imprinted in my mind. My skill ¡ºInventory¡», was allowing me to hold on to anything. (TL: Can only be used once???) ¡¸It seems that my level has risen now¡­¡¹ I¡¯m glued to the status screen as if I¡¯m looking at something incredible. Name: Elt Title: Citizen, God Killer Level: 774 Constitution: 1551 MP: 1551 Strength: 1551 Agility: 1551 Defense: 1551 Skill: Agriculture Lv. 2 Unique Skill: Inventory (1/775) (TL: wow¡­ that¡¯s kind of a cheat skill ain¡¯t it¡­) ¡¾Inventory¡¿ ?Evil Beam ¡Á9998 ¡¸As expected of the evil god. My status is ridiculous.¡¹ Until a moment ago, I was a person with weaker abilities than others. But, not anymore. Having defeated the evil god, my level had increased and now I have become the strongest. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s just pick up some items.¡¹ When I regained my composure, I retrieved the evil god¡¯s cloak and staff. I also retrieved the magical tools and the other ornaments. ¡¸It¡¯s convenient that I can store everything with my inventory¡¹ (TL: bruh.) My ¡ºinventory¡» can also be used to store items. ¡¸There is a treasure room in the back¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something that the sacrifices wore or were offered when they were chosen as an offering.¡¹ I¡¯ll make sure to take them. After a while¡­ ¡¸This is one hell of a sword.¡¹ I found a sword stuck in a rock. ¡¸It¡¯s hard. Looks like it¡¯s stuck¡­¡¹ It¡¯s as if it¡¯s attached to the rock. ¡¸Oh, I got it in my inventory¡­ Hmmm, it¡¯s called ¡¾The divine sword Bolmunk¡¿¡¹ Thanks to my inventory, the sword¡¯s name became clear. After that I spent a few more minutes storing up all the treasures scattered around the room. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s go back and tell everyone that the evil god is dead.¡¹ I jumped on the magic circle I had used to get here. The people who have been tormented by the evil god for so long will be pleased. I can picture the sad face of my childhood friend the moment I plunged into the magic circle. I can¡¯t wait to let her know I¡¯m okay and reassure her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be angry with me¡­ I loosened the edges of my mouth and waited for the transition. ¡¸¡­¡­It won¡¯t work?¡¹ Apparently, you could only teleport here with the magic circle. CH 3 Chapter Title: The Magic Circle of Recovery ¡¸Well, what should I do now?¡¹ I think about it as I look down at the transition magic circle. The fact that the teleportation magic circle doesn¡¯t work means that I can¡¯t go back to my country. In other words, I can¡¯t report that the evil god has been destroyed, and I can¡¯t reunite with Alicia and get her angry with me. ¡¸Is there no choice but to get out of here for the time being?¡¹ On the side of the altar where the evil god was, there was a treasure. But on the opposite side, in the distance, you can see a door. If there¡¯s a door that means it¡¯s connected somewhere. ¡¸There¡¯s no point in staying here, so let¡¯s go.¡¹ After all, I¡¯ve come here as a sacrifice to the evil god. I don¡¯t even have any food. I¡¯ll starve to death if I don¡¯t go now. I opened the door with my divine sword Borumunk in hand. ¡¸It¡¯s a long passage, but I don¡¯t see anyone¡¹ I was expecting to find some kind of scary monster, but there was no sign of any living thing in there. ¡¸I couldn¡¯t find any food.¡¹ Was it because they were skeletons that they didn¡¯t need to eat? But if he wanted a sacrifice, then he was going to eat it, wasn¡¯t he? I feel like I¡¯m going to spill my flesh off the bones if I eat it, there was no point in thinking any more about the ecology of the evil god. ¡¸Okay, the next room is¡­¡¹ I¡¯ve colected various treasures on the way here. I found a lot of powerful swords and spears, as if the evil god was a collector of magic tools. I can see which items are useful by looking at their descriptions in the ¡¾Inventory¡¿ section. ¡¸I¡¯m hoping to find some bread soon¡­¡¹ The only thing I want now is food. If I don¡¯t bring it back safely, then it¡¯s meaningless to sell these items. I went into the room with high hopes and¡­. ¡¸What is it? A magic circle?¡¹ It was a room with a glowing white magic circle. I felt something warm along with a gentle light. (translation left) ¡¸It doesn¡¯t seem to be a teleportation magic circle but¡­ There¡¯s a pleasant aura about it.¡¹ I get on the magic circle as if I was being sucked in. ¡¸What the hell! I¡¯m not tired anymore! And it feels so good.¡¹ The glow of the magic circle increased as I stayed in it. And it completely refreshed me from the fatigue of walking around and the mental exhaustion. In addition, the injuries I had when I confronted the evil god were also healed before I knew it. ¡¸Could this be a magic circle from the legendary dungeon?¡¹ This must be the same magic circle a novel protagonist stumbles upon in a legendary dungeon after defeating the last boss. It has the effect of completely recovering your strength and magic, and in the story I was thinking about, the hero¡¯s party used it to completely recover before taking on the bosses. It¡¯s no wonder that the evil god was in such a place. Anyway my good mood came back, and more importantly, the sticky sweat disappeared and I felt refreshed. ¡¸I think I can still do my best.¡¹ There¡¯s nothing particularly remarkable about this place. I¡¯m leaving the room, trying to go to the next one¡­. ¡¸Wait, what?¡¹ I ponder for a moment and stare at the magic circle. And¡­ ¡¸What would happen if I did this?¡¹ I stand on the magic circle again. And at the moment when the magic cricle shines¡­ ¡¸¡¾Inventory¡¿¡¹ I tried to take it in my inventory. ¡¸Oh! I knew you were able to take it.¡¹ A magical light that recovers physical strength, magical power, and heals even injuries in an instant. If I have this I¡¯m going to be fine even if I get injured in the future. ¡¸Let¡¯s just save as much as we can for now¡­¡­¡¹ If I get tired, I can just let it recover. Apparently, this magic circle will also relieve my hunger. As long as I have this, I won¡¯t starve to death. I decided to stock up on recovery magic here for a while. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s it for now¡­ I think I¡¯ve been at it for about three days.¡¹ I kept watching as the stock numbers increased along the way. The magic circle is triggered if you stay on it for a long time, so I kept accumulating a lot, even when I was sleeping. I look at the [Inventory] section of the status screen. And then I see¨D¨D ?Perfect Heal x99999 (TL: wtf) ¡¸Maybe I¡¯ve stocked up a little too much?¡¹ I was stocked up with more perfect heals than I could ever use in a lifetime. CH 4 Chapter Title: Status Upgrading Fruit ¡¸Whoa, it¡¯s cold in here¡­¡­¡¹ I opened the wooden door and stepped inside, where it was dimly lit and cool. ¡¸What¡¯s that wine smell?¡¹ I walked in and found a large amount of wine. ¡¸Hmm, the labels are¡­¡­¡ºDiablo¡»¡ºBahamut¡» and¡ºLeviathan¡»I¡¯ve never heard of these wines?¡¹ Originally, wine was only drank at festivals. Even then, it was only third-rate stuff brought in barrels. The wine here is carefully laid out in lightproof bottles, laid out one by one. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re luxury items¡­ ¡¸I¡¯ll have to wait until I¡¯m out of here to get drunk.¡¹ I stocked up on wine one after another. ?Diablo wine ¡Á500£¨super high quality wine£© ?Bahamut wine ¡Á500£¨super high quality wine£© ?Leviathan wine ¡Á500£¨super premium wine£© ¡¸Okay, now that we¡¯ve got that out of the way, let¡¯s move on.¡¹ I look at the inventory screen and it¡¯s full of all the different things I¡¯ve collected so far. It seems that when I leveled up, my inventory quota increased to 775, but I¡¯ve already used half of it. ¡¸It¡¯s tough to have all this and not one bit of food, but¡­¡­¡¹ I thought about stocking up on food when I find some. ¡¸Whoa? What¡¯s that?¡¹ After descending a few stairs, I arrived at a large floor. The ceiling was decorated with chandeliers and the floor was covered with a red carpet. It looked like a floor that would be used for a ball. At the end of the floor, there was a larger door then before. ¡¸Could this be¡­..?¡¹ I pushed the door, hoping for the best. ¡¸Finally¡­. I¡¯m outside.¡¹ The sun shone brightly on me. I hadn¡¯t seen the sun in a few days. I went outside and looked back after a short distance. And there it was¡­. ¡¸I see, it¡¯s a big castle. So this was the home of the evil god.¡¹ The castle is much bigger than the one in the Kingdom of Irkutu, and it¡¯s so high that it seems to reach the heavens. The building has windows, but since I couldn¡¯t find a room with a window before I got out, it must have led to a room I couldn¡¯t get to because it was locked. ¡¸No wonder it took so long to get out.¡¹ The room on the top floor of the building standing tall in the center was propably the place where the evil god had been living. From that place, there were passageways leading to other buildings, and I seemed to have escaped from one of them. I took my eyes off the castle and looked around. There were high walls around the castle, asserting their presence as to keep out intruders. I tried to head over there, with the intention of escaping. ¡¸That thing over there, the one on the tree, that¡¯s¡­.¡¹ Trees lined both sides of the road behind the iron fence. And it looks like something is growing there. ¡¸Could it be food?¡¹ I stopped walking towards the fence and approached the trees. ¡¸Is this¡­. a fruit?¡¹ 1 There were fruits of all colors: gold, silver, rainbow, red, blue, yellow and green. ¡¸Let¡¯s just try some.¡¹ I climbed up the tree, plucked one of the golden fruits and bit into it. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s so good. I¡¯ve never tasted such a delicious fruit in my life before.¡¹ The sweetness of the fruit fills my mouth as I bite into it. The freshness of the fruit moistened my throat, which I hadn¡¯t eaten or drunk before. Even though it had been a long time since I had eaten, this fruit was delicious. ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s stock up.¡¹ I was curious about what this was, so I stocked up on it and looked at the description. ?Golden fruit ¡Á1£¨increases all stats by 10 when eaten.£©2 ¡¸Let¡¯s check out the others¡­.¡¹ I climbed another tree and picked up more fruits. ?Silver fruit ¡Á1£¨increases magic power by 10 when eaten£© ?Red fruit ¡Á1£¨increases constitution by 10 when eaten£© ?Blue fruit ¡Á1£¨increases agility by 10 when eaten£© ?Yellow fruit ¡Á1£¨increases strength by 10 when eaten£© ?Green fruit ¡Á1£¨increases defense by 10 when eaten£© ¡¸Maybe they¡¯re status-enhancing fruits?¡¹ 3 It seems that on rare occasions, fruits are dropped from monsters or treasure chests in dungeons. If you eat them, your status will slightly increase. I¡¯ve never seen it before, but this description seems to confirm that it¡¯s a rare thing to find around these parts. ¡¸They give a lot of stats.¡¹ Rumor has it that the status-boosting fruit increases your stats by about 3 at most. This one says it increases it by 10. It¡¯s obviously crazy. ¡¸Let¡¯s just take what we can get.¡¹ You can never have enough food. There were quite a few trees, I should probably pick them. ¡¸Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t had the rainbow fruit yet?¡¹ I stocked up on the only remaining rainbow fruits. ?Rainbow fruit ¡Á1£¨increases charm by 100 when eaten£© 4 ¡¸Charm? I¡¯ve never seen that status before. Let¡¯s just try it.¡¹ I tried it and it was even better than the golden fruit. ¡¸Well, what happened?¡¹ I opened the status creen separator Name: Elt Title: Citizen, God Killer Level:774 Constituion (HP):1561 MP:1561 Strength:1561 Agility:1561 Defense: 1561 Charm: 110 (New) Skill: Agriculture Lv.2 Unique Skill: Inventory£¨444/775£© ¡¾Inventory¡¿ ?Evil Beam ¡Á9998 ?Perfect Heal ¡Á99999 separator ¡¸It¡¯s really increasing¡¹ I¡¯ve never head of Charm as a status. But I guess it¡¯s not something that needs to be increased. 5 I dismissed the idea and went to collect each fruit. ¡¸Well, I guess that¡¯s it for now.¡¹ It took me quite a while to climb up each the tree and pick them. But I guess it paid off. ?Golden fruit ¡Á789£¨increases all stats by 10 when eaten.£© ?Silver fruit ¡Á1104£¨increases magic power by 10 when eaten£© ?Red fruit ¡Á2400£¨increases constitution by 10 when eaten£© ?Blue fruit ¡Á2397£¨increases agility by 10 when eaten£© ?Yellow fruit ¡Á2405£¨increases strength by 10 when eaten£© ?Green fruit ¡Á3002£¨increases defense by 10 when eaten£© ?Rainbow fruit ¡Á108£¨increases charm by 100 when eaten£© After securing something to eat, I decided to leave. CH 5 Volume Title: The protagonist¡¯s heart is shaken. ¡¸Now I can finally go outside.¡¹ When I went into the magic circle on Alicia¡¯s behalf, I didn¡¯t think that I would be returning alive. But now that I¡¯ve escaped from the castle of the evil god, I¡¯m slowly starting to feel like I¡¯ve survived. ¡¸Anyway¡­ I don¡¯t know how to open this iron fence.¡¹ There¡¯s no keyhole, by the looks of it. The fence is cut into the ground, so maybe I can get it up by tweaking something¡­. ¡¸Let¡¯s just give up on that idea¡¹ Once I was away from the fence, I stacked crates on the wall next to the fence and climbed up. ¡¸It¡¯s faster to look for another way out rather than forcing myself.¡¹ I can jump from this height because my status has increased. I tried to get down from the other side of the wall, but¡­.. ¡¸What the hell is this? Is there an invisible wall?¡¹ Something was blocking my way and I couldn¡¯t move forward. When I touched it, I felt a hard texture. It seems that there is an invisible barrier. ¡¸Let¡¯s try slashing it with the divine sword Borumunk for now.¡¹ I took out my sword and drew it from it¡¯s sheath. I held it wide and swung it down with all my might. ¡ª¡ªGin©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`tsu¨D¨D 1 You can hear the sound of metal clashing. ¡¸What!?¡¹ I feel the impact on my hand and it goes numb. It seems that this barrier cannot be broken by the divine sword. ¡¸Could it be that even if the evil god dies, this barrier still operates?¡¹ Apparently, the evil god¡¯s house is well secured. If the sword with the highest attack power in my hand doesn¡¯t work, it doesn¡¯t matter what I hit it with. I put my hand on my chin and I began to think. If there is an impact, it means that there is a substance. The problem is the hardness of it. If I can do sometihng about that, I can¡­. ¡¸Oh, yeah, that¡¯ll work!¡¹ Once I came up an idea, I had to act. I activate the Evil Beam I had in my inventory. Then I hit the invisible barrier and heard a ¡°jabbering¡± sound. It seems that I have successfully penetrated the barrier, and it widened the hole so that people can pass through. ¡¸All right, I¡¯ve managed to get through!¡¹ I turn around and try to hit the invisible barrier. I was able to get out safely. ¡¸Hm?¡¹ I see some kind of distortion in front of me. It¡¯s just where I hit the Evil Beam. ¡¸I see, it automatically repairs itself.¡¹ I thought that if I left it alone, I could use it as an entrance again, but it seems that I have to lose one of my Evil Beams to enter again. I may come back to it eventually, but I¡¯ll deal with it when it happens. This is how I left the Evil God¡¯s castle. ¡¸For now, it¡¯s important to know where I am.¡¹ I walked through the forest. I¡¯ve been walking straight ahead for several hours since I left the Evil God¡¯s castle. ¡¸If there was a village, I could ask someone.¡¹ But no matter how far I walked, there was no sign of anyone. If there was a village, I could ask someone. Isn¡¯t it possible that the Evil God¡¯s castle is located on an isolated island and there are no humans here? ¡¸If this is the case, please show me anything!¡¹ I haven¡¯t seen not even a small animal since a while ago. I¡¯m hoping to see anything that moves. ¡ª¡ªgasagasagasagasagasa¨D¨D I heard some kind of noise. I hurriedly headed towards it. And then, after passing through the forest, I found a hall-like place and I saw there was. ¡¸AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡¹ A blood-red huge body that was over several meters tall. A horn extended from his forehead. A heavy club in his right hand. ¡¸I know I said anything is possible, but I didn¡¯t want this kind of thing!¡¹ I was furious at the monster in front of me. ¡¸Um, I¡¯m going to ask you just in case you missed it or something?¡¹ From what I¡¯ve heard from people, the closest thing to the Titan in front of me would be an Ogre. But the giant in from of me is clearly a size larger than the ogre and has a strange skin color. ¡¸AEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I know you¡¯re not going to miss it.¡¹ After all, they¡¯re raising a club. They¡¯re ready to crush me. ¡¸I survived the sacrifice ritual, but I¡¯m not going to die here.¡¹ It was the first humanoid monster I had ever met. Normally, I would be too scared to move, but the pressure of the monster in front of me was nothing compared to the Evil God. There is still some distance between us now. If I ran into the forest, there was a good chance I could shake it off. That¡¯s what I was thinking¡­. ¡¸Hmm. Is that¡­¡­?¡¹ I spotted a human behind the ogre. She was wearing a hood, so I couldn¡¯t see what she looked like, but from her build she looked like a young woman. 2 ¡¸I can¡¯t just leave her to die?¡¹ She seems to be unconscious, but if I run away, she¡¯ll feel prey to the ogre. I¡¯ll need to attract this guy and let her go. ¡¸I don¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯ll deal with him.¡¹ I was so excited that I drew my divine sword and headed towards the Ogre. CH 6 Chapter Title: Battle with the Bloody Ogre ¡¸Come here!¡¹ I raise my divine sword Borumunk and challenge the ogre in front of me. ¡¸AAAAAAAAAA?¡¹ But the red ogre was motionless with his back to the fallen woman. This makes it impossible to use the Evil Beam. ¡¸Shit!¡¹ I have no choice but to close the distance between us. ¡¸IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!¡¹ The next moment. The red ogre swung his club and reamed me out. ¡¸Uwa¡¹ I was able to dodge because it was a large swing, but I couldn¡¯t read the ogre¡¯s movements. ¡¸If you¡¯re going to get violent, you might as well come a little closer.¡¹ I dodge the attack while moving to the side, but the fallen woman was still in a straight line. Read the attack patterns of the naked ogre. Then when he raises his club, I see¡­. ¡¸There!¡¹ I made up my mind and stepped into his pocket and swung my sword to the side. ¡¸UUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEE?¡¹ But perhaps I haven¡¯t dived in his skin well enough, and my sword only lightly sliced through the ogre¡¯s abdomen. ¡¸I should have learned more swordsmanship if this was the case.¡¹ In any case, my original status was weak and I was ridiculed by those around me. I spent most of my time reading books, and the only time I did something else was when I was playing with Alicia. Even in that game, I was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head by Alicia, so my sword skills are no better than an amateur. ¡¸But now I can¡¯t beg for what I don¡¯t have.¡¹ There was no telling when the ogre would change his target to the fallen woman. I wasn¡¯t able to connect, but I was attacking. ¡¸OoOooOooo!!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not going down easy.¡¹ I let out a sigh in front of the gasping ogre. I¡¯m an amateur swordsman, but thanks to my status, I can see through their attacks with ease. However, I have not been able to defeat it yet, probably because my sword swings are too weak. ¡¸But it¡¯s only a matter of time, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ My opponent¡¯s movements are slowly slowing down and I have the means to recover. If I keep this up, I¡¯ll soon be able to beat it. ¡¸¡­¡­Hmm¡¹ At that moment. The hooded woman called out and turned over in her sleep. Then she woke up at and¡­ ¡¸Huh? Where am I?¡¹ With a flutter, the hood came off and beautiful blonde hair spilled out from inside. Blue eyes and pointed ears. You can call her a fantastic beauty. She was an elf. ¡¸A BLOODY OGRE!?¡¹ The red ogre reacts to her scream, Then he turst to her and¡­. ¡¸Idiot! Run away!¡¹ I panicked and ran towards her. The red ogre¡¯s club swung like a cleaver. I managed to get her in time and hugged her¡­. ¡¸Kyaaaaa!¡¹ I took the blow of the club and was blown away along with her. ¡¸Ugh¡­¡­it hurts¡¹ She makes a painful sound in my arms. She seems to be alive. ¡¸I¡¯m glad I made it. Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m fine, but¡­¡­you¡¯re¡­¡­¡¹ She looked at my body with concern. My right arm was broken because I got hit by the ogre, from the right side of my body when I took cover. ¡¸As long as you¡¯re okay, that¡¯s all that matters.¡¹ Injuries can be healed with Perfect Heal. If I don¡¯t die, it doesn¡¯t matter how much I get hurt. ¡¸Run away from it!¡¹ She shouted in my arms. ¡¸That¡¯s a Bloody Ogre! It¡¯s been living in this forest for a long time and it¡¯s a vicious monster that¡¯s been tormenting us.¡¹ No wonder it¡¯s so powerful. But¡­ ¡¸If he¡¯s that strong, we might as well kill him here.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s impossible! Your arm is injured and your weapon is¡­.¡¹ I followed her gaze. I was in a hurry, so I threw my sacred sword Borumunku on the ground. It¡¯s behind the Bloody Ogre, so I can¡¯t seem to go for it. ¡¸KAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹ The Bloody Ogre, convinced of his victory, smiles and raises his club. ¡¸No more!¡¹ The elven woman closed her eyes, as if she had given up. But I¡¯ve been waiting for this to happen. ¡¸It¡¯s no good!¡¹ The next moment, an Evil Beam pierced the Bloody Ogre. ¡¸KIKUKEKO?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ The Bloody Ogre disappeared right in front of my eyes, leaving a lump of flesh and a horn in it¡¯s place. The fact that it became a drop item means it¡¯s dead. ¡¸Ò»What happened¡­¡­?¡¹ I say to the woman who is still trying to grasp the situation. ¡¸Good for you. Looks like the monster that¡¯s been tormenting you for years is dead.¡¹ CH 7 Chapter Title: Serena the Elf TL: Sorry I couldn¡¯t post yesterday a chapter, since I had some irl stuff to take care of, but here you go, 2 chapters out for today. ?Bloody Ogre horn¡Á1 ?Bloody Ogre meat¡Á1 After I finished storing the drop items, I called out to the elf woman who was still in daze. ¡¸So, if you wouldn¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like you to explain the situation to me. How did you end up lying there?¡¹ ¡¸Well, my father was sick and I came to get some herbs to help him. [/note] I can see where this is going¡­[/note] Then all of a sudden the Ogre appeared, and the next thing I knew, I was knocke out.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I was just passing by when the Bloody Ogre knocked you out.¡¹ Then they said that they were lucky to have met each other. ¡¸We need to heal that arm as soon as possible. Wait here, I¡¯ll go gather the herbs now!¡¹ 1 I twisted his face as I tried to get up. Apparently I had hurt my leg. ¡¸I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just going to touch you a little bit, okay?¡¹ I touched her body and¡­¡­ ¡¸¡¾Perfect Heal¡¿¡¹ ¡¸N¡­¡­Ah~¡¹ 2 I hear a sexy voice in my ear. I looked up and saw that the elf¡¯s eyes were moistened. ¡¸How are you doing, does it still hurt?¡¹ In response to my question, she touched herself and said¡­.. ¡¸No! It doesn¡¯t hurt at all!¡¹ The effect of Perfect Heal is tremendous. I casted Perfect Heal on my own arm and healed it. ¡¸Hey, what exactly is that?¡¹ The elf fearfully asked. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s called Perfect Heal. It restores your strength and magic power, it also heals all injuries.¡¹ ¡¸I, I¡¯ve never heard of such magic! Even the highest-ranking wizards can¡¯t heal you in such a short time.¡¹ The elf revealed her surprise. I¡¯ve been trying to clear up all the questions since I finally met someone. ¡¸By the way, I have one question.¡¹ Finally, I can get a clear idea where I am. When I try to ask her about it¡­.. ¡¸Oh, but let me say something first. Thank you for helping me. If you hadn¡¯t come, I would have been taken and raped by the Bloody Ogre. You risked your life to challenge the Bloody Ogre and even got hurt to protect me.¡¹ So the elf slightly blused and said¡­.. ¡¸Thank you so much for that¡­..¡¹ The last part was little difficult to hear because she looked away from me. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. I couldn¡¯t just let that happen.¡¹ If I could ignore a situation like that, I wouldn¡¯t have sacrificed myself in Alicia¡¯s place. ¡¸More importantly, where are we?¡¹ I have to go back to my country somehow, so I want to know my current location. ¡¸This is the deepest part of the Lost Forest. Ò»People say that if you step foot in this forst, you¡¯ll never get out alive.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve never heard of it. Then it can¡¯t be near the city I live in.¡¹ It seems that I¡¯ve come to a very remote place due to the transportation magic circle that sent me to the evil god. However, it¡¯s a strange thing to say that it¡¯s a lost forest. This was an open area, but as we entered the forest, the trees were so tall and leafy that they blocked the sunlight. There were no landmarks to help us find our way. Given that, how are we going to get out of here? ¡¸Hey. Can I have a word with¡­¡­you¡­¡­um¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah. I¡¯m Elt.¡¹ She was stammering, trying to say my name. I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet, so I told her my name. She muttered ¡¸¡­¡­Elt¡¹ ¡¸My name is Serena.¡¹ Serena puts her hand on her chest and tells me her name. While I¡¯m staring at her¡­. ¡¸Since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you come to my village? I want to thank you for helping me.¡¹ If I say no here, I¡¯ll just be wandering in the lost forest. ¡¸All right. Lead the way.¡¹ I nodded at Serena¡¯s suggestion. ¡¸That¡¯s Serena. What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re so dirty!¡¹ We ran for a few minutes. It seemed that we have arrived at the elven village. An elf man just jumped down from a tall tree and stood in front of Serena. ¡¸Actually, the Bloody Ogre attacked me¡­..¡¹ ¡¸What the hell? He¡¯s out again? We¡¯ve got to get him out of here! We can¡¯t let him get too close to the village!¡¹ The other elves appeared and looked serious. I spoke to Serena as she approached me. ¡¸That guy must have been a serious pain in the ass.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Whenever he appeared near the village, we all tried to lead him away.¡¹ While we were having this conversation¡­.. ¡¸Serena! What are you doing being so carefree about it! You tell me where you saw it!¡¹ I said to the flustered elf man. ¡¸Do you have a minute?¡¹ ¡¸What are you¡­.. a human being?¡¹ He gives me a suspicious look. ¡¸Elt saved me from the bloody ogre!¡¹ As a follow-up, Serena said as she stepped in front of me. With those words, the sterness disappears from the gazes of the elves in the room. ¡¸Well, Serena¡¯s benefactor is the villager¡¯s benefactor. I¡¯m too busy to offer you any hospitality at the moment, but I¡¯ll be happy to return the favor after the Bloody Ogre is taken care of.¡¹ The man was about to make a move when I pulled out something and showed it to him. ¡¸The Bloody Ogre that you¡¯re busy with, I defeated him. Here¡¯s the horn to prove it.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸What?¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ The elves opened their mouth in disbelief. Serena watches them with a wry smile. A strange silence took over the room. CH 8 Chapter Title: The effects of the charm status ¡¸So you¡¯re the one¡­ who defeated the Bloody Ogre?¡¹ The elf man pointed at me with a shocked expression on his face. ¡¸Yes, it was so quick that I didn¡¯t know how he did it, but Elt did indeed defeat the Bloody Ogre.¡¹ Serena intervened. The elf man regained his composure. ¡¸I see, Serena. Well then, take our guest to the chief and report back to him.¡¹ ¡¸All right. Elt, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Serena said, pulling my hand and walking away. ¡¸Dad. I¡¯m back¡¹ After a while, we came to a large tree, over ten meters high. At the top of the tree was a house. Serena and I climbed up the tree and entered the house. ¡¸Oh, Serena. I heard you¡¯ve been gathering herbs for my illness. I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸You promised not to tell me that. But more importantly, I have something to report today.¡¹ Serena¡¯s gaze then drifted to me. ¡¸Hou. It¡¯s rare to have a guest of the human race. I am Yomi, the head of this village.¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s Elt.¡¹ Yomi looked at me with great interest. ¡¸Hmmm, does that mean you¡¯ll be marrying into our tribe?¡¹ 1 ¡¸What are you saying out of the blue? That¡¯s not the kind of relationship Elt and I have¡­.¡¹ Yomi¡¯s sudden statement was denied by Serena, whose face was turning red. ¡¸Hohoho. I¡¯m just joking¡­. But you seem to have a wonderful aura for a human being.¡¹ ¡¸An aura?¡¹ ¡¸We elves have a status unique to our race: charm. Some elves have special eyes that allow them to see the aura rising from a person with charm. You seem to have the charm status even though you¡¯re a human being.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what I was wondering too. The first time I saw Elt, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him¡­..!¡¹ Apparently, these two people have those special eyes. I guess that means that they can see my aura¡­¡­ ¡¸Is there anything good if the ¡°charm¡± status is high?¡¹ I don¡¯t know anything about the ¡°charm¡± status that comes from eating the fruit. I should ask about the status from an elf. ¡¸The more attractive you are, the more likely you are to be liked. And it¡¯s not just the opposite sex, animals and spirits also have a tedency to like beings with charm. In other words, a good spirit user has a high level of charm without exception¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯m learning,¡¹ ¡¸But that¡¯s weird. Elt is a human being, right? Why does he have charm?¡¹ Serena titled her head. I decided not to mention the status fruit. ¡¸Well. You have a peculiar constitution, don¡¯t you?¡¹ Yomi-san¡¯s eyebrows twitched at my attitude. ¡¸Anyway, Serena. What was the report about?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I got sidetracked. I actually went to pick some herbs and ran into the Bloody Ogre.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so?¡¹ ¡¸I was knocked unconscious, but Elt there took him out in no time at all.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm. I see.¡¹ Yomi-san puts his hands on his chin and watches me closely. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you surprised, dad?¡¹ I thought he would be as surprised as the other elves, but Yomi was unfazed. ¡¸There are many things that happen in a long life that are beyong our imagination. You have an air of mystery around you, Elt, so I¡¯ll believe when you say so.¡¹ Yomi-san said that and smiled. ¡¸Thank you for defeating the Bloody Ogre that has tormented us for so many years. Tonight we will have a banquet to welcome you Elt, so please make yourself at home.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ After saying that, Serena took me to the guest room. ¡¸At least I maganed to get to a place where there are people.¡¹ I¡¯m glad I was able to save Serena at that time. If I hadn¡¯t gotten there in time and Serena had been harmed, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to rest under a roof like this. ¡¸Oh, by the way, I think my level had gone up again.¡¹ Now that I¡¯m alone, I check my status. Name: Elto Title: Townie, God Slayer, Giant Slayer Level: 834 Constitution: 1681 Magic: 1681 Strength: 1681 Agility: 1681 Defense: 1681 Charm: 170 Skill: Agriculture Lv.2 Unique Skill: Inventory (446/835) ¡¾Inventory¡¿ Evil Beam x 9996 Perfect Heal x 99996 ¡¾Items¡¿ ?Divine Sword Borumunku ?Diablo wine ¡Á500£¨super high quality wine£© ?Bahamut wine ¡Á500£¨super high quality wine£© ?Leviathan wine ¡Á500£¨super premium wine£© ?Golden fruit ¡Á789£¨increases all stats by 10 when eaten.£© ?Silver fruit ¡Á1104£¨increases magic power by 10 when eaten£© ?Red fruit ¡Á2400£¨increases constitution by 10 when eaten£© ?Blue fruit ¡Á2397£¨increases agility by 10 when eaten£© ?Yellow fruit ¡Á2405£¨increases strength by 10 when eaten£© ?Green fruit ¡Á3002£¨increases defense by 10 when eaten£© ?Rainbow fruit ¡Á108£¨increases charm by 100 when eaten£© ?Bloody Ogre Horn ¡Á1 ?Bloody Ogre Flesh ¡Á1 ..etc 60 levels up at once. Maybe that Bloody Ogre had a high level. ¡¸Even so, the spirits like it¡­¡¹ I look at the charm status and think. If it¡¯s true, it might help me in the future. ¨D¨Dkonkonkon¨D¨D 2 ¡¸Come in.¡¹ When I answered, it was the elf man who had just entered. ¡¸You must be Elt. I¡¯m Phil, the son of the chief. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my sister this time.¡¹ ¡¸No, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just grateful that you let me stay here.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t have gotten to where I am without her help. ¡¸More importantly, Elt. You¡¯re pretty dirty, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ Phil said, his brow furrowing. ¡¸There¡¯s still time before the party starts. There¡¯s a hot spring here that¡¯s known as a secret hot spring. If you want, you can go there and get cleaned up.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡¹ With those words, I stood up and he led me to the hot spring. CH 9 Chapter Title: Alicia¡¯s Thoughts ¡¸Huh¡­ This is the best, I feel like I¡¯m coming back to life.¡¹ I scoop up some hot water with both hands and pour it over my face. I¡¯m currently soaking in a hot spring that the elves own. The hot spring is surrounded by rocks, and the only sound I can hear is the sound of water running down from between the rocks. The hot springs are surrounded by tall trees, so I can relax by myself without worrying about someone watching me. ¡¸It¡¯s a strange thing, though.¡¹ Just a few days ago, I was standing in front of the evil god, and now here I am, being taken care of in an elven village. I couldn¡¯t have imagined this when I was living with Alicia in the Kingdom of Ilkut. ¡¸Is Alicia going to be okay?¡¹ I remembered the look on her face when we parted. Alicia is a kind girl. She doesn¡¯t like when someone else is going to get sacrificed in her place. She probably must be depressed. ¡¸If only I could somehow let her know I¡¯m okay¡­¡­.¡¹ To do so, I must first reach a village or a city of the human race¡­¡­ ¡¸For now, how do I get out of this forest?¡¹ I puzzled over it. Laughter could be heard from everywhere, and spheres of light floated all around us. The glow of the spirit of light gently illuminated the surroundings, and the elves floating in it looked very fantastic. I watched the scene as I sipped on a glass of honey wine. ¡¸It¡¯s delicious.¡¹ The liquor made from the flowers was refreshing and easy to drink, and the elegant taste of honey filled my mouth. It seems to be a secret Elven wine, and I¡¯ve never had anything like it in town. I was thinking that it was worth being here just to be able to drink this wine. ¡¸Elt. Why is the star of the day sitting in the corner of the room?¡¹ Serena was standing there. In contrast to her previous attire while exploring the forest, she was wearing a thin white dress with sandals and flower decorations. Her cheeks were warm from the hot spring and she smelled very good. She seemed to be in a good mood, holding a bottle of honey wine in her hand, just like me. ¡¸I was just looking at them, thinking how happy they looked.¡¹ I turned my gaze away from Serena and looked at them. ¡¸That¡¯s true. We¡¯ve been through a lot with the Bloody Ogre. Now that we don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore, of course we¡¯ll be happy.¡¹ Serena said that and sat down next to me. As I stared at her, my eyes suddenly met hers. ¡¸Hey, can you tell me about yourself?¡¹ ¡¸About myself?¡¹ ¡¸Come to think of it, we only know each other¡¯s names, don¡¯t we?¡¹ I was so busy that I didn¡¯t have time to have a conversation. ¡¸That¡¯s right, I suppose. It¡¯s a long story, so if you wouldn¡¯t mind?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course. We have plenty of time.¡¹ I was in a good mood after drinking, so Serena and I spent the rest of the evening chatting. ¡ï (Alicia POV) ¡¸Elt, why¡­¡­¡¹ Alicia muttered in the darkness. The tears had dried up and were no longer flowing. Several days had passed since the sacrifice ceremony. The ceremonial hall was confused at first, but when the transportation magic circle that summoned them to the evil god told them that Elt had disappeared, the buzzing subsided. Most of the people praised Elt¡¯s actions and shed tears for his self-sacrifice. But deep down, everyone must have been thinking. ¡ºNow Alicia won¡¯t have to be sacrificed.¡» ¨CAnd. ¡¸I¡¯m not happy about it. I can¡¯t believe that Elt is gone¡­¡­¡¹ Alicia¡¯s memories of the time she had spent with Elt came back to her mind. At the same time, a sense of loss washed over her. ¡¸Because I was weak, that¡¯s why Elt was¡­¡­¡¹ I remember the night before the ceremony. Alicia had called Elt. The next day, she would have to offer herself to the evil god. At the very least, she wanted to confide her feelings to him before that. However, when she saw Elt¡¯s face, Alicia could not muster the courage to confess her feelings. The childhood friend who had been with her since birth. If she shared her feelings here, she might end up tying him up for life. Thinking about it again, I couldn¡¯t speak. Instead, all I could say was a weak ¡¸I don¡¯t want to die.¡¹ She had been chosen as a sacrifice by the government, and although she acted bravely, she was a girl of her age in front of Elt. Her true feelings leaked out. When Elt heard Alicia¡¯s words, he gently patted her back. ¡¸If I hadn¡¯t cried at that time, Elt might not have thought of taking my place.¡¹ She looked at the magic circle he had been sucked into. ¡¸No, I¡¯m sure he meant to do this all along. Elt is too kind.¡¹ Alicia slightly smiled. She touched the magic circle and¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸What!¡¹ The magic circle grew brighter. ¡¸Is this thing still connected? That¡¯s a lie¡­Because this light is supposed to disappear when the sacrificed person dies.¡¹ The evil god¡¯s magic circle appears once a year in the castle¡¯s ritual hall. It will not subside unless someone passes through it, and it loses its light when the sacrifice dies. Alicia had been told this beforehand. ¡¸Could it be that Elt is still alive?¡¹ That was close to wishful thinking. There is a possibility that the magic circle is malfunctioning for some reason. It¡¯s also possible that the legend was just wrong. But¡­¡­. The magic circle only shines and does not answer. Even if Alicia was on top of it, the magic circle would not activate, because it only had the ability to carry a single sacrifice. ¡¸If you¡¯re really alive¡­¡­¡¹ A light lit up in Alicia¡¯s eyes. It was not the despairing lament of the past, but a determined light¡­¡­. ¡¸I want to see Elt.¡¹ The girl said her wish. ¡¸I have to see him and tell him. Because this is the only thought I¡¯ll ever have¡­¡­.¡¹ Alicia put her hand on her chest and felt her heart beat faster and faster. CH 10 Chapter Title: Spirit Magic ¡¸¡­¡­ So, Elt.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ As I was listening to Serena¨D¨D ¡¸It¡¯s not fair to talk just to Serena. We want to talk to you too.¡¹ There were several elves surrounding me. All of them were blushing, so it seemed they had drank alcohol. ¡¸Fufu, Elt is talking to me. If you¡¯re frustrated about it, why don¡¯t you let the Bloody Ogre kidnap you and make him save you?¡¹ Serena leans against me. She was in a good mood. I stand up and¡­¡­. ¡¸Huh?¡¡Elt, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m gonna go sober up a bit.¡¹ I¡¯m not a fan of being surrounded by a large group of women, so I left. ¡¸Good! Do it!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t lose, Phil!¡¹ As I walked to avoid the female elves, I saw a group of men getting excited. I looked over and saw two men fighting on a wooden stage. That¡¯s¡­¡­. One of them was Serena¡¯s brother, Phil. The other must be an elf from the village. Both of them are holding wooden swords, and they are attacking each other, going back and forth. I was interested in the way they were fighting, and cheered in my heart for Phil, whom I somehow knew. ¨CKaaan! The other elf¡¯s wooden sword was flicked off and rolled onto the stage. ¡¸I, I give up.¡¹ The elf raised up his hands as if to surrender. Phil, the winner, was praised by the surrounding crowd. ¡¸Damn it. I was so close.¡¹ A man came down from the stage, grumbling. That¡¯s when Phil noticed me and went to me¡­¡­. ¡¸Hey Elt. Are you having fun?¡¹ The loud voice caused everyone to turn around and look at me. ¡¸Yeah, thanks to you.¡¹ I felt awkward not answering, so I gave him a safe answer¡­¡­. ¡¸Why don¡¯t we fight each other? If you beat me, I¡¯ll give you a prize.¡¹ He pointed his wooden sword at me. I thought about it for a moment and picked up my wooden sword.. ¡¸Hey©`©`!¡¡Phil, the best swordsman in the village, and the ogre-killing hero are going to fight each other!¡¹ The elves in the village gathered at the sound of the loud voice. ¡¸Then let¡¯s see how you defeated the Bloody Ogre.¡¹ Phil held up his wooden sword and I raised mine to match him. The two swords clashed, as if on cue, and the match has begun. ¡¸Ya!¡¡Hah!¡¡Ura!¡¹ Phil continued to swing his wooden sword with a serious expression on his face. His movements are so sharp that I, as an amateur, almost lose sight of his sword even though I¡¯m watching him closely. ¡¸Whoa!¡¹ I thought that he was going to swing from the above, but then I noticed that the sword was coming from a blind spot on my left. I¡¯ll get away with it by defending it with the wooden sword. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¡Come on, hit me from the other side!¡¹ It¡¯s been like this since a while ago. I took this match because I wanted to get some real-world experience. Thanks to the difference in status, I can see Phil¡¯s moves perfectly. And yet, I¡¯m being beaten like this because I don¡¯t have enough experience. I¡¯ll need some means of self-defense before I can return to my hometown. I may be able to kill all of my enemies with the Evil Beam, but that is not a skill that can be tamed. I need to be able to adjust my power so that I can neutralize them when I don¡¯t want to kill them. ¡¸¡­¡­Isn¡¯t it about time?¡¹ Phil knew what I was trying to do, and he was slowly increasing his attack speed, but he seemed to reach his limit. It was time for me to get back on the offensive. ¡¸You¡¯re finally ready to go?¡¡I¡¯ll tell you what, I¡¯m not going to let you attack me so easily!¡¹ Phil wryly grinned as he regripped his sword. ¡¸Hahahahaha¡­¡­ you idiot!¡¹ A few minutes later, Phil was leaning on his wooden sword, gasping for air. while I was staring at Phil¡­¡­. ¡¸Oh, come on, Phil, the best swordsman in the village is lagging behind humans in swordsmanship?¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s moving too fast. Is he really human?¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t think the prize is going to fall into his hands, do you?¡¹ Some of their sentences bother me a little, but I can feel their agitation. ¡¸It¡¯s my sword technique you¡¯ve been using since a while ago. Did you learn it from watching me?¡¹ Yes, I learned the movements of his sword by letting Phil hit me with them. And then I showed them to him by hitting back him back with them. I looked around and saw that all the elves in the village had gathered. In the front row, I spotted a face I knew. It was Serena, who I had just left there. She crossed her hands on her chest and looked serious. ¡¸Serena. You came to cheer me up!¡¹ Phil happily muttered and looked at me as if he had regained his energy. ¡¸No, that was totally beyond my expectations. I mean, it¡¯s no surprise that he defeated the Bloody Ogre, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be this strong.¡¹ Phil¡¯s praise made the elves around me look at me with enthusiasm. ¡¸But I can¡¯t lose, either. Because I can¡¯t give this prize to anyone else.¡¹ His expression was serious. You can see that he does not want to give the prize away. ¡¸By the way, Elt. I¡¯m sure my father has told you about this, but do you know the conditions under which you can see auras of a charm?¡¹ ¡¸No?¡¹ ¡¸The eyes that can see auras are called spirit vision. An elf who can do this can make a contract with a spirit and use its power.¡¹ I could feel the wind gathering around Phil. ¡¸So?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m certainly behind you with the sword. But can you beat me using spirit magic?¡¹ ¡¸Mmm?¡¹ I can see the wind whipping around Phil. Even if he tried to attack, the wind would defend him. ¡¸That¡¯s kind of immature.¡¹ ¡¸You want to protect your prize that badly¡­¡­?¡¹ Okay, Phil!¡¡You¡¯ve got to protect it! Phil turned his head to the side at the sound of the gallery¡¯s voice. ¡¸Serena!¡¡This brother will get rid of any bad bugs that get on you!¡¹ His words triggered an increase in the spirit¡¯s power, and a storm blew across the stage. If I struck with all my might, I would be able to break through, but that would injure Phil. As I was thinking about what to do, Serena opened her mouth. She meets my eyes and¡­¡­. ¡¸Elt©`©`©`!¡¡Good luck!¡¹ ¡¸S, Serena!?¡¹ 1 The next moment, the wind stopped and Phil stood there like a stick. ¡¸There¡¯s an opening!¡¹ I jumped in, not wanting to miss this opportunity, and knocked Phil¡¯s wooden sword off and put the tip of my sword at his throat. ¡¸The game is on!¡¹ ¡¸Yaaaaaaaaaay!¡¹ Serena jumped up and down with joy. I hadn¡¯t expected her to cheer for me instead of her brother. CH 11 Chapter Title: How to learn to see spirits ¡¸No©`, you¡¯re a great guy!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect Phil to lose. Let¡¯s have a toast!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, I need more booze!!¡¹ When I got off the stage, the elves were in a good mood and slapped me on the shoulders. They seemed to congratulate me because I won the mock battle. ¡¸What are you talking about, there¡¯s no alcohol left.¡¹ Since the party was not originally planned, they had already run out of acohol. I suddenly thought of something¡­.. ¡¸How about this wine if you don¡¯t mind?¡¹ I took five bottles each of the three different wines I had from my inventory and placed them on the table. ¡¸Oh! Looks like a magic trick. It¡¯s an unusual bottle, but I¡¯ll take anything for a drink.¡¹ As the elf happily held up the wine¡­.. ¡¸Hey, let me have a look at that drink!¡¹ I heard Yomi¡¯s voice. The elf man and I took the wine and headed to Yomi-san. When Yomi received the wine, he stared at it. He held it up to the light, turned it around and intently read the words on the label. After a while, Yomi¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡¸This is¡­! It¡¯s Phantom wine!¡¹ ¡¸Phantom wine?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s the wine of the lost civilization.¡¹ I took out a bottle of wine that was stored in the evil god¡¯s castle. I didn¡¯t realize that it was such a legendary drink¡­.. ¡¸What¡¯s so great about it?¡¹ Diablo wine, Bahamut wine and the Leviathan wine are lined up on the table. ¡¸These are the three of the world¡¯s five most famous drinks! It¡¯s said that an elf is lucky if they can taste one of them in their long life¡­¡¹ I didn¡¯t know it was that much of a great wine. The drunken elves around me looked serious, as if this was no ordinary thing. ¡¸Elt-kun. You should keep this in a safe place and open it on some kind of anniversary. It should not be consumed at a banquet like this.¡¹ Yomi-san gently admonished me and tried to return the wine to me. But I didn¡¯t take it. ¡¸Then we should open it today.¡¹ I looked around at everyone with a smile on my face as they all suspiciously looked at me. ¡¸This is the anniversary of our meeting. I can¡¯t think of a more appropriate day to open this wine.¡¹ When I was in town, Alicia was the only one who would talk to me. Today, the elves all gave my a friendly look and spoke to me. It¡¯s only natural that I would want to drink this wine with the people here. ¡¸Er, Elt-kun¡­¡­¡¹ Yomi-san looked impressed. I thought I might have said too much, so I added a few more words. ¡¸B, besides this kind of drinks taste better when you drink it with other people.¡¹ ¡¸Hahaha, you¡¯re right! Well said!¡¹ Afterwards, we all shared a glass of wine and had a great time. ¡¸¡­¡­My head hurts.¡¹ The next day. When I woke up, I found Phil holding my left arm and Serena holding my right arm, they were hugging me closely. Apparently, this was Yomi¡¯s and his family¡¯s house. I don¡¯t remember how we got back, but we seemed to have ran out of steam as soon as we got home. ¡¸Ufufufu, Elt¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t have Serena¡­¡­¡¹ The two siblings are muttering something in their sleep. The faces of the two of them very close and still very well put together. Compared to the other elves I saw last night, I¡¯d say that they were both outstanding. I pulled my arms out from both of them, and¡­. ¡¸¡¾Perfect Heal¡¿¡¹ I cast a spell and the headache disappeared. Apparently, Perfect Heal can also cure abnormal conditions. ¡¸Ò»I¡¯m going to cast it on them too.¡¹ I knew they would probably have a headache when they¡¯ll wake up, so I also cast Perfect Heal on both of them to kill their hangover. ¡¸What? You want me to teach you about spirit vision?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Or is this some kind of top secret thing within¡¯ the elves?¡¹ When I woke up and saw Yomi, I remembered last night¡¯s spirit magic. I thought it would be useful in my future travels if I could learn it, as it was much more powerful than if I was fighting with swords. ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s true that Elt-kun has the [Charm] status. There is a possibility that you could see spirits.¡¹ I clenched my fists as I waited for his reply. ¡¸How do I become able to see spirits?¡¹ There are about 100 elves in this village, but only about 20 of them are actually able to see spirits and use magic. This means that one out of every five people can see spirits. Yomi-san replied, stroking his chin. ¡¸In order to see spirits, you must increase your [Charm]. The higher your status, the more spirits will be attracted by your charm. The more spirits you gather, the faster you¡¯ll be able to see them. So if there¡¯s an elf who lacks charm, they need to hunt and raise their levels, and one day they¡¯ll be able to see spirits.¡¹ Yomi-san then turned his stern eyes to me. ¡¸You are still young, Elt-kun. If you train here for a while, you will eventually be able to see spirits. But it won¡¯t be easy, will it?¡¹ 1 Yomi reminds me that I have¡­¡­ ¡¸I see, I understand now.¡¹ 2 ?Rainbow fruit ¡Á108£¨eating it will increase your charm by 100£© I answered while looking at a certain place on the status screen. CH 12 Chapter Title: I got the ¡¾Analytical Eye¡¿ skill ¡¸Now, where is it¡­¡­?¡¹ After I finished talking with Yomi, I ate the breakfast that Serena had made for me. As with last night¡¯s banquet, Serena was good at cooking and the freshly baked bread mixed with herbs was very delicious. That¡¯s why I wanted to give them something in return for letting me stay here and having dinner with me. I asked Yomi if there was anything I could do to help him, and he asked me to gather some herbs to cure his illness. ¡¸So this is the sample¡­¡­¡¹ What I received from Yomi was a blue herb called ¡¾Blue mary¡¿. When I left the village, I wandered through the forest by myself. ¡¸Whoa, I found something like this!¡¹ I walked around a bit and saw a blue mary growing there. I reached out to pick it up, but stopped halfway. Serena told me to be careful because some of the plants look very similar to the original. It seems that there is a grass that has a similar color and shape to blue mary, and it¡¯s name is Pachy mary. It¡¯s not poisonous, but if you eat it, it¡¯s taste is bitter and has no medicinal effect, so Yomi-san doesn¡¯t need it. ¡¸They certainly look alike, but how can I tell them apart?¡¹ Serena, who picks herbs every day, might be able to tell, but to my eyes they look exactly the same. ¡¸If I pick the wrong one here and leave, I¡¯ll have to do it twice¡­..¡¹ I¡¯m just a little worried about it¡­. ¡¸Oh yeah! There¡¯s this way!¡¹ I store everything in my inventory and look at it. ?Blue mary¡Á35 ?Pachy mary¡Á117 ¡¸They are mostly Pachy mary¡­¡­¡¹ I used the method of storing them in my inventory and displaying the item name. I thought that this way I could group them by type, but it was more than I expected. ¡¸Let¡¯s just throw away the pachy mary for now.¡¹ I don¡¯t mind keeping them because they don¡¯t get mixed up, but there¡¯s a limit to how many things I can stock in my inventory. I took out the pachymary and piled it up on the ground. ¡¸Now, he hasn¡¯t told me how much he wants, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve gathered enough¡­¡­¡¹ I don¡¯t want to move too far into the forest and get lost. When I was wondering if I should go back¡­.. ¡ª¡ªSqueak, squeak, squeak¨D¨D ¡¸What is this monster?¡¹ It¡¯s about the size of a small beast, but it has one huge eye and a gaping mouth. It was looking at me while leaking out some kind of voice, but it didn¡¯t seem to be attacking me. I took out my sword, feeling a little creeped out. ¡ª¡ªgichi¨D¨D ¡¸Ah!¡¡What?¡¹ Immediately, my defensive instincts kicked in. In this instant, he had set something in motion. ¡ª¡ªgichi?¡ª¡ª The monster tilted it¡¯s head. What in the world was he planning to do? ¡¸¡­¡­Maybe.¡¹ I suddenly have an idea, and look in my inventory. ?Analizing eye¡Á1£¨can see the status of the target£© ¡¸I see. So that¡¯s what¡¯s been bothering you know.¡¹ It seems that this guy used a skill, but it didn¡¯t have any effect on me because I stocked it up as quickly as I could. And now he was wondering what happened. ¡¸Let¡¯s just see what this guy is.¡¹ I immediately tried to use ¡¾Analytical Eye¡¿. Then¡­¡­ Race: Monster Individual name: Blood Eye Level: 522 Constitution: 1020 Magic: 834 Strength: 937 Agility: 1200 Defense: 900 Skill£ºAnalytical Eye Remarks: It uses its analytical eye to detect the status of its prey before attacking. It often works together with Bloody Ogre and Dark Wolf. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s the kind of monster it is.¡¹ While we were facing each other like this, I was accumulating more and more information on him through the analytical eyes. It seems that he¡¯s getting frustrated because he can¡¯t see my status. ¡¸And yet his level is unexpectedly high¡­¡­¡¹ When I was in town, there were times when the level of knights and the like were announced. However, even a knight who is said to be skilled has a level of 197. Compared to that, being a level 522 means you are a monster¡­ and this guy is one in both the literal and figurative manner of speech. ¡¸Well, I can say the same about myself now¡­¡­.¡¹ It¡¯s no wonder his stats were so high, since he even defeated the Bloody Ogre after the Evil God. ¡¸I¡¯ve had a hunch that the enemies around here might be terribly strong.¡¹ Even for Phil, he could probably finish it, but with the level difference, it may have been possible that the monster would overwhelm him. ¡¸Well, what should I do¡­¡¹ I¡¯ve already stocked up enough information through the analytical eyes. I want to get this over with before he could call in more of their people. I hold up the divine sword Borumunk and¡­¡­. 1 ¡¸No hard feelings.¡¹ ¡ª¡ªgichi¡­¡­gic¡­¡­?¡ª¡ª Ò»I jumped on my feet, and stabbed him in the eyeball. ¡¸I leveled up 10 times.¡¹ I open my status to see the skills I just acquired. ?Analyctical eye ¡Á666 2 ¡¸With this, I can see the charm status of the elves.¡¹ What I was worried about was whether or not I would be suspected of rapidly increasing my charm. We haven¡¯t talked about anything related to the evil god, and it¡¯s hard to explain the status-enhancing fruits. So I want to increase my charm status in a way to make it look as natural as possible and get the spirit vision. ¡¸In the meantime, let¡¯s check Serena¡¯s charm.¡¹ I¡¯ve heard that Serena can¡¯t use spirits as much as Phil, and she¡¯s the easiest to observe. I¡¯ll raise the charm to a value close to Serena¡¯s and then we¡¯ll see what happens. That¡¯s what I thought as I collected the Blood Eye drop and headed back to the village. ¡ï¡ï¡ï ¡¸Hey, Onii-chan.¡¹ Hugging her knees, Serena spoke to Phil. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong. Serena?¡¹ Phil, who had been swinging his sword, turned around and wiped the sweat off his face. ¡¸Elt is weird, right?¡¹ Phil¡¯s eyebrows twitched at the question. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve never seen a race of people like that.¡¹ Phil nodded at the way he had behaved the other day. ¡¸Elt doesn¡¯t know what this place is like, does he? He usually goes out to pick up herbs.¡¹ ¡¸The lost forest is called the end of the world. The monsters that appear are all vicious and high level. It¡¯s said that if you enter the forest, you¡¯ll never make it out alive.¡¹ ¡¸He defeated the Bloody Ogre, which even high level people like us can¡¯t defeat, and most importantly¡­¡­ he¡¯s kind.¡¹ ¡¸Nn. What did you say?¡¹ Phil asked back because he didn¡¯t hear well, but Serena hurriedly waved her hand and said¡­ ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing!¡¹ His expression softened as he replied. Then he lets out a sigh. ¡¸I hope he comes back soon.¡¹ Serena stared at the entrance to the village. CH 13 Chapter Title: The training begins When I returned from gathering herbs, Serena was just preparing lunch I gave her some bluemary and she said ¡¸This much in that short amount of time¡­¡­?¡¹, while being very surprised. For the next moments, I watched Serena from behind without doing anything as she was cooking. Her body was well-proportioned and slender, because she was an elf living in the forest. However, when you look at Serena as a whole, you can see the soft silhouette of a woman, and you realize that she is an attractive being. I wonder if this is due to her [Charm] status. I was thinking about this when¡­. ¡¸Eh, Elt?¡¹ Serena turned and spoke to me. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ I¡¯m not sure why Serena¡¯s ears are red. You can clearly see the color of her ears as they are pointy as a characteristic of her race. ¡¸I¡¯m embarrassed if you look at me that closely.¡¹ She looks down and says that in an awkward manner. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I was just curious.¡¹ I apologized, and briefly told her why I was watching her. ¡¸H, hmmm, I see¡­¡­¡¹ She averted her gaze. But she didn¡¯t seem to mind. The more I observed, the more I could see what she was capable of. I looked at Serena to find out. If I stare at her too much, she will to be bothered by it, so I decide to use my analytical eye. ¡¸¡­¡­Nn?¡¹ The moment I used it, Serena tilted her head. However, she immediately went back to cooking. It seemed that just like me, she has the ability to feel uncomfortable the moment it¡¯s set up. (Now, what¡¯s Serena¡¯s charm?) I quickly took a peek at the results and¡­ First name: Serena Title: Elf, Spirit Master Level: 250 Constitution: 260 Magic: 401 Strength: 255 Agility: 450 Defense: 300 Charm: 1000 Skill: Cooking Lv5, Spirit Use (5/5) I see. If my status will be 1,000 I¡¯ll meet the conditions to see spirits. I¡¯ll adust the status later when I think about it. ¡¸But¡­¡­¡¹ What caught my attention was her overall status. It was much lower than the eyeball monster I had just defeated. Would she be able to escape if she encountered it? ¡¸Serena¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong Elt?¡¡You have such a serious look on your face.¡¹ ¡¸From now on, when you want to go out, you¡¯ll go with me.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, if that¡¯s what Elt wants, I¡¯m fine with it¡­..¡¹ He said this out of concern for her safety, but for some reason she blushed. After that, I was in a good mood and watched Serena cooking, but Yomi and Phil arrived at the table, so I had a conversation with them. ¡¸Ha! Ha!¡¹ He swung down his divine sword, Bormunku, with great enthusiasm. ¡¸Good. You¡¯ve mastered the kata I taught you.¡¹ A few days had passed since then, and I had eaten the rainbow fruit and adjusted my charm status to 1000. ¡¸When handling a sword, always be aware of your swing speed and range. Knowing these two things will prevent you from overreacting to your enemy.¡¹ I keep looking at him, intently listening to Phil¡¯s words. ¡¸Alright. I¡¯ll try to be aware of it.¡¹ As I said this, I kept my eyes on Phil. The reason is that the spirit vision is opened by seeing many spirits. Phil¡¯s charm status is as high as 1500. Yomi¡¯s was 2000. The higher the spirit user, the more spirits will gather, so observing Phil and Yomi should save time. At the moment, Phil is teaching me how to use a sword while I¡¯m trying to open my eyes to spirit vision. I¡¯d like to get out of this lost forest as soon as possible, but I need to make some preparations. ¡¸But then again, I didn¡¯t expect to see the Blood Eye be so close¡­ If it hadn¡¯t been for Elt, someone would have been hurt.¡¹ I told Yomi and Phil about my encounter with the monster the other day. From the fact that they were both surprised, it seems that the encounter with the monster was an unusual situation. It would be dangerous for Serena to go out alone, so I told them that I would be her escort, and they asked me to do it. The important thing was that Serena looked unhappy for some reason, but¡­¡­. Maybe she thought I was unreliable. So I will have to train more. ¡¸In the first place, the Bloody Ogre¡¯s habitat is originally further north in the forest. Lately, the monsters in the Lost Forest seem to be moving strangely.¡¹ The North Forest is the area where the Evil God¡¯s castle was located. Could it be the after-effect because I¡¯ve defeated the Evil God? I think about it, but I don¡¯t feel like I can explain why, so I decide to keep quiet. ¡¸We¡¯ll have to tighten up security in the village and see what happens. If it¡¯s all right with you, I¡¯ll lend a hand, so don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡¹ The elves in the village were friendly to me. I was willing to do whatever I could to protect them. ¡¸You¡¯re really too good to be a human being, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ Phil smiles at me¡­ ¡¸But that¡¯s not what this is about. My sister won¡¯t do it, okay?¡¹ He glared at me, saying something I didn¡¯t quite understand why. CH 14 Chapter Title: The Fortune Teller ¡ï¡¡¡ï¡¡¡ï ¡¸What do you think, Obaba?¡¹ The fortuneteller, holding his hand over the crystal, furrowed his brows while saying¡­¡­ ¡¸No doubt, my king. The boy Elt is still alive.¡¹ Everyone in the room gulped. There were whispering voices around me. I picked up the words among them, ¡¸How in the world?¡¹ ¡¸How did he survive the sacrifice ritual?¡¹ ¡¸Is there a request from the evil god?¡¹. Only a few people in the kingdom have been gathered to prevent the chaos from spreading. In such a situation¡­¡­. ¡¸I knew Elt was alive!¡¡Ah¡­¡­ Elt. I¡¯m so glad.¡¹ Alicia was happy with tears in her eyes. This time, Alicia discovered that the transfer magic circle was still operational and reported the fact. The kingdom was aware that this year¡¯s sacrifice rituals were over, so this was truly a surprise. That¡¯s why I asked the country¡¯s number one fortune teller to confirm Elt¡¯s survival. ¡¸Obaba. Where¡¯s the boy?¡¹ Unlike Alicia, as the king, he can¡¯t just let Elt live and be done with it. ¡¸There¡¯s no sign of him on the ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ map!¡¹ In a panic, one of us brought a map and spread it out on the table. The fortuneteller crawls his finger over the map. First, he points to the location of the Kingdom of Ilkut. The Kingdom of Ilkut is a medium-sized nation located in the east of the continent. From there, the fortune teller turns his finger in a wide circle and brings it to the west. He crawled his finger to avoid the sea in the middle of the continent. ¡¸Here¡­¡­¡¹ Alicia frowned. Her eyebrows furrowed as she realized from the movement of her fingers that this was a very distant place. ¡¸He is in the territory of the Erivan Kingdom. This deep green forest is called the [Lost Forest] and has a den of powerful monsters and it¡¯s said that if someone enters the forets they won¡¯t be able to ever return back alive. My fortune tells me that this is where the sacrificial boy is.¡¹ I felt the same shock as before. ¡¸Wouldn¡¯t that mean that the boy would die shortly?¡¹ ¡¸The transportation magic circle is a magic circle that sends you to the Evil God. Does that mean that the evil god has his stronghold in the Kingdom of Erivan?¡¹ ¡¸In any case, it¡¯s not a place that we can mess with.¡¹ The important people are exchanging opinions with reluctant looks on their faces¡­¡­. ¡¸Elt will not die!¡¹ Alicia interrupted their discussion. ¡¸He was sacrificed to the evil gods, but he still survived!¡¡Elt must be alive and well even now!¡¹ Alicia glared at everyone in the room as tears welled up in her eyes, as if the worst expectations had come to her mind. King Jamgan of Irkutu was stroking his beard and observing Alicia. And¡­¡­. ¡¸It¡¯s no use talking about it here. The sacrifice system that has plagued our country until now has become abnormal. That¡¯s what¡¯s so unusual about this. The demands from the evil gods have ceased.¡¹ Either way, we don¡¯t have enough information. Jamgan thought to himself. ¡¸I don¡¯t know if the boy is alive or dead, but we should do what we can¡­¡­. Alice¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Father¡¹ A beautiful woman stepped forward when her name was called. It¡¯s Alice, the princess of this country. ¡¸You are to go to Erivan immediately. Gather information there and find out what happened to the boy in question.¡¹ This matter needed to be handled in the strictest confidence. In order to do so, Jamgan thought it best to send his daughter, the most powerful woman in the kingdom, to the scene. ¡¸Very well, father. I have certainly received your order.¡¹ Alice bowed in a dignified manner. She was about to leave the room to carry out her mission, but¡­¡­. ¡¸P, please wait!¡¹ Alicia interrupted her. She ran up to Alice and said¡­¡­. ¡¸Take me with you, please. I can use healing magic, so I won¡¯t slow you down!¡¹ ¡¸If you are a user of healing magic, there are court mages. In some cases, they may go near the Lost Forest. You think you can follow me to such a dangerous place?¡¹ Elt was a mere townsman, so he was not familiar with this kind of information, but the infamy of the Lost Forest was widely known among adventurers. Alicia had a chance to talk to them while she was healing, so she was well aware of the horror of the situation. ¡¸I¡¯m prepared for this.¡¹ Alice thought that if she threatened her a little, she would back down, but she met Alicia¡¯s serious eyes head on. ¡¸Why are you doing this?¡¡The boy named Elt was sacrificed in your place. In other words, you¡¯re safe now that he¡¯s fulfilled your role. Why would you risk it all to come along?¡¹ Alicia¡¯s devotion to her country has been recognized, and her good looks have led her to receive offers of marriage from noblemen. If she continues to live in the country, she is guaranteed a wealthy life. Alice questioned the action of abandoning it. ¡¸That¡¯s obvious, Princess¡¹ Alicia declared as she stared at Alice with a strong will and a smile that would make anyone fall in love with her. ¡¸I want to see Elt. I want to meet Elt and tell him something. So I don¡¯t care what place it is.¡¹ ¡¸I like you. I¡¯m appointing you as my squire.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Alice, are you sure?¡¹ One of the officials came up to me. He was one of those who planned to attach his son to Alicia. ¡¸No problem. I¡¯ll take full responsibility. I¡¯m good enough to fight by myself. As long as I have this blade, I have no enemies.¡¹ Then she showed him the sword on her hip. ¡¸Thank you, Princess.¡¹ ¡¸Alice is fine. You¡¯ll be my traveling companion on this journey.¡¹ Alice sat down and brought her eye level with Alicia¡¯s. She winked at her. ¡¸Why would you go through all the trouble?¡¹ I don¡¯t understand why they would reach out to someone like me. Alicia wondered. Alice giggled and smiled. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m interested in you and Elt-kun¡¹ She replied. CH 15 Chapter Title: Food Acquisition ¡¸Oh, Elt, let¡¯s go this way next. There¡¯s a tree that bears delicious fruit.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t run too fast or you¡¯ll fall.¡¹ I chided Serena as she ran, looking at me excitedly. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. This area is like a garden to me.¡¹ Serena moves around energetically, but a branch gets caught in her skirt and she loses her balance. ¡¸Aaah!¡¹ ¡¸Damn it. I told you.¡¹ I helped Serena up when she fell and helped her up. ¡¸Itatata¡­¡­¡¹ 1 ¡¸Are you hurt?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯m fine. Thanks.¡¹ As soon as she got up, she let go of my hand and brushed the dirt off her skirt. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you going to walk in front of me?¡¹ I asked Serena as she stared walking next to me ¡¸I was wondering if Elt would help me the next time I fall.¡¹ For some reason, she assumed that she would fall again. ¡¸I¡¯m getting pretty stocked up on fruits. I also need some animal meat.¡¹ I¡¯m currently getting ready to leave the lost forest. I¡¯m going to get a map, but I don¡¯t know how long it will take to get one here. I¡¯m going to at least make sure I have plenty of food beforehand. That¡¯s why I asked Serena to show me around, and she agreed, so here she is showing me around the collection site. ¡¸The only animals around here are monsters, right? It¡¯s impossible for a weak creature to survive in this forest.¡¹ Serena said this as she put her hand over her mouth. ¡¸Just by Serena¡¯s standards, is there a monster in here that has good meat?¡¹ I¡¯m fed up with just eating fruit all the time. So I asked her. ¡¸Let me see, maybe a drill bird or a charging bull?¡¹ ¡¸What kind of monsters are those?¡¹ ¡¸The drill bird is a bird that flies with a spinning beak, and if you don¡¯t take it seriously, you¡¯ll get a hole in your body. The charging bull charges at you with great force, and if you get hit by him, you will get a hole in your body.¡¹ Either way, you¡¯ll get a hole in your body. ¡¸Do you think I could beat them?¡¹ Maybe it¡¯s a boss around here, and I don¡¯t know if I can deal with it, so I asked her. ¡¸Yes, I think it¡¯s fine. When all the elves are hunting together, it takes several people with my brother in frontline to defeat them, but Elt can do it by myself.¡¹ She smiles at me, full of trust. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s give it a try¡­¡­¡¹ Either way, I couldn¡¯t choose not to do it because of the delicious meat. I decided to take on the challenge, even though Serena was showing me around here. ¡¸Did we get enough of them?¡¹ After that, Serena led me to the monster nest and I hunted about ten drill birds and then charging cows. ¡¸It¡¯s more than enough. You took them all out in one hit while we were struggling to take one down, right?¡¹ The monsters weren¡¯t as strong as Serena said. It seems that the Bloody Ogre and the Bloody Eye were exceptionally strong in this area. ¡¸One of each will be enough for me. The rest can be divided among the villagers.¡¹ The purpose was to gain combat experience, but I had a feeling that I had learned sword techniques from that fight with Phill. So, as for the meat I got, I can offer it to everyone in the village as thanks for taking care of me. ¡¸Hmmm, I wonder if I¡¯ll ever be able to consume this much¡­ That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll process it to make it last longer.¡¹ Serena clapped her hands together as if she just got a good idea. ¡¸Mmm-hmm¡¹ 2 She was in a good mood as she dismantled the drill bird. This was the village workshop, and Serena was dismantling the prey one by one at the table ¡¸Serena. I¡¯ve got everything hanging for now.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah. I¡¯m coming over.¡¹ She says this and comes to my side. She instructs me to dismantle the meat. I hung the meat with a rope. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s hanging nicely. Let¡¯s get started¡­¡­¡¹ She was saying something as she closed her eyes. ¡¸Spirits of fire and wind. Please!¡¹ Then the wind blows from Serena and starts shaking the raw meat. The raw meat starts changing. The surface began to dry out due to the wind¡¯s pressure. ¡¸So this is the power of the spirits. How convenient.¡¹ ¡¸Actually, we should have dried the meat in the sun, but we have a fire spirit that heats the meat and sends the wind to it.¡¹ No wonder it¡¯s so warm. After a while, Serena stopped the wind. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s move on for now.¡¹ I retrieve the meat and follow her. The next place we arrived at was a squeare with just a roof. Each place had a handle that opened up to reveal hooks with haning meat. ¡¸Serena, what is this place?¡¹ I asked and Serena turned around. ¡¸It¡¯s a place used to grill things. If you hunt a lot of meat, you can¡¯t keep it for a long time. After the moisture is removed, the meat is grilled to preserve it for a long time. Have you ever done this before, Elt?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve eaten it before, but I¡¯ve never done it myself.¡¹ When you live in a city, you buy things like that so you don¡¯t have to make them yourself. ¡¸If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to learn how to do it.¡¹ I stand behind Serena as my interest is piqued. ¡¸Yes, of course. I¡¯ve got chips here made from all kinds of trees. Whiskey goblins, gourmets, gobcols, dragon walks¡­¡¹ ¡¸Which one is it?¡¹ ¡¸If you want to add bitterness, try Dragon Walk. If you prefer something lighter, try Gokol. I wonder which one Elt likes better?¡¹ One chip seems to change the flavor, so I¡¯m worried. ¡¸Do you preffer it bitter?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I think I¡¯ll have a dragon walk then.¡¹ Serena put the wood chips down and lit the fire. ¡¸It¡¯s quite a lot of smoke, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ The smoke rose from the bottom and escaped to the top. He realized that the box shape was used to keep the smoke in. ¡¸All we have to do is to let it smoke for a day and a night and it¡¯s done.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡¹ I observed the scene with interest for a while, and then¡­¡­. ¡¸Elt, look at me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes? Munch!¡¹ Something hot was shoved into his mouth. Serena was in a good mood and pulled out her fork. I bite into it and the flavor of the meat fills my mouth along with the juices. ¡¸Here¡¯s a steak from a charging bull. I¡¯m going to grill the rest, but since it¡¯s so fresh, we should eat some of it.¡¹ Before I knew it, she had heated up a stone table and was cooking the meat there. I could smell the burning meat and it made me want to eat more. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s still good. Thanks to Elt.¡¹ Using the same fork, Serena looked very happy as she ate the steak. ¡¸This sure is good. Can I have some more too?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I¡¯ll bake some more and feed you.¡¹ I had never had such delicious meat in the city. After this, Serena and I continued to eat the meat together while grilling the rest of it. CH 16 Chapter Title: Unlocking the Spirit Vision ¡¸Wh¡­¡­at¡­¡­?¡¹ Suddenly, the landscape in front of me changed. Light surged into my eyes and I squinted in the glare. There were bright lights floating everywhere, moving around erratically. As I looked at the scene¡­ ¡¸Elt-kun. Are you awake?¡¹ Yomi said so with a spoon in his hand. When I turned around, I could see a kind of aura covering his whole body. ¡¸Eh, already? It¡¯s only been two weeks, you know?¡¹ In front of me, Serena, wearing a rather thin aura, had a surprised expression on her face. She was holding a loaf of bread in one hand. ¡¸No, Elt¡¯s aura was also growing. I figured it was about time.¡¹ To his left, Phil nodded, fork in hand. He was in the middle of eating his breakfast. ¡¸Is this what you call¡­¡­ spirit vision?¡¹ I was confused by the sudden change in my vision, but I guessed so because of my prior knowledge. ¡¸Hmm. You are now qualified to use the spirits.¡¹ I nodded at Yomi¡¯s words. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s start training on how to handle spirits today.¡¹ After breakfast, we gathered at the village square. The elves, who had heard that I was able to use my spirit vision, were waiting for us there. All of them seemed to have mastered spirit vision, as they all emitted auras of various sizes. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸First, let me explain the different types of spirits. There are many types of spirits in this world. The most common are the spirits of the four attributes of earth, wind, water, and fire, as well as the spirits of light and darkness.¡¹ When Serena said this, the elves who can use spirits stepped forward and showed us their spirits. ¡¸There are different names for spirits: micro spirits, low spirits, intermediate spirits, high spirits, great spirits, and spirit kings. The further back they are called, the more influence they have on the world and the more intelligent they become.¡¹ ¡¸Can I use spirits to create wind and fire now?¡¹ Serena shook her head at my question. ¡¸In order to use a spirit, you must first make a contract with the spirit of that attribute. The higher your charm status, the more spirits will come to you. For example, my father, who has a charm of 2000, is under contract with a high-level spirit. My brother has one attribute of low level spirits and two attributes of medium level spirits. I have three low-level spirits and one medium-level spirit.¡¹ She then showed me each of the spirits. ¡¸The light that¡¯s floating around us now has a different shape than everyone else¡¯s. Are these micro-spirits?¡¹ Each embodiment, whether it be a low spirit or a medium spirit, has the same form as a person. ¡¸A spirit can only take on the form of an individual when it is given a name.¡¹ 1 My question was answered by Serena, who explained the capture. ¡¸So you¡¯re saying that everyone¡¯s spirits are the way they are now because they gave them names too?¡¹ If you can transform a spirit to a human just by naming it, it means that the elves here have done so as well. ¡¸Some spirits are like that, but some aren¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ I tilted my head and asked for a detailed explanation. ¡¸If you have high charm, you will be liked by many spirits. Some of them are even high-ranking spirits. When such a spirit appears, you can make a contract with it if you have enough cost slots.¡¹ The cost frame would be the part of Serena¡¯s status that was (5/5). In the case of Yomi (10/10) and Phil (7/7), the higher the appeal, the larger the cost frame. If you do the simple math, that¡¯s 1 spirit per 200 charm. Originally, the reason I stayed here and learned to see spirits was to get out of this lost forest. It seems that spirits don¡¯t lose their sense of direction and can get out of the forest. So I can start executing my escape from the forest when the conditions are right for me to make a contract with a spirit¡­¡­. ¡¸The usual practice is to name and sign a contract with one of those minor spirits first, and then when their power and charm gradually increase, sign a contract with an intermediate or advanced spirit.¡¹ However, it is better to sign a contract with a reasonably strong spirit anyway. At the moment, only the Evil God¡¯s skills allow me to attack from a distance. As I move through the forest, there will be times when I will need to use long range attacks. And I don¡¯t want to use the Evil God¡¯s skills if I can help it. Because I can¡¯t replenish them since the evil god has been destroyed. By the time I get through the forest, I¡¯m likely to encounter Bloody Ogre and other opponents that I will need to defeat with the skills from the Evil God. I thought there would be a difference in the number of times I consumed depending on whether or not I could use my spirits at that time. ¡¸Serena¡¹ ¡¸Yes. What is it?¡¹ I said, interrupting Serena¡¯s explanation. ¡¸I need you to show me where I can find some strong spirits around here.¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ CH 17 Chapter Title: Valley of the Wind ¡¸Elt, come here. Hurry up.¡¹ A few hours later. Serena and I were heading east of the village in search of a strong spirit. ¡¸Wait a minute¡­ My vision is so bright that I can¡¯t see Serena very well.¡¹ Ever since I became able to see spirits, I have been seeing the microspirits flying around me. Because of this, my vision is obscured and I almost fall when I walk on a bad platform. ¡¸I see¡­. Oh, by the way, I never taught Elt how to suppress his aura.¡¹ ¡¸How to suppress my aura?¡¹ I tilted my head as I heard Serena¡¯s words. ¡¸We don¡¯t always give off auras, but when we do micro-spirits like to gather around us, right? When they do that, we have to use our eyes, and we quickly get tired. That¡¯s why we suppress our aura when we don¡¯t need it.¡¹ ¡¸But didn¡¯t all the elves have glow around them when I got my spirit vision?¡¹ I nodded my head at Serena¡¯s explanation. When my spirit vision opened, they were all covered in an aura, and there were micro-spirits floating around everywhere. ¡¸That was for Elt. You needed to see a lot of spirits to learn how to see them. All the elves in our village who could use spirit vision were gathering micro-spirits by giving off auras so that Elt could easily get the spirit vision.¡¹ That explanation convinced me. I needed micro-spirits to learn how to seem them, but it seems that everyone was secretly helping me. ¡¸I owe everyone a thank you.¡¹ A warmth flows through me. I thanked them in my heart. ¡¸Don¡¯t thank us. Everyone seems to be having a good time since Elt arrived. The other day, you prepared a lot of food for us. You¡¯ve been good to us too, so we¡¯re even.¡¹ I naturally smiled and asked Serena a question. ¡¸So how do I suppress my aura?¡¹ ¡¸You can see the aura coming out of your body right now, right? Try to imagine that aura is coming out from your whole body and try to keep it inside your body.¡¹ I do as I¡¯m told. Then¡­. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s good. Your aura is getting smaller.¡¹ With Serena¡¯s words, the micro-spirit faded from my sight and disappeared. ¡¸Leave it at that for now. If you remove too much of the aura, it will take a long time to summon the spirits in case of emergency.¡¹ Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to get used to this aura. ¡¸Then we¡¯ll go again when you¡¯ve gotten more comfortable with it.¡¹ I followed Serena and walked through the lost forest. ¡¸This is the place they call the Valley of the Wind.¡¹ It was a place where the spiral staircase went on forever and it was very deep, and at the first glance, you couldn¡¯t see the bottom. ¡¸Are there any powerful spirits here?¡¹ ¡¸This is where the wind spirits like to live. The lower you go, the stronger the wind blows, and there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll even meet some of the higher spirits here.¡¹ From below, I could hear the sound of the wind whistling through the air. If I look closely, I could see greenish objects flying around. Each one of them must be a spirit of the wind. ¡¸Okay, Elt? This is a place where no elf has confirmed how deep it is. If we go down and decide that it¡¯s impossible to go down, we¡¯ll go back, okay?¡¹ Serena warned me as she turned her serious eyes on me. I nodded to her. ¡¸Ah, okay. I promise to abide by Serena¡¯s decision.¡¹ I think I can find a good spirit here. ¡¸Good. Let¡¯s go then..¡¹ Satisfied that I had nodded, Serena took my hand in hers and started going down the stairs. ¡ï¡ï¡ï ¡ºHas someone come to seek power once again?¡» He opened his eyelids when he sensed the presence of an intruder in their territory. ¡ºHumans are stupid. They arrogantly think that they can subdue us.¡» It has been thousands of years since they first appeared in this world, and many elves have sought they power to reach the bottom of the valley. ¡ºBut only a few have made it.¡» The lower you go, the stronger the spirits become, and the more the wind is blowing. You need to have extraordinary strength to avoid being blown away by it. ¡ºEven if he gets here, that¡¯s it.¡» There have been many elves in the past who have made it all the way down to the bottom of the valley. But there, they encountered ¡°it¡± and felt despair. ¡ºWill the next intruder make it this fair?¡» This was the end of his interest. He 1 couldn¡¯t do anything about it, even if he reached him anyway. ¡ºIf you ask for power you don¡¯t deserve, you will have to pay for it.¡» Muttering so, he closed his eyes. He was called this name for thousands of years. ¨D¨DValzedi, King of the Wind Spirits¨D¨D CH 18 Chapter Title: Serena¡¯s confession¡­.? ¡¸Spirits of light¡­. Please.¡¹ A shining white spirit appeared on Serena¡¯s palm. When the spirit heard Serena¡¯s words, it created a ball of light in the air and the size of it was like a ball. ¡¸So this is the spirit of the light power¡­. That¡¯s a handy.¡¹ Serena has a contract with low level spirits of wind, fire and water and intermediate spirit of light. In terms of cost, would it be 1 for each low spirit and 2 for each intermediate spirit? It seems that the spirits of light and darkness are more powerful than the spirits of the four attributes. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get down then.¡¹ Serena begins to descend the stairs, the light was floating in the air. I followed her into the Valley of the Wind. ¡¸The wind is getting stronger¡­¡¹ Serena held back her hair and skirt with her hands. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s about as far as we go, huh.¡¹ We have descended quite a distance, but I looked down and still couldn¡¯t see the bottom. I think that the spirits around here do have some strength¡­ ¡¸W, we can go down a little further if you want to.¡¹ Serena blushed and glanced at me. ¡¸It would be nice if we could go down a little deeper, but wouldn¡¯t it be difficult?¡¹ I frowned at her hesitant expression. ¡¸It¡¯s not difficult. It¡¯s just that you have to ask a wind spirit for their blessings so that they can reduce the effects of the wind and then we can still go further.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s great. Could you do it for me?¡¹ Serena at my request¡­. ¡¸Kohon. 1 It can¡¯t be helped if Elt asks me¡­¡­¡¹ For some reason she hugged me. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Serena?¡¹ Serena¡¯s breast are pressed against my chest. At close range, Serena was bright red up to her ears. ¡¸T, the only way to get the blessing from the wind spirits is to stick close to me. I¡¯m embarrassed too, so you¡¯ll have to put up with it.¡¹ I could hear Serena¡¯s heart beating. I could tell that she was overwhelmed by her own embarrassed and was still cooperating with me. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but you have to.¡¹ If I were to get upset here, Serena would be even more embarrassed. I tried to keep my composure and got close to Serena. I heard the sound of the wind crashing. A strong wind was blowing outside of Kago, and the dust around us made it difficult to see clearly. But thanks to Serena¡¯s wind blessing, we were able to proceed without getting caught up in it. ¡¸Serena, are you okay?¡¹ She was currently walking down the stairs with her hand on my shoulder. ¡¸Y, yes. I¡¯m fine.¡¹ Her face was red and hot, and she wouldn¡¯t make eye contact with me. She looks completely out of it¡­¡­. I guess she knows her own limits. I walked down the stairs, believing in her words that she was still fine. ¡¸Hey Elt. Can I ask you something?¡¹ Serena asked me in a serious voice. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Elt is seeking the power of the spirits so he can get out of the forest, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, yes. The other reason is that I wanted to have fighting power, but that would be the main reason.¡¹ ¡¸The Lost Forest is a natural maze that is impenetrable to humans. Even with the power of the spirits, the threat of monsters still exists, and if you¡¯re on your own, you won¡¯t be able to rest well and you¡¯ll be putting yourself in danger.¡¹ 2 Serena¡¯s dark green eyes flickered. ¡¸But you¡¯re still leaving, Elt?¡¡If you stay in our village, your life will be the same as before, you know?¡¹ It was a very tempting proposition. I spent these few weeks with Serena, Phil and the other elves. I felt warmer than I had ever felt in my life. They smiled at me, not dismissing me as a human or an incapacitated person, but smiling at me. I wondered how happy I would be if I could live here like this. ¡¸I can¡¯t do that. I have to get out of the forest.¡¹ ¡¸Why do you want to leave?¡¹ I hear a sad voice. I feel like I¡¯m getting closer to Serena. ¡¸I was sacrificed in place of my childhood friend. As a result, there will be no need for a sacrifice, but the people in my country don¡¯t know that. So unless someone tells them, there will be an another sacrifice next year.¡¹ 3 As long as there is a possibility that the sacrifice will be Alicia¡¯s, I have to return. ¡¸Is this childhood friend your girlfriend?¡¹ I froze for a moment at the unexpected question, but¡­¡­. ¡¸No, we don¡¯t have that kind of relationship. It¡¯s just that Alicia was the only person who was kind to me when I was stuck in the city. I have Alicia to thank for that. If it wasn¡¯t for her, I would have been more lonely in my life.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see¡­¡­¡¹ She sounded like she was in a bad mood. I felt Serena¡¯s pace quicken, and I rushed to catch up with her. ¡¸I¡­ I¡¯m going to miss you, Elt.¡¹ Serena took a step ahead of me and turned around to tell me so. She smiled a somewhat fragile and lonely smile, different from the past. The ball of light reflected a beautiful image, and the micro-spirits gathered around Serena as if to create a fantastic scene. ¡¸I¡­. Elt. I¡­.. about you¨D¨D¡¹ She has a serious expression and a nervous voice. I try to understand what Serena is trying to say¡­¡­. ¡ºDon¡¯t you dare make out in my territory!!¡» 4 Serena was about to open her mouth when she heard someone shouting. The next thing I knew, we were on our feet at the bottom of the valley. CH 19 Chapter title: Valseti¡¯s Miscalculation ¡¸Eh? Eh?¡¹ The sound of someone¡¯s voice made Serena look panicked. It¡¯s as if she was trying to tell me something she doesn¡¯t want someone else to hear, but there is someone here and she¡¯s confused. ¡¸Who are you? Show yourself!¡¹ I tugged on Serena¡¯s arm and protectively hugged her. The reason for this was that I was wary of a hostile opponent at the bottom of a valley like this. ¡ºYou¡¯re the one who trespassed into my territory without permission. Well, I¡¯ll let you have a look at me before I kill you.¡» The wind gathered and a tornado erupted in front of us. Serena and I squinted before the wind¡­¡­. ¡¸Did you call us here?¡¹ It was a dragon with green scales that appeared in front of us. ¡ºYes. I am the king of the spirits who control the wind. My name is Valseti.¡» The dragon said as it opened its mouth, which could have swallowed a man whole. ¡¸You¡¯re lying¡­¡­right? The Spirit King of the Wind?¡¹ Serena muttered as she grabbed my clothes tightly. Her hands were shaking, as if she was terrified. ¡¸You little human! What purpose have you come to my home?¡¹ She seemed to have heard Serena¡¯s words and affirmed them. ¡¸Can I ask you a question first? I¡¯ve heard that the higher a spirit is, the more human it becomes. But you are a dragon, no matter how you look at it. Are you really the King of Spirits?¡¹ ¡¸You idiot, Elt!¡¡What are you saying?¡¹ Serena¡¯s face changed color and grabbed me with tears in her eyes. ¡¸If you¡¯re like me, you can change your appearance as much as you want. I hate humans. That is why I have taken this form.¡¹ The dragon¡¯s eyes lit up and shot through me. ¡¸I see now.¡¹ I nodded to the Spirit King who kindly told me. ¡¸I came here to make a contract with the spirits. In order to escape from this place, I need the power of the spirits. I want them to help me get back home.¡¹ I answered the question he had just asked. ¡ºHahahahaha, you dwarf humans make me laugh. You¡¯re not going to be able to use my race!¡» ¡¸Aah!¡¹ The dragon¡¯s shout frightened Serena, and she hugged me tightly. ¡ºDon¡¯t joke with me¡­ It¡¯s very silly. If you suddenly start flirting in my territory and fool around¡­ You guys will not get out of here alive.¡» The dragon looked at us with cold eyes and said¡­¡­. ¡ºDisappear in the dust! ¡¾Vayu Tornado¡¿¡» When the dragon chanted this, a tremendous density of wind was released. It was incomparable to the strong winds that had just come in. It gouged the ground and rolled up the earth as it approached. Even if you tried to catch it, your body would be scraped off the ground as soon as you touch it. ¡ºHahahaha, not even a speck of dust will be left! You¡¯ll die regretting you flirted in front of me!¡» I can hear him laughing loudly. I put my left hand around the frightened Serena¡¯s back and put my right hand out¡­¡­. ¡¸¡¾Stock¡¿¡¹ ¡ºWhat the hell©`©`©`©`!?¡» The next moment, my status screen was stocked with a wind god-level magic called Vayu Tornado. ¡¸Looks like we didn¡¯t turn to dust, huh?¡¹ I spoke to the dragon, who was letting loose with his big mouth open¡­¡­. ¡ºI, impossible¡­ This magic attack could even hurt the evil god¡­ And you¡¯re left unscathed?¡» I could even put the Evil God¡¯s Evil Beam in my inventory. To be honest, I think it¡¯s overpowered. ¡ºNo, that¡¯s not possible!¡¡That was just luck!¡¡I¡¯m going to shoot a bunch of them at the same time. I¡¯m not going to be able to get away with this, even if it¡¯s a fluke!¡» 1 It¡¯s just like the evil god¡¯s idea. The dragon unleashes a series of Vayu Tornadoes¡­¡­. ¡¸No matter how much magic you shoot, they won¡¯t work on me.¡¹ I take the magic that¡¯s flying at me in my inventory one after another. The the next thing to do would be¨D¨D ¡¸I¡¯ll bite into you directly, if this is how it¡¯s gonna be!¡¹ I knew it. Do overwhelmingly strong people have similar ideas? I¡¯ve had the same experience in the past. ¨D¨DShupan¨D¨D 2 A ray of light ran past the dragon. ¡ºHa?¡» The dragon¡¯s eyes darted and he froze. ¡¸What did I just say? I¡¯ve got to get us out of here alive.¡¹ ¡ºNo, that attack was¡­¡­ supposed to be¡­¡­ from the evil god.¡» The dragon shuddered as it backed away. ¡¸That means you¡¯re thinking of me killing you, right?¡¹ If you¡¯re going to take someone else¡¯s life, then of course you¡¯re prepared to have it taken from you. I aim the Evil Beam at the dragon¡¯s forehead. ¡ºWait! Wait!¡» I ignored the dragon¡¯s panicked look and tried to hit him with the Evil Beam. ¡­¡­ ¡ºYou! You¡¯ve come to make a contract with a spirit, haven¡¯t you? I will make a contract with you! So retract that beam!¡» I put away my Evil Beam once I heard those words. ¡¸Well, I guess I¡¯ll forgive you for attacking me then.¡¹ I achieved my original goal. TL: We are going to take a 1 week break from posting chapters on the website. Reason for this is so that I can finally make a schedule for when I release chapters, and also stock up on translated chapters so we don¡¯t need to translate, proofread, post and do all that stuff on the same day. Pretty stressing and sometimes I¡¯m not even in mood for doing all that. (Especially doing those previous and next ¡°buttons¡±, my god.) All jokes aside (the previous and next part) we are really sorry for this, you can join our Discord to get updates (I will take an ss of how many chapters we¡¯ve managed to translate and upload it on discord XD) and also get notified when a new chapter goes live. Link is here. If you¡¯ve read all this, thank you for your understanding and see you guys next week! CH 20 Chapter Title: My first contract with a spirit ¡¸Just so you know, the next time you try to attack me, I will hit you without showing any mercy, okay?¡¹ ¡ºHahaha, yes! That¡¯s not a problem! I have no intention of disobeying you in the slightest!¡» The dragon¡¯s huge frame shrunk to the point of tears, and it pressed its head to the ground in a pose of surrender. Serena watched the scene with disbelief, as if she were looking at something she couldn¡¯t believe. ¡¸Serena. Can I ask you to step away for a moment?¡¹ She hugged me as hard as she could, probably because she was scared, so I was close to her face. ¡¸Oh¡­¡­ Yeah. I, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ When I let go of her hand with a snap, she blushed and moved away. ¡ºTsk¡» ¡¸Is there any problem?¡¹ ¡ºIt¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m famous for being an uncomplaining spirit king.¡» ¡¸Oh well. Well then, let¡¯s make the contract right away.¡¹ ¡ºAll right, then. Then I will reveal myself in my own body.¡» ¡¸In your body?¡¹ As soon as I said the question, there was a popping sound and the dragon¡¯s body dissipated. And then the smoke rises. ¡¸What the hell!?¡¹ He triggered my cautiousness. ¡¸It¡¯s probably okay, Elt. You can¡¯t make a contract with a spirit unless they¡¯re in human form. That¡¯s why they just reverted to their original form.¡¹ As time passed, the smoke began to clear. Then what appeared on the scene¡­¡­ ¡¸Beastman¡­¡­?¡¹ There was a girl that had rabbit ears and a tail. 1 ¡¸Uuuuu, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to be in human form.¡¹ The beastman girl holds her head and looks at us with tears in her eyes, while we are left there motionless, with our mouths hanging open. The black fabric covers her chest so that it absorbs the skin, but leaves her back almost completely exposed. ¡¸O, oh, you¡¯re the dragon from earlier?¡¹ The rabbit beastman¡¯s shoulders shook with fear as I checked. ¡¸Are you teasing me?¡¹ She asks me this while being teary-eyed. It¡¯s a gesture that almost makes me want to protect her. It seems that I¡¯m not the only one who thought so¡­¡­. ¡¸Hey, Elt. Don¡¯t you feel sorry for her?¡¹ I feel as if I am torturing a young child. I let out a sigh and said¡­¡­. ¡¸I¡¯m not gonna hurt you.¡¹ I muttered to myself. ¡¸So, is this outfit your main appearance?¡¹ When the Wind Spirit Queen had calmed down, I asked the person in front of me another question. 2 ¡¸Strictly speaking, no. This outfit was cursed when I fought an evil god thousands of years ago.¡¹ Appears that the Spirit Queen in front of me had challenged the Evil God to a battle, along with her friends, more than a thousands years ago. It seems that the Evil God placed a curse on her at that time. ¡¸When she is in human form, she takes on this appearance. That¡¯s why Marie tries to avoid showing herself in public as much as possible.¡¹ At least it¡¯s better than the dragon form we just saw¡­¡­ ¡¸Who is this Marie?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Marie is Marie. It¡¯s a name I¡¯m proud of, given to me by my former master.¡¹ Then she stretched her chest out and emphasized her flat chest. ¡¸Oh well, let¡¯s make the contract then.¡¹ I decided to complete my task. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about that¡­¡­ but I still think you shouldn¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean you¡¯re breaking your promise?¡¹ I shuddered, and Marie looked up at me fearfully. ¡¸No, no, no!¡¡It¡¯s just that it costs a lot to make a contract with a Spirit King. A lot of people have been trying to make a contract with Marie for some time now. But none of them have succeeded!¡¹ It seems that she is not lying. ¡¸If you fail to make a contract with the Spirit King, you will lose your life!¡¡Marie does not want to take any more human lives!¡¹ ¡¸But then why not just say no to the contract?¡¹ Marie replied to Serena¡¯s question. ¡¸A Spirit King is obligated to accept a contract as soon as it¡¯s challenged. That¡¯s why Marie threatened to use magic to get rid of you without letting you say it.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So you were only acting out of the goodness of your heart?¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ Her clear blue eyes stare straight at me. It seems that she is not lying. She seems to be worried about me. ¡¸I understand.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad. Then, Marie will call up a suitable Great Spirit or Superior Spirit and prepare a contract¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ll make a contract with you.¡¹ ¡¸Why!?¡¡I thought you understood what I just said?¡¹ Marie shouted as she held up her bunny ears. ¡¸Okay, Elt, stand over there. Marie, you stand in front of it.¡¹ We¡¯re going to make a spirit contract, so Marie and I will need to stand across from each other. ¡¸Is that good?¡¡All you need for a spirit contract is the consent of both parties and the cost capacity.¡¹ Marie and I nodded at her words. ¡¸Normally, if the cost is not enough, the contract will never be completed and you will never be able to make a contract with the same spirit again.¡¹ In this case, it didn¡¯t matter much because if the contract failed, I would lose my life. ¡¸Uuuu, are you sure you want to do this?¡¡I don¡¯t want Marie to kill any more than she already has.¡¹ Marie¡¯s ears are flattened and she has a blank look on her face. She looks like she wants Serena to stop her right now¡­¡­. ¡¸Well then, Elt. Say the words of the contract after me.¡¹ ¡¸Okay.¡¹ Serena coughed and spoke the words of the contract. ¡¸My name is Elt. I give you my name and hereby declare that we have a contract.¡¹ As I said the words of the contract, a green light covered the area around me and Marie. ¡¸This is the warding of the contract. Once it¡¯s activated, the two of you can¡¯t leave unless you complete the contract. Now, Marie, continue.¡¹ When Serena urged her to do so, Marie made up her mind and¡­¡­. ¡¸I am the Spirit King, and I pledge to walk with you as your faithful spirit. I hope you will give me a name and make a pact with me¡­¡­¡¹ A green light floods from Marie¡¯s body and streams into mine. ¡¸Is this¡­?¡¹ ¡¸The aura coming out of Marie is measuring Elt¡¯s capacity. It¡¯s a test to see if you¡¯re qualified to accept her presence.¡¹ I can feel Marie flowing into my body. We are in touch with each other¡¯s consciousness, we are in touch with each other¡¯s memories. She seems to have been here for thousands of years, and I can feel the feelings of loneliness. ¡¸This is¡­¡­ why Elt is so¡­¡­ so¡­¡­.¡¹ In the meantime, Marie has also been touched by my memory, and even though she didn¡¯t look happy at first, she now has a happy smile on her face. ¡¸That¡¯s why Elt could use that¡­¡­ and that¡¯s why he can certainly accept Marie¡­¡¹ In the meantime, the amount of aura flowing in from Marie diminished, and eventually¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸That¡¯s one step done. Elt, was there a problem?¡¹ ¡¸No, it looks like we have enough cost.¡¹ Marie¡¯s eyes moistened and tears spilled out. Now I could understand the meaning of it. She had been waiting for a new master for thousands of years, forced to watch countless people die because they weren¡¯t strong enough to complete the contract. ¡¸Then at the end we give them names and make a path through each other¡¯s powers and that¡¯s it.¡¹ Nodding at those words from Serena¡­¡­. ¡¸I, Elt, give you the the name of [Marie].¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¡Is my old name enough?¡¹ Marie¡¯s expression was one of surprise. ¡¸Yeah, you seem to have been very fond of your former master. I can¡¯t take away the name you¡¯re attached to.¡¹ Before she was left alone, Marie seemed to be very happy spending time with her friends. I don¡¯t want to take that name and those memories away from her. ¡¸Thank you. Master Elt.¡¹ A thrilled Marie comes up to me. Then¡­¡­. ¡¸Now, all you have to do is touch Elt and we¡¯re done.¡¹ ¡¸Marie has been lonely for a long time. But today, she has met her new master. The thousands of years she spent holed up here were painful. But it was not in vain, for I have met my master.¡¹ Marie puts her arms around me and hugs me. And¡­¡­ ¡¸Ahhh!¡¹ Serena¡¯s surprised voice echoed through the valley. Marie¡¯s blue eyes filled emotion, and something soft touched my lips. After a moment, Marie let go of my body. 3 ¡¸Hey, hey!¡¡What are you doing!¡¹ When the contract was over and the aura was gone, Serena had tears in her eyes and closed in on Marie. ¡¸Heheheh, I just made a contract with my master.¡¹ Then she traced her lips with her finger. Apparently, I was being kissed by Marie. ¡¸You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡¹ Serena¡¯s anger echoed around us. TL: Wow, Marie best girlllll. Marie > Serena/Alice/Alicia CH 21 Chapter title: Marie¡¯s Past ¡ï I was remembering a time when I was happy. This is the memory of the time when I was on a journey with my master and my seven friends to defeat the evil god. It¡¯s a memory that has come back to me over and over again for hundreds, thousands, ten thousands of times¡­.. Everyone, including myself, loved the master¡­¡­ but I was not good at asserting myself, so I enviously watched as the other children fought for the master. Our journey continued, and we finally invaded the Evil God¡¯s castle. The evil god¡¯s followers and demons appeared in large numbers. We fought them. We continued on, wounded, and finally reached the evil god. If we defeat the evil god, the world will be saved. With that in mind, my old master drew his divinely forged sword and fought the evil god. At first, the fight was evenly matched. The magic attacks were steadily chipping away at the evil god¡¯s body, and the master¡¯s sword was driving him back. The moment when the thought of winning came to mind, everyone loosened up. Then, one of my friends was pierced by the black light that the evil god shot out and disappeared. From that point on, it was quickly over. With one of us missing, our competitive strength was pushed back, and we were at a disadvantage. Master realized that we couldn¡¯t win if we continued like this, and ordered us to run away. The evil god who had heard those words put a curse on us. He cursed us to take the form of beastmen when we take our human form¡­¡­ Master was defeated and we were scattered. ¡ï ¡¸I, I see¡­ Is that the Spirit Queen that you contracted with, Elt?¡¹ After we returned from the Valley of the Winds, we told Yomi the details of what had happened. As soon as we got back to the village, we were surrounded by people who were probably worried about us, but now that we¡¯ve finished explaining, they all have astonished expressions on their faces. ¡¸Elt didn¡¯t even have spirit vision until just yesterday, did he?¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it amazing that the first spirit he signed a contract with was the Spirit King?¡¹ ¡¸I never thought I¡¯d be able to see the Spirit Queen alive, I have to worship her.¡¹ There¡¯s been a lot of talk about what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯ve decided to ignore it because the people in this village have no ill intentions. I looked at Marie, who was hugging my right arm¡­¡­ ¡¸Hmm?¡¹ Our eyes met, she rubbed her body against mine and looked happy. I don¡¯t feel like rejecting her because I know her past¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¸Uuuu, get away from Elt, will you?¡¹ I don¡¯t know why Serena¡¯s mood has been so bad since we got back. ¡¸No. Marie doesn¡¯t want to have any more regrets because I was reserved.¡¹ At Serena¡¯s words, Marie hugged me even tighter. I felt a soft touch on my arm and continued to listen to their bickering. I went back to my room and lay down. When I was done, I checked my status again. Name: Elt Title: Citizen, God Slayer, Giant Slayer, Contractor Level: 874 Constitution: 1761 MP: 1761 Strength: 1761 Agility: 1761 Defense: 1761 Charm: 8400 Skill: Agriculture Lv.2, Spirit Slots (40/42) Unique Skill: Inventory (630/875) The spirit contract took 40 slots from me. ¡¸It¡¯s a good thing I ate all the rainbow fruits.¡¹ I didn¡¯t expect to be able to sign a contract with the Spirit Queen, but it helped to be prepared. The cost of contracting with Marie was just about right, and I managed to stay within range. ¡¸I¡¯m tired¡­.. Let¡¯s get some rest for now.¡¹ I finished checking my status and closed my eyelids, which had become heavy. ¡¸Okay, Marie. Take care of the forest wolf on your left.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Leave it to Marie.¡¹ The next day, Marie and I were hunting around the village. Just because I¡¯ve made a contract with a spirit that doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯ll able to fight together perfectly right in. We also needed to show each other our skills and see if we could work together. ¡¸Gulllll!¡¹ I watched Marie¡¯s movements while I kept a few Forest Wolves in check with my sword. ¡¸I must quickly defeat them so that master will praise me! Shatter!¡¾Vayu Tornado¡¿¡¹ The wind magic that was shown to me the other day was pushing forward. The wood in the direction we were going was scraped off and turned to dust. ¡¸Cawngh?!¡¹ Startled by her power, the forest wolf squealed, but¡­¡­. The next moment, it was caught in the wind and its life was scattered. ¡¸I did it!¡¹ She comes back to me with joy. Then Marie looks at me and says¡­¡­ ¡¸Huh? Is Marie going to beat that Wolf over there too?¡¹ She asked, tilting her head. I sheathed my sword. ¡¸No that¡¯s not necessary,¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ ¡¸¡¾Vayu Tornado¡¿¡¹ I followed Marie¡¯s lead and cast a spell, hitting a few forest wolves. ¡¸Amazing. Is this the power that allowed Master to defeat the evil gods he hated?¡¹ Marie gave me a respectful look. ¡¸Yeah. My unique skill, [Inventory], allows me to stock up on anything and take it out at will. That¡¯s the magic you cast on me, right?¡¹ ¡¸Uuuuu, I¡¯m so sorry.¡¹ As if remembering this, Marie flattened her rabbit ears and reflected on the situation. I stroked her head and said¡­¡­. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s continue hunting for a little while longer.¡¹ I urged her to do so. CH 22 Chapter Title: Serena¡¯s Thoughts ¡ï I came back from the Valley of the Winds, and when I returned home, I found myself alone and confined in my room. Elt¡¯s goal was to make a contract with a spirit to leave this village. If it had been a low or intermediate level spirit, I could have told him he wasn¡¯t ready yet and held him back¡­¡­. ¡¸It¡¯s unheard of for the first contracted spirit to be a Spirit King (Queen)!¡¹ From the first time I met him, I was strangely curious about this human. He was a boy with a unique vibe, not unlike the opposite sex elves I grew up with in the village. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him and always followed his figure. I remember Elt fighting with my brother at the welcome party. His swordsmanship was poor at first, but he gradually surpassed my brother and finally turned the tables on him. My brother¡¯s swordsmanship is the best in the elven village. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but he absorbed it in no time at all. When the elves around me told me that my brother was betting on the ¡°prize¡±, my face turned red. He had always said that if someone wanted to date Serena, they would have to defeat him first. If Elt won, he would have to go on a date as a prize. However, I didn¡¯t find it strange that I didn¡¯t mind it at that time, and found myself rooting for Elt more than my brother. The rest of the days were fun. I went hunting with Elt as he invited me, and we were always together. The other elves seemed to be interested in Elt, but I didn¡¯t want to give up my spot next to him. One day. My brother asked me, ¡°Are you planning to follow Elt?¡± I felt as if my heart was gripped by those words. I have a strong desire to be with Elt. But¡­¡­. ¡¸I have a duty to take care of my father¡¯s illness¡­.¡¹ The words I spoke at that time naturally leaked out. Yes, there is no option and I can¡¯t to go with him. My father has a bad disease and is physically disabled. I have to pick the herbs regularly to make the medicine. In the heat of the moment, I forgot to do the obvious. Elt wants to go out. He¡¯s decided that he¡¯s going to leave this village soon. When I realized this, I made sure that I wouldn¡¯t be attracted to Elt any more. However, once I became aware of my feelings, it was too late. In direct contrast to my rejection, my mind and body wanted Elt. When I stood in front of him, my calm self flew away. Even at the bottom of the valley, I tried to hold Elt back, ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± What would have happened if Marie hadn¡¯t interfered? Did Elt worry just because he was kind? In any case, I couldn¡¯t put it into words, so they just disappeared with the wind¡­¡­. A few days passed, and the village became noisy. Elt and Marie had hunted down a large number of monsters and offered them to the village. Some of the monsters were of a high level that we could not even hope to defeat. This is proof that the contract between Elt and Marie-chan is a solid one. The two of them leaning against each other were smiling as if they thought of each other as partners, not as a contractor and a spirit. As I approached them, I said, ¡°That¡¯s great, Elt! Marie-chan, you¡¯re the queen of spirits¡±, exaggerating my surprise. When Elt moved away from Marie-chan, he talked to me. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I could see that he was wondering whether he should say it or not. I didn¡¯t want to hear what Elt had to say, so I ended the conversation and walked away. In the evening, a banquet was held. During the day, all the elves in the village worked together to dismantle the monsters that Elt and Marie has hunted. Even so, there was still some meat that could not be processed, so father announced that he would hold a banquet. The feast was in full swing. I kept my distance from Elt as much as possible while I drank with other elves of the same sex. Elt served us the finest liquor in the world. As I poured it down my throat, I became intoxicated with its rich flavor. I wanted to drink and feel good, so I let my drunkenness get the better of me and joined in the fun with the other elves. After a while, father called out for everyone¡¯s attention. The place became quiet, everyone looked at my father and Elt was standing next to him. And¡­¡­. ¡¸Elt will leave the village tomorrow.¡¹ My mind went blank. I knew that Elto would be the first to tell me before he left. No¡­¡­. There was a hint of that. For the past few days, Elt had been paying attention to me and seemed to be looking for the right time to talk to me. Something popped inside me. I grabbed the alcohol and chugged it down, then crowded over to Elt. I don¡¯t know what I said, because I was so drunk that I couldn¡¯t make sense of my own words and couldn¡¯t stop myself from acting. Every time I said something, Elt¡¯s face would get troubled, and everyone around me would blush for some reason. I remember that I clung to Elt and shed some tears¡­¡­. The next thing I knew, I was asleep in my room. My head hurt like hell, and I felt nauseous. Still, I managed to get up. I could see everyone outside and I had to see Elt off. I left the house and headed for the square. At that time, for some reason, the elves of the same sex cheered me on and said, ¡°Good luck,¡± while the elves of the opposite sex shed tears and said, ¡°Elt, is taking our Serena¡­¡­.¡± When I arrived at the plaza, Elt, Marie, father and brother were already there. Around them, elves were gathering to say goodbye to Elt. I approach the four of them. I don¡¯t know what to say¡­.. I have no intention of exposing myself to any more ugliness like I did last night. I don¡¯t remember what I said, but it was the most embarrassing memory I have ever had in my life. When I approached, both Elt and Marie-chan blushed and gently looked away. I looked at my father and brother to see what was going on¡­¡­. My father looks at me as if he is watching over his grown daughter. My brother looks at me with tears of blood streaming down his face. The elves around me muttered in secret as they looked at me. The elves have good ears and can pick up the sound no matter how low you whisper. ¡¸She¡¯s surprisingly bold.¡¹¡¸That was a passionate confession.¡¹¡¸Elt is very manly.¡¹ Something about it makes me break out in a cold sweat. What did I do when I was drunk? I felt embarrassed by my surroundings and the stares from Elt. As I was trying to decide whether or not to leave, Elt came up to me. And¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Ah, Serena. Are you sober yet?¡¹ ¡¸Y, yeah. My head still hurts, but that¡¯s not a problem.¡¹ This awkwardness is more problematic than the headache. What the hell is this? Anyway, the first thing to do now is to send Elt off with a smile. I¡¯ll think about it later. As I was thinking this, Elt reached out his hand to me. Was it a goodbye handshake? I was touched by Elt¡¯s large hands, which I hadn¡¯t touched in a long time, and made eye contact with him. I can¡¯t help but feel sad when I think about saying goodbye to him¡­¡­. ¡¸I can¡¯t answer Serena¡¯s question right now. But from now on, we¡¯re going to be traveling together as friends, so please take care of us.¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ While everyone around me was watching. Only my questioning voice echoed through the place. CH 23 Chapter Title: Mistakes while being drunk are just embarrassing. ¡¸Eh, Elt¡­. What are you talking about?¡¹ As we shook hands, a confused Serena swam her eyes. Apparently, she didn¡¯t remember any of the ugliness of last night. The last few days. Marie and I have been hunting and training to escape the Lost Forest. The two of us had been going around killing the powerful monsters that were said to appear in the area, and headed to the Evil God¡¯s castle together. At the Evil God¡¯s Castle, we harvested the status-enhancing fruit that was once again bearing fruit. I also explored the castle with Marie and picked up various other items. Everything was ready to go, so I decided to leave the village. I had told Yomi that I was leaving, so he threw me a farewell party, but when I tried to talk to Serena, she just looked away. I wanted to talk to her before we parted, but there was no time to do so. Halfway through the party, Yomi announced to everyone that I was leaving, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Everyone looked a little sad, but they were willing to send me off. But then I went to¡­¡­¡­¡­. Serena¡¯s face turned bright red and she came up to me with great speed. She hugged me and said. ¡¸I love Elt¡¹¡¸I¡¯m not going to lost to Marie¡¹¡¸Take me with you¡¹¡¸I don¡¯t care about any childhood friend¡¹¡¸Elt only needs to look at me.¡¹ She was completely drunk and incoherent, and her speech was shaky. I looked away from the quiet Serena, confused. For some reason, neither Yomi nor Phil showed any signs of stopping her. But Serena¡¯s momentum didn¡¯t let up, and she kissed me, tears streaming down her face. ¡¸Please let me be with you. I can¡¯t imagine my life without you.¡¹ Those words touched my heart. Both Marie and I once lived our lives with someone in our hearts. If that¡¯s what I am to Serena, then¡­¡­. Yomi stepped forward. He said, ¡°I want you to take Serena with you¡± I nodded my head in agreement after a bit of consideration. She smiled and fell asleep as if she had been possessed. The elven girls in the village were talking to Serena about something. It seems that they are telling her about what happened last night, and Serena¡¯s face becomes redder and redder. Then, when she understood everything, she went to¡­¡­. ¡¸Its ¡­¡­. I know I¡¯m a klutz, but I¡¯d appreciate it.¡¹ The energy from last night was gone, and Serena, now completely relaxed, looked up at me. ¡¸But what about me collecting herbs for my father?¡¹ Serena looked up at me as if she had just noticed¡­¡­ ¡¸Oh, that won¡¯t be a problem.¡¹ I replied on that point. ¡¸What? Why?¡¹ Yomi approached the questioning Serena. ¡¸Elt¡¯s perfect heal seemed to completely cured my of my illness.¡¹ This morning I used the Perfect Heel on Yomi, who was complaining of a hangover, and it seemed to have completely wiped out his illness. ¡¸So, don¡¯t worry about me, Serena, and enjoy your trip while making out with Elt-kun.¡¹ ¡¸F, flirting¡­¡­¡¹ Serena¡¯s face turns red like a ripe fruit. ¡¸Grrrrrrrr, Elt¡­ Serena, for me please¡­¡­¡¹ Phil asks for a strong handshake. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about it right now, but I can¡¯t ignore it when it¡¯s so passionately requested. ¡¸Oh, I promise I won¡¯t make her sad.¡¹ I vowed to Phil as he sent his sister off with a resolute heart CH 24 Chapter title: The rabbit¡¯s favorite food are rainbow carrots ¡¸Come on, come on, this way.¡¹ After the village people sent us away with warm parting words, we walked through the forest with the aim of reaching a human village. ¡¸Are there really such vegetables?¡¹ Serena raised an eyebrow at Marie as she strode forward. ¡¸There are, you know. If we¡¯re not going to be back here for a while, we should collect some.¡¹ We were currently walking with Marie in the lead. She knew where to find the rainbow carrots, a very rare vegetable. Rainbow carrots are high-grade vegetables, they can be used as ingredients for alchemy, and they are a rare item which can only be found on rare occasions when walking around outside the city. It¡¯s an ingredient that can dramatically increase the effects of potions and other items, and even when cooked normally, it tastes superb, so it is sometimes fought over by alchemists and gourmet enthusiasts. Marie knows of a place where such ingredients grow, so she goes to collect them before leaving the Lost Forest, and that¡¯s how this commotion started. ¡¸With master¡¯s stock, we can collect the roots. And since we¡¯re traveling, there¡¯s nothing better than a good meal.¡¹ Marie proceeded to change the color of her eyes. Now that she was a rabbit beastman, I wondered if carrots were her favorite food. After following her in silence for a while, we came to an open area. ¡¸There it is. It;s here!¡¹ Marie shouted cheerfully and started running. There was a purple leaf buried in the ground ahead of her. ¡¸Here we go!¡¹ Marie pulled on one of them and a rainbow-colored object appeared from the ground. ¡¸Wow, that really is a rainbow carrot!¡¹ Serena exclaimed in surprise. ¡¸Come on, Master. I want you to eat the one that Marie picked for you.¡¹ Marie flicked her ears as if she wanted a compliment as she approached me. ¡¸Thank you, Marie.¡¹ I stroked Marie¡¯s head, thanked her, and went to eat the rainbow carrots. 1 ¡¸Hold on, Elt. I¡¯ll get you some water now¡­¡­¡¹ Serena ordered the water spirit to wash the rainbow carrots for me. She washed the carrots to get rid of the mud. ¡¸I¡¯ll take it.¡¹ It was the first time I had eaten such rare, expensive food. I took a bite of the carrot while Serena and Marie looked on. ¡¸¡­¡­It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s so sweet, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s a vegetable. It¡¯s fresh, and the clean taste is better than any carrot I¡¯ve ever had.¡¹ ¡¸Marie will eat, too. It¡¯s delicious.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s not fair. Me too¡­¡­.. It¡¯s so good.¡¹ They both look happy as soon as they put it in their mouths. Looks like they like it¡­¡­. ¡¸Could it be that rainbow carrots can be found in this entire area?¡¹ It was amazing to find such a large flat area in the forest, but there were purple leaves spread as far as the eye could see. ¡¸Yes!¡¡We should collect them all here.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I like it too, and we should pick it up.¡¹ The two of them hit it off perfectly. Apparently, eating good food creates a sense of solidarity. Well, since we don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to get them again, we might as well collect them while we can. I wanted to hurry up and get out of the village, but I ended up liking the food too. The three of us picked up all the rainbow-colored carrots we could find. ?Rainbow-colored carrots¡Á16969 CH 25 Chapter title: Staying in the Field ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Elt. If I think about it, you want to get to a place with humans as soon as possible, right?¡¹ When we finished collecting the rainbow-colored carrots and left the place, Serena talked to me about it. ¡¸No, there is a good chance that the rainbow carrots we got there will be useful for something. It wasn¡¯t a waste of time.¡¹ We left the village at an early hour, but it took us half a day to collect the rainbow carrots. In the end, we didn¡¯t get very far that day, and now we are preparing to camp out. ¡¸They are delicious. After all, carrots should only be eaten raw.¡¹ Next to her, Marie was happily eating carrots. ¡¸Elt, can you bring out the pot?¡¹ Serena asked, and I took out a pot from my inventory. ¡¸Thank you. That¡¯s a really useful ability.¡¹ Serena is currently cooking a meal. When she sets the pot down, she orders the spirits to pour out the water, and then starts the fire from below. After throwing in the vegetables, she took out the smoked meat and cut it with a knife. ¡¸Normally I can¡¯t carry around such tools, so I can only eat smoked meat that¡¯s been preserved.¡¹ While mixing the pot, Serena ordered the fire spirit to adjust the heat. ¡¸No, thank God Serena¡¯s here. Neither Marie nor I can cook.¡¹ Even if we had the tools, cooking is not something that can be learned overnight. If it had been a two-person trip, our meals would have consisted of smoked meat and water. ¡¸Fufufu, thank you. I¡¯m glad I came along when you said that.¡¹ Serena smiled softly and looked at me. I was impressed by her eyes as they stared at me, shadowed by the flickering of the fire. ¡¸I was wondering¡­ Rainbow carrots are normally a very expensive food that you have to search a very large area to find one, right? So why were there so many of them growing?¡¹ It¡¯s not that they can¡¯t be found in the market at all, but it¡¯s a rarity that can only be obtained by a team of specialized hunters looking for it with their own eyes. If there are places where they can be found in such large quantities, won¡¯t the price fall? ¡¸The reason for this is that rainbow carrots only grow at a low rate in places where a certain amount of magic power accumulates.¡¹ Marie answers that question. ¡¸I see, so the Lost Forest is a good place to accumulate magic power?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s also true. Monsters are creatures that have taken in bad magic and become vicious, and since the Lost Forest is thick with magic, the monsters that appear are powerful.¡¹ ¡¸So you¡¯re saying that this place is inaccessible to people and that¡¯s why there are so many of them?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. If the area next to the rainbow carrots is a reservoir of magic power, then there is a low probability that the plant will divide and rainbow carrots will grow there as well.¡¹ In other words, if you intentionally create a reservoir of magic power and plant it there, there is a possibility that it will increase? ¡¸But even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s something strange about it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Serena stopped cooking and posed a question to Marie. ¡¸The northern valley was famous among us elves, and that place wasn¡¯t far from there. From what I¡¯ve heard, it takes quite a while to increase, right? I¡¯m only 17 years old, so I haven¡¯t lived that long, but the village chief and my brother have lived a long time, so it¡¯s unnatural that they didn¡¯t know about that place.¡¹ She¡¯s absolutely right. The Lost Forest is indeed a place where it is easy to lose your sense of direction, and if you were walking normally, you would lose your place. But how can a person who grew up in an Elven village not know about a place that is a bit far from their own living area? ¡¸The answer is simple. There was a barrier to keep out anyone who tried to enter.¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, how did we get in?¡¹ If that were true, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get there¡­¡­. ¡¸That¡¯s obvious, because it didn¡¯t work on Marie or the Master. The barrier system that inhibits perception is effective against small fry, but it can¡¯t distort the perception of the spirit king, Marie, or my master.¡¹ ¡¸Small fry¡­?¡¹ Serena¡¯s cheeks twitched, though she took no offense to Marie¡¯s words. ¡¸The barrirers were double-layered, sucking the magic power of any intruders who entered and returning it to the ground.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it tasteless to have such barriers?¡¹ Phil and Yomi could be in it. That¡¯s what I thought¡­¡­. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Marie has broken the wards.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a relief¡­¡­¡¹ Serena patted her chest and let out a breath. ¡¸So, after all, if they put up the barrier, does that mean someone was in control of the place?¡¹ Over a bowl of soup with vegetables and smoked meat, Serena reiterated what she had said earlier. ¡¸I think so, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Who would have done this and for what purpose?¡¹ The trap that sucks the magic power of anyone who enters it shows its malicious intent. ¡¸It is useless to worry about it. If they wanted to protect something, they should have prepared a barrier that Marie could not break.¡¹ I thought, ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless against the Spirit King¡±. Marie replied as she drank the soup that Serena had made. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s go to bed and get ready for tomorrow.¡¹ After cleaning up after dinner, all that was left was to sleep. We set up a tent with a cloth and lay down there. I lay down first and Marie climbed on top of me. ¡¸You¡¯d better lie down too, Serena. It¡¯s a little cramped, so you¡¯ll be next to me, but please bear with me.¡¹ Due to the size of the cloth, there is only enough room for two people. So, Marie is lying on top of me. ¡¸It¡¯s not a problem, because I¡¯m the one who said I¡¯d go with you. Besides¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­it¡¯s nice to be next to Elt¡¹ ¡¸Hm? What?¡¹ I couldn¡¯t hear the last part because she was whispering. ¡¸I, it¡¯s nothing!¡¹ Serena¡¯s ears turn red and she lays down next to me. And then she just turns around and¡­¡­. ¡¸This is kind of fun.¡¹ She smiled when her eyes met mine. ¡¸Then, Master, Marie will set the wards. If something comes near, Marie will know, and I want you to feel safe.¡¹ Marie¡¯s wind wards are useful, and when you¡¯re inside, the temperature is kept at a comfortable level, so you don¡¯t get cold without a blanket. In addition, she can sense when an enemy is approaching. ¡¸Okay, thanks.¡¹ I patted Marie¡¯s hand, and¡­.. ¡¸Ehehehehe, this is as easy as it gets.¡¹ I fell asleep listening to Marie¡¯s happy voice. ¡ï ¡¸What¡¯s going on with¡­¡­ now that the stupid¡­¡­ wards have been broken!¡¹ A few days later, someone visited the rainbow carrot colony. ¡¸There¡¯s no way humans could have gotten this deep into the forest¡­¡­.¡¹ The person walked deeper into the forest and found¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Hey! All the rainbow carrots are gone!¡¹ The man¡¯s eyes widened as he saw that all the rainbow carrots were gone. ¡¸Did the plan to use the rainbow carrots to strengthen the army and bring down the country leak?¡¡But, but¡­¡­¡¹ I¡¯ve never received any reports from neighboring countries that humans have entered the Lost Forest. ¡¸If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll be purged by the¡­¡­ Demon Lord¡­¡­¡¹ This operation was a plan that the Demon Lord had been preparing for years. The waves of the evil gods have recently ceased. I don¡¯t know what happened, but the Demon Lord¡¯s goal is to gain power while the Evil God is silent and reverse his position. ¡¸The residue of this magic power is¡­¡­ this guy took away the rainbow carrot?¡¹ In any case, he¡¯s carrying a lot of carrots, and I¡¯ll catch up with him soon. ¡¸You will pay for destroying the territory of this arc-demon.¡¹ With glowing red eyes, the Arc Demon took off towards the south¡­¡­. TL: Big shotout to Midzuki for providing the illustrations! CH 26 Chapter title: Escaping from the Lost Forest ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ This way.¡¹ Serena led us with a light movement and showed us where to go. It¡¯s a good thing that the elves know where they¡¯re going, even in the middle of a forest without any landmarks. ¡¸We¡¯ve been going south for three days now. We should be out of the woods by now.¡¹ Three days had passed since we had gotten the rainbow carrot, and we were walking through the lost forest. We were attacked by various monsters along the way. Alu Bears, Giant Trolls, Deadly Madangos, Golden Spiders, and more. All of them seemed to be rare monsters that were can be rarely seen. Marie and I struggled to find a way how to defeat them without hurting them. Thanks to our efforts, we were able to defeat them in a clean condition and put their corpses in my inventory. ¡¸I¡¯m tired of being in the woods.¡¹ Marie seemed to be fed up as well, and walked on, looking bored. ¡¸Whoa, could that be the exit?¡¹ After walking for a while, there was a change ahead of us. There were no trees in sight, but a plain. ¡¸Yes! We¡¯re finally out of the forest!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a nice breeze!¡¹ I let out a breath and patted my chest as I looked at the two excited people. I didn¡¯t mention it on the way, but the illusion that I was walking in the same place all the time was making me uneasy. ¡®Are you sure we¡¯re going the right way?¡¯ ¡®Shouldn¡¯t we have turned at the previous place?¡¯ ¡®Will we make it out of the forest?¡¯ I wondered. That¡¯s what I was thinking. ¡¸Which way do you think we should go, Marie?¡¹ Marie was the most experienced traveler in the group. I asked her opinion and she replied with¡­ ¡¸We should find a river first. There is probably a road in the vicinity, and if we can find it, we should be able to find the place where the humans are.¡¹ Water is essential for human life. If there is a river, it must be drawing water from there, so we can follow it and find a human village. All right, then, let¡¯s go further south. It¡¯s no use worrying about it when we don¡¯t know what¡¯s out there. I made my decision and moved on with firm footsteps. ¡ï The carriage shakes and my vision moves. Outside the window, there are knights in armor on horseback, guarding the area. Alicia was watching the scene in a daze¡­¡­. ¡¸Hey, Alicia. Are you thinking about Elt-san again?¡¹ ¡¸Alice-sama. I¡¯m very sorry.¡¹ It seems that Alice¡¯s point is correct. ¡¸It¡¯s been three weeks since the fortune-telling, and we¡¯re about a week away from our destination, the Kingdom of Erivan.¡¹ Since Elt¡¯s place was located in a destination that crossed several countries, they spent a lot of time traveling. It¡¯s also possible that the fortune-teller was able to locate Elt in the lost forest. Alicia¡¯s expression was listless. Alicia had dared everyone there at the meeting, but as time went on, she began to think that there was little hope for Elto¡¯s survival. It was her only wish that he should survive, but if they use common sense, there is a high possibility that he is dead. Alice thought it would be better if they could find a dead body this time. ¡¸You haven¡¯t confirmed anything yet. Why should you believe he¡¯s dead if we haven¡¯t verified yet?¡¹ But she wanted Alicia to smile, so she encouraged her without letting it show. ¡¸Thank you, Alice. You¡¯re right¡­¡­. I do not believe that Elt will die easily. Until I see the results with my own eyes, I will act with the certainty that he is alive!¡¹ A bit of energy returned to her expression. Alice smiled and spoke further to Alicia. ¡¸Yes, tell me for how long you have liked him. And what do you like about him? That¡¯s an order.¡¹ ¡¸No, no, no, no, me and Elt don¡¯t have that kind of relationship!¡¡We¡¯re just childhood¡­¡­ friends. We¡¯ve always just been together¡­..¡¹ Alicia¡¯s face turns bright red and she slumps down. Alice looks at her with amusement. ¡¸I don¡¯t know if I would sacrifice myself for a mere childhood friend. My intuition tells me that he is in love with Alicia.¡¹ ¡¸?!¡¹ The next moment, Alicia¡¯s face turned as red as a ripe tomato. ¡¸Well, well, well? Maybe Alicia¡¯s not too happy about it?¡¹ Peeking out from the side, Alice teased Alicia¡­¡­. ¡¸No, please don¡¯t! It¡¯s really not like that!¡¹ She showed her denial by saying so, but Alicia¡¯s mouth was loose. ¡¸Really? Then maybe I¡¯ll try to be his girlfriend. I¡¯ve been interested in him ever since Alicia told me about him. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ This time, Alicia made a face as if her blood had gone cold. ¡¸I was joking. I was just teasing you for not being honest with me.¡¹ ¡¸Alice-sama is mean¡­¡­¡¹ Alicia stares at Alice with resentment in her eyes. When Alice saw that Alicia was back on her feet, she¡­¡­. ¡¸The first thing we need to do is enter the Erivan Kingdom and talk to the kingdom. From there, I guess we can hire adventurers, do some research, and make our way to the Lost Forest.¡¹ If there is anything unusual, it might be a clue, but I haven¡¯t heard any such rumors in the towns I¡¯ve stayed in so far. ¡¸We¡¯ll make a decision within two weeks of our arrival. I¡¯m going to ask Alicia to do a lot of work, so please do.¡¹ Alicia looked out of the carriage. ¡¸I can¡¯t wait to see you¡­. Elt.¡¹ The expression on her face when she muttered this was completely for the person she was thinking about¡­¡­. ¡ï CH 27 Chapter title: We¡¯ve arrived in a town ¡¸We can finally see the city!¡¹ It was two days after we had left the forest that I heard Serena¡¯s shout of joy. We were heading south through the Lost Forest. ¡¸Now we can finally relax¡­¡­.¡¹ It¡¯s been about a week so far. At first, I was fine, but I was mentally fatigued because I was always camping out in the field and my cooking was limited. ¡¸Master, if you are tired, can Marie cover for you?¡¹ Marie looked at me as if she was relieved and gave me a word of concern. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I¡¯m tired, but it¡¯s not a physical problem. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll recover from this fatigue in no time once you¡¯re in town.¡¹ ¡¸I see, then we should get to the city as soon as possible.¡¹ Marie nodded her head in response to my answer and flicked her bunny ears. As the city came into view, the situation became clearer. Basically, the city is coverede with walls to ensure safety. This is to protect people from the monsters. In villages, where there is not enough manpower, and because of the fields and livestock, it¡¯s not possible to be this strict, so they often use fences. What we have in front of us now is a rather magnificent wall and gate. This was proof that this town is an important base in the country. ¡¸There are a lot of people lined up outside, aren¡¯t there?¡¹ Serena, who could see from a distance, narrowed her eyes and looked at the situation. ¡¸Yeah, in places like this, you have to go through a security check to get into the city.¡¹ ¡¸Marie is not very good with people, so she has to disappear!¡¹ Then Marie¡¯s figure disasppears. She¡¯s been manifesting for so long that I¡¯ve forgotten that she was the Spirit ¡°Queen¡± of the Wind. ¡¸It¡¯s not fair!¡¹ Serena said that, sounding resentful of Marie. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Serena?¡¹ I was curious about her attitude. ¡¸Well, on second thought, maybe I¡¯m not very good with peopole either¡­. The only person I¡¯ve ever met is Elt.¡¹ Serena looked worried and muttered to herself. Then she huffed and¡­. ¡¸Oh, of course I love you, Elt.¡¹ She fumbled as if to make an excuse. I took her hand in mine. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Serena. I promised Yomi, right? I¡¯ll protect you no matter what.¡¹ Serena was taken aback by these words and¡­. ¡¸Yeah, I feel safer when Elt says so.¡¹ She smiled as if she was relieved. ¡¸Excuse me, is this place always this crowded?¡¹ We stood in line for several hours. After several hours of waiting, the line did not move any further and we could not enter the city. I talked to a mercant in front of me and he told me¡­. ¡¸The merchant told me that there was an important person from another country staying in the city, and we can¡¯t enter the city until they leave.¡¹ 1 ¡¸Oh, I thought I could finally get some rest.¡¹ Serena¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡¸You¡¯re an elf, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s unusual.¡¹ ¡¸Have you seen an elf before?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a traveling merchant, so I¡¯ve met dwarves and beastmen before.¡¹ In addition to humans, there are other races in this world called sub-humans. The elves are said to be one of these sub-human races. ¡¸I¡¯ve never seen an elf as beautiful as this one. Would you like to work as a receptionist at my business?¡¹ I thought she was admiring her, but he casually invited her. ¡¸I¡¯m not interested!¡¹ She said that as she hid behind me. The merchant in front of me was laughing. It was probably a joke to faciliate the conversation. ¡¸But then it would be a futile time to just wait around, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¹ The merchant laughed. ¡¸So it¡¯s up to us to make this time mean something?¡¹ The merchant stroked his chind, gave me a probing look and then went to the carriage to get something. ¡¸So let¡¯s make some time for what might be mutually beneficial.¡¹ That¡¯s what he replied. ¡ï ¡¸I wish you well on your journey, then.¡¹ The soldiers in their armor and swords saluted and sent them off. We were greeted with the same attitude in the countries we¡¯ve been to so far. ¡¸Yes, thank you. May Misty bless your country.¡¹ Alice replied with a wave and a smile on her face. The gates were opened and the soldiers led the way. The carriage slowly made it¡¯s way behind the soldiers¡­. ¡¸Alicia. Aren¡¯t you used to this yet?¡¹ Alice spoke to Alicia, who looked nervous. ¡¸I, I¡¯m very sorry. I¡¯ve never been treated this way before¡­¡¹ During her stay in the city, Alicia had been treated with what could be called excessive hospitality. She was beautiful to look at, and Alice, the princess, kept Alicia close to her, so she was thought to be a noblewoman or someone in a similar position. ¡¸You¡¯d better get used to it. When this matter is settled, you will probably get a noble rank within the kingdom.¡¹ Alicia¡¯s popularity was high in the capital because she was a woman who had dedicated herself to the evil god. Alice knew that the nobles were moving around in an attempt to get Alice. ¡¸Th, that¡¯s not¡­¡¹ Alice turned her kind eyes on Alicia, who had gone pale. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to force you into a marriage while your eyes are shining so brightly.¡¹ I know that Alicia is in love with him. I can¡¯t make decisions that are against the interests of the country, but I can at least try to destroy her unwanted marriage. ¡¸Speaking of which, aren¡¯t you getting married, Alice?¡¹ As if a counter attack, Alicia asked a genuine question. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­. a little¡­.¡¹ Alice, who is blessed with a talent for swords, has yet to find a marriage partner. This is because the king has put a condition on it. There was no one among the nobles in the country who met that condition. ¡¸I¡¯m probably¡­. going to marry someone for national interest.¡¹ It is Alice herself who will make that decision. She took it as a message for her father, as she couldn¡¯t believe that she would lose in fighting with swords. She wanted to meet someone who would be worth giving her sword for. ¡¸It¡¯s noisy outside, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Alicia looked out the window of the carriage and saw that there was a crowd of people outside. It was like a marketplace, with people spreading out and trading. ¡¸Oh, it looks like they¡¯re doing a quick marketplace since they couldn¡¯t get into the city until we left.¡¹ It is common for access to be restricted during the stay of royalty. The merchants who couldn¡¯t get into the city must have started their business so that they wouldn¡¯t waste time. There is one place that is very crowded, but the person in the center cannot be seen from here. 2 ¡¸We have to leave before they can enter the city. The next step is the royal capital of Erivan.¡¹ Alicia¡¯s expression tightened as she returned her gaze outside the window. ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m finally here¡­..¡¹ And when she looked forward, she saw¡­ ¡¸Elt, I¡¯ll be by your side soon¡­. Wait for me.¡¹ She folded her hands and prayed. ¡ï CH 28 Chapter title: They went out to the bar ¡¸We¡¯re finally in the city.¡¹ Serena let out a tired sigh and languidly laughed. A few hours ago, the gates opened to reveal a luxurious carriage with soldiers guarding it. Perhaps that was the carriage that the royalty rode in¡­. But we couldn¡¯t take our time to look at it because we were being swarmed by merchants at that time. ¡¸Uuuuu, I¡¯m so tired of all the people talking to me.¡¹ Serena was a rare elf and a beautiful woman, so many people were talking to her. ¡¸We¡¯ve got enough money for the time being.¡¹ I took out a few rainbow carrots and showed them to the merchant. The place was in an uproar, and the merchants who have heard what I said threw out their lines and rushed over. They were so eager to get their hands on them that they started bidding on the carrots, and we were able to get quite a lot of money. ¡¸Let¡¯s find an inn first.¡¹ We¡¯ve been through danger and our minds are tired. I think I need to rest first. I called out to Serena and began to walk through the city. ¡¸Welcome, is it only the two of you?¡¹ We walked to the center of the town and entered a nearby inn. ¡¸Yeah, two people for a week¡¯s stay.¡¹ ¡¸How would you like the room?¡¹ The young girl at the reception desk looked at us cautiously. As if she was trying to figure our relationship, since Serena was hiding behind me. She showed us the price list. A single room was more expensive than a double room. I think about it and¡­ ¡¸Two single rooms, please.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ When I said that, Serena shouted in surprise. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ I asked Serena back¡­. ¡¸Well, wouldn¡¯t it be better if we took a double room? It¡¯ll save us money.¡¹ She insists, slurring her words. ¡¸We¡¯ve already got the money. I don¡¯t think it would be a problem.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­..¡¹ Serena took a step back and¡­. ¡¸B, but money is finite! We might need it in the future, so we might as well save it!¡¹ With that desperate insistence, Serena¡¯s state of mind became apparent. Perhaps, she doesn¡¯t want to sleep alone in a city full of humans. ¡¸Excuse me, I¡¯d like a double room.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ ¡¸Phew. I can finally relax.¡¹ As soon as we were shown to the room, Serena¡¯s expression softened and dressed comfortably. She threw herself on the bed, relaxed and closed her eyes, looking like a sleeping princess. After a while, Serena opened her eyes. ¡¸Hey, Elt. Thank you for listening to my request.¡¹ She must be referring to the room. ¡¸You were afraid of being in a single room, right? Fortunately we have enough money, and if it would make Serena feel safer, then of course.¡¹ The journey will continue until we return home. If we don¡¯t rely on each other now, the stress will be too much for us when the time comes. ¡¸I see¡­.. You¡¯ve found out that much¡­.¡¹ Serena happily muttered and looked up. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I was afraid to stay alone in a human cite. But that¡¯s not all.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ Serena got up and whispered. ¡¸I just didn¡¯t want to leave Elt.¡¹ Her lusty voice lingered in my ears for a long time. After resting for a while, we settled down and went to the bar on the first floor of the inn. We ordered some food and drinks there. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect to be in the Kingdom of Erivan¡­..¡¹ When I entered the city, I found out that this is Geitel, the second city of the Erivan Kingdom. It is located to the east of the capital, and is a place that all people from other countries must pass through if they want to get to the capital. My hometown, the Kingdom of Irkutu, is a long way east from here. Even if the travel went smoothly, it would still take more than a month to get there. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Elt?¡¹ Serena, who was eating her food, tilted her head. ¡¸No, it¡¯s farther than I thought. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out what to do.¡¹ Even if we take a carriage, we may have to stay a few days if the carriage breaks. This is not good. I suddenly thought about something¡­.. ¡¸I see. I¡¯ll try it tomorrow.¡¹ I thought of a better way. ¡¸Hmmmm, you¡¯re right, Elt. You¡¯ve already solved it, haven¡¯t you?¡¹ Serena¡¯s cheeks were red, because she had been drinking. ¡¸Hey. The seasoning on this is really interesting, Elt, you should try it.¡¹ She brought her fork to my mouth, and I tried it, and found that it was delicious. ¡¸In this kind of restaurant, they use strong flavors to make people drink more alcohol.¡¹ In the elven village, they don¡¯t have spices, so they use herbs and other things to flavor their food. ¡¸Hee. You¡¯re right, this is so good, it makes you want to drink more.¡¹ Serena seemed to be in a good mood as she took in a large amount of food and alcohol. ¡¸Don¡¯t drink too much.¡¹ I warned her. ¡¸Oh, Elt doesn¡¯t drink too much. We¡¯re in the middle of nowhere, so why don¡¯t you ruffle a few feathers?¡¹ Serena challenged me. You¡¯re right. I was trying to act so I won¡¯t bother anyone in the elf village. As a result, I don¡¯t think I was enjoying myself to the fullest. She was right in front of me, and it was safe in the city. It might not be a bad idea to drink once in a while. ¡¸I¡¯ll be your partner, if you insist.¡¹ I shared a cup with Serena and began to drink vigorously. CH 29 Chapter title: Writing a letter ¡¸Uuuu¡­. My head hurts¡­.¡¹ When I regained consciousness, my vision was dark. I felt like I had been asleep for quite a while, but my surroundings were pitch black and I couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡¸Su, su¡¹ I could hear Serena¡¯s breathing nearby. (TL: this is that Su, su thing lol) ¡¸Umm, the light is¡­¡¹ I move my hand in the darkness and¡­. ¡¸¡­Aah¡¹ Serena made some kind of lusty sound. I move my right hand where I touched something. ¡¸¡­Ah ah ah!¡¹ 1 I felt a soft touch on my fingers. With that, something moved and touched my face. I took a breathe and smelled something soothing. It seemed that something was blocking my vision. I carefully removed the something holding the back of my head and when I looked up¡­¡­¡­¡­. I looked at Serena, who was looking at me with tears in her eyes. ¡¸Elt¡¯s a pervert.¡¹ When she said that, I looked at my right hand and saw that my hand was grabbing Serena¡¯s breast. ¡¸Serena, I¡¯m sorry,¡¹ As we ate at the restaurant, Serena didn¡¯t look at me. It was understandable, she had just woken up from a sleep and suddenly had her breasts touched by the opposite sex. She turned away and ate her bread, her cheeks flushed red. I stared at the gesture to get her forgiveness¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸That¡¯s enough. We were both drunk, and it happened. It¡¯s not like Elt was the only one at fault this time.¡¹ Serena finally turned to me. ¡¸Besides, I was the one holding your head. It was my fault, too.¡¹ Serena¡¯s ears turned red as she said this, and I couldn¡¯t speak because I remembered the feeling I had just felt. After that, we ate our meals in silence for a while. When the meal was over¡­¡­. ¡¸You didn¡¯t have a choice this time, but next time ask for permission before you touch me.¡¹ Serena put her lips to my ear and whispered as she ran away. ¡¸So, what are we doing today?¡¹ We finished our meal and went into town. Serena seems to have regained her composure and is talking to me, but her eyes are moist and it seems that she hasn¡¯t completely gotten over it yet. ¡¸We¡¯re getting ready to leave the city, which in my opinion will take a week no matter how fast we rush.¡¹ As for booking a carriage, I don¡¯t know if there will be room for two people in the carriage that will take us to the eastern city. But I have to tell Alicia about my survival as soon as possible. So I¡­¡­. ¡¸I¡¯m thinking of writing a letter.¡¹ In this world, there is a way of communicating by letters. There are people who specialize in transporting information rather than people and goods. They travel back and forth between cities on horses or flying dragons. It¡¯s a long distance, so it¡¯s expensive, but if I send a letter through them, they can deliver the information to her before we return to my country. ¡¸Hmmm, that would certainly be a good way to let people know that Elt is alive. So who are you writing to?¡¹ I¡¯ve heard that my parents are already dead. That seemed to be what Serena was curious about, who she would be writing to when she was alone in the world. ¡¸I have a childhood friend named Alicia. I¡¯m going to address it to her.¡¹ After all, I sacrificed myself to the evil god as a substitute. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s worried about me. If she knows I¡¯m alive, I might be able to relieve her pain. ¡¸Ei!¡¹ As I was thinking about Alicia, Serena suddenly hugged me. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ I asked Serena¡­. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing.¡¹ She held my arms with more force. CH 30 Chapter title: Identification Card ¡¸¡­¡­I see. ¡°You want to go to another country¡±, right?¡¹ After writing the letter, Serena and I visited the carriage association. ¡¸Yes, I really need to go to the Kingdom of Irkutu.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t have any proof of your identity. And you, Elven girl?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been in the forest all this time. I don¡¯t have such a thing.¡¹ Serena replied in a resentful manner. ¡¸Is there something wrong with that?¡¹ The attendant raised an eyebrow and gave me a difficult look, so I decided to ask. ¡¸You need an Identification Card (ID) to leave the country.¡¹ ¡¸Why is that?¡¹ ¡¸Like in any other coutnry, there is a border crossing point. When you go through it, you need to confirm whether or not you will receive a punishment or not and to clarify your country of origin.¡¹ When I asked for a detailed explanation, I was told that since people of unknown affiliation may do wrong in their respective countries, all citizens going abroad are required to have an ID card. This seems to be an agreement between countries, but it¡¯s unfamiliar to the average person who grew up in the city and has no connection to foreign countries. It¡¯s common knowledge for adventurers and merchants who do business across countries, though. ¡¸I grew up in the depths of the forest in this country, does that mean that I can¡¯t go abroad?¡¹ Serena looked impatient. The attendant explained to Serena what she needed to know. ¡¸There are two things you need to cross over to another country: your guild rank. It doesn¡¯t matter if you belong to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild or the Merchant¡¯s Guild, you need to belong to one of them and raise your rank to a certain level.¡¹ This seems to be a matter of trust, and there have been incidents of inexperienced people getting lost after entering ohter countries and comitting robbery or fraud. If this happens, the problem must be solved in the country that guarantees the identity of the person. In order to prevent this from happening, they started issuing ID cards only to veterans with a certain track record. ¡¸The other thing is money. It costs 120,000 Birr per person to issue an ID card.¡¹ The inn we stayed at the other night cost us 4,00 Birr per night for two people, which is almost the equivalent of a month¡¯s accommodation. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that expensive!?¡¹ Serena shouted in surprise. ¡¸If we make it too cheap, people who want to do bad things will easily go to another countries. It was a hard coice for the government to make.¡¹ It¡¯s true that people who think that all they have to do is get an ID card and can go abroad to do bad things. If you¡¯re a guild member, you¡¯re going to need a certain amount of insurance. ¡¸If I raise my rank in the guild, can I get an ID card here.¡¹ It¡¯s a waste of time to argue here. I asked the attendant for confirmation. ¡¸No, we can¡¯t do that here either.¡¹ ¡¸Where can I get one?¡¹ The attendant answered. ¡¸The government office in the capital. That¡¯s the only place you can get an ID card.¡¹ Apparently, I still had to make preparations to return home¡­.. Wow, that¡¯s bullshit. But I guess this is how Alicia and Elt will meet. CH 31 Chapter title: Registering as an Adventurer ¡¸Hey, what are we doing?¡¹ Serena asked me as soon as soon as we left the carriage association. I guess she¡¯s asking about how to get out of the country. ¡¸The first thing I can think of is to join the adventurer¡¯s guild or merchant¡¯s guild in this country and make a name for ourselves.¡¹ This is probably the most practical way. It will take some time, but there is a possibility that Alicia will receive a letter and make some kind of contact with us. In the meantime, I will work, earn money and wait, which is a good idea since we would eventually be able to return home. ¡¸I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve got the whole border sealed off, do we? We can get through the forest or something, right?¡¹ Serena whispered a loophole as I was thinking. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think we should.¡¹ ¡¸Why not?¡¹ ¡¸There are three countries we have to cross, and not all of them will have convenient forests. There¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll have to abandon the plan halfway through, so it¡¯s risky.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡­. I¡¯m sorry I spoke something unnecessary.¡¹ Serena¡¯s ears droop a little when she said that. It seems that she is depressed. I stroke Serena¡¯s head. The smooth blonde hair and Serena¡¯s warmth are comforting. ¡¸You said that for my sake. It was nothing unnecessary. If you think of anything else, please keep telling me.¡¹ There is a limit to how much one person can think on their own. It¡¯s valuable to have someone who can make suggestions like this¡­¡­ ¡¸Hmmm?¡¹ More than anything, being with Serena had somehow made me feel at ease. ¡¸We would like to register as adventurers, please.¡¹ We decided to work as adventurers for the time being, and opened the door of the adventurer¡¯s guild in this city. ¡¸Yes, there are two of you, the warrior and¡­.. eh?¡¹ When the receptionist saw our outfits, she first looked at me and judged me to be a warrior from the sword on my hip. And then she turned her gaze to Serena, who was standing beside me, and froze. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ I asked, and the receptionist regained her composure. Then she¡­¡­. ¡¸Y, yes! It¡¯s unusual for an elf to register here¡­¡­..¡¹ ¡¸Is it that rare?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, there are a total of five elven adventurers in this country, all of whom are excellent hunters or spirit users. Your name is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Serena.¡¹ After hearing her name, the receptionist continued. ¡¸I¡¯d like to know if you are able to use spirits or if you have divine bow skills?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m a very good archer, but I do have a contract with a spirit.¡¹ The adventurers who had been listening to her words erupted. ¡¸Wow, our city is finally going to get some elven adventurers.¡¹ ¡¸Some requests are easier to handle with spirit magic than others.¡¹ ¡¸And for what it¡¯s worth, she¡¯s beautiful. I would love to get to know her.¡¹ I can hear them saying such things. ¡¸So, is there any problem registering the two of us?¡¹ In spite of the excitement around me, I proceeded with the registration without hesitation. ¡¸Ah, no. In fact, you¡¯re more than welcome.¡¹ It seems that Serena is the one who is being welcomed. The receptionist and the adventurer¡¯s gaze of goodwill is clearly directed at Serena. ¡¸So, please fill out this form.¡¹ Serena and I took the paper and filled it out. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s confirm the contents. The registrants are Elt-san and Serena-san, right? Elt-san is a swordsman and Serena-san is a spirit user. Is this right?¡¹ ¡¸Yea.¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ I went through the details one by one. ¡¸We¡¯ll need 5,000 Birr per person for the initial registration fee.¡¹ At the receptionist¡¯s words, I handed over 10,000 Birr. ¡¸I will issue you an adventurer¡¯s card, so please hold your hand over the crystal.¡¹ We did as we were told, and a card came out. ¡¸That will be your adventurer card. Any monsters you kill in the future will be recorded on that card. You will also receive a commission fee on that card. The card can also be used as a wallet in stores affiliated with the adventurers, so please be careful not to lose it.¡¹ It was a flowing explanation. I guess she¡¯s used to it since he talks to so many adventurers every day. ¡¸Elt-san and Serena-san have just registered as adventurers, so their guild rank will start at F. The adventurer rank is used as a guideline when accepting requests; 10 completed requests as an F rank will raise you to E rank, 10 requests with an E rank will raise you to D rank, and so on.¡¹ 1 As a sidenote, it seems that if you can¡¯t complete a request of the same rank three times in a row, you¡¯ll be demoted. The reason for this is that without a penalty, some people might intentionally leave the job unattended. ¡¸Next, let¡¯s talk about parties. In low ranks, adventurers often act alone. It can be a simple request to collect herbs or to kill a low-ranked monster. However, as the rank of the adventurer increases, the rarity of the items to be killed and collected increases, and there is a risk of failure if you accept a request alone.¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean I can partner up with just anyone?¡¹ The receptionist shook her head at Serena¡¯s question. ¡¸You will be able to form a party with anyone up to two ranks away from you. When you register your party, you will be assigned a party rank. If you fail twice, you will be demoted.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so we¡¯re all jointly responsible for any mistakes we make.¡¹ The receptionist nodded at my words. ¡¸Do you have any more questions?¡¹ I asked her a question I had on my mind. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard that if you get a high enough rank, you can get an ID card to go abroad.¡¹ ¡¸If you are an individual, you can get a C rank. If you are an individual, you need to be ranked C. If you are in a party, you need to be ranked B.¡¹ F and E ranks are treated as novice adventurers, but D rankers are considered as full-fledged adventurers. If you¡¯re an individual, you start at rank C. If you¡¯re in a party, you start at rank B. When I think about it, it¡¯s going to be moderately difficult to increase our rank in such a short time¡­¡­. As I was thinking about it. ¡¸We need to move up our rank in a short time, is there any way?¡¹ Serena asked. ¡¸Basically, the fastest way would be to have you complete a certain number of requests.¡¹ The receptionist gave the obvious answer, but then added a few more words. ¡¸But there are exceptions.¡¹ ¡¸What kind of exception?¡¹ ¡¸Hunting high-ranked monsters such as the disaster class. These monsters cause a lot of damage to countries and cities. If you are able to hunt these monsters, your adventurer rank may be raised as an exception.¡¹ We would need the approval of the guild master to do so, though, the receptionist replied. And¡­¡­. ¡¸However, a disaster class is more like a dragon or something like that, and they don¡¯t just appear in towns and plains, so it¡¯s of little use.¡¹ It¡¯s true that there have been no powerful monsters since we left the Lost Forest. When we were silent, the receptionist nodded. ¡¸This was the explanation. Now then, Elt-san and Serena-san. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild is looking forward to seeing the two of you in action.¡¹ With that, she smiled at us. CH 32 Chapter title: Veteran Adventurer ¡¸What request should we try for now?¡¹ After leaving the reception desk, we decided to accept a request as soon as possible. We moved to the bulletin board, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. There were a lot of papers on it, from requests to kill to collect herbs and items. ¡¸Well, how about a request to take down a goblin?¡¹ We started with a simple one. I¡¯ve seen a lot of goblins on our way here, and they¡¯ve been kidnapping kivestock from farms near the city, so I should do this to limit the damage. I¡¯ve seen the damage they do in my hometown, so I can imagine the joy on their facces. ¡¸I¡¯m going to take a gathering request. I can only take one at a time. I can easily gather ten herbs for this potion.¡¹ Serena was good at indentifying plants, so it was a good choice. After confirming with each other, Serena and I went to the reception desk, to take the request, but it was closed.. ¡¸Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute.¡¹ One of the adventurers called out to us. He was a mature man carrying an axe on his back. ¡¸What can I do for you?¡¹ I replied and¡­ ¡¸You¡¯re new here, right? We¡¯re going to teach you what it means to be an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸Hehehe¡¹ Before we knew it, we were surroundered. The man, who looks disgusting because of the scars on his face, is laughing, and¨D¨D ¡¸The goblins are as light as they look. If you hit them with momentum, you can easily get an advantageous position.¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ ¡¸There a few things you need to know about herbs. Remember where they tend to grow and don¡¯t pick them all, and they¡¯ll grow back in a few days. That way, you can save a lot of time and effort.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯m learning.¡¹ We are currently under the guidance of some adventurers. Leading us, is Russell¡¯s party, a mid-level adventurer in town. He has a scary face, but he¡¯s a very caring person, and he always talks to newly registered adventurers and teaching them the mistakes that beginners tend to make. ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s good Elt. But don¡¯t rely on the power of your power. If you learn to take it easy when you¡¯re young, your skills won¡¯t grow.¡¹ Having trudged through the Lost Forest, the mosters that could be found here here were no match for Serena and I. However, there are unique rules that only adventurers understand. The same goes for the way Serena is learning to pick herbs. The record of goblin kills remain on the adventurer¡¯s card, but there are no instructions on where to defeat them. If we don¡¯t kill the goblins on the plains near the houses, we won¡¯t be able to control the damage. However, if you want to kill only a few, you can go into the forest and attack the caves. As an adventurer with roots in the city, he wanted to make sure that everyone was happy, even if it took some effort. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ As a result, I obeyed the instructions¡­. ¡¸Okay, now you¡¯ve killed ten of them. Congratulations on completing your request.¡¹ Russel-san laughs at me like that, but even though I¡¯m used to it, I think it¡¯s a loss to see what he¡¯s up to. ¡¸I¡¯m done gathering herbs.¡¹ Serena waved her hand. It seemed that it has gone off without a hitch on their end too. ¡¸All right, then, let¡¯s head out.¡¹ With Ruseel¡¯s signal, we headed back to the city. CH 33 Chapter title: Launch ¡¸Cheers for our new adventurer friends who completed their first request!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Cheers!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Everyone clinked their cups at Russel¡¯s gesture. The table is lined with a variety of sumptuous dishes, and our earnings for the day would be completely in the red. ¡¸It¡¯s on me. Elt and Serena, feel free to eat!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re teaching us for free and then you buy us dinner.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right we should at least split the bill¡­¡¹ Russell-san and his team only watched over us while doing the request, so they did not earn any money today. We should have paid them for teaching us how to work¡­. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, we get something out of teaching beginners too.¡¹ ¡¸Please let us at least pay for what we¡¯ve earned today.¡¹ I said and Russel-san drank his drink. ¡¸Pfft! I can¡¯t take money from a rookie.¡¹ ¡¸B, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. You should keep that money for when you become a full-fledged adventurer and teach the new ones. That¡¯s how my seniors used to buy me drinks.¡¹ Apparently, Russell-san also learned the tricks from a great adventurer. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll save this money until that time.¡¹ I guess that¡¯s how adventurers have been training newcomers for generations. I began to like the adventurers of this town more and more. As we ate and drank, Russell-san and the other continued to teach us. They told us about the mistakes they had made in their past adventures. Perhaps it was the fact that they were drunk that made their stories so interesting, but I heard that some of them had actually been injured to the point where they could no londer continue their adventures. ¡¸What do they the adventurers who can no longer continue their adventures do?¡¹ When I asked this question¡­ ¡¸Most of them go back to their home villages or towns and work as guards there, while others stay in the city, get married find new jobs. In any case, it¡¯s better not to be an adventurer for too long.¡¹ Being an adventurer is a risky job. Unlike in the city, there are vicious monsters outside, and dungeons are filled with vicious traps. The longer you do this job, the more likely you are to die. ¡¸Have you ever regretted becoming an adventurer, Russel-san?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m a clumsy person, you know. I have a scary face and make kids cry when I try to smile.¡¹ ¡¸Whenever I¡¯m asked to present Russell in a village or town, the villagers get scared.¡¹ ¡¸Shut up!¡¹ He smiled and lumped his friends who were making fun of him. I¡¯m sure there is a relationship of trust between them that has been built over the years. ¡¸So when it came time to work, the only option I could think of was becoming an adventurer. To be honest, there were times when I wanted to try other jobs, but I don¡¯t¡­. regret it.¡¹ ¡¸Why is that?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the thing, Elt.¡¹ Russel looked at the cup and suddenly a gentle expression appeared on his face. ¡¸It¡¯s because being an adventurer has given me the best friends I¡¯ve ever had.¡¹ A gloomy atmosphere filled the room. Everyone looked happy as they listened to Russell¡¯s words. ¡¸It was a good party, wasn¡¯t it?¡¹ When they got back to the inn, Serena put on some light clothes and sat down on the bed, probably thinking of Russell-san and his friends. ¡¸We¡¯re in good ocmpany. We¡¯re lucky to have such wonderful people mentoring us when we¡¯re new adventurers.¡¹ At first I suspected that they were trying to take advantage of us, but they were mch nicer than I had expected. ¡¸Hey, Elt?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm?¡¹ ¡¸Elt¡¯s goal is to return to his hometown. He just needed to quality as an adventurer to do so, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­That¡¯s right?¡¹ We became adventurers because we wanted an ID to leave the country. I think it¡¯s a cold idea. I¡¯m not in a position to ask Russell-san and his team to spend their time mentoring me. ¡¸What will Elt do when he gets back home?¡¹ Lying on the bed, Serena makes eye contact with me as she peers in. ¡¸I don¡¯t really¡­ have any plans.¡¹ I used to do odd jobs at the store. If I came back alive now, there would probably be someone else working there to replace me. I realized that I had only been thinking about going back, and hadn¡¯t given any thought to what I would do once I got back. ¡¸W, well then.. why don¡¯t we¡­..?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah? What did you say?¡¹ I couldn¡¯t hear her well because she was whispering. Serena¡¯s face was blushing. ¡¸So! I¡¯m asking if you¡¯d like to be an adventurer with me back home!¡¹ I¡¯m flabbergasted by that invitation¡­.. ¡¸That¡­.. might not be a bad idea.¡¹ I continued to be an adventurer with Serena. Marie was by her side, and we were all laughing together. I imagined such a future. CH 34 Chapter title: Urgent Request from the Royal Capital ¡¸Alright, I guess we¡¯re done for the day.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re done here too.¡¹ After finishing today¡¯s work, we headed back to the adventurer¡¯s guild. ¡¸I¡¯m getting used to the job¡­¡­.¡¹ Serena hummed in a good mood as she lined up beside me. ¡¸It¡¯s been exactly one week today. You get used to it when you¡¯re doing this many requests a day.¡¹ The monsters that appear around this town are not very strong, as I found out after doing the job. I¡¯ve tried to look at them with my [analytical eye], but they¡¯re at most level 30. The monsters in the Lost Forest were at least level 100, so there was little danger to me and Serena. ¡ºMarie did her best too.¡» ¡¸Yes, yes. Marie did a great job too.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Marie-chan?¡¹ Serena reacted to the word Marie. I¡¯m currently under contract with Marie. Thanks to this, I can communicate with her in my head. Marie doesn¡¯t like to be seen in front of people, so in the city she talks only in my head like this. When I told Serena what Marie said, she said¡­¡­. ¡¸That¡¯s true. It¡¯s been a great help to me because she tells me everything from where to look for enemies to where to find goods.¡¹ Thanks to Marie, we¡¯re getting three requests a day. The guild¡¯s rules allow for only one request at a time, but if there¡¯s still time left after completing it, you can continue working. Most adventurers don¡¯t want to work that hard to earn money, so they stop after one request, but we wanted to raise our ranks quickly, so we worked hard. ¡¸This achievement would bring both our party rank and adventurer rank to D.¡¹ We raised our adventurer rank to E on the way. If we become D rank, the range of requests that can be received will increase, so I would like to take this opportunity to earn money. ¡¸It seems like we¡¯re getting a lot of attention lately.¡¹ Serena said this as we entered the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ve been promoted to E rank within four days of signing up, and now we¡¯re being promoted to D rank. I¡¯ve heard that the speed at which we¡¯ve been promoted so far is one of the top ten in the adventurer¡¯s guild here.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re not number one, huh?¡¹ It¡¯s interesting to see that there are people who are better than us who have trudged through the lost forest. ¡¸They say the number one got it in two hours and thirty five minutes.¡¹ ¡¸How did they do that?¡¹ ¡¸They registered, went outside the city as fast as they could, and killed an A-rank monster by themselves.¡¹ That¡¯s a hell of a guy. ¡¸It¡¯s someone with an amazing unique skill set and they overpowered a read dragon.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s awesome¡­¡¹ It¡¯s hard to believe that they could overpower a Red Dragon, let alone have the guts to do so. ¡¸Well, now that we know the attention we¡¯re getting, let¡¯s move up the ranks.¡¹ I said, and headed for the reception desk. There was a lot of noise in front of the reception desk. Even the adventurers who normally relax freely in the nearby tavern have gathered in front of the counter. ¡ºEr, so this request can be accepted by D rankers and above.¡» The receptionist uses a loudspeaker to make everyone listen. However, since I was in the middle of speaking, I couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying. ¡¸Hey, good work. Have you been working hard today?¡¹ Then Mr. Russell spotted us and walked up to us through the crowd. ¡¸What¡¯s this all about?¡¹ I guess he was going to explain it to me, Mr. Russell, brought his face closer to mine. ¡¸I heard that they are gathering skilled adventurers at the request of Royal Capital.¡¹ ¡¸There is an adventurer¡¯s guild in Royal Capital, isn¡¯t there?¡¡Don¡¯t they have an adventurer¡¯s guild in the capital?¡¹ I¡¯m sure they have more adventurers than we do. ¡¸It seems that they¡¯ve been sent to explore a new dungeon at the most inopportune time. They¡¯re short on manpower.¡¹ ¡¸In other words, this request is urgent, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Why do you say that?¡¹ While we were talking, Serena asked a question. ¡¸If there¡¯s no time limit, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to wait for the high-ranked adventurers to come back from the dungeon, right? However, there are circumstances in which it is necessary to hurry to get adventurers from other towns.¡¹ It¡¯s not just this town, but all the surrounding towns must have been contacted. ¡¸That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s urgent, then it¡¯s definitely job that pays well.¡¹ Russell-san also agreed with my guess. It may be more risky, though, because you can¡¯t prepare for it¡­¡­. While I was thinking about it¡­ ¡¸Elt and Serena, what are your adventurer ranks, right now?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going to complete the request, and I¡¯m about to move up to rank D¡¹ ¡¸Hou, as expected. Does this mean that you can accept this request?¡¹ That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­. ¡¸Hey, Elt. Let¡¯s accept this request.¡¹ Serena also seems to be enthusiastic about it. Certainly, I would like to accept such a request that pays well. ¡¸What kind of work is this?¡¹ But that¡¯s only after I¡¯ve confirmed what the request is about. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard that this request is from the government, and they¡¯re in need of a large number of adventurers. You can get a commission, but if you do well, you might even be recruited as a solider.¡¹ I was convinced by his words. Russell and the others are going to accept the request. ¡¸Look, the request is¡­¡¹ We were surprised to hear Russell¡¯s words. What he said was¨D¨D ¡¾Investigation of the Lost Forest¡¿ ¨D¨DBecause it was¡­ CH 35 Chapter title: The Rouse Plains ¡ï The outside of the tent was bustling with activity, and many adventurers and soldiers had gathered there. ¡¸Alicia, are you alright?¡¹ I thought I felt a tap on my shoulder, but it was Alice-sama looking at me with concern. ¡¸I¡¯m fine.¡¹ Currently, a large number of adventurers and soldiers are waiting in the Rouse Plains before the Lost Forest. As many as 200 people gathered, which is the second largest number of people gathered in this country¡¯s history. ¡¸There are a lot of adventurers outside right now, so please don¡¯t show your face.¡¹ A knight from the Kingdom of Erivan said so. I should explain a few things about the commotion. It all started when we visited the royal castle in Erivan. We were visiting the country to make sure Elt was still alive, and a princess of a country is not allowed to take any liberties when visiting another country. If something were to happen to her, it would be an international problem. That¡¯s why we told them that the purpose of our visit was to ¡°investigate the Lost Forest¡±¡­ The people of the Erivan Kingdom looked at each other in surprise. The reason for this is that the Lost Forest has been acting strangely lately. Even here in the Rouse Plains, there are strong monsters walking around that you don¡¯t normally see, and there are signs of evil wafting from the forest. 1 That¡¯s why the government couldn¡¯t leave it alone, so they planned to investigate. That¡¯s when we showed up and asked for the same kind of investigation, and so we¡¯re looking into it. It was a good opportunity for us, so Alice and I were allowed to accompany her on the investigation while keeping our matter a secret. At first, they were reluctant to expose the royal family of another country to danger, but in the end they agreed, as if they wanted our information. However, we were not allowed to go completely free, and a knight was assigned to protect us and wait for us in the tent. ¡¸I know, I know. But if you have any results, please let us know.¡¹ ¡¸Very well, miss.¡¹ The knight said he was going to check outside and left¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Damn it! It¡¯s so frustrating that we can¡¯t investigate on our own.¡¹ Lady Alice crossed her arms and expressed her dissatisfaction. ¡¸You can¡¯t blame them, it would have been nice to have at least some of the Kingsguard participate in the investigation¡­¡­.¡¹ We¡¯ve sent half of the knights that have been guarding me up to this point to investigate. ¡¸And you¡¯re getting calmer¡­¡­.¡¹ I crossed my arms as I listened to Alice¡¯s words, looking in the direction of the Lost Forest. And¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¸Elt. I¡¯ve finally reached your side.¡¹ I muttered to myself. ¡ï ¡¸Hm?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Elt?¡¹ Serena tilted her head as I stopke up. ¡¸No, I thought I heard someone call me¡­.¡¹ I thought I heard a voice that sounded strangely familiar¡­ ¡¸Not Marie-chan?¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think it was her.¡¹ It doesn¡¯t make any sense. ¡¸Rather, we¡¯d better be quiet because the explanation is about to begin.¡¹ I closed my mouth and looked forward to Serena¡¯s words. The adventurers stood at various places and looked forward, where our client, a knight of the country, was explaining the details of the job. ¡ºI¡¯d like to ask you adventurers to back up our knights.¡» The knights wore armor with the country¡¯s emblem engraved on it. ¡ºWe have recently been experiencing an unexplained exodus of monsters from the Lost Forest. The purpose of our mission is to exterminate the vicious monsters and investigate the cause. You are not only important people who live in this country, but also brave warriors. I want you to keep in mind that if this place is overtaken, the powerless townspeople and villagers will fall prey to the monsters.¡» ¡¸Hey, what do you think is the cause?¡¹ While I was listening to the knight, Serena spoke to me. The reason why I accepted this request was because I didn¡¯t think we were completely unrelated. We had come out of the Lost Forest a while ago. I didn¡¯t pay any attention to it at the time, but it¡¯s possible that the forest experienced some changes. ¡¸We don¡¯t know that, that¡¯s why we¡¯re exploring.¡¹ If that is the case, then I must take this request and make it clear. I talked about this with Serena as I listened to the knight. CH 36 Chapter title: Groups ¡ºThen let me divide the troops first.¡» The knight explained the method of this investigation. ¡ºThere are 180 of you in total. You will be divided into six groups, and one leader will be chosen to oversee each group. Then, each of the six groups will enter the forest from a remote location.¡» Lost Forest is large, and it is certainly not possible for a large group of people to move around blindly. ¡ºThen form the group into parties of six. We will expand in all directions around the party with the group leader and move northward.¡» How can he suddenly command a large group of people? ¡ºProceed from there for three days, stay there for a day, and come back.¡» I wasn¡¯t the only one who was slightly relieved by those words. What we were worried about was that we would be led deeper into the Lost Forest. In the depths of the forest, there is the elven village, and further in there is the castle of the evil god. It would be a hassle if the investigation went that far, and more importantly, there were powerful monsters deep in the forest. ¡¸How do we elect a leader?¡¹ When Russell raised his hand, the knight said. ¡ºYou have come from six different cities around the Royal City. You can choose your own leader from your own city, right?¡» Well, that was well thought out. There would be some people who would be repulsed if a complete stranger were to take the top position. But if it¡¯s someone they approve of, it¡¯s easier to accept. ¡¸What about the soldiers of the kingdom?¡¹ Russell¡¯s question made the other adventurers also think about it. A well-worn armor and a karma sword. He is an adventurer with the air of a seasoned veteran. ¡ºWe will be taking three men with each group. They will be tasked with documenting this investigation as well as assessing your work.¡» The adventurers buzzed at these words. Everyone understands. If you can make a name for yourself here, there is a chance that the government will take you in. ¡ºIf you see anything unusual, immediately tell the soldiers about it. We¡¯ll be entering the forest in half a day, so in an hour the leaders of each group will gather before us.¡» With that, the meeting was dismissed for the time being. (separator) ¡¸But then again, aren¡¯t they using us after all?¡¹ The leader of group became Russell-san. He is currently going to the knights to get more information about the investigation of the lost forest. ¡¸But it¡¯s a chance for us to move up the social ladder. If we do well, maybe Russell-san can get the castle to take us in, right?¡¹ Serena and I were also working with Russell-san in the adventurer¡¯s guild, so we were kind of together. ¡¸I think that Russell-san is pretty good, but even if he¡¯s that strong, can¡¯t he become a soldier?¡¹ Serena uttered those words. The two people who were talking¡­¡­. ¡¸In fact, it wasn¡¯t long before I was offered a position as a soldier¡­¡­.¡¹ He said so in an awkward voice. ¡¸At the time, we had just been picked up by Mr. Russell, and he said, ¡®Can you leave us be?¡¯ He turned down the chance to be a soldier.¡¹ It was a very typical Russell story. ¡¸So, we want to repay him. We want to show him how much we¡¯ve grown through this adventure and send him on his way.¡¹ He scrunched up his nose to hide his embarrassment. I looked at him with respect. CH 37 Chapter title: Forest Wolf ¡¸Okay, each party should proceed with caution, making sure to stay completely out of sight. If there is a battle with a monster, kill it yourself. If you find them to be too strong, let us know. We¡¯ll catch up with you and join the fight.¡¹ Russell¡¯s voice came through loud and clear at the entrance to the forest. The fact that all of the adventurers were listening attentively was probably a result of Russell¡¯s daily activities. ¡¸Basically, we¡¯ll be sending out the best of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for the northeast and northwest parties. I¡¯m going to read the names now, so please come out.¡¹ ¡¸Can¡¯t we have our normal party?¡¹ One of the adventurers said¡­¡­. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I would like to emphasize daily cooperation, but that would mean putting all our strength to sleep. I don¡¯t want to be a waste of time.¡¹ He seems to have some kind of plan. Russell-san chuckled and said¡­¡­. ¡¸So, Elt. You¡¯re going to the northeast party!¡¹ All eyes focused on me. ¡¸Elt, be careful, okay?¡¹ Serena tightened her grip on my hand, looking worried. She was an elf, so she was familiar with the geography of the forest. Because of this, Russell incorporated her into his own party in the center. ¡¸I¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ I don¡¯t say too much because of the eyes around me. It¡¯s not a problem since we came through here with a much smaller group in the first place. I¡¯m sure Serena knows that. I appealed to her with my eyes¡­¡­. ¡¸This is not the same thing. You never know what kind of threats the forest might pose.¡¹ I patted Serena¡¯s head gently, wondering how worried she was. ¡¸Uh, Serena. Elt. I feel bad about splitting you guys up, but¡­¡­. Your flirting is a distraction to those around you. You can do that at the inn after this investigation is over, just the two of you.¡¹ ¡¸Wh!¡¹ Russell¡¯s teasing words made Serena¡¯s mouth water and she turned bright red. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll join the party now.¡¹ I looked ahead and saw a group of men with tears in their eyes, waiting for me to come. It would be best not to provoke them any further. I let go of Serena¡¯s head and tried to join them, but¡­¡­. ¡¸Oh, wait, Elt.¡¹ Serena brings her face close to mine and whispers something to me. ¡¸I¡¯ll see you at the inn.¡¹ With that, she moved away. (separator) ¡¸Ert. The enemy is a Forest Wolf, albeit it¡¯s only a single one!¡¡You should be on the defensive instead of the offensive!¡¹ There was a wolf-shaped monster in front of me. The adventurers around me looked grim, so I tried to use my analytical eye. Race: Monster Individual name: Forest Wolf Level: 104 Strength: 300 Magic: 88 Strength: 222 Agility: 450 Defensive Strength: 278 Skill£ºIncrease Speed, Charge Remarks: Plays with enemies with its agile movements. Its hair is hard, and its charge attack uses its huge body is a threat. Fire magic is its weakness. ¡¸Alright!¡¹ In terms of level, it¡¯s not far behind me and Serena. However, this Forest Wolf¡¯s threat level is B rank. A B rank is a monster that adventurers of the same rank are recommended to take on as a party. ¡¸Mages in the rear, fire magic please!¡¹ The man in the vanguard gave instructions to the rearguard, and rushed into the forest wolf to suppress it himself. ¡¸Fuck you! Get away from me!¡¹ I can defeat it it once they complete their magic. This is the point where I have to swing your sword with all your might¡­¡­. ¡¸Grrrrrrrrrrr¡¹ The forest wolf¡¯s high agility makes it impossible to wound him. ¡¸Elt, please! I can¡¯t hold it off by myself!¡¡Show me the power that Russell-san has approved of!¡¹ With those words, I stepped forward. ¡¸In a few moments the magic will be complete. Please hold it down until then.¡¹ A tense voice came from the rearguard as well. If we are overtaken, Forest Wolf will attack us when we are defenseless. The worst situations must have come to mind. ¡¸I¡¯ll take care of it. I won¡¯t let you get behind me.¡¹ Perhaps reacting to my words, the forest wolf changed its target to me. ¡¸Elt! He¡¯s gone!¡¹ The forest wolf lunged at me. This is the kind of charging skill that I confirmed with my analytical eyes. ¡¸Grrrrrrrrrr©`©`©`©`©`©`!!!¡¹ A tremendous sense of intimidation came at me. But if I avoid it here, this thing will head for the rear guard. ¡¸Did you think I¡¯d let you?¡¹ I hold my sword to my side and¡­ ¡¸Guah!¡¹ ¡ª¡ªI caught the forest wolf¡¯s thrust. ¡¸Grrr! Gulp! Guh!¡¹ The forest wolf stomps its foot and tries to push me, but I push it back. ¡¸Forest Wolf¡¯s charge was caught by¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸¡­No way¡¹ The man in the vanguard and the woman in the rearguard said that it¡¯s impossible. ¡¸When the magic is complete shoot it, please!¡¹ When I say that¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Ha!¡¡It¡¯s done! Elt get awat! ¡¾Fire Storm¡¿¡¹ A storm of fmales came at me from behind. Fire Storm is an intermediate level fire magic. ¡¸Okay, I guess I¡¯m done here.¡¹ ¡¸Ggghhh!¡¹ I kick the forest wolf in the torso and break it¡¯s stance. The next thing I know, the Forest Wolf is engulfed in flames. ¡¸Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ It screamed. ¡¸Alright, rearguard take care of the fire with the water magic. We¡¯ll surround the forest wolves so they can¡¯t escape!¡¹ If we let it escape here, it will start a fire. The rear guard began to chant water magic so that the fire could be extinguished immediately. ¡¸Elt, once the fire is extinguished, we¡¯ll charge in!¡¹ Soon the water magic was complete. ¡¸¡¾Squall¡¿¡¹ The mass of water hits the forest wolf and the fire goes out. ¡¸Finish it!¡¹ The battle ended when the man in the vanguard jumped out and sliced the Forest Wolf¡¯s head. CH 38 Chapter title: Kuzmigo, a Soldier of the Kingdom of Erivan ¡ï When we found a square in the middle of the lost forest, Elt and his group decided to camp out there. The sun had already set, and fires were being built in several places. Around the fires, the adventurers and Elt who had been active today were relaxing. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I left the cooking to you.¡¹ Russell held up one hand and said to Serena as if worshipping her. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. After all, we didn¡¯t fight once today.¡¹ As they progressed into the Lost Forest, they encountered monsters that would not appear in shallow areas, but Elt and the adventurers defeated them. Thanks to this, there was no need for reserve forces, and the southeast and central parties had plenty of energy to spare. ¡¸Besides, I like to cook.¡¹ To be fair, she liked to do it because she was happy to have Elt eat it. Serena commanded the water spirit to pour clean water into the pot. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s stew the meat of the forest wolf that we have took.¡¹ Serena is making a stew using the meat from the forest wolf we killed today. She threw the edible plants that grow wild there into the pot and nibbled on the meat. Herbs and other ingredients played the role of spices, enhancing the flavor while eliminating the smell of the meat. ¡¸But I can¡¯t show this to the rest of the group. I didn¡¯t know we could get food like this in the wild¡­¡­.¡¹ Russell said, looking at the pot that smelled so good. When it was almost ready¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Come on, hurry up! How long are you going to keep me waiting?¡¹ She turned around and saw the soldiers of the kingdom standing there. His behavior was completely condescending to adventurers. ¡¸Why should I, a soldier of the kingdom, come to this dangerous forest? And you want me to stay in the wild?¡¹ Apparently, they are not happy with this investigation. It was rare for a soldier who originally worked at the castle to go outside the city. However, this time there was a request from another country, so they couldn¡¯t just leave it to the adventurers. As a result, people who would not be bothered by their absence from the castle were selected among the soldiers to go and investigate. ¡¸It¡¯s probably already done. Why don¡¯t you let me eat it?¡¹ One of the soldiers came up to her and tried to serve me some stew. ¡¸Hey, let¡¯s start with the people who are tired after fighting all day.¡¹ Serena replied, annoyed by the attitude of the kingdom¡¯s soldiers. ¡¸What are you doing? You dare to defy me! You¡¯re an elf!¡¹ However, Serena¡¯s attitude may have offended the soldier, and he became angry. ¡¸Well, well, soldier. It¡¯s hard to accompany you to such a place.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not every day you get to eat Forest Wolf meat, so you¡¯d better eat your fill.¡¹ An adventurer from Russell¡¯s party hurriedly intervened. ¡¸Hey! You¡­¡­.¡¹ Serena looked grim and tried to say something back¡­¡­. ¡¸Calm down.¡¹ Elt stopped her with a tap on the shoulder. ¡¸Elt. But¡­¡¹ Why did you stop me? A sad look crossed Serena¡¯s face. ¡¸Because Mr. Russell¡¯s promotion to soldier is at stake.¡¹ Given his age, if he misses this opportunity, there will be no way left for Russell to be promoted. That¡¯s why Russell¡¯s friends are also in a bad position. Serena makes eye contact with Elto. And when she sees the expression on his face, she calms down¡­¡­. ¡¸All right. I¡¯ll start with the soldiers.¡¹ She said and started to serve the food. ¡¸It¡¯s so easy to be a government official when all you have to do is give orders.¡¹ The soldiers ate their stew and complained loudly. ¡¸Kuzmigo-dono, this is a lost forest. If you make too much noise, the monsters will come to you.¡¹ Monsters are more active at night. If there are so many of them, they will probably be wary and won¡¯t attack you, but considering the strangeness of the Lost Forest, you can¡¯t be too careful. Russell is careful, but¡­¡­. ¡¸What the hell are you doing, I have the right to assess!¡¹ At these words, the eyes of the people around them turned to Kuzmigo. ¡¸The food is not as good as I expected, and your attitude is disgusting. We didn¡¯t hire you to camp in our kingdom. If you have time to complain, why don¡¯t you at least look around and kill the monsters if you see any!¡¹ ¡¸¡­You¡¯re a jerk.¡¹ Serena muttered to herself. Everyone in this place wants Russell to be promoted and can¡¯t stand against him. Kuzmigo knew this, and waved his position. ¡¸All right? Don¡¯t say anything when we get back to the base. No one will believe a word you adventurers say, though.¡¹ He said these words as if he was aware that he was being disliked. In the end, Kuzmigo continued to complain a lot to the people around him, but when he drank the alcohol the adventurer had, he got drunk and fell asleep. Thus, the first day of the survey passed with a sense of turbulence¡­¡­ ¡ï CH 39 Chapter title: Attack of the Arch Demon ¡ï ¡¸Looks like the humans are trapped¡­¡­.¡¹ In the depths of the forest. The Arch Demon¡¯s red eyes flashed. ¡¸It was strange that the magical response was cut off in the middle¡­¡­.¡¹ They were looking for the person who picked the rainbow carrots, but as they approached the city, the response disappeared. The person who stole it may have lost it there to scatter his pursuers, or at any rate, the clue was gone. ¡¸Then there were rainbow carrots for sale in human country.¡¹ Elt sold the rainbow carrots to the merchants, who then went to the cities of the kingdom and sold them there. ¡¸Thanks to that, we don¡¯t know where the rainbow carrots had been taken.¡¹ So, the Arch Demon made his next move. ¡¸If you incite the monsters, they will come into the Lost Forest. I don¡¯t know who who stole the rainbow carrots, but¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ We can try to tighten it up and see what we can find out. ¡¸I¡¯m not going to let this go on. Humans¡¹ The Arc Demon¡¯s curse melted into the darkness¡­¡­. ¡ï ¡¸Okay, guys. We¡¯ll camp out here for the day, stay for a day, and if everything goes well, we¡¯ll turn around and go back, so keep that in mind.¡¹ It was the third day of our investigation. Russell-san who was exhausted told us so. ¡¸Hmph! We¡¯re finally here.¡¹ Kuzmigo swears. He had complained a lot on the way here. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± ¡°The food is bad,¡± ¡°You should be more respectful¡±. Every time this guy was selfish, Russell and the rest of the central party were forced to deal with him. To be honest, fighting monsters would have been a whole lot easier. ¡¸Elt, come rest with us.¡¹ Serena called out to me. It seems that she wants to get away from Kuzmigo as much as possible. ¡¸Yeah, sure.¡¹ Serena and I told Russell, who was looking around, and we left. ¡¸Want some?¡¹ Once we were alone, I took out a rainbow-colored carrot. My abilities are so secret that I need to be in an unpopulated area to retrieve my food. ¡¸Yes, thank you.¡¹ Serena took the rainbow carrots and began to eat them happily. ¡¸And yet, the nature of the anomaly is unclear.¡¹ Serena said seriously, referring to the investigation so far. ¡¸Well, yes. We encountered some strong monsters, but nothing that could be the cause.¡¹ The monsters had suddenly sprung up from the forest, and our mission was to find out what had caused this, but it looked like it would be a waste of time. ¡¸All we have to do is spend tomorrow here and report back.¡¹ However, we killed quite a few monsters, so I think we¡¯ve eliminated the immediate threat. ¡¸Uuuu, I don¡¯t like it¡­ That soldier¡­. Is going to make me hate humans.¡¹ After being harassed for so long, Serena was as angry as if Kuzmigo was right in front of her. ¡¸But¡­¡­ Russell has taken good care of us, hasn¡¯t he? We have to be patient¡­..¡¹ Serena lets out a sigh. I pat her on the head¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡ºMaster, we are in trouble!¡» ¡¸What¡¯s wrong. Marie?¡¹ Marie, who had been silent until now, spoke to me. I took my hand away from Serena¡¯s head and listened to her words. Then she said.. ¡ºThe arch demon has appeared.¡» CH 40 Chapter title: S-Rank Certified Monster ¡¸Russel-san!¡¹ Serena and I rushed back to the base to look for Russell-san. ¡¸What is it Elt?¡¹ ¡¸I need you to evacuate the area right now!¡¹ I briefly stated my business. ¡¸What? What do you mean, evacuate? We¡¯re supposed to be waiting here right now.¡¹ Russell-san suspiciously looked at me. No wonder. If I didn¡¯t know what was going on, it would look as if I had changed my mind. ¡¸Elt is right. We don¡¯t have much time to explain. Please believe us.¡¹ ¡¸What is it? Are you making a scene again?¡¹ Kuzmigo rushed over to me. ¡¸Listen, there¡¯s a powerful monster coming here right now.¡¹ ¡¸What? How could you possibly know that?¡¹ Kuzmigo gave me a look as if he were looking at a smelly person. ¡¸My spirit told me. If you don¡¯t hurry, it will be too late.¡¹ More and more people began to gather around us. Maybe it was the noise we made that attracted their attention. Russell-san put his hand on his chin and looked at us. He looked as if he was wondering what to do. He seemed to have sensed that this was not a simple matter¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Don¡¯t be silly!¡¡You don¡¯t even know if such a monster is really coming!¡¡In the end, your job is to investigate this lost forest. I¡¯m the one in charge here!¡¡Anyone who has a problem with that, step forward!¡¹ The one who has the right to make decisions here is Kuzmigo, the agent of his employer, and the state. ¡¸Hey¡­.. do you understand the current situation? If we couild beat it easy, we would do it¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Serena.¡¹ ¡¸What is it Elt!?¡¹ I silenced Serena and looked up at the sky. When I got everyone¡¯s attention, I led their gaze and said. ¡¸It¡¯s too late for that.¡¹ In front of me flew a red-eyed arc demon with black skin and flapping wings. ¡¸Th, this is such a¡­¡­ ridiculous¡­¡­.¡¹ Kuzmigo is collapsed over. The arc demon emits a powerful miasma that causes anyone who comes into contact with it to collapse in fear. ¡¸Gufufufu, the stupid humans!¡¹ The arch demon¡¯s red eyes shined as it looks over at us. And then¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸I am Arch Demon, one of the thirteen demons under the direct control of the Demon Lord.¡¹ ¡¸Ahhhh, an arc-demon?¡¹ Kuzmigo was distraught and backed away, clicking his teeth. ¡¸Humans. Who is the greatest among you?¡¹ Our eyes went to Kuzmigo. ¡¸Hmm. You? You don¡¯t look very strong, do you?¡¹ ¡¸Hiiiiiiii!¡¹ Kuzmigo received the Ark Demon¡¯s gaze. His body shook in fear. ¡¸I¡¯m the representative who keeps this unit together.¡¹ Perhaps protecting Kuzmigo, Russell-san answered the arc-demon¡¯s question. ¡¸Oh, is that you?¡¹ Perhaps he wasn¡¯t interested in small things to begin with, but when the Arch Demon saw Russel-san. ¡¸We¡¯ve come to investigate what¡¯s going on in the Lost Forest. Did you do something to it, by any chance?¡¹ Russell-san asked the Arch demon without hesitation. ¡¸How true. I¡¯m the one who caused all this trouble.¡¹ ¡¸What the hell did you do that for?¡¹ He was alert and looked around, ready to fight at any moment. While Russell-san was talking, everyone put on their armor and prepared for battle. ¡¸To get back what was taken from us.¡¹ ¡¸And what is this thing that was taken from you?¡¹ ¡¸A rainbow carrot. It¡¯s a status-boosting food that doubles the effect of status fruits when eaten at the same time.¡¹ I looked over at Serena. Apparently, Serena hadn¡¯t heard of such an effect. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I have no idea.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡¸But if I find out what it is and return it to you, will you let us go?¡¹ Russell continued to negotiate with the Arc Demon. As the one who is responsible for the lives of everyone in this place, he can¡¯t afford to be weak. In spite of Russell¡¯s feelings, the arc demon came to a conclusion. ¡¸No, I was going to kill him either way. You humans are the enemy of this world. There is no choice but to destroy you!¡¹ ¡¸Fuck! I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯ll do it!¡¹ With Russell¡¯s words as a signal, everyone readied their weapons. ¡¸Hiiiii! I have nothing to do with this©`©`©`©`¡¹ In that instant, Kuzmigo raised his body and hurriedly ran off towards the forest. ¡¸That guy! He¡¯s such an asshole!¡¹ Serena said with disdain¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Guys, the opponent is an S-rank certified Arch Demon. I¡¯ll buy you some time, and you can call for help.¡¹ With those words, the battle was about to begin. CH 41 Chapter title: A Miscalculation ¡ï In front of me, a group of human adventurers held up their swords and had grim expressions on their faces. All of them were reluctant, and if I strengthened the miasma, they would immediately start panicking. ¡¸Hmmm?¡¹ In the midst of all this, I spotted 2 different kind of person. A young human man and an elf woman. The two seemed to be unafraid of me, or perhaps they were holding their weapons and looking to see how I would react. I was slightly annoyed by their attitude¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Wh, what¡¯s wrong? Come on!¡¹ Then the man who claimed to be the leader of this group challenged me. I¡¯ve been observing that guy for a while now¡­¡­. ¡¸Why don¡¯t you come?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. What¡¯s up? You went to call for help, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m going to wait for them.¡¹ ¡¸Wh!?¡¹ A feeling of fear welled up in the man. For us demons, human fear is the ultimate treat. ¡¸It¡¯s too much trouble for me to move, so I¡¯ll hold off on attacking until we have enough people.¡¹ As far as I can tell, they¡¯ve set up a number of bases in the vicinity. It would be inefficient to go around destroying them one by one. If that¡¯s the case, it would be easier to hit them after everyone has gathered. ¡¸You¡¯ve got to be kidding meeeeee©`©`©`!¡¹ One of the adventurers pulled out his sword and slashed at me. ¡¸¡¾Darkwave¡¿¡¹ ¡¸Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ A black shockwave envelops the man. The man continued to scream in pain as a black haze took hold of his body. And¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¸Cleg!?¡¹ The man stopped moving. He seems to be dead. ¡¸Hahahaha! Too fragile! You¡¯re too fragile! I hope you can at least entertain me a little!¡¹ The feeling of fear I felt around me. I¡¯m comfortable with that. ¡¸Wh¡­.at?¡¹ A feeling I¡¯ve never experienced before moves inside me. ¡¸Elt. He¡¯s still breathing¡­¡­¡¹ Before I knew it, the elven woman was looking at the man called Cleg. ¡¸Huh? You think he¡¯s breathing?¡¡What¡¯s the matter with you? My ¡¾Darkwave¡¿ was created over 500 years by imitating the techniques of the evil god. The inside of his body is corroded and any healing is meaningless.¡¹ A black shock envelops the body, tearing it to shreds from the inside out. It¡¯s not something that even the highest level of recovery magic can cure. But¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸I¡¯ll see to it.¡¹ The young man approaches and touches Cleg like it¡¯s nothing. ¡¸¡¾Perfect heal¡¿¡¹ The next moment, a white light enveloped Cleg. ¡¸What? Where am I?¡¹ ¡¸Whaaaaaa!?¡¹ My jaw widened in surprise. ¡¸Cleg, you almost died.¡¹ ¡¸Did you save me, by any chance?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m glad I could make it. Please don¡¯t do anything rash again.¡¹ Cleg got up and thanked the man. It looks like he¡¯s really healed. ¡¸Don¡¯t be silly!¡¡My ¡¾Darkwave¡¿ is an attack that will consume you from the inside out!¡¡There¡¯s no way you can heal it!¡¹ My shouting drew the attention of the people around me. However, the expression on their faces does not show the fear that they had just seen¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸I¡¯ve been quiet since you said you¡¯d wait for people to gather, but I can¡¯t overlook this any longer.¡¹ A man walks up to me. Then I felt some kind of emotion inside me. ¡¸Elt. What are you going to do?¡¹ The leader of the group asks Elt a question. ¡¸Serena and I will take care of this one. Everyone else should take shelter as to not get injured.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be sily! You human!¡¹ With the anger that was bubbling up in me, I launched an attack on the elt in front of me. ¡¸¡¾Chaos Wing¡¿¡¹ I floated up into the sky and flapped my wings, striking a shockwave. This technique causes continuous damage by sending a blast of wind that is laced with miasma. It attacks over a wide area, so there is no way to avoid it. ¡¸¡¾Windshield¡¿¡¹ However, when the elf woman casts the spell, a wind film is formed and prevents the attack. ¡¸Cheeky elf! Spirit magic!¡¹ Some elves are born with a special status that allows them to use spirits. The elf in front of me seems to have made a contract with the spirit of the wind. ¡¸You¡¯re an enemy.¡¹ ¡¸Wh!¡¹ I must have been blown away by the wind magic, because the next thing I knew, Elt was right in front of me. ¡¸D, damn it!¡¹ The demon¡¯s body cannot be harmed by a half-hearted weapon. I should be able to catch it and then hit it with a counter. That¡¯s what I was thinking¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¨D¨DZan¨D¨D (TL: SFX for arm getting cut) A black arm was flying through the air. For a moment, I stopped thinking. But as soon as I saw that it was my arm¡­¡­. ¡¸Guaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll take your wings while I¡¯m at it.¡¹ The pain I felt in my back. And my body falling. I crashed into the ground. Fortunately, there was a pile of dead leaves on the ground, so I didn¡¯t get much damage¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸You! Not only did you slash my body, you put dirt on it!¡¹ I glared at Elt in front of me, humiliated in a way I had never felt before. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? You still want to do this?¡¹ I looked at the sword on my shoulder. I had seen that sword before. ¡¸Th, that sword!¡¹ The [Divine Sword Borumunk] that was displayed behind the Evil God when he and the Demon Lord visited the Evil God¡¯s castle. This is the only weapon that the heroes of the past have used to challenge the evil gods and wound them. I¡¯m not sure why this guy has such a sword on him¡­¡­. ¡¸Hmm. Do you know this sword?¡¹ Elt approaches me carelessly. The reason why this sword is here and the Demon King¡¯s words, ¡®The evil god have been silent lately,¡¯ come back to me. For the first time, I understood the words to describe the feelings I was having. The emotion I got from Elt. It was¨D¨D ¡¾Fear¡¿ ¨D¨DIt was nothing but fear. ¡¸It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s going to be a problem if we let him get away with this, so let¡¯s shut his mouth before he says anything else.¡¹ It¡¯s as easy as plucking a herb and trying to reap the life out of me. ¡¸Ahhhh¡­¡¹ I¡¯m getting impatient, and Elt is getting closer to me. ¡¸¡¾Darkwave¡¿¡¹ I unleashed my biggest move as a last gamble. But¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸What¡­ it¡¯s not working?¡¹ I could feel it. But the moment I activated it, it disappeared as if it had been sucked into something. ¡¸Fuck! That¡¯s it!¡¹ ¡¸Ah! He¡¯s flying away!¡¹ The elven woman shouted. For demons, wings are not an essential part of flight. This huge body is made up of magical power, and is hardly pure matter. If all I want to do is fly, I can so by manipulating magic power. ¡¸Kukuku. I let my guard down!¡¡But it was a good thing that I got to know who you are. I¡¯ll back off for now. But don¡¯t expect to be able to sleep with your head held high in the future!¡¹ If we knew about the divine sword and the elves, we could deal with them. The reason for the delay was a lack of information. I leaned over to see Elt¡¯s frustrated face for the last time¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Impossible! That¡¯s¡­!¡¹ Elt had his hands close together in front of his chest. And in the center of it was a black wave. It¡¯s a far cry from my Darkwave. ¡¸You¡¯re not the evil god¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ The next moment, it was unleashed. A black wave loomed in front of me. The last thing I saw was the sight of that wave piercing my body¡­¡­. CH 42 Chapter title: Investigation Report A week has passed since the survey team entered the forest. Fortunately, there were hardly any monsters that came to attack the base, and the knights and soldiers were waiting for the report while doing their jobs without a care in the world. In the midst of this, a soldier on guard was looking towards the forest and saw¡­¡­.. ¡¸Someone¡¯s back.¡¹ It¡¯s still only a distant reflection, but a person is coming towards us. ¡¸That armor is¡­. one of our soldiers¡¹ It¡¯s not hard to tell, since we¡¯re wearing it too. ¡¸Someone get the horses and go pick up the returning soldiers!¡¹ The base was tense for the first time in a week. ¡¸So, what the hell happened?¡¹ The knight in charge of the base asked the Kuzmigo in front of him. His armor was stained with mud and mucus, and his hair was caked with something viscous. He had probably escaped in desperation, and he hadn¡¯t had time to keep himself clean, but he was emitting a foul odor. As everyone pinched their noses, Kuzmigo complained with tears in his eyes. ¡¸There was an Arch Demon in the depths of the Lost Forest!¡¹ ¡¸Wh! An arch demon!!!?¡¹ Demons are recognized in this world as a natural disaster second only to the evil god. In the past, various countries have been destroyed by demons. ¡¸Is that¡­ true?¡¹ It was hard to believe, so the knight asked Kuzmigo for confirmation. ¡¸There is no doubt about it. He himself said that the strangeness in the Lost Forest was his work.¡¹ Kuzmigo¡¯s words made the knight realize that the situation was serious. ¡¸I can¡¯t overlook that. Somebody send a fast horse to the kingdom as soon as possible. Request the dispatch of the Order.¡¹ The Arch Demon is an S-rank certified monster. If it is discovered, the country must use all of its resources to take care of it. The knight decides that now is the time to confront the world crisis. And¡­.. ¡¸Speaking of which, where are those people?¡¹ The knight hesitated and remembered the presence of a princess visiting from the Kingdom of Ilkut. ¡¸They¡¯re not here at the moment, sir.¡¹ She went to a nearby spring to purify herself. 1 ¡¸As soon as she returns, she will be escorted back to her kingdom with half of her bodyguards.¡¹ There is a demon equivalent to an S-rank. They can¡¯t leave the princess of another country in a dangerous place. ¡¸Captain Kuzmigo.¡¹ ¡¸Ha!¡¹ When the knight called him by name, Kuzmigo assumed a stern demeanor. ¡¸This information is truly a great favor. If it were not for your information, the kingdom would have been destroyed by the daemons. When we return, I will report this achievement.¡¹ 2 ¡¸I, I¡¯m so happy.¡¹ Kuzmigo turned his head and trembled with joy. From the moment he encountered the Ark Demon, he was prepared to die. He succeeded in escaping the situation, but it was the lost forest where you never knew when a dangerous monster would attack. He followed the landmarks and moved his feet with minimal rest, but he didn¡¯t feel like living the whole time. When he got out of the forest, he shed tears, thinking, ¡°Now I¡¯m finally saved¡±. Perhaps it was because of this that he was now being evaluated. The information about the Arch Demon is worth a fortune. Some of the soldiers who once took the heads of enemy generals from other countries rose to the rank of knight chief. (Finally, my luck has turned.) When Kuzmigo smiles a lowly smile so that no one can see him¡­¡­.. ¡¸And now, Chief Officer Kuzmigo. What happened to the other people in the survey team?¡¹ 3 His body trembles with fear. This was because Kuzmigo had used the adventurers and his fellow soldiers as bait to escape. But it was only for a moment that Kuzmigo was upset. ¡¸Actually, the others fought the Ark Demon to let me escape¡­¡­.¡¹ Kuzmigo turned his head and tried to sound regretful. ¡¸However, without their help, I would not have been able to deliver this information to you.¡¹ The knight¡¯s eyes teared up as he told them the made up story, and he made a regretful face¡­¡­ ¡¸So, I¡¯m sorry you had to hear that.¡¹ The knight looked at Kuzmigo with kind eyes. And¡­¡­. ¡¸You can leave the rest to us and get some rest.¡¹ The moment he heard those words, Kuzmigo was convinced of victory. (They¡¯ll never make it out alive against the Arch Demon. The information I bring back will save the country. In other words, I¡¯m going to be a hero for saving my country.) Kuzmigo, who had always pushed dangerous missions and hard work onto others, was convinced that this was the reason why he had become a soldier. ¡¸That¡¯s very kind of you. But I¡¯m tired as well, so I¡¯d like to take your word for it.¡¹ The knights of the kingdom will take care of the rest. Kuzmigo relaxes when he can finally sleep in peace¡­¡­.. ¡¸I, it¡¯s bad! Knights!¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ One of the soldiers appeared in a bloody state. But Kuzmigo didn¡¯t care and tried to rest. ¡¸The survey team has returned, sir! As far as I can see, everyone seems to be okay!¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Apparently, Kuzmigo¡¯s rest was still far away¡­¡­. CH 43 Chapter title: Kuzmigo¡¯s Disposal We made our way through the lost forest and back to the base. Just as we had done when we went deeper into the forest, we acted in groups to rest our bodies. However, thanks to the fact that Serena and I had defeated the Arch Demon, everyone seemed to be taking it easy as we walked through the forest. On the way, Serena and I were confronted by people asking us questions, but Russell stopped them, telling them not to pester their benefactors. ¡¸So, the adventurer Elt, you say?¡¡I¡¯d like to hear a report from you¡­¡­¡¹ But for some reason, they all started to follow me, which made me the leader, and now I¡¯m standing here as a representative to the knights. ¡¸Haa, well¡¹ Inside the tent, there were several knights and Kuzmigo. It seems that they have escaped safely from the Lost Forest. ¡¸I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the general report from Kuzmigo-san over there.¡¹ When I pointed out his name, Kuzmigo¡¯s shoulders shook with fear. ¡¸Umu, I¡¯m afraid so¡­¡¹ That¡¯s a crisp attitude. ¡¸Well, if you want me to tell you, I will.¡¹ As I said that, I was thinking about how much I should tell him¡­¡­. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m glad you guys are okay! I was worried about you too!¡¹ Kuzmigo friendly smiled and approached me. Then I smelled something that made my nose turn. ¡¸¡±Leave this to us and go on!¡± Believing in those words, I ran through the lost forest with determination. I really risked my life, but thanks to that, I was able to report the appearance of the Arch Demon to the top¡¹ 1 As I furrowed my brow, unable to bear the smell, Kuzmigo took my hand and shook it. He stepped between the knight and me, blocking the kinght¡¯s gaze. Thanks to this, I could only see Kuzmigo. Kuzmigo smiled and muttered so that only I could hear him. ¡¸Let me handle this, and I¡¯ll make that Russell guy you¡¯ve been looking out for a soldier.¡¹ I shake my head at his desperation. Then Kuzmigo gave a sickening smile and moved away¡­¡­. ¡¸So, what¡¯s the report?¡¹ The knight asked again. Kuzmigo nodded, and I said. ¡¸We encountered an arch demon deep in the forest and defeated it. That¡¯s all.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Wh¡­.!?¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Everyone in the room was surprised by my report. ¡¸Um¡­. when you say you defeated it, do you mean you fought it off and got away with it?¡¹ The knight asks me, sweat pouring down his forehead. ¡¸No, it means exactly what it says. We adventurers worked together to defeat it.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t lie to me! There¡¯s no way you adventurers can defeat that demon!!¡¹ Kuzmigo snapped at my report. ¡¸What makes you think I¡¯m lying?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve seen him right in front of me. He¡¯s not something a human being can handle.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s hard to believe, that¡¯s for sure. If you¡¯re telling the truth do you have any proof?¡¹ The knight had a point. It is true that if I say that I have defeated it without proof, they will not believe me. ¡¸Would you mind stepping aside for a moment?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine, but what are you going to do?¡¹ The knight is puzzled by my words, but makes some spance. ¡¸Here¡¯s your proof.¡¹ I took out from my inventory the Arch Demon wings. ¡¸This is¡­ authentic?¡¹ The eyes of the surrounding knights open. Kuzmigo and other jaws were about to come off. ¡¸You are the heroes that saved our nation¡­..!¡¹ Apparently, this knight is a sane man, unlike Kuzmigo. They seem to be able to respect the people who figured out what was going on and took them down. ¡¸I have one favor to ask.¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s hear it. Go ahead.¡¹ I told my request to the knight. ¡¸There is our leader who has taken the initiative to protect everyone in this defeat. It is thanks to him that we were able to defeat the Arch Demon without losing anyone. So, can you please promote him to be a soldier?¡¹ ¡¸Such boldness in the face of a powerful enemy that might kill you. Such an outstanding person was buried in this country. I promise you this in my name. What is the name of the person who played crucial role in defeating the Arch Demon?¡¹ ¡¸Russell. He is a well-liked person in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild who often takes care of beginners.¡¹ ¡¸All right, I¡¯ll make sure he gets the job.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ I loosen the edges of my mouth at his words. And¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Actually, I have one more thing to report.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. What is it?¡¹ I looked at Kuzmigo and he turned pale. He seemed to have noticed. ¡¸Sir Knight!¡¡We are all tired. The rest of the story is better left until after we have rested¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine.¡¹ ¡¸He said it¡¯s not a problem.¡¹ My eyes and the knight¡¯s eyes go to Kuzmigo. Kuzmigo¡¯s face turns red and he glares at me. ¡¸And what is the report?¡¹ I said as I ducked Kuzmigo¡¯s grab at me. ¡¸Kuzmigo over there, pushed the Arch Demon on us and ran off by himself.¡¹ ¡¸What did you say!? What¡¯s the meaning of this, soldie chief Kuzmigo!?¡¹ He probably thought we wouldn¡¯t make it back alive. I could tell from Kuzmigo¡¯s attitude, so I revealed the truth here. ¡¸You ran away without your friends, you scum!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a piece of trash who can¡¯t even be put in the corner of a soldier!¡¹ Curses flew from the other knights. Kuzmigo¡­¡­. ¡¸It¡¯s not my fault! As a soldier of the kingdom, I only brought back information, even if others sacrificed themselves!¡¹ Kuzmigo has reopened his eyes. Certainly an opponent like that would normally be unbeatable. Someone was obligated to go report the situation¡­¡­. ¡¸By the way, incidentally, this guy just told me that if I keep my mouth shut, he¡¯ll promote our leader to a soldier.¡¹ The knights¡¯ gazes turned to look at the trash with those words. If he really had no other choice, he would not have said those words. We all understood that. ¡¸No, this is not¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡­¡¹ He tried to give an excuse for the grave he had dug for himself¡­¡­. ¡¸Kuzmigo. As for your punishment, you will be dealt with after you return to the castle. As an organization, you will be severely punished for running away from the enemy for selfish reasons. Look forward to your punishment.¡¹ ¡¸Abababababa¡­.¡¹ 2 Kuzmigo blanched. A stain spread between his legs. ¡¸Take him away.¡¹ With that, Kuzmigo was dragged away by the knights. CH 44 Chapter title: Bathing ¡¸How was it?¡¹ Serena comes up to me as I leave the tent. Behind her were a group of adventurers, including Russell-san, who were looking at us. ¡¸Kuzmigo will be punsihed in the kingdom.¡¹ Everyone rejoiced at my report. It¡¯s no wonder he was the only one to run before the Arch Demon. ¡¸Also, I have assured that Russell-san will be promoted to a soldier because he was particularly active in this defeat.¡¹ At these words, Russell-san¡¯s party members clenched their fists and revealed their joy. ¡¸Wait, wait a second! The one who was most active was you, Elt! And Serena was the one who stopped the arc demon¡¯s movement, right?¡¹ Russell-san came forward with a panicked look. ¡¸That¡¯s not true Russel-san¡¹ I say to Mr. Russell, whose expression is contorted, as if he thought he had taken the credit. ¡¸I¡¯m not just talking about defeating the Ark Demon, you know. You cared for the other adventurers along the way and were the first to stand up when the arc demon appeared. It was because of you that we were motivated to fight it.¡¹ It¡¯s true that I¡¯m the one who defeated the Arc Demon, but Russell-san¡¯s actions up to now should be appreciated. ¡¸That¡¯s right, Russell-san! Please accept the offer!¡¹ ¡¸I know you¡¯ve always wanted to be a soldier!¡¹ The other adventurers cheered Russell-san on. Then Russell-san scratched his cheek and said¡­¡­. ¡¸Don¡¯t say anything else, you¡¯ll embarrass me.¡¹ He turned his face away from everyone, looking embarrassed. It looks like he¡¯s ready to take the job. ¡¸The adventurer¡¯s guild is losing a great senior member¡­¡­¡¹ There were still some things I wanted to learn from him, but there was no othetr choice. I narrowed my eyes and looked at Mr. Russell, who was being teased by everyone. ¡¸But you¡¯re going to have a great soldier instead. I think Russell-san will be a wonderful soldier that the people of the city will love.¡¹ Serena, who must have heard my words, happily came next to me. As usual, Serena brings her body close to mine. I think that I¡¯ve gotten used to this distance lately¡­¡­. ¡¸Nn?¡¹ Serena jumped away in a panic and distanced herself from me. And then¡­¡­¡­ ¡¸E, Elt. You smell so bad!¡¹ 1 She accused me with tears in her eyes. ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s right¡­¡¹ The smell seemed to have gotten on me when Kuzmigo approached me. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to hug Elt right now! There¡¯s a spring over there, you should go take a bath.¡¹ Serena¡¯s cold words made me resent Kuzmigo, but I headed for the spring. ¡ï ¡¸The water is so clear it feels good.¡¹ Princess Alice and Alicia were bathing in the fountain. 2 ¡¸Was it all right, then?¡¹ Today was the day the survey team would be returning. Alicia was curious about the results. ¡¸I¡¯m sweating from swinging my sword, and I don¡¯t want to stay in the tent until the end, because then we won¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing here.¡¹ The fact that she had hired a survey team meant that she was fulfilling her role. However, she noticed Alicia¡¯s expression darkening as the deadline approached. Princess Alice decided that it would be better to take her outside for a change, even if it was just for a short while. ¡¸But, Alice. Aren¡¯t you too defenseless?¡¹ The princess of a country is exposing her naked body in a spring like this, what if someone peeps in? ¡¸It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ve activated a cognitive blocking spell to prevent people from entering.¡¹ 3 Alicia compares her own body to Princess Alice¡¯s, who shows off her proportions for all to see. This is the first time that she has ever seen such a thing. ¡¸You have a beautiful body, too. I¡¯m generally toned because I wield a sword, but a soft body like yours is more attractive to men.¡¹ In fact, when you put Princess Alice and Alicia side by side, there is no difference, both have bodies that attract men. As Princess Alicia said, the rest would be a matter of taste. ¡¸Is that true¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Well, if you doubt me, why don¡¯t we both stand in front of Elt-san?¡¡And if Alicia gets chosen, then I win, right?¡±¡¹ ¡¸That means that if I lose, Elt will be taken!¡¹ Alicia¡¯s face turns pale with disgust. Princess Alice laughs at Alicia, but¡­¡­.. ¡¸What¡¯s going on?¡¹ Alicia noticed Princess Alice¡¯s serious face. She waded through the water, picked up her sword, and hurriedly put on her cloak. ¡¸Someone has broken through the barrier.¡¹ 4 Alicia was surprised by these words. She is one of the most talented women in the kingdom, and her magic skills are top-notch. ¡¸Who could it be?¡¹ ¡¸At least it¡¯s not the knights from the base.¡¹ She know what they are capable of. They aren¡¯t capable of breaking through Princess Alice¡¯s wards. ¡¸Alice-sama, I will cover for you.¡¹ Alicia then put on her cloak, but.. ¡¸You should go back to the base and get someone, just in case.¡¹ She don¡¯t know who he is, but if someone broke through the barrier, she must be the one who¡¯s after. 5 She had an idea, and wanted additional forces. Alicia realizes that there is no point in telling Princess Alice any more at a time like this¡­¡­. ¡¸Yes! I¡¯ll get the others right away.¡¹ She trusted Princess Alice and left the place¡­. ¡ï TL: Okay, I¡¯ve got so confused which is which (Their names are so damn similar¡­) 2/16 CH 45 Chapter title: Take responsibility ¡ï Tap, tap, tap I could hear the sound of intruders¡¯ footsteps, as if they were advancing haphazardly. I hid behind a tree and waited for my chance. (What the hell is the purpose of this? Did Erivan betray me?) The only people who know I¡¯m here as a princess are the overlords of the Erivan Kingdom and the knights accompanying me. I was very careful in selecting the knights to accompany me, and more importantly, it would be a liability issue if they harmed me here. (Or is it even Erivan, now that I think about it?) However, the Kingdom of Erivan has no reason to be hostile to my country. In the first place, since we have never had diplomatic relations before, we have no grudge and no connection. There¡¯s no point in interfering with them, even if it¡¯s for the sake of convenience like this investigation. (In any case, if I don¡¯t know their intentions, it¡¯s better to preempt them.) They¡¯ve broken the wards to get in, so we can incapacitate them for now and then torture them to find out what they want. 1 I wait for a while, holding my breath. When I can¡¯t figure out what they¡¯re capable of, my heart pulses. I managed to control my mind and drew my sword without a sound. And when I see the shadow of my target, I¡­¡­. ¡¸Ha!¡¹ I jumped on his blind spot and slashed at him. ¨D¨DKeeeeeeeeeeeen¨D¨D The sound of metal clashing echoed through the springs. ¡¸What are you doing!?¡¹ There was a young man standing in front of me. He was about the same age as me, but his face was strangely attractive, and for a moment my thoughts were dulled. 2 ¡¸That¡¯s my line! ¡¹ I was surprised that he was able to prevent a complete surprise attack, but I also saw a beautiful and sharp sword. If he got out the sword at that moment, it means that he was wearing the sword from the beginning. If so, then their goal is me. ¡¸Shit! Damn it! You could¡¯ve at least listened to me!¡¹ The man ducks under my sword and continues his conversation. Perhaps he is stalling for time until his friends come running? ¡¸You¡¯re good. It¡¯s been a long time since anyone has ducked my sword this well!¡¹ There was no swordsman in the kingdom who could stand up to me. The edge of my mouth naturally flew up in front of my first encounter with a powerful enemy. ¡¸Jeez. Kuzmigo made me smell, and now some strange woman is slashing at me¡­. Am I under a curse?¡¹ ¡¸Who is strange? You are so rude!¡¹ I jumped into the man¡¯s arms, thinking that my little investigation was over. And¡­¡­ ¡¸¡¾Royal Slash¡¿¡¹ My sword shone and it unleashed a horizontal slash that amplified its power. This power could slice right through a knight¡¯s armor even if it defended with a metal shield. It¡¯s an attack that can only be avoided normally. My opponent was more skilled than I thought, so I couldn¡¯t go easy on him. He would have to give up at least one of his arms. The first blow that I unleashed with such determination was¡­¡­ ¨D¨DKink¨D¨D ¡¸Eh?¡¹ The smallest impact felt in the hand. Normally, when strong forces collide, there should be an impact on each other¡¯s arms. However, it means that the man in front of me received the shock in a way that completely killed it. ¡¸!¡¹ I was alarmed and moved away. You can¡¯t take a hit like this unless there is a huge difference in strength between you and your opponent. In other words, when someone does this, they¡¯re stronger than you. ¡¸Haa, no choice. If you¡¯re not going to listen to me, I¡¯m going to have to neutralize you.¡¹ The man finally turned serious and held up his sword, a kata I had never seen anyone use, but he knew it. ¡¸That¡¯s koryu kata kenjutsu, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you call it. I learned it from an elf I knew who used it.¡¹ Elves don¡¯t like humans unless they are very strange. The fact that he know such an elf is something interesting to me. ¡¸Well, then¡­. Don¡¯t fail to receive it, okay?¡¹ I gulped at the serious words. The attack is coming right now. Concentrating on the man in front of me¡­¡­. ¡¸Fu!¡¹ In an instant, the distance between me and the man dropped to zero. And then¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Kyaaa!¡¹ I was blown away by the fourth blow and fell into the spring. ¡¸Whoa! Wap!¡¹ I panicked as quickly as I could. My hand was numb from the attack and I drank some water. Will I drown like this? Looking up from the water like that, I saw¡­¡­ ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹ I look up from the water as he pulls my hand. ¡¸Keh, kh, keh¡¹ 3 I spit the water out of my mouth and hugged the man in front of me. The man seemed to have swum in the water and his clothes were wet and sticking to him. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I could have gone a little easier on you, but I felt like you could have avoided it.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you were lying when you said you went easy on me¡­¡­.¡¹ The water-soaked face is right in front of me. I can¡¯t take your gaze off the man as I look at him at close range and my heart starts to pound. For a while, I stared at the man. The man¡¯s clear eyes almost sucked me in, and my face naturally moved closer¡­¡­ ¡¸C, can I ask you to step away?¡¹ The man turns his gaze away from me and speaks his request. I nod my head and¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m very sorry to tell you this, but your clothes are soaked with water.¡¹ At this point, I look at my own body. Then¡­¡­. ¡¸Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¹ I turned away in a panic, because my clothes were also wet and transparent. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. It was inevitable.¡¹ The man apologized. I glared at him as my eyes began to tear up. ¡¸Y, you will take responsibility for this!¡¹ CH 46 Chapter title: A Suspicious Person Who Refuses to Give His Name The woman in front of me, who was protecting her body, was staring at me with tears in her eyes. Even if I was told to ¡°take responsibility¡±, I don¡¯t know what to do in this sudden situation. ¡¸Put this on for now.¡¹ I went back on land, but he clothes were still wet and I was still having trouble looking ather. I took out a spare cloak from my inventory and handed it to the woman. ¡¸Th, thank you.¡¹ The woman took the cloak without hesitation, turned her face away, and put it on while fidgeting. She put her nose close to the cloak and made a ¡°sniffing¡± gesture. ¡¸It¡¯s brand new, so I don¡¯t think it smells.¡¹ ¡¸Wh! I know that!¡¹ I didn¡¯t want anyone to call me smelly any more today, so I made the first move, but for some reason the woman blushed. ¡¸So, why did you suddenly slash at me?¡¹ I don¡¯t know if it was because I saved her from drowning or because I knocked her down, but she seemed to be able willing to talk. ¡¸That¡¯s because you came to spy on us bathing!¡¹ ¡¸No, I never meant to¡­¡­.¡¹ I didn¡¯t know there were people here in the first place, and I think it¡¯s wrong for them to be bathing without a lookout. ¡¸It¡¯s no use playing dumb. You¡¯ve crossed the cognitive barrier I¡¯ve created. If you had no malicious intent, why did you break the barrier?¡¹ I fell silent at her words¡­¡­. ¡ºThere was one, so Marie destroyed it. Either way, there was a difference in strength between her and master, so you couldn¡¯t have prevented the intrusion.¡¹ Apparently, Marie broke it. I can¡¯t blame her, though, because of the example of the last arc demon field¡­¡­ ¡¸That cognitive barrier can be nullified if there is a power gap. You were a little careless.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I admit that, but¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t expect someone as talented as you to come to a place like this.¡¹ She looked embarassed. I decided to say more. ¡¸It¡¯s dangerous for a beautiful girl like you to be bathing alone. Next time, you¡¯d better keep a lookout.¡¹ If she had done that, accidents like this one would not have happened. When I say that¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Be, beautiful¡­ Wh, what are you suddenly saying¡­.?¡¹ Suddenly, she blushes and glares at me. ¡¸That¡¯s right. You¡­¡­Ouch!¡¹ She tried to stand up as if she was being pushed, but apparently she had hurt herself somehow from the earlier attack. She frowned. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ ¡¸Just stay still.¡¹ I approached her. ¡¸Is this where you got hurt?¡¹ I touched her right ankle. ¡¸Y, yes¡­. But¡­.¡¹ When I touched her foot, she honestly nodded. ¡¸I¡¯m going to heal you, so just sit tight, okay?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, how¨D¨D¡¹ In the middle of the woman¡¯s surprise questioning, I release the recovery magic from inventory. ¡¸¡¾Perfect Heal¡¿¡¹ I¡¯ve healed the adventurer who has been killed by the Arc demon attack, Yomi¡¯s illness, and Phil¡¯s hangover, and more. ¡¸Oh, it feels so warm and inviting¡­¡­.¡¹ The woman¡¯s voice sounded lusty as she wore a debauched expression. ¡¸I don¡¯t think it hurts anymore, right?¡¹ I checked with her¡­. ¡¸No, it¡¯s really healed!?¡¹ The woman was surprised, stood up and put her feet on the ground with a thump. ¡¸Wh, who are you really?¡¹ Finally, she looked at me suspiciously. As for me, I¡¯ve finished bathing and would like to leave before I get into trouble¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡ºMaster. There are multiple people rushing towards us.¡» It seems that we can¡¯t stay here any longer. ¡¸I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡¹ When I said that and tried to leave, she said ¡­¡­ ¡¸At least tell me your name!¡¹ To the woman reaches out to cling to me. I smile and¡­¡­ ¡¸I wish we could meet again soon!¡¹ I waved my hand and ordered Marie to create a breeze. Then when I blocked her view, I left the place¡­¡­ CH 47 Chapter title: More Misunderstandings ¡¸So this is the castle¡¯s guest room¡­. It¡¯s more humble and cramped than I thought.¡¹ After completing our investigation, we arrived at the castle town and received our reward. Most of the adventurers who had participated in the mission had completed their work and returned to their respective towns. But Serena and I, as well as Russell-san, we still needed to the castle like this without being released. ¡¸I heard that this is where the soldiers stay.¡¹ I¡¯m convinced by Serena¡¯s words. There is only an old bed, a desk and a closet in the room. It¡¯s enough to be a place for the soldiers who work at the castle to take a nap. ¡¸Anyway, we need to spend a few more days here? I want to go back to the city soon.¡¹ ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. You can¡¯t blame them. We are the ones who defeated the Arc Demon, and they said there are a lot of things they want to know.¡¹ They are currently compiling the results of their investigation and there is nothing we can do about it. In addition, the knight asked me to use the magic tool to determine the truth and ask various questions about Kuzmigo. ¡¸It would have been nice if we could have at least had a tour of the castle town¡­¡­.¡¹ Since I am being paid a commission for my current wait, waiting like this is part of my job. ¡¸It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re still being treated better than Kuzmigo¡¹ He might be right. While we were waiting, we would be fed and could rest in our bed. Kuzmigo was currently in jail for false reports and for allegedly running away before the enemy. I don¡¯t even feel sorry for him because he completely deserved it. ¡¸We¡¯ll take our time to explore the castle town once this matter is settled.¡¹ Serena smiles at me as she pulls herself up from the bed. And¡­¡­. ¡¸What¡¯s up?¡¹ She looks at me as if she¡¯s in a daze, and her face turns red¡­¡­. ¡¸You know, when we did the survey?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, what is it?¡¹ Sluggishly, Serena glanced at me with her eyes. ¡¸When the investigation was over, you said you wanted to¡­ make out with me¡­.¡¹ My heart shook at the gesture. Wouldn¡¯t it be tasteless to do it in the castle? In spite of my thoughts, Serena approached me and hugged me. ¡¸Ehehehehehe, this much is okay, right?¡¹ Serena¡¯s face turned so red that it was embarrassing to watch, and she leaned back against me with a happy expression on her face. ¡ï ¡¸Alice-sama. Do you hear what I¡¯m saying?¡¹ ¡¸¡­.Eh? What?¡¹ Ever since she came back to the castle, Alice-sama has been acting strange. When she returned with the knight in tow, she was answered that there was nothing special about it. ¡¸It¡¯s about waiting for the report of the investigation results.¡¹ It seems that there was a serious problem with this investigation, and a meeting is currently being held in the Erivan Kingdom. We were put on standby in the guest room and were to be informed of the report at a later date. ¡¸Oh, you mean that?¡¹ When I saw Alice¡¯s distracted look, I couldn¡¯t help but¡­¡­. ¡¸Um, Alice-sama. Did something happen at the springs?¡¹ I asked her. She replied¡­. ¡¸Actually, I fought a man who I thought was an adventurer from this country.¡¹ ¡¸I, isn¡¯t that important?¡¹ An adventurer of this country, even if he were to be called an adventurer, they peeped when the princess was bathing and then challenged her to a fight. This is an incident that should be charged with disrespect. ¡¸No, it not a big deal because it was a mutual misunderstanding. That¡¯s why I lied to you on the spur of the moment when you came back.¡¹ That would have been a wise decision. If a knight from our country had witnessed the scene, it would have become a national problem. ¡¸So that¡¯s why you were acting strangely?¡¹ I was finally convinced. ¡¸Even so, to think that there are some amazing guys who can slash at Alice-sama.¡¹ I know about Alice-sama¡¯s abilities because I have seen her on the road. She was training with the knights during the break, but she was stronger than them. I chuckled at the incomprehensible fact that the target I was guarding was the strongest. It seems that the other party is quite skillful to have slashed at Alice-sama. ¡¸Alice-sama?¡¹ However, Alice-sama had a sullen expression on her face. ¡¸And you know, I was no match for him.¡¹ Disgruntled, Alice sama hugged the cushion and made a face. It¡¯s a childish gesture that she doesn¡¯t show when other people are around. ¡¸Eh? You lost, Alice-sama?¡¹ I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I asked her frankly, and she glared at me. ¡¸That¡¯s right! It was really overwhelming and I had no way to win! And you know what, Alicia? The more swords I used, the harder it was for my defense to keep up, and he still wasn¡¯t at full strength!¡¹ She seemed to be excited. It was more of an admiration than hatred. It seems that the reason why Alice is acting strangely is because she was thinking about the person who defeated her. ¡¸Hey Alicia. Do you have any idea who it may be?¡¹ Since Alice was in this state, I listened to her talk about the exchange with the Erivan Kingdom. I remembered a name I had heard in the course of all this. ¡¸I heard that the adventurer who took on the role of the overall leader in this investigation will be promoted to a soldier. I believe his name is¡­¡­ Russell.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s it! He was so strong, the Erivan Kingdom must have seen his ability and wanted to incorporate him into their country.¡¹ That may be so. It must be a pretty good career path to be promoted from an adventurer to a soldier in the kingdom. It¡¯s a rare occurrence, so I¡¯m pretty sure that the adventurer who defeated Alice is the one who did it. ¡¸As I recall, a few people, including Russell, are going to be questioned using the Orb of Truth in a few days.¡¹ I pass on the information I¡¯ve heard to Alice¡­. ¡¸I¡¯m going to see if I can negotiate a deal with them to let me participate in the questioning!¡¹ Alice walked out of the room with a bang. ¡¸Haaa¡­ Elt. I wonder when I¡¯ll see you again.¡¹ When I saw off Alice, who seemed to have found someone she was interested in, I thought of my childhood friend from whom I had been separated. CH 48 Chapter title: Pullout Story ¡ï ¡¸But this investigation is full of problems, isn¡¯t it? Prime Minister.¡¹ The king of the Erivan Kingdom muttered this as he read the report that had been compiled. The document is a compilation of interviews with several people about what happened in the investigation. Most of the people mentioned that the threat level of the monsters in the forest had risen, but when one group of people reported, the content changed dramatically. ¡¸Yes, as well as the fact that the Arc Demon was targeting this country, an honorable soldier of our country abandoned his duty and ran away.¡¹ According to the leader of the group, the Arc Demon appeared and said that the anomaly in the Lost Forest was his fault. And just as the battle was about to begin, the soldier-in-chief, who was in charge of organizing the group, abandoned the scene and ran away. That soldier-in-chief said, ¡°It was an emergency because someone had to tell them about the existence of the arc-demon¡±. However, all the people present were saying that the soldier-in-chief had escaped without fighting. ¡¸Not only did he abandon his allies and run away, but he also made a false report? It¡¯s not unreasonable to do that when facing against the arc demon.¡¹ I can¡¯t say that I don¡¯t understand how you feel, but there have been complaints from other soldiers as well. I can¡¯t just leave it like that. ¡¸I¡¯m more suspicious of the adventurer¡¯s report here.¡¹ The Prime Minister pointed to the report. It read, ¡°The arc demon has appeared and adventurers have defeated it¡±. ¡¸This is an existence that is said to be capable of destroying an entire country. I don¡¯t think a mere adventurer could handle it.¡¹ ¡¸But they have the wings to prove it, right?¡¹ Both the King and the Prime Minister confirmed with their own eyes that the Arc Demon¡¯s wings are present. At least it proves that the arc-demon was there. ¡¸Therefore, we need an orb of truth to judge.¡¹ All reports are highly suspicious. But as a nation, we need to know the facts. The kingdom has asked the temple to lend the Orb of Truth and dispatch priests to make a false judgment. ¡¸Hypothetically speaking.¡¹ ¡¸Yes?¡¹ The Prime Minister gestured to the King¡¯s words. ¡¸If the adventurer has really defeated the Arc Demon, I would like to have them in my country.¡¹ The adventurers are reported to be a young man and woman. ¡¸Both of them are scheduled to be raised to adventurer rank B after this kill. If they do, they will be able to travel abroad.¡¹ Basically, the country cannot force adventurers not to go abroad. If they intend to go to another country, they have no right to stop them. ¡¸If it¡¯s true that the Arc Demon has been defeated, we need to surround the adventurers them immediately. While you¡¯re at it, find out what posts are open in the country.¡¹ So, the country will have to offer good treatment to bring in usable personnel. ¡¸I¡¯ve already prepared a baron position for them, sir.¡¹ He didn¡¯t have to say it, the Prime Minister had already prepared a noble rank for them. The king nodded in satisfaction, but¡­¡­. ¡¸But there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s bothering me.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸The princess of the kingdom of Ilkut has requested that she would like to be included in the talks.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..That¡¯s it. Can¡¯t you refuse her?¡¹ The report that we have defeated the Ark Demon is necessary to show our national power. In the case if the situation is true, it is convenient because we intend to advertise it to all countries. It¡¯s a great way to show our country¡¯s strength. ¡¸Ilkut has also paid for this investigation. I don¡¯t think we can refuse.¡¹ It¡¯s a joint investigation, so they have the right to participate in the discussions. Refusing to do so would not be good for relations between the two countries. ¡¸Could it be that Ilkut is also after this adventurer?¡¹ The rumor that the Arc Demon was defeated is already spreading. It is possible that the Ilkts have learned of this and have come to extract you. ¡¸t¡¯s going to be okay. Even if she was planning to do so, this is our place. Even though she is a princess of a country, there are limits to the authority she can be given. If she really want that person, there¡¯s no way we can lose.¡¹ There is a difference in the decisions that can be made by a representative of a country. ¡¸¡­..That¡¯s true, too. All right, then, as soon as the Orb of Truth arrives, we shall discuss.¡¹ With that, the king and the Prime Minister began to make plans with the intention of bringing in Elt and Serena. ~In the prison at that time~ ¡¸Uuuuu¡­.. Why do I have to go through this¡­.?¡¹ In the musty basement, the sun never shines, and I start to lose track of time. ¡¸It was against an Arc Demon. Anyone would run away.¡¹ His cheeks are sunken in from being watched all day to make sure he doesn¡¯t escape. ¡¸I hate¡­. that young man who made the malicious report¡­..¡¹ In this situation, Kuzmigo¡¯s eyes were glittering with hatred in his eye.said ¡¸I¡¯ll never forgive him. I¡¯m not going to let you get away with this¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shut the fuck up! You piece of trash!¡¹ The soldier who was on guard kicks the gate. ¡¸Elt. I¡¯ll kill you.¡¹ Only Kuzmigo himself could hear his words. CH 49 Chapter title: Truth by Deliberation ¡¸Then, we will now discuss about the investigation of the Lost Forest.¡¹ The Prime Minister swore an oath as he watched the priest dispatched by the church stand in the center of the room. Behind them were the seats of the King of Erivan and Princess Alice of Ilkut, with the Prime Minister and Alicia standing next to each of them. From there, the nobles and knights with titles were lined up on the sides, giving the impression that this discussion was an important one for the country. ¡¸Today, the one who will operate the Orb of Truth is Bishop Hugo, dispatched from the Temple.¡¹ I bowed as the Prime Minister explained. He is an elderly priest who seems to be a good person and will tell you the truth about any questions you may have from a neutral standpoint. ¡¸Then let the first person enter.¡¹ With that, two soldiers moved in and opened the large door. Then a soldier wearing armor, probably waiting outside beforehand, walked in. The brand new armor of the Kingdom of Erivan shone, and a man with a bad appearance stood in the center. ¡¸Please reveal your name and identity.¡¹ The man nodded in response to Bishop Hugo¡¯s words. ¡¸I¡¯m Russell, a former B-rank adventurer who is now a soldier in the Kingdom of Erivan.¡¹ ¡¸Eeh¡ª¨C!?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Alice!?¡¹ When Russell said his name, Alice stood up and drew attention to him. Alicia hurriedly refrained from doing so. ¡¸Princess Alice. What is it?¡¹ The Prime Minister looked at her suspiciously. ¡¸N, no¡­.. It¡¯s nothing.¡¹ She gave a mending smile. While looking at Alice, the Prime Minister began to introduce Russell to everyone. ¡¸Well, Russell has been promoted to a soldier for his outstanding performance in the recent survey of the Lost Forest.¡¹ The nobles and knights applaud the introduction. They pay respect to those who have achievements. Otherwise, they will not be recognized by the people around them when they make their own achievements. ¡¸However, this appointment is provisional at this time, because there have been some unbelievable stories in the survey team¡¯s report.¡¹ It was a rumor that had already spread throughout the castle. Everyone¡¯s attention is focused on Russell¡­.. ¡¸Well then, soldier Russell. Will you please repeat your report on the investigation of the Lost Forest and speak briefly?¡¹ As soon as the Prime Minister urges him to do so, Bishop Hugo holds up his hand to the orb. The people around him keep their mouths completely shut. This is because while the Orb of Truth is in operation, all statements are subject to truth or falsehood. ¡¸Yes, sir. We adventurers have been commissioned by the government to go deep into the forest to investigate the Lost Forest. Along the way, we encountered monsters of a strength not seen in the shallow parts of the forest. Each group proceeded to defeat them. As we were camping at the place where we were supposed to wait, a certain being appeared.¡¹ ¡¸What was this being?¡¹ ¡¸An arc demon.¡¹ Russel answered the Prime Minister¡¯s question. A murmur went up in the room. The nobles and knights moved their gaze to the Orb of Truth. ¡¸He¡¯s not lying.¡¹ Bishop Hugo¡¯s words increase the tension. The question and answer now let everyone know that there was at least an Arc Demon in the depths of the Lost Forest. ¡¸So, the report says that you exchanged words with the Arc Demon, what did it say?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. He said ¡°I¡¯m the one who caused all the strange things that happened in the Lost Forest¡±¡¹ The orb judged the answer to be true as well. ¡¸So you¡¯re saying that the arc-demon¡¯s goal was this country?¡¹ That¡¯s completely unbelievable. We thought our daily lives were peaceful, but behind the scenes, demons were plotting to overthrow the nation. There were few who could remain calm. ¡¸B, but! What happened to the arc demon!?¡¹ Perhaps unable to withstand the pressure of the situation, one of the nobles shouted out, leaving out the Prime Minister who was originally supposed to ask the question. Russell looked at the Prime Minister, confused and wondering if he should answer. The Prime Minister then nodded with a dissatisfied look on his face. ¡¸The arc demon has been defeated. It was us adventurers who did it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­.I, it¡¯s true.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Ooooooooooooooooooh¡ª¡ª-!!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Despite Bishop Hugo¡¯s trembling voice, the nobles of the Erivan Kingdom smile. The Arc Demon is an S-rank monster that can cause disaster-level damage if it is seen. They seemed to feel relieved because the story was true. ¡¸So, so you¡¯ve become a Demon Killer, huh?¡¹ The nobleman exclaimed excitedly. ¡¸No, I¡ª¡¹ Russell was just about to answer the question. ¡¸Soldier Russell. No more questions.¡¹ The Prime Minister¡¯s words interrupted him. ¡¸Eh? Are you finished?¡¹ Princess Alice looked at him suspiciously. She wanted to know the answer to that question. ¡¸At this point, the truth has come to light that the Arc Demon exists and has been defeated. Let¡¯s skip the useless questions as we are pressed for discussion later.¡¹ With those words, Princess Alice saw through the Prime Minister¡¯s thoughts. It wasn¡¯t Russell in front of him who had defeated the Arc Demon. He thought about the possibility of being recruited into her country if the name of that person became known. (But that person was probably that guy, right?¡¡Russell was an outsider, but it was still a possibility.) ¡¸Then may I bring in the next person?¡¹ It is better to pretend that I am not aware of the Prime Minister¡¯s intentions. ¡¸Yes, please do.¡¹ Princess Alice replied, deciding to take her chance. CH 50 Chapter title: False report and Reunion ¡¸Then let the next person enter.¡¹ At the Prime Minister¡¯s words, the door opened and a man walked in. On both of his sides were guarded by soldiers, who held his arms tightly to prevent him from escaping. The man stood on the witness stand. ¡¸Please tell us your name and identity first.¡¹ Bishop Hugo asked the same question as before. ¡¸I¡¯m Kuzmigo, Chief of Staff of the Kingdom of Erivan.¡¹ ¡¸A false judgment has been made.¡¹ ¡¸Wh!¡¹ Kuzmigo¡¯s voice was filled with impatience. ¡¸Kuzmigo is currently deprived of his identity due to a violation of kingdom law. Therefore, I¡¯m afraid that the name ¡°Chief Soldier¡± conflicts with it.¡¹ The Prime Minister¡¯s explanation informed everyone that it was not a malfunction of the magic tool. ¡¸Then, Kuzmigo, let¡¯s hear your side of the story again here. You can try to argue that you were falsely accused¡¹ Since his return from the investigation, Kuzmigo had repeatedly tried to justify his actions. So far, he had given priority to the verdict, but if he had acted out of concern for his country, there would be extenuating circumstances. The kingdom was going to decide on the charges after getting the truth out of him. ¡¸I¡­¡­ was assigned by the government to investigate the Lost Forest. There were a lot of useless adventurers there, and I was assigned to accompany them on a survey to take care of them. They couldn¡¯t move as much as they should have, and I had to frantically give them orders in front of the attacking monsters. Thanks to them, the survey team was able to enter the depths without causing any damage.¡¹ The Prime Minister and the King did not change their expressions. They had heard the report of the investigation beforehand, so their reaction was cold. But Kuzmigo was full of himself as he said. ¡¸But in the backcountry, we encountered an arc-demon. He told us that he was the one who had caused all the trouble, and he attacked us, trying to kill us. So I said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it, because someone should inform the kingdom,¡± and they said, ¡°We don¡¯t have any credibility. I¡¯ll take care of this, so please go ahead¡±. Hearing this, I left the place with tears streaming down my face. Then I barely escaped with my life through the lost forest and reported the appearance of the Ark Demon.¡¹ Kuzmigo made a passionate speech and shed tears. If it was an act, it stunk too much, and it was true. Some of the people who heard this plea looked at Kuzmigo with admiration¡­¡­. ¡¸¡­You¡¯re lying about the whole thing.¡¹ ¡¸Wh!¡¹ Bishop Hugo¡¯s sentence turned the eyes of the people around him to a blank stare. Everyone looked at Kuzmigo as if they were looking at scraps or garbage. ¡¸If there were extenuating circumstances, the punishment could have been to make him start over from a single soldier¡­¡­. What a shame¡­¡­¡¹ The Prime Minister was perplexed by Kuzmigo¡¯s self-serving behavior and lack of any sense of patriotism. ¡¸What¡¯s the vertict, my king?¡¹ Kuzmigo was in danger. The princess of the Kingdom of Ilkut was also a guest here. If he were to be lenient in his judgment, he would be taken advantage of by diplomacy. The king¡¯s brow furrowed, and after a moment¡¯s pondering, he opened his mouth. ¡¸The verdict. Kuzmigo shall be put to death.¡¹ ¡¸Wh¡­..!?¡¹ That was the heaviest punishment. But he had called the bishop from the temple and lied to him. There was no way around it. Kuzmigo sagged. His body trembled and he began to mumble something. The people around him looked at Kuzmigo coldly. The punishment this time is a warning. Those who hinder the interests of the country by fleeing before the enemy will be severely punished. If they don¡¯t want a similar situation to happen to them, they must think and act in the best interest of the country. ¡¸Then take Kuzmigo with you. I¡¯ll call for the next one¡¹ The door opened and a soldier approached to dismiss Kuzmigo¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Hey, why am I in this mess¡­. This is all¡­.. because of Elt.¡¹ ¡¸Eh!?¡¹ Alicia reacts to that name. ¡¸Wa, wait a second!¡¹ Alicia stepped forward with a hint of impatience. ¡¸What did you just say?¡¹ Alicia asked Kuzmigo a question and approached him. The people around her wondered if they should stop her, but her seriousness delayed their action. ¡¸What the hell is it?¡¹ Kuzmigo said to Alicia, who had suddenly asked him a question. ¡¸I¡¯m Alicia. I¡¯m Elt¡¯s childhood friend. I came here because I knew from fortune telling that Elt was in this country. Please. If you know something, please tell me.¡¹ Alicia bowed her head. ¡¸I see¡­.. Elt¡¯s¡­.¡¹ Because of this, Alicia could not see Kuzmigo¡¯s expression. Kuzmigo smiled an ugly smile. And when he shows incredibly quick movements¡­¡­. ¡¸Kyaaa!?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t move! I don¡¯t care what happens to this woman!¡¹ He strangled Alicia and pulled the shortsword from the soldier¡¯s waist and held it to her neck. ¡¸Alicia!¡¹ Princess Alice cried out. ¡¸Kuzmigo! You¡¯re out of your mind!¡¹ The Prime Minister shouted at him. ¡¸You fool! Either way, you have nothing to fear from the death penalty! Get back, all of you!¡¡She¡¯s a nobleman from another country! This is an international problem!¡¹ ¡¸Uuuu¡­.¡¹ Alicia makes a painful sound due to the forceful squeeze on her neck. ¡¸All right, you guys. Don¡¯t move until I¡¯m out of here. If you try to follow me, I¡¯ll kill this girl.¡¹ Kuzmigo¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Anyone could see that she was in a dangerous situation. ¡¸Kukuku, I didn¡¯t know you were related to Elt. Now I can get revenge on the guy who did this to me.¡¹ ¡¸Hii!¡¹ Alicia tears up as Kuzmigo smiles lecherously at her. But the next moment¡­¡­. ¡¸I was called in, so I came in. What the hell is going on here?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a lie¡­.. You¡¯re really¡­.. alive¡­¡¹ Alicia forgot about the situation and looked at the person standing in front of the door. ¡¸Are you really¡­. Elt?¡¹ Alicia¡¯s voice is hard to hear because her throat is scratchy. However, Elt heard her voice and¡­¡­. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s me. Long time no see, Alicia.¡¹ He let out a voice filled with a variety of emotions. TL: Oh well, long awaited reunion. CH 51 Chapter title: Capturing the Hostage and Alicia¡¯s Embrace ¡¸Really, Elt. You¡¯re alive.¡¹ Alicia looked straight at me with tears streaming down her face. I couldn¡¯t help but be filled with nostalgia. ¡¸Yes, thanks to you. I¡¯m doing okay.¡¹ But I guess I can¡¯t be nostalgic all the time. I was curious as to why Alicia was here. ¡¸For that matter, why is Alicia here? Did something happen to her in Ilkut?¡¹ I was curious as to why Alicia was so far away from the Kingdom. ¡¸Elt, you idiot! Of course I came back to look for you!¡¹ My eyes widen at the words. ¡¸For me¡­..? Why?¡¹ I was so upset, it just came out of my mouth. Alicia then said with her moistened eyes¡­¡­. ¡¸O, of course I would. I¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t realize how important Elt was to me until I lost him. I cried every day when Elt was gone, and then I realized something¡­¡­.¡¹ Not only me, but also the people around me were listening to Alicia. Some of them even put their handkerchiefs to their eyes and shed tears. Alicia¡¯s face turned red and she looked at me shyly¡­¡­ ¡¸I always wanted to tell you. I¨D¨D¡¹ When Alicia tried to tell me something¡­.. ¡¸Don¡¯t flirt in front of meeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!¡¹ ¡¸Kyaaa!¡¹ Alicia screamed because of the shouting in her ear. ¡¸You¡¯ve created a separate world around you! Do you have any idea what I¡¯m going through!?¡¹ Kuzmigo is still pointing his shortsword at Alicia. ¡¸You¡¯re an outcast!¡¹ ¡¸You can¡¯t read the atmosphere!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯ll get the death penalty for this!¡¹ ¡¸You should die right now and apologize!¡¹ The surrounding nobles and knights are shouting abuse at him. ¡¸Shut up, shut up, shut up! You all look down on me! Don¡¯t you dare disobey my orders!¡¹ The people around me looked at him coldly for being so pathetic. ¡¸Y, you too, Elt! Without you, the investigation team would¡¯ve been wiped out. I could have gotten the credit!¡¹ ¡¸No, if you hadn¡¯t run away when you did, you would have gotten the credit, wouldn¡¯t you?¡¹ I guess he deserved it when he gave up on the idea that he couldn¡¯t win and ran away. ¡¸Shut up! You say you know this girl. If you want to spare her life, rub her head on the ground and beg for forgiveness! When I¡¯m satisfied, I¡¯ll behead you.¡¹ His eyes were bloodshot. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to stick a shortsword in Alicia¡¯s neck if I do as he says. ¡¸Just for the record, do you have any intention of changing your mind?¡¡If you stop now, you can plead for a reduced charge in exchange for my reward¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s bullshit! You think you¡¯re showing me mercy?¡¡You¡¯ll regret it when she¡¯s dead!¡¹ ¡¸Alicia!¡¹ A woman in some kind of noble dress shouts. That was the¡­¡­ woman I encountered at the springs the other day. The surrounding nobles averted their eyes. They did not want to see the cruel scene. If Kuzmigo put any effort into it, Alicia¡¯s throat would be pierced. But¡­¡­. ¡¸I, impossible¡­ My arm won¡¯t move.¡¹ The arm holding the shortsword is trembling. When Kuzmigo put his strength into it, he desperately tried to thrust the sword into Alicia, but he could not move it. ¡¸Alicia. Come here.¡¹ When Alicia realized that Kuzmigo would not move, she released her restraints and fled from the shortsword. Then she came running towards me. ¡¸Elt! I wanted to see you!¡¹ Alicia hugging me. A familiar voice, a familiar warmth. We stare at each other at close range, unable to take our eyes off each other. ¡¸Now! Get him!¡¹ I hear someone¡¯s voice and the sound of footsteps slamming. I think Kuzmigo is being restrained. ¡¸I, I believed that Elt was still alive. But I thought I¡¯d never see you again¡­¡­.¡¹ Alicia cries out and buries her face in my chest. I stroked her head and said¡­¡­. ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s not over yet, can you please explain this to me?¡¹ The woman I met at the fountain the other day came over to talk to me. ¡¸Why didn¡¯t Kuzmigo stab Alicia? You must have been confident, seeing as how you¡¯re so calm.¡¹ I nodded in response to the woman¡¯s question and¡­¡­. ¡¸Marie. Show yourself so that everyone can see you.¡¹ ¡ºEee, I don¡¯t want anyone but my master to see me.¡» ¡¸Eh? Suddenly a girl¡­.?¡¹ Marie complains, but still shows up. As for the conversation we just had, I wasn¡¯t talking without purpose. I was ordering Marie to stop Kuzmigo¡¯s movements. The appearance of a spirit is invisible to those who do not have spirit vision. It¡¯s not difficult to save a hostage unharmed if I take advantage of that. ¡¸This is Marie, the Spirit Queen of the Wind. She is my contracted spirit.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¡You¡¯re lying, right?¡¡It¡¯s¡­¡­ impossible for a mere mortal to make a contract with a Spirit King¡­¡­..¡¹ ¡¸¡­.It¡¯s true.¡¹ A man in a priest¡¯s uniform held his hand over the orb and said something decisive. That must be the orb of truth. ¡¸The high-ranking spirits can show themselves and disappear. I ordered Marie to stop Kuzmigo from moving. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t be harmed.¡¹ The people around me opened their mouths at my explanation. The woman in front of me was the only one who had¡­¡­ ¡¸You¡­.. are too reckless¡¹ I could barely speak. TL: 9/16 (I wonder why I always forget to write it¡­..) CH 52 Chapter title: Scummy Demon ¡¸Damn you! You¡¯re the Spirit Queen! I wouldn¡¯t have run away if you had reported your power to me! You¡¯ve used the Spirit Queen¡¯s power to fight off the Arc Demon anyway! You¡¯re so high and mighty!¡¹ Kuzmigo, his head pressed against the carpet by the knight, glared at me as if he were about to curse me. ¡¸Shut up. Master is the strongest. He doesn¡¯t deserve to be complained about by someone like you.¡¹ Marie speaks back on my behalf. When she came to my side, she turned around and hit him. ¡¸Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Y, you little shit!¡¹ Kuzmigo turned red and got angry at Marie¡¯s attitude. ¡¸Well, whatever it is, it¡¯s all good now.¡¹ A woman comes up to me, cowering her shoulders. ¡¸Alicia. Who is this?¡¹ She looked strangely familiar, so I asked her who this woman was. ¡¸It¡¯s Princess Alice of the Kingdom of Ilkut.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? You¡¯re kidding, right? Because¡­¡¹ This reminds me of the commotion at the fountain the other day. I wielded my sword against Alice and defeated her. In fact, I even saw her dressed in a way that I shouldn¡¯t have because her clothes were soaked and transparent. ¡¸Elt-kun. Can I talk to you later?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­. Sure.¡¹ Alice-sama had a big smile on her face. Why is this? ¡¸Alice-sama, I¡¯m gonna be the one to talk to Elt. I finally met him again¡­. I¡¯m not letting him go now.¡¹ Alicia then put her hand around my back and hugged me tightly. Looking down at Alicia¡¯s head, I was relieved by the nostalgic smell, and¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¸Master, be careful!¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ There¡¯s a bad aura coming in front of me. ¡¸What the hell is this?¡¹ ¡¸Hey! Stop resisting!¡¹ ¡¸Damn, a black aura is spewint out from me¡­. GuaaaaaaAAA!¡¹ The knights are blown away, and Kuzmigo stands up. ¡¸Fufufu, I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m getting power. Like it¡¯s responding to my anger¡­..¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not good! The transformation has begun!¡¹ Marie¡¯s tense voice said. ¡¸Gogokakaka! I have you, Elt! Gufufufufufu gagaGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹ When Kuzmigo turned away, something changed in his body. He was trying to break through something from the inside. ¡¸Transformation? What is that?¡¹ ¡¸High-ranking demons have an evil aura. A person who is exposed to this aura and has the right qualities can be reborn as a demon.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­ Then Kuzmigo is¡­..?¡¹ The king looked astonished. ¡¸He¡¯s transforming into a demon right now.¡¹ The people around me grabbed their swords and became alarmed. I took Alicia on my back and¡­. ¡¸Take care of Alicia.¡¹ I leave her to Alica. ¡¸N, no! Don¡¯t go away!¡¹ Alicia extends her hand in concern. Thinking back, she always tried to protect me like that. I smiled and¡­¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not going to let Alicia protect me forever. I¡¯ll come back safe and sound.¡¹ ¡¸Alicia, he¡¯s strong, he¡¯ll be fine. Let¡¯s wait and trust him.¡¹ She looked back and forth between me and Alice, and¡­.. ¡¸Okay, I belive you!¡¹ ¡¸Kukukukuku. It looks like it¡¯s over. Prepare yourself, Elt!¡¹ The transformation seemed to be over, and there was a demonized Kuzmigo in front of me. ¡¸He¡¯s a high demon. With normal human wickedness they would start as a Lesser Demon or Demon. Apparently Kuzmigo is very wicked.¡¹ ¡¸Are you happy to be like this?¡¹ I asked as I held up my sword. ¡¸Kukukuku. I¡¯ll kill you, you stupid human!¡¹ Kuzmigo approaches me step by step. ¡¸Hey, kiddo! Get away from him!¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re dealing with a high demon! We¡¯ve got to ambush him all at once!¡¹ The knights are in a hurry. ¡¸It¡¯s impossible. I will give punishment now. I¡¯ll kill everyone.¡¹ It seems that the Kuzumig has already lost its intelligence and is only motivated by resentment towards me. ¡¸Don¡¯t! The magic squad won¡¯t make it! We¡¯re coming in close!¡¹ The strength of a high demon is equivalent to that of several knights. Half of its body is made up of magic, so magic is effective. While remembering such information, I¡­¡­. ¡¸I see¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Wh?¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ While everyone in the room was surprised¡­. ¡¸¨D¨DYou need to die.¡¹ I swung my divine sword, Volmunk, dozens of times at high speed. ¡¸Ah?¡¹ Kuzmigo the High Demon crumbled into pieces. TL: 10/26 CH 53 Chapter title: There is always one truth ¡¸¡­.Well. I¡¯ve beaten it for now.¡¹ Kuzmigo changed into a high demon and made a move to attack everyone. So I cut him down so as not to cause unnecessary damage, but when I looked back at them, they all had a shocked look on their faces. ¡¸Elt-kun. What was that move just now?¡¹ Alice-sama spoke to me as a representative. ¡¸I just normally ran and just slashed at it?¡¹ If I showed even the slightest sign of an opening, I could have spread harm around me, so I slashed as hard as I could to take Kuzmigo¡¯s life immediately. ¡ºHey, did you see that move?¡» ¡ºOf course not. How about you, Knight Commander?¡» ¡ºEven with my eyes, I couldn¡¯t see it clearly.¡» I can hear the knights around me talking about something¡­. ¡¸How can you move so fast? I could only see a bit of it.¡¹ ¡¸Even¡­. Princess Alice the sword princess!¡¹ The king of Erivan shouted in surprise. Apparently, Princess Alice was famous. ¡¸And now, Alice. Are you acquainted with Elt?¡¹ If we¡¯re talking about the fountain the other day, we certainly know each other. But perhaps that¡¯s not all. I looked at Alicia, who seemed to be in a daze, as if she was still trying to grasp the situation. It seems that Alice-sama is the princess of Irkutu, so she must have brought Alicia along with her. ¡¸Yes, in fact, me and Alicia ccame all the way here looking for him.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­.? He¡¯s a citizen of this country. He is an adventurer who will be given the title of Baron for his efforts in defeating the Arc Demon during the recent investigation in the Lost Forest.¡¹ I was surprised by his words. I had heard in advance that he would be given a reward if the investigation proved to be true, but I hadn¡¯t expected that to be the case. ¡¸He¡¯s¡­.. a baron of this country?¡¹ Lady Alice opened her eyes wide. ¡¸Elt, he¡¯s shown himself to be this good. I have no doubt about it, but let me confirm it just in case. You have defeated the Arc Demon in the Lost Forest. Is that true?¡¹ I answered the king¡¯s question. ¡¸Yes, I defeated it myself.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..It¡¯s the truth.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good! I bestow upon Elt the title of Baron!¡¹ The king¡¯s words caused a buzz around him. But¡­ ¡¸One moment please. Elt, you are a citizen of my country, right?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ The Prime Minister fixed his glasses and confirmed Alice¡¯s words. ¡¸He is a citizen of our country who was involved in an incident and went missing a month ago. Alicia and I found out through fortune telling that he was here, and that is why we came to visit.¡¹ ¡¸¡­.That¡¯s also true.¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­. there is a problem with granting Baron title without permission, right?¡¹ The king looked at me with a regretful expression. ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t want to be asked to become a noble all of a sudden either.¡¹ Originally, I was just an ordinary person living in the city. To be suddenly put in a position of authority, I was at a loss. ¡¸And now, Princess Alice. May I ask you about the incident he was involved in?¡¹ Lady Alice nodded in response to the Prime Minister¡¯s words. ¡¸As you all know, once a year in our country, there is a ritual of sacrifice to the evil god.¡¹ With those words, the people around me made a bitter face. It wasn¡¯t just the Irkutu, but the evil god was forcing people from all over the world to offer sacrifices. Before the ritual, a transfer magic circle would appear in the castle of each country, and the sacrifice had to be sent out. So they all remembered the sacrifices they had made in the past. ¡¸Alicia there was chosen as this year¡¯s sacrifice.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But Alicia is still alive. What does that mean?¡¹ The Prime Minister¡¯s question was answered by Alicia. ¡¸On the day of the ceremony, I stood in front of the sacrifice altar and faced the magic circle. But then Elt jumped into the magic circle instead of me.¡¹ The people around me all looked at me at once. ¡¸He chose to sacrifice himself instead of his childhood friend. Our country wept for his sacrifice.¡¹ I was embarrassed to be praised in such an exaggerated way, though that was certainly how I felt at the time. ¡¸No¡­.. I¡¯m not¡­¡­¡¹ I only thought that Alicia¡¯s life was more valuable than my own. I tried to correct her, but¡­¡­. ¡¸What a beautiful story! Sacrificing one¡¯s self to protect the ones one cares about. What an honorable man we have here¡¹ The king cried tears of joy, and the atmosphere around him changed as if to follow his example. I was praised by everyone, which made me feel strangely uncomfortable. ¡¸If that story is true, then he must have been sent to the evil god. How did you manage to escape unharmed?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s what I wanted to know.¡¹ ¡¸Elt, what happened to you after you were sent to the evil god?¡¹ The Prime Minister, Alice-sama and Alicia asked me one after another. I wondered what I should do, but the priest was holding his hand over the orb, so he would know if I lied. ¡¸I didn¡¯t run away.¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸What do you mean?¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ The King, the Prime Minister, Alicia, and Alice-sama asked me about it¡­¡­. ¡¸I just defeated the evil god.¡¹ ¡¸¡­.It¡¯s true.¡¹ As the silence continued, only the priest¡¯s voice flowed into the place. TL: 11/26 CH 54 Chapter title: The Hero Who Can¡¯t Handle It ¡¸So you deleted the evil god¡­.?¡¹ I nodded again at someone¡¯s question. ¡¸¡­Bishop Hugo. The orb of truth is broken, right?¡¹ The Prime Minister calls out to the Priest, breaking out in a cold sweat. ¡¸Honestly, I¡¯m having a hard time believing it myself¡­¡­. I¡¯d like someone to tell me a lie if possible?¡¹ The priest¡¯s recklessness made everyone look troubled. ¡¸In that case, I¡¯d like to ask you a question.¡¹ The king stepped forward and looked at everyone. ¡¸Someone broke the wine from my collection of phantoms. The people here say they didn¡¯t break it.¡¹ At his words, I heard ¡°I didn¡¯t break it!¡± Apparently, no one was lying, so the priest said again, ¡°It¡¯s true¡±. ¡¸I, I didn¡¯t break it!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s false!!!¡¹ The priest opened his eyes and pointed to¡­¡­. ¡¸You¡¯re the culprit!¡¹ ¡¸I, I¡¯m so sorry!¡¹ The Prime Minister was in a cold sweat. ¡¸You¡¯ll get a pay cut.¡¹ ¡¸Th, that¡¯s¡­. Haa¡¹ The king¡¯s words caused the minister to drop his shoulders. ¡¸Apparently, it¡¯s not broken.¡¹ Alice-sama replied with a bitter look on her face. ¡¸Well, this has turned out to be a problem in reverse.¡¹ ¡¸Um, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have answered that?¡¹ I have indeed defeated the evil god. I confided in him here because I knew that without the orb of truth, no one would believe me. If they didn¡¯t know that the evil god has been killed, the nations will have to live in fear of the threat of the evil god. That¡¯s why I told everyone¡­¡­. ¡¸Elt. The truth is, the Orb of Truth is a divine judgment.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by that?¡¹ Not understanding the meaning of the king¡¯s words, I asked him back. ¡¸This orb of truth is connected to the temple headquarters. All truths are shared with the Temple. Even at this moment.¡¹ ¡¸I see?¡¹ I nodded vaguely, not quite understanding what the priest was saying. ¡¸In other words, the information that you have defeated the evil god has been recorded by the head temple at this moment.¡¹ ¡¸The temple is probably in an uproar right now.¡¹ Alice-sama and the King looked at each other with bitterness. ¡¸That¡¯s for sure. And I¡¯m sure this information will be sent out to the people soon. After all, the abominable evil god has been destroyed.¡¹ The priest looked excited. The people around me slowly began to believe it, and I began to feel happy. ¡¸I think we should call it a night for now, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I will prepare a guest room for you, Elt-san, so you can rest there.¡¹ Alice-sama and the Prime Minister nodded, and I was forced to leave the room before I knew what was happening. ¡ï After Elt left the room, King Erivan, the Prime Minister, Princess Alice and Bishop Hugo had a consultation. ¡¸Can¡¯t we delay the announcement?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. The threat of the evil gods is a problem that has plagued all nations. There is no reason for the Temple to keep it a secret.¡¹ ¡¸But that would be a very troubling situation.¡¹ Princess Alice bit her nails and a pained expression appeared on her face. ¡¸He¡¯s the boy who defeated the evil god. It¡¯s only natural that they would want to include him in this unprecedented event.¡¹ King Elyvan and Princess Alice thought that they could take in a person with some merit in their country. However, if it was someone who had defeated an evil god, it would be difficult to handle. Even if they succeeded in getting him, he might become a threat to other countries. If he can defeat the evil gods, in other words, he is more powerful than them. ¡¸Elt-sama is relaxing in his room now, is he not?¡¹ The Prime Minister asked. ¡¸Yes, Alicia went with him, so I thought they would have had a touching reunion by now.¡¹ She imagined Alicia and Elt embracing, or even more than that, and her heart ached in her chest. But she ignored it and turned to what she needed to do now. ¡¸Bishop Hugo. Could you please announce it in two weeks?¡¹ ¡¸What do you intend to do?¡¹ ¡¸We can¡¯t tie up person who has defeated the evil god, because if he antagonizes us, our country could get destroyed.¡¹ That¡¯s what Princess Alice says, but she thinks it¡¯s impossible. From what Alicia had told her, and from what she had seen at the fountain, Elt was not a man who wanted to fight. ¡¸So, we need to respect his wishes and restrain the neighboring countries.¡¹ King Erivan, who had been silent, opened his mouth. ¡¸In other words, you want to hold an international conference?¡¹ Princess Alice nodded with a serious expression on her face. Elt¡¯s existence alone will start to affect the world, but he will not know about it until a little later. ¡ï CH 55 Chapter title: An emotional reunion ¡¸Well then. Please relax in this room. If you need anything else, please call the bell.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thank you.¡¹ After bowing to us, the maid left. ¡¸It¡¯s quite a large room, by the way. I was staying in the barracks a while ago. On the other hand, it¡¯s uncomfortable¡¹ The high ceiling, hung with glittering chandeliers, was covered with paintings. Spacious sofas and marble tables. Above the fireplace, there are pots, paintings, and swords, and everywhere you look there are expensive objects. It was probably a special room for inviting state guests. ¡¸Alicia?¡¹ I was so excited to be in such an unfamiliar place that I asked Alicia for her agreement¡­ ¡¸¡­.Un¡¹ She replies with a downcast look for some reason. ¡¸Um¡­.¡¹ I was puzzled by Alicia¡¯s attitude, which I had never seen before. Normally, she would be much more direct with me. She was the only person in town who treated me that way, and I didn¡¯t mind it. ¡¸Alicia, are you hungry? I have a lot on my plate, how about a light fruit?¡¹ I took out a status-boosting fruit, hoping to create an opportunity for conversation. This fruit is the most delicious fruit I¡¯ve ever eaten, as well as the fact that it increases your status. Since I was going out of my way, I wanted Alicia to taste this deliciousness and be impressed as well. ¡¸Come on, Alicia, let¡¯s eat.¡¹ As usual, I handed her the golden fruit from my inventory. And¡­. Alicia received the fruit, but continued to stare at it. ¡¸Elt. Are you planning to eat it as it is?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s what you mean?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not very polite. Give me that one, too!¡¹ Alicia took out a fruit knife and began to peel the skin. ¡¸You haven¡¯t changed at all.¡¹ ¡¸No, I just thought it would taste better and be faster to bite into it.¡¹ I take advantage of Alicia¡¯s efforts to create a normal atmosphere. ¡¸No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s definitely easier to eat if you cut it into pieces.¡¹ She cut the fruit into pieces and placed them on the plate. ¡¸As expected of Alicia. Can I eat it?¡¹ ¡¸Please do.¡¹ When I confirmed with Alicia, she happily offered me the fruit. ¡¸Un, it¡¯s delicious and easy to eat. Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Elt prepared this fruit for me, I¡¯ll have one too.¡¹ We take a piece of fruit from the same plate and eat it. This mere act filled me with nostalgia. My head feels light-headed, as if I¡¯m dreaming. I thought it would be a long time before I could see her again. Alicia, the person I love the most in this world, is sitting right in front of me. ¡¸What is this!? It¡¯s so good!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it is. It¡¯s a status-enhacing fruit that grew on a tree in the Evil God¡¯s garden.¡¹ ¡¸Th, that¡¯s¡­. It¡¯s rumored that rich people are buying them and using them to improve their status, right? Is it okay for me to eat such a fruit?¡¹ Alicia¡¯s eyes widened and she stared at the fruit in front of her. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got quite a few in my inventory, and I¡¯m sure I can harvest them once again when we get to the Evil God¡¯s castle.¡¹ On the way back to the Evil God¡¯s castle with Marie, I saw that the fruit had grown again, so I harvested it. It was too much for one person to eat, and as long as Alicia was happy, there was no problem. ¡¸Th, the evil god¡¯s castle¡­. Did Elt really defeat the evil god?¡¹ ¡¸I told you. I came back after defeating the evil god.¡¹ Alicia looks at me straight in the eye. I can see that her eyes are moist and that she is holding back tears. Alicia puts the fruit back on her plate, gets up and sits down to me and started touching my cheek¡­ ¡¸Alicia, I¡¯m ticklish.¡¹ I protested, and Alicia laid her head on my chest. ¡¸¡­.Elt, you idiot.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that harsh? It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve seen each other.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s not. Because Elt doesn¡¯t know¡­.. how much I¡¯ve cried.¡¹ ¡¸A, Alicia?¡¹ ¡¸I got dizzy when Elt jumped on the magical circle. I was scared that I was going to die, but I was ready for it. I was prepared, because if I was going to die and everyone else was going to be saved, then it made sense. But I couldn¡¯t stop crying when I thought of Elt disappearing right in front of me, and me surviving, having to live my life without Elt on my own.¡¹ Alicia¡¯s shoulders were shaking as she cried. I saw that and understood how much she had suffered. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Alicia.¡¹ I hugged Alicia and said. ¡¸But if I could go back in time and find myself in a similar situation, I would choose to take Alicia¡¯s place without hesitation.¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean!? I¡¯m so lonely without you! I¡¯d rather die than go through that again! Why doesn¡¯t Elt understand me!?¡¹ Alicia looks up. From a close distance, Alicia was crying, tears spilling from her eyes. I thought that Alicia was beautiful, even though it was inappropriate. ¡¸The people around me would be happier if Alicia survived than if I did. That¡¯s what I thought, so I took your place.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want that! Elt is more important to me than everyone else in the world!¡¹ Alicia clearly said, agitated. ¡¸Why do you want me so badly?¡¹ Alicia was special to me, because she talked to me and took care of me when no one else would. It was only natural that I didn¡¯t want to lose her. But for Alicia, it was¡­.. ¡¸Do, don¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying here?¡¹ Alicia glared at me. Then her cheeks turned red. ¡¸Then I¡¯ll make sure you will never misunderstand me again!¡¹ Alicia¡¯s face loomed in front of me. ¡¸Mm. Mmm¡­.¡¹ I felt a soft touch on my lips. What¡¯s reflected in front of me is Alicia¡¯s face with her eyes closed. It seems that I¡¯m being kissed by Alicia. ¡¸Nn¡­ Fuu¡­.¡¹ I had lost track of time, I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. When Alicia¡¯s face leaves mine, she traces her lips with her finger. She tightens her floaty face and stares at me. ¡¸Now you know!¡¹ She said, as her face turned bright red. ¡¸I love you so much!¡¹ CH 56 Chapter title: Alicia¡¯s Confession TL Note: Reading discretion is advised¡­¡­. Not for the faint hearted. Jk, jk. Alicia¡¯s sudden confession made my mind go blank. The girl in front of me looks as if she¡¯s on fire, her face hot and embarrassed. ¡¸Um, are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸If you doubt me, I¡¯ll kiss you again.¡¹ Alicia was annoyed by my question, which she couldn¡¯t keep up with. ¡¸No, I¡¯ll do it again because I want to.¡¹ Alicia said, moving slowly and pulling herself closer to me. ¡¸Alici¡­a¡¹ My lips are sealed again and I can¡¯t speak. ¡¸Nn, mm, mmmm¡¹ She reached for the back of my head and grabbed me so I couldn¡¯t escape and madly kissed me. Alicia¡¯s eyes were dilated and had a hint of seduction in them. Her moist lips rubbed against mine, and her tongue reached out to explore, tickling my lips. I try to keep my lips together, but Alicia is stubborn and keeps trying to get me to open my mouth. ¡¸Mnn¡¹ I couldn¡¯t stand the tickling and finally opened my mouth. Then, without missing a beat, Alicia invaded my mouth with her tongue. Alicia¡¯s tongue moves in my mouth. I tried to pull it back so that it wouldn¡¯t touch, but it was too much for me, and the tip of my tongue touched Alicia¡¯s tongue. I felt the roughness of her tongue and her hot breath flowed into my mouth. The sound of Alicia¡¯s charming voice could be heard in the intervals between breaths. I felt Alicia¡¯s breasts crush against my chest, soft but warm, and some hard parts touching my chest. ¡¸N. nn. nn. n¡¹ I was so engrossed that I forgot to catch my breath, and it was getting harder and harder. I tried to push my body to get Alicia to move away from me, but¡­.. ¡¸Ahnn!¡¹ What came over me was a superb feeling. When I pressed it, it sank in and wrapped my right hand around it. I moved my hand impatiently to release it, but¡­¡­. ¡¸Kya, E, Elt, d, don¡¯t¡­¡­¡¹ Alicia¡¯s lusty voice passed through my ears, and a numbness ran through my head. In front of me, Alicia¡¯s eyes are moist and her lips are glossy and shiny. Her skin is visible through her loose clothing, and it is moist and damp. Her cheeks were flushed, and the sight of Alicia¡¯s glamorous figure, which I had never seen before, almost brought my thoughts to a halt. I gulped and couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Alicia¡­ ¨D¨DKon, kon, kon¨D¨D ¡¸Is Elt here? I heard he moved into this room.¡¹ Serena¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡¸I heard from someone in the castle that something big is going on.¡¹ Serena said to me as soon as she walked in. She looked not at me, but at Alicia, who was standing next to me. ¡¸Um, Serena. I¡¯ll introduce you. Her name is Alicia. She¡¯s the childhood friend from my hometown.¡¹ ¡¸I, it¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Alicia.¡¹ Alicia replied in a hurried manner. It seems that her body is still burning from the previous action, and she looks hot. ¡¸Um, are you okay? You look like you have a fever.¡¹ Serena also sensed the change and gave Alicia a word of concern. ¡¸Y, yes. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right?¡¹ Serena tilted her head and gave a suspicious look at Alicia¡¯s blushing face, but she didn¡¯t go any further. ¡¸So, Alicia. This is Serena, the elf. She rescued me when I was wandering the woods after I defeated the evil god.¡¹ ¡¸As a matter of fact, Elt saved me from being killed by a Bloody Ogre.¡¹ As if this was the only thing she couldn¡¯t compromise, Serena supplemented her explanation and told Alicia. ¡¸So that¡¯s what happened. Thank you for saving Elt.¡¹ Alicia bowed her head deeply and thanked Serena. ¡¸I, it¡¯s nothing. I only did it because I wanted to help. It¡¯s not something you should thank you me for, Alicia-san¡¹ There was an awkward atmosphere. In this atmosphere, Serena removed her gaze from Alicia and¡­¡­ ¡¸Anyway, Elt. Is it true that you defeated the evil god?¡¹ She raised her eyebrows and asked me a question. CH 57 Chapter title: One and only For some reason, NU didn¡¯t pick up chapter 56, so here¡¯s the link: I, the sacrifice somehow killed the evil god c56 ¡¸¡ª¡ªI killed the evil god by shooting the evil beam that I got from activating my Unique Skill, Inventory.¡¹ When Serena asked me how I got here, I told them again how I got here. ¡¸I see. I thought it was strange that you suddenly appeared in the Forest of the Lost, but you¡¯re so strong.¡¹ ¡¸Elt has always been able to do things that makes me nervous. He has always made me nervous.¡¹ The two girls looked at me in disbelief. ¡¸You believe me?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think I would have believed you if you had told me that right after we met, but you know, after how much time I spent with you, it¡¯s hard to be suspicious when you¡¯ve shown me so many amazing things.¡¹ ¡¸I know that Elt is not the kind of person who lies. I¡¯ll believe anything Elt says.¡¹ I don¡¯t know how long it took them to get it, but they both seemed to have taken me at my word. ¡¸By the way, was that inventory? Isn¡¯t it a bad thing to tell people?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, Elt! If people knew that there was a limit to the number of times you could use your skill, it would be a way to attack Elt!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve been thinking about that.¡¹ ¡¸Then why did you tell me?¡¹ Serena asked as she raised a shapely eyebrow. ¡¸Because you¡¯re the only ones here. You¡¯re the only people in the world I trust. It¡¯s okay to talk to people I trust, right?¡¹ When I say that¡­. ¡¸Uuu¡­ Really?¡¹ ¡¸I, I believe in you more than anyone in the world. I¡¯ll never tell anyone!¡¹ For some reason, both of them blushed. Yes, I was aware of the weaknesses in my abilities. The most important advantage I have at the moment is my Evil Beam, which I stocked from the Evil God. IT¡¯s a skill that has saved my life many times in the past, and anyone who has been hit by this beam has been defeated without exception. Furthermore, without this beam, I can¡¯t enter the Evil God¡¯s castle, so I have to use it twice to enter and exit. My weakness is that there is a limit to the number of times I can use my trump card. If they knew that and sent me a large number of enemies that could only be defeated with the Evil Beam, they would eventually defeat me when they ran out of times. The two of them seemed to be concerned about that. ¡¸I¡¯ve only told the two of you here the details of this skill, and I don¡¯t intend to do so in the future. So as long as we keep our mouths shut, we¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ Serena, who loves me, and Alicia, who has been there for me since I was weak. It was precisely because of these girls that I told them my secret. ¡¸Uuuuuuu. but¡­ Your trust is heavy.¡¹ Alicia held her head. ¡¸What!? I will protect Elt¡¯s secret even if it kills me.¡¹ Serena glared at her for such a weak statement. ¡¸Well, don¡¯t say that. Human society is complicated in so many ways, and Alicia has a connection to it.¡¹ Alicia was originally a popular girl. And now she seems to be getting along well with Princess Alice. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll be able to throw away her shackles and stay silent if they approacch her. ¡¸¡­¡­Right?¡¡I will protect Elt even if I get tortured. Because if I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to feel sorry for Elt who was sacrificed in my place!¡¹ However, contrary to my expectations, Alicia made a decision. I could see in her eyes that she was determined to keep the secret. ¡¸Both of us don¡¯t have to be so uptight. Even if they knew about our abilities, it would only increase the danger a little. I¡¯m a lot stronger now than I would have been in the beginning. There aren¡¯t many people who could make me use an Evil Beam on them.¡¹ A few minutes ago, I cut up a High ranked Demon. Even at that strength, it seems to be equivalent to a few knights, so unless it¡¯s an S-rank class monster, I can probably get away without using Evil Beam. ¡¸B, but¡­.¡¹ Alicia was still trying to tell her what to do. ¡¸Besides, if I can¡¯t take it down by myself. Why don¡¯t you guys help me out?¡¹ In the battle against the Arc Demon, I shot the Evil Beam to minimize the damage. However, if I wanted to defeat it, I think I could have managed to do so in cooperation with Serena without using it. ¡¸People say I¡¯m a saint, but I can¡¯t use offensive magic, and I¡¯m not that strong, right?¡¹ Alicia¡¯s anxious eyes wavered. I put my hand on her shoulder to reassure her¡­¡­. ¡¸I have a large stock of status-enhancing fruits. What¡¯s more, I can get any number of these from the trees that grow in the Evil God¡¯s castle¡¹ It is possible to raise the status of Alicia and Serena. If the two of them are strong enough, we can fight off strong enemies as a party, so we can preserve the Evil Beam. When they heard my words, they¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸This man has just told us another dangerous secret¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Elt, that information is more dangerous, okay?¡¡It¡¯s usually targeted by the government, okay?¡¹ She made a face as if she had bitten down on a bitter bug. At this rate, we might as well talk about national treasures like wine and rainbow carrots later. ¡¸Anyway, now that we¡¯ve reunited with Alicia and accomplished our goal, let¡¯s talk about what to do next.¡¹ The two of them looked dumbfounded, and I talked to them about the future. TL: 15/26 (Forgot to put it in last chapter¡­.)\ CH 58 Chapter title: International Emergency Conference ¡¸Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule today to answer my call.¡¹ Twelve figures are floating in front of me. This is a magical tool left behind by an ancient civilization, a communication tool for communicating with people far away. In each of the 12 images, there was a representative of a country on this continent. ¡¸I was told that this was an emergency meeting. And a signature from the temple? Did something happen to you, my daughter, by any chance?¡¹ Alice¡¯s father, King Ilkut, raised an eyebrow at the disturbing prospect. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, father. As you can see, I¡¯m fine.¡¹ Before King Erivan could say anything else, Alice insisted that she was safe. ¡¸Mmm. I¡¯m glad to see you are well. I hope there are no problems?¡¹ Irkutu King¡¯s eyes sharpened and he asked Alice. ¡¸I will tell you everything now, including that.¡¹ The representatives of each country listened to Alice¡¯s earnest voice. ¡¸Wh¡­.at¡­.¡¹ ¡¸The evil god¡­. has been defeated?¡¹ ¡¸The one who did it was a young man from the Kingdom of Ilkut?¡¹ In the image that floated ahead, the representatives of each country were dismayed. They were the chief executives of their respective kingdoms. They know how to govern themselves even in unforeseen circumstances. Even they could not believe the story Alice had told them. ¡¸I, isn¡¯t it a misunderstasnding between the King of Erivan and Princess Alice? Or was Bishop Hugo¡¯s orb, broken?¡¹ ¡¸We suspected that too. But the king¡¯s questioning showed that it was not broken¡­¡­¡¹ Bishop Hugo told the truth in a tired voice. ¡¸Wa, wait a minute! Then, the time of sacrifice is approaching but the transfer magic circle has not appeared in our country¡­.¡¹ The person who said that was the representative of the Kingdom of Carillon. ¡¸As I recall, Carillon is the next country to offer sacrifices, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. This year, however, there was no response at all, and we were just discussing what to do.¡¹ The other representatives buzzed again at King Carillon¡¯s statement, because if it was true, it would make the story of the defeat of the evil god more plausible. ¡¸I¡¯d like to talk about the truth of defeating the evil gods first, if that¡¯s okay with you?¡¹ Bishop Hugo¡¯s words calmed the place down. ¡¸So, if the evil god actually got defeated, the young man is from the Kingdom of Ilkut, right?¡¡Are you going to set him up as a hero of the country?¡¹ The representative of the Kingdom of Orlando gives him a sharp look. The King of Irkutu raised his eyebrows and¡­.. ¡¸The information about the young man who defeated the evil god is currently restricted in our country. Originally, I sent my daughter to the Erivan Kingdom because my fortune told me that the young man who was sacrificed was still alive. If we could protect his safety, we would celebrate with the whole country and let him live a comfortable life.¡¹ King Irkutu said what had been decided at a meeting in the country. ¡¸But, father. It¡¯s not that easy since we¡¯re dealing with the evil god slayer here.¡¹ Considering the balance with other countries, we can¡¯t just take them in. Alice told him so. ¡¸We at the temple are going to grant the title of saint to the young man who defeated the evil god.¡¹ When Bishop Hugo announced this to the nations, everyone fell silent again. A saint is a symbol of the temple¡¯s festival. Only one hero has ever been given this title, the hero who defeated the ancient dragon that was ravaging the world thousands of years ago. The temple decided to bestow such a title on Elt. ¡¸In addition, the temple intends to give him a reward for defeating the evil god, as well as the bounty on the evil god that has been accumulated in the past.¡¹ The bounty had been donated to the temple in the past was by people who had been tormented by the evil god. The temple declared that it would pay it to Elt. ¡¸Th, that¡¯s¡­. a lot of money, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ After all, the reign of the evil god had lasted for thousands of years. The bounty accumulated during that time was left behind for only those who defeated him to receive. ¡¸Well, according to our records. The current bounty, is about a decade¡¯s worth of national budget for a medium-sized country.¡¹ The money to run a country is too much for an individual to have. Such an amount of money is going to be handed over to a single young man. ¡¸That¡¯s it from the temple side.¡¹ Bishop Hugo, also in a cold sweat, announced the temple¡¯s decision. ¡¸What do we have to offer a man who can defeat an evil god with so much money in his hands?¡¹ The other side is an existence beyond the evil god that must not be provoked. The representatives of each country agonized over what to do in response to the temple¡¯s words. TL: 16/26 CH 59 Chapter title: 1,000,876,522,143,972 bir ¡¸That¡¯s why you¡¯re going to be paid that much money.¡¹ While I was talking with Alicia and Serena, Princess Alice came to visit and told me. ¡¸A bounty for defeating the evil god?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, they are planning to issue temple cards that can be used in temples all over the world. The cards will be credited with the bounty paid by those who have been tormented by the evil god.¡¹ ¡¸How much is that going to be?¡¹ Curious as to how much the bounty for defeating the evil god would be, Serena asked Princess Alice a question. ¡¸Please don¡¯t be surprised.¡¹ Princess Alice prefaced her question. ¡¸1,000,876,522,143,972 bir¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Wh?¡¹¡¹ My and Alicia¡¯s voice overlapped. ¡¸1,000,876,522,143,972 bir¡¹ ¡¸N, no, I heard you, but¡­..¡¹ When we didn¡¯t respond, Princess Alice repeated the amount. ¡¸Hey, Elt. I¡¯m not used to human life yet, so maybe I don¡¯t understand it yet. But, from the way Elt reacted, it must be a lot of money, right?¡¹ Serena tilted her head. After I entered the city and while I was working as an adventurer, I was basically in charge of the money. Serena had never shown any particular interest in money. I quickly did the calculations in my head, but as a commoner, I couldn¡¯t come up with an explanation to tell Serena. It would be such a tremendous amount of money. ¡¸Roughly speaking, it¡¯s enough for every citizen of the Kingdom of Irkutu to live for a few years without being inconvenienced.¡¹ ¡¸R, really?¡¹ The Kingdom of Irkutu is a large country compared to the surrounding countries. If the amount of money is enough to support the people of such a country for several years, it is no longer something that an individual can have. ¡¸Then Elt wouldn¡¯t have to work for the rest of his life, right?¡¹ That¡¯s a lot of money. Even if you were to spend it lavishly for the rest of your life, you wouldn¡¯t be able to spend it all. It has been several thousand years since the evil god reigned in this world. The bounty has grown so large that it has been protected so that only those who defeat it can withdraw the money. ¡¸F, for now, let¡¯s think about that later.¡¹ I can¡¯t really feel it until I actually have it in my hands, and more than anything, just thinking about it gives me a headache. When I try to put off the problem¡­. ¡¸Um, Alice-sama, I understand the bounty, but¨D¨D¡¹ ¡¸Ah, you can drop off the honorifics, if you¡¯d like.¡¹ ¡¸No, I can¡¯t call the royalty without honorifics¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Well, Elt-kun. You will be given the title of [Saint] by the temple. You are only the second person in history to receive this title. As a hero of the world, your status will be higher than mine. So you¡¯d better get used to it while you still can.¡¹ Before I knew it, things had gotten a lot more dramatic. I opened my eyes wide at the news I hadn¡¯t heard. ¡¸Um, Alice-sama?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Alice.¡¹ ¡¸¡­..Alice-san?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s Alice¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Alice¡¹ ¡¸What is it, Elt-kun?¡¹ Alice replies with satisfaction. If she doesn¡¯t mind, that¡¯s okay. ¡¸I understand that I¡¯m suddenly going to get a lot of money and be called a saint. So I¡¯d like to hear about how you¡¯re going to treat me in the future.¡¹ I heard that Alice and King Erivan were talking about something. I was curious as to what kind of conclusion they had settled on. ¡¸About that, I think the basic idea is that you should do what you want, Elt.¡¹ ¡¸Um, what does that mean, Alice-sama?¡¹ Alicia asked the question with a puzzled look on her well-formed face. ¡¸The temple will give him a reward for defeating the evil god and the title of saint, but the rest of the world has nothing to give you.¡¹ ¡¸What does that mean?¡¹ I did not understand the meaning of Alice¡¯s words and asked her back. ¡¸You have defeated the evil god, so to speak. Such a person can¡¯t be put under control of a country, and the people around you won¡¯t accept it. That¡¯s why Erivan Kingdom¡¯s proposal was rejected. Of course, the Kingdom of Irkutu can¡¯t do anything to keep you around.¡¹ ¡¸It would upset the balance power in the country.¡¹ ¡¸In conclusion, you are promised complete freedom. Neither the kingdom nor the temple has the right to order you around. After all, you are the second saint in history.¡¹ ¡¸Hee. Elt has become a great man, hasn¡¯t he?¡¹ Serena is smiling. She seems to have given up thinking about it because the scale of the story is so big. ¡¸I feel like Elt is so far away¡­¡­.¡¹ Alicia looks lonely. I gently touch her shoulder to reassure her. Then Alicia looks happy and puts her hand on my hand. ¡¸So, yeah. Elt-kun, regarding the future, we will hold a party that will gather representatives from each country, so please join us.¡¹ ¡¸Why is that?¡¹ ¡¸I know your personality from Alicia, and I¡¯ve talked to you in person. But the representatives of the countries do not know what kind of person you are.¡¹ Alice said that if the rumors continued, they would start to spread on their own. The only thing they know about me is that I defeated the evil god, and that I might be ambitious. ¡¸Such a person has the power to kill the evil god and the wealth to build a country. The countries need to know who you are, what you are against, and what you care about as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will turn on you and destroy your entire country.¡¹ ¡¸I, I won¡¯t do that!¡¹ I denied Alice¡¯s words impatiently. ¡¸That¡¯s what the rest of the world thinks. I personally don¡¯t think Elt-kun would do such a thing. He¡¯s surprisingly¡­¡­ a gentleman.¡¹ When she said that, she blushed for some reason. She probably remembered the incident at the spring. ¡¸The party is scheduled for a month from now at this castle. Until then, you¡¯re free to do as you please. We don¡¯t have the right to stop you anyway.¡¹ ¡¸I see, it¡¯s a month away¡­.¡¹ ¡¸What is it, what is it? Elt, what are you thinking about?¡¹ Serena hugged me from behind and made eye contact with me. ¡¸No, if we have that much time on our hands, I thought we should head back to the elf village.¡¹ I told the three of them what I was thinking, since there was also the matter with the Evil God¡¯s castle. CH 60 Chapter title: A day off for two men ¡¸I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be spending my first day off as a soldier with you.¡¹ Russell-san, who was walking next to me, covered his mouth with his hand and let out a big sigh. He was on night duty yesterday, guarding the castle, and was having breakfast in the soldiers¡¯ canteen when I visited. ¡¸If you were going to walk around the capital, wouldn¡¯t you have preferred Serena or your childhood friend over a tough guy like me?¡¹ Russell-san saw the reunion between me and Alicia when we were having the discussion the other day. He asked me with a slightly teasing look on his face, as if he was curious about the relationship between Serena, Alicia and me. ¡¸They¡¯re both out shopping today. So I¡¯m the only one left alone.¡¹ ¡¸What the hell, you mean I¡¯m just here for you to pass the time?¡¹ ¡¸No, I really wanted to do some shopping.¡¹ Thinking that I had made him uncomfortable, I waved my hand in denial. Yesterday, I decided to go back to the Lost Forest to make the most of my free time. The purpose was to take Serena back to the Elven Forest and to replenish the supplies at the Evil God¡¯s castle. When I told the three of them about it, Alicia and Serena said that they needed to prepare. And since they said, ¡°It¡¯s better for women to do this kind of shopping together,¡± I refrained going with them. As for the funds, the prize money for defeating the Arc Demon and Kuzmugo has been transferred to me and Serena, so we can afford to buy magic tools and magical equipment that we couldn¡¯t afford before. That¡¯s why I offered Russell-san, who has visited the capital many times on business and knows me, to show me around. ¡¸Maa, in addition to the reward for defeating the Arc Demon, I also received the contract money as a soldier commander, so my pockets are warm. I¡¯ve been wanting to spend it all, so it¡¯s perfect.¡¹ Russell-san smiled at my offer, waving his hand lightly as if he didn¡¯t particularly care. ¡¸Oh, by the way, you. I heard you¡¯re going to get some kind of great title this time.¡¹ On the way, Russell muttered, as if he suddenly remembered. ¡¸Do you know about it?¡¹ I¡¯m pretty sure Alice told me that it¡¯s been hushed up. I was wondering how much Russell knew about it. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve been in relatively close contact with you, you know. They didn¡¯t tell me your name, but I would have noticed.¡¹ If you think about it, there were a lot of people there. It would have been impossible to keep it completely quiet. It¡¯s probably best to assume that the word has gotten around in the castle. ¡¸So, I was told not to be rough with you because it would be a problem if I offended you. Perhaps I should be more respectful?¡¹ To Russell-san, who suddenly said this. ¡¸Please don¡¯t do that now. To me, Russell-san is a senior adventurer. It would be awkward.¡¹ His face was scary, but I respected him. This is the reason why I would feel lonely if he used honorifics, as if he was distancing himself from me. ¡¸Maa, I can¡¯t help it if you say so.¡¹ ¡¸Ah!¡¹ He then reached out his hand to my head and crushed it. ¡¸So, Elt. Where do you want me to take you?¡¡Your weapons aren¡¯t exactly something you can buy on the street, are they?¡¹ Most of what I¡¯m wearing now is stuff I recovered from the Evil God¡¯s castle. I don¡¯t feel like equipping the cloak, tin staff, ring and crown that the evil god wore for some reason, but I have the famous sword, so I don¡¯t need a weapon inferior to it. ¡¸What I want you to show me is a store that deals with artifacts.¡¹ So I told Russell-san about my destination. TL: I¡¯m back! I wanted to stockpile chapters, and I actually did from this novel (20 chapters) but I went from windows 11 to windows 10 (I don¡¯t like windows 11) and I forgot to BACK THEM UP¡­.. I¡¯m sad. I¡¯m crying¡­. Anyway, this website does not have ads anymore, and if you see any ads on it please Tag me in the comments (PS: This does not include the ads that Disqus shows.) TL: 18/26 CH 61 Chapter title: Three Women Shopping ¡¸Hmm, which one should I wear?¡¹ In front of me, Serena-san is struggling choosing between two outfits. I¡¯m observing her. Her long, slender legs stretch out from her skirt. Her breasts are not large, but you can see them even from the top of her clothes. In addition, she had a fantastic beauty that everyone could admire, and it was safe to say that she was a perfect beauty. I¡¯m currently shopping with her¡­¡­. ¡¸Hey, Alicia. Can you bring me some clothes that are the same as this one?¡¹ The curtain opened and Alice-sama appeared in her underwear. ¡¸Alice-sama! Why did you come out here dressed like that!?¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter, this is a women¡¯s only armor store, and I even bathe with you.¡¹ As Alice said, this is a high-class store that deals in protective gear for women only. They look like a stylish piece of clothing, but by adding effects such as automatic cleansing, magic resistance, and physical resistance, it can provide the same level of protection as conventional armor. Women need to be agile because they are not as strong as men, so they cannot wear leather armor or metal plate armor. So I came here to buy some light armor. The problem is that they are expensive because they take a long time to make, but thanks to the money that Elt gave me, I can buy them. ¡¸That¡¯s not the point! I¡¯m saying you should be more embarrassed.¡¹ ¡¸Jeez. You¡¯re really strict. That¡¯s not going to get you Elt.¡¹ ¡¸Wh!?¡¹ My mouth dopped at Alice-sama¡¯s words. I casually looked at Serena-san, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡¸That¡¯s none of your business! Me and Elt¡­¡­..¡¹ My body became hot as I spoke. It reminded me of what happened yesterday. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Alicia? What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡¹ ¡¸I, it¡¯s nothing. ¡¹ I took the clothes from Alicia and moved around the store looking for something else. ¡¸So, Serena-san. I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions, if you wouldn¡¯t mind?¡¹ After buying our respective armor, we left the store and went into a nearby cafe to talk. Serena-san bought both pieces of clothing that she had been struggling with, and I picked out some clothes that I thought Elt would like. I had other preparations to make for the Lost Forest, but I wanted to talk to her before that, and that¡¯s when Alice-sama invited us. ¡¸Fine, but I have a condition.¡¹ Then Serena-san looked at me. ¡¸You¡¯re Elt¡¯s childhood friend, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸Y, yes I am.¡¹ She blushed and awkwardly moved her gaze¡­. ¡¸In exchange for me answering your questions, I would like you to tell me some of Elt¡¯s old stories.¡¹ I could tell just from that gesture. I knew she liked him. I pushed down my complicated feelings and¡­¡­. ¡¸Okay, Serena-san. I¡¯m fine with those terms.¡¹ I replied. ¡¸So, what do you want to ask me?¡¹ Serena-san sipped at her straw and prompted me with a question. ¡¸We only know what happened just before he stepped on the magic circle. If you could, could you tell us how you met and what you did to get here?¡¹ This was the part I was most curious about. ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll tell you.¡¹ What was going on between Serena-san and Elt? I clutched my cup and listened intently. ¡¸¨D¨DSo, he protected me from the attack of the Wind Spirit King. That was really cool.¡¹ Serena-san said with an enraptured look in her eyes. Her eyes are apparently like a maiden in love¡­¡­. ¡¸Umm, just to confirm, are the two of you lovers?¡¹ At Alice-sama¡¯s prodding, Serena-san stirred her drink with a straw. ¡¸No, me and Elt are not like that.¡¹ I was relieved to hear that¡­¡­. ¡¸I just confessed to him and I¡¯m not following him.¡¹ ¡¸Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡¹ I stood up and shouted loudly. ¡¸H, hey, Alicia. You¡¯re standing out.¡¹ ¡¸E, excuse me! Alice-sama¡¹ I rushed to sit down. But it¡¯s not unreasonable to be surprised. The beautiful elf in front of me had expressed her fondness for Elt earlier than I had. I held the cup in my trembling hands and sipped my drink to calm down. ¡¸So, Alicia. You like Elt too, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸MUGH! Mugghhhh!¡¹ I almost spit out my drink at the sudden words. I managed to hold it in, but it made me choke. ¡¸Kyu, what are you saying all of a sudden?¡¹ With tears in my eyes, I glared at Serena-san. ¡¸You¡¯ve been on his mind ever since we met, and it was obvious from the way you reacted when I walked into your room.¡¹ It was true that I was acting suspiciously at that moment. My face was red, and I wasn¡¯t even trying to hide it. ¡¸Alicia, you too. Aren¡¯t you and Elt already lovers?¡¹ Then Serena-san¡¯s serious eyes looked at me. She has a different expression of anxiety than before. It seems that she was also worried when she saw me suddenly appear. ¡¸No, not yet.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­.¡¹ Serena-san gave me an overtly relieved look. ¡¸But I did confess yesterday.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? What, Alicia. When did that happen!?¡¹ Alice-sama peeks out from the side. I look straight at Serena-san and¡­¡­. ¡¸I see¡­ Alicia also likes Elt.¡¹ So said Serena-san, smiling in a strangely satisfying way. For some reason, that smile made me feel more familiar than hostile. ¡¸Serena-san¡¹ ¡¸You can call me Serena.¡¹ I called out to her, and she allowed me to call her by her name. I coughed once and said¡­.. ¡¸I¡¯m not going to lose.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I won¡¯t lose either.¡¹ We held out our hands to each other and shook hands. CH 62 Chapter title: Ethereal Carriage ¡¸This is the store for magic tools.¡¹ Russell led me to a store on the main street, near the center of the city. The streets here were neat and tidy, and we only saw people who looked like they were rich. Horse-drawn carriages were the usual means of transportation, and there was a large area in front of the store where horse-drawn carriages could be parked. ¡¸It¡¯s a very expensive looking store.¡¹ I was overwhelmed by the store¡¯s structure. The entrance was a polished marble staircase with a red carpet. The door is left open, seemingly unguarded, but¡­¡­. ¡ºIt has a barrier.¡» Marie tells me. (Don¡¯t break this one, okay?) I sneakily tell Marie¡­¡­. ¡ºI understand. There¡¯s no one around observing master, so you can shop in peace.¡» After listening to Marie, Russell and I walked into the store. ¡¸Can I hlep you with something, sir?¡¹ As soon as I entered the store, a store employee approached me. I nodded once and¡­¡­. ¡¸I¡¯m looking for an Ethereal Carriage, do you have them?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we do. But¡­¡¹ The employee looked very uncomfortable. ¡¸Can you show me what you have?¡¹ I said, and let the employee lead the way. ¡¸This is the Ethereal Carriage that we have.¡¹ In a space in the middle of the back of the store, there was a model of a horse and a carriage with a bed. This is a magical tool called Ethereal Carriage, which allows you to move around by having a magic-powered horse pull the back of the carriage. It is powered by magic power, and can be moved by accumulating magic power in the magic stone built into the tool. When not in use, it can be stored back in the state of a bracelet, making it popular among nobles and high-ranked adventurers. I¡¯ve always admired these ethereal carriages when I saw them running around town. When I saw the elaborate horse and the cart that looked like it could carry a large amount of cargo, I stared at that ethereal carriage¡­¡­. ¡¸How much will it cost?¡¹ I¡¯m going to head to the Lost Forest, but it¡¯s going to take me a while to get there on foot like I did when I first arrived. I decided to buy an ethereal carriage as I thought it was necessary since Alicia will come aswell. ¡¸Yes. It will be 200 million bir.¡¹ ¡¸T, two hundreed million!?¡¹ Russell-san, who was watching next to me, was surprised as if he had been pulled back to reality. As expected of a popular magic tool. It¡¯s a tremendous price. ¡¸If it was a normal carriage, one million birr would be enough¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Unlike a normal carriage, this one can change it¡¯s appareance, and unlike a real horse, it doesn¡¯t get tired and doesn¡¯t need to be fed. More importantly, the only way to obtain them is with a dungeon drop.¡¹ The employee was right. You need magic power, but if you can replenish it, you can travel all day long. This must be a big advantage when traveling. ¡¸But I don¡¯t have that much money¡­..¡¹ It seems that Russell¡¯s pockets are flush with money from the soldier¡¯s contract, but even if he had savings from his previous work as an adventurer, he wouldn¡¯t have 200 million Birr. ¡¸Elt. Isn¡¯t it possible?¡¹ It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t have enough on hand at all. I¡¯ve been working as an adventurer for a short time, and I¡¯ve already given Alicia the reward for defeating the Arc Demon. The employee looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, ¡°That¡¯s why I was going to tell you.¡± I guess from the way I look, they have no idea that I have 200 million dollars in my pocket. ¡¸Does this store buy anything?¡¹ I can buy as much as I want if I get a temple card from the temple, but I want it now. I checked with an employee at¡­¡­. ¡¸We do buy other catalysts, such as jewelry and precious metals.¡¹ The employee looks at me as if he wants to say something, but I look like a normal adventurer right now, and he seems to be wondering if he should say something so as not to make the customers uncomfortable. ¡¸Excuse me, may I borrow that table over there?¡¹ ¡¸Y, yes. Go ahead.¡¹ I stand in front of the table despite the confused employee¡­¡­ ¨D¨DKotori¨D¨D I hear the sound of hard substances being placed on the table. I put a few rings and necklaces on the table. ¡¸Th, this is¡­¡­ a beautiful piece of jewelry.¡¹ The employee gazes in fascination at them as they shine in the light. ¡¸Y, you¡­.. Where on earth did you get this jewelry?¡¹ This is a piece of jewelry that I found behind the evil god¡¯s throne. It seems that the evil god has been collecting them and they must be worth a lot of money. ¡¸There is no doubt about it. These are all first-class gems,¡¹ The employee who picked up the jewels appraised them with a keen eye. Satisfied, I began to speak. ¡¸I¡¯d like to buy an ethereal carriage from you, is that possible?¡¹ This way, I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with selling them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll take some of the profit, but that¡¯s because it involves a lot of work on the store¡¯s part. ¡¸I, I¡¯ll get the owner right away.¡¹ The employee hurriedly ran to the back of the store, as if the evil god¡¯s jewels was of great value. TL: 20/26 CH 63 TL: Quick heads up before the chapter from now on, the characters will have their names / sentences colored. Mainly when it comes to the Princess ¡°Alice¡± and the Childhood friend ¡°Alicia¡± which are very easy to get confused by. Green: Alicia (Childhood friend) Red: Alice (Princess) If you want Elt, Serena, Marie and other characters to have their own color aswell, please comment. PS: Shotout to laharl8080 for suggesting this! ¡¸Whew, I¡¯m full. I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡¹ Russell-san walked out of the store rubbing his stomach. After getting the Ethereal Carriage, we went to a diner and had lunch. ¡¸Thank you for treating me.¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s my duty to buy drinks for my juniors.¡¹ Perhaps it was because I had spent so much money, but Russell-san paid for the meal. I repeatedly told him I would pay, but he stubbornly refused to listen. So I felt sorry for him, but I took advantage of him. ¡¸But Elt, I suddenly feel sleepy after I ate.¡¹ He had been accompanying me since the end of the night shift, but it seemed he had reached his limit. ¡¸Thank you for taking me this far. I can do the rest by myself, so I¡¯m fine.¡¹ There was one more problem that I really needed to solve before going to the Lost Forest. But since we talked about it beforehand, I¡¯m ready for it, so I think I can handle it alone. ¡¸Is that so? Well then, I guess I¡¯ll be going bakc to the dormitories ahead of you.¡¹ Russell-san waved his hand and spun his body around to return to the castle. ¡¸Well, I¡¯d better get going too.¡¹ I turned my back to Russell-san and started walking in the opposite direction. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, is this the right real estate agency that manages properties in the capital?¡¹ As I entered the building, I called out to the woman at the reception desk. ¡¸Yes. We specialize in large properties. Do you have a letter of introduction from someone?¡¹ ¡¸Here you go.¡¹ I asked Alice to prepare a letter of introduction for me and handed it to the woman at the reception desk. ¡¸I¡¯ll take a look.¡¹ The woman who received the letter¡­¡­. ¡¸O, one moment, please!¡¹ She hurriedly went into the back. ¡¸I¡¯m Miralgo, the manager. I¡¯ve been asked to introduce myself by the Prime Minister.¡¹ I had just asked Alice to do it, but it seems that the Prime Minister had written a letter of introduction. ¡¸I¡¯m Elt. I look forward to working with you.¡¹ ¡¸Well, what can I do for you today, Elt-sama?¡¹ Since it was a letter of introduction from the Prime Minister of this country, he was very polite. ¡¸I¡¯d like to rent a spacious place in a place where there¡¯s as little traffic as possible¡­¡­.¡¹ So, to my relief, I told Mr. Miralgo what I wanted. ¡¸I see, I have checked the contents of the letter of introduction and I have offered Elt-sama the utmost convenience. Would you be willing to buy my mansion which is located in the noble quarter?¡¹ I appreciate your words, but a nobleman¡¯s mansion is a bit inappropriate for my purpose. ¡¸No, I haven¡¯t decided if I will stay in this country for a long time. A building that can be rented on a temporary basis will suffice.¡¹ As I shook my head, Miralgo-san started flipping through the files. I guess he was picking up properties that fit my criteria. ¡¸If you do not want a place with a lot of traffic, then it¡¯s definitely not going to be in the aristocracy and commercial districts. And yet, you want to come with a certain amount of space¡­.. How about here?¡¹ He took out a piece of paper and held it out to me. It¡¯s a two-story building, but there¡¯s a lot of space on the first floor. ¡¸This is the building where we used to run the inn until last year. It was run by an elderly couple, but they decided to retire due to lack of successors, so we¡¯re managing it now.¡¹ The large space on the first floor seems to be the dining room space. The first floor seems to be a dining room, and the second floor has rooms for lodging, so it meets my requirements to a certain extent. ¡¸What about the security of this place?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s in a quiet area, but there is a police station nearby. There are many adventurers who come and go, but it¡¯s not that bad.¡¹ After hearing Miralgo¡¯s words, I consider what to do. It seems to me that there is no problem at all, since it meets all my requirements. However, there are some inconveniences with this kind of property that you can¡¯t tell just by hearing about it. So¡­¡­. ¡¸Could you show me the place once?¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll show you.¡¹ I decided to make a contract after actually seeing the property. TL: Another note, which is unrelated to the novel, but I almost succumbed to the warmth of the bed and I almost forgot to translate some chapters for today. Damn. CH 64 ¡¸Here you go. Please watch your step as you disembark.¡¹ The carriage ride took several dozen minutes. We arrived at a place that could easily be called quiet. ¡¸This is the property I showed you earlier.¡¹ There was an old building standing in front of us. The historical appearance made me feel nostalgic. I guess it¡¯s because, unlike the prosperous atmosphere of the royal capital, it feels like my parents¡¯ home. ¡¸The building is cleaned regularly, so it is more solid than it looks.¡¹ As I opened the door and walked in, the scent of spices and sake stimulated my nose slightly. It must have been ingrained in the building over its long history. I went inside and looked around the floor. The tables were tucked away at the ends and there was a large space on the first floor. There is a reception desk right in front of the door, and next to it is a staircase leading up to the second floor. This is probably the floor for lodging. Behind the reception desk is the kitchen, and behind it is the back door. Apparently, the only exits are the front door and the back door. Miralgo-san led me around the building and showed me around. The furniture was still intact, probably left behind by the previous owner, so it looked like I could start living there today if I wanted to. ¡¸How do you like it?¡¹ As I put my hand over my mouth and thought about it, Miralgo-san asked me while rubbing my hand. ¡¸This is good. It¡¯s in better condition than I thought it would be. Please lend me this one.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much. I will prepare the documents as soon as possible.¡¹ Then Miralgo-san opened his bag and started to arrange the documents on the counter. He had brought them because I had told him that I wanted to sign the contract on the spot when we made a quick decision. ¡¸So, how much will it cost?¡¹ As for the payment, there is no problem as long I give him the money. I was thinking of paying the rest after I get paid from the temple¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸The Prime Minister¡¯s letter said that the kingdom would take care of the payment, so there¡¯s no need.¡¹ ¡¸Eh?¡¹ I didn¡¯t expect that the Prime Minister had done so much laying the groundwork. I decided to take advantage of his generosity on this occasion. ¡¸So, how can I help you?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. What is it?¡¹ I tilted my head at Miralgo-san¡¯s question. ¡¸I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re going to use it as a store or as a common space for parties, but either way, it¡¯s going to need some cleaning and repairs. I can make arrangements for that as well.¡¹ As expected of a real estate professional. He was going to introduce me to a contractor for after-sales service. ¡¸I¡¯m not going to use it for that purpose right now. Can I go back and ask for help when I need it?¡¹ ¡¸Very well, sir. Here are the keys to this building. I will give you all the keys, so if you lose them, you will need to recreate them.¡¹ I took the three keys he offered me and said. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ I thanked him. (separator) ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get started. Marie, come out.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Master!¡¹ The space in front of me distorted and Marie appeared from it. ¡¸I¡¯m finally alone with master.¡¹ She hugged me, moving her bunny ears happily. She doesn¡¯t like people and won¡¯t show herself in public unless called upon. When I first got to know her, I was hostile to me, but when she hugs me like this, I thought that she was cute. I stroked Marie¡¯s head as she pressed her head¡­¡­. ¡¸Are there any signs of people around?¡¹ ¡¸There are no signs at all. There are no people who want to harm the master, and no people who are watching this building.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s good.¡¹ Master is the Queen of the Wind Spirits. She is skilled at commanding micro-spirits and the like to explore her surroundings. When I was in the Lost Forest, and in the castle. Marie was always on the lookout for me, so I could rest in peace. ¡¸First of all, put up a barrier around the entire building.¡¹ ¡¸Well, how strong should it be?¡¹ The only barrier I know of is the one on the walls of the evil god¡¯s castle. It can only be destroyed by the evil god¡¯s special technique, and cannot be entered or exited properly. Considering that it doesn¡¯t need to be that strong¡­¡­. ¡¸Something that Marie will have a little trouble breaking it.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. Please wait a bit.¡¹ When she stood in the center of the floor, Marie began to shine. Her appearance is fantastic and beautiful, and I can¡¯t help but fall in love with her, even though it doesn¡¯t match her usual pampering behavior. After a while, the glow around Marie¡¯s body faded away. ¡¸Phew, it¡¯s perfect now. I have put up a barrier that even an arc demon would have a hard time breaking.¡¹ I pat Marie¡¯s head as she proudly looks up at me with her chest out. ¡¸Can you make it so that anyone who has this key can enter?¡¹ I¡¯m sorry to say this after she has put up the barrier, but otherwise I can¡¯t come and go as I please. I held out the key to Marie. ¡¸I understand. This key holds Marie¡¯s power. When the owner appears, the higher spirits will temporarily lift the barrier.¡¹ That¡¯s it. The barriers put up by the Wind Spirit Queen have higher spirits on alert around it. The security of this building is probably better than that of a bad castle. ¡¸So, Master. Why are you doing this?¡¹ Marie knows that I have no intention of staying in this country, so she¡¯s wondering why I¡¯ve leased the building. ¡¸The thing is¡­.¡¹ I said, looking at my status screen. ¡¸I have a lot of items in my inventory that I want to keep here.¡¹ CH 65 The status screen spread out in front of me. Name: Elt Title: Civilian, God Slayer, Giant Slayer, Demon Slayer, Contractor, Saint Level: 914 HP: 2,500 MP: 2,500 Strength: 2,500 Agility: 2,500 Defense: 2,500 Charm: 16,800 [Skills] Skill: Agriculture Lv.2, Spirit Slot (40/84) 1 Unique Skill: Inventory (903/915) [Inventory] Evil Beam x9980 Perfect Heal x 99954 Vayu Tornado x 50 Analytical Eye x 652 Darkwave x 1 [Items] Divine Sword Volmunk Diablo Wine x 480 (Super High Quality Wine) Bahamut Wine x 480 (Super High Quality Wine) Leviathan Wine x 480 (Very high Quality wine) Gold fruit x 1235 (Eating it will increase all stats by 10) Silver fruit x 2204 (Eating it will increase MP is increased by 10) Red fruit x 3506 (Eating it will increase HP is increased by 10) Blue fruit x 3566 (Eating it will increases agility by 10) Yellow berries x 4209 (Eating it will increase strength by 10) Green fruit x 4588 (Eating it will increase defense by 10) Rainbow fruit x 32 (Eating it will increase charm by 100) Rainbow carrot x 16912 ¡­¡­etc [Elt]:¡¸Arc Demon, Kuzmigo. I¡¯ve defeated a lot of other things, so my level has gone up again.¡¹ On top of that, I¡¯ve been actively eating status-boosting berries, so my other stats have gone up even more than my level. [Elt]: ¡¸The problem is that for every level I gain, I gain only one more inventory slot.¡¹ It¡¯s getting harder and harder to level up. I¡¯m at a high level, so I can¡¯t easily raise my level by defeating enemies. My unique skill [Inventory] counts one slot for every item and skill that I can take in. That means I can currently have 915 different items and skills. [Elt]: ¡¸This is because eating status fruits doesn¡¯t increase the number of slots, so I need to come up with a countermeasure.¡¹ As a result, I came up with the idea of renting a building this time. I¡¯m going to traverse the lost forest again and head for the evil god¡¯s castle. The current stock quota is 903, which means that I only have 12 slots left, and if I don¡¯t sort through them, there¡¯s a good chance that I won¡¯t be able to stock up on the rare items and corpses of the rare monsters that I get along the way. [Elt]: ¡¸That¡¯s why I needed a place to store my stuff.¡¹ [Marie]: ¡¸Heeee¡­. As expected of Master.¡¹ I explained the situation to Marie, and she looked at me with admiration. [Elt]: ¡¸For the time being, I shouldn¡¯t take the fruits and wine out.¡¹ We¡¯ll have a banquet when we get back to the elven village, and if I don¡¯t take everything out, I¡¯ll still be using all of my inventory. Considering the fact that they are fragile items, it would be better to keep them as they are. The same goes for the status fruits. It¡¯s not necessary to take them out now, because I¡¯ll use up my inventory slots to go to the Evil God¡¯s castle and collect them anyway. [Elt]: ¡¸We¡¯ll leave the precious metals that don¡¯t have any magic in them, and the equipment that seem to be useless.¡¹ With that thought in mind, I started taking out items one after another from my inventory. [Marie]: ¡¸Marie will help!¡¹ Marie sorts the items I take out by type. She has been alive for many years and knows a lot about items, which is helpful. [Marie]: ¡¸Hmm, Master. This item is¡­.¡¹ [Elt]: ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Marie brought out a ring, a wand and a pendant among the items I had taken out. [Marie]: ¡¸These items reek of Evil God¡¯s scent.¡¹ These are the items that the evil gods wore. [Elt]: ¡¸The Gospel Ring, the Emperor¡¯s Pendant, and the Wall Breath.¡¹ Using my analytical eye to read the information, I find out that both of these are awesome equipment of divine class. [Elt]: ¡¸Let¡¯s just take this for now.¡¹ I don¡¯t expect anyone to break through the barrier, but it would be best not to leave anything that would be bad if it were to be stolen. [Elt]: ¡¸Okay. That¡¯s pretty much it, right?¡¹ [Marie]: ¡¸Phew¡­.. I¡¯m tired.¡¹ It took me a few hours to finish sorting through the items. The floor in front of me is crammed with items. If any of these items were to fall into the hands of someone, wouldn¡¯t the power structure get rewritten? [Elt]: ¡¸Alicia and the others should be back by now, so we¡¯d better head back to the castle.¡¹ [Marie]: ¡¸Yes. Marie must go back again.¡¹ As Marie goes back to standby mode, I check the inventory slots on the status screen. Unique Skill: Inventory (150/915) [Elt]: ¡¸We¡¯re good to go again for a while.¡¹ CH 66 Alice: ¡¸I didn¡¯t need any special preparation, so I came to the main gate, but you¡¯re almost empty.¡¹ Alice furrowed her shapely brow as we exited the north gate of the Erivan Kingdom. Elt: ¡¸Why are you here?¡¹ Alice was dressed in comfortable clothes and had a beautiful magic sword at her hip. She was dressed exactly as I had instructed Alicia and Serena to wear. Alice: ¡¸That¡¯s because I¡¯m coming with you, of course.¡¹ When I made eye contact with Alicia, she looked troubled and bowed her head apologetically. It seems that she tried to stop her at least. Elt: ¡¸No, I¡¯ve never heard of that¡­..?¡¹ I scratched my own cheek and looked at Alice. Did I invite her sometime? I was wondering if there is such a thing as a memory lapse when you don¡¯t have a drink, etc¡­¡­. Alice: ¡¸Eh? Didn¡¯t we talk about our plans for today when we were having dinner last night?¡¹ Don¡¯t tell me you thought that was the reason you were being invited? No, I don¡¯t think so. If that¡¯s the case, she¡¯s too well prepared. I¡¯m sure she has already made up her mind when we talked about our plans the other day. Elt: ¡¸That was directed at Serena and Alicia, and you¡¯re a princess, after all.¡¡Don¡¯t you have any official duties?¡¹ She was a princess of a country, after all. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it. Because nobles can¡¯t help but gather at a tea party and it¡¯s neat apparance. I ask her that question¡­.. Alice: ¡¸Unfortunately, I prefer to hold and shakes rather than having tea. If I hold out until Mr. Elt¡¯s unveiling party, you¡¯ll die of stress.¡¹ Isn¡¯t a princess usually more ladylike? However, I know that Alice¡¯s abilities are solid just because she says so. In fact, I haven¡¯t been hit by a sword that sharp since Phil. Serena: ¡¸Hey Elt, your ability is a secret, right? Wouldn¡¯t your power be revealed?¡¹ When I was thinking about this, Serena whispered in my ear. It¡¯s true that our luggage is too small for a trip to the Lost Forest. That means we don¡¯t have enough food, let alone to prepare for an encampment. Serena and Alicia knew about my inventory, so they wouldn¡¯t have a problem with it, but Alice would probably find it strange. Elt:¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll use this.¡¹ I pass magic power through the ring I¡¯m wearing, and a carriage appears. Alicia:¡¸Eh, isn¡¯t this an ethereal carriage!?¡¹ I was satisfied with Alicia¡¯s surprised reaction. The Ethereal Carriage is stored as a ringb while it is not materialized. It can be materialize from it¡¯s standby state by absorbing the user¡¯s magical power. However, it seems to use a lot of magic power, and replenishing magic power is usually a bottleneck, but I have a lot of magic power, so there was no problem. Elt: ¡¸Come on, we don¡¯t have much time, just get in.¡¹ With that thought, I urged Serena and Alicia. Serena: ¡¸Alright. Can I try to ride the horses then?¡¹ Serena was curious about the magical creature¡¯s horse and went to the guard stand. Alicia: ¡¸If you get tired, I¡¯ll always be here¡¹ Alicia walked into the back of the truck. There is no awkwardness between them, and they seem to approve of each other. It seems that the shopping trip they had together yesterday turned out to be a good thing. Alice: ¡¸Um¡­..¡¹ Alice was fidgeting for some reason. She looks like a child who is about to be left behind. Alice: ¡¸E, Elt¡­. Um, can I¡­¡­¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Come on, Alice, get in.¡¹ When I urged her to do so¡­.. Alice: ¡¸A, are you sure? Can I come with you?¡¹ Her eyes widened. Elt: ¡¸However, if you come with me, I¡¯m not going to treat you as a princess. You¡¯ll have to help us with camping and fight the monsters.¡¹ I don¡¯t want her to feel like a guest and be selfish. When Alice heard my nail-biting words, she gave me a happy look and said¡­¡­. Alice: ¡¸Un. Thanks.¡¹ And then she went into the back of the truck. Pretty colorful chapter if I say so myself¡­ CH 67 Chapter title: The Divine Staff Wall Breath A tranquil scene could be seen from the window. I could hear the sound of horses¡¯ feet and wheels turning, and a warm breeze was blowing in. We are heading for the lost forest, but I guess travel is a more appropriate word than adventure. Serena is sitting on the guards¡¯ stand, whistling in the sunshine, while Alicia and Alice are happily conversing. A few hours had passed since we left the Erivan capital, and they were beginning to loosen up. Alice: ¡¸By the way, Elt. You¡¯ve got a lot of money.¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Hmm, what are you talking about?¡¹ As I was slumbering in the calm atmosphere, Alice¡¯s words brought me back to consciousness. Alice: ¡¸This Ethereal Carriage. It¡¯s a luxury item that not even the nobles in the capital can afford.¡¹ It was convenient to ride in this way, but not many people would actually buy it. First of all, the purchase price is higher than that of a normal carriage. If you buy a carriage of the same size, you could get 200 of them. In the first place, carriages only need to be replaced once every few years. In other words, even a nobleman only needs to buy a new carriage a dozen times in his life. There is no need to pay a lot of money for an ethereal carriage. Furthermore, it has a weakness in its operation. Basically, it runs on magic power, but its energy efficiency is not that good. While it¡¯s not in use, someone needs to fit the ring to accumulate magic power, but unless you have a mage accompany you, you¡¯ll probably run out of magic power along the way. This is the tricky part compared to horses, which can be moved as long as they are fed. This is why only a few people buy them for a day trip or for emergency use when the carriage breaks down. Elt: ¡¸I bought it with the money from the jewels I got from the evil god¡¯s castle.¡¹ When I said that, Alice gave me a probing look. Alice: ¡¸You. You always say the most outrageous things. Normally, I¡¯d be more proud of you.¡¹ I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. I stocked up on the evil god¡¯s attacks and sent it back at him, and he died on their own. I never imagined that he would be killed by his own attacks, so even I don¡¯t feel that I have defeated the evil god. This is why I don¡¯t feel proud of it. Elt: ¡¸That¡¯s right, Alicia.¡¹ Alicia: ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Elt?¡¹ Alicia, who was listening to the conversation between Alice and me, tilted her head. Elt: ¡¸Your clothes look good on you.¡¹ Alicia: ¡¸Eh, thank you.¡¹ The armor for women in Wangdue is excellent, and although it looks like ordinary clothes, it has excellent blade protection. Alicia, Serena and, incidentally, Alice are dressed in a way that complements themselves. However, Alicia is wearing nothing in particular other than her clothes. I went through my luggage and¡­¡­. Elt: ¡¸This is a present from me.¡¹ I presented Alicia something with a long piece of cloth wrapped around it. Alicia: ¡¸Thank you, Elt. Do you mind if I open it?¡¹ I nodded to Alicia as she confirmed this. Alicia removed the cloth and said¡­¡­. Alicia: ¡¸It¡¯s beautiful¡­.. I¡¯ve never seen a wand like this before.¡¹ Elt: ¡¸It¡¯s the divine staff, [Wall Breath]. It¡¯s effect reduces the magic power required to amplify the power of the magic used. It¡¯s supposed to be about a tenth of what it used to be.¡¹ Alice: ¡¸Wait, isn¡¯t that totally artifact-grade!?¡¹ As I was explaining to Alicia the information I had learned with my analytical eye, Alice had a shocked look on her face. Elt: ¡¸I suppose so. After all, it¡¯s the staff that the evil god was using.¡¹ He had chosen to use it out of the many pieces of equipment in the castle of the evil gods, so it must be the best equipment. Elt: ¡¸And if you put enough magic into it, it will create a barrier that can catch physical and magical attacks.¡¹ We were heading for the Lost Forest. Serena and I were fine, probably due to our high levels, but Alicia had some concerns. Alicia: ¡¸Um, are you going to give me such great equipment?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Of course. This will allow you to defend yourself to a certain extent. You¡¯ll have to take it.¡¹ When I said that, Alicia hugged her cane and looked impressed. Alicia: ¡¸Thank you, Elt. I¡¯ll take good care of this wand.¡¹ She smiled with moist eyes. Alice: ¡¸Hey, Elt. Don¡¯t you have a present for me?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Eh¡­..? Why?¡¹ When I gave her a strange look, Alice pouted and moved her face closer to mine. She put her lips to my ear and said¡­¡­. Alice: ¡¸You spied on me bathing!¡¹ She muttered so that Alicia would not hear. I¡¯m pretty sure I saw Alice¡¯s glamour, even if I couldn¡¯t help it. Elt: ¡¸Then, is this good?¡¹ Alice: ¡¸What¡¯s this?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Emperor¡¯s pendant. I think it¡¯s amazing, but I don¡¯t know it¡¯s effects,¡¹ It¡¯s probably useful in its own way since the evil god was wearing it, but I had no use for it, so I gave it to her. Alice: ¡¸What¡¯s that? You could have explained it to me in more detail!¡¹ Alice was complaining like that when¡­. Alicia: ¡¸The carriage stopped?¡¹ Alicia was right. The wheels weren¡¯t making any sound anymore. And then I hear Serena¡¯s voice from outside. Serena:¡¸We¡¯re under attack!¡¹ TL: Yesterday was my birthday, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t post any chapters but I¡¯ll try to post a few more as to make up for yesterday. 25/26 CH 68 Chapter title: Bandit Attack Serena¡¯s voice made us look out the carriage window. There were dozens of bandits there. They were blocking our path with their carriages, and surrounding my carriage in a circle to prevent it from escaping. It seems that they were waiting for me here. Bandit Leader: ¡¸Heh heh heh. Be quiet.¡¹ A man carrying a scimitar on his shoulder warned us. Bandit A: ¡¸There are four of them, by the looks of it. There are a lot of beautiful girls here. There¡¯s even an elf here.¡¹ Serena embraces her body under the lustful gaze. Her face was filled with disgust. Bandit Leader: ¡¸And this is an Ethereal Carriage, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s an artifact that can be sold for a fortune. It¡¯s my lucky day when something like this comes along.¡¹ Bandit B: ¡¸Hey, boss! Let¡¯s take it away as quickly as possible!¡¹ Before I knew it, the bandits had closed the distance between us. It would be impossible to move the wagon from here. Bandit Leader: ¡¸Wait a minute. It¡¯s a shame if he resisted and got hurt. Hey there, man. I¡¯ll let you off the hook and you can leave this place!¡¹ They must have no doubt about their superiority. The man smiles a lowly smile. Elt:¡¸Of course I¡¯m going to say no.¡¹ I let out a sigh and replied in a mocking tone. Bandit Leader: ¡¸That¡¯s your attitude in front of all these people. Are you really that stupid?¡¹ The bandit¡¯s leader raised his scimitar. Bandit Leader: ¡¸Enough! Kill the man. I¡¯ll take the women back to my hideout, so don¡¯t hurt them!¡¹ With that order, the bandits began to move. I followed their movements with my eyes¡­¡­. Elt: ¡¸Serena. Take the left side.¡¹ Serena: ¡¸All right.¡¹ I decided to leave Serena, who had the means to attack from a distance, the left side, where she was farther away from the enemy, and I would deal with the leader of the bandits in front. Elt: ¡¸Alice. Can I ask you fight as well?¡¹ Alicia: ¡¸Of course. I¡¯d rather not be asked to sit around like this.¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Well, Alice, you¡¯re on the right side. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine, but just don¡¯t overdo it.¡¹ This would leave the right side unattended, but I¡¯ll ask Alice to take care of that. Alice: ¡¸Fufufu, it¡¯s not bad to be recognized by Elt. As you requested, I will not let you touch a single finger.¡¹ I was able to rely on her as she had said she would help as long as she followed me. Alice jumped out of the carriage, drew her sword and slashed at the bandits. Alicia: ¡¸Elt. What about me?¡¹ Alicia clutched her staff and looked worried. She seemed to be nervous, as if she wasn¡¯t used to the rough stuff. I told her. Elt: ¡¸Alicia, you stay here. Stay put until I come back.¡¹ With that, I jumped out of the carriage. Bandit C: ¡¸Guh! You elf! You¡¯re a spirit wizard!¡¹ Bandit D: ¡¸Burn it down!¡¹ On the left side, Serena is ordering the fire spirits to shoot out fireballs and attack the bandits. Bandit E: ¡¸What the hell is this woman doing!? I can¡¯t follow her with my eyes!¡¹ On the right side, Alice was running around in all directions, toying with the bandits. Bandit Leader: ¡¸Tch! They¡¯re just a couple of girls and a pathetic boy. I¡¯m going to kill them and get rid of them myself.¡¹ The head of the bandits took his scimitar, swung it over his head and rushed at me. He must be planning to use his huge body to subdue it with force. But I held my sword above my head, ready to catch it. Bandit Leader: ¡¸You idiot! You can¡¯t catch my sword, because your thin arms can¡¯t handle it! I¡¯ll blow your brains out!¡¹ The leader swung the scimitar down. The next moment. I can feel the impact on my arm¡­¡­. ¨CGuyin¨C Bandit Leader: ¡¸I, impossible. You¡¯ve caught my sword?¡¹ It¡¯s not as powerful or intimidating as the High Demon or the Arc Demon. I put on a cool face and¡­¡­. Elt: ¡¸Um. Can I fight back?¡¹ After confirming this, he jumped up on his sword. Bandit Leader: ¡¸What are you?¡¹ The leader opens his eyes in astonishment. I answer the question while looking at his face, which is covered with fear. Elt:¡¸I¡¯m just civilian.¡¹ The next moment, I move with blinding speed to his blind spot¨D¨D Bandit Leader: ¡¸Wh!?¡¹ ¨D¨D And he lost consciousness. TL: 26/26 ¨C And done! CH 69 Chapter title: Crime Slaves ¡¸So, what do we do with these guys?¡¹ I stripped them all down, tied them up with rope and rolled them on the ground. I couldn¡¯t let the ladies neutralize the bandits, so I did it all by myself. ¡¸The equipment of the captured bandits belongs to the person who defeated them, so it belongs to you, Elt.¡¹ Alice said, looking at the pile of equipment. ¡¸But I didn¡¯t defeat them all by myself.¡¹ It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a great deal of equipment in there, and I don¡¯t really want to keep it around because it was used by bandits. ¡¸I don¡¯t want it. It¡¯s Elt¡¯s.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t need it either. I can¡¯t go to the store to sell it.¡¹ Serena and Alice each refused to share their portions. I look at Alicia, thinking about what to do¡­¡­. ¡¸I, I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve that!¡¹ She refused with an exaggerated wave of her hand, looking flustered. I¡¯ll think about the equipment later for now. I looked at the bandits and¡­¡­. ¡¸What are we going to do with these guys anyway?¡¹ Most of them were knocked unconscious by Alice and Serena. But some of them are conscious or groaning in pain. They were shivering and shaking as I stared at them. ¡¸The bandits could be turned over to the city¡¯s soldiers for some money.¡¹ As I pondered what to do, Alice held up a finger and explained. ¡¸What are we going to do with all these bandits?¡¹ Serena asked Alice a question as if she was interested. ¡¸Well, you know. There¡¯s a common law in almost all countries that people who commit crimes are reduced to slaves during their imprisonment, depending on the severity of their crime.¡¹ I¡¯ve heard that before, too. During the period of imprisonment, slaves are forced to live on unclaimed land or in mines. In any case, they are sent to places that are physically and mentally demanding. There, under the supervision of the government, they are forced to work hard. ¡¸So, if we hand them over to the government, you will be paid for the time the bandits¡¯ spent in prison.¡¹ Alice explained to Serena how human society works¡­¡­ ¡¸But Elt has plenty of money, right? It¡¯s a bit of a hassle to turn around after coming all this way, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Serena nodded her head and said. ¡¸It¡¯s true. If we have to turn back with this many people, it will take several times as long as it took us to get here.¡¹ Not to mention the bandits¡¯ equipment. They¡¯ll have to walk with me and Alicia as well, since our luggage will be full just from packing it inside. ¡¸Then kill them?¡¹ ¡¸Eh, Alice-sama! Are you going to kill them?¡¹ When Alice said this, Alicia looked at her with a shocked expression. ¡¸I don¡¯t blame you. When I think of all the merchants and girls who have been victimized so far¡­¡­.¡¹ I didn¡¯t have the option of just letting it go. I can¡¯t leave out the possibility that there will be new victims because of what I missed. If we won¡¯t hand them over to the government, the quickest way would be to kill them. ¡¸Th, that¡¯s right¡­..¡¹ Alicia¡¯s expression soured as well. No wonder. She has healed many people¡¯s injuries in the past. Even though they are criminals, she probably doesn¡¯t want to see them die in front of her¡­¡­. ¡¸What are you going to do, Elt?¡¹ In spite of Alicia, Alice pressed for a decision. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because she knows that I¡¯m the leader of this group. ¡¸Alice, can you write a letter to the higherups in the castle?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, but what kind of letter?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve caught the bandits and I want you to come and get them.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, but it will take a long time to get back to the kingdom, won¡¯t it?¡¹ Alice seemed to think that someone would take the carriage and deliver the letter to the kingdom. ¡¸No, that won¡¯t be a problem. ¡­..Marie¡¹ ¡¸Yes!¡¹ I called out and Marie appeared. ¡¸Marie. When the letter is ready, deliver it to the Prime Minister at the castle.¡¹ ¡¸Yes¡­. I¡¯m going to have to leave master and¡­. go to the human race?¡¹ Marie looks very unhappy. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but can you do me a favor?¡¹ I know Marie hates people, so I know it¡¯s a terrible request. I ask Marie to do me a favor¡­¡­. ¡¸I can¡¯t deny Master¡¯s request. I must quickly go and come back.¡¹ She changed her mind and said that. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ I patted Marie¡¯s head. ¡¸Ehehehe. If I can be of service to master, that makes Marie happy.¡¹ She leaned in close to me. ¡¸Elt-kun. I¡¯ve written the letter. I¡¯ve also written them to collect the bandits¡¯ equipment.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s very thoughtful.¡¹ We¡¯re going to the Forest of the Lost, so the lighter the luggage, the better. ¡¸So, Marie, please take care of it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯ll see you later.¡¹ Marie floated up and flew through the air. If she looks like that, she¡¯ll be back soon. After that, we heard a reply from Marie, who came back a few minutes later, ¡°He said he will send someone soon.¡± We locked the bandits in Marie¡¯s barrier and proceeded to the lost forest. Chapter number looks good. CH 70 Chapter title: Base Camp Alicia: ¡¸Serena, can you fill the pot with water and turn on the fire?¡¹ Serena: ¡¸Okay.¡¹ When Alicia said that, Serena prepared a pot in the Kamado and ordered the spirits to pour water into it and light it. Alicia is shaving dried meat with a knife next to her. 1 I watched as Serena and Alicia cooked side by side. It had been a few hours since we had defeated the bandits, but due to the loss of time, we were only halfway through the journey. Unlike the previous time when Serena and I had headed for the city from the Lost Forest, this time we were taking a carriage along the city road. On the way to the city, there was a base camp where adventurers and merchants were setting up their camping facilities. The more people there are, the harder it is for monsters and bandits to get their hands on you. It¡¯s all part of the wisdom of traveling safely. It was too late to go to the next base camp, but the distance was not enough for a one-day trip. I wondered if I should force my way to the next base camp. Unlike ordinary carriages, these magical creatures are powered by magic. They should be able to endure a bit of overwhelming progress. As I was thinking about this, Alicia said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll make you a meal. Then we won¡¯t waste any time, okay?¡± Thinking about it, it had been a long time since Alicia had cooked for me. The last time I ate her cooking was long before Alicia was chosen as the sacrifice of the evil god. At that time, I never imagined that I would be able to taste it again like this. Serena: ¡¸Hey! What are you doing?¡¹ As I was feeling deeply moved, I heard Serena¡¯s shouting voice. Alice: ¡¸Eh? I¡¯m cutting vegetables?¡¹ I looked over and saw Alice throwing vegetables into the air and slashing them into pieces. Alicia: ¡¸Alice. No, you can¡¯t cut them like that, you have to make them the same size as possible, otherwise they will be cooked differently. Also, there are some vegetables mixed in that have poisonous buds, so we need to remove those as well¡­¡­.¡¹ Alicia pointed out softly with a troubled look on her face¡­.. Alice: ¡¸The next time, I should cut it more finely, right?¡¹ I¡¯m not sure if she took it as a challenge or not, but she said it confidently. Serena: ¡¸I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to do this with a sword! I told you to use a knife!¡¹ Serena shouts to Alice like a child who is not listening. It was rare for her to express her emotions this much. Alice: ¡¸Eh, I¡¯m more used to this¡­¡¹ Alice, her cheeks puffed out, seemed to be enjoying that kind of interaction with Serena. Serena: ¡¸That¡¯s enough! Alice, please wait for it to be done with Elt!¡¹ After a while, Alice, who had been relieved of her duties, came walking towards me. Alice: ¡¸What? Even though I wanted to learn how to cook.¡¹ Then she sat down across from me and put her elbows on the table. Elt: ¡¸Anyone using a sword in the kitchen would be thrown out¡­¡­¡¹ I looked at Alice with a blank stare and gave her a good argument. In the base camp, there is a cooking area, but it is a shared space, with a furnace and a cooking table. If there were people with swords in such a place, people would not be able to cook in peace. Alice: ¡¸I¡¯m just a woman who¡¯s only useful in battle anyway.¡¹ I left Alice completely distracted and moved my gaze. Serena was using her spirit magic to serve water to the others. In a place like this, it is natural for people to help each other, so those who can use magic take the initiative in making fire and water. Serena was not a fan of the human race in the beginning, but now she seems to have gotten used to them. Maybe it¡¯s thanks to Russell and the good people she¡¯s met? I watched the back of Alicia and Serena while the food was being prepared. Alicia: ¡¸Hey, Elt. Enjoy¡¹ Then she offers me a bowl of steamy water. As I took the bowl from Alicia, a nostalgic smell drifted into the air. It¡¯s Alicia¡®s special stew of dried meat and vegetables, cooked and seasoned to perfection. I unconsciously reach for the spoon and take a mouthful of stew. It tasted nostalgic. I looked up and saw Alicia looking at me with anxious eyes. Elt: ¡¸Un, it¡¯s good.¡¹ Alicia: ¡¸I¡¯m glad. There are seconds, so eat your fill.¡¹ Alicia looked relieved. When I said that, she seemed relieved and started eating the stew herself. Serena: ¡¸Hee, adding dried meat changes the taste.¡¹ Serena, who had been assisting with the cooking this time, commented on Alicia¡¯s cooking. Alicia: ¡¸The meat becomes tender when it¡¯s mixed for a long time, and the seasonings can make a big difference.¡¹ Alicia was also very particular when it came to cooking, and was talking to Serena about tips. At first Serena nodded her head yes, but when she saw the wand next to her, she tilted her head. Elt: ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Serena?¡¹ I couldn¡¯t help but speak to Serena when I saw her. Serena: ¡¸Oh, um¡­..¡¹ Serena looked at Alicia¡®s wand with a subtle expression on her face, perhaps uncomfortable that she was being watched. Alicia: ¡¸This? I got it from Elt earlier.¡¹ Alicia, explained, as if she had noticed Serena¡¯s gaze. She hugged her wand and looked really happy. Serena: ¡¸¡­¡­I see¡¹ Her voice somehow became weak. I tilted my head when I saw Serena like that. Alice: ¡¸H, hey, Elt-kun, isn¡¯t it bad?¡¹ Alice speaks to me in a flustered manner. Elt: ¡¸Nn. What?¡¹ Alice: ¡¸You gave Alicia a gift, but you didn¡¯t give Serena anything, did you? Serena is depressed about it.¡¹ I look at Serena. She certainly looks depressed. Unlike before, the way she eats the stew has no energy. It seems that Alice is correct. Elt: ¡¸Ah, Serena. Do you have a minute?¡¹ I slowly spoke to Serena. Serena: ¡¸Eh? What?¡¹ Serena looked up and stared at me. I took the ring out of my pocket and¡­. Elt: ¡¸From now on, we¡¯re going to a place with strong monsters, that¡¯s why I gave Alicia a wand for self-defense, and I want you to wear this one.¡¹ What I gave her was the Gospel Ring. It seems to increase the hit rate of attacks, and is probably a good match for Serena¡¯s bow. Serena: ¡¸Th, thank you, Elt. I¡¯ll treasure it.¡¹ She takes the ring and holds it to her chest. I can¡¯t help but feel a thrill when I look into her straightforward eyes. Alice: ¡¸That¡¯s great, Elt. I had no idea you had a ring hidden.¡¹ Alice praised me. I felt grateful to her. Elt: ¡¸Sorry, but you saved me.¡¹ If it hadn¡¯t been for Alice¡®s words, I might have made Serena feel sad. Alice: ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ She chuckled softly and looked at Serena and Alicia. She smiled at them as if they were her two older sisters. TL: Sorry for not posting chapters, should be back to posting chapters daily. CH 71 Elt: ¡¸Am I supposed to hold it like this?¡¹ I squeezed the reins tighter, concentrating on looking ahead. Serena: ¡¸That¡¯s too much pressure. Just loosen it up a bit.¡¹ Serena, sitting next to me, leaned forward and touched my body. I don¡¯t think she didn¡¯t particularly care, but every time she guided my movements, the soft parts of her body touched mine. Elt:¡¸This much?¡¹ I relax when Serena touches my hand. Then, sensing my relaxation, Serena pulled her hand away. Serena: ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s about right. Just let the horse go and only use the reins when I tell you to.¡¹ With that, she looked away from me and looked ahead. Unlike before, I heard the sound of wheels moving at a steady tempo, and the scenery in front of me drifted by. It seems that the movement is steady. At the moment, Serena is teaching me how to drive the carriage. Elt:¡¸It¡¯s hard to communicate with just the reins, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Before I got sacrificed, the only work I did was simple work that anyone could do, like plowing and harvesting the fields. It was the farmer¡¯s job to load the wagons and transport them, so I never got to ride one. As I watched Serena happily playing the role of a coach, I wanted to try it myself, so I decided to learn. Serena: ¡¸Hmm, but these horses are quiet, aren¡¯t they?¡¡Real ones don¡¯t always listen to you, depending on their mood.¡¹ I nodded my head at the obviously advanced statement and¡­¡­. Elt:¡¸Come to think of it, how does Serena know how to drive a carriage?¡¹ She told me that she has never been out of the Lost Forest. There is no such thing as a road in that forest, so there should be no situation that requires a carriage. Serena: ¡¸I¡¯ve never ridden in a carriage before, but I¡¯m used to taming creatures. I¡¯ve even ridden horses a few times.¡¹ Apparently, yesterday was the first time she had ever ridden in a carriage. I was astonished¡­¡­. Serena: ¡¸The important thing is to understand what they want you to do. Animals are easy to read because they are so honest.¡¹ Elves are also known as forest keepers and are a nature loving race. They are always in nature, so it¡¯s not so difficult for them to communicate with animals. Elt:¡¸Well, it¡¯s good to be honest.¡¹ I say that when I look at the magical creature in front of me¡­¡­. Serena: ¡¸Yes, so I think Elt needs to be more honest.¡¹ Serena murmurs as she casually pulls herself closer to me. Alicia: ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s enough!¡¹ But Alicia, who may have heard what we were talking about, interrupted our conversation. Alicia: ¡¸It¡¯s my turn to be taught, right? Elt, go back to the carriage, okay?¡¹ It was decided that it would be better if all of us were able to play the role of the guardian anyway, so we would take turns on who¡¯s being taught. Alicia stepped in between me and Serena, and the platform became narrower. Alicia: ¡¸Serena. I thought you said no sneaking around, right?¡¹ Serena: ¡¸Isn¡¯t it fine, for a bit?¡¹ Serena¡¯s stare was unnerving and she retorted to Alicia. It seems that these two are discussing without me, and have agreed on a number of rules when it comes to me. Whatever the case, it¡¯s nice to know that things aren¡¯t going to turn sour. I returned to the carriage, leaving the two smiling and checking each other out. CH 72 Alicia: ¡¸So, we¡¯re finally in the Lost Forest.¡¹ Alicia clutched her staff anxiously and looked into the forest. I stored the Ethereal Carriage despite Alicia¡®s appearance. Just as when it came out, light covered it, becoming particles that were sucked into the ring. Even though they were magical creatures, I had grown attached to the horses that had accompanied me along the way so far. Elt: ¡¸Good work, guys. I¡¯ll ask your help again.¡¹ I speak to them while stroking the ring. Alice: ¡¸Fufufu.¡¹ I looked up at Alice when she laughed. She seemed to be getting to know the bloodless magical creature. Elt: ¡¸Is that weird?¡¹ It¡¯s an artifact that was created a long time ago, so of course it doesn¡¯t have a will. It must have seemed strange to the royals to be working with such a being. Elt: ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s because we¡¯ve been through so much together that I don¡¯t feel like they¡¯re just a tool.¡¹ When I said that, Alice¡­. Alice: ¡¸It¡¯s fine. I like that about you, Elt.¡¹ She patted me on the shoulder, not in her usual teasing way, and left. ¡¸What was that about?¡¹ I could only tilt my head thinking about what she liked about me. Alicia: ¡¸Hey, Elt. Are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡¹ Alicia looked around as we walked through the forest. I didn¡¯t know this until I left here, but the Lost Forest of the Erivan Kingdom is famous for its inability to return safely to those who enter. She felt uneasy because she had stepped into such a place. Marie: ¡¸It¡¯s fine. Leave it to Marie.¡¹ Marie joined me as my companion after we entered the Lost Forest. She¡¯s a spirit that I¡¯ve made a contract with, and she¡¯s the spirit queen who leads the wind spirits. She uses the wind spirits all over the forest and perfectly locates the monsters. Serena: ¡¸In fact, thanks to Marie, we were never caught by surprise.¡¹ Perhaps to reassure Alicia, Serena was talking about the time we left the Lost Forest. Alicia: ¡¸I, is that so¡­. Marie, you¡¯re awesome.¡¹ Marie: ¡¸Ahem. If you have Marie, you will never get hurt. ¡­¡­Auch!¡¹ As she was saying this, she caught her foot on a tree root and fell down. It seems that she was in a good mood and she wasn¡¯t paying attention to her surroundings. Serena: ¡¸Not at all. You¡¯re a helpless child¡­¡¹ When Serena saw her, she reached out to Marie¡­. Marie: ¡¸Uuuuuu. Thank you.¡¹ Marie grabbed her hand, brushing off the mud. Serena: ¡¸I mean, shouldn¡¯t Marie just fly?¡¹ Serena pouted at the fact that Marie, who could fly, was walking with her¡­¡­. Marie: ¡¸Uuuu, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been summoned, so I want to be as close to master as possible.¡¹ If she flies in the air, she has to move away from the wind as it rolls in. She seemed to think that if she did that, she wouldn¡¯t be able to be near me. I can¡¯t leave her alone if she said that much. Marie: ¡¸I guess I was too cautious of my surroundings to pay attention to my feet.¡¹ I approached Marie and took her hand. Elt: ¡¸Marie¡¯s searching ability is essential in the Lost Forest. If we walk hand in hand like this, you¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ Marie: ¡¸Ma, ster¡­.¡¹ She looked impressed as she shook her bunny ears. Alicia: ¡¸Goodness, you¡¯re so easygoing.¡¹ Serena: ¡¸Uuuu, I envy you.¡¹ Alice: ¡¸So that¡¯s how you¡¯ve been getting girl after girl.¡¹ The three of them look at me in disgust. Marie:¡¸Ehehe. I love you, Master.¡¹ But when I saw Marie¡¯s happy face, I couldn¡¯t let go of her hand. CH 73 ¡¸Master. There¡¯s a monster up ahead.¡¹ With a twitch of her bunny ears, Marie warned me. ¡¸Guys, it looks like there¡¯s a monster up ahead.¡¹ I told them, and everyone turned at once. ¡¸Marie, do you know what kind of monster we¡¯re dealing with?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a huge snake that looks about this big.¡¹ When she said that, she took her hand away from mine and exaggeratedly opened her hand to show me how big it was. I couldn¡¯t really get a sense of how big it was, but I nodded as she tried her best to tell me. ¡¸Speaking of big snakes, is it a Silver Serpent? It¡¯s supposed to have silver scales that repel magic¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸It does indeed have silver scales.¡¹ Alice¡¯s guess was confirmed by Marie. Apparently, she got the message. ¡¸The Silver Serpent is a snake that is several meters long and has a mouth that can swallow a person whole.¡¹ Alice explained it to us. ¡¸It¡¯s a very powerful monster around here. We¡¯ve hunted it in numbers in our elven village.¡¹ Serena said as if she remembered. The warriors of the elven village are all strong, let by Phil, but they still fought in large numbers. ¡¸It seems that it¡¯s aware of us. It¡¯s coming straight at us.¡¹ At Marie¡¯s words, I readjusted my sword. If the monster is that big, why don¡¯t we just kill it and move on? That¡¯s what I was thinking¡­¡­. ¡¸Wait, Elt.¡¹ I was about to step forward and intercept it. ¡¸Would you mind letting me deal with that monster?¡¹ Alice volunteered to take it down. ¡¸Alicia-sama, I¡¯ll cast a support spell.¡¹ Alicia¡¯s wand shines. She said that the Wall Breath I gave her emits great magic power. ¡¸Bless the light upon her. [Blessing]¡¹ Alice¡¯s body shines. She stares at her body and says¡­¡­. ¡¸The wand is amazing. I¡¯ve had some of Alicia¡¯s magic support help me during my travels, but it¡¯s much more powerful now.¡¹ ¡¸Listen, don¡¯t let your guard down, okay?¡¡Your opponent is a monster from the Lost Forest. If I deem it dangerous, I will interrupt.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know. You worry too much, Elt.¡¹ Alice giggled and looked forward. ¡¸Serena, I¡¯m gonna need all the help I can get.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I¡¯ll order the spirits to hinder it¡¯s movements.¡¹ I gave my conditional permission to Alice¡¯s proposal. The Silver Serpent must be defeated by the three of them, including Alicia and Serena. Alice is the princess of my hometown. It would not be good if I let her take on the challenge alone and cause her serious injury. Besides, this was a good opportunity. Perhaps it was because I had relied on Marie up to this point, but we had avoided the monsters. As a result, Alicia had come this far without gaining any combat experience. For the future, she would need to fight to improve her level. It would be convenient if Alice would take the vanguard role. From a distance, I hear the sound of grass and trees being shoveled. It was approaching at a frightening speed, and as soon as it appeared in front of us, ¡ºShaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡» ¡¸Kyaaaaaaaa! Th, that¡¯s huge!¡¹ I hear Alice scream. In front of her, a huge Silver Serpent that looked like it was a dozen meters tall, not several meters, was standing up and looking down at her. ¡¸Yeah? All the monsters around here are as big as this.¡¹ ¡¸It seems that our understanding of the Lost Forest is still a bit limited.¡¹ Alice seemed to think that the Silver Serpent that appeared was the normal size that she usually encountered in the field, but this was the Lost Forest. There are powerful monsters here to prevent humans from entering. ¡¸What do you think, Alice? If you¡¯re going to give up, now¡¯s the time to do it.¡¹ I called out to the flustered Alice, but¡­¡­. ¡¸Now that I¡¯ve said it, I won¡¯t back down! A snake is a snake even if it grows up! I¡¯ll do it!¡¹ When she said that, she pulled out her sword. ¡ºShaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡» The Silver Serpent also recognized Alice in front of her as it¡¯s prey, and it¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡ºShaaaa!!!!¡» And when it opened it¡¯s mouth, it¡¯s face stretched out at a great speed and approached Alice. ¡¸Alice-sama!¡¹ I hear Alicia¡¯s scream. The moment when the Silver Serpent, showing a completely unexpected move, tries to swallow Alice whole, ¡¸You¡¯re slower than Elt.¡¹ Alice jumped up with a relaxed smile on her face and avoided the Silver Serpent¡¯s attack. The ground gouged out, and the Silver Serpent bit into the tree ahead, chewing it to pieces. ¡¸It appears that Alicia¡¯s support magic is more powerful than we thought.¡¹ Obviously, this was not Alice¡¯s move that we had seen so far. It seems that the power of Alicia¡¯s support magic itself is having a tremendous effect. Alice readied her sword and turned to face the Silver Serpent. The Silver Serpent wraps itself around a large tree and extends its neck from above¡­¡­. ¡ºShaaaaaaaaa¡» This time it stretched its neck from the top of the tree and attacked. Alice struggled with the attack from above. She swung her sword, but the Silver Serpent quickly turned it¡¯s head back and attacked again from a different direction. ¡¸Ku!¡¹ While she was at the mercy of the illusionary movement, and was unable to get out of the enemy¡¯s line of sight¡­.. ¡¸Wind Shot!¡¹ Serena¡¯s voice rang out, and there was a whooshing sound of wind. ¡ºShaaaaa!?¡» The magic pierced the Silver Serpent¡¯s two eyes. ¡¸Well done!¡¹ I praised Serena¡¯s very good aim. ¡¸Now, Alice!¡¹ The Silver Serpent¡¯s head lowered as it¡¯s vision was taken away, and it came down in front of Alice. ¡¸I got it!¡¹ Alice swung her sword down on the Silver Serpent¡¯s neck. The scales, which are said to bunch off any half-baked attack, are in the next moment¡­.. ¨D¨DSpan¨D¨D With that sound, the Silver Serpent¡¯s head fell to the ground. ¡¸You did it, Alice-sama¡¹ ¡¸That was a good attack.¡¹ Alice and Serena rushed to Alice and rejoiced. ¡¸It¡¯s thanks to your support. Thank you too.¡¹ Alice smiled brightly and the three of them shared the joy of defeating the monster. CH 74 ¡¸Oh, Serena, you¡¯re back!¡¹ ¡¸Dad, I¡¯m home.¡¹ In front of me, Serena was hugging Yomi-san. ¡¸Elt, you didn¡¯t make Serena cry, did you?¡¹ I was watching the scene when Phil called out to me. I wondered if it was my imagination that his eyes looked somewhat suspicious. We¡¯ve just arrived at the elven village after spending a few days in the Lost Forest. Since we were in the Lost Forest anyway, we thought we¡¯d take the opportunity to stop by and let Serena go home. ¡¸Of course, I think we¡¯re getting along great.¡¹ I knew she would change as she met more people, but Serena got along well with Alice and Alicia, and they were chatting at night. ¡¸There are so many beautiful women here. I guess these are the elves.¡¹ While I was talking with Phil, Alice and Alicia were looking around the village with great interest. ¡¸I have a souvenir for you. Do you mind if we borrow the square?¡¹ ¡¸Un? No problem.¡¹ We moved to the square. This was the place where they had held my welcome and farewell parties, but now the tables and chairs had been cleared and the place was spacious. ¡¸I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll get dirty, so a rug would be nice.¡¹ ¡¸All right, hold on a second.¡¹ After a few people had set up the table, I brought out the corpse of the Silver Serpent. ¡¸So this is the Silver Serpent. That¡¯s quite a brilliant way of cutting it. As expected of Elt¡¹ When Phil saw the Silver Serpent with its head neatly severed, he made an impressed sound. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s not me who did it. It was Alice over there.¡¹ ¡¸What did you say? There¡¯s another human besides Elt who can do this?¡¹ His eyes widened and he looked at Alice. Alice seemed to have noticed Phil¡¯s gaze and bowed her head. ¡¸Everyone, this Silver Serpent was killed by Serena and those two over there. Please accept it as a token of our friendship.¡¹ Elves don¡¯t have a very good opinion of the human race. I¡¯ve been accepted in the village because I helped Serena, but I don¡¯t know if Alice and Alicia will be accepted. I talked to Serena about it, and she made this suggestion. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a feast tonight.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll have to get a knife to cut them up. I haven¡¯t seen a Silver Serpent in about ten years?¡¹ The elves were in high spirits and began discussing about dismantling the Silver Serpent. Apparently, the mission was a success, and some of the elf girls approached Alice and Alicia and started talking to them. Watching the scene¡­.. ¡¸Who are those two? What¡¯s their relationship with you?¡¹ I had left with Serena a while ago and returned with more companions, so it was understandable that she was wondering. ¡¸The other one is Alicia, a childhood friend of mine. She came here to look for me after I went missing, relying on fortune telling.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s the relationship.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ I raised my eyebrows at Phil, who looked strangely convinced. ¡¸No, no, I thought that if you got together with her, maybe Serena would give up and come back.¡¹ Apparently, he hadn¡¯t given up yet. I let out a sigh, knowing that Phil¡¯s wish would never come true. ¡¸Well then. I¡¯d like to make a toast to Serena and Elt¡¯s return home and to Alice and Alicia¡¯s visit to the village!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Kanpa-i!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ In the evening, a banquet was held as usual. The main dish tonight is the Silver Serpent that the three of them had killed. ¡¸It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s more fatty than you¡¯d expect and goes in easily.¡¹ ¡¸Spirit Queen. Please eat this as well.¡¹ At the table where the food was placed, Marie was already tucking into her meal. ¡¸I¡¯ll take it.¡¹ The elves consider the spirits to be good neighbors. Marie is the Queen of the Wind Spirits and is therefore she¡¯s someone they worship. ¡¸Hee, it tastes more elegant than I thought.¡¹ ¡¸It might be even better if you spread a thicker sauce on it and sandwich it between the dough.¡¹ Alice and Alicia looked satisfied, and I was curious about what it would taste like, so I tried it. ¡¸It sure tastes good.¡¹ It seemed that only the scales were hard, while the meat was soft enough to bite into easily. As I chewed, the fat of the silver serpent spread in my mouth and I could feel the delicious taste. It tasted like it would go well with sake. I wanted a drink, so I went to the table where the liquor was kept. There was a bottle of wine on the table that I had bought in the royal capital of Erivan. The liquor from the elven village was delicious, but I wanted to give him a taste of the wine made by the people anyway. Perhaps it was a good thing that I had chosen a reasonably priced wine, because all the elves seemed to enjoy it. Serena was enjoying the wine in moderation, as if she had learned from her previous drinking experience, and Alicia was happily chatting with the other elf girls. They both seemed to be enjoying the place, and I was walking around aimlessly, enjoying the atmosphere of the place¡­¡­. ¡¸No! Phil!¡¹ ¡¸What the! I can¡¯t lose, you little jumping girl!¡¹ I heard cheering voices, so I went over to them¡­. ¡¸Haa haa. You¡¯re doing great!¡¹ ¡¸Y, you too!¡¹ Phil and Alice were having a match. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard about it from Elt, but it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯ve defeated the Silver Serpent. I haven¡¯t been pushed this hard sicne Elt.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s odd. The only person who has ever beaten me was Elt.¡¹ Alice said, challenging Phil. ¡¸Don¡¯t say that. I haven¡¯t been playing around since Elt left, you know. My beloved sister was taken from me right in front of my eyes, and I¡¯ve been working on my skills to get revenge on him one day.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about that. But, I can¡¯t lose either!¡¹ ¡¸Wh!¡¹ Alice took advantage of Phil and closed the distance between them. ¡¸Damn it!¡¹ Phil¡¯s sharp sword catches Alice¡¯s. ¡¸It¡¯s not going to work.¡¹ Alice dodges all of Phil¡¯s attacks as if she knew where they were coming from. And¡­¡­. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m done.¡¹ She came down from the stage, out of breath and relieved. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s you, Elt. You were watching, weren¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s amazing. Phil is the best swordsman in this village.¡¹ He¡¯s also my sword master, so I know Phil¡¯s skills better than anyone else. Alice smiled wryly and said¡­¡­. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s why I was able to win.¡¹ When I explained this, Alice said something meaningful. ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ ¡¸He was moving just like you. I know your speed, so it¡¯s easy for me to read someone who moves like you. If I hadn¡¯t seen you fighting before, I wouldn¡¯t have gone this far.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s quite a feat.¡¹ The fact that she remembers the way I fought is one thing, but the fact that she has the guts to try it in a real fight is amazing. ¡¸I told you. I¡¯m not going to lose to anyone but you.¡¹ Alice smiled in satisfaction at my compliment. CH 75 Yomi: ¡¸Elt-kun. Can you do that magic for me?¡¹ The next morning, Yomi-san woke up with his head in his hands, and I used Perfect Heal to cure his hangover. Yomi: ¡¸Fuu, I drank too much because I thought of your magic Elt.¡¹ Last night, Yomi-san drank a lot of alcohol. It was partly because the Silver Serpent tasted so good, but it was also because he had regained his energy after being cured by magic. Phil told me that he seemed to be enjoying his life, actively hunting. Serena: ¡¸Geez, Dad. Don¡¯t rely on Elt too much, okay?¡¹ Serena emerged from the back. Apparently, she was already up and cooking. Yomi: ¡¸It¡¯s okay. We may become relatives in the future. Right, Elt?¡¹ Serena: ¡¸Wh! What are you asking!? Hey, Elt!¡¹ Both of their eyes turned to me. I was wondering what I should say¡­¡­. Phil: ¡¸So, Elt. May I ask what you¡¯ve come back for?¡¹ Breakfast was being prepared by Serena and Alicia. And while we were sitting around the table, Phil asked me a question. Elt: ¡¸Ah, first we had to get Serena back home.¡¹ My goal was half accomplished in meeting Alicia. I thought I should show my face to her while I still had time to do so. Phil: ¡¸Do you have another purpose?¡¹ Phil asked, I nodded and started talking. Elt: ¡¸There¡¯s a castle north of here, do you know of it?¡¹ Phil: ¡¸A castle? No, I don¡¯t remember anything of that sort¡­¡¹ Yomi: ¡¸Neither do I. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything like that around here.¡¹ Perhaps it¡¯s because the evil god¡¯s barrier is still in place? It may have the same effect of repelling people as the rainbow carrot forest. Elt: ¡¸Actually, the evil god¡¯s castle is to the north of this forest.¡¹ Yomi & Phil: ¡¸¡¸Buuuuuuuu¡¹¡¹ Serena: ¡¸Waa, you¡¯re dirty, Dad.¡¹ Serena said with a reproachful voice as she handed them a hand towel. Yomi: ¡¸Geho, goho. It¡¯s because Elt¡¯s saying strange things.¡¹ Phil: ¡¸Jeez, that¡¯s not even a joke!¡¹ Phil gave Yomi a reproachful look. Alice: ¡¸It bothers me because it¡¯s true.¡¹ Alicia: ¡¸Maybe we would have reacted the same way if we didn¡¯t have the Orb of Truth.¡¹ Alice and Alicia are whispering something to each other. Elt: ¡¸I¡¯m not kidding. I was originally summoned to the castle as a sacrifice to the evil god.¡¹ Yomi: ¡¸I knew something was up, but I didn¡¯t expect that¡­¡­¡¹ Yomi-san¡¯s eyes narrowed quickly. Elt: ¡¸But luckily, my unique skill was activated and I killed the evil god.¡¹ Phil: ¡¸No, that¡¯s¡­. that¡¯s too good.¡¹ I nodded at Phil¡¯s prodding. It¡¯s true that if I had done something wrong, I wouldn¡¯t be here. I was sullenly chewing on my good fortune as¡­¡­. Phil: ¡¸The thing that Serena is wearing on her finger¡­..¡¹ Phil looks at the ring finger on Serena¡¯s left hand. Serena: ¡¸This? It was given to me by Elt.¡¹ She stroked her hand happily and Serena¡¯s cheeks turned red. Phil: ¡¸Wh!? What¡¯s going on, Elt!?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹ I reply, pushing back Phil¡¯s face from my face. Phil: ¡¸You¡¯ve given her a ring and you¡¯re on the verge of getting married!¡¹ To Phil, who looked resentful, Elt: ¡¸No, I didn¡¯t give it to her with that intention. The monsters around here can be quite boisterous, so I just gave it to her for her own protection¡¹ While I was explaining, Yomi-san put his hand on his chin and looked at the ring with interest. Yomi: ¡¸Elt-kun¡¹ Elt: ¡¸What is it?¡¹ I pushed Phil away and replied to Yomi-san. Yomi: ¡¸Isn¡¯t that ring, perhaps, the Ring of Gospel?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Yes, it is. It was worn by the evil god, though.¡¹ I gave it to Serena because of its magical effects. Elt: ¡¸Do you know about it?¡¹ Yomi-san nodded at my question. Yomi: ¡¸From a fairy tale that has been passed down in the village since long ago. It seems that a brave man blessed by a spirit king once had it with him when he visited this village¡­¡¹ This is probably a reference to Marie¡¯s previous master. He had visited this village in the past, apparently. I thought it was the evil god¡¯s equipment, but if it belonged to Marie¡¯s former master, should I have given it to her? As I was thinking about this¡­. Yomi: ¡¸With this ring, you can go through the evil god¡¯s barrier and enter the castle.¡¹ An unexpected piece of information came from him. CH 76 Alice: ¡¸¡­So this is the castle where the Evil God lived?¡¹ Alice said as she looked at the wall that stood a few meters in front of her. Serena: ¡¸We wouldn¡¯t have arrived here without Elt. I really didn¡¯t know there was such a place near the village¡­¡¹ Serena gave her a complicated look. About a kilometer before entering the castle grounds, Marie informed us about the presence of a barrier. According to her explanation, it seems to spread out in a circle around the castle, and creatures instinctively can¡¯t get close to this area. She had noticed it when she came here before, but this time she approached it from a different direction and was convinced because she saw a barrier reaction at a similar distance. If it was just us, we could get in as usual, but Serena, Alicia, and Alice were here too. We couldn¡¯t leave them in a place where powerful monsters roamed, so after some thought, we decided to break the barrier. However, it seems that the barrier put up by the evil god is more powerful than any other ones we¡¯ve seen so far, and even Marie can¡¯t break it easily. She even borrowed Alicia¡¯s wand and managed to break it with all her strength. Marie was exhausted from using all her strength, and now she had retreated to the back to sleep. Serena: ¡¸Let¡¯s see, where do we enter?¡¹ Serena was puzzled, looking at the large wall. Alice: ¡¸If we follow the wall, we should find a gate, so let¡¯s go find that first.¡¹ Serena: ¡¸This is where I can use the ring¡­?¡¹ After a short walk, the gate came into view. Considering the position between the elf village and the Evil God¡¯s castle, it would be the gate where I had escaped before. Beyond this gate, there should be a trees with status-enhancing fruits growing on them. Alicia: ¡¸But how do we use it?¡¹ Alicia tilted her head. There was no such thing as a keyhole in the gate, and she didn¡¯t know how to use it. Alice: ¡¸Is there a secret code? ¡°Great challenger. Enter!¡±, something like that?¡¹ Alice puzzled over the question and said it in a strained voice. It seems that she has been reading and studying books for a long time, so she might not be guessing. When Serena touches the gate with her hand and pulls it, looking for the keyhole¡­¡­. ¨CGogogogogogogo¨C Alicia: ¡¸No way! You can¡¯t be right!?¡¹ The gate began to open in front of me. After a while, the gate opened completely. Elt: ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯s thanks to the secret code¡­¡¹ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because Serena, who has the ring, approached it. Otherwise, it would mean that it could be opened with a password. Serena: ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s just get inside.¡¹ We stepped into the Evil God¡¯s castle when Serena urged us to do so. Alice: ¡¸So this is the Evil God¡¯s castle. It¡¯s more beautiful than I expected. I wonder how they take care of the garden?¡¹ Alice looked around, assessing the castle. Elt: ¡¸Well, you know. I killed the evil god, and I¡¯m not sure that evil god was taking care of the plants and trees in the first place¡­¡­.¡¹ It¡¯s too bizarre to imagine him watering or pruning with a jug or shovel and scissors. Marie: ¡ºPerhaps he¡¯s using some kind of magical device to take care of the garden. I can feel the power of the spirits bound to this place.¡» Elt: ¡¸Marie, have you recovered yet?¡¹ Marie: ¡ºI¡¯m still tired. But I can do the bare minimum of work, like spotting enemies. I want you to be at ease.¡» She¡¯s saying that even though she¡¯s tired. Elt: ¡¸All right, but don¡¯t overdo it. You can rest here if you want.¡¹ Marie: ¡ºYes. Master is kind after all. I love you.¡» With those words, she fell silent. Serena: ¡¸Was it Marie?¡¹ Serena asks me. I guess she could tell that Marie and I were having a conversation. Elt: ¡¸It seems that the maintenance here is the work of a spirit bound by some kind of magic.¡¹ Serena: ¡¸I see¡­ Could you release that spirit too?¡¹ The elves treat the spirits as good neighbors. I raised an eyebrow when I heard that they were forced to be used and bound to this land even after the evil god was killed. Elt: ¡¸Well, when Marie recovers, I¡¯ll see if I can do something about it.¡¹ Serena: ¡¸Elt, thank you!¡¹ Serena then smiled broadly. Since then, we¡¯ve been harvesting status fruits, which was my original goal. Serena, who was used to climbing trees, climbed up easily, picking up the fruit and passed it to Alicia below. Alice: ¡¸Elt, I¡¯ll leave them here.¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Ah, thank you.¡¹ In front of me was Alice, who was wearing clothes that were too tight against her skin because she had taken off her armor. It is said that despite the thin fabric, it has a high level of protection due to magic, but the exposure is poisonous to my eyes right now. Alice: ¡¸I¡¯ve never climbed a tree before, but it¡¯s fun. Can I go back and do it again?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Don¡¯t fall down and get hurt, okay?¡¹ Alice: ¡¸I¡¯ll be fine, Elt-kun will take care of me¡­¡¹ She winked at me and walked away. She said she was counting on me because I had healed her injuries before. Elt: ¡¸But still, for a princess, she¡¯s very open¡­¡¹ I stowed the fruit that Alice had brought me in my inventory. I hadn¡¯t intended to have her do all these chores, but she seemed to be enjoying herself, so I guess I didn¡¯t need to worry about it. Elt: ¡¸But how can she be so casual with me? On the contrary, it¡¯s scary¡­¡¹ As I muttered that thinking about it¡­ Marie: ¡ºI think she¡¯s a nice person. Marie had been watching.¡» Marie was the one who spoke to me. CH 77 Elt: ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve guess we¡¯re done.¡¹ I looked at the tree and saw that the status-enhancing fruit that had been growing there had been completely harvested. It¡¯s a good thing that Alice, Serena and Alicia helped out. Alice: ¡¸It¡¯s getting late. Are we going to stay here today?¡¹ I looked at Alice, her face was red, and it seemed that the sun that was shining would soon go down. Alicia: ¡¸Eh, staying¡­ In the Evil God¡¯s castle, right?¡¹ Serena: ¡¸What, Alicia? Are you scared?¡¹ Alicia: ¡¸I¡¯m not afraid, but I¡¯m not sure I feel very good about it since I was supposed to be a sacrifice.¡¹ Alicia raised an eyebrow at Serena¡¯s question. Elt: ¡¸I¡¯ve stayed here before and there were no monsters, so I think you¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ Marie and I spent the night here when we came to harvest some status-enhancing fruits. Perhaps it was because of the original barrier, but we never saw any monsters. Serena: ¡¸Then why not? It¡¯s not every day you get to enter the Evil God¡¯s castle, so let¡¯s go.¡¹ Alicia: ¡¸Ah! Serena! Don¡¯t push me!¡¹ Serena pushed Alicia¡¯s hesitant back and walked into the evil god¡¯s castle. Alice: ¡¸Hee, the Evil God¡¯s castle is rather beautiful, huh.¡¹ Once inside the castle, the lights automatically came on. Alice observed her surroundings with great interest. There is a wide staircase in front of me and a high ceiling when you look up. At a quick glance, the Evil God¡¯s castle is divided into five buildings in total. In the center is the castle where the evil god lives, with one building each on the east, west, north and south. Each building is connected to the center by a passageway, and you can come and go as you please. I had stayed at the castle in Erivan the other day, but this must be a better castle in terms of scale and interior luxury. Serena: ¡¸Hey, Elt. Where are the bedrooms?¡¹ Serena asked, looking happy. Elt: ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a bedroom?¡¹ Marie and I did a quick search, and found no rooms like that, at least not when we entered from this side. On the contrary¡­ Serena: ¡¸Isn¡¯t there one behind this door or something?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸Oh, I forgot to tell you that half of the rooms in the Evil Castle are locked.¡¹ Serena: ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ In fact, it was the same when I escaped. There were quite a few doors that I couldn¡¯t open, so I didn¡¯t have a complete grasp of the castle¡¯s structure. Alicia: ¡¸I thought you would have broke it to enter?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸What do you think people are?¡¹ I rolled my eyes at Alicia¡¯s remark. Elt: ¡¸I tried to slash it with my divine sword, the Borumunk, but it got bounced back, just like the barrier that protects the castle walls. Alicia: ¡¸I knew you¡¯d try¡­¡¹ When I told her that I had already tried, she looked at me in dismay. Elt: ¡¸That¡¯s why we¡¯ll be sleeping in a hall or something.¡¹ If we can¡¯t do anything about it, we don¡¯t have a choice. That¡¯s what I was thinking¡­ Serena: ¡¸Hmm. But since it¡¯s such an awesome castle, I¡¯d like to sleep in a better place.¡¹ Serena walked up to the door, put her hands on the knob and pushed it with both hands. Serena: ¡¸Huh? It opened. Elt is a liar.¡¹ Elt: ¡¸No, I¡¯m pretty sure it didn¡¯t open when Marie and I came in.¡¹ I tilt my head. I¡¯ve checked out the rooms in the shallow area after entering¡­ Alice: ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s the ring?¡¹ The [Gospel Ring] that I gave Serena can remove the barriers of the Evil God¡¯s castle. Doesn¡¯t that mean that the ring¡¯s effect isn¡¯t applicable just to the entrance? Serena: ¡¸Waa, look Elt there are 3 beds here. Let¡¯s sleep here tonight.¡¹ We walked into the back and Serena happily dived into the bed. The bed was big enough for two people to sleep in each. Alicia: ¡¸Serena! You¡¯re so shameful! Your skirt is showing.¡¹ Alicia saw this and ran after her. Elt: ¡¸Apparently, with this ring, you can walk around the castle of the evil god.¡¹ We may be able to enter areas that were previously inaccessible. I watched as Serena dragged Alicia into bed and laughed at each other. Alicia: ¡¸What are you going to do, Elt-kun?¡¹ Elt: ¡¸What is it, Alice?¡¹ Alicia has a serious expression on her face. I guess she¡¯s checking to see if I¡¯m going to take the ring I gave Serena. But she¡­ Alice: ¡¸It¡¯s obvious. There are only three beds, so who are you going to sleep with?¡¹ I gave Alice a cold stare. ¡ï (Alice POV) I get out of the bed and look around. On the bed next to me, Serena and Alice were sleeping, their faces close together. In the end, Elt-kun chose to sleep alone, Serena and Alicia agreed. That¡¯s why the four of us were sleeping in the same room, but in the middle of the night, I woke up. Alice: ¡¸I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re in the Evil God¡¯s castle.¡¹ There was no sense of mischief at all, on the contrary, it was a wonderful and quaint castle. I wondered if anyone had visited this castle since it had bedrooms and other facilities. While thinking about this, I looked around¡­¡­. Alice: ¡¸Huh? Elt-kun isn¡¯t here?¡¹ I got up and left the room. ¡ï CH 78 ¡¸This room is fine.¡¹ There is a bookshelf against the wall and a wide wooden desk in front of it. In front of it was a large table with four chairs on each side. There was a room there with an interior that reminded me of a conference room. ¡¸Even so, this was the key¡­¡¹ I looked at the ring I had borrowed from Serena and felt complicated. The reason is that most of the rooms with windows were locked. When I first explored the evil god¡¯s castle, if I had worn this [Ring of Gospel], I could have gotten out without difficulty. At the time, I was only focused on the newly awakened ability, [Inventory], but when I was shown the convenience of the key in this way, I regretted it once again. I let out a sigh and thought about it. I didn¡¯t find any strange rooms in all the rooms I¡¯ve seen so far. It looks more like a castle in the Kingdom of Erivan, a building with a predetermined purpose and designed structure. I wondered if this place had originally functioned as a castle, with a lot of people coming and going. Thinking about this, I returned to the hall. I noticed an inconspicuous room behind the entrance. The door was hidden behind the stairs, and I noticed it from upstairs. I opened the door to the room and walked in¡­¡­. The room was dusty, which was unusual for this well-kept castle. The room is not very large, and if five adults were to lie down in it, there would be no place for them to step. ¡¸Is this a storeroom?¡¹ There was nothing in the room, I made that judgement and tried to leave¡­. ¡¸Elt-kun?¡¹ I got called out from behind. ¡¸What are you doing here so late at night?¡¹ I looked at the entrance and saw Alice standing there. The light in the room illuminated her figure clearly. She was wearing clothes for sleeping, and a clock, with a sword at her waist, which she probably carried with her as a precaution as this was the Evil God¡¯s castle. ¡¸Weren¡¯t you sleeping?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but when I woke up in the middle of the night, Elt-kun wasn¡¯t there, so I got curious¡­¡¹ It seems she came looking for me. ¡¸So, what are you doing sneaking around in the middle of the night?¡¹ ¡¸I told you it wasn¡¯t dangerous, but I was making sure.¡¹ I¡¯ve already checked all the unlocked rooms, but now that I have a new key, I just wanted to check the ones I hadn¡¯t checked before. ¡¸To keep those two out of harm¡¯s way? That¡¯s overprotective.¡¹ ¡¸¡­isn¡¯t it okay?¡¹ I was annoyed that she had guessed my true intentions. Alice in front of me looked at me as if she was looking at something that made her smile. ¡¸You really care about those two, don¡¯t you? So, which one do you like more?¡¹ Perhaps because she had found something to tease me with, Alice asked curiously as she approached me. ¡¸I, it¡¯s not important.¡¹ ¡¸No, it is. Alicia is my best friend. I know how much she cares about you, Elt.¡¹ Alicia knew from fortune telling that I was still alive after going in her stead, so she came to the distant kingdom of Erivan to look for me. She even confessed her feelings to me when we met again, but I¡¯m hesitant to respond. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you a mess? Leave it to Alicia.¡¹ As we talked, Alice got hotter and hotter and pushed me closer and closer to the back of the room, until I was backed up against the wall. As I hurriedly tried to escape to the left and right, she put her hands on the wall to cut off my retreat. In front of me is Alice¡¯s face. Her lips are glossy and her hair shines in the lighting. Her face had a refined beauty that was different from Serena and Alicia¡¯s, and I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her even though I was in this situation. ¡¸If you don¡¯t give them an answer, those two will never be able to move forward.¡¹ I was at a loss at Alice¡¯s words, the third party. But the next moment¡­. ¡¸Eh? The ground lit up¡­¡¹ The pendant around Alice¡¯s neck began to glow. ¡¸It¡¯s bad! We have to get out of this room!¡¹ Some kind of magic circle has been activated. I told Alice that and we tried to escape the room, but¡­ ¡¸Eh! Kyaa!¡¹ Alice didn¡¯t hear what I said, and her reaction was delayed. As a result, we collided with our bodies and fell into the middle of the room. ¡¸Itatata. Wh, what are you doing Elt!?¡¹ I can feel the softness and warmth all over my body. It seems Alice is on top of me. The pendant grew brighter and brighter, and the magic circle itself glowed strongly in response. ¡¸I can¡¯t make it!¡¹ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, but I have to protect Alice. I hugged Alice with all my might and¡­. The next moment, the scenery in front of me blurred. CH 79 ¡¸Where¡­ am I?¡¹ There was no doubt that I was under the power of teleportation. I had experienced teleportation magic before I got to the Evil God, and this feeling was the same. I took a look around me. It didn¡¯t look like a trap, and I wasn¡¯t surrounded by monsters. I looked at the ground and saw that the magic circle was losing its brightness. It seemed that the function of this magic circle was simply to transport us to this place. As I was speculating about this, I heard an embarrassed voice from nearby. ¡¸E, Elt-kun, can you please let me go now?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry.¡¹ I was hugging Alice as quickly as I could when the magic circle was triggered. I was so focused on getting to know my surroundings that I forgot. I let go of her body to get some distance. ¡¸I, it¡¯s not that bad. I know that you were trying to protect me.¡¹ She was mumbling in the dark. She doesn¡¯t seem angry, so I¡¯ll leave it at that. ¡¸What is this place anyway?¡¹ I stood up to take a closer look at my surroundings. ¡¸Eh?¡¹ Alice¡¯s surprised voice echoed. There was a click from somewhere, and suddenly the room was filled with light. ¡¸Th, this room is amazing.¡¹ The magic circle that seemed to have teleported us was still faintly visible at our feet. Looking ahead, I see a sturdy chair and a desk of a type I¡¯ve never seen before. On the desk, there were many stones of strange colors, evenly spaced, which I imagined to be some kind of magical device. ¡¸This is¡­ a magic device from the ancient civilization, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Do you know about it Alice?¡¹ I guess she knows a lot more than me, a mere citizen. I asked Alice what this was. ¡¸It seems that tens of thousands of years ago, the world had an incredibly advanced civilization. They ruled the skies and dove to the bottom of the oceans. It is said that humans ruled over all species.¡¹ I¡¯ve heard about ancient civilizations. The powerful weapons and armor that can sometimes be found in dungeons are the legacy of ancient civilizations. The lights came on and I looked around. First of all, we seem to be right in the middle of the room. This room is spread out in a circle around this spot. There are stairs facing each side of the room, and it seems that we can see the lower level from here. The floor is made of a material I¡¯ve never seen before, slippery but not as hard as stone, and flexible. The outside of the room, like the desk in front of me, was lined with well-formed stones at even intervals, reminding me that this entire room was a collection of magical devices. ¡¸I¡¯ve never seen a magical device of this magnitude before. Maybe it¡¯s the world¡¯s first.¡¹ Alice was trying to figure out what this magical device was with a difficult look on her face¡­ ¡¸The first thing we need to do is figure out where we are.¡¹ We¡¯ve been sent here by a magic circle. The light may come back with time, but for now, we should do what we can to investigate. ¡¸Hey, Elt. I¡¯ve noticed something.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ Alice taps me on the shoulder and turns her attention to me. She points to the desk in front of me. ¡¸This shiny part looks just like the shape of my pendant, doesn¡¯t it?¡¹ There are three hollows in the ground, shining with a pale light. As Alice said, the ¡°emperor¡¯s pendant¡± would fit in there. ¡¸C, can I try to fit it in?¡¹ She asked me a question in a fearful manner. ¡¸The pendant is probably the reason you were transferred here. If that¡¯s the case, maybe placing it will help things along.¡¹ I decided to do so and told Alice to set it up. ¡¸I knew it would fit.¡¹ Alice took the pendant off her neck and slipped it into the device. Then¡­ ¡ºI¡¯m going to activate the system. Brace for impact.¡» A voice echoed through the room. Then¡­ ¨D¨DGogogogogogogo¨D¨D ¡¸Kyaa!¡¹ As warned, the ground began to shake with a violent impact. ¡¸Whoa, that was close!¡¹ I held Alice in my arms as she was about to fall. ¡¸Th, thank you, Elt.¡¹ Alice looked up and stared at me. But¡­ ¡¸Hold on for now.¡¹ The shaking became more and more violent. I could hear things breaking and falling outside, and I realized that the whole building was shaking. How long did I have to endure this? I spent a good amount of time holding Alice in my arms¡­ ¡¸E, Elt-kun! That!¡¹ Before I knew it, the ceiling and walls were reflecting a landscape. Reflected in the darkness of the night were clouds drifting around. Strangely enough, even though I was looking at the scenery outside, there was no sign of wind coming in. ¡¸Is this¡­ projecting scenery onto the wall?¡¹ Alice is the first to notice the mechanism. Then¡­ ¡ºThe system has been activated. You are now ready to register as the master.¡» An unfamiliar voice rang out. CH 80 ¡¸Who are you!? Where are you talking to me from!?¡¹ There was no one in the room except for me and Alice, and no spirits or demons seemed to have appeared. I pay attention to Alice¡¯s movements and keep an eye on my surroundings. ¡ºI¡¯m going to ask you to register as the master. What is your name?¡» The owner of the voice emotionlessly said without answering my question. ¡¸What is wrong with you!? Show yourself!¡¹ I took out my Balmunk from my inventory and pulled it out. ¡ºPlease register as the mater. Your name, please.¡» But the owner of the voice just repeats the same words and completely ignores my call. ¡¸¡­Alice, what do you think?¡¹ I couldn¡¯t decide what to do about their reaction, so I asked Alice for her opinion. ¡¸I think that this room itself is a giant magical device. I think the voice is just saying a predetermined line.¡¹ ¡¸Why would it do that?¡¹ I furrowed my brow at Alice¡¯s speculation. Alice continued her explanation. ¡¸The magic devices in huge facilities such as adventurer¡¯s guilds and castles are also the legacy of ancient civilizations, but while they have great performance, they are inconvenient in that they only work if the user is registered.¡¹ ¡¸I thought that the adventurer card was a great feature, but¡­¡¹ It¡¯s very useful to be able to accumulate rewards and keep track of monsters you¡¯ve killed. I thought it was current magicology technology, but I didn¡¯t know it was a magical device from an ancient civilization. ¡º¡­Please register as the master. Your name, please.¡» ¡¸Anyway, it¡¯s clear that this is a magical device, and we shouldn¡¯t leave it like that. We¡¯d better register first.¡¹ Alice thought about it as if she was troubled and finally came to a conclusion. If Alice, who knows more about handling magical devices than I do, says so, then I should accept her suggestion. ¡¸It¡¯s Elt. Is that okay?¡¹ ¡ºI¡¯ve registered my master¡¯s name as ¡®Elt.¡¯¡» After a while, a reply came back. It seems that the registration was successfully completed. ¡ºI¡¯m going to explain about this facility, Sky Castle.¡» ¡¸W, wait a minute!¡¹ I was relieved, but not for long. The next words that came out of the owner of the voice made me impatient and I waited. ¡¸Alice, does this sound similar to you?¡¹ I can¡¯t contain my excitement, so I ask Alice a question. If she has the same perception as me¡­¡­. ¡¸This sounds familiar! It¡¯s a legendary castle from mythical times! They say the gods live here!¡¹ I knew it. There is a fairy tale that we have heard since we were children called the castle in the sky. It is said to be a castle where the gods reside, a magical place filled with magic, unseen delicacies, and unheard-of tools. The characters in the story use all their wisdom, courage, and luck to reach the castle in the sky. Those who succeed in reaching the castle will be granted an audience with the gods and will be rewarded with glory. There is a story that a hero once visited this castle in the sky and was given a legendary weapon to defeat the world-conquering Demon King. It¡¯s a story that my parents used to tell me when I was a kid. ¡¸Hey! Is this really the Sky Castle?¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­..¡» Alice asked the question, but there was no response. ¡¸Um, can I ask you something?¡¹ ¡ºYes, please Master.¡» ¡¸E, Elt will ask my question.¡¹ It seems that Alice¡¯s question was not answered and she had a complicated look on her face. ¡¸Are you sure this is the castle in the sky?¡¹ ¡ºI don¡¯t understand your question. We do not share the same understanding.¡» Is that so? I don¡¯t know how much time this voice has spent in this place, but it¡¯s enough to make a fairy tale. A lot of years must have passed. ¡¸Um, from what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s a castle that floats in the sky and flies around the world¡­ Yes, the story goes that the gods live there.¡¹ I tried to explain it somehow, remembering the fairy tale. ¡ºIt¡¯s true that it flies in the sky. But ¡°Gods¡±? There is no such master registered.¡» ¡¸I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s like a magical land like Magenkyo, full of magical power, and there are foods and tools I¡¯ve never seen before.¡¹ ¡ºMagenkyo? The celestial castle possesses a ¡°Magic Power Furnance¡±, so magic power can be created infinitely, though. Food? It¡¯s not something I need, so if Master wants, he¡¯ll have to make it himself.¡» It seems that there is a facility called a ¡°magic furnace¡± that is generating magic power. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a facility. If it could generate magic power at will, that alone would destroy the balance of the world. ¡¸Elt-kun.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ I put my hand to my chin and pondered over the tremendous amount of information, and Alice spoke to me. ¡¸The fairy tale land of magic is a magical furnace. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t the food be a status-enhancing fruit?¡¹ ¡¸That certainly makes sense¡­¡¹ If you¡¯re cooking with status-enhancing fruits, it¡¯s safe to say you¡¯re in for a treat you¡¯ve never had before. ¡¸So, Elt-kun. I¡¯ve just realized something¡­.¡¹ Alice said, looking around fearfully and dismissively. ¡¸I wonder if this thing is flying right now?¡¹ ¡¸What nonsense, it¡¯s just an image of the sky. If it¡¯s really flying¡­.¡¹ ¡ºYes. The castle is currently floating at an altitude of 3,000 meters above the ground.¡» ¡¸Eh?¡¹ The voice replied as I was trying to deny Alice¡¯s remark. CH 81 ¡ï ¡¸Elt. Ehehehehe¡¹ Serena heard Alicia talking in her sleep, and her shallow, stagnant consciousness came to the surface. When she opened her eyelids, she saw that starlight was shining in from outside. It was dim, but not so dim that she couldn¡¯t see what was going on in the room. She looked to her side and saw Alicia asleep with a happy look on her face, hugging Serena. ¡¸¡­Jeez. You¡¯re sleeping well.¡¹ It was a little hard to breathe as she was being held against her chest as if she was being crushed. Serena realized that it was probably because of this that she had been awakened. Serena squeezed Alicia¡¯s breasts without hesitation. It was not as big as Marie¡¯s but close to it, and her fingers sank into it. ¡¸Ya, Ah, ah¡¹ The softness was so comfortable that Serena was rubbing Alicia¡¯s breasts in a daze, partly because she was waking up from sleep. ¡¸I wonder what the human race¡¯s food is like. I don¡¯t know what they eat to grow so well¡­.¡¹ The Elven woman¡¯s breasts were not that big. Her¡¯s are not the biggest in the village, but they are proportional enough to be counted from the top. ¡¸Ah, but Alice¡¯s weren¡¯t too big, right? Maybe that girl is the norm.¡¹ When I was harvesting status-enhancing fruits during the day, I checked her style as she was climbing a tree in light clothing, and although she was definitely bigger than me, she was completely outshone by Alicia. (italics) When she was thinking about that¡­¡­. ¡¸Don¡¯t Elt~. Everyone is here.¡¹ Alicia¡¯s voice oozes joy as she speaks words of rejection. She moves her hands and wraps them around Serena¡¯s back, letting out a feverish exhale and opening her eyes briefly. ¡¸¡­Serena, what are you doing?¡¹ Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as she realized that it wasn¡¯t Elt that she hugged. ¡¸You hear me, Serena? Don¡¯t just casually rub my breasts just because we¡¯re girls.¡¹ Alicia was lecturing Serena on the bed as she blushed and shielded her body. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. Alicia hugged me while I was sleeping, so I just touched you a little.¡¹ ¡¸Uu, I know that¡¯s bad¡­ I can¡¯t sleep well unless I¡¯m hugging something.¡¹ Serena thought Alicia¡¯s shy attitude was cute. At the same time, she wondered if Elt¡¯s preference was for this kind of woman who would want to protect him. ¡¸Well, if it¡¯s for me, it¡¯s totally fine.¡¹ It was painful to feel the pressure on her chest when she was hugged from the front, but there was no way she could carry a stuffed animal around with her on her journey. I¡¯d gladly give myself to Elt if he wouldn¡¯t hold me, Serena thought. ¡¸I¡¯m happy about that. I¡¯m not really into that side of things?¡¹ Alicia gave her a somewhat suspicious look in response. ¡¸I don¡¯t either. I just think your breasts are so big that I wonder what you eat to make them that way.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah? But it¡¯s not that good to have them big, though? Men will give you funny looks.¡¹ Alicia said and lifted her breasts to show them. Alicia then lifted her breasts and showed them to Serena, who stared in disgust¡­¡­. ¡¸Speaking of which, where¡¯s Elt?¡¹ Serena looked around the room and noticed that Elt was not there. ¡¸Huh? Maybe he¡¯s in the bathroom?¡¹ Alicia noticed this and looked around the room. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t look like Alice is here either?¡¹ Serena wondered if the two of them were out together. Alice had always treated Elt well, and there was no doubt that she had a sort of fondness for him. ¡¸I guess Alice and Elt don¡¯t have to worry about anything attacking them.¡¹ Alicia looked relieved. She did not think that Alice was looking at Elt that way. ¡¸Hey, Alicia. Aren¡¯t you too optimistic?¡¹ Alice was not only an attractive woman in Serena¡¯s eyes, but she was also a noble among the human race. If she were to seduce Elt, don¡¯t you think they would lose? ¡¸Well, Alice is royalty, and she said there are conditions for marriage. So don¡¯t you think we¡¯ll be fine?¡¹ They¡¯ve traveled together and they trust each other. Serena weakens because of Alicia¡¯s innocent smile. ¡¸Well, if Alicia says so, fine¡­ But I¡¯m gonna go look¨C¡¹ Serena thought to at least check what the two of them were doing, and tried to say so. ¡ª¡ªGogogogogogogogogo¨D¨D ¡¸Kyaa!¡¹ ¡¸What!?¡¹ They felt a big shake and hugged each other. ¡¸I, is it over?¡¹ ¡¸U, un. It seems to have stopped.¡¹ When they came face to face, they both gulped. The shaking had been so strong that they could hardly stand, and they had been terrified. ¡¸Do you think this is Elt¡¯s work?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I think so. Elt does strange things when I¡¯m not looking.¡¹ They both agreed that the shaking was caused by Elt. ¡¸Wh, why don¡¯t we go outside for now?¡¹ Alicia muttered. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here. First of all, let¡¯s meet up with Elt and ask him what he did. (italics) With that in mind, the two of them got off the bed and walked out of the room. ¡¸It looks like the building itself is undamaged.¡¹ Serena, who had good night vision thanks to living in the forest, checked her surroundings. ¡¸Serena, the entrance door is open.¡¹ Alicia noticed that the entrance they had come in through was open and pointed. ¡¸Let¡¯s go outside for now.¡¹ Serena said, and the two of them went outside¡­ ¡¸What¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸Where are we¡­.?¡¹ There is no ground beyond the walls surrounding the castle. The sky is surrounded by clouds, and the stars are strangely close. The two of them stood stunned with their mouths open at the sight of something they had never seen before. CH 82 ¡°Th, this is 3,000 meters high?¡± I asked back, my voice trembling. The words were so ridiculous that I couldn¡¯t think straight. ¡°Yes, Master. This castle is currently operating at an altitude of 3,000 meters above the ground.¡± The shaking that we had just experienced was probably due to the castle¡¯s flight into the sky. And so¡­. ¡°We came here from that transfer magic circle. Can we activate that thing now?¡± I was worried about Serena and Alicia, who I had left behind in the Evil God¡¯s castle. Because I don¡¯t know where we are and we need to go back. ¡°Please wait for 2 hours, 35 minutes and 19 seconds for the emergency maintenance to finish.¡± ¡°E, emergency maintenance? Is there such a thing?¡± Alice had a drawn out look on her face, but probably she won¡¯t come back soon. ¡°Well, it looks like there¡¯s no point in panicking for now. Could you tell me about this castle in the sky?¡± If I could go back in time, it wouldn¡¯t be the worst situation. I decided to ask a few questions. ¡°I see¡­ The legacy of the ancient magic civilization¡­¡± It seems that 10,000 years ago, there was an advanced magic civilization. It seems that in that era, the human race ruled over all races, and there were vehicles that could fly in the sky, artifacts that could control the weather, and many other items of great power that we cannot imagine today. However, it seems that this civilization was destroyed for some reason. What could have caused the destruction of such an advanced civilization? I looked at Alice and saw that she had a serious expression on her face. She¡¯s read a lot of literature, so I¡¯m sure she has an idea. Anyway, the voice replied that this castle is a magical device that is outstanding among the civilization of 10,000 years ago. ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve been answering me for a while now. What kind of being are you?¡± It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re answering our questions, so it must have some kind of consciousness. ¡°I am the artificial intelligence that controls all of the devices in the sky castle. My official name is Expellius.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll call you Ex then.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ my name?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard to talk without you having a name.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll register my name as Ex.¡± I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s happy about it, but it registered the name, so I¡¯ll call it Ex from now on. ¡°By the way, this sky castle works, right?¡± If the legends are true, then it should be able to fly. I¡¯m listening with anticipation¡­ ¡°Yes, you will need three keys in total to move the castle.¡± ¡°So¡­ you can¡¯t move it without them?¡± I hadn¡¯t expected to be able to move it unconditionally, but it didn¡¯t seem to work out so conveniently. To my dismay, Ex continued it¡¯s explanation. ¡°The first key is the Emperor¡¯s Pendant, which activates the Sky Castle. This is the reason why the entire facility is filled with magic power and I am able to move.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The magic circle that brought me here didn¡¯t react when I got on it, but it started to glow when Alice came, it might be necessary for me to get to this room. ¡°Y, you gave me such an outrageous gift so easily?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t expect it to be that big of a deal.¡± Alice also noticed this, and her cheeks tensed up. She had no idea that the item she had been gifted was the key to activate this thing. ¡°What are the other two?¡± I asked, to which it simply replied. ¡°The other two are the Ring of Gospel, which provides a barrier to the Sky Castle, and the Wall Breath, which controls the Sky Castle.¡± Alice and I looked at each other with a subtle look on our faces. CH 83 Serena: ¡°Hee, so this is the Sky Castle?¡± Serena looked at her surroundings with interest. Ex: ¡°Yes, this is the control room for the Sky Castle.¡± Ex replied to Serena¡¯s question. After the teleportation magic circle was restored, Alice and I went to the magic circle to get Serena and Alice. Alicia: ¡°And yet, here you are, wondering if we¡¯d disappeared together.¡± Alicia stared at me and Alicia Alice: ¡°Hahaha, sorry, the magic circle in the room got activated and it brought me here.¡± Alice made this excuse to Alicia. Elt: ¡°But more importantly, this place is really awesome.¡± When I opened my hand, I told them what the control room was like. Elt: ¡°You won¡¯t believe it, but we¡¯re floating in the sky right now.¡± My childhood friend Alicia and I have heard the fairy tale about Sky Castle. I was telling her with excitement¡­ Serena: ¡°Yes, I know. Because we could see it from where we were.¡± Alice: ¡°Eh?¡± Elt: ¡°What did you say?¡± The words startled Alice and me. Serena: ¡°Could it be that neither of you knew where this place was?¡± Serena made a dubious expression and continued. Serena: ¡°This is the Evil God¡¯s castle, remember? We were thinking that you disappeared, when the ground shook. So we went outside and found the Evil God¡¯s castle floating in the sky. This control room is probably somewhere in a higher level of the castle.¡± I didn¡¯t realize it until she said it. I was aware that the teleportation magic circle was something that carries you far away, because I used one to get here when I was the sacrifice. Ex: ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. This control room is located in the upper levels of the central tower of the Sky Castle.¡± Ex came up with the supplementary explanation. Apparently, she was right. Elt: ¡°So it¡¯s one of the rooms we couldn¡¯t get into¡­.¡± When I escaped from the castle, I didn¡¯t have the gospel ring with me, so I couldn¡¯t enter the rooms with closed doors. Probably one of the rooms we went through led to this place. Serena: ¡°So, Elt. What do you want us to do for you?¡± Serena tilted her head as I was thinking. Elt: ¡°Aah, it seems that I need three keys in total to control this Sky Castle. One of them was the Emperor¡¯s Pendant that Alice had, and the other two were the Gospel Ring that I gave you, and the Wall Breath that I gave to Alicia.¡± Alicia: ¡°I, is that so?¡± Alicia rolled her eyes at me. Elt: ¡°So, I¡¯m really sorry to ask you this, but could you place your wand in the hole there?¡± Alicia: ¡°Uh, like this?¡± When I asked her to do this, Alicia was puzzled, but she inserted the Wall Breath Staff into the hole. Alicia: ¡°Woah! It¡¯s shining!¡± Ex: ¡°The second security is deactivated. The Sky Castle is now open for flight.¡± Ex¡¯s voice echoed. I was skeptical, but it seemed that these were the keys. Elt: ¡°Then next is Serena then. Please set the Gospel Ring next to Alice¡¯s Emperor¡¯s Pendant.¡± She was about to hand over the ring, but Serena tilted her head. Serena: ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Elt just place it there?¡± When I tried to explain, Ex¡¯s got ahead of me. Ex: ¡°The owner of the three keys and Master must be different individuals. Master is not recognized as the holder of the keys because he already has the authority as the Master.¡± It seems that this is a defense mechanism for the Sky Castle. It¡¯s too dangerous for this magic device to be moved by an individual¡¯s own decision. Therefore, the master who can give orders to Ex and the owners of the three keys must agree to place the keys in place. Serena: ¡°Hmm, I see. I guess I have no chance then.¡± Serena took the ring and slipped it into its place. Ex: ¡°Final security release. This castle is now in flight mode.¡± Serena: ¡°Kyaa!¡± Alicia: ¡°Whoa!¡± Serena and Alicia lost their balance and hugged me. Ex: ¡°We are now moving to an altitude where there are no obstacles. 3500¡­4000¡­5000¡­We¡¯ve got the altitude secured.¡± When the shaking stops, I look around. There are more clouds than before, and the sky is a darker shade of blue. Ex: ¡°We are now at a flyable altitude. Which way should we head, Master¡­¡± Ex asks, and I¡­ Elt: ¡°Then, please head south to the capital of the Erivan Kingdom.¡± I replied, overwhelmed by the sight I had never seen before. CH 84 ¡ï One after another, carriages come into the royal capital of Erivan. All of them are high-class carriages, with coats of arms painted on the front. The same phenomenon is occurring in the cities around the capital, and the gates are closed each time. The true identity of the carriages are the representatives of the countries scattered throughout the world. This time, the kings of each country were given the unprecedented news that the evil god was defeated. The person who accomplished this was said to be a simple, ordinary young man. At first, the kings were skeptical, but when I told them that we interrogated him with the Orb of Truth in the temple, they were convinced. When I told them that the hero who had defeated the evil god would be unveiled here in the Erivan Kingdom, they gathered from all over the world. The story of how he defeated the Evil God is still being kept under wraps, as there are a number of groups that would act inappropriately if they knew about it at this point. That¡¯s why the people of Erivan are puzzled by the huge commotion, but the city is revitalized when people pass through. Representatives from various countries were arriving one after another, bringing goods with them, and the royal capital was more crowded than ever. Hermes King: ¡°And yet, it¡¯s only two weeks until Hero-dono¡¯s unveiling party.¡± The Hermes Kingdom is located across the Erivan Kingdom. The King was looking down on the castle from the window of the guest room that had been prepared for him. They rushed to Erivan as soon as they could to arrange their schedule due to the proximity to the country. Minister: ¡°Yes, so far it appears that Kopac, Kiana and Ninana have arrived and are conducting diplomacy in addition to our own.¡± The Minister of Foreign Affairs who I had brought along reported the situation. It would be a shame to leave this matter as a mere unveiling party. There has never been an occasion in the history of the world where representatives of various countries have gathered like this. It¡¯s only natural for a politician to take this opportunity to strengthen the ties between countries. Hermes King: ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve gotten a few invitations to parties.¡± There are only a few countries that have arrived so far, so it will only be a face-to-face meeting, but the Kingdom of Hermes has also brought their third princess with them. Minister: ¡°If you¡¯d like to join us, shall we bring Esther-sama?¡± Hermes King: ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sure each country is bringing their daughters, but there¡¯s no need to involve them.¡± Each country brought a daughter of the age of the royal bloodline. Marriage is the best way to strengthen the ties between counties. I can¡¯t marry off the first princess, but if it¡¯s the second princess or lover, I might consider it with conditions. The conditions in this case are¡­. Hermes King: ¡°Did you find out where this hero is in the castle?¡± The countries are after the hero who had defeated the Evil God. In addition to getting unprecedented achievements, he¡¯ll also get a reward for defeating the Evil God. It was only natural that they would not be able to use force, so it was the same for all of them to think of ways to win over him. The reason why kingdoms, including Hermes, rushed to Erivan was to make contact with the hero before the other kingdoms and win him over. Minister: ¡°That¡¯s¡­. Apparently, he¡¯s away from the capital and won¡¯t be back until just before the party.¡± Hermes King: ¡°Why isn¡¯t he in the royal capital at this time? Erivan sure got us¡­¡± No matter how tight their security is, there is no way to restrict the actions of the hero who defeated the Evil God. If such an act was exposed, Erivan would be criticized by the other countries for mishandling a hero. Hermes King: ¡°I was going to draw him into a relationship with my daughter while I was at it¡­¡± It looks like I was wrong. I¡¯ve been informed that the person I¡¯m dealing with used to be just a simple citizen. It¡¯s always women who are effective with men of their age. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve taken the trouble to bring the third princess, who is reputed to be the most beautiful woman in Hermes. Minister: ¡°Well, that means we don¡¯t have to be on the lookout for each country¡¯s moves.¡± It can¡¯t be helped. The King of Hermes thought that even if the advantage disappeared, the princess of his own country would get involved. Hermes King: ¡°And where is Hero-dono?¡± I don¡¯t know what he was thinking, leaving the castle at this critical time. Minister: ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure I understand the actions of a hero.¡± The people in each country who were wrong may be thinking the same thing. That¡¯s what the Minister of Foreign Affairs thinks. Minister: ¡°How can I help you, my King?¡± Hermes King: ¡°I, impossible. What is that thing?¡± The Minister of Foreign Affairs thought it was disrespectful to see the King¡¯s shocked expression, which he rarely saw, but as he approached him, he looked out the window. Minister: ¡°W, what is that!?¡± The inhabitants of the royal capital have already noticed, and there is a commotion in the castle that seems to have caught fire. Hermes King: ¡°My goodness. It¡¯s just one unbelievable thing after another.¡± The King of Hermes was sweating cold as he gazed at the castle floating in the distant sky. ¡ï CH 85 Elt: ¡°That¡¯s great. We¡¯ve made it back to Erivan in just half a day.¡± I ordered Ex to move the castle, and when I saw the castle town of Erivan on the screen, I shouted out in excitement. Alice: ¡°This device alone is enough to turn the world upside down. Elt you¡¯re going to get a lot of attention.¡± Alice told me, breaking into a cold sweat. On the way, she acted as if she was worried about my safety and told me about the possible movements of the countries¡­ Elt: ¡°If it comes to that, I¡¯ll run.¡± I had been depressed by the weight of its contents, but it was blown away thanks to the Sky Castle¡¯s ride. Serena: ¡°I hardly felt a tremor even though we were moving.¡± Ex: ¡°That¡¯s because we have a perfect shield deployed and gravity control.¡± Ex replied to Serena¡¯s murmur. Alicia: ¡°Look, Elt. The castle town is so small. The view from up here is amazing.¡± Alicia tugs on my arm and turns her gaze to one of the images. In this Sky Castle, there are image projection crystals everywhere, and the images projected by the crystals can be seen in this room. Ex: ¡°I can zoom in on the image, shall I?¡± Elt: ¡°Yeah, go ahead.¡± I nodded at Ex¡¯s suggestion, and one of the images on the screen was enlarged. The image of the royal capital of Erivan shows a castle, and the image of the castle shows a room. On the screen, there is a mature man in a high costume, looking at us with a surprised face. Elt: ¡°Amazing. We can spy on every country we want with this.¡± Alice: ¡°But, don¡¯t you think they¡¯ll know when we approach?¡± I grumbled at Alice¡¯s words. The crystals were showing the city, and without exception, the inhabitants were pointing at us with their open mouths. Alicia: ¡°You can be proud to have ridden in the Sky Castle.¡± Next to me, Alicia was muttering happily. Alice: ¡°But Elt-kun. This is not a good situation for you.¡± I nodded my head at Alice¡¯s words. Alice: ¡°For the Erivan Kingdom, an unidentified object has suddenly appeared over their territory. Worst case scenario, they might attack us.¡± Alice is certainly right. If it were the other way around, I¡¯d be worried. Elt: ¡°Marie, are you there?¡± Marie: ¡°Yes.¡± I call out and Marie appears. Elt: ¡°Tell the Prime Minister we¡¯re back and that the castle is safe.¡± Marie: ¡°All right. I¡¯m going.¡± Marie nodded and flew to Erivan Castle. Elt: ¡°Ex, can we get down this castle?¡± We can¡¯t stay afloat forever. I asked her if we could get down to the ground. Ex: ¡°No problem. May I go down now?¡± When I looked down, I could see a street and a few other houses scattered here and there. Elt: ¡°No, you should go down to the nearby plains.¡± I decided that it would be better to go to an empty place, even if it was a bit far from the royal castle. Ex: ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll land.¡± Serena: ¡°Kyaa!¡± Serena¡¯s scream could be heard. The swaying started with Ex¡¯s words. Apparently, it shakes when it moves up and down. After a while, we descended to the plains. A few hours after we descended, the King of Erivan and the Prime Minister appeared. I asked Marie to give them a message, and they replied ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way.¡± In addition to the knights, there were various other people standing behind the two of them, perhaps onlookers. ¡°Well, it looks like you¡¯re back early.¡± Elt: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to this castle.¡± The original plan was to return in two weeks, but the speed of the Sky Castle was so great that we were able to get back in no time at all. Elt: ¡°More importantly, do you mind if I leave this here for a while?¡± I looked at the Sky Castle that was floating slightly above the plains. As for entry and exit, you can go on the transfer magic circle directly back to the control room. In order to enter the castle, you need to have an entry pass issued by Ex. Without this pass, you cannot enter the control room even if you go on the transfer magic circle. I can assure you that there is no danger of intrusion because there is a barrier above that can only be destroyed by an Evil Beam. Since security is guaranteed, I¡¯d like to keep it here. The Prime Minister¡¯s reply was¡­ Prime Minister: ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine, but¡­¡± The Prime Minister replies with sweat pouring down his forehead. I have Marie explain to him what this is all about. King Erivan: ¡°But first, Elt. I would like to confirm one thing¡­.¡± When the Erivan King says this, Bishop Hugo comes forward with the Orb of Truth. His forehead was sweating profusely and his cheeks were thin. He doesn¡¯t look too well, so if he¡¯s sick, he needs to rest. Elt: ¡°You can ask me anything.¡± I nodded and King Erivan asked me a question with a stern look on his face. King Erivan: ¡°What is that?¡± He pointed to the Sky Castle. The people around were watching bated breath. I nodded once and looked around to make sure everyone here could hear me. Elt: ¡°This is ¡®Sky Castle¡¯, a lost magic device.¡± ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Wh!!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹ Bishop Hugo: ¡°¡­.i¡­.t¡¯s¡­.true¡­¡± In the midst of everyone¡¯s astonishment, Bishop Hugo¡¯s thin, exhausted voice was carried away by the wind. CH 86 There was a strange atmosphere at the party. The food was lavishly prepared, and the drinks were unlike anything that had ever been served at any luxury party before. The participants were gossiping about how much effort the organizers had put into this party. The people participating in this event were all from the privileged classes that control the countries in this world, including the Erivan Kingdom and the Irkut Kingdom. When powerful people get together, it¡¯s obvious what they do. Diplomacy. People from all over the world were invited to attend this party, and it served as a great opportunity for countries that hadn¡¯t been together for a long time to interact with each other. Each country is bringing their top nobles, daughters and sons, led by the king. Needless to say, their aim was probably Aim. Two weeks ago, the Sky Castle appeared in the sky above Erivan. The people were confused, and the king himself stopped in to fix the situation. It was Elt who arrived with the castle, and the king decided to impose a restraining order. However, there were too many witnesses. It quickly became known that Elt was the owner of the Sky Castle, and all the countries asked to see him. ¡°But when is he going to show up?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the hero¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Rumor has it that he is very godly.¡± However, the security around Elt is so tight that no country has been able to make contact with him, and everyone is waiting for him to appear. The Erivan Kingdom¡¯s security can be passed. This is because each country had brought a skilled secret agent with them. Since they worked together, no one would be able to compete with them. Even so, it was because of Marie that they were not able to contact Elt. The presence of the wind spirit queen who can hide herself is the worst match for a secret agent. The secret agents who took advantage of Erivan¡¯s gap to enter the castle were also blown away by Marie¡¯s magic, and got piled up in the castle¡¯s courtyard. A boy who defeats the Evil God and gets all the bounty. A boy who controls a castle and rules the sky. A boy who controls the Spirit Queen at will and easily dispatches assassins. All sorts of rumors circulate in the country, but the nations know that they are true. This is because the Sky Castle and the scouts have affirmed the rumors. If we judge by the facts in front of us, diplomacy by threat of force or aid is pointless. Elt has the reward for defeating the Evil God, and Elt is the only person in the world who has magical facilities such as the Sky Castle. In the fact of the Sky Castle, any gift of high quality magic tools will only make it less attractive. Each country¡¯s bargaining chips are naturally limited. That¡¯s right, women. Even though he is a hero, he is still a young man. Even if his materialistic desires are satisfied, the other things are not. So, the representatives of each country dressed up the ladies they brought with them and kept each other in check so that they could be the first to speak to the hero when he appeared. ¡°Whoa, looks like it¡¯s about time?¡± A man was searching for signs of his surroundings with a glass of wine in his hand. A messenger gave an earful to the Ervian¡¯s King, and a few waiters stood at the door. Even though no one had told them to be quiet, everyone in the hall was silent and focused on the door. ¡°The hero is about to enter. Please welcome him with a round of applause.¡± There was a commotion as the door opened. The boy who entered was dressed in a tailsuit and had a somewhat attractive atmosphere. There was also a beautiful woman who linked arms with him. CH 87 ¡ï The gazes of everyone in front of me gather. All of the participants were dressed in high class clothes, and their appearance was elegant. With their gazes fixed on me, I was impatient at the unfamiliar situation. The party hall was large, and there were people looking down at me from the entrance with glasses of wine in their hands. The look on his face was somewhat smug, but he didn¡¯t hide his interest, and I knew I was being judged. Alice: ¡°Come on, Elt-kun. Don¡¯t just stand there, let¡¯s walk.¡± Alice was pestering me from my side. She is wearing a red dress that is open at the chest and has her arm wrapped around my left arm. I always thought she was beautiful, but it seems that she wears makeup for special occasions like this, and the people around her seem to be captivated by her beauty. Elt: ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± I called out to her to keep pace and we walked into the party where everyone was waiting. Random Noble Lady A: ¡°I envy you that you have enough wealth to buy a country at such a young age.¡± Random Noble Lady B: ¡°I heard that you own the Sky Castle from the fairy tales. I¡¯d like to take a ride in it.¡± Random Noble Lady C: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you defeated the Evil God. I¡¯d like to ask you to teach me some martial arts.¡± As we entered, people rushed in as if they had been waiting for us. The eyes glazed over, reminiscent of fierce beasts, and people were closing the distance between us. Elt: ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± When I backed away from such people¡­ Alice: ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m sorry, but Elt-kun is not used to this kind of situation. Please be gentle with him.¡± When Alice said this, the people in the room turned their attention to her. ??: ¡°I believe you are Princess Alice of the Ilkut Kingdom?¡± Alice: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re Princess Mona from Kiana, right?¡± Mona: ¡°Did you know that?¡± She looked surprised, perhaps not expecting to be told her name. Alice: ¡°I met you at a party when my father brought me to your country before, right?¡± Alice, with a dazzling smile, said and took Princess Mona¡¯s hand. Mona: ¡°I¡¯m thrilled that you remember me, even though we didn¡¯t exchange a few words.¡± She looked back at the delighted Princess Mona. Alice: ¡°You are the second Prince from the Kopac kingdom, and you are the duchess of the Ninana Kingdom, right?¡± Alice guessed their name one after another. She overwhelmed the people around her. Random Noble Lady D: ¡°B, by the way, what is Princess Alice¡¯s relationship with Hero-sama?¡± One of the people I was talking to asked me a question, as if they had become more comfortable around me. Her gaze turns to my arms. Alice is still hugging me as she has been since a while ago. The stares of the people around me became tighter and tighter. Alice: ¡°Fufufu, how do I look?¡± Alice put her hand over her mouth and smiled. Elt: ¡°I¡¯m not used to going to parties, so she¡¯s am escorting me to make sure I don¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± Alice refuses to tell the truth, but if I left her alone, the misunderstanding would spread, so I opened my mouth. Random Noble Lady E: ¡°W, well. I thought you two were dating because you were such a beautiful combination.¡± Elt: ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Alice is only accompanying me out of the kindness of her heart.¡± In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure what I¡¯m saying is true. I don¡¯t know the etiquette of royalty, nobility and their parties. The reason why I¡¯m arm in arm with Alice is because I asked her to support me during the party. Random Noble Lady F: ¡°Well, then, if you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you join me in going around the hall?¡± Then one of the ladies reached out her hand to me. Alice: ¡°Cough. Elt said that he would escort me today. Or perhaps you¡¯d prefer a flower in each hand?¡± Elt: ¡°No way, I¡¯ve decided to dedicate this time to you, Alice.¡± Alice: ¡°Ara, I¡¯m so glad.¡± Alice looked pleased as she got closer to me. Alice: ¡°Well then, we have to greet the others. I¡¯ll leave you now.¡± Alice then pulled my arm and walked away. CH 88 ¡ï The party had been going on for about an hour. Serena was in a corner of the hall, dressed in a pale green dress. ¡°Uuuuuu, I can¡¯t believe Alice got stuck with Elt like that.¡± Serena¡¯s cheeks puffed out in frustration as she looked towards the crowd of the people. Her gaze locked on Elt and Alice in the center of the crowd. ¡°We have no choice. We can¡¯t support Elt.¡± Alicia, dressed in a light blue dress, said this as she brushed her hair up with her right hand. In the first place, this proposal was made by Alice to Elt. There are etiquette rules for parties of royalty and nobility. This includes dancing with your escort partner, greetings, and so on. If Elt were alone with another woman and said those words, he might have been subjected to something unpleasant. Alice had taken on the role of guarding Elt to prevent that from happening. ¡°Is that what you want, Alicia? Alice is going to take Elt away from you, you know?¡± ¡°Uuu¡­. That¡¯s¡­.¡± I consider Alice to be a beautiful woman. She has ideal proportions and a beautiful face that attracts people. There¡¯s no guarantee that people won¡¯t fall in love with such a woman, even if it¡¯s Elt, when she interacts with him in a friendly manner. ¡°B, But¡­ I can¡¯t take my eyes off Marie-chan either, since Elt asked me to look over her.¡± Alicia looked at the table and saw Marie eating a pile of food on her plate in one gulp. ¡°It¡¯s so good! Aren¡¯t you two going to eat?¡± Unlike usual, Marie was dressed in a light yellow dress. Serena took out a handkerchief. ¡°Marie, you¡¯ve got some on your mouth.¡± ¡°Uniya. ?¡± She wiped her mouth. Since they had traveled together so far, Marie looked as vulnerable as Serena made her look. The reason why the girls are here in the first place is because Elt has asked them to take care of Marie. Serena, who contributed to the defeat of the Arc Demon, as well as Elt, were invited to the party. Alice, the representative of Irkutu Kingdom, had been invited to the party. Alicia and Marie hadn¡¯t been invited to the party, but they heard that there would be a sumptuous feast, as it was a party for royalty and nobility. As a result, Marie, who has a keen eye for good food, said that she would be at the party. Marie is the Queen of the Wind Spirits, but at the first glance she looks like a beast. However, her beauty is so far from humans that she stands out from her surroundings. Unleashing such a presence at the party would cause more trouble than Elt. That¡¯s why Elt asked Alicia and Serena to stay with her as her chaperones. ¡°Well, if this happens, the three of us will just have to enjoy ourselves.¡± Since this was a party, Alicia and Serena had the same desire to be escorted by the person they wanted to be escorted by. But at a party like this, where all the high class people gather, they are of a lower rank. Only Alice could silence the women who flocked to Elt. ¡°This is delicious, you have to try it.¡± Marie held out a fork with food stuck in each hand. Alicia and Serena laughed and they ate the food. ¡°It sure is delicious.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never had anything like this before.¡± Serena and Alice covered their mouths with their hands and said what they thought. The three of them, enjoying their time together in harmony. ¡°Excuse me. Ladies, may I have a word with you?¡± Three men dressed in tuxedos and with their hair all back were standing there. ¡°Um, what is it?¡± In this case, Alicia, who had some experience in dealing with royalty, took care of it. ¡°I saw the pretty flowers blooming in the party hall, so I called out to them. If you wouldn¡¯t mind, would you give me the honor of escorting you this evening?¡± The three men, led by the man who called out to them, smiled. Their white teeth shone brightly, and a young lady who had been watching them from a distance let out a squeal. As the men waited for the three girls to respond with grace, Serena said. ¡°Hmm, we¡¯re fine, we¡¯re just having fun.¡± ¡°Ha? Eh?¡± The men, who hadn¡¯t expected to get rejected, had their mouths open and made silly faces. ¡°B, but! I¡¯m the third prince of the Saichii Kingdom!¡± In his own country, his prestige would have been valid. ¡°S, so that beast woman over there. How about you? If you come with me, I¡¯ll give you better dresses and decorations.¡± The other men began to insist. ¡°I must refuse. The only person who can dress Marie and touch her is my Master.¡± ¡°Um, what about you¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine too. I hope you all enjoy the party.¡± They¡¯ve been dumped by Serena, got sleeved by Marie, and got softly rejected by Alicia. The three of them walked away with their shoulders slumped. In this kind of situation, if they persist, they will get embarrassed and it will interfere with the rest of the party. ¡°What was that about?¡± ¡°Well? Now that the interloper is gone, let¡¯s eat our dinner.¡± ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± The three of them tilted their heads, but the initial approach of the men was only the beginning. All three of them were beautiful girls with exceptionally good looks, even at this party. If they succeed, they would make perfect companions for the night. The men began to call out to each other in turn. The three of them turned them down, bewildered by the men attacking them one after the other. It was no wonder. They already had someone in mind and had even confessed their feelings. These three were the top three shooters for the day, and the rejected men were left to console themselves with a drink in hand. ¡ï CH 89 ¡°Phew, that was exhausting.¡± I let out a sigh and loosened the tie that was strangling my neck. ¡°Hey, Elt-kun. The party isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Alice whispered into my ear. ¡°But then again, I don¡¯t have time to eat my food because they keep greeting me one after another.¡± The sumptuous dishes that had been laid out on the table at the start of the event were already devoured, and everyone was enjoying the conversation with a drink in hand. I was looking forward to tasting some of the most sumptuous food I¡¯ve ever seen, but the constant round of greetings prevented me from eating any of it. ¡°You¡¯ll be invited to parties regularly from now on, so why don¡¯t you just eat the food then.¡± Alice handed me one of the cups she had received from the waiter. The contents of the cup seemed to be wine. The rich aroma caresses my noise, and the red liquid naturally makes my throat burn. ¡°Fuuh! It¡¯s delicious!¡± Alice¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as I gulped it down in one gulp since I had been standing and talking. ¡°Elt-kun, you know you shouldn¡¯t chug those things, right? It¡¯s common sense to toast to me first and then compliment the woman you¡¯re escorting¡­¡± ¡°I, isn¡¯t it alright to do that when we¡¯re alone?¡± I had no idea that there were etiquette rules even for a single glass of sake, and my face contorted as I looked at Alice. ¡°Well, there aren¡¯t that many people who follow such detailed etiquette.¡± Alice sipped from her cup as she looked around. I can¡¯t help but be grateful for Alice¡¯s suggestion, as she has been searching for the enemy while I¡¯ve been distracted. I was especially grateful for the two weeks she spent with me before the party started, teaching me everything I needed to know. She taught me everything from dance practice to costume fitting. She made sure that I wouldn¡¯t embarrass myself at school. ¡°You were really helpful this time. Thank you.¡± ¡°What is it, all of a sudden?¡± Alice¡¯s eyes widened as I suddenly thanked her. ¡°Because if it weren¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve been thrown in the middle of all these people and I would have been helpless.¡± I had gotten used to the killing intent from the Evil God and the other vicious monsters, but I wasn¡¯t used to people whose intentions I couldn¡¯t read just by looking at them. Sometimes they would ask me about politics, but as I didn¡¯t have any knowledge, I had no way to answer. Some of them offered to donate money for the Evil God¡¯s bounty, but it was really helpful to have Alice here. If it hadn¡¯t been for her, I might have been offered some strange deal or been scammed. When I thanked her again, she said.. ¡°It¡¯s not like I was only doing it for you, Elt. I just thought it would be a pity for Alicia and Serena if you had a strange woman attached to you.¡± It didn¡¯t sound like a joke. I¡¯m getting a lot of hot looks from the ladies at the party, and a lot of stares from the boys. I¡¯m sure half of them are just jealous because I was with Alice, but¡­ I was staring at the source of the problem, Alice¡¯s profile. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re feeling, Elt-kun, but don¡¯t ignore the woman who confessed to you and turn your attention to another one.¡± Alice moved her face to stare at me. ¡°Yeah, I swear I¡¯m not going to do anything half-hearted.¡± As I answered, the atmosphere of the party began to change. The musicians took the stage and began to prepare their instruments. ¡°It looks like the place is warming up. Let¡¯s hope you can take it from here.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m ready to go home.¡± Alice¡¯s words made me cringe. I¡¯ve been told that it¡¯s going to be dancing from here on out. The first person to dance is always Alice, but it seems that at parties like this, you change partners when the music changes. Since this was a social event, it was necessary to dance with as many partners as possible, and it seemed that Alice had to play the role of a princess on this occasion. Therefore, it is expected that I¡¯ll be asked to dance by the ladies whom she has been restraining so far. ¡°That might be a good idea. If you want, why don¡¯t you take me out of the party?¡± Alice reached out her hand to me. I took her hand and pulled her into a hug. ¡°I just said I wouldn¡¯t do half-hearted things.¡± I glared at her and began to dance to the music. ¡ï ¡°My plan failed this time.¡± A young man and woman were dancing in the party hall. The music just started, so the music was slow and relaxed. In the midst of all this, the people around me were paying attention to the dance of a beautiful man and a beautiful woman who caught my attention. The man¡¯s movements were somewhat awkward and his face was stiff, but the woman was assisting him well, making it a beautiful dance. The man was moving awkwardly at first, but after the woman whispered something to him while he was dancing, he seemed to have lost his tension and was smiling. This was probably his true expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Ilkut Kingdom to be so blatant about it.¡± ¡°However, the hero¡¯s hometown is Ilkut, and this time it was a sacrifice from there that defeated the Evil God.¡± Basically, the hero who accomplished the Evil God¡¯s defeat becomes neutral in order to balance the power between nations. But no matter what, the influence of their own homeland would remain. Even if the other countries denounce the situation as ¡°unfair¡±, they would not be able to pursue the matter further because the answer would be ¡°We are just talking because we know each other.¡± This is because the other countries think that there was a certain amount of communication between the kingdom and elt, especially since the sacrifice was prepared by them. ¡°Is she the first princess of Ilkut, Alice-sama?¡± In front of everyone, Alice was smiling with an elegant fake smile on her face. However, the gestures she makes show how close she is to Elt. ¡°If Ilkut¡¯s princess were to become his wife, it is still possible that we would be able to be his second or third wife. In any case, it will be after this song is over.¡± The ladies became wallflowers. Some of them have been asked to dance, but they were waiting to dance with Elt. If they can make an impression by dancing here, they¡¯ll have an excuse to invite him to the tea party later. If I can get to that point this time, I¡¯ll be good. However, one of the people who was watching this relaxed his mouth. ¡°I think we might be able to work something out with Princess Alice.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± One of them tilted his head, asking the question. ¡°I have some information about the First Princess of Ilkut. It seems that she¡¯s pledged herself to the temple.¡± ¡°Hoh. Can you tell us more about that?¡± Everyone in the room was intrigued by his words, and they began to talk about getting rid of their common enemy, Alice. CH 90 The only sound in the room was the sound of a pen tracing a piece of paper. There was an office desk against the window, and a business meeting sofa and table facing each other in front of the chair I was sitting on. All the furniture looked expensive, and I wondered how much I could buy with just one piece of furniture. ¡°Cough¡± I picked up a new document, read the contents and ran my pen over it again. Similar documents were piled high on both sides of my desk, and a sigh escaped my lips. I was concentrating on my work for a while, but I couldn¡¯t help but look up. Diagonally behind me. There was a girl standing by the window. She was dressed in an elegant dress and was holding a tray in front of her with both hands. In terms of age, she is not so different from Marie. She had a petite body and light pink hair. Her purplish-red eyes are staring at me without saying a word. The girl¡¯s name was Laura, I believe, and she didn¡¯t seem to have any reaction to me if I was looking at her, whether our eyes met or not. The person herself told me that she was the secretary that the Irkutu Kingdom had given me to verify the documents this time. ¡°Yes?¡± Laura tilts her head and asks me a question. Usually, I see Marie¡¯s boisterousness, which is¡­ Too much for her at this age. No, of all the people around me, I¡¯m too calm. ¡°No, it bothers me when people stare at my back.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± Laura then approached me and gathered up the papers she had signed and set them on the desk with a thump. As she approached, I could smell her perfume. It must be the scent of some kind of flower, but since I¡¯ve never smelled it before, I have no idea. Judging by her appearance, it must be something expensive in the market. Laura walked away as if she didn¡¯t care about me, carrying her papers. ¡°Hey, do I have to do all this?¡° For the past few days, I¡¯ve been holed up in my office. The Erivan Kingdom has been kind enough to lend me a room, but I¡¯m getting tired of it. ¡°These documents are a list of things that were given to us by each country as a thank you for defeating the Evil God. Some of them are mansions and expensive magic tools. You need to sign the receipt as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± I heard that they are grateful for the Evil God¡¯s defeat, and they have prepared mansions in various countries. In addition, there were many other gifts, such as expensive jewelry, and armor, that I could not use, and I needed to read the instructions on what I received and how to handle them. She left the room in silence. I let out an involuntary sigh of relief. I let out a sigh of relief, for I had been working in a heavy atmosphere for the past few days. Laura doesn¡¯t talk much, even when she¡¯s in the room. When I ask her a question about a document, she explains it to me in a way that i can understand, but when she¡¯s finished, she closes her mouth and returns to her position. The frozen expression on her face was like that of an elaborate doll, and it was hard to relax when she was staring at me. Now that the pressure is off, I decide to do a little work while Laura is away. She¡¯s making arrangements so that I can concentrate on my work. She¡¯s in the office earlier than me in the morning, and she seems to be working quietly while I¡¯m having dinner with Serena and Alicia. She was definitely an excellent civil servant as she was sent by the Ilkut Kingdom. I need to finish the work as soon as possible and return her to her country. My concentration gradually increased. I read, signed, and finished clearing out about half of the pile of papers. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± After a knock on the door, it opened and Laura returned. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve finished quite a lot.¡± I reported the results of my work to Laura. But she gave me a flat voice. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°Um¡­. Laura-san?¡± ¡°I told you to call me Laura, didn¡¯t I?¡± Sweat trickles down my back. I ask Laura a question as if I¡¯m looking at something I can¡¯t believe. ¡°Laura, what is this?¡± I see a pile of papers piled up high in her arms. ¡°Extra. Some of them are urgent, so I¡¯ve cancelled our dinner plans for this evening.¡± With that, the papers were slammed onto the desk. To such a girl¡­. ¡°¡­Seriously?¡± I replied, while dropping on the desk. CH 91 It¡¯s been a week since I started doing the paperwork. Thanks to the hard work I put in every day, the number of documents I had to look through has been decreasing, and I¡¯ve been learning a lot of political matters from Laura while I work. She taught me how to manage my territory, and the hierarchy of royalty and nobility. She also taught me how to give orders to others. I wondered when I would need to use it, but it ended so abruptly that I missed my chance to ask. Laura is much more knowledgeable than I would have expected from someone so much younger than me, and her lessons were easy to understand. This made me curious and asked questions, and I¡¯ve had more conversations with Laura over the past few days. Her cold demeanor was still the same, but I resigned myself to the fact that it was due to her personality. Today, I¡¯m going to visit the office to learn something from her while I¡¯m taking care of some paperwork¡­. ¡°Our plans for today are to attend a hunting festival organized by Prince Dogeu.¡± When I opened the door, Laura was standing in place, flipping through some papers. Then she took one look at me and told me the plan for today, which I had never heard before. ¡°No, what do you mean?¡± ¡°There have been a lot of people who have asked me to ¡®match¡¯ with you, or they throw a party and they want you to attend. I¡¯ve been turning them down because I¡¯ve prioritizing the document verification, but it was getting hard to turn them down¡­¡¯¡± Alice had told me that there would be more invitations to parties and such. I had been thinking as I read the documents that I hadn¡¯t received any invitations at all, but apparently Laura had shut them out. I was bored with the paperwork, which was fine, but I wish she had told me a day before. ¡°¡­What¡¯s a hunting festival anyway?¡± It¡¯s not that it didn¡¯t happen when I lived in town. The hunters from the town would come into the forest and kill animals and come back. It was customary to compete on the weight of the prey they hunted at that time. ¡°Why not some other kind of event?¡± I was a citizen, so I had never hunted before. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, we can change it to a tea party for princesses and noble ladies.¡± I imagined myself at a tea party full of women, holding a teacup. ¡°No, the hunting festival is fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve put together the profiles of the participants here, so please take a moment to read through them before you leave.¡± I flipped through the stack of papers that Laura had given me. It was quite thick, but on each sheet, there was a description of the participant¡¯s country of origin, friendships, hobbies and specialties. It was written in beautiful letters. I¡¯m sure it was Laura who wrote it, since I see her writing every day. It must have taken a lot of work to prepare the profiles of the participants so that I would not be embarrassed. ¡°Thank you.¡± I tried to express my gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s my job. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± But she was still as unsociable as ever. ¡°This is the Hero, Elt. Thank you for accepting my invitation to the Hunting Festival among the many other events. I hope you enjoy it, since I¡¯ve gathered a group of people close to your age today.¡± He greeted me in an exaggerated manner. I remembered the profile of the man in front of me. He is the second prince of the Galaseya Kingdom and his name is Dogeu. The kingdom is of moderate size, but it has a strong diplomatic policy of neglecting its people. He seems to have a bad habit with women, and there are always rumors about him. I greeted him politely, but he looked at me with a somewhat condescending gaze, and the people behind him smirked at me. As I watched, Laura poked me in the back. Apparently, she was also going along on the hunt, and unlike usual, she had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, making it look way easier to move around in. ¡°Thank you for inviting me to this hunting festival.¡± "" Ignoring the smile on her face, I put my hand on my face and leaned my upper body forward a little as I learned from Laura, and gave a noble greeting. When I gave a polite greeting, Dogeu said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep last night, thinking that I would be able to see the prowess of the famous Hero.¡± Basically, royalty does not bow down to others. In terms of status, it was explained to me that I would be higher than him, as I was supposed to receive the title of the Saint, but Dogeu did not return my greeting, perhaps because he had not received it yet .In the background, Laura was annoyed. It seems that she was annoyed by Dogeu¡¯s lack of courtesy. ¡°The bow, by the way, may be a commercial product?¡± ¡°Yes, it is, but what is it?¡± It was only a few minutes ago that I was informed about the hunting festival. Even this bow was hastily lent to me by the Erivan Kingdom. ¡°You are a hero, aren¡¯t you? And you¡¯re bringing a commercial weapon to hunt with? ¡±No, no, I just got the message and I didn¡¯t have the time to choose a weapon.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already defeated the Evil God, so I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t have to choose one.¡± The cronies behind him laughed in unison at his mockery. "" I can see it clearly now. It seems they want to humiliate me and embarrass me. There are people like this everywhere. I guess they wanted to get involved with me, especially since I stood out for my achievements in defeating the evil gods. ¡°Isn¡¯t it rude of you to suddenly announce your plans a night before!¡± I heard an angry voice from Laura. It seems that the reason why she didn¡¯t tell me the day before was because we were forced to participate. ¡°Then again, it¡¯s the kind of bow a common soldier would use. Look at mine.¡± Dogeu said, showing his bow. ¡°This is a bow made by a master craftsman and is called the Sylphid. When I release the arrow the wind spirits assist me in thrusting it into the target. It¡¯s a weapon worthy of me, don¡¯t you think?¡± I looked at it and sure enough, wind spirits were flying around the weapon. They seem to be reacting to the jewels scattered on the bow. ¡°It¡¯s not all about the weapon. No matter how good your weapon is, if you¡¯re not a good hunter, you won¡¯t be able to kill your prey, right?¡± ¡°Wh, what did you say!?¡± Laura was indignant and threw it away. Dogeu was furious. ¡°Hmph! You think you can hunt better than me with a store-bought bow? Then let¡¯s make a bet.¡± "" ¡°A bet is it?¡± I don¡¯t want to take it if I could. I frowned. ¡°If hero-dono loses¡­. How about having the Ilkut Princess stay with us for the night?¡± In this case ¡®a night¡¯s company¡¯ would be a nobleman¡¯s secret phrase. Dogeu stretches his nose and looks at Laura. I¡¯m not going to accept this kind of match. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Laura replied first. CH 92 ¡°Kukuku. That went better than I expected.¡± Dogeu smiled as he rode his horse down the road. ¡°I was just trying to humiliate him, but I didn¡¯t expect to be able to get the Ilkut¡¯s Princess.¡± ¡°Besides, he has taken a fool¡¯s bet. I can¡¯t wait to see his cocky face contort.¡± Dogeu smiled disgustingly and motioned for his cronies to laugh. Originally, this hunting festival was set up by several kingdoms. There are many people who do not like the hero Elt, and some of them acted to humiliate him. ¡°Did you really think he defeated the Evil God? Isn¡¯t it just something that the temple made up?¡± ¡°Not at all. He doesn¡¯t look very strong at all. Perhaps he just happened to be in the place where the Evil God died of age.¡± Even though there has been deliberation by the Orb of Truth, some people do not believe it. They believe that the Temple is using Elt to control the people. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to beat him with this hunt. That¡¯s why I brought out my treasure bow.¡± Dogeu looked at the beautiful bow in his hand with fascination. The bow was blessed by the spirit of the wind, and when the arrow was released, the spirit of the wind increased its power and controlled the direction in which it went to pierce the prey. I have used it on several hunting trips and have been amazed at its accuracy. ¡°All we need now is to find our prey¡­¡± Dogeu was itching to try out the bow as soon as possible. ¡°Prince Dogeu. We have found our prey.¡± One of his followers came back and pointed in a certain direction. His cronies kept their mouths shut, and Dogeu looked in that direction. Then, a few hundred meters away, he saw a medium-sized monster. ¡°Big Boa. Good find.¡± There were trees and leaves growing along the straight line, and since the Big Boa could only occasionally be seen through the gaps, it was usually not easy to kill it. Dogeu guarded the arrow and squeezed it, then aimed and released it. ¡±Brilliant!¡± The arrow flew as if it were dodging plants and trees, and as soon as it accelerated, it plunged into the big boar. ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± Flattered by his cronies, Dogeu looked pleased with himself. ¡°As long as there¡¯s prey, I can kill everything within a few hundred meters that is in range. Keep finding them at this rate.¡± Clenching his bow, Dogeu gave instructions to his followers. ¡ï ¡°Why did you accept the match?¡± Since then, I¡¯ve set some rules. The hunting festival is attended not only by Dogeu, but also by royalty and nobility close in age to each country. Dogeu seemed to be hunting with a few of his cronies and declared that each team would share the prey they hunted. In the first palace, this kind of hunting is supposed to be done by dividing the roles among friends, and it is much easier to do it if there is someone to look out for the enemy and track them down. I heard that at hunting festivals, you basically have to work as a team. On the other hand, it was just me and Laura. It¡¯s also a disadvantage in terms of numbers, so I let out a sigh. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine since he¡¯s agreed to it?¡± "" Laura nodded her head in response to my protest. I don¡¯t know whether to agree or not, since Alice is not here, ¡°I guess we just need to not let it get the best of us.¡± I¡¯m thinking about apologizing to Alice later, and Laura makes the connection. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Laura shakes her head at my question. She said as she held out the cane in her hand. ¡°The most important thing when hunting is to be able to find your prey. I can use Search magic, so it¡¯s not a problem for me to locate prey in the forest.¡± ¡°I see, so Laura can find the prey and I can hunt it.¡± No wonder she accepted the challenge so easily. She must be that confident in her own magic. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s give it a try.¡± I said, and carried my bow into the forest. ¡°There¡¯s a rabbit over there.¡± The grass swayed where Laura had pointed her staff. I could see that something white was through the grass. I took out an arrow from the tube on my back, placed it in my bow and pulled it out. The commercially available bow is unreliable and changes shape as it receives my power. I take aim and shoot the arrow at the wild rabbit that flickers in my vision. ¨CWhoosh¨C The arrow moves forward with the sound. My target, a wild rabbit, is only a few dozen meters away. -Gasasasassaa- ¡°You missed.¡± The arrow I shot snatched the rabbit¡¯s side and flew to the back. At that moment, the wild rabbit, realizing that it was being targeted, cowered in the grass and ran away. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll look for the next one.¡± Perhaps because I hadn¡¯t been able to kill the prey, Laura let out a sigh and looked deep into the forest. She was staring at the forest as if something was bothering her, but then she raised her wand and began to use magic. She closed her eyes and let the magic unfold. Since she is using search magic, all creatures in the vicinity are captured by her. The time spent searching for prey is reduced to a minimum, so this will allow her to find a few more. ¡°I guess the problem is me.¡± I looked at the commercial bow. There is a sensation of being pulled just by putting a little effort. This makes it unreliable and likely to break if I put too much force on it. No matter how well you can find your prey, if you can¡¯t hunt it, you lose the game. If I¡¯m struggling¡­¡­. ¡°Who fired this arrow!!¡± A man emerged from the depths of the forest. Translator here, I¡¯ve caught up with the raws for Sacrifice, and I don¡¯t know when the author will post the next one. Last time the author posted was in July. They wrote that they¡¯re currently writing Volume 2 for the LN so I guess it¡¯s in Hiatus for now. And they¡¯ve also said that the Volume 2 of the light novel will be different from the WN. Do you want to see the LN translated as well? Let me know in the comments! CH 93 The angry man with the arrow was a man who had light green hair and dark green eyes. He looked a little older than me, around 20 years old, with shoulder-length hair and a fine clock and turban, indicating his high status. ¡°Um, I shot it, did you perhaps get hit?¡± ¡°It suddenly crossed in front of me and went through two trees! Be more aware of your surroundings when you¡¯re hunting!¡± ¡°Th, that¡¯s¡­..I¡¯m sorry.¡± I didn¡¯t think I put too much power into it, but it seems that the arrow flew further than I thought it would. ¡°It didn¡¯t hit me, so that¡¯s okay¡­.. More importantly, you¡¯re remarkable.¡° He forgave me surprisingly easily. But the man looked around me. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name is Elt.¡± ¡°I see, so you¡¯re the evil god-slaying hero, it seems your aura is no joke.¡± The man¡¯s words startled me. ¡°What ar¡ªWho are you? I¡¯ve heard that auras can only be seen by elves¡­.¡± If you don¡¯t have the charm status, you can¡¯t have an aura and you can¡¯t see it. That¡¯s what Yomi told me when in the elven village. ¡°You are Prince Leon of Glorizal, are you not?¡± I hear Laura¡¯s voice. I wondered if she had the profiles of all the royalty and nobility of all the countries in existence in her head. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Laura.¡± I thought about it, but it seems like they are just regular acquaintances. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think you were participating in the hunting festival, I don¡¯t think I saw your name in the list of participants?¡± ¡°The prince should make some effort to get along with the people of the same generation from all over the world, since they are gathered here. That¡¯s why I jumped in and joined.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural, since we royals always need trading partners to enrich our country.¡± ¡°Even if you say that, I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t go any further.¡± A very disgusted look appeared on her face. Prince Leon turns to me. ¡°As for what I am, Laura has just told you. As for why I can see auras, it¡¯s because I¡¯m a spirit user too.¡± I gulped at Prince Leon¡¯s words. ¡°My country has worshipped the Wind Spirit ¡®Queen¡¯ for generations, and there are people in the royal family who have been blessed by the spirits in the past, and occasionally someone is born who can handle it. I¡¯m one of them, I guess.¡± ¡°Is that so, Leon-sama¡­.¡± ¡°No, wait, you can call me Leon. Do you mind if I call you Elt, too?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine with me, Leon.¡± ¡°Then, nice to meet you, Elt.¡± We call each other by name. He said he wanted to talk to me about spirits, and I was thinking¡­¡­ ¡°Elt-sama, we need to get back to hunting, we¡¯re running out of time.¡± Laura interjected from the side. ¡°By the way, from the way you¡¯re dressed, are you also in on it?¡± When Leon saw Laura with her hair in a bun in the back, he looked surprised that she was participating. ¡°Yes, at first I thought of supporting Elt-sama, but then I made a bet with Prince Dogeu¡± Laura gave a brief description of the bet. Leon¡¯s face twisted into a grimace as he listened. ¡°He¡¯s still doing that¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Do you know him, Leon?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve had a history since I was a kid. I don¡¯t know how old he was, but I was at a party and he came over with some of his followers, so I invited him to play darts and embarrassed him.¡± In the party hall, there are various board games and other activities to relax, chat and deepen friendships. It seems that Leon, as a child, humiliated Prince Dogeu there by showing him the overwhelming difference in strength. ¡°At that time, he was forcibly inviting Sharley, who didn¡¯t want to go with him. As I recall, Alice was approached a few times as well.¡± My eyebrows twisted at the information Leon told me. ¡°That¡¯s why we don¡¯t have much time to waste with Prince Leon here. Elt-sama seems to be unskilled with the bow, so¡­.¡± It would be different if I practiced, but at this point, I couldn¡¯t say anything back. Anyway, while I¡¯m thinking¡­.. ¡°Well, let me join Elt¡¯s team. I was going to let it slide, but it¡¯s a lot more fun this way.¡± Leon joined our team. TL: The author has released vol. 2 of the LN, which takes a different route from the web novel, so updates will probably be more frequent. CH 94 ¡°Now, there are two ways to beat Dogeu.¡± ¡°Why is it that Prince Leon is in charge?¡± When we decided to form a party, Leon held up two fingers and began to explain. ¡°Let¡¯s hear him for a moment.¡° ¡°The first way is to hunt and kill more than they do.¡± ¡°¡­..That¡¯s a very straightforward approach.¡± Laura gives me a scornful look. Maybe it¡¯s because she knows him, but she is more expressive than she is with me. ¡°The other way is to not let him hunt his prey.¡± ¡°What exactly are you going to do?¡± Leon happily smiled when I asked him what he was going to do. ¡°The bow he¡¯s using is Sylphid, and thanks to the wind spirit embedded in it, so the arrows that he shoots are going to hit the prey without fail.¡± I¡¯m pretty sure he was bragging about his bow, but that¡¯s how it worked¡­.. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s me or Elt, we can command the wind spirit that resides in his bow to temporarily stop lending him power. That way, he won¡¯t be able to easily aim at his prey with his skills.¡± As if he didn¡¯t like Dogeu, Leon happily suggested. ¡°What shall we do? Elt-sama.¡± Laura waited for my reply, as if she was convinced by Leon¡¯s explanation. ¡°First of all, I can¡¯t command the wind spirits because the spirit I¡¯m under contract with is far away.¡± Marie is attending a tea party right now and eating delicious food. I could call her back, but she seems to be looking forward to it, so that would be a pity. ¡°Then I could do that, so what do you want to do?¡± I put my hand on my chin and thought about the options Leon had presented. ¡°The nature of this bet, if we lose, Alice will have to deal with him.¡± Cutting the bow¡¯s powers alone would not ensure victory. ¡°So I¡¯m thinking of going with both.¡± ¡°¡±Both?¡±¡± I told Leon and Laura about the strategy I was thinking of. ¡ï ¡°Damn it! You haven¡¯t reported any prey found since a while ago! What the hell is going on?!¡± Prince Dogeu was annoyed and lashed out at his cronies. ¡°W, well, that¡¯s the thing¡­.No matter how hard we looked, we couldn¡¯t find any prey¡­¡­There are traces of them nearby, but¡­..¡± There were signs of disturbed plants, so there was no doubt that creatures were in the area. ¡°Th, there¡¯s a wild boar over there!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± A crony spots a moving wild boar over a hundred metres away. ¡°From here, it¡¯s hit-or-miss.¡± Prince Dogeu took his arrow and released it with a powerful pull. ¡°¡±Wh!?¡±¡± The arrow, which had previously flown straight through the prey, flew in the other direction and disappeared into the grass. ¡°Prince, the wild boar is fleeing!¡± The wild boar, perhaps having noticed their presence, moved away quickly. ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s going on?!¡± He looked at his bow in disgust. ¡°Now you go and look for the prey!¡± Prince Dogeu shouted at his cronies. ¡ï ¡°Well, I guess we don¡¯t need to see the results.¡± Hunting time was over and we were heading back to base. The hunted prey is piled up in the group¡¯s respective camp. There were dozens of prey piling up in the camp of me, Leon and Laura, but Prince Dogeu seemed to have haunted only a few. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve won the bet now.¡± ¡°Guguguguu!¡± Prince Dogeu glares at Laura¡¯s words, his face turning red. ¡°So, you said that if we lose, the Princess of Irkutu will accompany you, what will you do for us then?¡± Laura gives him a cold look. ¡°You¡¯re not going to do whatever you want to a princess of a country, and not even think about the price you could pay, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Gugugugu, what do you want?¡± To Prince Dogue¡¯s chagrin, Laura takes a set of equipment as well as a concession in a trade between countries as a settlement for the bet. ¡°Then again, you¡¯re the one who thinks up the crazy stuff¡­.¡± On the way back after putting Dogeu away, Leon spoke to me with his arms folded behind his head. ¡°We¡¯ll let Laura search for the nearby prey and keep them away, and then we¡¯ll snatch any pray Dogeu might target.¡± This was the winning strategy that I had proposed. Leon said he could control the wind spirits, so I had him correct the trajectory of the arrow to kill the prey. That way, Dogeu would not be able to hunt anything, and our victory would be assured. It was a method that only became a reality because we were superior in individual strength. ¡°It was a good thing that we won, Laura. From now on, don¡¯t make these kinds of bets.¡± Back at the castle, on the way to my room, I stopped Laura. ¡°No matter what, betting Alice¡¯s¡­..body without permission is too much.¡± I shuddered just thinking about Alice being in the clutches of Prince Dogeu. ¡°Ah, if it¡¯s about that bet, it wasn¡¯t Princess Alice, but¡­.¡± Laura was about to say something. ¡°Ara, welcome back. Laura, you¡¯re dressed in a very unusual way.¡± Alice, whom I had just mentioned, walked by. She was attending a tea party and was wearing a dress and make up. ¡°How are you doing, Elt-kun? Did Laura cause you any trouble?¡± I was at a loss of words when she asked me this question. Because just before, I was asking a question related to this. ¡°I didn¡¯t bother him.¡± In the meantime, Laura was talking to Alice. While I was listening to the conversation¡­.. ¡°You¡¯re the one who needs to get a grip.¡± ¡°Onee-sama!?¡± At my shout, they both turned to look at me. Light pink hair and amethyst eyes. Although their expressions are different, they both have well-rounded faces that are¡­.similar¡­. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? That Laura is my sister?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I am Laura, the second princess of the Irkutu Kingdom.¡± It reminded me of the exchange that we just had. I realised that Laura had not intended to sacrifice Alice from the beginning, but had made herself the object of the bet. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Elt-kun?¡± I covered my face with my hands, feeling tiredness washing over me¡­¡­ ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I was depressed at the fact that I hadn¡¯t realised that these two people, who looked so much alike when placed side by side, were sisters. CH 95 ¡°Eh, you didn¡¯t notice it, Elt?¡± Whilst I ate my meal, Alicia looked at me with a surprised expression. ¡°No, because she didn¡¯t give me her title¡­.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s the princess of the country you lived in, though?¡± That¡¯s what she said but, ¡°In the first place, a farmer lives outside the walls, so they don¡¯t really know that kind of information.¡± Unlike the ones in the castle town, they have limited opportunities to get information. ¡°Maa, Elt, you didn¡¯t even know me.¡± Alice brought up our first meeting at the lake. ¡°What happened, Onee-sama?¡± Laura interjected with such a question as we ate our meal. What happened back then is supposed to be a secret between me and Alice. ¡°There was a discussion at the Erivan Castle to ascertain the truth behind the appearance of the Arch Demon. Alicia and I were there, but you didn¡¯t recognize me, did you?¡± Complaining, she cut the meat with her knife and brought it to her mouth. To them, that would certainly seem like our first meeting. ¡°And they really do look alike, don¡¯t they? It¡¯s like Laura has grown up to look like Alice. I wonder if she looks like her mother?¡± Serena leaned forward with her elbows on the table and looked at them. ¡°Yes, well¡­.That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not Laura¡¯s fault when it comes to her appearance.¡± The two of them spoke as a moment passed. ¡°B-But more importantly, Elt. I heard that you were very active at the hunting festival. Thanks to you, we¡¯re getting more and more attention, and people from all over the world are asking to meet with you.¡± ¡°That being said, I couldn¡¯t afford to cut out corners in case we lost¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± In response to Alice¡¯s question, I told her about my bet with Prince Dogeu. ¡°So, Elt did everything in his power to prevent Alice from becoming Prince Dogeu¡¯s consolation prize, huh?¡± Serena said, looking me in the eye as she finished her explanation. ¡°No, not really, that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s?¡± Alicia was also staring at me. For some reason, this created a strangely uncomfortable air for me¡­. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?! Laura!¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you, Onee-sama!¡± I was interrupted by two shouting voices. The next day, I went to the office as usual. ¡°Good morning, Elt-sama.¡± When I opened the door, Laura, who was holding some papers, turned around. ¡°Aah¡­Good morning.¡± She was acting normal, as if her argument with Alice last night had never happened. I sat down in my chair, trying not to touch the matter at hand, and started checking the documents. After working diligently for a while, I couldn¡¯t help but notice Laura¡¯s condition. Alice was seriously upset when I told her that she had offered her own body in a bet with Prince Dogeu last night. In the end, me, Serena and Alicia interceded, but I was worried because she was so emotional, which was unthinkable from her normal self. ¡°Haa¡­.¡± A sigh escaped in the office. ¡°Laura?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m very sorry, Elt-sama.¡± Perhaps thinking that she had lost her concentration, Laura bowed her head and apologised. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, but¡­¡± It was hard to see on her face, but she seemed to be down. ¡°It¡¯s understandable that Alice is angry. That just means she was worried about Laura, right?¡± It seemed to me that I had misunderstood Prince Dogeu, when he was indeed a terrible person. I didn¡¯t know him well, but that¡¯s how it was for me, so it must have been impossible for Alice and Leon, who had known him since childhood. ¡°It was the most effective way to silence Prince Dogeu there. I heard Prince Dogeu insult my sister at the party.¡± She confides in me the circumstances that she didn¡¯t tell me before. ¡°As a result, we have gotten a lot out of Prince Dogeu. His voice will be diminished, and it will be harder for him to mess with Irkutu in the future.¡± Laura touched on what she has gained as a result of the choices she had made. But that¡¯s not what Alice and I are concerned about. ¡°We did win, but that¡¯s just the result. What would have happened if we had lost? You would have been Prince Dogeu¡¯s consolation prize?¡± I made her imagine what she would have been subjected to. Then the blood drained from Laura¡¯s face. ¡°I can understand why you care so much about Alice, but don¡¯t put yourself in danger. I¡¯m not all-powerful. If it weren¡¯t for Leon, we might¡¯ve lost.¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m very sorry¡­¡± It may have been too much of a shock for a young girl. I let out a sigh and put my hand on her head. ¡°¡­.?¡± She looked up and gave me a curious look. ¡°That¡¯s why, if there¡¯s anything you want to do next time, let me know in advance. I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡± She then looked dumbfoundedly at me. CH 96 ¡°Elt-san, please sign these papers next.¡± A hand quickly reaches out from behind me and places papers on the desk. The document is in response to the disrespect that Dogeu recently showed and includes a promise to pay a not-so-cheap sum of money. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± I move my head to look behind me, and my eyes lock with Laura¡¯s. I think I was already a few steps behind you until yesterday¡­¡­ ¡°That¡¯s the last part of today¡¯s paperwork. When you¡¯re done, we¡¯ll have lunch ready for you, so let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°Eh? Already? I thought it would have been a bigger pile.¡± I¡¯ve seen piles of paperwork everyday and it suddenly seems like I have less work to do. ¡°I have a list of similar papers that you have just signed, and I have put together a list of them for you to sign.¡± I recall that there was indeed a document with beautiful handwriting and a bundle of papers underneath it. I remember it was very easy to do, just as Laura said. ¡°¡­That said, did you read that many documents and put them on one sheet with easy-to-understand explanations?¡± And that¡¯s not even counting the ten or twenty I signed. In other words, Laura had gone through dozens of times that many documents. ¡°I¡¯m used to reading documents on a regular basis. This is normal, right?¡± Laura says this as she tilts her head. It¡¯s obviously an unusual skill, but I guess there¡¯s no point in pointing it out here. I signed the last piece of paper and finished today¡¯s work. After work, Laura and I were having lunch together in the guest dining room. I sat at the host¡¯s table and Laura sat to my left. So far, she had not accepted my invitation to have dinner with me, but today, I asked her to join me and she agreed. ¡°Hee, Laura studied abroad in Glorizal until recently?¡± This would also give me a chance to ask what I have not been able to ask before. Thinking that she was Alice¡¯s younger sister, I felt a strong affinity for her, and I was talking to Laura. ¡°¡­Yes, exactly one year ago now.¡± She answered that as she glanced at me. I couldn¡¯t read the meaning of her gaze. ¡°What kind of place is Glorizal?¡± I happened to make a connection with Leon the other day, and I¡¯m curious about foreign countries, too. ¡°Surrendered by mountains, the country is covered in ice and snow for most of the year.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold, but then again, it¡¯s either that or a snow covered landscape¡­¡­¡± I can only imagine what a beautiful sight it must be. ¡°If you go north of the capital of Glorizal, you will find a sea called, ¡®North Sea¡¯. From there, many unusual goods and delicacies come in from abroad by boat, and the freshly caught fish is eaten raw or dried, and the taste is exquisite.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­Something I¡¯d like to visit.¡± Laura narrated it well and I was intrigued by the Kingdom of Glorizal. ¡°I believe there was a mansion on the North seam among the rewards. If it¡¯s you, you should have no problem passing through. If you are interested, you may want to visit once.¡± ¡°Right, that might be interesting.¡± I would have to discuss it with Serena, Alicia, and Marie, but it would be good to make a side trip before returning to Irkutu. ¡°But still, you¡¯re awfully knowledgeable. Did you learn about it because you were going to study abroad?¡± The princess must have done a lot of research beforehand if she was going to study abroad. I ask Laura the question¡­¡­ ¡°No, I suddenly had to study abroad, so I gathered a lot of information after I got there.¡± When she says that much, Laura puts the tableware down and looks at me. ¡°My father and sister hated me.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I was so shocked when I heard those words that my mind went black. CH 97 ¡°Hmm¡± Lying down on the bed, I was looking up at the ceiling, when suddenly Marie¡¯s figure filled my field of vision. ¡°Master, is something wrong? Does your stomach hurt?¡± Her rabbit ears were moving, she was floating mid-air and was facing me. ¡°No, I was just thinking for a bit.¡± At lunch, Laura¡¯s sadness could be seen on her face, she said her own father and older sister hated her. I don¡¯t know the king well, but I don¡¯t think Alice hates her. From what I have observed so far, Alice was righteous and good-natured, and did not seem like someone who would treat her close family in such a manner. ¡°Thinking¡­¡­Marie will solve it for you.¡± Marie swoops down and settles into my pocket as she says this. Her light green hair spreaded across my chest, and I could feel her warmth and softness all over me. I touched her and I could feel the smoothness of her touch on my hand, and Marie looked pleasantly surprised. ¡°Marie, what would you do if you felt someone close to you hated you?¡± ¡°Master¡­¡­ Are you referring to yourself or Serena?¡± Marie thinks with a raised eyebrow at the abrupt question. ¡°I don¡¯t want to! Marie no longer wants to go back to those lonely days! Even if you hate me, I want to be by your side!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about myself. I love Marie and so does Serena.¡± Marie presses her head against me. She has a horrific past, so this kind of delicate question was a mistake. ¡°Then, who is it about?¡± Once again, she opened her eyes wide and looked at me. ¡°Alice and Laura.¡± ¡°Ah. That smug-faced, obnoxious woman. She¡¯s taking away Master¡¯s time. ¡­¡­I¡¯m convinced.¡± Marie buried her face in my chest and muttered. ¡°Hey, Laura is not that kind of person. She was even putting together the paperwork for me today.¡± It¡¯s hard to tell because her expression doesn¡¯t change, but she is not the ruthless person Marie says she is. She is often misunderstood because she never smiles at those around her and performs her work without hesitation, but she is a normal girl who has her fears and can get hurt. As I was trying to rebuke Marie, ¡ª¡ªKnock, knock, knock¡ª¡ª ¡°You may come in.¡± The door opened and Alice entered the room. ¡°It¡¯s Alice!¡± Marie floats and I raise myself up. ¡°Sorry, I came so late at night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, we can¡¯t see each other unless it¡¯s this late.¡± After all, we are both busy every day with parties and training. If either of us wanted to have a quiet talk, we would have to visit each other¡¯s rooms. ¡°So, what can I do for you?¡± I asked Marie to leave the room, and I welcomed her in. ¡°Actually, I need to talk to you about my sister¡­¡­¡± Alice looked at me with a clinging expression on her face as she said this. CH 98 ¡°So, what did you want to talk to me about Laura?¡± In front of me, a cup of tea was being poured, and it was steaming. I tried to do it as I saw fit, but I couldn¡¯t figure out how much tea leaves and hot water to use, so I was pretty lax in my attempts. Alice looks down without sipping up, but she then looks up with determination. ¡°Actually, I think my sister hates me.¡± I was caught off guard by her words. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I can see when I look at her. Whenever I see her, she always complains, and when I talk to her, she only responds with the bare minimum.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­Did you do anything terrible to Laura that comes to mind?¡± I did not expect Alice to say the same thing to me as Laura. When I asked that, she put her hand over her mouth and pondered. ¡°Until recently, I had her studying abroad in Glorizal.¡± ¡°Ah, she¡¯s told me all about it.¡± She told me so much about her experience in Glorizal that I even wanted to see it myself. ¡°My sister¡¯s placement in Glorizal was largely at the request of my father and, primarily, me¡­¡­¡± Alice looks at me and her eyes are shaken. ¡°I think she probably resents me for that¡­¡­¡­¡± I wonder if that¡¯s true? As far as I could tell, Laura had no particular complaints about studying abroad. Instead, she seemed to be concerned that Alice didn¡¯t like her¡­¡­ ¡°I think you should talk to Laura about it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, because if I¡¯m alone with her, we¡¯re bound to have an argument.¡± The other day, I remember the two of them yelling at each other. Indeed, both Alice and Laura were not as calm as they usually are at that time. ¡°I think it might be a good idea to have a third party involved in the conversation. Why don¡¯t you get Alicia or someone in between?¡± Alicia was a good listener and often settled fights around her. Her presence into the room would allow them to talk more or less calmly. ¡°Yeah¡­¡­¡± Alice clenched her fists and turned over. ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll talk to you again. I consider Alice and Laura friends.¡± It was getting late. If we are alone for too long, bad rumours may start to circulate. I said this to Alice and sent her back to her room. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Elt? You give up now?¡± I¡¯m playing a game with Leon across the board. The squares are lined with pieces such as warriors and mages, and no matter how you look at it, it is tough to get back up from here. Thanks to Laura¡¯s hard work, we had finished checking the first kind, and when we had some time to spare, Leon came to visit and we played some games. ¡°No, I¡¯m having a bit of a problem. How can I get back on track with this relationship?¡± ¡°What, is there trouble among the harem you¡¯ve surrounded yourself with?¡± Leon happily brings his face close to mine and says ¡°I¡¯ll keep this between us, so talk to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re obviously enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡± I gave him a stare and accused him. ¡°It¡¯s all fun and games when it¡¯s someone else¡¯s harem squabbling.¡± ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed, I don¡¯t have a harem.¡± Alicia and Serena have confessed to me, but I don¡¯t understand love right now. Both of them are very important to me, so there is no way I would ever touch them. ¡°If two women were in a bitter dispute, how would Leon reconcile them?¡± From what I¡¯ve heard, he seems to be used to this kind of thing. ¡°I would let them have a heart-to-heart talk in a calm place.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask the question, and¡­ ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a vacation.¡± He said as he moved his pieces and defeated my king. ¡°Eh? Going on a vacation?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but it¡¯s kind of sudden, isn¡¯t it?¡± The day after I talked to Leon, I called Serena and Alicia and talked to them. ¡°I recently became friends with Prince Leon of the Kingdom of Glorizal. He invited me to his villa near the North Sea in his kingdom. I heard that fresh seafood is available this time of year, and he¡¯s going to treat me to it.¡± ¡°Fresh seafood¡­¡­.Sounds like fun.¡± Serena had never left the forest in her entire life. The first time she went to town, she ate fish dishes at a bar and has been interested in that kind of food ever since. She was intrigued by the idea of fresh seafood. ¡°Afterwards, I hear there¡¯s a private beach for royalty only, so we can swim in the open.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve been feeling a little tired lately, so I wanted to take it easy.¡± Serena and Alicia are both beautiful, so they get a lot of invitations to tea parties and invitations from men. ¡°Which means¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too, as long as I¡¯m with you.¡± I got their approval.